11 Rides That Cause Motion Sickness At Disneyland & Disney’s California Adventure

There’s no denying that the Disneyland Resort is incredible.

However, what’s not so incredible is the motion sickness that can sometimes occur on select rides within the parks.

Depending on your sensitivity to motion, you may or may not experience the feeling of motion sickness on these rides.

1. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

While Star Tours is often on the ‘must-do’ list for Star Wars fans, its motion simulation can trigger nausea in those who struggle with motion sickness.

However, motion sickness might not be the only reason you want to avoid this ride since the majority of it takes place in relative darkness.

2. Astro Orbiter

The Astro Orbiter is a spinning rocket ship that gives riders a bird’s eye view of the entire park.

While this experience can be fantastic, it’s sadly often not the case for those who are scared of heights or dislike feeling dizzy since it takes guests up 70 feet in the air and spins relatively quickly.

3. Soarin’ Around The World

While this ride is one of my personal favourites, it can be a problem for those who have a fear of heights or suffer from claustrophobia.

That’s because the ride lifts guests 40 feet in the air and simulates the sensation and sounds of flying with 4D.

For some, this is an exhilarating experience. However, if you don’t do well with enclosed spaces or heights, you might want to give this one a miss.

4. Pixar Pal-a-Round

This 150-foot-tall eccentric wheel is an incredible way to see the Disneyland Resort. However, if you’re prone to vertigo or fear heights, you might want to skip it.

For those looking to experience Disneyland from above, we recommend going for the fixed gondolas rather than the swinging gondolas for a smoother, significantly less scary experience.

5. Incredicoaster

Incredicoaster is the only ride at the Disneyland Resort that goes upside down.

Therefore if you have a fear of rollercoasters, especially ones that go upside down. Then this may be a ride you want to skip.

For those looking to take on the Incredicoaster challenge, you’ll be pleased to know that none of this ride is in darkness.

As such you’re able to see 90% of the ride from within Pixar Pier to assess whether you want to go on it in person, rather than being surprised at the reality of what the ride holds.

6. Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage

We would not recommend Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage for those with a fear of claustrophobia or those prone to motion sickness.

Inside the submarine can get pretty snug, and you’ll be facing sidewards (looking out of the subs windows) rather than forwards which can cause some uncomfortable feelings.

This ride also lasts a significantly long time when compared to other rides within the park, so you may find yourself holding onto that uncomfortable feeling for longer than you’d like if you do decide to go ahead and experience this.

7. Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! (not to be confused with Cosmic Breakout over at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT) has been reported to cause motion sickness in some guests.

This ride replaces The Hollywood Tower of Terror and uses a combination of 4D simulation and moving carts to transport you.

8. Mad Tea Party

The Mad Tea Party is perhaps one of Disneyland’s most well-known rides for causing motion sickness.

So much so that some guests who’ve never previously experienced motion sickness have been known to experience motion sickness from this ride.

As such, we’d recommend avoiding this ride if you’re temperamental to motion sickness and / or spinning.

9. Luigi’s Rockin’ Roadsters

While Luigi’s Rockin’ Roadsters may seem like a fun ride, its spinning motions and jerky movements have been known to cause some guests to feel nauseous.

This ride is fully viewable from multiple areas within Car’s Land. Therefore we recommend watching the ride a couple of times yourself before making the decision as to whether or not this ride is right for you.

10. Matterhorn Bobsleds

Matterhorn Bobsleds is one of the oldest and most iconic rides in Disneyland park. However, it can cause motion sickness due to sudden movements.

This ride does not go upside down, and you can see the majority of it from the entrance – if you did want to go ahead and make the decision as to whether or not you want to ride in person.

11. Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run

Because Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run is a motion-simulated ride it has been known to cause some guests feelings of motion-sickness.

This is made worse by the sudden movements and the fact that selected seats within the falcon require you to turn sidewards rather than face-forwards.

The only saviour of this ride is the fact that given the modern technology, the alignment of the motions and the screen are relatively smooth.