Help me prepare DD11 - Gringotts and FJ, please

BlueFairy

DIS Veteran
Joined
Aug 19, 1999
Hi,

DDs 11 and 14 are ride wimps but HUGE Potter fans. We are very selective at WDW about what to ride but have never been to Uni. They love Test Track and Barnstormer. Never really are interested in BTMRR, Splash, or the bigger rides. But we also haven't been since they were 8 and 11. One is also very nervous about Dementors and death eaters. DD14 has reached the point that she's not scared and wants to try it all at least once. DD11 is the reason we are doing WW, but feeling conflicted.

So, she doesn't want to watch ride videos. She says too many spoilers. But she does want to have some reassurance so her imagination can stop freaking her out. I feel like we need to discuss and then have a plan B. Can someone please describe those 2 rides as they relate to the following factors -

darkness level
motion sickness (does closing eyes work like it does on FOP? trying that too this year and they are not worried)
fright factor with bad guys (planning to defend herself with her wand/patronus if they show up elsewhere)
sensation of speed (not too concerned, they love TT)
feeling of going upside down
feeling of "loop de loops"? (her words, not mine)
drops (what I can tell from Gringotts description, not a big deal).

Thank you!!!!
 
Doing some looking around. Now it looks to me like Gringotts might be more like Indiana Jones at DL? except a roller coaster?

And Soarin on Steroids is a good analogy for FJ?
 
Doing some looking around. Now it looks to me like Gringotts might be more like Indiana Jones at DL? except a roller coaster?

And Soarin on Steroids is a good analogy for FJ?

That's a good analogy for Gringotts. It's a pretty wussy roller coaster, fyi. I mean, it can't be that extreme being inside a small building. :)

FJ....there's really nothing like it. I guess if you took Soarin' and almost flip upside down then you'd have an analogy. Just tell they kids they are mus dos and that they'll survive; be brave! I mean, my wussy 8yo could ride both, if that helps. :)
 
You have one option to do it yourself. A work around.
Create a dummy guest in MDE. Store any tickets you don't want to be used in the dummy guest and move them to the proper person when you need to use them

That's a good analogy for Gringotts. It's a pretty wussy roller coaster, fyi. I mean, it can't be that extreme being inside a small building. :)

FJ....there's really nothing like it. I guess if you took Soarin' and almost flip upside down then you'd have an analogy. Just tell they kids they are mus dos and that they'll survive; be brave! I mean, my wussy 8yo could ride both, if that helps. :)

Thanks. It's really funny to me that she's fixated on this. FJ does not seem to be as much of a concern to her. We live in an affluent neighborhood and close enough that everyone goes to Orlando regularly. So she's heard something from some classmate but can't say exactly what's bothering her. She really just has to feel in control and prepared. Telling her to be brave doesn't really work.

Unfortunately I asked for specifics because that's what I really need to reassure this particular kid.
 


So a more full (spoilerish) breakdown

click the button:

FJ:
  • This is essentially a mix of live action props/animatronics and screens. You kind of bounce back and forth between the two settings.
  • The the "screens" portions, I would say it's sensation is more akin to FoP than any other ride in terms of intensity and that sensation of flying.
  • For the live action scenes, you'll interact with Spiders, Dementors (shhhh, don't tell your younger daughter, they pop in physically for a moment, and on a screen later, but a patronus indeed shoos them away), a dragon, the womping willow tree..... All up close and personal in your face in thrilling moments.
  • And overall intensity from a physical movement standpoint, it's more about up/down and side to side motions being "whipped about" throughout the ride. There are a few spots where the ride vehicle tilts to the point where you're flat on your back with your feet flung up in the air. So nothing upside down.
  • Overall this is my absolute favourite ride in the world. If you go low on the details to your daughters and just make sure they try it at least once, they will love it.
Gringotts:
  • This is also a mix of physical props and screens, but more heavy on the screens side of it. Physical parts are more on the periphery (cave rocks etc.) to better immerse the screens into the environment.
  • It is on a coaster track, but I wouldn't consider it a coaster really.
  • There is basically a small drop in the dark at the beginning as the ride vehicle starts by moving forward a bit, stops, tilts downwards at about a 30 degree angle and plunges you into darkness. But this part is very brief and over before you know it. If your DDs are scared of this kind of stuff, it might freak them out at first, but you move so quickly into the main parts of the attraction they'll probably be ok.
  • Then throughout you're going throughout the caverns and stopping by different screens where scenes play out. Statues attack the car causing it to tilt and shake. Belatrix and Voldemort attack the car with spells, and eventually you escape with the help of the dragon.

