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Eloise

Roller Poster
I’m another one of those people who want to try out rollercoasters but are simply too afraid. In 2 weeks I’m going to Alton Towers, and I am so worried that we are going to pay and I’ll crack under pressure. This has happened numerous times. I’m fed up of missing out on all social aspects because of this silly fear, where everyone seems to love it once they face it. Which I can’t seem to do. The sound of the rides and the sight put me off. I tried getting in the line for nemesis once but as soon as I saw and heard the whoosh as the train went round the helix I chickened out, disappointing my friends. I was practically a bag person for the day and I do not want this to keep happening. What should I do to encourage myself to ride one of them (preferably looped) and which one should I start with? Sorry to bother :/
 
Welcome to CoasterForce!

The first thing you should know about coasters is that they are completely and totally safe. You have a higher chance of being hurt in the car ride to the amusement park than at the park itself. No matter how fast, how tall, or how scary the ride may seem, you are in good hands. For riding the actual rides, there's two 'methods' you could do: you can either do the biggest one straight out of the gate("I did this one, now I can do them all no problem!"), or you can work your way up. If you were to go with the "work your way up" method, I recommend starting out on Thirteen, Spinball Whizzer, and Wickerman.

The biggest thing, though, is just telling yourself that you can do it. If you don't want to ride it, you don't need to. It's all up to you. But if you really want to ride something, you just need to be brave and overcome your fears.

I hope you and your friends have a fun time! :)
 
What puts you off about then? The height? The speed? The inversions? I think this would actually help us give you a better advice.
 
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A few of my friends aren't particularly enthusiastic about rides and used to chicken out quite a lot. One thing that did eventually work is encouraging them to join the queue with us and if they want to back out they can just jump over to the exit. Sometimes spontaneity seems to help; when you're in the moment you might just feel like "oh, what the hell" and strap in. It's a start.
 
GuyWithAStick said:
Welcome to CoasterForce!

The first thing you should know about coasters is that they are completely and totally safe. You have a higher chance of being hurt in the car ride to the amusement park than at the park itself. No matter how fast, how tall, or how scary the ride may seem, you are in good hands. For riding the actual rides, there's two 'methods' you could do: you can either do the biggest one straight out of the gate("I did this one, now I can do them all no problem!"), or you can work your way up. If you were to go with the "work your way up" method, I recommend starting out on Thirteen, Spinball Whizzer, and Wickerman.

The biggest thing, though, is just telling yourself that you can do it. If you don't want to ride it, you don't need to. It's all up to you. But if you really want to ride something, you just need to be brave and overcome your fears.

I hope you and your friends have a fun time! :)
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Thank you! I shall go with the big one idea hopefully.
 
As for noise and anticipation...my first was the Matterhorn at Disneyland, and at the time it was a very big deal. When you're that young and small, everything is gigantic. My Dad said, "you're gonna love it, you're only afraid because you haven't tried it yet...you have nothing to compare it to." Made sense to me, think I was 5 or 6...So I faced my fear and he was right. It's more the adrenaline and drop/air sensations that have me hooked. All the other stuff you mentioned above is kinda like the music swelling in a horror movie. Same thing, different application of tension building is all.

One other note - Alton's probably the most perfect place on earth for fear of heights I would imagine. Something about no higher than the trees. The Euro guys' can probably spell out the exact rule. Either way, you'll never be that far off the ground. It's definitely better there than have your knees knocking at I305, or Kingda Ka for your first go-round.

You do get "ride-hardened" after you've been flipped, negative g'd, and dropped a dozen times or so. But those first 10 or 12...Aiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee! That's the stuff people like me are hopelessly addicted to. Have fun!
 
