If you succumb easily to carsickness and find that too much motion can leave you queasy for the rest of the afternoon, navigating a theme park safely is no small task. While there are plenty of attractions (shows in particular) that remain perfectly safe, there are also several options that might surprise you with their intensity.
For the purposes of this list, we’ve excluded all major roller coasters. Those five attractions (Expedition Everest, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train) are awfully self-explanatory. If you can’t handle the twists and turns of a roller coaster, don’t ride the roller coasters. Rather, the attractions on this list feature a variety of ride systems that could make you queasy in some surprising ways.
Alternatively, we rounded up the five tamest attractions in the park, so you can still enjoy a moving ride without upsetting your stomach, even after a big meal.
The Best
1. Spaceship Earth, Epcot
Image: Disney
Spaceship Earth is an iconic attraction that loses absolutely nothing for being slow and steady. You travel through time at a slow and comfortable pace. The most uncomfortable part of the ride is when you move backwards at an angle at the very end. Moving through this last area studded with tiny lights can be a bit disorienting, but it’s easy enough to close your eyes or focus on the screen in front of you until you’re through.
2. Great Movie Ride, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The Great Movie Ride has a large slow-moving vehicle that stays on a completely flat path through the entire ride. The only jolt you can get would happen if your Tour Guide had to hit an E-Stop (emergency stop). This happens only rarely and the slight forward jolt will really only bother you if you’re napping in the back and your forehead happens to bump the seat in front of you. Stay awake for your lively, hard-working Tour Guide and you’ll be fine.
3. Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, Magic Kingdom
Image: Disney
The TTA PeopleMover takes you on an elevated tram ride around Tomorrowland. This is a great opportunity for you to get a closer look at some of the attractions you may decide to skip to save your stomach. You get a glimpse of Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin from your comfortable padded seat. The breezy tour lasts 10 minutes and stays on a level track at slow speeds.
4. Ellen’s Energy Adventure, Epcot
Image: Disney
Ellen’s Energy Adventure puts you on giant slow-moving vehicles that travel back in time to the prehistoric age. You really crawl through this attraction and the track is level, so there are no hills or drops to worry about. Keep in mind that this attraction takes a full 45 minutes, so you’re making a significant commitment when you get on. This is a great option if you want to kill time in a dark air-conditioned environment while the rest of your party waits in line for a more intense attraction.
5. Carousel of Progress, Magic Kingdom
The Carousel of Progress is a 21-minute attraction that takes place in a revolving theater. If it wasn’t for the occasional rotation of the theater, this wouldn’t be a ride at all. It’s as tame as watching a movie. You rotate through four audio-animatronic scenes that take you from the turn of the 20th century through to today.
The Worst
1. Mission: Space, Epcot
The original Mission: Space attraction was so intense that Disney had to tone it down and offer a tamer simulator option. If you’re prone to motion sickness, you definitely want to avoid the Orange Team. This side of the attraction puts you in a centrifuge which spins and tilts so you feel like you’re experiencing intense speeds and G-forces. The ride includes motion sickness bags and they’re used plenty.
The Green Team puts you on a less intense motion simulator, but some guests have still had complaints. The tamer version uses the same small capsule as the one that spins and is particularly troublesome for people with claustrophobia.
2. Star Tours, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Image: Disney
If you’re familiar with theme parks, you probably know already that motion simulators and sensitive stomachs do not get along. Some of the hype about the 3-D experience in Star Tours has caused guests to forget that it’s still the same motion simulator it always was. In fact, the addition of three dimensional effects can make the experience even more disorienting and nauseating. If you get motion sickness from car or airplane rides, this is one attraction you should probably skip.
3. Primeval Whirl, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Primeval Whirl is entirely outside, so one would hope that you’d take a good look at the attraction and realize how disorienting it is before you hop on. It’s important to note that the vehicles don’t just move up and down along the track. They also spin as they go, so you’re dealing with two types of movement simultaneously.
The spinning in your car is impacted by the weight of the riders, so if you’ve ridden it in the past with minimal spinning, you should keep in mind that it may be different the second time around. The heavier your car is, the more it usually spins.
4. Tower of Terror, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Tower of Terror doesn’t spin, and the range of motion is more limited than on other attractions. However, the very premise of the ride is enough to make many people queasy. You should also note that this attraction doesn’t just drop you into a freefall. The mechanism is designed to actually push you down so you’re moving faster than the speed of gravity. Tower of Terror provides a randomized experience so you never know how many times you’ll drop.
5. Mad Tea Party, Magic Kingdom
Image: Disney
The Mad Tea Party is a classic attraction, but it’s not for those with a weak stomach. You have some control over how nauseating the attraction is if you can convince others in your teacup to minimize the spinning. However, the attraction spins on three different turntables. So even if your cup doesn’t spin at all, you will still spin around the floor and around your grouping of six cups. If dizziness is not a sensation you enjoy, skip this attraction.
Fortunately, the diverse options available at Walt Disney World ensure that there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Plan your day accordingly and make sure you pick rides that won’t send you back to your hotel room early.
