1. Indiana Jones Adventure-This ride has a a lot of hype and it deserves it! This is just the level of scary for me! What a great mood it sets, and there are only small drops, smaller than Pirates of the Carribean so nothing that freaked me out. There are quick turns that jolt you around but those don't bug me. You are never high up so there are no height issues. You ride in a car four across I think for rows. The set and pathos are equal to Pirates and the Haunted Mansion in my book as well so it is in my book the best ride at Disney Land.
It was the only ride Sam couldn't go on which was strange to me, because it was nowhere as intense as the scary rides we went on, and he was allowed on all of those. We asked why there was a higher height limit and it was explained to us that it was because there were no doors on the car and the car you ride in is high up from the ground so it would be dangerous for smaller children it made sense, but why couldn't they just have added doors dang it? I went on this ride 4 times in 4 days
2. Grizzly River Rapids This ride was at Disney California Adventures. When I saw the drop walking past the ride I got nervous but the drop was nothing when you are in it. It is one of those rides with 8 seats in the inward facing circle position with the wheel in the middle to hold onto. I love the social aspect of the seating because it is easy to share in the fun...seeing everyones expressions and talking the whole time. I loved the choppy and fast parts of the water and I loved the drops (two of them) ...I also loved that before you fall the boat slows and stops..so you arent dealing with the speed and drop at the same time, I think that might be what makes me like it rather than be scared by it. On the last day we were there we went on it at night and with the creepy mood in the cave this makes it even more fun. The line is really short after dark so we went on two times in a row. I would have been happy to go more than that if two conditions were different. First the ride makes you VERY wet, second...California is warm in August , but it cools down after dark, so you go around feeling like a walking swamp cooler afterwards. Hence, the short line after dark. If you bring a Poncho this shouldn't be an issue. It was worth being wet though, no question! We rode this one 4 times.
3. Soarin' over California- This one is also in Disney California. The descriptions of this ride made me nervous unncecessarily. I knew that It was an omni-dome (curveed I-max) that makes it look like you are flying over California and I knew I would love that. What made me nervous was that the ride description at the park says "Sudden drops" and someone I talked to made it sound like you are in individual chairs that rise up high. I was picturing those swings they have at some amusement parks where you are being help up by for chains and swung around a pole. That is MUCH worse than any roller coaster I can imagine. Here is the scoop.
There are benches of about 8 people. You are buckled in, The benches are brought up to meet the screen on large tracks so you feel very secure. Heights don't bother me if I feel secure. Your feet dangle and the chairs move very subtley but if you have to close your eyes it wont freak you out. There are no actual sudden drops. Only if you are watching the movie. The first time I rode this ride it made me a little nervous to watch straight on at first, with the fast and high movement on the screen, but by the second time I was quite comfortable and loved it! I rode this one twice. Next blog will be about classics and kid rides and attractions .
Sunday, August 15, 2010
A Rollercoaster Wuss' Guide to Disneyland/Disney California Rides Part 1:The Scary Rides
For those of you who havn't gotten enough of my whining on Facebook about being home, here is my Disney Ride Review. I went on some really scary ones and some really tame ones and plenty in between so I feel like I covered a good span. I found as I read reviews and descriptions of rides they left me really confused of how scary it really actually would be for me so I want to make a review that people, who are rollercoaster chickens like myself can understand and maybe even trust. With my first in the series I will concentrate on the scary rides. Before i went on these rides I found some clips on Youtube that showed the rides. These helped me prepare for the rides mentally. If these help you too feel free to click on them to get an idea.
Scary Rides
1. Space Mountain- I was freaked out waiting in line for this mostly because I remembered that when my family went to Disney World when I was 10, my dad was in the bathroom for 10 minutes after he went on that ride. I remember being pleased with myself for having the good sense not to go on it. By holding on for dear life and keeping my eyes shut tight I survived it. I may have felt panic (screamed for a second) for a moment but I was still allive so it became a matter of just getting through it. I wouldn't call it fun, lots of quick turns and big dips but I was glad I went at the end, for no other reason than being able to say that I did it. The endorphins were flowing when it ended as well so major high following. This video is in the light so you can see exactly what you will be doing. In the real ride it is all in the dark with some stars and lights.
2. Twilight Zone's Tower of Terror- Of the three scary rides I went on this was my favorite and the one I thought immediately after, "I would do it again". I was nervous in line but not as nervous as I was with the other rides. It wasnt' the same kind of falling sensation I knew I hated so I was willing to try it. I was scared that it would be the kind of thing that would send me in a panic and for one moment, during the fall I did feel that panic, but then. . . again I was still alive and I realized it was just a matter of getting through it. My eyes again were shut tight and my hands gripped the handles for dear life. It was over pretty quick and it was the kind of fright you laugh or cry at and I laughed. If you hate roller coasters, you might still like this one ok. You are buckled in..there are handles on both sides and you have a floor to push your feet down on which helps a lot. Also, you are inside, with about, 17 other people. There is a point when it shows you how high up you are but that is just the beginning. By the end you do three drops but they go fast. I was untrusting at the end...afraid it wasn't really over yet, but when I realized it was...I was elated. This video is long, you can forward it to the ride part. If nothing else it will help you see how long the falls actually are. But really nothing much to prepare you for but down.
