Universal: Kids not done coasters before - Which to avoid?

[chickeninabun]

My girls have not really done coasters before (I used to do but worried I might get sick now ) so don't want them terrified from the start! Which rides do we need to avoid at Universal?

[Moorlandman]

RIP Rocket and the Hulk are the worst. Depends on their age and enjoyment of such rides

Take a look on YouTube

[chickeninabun]

Originally Posted by Moorlandman

RIP Rocket and the Hulk are the worst. Depends on their age and enjoyment of such rides

Take a look on YouTube

See more...

Thanks. The girls are 13 and 10 but I'm not sure how much they'd enjoy it.

Unfortunately we don't have enough internet to be able to watch YouTube at home . We have looked at a few before the internet ran out but didn't get through all of them. Will avoid Hulk and RR as I'm sure I'd be ill too.

[tinkerella123]

Most of the roller coasters you can see before you get on so the kids will know whether or not they were suitable. Sure you have to be 54in to go on hulk.

[sunseeker]

Trouble with coasters is they look worse from the ground than they actually are when riding them. I would start them off on the mummy and if they enjoy that do the hulk. RRR is probably the most frightening of them all due to the lift climb and the way the harness holds you in. If you can get over that part, the rest of the ride is excellent. The only rides that make me queesy are the harry Potter rides, I put that down to my varifocals and the screens rather than the ride itself.

Dave

[pad406]

This is from a post I did after our first visit to Universal. Might give you some ideas on what they are like.

Universal Rides
Despicable Me - Love this ride and with the regular 2+ hr lines, we're obviously not the only ones. A 4D show where the seats move along with the action, giving the illusion of being directly involved. What Shrek could be if they updated it.
Shrek - OK, it's 10 years older than Despicable me, and it shows. The concept is similar, the problem here is the seats. They make so much noise as they move, it's off-putting. Similar to It's a Bugs Life in the AK in Disney.
Rip Ride Rockit - Was disappointed with this. Firstly it was out of operation more than it was running during our stay. But it just doesn't live up to the promise. The lift up to the top and the first loop are brillaint, then it's just yawn after that. Was actually gutted when I got off as I was expecting so much more.
Transformers & Spiderman - I've put these together, as esentially they are the exact same, just played out in different scenarios. Imagine being in a ride vehicle, like Dinosaur in AK but smaller, and being immersed in scenes with fast movement and full 3D effects. Both are excellent.
Revenge of the Mummy - A really good dark, inside roller coaster. Some parts of it may be scary for younger kids.
Men in Black - Similar to Buzz lightyear but darker and the guns work better. Enjoyed it but nothing special.
Simpsons - Loved this. Ride vehicle simialr to Transformers/Spiderman but moves up/down and left/right. You're lifted to an Imax screen and off you go.
Dragon Challenge - Great coaster this. Two sides red and blue, they do have names but I can only remember by the colour. Red is faster and blue a bit rougher. You hang down in the seat and do multiple inversions etc. Really cool.
Forbidden Journey - The original HP ride and great fun. Not a coaster, but sometimes feels like one, though you never go upside down. Travel through a Quiditch match, meet some Dementors. Loved it but only got to ride it once.
Hogwarts Express - Train ride to and from Hogsmeade/King's Cross Statio. You actually sit in a real steam train carriage, but the scenes are projected onto the windows. Nicely done, but not overly exciting.
Escape from Gringotts - An indoor roller coaster with 3D effects, similar to Transformers and Spiderman. Some drops and speedy sections but no inversions. Really cool and the whole area is fab.
The Incredible Hulk - Best ride in Universal for us. Fast, multiple inversions, corkscrews etc. Seems that you spend more time upside down than right way up. We all just loved it.

Are you doing Disney also? If you are and it's first you'll probably get a better idea of what rides the girls like.

