Avoid These Disney Rides if You Are Prone to Motion Sickness

Being a theme park enthusiast can be a challenge when you experience motion sickness. Attractions can affect every individual differently, so having some degree of self-awareness about which ride elements might trigger your motion sickness can help you navigate questionable Disney ride experiences.

Be Aware of Disney Rides That Could Be Potential Triggers

Knowing which attractions might hamper your enjoyment can prevent unpleasant physical symptoms during your Disney Parks day. Read on to learn which Disney rides have motion-sickness potential so you can weigh our guidance against your personal tendencies and make sound decisions about which rides you might want to avoid! We will cover rides that could cause motion sickness at both Disney World and Disneyland.

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure

Have you ever gotten sick while scrolling your mobile device or watching a movie on a tablet from the back seat of a moving car? Do virtual reality gaming headsets like the Oculus cause you dizziness or nausea? If so, you may want to be wary of this attraction, despite its tremendous aesthetic appeal.

The motion of the trackless ride vehicle itself is smooth and generally easy on the senses, but the scenes on EPCOT's Remy's Ratatouille Adventure rely heavily on large screens that make it look as if you are actually moving through the 4D digital environment. It's an amazing effect, and I'm fortunately still able to enjoy the ride, but it makes me dizzy enough that I need to take a brief break from rides for a little while afterward.

Mission Space

This NASA-inspired motion simulation attraction has become notorious for making guests seriously ill during its tenure at EPCOT, and due to this unfortunate reality, Disney provides a tamer ride experience for those who struggle with motion sickness. The “Orange Mission” is still available for thrill seekers brave enough to test themselves against the Gravitron-style centrifuge used to simulate the G-forces astronauts experience upon the launch and re-entry of a spacecraft.

If you experience motion sickness at all, you'll definitely want to opt for the less intense “Green Mission.” It's important to note, however, that this version of the ride is still a motion simulator that requires riders to sit inside a confined enclosed area while viewing a screen that creates the illusion of space travel, so some level of discomfort is still possible, especially if you're claustrophobic. Be aware that both versions of the attraction provide small “sickbags” for each passenger, so do with that information what you will!

Mad Tea Party

Technically, it's possible to simply sit still inside your candy-hued teacup on this classic ride without spinning the saucer at all. Refusing to turn the steering wheel won't keep you from traveling in larger circles around the base of the attraction, though. Spinning is an inherent component of the Mad Tea Party, so if that sort of motion makes you as dizzy as it does me, you might want to settle for watching the pretty colors whirl past from the sidelines.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Based on the descriptions I read about this exciting EPCOT attraction before I experienced it for the first time, I assumed I would need to take anti-nausea medication to prepare for it or wear motion sickness wristbands while riding. A fast-moving “Omnicoaster” with screens and a ride vehicle that rotates 360 degrees sounds like a recipe for queasiness.

So, I was surprised to discover this ride didn't cause me discomfort in the slightest, and instead, I found it to be absolutely exhilarating. However, our bodies experience attractions differently, and there are a couple of important factors to note about Cosmic Rewind before you dance your way through interstellar space.

This coaster features a reverse launch, and although the individual ride vehicles don't spin constantly, they do rotate toward show scenes while moving at high speeds along the track. A giant bowed screen, featuring an enormous celestial being and astral objects whizzing by, creates the backdrop for the ride. Those who feel averse to traveling backward, motion simulation videos, or accelerating in a non-forward-facing position may want to proceed with caution or avoid the ride portion of this attraction.

I recommend walking through the Xandar pavilion to tour the “Galaxarium” (like a planetarium), viewing the wonders of Xandar exhibits, and watching the fun Guardians pre-show even if you decide to exit before boarding the ride.

Avatar Flight of Passage

I sometimes refer to Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom as “Soarin' 6.0.” Like Soarin', it uses a screen to immerse guests in the attraction environment— Pandora, in this case—and a uniquely designed flight simulator allows guests to imagine they're riding on the back of a “banshee” through lush forests, behind waterfalls, and over mystic mountains. The effect is quite convincing if you can stomach the tilts and drops synced with the movement of the camera, especially on Flight of Passage, which also incorporates 3D technology.

