Don’t get me wrong. When a show comes on The Discovery Channel about coasters, how they’re built, how big they are and what kind of thrills they give, I’m the first to watch it. I love watching film of what it’s like to be on them. But you’d never get me on one in a million years. having been on just a few minor ones (“Space Mountain” at Disney World and “The Tornado” at the now defunct Rocky point here in RI) I cannot physically bring myself to get on any big one.
They absolutely terrify me in real life. Maybe it’s because I just don’t have the right stuff to be able to stand the g-forces, but they make me physically ill. I go to amusement parks and people think I’m nust because I won’t get on, even thought I see people surviving them all the time. But I know that if I were to get on, something would go horribly wrong with death resulting.
I would have to say I am with you on this one. I have ridden some, and actually enjoyed one or two of them. “Disaster Transport” at Cedar Point in Ohio is cool, because it is enclosed, and the “Coal Mine” ride is fun to go on and scream like it’s going a million miles an hour, when in fact it goes about 10.
The real reason I am now anti roller coaster is because I rode “Blue Streak” which is an old fashioned wooden roller coaster. It has lap bars, not shoulder harnesses, and being only 5 foot 2 inches, it just came to midthigh. When we were going downhill, it only just barely hit my knees, and I really thought I would fly out. No more roller coasters for me thanks.
I can’t ride roller coasters any more. Ive had too many car accidents and a bad back.
That said, I used to love them. I rode “Kumba” 15 times in a row when we [(former)Roommate and I] went to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay after it (the ride) opened. (It was a cold day and barely anyone in the park.) It’s still my favorite roller coaster memory.
Second favorite was “The Incredible Hulk” at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. Unexpected power launch halfway through the incline, but the rest of the ride is a standard coaster, with one dip near the water. Still kicks significant posterior, though.
Now I amuse myself by holding everyone’s purchases and purses while everyone else gets to ride. Just like in the high school dance. Darn. I wanna ride again.
I hate roller coasters with a passion. I just don’t get the attraction at all. Even the wimpy ones at Disneyland bug the hell out of me. On the Matterhorn, it always looks like one of the fake rock outcroppings is going to sheer off my head. And Space Mountain? Not only is it a roller coaster, but it’s in the dark! The one time I rode on it, I ended up thinking - “Why don’t they just drop snakes and spiders from the ceiling to complete the phobia laden ambience…”
And those ones that go upside down at 5000 miles per hour? Ay carumba…
I absolutely love them – I’ll sit at my desk and run quicktime versions of costers so I can imigian that I am riding them. I only wish that I can retire at a young age so I can spend my days riding costers…
I have a love/hate relationship with them. Some are great and some scare the crap out of me. The main thing I don’t like it the drops. I have no problem with G forces or going upside down. That’s why I love the Rock N Rollercoaster at MGM. Instead of getting it’s energy from a big drop at the beginning, it’s basically slingshotted from 0 to 60 in four seconds, and then it goes straight into a loop. And it’s all indoors and Aerosmith music is playing the whole time. It’s a very cool ride.
Aw c’mon people where’s your sense of adventure?!
<d&r>
FYI, “Montu” at BG-TB used to have an alligator exhibit next to the station.
Live alligators.
Under the coaster track.
5 feet below your feet.
Your dangling feet.
Now they have plastic alligators on display there.
Likely someone dropped a hat or glasses in the pit while on the ride.
“Excuse me, I dropped my wallet there. Ca you get it for me?”
“Now?!? Are you crazy?”
Wooooooo… I hate rollercoasters! Hate them, hate them, hate them! When I have been conned onto one, I spent the whole ride with my eyes closed and holding on for dear life. Just watching them up close makes my stomach roll.
I’m with ya, Euty!
Anything that causes me to hang upside down for even a fraction of a second is NOT my idea of a good time. I don’t mind heights, or rapid descents, but I will not ride on anything that hangs me upside down. This pretty much eliminates most roller coasters, as far as I’m concerned.
My family went on a trip to King’s Island when I was maybe 8 years old. We went on the Racer, a pretty tame coaster by real coaster afficionado standards. But I was so young that it completely freaked me. I didn’t go on another one until I was about 14, and I was on a Girl Scout (what are you lookin’ at? Yeah, I was a Girl Scout!) trip. My friends dragged me on the Blue Streak.
I rode it 11 times.
Been over that fear for a while now. My personal favorite now is Cedar Point’s Raptor. Oh…My…Goddess…that…thing…rules! You sit under the track, and your feet hang free. The loops and twists are amazing. You go upside down, and your feet are in the air. They call it “kicking the sky” there. Cheesy, but man, it is amazing.
There is one coaster that I will not touch, though, and it’s Cedar Point’s Millenium Racer, or whatever it’s called. IMHO, there is such a thing as too big and too fast, and that one has crossed my personal line.
Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em. I can tolerate mild ones, like Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disney World, but that’s about it. I don’t like being jerked around. I don’t like heights. I don’t like the feeling of “going fast”. I don’t like not being in control of my “vehicle”. I don’t like the fear that some freaky thing will break and I’ll be hurt or killed.
(Once, I road Space Mountain right after they switched from the two-to-a-car rocketship design to the one-per-car design. It had completely inadequate restraints. Nothing I could brace my feet on, or get a good hand-grip on. Went over a little drop, went up in the air, came down on my tailbone on the edge of the hard plastic seat. I hope they’ve redone the design again since then, but I’m never f’ing doing that again!)
Can’t help it. Call me a wimp if you want, but I’ll save my courage and sense of adventure on things that I feel are worth the effort. A 60 minute wait for 2 or 3 minutes of fear, terror and being physically jerked around doesn’t seem like a good use of my time.
When I was about 17, a bunch of my freinds skipped school to meet up with some girls from a couple of towns over. We decided to meet at the local amusement park. This park was old, and most of the rides were falling apart. The girls wanted to go on the roller coaster and we said no freaking way are we getting on that damn thing. Well, the girls used their various charms to convince us that they would think we were big, brave, manly teens if we would escort them on the coaster. So we get in line, try and convince them that the bumper boats would be much more fun, but to no avail. Finally we are next in line. Suddenly, the power supply for the coaster began to pop and spark. The cars started rolling backwards down the track. Others were stuck at the top. This was finally able to convince the girls that we should just hit the arcade. I got caught for skipping school, I didn’t get the girl, but I didn’t have to ride the coaster, a fair trade for me.
I really enjoy roller coasters, actually. But I have a friend who is terrified of rides in general. Can’t see the point of them and when he has gotten on them he’s gotten right back off. They give him the willies.
Now, even though I like rides, I can understand not liking them, though. They can be fairly scary.
His other fear, however, I can’t understand. My friend is also terrified of computer animation. Even he doesn’t know why.
Ahhh rollercoasters they are wonderful. Ever ride a wooden rollercoaster with a lap bar that does an upside down loop? Damn that is some scary shit but it only adds to the excitement of it. Anyways what I’m saying is that I’m one of those adrenaline junkies. I love the feeling you get from going so fast and having all that force against you. What a rush
Oh Gosh, I agree totally.
I went on one for the first and last time back in 1989.
It was at Aurora Ohio.
It was terrifying; I was sure I was to be thrown off and killed.
Then after I get off the coaster shakily, we go into the sensurround movie theater.
Distraction right?
Wrong. The movie was shot from the seat of a roller coaster. Ahhh, deja vu.
I wont ride them again. In fact, the only ride I will go on is the merry go round.
