Which rides make you feel horrible? [at Universal/IOA] About This Page:

[Suey12]

So, I'm in the weird category of "not suffering from motion sickness, but am fearful that i might" !

We haven't been to Universal in about 15 years, and are heading back there in August. I know there are warnings on virtually every ride, but are there any that are guaranteed to make you feel nauseaus? Specificially, what is your honest opinion about the Harry Potter rides?

Thanks so much, I would hate to miss the experience just through worry! Just so you know, I can ride (at Disney) all the mountains, Test Track, Soarin', Tower of Terror, etc. again and again.

[GoofyMom]

The only ride at Universal that ever made me feel yucky after was Jimmy Neutron and I think it's closed now.

If you can do Rock N Roller Coaster, you should be able to do the Hulk. The Simpsons is a simulator ride that shakes you around a bit, same with Spider Man. Dr Doom's Fear Fall is like Tower of Terror except you are outside the whole time, and if there's any (and I mean ANY) line, don't bother because it's over in 30 seconds - you literally spend more time getting harnessed in than the ride lasts. But if there's no line, it's an awesome view at the top!

Forbidden Journey is tougher to compare to other rides. You are "swinging" kind of like Peter Pan, but that is the only thing similar about those two rides. It is fast, it swoops, it's kind of like a roller coaster except you are going sideways a lot, but not all, of the time. My husband gets motion sickness quite easily and he can't do rides like Tower of Terror (I'd never seen a grey/green human before until we got off that), but he handled FJ and the Dragon Challenge coaster just fine.

Have fun with the rest of your planning!

[Carousel96]

Hard to tell you about the Harry Potter rides --
I am the motion sickness victim in our family and I did okay on FJ, but my DH, who can ride ANYTHING came off white as a ghost. He spent a good 2 hours on his back on a bench before we did anything else.
That said, I had popped a dose of dramamine with my breakfast and we rode first thing. So maybe that helped.
Can't tell you about any of the other coasters because I didn't do any of the other thrill rides. I'm terrified of heights and I don't do anything with loops because they make me ill.
Now try to plan your life

Updated: I've been following this thread and am amazed at the folks who mentioned Men In Black as problematic. I never noticed anything! To me, it was no worse than Toy Story Mania. In fact, MIB may have been my fave ride at Universal. Clearly my experience is of no use

[jimmymac]

Outside of Mission: Space, there are no WDW rides that can compare in intensity to US / IOA. Potentials:
IOA
Hulk Coaster
Dr. Doom Fearfall
Spiderman
Forbidden Journey
Cragon Challenge coasters

US
Simpsons

[MBUS]

I don't do roller coasters, so I can't speak to those. Spiderman is a favorite ride and it never makes me feel sick. My Mum didn't like the spinning in Men in Black. I did take a dramamine the morning of the Forbidden Journey. I HATED the ride my first time through but liked it better my second time. I would second that the old Hanna-Barbera/Jimmy Neutron ride was awful as far as making you feel sick. I hope they smooth it out a bit for the Despicable Me ride.

Beth

[Suey12]

Thanks all. I guess it's such a personal thing. We'll just have to go for it (if we can wait the queue out !!! ) and see what happens. The thing that made me doubt FJ was that in the 'Unofficial Guide' there is advice on what to do if you feel queasy on that ride, as apparently so many people do. (If anyone is interested, they say to stare at your feet, don't close your eyes, and don't look around you....hey, when did this stop being fun? !!!)

I appreciate your input

[Shell_of_the_South]

I never get sick on rides, but after doing Dragon's Challenge (formerly Dueling Dragons) I have felt queasy. Only coaster that ever made me feel that way.

Men in Black doesn't bother me in the least, but my DH can't do it more than once. Back when the Simpsons was Back to the Future it make him deathly sick.

[OneLittleSpark]

I can't comment on your question about Universal as I have never been there. But I did want to say that sometimes the smaller rides can pull a doosy! I can not, I mean CAN NOT ride the tea cups! I feel SO sick for a couple hours after if I do. That being said, I have not tried Mission Space at all. Though I would like to try maybe the green side.

[BarryH]

The Barney show at USF makes me feel like I just got a lobotomy.

[Ashli]

I'm another in your category of - "Haven't gotten motion sick, but am afraid I could". I think it's more my paranoia than anything, but when I am going to be doing lots of roller coasters or rides with "potential" issues - I just take a Bonine in the morning. It is probably all mental since I haven't actually had problems, but it helps either way. I prefer Bonine to Dramamine because it doesn't make me tired, and my friend who is a dizziness doctor says Bonine is easier on the stomach than Dramamine.

I personally don't care for Hulk - and I really enjoy roller coasters - but to me, Hulk is a BIG coaster in a really small place, and the tight turns you make really give me a headache. I was surprised to hear that people had problems on MIB...I don't recall it spinning very long at all, but I like spinning stuff so I guess that's why I didn't notice it. I can see how Simpsons would get tricky, but I think the previous poster's advice about staring at your feet on Harry Potter would work for Simpsons too. The actual car in Simpsons barely movies, it's a simulator, so as long as you don't let your eyes see the movie that makes you feel like you are moving in ways you aren't, you'll be ok.
I'd love if you post a follow up if you do decide to do FJ, because as someone who has the same concerns, I'd be interested to know how it was.

[Suey12]

Originally Posted by Ashli

I'd love if you post a follow up if you do decide to do FJ, because as someone who has the same concerns, I'd be interested to know how it was.

Hi Ashli, if we ever make it on to FJ I'll certainly post to let you know the outcome! We are going in August. I personally think the biggest challenge will be standing in line for xxx hours !!

[BarryH]

I remember once when Dueling Dragons made me feel sick. It was about 5-6 years ago when my friends and I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. That morning, we had an idea of riding Dueling Dragons in the front row a lot of times before the line became long. We had the room keys, so we had unlimited Universal Express access.

We went to breakfast and did the buffet. We ate several platefulls of greasy breakfast food. I remember eating three full plates of food. These plates are pretty big -- as big as dinner plates!

After breakfast, we made a beeline to Dueling Dragons and did front row rides several times. After 3-4 rides, we started to get sick. We rode once more and we felt terrible. My friend and I both collapsed in baby swap. We ate too much and it was starting to come back up. I think if we rode one more time, we would have both surely hurled!

So...

GOOD IDEA: Riding the front rows of Dueling Dragons several times in the morning
BAD IDEA: Eating the breakfast buffet before riding Dueling Dragons

That's really the only time a roller coaster has ever made me sick!

[Laurspar]

oh no, now I'm nervous! I'm a huge HP fan and we're going in aug.too and I don't like many coasters, but can take big thunder and space mountain. I love soarin' and can even do star tours(the older version). Is FJ more like soarin' or motion simulater like star tours? I really want to go on.
Laurie

[GoofyMom]

FJ isn't at all like Soarin' other than you are hanging in your seat. It's not really like Star Tours either because it's not really what I would call a simulator, although that's a closer comparison. It's kind of like the Zipper at your local fair. But even still... it's not like it at all! lol It swings. It dips and swoops. It goes sideways. It's fast like Space Mountain. But you don't flip upside down and you aren't in a cage like the Zipper. It's really really hard to describe. I don't think I've ever experienced anything that would be similar enough to say "this is what it is like". Maybe you'd describe it as a roller coaster that stops and starts, but it has a story and lots of action? I love it!

Maybe a Bonine before wouldn't be a bad idea if you are worried about motion sickness.

[HiddenMickey]

Cat in the Hat made my sister feel awful. So much spinning.