Anyone have a list of rides to avoid with a heart condition?

[Bete]

Is there a party line from Disney World what to avoid, here. I'm kinda thinking Mission Space should be avoided and maybe some of the rougher roller coasters like R'nR.

I would assume Soarin is okay. What about Tower of Terror?

I would appreciate any info, here.

 

[SueM in MN]

I would assume Soarin is okay.

Yes. The only warnings for Soarin are for heights and possibly motion sickness.

What about Tower of Terror?

Tower of Terror does have a warning. During the course of the ride, you are dropped a number of times in an "out of control elevator." Of course, it is totally in control, but you do fall faster than just gravity and then your elevator is janked back up. This happens a number of times - how many is determined randomly by computer. It can be rough, jarring and may not be safe for someone with a heart condition.

You can look at the park maps for the attractions with warnings - they are marked with a red triangle on the map and also on a sign at the entrance to the queue.
The 'general' warning is worded this way:
WARNING: For safety, you should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back and/or neck problems that could be aggrevated by this attraction. Expectant mothers should not ride.
Whether that means you should not ride will probably depend on your specific condition and what your doctor recommends.

For Epcot here are the attractions with warnings:

• Mission Space: There is a more tame (green side) and the more wild (orange side). Both sides can bump you around, but the Orange side also includes a spinning motion that gives a lot of G forces. The Orange side definately has a warning and actually a child who had an undiagnosed congenital heart condition died after riding the Orange side. It is not totally clear whether the Green side has the same warning.
• Test Track

For Magic Kingdom:

• Splash Mountain
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
• Space Mountain
• Goofy's Barnstormer (this doesn't have a triangle warning sign on the map, but does say that pregnant women should not ride, so it's not totally tame. It is a roller coaster, although a small one.)

For Disney Studio

• Star Tours
• Rock N Roller Coaster
• Tower of Terror

For Animal Kingdom:

• Kilimanjaro Safari
• Kali River Rapids
• Expedition Everest
• Primeval Whirl
• Dinosaur

The Safari and Kali River Rapids are listed because you can get unexpected hard bumps and drops during the course of the ride. Many people suggest that the Safari is less bumpy closer to the front, but it is still as bumpy as when we have sat farther back. We sit in the front seat because youngest DD needs to stay in her wheelchair; we still get bounced around a lot. It all depends on which ruts your ride car hits.

Splash Mountain has a big drop that takes you down at a very extreme angle at a high rate of speed (I think you get to 40 mph). At the bottom, your ride car stops abruptly.
For rides like Dinosaur, Star Tours, Test Track, Big Thunder Mountain you are not moving that fast, but experience sudden changes of direction that jerk you around a lot.

 

[Bete]

Thank you so much. This is so helpful.

God bless you for taking the time to do it for me.

 

[PatsMom]

I would talk with your doctor before deciding what to avoid. It helps if the doctor is familiar with Disney but if not, be prepared to describe the attraction to him.

For what its worth my husband has an aortic aneurysm and an enlarged heart. He also has back and neck problems with ruptured discs and peripheral artery disease. He definitely avoids the big coasters like Expedition Everest and Rock & Roller Coaster. He also avoids Tower of Terror. He does Kali River if he feels like getting wet and he also enjoys the Safari ride. He rides Soarin' and really loves it.

He also rides Mission Space on the tame (Green) side. He wouldn't do the Orange side even without the heart condition since he has motion sickness issues! That is also why he doesn't ride Primeval Whirl (although that one is pretty jerky and I wouldn't feel good about him riding with his heart condition).

What needs to be limited probably depends on exactly what your condition is and how severe it is. DH has talked with his cardiologist about what to avoid and is comfortable with his decision to ride some of the attractions with warnings.

 

[SueM in MN]

You are welcome.
The rides with warnings are actually are pretty frequent request, so I have a sticky note on my computer with the list. All I have to do is copy and paste it and them add some personal information to make it more useful for the person who needs the information.

hope you have a great time and ask any other questions you can think of. You may want to also look in the disABILITIES FAQs thread if you have not already been there.