worried after riding DINOSAUR

[toonaspie]

I finally got the courage to get on Dinosaur today when I made a spontaneous trip to DAK. I was sorta shaking the whole time because I never rode it before, therefore I had no idea how intense the ride was gonna be. For a minute or two I could feel nothing but blood rush in one of my legs and it kept shaking by itself.

After lots and lots and lots of shaking and jerking and unexpected flashing lights the ride was over pretty quick than I expected. As I got off I thought, "not a bad ride, short and exciting".

However a few minutes later, as I was walking over to ASIA, I started getting a really bad headache mainly focused in the back of the head area. Being paranoid as I was worried that I would be having a stroke, but I wasnt feeling dizzy or nauseous, just a little disoriented. Yeah I'm not even 24 yet but I am a bit paranoid due to the fact that I dont eat all that well but I do get frequent heartburn and headaches. Well the headaches continued for a good part of the day, the ibuprofen only helped a little. It may have also been cuz I didnt sleep so much last night, but the fact that these headaches started after the ride scared me.

I worry because I think the ride is waaaay too jerky. And the final part with the Carnatour nearly blinded me cuz blinking lights came straight in my face unexpectedly. I'm surprised that people have not gotten any brain hemmorages or seizures from this ride from all the shaking.

I think DINOSAUR is a good ride but I think it needs just a little bit of toning. I'm too scared to ride this again even though I thought it was interesting, due to the fact that all of that shaking is a bit of a health hazard and I didnt like the flashing light part. I mean this is different from riding a roller coaster or a drop ride. It can mess your brain up if you ride it too much too often.

[DisneyIPresume]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

I am not trying to scare you but go to a doctor immediately.

A woman wound up expiring after riding the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, which is basically the same thing as Dinosaur except it has Indiana Jones. It was discovered that she had an anuerysm. The ride didn't cause it, as it is something you develop over a long period of time. But the jerkiness of the ride may or may not have been a factor in its rupture...

I am sure you will be ok but drop everything now and go to a doctor.

[cerpin taxt]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

I went on Dinosaur about 6 years ago, so my memory of it may be fuzzy, but my impression of it was that it was about as intense as a Indianna Jones type ride. I don't like really jerky rides, I get head and neck pains from them too. I won't go on those wooden rollercoasters at all anymore. But I never remember feeling that way from Dinosaur.

It sounded to me like you went on the ride in a very rigid and nervous state. Do you think mabe because you were tensing up so much anticipating a much more intense ride, that perhaps your muscles took the movements much more painfully than they normally would have? That can make a huge difference, more so than you'de expect.

[kcnole]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

Chances are you just had a stress reaction. You were so stressed about riding the ride that you had an elevated heart rate and tightened up your muscles which in turn can cause headaches.

[aimster]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

Yeah it just sounds like stress/nerves. You got all worked up before riding and now you're feeling the aftermath.

[seenoevil]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

I'm sure you just got stressed, but it wouldn't hurt to have a physical, or at least try to start eating better. At 24, you should be young and healthy! Save all that heartburn and headaches for when you're old like me!

[RPerez3]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

Well if you do not eat well you may want to be checked for diabetes. I have a bit of trouble with the fast rides. Raised blood-pressure and whacked out blood sugar gives me a headache.

[sir clinksalot]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

Chances are you just had a stress reaction. You were so stressed about riding the ride that you had an elevated heart rate and tightened up your muscles which in turn can cause headaches.

Yeah it just sounds like stress/nerves. You got all worked up before riding and now you're feeling the aftermath.

I'm sure you just got stressed, but it wouldn't hurt to have a physical, or at least try to start eating better. At 24, you should be young and healthy! Save all that heartburn and headaches for when you're old like me!

I agree with these statements. If you were working yourself up about the ride THAT much to where you were shaking before even riding the ride, then it sounds like stress to me.

[toonaspie]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

I know I may be overworrying about this myself. I just got back from an attempted trip to the WDW Cast Health Center but they had just closed (dont you love how Disney likes to close up important services to cast members while the parks are still open??)

I am gonna go to the health center firest thing in the morning. While I am a sucky diagnostic my best guess is that I have high blood pressure. I will check back with health services tomorrow. I'd go to a hospital but I dunno what my health care situation is and I dont have a real means of transportation to go to a hospital!

As if right now I just have some brain pulses here and there along with a lil bit of stiff neck.

[DoppelV]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

I worry because I think the ride is waaaay too jerky. And the final part with the Carnatour nearly blinded me cuz blinking lights came straight in my face unexpectedly. I'm surprised that people have not gotten any brain hemmorages or seizures from this ride from all the shaking.

I think DINOSAUR is a good ride but I think it needs just a little bit of toning. I'm too scared to ride this again even though I thought it was interesting, due to the fact that all of that shaking is a bit of a health hazard and I didnt like the flashing light part. I mean this is different from riding a roller coaster or a drop ride. It can mess your brain up if you ride it too much too often.

