Information on ride intensity?

[MissM]

Looks like we may be heading to Universal sometime next month to finally check out both sides of Harry Potter. We haven't been since I went to ride Back to the Future: The Ride one last time waaaay back in 2007. So I'm severely out of touch with what the attractions are like - especially in the two Harry Potter lands.

Thing is, I don't know anything about the rides/intensity and that's REALLY important to me. I do NOT ride coasters or most "thrill" rides at all. I was terrified on Everest, won't ride Rock 'n' Roller Coaster or Tower of Terror for example.

I'm ok with Dinosaur and I love Big Thunder because it has no drops. (I consider that my threshold for "coaster" type rides and Everest is WAY more intense than Big Thunder and outside that range.) I can't do any kind of drop. I won't ride Splash Mountain because of the drop.

So...can anyone help me get an idea of what the current rides are? Some kind of description with intensity info so I know what I can and cannot try? Even a link to some info?

With lines being long, I can't really let my husband ride first and report back like I would normally do. A too-intense ride will literally ruin my entire day. When I rode Everest (because early reports were "it's just like Big Thunder!" were way wrong), I was physically sick.

Thank you in advance for any info/help you can provide!

 

[RandomPrincess]

I've only done Forbidden Journey it has shakes you around quite a bit and turns you upside down. I don't remember any drops.

 

[MissM]

I've only done Forbidden Journey it has shakes you around quite a bit and turns you upside down. I don't remember any drops.

Upsidedown? Ugh, ok I'll take that off my list. Thanks for the info.

 

[MissM]

Ok so I found this: https://www.universalorlando.com/Images/Riders_Guide_tcm13-26195.pdf It's a PDF "Rider's Guide" with info and restrictions for riders.

Thing is, it lists things like drops and such which is great. But it lists The Simpsons as This ride is a motion simulator. The ride vehicle will suddenly and dramatically accelerate, climb, stop, and dive. I've never ridden it but I believe it is just the BttF ride rethemed, yes? Because I rode BttF many times. And it says Forbidden Journey is This ride simulates dramatic aerobatics. The ride vehicle will suddenly accelerate, stop, turn, climb, and drop. It doesn't mention going upside down (which is should!) but it makes it sound similar.

Ugh. This is why it's so hard to know what to try. Even with this info, it's not terribly clear.

 

[misterID]

Upsidedown? Ugh, ok I'll take that off my list. Thanks for the info.

It doesn't literally turn you upside down, but you are swung around and it makes you think you are. I know they've altered it a bit. It's less intense, but still wild I'll say that. If your husband knows your threshold he might want to take a spin first.

Spider-Man is okay though. Cat in the Hat, and I don't think the drop at JP is that bad.

 

[MissM]

It doesn't literally turn you upside down, but you are swung around and it makes you think you are. I know they've altered it a bit. It's less intense, but still wild I'll say that. If your husband knows your threshold he might want to take a spin first.

Spider-Man is okay though. Cat in the Hat, and I don't think the drop at JP is that bad.

Hrm. I like curves and turns, I just can't do any kind of drop/falling things. That "stomach in your throat" convinces my brain I'm about to die. It's a phobia so it doesn't have to make sense. So it's not a "thrill" or "fun scare" to me, it literally makes me feel like my life is in danger.

We're thinking that due to the price of a 1 day/2 park ticket vs the cost of a seasonal pass for Florida residents, maybe we'll just get a pass. If we do that, then I can let him go on rides first and try them again another day if I don't have time that day. I'm just trying to get a feel for what I should avoid entirely and what is in the questionable/research further/maybe list.

 

[NYwdwfan]

Spider-Man is okay though. Cat in the Hat, and I don't think the drop at JP is that bad.

If JP is Jurassic Park I read it's twice as long as Splash, same angle, with the first half in the complete dark. Eek - no thank you!

@MissM it sounds like we have the same ride tolerance.

 

[MissM]

If JP is Jurassic Park I read it's twice as long as Splash, same angle, with the first half in the complete dark. Eek - no thank you!

@MissM it sounds like we have the same ride tolerance.

Ugh, that would be horrible!

@NYwdwfan - have you been to Uni recently? I'm having a hard time finding info on the rides from a non-coaster junkie perspective. I want to enjoy my visit, not get sick two hour drive from home.

 

[mahnamahna101]

If you hate drops, avoid:

Hulk
Dudley
Jurassic Park
Popeye (drop is only 15 ft, but still...)
FJ (might be iffy)
Dragon Challenge
Rip Ride Rockit
Mummy

Everything else is good. You could handle the two kiddie coasters, Spidey, Transformers and Gringotts if you can handle Big Thunder and Dinosaur.

