Tower of Terror...I'm Scared!

[Philhar-Fanatic]

We're heading back to Disney at the beginning of June for our 4th trip. I have yet to ride TOT. I HATE that feeling of a free fall. My hubby and daughter love it and swear I will too but I just can't make myself do it. I ride all the other rides and absolutely love them. So my question to ya'll really is, just how bad is it?? :shrug:

 

[crispy]

We're heading back to Disney at the beginning of June for our 4th trip. I have yet to ride TOT. I HATE that feeling of a free fall. My hubby and daughter love it and swear I will too but I just can't make myself do it. I ride all the other rides and absolutely love them. So my question to ya'll really is, just how bad is it?? :shrug:

I hate that freefall feeling, but ToT doesn't bother me because you are bouncing more than falling. I avoided it for years (I'm a big chicken!), but once I tried it, I absolutely loved it.

 

[ChrisFL]

We're heading back to Disney at the beginning of June for our 4th trip. I have yet to ride TOT. I HATE that feeling of a free fall. My hubby and daughter love it and swear I will too but I just can't make myself do it. I ride all the other rides and absolutely love them. So my question to ya'll really is, just how bad is it?? :shrug:

Realize there are 4 different drop sequences, but overall, most of the drops you experience are NOT the full 13 stories, they're smaller hops, stops, some effects, and then you get shot up and down, etc.

I really don't like falling either, but I LOVE the shooting upwards feeling, and that makes me go back on it every time. Try it, just once. The experience of the rest of the attraction is sooo worth it. Truly one of the top 3 themed attractions Disney has ever created.

 

[shmmrname]

The good thing about the ToT (over similar rides) is that it has much more depth. I'm afraid of heights, but at least I can enjoy the other aspects of the ride right before I have a near-heart attack.

 

[mrsdanalind]

We're heading back to Disney at the beginning of June for our 4th trip. I have yet to ride TOT. I HATE that feeling of a free fall. My hubby and daughter love it and swear I will too but I just can't make myself do it. I ride all the other rides and absolutely love them. So my question to ya'll really is, just how bad is it?? :shrug:

The free fall is actually short, the scare factor for me is the number of times I'll drop, and actually the very dark (visually) field that you go through before you do the drops. I'm a bit claustrophobic, so the absolute dark can make me panic a bit. Once you do it you could find your self doing a thing my daughter did, cried throughout the ride, got off and demanded we do it again. LOL
Enjoy

 

[Walt Disney1955]

I say do it!

I will say one thing though, this isn't a ride like your typical Six Flags free fall drops on the outside. I have often maintained that a free fall in pitch black is far more frightening than one in broad daylight that just happens once. Don't be fooled, it IS a free fall and your stomach will be left at the top floor. Not to mention the way Disney sets up the ride and sets the tone prior to the drop is peerless. You might even be more scared before the drop than when it actually happens, the anticipation alone will freak you out.

But the theming and overall experience is similar to Pirates or Haunted Mansion. I mean that in a way that you are totally immersed in the ride. Once its done you'll want to ride it again.

 

[marni1971]

I won't spoil it, but you don't drop that far compared to the height of the building. Or even the height of the open doors to the ground. Plus you're decelerating almost before you know youre dropping. It's a very controlled, clever and safe drop.

Once you've done it you'll want to ride again. And remember there is far more to it than just the drop!

 

[Kramerica]

My girlfriend is trying to get me to go on it this coming trip. About 5 weeks away. I hate heights. I dunno

 

[jlevis]

My wife hates elevators and refused to go on ToT. One trip after riding RNRC I told her to wait while I did ToT and she relented and went with me. Now it's the first thing she wants to do at DHS. Here is a "secret", you are not free falling. The car is being pulled down or pushed up - there are no brakes on the car as it isn't falling. IMHO, the themeing is on par with HM and is the best at Disney.

 

[graphite1326]

We're heading back to Disney at the beginning of June for our 4th trip. I have yet to ride TOT. I HATE that feeling of a free fall. My hubby and daughter love it and swear I will too but I just can't make myself do it. I ride all the other rides and absolutely love them. So my question to ya'll really is, just how bad is it?? :shrug:

I felt exactly the same as you. I love RNRcoaster and EE but was scared to death of free falling. It took me a few years before I told myself, "you only live once" and went on. It really doesn't feel like a free fall and actually the build up is worse than the ride. If you like RNRcoaster you will do fine. That ride actually scares me more than TOT. GO FOR IT.

