Motion Sickness at Disneyland: Rides to Skip and Tips
If you are prone to motion sickness, this is your guide to which attractions you might want to avoid and what you can do to limit motion sickness in the parks.
It might seem like amusement park rides are off-limits to everyone who gets motion sickness but the good news is that people experience motion sickness in different ways and from different types of rides.
There are the people that get motion sickness from roller coasters because of the high speed and tight turns, there are the people that get nauseated from spinning rides and there are the people who feel sick after a screen ride with virtual reality or a 3-D experience.
Last but not least, there are rides that don’t quite fall into these categories but might also bother someone who experiences motion sickness. These include attractions with extreme heights, sudden drops, tight spaces and/or jerky movements.
I will list every attraction in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park that falls into each of these categories and why so you know what to expect. Then I will give some great tips that I’ve learned or used myself to limit motion sickness on my Disneyland vacations.
I know what it’s like to get motion sickness and it’s no fun. Not only can it ruin the experience on one particular ride but it can throw off your entire day if it’s a bad case of motion sickness. Instead, check this list of rides so you know which Disneyland Park attractions might derail your day.
List Attractions To Avoid (by Category)
Roller Coasters, Screen-Based Attractions, Spinning Rides, and Other (heights, jerky movements, tight spaces, sudden drops)
Roller Coasters
Roller coasters are common triggers of motion sickness so here is a list of all of the roller coasters in both Disneyland and California Adventure.
Disneyland
Big Thunder Mountain
Big Thunder Mountain is a favorite but it’s also a traditional roller coaster. If this tends to bother you, skip this classic attraction.
Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster
Unless you have extremely bad motion sickness, you will likely be okay on Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster. It is a very short attraction and there isn’t as much speed, tight turns or change in elevation as there is on a traditional roller coaster.
Matterhorn Bobsleds
The Matterhorn could go on this list under a few categories, including roller coasters, jerky movements and heights since you get a few nice views of the park from above while on this attraction. Pro tip: try to ride the Fantasyland side even if you don’t get motion sickness from roller coasters. It’s smoother and less jerky than the Tomorrowland side.
Space Mountain
Space Mountain is a classic roller coaster in the dark and it feels like it goes much faster than its actual speed. If speed and quick turns are what makes your stomach turn, skip Space Mountain.
Disney California Adventure Park
Goofy’s Sky School
You might consider Goofy’s Sky School goofy, annoying or just plain nauseating, depending on your tendency toward motion sickness. This is another attraction that could fall into several categories, including roller coasters, heights, and jerky movements.
Incredicoaster
Incredicoaster is the only inversion roller coaster at the Disneyland Resort. So if going upside down makes your insides want to do the same, skip this one.
Radiator Springs Racers
Speed is the main reason you’ll find this attraction listed under ‘thrill rides’ on the Disneyland App and there are a few sharp turns but most people do not experience motion sickness on this ride unless speed is the source of their sickness.
Screen-Based Attractions
Screen rides are the main source of my theme park motion sickness so here are attractions that I avoid or take extra precaution before riding.
Disneyland
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
This is a screen-based simulator attraction where the ride vehicle also moves. If you are prone to car sickness, this is the worst combination, in my opinion. However, the last time I rode on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, I wore Sea Bands and did much better than the first time when I was terrified and very nauseous.
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
Star Tours is somehow both a more outdated yet more intense version of Smugglers Run, in my opinion. Don’t come at me, Star Wars fans! I know they have different storylines but both are Star Wars screen-based simulator attractions. Star Tours ups the ante because it’s older, utilizes 3D glasses, and provides a more jerky ride. This may be a nostalgic ride for many but it is the #1 source of motion sickness for me at the Disneyland Resort.
Disney California Adventure Park
Soarin’ Around the World
Although Soarin’ is screen-based, it’s unlikely you’ll get motion sickness on this attraction. It’s more likely you’ll feel afraid of heights if virtual reality feels more like actual reality to you (and if you’re like me and have little experience with high-tech virtual reality paired with a fear of flying).
Toy Story Midway Mania!
Although Midway Mania! includes the use of 3D glasses and the ride vehicle moves, it’s a quick ride and you get a break between screens. In addition, when the ride vehicle moves is during that break between screens so this attraction is less likely to cause motion sickness than many other Disney rides.
WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
WEB SLINGERS is a similar experience to Toy Story Midway Mania! in that you’ll wear 3D glasses, it’s a gamified screen-based attraction and the ride vehicle moves around. The good news is that it’s also similar to Midway Mania! in that you get a break between screens and when the ride vehicle is moving, you aren’t looking at a screen. I think this makes all of the difference and makes motion sickness much more unlikely.
