Tower of Terror & Expedition Everest...How bad is it?

[Cynister]

My DS (11) & I can be hesitant rollercoaster riders, but not always. We love Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, & Space Mountain. I get a little woozy in Star Tours, but I figured out how to master that during our last trip, so now it is no issue (rode it 4 times). Both of us did Mission Space Green once & will probably never do it again. Was not fun at all. Also during the last trip we were coaxed into riding Test Track, Soarin', & Rockin' Rollercoaster which we hadn't done before. All were really good. My DS loved them, Soarin' was slightly iffy to me (I think I must have a thing with simulation rides), but I figured out how to get through it pretty quickly without issue. After conquering Rockin' Rollercoaster, my DS announced during our next trip he wanted to do Expedition Everest. My DH quickly said that would mean we have to do Tower of Terror, because if we can't do ToT, then there was no way we could handle EE. I'm actually more ok with the idea of EE than ToT, I don't like the falling feeling & I've never been on that type of ride so I'm really not sure how I would do. My DS is pretty adamant about not doing ToT, but I'm trying to keep an open mind & encourage him to go on if it really isn't bad. What do you guys think based on what I've shared about our level of tolerance? Preferably I'd like to hear opinions or experiences from those of you who have similar situations & aren't die-hard, handle-anything rollercoaster people. If you are, great, but we just aren't of that mindset quite yet.

 

[Dramatic Muffin]

EE is like a glorified Big Thunder, with steeper hills. I think you'll like that. You might want to skip TofT of you don't like that falling sensation. Both are fantastic rides.

 

[apulk]

Tower of Terror is fantastic......definitely not more difficult than Rockin Rollercoaster. Expedition Everest is a great ride, beautiful, awesome theming, smooth and a must do. Our kids (25, 23, 18, 16) could ride it 10 times in a row if they could but DW and I can only do it once. The twists and turns of Rockin' Roller don't both us but the section where EE goes backwards creates a really woozy feeling in both of us. I try to keep my head from moving too much and focus straight ahead......same feeling that I get sometimes (not every time though) at Star Tours. ToT has never caused any problems for any of us.....could do it over and over again. Would definitely give it a try.....the theming does draw you in and add to the scare factor but it's more exciting than scary.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I hate drop rides but I managed to try ToT twice, just to make sure. And yep, I still hate drop rides. ToT has randomly number of drops, some short, some long. I might be better with it if I knew how many drops were coming, but the uncertainty is the real deal-killer here. I also don't like there isn't anything to hold onto in front of you. There are handles on each side of the seat but both photos show me clawing at the wall next to me (which is a grill so it offers a little something to hold onto to.

EE, I love. The drops are banked and smooth, so I don't get that stomach-dropping feeling. The backwards in the dark makes my head spin a bit, but overall, it is fun.

 

[emhaile42]

I've never been a big fan of drops either, or not knowing what's about to happen, but after I went on ToT the first time I was hooked. I did it four different times when I was there last month I was really anxious about it the first time, but once we stopped I was like "oh, that's all there is to it?" I think if you've done all the other big rides, you should be fine on it. You might even end up liking it!

For me, the worst part of Everest was looking at the height before getting on it. It didn't feel like we were up as high once we got on. I just have to remind myself not to look down!

The queues for both are probably my favorites of all four parks. The only downside is we used fastpasses for Everest once and didn't get to see most of the queue. We had time to go back on it later through standby so we could see it all though. I think if you guys are iffy about either, you can always look up ride videos so you know exactly what you're getting into!

 

[LoveThatMouse!]

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[LoveThatMouse!]

I can do round and round, upside down and backwards. The free fall kills me every time. Space mountain, Rockin Roller, EE = love love love!

ToT=Chicken Escape Route each time without shame. Tried it once. Did it twice. Been there done that. Never again

 

[karasmom]

MY 6 year old daughter would take unlimited trips on Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountains Railroad, Expedition Everest, 7DMT... she loves them all... (I personally could live without them all lol - not my thing)
we rode ToT the first time last December and she FREAKED out (so did I just not as loudly as her!) ... I could not get her back on that thing if I tried...she actually cried when it was over... She keeps telling me that she doesnt want to ride the "terror ride" in September... so...

I think it is completely different than all the other rides I mentioned...

 

[Michelle G]

My 10 year old son and I hated ToT!!! We rode it last November because my husband wanted us to. My son cried and freaked out, and he says he doesn't want to ride it when we return to Disney this year. On the other hand, my husband loves the ride. I'm not a fan of the free fall, and neither is my son who normally loves roller coasters. We got some funny pictures out of it but that was the only good thing!

 

[JRennie]

I'm also kind of a wuss. Such a wuss that I wouldn't even go on big thunder on our first trip. I forced myself into EE and ToT and they were both alot of fun. EE is actually my favorite ride and I drive my husband crazy by riding it over and over and over again. One morning we were on it 10 times in about 1.5 hours, super fun

 

[amym2]

I don't do big coasters and you couldn't pay me money to go on most drop rides, but I love both EE and ToT. Really the only WDW ride I'm not crazy about is RNRC, but I usually ride it once. Take me to any other theme park and I'm the person sitting and holding the bags. I say give them both a try!