 

[YuggYuggWDW94]

Regardless of how much you hate free falling...RIDE IT! The theming in itself is worth the ride

 

[J03Y]

the suspense hits you first. that moment when you're like "oh geez, i won't survive this. good Lord say goodbye to my loved ones for me" comes when you see the ghosts and you enter the trippy blue room with the Twilight Zone hoopla.

when the first fall commences you'll be screaming at the top of your uvula "God Almighty! Why did I do this in the first place!" and the next 20 falls you will become dizzy with adrenaline, urine and all out vertigo that you will pass out.

and then you go back on a thousandth time

i'm not speaking from experience. why would i be?

 

[baymenxpac]

to the OP, no matter how awesome we all think it is, you won't enjoy it unless you're comfortable.

my rule of thumb for every attraction is try it twice.

the first time, you're probably so tightly wound, you'll just be focusing on getting through it. the second time, you may be able to notice more of the nuances and appreciate the thrills now that you know what's coming.

if after the second time, you decide it's just not for you, then skip it. but like everyone says, it really is a great attraction!

 

[WorldKey]

One of my favorite 'Imagineered' scenes in all of Disney - when the doors open and you see the guests down the hall when the lightening strikes and then it goes to pitch black with only the stars....you get the sensation that you are almost slowly spinning through space...they did a fantastic job of making you feel that you entered the Twilight Zone!!

 

[MichWolv]

We're heading back to Disney at the beginning of June for our 4th trip. I have yet to ride TOT. I HATE that feeling of a free fall. My hubby and daughter love it and swear I will too but I just can't make myself do it. I ride all the other rides and absolutely love them. So my question to ya'll really is, just how bad is it?? :shrug:

My 8 year old loves it. When he was first tall enough to go on it, he was really scared. But finally, after much hemming and hawing (and a few tears), he said he would try it. He decided that it couldn't really be dangerous because then it wouldn't be there, and that even if he didn't end up liking it, it would only be going on for a few seconds, and then he just wouldn't do it again. He decided it was like trying a food that he didn't think he'd like, but that other people told him was good.

So think of it that way. Even if you don't like it, it'll be over a few seconds, there will be no long term pain or discomfort, and then you'll know. Most likely, you'll like it, and it'll be one more fun thing you can do at WDW.

 

[real mad hatter]

Don't forget the Diapers.

Well on our first visit in 2004 I boldly walked up to ToT and then I heard it.This shriek that chilled my bones and it stopped me dead in my tracks.I can still hear it today.Then this party came out with terror on their faces and one girl looked like she was about to faint,others were holding her up and that's when I noticed the front of her shorts.Absolutely soaked,and trust me,it wasn't perspiration.So I say go for it.

 

[jlevis]

Being "scared" is a normal reaction to the unknown. Fear of falling is a very common fear. Courage is being afraid but doing it anyway. As I said earlier, my wife hated, was afraid, of elevators but she rode it anyway. When we got off I told her she was the "ballsiest" woman I know. The reason she relented and rode ToT was that I had, for years, refused to ride any roller coaster that had inversions. Well, I ended up on RNRC. I found out about the loops and corkscrews after standing in line for an hour and I said no way was I going to walkout after that. I had to "suck it up". Well, I love RNRC and we ride both that and ToT multiple times everytime we're at Disney. Look your fears in the eye you'll be glad you did. ToT is a GREAT ride.

 

[Scuttle]

DO IT!!!! If you don't you will be missing out on the best attraction at WDW and IMO one of the very best jobs WDI has ever done around the globe.

 

[DRC68]

The drop is only 1 aspect of the entire attraction. Like other posters have said...go on it once, if you don't enjoy yourself, don't go on anymore. Just give yourself a chance.
BTW...you'll be back on ASAP.

 

[acishere]

I can handle 0 to 120 mph blast offs loop de loops and whatever a roller coaster throws at me. That being said elevator drop rides scare the crap out of me. I still managed to ride ToT 3 times a day when I'm in that park. I even convinced my mom to ride it. My mom screams bloody murder on a kiddie coaster. The buildup to the drop is so well done that she was willing to put up with a really short amount of dropping to see it. I think its completely worth it just to see one of the best themed rides on property. Also maybe because I'm an adrenaline junkie.