Unexplainable fear of ToT- HELP!

[Miranda Danda]

Hello! Being a Florida native, I have been to WDW more times than I can count. I have also been on Tower of Terror many times........ but the last time I went on it was in 1998 (when I was 16 years old). I LOVED that ride so much when I was in high school! Last time I went to MGM (August 2004) I chickened out TWICE: once when I reached the outside fountain and then again when we were about to be loaded into the ride. I am suddenly petrified of the ToT. I do not know what to do because I WANT to ride it, but I am scared to death of zooming up, the doors opening and the falling feeling. Also, I heard that it is worse since they have changed it to multiple, random drops. Does anyone have any advice for getting over this fear before my WDW trip next month? It would be greatly appreciated!

Just some additional information: I LOVE RnR, Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, etc. I do get nervous for Splash Mountain, but nearly as nervous as I do for ToT. What to do? What to do?

 

[liznboys]

I rode ToT for the first time in Feb. I FINALLY did it after skipping it the previous two trips. I was PETRIFIED to ride it!!! I do not like falling rides (but like you, I love RnR, etc...) My dh and I did the kid swap, so I had to do it alone, which made it worse. But, a very friendly man was also doing the kid swap with his wife, and he talked me through the ride. Anyway, I was just sick of the fact that I hadn't ridden it yet, and was bound to do it. What did I do? I just didn't think about it! We walked up to it first thing upon arriving in the park, and I rode it first. I seriously just did not even think about what I was about to do. I walked into the line, waited with everyone else and just thought about our plans for the day as I looked around and took in the cool theming and atmosphere. I got into my seat and buckled up and just enjoyed the first part of the ride. The only time I just could not prevent myself from being scared, was when we were about to fall for the first time. My heart was racing!! So we fall, go up, fall again, go up, fall again, go up and fall again. I think we fell 4 times. The first couple times really weren't that bad, but after that I was just thinking "PLEASE let this be the last drop!!!" LOL But anyway, I am so glad I finally did it!! It's a great ride. Just don't think about it...just get in line and do what you're told.

 

[Miranda Danda]

liznboys,
That is good advice! I guess I just dwell on it and make myself more and more nervous. I am my own worse enemy when it comes to worrying. You are so brave! I would NEVER go on it alone. WOW! Thats cool that you finally rode it. I bet you felt a HUGE sense of accomplishment. I sure would! Did you feel like it wasn't as bad as you thought it was going to be once you got off of it?

 

[liznboys]

Yeah, I was proud of myself for FINALLY doing it. Was it as bad as I thought it would be? Yes and No. Yes, the falling sensation was as bad as I thought it would be. But, the ride is overwith so fast, that overall it wasn't THAT bad. I was definitely way more anxious about it than I needed to be!!

You did it before, you can do it again!

 

[DLKT]

I think it's very odd that you've done it before and *loved* it but now are too afraid to do it again.
I've never heard of that before!

I don't think any of the regular advice is going to help you.

Would it help if I told you that my 5 year old daughter rode it for the first time a few weeks ago and LOVED it?
That she ran, when she could, to the elevator doors for the second time and shamed a 19 year old boy that was planning on chickening out into riding it (he loved it by the way).


I don't know.
Have someone bribe you with a reward or something.

 

[dizprincess717]

I'm a roller coaster and thrill ride fanatic, but I can't stand free falling rides. There's a ride at an amusement park called the Dominator and that's 200 feet in the air and you're not enclosed, you're feet dangle and your back is towards the tower. One takes you up really slow then locks you in and drops you at a random time. The other holds riders at the bottom and shoots them up 200ft. I love the one that shoots riders up, but only have gone on the one that drops riders about three times. I won't ever go on it again. I think it's by far the scariest feeling being held up there and not knowing when you're going to drop.

Which is why I never even set foot near ToT. The closest I got to ToT was to go to RnRC! This past March my little sister, who's scared of everything, went on every ride finally. So I just told myself that if she can handle everything that I could get myself on it just once to see what the big deal is all about.

