What If I Chicken Out!!?? (long) About This Page:

[wisconsinmousermom]

Ok all...I'm about to share a secret...well it's not that much of a secret, my whole family knows about it. Please don't laugh...I'm terrified of most rides, no correction, ALL RIDES. "Whew" I said it!

Now here is my real problem. I've promised my kids that I will ride them all at Disney, yes all the rides, except the spinning ones, because I seriously have terrible motion sickness. Bonnie, dramamine and the like just make me extremely groggy. Yes I've tried the ones that are suppose to be less drowsy, they even knock me for a loop.

Every year we go to Great America and every year I walk around all day watching my family ride the rides. The kids beg and beg for me to go on, saying, "Mom it's great!", "You don't know what your missing!" I haven't always been like this, I use to LOVE to ride, even the wildest rollercoasters. But alas for one reason or another I now am SCARED TO DEATH of them.

I decided that when we began to plan this wonderful vacation that I needed to make a pack with myself to enjoy EVERYTHING, to be a kid again! Before I really thought about it I said out loud to my whole family, "I'm going to even ride the rides, I'm going on Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, ALL OF THEM!" Well you should have seen the shocked expressions on my kids faces! My dh says, "Honey think about what you are saying." But of course I didn't I just kept babbling on about how I was going to do it, experience it.

ACKKKKK now we are 15 days away from landing in Disney and my nerves have struck! I don't want to disappoint my kids, but really I don't want to disappoint myself! But I just don't know if I will be brave enough.

Any advice? Am I the only one out there with this extreme fear? If nothing else, just send some pixie dust my way, I know I'm going to need it! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[loobyoxlip]

Oh, Tammy, I am sending tons of Pixie Dust your way [img]graemlins/wavin.gif[/img] I don't have any advice for you. What do you think will happen if you ride these rides? Do you think they'll make you sick or pass out? Geez, I would hate for you to ride something and then become ill. On the other hand, what if you DO ride one and love it [img]graemlins/love.gif[/img] ? I would start with Splash Mountain as there is only really that one big drop to worry about, not an entire ride. Then if you know you can handle that, work your way up to something bigger and better [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] Whatever you decide to do, have a great time [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

*~*Tina*~*

[pflamingo]

Okay, let me pull out my old Psych 101 books here...

Seriously, though, what is it, exactly, that terrifies you? I can (sort of) understand roller coasters (though I personally love 'em!), but what worries you about something like Peter Pan or Winnie the Pooh? Sometimes if you can figure out the source of the fear, you can find a way to eliminate it.

[wisconsinmousermom]

Originally posted by pflamingo:
Okay, let me pull out my old Psych 101 books here...

Seriously, though, what is it, exactly, that terrifies you? I can (sort of) understand roller coasters (though I personally love 'em!), but what worries you about something like Peter Pan or Winnie the Pooh? Sometimes if you can figure out the source of the fear, you can find a way to eliminate it.

<font size="2" face="Comic Sans MS, Arial">Ok I should clarify, I probably would have no problem on Winnie or Peter or even Dumbo. I have riden the tamer rides at Great America with my dd/5. It's the BIG ones, the ones my sons, 14 and 12 will want to ride over and over and over. The fear is not being in control, I think. Also the fear of losing control. Geesh my sons would absolutly die a thousand deaths if I had a major panic attack, or worse yet PASSED OUT! LOL [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Dopey007]

I was very reluctant to ride many of the rides the first time. Then I began to chant my mantra, "If I Can't, I Must!) We were at the MK for the Halloween party (at night) and not only did I ride Splash Mountain, I rode it over and over and over in the dark until there was no more scary, only extreme fun in anticipation of the rush you feel going down the drop! You need to realize the rides are so safe and there is a fine line between fear and total exhilaration! I still do not ride the spinning ones either due to motion sickness, but the other ones really only last a few minutes, Think of the total admiration you would get from your kids knowing you were facing something that you were scared of for them!

Good luck and let's hear about it when you return! Tip...on Tower of Terror, hold on to the person next to you and scream at the top of your lungs, it helps me a bunch! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

[aurora1429]

I'd say go for it but scale it down a little bit. I don't ride the spinning rides or the bigger coasters. Start out small with Goofy's Barnstormer or Big Thunder and then graduate to Splash Mt. I'm sure the kids will be thrilled to see you trying the bigger rides even if you don't do them all!

