Jerky rides to avoid?

Raven01

Proud Momma to DD
Joined
May 19, 2018
Grandpa had an accident and has had spinal fusion for a broken neck and back. After a rough start, he can now walk short distances unaided and go up and down steps - and even drive a lawnmower! He cannot turn his head, and does have some partial arm paralysis. He still has issues but he has come very, very far.

We are asking doctors what if any rides he can do, but I wanted to check here as well. My instinct is no jerky rides. i think anything a baby can ride he should - so Small World, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise. I would think he would be fine on Pirates and Frozen.

Has anyone rode MMRR? Thoughts on something like Splash, or even 7DMT? I wonder about FOP - it makes me nervous, because I’m not sure he can maintain core strength. He cannot hold, for example, a phone in his hand for long, so anything requiring him to hold himself up worries me. Or Soarin’? Is the only way to figure this out is get doctor clearance and try them?

Please, please I know to ask his doctor - we are. I’m looking more for firsthand experiences, because this feels like trial and error?
 
as for ride with no height requirements, I think most should be ok for him but I might skip FEA at EPCOT with the drops it might be too much. also, I would not do TSM at Hollywood studio

I have not done MMRR yet but from the video, I would say no it looks like it whips you around

sorin would be a big maybe can he sit upright with a little back support ( since you go forward some he would need to be able to hold himself up some) FOP is much more jucky

I would stay away from 7DMT and splash

but your right talk to his dr if you have been on the rides let the dr know what the ride is like ( if they have never been to Disney) and go from there. or try like sorin and if he is good with that and it was no problem maybe to FOP
 
Stay far away from Matterhorn. Love that ride, it was my first ever coaster, but every time they touch it they make it worse. The single-seat cars are downright painful.
 
Stay far away from Matterhorn. Love that ride, it was my first ever coaster, but every time they touch it they make it worse. The single-seat cars are downright painful.
That ride is at DisneyLAND not at dis why world so not likely the OP will be riding that ride
 
I think MMRR ride has the most jerks. My daughter loves it but even with rods in her spine has a hard time keeping her balance. Other rides that jerk her are all the rides in Toy Story Land, dinosaur, safari and test track
 
My grandmother has neck problems and cannot turn her head much. We pretty much only did shows and kiddie rides. She did okay on Soarin (aside from the heights). Oddly enough it was the Peoplemover that gave her the most problems. There are areas where it speeds up around turns and that was very uncomfortable for her.
 
So after doctor approval, do you just kinda wing it?

He will want to do everything and feel “normal”. I know that is not realistic, but it’s hard to know where to draw the line. I feel like anything that puts pressure on your body to turn (like a roller coaster) would be out.

Space Mountain is out - that was too much Before his injury! I forget how jerky that ride is.
 


I am not sure how the Peter Pan is at WDW, but at DL the landing is a bit rough. If you're sitting on the right side, it hurts a little. Something to consider since Peter Pan is on your list of rides he can do.

I've seen pregnant women ride Soarin' so that may be ok. You just go up high.
 
My favorite ride, Star Tours, regularly has dizzy/near vomiting riders sitting down outside the exit trying to find their equilibrium. I’d avoid that.
(But especially don’t sit all the way to the back on the left, where you’ll hit your head against the wall.)
 
Absolutely agree about the People Mover. It can jerk when turning.

[QUOTE="Random Ninja, post: 61821516, member :Oddly enough it was the Peoplemover that gave her the most problems. There are areas where it speeds up around turns and that was very uncomfortable for her.
[/QQUOT
 
So after doctor approval, do you just kinda wing it?

He will want to do everything and feel “normal”. I know that is not realistic, but it’s hard to know where to draw the line. I feel like anything that puts pressure on your body to turn (like a roller coaster) would be out.

Space Mountain is out - that was too much Before his injury! I forget how jerky that ride is.
one thing to remember any boat ride can be bumped at unloading by the boat behind it causing at jerk. even though it dose not have a height requirement stay away from Toy Story as it is very jerky
 
Have you asked your Gpa what *he* wants to do at WDW? He might be happy just to noodle around on an ECV (which would give him a place to sit in a padded chair, and a measure of personal freedom) and people watch, and know that he and his family are safe and happy in the Florida sunshine.

If he is a hard-core Disney fan who can't imagine WDW without rides, then obviously, work from that place of "No rides with drops, sharp turns, or too much sideways motion". And set the expectation with him - early and often - that he won't be able to ride a lot of what he might want to, and that you all will have to just be happy to be at Disney World, together! 🙂

(And remember that there are a few rides with loading belts (moving walkways) if his balance or walking abilities have been affected.)
 
I have neck issues from 2 car accidents. Here are the bumpy/jerky rides I avoid:

Boat rides: Small World, Pirates, Frozen, etc. The boat rides are smooth but at the end they can definitely be jerky as they often pile up towards the exit and cause the boats to bump into each other. We got caught at the end of Small World in a terrible chain reaction- 6 different boats got backed up behind us. I could feel each one as they bumped into each other as they jerked my neck forward. Someone with an uninjured neck probably wouldn't notice much. This really bothers my neck. Usually it is one or 2 boats that get backed up and that is still painful.

Safari: There's a very jerky/bumpy section in the Safari

Toy Story Mania: Every time the ride moves around to a new screen it whips the vehicles around, wasn't noticeable until I injured my neck.

Roller Coasters: Older coasters are completely out because they are so bumpy. Even the newest coasters are a problem- the ride is smooty but at the end when the coasters jerk to a stop it really hurts my neck.

Dinosaur, Winnie the Pooh- very jerky rides

Tiki Room: hard to tilt your neck to look towards the ceiling for that long

Kali River Rapids- you are constantly bumping into the walls of the ride

There's still plenty to do and see though even with ride restrictions!
 

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