Tower of Terror newbie

My DS 15 rode this ride when he was 10 and hasn't been on it since - and we've been to DLR a bunch of times since then. The ride part doesn't bother him - it's the theming and the movies. They freak him out. I think when we go in March he'll probably ride it - but he's going with his High School Band group and won't want to chicken out in front of his friends.

I'm hoping I can get my 2 younger sons to try it at least once when we're there. That way they'll know whether they like it or not. DS 9 is kinda freaking himself out about it and DS 7 just says he won't do it! :confused3 I hope I can convince them to try it once. Then they'll know - I don't think the dropping part will scare them, I think the basement and the movies will.

OP - if you want to go through the queue there is a chicken exit that you can take. That way you can see all the theming and everything, just duck out before you get on the elevator. In fact, the CM's are super nice. DS 15 went all the way through the queue and was waiting to get on the elevator when he was 12 and just couldn't do it. Instead of making him take the chicken exit (and me go with him) the CM let him wait right outside the elevator so he wasn't too far from the family.
 

I really don't like drop rides...at all. I was super nervous to have to get on this ride during the Halloween tour. (yeah, I know I didn't "have" to, but I also didn't want to sit outside alone). I LOVED THIS RIDE!!! I laughed the whole time and couldn't wait to get back on. It's my new favorite!

I don't like drop rides at all, but this past September I tried ToT anyway and it wasn't bad at all. The drops were really smooth. I kept waiting for that "stomach in my throat" sensation but it never happened.

So next trip, I will be riding it again.
 
ToT is the only ride ever to give me a raging headache after riding. Every single time.
 
One of my absolute favorite rides!! OMG! We had such great 'hang time' each and every time we rode it last week! And my friend and I screamed the whole time!! Love, love, love the ride but of course I've never seen the whole thing with opened eyes...hehehehe...
 
My boys (11 & 10) and DH loved it. I didn't care for it too much. Mostly because my DD (12) was screaming the entire time. She came off in tears. She did not like the fast rides at all. She is very timid though.
 
A lot of the scare factor to the ride comes from its unpredictability. The ride system randomizes the ride each time, so you know you're getting dropped, you just don't know when or how far.

There is no unpredictability, unless I have just gotten unlucky over 50 times and got the same drop order. The tower in FL is random and in my opinion one of two reason why it is a better ride than here at DCA. The other reason is the movement of the elevator in the 5th dimension room in FL. The DCA one just comes up short.
 
I promised my husband I would go on this in December if he went on Soarin over California - that ride freaks him out because of his fear of heights but we came to an agreement. I found watching Youtube videos really helped me ! It looks fun and I love Twilight Zone so i'm now looking forward to it , lol.
 
We rode this today, including my 5 year old DD. I have been on it in the past, but not for about 5 years. Here is what we thought:

Me...pretty chicken when it comes to rides...not a fan of heights, going upside down, etc...but willing to try things (within reason...NOT doing Mickey's Fun Wheel). It was OK, I was petrified, as usual, but this time most of my concern was for DD and how she would handle it and if she would fly out of the seat belt, LOL. I hate how it is just a lap seatbelt and not a bar over your lap. Also it seemed like it went up and down more times that the last time I rode it. But not too bad, we all survived....probably won't do it again this trip.

DH...liked it?? I guess?? We were fighting today, LOL, and he was being kind of sullen at this point, but he pretty much likes any ride and nothing really scares him.

DD (5)....did OK. I actually thought she would really like it because she has been on everything else (Thunder, Space, Splash, Star Tours, Matterhorn, etc, and LOVED them all. (We have already done Space 6 times) Today she actually said Matterhorn wasn't fast enough for her LOL When we were on TOT, dh said she was smiling, and she was smiling in the picture, and DURING the ride she told DH she liked it....but when we got off she looked a little shaken and said "I HATED that ride." LOL. ANd said she didn't want to do it again. So, I'm not sure...:confused3
 
I can't ride that one. I've done it a couple times but the last time I went on it I was nervous from the moment I stood in line. I just can't ride it anymore. I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. I am not a drop ride person
 
When we did the Happiest Haunts tours a couple of weeks ago, the guide told us that the elevators were designated Alpha, Bravo and Charlie and that Charlie (furthest on the right as you're facing the elevators), has the worst drops.
 
When we did the Happiest Haunts tours a couple of weeks ago, the guide told us that the elevators were designated Alpha, Bravo and Charlie and that Charlie (furthest on the right as you're facing the elevators), has the worst drops.

That is because of the structure of the ride itself. They needed to put the disappearing guests first then up to the hallway then the first drop. Thus the first drop is slightly longer than the other two.
 
I unfortunately came off the ride and almost had a panic attack right outside the souvenir area.

Oh good, it wasn't just me. I rode this 5 years ago and spent about 20 minutes after exiting the ride crying and shaking. Ridiculous.
 
We just took my 2 year old great niece (she is already 41 inches tall :scared1:) on this ride this last week and she had a great time. In fact since she did it, my very timid 10 year old decided to try it for the first time and loved it as well.

Like others have said, the pre-show video and the footage they show on the elevator are more scary than the actually drops IMO.
 
Like others have said, the pre-show video and the footage they show on the elevator are more scary than the actually drops IMO.

I saw this before, but since you brought it up again, I had to share my DGD's reaction. This is definitely in the eye of the beholder.

I took her on the WDW version of this ride when she was 5. She's 8 now, and still won't go back. When we got off the ride at WDW, the poor thing was shaking in my arms, with her arms wrapped tightly around my neck, saying "I'm never going on that ride ever again!" Similar to kipperoo's reaction ;)

Days later, when she was calmed down, she was describing it to my DW. "Gramma, you go in, and you're just watching TV and everything's OK. Then all of a sudden you're on an elevator and everything drops away and it's bouncing you up and down like crazy!"

-Bob
(But I think she's gonna brave it on our upcoming trip. We'll see).
 
I hate drops when I can see where I am dropping (and see how high I am on the way up) - e.g. the Maliboomer would have freaked me out. But ToT is now one of my favourite rides! Our first visit I was too scared to go on it but in January I was determined to go on it once, and I loved it, we went on it 7 or 8 times. The scariest bit for me is at the top when the doors open and I can see outside because I think I'm going to fall out, but I find the ups and downs really fun.
 


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