Spinning Rides
Any theme park can provide several sources of motion sickness but spinning rides are one of the most frequent culprits. Here are a few to avoid if you experience spinning-based motion sickness.
Disneyland
Astro Orbitor
The Astro Orbitor is a classic spinning ride that can also trigger those with a fear of heights. Note that if you ride this attraction, you will be spinning for the entire duration of the ride. The ride mechanism is very similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant except that the Astro Orbitor goes higher and faster so if speed, spinning and heights are a bad combination for you but you want a similar experience, consider Dumbo instead.
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
This attraction is just like Astro Orbitor but a little slower, not quite as high and the ride is over very quickly. This can be a great option for those that can handle spinning and a little bit of heights. It’s geared toward kids but any age will enjoy the fun views of Fantasyland.
Mad Tea Party
If spinning isn’t your thing, stay away from the Mad Tea Party. Although you can control the speed of your spin to some degree, the actual platform itself spins so you cannot prevent spinning all together. But for anyone in your party who can handle spinning, this is a must-do attraction. Just watch the ride unload and notice how everyone is smiling and laughing.
Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
This attraction allows you to control how much you spin but it’s also over-stimulating with lots of loud noises and bright colors in the dark. If any of the above bother you, this is one of the most skippable Disneyland Park attractions so you won’t be missing out if you take it off your list.
Disney California Adventure Park
Golden Zephyr
Golden Zephyr is a carnival-style attraction where you ride side-by-side in a rocket ship that spins around and goes pretty high off the ground and even over the water at California Adventure. So this ride is a no-go for those who can’t do spinning and/or heights.
Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind
This attraction is a similar ride experience to Dumbo and Astro Orbitor but although it’s speed lands somewhere in-between these two, it feels the most tame of the three. The sides of the ride vehicle are pretty high so that added feeling of safety helps negate some of the fear of heights.
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree involves some spinning and some jerky movements but it’s so fun and the spinning is not continuous, so it’s a shame to miss unless you are very prone to motion sickness from either of the above.
Silly Symphony Swings
The Silly Symphony Swings feel like a carnival swing ride and, just like the Golden Zephyr, they go pretty high off the ground and above Paradise Bay in California Adventure. So this is another attraction to skip if heights and/or spinning make you sick.
Other (heights, jerky movements, tight spaces, sudden drops)
This list of attractions includes those that don’t fall into the categories above but they might still trigger motion sickness.
Disneyland
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
(Tight Spaces)
This attraction includes tight spaces so it can bother a lot of guests who experience claustrophobia or get germaphobic in close quarters with lots of other people.
Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
(Sudden Drops, Up & Down Motion)
This attraction includes sudden drops, the feeling of falling, and up and down motion.
Indiana Jones™ Adventure
(Jerky Movements)
A lot of people complain that this attraction contains lots of jerky motion but unless you have very sensitive motion sickness, or a back or neck injury, it’s not likely to cause discomfort.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
*spoiler warning!*
(Sudden Drops)
Rise of the Resistance lives up to the hype and is another must-do attraction unless sudden drops trigger your motion sickness. The big spoiler is that you only drop once so there’s no repetitive up and down motion. There is also a small portion of the ride that includes screens but it is minimal and unlikely to bother most guests.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
(Sudden Drops, Heights)
This attraction is similar to a roller coaster because of the heights and several sudden drops but moves at a lower speed and without the tight turns expected on a classic
Disney California Adventure Park
Jumpin’ Jellyfish
(Heights, Up & Down Motion)
Don’t let Jumpin’ Jellyfish fool you! This attraction is often referred to as a kiddie ride but it will terrify you if heights bother you plus there is some up and down motion that might trigger some motion sickness.
Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters
(Jerky Movements)
I suggest watching this ride to determine if it will bother your motion sickness. It is pretty tame and pretty fun but does include some gentle jerky movements.
Pixar Pal-A-Round – Non-Swinging
(Heights)
The non-swinging version of Pixar Pal-A-Round is a classic ferris wheel so it will primarily bother anyone with a fear of heights.
Pixar Pal-A-Round – Swinging
(Heights, Extreme Motion)
Last but absolutely not least when it comes to motion sickness is the Swinging version of the Pixar Pal-A-Round. This is the only attraction at the Disneyland Resort that includes motion sickness bags in the ride vehicle. It is a ferris wheel in which the individual gondolas aggressively slide side-to-side in what feels like a swinging motion. Unless your motion sickness is strictly limited to spinning or screen-based rides and you love heights, this is a must-skip attraction.
