Beware of the mild-mannered Sun Wheel

[Spoonful of Sugar]

Yeah, I would never do the swinging cars. I rode a stationary car and it was nice. I recommend riding at night, and seeing the whole park lit up. But if you want to take pictures, keep in mind that your camera might focus on the bars of the cage, rather than the beautiful lights beyond. That's what happened to me, and now I have all these terrible pictures of white bars!

 

[Spoonful of Sugar]

The fluid in your inner ear swirling around from the motion is what makes you feel sick and dizzy. Maybe you're more sensitive to that.

 

[xmelissax]

Sun Wheel doesn't make me sick or queasy but it's terrifying. I can do any kind of thrill roller coaster or ride that drops you, but I can't deal with being that high off the ground and lingering there for that long while rocking back and forth. I almost cried,it was horrible.

 

[Dukland]

We rode just the non-swinging ones. I get really freaked out about my kids being up high, and dh really wanted to take everyone on it. I insisted it be a non-swinging one. I was still freaked, but that was because my 2 year old wasn't sitting still. It was a very calm ride.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

Please attempt to think and act maturely and logically when in publi.... your embellished and purposely increased outward fear and over-reactionsdo sometimes directly and in-directly affect nearby children and other Guests quite often.

uh firstly....I dont think any of us are embellishing the feeling we get on that swinging car...secondly, we are at Disney....the word mature knows no meaning...and 3rd please let me know when your going to the park and we can ride the car together so that when I go flying across the car and crash into you we can see how much over reaction one can make. hence affecting you, the guest

 

[GailT]

Are you sure you don't mean the rockin roll roller coaster they have at MGM? California Screamin is only in DCA.

Ooops, I meant soarin, hey they both begin with "S" LOL

 

[Captjackson]

In over 5 years, no deaths on the Sun Wheel.

Perhaps, but how many pairs of ruined underwear?

For the record, I never thought I would die . Still, DW and I had the sensation we were headed right into the laps of the people across from us. And yes, it is an awsome view. (the park, not the laps)

Funny how certain rides will scare us, but in a good way, while others, well, not so good. DD loves Soarin' over CA, but hates Buzz Lightyear (too loud). DS, OTOH, loves Buzz, but is scared of Soarin'.

Usually, I don't like the rides that spin around, but love coasters. IMO, CA Screamin' is the best rollercoaster at DLR. Still it doesn't match the ones at Magic Mountain or King's Island in Ohio. And I love the point on the NYNY coaster in Las Vegas, when you're parallel to the Strip, and you can see all the neon lights to the north of you.

Sorry, got a little O.T. there at the end.

 

[Iggipolka]

I cannot handle the swinging gondolas on the Sun Wheel. I rode them once and was absolutely terrified! I was literally clinging to the floor of the gondala screaming.
I love riding Ca. Screaming and other roller coasters. I'm not a ride wimp, but I will NEVER ride the swinging gondalas ever again.

 

[spazzyjazzy]

I normally do not like ferris wheels unless they are enlosed. I thought it wouldn't be too bad to get on it the first year Cali. Adv. opened. Oh my I thought I was gonna die. We were on one of the moving gondolas and I almost lost it. It was me, my son, my husband and a friends daughter that went with us. They also put another couple on with us that had never rode on it. I had a look of panic on my face the whole time. My husband and son were having a nice laugh about it. Then the lil girl that went decides to bust out yelling WE ARE GOING TO DIE! WE ARE GOING TO DIE! She was not too happy. The other couple on the ride was cracking by that time. When the ride was over I literally kissed the ground. Fast forward a couple of years and the husband and son decide to convince me to get on it again. My husbands words exactly were "Babe, we can get on the non moving gondola, it won't be as bad I promise" So, here I go again. I was so freaked out and I was yelling at my husband while it was going around and giving him the stink eye. All I have to say is never again.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

poor spazzyjazzy.....hey your going to be there the same time as me...maybe we should ride the gondola together

 

[challada]

I hate the Sun Wheel. It took three trips before my family convinced me to ride it (and I ride EVERYTHING)...and when we rode in the gondolas, I could not stand it. Never been back on since! Give me ten time on Screamin' instead!

 

[Tink33]

Can you compare Scramin to the feel of any other ride? So I can judge the exereince? How does Maliboomer compare to TOT?

I want to do everyride at least once - and I only have three left (from both parks): Maliboomer, Sreamin' and Orange Stinger. And now I'm scared

There was a time when the Orange Stinger was DD's favorite ride. I think her record is 6 times in a row. As long as you are okay with spinning, I think you will be fine.

 

[wendithepooh]

I was terrified of the swinging cars.I went with DH and DD9,DS12 and DD5 waited for us.My DH usually does not swear but you should have heard the words coming out of his mouth. My poor DD had to listen to her dads nasty mouth(even thogh she still teases him about it,remember when..)We are going back in Oct with DD9 and nephew18 I really want him to ride it but I'm not sure I want to take him.By the way, I love TOT but no one likes it in my family and I have to drag them on it kicking and screaming.lol.