3. Splash Mountain-This one equaled and maybe exceeded Space Mountain in anticapatory fear and as my daughter said of the anamatronic geese, after the ride "The birds didn't help". If you have been on the ride, you know how before you go down the music gets dark and the warnings of the animals get more and more anxious.l Considering this ride is the shortest of the drops, this one freaked me out the most. It could be because it was on the third day of the trip so I had walked past the ride so many times and heard the screams so many times I was pretty tense about the whole experience. I believe at one point before the final drop (there are two small ones before the big one) I even swore with Lincoln right in front of me. But the drop was quick, (three seconds) of course, as I knew it would be. The elation at reaching the bottom was surpreme.
For me, the thing I like about riding "scary" rides is the adrenaline rush I feel when they are over. I feel very pleased with myself for facing my fears and honestly, part of what made the vacation so special to me was facing these fears head on. I got more than fun, I went out on the edge a little and saw what I was capable of. I gained a little more confidence and grew a little. If I go to any Disney Park again, I hope I will do the scary rides again because they made my vacation a little more than just a lot of fun. Next time I need to dare the Thunder Mountain Railroad. I don't know so much about the Matterhorn and California Screaming.
Next Blog Entry: The Funnest Rides
Also to follow: Classics, Kids rides and attractions, False rides, and finally Shows
Scary Rides
1. Space Mountain- I was freaked out waiting in line for this mostly because I remembered that when my family went to Disney World when I was 10, my dad was in the bathroom for 10 minutes after he went on that ride. I remember being pleased with myself for having the good sense not to go on it. By holding on for dear life and keeping my eyes shut tight I survived it. I may have felt panic (screamed for a second) for a moment but I was still allive so it became a matter of just getting through it. I wouldn't call it fun, lots of quick turns and big dips but I was glad I went at the end, for no other reason than being able to say that I did it. The endorphins were flowing when it ended as well so major high following. This video is in the light so you can see exactly what you will be doing. In the real ride it is all in the dark with some stars and lights.
2. Twilight Zone's Tower of Terror- Of the three scary rides I went on this was my favorite and the one I thought immediately after, "I would do it again". I was nervous in line but not as nervous as I was with the other rides. It wasnt' the same kind of falling sensation I knew I hated so I was willing to try it. I was scared that it would be the kind of thing that would send me in a panic and for one moment, during the fall I did feel that panic, but then. . . again I was still alive and I realized it was just a matter of getting through it. My eyes again were shut tight and my hands gripped the handles for dear life. It was over pretty quick and it was the kind of fright you laugh or cry at and I laughed. If you hate roller coasters, you might still like this one ok. You are buckled in..there are handles on both sides and you have a floor to push your feet down on which helps a lot. Also, you are inside, with about, 17 other people. There is a point when it shows you how high up you are but that is just the beginning. By the end you do three drops but they go fast. I was untrusting at the end...afraid it wasn't really over yet, but when I realized it was...I was elated. This video is long, you can forward it to the ride part. If nothing else it will help you see how long the falls actually are. But really nothing much to prepare you for but down.
3. Splash Mountain-This one equaled and maybe exceeded Space Mountain in anticapatory fear and as my daughter said of the anamatronic geese, after the ride "The birds didn't help". If you have been on the ride, you know how before you go down the music gets dark and the warnings of the animals get more and more anxious.l Considering this ride is the shortest of the drops, this one freaked me out the most. It could be because it was on the third day of the trip so I had walked past the ride so many times and heard the screams so many times I was pretty tense about the whole experience. I believe at one point before the final drop (there are two small ones before the big one) I even swore with Lincoln right in front of me. But the drop was quick, (three seconds) of course, as I knew it would be. The elation at reaching the bottom was surpreme.
For me, the thing I like about riding "scary" rides is the adrenaline rush I feel when they are over. I feel very pleased with myself for facing my fears and honestly, part of what made the vacation so special to me was facing these fears head on. I got more than fun, I went out on the edge a little and saw what I was capable of. I gained a little more confidence and grew a little. If I go to any Disney Park again, I hope I will do the scary rides again because they made my vacation a little more than just a lot of fun. Next time I need to dare the Thunder Mountain Railroad. I don't know so much about the Matterhorn and California Screaming.
Next Blog Entry: The Funnest Rides
Also to follow: Classics, Kids rides and attractions, False rides, and finally Shows
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