Am I the only adult scared of rides

[niffer5150]

i used to be scared of most coasters. whatever your fears are, ask yourself, "what do i think is going to happen if i ride this?" and "is that a reasonably common outcome of other people who ride the ride"? for riding, start small and take it slow, get comfortable there, then go up a notch. repeat until the new ride no longer holds the same distress for you. as long as you follow the rules, you'll be fine. it can be an uncomfortable process but you miss out on SO much just sitting on the sidelines. test track goes 65 mph. space mountain goes 35 mph. RNRC? 57mph. you go faster than that on the freeway here but none of the cars are on tracks and half the people are texting. now that's scary.

 

[bearybubba]

I'm not a roller coaster fan at all but I love WDW! I skip the coasters (except for Splash Mountain and Test Track) and ride the 'baby' rides, see the shows, window shop, meet characters. We will be in WDW this December and half of our group are roller coaster people and the other half are not. The 'roller coaster' people have Fastpasses for those rides and my group have FP+ for other things.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Mostly all rides that you have to go in the air. If the speed is fast. I am trying to get over it. Went to the fair the other day and was on a baby ride with my little I was so scared I think I scared him lol

poor baby.

Your fear isnt unusual....many people have fears of certain rides. Me, I cant stand tower/terror. I always feel like im going to die when im on that ride. Its not an enjoyable experience for me. That drop, it just kills me. So I totally avoid it. I also cant stand ferris wheels. I hyperventilate. I cant get over these fears no matter how hard i try.

 

[JanBlessed]

I hear you! I have yet to ride Space Mountain, Expedition Everest, Tower of Terror, or the Aerosmith ride.

I almost lost it in the "Normal/Intense" version of Mission Mars!

My husband INSISTED that I ride that intense Mission Mars, even though I kept thinking: I shouldn't! As a result, I was very dizzy and slightly nauseated for a few hours afterward. It was not fun for me - nor the rest of the group. After that experience, I'd rather sit out, unless I'm feeling brave all on my own.

 

[BarbieGal457]

OP, I think everyone here has given great advice! I am sort of with you here too. I will do almost no rides at any kind of fair as I just cannot seem to trust them. I will do the rides on our shore boardwalk (Ocean City, NJ) because I feel they are safer since they don't need to move to travel with something like a fair - but I don't want to scare you by saying that! In Disney, I actually find myself a bit braver. I trust that Disney is extremely on top of ride safety and their rides are so smooth! I also agree that you tend to get lost in the scenery going on around you. Of course anything could happen anywhere but I have a lot of faith in Disney that they will keep me safe. I 100% recommend watching on YouTube as I have done this to prepare and felt much better when doing a new WDW/Disneyland ride as I knew what to expect and when. I timed the drop on Splash over and over and when we got to the point it drops, I said "Okay Natalie this is only 2 seconds, literally 2!!!!" May I suggest one slower young children ride you may want to avoid though, that being Peter Pan. It is VERY gentle but you do rise a bit into the air to give the sensation of flying, and it's very dark.

I also have horrible anxiety and spent most of my early 20s crippled by fear. Lately in my trips to WDW and Disneyland I have forced myself to be brave and prove to myself I can overrule my anxiety. For instance, as of 2014 there were three rides I had never done: Splash, Everest and ToT. In 2015 I did both Splash and Everest and I kid you not, on Everest the dear sweet mother next to me (hey Susie!!) held my hand as I screamed like a wild woman. I was so scared I thought I might faint! But in the end I was personally proud I did it, though I question if I'll do that again. When we got to the bottom of Splash I screamed, without thinking, "I lived! We didn't die!!!!!"

I don't suggest you force yourself and risk making your fears worse. Please remember there is nothing to be embarrassed about if you just cannot do a certain ride, or if you get in line and then need to leave at the last second. I know we refer to them as "chicken exits" but having to use these doesn't make you a chicken or a baby! I've used them plenty of times and in the end I'm happy I did instead of make myself very upset by going through with the ride. My only ride left to ever do is ToT but I just cannot force my legs onto it. Take it slow and easy and don't beat yourself up if you decide not to ride something. I can't imagine the heavy hitters at WDW going anywhere any time soon, so if you don't do it this trip, maybe next if you're feeling more up to it!

 

[BarbieGal457]

I apologize for that wall of text haha just sympathizing with my fellow nervous rider!!

 

[Eoywin]

I'm not a big fan of roller coasters - especially outside of Disney. I also still haven't worked up the nerve to do Splash Mtn. or ToT.

 

[ClemmyIndyBambi]

I used to love all rides, and then when I was in my late teen's/early 20's I developed awful anxiety. I suddenly had multiple phobias that impacted my ability to enjoy rides. I took my boyfriend to WDW in 2007, and he enjoyed it but my fears on some of the rides made it less magical than I had hoped for him. He still doesn't get my Disney obsession after that trip. Anyway, I've learned coping techniques that helped me get over my fears, and I'm back to enjoying rides again without even having to "cope". There are a lot of different techniques, but my personal favorite are yoga breathing techniques. They're easy to learn, and they work really fast (in my experience). Another is anytime I start to feel anxious counting things around me. For example, "I see this 2 of this, I see 3 of that, etc." that helps me move away from whatever I was fearful of. Once I made it through a couple trips at WDW riding things again I was back to feeling comfortable and confident on the rides again. One thing too is not to let your fear prevent you from doing it, because then you can build up in your imagination over time just how "awful" this experience will be.