 

[kelmac284]

Oh I am SO glad this post is out there. I HATE HATE HATE ferris wheels. I LOVE TOT, Screamin and just about every other roller coaster out there. Been on all the crazy ones at Six Flags etc. However I think that I feel safer on those cuz the bar comes down and holds me in. I don't like Ferris wheels cuz you are just sitting in that cage and the way it rocks I just feel nervous.

I would NEVER go on the rocking ones cuz I DO get motion sickness and I don't like Ferris Wheels to begin with and CERTAINLY not the rocking ones.

I finally went on the wheel this past trip but my palms got sweaty and I did NOT like it and THAT was the ones that DON'T rock LOL.

Then this past August we went to our state fair and I was on a regular old fashioned ferris wheel, the open kind where all you have is a bar across your lap, and we got to almost the top and it stopped and we sat and sat and sat. I was FREAKING out. Yelling at the guy to get me the H*** off that thing. My daughter was with me and she was like it's ok mom (she is 6 LOL).

Then they finally got it working (the guy had to pull it around by hand) and when it came time for me to get off he wouldn't let me off and made me go around AGAIN. Don't ask me why and we were the LAST ones off!! Oh I was mad and said NEVER again.

Oh and they have this ski lift type ride too that goes across the park. It is a lot like the old sky buckets or whatever they were called at DLR. Well every time someone gets off or on the thing jerks to a stop and OH H*** NO. Again NEVER AGAIN!!!!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Count me in as another person who can't swing on the Sun Wheel. We did the swinging cars once because my husband who gets queasy on Star Tours had ridden in one with my daughter earlier while ds and I rode Screamin. I figured if he could handle it it must not be bad. I was wrong. Whereas he can't spin too much, I hate heights more than I realized. It was a sensation that was very unsettling to me and absolutely terrifying to my son. He has ridden and loved every ride at DL and WDW including Screamin, TOT, Expedition Everest, Mission Space, RNRC, you name it. But that thing just put him over the edge. I was having to hold him and have him do lamaze breathing to get through it! He was so close to barfing I emptied out my backpack to use but luckily he didn't. He and I rode the non swinging car about a year later at night and it was better but still not something we enjoyed. I hate ferris wheels, Sun Wheel at least is enclosed but it still bothers me when it stops for loading/unloading purposes and your at the top.

 

[mystic_path]

WOW! There are a lot of people who wont go on ferris wheels! This is unreal.

 

[GailT]

I dont do roller coasters or ferris wheels, I like ride like its a small world, another words I like rides I consider just a little whipmy

 

[disney-super-mom]

No one in my family has been on the swinging gondolas of the Sun Wheel yet (our kids are too young to want the thrill of the swinging ones). We've only been on the stationary gondolas, which we ride at least once everytime we're at DL. My DH HATES heights, but he manages to ride the Sun Wheel by looking at the floor in the gondola during the ride, or by looking way out at the horizon instead of down at the grounds of DCA.

The very first time we rode it DH was in panic mode, yelling at our oldest son (who at the time was three years old) to sit still and not to move. At this point we are at the top of the Sun Wheel, just sitting up there while other people are being loaded on and off down below. Of course I couldn't let such a prime time to tease him pass me by, but just as I was about to open my mouth with one heck of a zinger, I had a change of heart and decided to give the poor guy a break. However, he still saw that devilish little smile of mine, and so he insisted to know what I was going to say to him. I warned him it was mean, but he still insisted. So I went ahead and said, "I wonder what would happen if an earthquake hit RIGHT NOW?!!!" For some reason he didn't see the humor in that.

 

[eatmypixiedust]

This past August, my siblings and I rode on the rolling gondola. I wanted to ride in a stable one but they blocked off the line for that. A lot of guests were not aware that they were only seating people in the rolling gondolas and freaked out whenever it rolled.

At the time there were 3 CM's running the ride but they were all trying to assist guests who had electric wheelchairs move their wheelchairs across to the exit side. Well the CM's had trouble turning them on and the one CM who was at the control booth got side tracked and ended up having most guests go around the sunwheel 3-5 times. Some guests were pissed and yelled: "I WANT TO GET OFF!! LET ME OFF!!" but they couldn't stop the ride in time. There were some families who looked terrified and wanted to get off the ride as soon as possible! They definitely did not look happy and as soon as those gondola doors open they ran out of there. I don't blame them! I think my sibs and I ended up going around 3 times and I was freaking out! I tried yelling: "EXCUSE ME!!" as loud as possible to the guy at the control booth but he didn't hear me. Finally one of the CM's saw me and my sibs waving our arms to let us off and we got out. I was so happy to be back on the ground!

 

[mikayla73]

WOW! There are a lot of people who wont go on ferris wheels! This is unreal.

I actually like ferris wheels, but those swinging gondolas getcha!

This thread has made me think about it and I think I want to try it again. However, I don't want to go by myself, and I would NEVER get DH on there. Not even the stationary ones. I am trying to get somebody to go with us when we go, if not this time, then the next so I can try it again. I know I would be with another family like I was before, but it's not the same as having someone you know there with you.