Epic Universe: First-Hand Motion Sickness Ratings for the Newest Rides
I enjoyed Epic Universe rides thanks to a prescription patch and can’t wait to go back.
If you suffer from motion sickness as I do, then a day at a theme park, such as Universal Studios, can be an anxiety-inducing experience. You spent a lot of money to be there. Used vacation days. But will you be able to enjoy the experience, or nervously watch for the nearest trash can or first aid station?
Braving the parks with motion sickness
Amusement park rides have always been a struggle for me, but an over-the-counter patch has made most Disney rides enjoyable – except Guardians of the Galaxy.
However, heading to our first visit to Universal Studios in Florida, I knew the rides were going to be more intense, and the patch wasn’t going to be able to prevent motion sickness. I expected to skip most of the rides and just enjoy the atmosphere while my family did the rides. I opted to get a prescription for scopolamine to help me avoid any motion sickness and still brave some of the rides.
The scopolamine patch was a game-changer for me. I didn’t have any feelings or nervousness, no shaky nerves. I didn’t get the tight stomach clench during drops and I didn’t feel lightheaded or dizzy stepping of the majority of attractions I rode.
I absolutely LOVE this park
I have watched every Theme Park Stop video that documented the building of the park, making this one feel extra special to walk in and experience everything I have been waiting to see. We also set expectations for our visit that, because it is a new park, not everything will be operating and some wait times were just going to be a hard pass for us. We walked in with a positive attitude, grateful just to be there.
How am I rating each attraction?
My scale for this assessment is on a 0-5 range. A score of zero means I had no feelings of stomach clinch, nausea, or dizziness. A rating of 5 means I was dizzy or sick and needed to sit down or lie down to recover.
| Rating | Symptoms experienced |
|---|---|
| 0 | no symptoms at all |
| 1 | some nerves and head fuzziness |
| 2 | some nerves, head fuzziness and queasiness in the stomach |
| 3 | headache, weakness in limbs, unstable balance |
| 4 | headache, weakness in limbs, unstable balance |
| 5 | headache, dizziness, weakness, potential vomiting and needing to lie down |
I am also adjusting for the scolopomine patch, so I will give my best guess on how I would have reacted without the patch, so you can compare the difference.
Finally, I give it a “would I ride it again?” Score. 1 thumb is not likely, 5 thumbs is absolutely!
My experience at Epic Universe
First, I went when visitors could only book a single day. I knew that the rides went down a lot. I knew that a couple of rides were posting 3+ hour-long waits. I set my expectations that we wouldn’t get on every ride and most likely would skip Ministry of Magic due to the wait times.
My wait limit tends to max at 45 minutes and if a ride is consistently over that, I will skip it and focus my time elsewhere.
There were also a few closures. Fyre Drill was not running while we were there. Curse of the Werewolf was either delayed or 55 minutes – which is not worth the 1-2 minute ride time. Dragon Racer Rally consistently posted 55 minutes whenever we were close to it so we passed that one up as well.
Upon park early entry, my group headed straight for Mine Cart Madness. We got to the attraction area and guests were held outside the queue. There was a sign that said the ride was delayed and would not open at 9 a.m. Not knowing when it would open, we left the line and started working on our stickers with our Power Up bands. The rest of the day, Mine Cart Madness was consistently 150+ minute wait. We missed that one.
And finally, Stardust Racers is in the big coaster category that exceeds my courage. My travel group was also nervous about it so we missed that one, too.
Let’s look at my ratings
Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge.
Motion sickness rating: 1
Non-medicated rating: 3
This ride mixes a moving vehicle with screens and an augmented-reality visor to put you in a Mario Kart game. While this wasn’t the most impressive ride, I still had fun on it and the quick turns did get me feeling a little fuzzy. Similar to how I feel playing Beat Saber on VR, I can handle it in small amounts but still feel a little off.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I enjoyed the queue and the ride, though the visor is tricky to get used to. I would ride this again if the wait time is 25 minutes or less.. Three thumbs up.
