Advice needed for a ride/rollercoaster phobic!!!

[princesskel]

Hello! Am going to disney in just over 3 weeks for the first time and am sooo excited but nervous too as i am a massive scaredy cat!! I know it sounds silly but i am really scared of going on any rollercoasters or fast rides - up until last weekend i have never ever been on a rollercoaster before! You are all going to laugh but we went to paultons park (a childs theme park) and i have never gone on the rides before - always let hubby take the kids on them. This time i was really brave (hehe) and went on everything and my first ever coaster! Now these are tiny tiny little rides compared to the disney ones and i was practically shaking while i was waiting BUT i really loved them and wanted to do them all again!! I ust feel really unsafe and worry that the ride will break or i wll fall out! I realy dont want to go to disney and regret not going on things especially when everyone else will be going on everything - anyone else like me?

Is there anything i should definetly avoid? (will not even consider going upside down and dont like not feeling secure in a ride)

Is there any that look a lot worse than they are or vice versa?

thanks

big scaredy cat!! :d::blush:

I

[Georgia&Dani]

One of the things I love about WDW/ universal is the selection of different rides that suit everyone. There are plenty of rides that are great fun and not too bad (e.g. thunder mountain, splash mountain). Whereas, those that you should avoid (e.g. Tower of terror, rock 'n' roller coaster) may surprise you if you decide to give them a go. I wasn't that keen on rides, but love them now..
I wouldn't worry about them too much, as I've said there's stuff in Florida for everyone.:)

[Sneezy]

There are so many rides of the non scary type :pgig: that you will find something to suit your taste. Start off on small world working up to pirates and then onto thunder mountain, if you begin to gain confidence go on to space mountain ;) But remember you are on holiday :cool2: Do what you enjoy and have fun :spin:

[MrB]

Consider in MK BTMR; SPLASH Mountain (a nice water ride with a drop); Space mountain (a bit rickety but safe).

Then give them all ago in WDW. The rides are probably the tamest in Orlando and the theming is good.

[jonh]

You might want to avoid a couple in the Animal Kingdom like Everest and Dinosaur. The Primeval ride will shake you about a bit too. We went with friends last year and they would not go on any coasters, however we managed to get them on thunder mountain, space mountain and test track at Epcot and they enjoyed them. There are plenty of other rides you will enjoy too.

[DisneyGirls]

I love the rides, they just don't love me! I usually feel quite sick when I get off due to a problem I had with my ears several years ago. I did go on the rock and roller coaster as I was curious and did regret it (although I had my eyes shut the whole time) I do enjoy Splash Mountain, Big thunder railroad and The Tower of Terror, I seem to be better if they don't go upside down. Soarin' at Epcot is also fantastic. Start of with the tame rides and work your way up, be brave and give them a go, you don't usually hear of people falling out !!!!!:eek:

[Daris]

I always thought I was like you ;) but on first visit I amazed myself by doing TOT! did most of the others too !! mind you DH was reluctant to do them so someone had to go on with DD!! this time have 2 DD so Lauras geared up to do the rides with Hannah 7 gives me the option this time I guess ;) after all I am getting older !! lol lol
we will be there at the same time as you......

[theflynns]

haha was it the cobra at paultons park you went on? I screamed on that too!! anyways build up gently I guess or just do what Iam gonna do and take the bull by the horns and go on the kraken at seaworld ! Have fun whatever u do !

[Dabies]

My advice you'd be to not avoid anything. You said yourself that you hadn't been on a rollercoaster until last weekend and even though you were nervous you still loved it. I wouldn't dismiss going on rides that take you upside down, if you've never done it, you don't know if you'll like it. All the rides in Florida are completely safe, there is no chance of the train falling off the tracks or you falling out. What you've got to remember that the majority of these rides go through thousands of riders every hour, so that's thousands of people you ride safely without any problems each day.

It's your holiday, so do with it what you want, but if you feel any regret about going on a ride, just try it out. If you don't like it, you don't like it, but at least you will know and have achieved something. If you did want to try a coaster out, I'd suggest going for either Kraken, Hulk, Duelling Dragons, Kumba, Montu or Shiekra it may sound crazy suggesting the bigger coasters in Florida, but all these coasters are made by the same manufacturer who are famous for there comfortable rides. All these rides are not only very comfortable to sit in, with big restraints, but are very smoooth when going around, if any rides will give you confidents in coasters, these will.

[disney07]

I never liked roller coasters until last year, i always let my hubby take the kids on and i would just watch, they always seemed to have so much fun, then one year i decided i would pluck up the courage and do Kracken then chickened out and really regretted it, last xmas we went back and i went on all the rides, and i really loved it and cant wait to go again this xmas and do it all again. There are rides for everyone though so i say just do it and enjoy it.

[Dabies]

I've just come across an article which kind of re-itterates my point about those coasters. It's an interview/insight into the coaster manufacturer B&M, makes interesting reading and may help reassure you a little.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2008/07/25/ftroller127.xml

[Burgmeister]

Start yourself off gently by doing Goofy's Barnstormer at MK, then go from there!

