I Have Social Anxiety, So I Avoid This Disney World Ride at ALL COSTS

In case we haven’t met yet — hi, I’m JP, and I’ve struggled with Generalized Anxiety Disorder my WHOLE life, and it often comes out most in social situations!

However, I try my hardest not to let my anxiety get in the way of doing the things I love, and that includes heading down to Orlando to visit Disney World and Universal Orlando to have a great time. Riding attractions in the parks is one of my favorite things to do on any trip, but I have to admit something to you — while I’ve made LOTS of progress with my anxiety, especially socially, there’s one ride I just CANNOT get myself to do, unless I know I can ride it alone or with someone I know.

Numerous rides in Disney World give me a bit of anxiety, but I’m usually able to push past it with little issue and end up having a great time. Again, I’ve made lots of progress riding other attractions, even if I’m by myself — last year, I struggled to ride attractions that only had two people per ride vehicle, nervous about who I’d sit next to, but now it doesn’t bother me as much.

However, over in EPCOT, there’s one attraction that I just CANNOT get myself to ride alone, and it’s all because of what I’m afraid COULD happen, because it’s so likely! There are numerous rides in EPCOT that aren’t the best for people with motion sickness, but the worst of the worst is Mission: SPACE.

In fact, Mission: SPACE is so known for causing sickness in people that there are TWO sides to the ride — the Orange side is more intense and spins you around so fast you can feel G-forces similar to what actual astronauts feel when blasting off into space (no, that’s not an exaggeration, which is WILD), while the Green side gives you a different mission and doesn’t involve any spinning.

However, no matter which side you choose, you’re still put in an EXTREMELY small space with complete strangers (if you’re traveling by yourself, that is), and I’ve heard so many horror stories from people riding the attraction and not realizing how much they themselves would panic, or that others with them started to panic at the small space. I myself am not claustrophobic, but I AM very empathetic, to the point where that if someone else is panicking…I very much start to panic too (it’s happened before, it’ll happen again).

Additionally, this is the ONLY Disney World ride with barf bags inside the ride vehicle, and you know exactly what that’s for. This ride, specifically the Orange Mission, is intense, and a lot of people don’t read the warnings or think they’ll be totally fine, and then…are not. While I fortunately haven’t been in this situation, when I tell you it is my WORST NIGHTMARE to be on this ride while someone else gets sick…I am actively shuddering just thinking about it. It doesn’t help that I’m emetophobic, which means I have a horrible, irrational fear of throwing up. Even if I’m close to it, my brain will torture me with it for at least the next 24 hours, and my day is ruined.

Not to mention that, while the choices you make on the ride don’t actually affect the attraction, each person has specific buttons they’re supposed to press to go along with the story. Being in a ride vehicle with others who don’t want to (or are panicking so much they can’t), or you yourself choose to just be along for the ride, and they’re looking at you like YOU’RE the one causing issues? Yeah, no thanks.

With that being said, I HAVE ridden this ride, on more than one occasion, actually. But there’s a catch here — I only go when the wait time is so insanely low that the chance of me getting a ride vehicle to myself is about 90%. This way, I know I’m okay, there’s no one else in the ride vehicle with me who will panic or get sick, and I can choose to participate in the ride as much or as little as I’d like (usually I’m very involved — I even try to reach over to press other buttons).

If you’re someone who’s also worried about this, I recommend following a similar tactic — there are times of day where this ride has VERY low waits, so I suggest waiting until that happens, and getting a ride vehicle all to yourself, especially if you’re trying it for the first time and you’re alone.

We’re here to keep you updated on all the latest Disney World news, as well as keep you updated on our own experiences, so you can plan the best trip ever. Stay tuned to AllEars!

3 Disney World Resorts Named the Best Hotels in Florida, According to New Report

What ride do you refuse to ride? Tell me in the comments!

Post a Comment