Which rides have drops?

[ixadorexpink]

We will be going to Disneyland this week and my DH loves rollercoaster (the drops and the twists and turns). Last summer, he made me get on a "kiddie" rollercoaster and said that it didn't have a drop (Six Flags). Well, when we got on he said it was a tiny drop (I was screaming my head off). Don't want to get fooled again lol. I hate rollercoasters...scared of them. So which rides have drops? Anyone know which ones have drops at universal and sea world? Thanks!

 

[mrswh]

For the most part, you can tell which ones have drops from the outside. One exception is POTC - it has 2 drops in the dark, neither of which are a big deal, unless you *really* hate drops.

 

[BlueBayou]

What 'kiddie coaster' did you have a problem with at Six Flags? Just trying to figure out if it was a POTC type drop or not.

 

[krispin41]

Well all the Mountains have drops, and Star Tours although a simulation ride makes you feel like you are dropping or going fast. At DCA, avoid The Tower of Terror and CA Screamin', Grizzly River Rapids has some drops too. RSR, has a fast race at the end, with banked turns and some hills. Indy, it has a few drops as does Pirates, but I don't feel they are that bad.

At Universal, there are really only 4 rides. Simpsons and Transformers are simulation rides, again you feel like you are dropping but not. Jurassic Park is a water ride with a big drop at the end. I didn't ride The Mummy, but its an indoor roller coaster, and I can barely handle Space Mountain (once per trip is enough for me) so I skipped it. My husband didn't think I would have been able to handle it.

It's funny because I hated TOT the first time I rode it last October, I swore I would never ride it again. Guess what my favorite ride is now? LOL. I think part of it is knowing how the drops will be. Thankfully, there's so many other things to do and see.

 

[Eeee-va]

I don't like big drops, though I can certainly take small drops and even enjoy them sometimes.

I don't know about you, but for me a lot hinges on expectations. Many years ago, when I was a child, my aunt took me on a mine ride at Cedar Point and promised it wasn't scary. As soon as we were pulling out of the station, she told me, "I lied." I screamed in terror throughout the whole ride. But when I rode it again, years later, I realized it really wasn't scary at all! I think even for adults, expectations may be part of the experience.

Anyway, PotC does have the 2 drops...one of them isn't much of a drop and the other is noticeable. You might scream but the rest of the ride is peaceful and worth it. Unless you're going to physically be sick from a flume drop, I'd definitely ride once...just knowing that yes, there are drops.

The Astro Orbiter might not be comfortable for you, but if you're in the front you can control how fast the cars go up. It's usually a long line and not a big priority for most people anyway.

In DCA, Goofy's Sky School has dips/drops, like any wild mouse coaster. I'm not certain if you can tell before you're on the ride or not, but if you cannot stand drops, I wouldn't try that one. Soarin' dips like a simulator, but I've never felt at all like I'm falling. If you're deathly afraid of heights it could cause vertigo, I suppose.

If you want the ultimate starter coaster, I would try Gadget's Go-Coaster in Toontown. The entire track is visible from the wait area, so you can decide for yourself if it has a drop. It's about 1 minute from start to finish, and you're really only spending 30 seconds or so at any kind of speed. It DOES get long lines very quickly, but if you want to try coasters that's the easiest one in the parks.

Have a great trip!

 

[mouseymommy]

A lady behind me told her kids that the drops on POTC were more like slides. I thought that was a perfect description! They aren't too steep and fast.

 

[Jkpark]

I hate drops! I don't ride ToT or CS. The hills on POTC really are more like slides. Every now and then the first one hits my stomach - but usually not. There are hills on GRR but they just don't feel like drops to me - I love that ride. Goofy's Sky School has a hill and I feel it - but I still ride that one. I think you are fine on Matterhorn, Thunder Mtn and even Indy. On Star Tours - I close my eyes at any drop parts. Hope this helps!

 

[mrswh]

Don't ride Goofy's Sky School if you don't like drops. There is one very steep drop and a few smaller ones. Not as large as drops on some of the bigger coasters, but very jerky.

 

[ixadorexpink]

What 'kiddie coaster' did you have a problem with at Six Flags? Just trying to figure out if it was a POTC type drop or not.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas and it was the Roadrunner.

 

[lalasmama]

As a previous poster noted, even for adults, it's often the expectation of the drop that makes things bad. A friend once told me, "Anticipation is 90% of the experience" and does that ever make sense at DLR! For instance, I knew that Splash had a drop at the end (duh!). I spent the WHOLE ride freaked out about a drop that's over with in 2 seconds. Seriously. DD, who's 8, and had no clue of the drop until it was time for it, giggled and loved the ride. Now, I can't wait to go on it again, since I know the tiny "slides" (I LOVE that way of thinking about it), and the big drops.

