Day 6: Disney Fears

Today's blog post comes with a connection to my homework. I'm taking a class in psychology at the moment, and currently we're studying learning. While I've been taking notes for the last few hours I've noticed and realized two things.

First, our psychology book has a strange love of using snakes as the example for phobias. It's said it at least 6 or 7 times...an Indy reference if I've ever seen one. Then again, there sadly isn't a picture of Harrison Ford like the following one anywhere in the book...even though I feel like it would be the best example ever.

Second, I have been thinking about my own personal fears. I have a few, and while thankfully I'm not afraid of snakes like Indy is, I am deathly afraid of tornadoes, or severe weather and thunderstorms in particular...as well as loud noises. This of course means that I absolutely can't stand "Stormstruck" at EPCOT (I went on it once...big mistake). I also feel that Twister (and thankfully it's not a Disney movie!) is the most terrifying movie of all time. I'd much rather watch Indy up there.

But I have this one other fear...of Tower of Terror. Yes, this is how this all relates to Disney, other than the Indy thing. When I was little and got to the age to ride Tower of Terror I just refused...of course at the time I was also afraid of  the Haunted Mansion, but what kid isn't for a little while? Then I got my brother afraid of it, but my mom tricked him into going on TOT and that was the end of that. While my brother doesn't particularly enjoy TOT, and generally stays off it with me while the parents go on, my family has still been trying to get me on for years...I still refuse.

Now, I have said that the only way I'm ever going on TOT is one of two scenarios...one is if my band goes and my friends all go on it with me then I would. Two is if someday I have a boyfriend or husband that, for some strange reason, loves TOT and forces me on it (yes...he will then be forced to ride Spaceship Earth many times over). But the question is why won't I ride it?

I guess I have a bad experience and have been "conditioned" (using psych terms!) to dislike the weightless feeling...one largely associated with TOT. It's a feeling present on Splash Mountain and I always hated the drop because I was a pretty small kid (and I'm still not that big) and there wasn't a strap or safety bar until recently. I always felt like I was going to fall out. So I associated the feeling of weightlessness with the idea of falling out, or in any case, something bad happening.

And that's why I'm afraid of TOT. Someday I'm sure I'll be dragged on it...but hopefully that day isn't anytime soon...at least until I ride Splash enough for me to like the weightless feeling a bit more...or in other words, recondition myself to not associate it with danger.

Have a magical day!