The rest of the resort is pretty tame. Kong is coming soon and that'll be pretty tame (no height requirement, I believe)

 

[marni1971]

No no NO. Forbidden Journey does NOT send you upside down. Parts are similar to and rougher than Dinosaur, parts are silky smooth, and nothing is fast. It IS sensory overload though. There is one moment your feet are higher than your head due to the seat tipping back. If you've watched Sum of all Thrills at Innoventions the ride system is very similar but with far less pointing straight up moments.

Plus the ride base moves at a steady couple of miles an hour for the whole ride.

Simpsons is indeed BTTF rethemed. Same ride system, same environment, same feelings.

Jurassic Parks drop is indeed longer than Splash but it's only dark at night.

Mahnamahna above nailed the drops in the list above. Gringotts has one coaster style "drop" where the track is angled down like Thundermountain as opposed to a Tower of Terror drop, though at 35ft it's over before you know it.

 

[tdrmania999]

No no NO. Forbidden Journey does NOT send you upside down. Parts are similar to and rougher than Dinosaur, parts are silky smooth, and nothing is fast. It IS sensory overload though. There is one moment your feet are higher than your head due to the seat tipping back. If you've watched Sum of all Thrills at Innoventions the ride system is very similar but with far less pointing straight up moments.

Plus the ride base moves at a steady couple of miles an hour for the whole ride.

Simpsons is indeed BTTF rethemed. Same ride system, same environment, same feelings.

Jurassic Parks drop is indeed longer than Splash but it's only dark at night.

Mahnamahna above nailed the drops in the list above. Gringotts has one coaster style "drop" where the track is angled down like Thundermountain as opposed to a Tower of Terror drop, though at 35ft it's over before you know it.

Like the OP, I too, am worried about motion sickness.
Compared to other rides in Orlando like Spider-Man, Simpsons, Soarin, SpaceMt, BTM, EE, RnR, how intense is forbidden journey?
I can take the rides above except for RnR which I never rode because I'm afraid of loops and inversions.
What kind of movement is present in the ride (especially in the Chamber of Secrets/Dementor scenes).

 

[marni1971]

If you can handle your list apart from Rock n Rollercoaster you should be okay. Imho.

FJ has a very unique feel to it. Spiderman meets Simpsons meets Transformers with a bit of Sum of all Thrills. All whilst continually moving along a track at a speed just above that of The Haunted Mansion.

Don't get me wrong. It's no Small World. Given the unique motion and visuals / audio effects it really is sensory overload.

 

[NYwdwfan]

Ugh, that would be horrible!

@NYwdwfan - have you been to Uni recently? I'm having a hard time finding info on the rides from a non-coaster junkie perspective. I want to enjoy my visit, not get sick two hour drive from home.

No - mainly because the kids were too little to appreciate the references but now more because I'm really not sure what's there for me (and my daughter) to ride and I don't want to spend another $200 to sit on a bench and wait for my husband and son to run the park! I'm curious to see how you make out when you go!

 

[skishlee]

I haven't been to Universal yet (just over 100 days to go) but YouTube has a lot of 'point of view' videos for theme park rides. You might be able to find some for the Universal rides and watching them might give you a bit of an idea regarding intensity

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

We went in October for the first time. I get motion sickness very easily. I took a Bonine and was able to do Men in Black--which is very mild. I loved it. You spin around if the people behind you hit the light above your ride vehicle, but it is just one easy spin around. Didn't bother me at all. Even the last spin which was three spins around was easy. I did Spiderman, but had to keep my eyes closed at several points. The simulated drop off the building is tough, but I still enjoyed the rest of the ride. My daughter rode FJ and told me I would need to take two pills to do it, but that it would be so worth it. She loved that ride. She told me an absolute "No" for Gringotts.
She said it didn't have any big drops, but that it is really jerky. The safest Potter ride is the train. Make sure and do it both ways as it's different each way. I recommend you get there at rope drop and go straight for King's Crossing--if it's busy, as that line gets crazy long. Coming from Hogmeade to Diagon Alley on the train was never busy when we were there. It was walk on every time we changed parks. Remember that you must have a park-to- park ticket to ride Hogwart's Express.
Now as to trying FJ, you can go with all the way to the load area and then, they have an area/room where you can wait for the person riding. They may let you get back in line if the person you are with tells you he thinks you could ride it. I didn't try that as the room is for child swap people. I just waited for my daughter at the load/unload area. The queue is really a must see even if you aren't going to ride.
We ran out of time--it was very busy--and didn't get to ride tons of stuff. We're going back to Uni in May when we do our next Disney trip and try to ride the other stuff. I added two days to our trip to Disney so we could do Uni again. It's not something I would want to do multiple times a year like Disney, but it really is fun.