FWIW, I LOVED GRR as well. By far, it's my favorite now. The drop is scary at the top the first time, but it's over with quick and you're back to floating around. Sooo worth the first panic attack.

At this point, I'm all about the knowledge of when the drop will happen, so I planning on watching the youtube videos of rides to see the drops and be ready for them now

 

[4th Gen Disney Fan]

By definition, ALL the coasters have drops. My sense is that Matterhorn has the smallest while Big Thunder Mountain has the biggest. Space Mountain's are also pretty small.

POTC as mentioned, has 2 drops. The first one being the bigger of the two. Both are very smooth IMHO.

Splash Mountain also has a pretty big drop, as you can see from the queue.

 

[Tiradan]

My first time on PotC as a child, I was terrified of the two drops, now as an adult I can't imagine why I thought it was scary at all, the drops are very mild, and PotC is worth it in any case. Have you guys seen the animatronic Jack Sparrow? He looks so real!

Having said that, I still haven't been in Space Mountain, the Matterhorn or on the Big Thunder Railroad and I don't even get within 10 feet of California Screamin'.

I have been on Splash Mountain, although it took the entire group of 12 people that I was in to convince me to go on. Afterwards I swore never to go on that again, that drop is insane!

The Mark Twain, and Tom Sawyer Island are more my speed

 

[skiingfast]

Six Flags Fiesta Texas and it was the Roadrunner.

If you consider that ride as your limit, then look at Splash Mountain and California Screaming before riding. Everything else will be fine.

 

[DisneyDuchess]

Jurassic Park is the only ride at Universal Studios that has a real drop. The drop is about 85 feet (just googled this) but it doesn't feel as quick or exhilirating as Splash Mountain's drop for me personally! If you want to cool off and are willing to try a drop, give Jurassic Park a try.

The Mummy has no drop; it is very similar to Indiana Jones, except faster! I love The Mummy, but it is a pretty short ride, especially when you compare it to how long you wait in line for it.

Transformers has no drops either. It's an awesome ride, I rode it for the first time last month! You basically sit in a car and your car jerks, spins and moves around in front of a giant 3D screen. There are special effects like gas and flames in this as well. It's a long ride too, definitely worth the wait!

 

[Eeee-va]

Six Flags Fiesta Texas and it was the Roadrunner.

Per Wikipedia:
Height 73 ft (22 m)
Drop 67 ft (20 m)
Length 2,400 ft (730 m)
Speed 35 mph (56 km/h)

I wouldn't call that a kiddie coaster in any sense of the word. Even the official Six Flags site calls it a thrill ride.

PotC should be just fine--compared to that ride, "slide" is a great word for the drop. I agree with Skiingfast; the others in DL for the most part shouldn't be a problem, either. Big Thunder Mountain and Matterhorn will be just fine, as far as the drops (which are probably more accurately called "dips"). If you are scared of the dark, Space Mountain may intimidate you. It's personally my favorite, but a friend who could handle the other rides at Disney got a bit ill on that one. If I recall correctly, it has 3 dips, one possibly bordering on a small drop, but it doesn't touch my stomach as much as PotC, even, and I'm sure you'll be OK on PotC. I would even guess you could probably power through Splash Mountain if you wanted to, though I think its big drop may be worse than the Road Runner's.

If I were you, I'd still probably think twice about Tower of Terror just because of your aversion to drops, given the ride is about effects and drops, but again, maybe you'd be fine. I've never had the courage to try but maybe I will this time. Screamin', I'd personally skip, unless you want to be brave. On paper, at least, it is much faster than the Road Runner with a somewhat more intense drop (and a loop too!).

Anyway, disregard most of what I said in my post above this one...it sounds like you are at least as brave with drops as I am, possibly moreso. You should have no problem with almost every ride.

 

[ixadorexpink]

Thanks for all the info! So I went on PoTC and I did ok on it. My son also did good at it and he's 3. Didn't do Matterhorn...long line. Didn't do splash mountain or Screamin. At Universal I did all of them except Jurassic Park and The Simpsons Ride (was so tired by then). My husband, his cousin, and his daughter went on the rides first and then we did the child switch. My husband's cousin's wife and I want next. They would let us know how the rides were and decided if we were going to ride it or not. Well, their daughter told me that the Mummy at Universal wasn't bad and that it had no big drops. So we trusted her and go on it. When we came back we were like definitely not doing that again. And their daughter goes, "I totally forgot to tell you guys that it went really fast and went backwards." Our picture was hilarious! We were holding onto each other and closing our eyes. I think it was horrible lol.

What about Radiator Springs? Is that one an ok ride for me? Hoping to ride it some time this week.

 

[skiingfast]

What about Radiator Springs? Is that one an ok ride for me? Hoping to ride it some time this week.

It should be fine. Like I said before, take a look at it you can see how fast it goes. It has a hump but no drops.