This week, we’re back with more tips and tricks to fully enjoy Walt Disney World when you suffer from motion sickness. Let’s get right to it!
Breakdown by Attraction
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
This ride has a little bit of everything! It’s a slow ride with occasional spins and backward/forward movements. It also has some simulations with 3D effects, water and heat effects, real prop effects, and feelings of dropping. The feelings of dropping during the 3D simulation caused some mild nausea for me, but I was not wearing my SeaBands for this ride. Thankfully, my nausea quickly passed after leaving the ride.
Soarin’
Soarin’ is a very unique simulator ride. Your feet will leave the ground while you watch the video, and you will experience some drops, turns, swoops, and lifts. Otherwise, it is a very slow and gentle ride. Some fragrances of the places seen can be caught throughout the ride, which may or may not be problematic for some. It was for me as it increased my nausea. I was wearing my Sea Bands and still had to close my eyes as I was nauseated throughout. Nausea quickly passed after exiting the ride.
Avatar: Flight of Passage
The set-up for this is very similar to Soarin’ but it is 3D and the seats allow for up and down as well as side-to-side movement, so that you can feel the Banshee turn, swoop, glide, and dive. There are sharp turns and dives. Even with my eyes closed, my Sea Bands on, and some Dramamine I was very nauseated throughout and for a little while after this ride.
Expedition Everest
This is a moderate-speed roller coaster, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less fun! It moves forward and backward with sharp turns and small to moderate drops. I do not wear my Sea Bands and do not have any nausea on this one.
Alien Swirling Saucers
This ride is similar to the teacups at the Mad Tea Party. If you can handle those, you may be able to handle these. The difference is that you have no control over the spinning; however, it is not continuous spinning. Once again, the saucer is on a platform that spins fast but instead of spinning in circles, your individual saucer does movements more akin to sharp turns, especially when it moves from platform to platform. If you don’t like going in circles, this may not be the ride for you, or you may need to wear Sea Bands and take some Dramamine. My parents cannot tolerate this ride because they cannot control the amount of spinning, even with Sea Bands and their eyes closed.
Toy Story Mania
This is a great carnival-style shooting game/ride. It has occasional sharp turns and spins, but they are minimal. It does have 3D elements. Despite this, I didn’t have any problems and didn’t need my Sea Bands. However, if you are especially sensitive to 3D movements, I do recommend wearing the Sea Bands.
Star Tours
This was the first simulator that I ever went on and I still love it! You’ll move forwards and backward with sudden drops, stops, and sharp turns, some at what feels like high speed. I do have to wear my Sea Bands with this ride. I’ll occasionally get nauseated, but it really depends on which scenario of the ride I get as each scenario offers a different combination of motions in the simulator. When I do get nauseous, it quickly passes after leaving the ride.
When I’m worried about if a ride is going to make me sick even wearing the Sea Bands, some non-drowsy Dramamine always helps.
Galaxy’s Edge Rise of the Resistance
There are multiple parts to this ride. I don’t want to give away too much for those of you who haven’t been on it before. I will say that part of it is a simulator (similar to Star Tours) and part of it is a ride (similar to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad). You should know it is so, so immersive!
The simulator is at the beginning and end of the ride and the “car” is in the middle. If you do okay with Star Tours or Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad, then you’ll be fine here. The simulator portion has some dives and sharp turns and feels like you’re moving very fast at times. I was able to handle it just fine with my Sea Bands. The “car” was gentle in comparison with occasional backward movements and some sharp turns. I did not have any nausea during or after this ride.
Galaxy’s Edge: Smuggler’s Run
This is another simulator similar to Star Tours, but so much more immersive! Like Mission: Space, you get to pilot a ship, the Millennium Falcon. Also like in Mission: Space, if you can’t, don’t want to, or no one is in the seat, the autopilot will take over flying. The difference here is that the simulator will react to the pilot’s flying if you have one, so experiences may vary depending on your pilot. You may have a smooth flight or a rocky one with lots of ups, downs, and crashes. With my Sea Bands on, I was nausea-free, even with a slightly rocky ride.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railroad
This fun ride is in a slow-moving train car. There are some spinning and backward movements, but it is mostly a gentle ride. I did not wear my Sea Bands and did not have any nausea. It was very fun, and I would ride this over and over again if possible!
Come back next week for the final part of our tips and tricks to fully enjoy Walt Disney World when you suffer from motion sickness! Until next time!