Also, agreed with what everyone else said on the fair rides. I don't ride fair rides, and I never have. If you have an amusement park nearby that would probably be the best option to getting comfortable on rides.

 

[KittyKitty]

Check out Peter Pan ride on youtube. It does go in the air, ride vehicle secured above, but you don't realize it at 1st. Very slow, but has quick dark parts to show stars, like you are flying.

There is so much to do, while you wait or with your family. You could get the Hidden Mickey guide to look for hidden mickeys. Get cards at the firehouse in Magic Kingdom to play Sorcerers of Magic Kingdom game. I am going to try the Pirates game next time I'm there. Epcot has a smart phone game in World Showcase. Animal Kingdom has the Wilderness Explorers adventure from the movie "UP". None of these are rides. Hollywood Studios has many shows. Toy Story Mania is my favorite ride. Be sure to check that ride out on You tube.

You will have a great time, no matter if you go on any rides or not.

P.S. I tell people I have "retired" from riding Tower of Terror. I hate the feeling I get on it.

 

[jo-jo]

It took me years before I went on Splash or runaway railroad. I have never been on several of the big rides.

Funny story with my DGD and tower of terror. She was about 5 at time. Everyone from age 5 to 68 was going on but me. After they got off, my DGD says, Grandma wasn't that fun. I saw you at the end of the row going WOOOO. Sure kid, I loved it. LOL

 

[absolutmey]

No, you're not alone. My DH won't ride anything wilder than the People Mover He's currently considering riding Kali.

 

[Alice777]

Check out Peter Pan ride on youtube. It does go in the air, ride vehicle secured above, but you don't realize it at 1st. Very slow, but has quick dark parts to show stars, like you are flying.

Believe it or not, couple of times I rode Peter Pan, I got scared because in the beginning, it kind of dips and all you got is the bar lap. This was in Disneyland and it wasn't too bad at WDW. I wonder if dip is little more steep in Disneyland? Anyway, I can ride all the rollercoasters in WDW so it is kind of weird I got little scared with Peter Pan.

 

[lustergirl]

I'm not a big fan of roller coasters - especially outside of Disney. I also still haven't worked up the nerve to do Splash Mtn. or ToT.

Splash Mountain is the only one I will do.

 

[elizabethswan]

i love soarin ( could ride it all day long) , pirates, peter pan, small world, buzz lightyear, haunted mansion. i am ok with kali river rapids but never tried dinosaur and certainly not ee. i can't do splash mountain, space mountain, btmrr, nor any other roller coaster, even scared of 7dmt. i did test track once but did not like it. i am fine with spaceship earth but forget about mission space. i have done the star tours ride but not too anxious to do it again. also no way on rnrr and tot. years ago i did btmrr. i was terrified ( i know, but what can i say? ) and it didn't help that it broke down and we had to climb out of the ride in the middle. this was a long time ago tho. i guess the bottom line is that you have to know yourself and while it's good to try to go out of your comfort zone, i would say we should follow our own instincts on how much we can handle : )

 

[KittyKitty]

This thread got me thinking what attractions would I do if I didn't want speed nor heights at Magic Kingdom. The list had 18 attractions!
Some were rides, Buzz Lightyear( you are in charge of turning the vehicle), Small World, Pooh, Little Mermaid, Jungle cruise, tea party(you are in charge of how much spinning)
Some were inside theatre type, Mickey Philharmagic(3-d with smells), Country Bear Jamboree, Tiki Room, Monsters Laugh show(not scary but jokes. one of my favs). Hall of Presidents.
Some were transportation, Riverboat, Transit Authority(you can see it in Tomorrowland... this is in the air, so maybe doesn't work), Speedway, Railroad around the park.
Others, Tales with Belle, Muppets at liberty square(new one for me)
Sorry this is so long!

 

[DiannaVM]

AS the years go by, I seem to get more and more scared to go on rides. Honestly, if you feel this hesitant about most of the rides, I would certainly suggest you skip the "headliners" like RnRC, TOT, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain (for heights), EE. I am a little iffy about BTMRR because it is such a bumpy ride (I always ride it, but every time I am about to get on I get second thoughts).

I would definitely suggest that if you are feeling up to it you try Test Track, SDMT, and Barnstormer. Test Track goes not much faster than a regular car would drive on a freeway, SDMT is a nice smooth ride with a drop that is much smaller than it appears, and Barnstormer is over before you know it. I would use these rides to gauge how much you can actually handle.

With Soarin, if heights are an issue, then don't risk it. It goes pretty high up, and although I enjoyed it (despite almost chickening out as I was taking my seat lol), I also had to be very conscious not to look down because the fact that your feet just dangle in the air makes it all that scarier. But the ride itself is quite enjoyable and relaxing, all that aside.

