Universal Orlando Attractions Ranked by Intensity?

[CDKG]

Has anyone ever ranked Universal Orlando attractions in order of intensity?

I visited UO for the first time last year and I have motion sickness (thanks Mission Space!) I was okay on MIB, Transformers, and Spider Man. But, the Mummy was too intense for me! So, my cutoff would be somewhere in between.

It would be great if there was a list of attractions ranked in order of intensity to tell visitors what attractions are a go and which are probably too intense. If that intensity was compared to WDW attractions, it would be helpful too. (For example, I'm good on ToT but can't ride EE.)

Does something like this exist?

 

[bchbetha]

It's so subjective though. I wouldn't call the Mummy intense. On multiple posts here, people have reported what rides gave them trouble and the only one that seems to get the majority of people is the Simpsons. Otherwise it's really all over the place. My dh was done in by FJ but no problems on anything else.

 

[macraven]

bchbetha posted what I would say

For me Simpson’s ride and mummy are a piece of cake for me

I do them both multiple times

Mummy has maybe 90 seconds of actual coaster ride

Simpson’s some say gives them motion sickness

But I would not call those two intense rides
Rip ride rocket I would just look at the first climb of it and think, that could
be intense
(I’ve never ridden it)

Not everyone goes to Disney, six flags or cedar point amusement parks

My point is I have no idea if all would agree which rides are more intense than others

Maybe watch some YouTube of the rides and that will help you gage the intensity level you can tolerate

 

[soniam]

Is it screens or physical motion that bothers you? Mummy is really pretty physical. Forbidden Journey is probably a no go. I have no issues with Mummy, but if I hit FJ first thing in the morning, especially if I had much to drink the night before, I look pretty green when I get off. I usually feel better riding it after I have eaten; I don't usually eat breakfast on vacation. FJ has screens and lots of physical tossing around. Gringott's is a toss up. I think it's a little less physical than Mummy, but it does have 3D and screens. If screens don't bother you, you can try Simpsons. You can also always close your eyes on the screen rides, like Simpsons. You should probably skip Rip Ride Rocket (intense coaster), the Hulk (intense coaster), Doctor Doom's Fearfall (drop ride), and maybe Dudley Do Rights Ripsaw Falls (flume ride). Jurassic Park is a river adventure ride, kind of like Kali River Rapids. Despicable Me could be an issue. It's not a coaster, but has some pretty good shaking and moving (in one place) and a 3D screen. It's kind of like Dinosaur with 3D screens instead of animatronics/set pieces, but you don't move from your location. I think everything else should be OK.

 

[CDKG]

Is it screens or physical motion that bothers you? Mummy is really pretty physical. Forbidden Journey is probably a no go. I have no issues with Mummy, but if I hit FJ first thing in the morning, especially if I had much to drink the night before, I look pretty green when I get off. I usually feel better riding it after I have eaten; I don't usually eat breakfast on vacation. FJ has screens and lots of physical tossing around. Gringott's is a toss up. I think it's a little less physical than Mummy, but it does have 3D and screens. If screens don't bother you, you can try Simpsons. You can also always close your eyes on the screen rides, like Simpsons. You should probably skip Rip Ride Rocket (intense coaster), the Hulk (intense coaster), Doctor Doom's Fearfall (drop ride), and maybe Dudley Do Rights Ripsaw Falls (flume ride). Jurassic Park is a river adventure ride, kind of like Kali River Rapids. Despicable Me could be an issue. It's not a coaster, but has some pretty good shaking and moving (in one place) and a 3D screen. It's kind of like Dinosaur with 3D screens instead of animatronics/set pieces, but you don't move from your location. I think everything else should be OK.

Thank you! My triggers are the physical attractions. Specifically, spinning and high speed turns. I'm usually okay with simulators (although Body Wars bothered me once when seated in the back row) and I love drops (like ToT).

 

[soniam]

Thank you! My triggers are the physical attractions. Specifically, spinning and high speed turns. I'm usually okay with simulators (although Body Wars bothered me once when seated in the back row) and I love drops (like ToT).

Gringott's has some spinning that feels maybe a little more intense than MIB. It also has a drop that's less than Mummy. Forbidden Journey just moves you all around.

 

[pattyw]

I don't have any problems with simulators, but I'm not a fan of The Simpsons. It's very rough and the roller coaster images get me a little dizzy.

 

[CDKG]

I don't have any problems with simulators, but I'm not a fan of The Simpsons. It's very rough and the roller coaster images get me a little dizzy.

Didn't the Simpsons replace Back to the Future? I remember doing that one years ago in CA. While I had no motion sickness problems, it was rough on the neck and back!

 

[pattyw]

Didn't the Simpsons replace Back to the Future? I remember doing that one years ago in CA. While I had no motion sickness problems, it was rough on the neck and back!

Yes sadly it did! We loved Back to the Future! I agree- it was pretty rough!

 

[airplanegod]

For what it's worth I love the Hulk coaster, been on it many times and still love it. Still have yet to ride Rip Rocket. The first incline has put me off for some reason, where as the Hulk is more angled/faster shooting you up the first incline.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

My friend's motion sickness is worst with spinning. She used the Trans-derm scop patch and MIB was the only ride that caused issue, because of the spinning. She could do it, but only once at a time. Without the patch, even Spiderman took her out.

Intense and nauseating are very different. MIB is not intense.

So, she'd rank MIB worst for motion sickness, but I rarely see anyone else even mention it. FJ & Simpsons were fine for her (with patch).

 

[ckmiles]

is it accurate to say that Minions, Simpsons and FJ are the same? IE big screen with a cart that 'moves' in place, with no track? I did the simpsons once and it did not end well- so Im trying to prepare.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

is it accurate to say that Minions, Simpsons and FJ are the same? IE big screen with a cart that 'moves' in place, with no track?.

