Claustrophobic ride question

NYgirl018

Earning My Ears
Joined
Oct 6, 2019
When at Disney, the only ride that made me feel anxious was Mission Space because you were locked into such a small confining compartment. Soon I will be going to Universal Orlando, are there any rides I should avoid? Thanks
 
Dudley Do-Right Ripsaw Falls, maybe, but it's similar to any other log flume. The bigger you are, the more locked in you feel.

Gringott's has an elevator, but if you don't have a problem with the stretching room at The Haunted Mansion, you won't have a problem with it. They keep crowd size limited so you aren't packed in too tight.

The queue of the Mummy (at least the EP line) can feel tight with a crowd - tighter the darker it gets.

Fast & Furious causes many to panic and try to leave, but that has nothing to do with fear or claustrophobia. :D
 
Nothing at Universal is as claustrophobia-inducing as Mission Space.

The only thing I can think of that bothers me is the Hogwarts Express - which I admit is odd. It's one of the few rides where you aren't strapped in, but I think being completely enclosed and not able to see out does it.

I can still ride it, but I'd rather walk between parks.
 
Possibly a bit off-topic, but while I have never felt claustrophobia on any Disney or Universal ride, the ride that takes you to the top of the Gateway Arch in St Louis did make me feel somewhat claustrophobic. It's very cramped in there!
 


You probably are fine with crowds since you didn't mention it, but I thought I would let you know still, that the security check after you leave the parking garage and going into City Walk feels a little more chaotic and bigger than Disney. I do not know if that is one of your issues, but thought I would point it out to you in case that might motivate you to come earlier to beat the crowd, or during odd periods. As sometimes are lighter than others.

I personally never been on a ride that makes me feel claustrophobic, but my issue is situations in which I am literally surrounded by people. It's one thing if it's a queue, or a room, as there is order and it's relatively (for the most part) a line, or certain selection of how many people are in place, but it's another being completely surrounded when a lot of people do not know which way to go, changed their mind to go into another line, or feels the need to keep nudging forward when you already feel packed in.
 


No claustrophobia issues for me at Universal. I am very clausterphobic and Mission Space is a no go.

I am "pooh" sized and find that some Universal rides are tight for me. As another poster mentioned, the Dudley Do Right falls is hard to get in and out of and the lap bar is very tight. The tightness alone can induce some claustrophobia for me. But it is a really fun ride.

I like the modified seats on FJ, Hulk and RRR.
 
When at Disney, the only ride that made me feel anxious was Mission Space because you were locked into such a small confining compartment. Soon I will be going to Universal Orlando, are there any rides I should avoid? Thanks
The first time I rode the Simpsons Ride I felt a bit anxious in the pre-ride room with the video, but it is relatively short and sometimes they leave the outer door open. The ride itself was a little closed in until it lifted into the open area, but looking around at the vastness of the room can help with claustrophobia and motion sickness.
 
Again, not so much the rides but the lines, I found the line for Kong to be VERY dark, and if you go when its very quiet, and have nobody in front of you it can be a bit confusing about which way to go, I didnt like that, liked the ride though.

Also Hagrids is another one where if you get stuck in the line in certain spaces, its very, very closed in, particularly the little tunnel right before you exit to go on to the ride itself.
 
Forbidden Journey straps you in pretty tightly with large shoulder harnesses and there are dividers between you and the person on either side of you. You're feet hang so you're not completely enclosed, but you can't really move or lean forward to see other people or what's coming up.
 
but you can't really move or lean forward to see other people or what's coming up.

I have to disagree on that point, you definitely can lean forward on Forbidden Journey, I'm practically hanging out of the bench whenever the flying bits happen, however I am just under 5'8" and a wee slip of a thing so I do have room to move about once under the restraints, I guess the tighter the restraints are once you're clamped in makes the possibility of doing what I do less easy.
 
Forbidden Journey straps you in pretty tightly with large shoulder harnesses and there are dividers between you and the person on either side of you. You're feet hang so you're not completely enclosed, but you can't really move or lean forward to see other people or what's coming up.

Yes, I think if you`re the slightest bit claustrophobic being strapped in on any of the rides with harnesses, they can all affect you in varying degrees.....

We`ve seen a few folks panic when those harnesses clicks......
 
We`ve seen a few folks panic when those harnesses clicks....

When I rode Hulk, the chap next to me had quite big forearms and as slim as I am our arms were very squished together once the harnesses clicked and we were holding on to the harness handles, was a tad uncomfortable and didnt help my pre ride nerves, especially since I'd taken the whole walk from Hogsmeade to work up the courage to do Hulk for the first time, but that was just luck of the draw.

So worth noting the space on Hulk inbetween seats is very tight!
 
Oooof, I forgot about the Hulk and FJ harnesses. If I don't think about them, I'm fine. Just sitting here on my couch thinking about them, I am squirming a bit.

They don't bother me much while the ride is going, but I always pray there won't be a stoppage.

Hulk is worse because you stop for the trains in front of you to unload; that part always starts my blood pressure rising, but I can usually distract myself enough to get through it.
 
I have to disagree on that point, you definitely can lean forward on Forbidden Journey, I'm practically hanging out of the bench whenever the flying bits happen, however I am just under 5'8" and a wee slip of a thing so I do have room to move about once under the restraints, I guess the tighter the restraints are once you're clamped in makes the possibility of doing what I do less easy.

I'm a 5'7" female of average size and weight, but I pull the harness down tight to my torso and click it in, so it makes me not be able to lean forward past the little dividers on either side of the seat. Also, if you sit in one of the end seats, the seats have more give with the shoulder harness as modified seating for larger guests, so that will make a difference too. Either way though, point being is that the large shoulder harnesses can be much more restrictive feeling than lap belts or even the restraints that pull down over the legs. Something about not being able to move your upper body too freely can be triggering to someone who has claustrophobia.
 
Oooof, I forgot about the Hulk and FJ harnesses. If I don't think about them, I'm fine. Just sitting here on my couch thinking about them, I am squirming a bit.

They don't bother me much while the ride is going, but I always pray there won't be a stoppage.

Hulk is worse because you stop for the trains in front of you to unload; that part always starts my blood pressure rising, but I can usually distract myself enough to get through it.

I do have to control the urge to panic every single time a harness, any harness locks on a ride.

And yes, a stoppage with a harness tightly locked is the stuff of nightmares......... ::yes::
 
The first time I rode the Simpsons Ride I felt a bit anxious in the pre-ride room with the video, but it is relatively short and sometimes they leave the outer door open. The ride itself was a little closed in until it lifted into the open area, but looking around at the vastness of the room can help with claustrophobia and motion sickness.

In my opinion this is the worst thing going at Universal right now, the Simpson's pre-ride room. It was the only thing there that bothered me at all.
 

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