What should you do on a roller coaster?

[SCHOOL]

If someone is too nervous to ride a roller coaster, what should he or she do?

[YoshiFan]

I would start out with the smaller coasters in the park (even a kiddie or family coaster) to try to gain courage and slowly work towards the bigger/full size coasters.

[Angry_Gumball]

Just knock out the tallest coaster...once you get over the hump, literally, then you will overcome your fear. You could always close your eyes on a ride, which I used to do when I was young.

[SCHOOL]

Just knock out the tallest coaster...once you get over the hump, literally, then you will overcome your fear. You could always close your eyes on a ride, which I used to do when I was young.

I did to just like my sister said when i was small''When ever youget to ride big rides close your eyes"

[man]

I say just remember this "If I would die on this ride than it wouldnt be open"

[ats86]

Just remember, you had a larger chance of getting killed driving to the theme park than actually being at the theme park, and more people get killed annually by donkeys than roller coasters!

[the sound]

Just do it! Just get on! Nothing could possibly happen, i mean, look at all those people getting off and smileing!

 

Remember: You'll regret it someday if you don't.

[Swimace]

Yeah, if you're nervous before riding just look at the expressions on the faces of everybody leaving. If you had anything to be scared about then you would be able to tell, but that's rarely the case.

[Luxo]

Yeah, also it's funny to be under 15 and get on a ride with adults praying on the lifthill, and just have a smile on your face. You'll spread the courage, believe me.

[dragoncoaster1292]

^That is hilarious! You know what is even better? Adults throwing tantrums to their kids yelling "I DON'T WANNA GO ON IT! I DON'T WANNA GO ON IT!"

[coasterlover420]

^That sounds familiar! lol

 

What works for me a lot is I just convince myself or other people that the ride is as tame as a little coaster, it is only for a little bit of your time, it's perfectly safe, it's fun, and you only live once!

[GeorgiaDawg278]

i started on coasters because of peer pressure. It's the same thing as conquering any fear, for me that is, just do it. I forced myself on and knew if I didn't like it, it would only take about 1-2 minutes and it'd all be over with. I always thought of it as: "You'll never know unless you ride."

 

Cheesy? yes.

Effective? also yes.

[Thrillrider15]

Just do it! Just get on! Nothing could possibly happen, i mean, look at all those people getting off and smileing!

 

Remember: You'll regret it someday if you don't.

 

Exactly what will happen! If you're as big as an amusement park fan on this board, and you don't go on a ride because you were too nervous, one day you'll think of the ride, and really hate yourself. Trust me, it happens. It happened to me once.

[CD]

^^^^That is the same thing that I did, it really works great because I wouldn't come near any coaster at all and now look at me I can't get off of them. I had cousins that were younger than me and I wanted to look brave and courageous. Thank God they were there

[TwistedTrack]

Just suck it up. Once you go on a big coaster your fear of coasters is gone. Just think, why would people be on it if it was scary. Rides are meant to be fun, not scary!

[Darien Laker]

Close your eyes if you need to. I did this on my first SLC ride. Also, keep your head facing forward and touching the headrest if there is one. If you have a bad first experience on a ride, it may turn you off to the ride or even to all coasters (Predator once did this to me....ugh)

[Corkscrewed]

All of this is good advice. Before you get in line, make sure to notice (or mention to the nervous rider-to-be) the people coming out, and how most of them are smiling. It's always good to ride with friends or someone who can be comforting or give you confidence. Once you get on, if you're really nervous, simply close your eyes (and cover your ears if you really want to), and let the coaster happen. It's always that lift that gets people nervous, and once you're over it, the rest is smooth sailing.

 

Well, unless you're on a Vekoma.

[jamesdillaman]

^hahaha, yeah, if it's someone's first coaster, I wouldn't take them on a Vekoma. Once they regain consciousness, they may never want to get on another coaster...

-James

[TwistedTrack]

^LMAO!!! I have a freind who doesnt't like coasters, and I told him he has to go on at least one, but his first couldn't be a Vekoma. I wonder if Vekoma knows that they are known to make rough coasters?

[ECZenith]

Just watch the happy people (in one piece) getting off the ride for a while, that outta do it.

[BarryH]

It's time to tell my tale!

 

"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 I’m a current member of the Florida Coaster Club. Even though I’ve ridden the tallest and fastest coaster in the world (at the time when it opened in 2003) – 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.

[Corkscrewed]

Don't bother. Unless they're in fried rice, they're not that good.