I completely disagree. I think if anything, Dinosaur isn't rough and jerky enough! After incidents at the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, all of the EMV rides were toned down. Now, there aren't any really drops, twists, or turns that are quite thrilling enough. The ride has to rely on scenery alone.

I agree with most of the posters here that many of the problems encountered by guests on these rides stems from nerves, anxiety, and also the disorientation of not knowing what the ride is actually going to do. Coasters are simple in that they follow a pre-prescribed path time and time again. There is no deviation; the only way there would be is in an accident. The EMV rides are different, they rely on the notion that guests cannot anticipate the next move, giving it a better feeling of reality and randomness that the ride needs.

Granted, this ride is somewhat rough, but it doesn't claim to be otherwise. It is the responsibility of all riders to be aware of what they can and can't handle, before riding an attraction.

To the OP. I'm sorry you had kind of a bummer experience on DINOSAUR. It's usually such a great ride. I hope you're feeling better!

[BALASADA]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

Be careful at health services.

[hollywood1939]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

I know I may be overworrying about this myself. I just got back from an attempted trip to the WDW Cast Health Center but they had just closed (dont you love how Disney likes to close up important services to cast members while the parks are still open??)

I am gonna go to the health center firest thing in the morning. While I am a sucky diagnostic my best guess is that I have high blood pressure. I will check back with health services tomorrow. I'd go to a hospital but I dunno what my health care situation is and I dont have a real means of transportation to go to a hospital!

As if right now I just have some brain pulses here and there along with a lil bit of stiff neck.

I think you got yourself worked up and still may. Your mind can do some terrible things, believe me.

[Chernabog664]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

Granted, this ride is somewhat rough, but it doesn't claim to be otherwise. It is the responsibility of all riders to be aware of what they can and can't handle, before riding an attraction.

RIGHT ON!

Dinosaur is the only ride at either DLR or WDW that just totally freaks me out. It's not the bumps... it's the darkness combined with the intense audio... all that and those last couple of in-your-face moments. Dinosaur RULES!

[aimster]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

As if right now I just have some brain pulses here and there along with a lil bit of stiff neck.

Take a couple Tylenol or Advil (or one of each if you have both... it's ok to do that). Also make yourself up a coldpack for your head (cooling your head helps the constricted blood vessels in your head relax and helps the headache go away.... or something like that) and just take it easy for the rest of the night.

[toonaspie]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

Be careful at health services.

mind if i ask why? i think i can imagine them being more shoddy than the fact that they close at 7:30 at night, lol

[FantasticDuck]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

I was diagnosed with GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) in May and it sounds like you have what I was getting before I was diagnosed.

I was shaky all the time and I would get pressure and headaches in the back of my head, above my neck. I was geting super stressed over things and I'd hold myself really rigid trying to calm myself down and the muscles at the base of my head would tighten up and start to hurt. This was causing headaches in different spots all over my head as well and also causing pains in my ears and jaw and raising my blood pressure to levels it shouldn't be for a 27 year old! I was also getting really dizzy and then I'd start to worry I was going to pass out and I'd start to freak out about that. I didn't know what was going on but I was freaking out!

Anyway, it sounds like you got yourself worked up and a little stressed out. If your head is still bothering you in the back try stretching the muscles a bit back there by moving your head from side to side and rubbing the muscles with the tips of your fingers. You can also heat up a towel and put it around the back of your neck for a few minutes or a hot shower might help. Just try to do whatever you can to relax and take your mind off of things. Hope you feel better!

[Stimpy215]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

I love the ride!

[Ghostbuster626]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

Im gonna say its the stress that caused your headache.

[cerpin taxt]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

Oh yeah, if it is anxiety, be carefull of letting them put you on any kind of SSRI before doing a whole lot of research first. I don't want to tell you what not to go on if you think it may help, but I had a very horrifying experience discontinuig Paxil, and found out later I wasn't the only one. Alot of Doctors will just hand that stuff out to anyone for the stupidest reasons. SSRIs may help some people, but they're proving to be more of a risky temporary solution than a safe permanent solution. Many Docs are getting wise to this, but many others will still parrot whatever the drug reps tell them.

[QuietViolet]

Re: worried after riding DINOSAUR

I have anxiety issues too, so I know what you are going through. If you have never been diagnosed with any type of anxiety disorder, I would sugges,t as other posters have so wisely done, getting a full physical. Once you know for sure that your symptoms aren't some underlying problem, you can settle on the fact that it is nerves.
Anxiety and Panic Disorder REALLY suck. I mean REALLY. They can make you feel so many terrible things. Learning how to breathe through the feelings and relaxation techniques really help...
As Cerpin Taxt said, be wary of any anti-depressants they may try to put you on. After my first panic attack, a complete moron of a doctor (I went to the ER as it was thanksgiving day) put me on paxil and sent me on my way. Boy did THAT mess me up.. :/...
If you need any support, please feel free to PM me. I hope everything turns out alright...

Ps. Your headache may have also been caused by the flashing lights. I get migraines that are caused by light, and I can't go on Space Mountain because it ALWAYS gives me a migraine (really sucks because I adore that ride)..