So overall I agree with one of the above poster. Just tell the kids they are must dos. Have them try each one once, and more than likely they will want to do them over and over again.
 
Which parks are you going to first? Disney or WDW?
FJ is more like FoP on steroids. FoP is like Soarin' on steroids. If that makes sense. Each kicks it up a notch, or two, from the other.
There are death eaters here, along with Argog (sp?, the giant spider)

And yes, I would agree that Gringotts is like Indy in DL, with a bit of 3D screens added in. There's some bad guy in it, He Who Must Not Be Named shows up with Belatrix (no wands on the ride though, they've even started asking specifically about them)

Can you watch the videos? Then you'd have an idea of the things to warn them about?
 
Hi,

DDs 11 and 14 are ride wimps but HUGE Potter fans. We are very selective at WDW about what to ride but have never been to Uni. They love Test Track and Barnstormer. Never really are interested in BTMRR, Splash, or the bigger rides. But we also haven't been since they were 8 and 11. One is also very nervous about Dementors and death eaters. DD14 has reached the point that she's not scared and wants to try it all at least once. DD11 is the reason we are doing WW, but feeling conflicted.

So, she doesn't want to watch ride videos. She says too many spoilers. But she does want to have some reassurance so her imagination can stop freaking her out. I feel like we need to discuss and then have a plan B. Can someone please describe those 2 rides as they relate to the following factors -

darkness level
motion sickness (does closing eyes work like it does on FOP? trying that too this year and they are not worried)
fright factor with bad guys (planning to defend herself with her wand/patronus if they show up elsewhere)
sensation of speed (not too concerned, they love TT)
feeling of going upside down
feeling of "loop de loops"? (her words, not mine)
drops (what I can tell from Gringotts description, not a big deal).

Thank you!!!!


Your DDs can have a fantastic time in the HP area without riding either of these attractions! It is so immersive, spectacular and exciting that the rides are the cherry on top, so to speak.
I wouldn't worry, either they'll ride or not. They can use the chicken exit at the last moment. Doesn't have to diminish the overall fun.

As far as darkness, fright, sensations, etc. That is so individual. I find all of your listed "factors" acceptable, and nothing is too intense. My family consists of total thrill junkies, so we never miss any ride!

But if they are "ride wimps" as you say, they may not enjoy these attractions.
 


FJ is what I would list as one of the top 3 most intense rides in both WDW and Uni
I mean, we ride anything and are afraid of nothing. We suffer from no types of motion sickness.
Still, that first time I rode FJ, it was WOW, WHOA, WOW, the entire time. No other ride, that wasn't a coaster, elicited anywhere near that type of reaction or response. I mean, you expect some of those things from a coaster, like Rip it Rock it, right? So maybe that's the difference? FJ is just, so, SO. Between the movement and the visuals, it's intense. Which is why I consider it more than FoP. FoP has some movement but nowhere near as much as FJ

I do think if they can do Indy they'll be fine on Gringotts. If Indy was too much for them, then maybe not.
 
For Gringotts I actually timed the two "roller coaster" parts as literally lasting 6-7 seconds each. Also, the first portion looks more intimating than what will occur. They tilt the coaster as if it's making a dramatic drop, but once you disappear into the darkness (the first roller coaster part) it goes forward instead of dropping (as it implies due to the angle). Also, if any drops do occur during those bits are more like dips more than anything. It's really quick.

The only part I can think that can be intimidating is the Aragog part for FJ, maybe the Dementor parts. As they're puppets / AAs, not anything like a 3D image, so it's more realistic. Also, while the movements are more dramatic, it's nothing harsh and it's a smooth motion. If they're huge massive fans they should at least go for it once to experience it. As a whole it's an amazing experience and FJ is honestly my favorite attraction at IoA. As someone who has arachnophobia, the Aragog part was a little intense and scary at first (was cussing like a sailor my first time :laughing:), but after you do it a few times, it gets better and less intimidating.
 