 

[juliekzp]

EE is surprisingly intense for a roller coaster that doesn't go upside down, but I'd say it's comparable to RNR, and if you're fine on RNR then you'd be fine on EE. TOT is another animal entirely -- it is awesome, and I love it (as does my 5-year-old), but it is way more unsettling than a roller coaster. If your DS doesn't want to do it, I wouldn't force the issue. And if you don't like free falls, then you shouldn't do it either. The uncertainty of when you're going up or down, and rising an inch or so out of your seat when you start down, can be pretty scary in a way that roller coasters are not.

 

[maryj11]

I have rode every ride at Disney World and TOT is the one ride I refuse to ride again. I have been on TOT 3 different times thinking I would get over my fear but nope ! I hate that ride, I hate the thought of falling and not knowing when I'm going to fall.

 

[caroline1851]

I am not a roller coaster type person AT ALL. I like Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain is ok, I hate the drop in Splash. I didn't have the courage to try Expedition. I DID try RRC because of no drops. I survived but can't say I enjoyed it. haha. I also tried TOT.....hated it. But...if one of my kids really wanted me to go on it again, I would. It's over so quickly. Even if you hate it, you'll survive.

 

[c3h3a3r]

You have to try them both at least once. EE is awesome. I don't like TOT but have tried it. I wouldn't go on it again....

 

[DoingDisney]

Yea, ToT I think for most is more of a Thrill ride than EE ... EE is smooth, and calm in a way, if fast

ToT ... its a whole different animal, much more intimidating I think, and the drop is a ... drop, not a cruise down a hill on rails ...

 

[Catvondita]

If you don't like free falls and that sensation then skip ToT. Or go in the queue and take the chicken exit out. If you are good with Rock N Rollercoaster you should be more than fine with EE. None of the coasters at Disney tend to have that falling sensation so that's probably why you seem okay with them.

 

[LoveThatMouse!]

Let's just consider the names...
Rock 'n Roller Coaster
Splash Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Space Mountain
Expedition Everest

But ToT is called the freaking ...TOWER OF TERROR for a reason, People!

 

[ZoZo]

EE and ToT are very different rides. It's an apples-to-oranges comparison. I think your husband is trying to "rank" the two rides using a "thrill level" comparison. But saying you won't be able to handle EE if you can't do ToT doesn't make sense to me, because the experiences are so different. You need to compare the coasters with each other in one category, and keep ToT in a category by itself (since there's not much at WDW that's similar to EE).

If you can do RnR and all of the other coasters you listed, you can definitely do EE. I love coasters, and often use the single rider line on EE to go over and over without a wait. I think you'll love it!

ToT is a whole other deal. I don't really like it - I'm not into the whole "drop" thing. I think you could easily skip ToT, but definitely try EE!

 

[linbein]

I agree with a lot of what other posters have said. I like roller coasters, but not so much that I love the really crazy ones at other theme parks. That being said, I LOVE LOVE LOVE EE and RnR. They are probably my 2 most favorite rides in all of DW! My husband gets motion sickness on spinny rides or certain coasters, and EE bothers him. I guess it's the backwards part. He loves it, but everytime we get off, he's pale and has to go sit down for a bit. I'm a little bit disoriented when I get off, but it fades quickly. So, the backwards might bother you a bit. My youngest daughter, 6 last year at the time we went, rode it for the first time, and she really liked it.

Now ToT?? I HATE that ride! With a passion, I HATE that ride! The first time I ever rode it, I was not scared at all to get on, but as soon as we started the drops, I FREAKED out. I guess I never realized at that time that it kept dropping you over and over, and you never knew when, it's random. I was screaming and holding on to the handles for dear life. Perhaps I would feel better if there were a bar in my lap or something. But that little seat belt just doesn't do it for me. LOL! Well, in 2012, my oldest daughter (9 at the time) wanted to ride it. So, I said "Fine, I'll do it again." Like others said, I thought "Hey, maybe since I know what to expect I'll like it". NOOOOOO!!! No, I did not. I was in tears, it was just sad. My daughter was laughing at me. LOL! That's when I declared I would never get on that ride again. I mean, in essence, it doesn't seem that bad, especially compared to some of the roller coasters I've been on over the years. But for some reason, it just terrifies me! I hate the feel of falling, and quite frankly, being in a falling elevator is one of my biggest fears! Going up in the Empire State Building, all I could think about was "please don't put anyone else in this elevator!!!" LOL!! So, yeah, it's way different than a roller coaster, not even in the same league. This October, my youngest (now 7) wants to try it. I was like "Have fun! You can ride with Daddy and big sis. I will be shopping!"