younger sybling's coaster fear?

[coasterdude5]

I have a younger brother who says he'll ride the coasters but when we get to the enterance, he locks up and won't ride. Got any tips?

[BarryH]

Read what I wrote for another board...

 

How I Learned to Love Roller Coasters and Stopped Worrying About the Beast

 

by Barry Hom

 

The TV news show "Inside Edition" reported that your chances of getting into a fatal roller coaster accident are 1 in 10 million. Yet, every time I thought about riding one, I thought that I would die.

 

I used to avoid riding roller coasters. I chickened out on Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. I avoided Busch Gardens Tampa for years. If I didn't ride the roller coasters, I didn’t think I could do much else at that theme park. I did ride Big Thunder Mountain at the Magic Kingdom and I was terrified. I swore to never do it again!

 

That all changed when I visited Islands of Adventure in May 1999. I initially planned to avoid riding the roller coasters. My main draw to the park was one ride – The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. I passed by the Incredible Hulk Coaster many times thinking, "I'll save it for later." Finally, I decided to ride it.

 

I almost ran away from the entrance, but I thought of what my mom said when I wouldn't eat lima beans -- "How do you know if you don't like it if you haven't tried it?" I never ate my lima beans and I still haven’t put them in my mouth, but I figured I'd ride the roller coaster once and if I didn't like it, I'd ride something else. There are plenty of other things to do at the park!

 

I entered the queue and I felt my heart pounding, my skin crawling, and my breath becoming shorter. Finally, I entered the coaster and was strapped in. I felt more scared than any other time in my life. It was scarier than my first date! As the car rolled into the launch tube, I want to cry. Then guests seated in the back of the coaster started yelling, "Whoo!" I began to yell "Whoo!" too. Suddenly, my fear turned into excitement and I was launched out!

 

I yelled "Whoo!" so much that my voice was harsh after the ride. I don't remember much of what the track looked like because I kept my eyes closed (especially during the upside-down parts), but I was having so much fun that I didn’t really care. At the end of the ride, I said, "What a rush!" At that moment, a roller coaster enthusiast was born!

 

I had planned to ride the Hulk Coaster zero times, but I ended up riding it seven times. I finally conquered the Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain. I visited Busch Gardens Tampa a few months after visiting Islands of Adventure and enjoyed the coasters there. I’ve visited Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio – the roller coaster mecca – several times as well as many other roller coaster parks around the United States. I’ve joined the American Coaster Enthusiasts and the Florida Coaster Club. Even though I’ve ridden the tallest and fastest coaster in the world – Cedar Point’s Top Thrill Dragster – as my 100th coaster, I haven’t found a roller coaster that gave me a rush like my first ride on the Incredible Hulk Coaster, but I find joy in each and every one that I ride.

 

Perhaps one day I will have the courage to eat lima beans

[Sir Clinksalot]

It just depends on the kid.

 

Our youngest never had ANY fear when it came to coasters. Our youngest was a bit apprehensive. He finally got on Revolution at SFMM last week and loved it.

 

Just give it time. Don't try to get them on the biggest baddest coaster from day one. Start small and work your way up.

[Three]

I'll agree with the previous poster -- it depends on the kid.

 

If you're brother says he'll ride something, but then freezes up, it sounds to me like he needs some good old fashioned forcing. This got me on Tower of Terror when I was in third grade, and I didn't want to ride that at all.

 

What you do is say to the kid in advanced:

 

"Are you going to ride the coasters this time?"

"Uh huh"

"Good. Because we're going to make you. Before the day is out, you will have ridden something."

 

And then follow through. Walk him through the line. And be a cheerleader; those of us former chickens know what it's like to face our fears and ride our first. Be supportive, but don't back down. This should work, unless your brother is a stalagmite or something.

[Mr.Six]

Something that really helps is if you ride it first. Have him wait at the exit or with a ride-op or something. He'll see that you came back and thought it was fun. Think of getting a kid on a coaster like a bomb. It can go both ways, don't rush it or get angry with him. You might say something like if you ride it I'll buy you some ice cream. It really depends on the kid.

[Red Benny]

Forcing doesn't always work. When I was growing up my family went to Disneyland once a year. When I was 4 I believe they took me on the Matterhorn. I was too young to know what it was, but it definetely implanted a gut fear of roller coasters into me. Not because of the coaster, but because of the monsters inside the ride. A few years later they forced me onto Space Mountain, and I didn't like it. At one point we took a trip to Magic Mountain and the whole time my parents told me I had to go on all the ride.. but I wouldn't. The more I was forced the more I didn't want to, and the more I didn't enjoy them if I did. It wasn't until I was 15 that I started going on the more scary rides at Disneyland. I had opened up a little, but about the most thrilling ride I liked was the Giant Dipper at the SCBB.. and even that scared the crap out of me.

 

I don't know what happened, but last year I went to PGA with my family and I wanted to ride the coasters all of a sudden. After each coaster I swore that I wouldn't go on anymore, but I ended up going on every coaster in the park. Now I'm hooked (though there are still a few rides I won't go on... yet.)