Yoshi’s Adventure™
Motion sickness rating: 0
Non-medicated rating: 0
I appreciate relaxing, slow rides when all the other rides are fast. This has one of the best views in the park and it’s cute with a catchy song.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Yes, it is slow and simple. But sometimes you just need to sit back and relax and this ride is perfect for it. Plus, there are several stickers you can earn along the way. Five thumbs up!
Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
Motion sickness rating: 0
Non-medicated rating: 1
This is my favorite ride in the park. The queue is amazingly detailed. The ride is much smoother than Forbidden Journey and the mix of screens and animatronics made it possible for me to keep my eyes open the entire time. I did feel a little distracted in a part where I could see the industrial ceiling beyond the ride, but I would have rode that multiple times. Unfortunately, the ride went down for the rest of the day after we exited.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
The queue is amazingly detailed. The story is simple. The ride is wonderful. I would ride it repeatedly in a single day. Best part is the amazing animatronics. Second best is the low wait time. Five thumbs up!
Hiccup’s Wing Gliders
Motion sickness rating: 2
Non-medicated rating: 4
I have a specific attachment to the How to Train Your Dragon movie so I was emotional the entire time I was in this area. Like, mascara down my face, emotional.
I expected the coaster to be more like Seven Dwarfs but it packs a punch on the two launches and I did leave my seat for some quick air time at one point that did cause a little queasy feeling in the stomach for a brief moment. Absolute blast of a ride and the music made me teary-eyed.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
It gives me the feels in all the right ways. I don’t know that I can tolerate multiple rides in a single day, but I won’t pass this one up at all. That being said, my 45 minute wait tolerance does come into play here. Unlike Hagrid’s Magical Motorbike Adventure™, I am less likely to ride if the wait is long. Five thumbs up!
Constellation Carousel
Motion sickness rating: 0
Non-medicated rating: 2
Carousels usually trigger the dizziness just because of the speed and going in a circular direction. When I ride them, I tend to look down at my hands or find a spot in the distance to focus on but I always walk off them a little dizzy. This one has two turntables so you are spinning in small circles within a large circle, while you are riding an animal that goes up and down and slowly rotates side to side. I was expecting some dizziness here too, but thankfully none at all. I wish we had rode this at night. The music is awesome and it is a beautiful ride.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I enjoy this ride but as a carousel, I can only do so many rotations before it becomes boring. Four thumbs up.
Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry™
Motion sickness rating: 1
Non-medicated rating: 4
This ride has a consistent wait time of over 150 minutes the entire week we were there. We expected that we would never get on this one so we did the ministry viewing line so we could experience the floo network and went about our day. In the evening, we were heading from Wizarding Paris toward Darkmoor when we saw the ride wait time sign and Ministry was at a 30 minute wait. We rushed back and got in line. We were on the ride in about 15 minutes. I didn’t love this one as much as Monsters Unchained. I think part of it is that it does use a lot of screens, though the animatronics are amazing. The ride moves pretty fast and it did cause a little bit of visual disorientation for me.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
This one straddles the line for me in terms of big screens and being jostled around. I struggle with the story being a time travel from 1920’s Paris to Harry Potter after the fall of Voldermort with an older Harry, Hermione and Ron as aurors-in-training. I wish it could have been a Fantastic Beasts ride. I would love to step into Newt’s briefcase! I will still ride it at least once on a trip if the wait time is under 30 minutes. Five thumbs up!
Conclusion
That completes my ratings for Epic Universe. If there is one thing I could share about this park is that it is more than just rides and thrills. To get the most out of this place, you need to immerse yourself in each land. Interact with the characters. Seek out all of the details. Read every poster. Stop by every unassuming nook and cranny because there is something magical about this place.
My controversial stance: If you go to Epic Universe to get on the rides and complete them all in half a day, you have missed the point of this place. And you will go home disappointed.
Be sure to check out my ratings for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, too.
I hope this rating review helps anyone else who experiences motion sickness that prevents them from having fun at amusement parks. While your reaction and experiences with scopolamine may be different than mine. I am not a doctor and I am not providing medical advise. I encourage you to talk to your doctor about taking scolopamine.
