Strategies for a thrill seeker and a ride chicken co-traveling

Walt Disney World
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I am in a shocking mixed marriage. My husband draws the thrill limit at Thunder Mountain, whereas I love Space Mountain and cannot wait to get on Expedition Everest. (It was under construction the last time I visited Florida.)

I’d love some input from others in similar situations and what strategies have worked for you to get the most out of your vacations. I don’t really mind riding solo and he doesn’t really mind waiting.

We have been to Disneyland together several times, but this will be his first trip to Disney World and my first time there in several years. New rides to me will be Everest, Mine Train, the mellower Mission:Space option, Slinky Dog, and the Avatar rides.

I know he will ride Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Dinosaur, Test Track, and Soarin’. I’m pretty sure Slinky Dog and Mine Train will be fine for him.

I know he will not ride: Space Mountain. Everest, Rock 'n Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror (I am frankly on the fence about riding this one solo, but I love the theming, which is not available in California anymore.)

So I think I can just get Space Mountain fast passes for each of us and use his Magic Band to ride a second time, myself, and I know Rock 'n Roller Coaster and Everest have single rider lines.

I’m also really not sure if he’ll like Flight of Passage. I’m planning to have him watch a YouTube ride-through that shows how the restraints work ahead of time. I’d hate to waste a FastPass of that one if he isn’t going to enjoy it. Any thoughts?

Any other tips, tricks, or been there/done that advice? The only other single rider line I know of is Test Track, which we will probably use to both ride and then reconnect afterwards…

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Hmm. I’ll admit I have trouble understanding this. While my wife is not anywhere NEAR as much of a thrill seeker as I am when it comes to rides, she would have no problem with most of those. She, for a long time, eschewed Tower of Terror, but did it for the first time on our trip a couple years back and actually enjoyed it.

I can see being nervous to ride Rockin’ Roller Coaster due to the inversions and launch. (Again, my wife loves that one, though.) And Expedition Everest to me is easy-peasy. My DS6 rode it, and to me is no more intense than BTMR.

But you mentioned your husband being afraid to ride Space Mountain. Again, a relatively tame coaster. BTMR is actually more intense EXCEPT that you can see where you’re going! :slight_smile:

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I’m totally with your DH on this! :joy::joy::joy:

I realised I didn’t even take in much of Splash because I was just anticipating the drop at the end. I’m OK with speed as long as I can feel like I’m on solid ground.

7dmt is fine. Slinky will be a massive step for me, it’s just so high up lol!

Tips? Well is he OK waiting for you to ride twice? If so, just book the two of you and use his band to ride again. Or maybe schedule a “thrills time” for you in each park, where he can go and use his FP on something tamer, and meet up again later. Or just people watch or explore the theming etc whilst you ride.

We do a mixture of both. None of us are real coaster lovers, but youngest DS has severe sensory issues. To him, Pirates is as much thrill as he can manage, he’ll ride HM but he doesn’t like going backwards. We sometimes separate, sometimes he just taps in and waits, sometimes one of us uses his band to ride again.

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Slinky dog is what is known as a terrain coaster. It actually stays close to the ground, relatively speaking, with not even any drops. I’m not sure why you feel it is so high up? Space Mountain and Expedition Everest and even 7DMT look higher.

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Based on this list (same for me-Splash), he will love FOP. It’s so amazing I can’t imagine not giving it a try.
We usually have kids with us so we split up sometimes giving the thrill seekers a chance to do something 2x while we hit something that doesn’t really need FPP. Other times we have a FPP for something else. As just adults, it would be easy to just wait, use SR, or use both FPP and ride twice depending on the attraction.

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Slinky is high up. Have you seen the pictures, it’s at least 20-30 feet up at times, with huge drops coming round the turn. And nothing underneath. Which is what scares me, I could fall out of the car. Irrational but there it is.

7dmt looks as if there’s ground right next to the track, like BTMRR. I know it isn’t solid, but the perception is I could step out and be fine.

Those others? No way on earth will I go on. I did Space once, on my very first visit. I clung on, totally terrified. The CM had to help me out and sit me down after, I honestly could not walk. :joy:

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Trust me, it won’t feel that high when you’re on it. I have the absolute WORST fear of heights.

Expedition Everest is 112 ft tall, with an 80 ft drop. 7DMT has a 41 ft drop. Slinky Dog doesn’t really have a drop at all. It is only high enough to keep enough clearance. Goofy’s Barnstormer is 30 ft.