I rode it three times in March, and it's was a pretty good ride. I don't know what the big hype is, however. I mean yes the theme is cool and the effects are great, but it doesn't even feel like a free fall like the Dominator. It felt as if the cart was being pulled down at a speed rather than just droping. My sister went on it once and she won't go on it again.

Personally, RnRC is a much, much better ride that ToT. But that's just my personal opinion. And I be that more people love ToT than RnRC, but that's okay too.

Here's my advice: Just think of how happy you'll feel when you get off the ride that you finally did it. Nine chances out of then you'll want to go back and ride it again! That's how my sister was in March. We rode RnRC four times in a row and I rode ToT two times in a row!!! Good luck, hope you get on it. It's worth being scared though, it makes the ride experience better.

 

[Miranda Danda]

DLKT,
I think that it is weird that I have ridden it before, too! I think that as I have gotten older, I have becoming a much more, "What if...." Type of person. When I would ride it in middle/high school I was like, "WOOO HOOOO!" Now I second guess it and get really ckickeny. It does make me feel better to know your five year old went on it and loved it. I guess that means its not too bad.

 

[Miranda Danda]

dizprincess717,
Ya know, you are right about RnR being better than ToT. I know why I like it better- I get excited before I go on RnR.... not nervous like ToT. ToT is just really scary looking. I get more worried than excited, but I am going to listen to ya'lls advice, bite the bullet, and take the plunge (literally!). Thanks for all the encouragement.

 

[imagineerhopefull]

I kind of know how you feel, it wasnt at disney but i was at a water park one day and they had the tall slides that shoot you practically straight down. Well i went up and did it, and i liked it so much that i did it 3 more times! For some reason though, for the 4th time that i went up, i looked out over the edge and suddenly i became scared of it and backed down and went back down the stairs. I have no idea why i was perfectly fine it it the first few times and then suddenly i became scared of it. Fortunatly i was fine this summer when i went down summit plummit

 

[bengalbelle]

DLKT,
I think that it is weird that I have ridden it before, too! I think that as I have gotten older, I have becoming a much more, "What if...." Type of person. When I would ride it in middle/high school I was like, "WOOO HOOOO!" Now I second guess it and get really ckickeny. It does make me feel better to know your five year old went on it and loved it. I guess that means its not too bad.

LOL When I was younger (I'm 32) I loved riding coasters and thrill rides. Now I'm scared to death. I love Splash Mountain (although I do get a little nervous before the drop) and Big Thunder but I just brought myself to ride Space Mountain in December (wasn't bad at all).
We're going back in September and I'm determined to get on either RnRC or ToT or both. I'm not so much afraid of what's going to happen as I am tossing my cookies .
I'm thinking of trying some Bonine (like Dramamine) or anti-anxiety medicine.

 

[GarrettJD]

I enjoy both rides, but I also much prefer RnRC to ToT. I really think the anticipation of the drops on ToT is worse than the actual ride. I got my GF on ToT by promising that if she rode it I would buy the picture so we could prove to everyone that she did it. She rode it and I bought it. However, I can't usually get her to do it more than once per trip. RnRC is another story, though... we rode it 7 times on our last trip.

 

[eeyoregirl]

When ToT first opened, I rode it several times, and I loved it. But the last 4 or 5 times that we've gone to WDW, I've skipped it. When I first heard that the drops became random and at the CM's discretion, that totally freaked me out. This year, I want to conquer my fear, but no one in my family wants to go on. And we all ride the Mountains, RnRC, etc. Weird, huh?

 

[trappednabox]

this happened to me, but at six flags. I loved riding a coaster called the Tx Cyclone, it's big, wooden, and GREAT! at least it used to be. Now you can't get me anywhere near it! I don't know what happened, I'll ride all other coasters in the park, but refuse to get on the cyclone! which is weird, b/c I love the ones that go upside down, or free fall. but I can't make my self go on a good old fashion roller coaster

 

[Pinnochio]

This used to happen to me all the time. Now I live for that fear. I think its exciting going on a ride for the first time, even though I know you've been on it before. I can't explain it, I just crave that feeling like watching a scary movie for the first time. The best I can say is tough it out until that first drop then you realize its more fun then scary and you'll be able to go on it again.