Wishing I wasn't such a scardey cat...Hulk/Dueling Dragons/FJ

[chimo2u]

Ok, getting to the point quickly I am a big ride wimp. I get myself all worked up and take the chicken exit multiple times before finally giving in and trying a major headliner ride. Case in Point: It took me 3 times of walking in line, taking chicken exit, then going back again, and again before I finally managed to do EE, and RcnRC on my first trip to WDW. I finally managed all the rides except TOT, and that took me until my second trip to WDW to finally gain the nerves to try it! I did like EE, and TOT, and I didn't mind RcnRC, but didn't love it either.....did it many times on both trips and I would probably bypass it this trip as it's not my fave. Neither am I a huge fan of Space Mountain, but I can do it!

EE and TOT are two of my faves now. I keep looking at the Hulk and Dueling Dragon pictures. I have never done an inverted Roller coaster, and I wish I could be brave enough to try these. they look fun, but soooo scary at the same time! As for FJ, I am more scared of things jumping out at me in the dark like the spiders and dementors. I've already got a plan of action to tackle that (I will cover my eyes and take sneak peeks if I feel brave! )

As for the Roller coasters at IOA, has anyone who's a ride scardey cat tried them and actually overcame your fear/ended up loving them???
Any and all reviews/opinions I could read to help me perhaps gain some courage, I'd be very much grateful for!! 3 more weeks until I have to face or walk away from my fear!

 

[the Dark Marauder]

Do's & Don'ts for overcoming your rollercoaster fears:

DO:
-Scream as loud as possible whenever you want. It will make the ride less terrifying.
-Keep your eyes open as much as possible
-Hold onto the harnesses
-Know that the ride is safe, fun, and you'll be fine (even if you have quaky legs afterwards)
-Enjoy the adrenaline rush
-Reward yourself with an ice cream, butterbeer, lemon slush, ride photo, or whatever.

DON'T:
-Hold your breath. This can make the ride more terrifying/painful
-Close your eyes if you don't have to. See above for reasoning.
-Bring bags or loose articles.
-Second guess yourself.
-Sit in the front

 

[Kellydelly]

Try dueling dragons before the Hulk, it is a really smooth ride. I avoided it the first four times we visited IOA but decided to try it last month and was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it! The Hulk is just a bit more intense.

 

[Lou Holtz]

I think Hulk might actually be easier for her to try first because it is not inverted (your feet are not hanging). It is more like Rockin' Roller Coaster. It will be much tougher to handle Dueling Dragons due to the slow climb and feet hanging. Hulk just starts and there's less time to be nervous.

 

[damo]

Do's & Don'ts for overcoming your rollercoaster fears:

DO:
-Scream as loud as possible whenever you want. It will make the ride less terrifying.
-Keep your eyes open as much as possible
-Hold onto the harnesses
-Know that the ride is safe, fun, and you'll be fine (even if you have quaky legs afterwards)
-Enjoy the adrenaline rush
-Reward yourself with an ice cream, butterbeer, lemon slush, ride photo, or whatever.

DON'T:
-Hold your breath. This can make the ride more terrifying/painful
-Close your eyes if you don't have to. See above for reasoning.
-Bring bags or loose articles.
-Second guess yourself.
-Sit in the front

I find sitting in the front to be easier since you are seeing exactly where you are going and your brain can process that info better. Just being flopped around without any idea of where you are is more stressful to me.

 

[Metro West]

I think Hulk might actually be easier for her to try first because it is not inverted (your feet are not hanging). It is more like Rockin' Roller Coaster. It will be much tougher to handle Dueling Dragons due to the slow climb and feet hanging. Hulk just starts and there's less time to be nervous.

Yeah...I agree with this.

 

[hpfan100]

OT- you have been on an inverted coaster before...rocknRoller inverts.

I used to be and still have moments of chicken rider syndrome. Space mountain made me cry as a teenager But now I ride and think geez what a wimpy ride If you liked Everest then you should like FJ. I rode many times and loved it. It was the ride that began my conversion to a ride junkie. I haven't ridden Hulk or dueling dragons but I'm going to on my next trip

 

[mesaboy2]

OT- you have been on an inverted coaster before...rocknRoller inverts.