Hi,

DDs 11 and 14 are ride wimps but HUGE Potter fans. We are very selective at WDW about what to ride but have never been to Uni. They love Test Track and Barnstormer. Never really are interested in BTMRR, Splash, or the bigger rides. But we also haven't been since they were 8 and 11. One is also very nervous about Dementors and death eaters. DD14 has reached the point that she's not scared and wants to try it all at least once. DD11 is the reason we are doing WW, but feeling conflicted.

So, she doesn't want to watch ride videos. She says too many spoilers. But she does want to have some reassurance so her imagination can stop freaking her out. I feel like we need to discuss and then have a plan B. Can someone please describe those 2 rides as they relate to the following factors -

darkness level
motion sickness (does closing eyes work like it does on FOP? trying that too this year and they are not worried)
fright factor with bad guys (planning to defend herself with her wand/patronus if they show up elsewhere)
sensation of speed (not too concerned, they love TT)
feeling of going upside down
feeling of "loop de loops"? (her words, not mine)
drops (what I can tell from Gringotts description, not a big deal).

Thank you!!!!

Why are you feeling conflicted? If she is that worried about the rides, don't ride them. She can still enjoy HPland without doing the rides.

No wands allowed on the rides.

If her school friends talking about it has not helped, I am not sure what you can do with advice from here.

If she decides not to ride this time, maybe she can ride it the next time.

They are not kiddy rides and nobody can tell how she will react. She can ride it and if she doesn't like it (even with eyes closed), don't ride it again. Beyond that, I can't think of any advice to offer.
 
I believe OP is conflicted because the kids want to ride and she's trying to determine if they can really handle them. Hence, conflict. I get it. Research is never bad and does help figure out conflict, to some degree. Though at some point, you just have to either go for it, or not.
 
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OP, I can’t speak to Gringotts personally, but I was talking to a coworker whose twin seven-year-olds rode and loved it. He said both Kong and Jurassic Park scared them, but Gringotts was fine.

As to FJ, I rode it for the first time when I was 26. The dementors and Aragog, and the motion, freaked me out. I kept my eyes closed the whole time and then felt like an idiot because I stood in line for 100 minutes just to go through the whole thing with my eyes shut! I rode it again and it’s really not that bad. Ride-though videos would help. If she watches the ride-through and thinks it’s too scary, she hasn’t been spoiled on anything because she’s not going to ride. And if she watches and decides to give it a go, she might not make the same mistake I did the first time though (thereby missing the whole thing anyway).
 
What makes FJ different is seeing the physical props and AAs within the ride. Yes, there are a few screens here and they are 2D, but most of it, is physical sets and AAs. It isn't like you can take off 3D glasses and suddenly it's not there anymore. That's what I did a lot as a child when I was a "scardy cat". It makes it all that more intense, but also makes it all the more better of a ride than anything at Universal in my opinion.

I believe it's best to try to find the best ride through videos as others suggested (might be hard to see most of the stuff due to the darkness in a lot of scenes) and go from there, but honestly, once you go through it once and go through the shock, it just gets better as you experience it more and appreciate how they created this ride.
 
My parental philosophy is that my kids have to try every ride at least once before they can beg off of future rides. With that approach, we've yet to find anything that my 8-year old won't re-ride. My 10-year old, on the other hand, has no fear of heights, speed or going upside, but she has a serious fear of what I would call "creepy" aspects of rides. We haven't been to USO yet (going in July) so I can't comments on Gringotts, but have been to US Hollywood.

After her first ride on Forbidden Journey, she declared she wouldn't ride it again, but on subsequent trips she relented and will ride with her eyes closed all or part of the time. For reference, the other rides on her "too scary" list are Tower of Terror (WDW/Paris she won't ride at all, she was fine with the Tokyo version), Mummy (she'll reluctantly ride with her eyes closed), and Expedition Everest (due to the Yeti only).

My husband has pretty bad motion sickness from spinny rides, rides that change direction, and rides that go upside down, but he was fine on Forbidden Journey. You do definitely feel like you are hanging upside down during aspects of the ride.
 
FJ is MUCH more intense than Gringott's.

Gringott's, other than the first part is pretty tame overall.

