Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicA bout of motion sickness can ruin a ride or an entire day at a theme park! Therefore, visiting them if you’re prone to it can be intimidating, especially if it’s your first time visiting. It can be very difficult to gauge what attractions may or may not make you ill if you’ve never been on them before.
However, you’re not alone! Millions of people who are prone to motion sickness visit theme parks every year and enjoy themselves. This includes visitors to Universal Orlando Resort, a Resort that’s somewhat notorious for having a LOT of simulators and attractions that use screens or 3D. If you think you can’t ride ANYTHING at Universal Studios Florida or Islands of Adventure, you’re probably mistaken!
Use this guide to research what rides to think twice about boarding based on other Guest reports. Remember, you can always ask a Universal Team Member for more details on a ride if you’re unsure, and always use your best discretion. Trust us, you would much rather miss a ride than be sick for the rest of the day! If you’re also visiting the Most Magical Place on Earth, check out our Disney World motion sickness guide here.
Universal’s Islands of Adventure
The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
This attraction is a 3D motion simulator, although the car does move continuously on a track throughout most of the experience. This can alleviate some sickness, as when the vehicle does stop in front of a screen, it usually doesn’t do so for too long, until the last scene. There is also a very brief spinning section. You can always opt not to wear the 3D glasses, as there are still plenty of practical sets to look at. Also, ask the Team Member if you can sit in the front row and in the middle of that row. It’s a lot milder than the back!
Storm Force Accelatron
This is the Mad Tea Party, doubled. It’s a spinner ride with individual cars, but you spin significantly faster than you do on its Magic Kingdom counterpart. People made ill by spinning should definitely skip this one. If you’d still like to ride, remember that the cars are individually controlled, so you can always rotate around the track without spinning your individual car.
Skull Island: Reign of Kong
This is another 3D motion simulator with the unique aspect of bus-style seating. Most of the action happens on screens on either side of the bus, with a jaw-dropping animatronic finale. This is on the milder side of the motion sickness scale, but if you’re worried, opt to skip the 3D glasses and ask to be seated in the middle of the bus, where you’ll feel the sensations the least.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Harry Potter has discovered a powerful spell that will instantly apparate you to vomiting in a trash can. Seriously, those with any kind of motion sickness should absolutely skip this simulator. While the ride is incredibly impressive and should be experienced by those who can handle the sensation, the combination of the screens, unique robot-arm movement, and constant twisting, turning, and flipping will have even the most iron stomachs green around the gills. If you’re a Harry Potter fanatic and MUST ride it, don’t eat right before, and maybe take some Dramamine.
Universal Studios Florida
TRANSFORMERS
This ride is extremely similar to the experience of The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man – seriously, they’re pretty much the same attraction but with different theming. If you could handle Spider-Man alright, you should be fine on this one, and vice versa. Same advice applies!
The Simpsons Ride
This simulator has a reputation for making riders ill. It’s an OLD simulator, so combine the huge screen in front of you with the ride’s jerky and bumpy movements… if you’re bothered by simulators, you should definitely skip this one. If you REALLY want to ride it, our best advice is if you start to feel woozy, try closing your eyes.
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
This simulator is more akin to a “moving theater” attraction (also similar is Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon). It’s not 3D, making it a relatively mild experience, but the individual seats do move. If that bothers you, ask a Team Member to sit in some of the limited stationary seating, which basically turns this ride into a movie.
MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack
This is a really unique and fun shooter attraction where you battle aliens to join the ranks of the famous Men In Black. There are no 3D elements or screens on this attraction, however, the cars do spin pretty wildly when “hit” by an alien or a rival car. These spinning sequences can happen up to 5-6 times during the ride, so if spinning is an absolute dealbreaker for you, you might wanna skip this one. If you’d still like to ride, sit in the front row, as your legs will hang in the back row and intensify the spinning.