Rock N Roller Coaster Disney’s Hollywood Studios WDW at Large

gardenia Rode Rock-n-RollerCoaster!

or should that read: gardenia SURVIVED the RnR!?

no matter… I DID IT! and was it ever SCARY! Not as bad as Tower of Terror, however, but worse that Space Mountain.

Wahhhhh! How did I come to ride this thrilliest of thrill rides? I just sucked it up and went into the non-existant line this morning saying the whole time that I was just going to sit in the car and see if I fit. I was even nervous about that! I wondered if they would let me *out* or not and would I make it if I had to ride the thing by force! I went zipping through the queue and tried to take in the sites along the way, but was *really* nervous and kept wondering if I could do the ride. I kept repeating that it was only a minute and a half long and I could survive anything for a minute and a half. I repeated that I *had* done ToT (even though I shall *never* repeat *that* experience!) and that I had just done SpaM even though I cried. I said to myself that I had promised to try *everything* at WDW at least once (except Alien Encounter) and I could *do* this!

By this time, the few of us that were there were in the pre-show area where Aerosmith is talking to the group and they are trying to get us backstage passes and such and I am shaking like a leaf. They walk us by the place where everyone is in the car and then ZOOM, off it goes into the darkness and I suddenly feel like I have to pee really badly. We come around the corner and who do I see at the head of the queue but fellow Radp-er and RnR CM, Brian Pastor (or BP as he is now known at work)! I let all the people go ahead of me as I squished over to the side to go say "hi" to Brian and he was genuinely happy to see me. -smile- He was excited I was going to ride.

I told him I was concerned I wouldn't fit and he said, "nonsense." The woman outside said to ride in the odd number'd seats since that offered more room and Brian second'd that advice. Streams of people flowed by and I kept hemming and hawing about getting on. Brian laughed and said he remembered when I did ToT and that I had survived that… that I could do this! I laughed thinking how I was with Brian during ToT and also my first Test Track experience (he was a CM there then) and here I was on a new ride and there he was… was this good luck on my part?

Brian asked if I would go if he would go with me. I laughed and said, "sure!" knowing that he would never be able to ride while he was working the queue. Well, his boss Jim came by and when he asked if he could go with me, Jim said, "sure!" I smacked Jim and told him I was counting on his saying, "no way!" and they both laughed and then we were, in two seconds, pressing into the line and getting on our spot for the ride. I was a nervous wreck!

We got in the ride and I fit easily! (Remember, I am 5'2" and a skosh over 300 pounds… well, maybe more than a skosh!) I pulled the bar over my head and it never even touched my big ol' belly. I had PLENTY of room… I remember thinking that someone 100 pounds more than I would still do fine in that front seat (I wasn't in the front front, but the front of each car is the odd number'd seat). Then I had no more time to think about size because we were heading to our take off place. Brian asked if I wanted to hold his hand and I graciously took it and SQUEEZEDit! not letting go for the entire ride!

We sat for maybe 15 seconds as they talked about the concert (I think) and then I remember being catapulted into the tunnel. I didn't open my eyes until the end of the ride, so couldn't tell you one thing that is in that ride. Those first few seconds, literally, took my breath away! I had to consciously breathe or I would have just passed out! For the remainder of the ride, I was speechless as I breathed rhythmically, feeling (every inch of) the twists and turns and ups and downs, and *upside downs* of this very *very* fast (though, yes, smooth!) ride. Brian kept asking if I was okay, but I just couldn't say a *word* I was so scared. I didn't even feel like I was going to cry, but I *was* shaking like a leaf when I finally let go of Brian's hand at the end of the ride. I clambored out of the ride and then thanked him so so much for going with me! Jim was there and laughed as I showed him my shaking hands. I thanked him, too, for letting Brian go with me! I don't know if I could have done it alone!

I said my goodbyes and then headed out to find a bathroom! -laughing-

I had some work to do at MGM on the veggie book, so did that… and did it *walking*!! (usually, I use an ECV) I was so hot after my work was done, I came home and got into my bathing suit and went to the Y to swim some laps in the cool indoor pool. While I was swimming, I kept laughing under water that I had actually done RnR! I still can't believe I went on it! Thanks to Craig and his Chicken Reports (can we call them that anymore when he rides every crazy ride at Disney now?!), I had the courage to get on RnR. Thanks, Craig!

-whew-

gardenia

FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

I hope that you are right about someone bigger fitting into the ride. I'm 5'11" about 370 and I'll be real bummed out if I can't ride on this.

Honestly, I think you wouldn't have a problem… really!

Someone had previously mentioned that they were going to put a seat out front so that people could see if they fit before standing on line and then hoping that they fit. Do you know if this is true, and is it out there yet.

No they don't have that outside yet… and they didn't know when they were going to have it out, either. I think it would help tremendously to alleviate the fears Guests have about fitting.

Most often, for me, I find the seats are fine but getting in and out of them can be a challenge- is this true at R&R?

There was WAY more room to get in and out than on Space Mountain. I did mash my head in the shoulder harness getting out, but I think that was because I was so nervous… otherwise, not bad!

Jason shares 6/99: Since this is an inverted coaster, a harness comes down over your shoulders to hold you in. There is a sign saying that you must be free from heart problems, back problems, etc. in the standard Disney style. But there was one phrase that I had never seen on a Disney ride before and that was one that says some people may not fit because of their size. This concerned my wife and me since she is about a 26/28. (She said I could post her size.) But she fit fine.