If I were you I'd start with Rita at Alton Towers. Get there early and it will only have a 5-10 minute queue at most as most people do the bigger rides at the front of the park first. A short wait time along with very little on-ride anticipation due to the launch, plus the ride only lasts 30 seconds so if you hate it at least you're done quickly. :)

Best of luck and try to be brave. My wife hated coasters a few years ago but after braving a few family-level ones she then progressed to B&M Inverts and Wing Coasters and will now ride anything under 200ft and without ridiculous numbers of inversions. So it is possible once you get over the early hurdles.
 
hendrixmarshall said:
As for noise and anticipation...my first was the Matterhorn at Disneyland, and at the time it was a very big deal. When you're that young and small, everything is gigantic. My Dad said, "you're gonna love it, you're only afraid because you haven't tried it yet...you have nothing to compare it to." Made sense to me, think I was 5 or 6...So I faced my fear and he was right. It's more the adrenaline and drop/air sensations that have me hooked. All the other stuff you mentioned above is kinda like the music swelling in a horror movie. Same thing, different application of tension building is all.

One other note - Alton's probably the most perfect place on earth for fear of heights I would imagine. Something about no higher than the trees. The Euro guys' can probably spell out the exact rule. Either way, you'll never be that far off the ground. It's definitely better there than have your knees knocking at I305, or Kingda Ka for your first go-round.

You do get "ride-hardened" after you've been flipped, negative g'd, and dropped a dozen times or so. But those first 10 or 12...Aiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee! That's the stuff people like me are hopelessly addicted to. Have fun!
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Ah thankyou. I’m sure I’ll love it and kick myself for avoiding it for years haha, but now you say thay I shall definitely consider it. These messages I bet my house will be what I read in the queue lines
 
I shall definitely start with a big one yes! Thank you for the encouragement. I have to say I’m looking forward to it now, I’m noticing a trend in your replies. :)
 
Another thing to remember is that ultimately all those coasters exist for the sole reason of making people have fun! Whatever else they seem, they are designed for enjoyment first and foremost. Also bear in mind that at Alton, Nemesis and Oblivion in particular are designed to be frightening to watch from afar, and their queues are meant to build up tension. If you keep in mind the idea that that effect is entirely what is intended, you'll be fine too - it's theatre in concrete and steel. Hell, I've been riding coasters for years and years and Oblivion is one of the few that can still frighten me!
 
At the end of the day, pushing past the fear is going to be the hardest part for you. Just jumping on and going for it, as others have noted, is what will push you forward. That is exactly what happened for me and I've been hooked since.
 
Great advice from everyone so far... tbh you're a perfect candidate to get hooked on coasters! The more nervous you are before a coaster the bigger the thrill is likely to be afterwards, it's that rush that we all get addicted to. If every coaster was easy to go on and you thought 'ahh it's nothing, pretty tame ride' then it wouldn't be half as fun!!

Alton is a great park to dip your toe in the water. I'd say start with Spinball whizzer or Wickerman. Thirteen isn't great if you don't like drops and Rita is a launched coaster so rather a bit more intense. Leave Smiler, Nemesis and Oblivion for later in the day when you're feeling brave. Equally, you don't have to do ALL the coasters next time you go- maybe just think about doing a couple and leave your options open? No pressure!

Have fun though :)
 
Two years earlier I was like you, terribly scared all my life about doing any ride. And here am I now, only two years later totally crazy about coasters, traveling around the world, having ridden Dinoconda, X, Extreme Rusher, red Force or Fury 325. I remember being absolutely freaked out in Shambhalla's queue line. What worked for me was just to rush directly to the train and put the restraint so I would have no choice but to do it. Once on the summiit of the lifthill I was terribly scared, but god the drop was one of the most amazing moments I ever had on a coaster. It felt like the speed was insane, that it would never stop accelerating. This feeling I never felt it that strong again, ever.
You are lucky to still be afraid, you still have the chance to have this intense feeling. Brave your fear and it's going to be so rewarding ;)
 