FJ has you going around in a lot of directions, lots of things right in front of you and scary things as well. It CAN be quite disorienting and dizzying. I love the concept of the ride, but wish it was a little bit more tame in some areas.
 
I'm a ride wimp myself, so I can definitely relate! On my first ride on FJ, I honestly got a bit overwhelmed at times, with the movement of the ride plus the things flying around you. On my second ride, I discovered a trick: if I started to feel panicked, I looked down at my knees, and I could see that I was just sitting on this bench that was being waggled around in the air; not a big deal. So I looked at my knees a few times on that second ride, and maybe once or twice on my third ride, and I think after that I didn't have to do it again, because it got more familiar. And it's a great ride so of course I've ridden it a lot more times since then. :)

FJ has no actual drops. I can't recall any part where you're in total darkness. There are bad guys, including a dementor that comes pretty close to you. In terms of upside-down or loop-de-loops, there is at least one part (maybe two?) where the bench rocks you backwards so you're flat on your back, and it's possible that your head may technically go back far enough that you're a little bit upside down, but nothing like a loop. I really do recommend the knees trick.

Gringotts has the one drop in the beginning (which I hate, but it's over quick) and then it's more just spinning and kind of jerking you around a bit. Sitting in the back of the car might be a bit less scary (although the drop does get longer if you're in the back of the *train*, but even then it's still not very long).
 
My 8yo DS is a ride wimp as well and we took him on FJ in Universal Hollywood. I LOVED the ride.. however my DS was terrified! Especially during the Dementors part (you get pretty up close and personal with them). He refused to ride it again after that. But then again, he also won't ride Space Mtn or Tower of Terror and will literally cry if he does. (my 5 yo DS is complete opposite. He is a thrill junky!!!)
 
So many of you are helping me with these details. Thank you. We’ll try today. DD chickened out on FOP this week, so I’m thinking the same will happen today. I’ll report back.
 
Circling back to report in case someone else is in a similar situation. I did read all of your comments. The ones that provided details really helped both DDs to decide. DD14 rode Gringotts once and was done. DD11 chose to sit out in child swap for both. She was able to enjoy the queue without the stress of worrying she had to ride.

A word about child swap - this is fantastic at Uni! Not like WDW at all. We sat in a room at the loading area. clearly marked with a sign. For Gringotts, DD11 and I waited for DD14 and DH to come back, and then we were able to leave DD14 with DD11 while DH rode again immediately with me. There is an HP movie playing in both and the wait is 5 min (it was 10 for Gringotts due to TM snafu). Then we used child swap again at FJ - DD14 and DD11 were able to walk through the queue with us and hold our bags (no locker needed!) and they sat in child swap at the Great Hall for the 5 min it took for DH and I to ride. I think they let us do it because DD14 is old enough to do the parks on her own and DD11 did not need a babysitter. This strategy would not work for younger kids to wait without an adult, but it does work for adults waiting with kids and is very easy.

My evaluation -
Gringott's Forbidden Journey
darkness level - short periods of complete darkness; generally dark throughout with less total blackness.
motion sickness - I didn't have any. DH was shaky. Not really a way to avoid on this ride; I wobbled getting off the chair but didn't need to try the knee trick; DH had an empty stomach and sort of felt a bit queasy for a few minutes.
fright factor with bad guys - DD was worried about Voldemort and Belatrix. Neither was too in your face really. The heat from the dragon and spells might intimidate, but over quickly; Aragog and spiders are very short and not as close as I expected. Dementors section was more than 1. more like 4-5 over and over. Hard to escape but not as lifelike as how they are depicted in the movies.
sensation of speed - feels very fast in short bursts; feels very fast. Flying high and with acrobatics throughout.
feeling of going upside down,feeling of "loop de loops" - can't recall any. Maybe one twisting roll in a dark section; sections of tipping backwards. diving forward more than once.
drops - this has been covered above. The first drop is bigger than Pirates, smaller than Splash. Into darkness. diving forward more than once.
 
I'm really not sure FJ is as intense as some posts on here would suggest.

My son was 9 when we last went, and was a real ride wimp. Wouldn't do The Mummy, Expedition Everest, Splash Mountain or Space Mountain, for example. But we rode FJ twice, and he was fine with it.
 

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