[Yoopermom156]

OH geez, I feel for you. I have panic attacks and a fear of heights. We went in September 2002 and I rode more than I did on my first trip down in May 2000. Also my brother, 17, was afraid of rollar coaster.
My 4yr old and my mother,who is extremely afraid of heights, went on Goofys barnstormer. Their first rollar coaster ever. Emily loved it, mom rode it once and survived. I would start with this one and work up to Splash Mountain and Big thunder Mountain. Those two were my brothers first tastes of rollar coasters. He loves them now.
As for me, I still didnt do any rollar coasters. MK: Bit my lip but rode dumbo and aladdin even thou they leave the ground. POC has a drop, which scared the heck outta me , but then ended up riding it 5 times in a row. A lot of kid rides that i handled well, considering i am a chicken. I did not ride the tea cups but 4yr old loved them.
EPCOT: I also rode Spaceship earth for the first time last year. OMG&lt; you dont know that you are off the ground and is very slow. Wonderful ride.
Only other ride here that I wont do is test track, but I will try it on our next trip.
MGM: only rides i wont do here are TOT and RnR.
AK: Chickened out on trying Kali cuz it has a drop. Hope to try on next trip. Tried Dinosaur for the first time, loved it. Rode it 4 times in a row, but was to bumpy for my 4yr old who rode it only once. Only other thing i wouldnt ride was primevil whirl.
Hope this helps you. I would take it as it comes. Try small and work up. You know your body and what it can handle, dont feel bad if you end up chickening out some. I had a wonderful time w/o riding the big rides that my Hubby loves. And was sooo proud of trying rides that two years previous i wouldnt try. If you have any questions about certain rides,minus coasters, i would be glad to tell you about them from a chickens point of view. Email me if you want.
Have fun, breathe, and relax
Dawn

[wisconsinmousermom]

Can I just say THANK YOU!! [img]graemlins/love.gif[/img]

All of you have given me some wonderful tips and encouragement and I appreciate it so much! My panic from this morning is getting better, and Joy you are right I need only do what I WANT to do. Dawn, Will and everyone else who shared their apprehensions about certain rides, I appreciate you sharing, it really does help to know I'm not the only one with these fears.

Which coasters are in the dark and which ones aren't? I think I would be better not knowing what is coming next. That aweful climb to the first fall is just more than I can take! LOL I really think I'll be fine on Splash Mountain and Kali Rapids. For some reason water rides don't bother me, except those ones at the water park where you are up in the clouds and fall straight down on your back!! YIKES!!! LOL

Thanks again everyone for being so frank and caring in your replies!! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[chezp]

You will be fine on Splash Mountain - trust me, if I can do it, anyone can! I don't do rollercoasters at all (life long fear since a bad experience on Space Mountain aged eight [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] ) but I loved Splash Mountain. I remember being told two things before I rode it:

1) there's a total of five drops, four little ones and one big one, so at least you can prepare yourself for it
2) the big drop is over in a few seconds - and it really was!

Best of luck on the rides - sending lots of pixie dust your way and do let us know how you get on! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Cheryl

[Wendyismyname]

Only space mountain, ToT and RnRC are in the dark. I found ToT and RnRC really easy to ride because of the dark. I had never ridden anything like that before. LOVED IT!

My niece, Whit, rode RnRC for the first time Wednesday April 9. Whit was really really nervous and started shaking as soon as we stood in line(she's not a big coaster fan either) and I told her that she didn't have to ride it. She says, "Yes I do because if I don't Brittney will go home and tell everyone I chickened out" That's when I looked at Brit and said, no she won't because you cannot force some one to ride something they don't want to do and you don't make fun of people for that. But, of course I was talking to two teenagers.
By the time we got to the loading gate, Whit's knees were knocking and her knuckles were white. But she gets in next to me, slowly lowering her harness saying "i'm gonna kill you wendy(click click) I'm gonna kill you". Yeah yeah yeah. I roll my eyes and tell her not to throw up on me.

we take off like a bat out of you know where and into the loop, I feel this thing wrap around my arm! Whoa! Whew, I realized it was Whitney holding onto me.