OK. Story time (as I am sure it will be for others as well). When I was really young I was completely fascinated by these huge thrill machines (not just coasters but thrill rides in general) yet I wouldn't dare to go on any of them. My brother at the time was teasing me to go on them but I flat-out refused out of absolute fear. As I grew up, I started going on wild mice and rather mild coasters. Inversions were too intimidating for me, as were great speed or heights. That all changed when I visited PortAventura with some friends when I was 12. I remember stepping into the park decided not to go on Dragon Khan and maybe not even Stampida; as the day progressed, my friends were sensible enough to give me confidence and helped work my way up to the bigger coasters. After getting off Stampida I felt such a sense of achievement I blindly followed my friends into the queue area for Dragon Khan, yet I was not willing to ride. I remember getting really tense and terrified as trains would go fly past the cobra roll by the last bit of the queueline. Before I knew it, I was on strapped in DK's last row, between two friends that held my hands really strong, heading out of the station. I swear to god I was petrified going up the lift hill but when I came back to the station I was in such an ecstasy I knew it was all worth it. The rest of the story are a lots of creds and money spent on them xD

Bottom line:
- Work your way up, even if it the rides look pathetic.
- Don't try to go on everything on one day. Maybe you need more visits to get used to riding certain coasters. Maybe you will be able to ride some things and some others you won't feel lke riding and it's ok.
- As others have mentioned; rides are absolutely SAFE (and even moreso at these huge theme parks like Alton Towers). You are guaranteed to be in more danger driving to the park than within the park. Rides are meant to be fun; if you are not having fun, then don't go.
- Peer pressure is good to a certain extend. Talk to your friends (unless they already know about your case) and if they are good friends, they will stand by you and not laugh at you. Again, it's all about having fun, not being tortured!
- If you are going on a "big" ride with multiple people across, try taking the middle seats and avoid front rows, if possible.

Besides this, I think Alton is the perfect place to start since most rides are not really tall (bar Oblivion). If I was to work my way up (subject to people's taste on intensity) I would go on these rides:
- Octonauts
- Runway Mine Train
- Spinball Whizzer
- Wickerman (wooden coasters are a good contender to move onto bigger rides, as Stampida was for me).
- Thirteenn (although the drop track might be off-putting, it's not tall at all).
- Galactica (it's really gentle and the mildest and slowest B&M at the park).
- Nemesis
- Rita
- Oblivion
- Smiler (these last three are exchangeable since they are rather extreme in their respective categories)

I hope this helps you!
 
For my way, I have one friend who is afrad of coasters.
I tried twice to make him ride big coasters(50+m)
On March, I went to school trip to Everland in a low-crowded day. I first pushed him to Thunder Falls, a 63ft Whitewater Super Flume, and he chickened out because of the last drop.

So I led him ride Vekoma family coaster , Herky&Timmy's Racing Coaster with all of my friends fill the train, so he rode it.
But, I tride to make him ride T Express by pushing him into the queue entrance, but failed. and I phoned him that the drop feeling is as same as Thunder Falls(though that flume has feeling of pushed down on the drop, T Express has floater filled drop)
But he rejected again while I m marathoning that. 1st attempt failed
SUMMARIZE
-Don't push your friend to roller coaster.

So, 2nd visit was my local park that has 2 B&Ms. The first try was Phaethon, a great B&M invert. The queue was pointing 15 min. so I first made him queue with me.
1st ride:He queued with me but he didnt ride, me and another friend rode Row 1.
2nd ride:He tried riding it but in the middle. Middle row makes me dizzy in B&M inverts.
3rd ~ 5th ride: He enjoyed it!
6th ride: He wanted to ride in the front.

Things happened different in another B&M , Draken
I rode total 4 times that day, so I led him join 40 min queue.
1st ride: He thinks 200ft is too high. But he was surprised by my bravery(hands up for 30sec)
2nd ride:Same
3rd ride:He threatened me a bit not to ride.
4th ride: He rode it. But in the middle. When I ask him , holding brake was :emoji_zipper_mouth:ing scary, and he thought drop was too big.

Another Golden Horse Chute ride
After he enjoy 150ft invert, I led him ride that. He says he can ride 100ft without hesitation.

-Make your friend join que with you
-Show him how you ride the coaster
-and ride again and again until he ride it if the wait is short
 
wear ear plugs and blindfold yourself until they lock the train and then your friends will take it off of u when your about to leave
 
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