tower of terror scary?

[tassie42]

i'm a mom who is curious about the tower of terror. i'm not big on roller coasters or thrill rides but heard this was not to be missed. mostly because of the special effects. is anything besides the drops scary?

 

[rhazz]

I just got back from going on the ToT w/ my 4 y/o and 6 y/o. The 6 y/o loved it but my 4 y/o was absolutely terrified even though he begged to go on. The creepy hotel and short film before creeped him out before the ride even began. Unfortunately, we started with this ride and then it put him in a horrible mood for the rest of the day, what a bad parent. IMO this is the scariest ride I've ever been on. It was so scary I had to do it a second time. It's such a different experience from the roller coasters. Go, have fun!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

It does have sort of a haunted house feel to it. The ghost people might frighten young children, and teh boiler room is kind of eerie.

 

[Mr.BsMom]

I loved it, but DS 5 did not care too much for it... He loved the ride part - the actual drops - but got really freaked out by the "electric people" (the ghosts). The special effects were pretty cool, but he just didn't appreciate them as much as I did!

We just borrowed the movie about it from a friend... It's a bit on the cheesy side, but my son has watched it twice already. It has helped him understand a little more about the "electric people" and why they are there at the hotel. I'm hoping that he'll be more interested in riding it on our next trip after watching the movie another time or two! We'll see!

 

[w8ting4pooh]

I thought it was very scary. The haunted house aspect was very cool but when the drops started, I was wishing for a panic button so I could get off! We bought our ride picture because it's so funny to see all of our reactions - 4 y.o., 8 y.o. and Mom with a look of shock/terror on their faces.

Our 4 y.o. didn't speak for several minutes after the ride was over. He and I will definitely wait this one out when we go back this year.

 

[Mike Jones]

DITTO ABOVE - if you like coasters and haunted houses then it should be a blast. If not -it tends to have something for every nervous type - don't ride with small kids IMO.

Mike

 

[jann1033]

I am pretty sure there is a height requirement...do not think the hotel is scary, the movie maybe for young kids but pretty tame otherwise. there is a movie that is probably on video so if you can find it maybe rent it and see how the rugrats react? also the ride is great but fun scary like any thrill ride ( scream/laugh the whole time) so unless you hate any thrill rides do kid swap if you have to but don'tmissit!

 

[slo]

I absolutly love rollercoasters and haunted houses but to me The Tower of Terror is nothing like a rollercoaster. One of my biggest fears in life is the fear of falling. I did go on The Tower of Terror in 1997 and I have not been back on since. My heart felt like it went up and out of my throat as I was falling. Every year when we go I say to my husband, "I really should go back on that." and he says, "You didn't talk for the rest of the day the first time you went, why would you want to go back?"

Well, this year my 6yr old DD is finally tall enough to go on this ride and if she wants to go on this ride I have decided I will go with her.

So, if you don't have a fear of falling you should absolutly go on this ride. If you do have a fear of falling beware, because it does scare the pants off you!!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

When I brought my 4yo to WDW last month I really wanted him to go on ToT at least once so that I could get my fix (my favorite ride in all of WDW). I showed him my ride photo from a couple of years ago and explained the ride to him. He wasn't scared by the "haunted hotel" or the film clip. He ended up liking the ride and went on it 5 times. I got him to go on the last couple of times because I told him that we needed to get our picture taken. He liked the drops, but was getting bored with the preshow.

T&B

 

[dolphin devoted]

Hey,
There is no question that that you should go on this ride but i do think the electrical people and the movie intro can be pretty scary . I think if you really want to you should find an on-ride video of tot and just watch the intro video. Hope you have a good time.

Dolphin Devoted

 

[Eljay]

I love Rock'N Roller Coaster, but one time on TOT was enough for me. The falling sensation was VERY intense. And, I'm talking over & over again! People do think that this is the best ride at WDW, it's just not for me. When I'm with someone who wants to ride, I will go through the queue & preshow which is great, then I take the chicken exit just before you get onto an elevator.
Here's a little bit of info for "chicken exiters":
They will take you into an elevator to get out, don't panic, it IS a regular elevator! They are just trying to scare you! A big giveaway is the fact that you are standing. In TOT you are sitting & strapped in!

 

[moinab]

I thought this ride was the most intense I've been on at WDW, and that includes Mission: Space. DH and I did a baby swap. DH went first and told me he wasn't impressed. When I came off with legs shaking like jello, he laughed and told me he didn't want to tell me the truth because he knew I wouldn't go on it if he did.