I'll be honest here. Except for TOT, RnRC (I am trying to build up my nerve for this one as well as EE), and Mission Space, I will go on any Disney ride and feel comfortable riding because I feel safe (my fears are more to do with how my body/anxiety will feel when I ride the scary rides. As someone else said, I don't like feeling like I have no control while riding something). However, when it comes to carnival rides, I hardly ride any unless they are "baby" rides. My sister, DH and his cousin went on one of those pendulum ones and they said every time they were at the top, the ride felt like it was leaning forward. No thank you, I dont feel 100% safe on carnival rides.

 

[poppinspal]

I hear you! I have yet to ride Space Mountain, Expedition Everest, Tower of Terror, or the Aerosmith ride.

I almost lost it in the "Normal/Intense" version of Mission Mars!

My husband INSISTED that I ride that intense Mission Mars, even though I kept thinking: I shouldn't! As a result, I was very dizzy and slightly nauseated for a few hours afterward. It was not fun for me - nor the rest of the group. After that experience, I'd rather sit out, unless I'm feeling brave all on my own.

I have to say in my opinion none of those rides are along the same level as Mission to Mars. I enjoy roller coasters but HATE Mission to Mars. I think I did the intense version when it first came out and then a few years ago did the less intense version. I HATE IT! I want to like it which is why I gave it another change. It's the only ride in Disney World that I absolutely will not ride.


For the original poster I LOVE the roller coasters at Disney World but hate rides at fairs. I'm going to a fair this weekend and most likely won't ride anything. If you do find you feel comfortable on the rides at the fair Disney rides make me feel much safer and I also don't get sick on them.

 

[focusondisney]

OP, I am terrified of heights & get extremely motion sick. I love WDW!! We have been going for over 20 years & sometimes 2 or 3 times in a year. Our kids are grown now so it's just DH & me (60 & 59). I tried the roller coasters once or twice, but that was years ago when I was young & crazy! No matter what, don't feel pressure to try those types of rides. You can experience lots of things at WDW besides intense rides. If it helps, think of most things at DW as "attractions", not rides. Because that's what most of them are really. There are very few carnival/ fair type rides there. You can easily avoid them & still have plenty to do.

Here's what I do at MK: Buzz Lightyear, Monster's Inc Laugh Floor, Stitch's Great Escape, PeopleMover, Speedway cars, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan, Mickey's Philharmagic, Small World, Peter Pan, Little Mermaid, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Enchanted Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Country Bear Jamboree, Carousel of Progress, WDW Railroad, Liberty Bell River Boat, Hall of Presidents, Enchanted Tales with Belle.

What I don't go on: Dumbo, Magic Carpets, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, Tea Cups & Splash Mountain. Splash Mountain is incredible- I used to go on it despite the big drop. Mostly we stopped going on that coz we don't enjoy getting wet anymore!

So you see, I can do 22 attractions plus stage shows & character meets, but only skip 7 things. I don't know if you consider all those things as baby rides, but they are fun & entertaining for all ages.

When we started going I bought the Unofficial Guide. It listed each attraction & told you what type of ride it was- what type of vehicle you ride in & the speed of the ride. Something like that or videos on You Tube would help you know what to expect so you can decide what to try. Many of the attractions are like being on the moving sidewalks at an airport, but with seats. Just a long slow moving belt that you walk up to & then sit down. The vehicle then moves you thru a series of animatronic scenes. It is hard to explain, but you will understand after you get there.

If your DH is able to take the kids on the few intense rides you skip, that's great. As others have said, that's a good time to shop or people watch. But please don't feel pressure to ride everything or your family won't have fun. If you have questions about any of the rides, come back & ask. Lots of folks here will be happy to talk about each ride or attraction.

Good luck, I hope you have gotten some reassurance that will help you enjoy your trip!

 

[gemologygal]

Terribly afraid over here,and I'm 39! I don't like that dropping or speeding sensation, at all .

• Tried Test Track...someone else's son (probably 8 year's old) sat in between my husband and I and the little boy reassured me that the ride was fun and not scary...lies!...afterwards, picture me involuntarily crying and shaking.
• Tried Big Thunder Mountain...was the only person on the ride who screamed the entire time...scared and won't do it again but had to buy the pin to commemorate my first coaster.
• Tried the Barnstormer...my younger brother videotaped me the entire time (dork) and no matter how hard I tried to keep my big-girl face on while riding a kids' coaster, I still got scared.
• Tried Mine Train (same trip as Barnstormer, peer pressure)...immediately regretted that decision as soon as the ride was in motion...afterwards, tears hidden behind sunglasses and had to buy a snack to cope.

Still had fun tho! Won't do those rides ever again.

 

[tinkwings]

Bummer....but must know your own limits. Personally I laugh about the entire time I ride BTMRR.....MT Everest took a couple rides before I was comfy, its that backwards fast thing that bothers me most. AND BTM is just perfect for a rollercoaster for me. I couldn't handle faster, corkscrew, strapped in coasters...... And I am all in for a coping snack to counter balance....