No. Simpsons is. Minions is a theater with moving seats. FJ is a robot arm holding up a group of four seats - the whole contraption moves along conveyer style and moves A LOT with the scenes, some of which are real props / scenery and some are screens.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Interesting discussion and I agree with the first reply that it is very subjective.

My husband was sick for hours after doing the Simpsons and he swore never again. Meanwhile, my (then 5yr old) son and I loved it and didn’t find it the slightest bit nauseating.

While we didn’t do any of the big coasters, the ride I found the worst was Flight of the Hipogriff because it was so rough and jarring.

At WDW, EE is my whole family’s favourite ride. TOT is the one we all found the most intense due to the drops.
(Or perhaps the teacups, which make me feel a bit sick. Or Small World, which my husband says is like torture).

 

[robl45]

I love tower of terror but EE would make me sick on the backwards part. I read somewhere that yelling helps and sure enough I didn't get sick at all on the backwards part last time we went. I"ll be in Universal first full week of august and I"m hoping these motion rides don't do me in. I have some motion sickness pills in case.

 

[left210]

I do not do well with the simulator rides or 3d rides. Do the motion sickness bracelets help with those rides?

 

[Cornucopiaoflove]

I feel like it's so subjective, Transformers made me pretty dizzy even with the motion sickness patch on, but none of the rest of the rides did. Although, I did quit rides toward the afternoon while my husband did Kong, Spiderman and a few others. The only rides at Disney that got to me were RnR and Star Tours (although ST was pretty minimal in comparison).

 

[cam757]

Simpsons is the worst ride for me. However, this past trip I decided to use the rx motion sickness patch my Dr prescribed for our last cruise and it worked wonders for the 3d rides at Universal. I was able to ride attractions I have not been able to ride in a long time.

 

[nighttowll]

As others have said, it’s too subjective to rank them as there are too many different aspects that effect some people and not others, speed, spin, height, jerkiness, drops, scare or gross factors, screens, 3d effects, and the length of time each of these goes on. Also, there are many other factors independent of the ride itself that effect how the ride makes you feel, how hot or overheated you are, if you are riding on an empty stomach or after eating too much, if you are dehydrated, even where you are sitting, all effect how a ride will make you feel.

For instance, out of the 3 actual coasters at Universal, from a technical standpoint, the intensity would be rated as follows: Hulk, RRR, then Mummy.

Hulk is the tallest at 110 ft. It goes the fastest at 67 mph; and has 7 inversions.
https://rcdb.com/557.htm

Rip Ride Rockit would be next at 167 ft tall, 65 mph, and with with one non inverting loop.
https://rcdb.com/3866.htm

The Mummy would come in last at, 44 ft tall, 40 mph, with 0 loops or inversions.
https://rcdb.com/2232.htm


However, many people will tell you that the Mummy and / or RRR are the more intense of the three. This is because the Hulk is a fairly smooth ride compared to other two which are both more jerky. In addition, the Mummy also has a couple of sudden stops that can really hurt if you aren’t prepared for them.

RRR is tallest of the three, the Mummy is dark and goes backwards as well as forwards, Hulk goes upside down. Each has its own unique elements that make it intense in different ways.

Personally, I use to find the Mummy very intense, but now that I’ve learned when to brace, I don’t find it that bad anymore unless I end up in the back. I still find the back a bit rough, so if they sit me there, it’s a one and done for me. But if I can sit in the front, I can usually ride a few times in a row before it starts to get to me.

I definitely have issues with rides and have to be careful. I get both motion sick (nauseous) and migraines, depending on the triggers. Jerkiness and shaking cause migraines for me. Side to side motion, spinning in a large continuous circle like on swings, and screens cause me motion sickness. Surprisingly, spinning in tight circles and drops do not bother me at all.

RRR is in the migraine category. I can’t ride this at all. Hulk, I can ride once, but if I tried to go for a second ride I know it would cause a migraine. Sometimes I can tell it wouldn't be a good idea to even do it once if something else has already aggravated my head. Mummy will cause migraines if I ride it too many times in a row or forget to brace. I can usually do it twice, sometimes three times as long as I can ride toward the front and nothing else has already set me off. Gringotts is about the same. For me, Mummy and Gringotts are about the same intensity as far as how they effect me migraine wise. I can usually ride Gringotts only once or twice depending on if I’m sitting near the front or not. Gringotts can also cause me motion sickness which makes it a more intense ride overall than the Mummy to me, even though I know the Mummy is actually the more intense coaster. Gringotts still affects me more with the chance that it may cause both a migraine and motion sickness. FJ, Simpsons, and Minions, only causes motion sickness. Spiderman and Transformers are usually safe for me unless there’s something already going on, like I’m already dehydrated, overheated, have a headache, or am feeling a bit off. Everything else, I’m ok with.

At Disney, the only rides that really bother me are Space Mountain and Rockin Roller Coaster. I can handle Everest fine. I can also handle most of the coasters at BG just fine, even though most of those would be rated as more intense. They are very smooth, so they don’t bother me.

 

[stitchloversith]

For what it's worth I love the Hulk coaster, been on it many times and still love it. Still have yet to ride Rip Rocket. The first incline has put me off for some reason, where as the Hulk is more angled/faster shooting you up the first incline.

I am someone with big motion sickness issues and Rip Ride Rocket is fine for me, I have even done back to back rides on it with no problems. Hulk on the other hand I will not get back on. I was so sick for the next two hours and my neck and back hurt for the next two days. There was way too many g-forces for me to do this coaster again.