 

[StageFrenzy]

Safe list for rides @MissM

IOA

Spiderman
Popeye=Congo/Kali(wanna get soaked/deluged)
FJ
Hippogriff
HW Express
Pos fury
Seuss rides(Cat Spins a lot)

Studios

Minion Mayhem same as Jimmy and HB (if you don't open the park forget-about-it)
Twister (former ghost buster show)
Transformers(same as spiderman)
Disaster(low priority)
Gringotts
HW express
MIB
Simpsons
ET
T2
IOA

Unsafe/unknown
Hulk= Kumba
Dudley= Splash
JP=Tidal wave
Dragon challenge/Dueling dragons= montu x2
Studios

RRR=nope
Mummy= Rock n roller-coaster with breaks in between elements. Some nice drops, however may allow you recovery time

 

[MissM]

Like the OP, I too, am worried about motion sickness.

It's NOT actually motion sickness. I've ridden Mission Space for example back when it was in previews. (Long before there was a "less intense" version.) I came off a little dizzy but my husband puked. (He can do coasters all day, every day but not spinning.) It's not worth riding by myself so I don't bother with it. I don't find Dinosaur to be intense at all. I know some people do but I never have. I've ridden Space Mountain too multiple times but I don't enjoy it because I find it too rough and jerky. Kinda hurts my neck. If it were smoother, I think it would be fun. I've also ridden Men in Black at Uni and it's just a more hyper version of Toy Story Mania to me so it was fine.

Really, it's mainly falling. Any sensation of falling is terrifying for me. (And makes me physically ill.)

Big Thunder doesn't have a sense of falling because it's just curves. I LOVE Big Thunder actually because I quite enjoy speed and curves and don't get a lot of chance to experience them since most are found in rides that also have drops. Test Track's banked curve is fun too because it's just speed + curve. Everest's backwards bit I did not enjoy and the drop was too much of an actual drop so it scared me. It's why I won't ride Splash; the entire point of the ride is the final drop. No thank you.

Safe list for rides @MissM

IOA

Spiderman
Popeye=Congo/Kali(wanna get soaked/deluged)
FJ
Hippogriff
HW Express
Pos fury
Seuss rides(Cat Spins a lot)

Studios

Minion Mayhem same as Jimmy and HB (if you don't open the park forget-about-it)
Twister (former ghost buster show)
Transformers(same as spiderman)
Disaster(low priority)
Gringotts
HW express
MIB
Simpsons
ET
T2
IOA

Unsafe/unknown
Hulk= Kumba
Dudley= Splash
JP=Tidal wave
Dragon challenge/Dueling dragons= montu x2
Studios

RRR=nope
Mummy= Rock n roller-coaster with breaks in between elements. Some nice drops, however may allow you recovery time

Thank you for the list @StageFrenzy ! I was worried about Forbidden Journeys and Gringotts which started this whole thing. FJ sounds doable though I am a bit worried in the "feet higher than your head" bit. If Gringotts is banked/curved "drops" where it's not "sensation of falling" drop, that's ok too.

Appreciate the insight and info guys. Truly. It's helpful to be a little more prepared about what rides to avoid outright.

 

[JoeCamel]

For Gringotts it is a drop but it is only about 30 feet so it is over quickly then you are parked in front of a screen and you have time to recover with your attention on the screen. There is a simulated drop as well so if you did Spiderman then you know how that is. I don't do Mission Space as I don't like the spinning and I don't like the way Space Mtn beats you up but I love Gringotts. FJ is just another sort of ride, I come off FJ mildly queasy but it passes quickly. I pass on most coasters as they beat you but I could do RnRC at HS all day long it is so smooth. In fact, I rode 12 times in a row one morning when it was a walkon.

 

[danlb_2000]

For Gringotts it is a drop but it is only about 30 feet so it is over quickly then you are parked in front of a screen and you have time to recover with your attention on the screen. There is a simulated drop as well so if you did Spiderman then you know how that is. I don't do Mission Space as I don't like the spinning and I don't like the way Space Mtn beats you up but I love Gringotts. FJ is just another sort of ride, I come off FJ mildly queasy but it passes quickly. I pass on most coasters as they beat you but I could do RnRC at HS all day long it is so smooth. In fact, I rode 12 times in a row one morning when it was a walkon.

I found that the Gringotts drop was worse the further back in the car you are.

 

[JoeCamel]

I found that the Gringotts drop was W̶O̶R̶S̶E̶ BETTER the further back in the car you are.

Fixed it for you