I love it. I hate it. Why I Won’t Ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Again
Plus, some of the rides I avoid as a person with Eustachian tube dysfunction.
The one time I rode Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, I ended up having to ride it twice within an hour and a half. While it was an absolute blast to ride, I don’t think I can ever ride it again.
I was born with malformed eustachian tubes. These hollow tubes play a critical role in equalizing air pressure in the middle ear. The tubes connect the middle ear to the back of the throat, allowing fluids to drain and preventing a build-up of pressure. They are usually angled to allow drainage, yet mine, are more flat. Add my allergies and sinusitis, and my ears have a hard time with equalizing pressure. Ever heard babies crying on a plane during descent? Ya, I am crying along with them because my ears can’t adjust fast enough and I am in pain.
Another side effect of eustachian tube dysfunction is struggling with balance and equilibrium. Some days, just twirling in a dress can send me into a period of dizziness. On other days, playing VR games make me quesy and off balance.. This makes many amusement park rides a struggle for me. And I am not alone, judging by the number of times I come across this question: “Will (blank) ride trigger my motion sickness?”
Comic Rewind with motion sickness, part 1
Back to my experience with Cosmic Rewind. My partner and I did a child-free trip not long after the ride had opened and my partner wanted to ride it. That morning, I enrolled us in the virtual queue and I purchased Lightning Lane to guarantee we got on it at least once before flying home that night.
As we ventured around EPCOT, I kept an eye on the virtual queue, which started with a 3 p.m. ride time. Our lightning lane was scheduled for 1 p.m., so I was feeling pretty confident we would get on at least once. Throughout the morning, our virtual queue time kept changing closer to our lighting lane time.
We were riding Living with the Land when I got the notification that our virtual queue window had opened up – at noon. Yikes! We headed over and went through the pre-show. I always wear anti-motion sickness patches when I visit the parks, but for this ride, I also took a Dramamine while waiting in line.
We were seated in the second car, front row (oh no). Before our trip, I had watched some spoiler videos to get an idea of the track layout and ride experience so I had a good idea of what to expect. As soon as we launched, I shut my eyes and off we went.
Honestly, the ride was a blast — even when I only peeked a few times to see what was going on. It is incredibly smooth and the “spinning” of the cars was controlled but it gave you a feeling of flying and not being grounded to anything. When we reached the spiral section of the ride — the one that tends to cause motion sickness in many riders — I knew to keep looking down at my feet.
When we exited, my brain felt like it was spinning around and floating inside my head but I never felt nauseous, which was great. However, by the time we got off, we only had 45 minutes left in our lightning lane window. Oh goodness. I was going to have to ride again.
Comic Rewind with motion sickness, part 2
After passing several riders lingering near trash cans or resting on benches, we wandered the gift shop. The cool air was a necessary break from the June heat. Then I found a bottle of water and sat myself down on a shady curb outside the ride. I waited for the spinning brain feeling to pass as much as I could. I considered not riding again and my partner was willing to skip the second ride, but we paid money for it, so I went for it.
We got in line again just before our lightning lane window expired. Back through the entertaining pre-show and this time we were seated second car from the back. Closed my eyes again, focused on the song “September” (YES!) and did my best breathing exercises as we got through the second ride. My partner had to help me down the stairs to exit the ride. After that, I spent an hour laying in the grass until I felt functional again – but I never felt nauseous.
But I still swear the ride is a fantastic adventure and I wish I could actually ride it without motion sickness or dizziness. I would have loved to see the full story. However, I will never put myself on that ride again. As fun as it was, the feeling afterward was miserable.
Other rides I avoid at Disney World
Due to my proclivity to dizziness and motion sickness, there are some rides I have attempted and won’t do again, and others I skipped altogether. If you are like me, and struggle with eustachian tube dysfunction,
Here are some rides I would avoid:
- Teacups at Magic Kingdom
- Mission Space, Soarin’ at EPCOT
- Rockin’ Rollercoaster at Hollywood Studios
- Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom
Rides I have done and won’t do in the future:
- Cosmic Rewind and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT
- Star Tours at Hollywood Studios
Rides I have yet to try but going to give it a go:
- TRON at Magic Kingdom
- Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom
Stay tuned for a November update on how this went.
For my upcoming trip this year, my family will be visiting Universal Studios for our first time and I have a list of rides I am hesitant to try out and others I may be brave and give it a try. It’s always a balance between pushing myself outside my comfort zone versus feeling miserable all day.