Not exactly. An inverted coaster is one where the track is above the ride vehicle. Think Dragon Challenge, Montu at BGT, or Alpengeist at BGW. A coaster that goes upside down is doing inversions, but is not inverted. Think RnR at DHS, Kumba or Sheikra at BGT, Hulk, or HRRR.

 

[chimo2u]

OT- you have been on an inverted coaster before...rocknRoller inverts.I used to be and still have moments of chicken rider syndrome. Space mountain made me cry as a teenager But now I ride and think geez what a wimpy ride If you liked Everest then you should like FJ. I rode many times and loved it. It was the ride that began my conversion to a ride junkie. I haven't ridden Hulk or dueling dragons but I'm going to on my next trip

Hi Hpfan I actually meant an inverted track coaster, where your feet dangle and you are hanging from the track above you.

Actually, I take that back....I have done one once, it was 20 yrs ago at Knotts Berry Farm in California. Called the Black Ninja (I believe). The coaster made you feel like you where flying. It was so fun, but thankfully, it had no loops or anything, you basically just flew along a large track swaying back and forth!

 

[glocon]

Personally I would suggest you try the Hulk first. You do not have time to get too freaked out since you get rocketed into the ride at 60 mph (or whatever the speed is) and you don't have time to think about "why did I do this to myself?". You are just in the middle of the ride before you even realise it. And I think that the Hulk is a smoother ride, the Dragons coaster whips you around alot more. Plus all the near misses in Dragons can be scary.. Love the Hulk, but love HRRR more!

 

[jds]

More advice needed--I'm a TOTAL ride wimp and can't stand anything that spins around, whips me around, etc. That means Everest, Space Mountain, Rockin Roller Coaster, etc, all make me sick to my stomach and uncomfortable for hours after riding. (Believe me, I've tried them all at least once!)

I DO like rides with drops (Tower of Terror, log flumes,etc.)

So what rides should I avoid, and which should I attempt, when I visit US/IOA next week?

 

[Metro West]

More advice needed--I'm a TOTAL ride wimp and can't stand anything that spins around, whips me around, etc. That means Everest, Space Mountain, Rockin Roller Coaster, etc, all make me sick to my stomach and uncomfortable for hours after riding. (Believe me, I've tried them all at least once!)

I DO like rides with drops (Tower of Terror, log flumes,etc.)

So what rides should I avoid, and which should I attempt, when I visit US/IOA next week?

You should avoid: the coasters at both parks, Spiderman, MIB, Forbidden Journey.

You should try: the water rides, Dr. Doom and just about everything at the Studios except MIB, Revenge of the Mummy and The Simpsons.

 

[tink1957]

I agree with keeping your eyes open, I'm a ride wimp and tried both the Hulk and DD. I kept my eyes closed the whole time on DD (we were in the first car on Ice) and part of the time on the Hulk. I will never ride DD again... it was too much for me and my DS said the best part was the visual near misses etc. ...no way could I keep my eyes open. The Hulk wasn't bad and I could ride it again. I ride most all rides at WDW (except TOT as I don't care for drops) and every other ride at Universal & IOA (except Dr Doom again because of the drop) I love FJ, my favorite ride at Universal is the Mummy.

I usually give everything a try once, you never know if it will wind up being your favorite ride.

Good luck and have fun on your trip.

 

[schumigirl]

As for the Roller coasters at IOA, has anyone who's a ride scardey cat tried them and actually overcame your fear/ended up loving them???

That summed me up to a tee when we first visited in 2007.

I was terrified to the point of oblivion to go on anything with a drop.....I wouldn`t even go on a log flume at our local county fair which was about 10 feet high

The Hulk was the one ride I was desperate to go on...I had watched it on Youtube continually and decided I would go on it.

Fast forward to our trip......we get to the Hulk and the boys march on...and I wimp out. Told them to go on I would go on soon.....but I sat and cried under it as I so wanted to but was too scared. A TM came over and asked if I was ok as I was so upset.....more with myself, he was lovely and told me I would be so safe and I would love it. I just couldn`t do it. DH and DS went on time and time again as there was no queues.

I went home after 2 weeks gutted I hadn`t had the courage to go on anything with a drop.

