Recommendations for motion sickness

[PrincessJasmine88]

How bad is the Millemium Falcon ride for motion sickness?

 

[Linkura]

Sea bands are what help me the most. I've tried bonine, doesn't really seem to do much, same with ginger chews. Sea bands aren't perfect- I still need to avoid some rides- but it helps me get through rides if I'm riding something for the first time and have an issue. It also helps me with carsickness.

 

[Linkura]

How bad is the Millemium Falcon ride for motion sickness?

Avoid. Sea Bands got me through it but I won't ride it again.

 

[CBMom01]

Bonine helps me a lot, but I will never go on Star Tours or the Simpsons ride at Universal again. I can handle Soarin and FOP if i close my eyes some

 

[princessme21114]

I have really bad motion sickness with 3d screens and VR so I have always consistently taken bound which allows me to enjoy everything but it does make me drowsy.

I have bought a reliefband but haven't had a chance to try it in a theme park. I have tried it with a virtual reality headset which previously made me too sick to play and it worked perfectly.

 

[PrincessDJC]

Motion sickness varies pretty widely from one person to the next. For some, spinning rides are the culprit, others can't take roller coasters or maybe just avoid 3D screen projections. If she's very motion sensitive, all of the above plus the bus ride might be...vomitacious.
Remedies from least strength to most are ginger and Sea Bands, meclizine (non-drowsy Dramamine, Bonine) or antihistamine (Zyrtec, Claritin, diphenhydramine), regular Dramamine, scopolamine patch (by presecription).

For Disney I like meclizine and coffee, because it makes me drowsy, and I avoid a lot of rides. I'd rather miss a three minute thrill ride than need to return to the hotel to lie down. Fortunately, the thrill rides have some great queues. So, I wait in line with my group, then take the chicken exit when they board the ride. 3-5 minutes later, they're done and I meet them as they exit. Cast members are happy to help! Just ask for the chicken exit right before your party boards. It's usually right there.

Thanks. I was hating the idea of her waiting all the time while we were in line. Didn’t think about using the chicken exit.

 

[jrsharp21]

One of the members of a podcast I listen to says he uses the reliefband when he goes on roller coasters and says it works very well.

 

[drkate]

I have severe motion sickness which has increased with age. So, I have been on all rides in the past. I use dramamine but still can't do these. BTW, avoid the scop patches. They made me extremely ill on a cruise.
Here's a good list to avoid, depending on how sensitive she is:

MK:
Must avoid: BTMR, Mad Tea Party, Space Mountain
Might be ok: Astro orbiter, SDMT, Splash Mountain (there's one drop on the inside that messes me up but I deal), Barnstormer, Winnie (bouncing portion)

Epcot:
Must avoid: Mission Space, Test Track
Might be ok: World Showcase movies, Soarin

HS:
Must avoid: Smugglers Run, Star Tours, RnR, Slinky
Might be ok: Alien Saucers (slower than Tea Party), Runaway Railway, TOT, RoR

AK:
Must avoid: EE, Dinosaur, FoP
Might be ok: Kali

 

[sheilafri]

The generic version of Bonine (meclizine) is very inexpensive and I have never felt any side effects (no drowsiness). You should be able to get it at a pharmacy or order from Amazon as it is OTC. If your motion sickness is pretty severe go ahead and try the maximum dose. I still avoid the Teacups and Mission Space, but it does the trick for me for Star Tours and Space Mountain, for example.

 

[PrincessDJC]

I have severe motion sickness which has increased with age. So, I have been on all rides in the past. I use dramamine but still can't do these. BTW, avoid the scop patches. They made me extremely ill on a cruise.
Here's a good list to avoid, depending on how sensitive she is:

MK:
Must avoid: BTMR, Mad Tea Party, Space Mountain
Might be ok: Astro orbiter, SDMT, Splash Mountain (there's one drop on the inside that messes me up but I deal), Barnstormer, Winnie (bouncing portion)

Epcot:
Must avoid: Mission Space, Test Track
Might be ok: World Showcase movies, Soarin

HS:
Must avoid: Smugglers Run, Star Tours, RnR, Slinky
Might be ok: Alien Saucers (slower than Tea Party), Runaway Railway, TOT, RoR

AK:
Must avoid: EE, Dinosaur, FoP
Might be ok: Kali

It’s tough because we all love all those. I think my son is going to be sitting out a bunch of rides with her.

