Tower of Terror - chicken exit?

[clairabell29]

Just be glad you know what to expect! My DH and I rode it in Feb '07. We did a last minute trip and I didn't have time to research the rides. It had been 10 years since I was at Disneyland and my DH had never been. The crowds were very low and the que started well inside. We were chattering, not listening to the screams. I thought this was a VIRTUAL REALITY ride. Imagine my shock and horror as the ride began to do its thing! When we finally got off I swore I'd never do it again. This is when I finally paid attention to the screams and looked up to see the people in the TOT looking over the park. IF only I had looked up before getting on I don't think it would have scared me so bad! I still have nightmares about it! Now that I know what to expect I want to ride it again but this time in the dark!

 

[LavenderPeach]

Just be glad you know what to expect! My DH and I rode it in Feb '07. We did a last minute trip and I didn't have time to research the rides. It had been 10 years since I was at Disneyland and my DH had never been. The crowds were very low and the que started well inside. We were chattering, not listening to the screams. I thought this was a VIRTUAL REALITY ride. Imagine my shock and horror as the ride began to do its thing! When we finally got off I swore I'd never do it again. This is when I finally paid attention to the screams and looked up to see the people in the TOT looking over the park. IF only I had looked up before getting on I don't think it would have scared me so bad! I still have nightmares about it! Now that I know what to expect I want to ride it again but this time in the dark!

That's so funny! I can't imagine being on TOT and not realizing what it did! Glad you're willing to try it again after going through that traumatic experience.

 

[disneyL0VE]

It's all a matter of opinion. What's scary to one person may not be scary to another person.

I third this comment !
If your gut is telling you to not go, then by all means, don't go.

My cousin's cousin&his wife (sounds funny huh?) & shyboy72's sister, they've never been on it before & they freaked out the first time but they all loved it at the end! My cousin's cousin still doesn't like it as much as we do, but he still goes on it with us so he won't be a party pooper

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

My 3 yr old dd went on it 2 times she loved it well not really and we got her a tot shirt and she tells everyone she went on it and it was fun.

She will not go on it again I tried to get her to go a 3rd time and it was a BIG no go. She does not like when the people dissappear on the ride and he says something to the effect of a nightmare. And also it tickles her stomach too much.

 

[mommaU4]

I went on ToT last weekend for the first . . . . and last . . . . time.

Did you Cheryl?? YAY!! I did too. Well, it wasn't my first time as I'd been on the one in WDW a few times but never the one at DCA.

I really did NOT want to. But the kids wanted me to try it, so I gave in. I kept my eyes shut the whole time though and sat on the inner edge so I could hold on better. It really wasn't that bad. But it will never be my favorite ride.

I'm happy that I can at least say I did it.

Yeah, I wonder what that is - headaches that develop over time in reaction to a ride. It is almost like delayed motion sickness! Or maybe something in the body chemistry changes as we age and the motion simulation affects it more when we are older than when we are younger. It is weird, but it seems to happen!

I used to love Space Mountain and Star Tours. Now those two rides make me so ill. I HATE them!

 

[Gisele]

I have ridden TOT, once so far, and quiet possibly that will be the last time as well. I love the architecture of the hotel, interior and exterior, as well as the decor and theming. I love the ghosts on the ride as well. What I was not expecting, is the reason for my possibly not going on TOT again. With the initial drop, I felt fine. However, with each subsequent drop, I began to feel what I believe is motion sickness. By the time the ride reached what would be it's last drop, I was looking for a way to get off of the ride. I was thinking, please ride stop, I feel like my heart is going to come out of my mouth. Is there a way to stop this ride? It was a most unsettling feeling for me. Not to mention a very awkward one at that! If it had not been for feeling like I was going to toss my cookies, by the time that experience ended, I would have "visited" the hotel again. I also ended up feeling a bit dizzy,I do not like feeling that way. It took about an hour for me to feel perfectly fine again.
I hated feeling that way, if for no other reason than the fact, that my friend did not, nor did anyone else seem to feel that way! I felt like an idiot! I know that one cannot help how they feel, but still, I was very disappointed with myself, for feeling that way.

 

[Sherry E]

I have ridden TOT, once so far, and quiet possibly that will be the last time as well. I love the architecture of the hotel, interior and exterior, as well as the decor and theming. I love the ghosts on the ride as well. What I was not expecting, is the reason for my possibly not going on TOT again. With the initial drop, I felt fine. However, with each subsequent drop, I began to feel what I believe is motion sickness. By the time the ride reached what would be it's last drop, I was looking for a way to get off of the ride. I was thinking, please ride stop, I feel like my heart is going to come out of my mouth. Is there a way to stop this ride? It was a most unsettling feeling for me. Not to mention a very awkward one at that! If it had not been for feeling like I was going to toss my cookies, by the time that experience ended, I would have "visited" the hotel again. I also ended up feeling a bit dizzy,I do not like feeling that way. It took about an hour for me to feel perfectly fine again.
I hated feeling that way, if for no other reason than the fact, that my friend did not, nor did anyone else seem to feel that way! I felt like an idiot! I know that one cannot help how they feel, but still, I was very disappointed with myself, for feeling that way.