I did enjoy it, but I thought it was very creepy, with all the darkness and the ghosts/Twilight Zone storyline. Anyone with claustrophobia or fear of heights, falling, ghosts/supernatural, or darkness might not enjoy it.

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

I avoided the TOT for our first several family trips going back to 1997. Finally in 2002 I gave in to my DS (who was eleven at the time and wanted to go on TOT since 1997). I was scared to death since I'm also not a big fan of roller coasters although I do really like Big Thunder (which does not have any big drops).
Anyway. ever since that first ride TOT has been my absolutely favorite ride. The whole experience is awesome from the beginning to the end. The drops are incredible and an experience that cannot be easily described.
Last year my DS and I went on 13 times during our week at WDW. We would have made 14 but had to start back to the airport to go home.
Try it.........you will be surprised!!!!!

 

[meganbear]

I have a question~~ my DH, sis and the two older kids want to take the scary way down, me, youngest niece and my mom want to take the chicken exit---when and where do you tell them you want the chicken way out????

 

[WDW Fun]

I can't stand roller coasters, get car sick, am claustrophobic, and am afraid of heights. But I LOVE ToT!

I always have felt safe on it. You're buckled in tight and the car you're in seems roomy and not claustrophobic.

Also, the mechanism is such that you are not being dropped but are actually being pushed down faster than gravity would take you. So your car is never free-falling. Once on our most recent trip, our "elevator" was evacuated before we reached the shaft where you are "dropped" == we had the option of leaving the ride but no one did. CMs said they are very picky with this ride. If the computer shows any little thing wrong, they evacuate.

 

[wdwgoofeeee]

to meganbear.........the "chicken" way out of the TOT is just before you board the elevator. I have seen people enter a "normal" elevator which must take them down one level to the street so they can exit. I believe that this exit elevator is located in the center between the TOT drop elevators. I think that the walk through the boiler room actually is going uphill so you end up on the second floor where the ride begins.
You probably just tell the CM that you want out and they take care of you.

 

[ashjohnson80]

I just got back. i went on this ride for the first time last week. i would probably try it once, but be expecting it to be very very scary. i had chest pains for about a half an hour after i got off of it. the music and the special effects and the moving sideways in the elevator all of it made it more intense. plus you never know wheter you are going to go up or down or how many times you are going to drop. i rode this about 6 times in the beginning of the week but by friday when i was back in mgm again i decided i was tower of terrored out. and i love roller coasters.

 

[threeboysmom]

I too was SCARED TO DEATH of this ride and avoided it for years! Finally, in 2002 I worked up barely enough courage to give it a try (I was literally shaking & teary eyed in que). Well, guess what! I LOVED it!!! It wasn't nearly as scary/bad as I thought it would be!! Since then I've probably ridden at least 20 times! It's the only ride that makes me scream & giggle madly at the same time!! My only regret is that I didn't try it earlier when it first opened. All those years I could have been riding it. It is now my FAVORITE ride at WDW!!

I say everyone has to ride it at least once and make up their own mind whether they like it or not.

 

[monte]

What a great ride! Try it, you won't be disappointed.

 

[Eeyore2003]

I also have motion sickness, fear of heights and falling and do not do roller coasters. I do TOT. It's not my favorite ride, but I'll tell you, I NEVER open my eyes, no matter how much my family begs, and there are handles on the seat. I grab those really tight so that I don't really feel the "falling" part, exept the elevator actually going up and down. I'm sure the people next to me think I'm nuts, but before the ride this time, I kept telling my hubby, "I hate this ride!!!" LOL


Why do I do it??? Well, it's hubby's favorite ride and he doesn't like to go alone and the kids were not there last time, so I did it. Like I said, it's not my favorite, but I tolerate to stop them all begging me and telling me how much fun it is. I keep telling them, "For them", not me!!!" They just don't understand. It took me a long time for me to actually try it, and like I said, it's tolerable. If I were you, I'd try it once, hold on tight if you're worried, and see if you like it. It actually wasn't as bad as I had feared and made it out to be, just not that much fun for me. I'm always glad when it's crossed off my list.

My family isn't really mean or pushy, but since they do allot of stuff for me that they don't particularly like, it's an "OK" trade off, that I can tolerate. Rollercoasters, no matter WHAT they say, "NO WAY!!!"