Crowns and Coasters: Help Me Plan!

Universal Orlando Resort
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Well for the first time since about 2005, I’m taking a trip to Universal! While all of my recent trips have been to Disney (including just this past February), I now volunteer as a state board member with the Miss America organization, so I’ll be attending the Teen national competition at Universal the week of July 26th. I’m scheduled to fly out to MCO late Wednesday, June 28th and fly back early Saturday, June 31st, staying at Sapphire Falls, and will likely be travelling mostly solo (meeting up with friends along the way, but going wherever I want for the most part).

The one hiccup? I get horrible motion sickness from simulator based rides (which is one reason my family hasn’t been to Universal in decades). However I love roller coasters, so Velocicoaster is very tempting to me! Also throwing a twist into my normal planning process is that I will be attending the competitions on Thursday and Friday night at the meeting complex, and they haven’t yet announced when each show will start. This is where I could use your help – what should I do during the days?

I’ve tossed around the idea of pool hopping around the resorts, or should I just go to Volcano Bay? Or would it be worthwhile to get a 1-Day ticket? I normally go from rope drop to being shepherded out of the parks after close, so it’s tough to swallow buying a ticket when I know I can’t spend every second in the park. Finally, are there any restaurants at the resorts or CityWalk that we definitely need to try? Thank you for all of your help!

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I think a one day ticket to the dry parks to ride the coasters and other rides would be great. Plus UOR has some good shows like Horror Make Up and Bourne.

What sort of simulators at Disney get you motion sick? Are there any that dont?

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Thank you! From our most recent Disney trip, both FoP and MFSR got me… not completely done for the day, but had to sit for a while in the shade to get back to “normal”.

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I have started getting motion sickness on certain rides as I have aged. What I have found works best is taking a HALF of a LESS DROWSY Dramamine at the start of the day. I tried a full pill, but it still made me feel sluggish. Half a pill did not, but was enough to keep the motion sickness at bay.

Do not confuse LESS DROWSY with NON DROWSY. The latter is just ginger. It can settle the stomach, but doesn’t technically prevent motion sickness. (For some people, it is good enough though.)

Regular Dramamine knocks me out. The good news? No motion sickness. The bad news? I just wish I were in bed instead of enjoying the parks!

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I made this a while back for another post.

Here’s a list of every major attraction with a brief & spoiler free description, and a WDW equivalent when possible, by park.

(I did not include any shows or “toddler / kiddie rides” like at Seuss Landing & etc…)

USF

Despicable Me = Motion Simulator (mild)

Escape From Gringott’s – Indoor coaster with 3-D projections (Spins & mild drops)

E.T. Adventure = Dark Ride (Peter Pan’s Flight)

Fast & Furious = Dark Ride (Projections & Effects while riding on slow tram)

Hogwart’s Express = Slow train / transportation between parks w/ on board show

Men in Black = Shooting Gallery (Buzz Lightyear Spin)

Mummy = Medium coaster in dark w/ effects and launches (Space Mt., but a bit faster & cooler)

Race thru NY w/ Jimmy Fallon = 3-D Simulator w/ motion (Star Tours, but milder)

Rip Ride Rockit = Extreme Coaster

Shrek 4-D = 3-D Movie with effects & vibrating seats w/ limited motion

Simpsons Ride = 3-D Simulator w/ motion (Star Tours & about the same intensity)

Transformers = 3-D Simulator w/ motion (Star Tours, but a bit more intense & LOUD)

IOA

Doctor Doom Fearfall = Extreme Drop Tower (It shoots you up fast instead of slow ascent w/ drop)

Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls = Log Flume Ride (pretty basic w/ a drop like Splash Mt.)

Forbidden Journey = (Unique Ride – spins & rotates. Simulates drops - A lot of people report motion sickness on this)

Hargid’s Motorbike Adventure = Fast Coaster w/ multiple launches

Incredible Hulk Coaster = Extreme steel coaster with a launch & multiple inversions

Jurassic Park River Adventure = Log Flume w/ effects (a “scarier” Splash Mountain)

Popeye & Bluto’s Barges = Rapid Raft Ride (Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom)

Poseidon’s Fury = Walk through family Attraction (Jungle Cruise w/ effects)

Reign of Kong = Dark Ride (Projections & Effects while riding on slow tram)

Spider-Man = “4-D” Dark Ride Motion Simulator (Star Tours- same intensity, but w/ effects & better)

Storm Force Accelerator = Spinning Ride (Mad Tea Party)

Velocicoaster = Extreme steel coaster with multiple launches & multiple inversions

(Poseidon’s Fury is closed right now, but I wanted to include it for future reference)

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Good to know! I figure that I’ll be having some late nights, so the last thing I want is to feel sluggish all day.

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This is super helpful, thank you so much!

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Thank you so much for this! We have an upcoming trip and this will help us feel comfortable riding more rides knowing a comparison for what to expect.

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If FoP made you sick, I’d avoid anything simulator based at UOR. Maybe try Gringott’s - it’s mostly an actual ride with just a few screens.

FWIW, the ginger pills were enough for me to have a settled stomach on rides that gave me mild motion sickness in the past.

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This is likely controversial, but I think Forbidden Journey is still the best ride in Orlando (Note: I haven’t been on Rise of the Resistance yet).

And this is second best motion simulator ride in Orlando (after FOP).

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Here is a recent article, it may be helpful to you.

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FJ is a terrible, terrible ride. There’s nothing about it I like. It gives me motion-sickness, the transitions between screens and real scenes are jarring and there’s a whole spider situation where I have to close my eyes. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.

The first time I rode Spider-Man it blew my mind. I’d never experienced anything like it.

But FOP is my greatest fantasy made real.

One day I rode both on the same day to make the definitive judgement as to which is best.

It was FOP. But they are both awesome experiences.

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Controversial take: ROTR is overrated. It’s a really ambitious experience, and the docking bay filled with stormtroopers is jaw-dropping. But it doesn’t blow me away like FOP or Spider-Man.

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SAME!! I love it! Haven’t done RotR or Hagrid’s / JWV yet though.

I totally agree about Spidey too! There are ppl who’ve been to DLR and have seen / played Webslingers that say the Universal ride is still the best Spider-Man ride.

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Agreed. My first ride on Spiderman was in 2003 and it was awesome. There was nothing even close to it back then. Disney didn’t build any rides of note between “finishing” AK and the opening of New Fantasyland (and as far as I’m concerned the scaling back of 7DMT was a mistake that left New Fantasyland without a groundbreaking attraction either).

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I’d do two days in the parks, one at Volcano Bay and one-day, two-park ticket for USF/IOA.

Here’s some things to check out ride wise that should be ok for you
-Bourne Stuntacular
-Horror Make Up (it’s more comedy than anything, highly recommended)
-Animal Actors
-ET
-Men in Black
-Mummy
-Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
-Hogwarts Express
-Hagrid
-Flight of the Hypogrph
-VelociCoaster
-Hulk
-Doom
-Cat in the Hat
-Hight in the Sky Seuss Trolly

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It is my favorite ride ever and I absolutely adore it! :heart:

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So funny I just read this article today about morion sickness on universal rides.

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We can never truly be friends.

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I like this idea. When cool air is blowing on my face, my motion sickness is reduced.