Neither of these attractions has ever bothered me in the past, but during the pandemic, I realized why. My family took a trip to Disney World in May of 2021 when Disney was still implementing COVID protocols. We rode Flight of Passage, and the air vents, which normally blow directly into your face while riding, were turned off as a precaution against viral spread. Without moving air to create the illusion of rushing wind, I experienced some moderate nausea on the ride.

Soarin' also usually features a similar wind effect. Considering this experience, it's safe to say the potential for motion sickness on these attractions definitely exists.

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Another motion simulator attraction designed to mimic space travel, Star Tours at Disney's Hollywood Studios seats guests in rows on a destination-bound “starspeeder” that tilts, rumbles, and jolts through a randomized series of planetary settings. Like in Avatar Flight of Passage, guests wear 3-D glasses for the full immersive effect of the digital video viewed through the front windshield of the spacecraft. If other screen-based motion-simulator attractions make you feel ill, there's a strong possibility this one will too.

Classic Spinners (and Carousels)!

Any ride designed to repeatedly travel in circles is obviously going to make some of us feel as if we're going to lose the churros we enjoyed earlier. This is especially the case when visiting Disney while pregnant!

Whether it's the beloved flying elephant, Astro Orbiter, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Golden Zephyr, or Silly Symphony Swings, if it spins, it's highly likely to cause nausea and dizziness for guests who suffer from motion sickness. King Arthur's Carousel may spin more slowly than these other midway-style attractions, but charm notwithstanding, don't underestimate the vomit-inducing potential of the vintage merry-go-round and other rides like it.

Expedition Everest

If you're averse to the stomach-dropping sensation rollercoasters are famous for producing, you should generally steer clear of them altogether. Personally, spinning and screens are my primary triggers, and I'm a big fan of rollercoasters. But, even if most coasters don't bother you, there may be a few exceptions that cause unexpected feelings of unease due to certain ride elements. Hurling backward through a dark mountain on Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom might be one of those surprise factors for some people.

Incredicoaster and Rock ‘n' Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith

In addition to accelerating in reverse, inversions are another coaster design element that can affect the magnitude of gravitational forces acting on ride passengers, which both Incredicoaster at Disney California Adventure and Rock ‘n' Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney's Hollywood Studios feature.

Although the Incredicoaster (one of the best rollercoasters at Disneyland) only has one loop, it also boasts a 108-foot drop (creating more G-forces), and prior to the three inversions it performs as it zooms through the neon lights of its dark L.A. night setting, Rock ‘n' Rollercoaster speeds from 0-57 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds. These are somewhat intense thrill rides, so if increased gravitational forces make you queasy, you'll want to skip them completely.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout

This quintessential Hollywood Studios attraction and its Disney California Adventure cousin offer similar experiences with different theming. Both feature a randomized sequence of drops designed to simulate a free-fall experience. Drop tower rides can create an airborne effect that actually raises you out of your seat as you are pulled downward. This feeling can be really discomforting to some people, so if you have doubts, avoid Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout.

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

Those who plan to avoid Mission Space due to claustrophobia might consider skipping this underwater Disneyland attraction, too. A slow-moving voyage through the coral-laden miniature “big blue world” in a cheerful yellow submarine might not seem overtly threatening, but between the small enclosed cabin with minimal airflow and snug seating facing sideways out into the lagoon, this ride can get really hot, stuffy, and downright unpleasant. It's also not a brief experience, so be aware you could end up with prolonged discomfort if you do decide to ride.

This is not an exhaustive list, and there is certainly potential for motion sickness on rides not listed above. If you're in doubt about a particular attraction, watching a complete ride-through video on YouTube can be a good way to feel it out. However, the only way to know for sure if a ride will have an undesired effect on you personally is to try it yourself.

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