I have a hunch you are not alone! Also, it took an hour of your time in the park after exiting the ride just to get your bearings again. That's not good at all, but I suspect others are in the same boat with you. I would also be interested in going in and looking at the decorations and all the stuff leading up to the elevator (I LOVE the "Twilight Zone" series and all things Rod Serling - that is one of my all-time favorite shows) but I would be the one bailing through the chicken exit right before the elevator and I wouldn't want to draw attention to myself, like, "Hey, everybody, look at the woman leaving through the chicken exit!" So it is not for me. I even get butterflies in my stomach just watching shows on TV about "extreme thrill rides" and I am not even riding them myself!

 

[avalon451]

It's very subjective.

DH, who used to love rollercoasters and thrill rides when we were younger, now doesn't do so well on them, although he'll still do them. When we did ToT, he came off it pale, sweaty and shaking. I was saying, "That was it? That wasn't bad at all."

When we went last week, DD13 had been swearing for months that she wouldn't ride it. But she did promise to try Screamin', and she ended up LOVING that, and every other ride she tried. So on our second to last day, I said quietly to her, "You know, you've loved every ride we've done, nothing has scared you or been too much. I think you would always wonder if you'd missed a great ride." So she tried it, and sure enough, she loved it! The interest of the ride is all in appreciating the theming and back story. The details in the hotel and boiler room are so cool, as is the imagery of the narration. If you are panicking about the drops, it kind of ruins all that for you, because you're not thinking about the atmosphere, you're just dreading the drops. The actual action part of the ride, the drops, last maybe 60 seconds, if that. The total experience of the ride is more like 10-15 minutes, depending on how long you stand in the boiler room waiting for your service elevator.

It wasn't my favorite, but I definitely liked it a lot! Compared to Screamin' and staring down those nearly 90 degree angles just before you drop, it's nothing.

 

[rszdtrvl]

I like coasters and love POTC, Splash Mountain, & Screamin.

One time on the TOT is enough for our family though. I think.

I had bad motion sickness our entire trip. I think it started on the airplane ride down there, very slightly, and just got progressively worse throughout our trip.

TOT was horrid. I was so dizzy and so nauseous that I believe it was after this that we left the park for lunch. And I ended up in the bathroom trying to get the color back into my face (I had motion sickeness in the dizzy sense, but never did vomit).

My next trip will consist of some heavy duty prescription (if possible) motion sickness medication. Maybe, just maybe, we will give TOT another shot. Possibly. But I won't hold my breath. (or maybe I will if we decide to go on again, LOL).

My son got one of the "I survived the Tower of Terror" lanyards after we went on. Because we all survived it, LOL.

 

[toocherie]

Did you Cheryl?? YAY!! I did too. Well, it wasn't my first time as I'd been on the one in WDW a few times but never the one at DCA.

Yes, Beth I did it during the Halloween tour! When they took the picture, Stacielee, Wendy, Linda and the girls all had their hands up in the air--whoo hoo. Me? I was grimacing and holding on to my seat for dear life. The weirdest part was the time when you go down and right back up (or maybe it was the other way around)--anyway--my purse, which I had on cross-body, was "floating"--very strange sensation.

I used to love roller coasters too. But not anymore. And Star Tours used to never bother me--but the last time or two I actually got queasy after. Haven't been on Space Mountain probably since the year it opened, so can't comment on that one. And Screamin? No way (at least not yet).

 

[Sienna]

Just do it.

 

[sacteach]

They'll even let you out once you're seated and the seat belt is fastened!

Though I've been on the ride MANY times and love it, I had to get off at the last possible minute when I went in March.

Potential TMI warning - I have IBS and my tummy wasn't feeling great in line, but I thought I would be fine and make it to the bathroom after the ride. We made it all the way to the elevator, I sat down even and put on the seatbelt, and then I knew that I wouldn't be able to ride. I asked the CM to let me out. At first he (and others on the ride - not my friends) just thought that I was scared and tried to convince me to stay. I just looked him straight in the eye, used my "teacher voice" and said, "Unlock the seatbelt, I NEED to get off this ride" and he did! I ran to the nearest bathroom and made it back just as my friends were walking off looking for me.

So, I know that they'll let you out even if you've sat down!