The following year.........I marched into the park and straight to the Hulk....didn`t even look at it......just walked straight on.......september so no queues again........got to the seats and I thought my heart was going to burst I was so scared... but I got on ...pulled the harness down and thought "this is how I`m going to die" (I am a bit of a drama queen ) Tom said later although I felt really hot.... my face had paled beyond recognition!!!

My heart was pounding and I was clinging on for my life .......and we took off........and I loved it....loved every second of it and as soon as it stopped we were straight back on again and again till my brain was rattling.

That was me after that....I went on DD, Dr Doom, JPRA.......anything that had a drop I was there. Love them all Now we spend most of our time on our trip doing the bigger fun rides over and over again and never get bored of them.

I found screaming took away that horrible lurching feeling......I had only gone on a big ride years before at Disneyland Paris...it was the Indiana Jones ride and I hated it as I held my breath and that did make it worse.

Please give it a go.......at least then you`ll know whether you want to do it again.....good luck

 

[Planogirl]

The advice about keeping your eyes open is interesting. Does it really make something less scary? I always close my eyes on drops like on Tower of Terror and Splash Mountain and Jurassic Park. Maybe I shouldn't....

OP, Forbidden Journey isn't really a coaster but a car on a moving arm. It does give you that sense of a wild ride though and can induce a bit of queasiness in some people. But not everyone which makes this one a hard call.

 

[tfoster]

You should avoid: the coasters at both parks, Spiderman, MIB, Forbidden Journey.

You should try: the water rides, Dr. Doom and just about everything at the Studios except MIB, Revenge of the Mummy and The Simpsons.

As far as spinning is concerned, DH and I thought Cat In the Hat was tougher to handle than Spiderman and MIB - especially since there wasn't head support!

 

[Metro West]

It does give you that sense of a wild ride though and can induce a bit of queasiness in some people. But not everyone which makes this one a hard call.

That's one of the main reasons I'm hesitant about riding it. I've never been sick on any ride but I would be really annoyed if I got sick on FJ.

 

[henryk67]

We have been to Orlando three times now but never to any Disney parks just the Universal side. The first time in 2007 I was terrified to go on any of the big rides, every time my son would ask me to go on a ride it was a "not just now maybe after." This went on every day that we were at the parks, it wasn't till the day before we were leaving I broke my duck. We were at Sea World standing next to the Kracken and said "right who's going on," before anyone had the chance to answer I was through the turnstile of no return, so with just my son with me we waited in the que which was only 5 mins. Our time came and have to admit I was terrified when the floor moves away and that climb, thinking this is it, they will not stop the ride for me now!
It was amazing, it was that good we rejoined the que and within 5 mins we were on again. So that was the only time as it was to late to visit another park.
Two years later I was adamant to go on one the first day, so we went to Universal/IOA heading to IOA first and went on the first coaster which was the Hulk (front row) and I've never looked back. We were there again in October last year and managed to ride every roller coaster in US/IOA and Busch Gardens and loved them.
So once you get the first one out the way, the more you ride the more you will enjoy them.

 

[Metro West]

We have been to Orlando three times now but never to any Disney parks just the Universal side. The first time in 2007 I was terrified to go on any of the big rides, every time my son would ask me to go on a ride it was a "not just now maybe after." This went on every day that we were at the parks, it wasn't till the day before we were leaving I broke my duck. We were at Sea World standing next to the Kracken and said "right who's going on," before anyone had the chance to answer I was through the turnstile of no return, so with just my son with me we waited in the que which was only 5 mins. Our time came and have to admit I was terrified when the floor moves away and that climb, thinking this is it, they will not stop the ride for me now!
It was amazing, it was that good we rejoined the que and within 5 mins we were on again. So that was the only time as it was to late to visit another park.
Two years later I was adamant to go on one the first day, so we went to Universal/IOA heading to IOA first and went on the first coaster which was the Hulk (front row) and I've never looked back. We were there again in October last year and managed to ride every roller coaster in US/IOA and Busch Gardens and loved them.
So once you get the first one out the way, the more you ride the more you will enjoy them.

That is the absolute truth!

 

[mesaboy2]

This went on every day that we were at the parks, it wasn't till the day before we were leaving I broke my duck.

Sorry, what?