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He just doesn’t enjoy them. He has been on Space Mountain and California Screamin’ and doesn’t care to do them or similar rides again. He likes what he likes, which is fine by me.

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Yes, he’s totally fine with waiting for me to ride twice. He’s much more into taking pictures than I am so he’s happy to do that or sit on a bench and people watch.

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You’re really not selling them to me lol!

I already said no way to EE, RnR, Space, ToT. Splash at a push. Have I mentioned Prime Evil Whirl? Yes, that’s my name for it, but it’s 100% accurate! I have actually ridden that and Space, this isn’t a fear without good reason.

I want to ride Slinky, really I do. But it’s a standard coaster on rails, not built into a mountain or anything. Never been on Barnstormer, that thing looks downright lethal. What if the train comes off the rails?

Like I say, that’s the fear. Being thrown out. But that’s OK, I’m happy not riding. It’s just I would like to ride Slinky. Just not sure if I will be able to get on it.

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Are you sure we are talking about the same Expedition Everest?? :open_mouth:

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My DHis the thrill seeker and I am the chicken. It works great for us. Sometimes I “waste” a FP by just going through the pre-show and then take the chicken exit. Other times I book separate FP and let him swap Magic Bands with me so he can get 2 rides in, for exampleToT and Star Tours. I know all of the best people watching spots at WDW and DLR and I get a lot of joy knowing how much fun he is having.

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What I absolutely LOVE about Expedition Everest is they managed to build a coaster that makes a coaster enthusiast like myself have a GREAT time, and yet my young kids can ride it with me. Every single one of my kids (I have five kids) went on EE the first time between the ages of 6-8 and every single one of them loved it and wanted to ride again.

So, yes. I’m talking about the same Expedition Everest! :slight_smile:

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I love this! It’s wonderful that you, a roller coaster junkie, and your daughter can both enjoy the same ride together! :smile:

I shouldn’t have quoted both sentences. That muddied things up a bit. What I politely beg to differ with is the statement that EE is “no more intense than BTMR.” Maybe for a thrill-seeker, I suppose, but not for us mere mortals. I could ride BTMR five times in a row with a smile on my face and a bounce in my step and still be excited for another go.

One ride on EE and I’m good. (“Good” is a word which here means that my heart is racing, my knees are rubbery, my steps wobble around in a not-very-straight line, and I can squeak out the words “that was awesome” without it being a lie . . . but only just barely).

Personally, I would not recommend EE to the OP’s husband, who “draws the thrill limit at Thunder Mountain.” They are in completely different categories, in my opinion!

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I guess my point is that while I may be a thrill-seeker, my kids were merely thrill-seekers in training when they rode it and they all really enjoyed it. And, frankly, I find BTMR to be a much rougher ride experience. It is fun, but it tosses you about much more, which to me ups the intensity.

The ONE caveat to this is the Yeti. A few of my kids were nervous about the Yeti itself.

The rest of the ride isn’t really INTENSE, but UNIQUE. I suppose if you count uniqueness (going backwards?) as intense, okay then! :slight_smile:

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I think this must be what gets to me. At first, I know I’m going backwards and it’s thrilling. Then at some point, I completely lose all sense of direction. I can’t tell which way I’m traveling or if I’m even right side up! :upside_down_face: It’s super disorienting and that “off” feeling stays with me for a good 15-20 minutes after the ride ends.

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I am the chicken…and I use the chicken exits. That way I get to see the queue with my family then people watch outside until they are done. On one occasion they were finished riding EE before I finished enjoying the queue!

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So I had hubs watch a video and he does not want to ride FOP. I already knew EE would be a big nope for him.

If you were me, would you:

A) get two fast passes for FOP and ride twice, then do the single rider line later for EE?

B) Get one fast pass for FOP and one for EE?

C) Use our tier 1 fast passes for Na’vi River Journey, do FOP by myself at rope drop and single-rider EE?

We’re doing Animal Kingdom on day 60+5 on a day that is currently forecast for 4/10 crowds.

It sounds like I’m correct in thinking that it’s fine for me to use his magic band? He has a gender-neutral first name, if that matters…

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A) And rope drop NRJ or even use his extra FP for something else he won’t do like PW. FoP sometimes has single rider if you’re not going to be devastated with only one ride on it.

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Haha, PW is a nope for me, too. Thanks!