When we did Universal DS was 10 and had not been into 'big' rides at all. But he tried Hulk and loved it and there is no stopping him now (except The Mummy, he didn't really like that)

I was probably a bit harsh on RRR, will be giving it another go this year

[chmurf]

well the best way is not to decide for them what to avoid or ride.
the best way is to let them decide. After all they will be riding.

[chickeninabun]

We're not doing Disney this time, but thank you for your review pad406. Really helpful.

[b00110908]

Originally Posted by pad406

This is from a post I did after our first visit to Universal. Might give you some ideas on what they are like.

Universal Rides
Despicable Me - Love this ride and with the regular 2+ hr lines, we're obviously not the only ones. A 4D show where the seats move along with the action, giving the illusion of being directly involved. What Shrek could be if they updated it.
Shrek - OK, it's 10 years older than Despicable me, and it shows. The concept is similar, the problem here is the seats. They make so much noise as they move, it's off-putting. Similar to It's a Bugs Life in the AK in Disney.
Rip Ride Rockit - Was disappointed with this. Firstly it was out of operation more than it was running during our stay. But it just doesn't live up to the promise. The lift up to the top and the first loop are brillaint, then it's just yawn after that. Was actually gutted when I got off as I was expecting so much more.
Transformers & Spiderman - I've put these together, as esentially they are the exact same, just played out in different scenarios. Imagine being in a ride vehicle, like Dinosaur in AK but smaller, and being immersed in scenes with fast movement and full 3D effects. Both are excellent.
Revenge of the Mummy - A really good dark, inside roller coaster. Some parts of it may be scary for younger kids.
Men in Black - Similar to Buzz lightyear but darker and the guns work better. Enjoyed it but nothing special.
Simpsons - Loved this. Ride vehicle simialr to Transformers/Spiderman but moves up/down and left/right. You're lifted to an Imax screen and off you go.
Dragon Challenge - Great coaster this. Two sides red and blue, they do have names but I can only remember by the colour. Red is faster and blue a bit rougher. You hang down in the seat and do multiple inversions etc. Really cool.
Forbidden Journey - The original HP ride and great fun. Not a coaster, but sometimes feels like one, though you never go upside down. Travel through a Quiditch match, meet some Dementors. Loved it but only got to ride it once.
Hogwarts Express - Train ride to and from Hogsmeade/King's Cross Statio. You actually sit in a real steam train carriage, but the scenes are projected onto the windows. Nicely done, but not overly exciting.
Escape from Gringotts - An indoor roller coaster with 3D effects, similar to Transformers and Spiderman. Some drops and speedy sections but no inversions. Really cool and the whole area is fab.
The Incredible Hulk - Best ride in Universal for us. Fast, multiple inversions, corkscrews etc. Seems that you spend more time upside down than right way up. We all just loved it.

Are you doing Disney also? If you are and it's first you'll probably get a better idea of what rides the girls like.

When we did Universal DS was 10 and had not been into 'big' rides at all. But he tried Hulk and loved it and there is no stopping him now (except The Mummy, he didn't really like that)

I was probably a bit harsh on RRR, will be giving it another go this year

See more...

It's been a while since my last trip to Universal. You mention 2 hour queues for despicable me - I downloaded the Universal App and been keeping an eye on queue times throughout the day now for maybe a week or so. The longest queue I've seen for any ride was 50minutes at Universal. Due to this I thought the FOLP was a waste of time as I don't mind waiting 20-30 minutes for most rides. However, if you're saying the queue is over 2hours? That changes things.

[pad406]

Originally Posted by b00110908

It's been a while since my last trip to Universal. You mention 2 hour queues for despicable me - I downloaded the Universal App and been keeping an eye on queue times throughout the day now for maybe a week or so. The longest queue I've seen for any ride was 50minutes at Universal. Due to this I thought the FOLP was a waste of time as I don't mind waiting 20-30 minutes for most rides. However, if you're saying the queue is over 2hours? That changes things.

See more...

It was Christmas time in fairness