 

I guess my point is that a good degree of forcing can work, but force too hard and the kid will shut down. With me I think the scariest part of the Matterhorn when I was a kid was that it was in the dark for the lift, and I was DEATHLY afraid of the dark when I was that little

[coasterdude5]

Thanks for the tips, but he still won't ride! He's probably just not ready.

[Trev32]

D00D

 

force him on them.

 

 

Trev32

[socalMAN123]

I used to never ride coasters when I was small. I would get in line for them saying "I'm gonna ride it, I'm gonna do this." Then I end up crying half-way in line and they take me off. But finally, I rode Montezuma's Revenge, I became a coaster enthusiast. Don't force people on to coasters becasue I learned the hard way. They really don't want to do it, but usually once they get off, they're smilling and laughing as they cry out "Let's do it again!"

[spike]

Try talking to him ( as being caring and understanding )and see what it is about them that is soo scarey to him.

I was like that, then I realised that my fear was actually of throwing up and of hights, not of the ride. I learned to relax with my fear of hights when I went on a woodie, because of the walkways on both side, and took it from there.

Get this though, I get sick on most flat rides, anything that spins around or rocks back ond forth and I'm done. I'm terrefied of throwing up! However rollercoasters dont effect me that way at all. After my first ride on that woodie I realised that.

Take your time with him, He'll come around.

[coasterdude5]

I was the same way. I was scared of throwing up and the inversions. I still get sick on flat rides though like the frisbee. Thanks for the tip. I hope he'll be ready by this summer.

[coasterdude5]

Thanks for the input. I hope he's ready to ride the Revolution (libertyland) this summer!

[jumbach]

I have a younger brother who says he'll ride the coasters but when we get to the enterance, he locks up and won't ride. Got any tips?

 

 

My brother is three years older than me. He once got me on the "Demon" ride at PGA by getting us in line, then telling me it was the line for the Carousel.

 

When we got to the front of the line, and I saw the train coming, he said it was the train to take people to the carousel. When you're six, you believe stuff like that.

 

I loved the ride, and the rest is history.

 

Off to my first Medusa ride of 2005 tomorrow . . .

[coasterdude5]

Have you noticed that the Demon is exactly like the Demon at SFGAm? I've only ridden the one at Great America, though.

[Millenniumguy]

Look, I am going to tell you how I got into coasters. Maybe that will you give some tips. It was the summer of 2001 in Great Adventure. It was mostly my curiousity about the ride(Runaway Mine Train) and I forgot that it was a coaster. So tell your kid, it's not a coaster but a very fun ride. This white lie will encourage him or her. And slowly I got bored of Runaway Mine Train and moved up to Rolling Thunder and when I wanted to see how an inverting coaster is like I moved up to Viper and slowly slowly I moved to the park's highlight, Medusa. Now of course, I've been on Nitro, Superman:Ride of Steel@SFNE and Boulderdash just to name a few. Maybe this post will give you some ideas, like I said. Good Luck

[Freefall]

I'm trying real hard to get my girlfriend to go on the Dragon Khan this summer at Universal Port Aventura in spain. Unfortunatly my girlfriend belives that she will die if she goes upside-down! shes been on a few loops but only in the dark or by mistake =D and its only reinforced her fears that she will die!

[Millenniumguy]

Tell her that if she would have died, she would have done so already. And tell her about centifugal force won't let you die even if you wanted to.

[coasterdude5]

Yeah tell her that she has a better chance of getting struck by lightning. Hey-It worked for me!

[Red Benny]

When we got to the front of the line, and I saw the train coming, he said it was the train to take people to the carousel. When you're six, you believe stuff like that.

 

Wow, how'd you miss the train looping right past the queue? That would've scared me as a kid. Great ride though, also my first real coaster. It's good for people scared of coasters because the trees hide most of the track.

[coasterdude5]

My brother is nine so I HOPE he's smarter than that but I'll try it anyway. Thanks.

[neverride]

It's probably not a good idea to force a child or adult to ride a coaster. I happen to know for a fact that Elissa was deathly afraid of Dumbo's Flight when she was little and she was terrified on her first waterslide. I never made her ride anything "scary" after that. Now she loves coasters and such and dragged me on Mission Space which made me feel like I was having a stroke and dying at the same time. Nobody even had a saltine.

[SharkTums]

LOL!

 

You're going on Mummy in May, I've got your Saltines ready!

 

Elissa "it's not as insane as mission space, I promise!" Alvey

[coasterdude5]

Well everybody, tommorow's the big day. We're going to Libertyland so it'll be his first chance to ride a decent coaster. I'll update you if he does!

Keep your fingers crossed.

[coasterdude5]

Well, he didn't even go to Libertyland. But that's okay, now I've got to start training him for Vegas! Any last tips? I'm up to anything now.

[thrillrider1]

I was afraid of coasters from age 7 to last year ever since i rode scoobys gasping ghoster coaster at PCW but last year I forced myself on the bat. ever since ive been a huge coaster enthusiast. But here is something i used to get my friend on the beast (at PCW) he was completely afraid to get on the ride so i told himn how i got over my fear. "just get in the restraints and relax, until the ride starts". he had second thoughts, so we blindfolded him and led him on. then I took it off after it started. He still dont like coasters but because he tried it we dont give him a hard time about it. good news though, HES NOT AFRAID OF FLAT RIDES ANYMORE!