We get off the ride, she looks at me and says "can we do it again?"

Well, with the help of fastpasses, we were able to ride it two more times in a row. Yep, three times in about 1 hour(with wait time).

Good luck, you will love all the rides, but don't do anything you are not 99% comfortable with!

Wendy

[Jolin]

I'd say- GO FOR IT! it's Disney- what possibly can happen? trust me, I've survived a day at Great america, I have ridden shockwave- 5 loops, 3 in a row! if I can survive that you can survive anything! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] you'll feel proud when you get on it [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] BTW I was DEATHLY AFRAID OF LOOPS [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Suzie&Jay]

I think you're just afraid to be afraid [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] At least that's what happens to me. Just try one big ride...do it for yourself. Set vacation goals "This vacation I'm going to ________" Even if you only try one, your kids will remember the trip when mom actually got on the ride [img]graemlins/dizzy.gif[/img] You may be surprised that you feel great after the ride! Good luck.

[GoofyMom]

Here's some Bravery Pixie Dust for you ~*~*~*~*~*~*~. I told my kids the same thing in Disneyland in 2000 --&gt; any ride you go on, I'll go on. Maybe when you're in the queue try not to think about the ride at all. Take in the theming and force yourself to only think about that. Talk to the kids about anything - what people are wearing, where do you want to eat later, anything except the ride. That's what I had to do on Space Mountain. Trust me, my knees were knocking after I had passed the chicken exit, but when I was finally loaded in the car, all that was left to do was enjoy! We ended up going on SM literally 10 times!

[joyjoy]

You poor thing. But really, it sounds like you are afraid of falling - not really afraid afraid. If you did Dinosaur and loved it, well. Let's just say that ride scared the potatoes out of me and I love rides. I'm not crazy about that falling feeling either, which is why ToT is not my favorite, although I will do it. That said, going fast on RnRC is not at all like falling. It's just fast. And as far as wanting to know what is about to happen, that ride is so fast you literally do not have time to think. Splash Mountain is so darn cute you'll be able to stand it. BTMRR has got great scenery, too, and is more about going fast than dropping you from great heights.
Good luck to you. If you just can't do it, don't be too hard on yourself. Think of it this way: if not riding rides at Walt Disney World is the worst thing that ever happens.... well, you know what I mean. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[disneyknut]

I am the renouned chicken of the Passporter board I am sending tons of pixie dust your way.. I too had (Had ~ HA~ HAVE!!) tons of fears but each trip in the past 1-1/2 yrs I've coponquered at least one fear.
I started off on Splash Mountain & loved it.. the smaller hills are way cool & the big hill is over before you know it. You DO 'lose your stomach' on the big hill. I then went on BTMR.. HATED it! If you don't like the idea of not feeling in control don't do this one.. IMHO I kept thinking we were going over the cliffs.
I also HATE SE.. I don't like going up that & knowing I have to come back down & that backwards did me in!
Last Summer I made a bet with my oldest son that if his Baseball All-star tram won one trophy I would ride RnRC with him.. Well, when we were in WDW in October no amount of coaxing, nor berating myself would get me on that ride.
This past March on our last day I DID ride RnRC & loved it & what I reall think made me overcome that fear is I first rode Star Tours & loved it & thought.. ( I was always afraid of that too) & I just psyched myseld up to doing RnRC.. I was petrified but did it & loved it.. You are 90% in the dark so you don't know what's happening.. no hills & it's very smooth.. I got off thinking "How stupid was I all these years, this is cool" IF you read my trip report, I got off Triceratops spin shaking but I got off RnRC feeling energized & not scared at all...
Last, the hill on Kali is very small it's more of a bounce & I think you'll enjoy it.. It's my favorite AK ride.
In any case I will imapart a piece of wisdom that our own Dave Marx gave me when I was lamenting to him not being able to go on RnRC.. "Only do what you feel comfortable doing.." & my own piece of advice..no one will think less of you if you don't get on the big rides start small & work your way up to the big ones.