[Flower2603]

Hi, we are off on our first WDW trip in 2 weeks so will be there the same time as you too. I feel exactly the same, but I worry mostly about my kids. I seem to be stressed until they get off safely. I worry they will let go of the hand rail and slip, or try something daring like standing up. I spend the whole time at theme parks just worrying and really stressed. However, like Dabies advice above, I am going to try and go on as many as possible with them and put my faith in the fact that other 7 year olds go on and come off safely!

Also, following along my worrying neurotic mother theme, I have read sections on lost children being a common occurrance at WDW. This is another major worry for me, is this as common as the guides say?

Thanks and nice to talk to you all.

[Dabies]

If you do get seperated from your child for whatever reason, the CMs are red hot on finding them quickly and taking care of them until you are re-united. When my sister and family went a couple of years ago, her kids were playing in the Curious George section in Universal and all of a sudden she couldn't see her daughter, she alerted a CM and staight away they were on the radio and had three or four others there straight away. They didn't let anybody leave the area while they searched for her, it turned out that she was sat out of sight behind the balll pool picking up all the scattered balls :d: but it just shows how quick they react.

I know at Chessington and Alton Towers they now have something called Kidspotter, which is basically a GPS wristband that the children wears, and if you get seperated you text a their GPS ID to a special number and it will tell you where they are in the park. It also alerts staff members so they can also try and find them and it sets alarms off if they go close to the exit. It's appparently very successful, so it wouldn't suprise me if the US parks adopted it sometime soon.

[Bridget]

My advice is don't shut your eyes and don't gawp about as this can make you queasy - keep your head back and you're fine. You're locked into the coaster you've nothing to worry about there.

You know if you try one... you might get hooked and become a coaster junkie. :smile:

When you look at something like Kraken or Hulk they LOOK worse than they actually are.

[Flower2603]

Thank Dabies, its good to know they are really on the ball. Hopefully, we'll all be having such a great time, there won't be time to worry about anyone falling out of Thunder Mountain!

[pinkypominnie]

Welcome to the DIBB!

I a exactly the same as you and the BIG rides terrify me! I would NEVER go upside down and also worry about falling out of the train falling off the tracks! Lol! So as we sound the same these are what I would reccommend doing/saving up courage for later.....

Do it now:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - a very tame rollercoaster with no big drops
Space Mountain - A little bit fast and in the dark butno big drops and feels very secure
Dinosaur - very jerky - but FUN! Not like a rollercoaster at all but more of a simulator on a moving track with scary dinosaurs
Soarin - beautiful and relaxing simulator
Test Track - has one fast part but stays flat so feels incredibly safe

Save some courage up for:
The Mummy - fantastic ride, BUT I cried getting on and even though I loved it have not been back on again since
Splash Mountain - really lovely ride but has a very big drop that makes me feel like I am going to tip out - will be ok if you have no fear of heights
Mission Space - You may be ok on the non-spinning version to start
Tower of Terror - the clues in the title! BIG 13 storey plummet
Rock n Rollercoaster - upside down so a big no-no for me
Anything in Islands of Adventure!
Any of the Busch coasters or Seaworld - far too BIG for me!

Anything else in Disney I havent mentioned you will be fine on and should enjoy - nothing else has the fright factor for me :)

[princesskel]

HellO! Thank you so much for all the replies have some great advice here! Pinkypominnie thankyou for the list its great willw rite it down to take with me! Really want to rave some rides because i know i will love them when im on them - i am also scared about taking the kids on them and worry they wont hold on properly or will mess around and fall out :omg:

What is tower of terror like? Is it a rollercoaster, are you fixed in to a seat securely? What does it actually do? thanks

kelly x

[Flo]

Start yourself off gently by doing Goofy's Barnstormer at MK, then go from there!

No, don't do the barnstormer :eek: I found big thunder mountain easier on the bones than that.

I'm a real scaredy cat too, not keen on high coasters or big drops.

I feel really:blush: when my DD 7 will go on but I won't.

I am going to try to do more this trip but its my holiday too and I want to enjoy it without feeling worked up all the time about going on scary rides, lol.

[Bridget]

HellO! Thank you so much for all the replies have some great advice here! Pinkypominnie thankyou for the list its great willw rite it down to take with me! Really want to rave some rides because i know i will love them when im on them - i am also scared about taking the kids on them and worry they wont hold on properly or will mess around and fall out :omg:

What is tower of terror like? Is it a rollercoaster, are you fixed in to a seat securely? What does it actually do? thanks

kelly x

aww you really shouldn't worry - it's super safe. I would worry more at fairs in this country.

You would never fall out - you're locked into the chairs and for extra security you have a seat belt.

Tower of Terror isn't a coaster. You go into an "elevator", sit in a seat where a lap belt comes over you.. you climb 13 stories bit of mind games through the twilight zone all very good and then the doors open at the top and you plunge the 13 stories super fast. You're shot up again and down ya go... it's random so you may get a couple of drops, you may get 5! haha. It's not like Dr Doom where your legs dangle - you're enclosed (thank goodness). It's a right laugh. If you get the courage to go on I bet you ride it again! :D xx