 

[EGAlford]

My DIL has never been to Disney and we are hoping to do a family trip in 2022. Unfortunately she is prone to motion sickness. How do those of you with the same issue manage to maximize rides? What products help with that? I don’t want her left out as we all ride but also don’t want her to be miserable. I want her first trip to be a positive one. TIA

Most stores sell a non-drowsy Dramamine that has ginger in it that I have used in the past. My motion sickness has eased over my Disney trips, luckily, but still carry some just in case. Eating a small breakfast helps too (something like a bagel or fruit, not sugary). I don't know if this applies, but the main contributor to my motion sickness is anxiety and how I never rode rides when I was a kid. Start small and avoid rides with lots of spinning. My first real coaster was Big Thunder and while I was scared to death the first time I rode it, my stomach felt fine after since the ride system itself is really smooth.
But to make her trip more enjoyable, don't force her to ride anything. Disney is amazing just to experience by walking around and taking everything in. I personally appreciate Disney World more because my first trip ever I was walking around and looking at all the details in the parks. Most people are too busy running to get into queues to pay attention.
Take plenty of photos, eat as much as you can fit, and even play some scavenger hunt games--hidden Mickeys are everywhere!

 

[bffer]

As others have said: Bonine. I also have Sea Bands, but I haven't had much luck with them. I think it's more a placebo effect, but if it works for you, great!

Now, even on Bonine, I still can't do everything - Mission Space is definitely out of the question for me.

 

[WINTER]

I've always been ok on rides but as I have gotten older I seem to suffer a bit of motion sickness on some rides. Any recommendations?

 

[peabody58]

Same here, feel your pain. My motion sickness started after I did the Human Gyroscope Ride at Pleasure Island back in the mid 90's. The alcohol didn't help either.

Bonine is now on our packing list. I take right before we go and everyday we're there. It has helped me enjoy some (not all) of the rides. SDD, EE and most rides at UO are still big no-nos for me.

 

[MinBz]

Just be careful of the prescription behind the ear patches (scopolamine). They work awesome but I didn’t know it can impact your eyes. My eyes never went back to normal after using them during our Sept 2020 trip. I googled and I saw other people had the same experience with their eyes. Wish it didn’t impact my eyes because it worked better than all the other things I tried for motion sickness on the rides. So many people are fine with the patches though so you may decide it’s worth a try, just research before using them. Stupid me just put them on without reading the side effects. Husband said maybe I could use them again since the damage is already done but I don’t want to risk it getting worse so never again for me.

 

[Jennasis]

Just be careful of the prescription behind the ear patches (scopolamine). They work awesome but I didn’t know it can impact your eyes. My eyes never went back to normal after using them during our Sept 2020 trip. I googled and I saw other people had the same experience with their eyes. Wish it didn’t impact my eyes because it worked better than all the other things I tried for motion sickness on the rides. So many people are fine with the patches though so you may decide it’s worth a try, just research before using them. Stupid me just put them on without reading the side effects. Husband said maybe I could use them again since the damage is already done but I don’t want to risk it getting worse so never again for me.

Interesting. I had been using them for years at Disney without incidence (other than the near-vision focus issues and dry mouth). I noticed about 2 years go after one trip, that the blurry near-vision didn't go completely away after using them one trip. I had chalked it up to coincidence to normal middle age vision changes and even my eye doc isn't particularly concerned (doesn't think I need correction for it. I go twice a year for vision checks due to my near for contacts. VERY poor far vision).

But MANY those patches are a God-send. I can't ride almost anything without them.

 

[mmsportsmom]

I take Meclizine every morning and again at lunch if know I will be on rides that might make me sick. The box says 1 per day but I do take 2 some days. (I was told by the doctor I could take more than the over the counter box says when struggling with vertigo). I still have to avoid some attractions, Star Tours, MFSR, FOP, MS, SM. I know these rides I cant handle and it is not worth feeling sick..

 

[scrappinginontario]

I've always been ok on rides but as I have gotten older I seem to suffer a bit of motion sickness on some rides. Any recommendations?

Merged with a post from a couple of months ago that contains MANY great recommendations.

 

[wench]

I can ride anything I want to by taking Dramamine, preferably the non-drowsy. I can even do the teacups as long as we don’t do too much extra spinning. And I’m someone that gets extremely bad motion sickness in cars, planes, boats, etc….

 

[wdw&sonny]

To emphasize what a few other have mentioned, Bonine (meclazine) may make you drowsy-like pass-out drunk tired right in the middle of the day...like homeless guy on park bench, but it's you on a bench at Epcot, napping at 2p in 85 degree heat.

Start taking it a couple of NIGHTS before your trip. You'll sleep well and adjust to the drowsiness. Take every night for duration of trip.

BUT, here's another potential side effect that I experience: Call it groggy, foggy, fuzzy, or amnesia...but it dulls the experience. I notice that I am just less alert, awake, aware. Less emotional. I am not tired. But, just don't recall the experiences as clearly. I stopped taking it due to that. I would return from a day at the park or even after the trip and not remember many things I did.