Han30

I had the funniest ride on Th13teen on Saturday - there was a group of people sat behind us and as we were approaching the indoor bit the girl behind me says "what, I came on this ride just for THAT" - I was sat there laughing as she clearly didn't know what was coming.....she literally screamed from the drop until we stopped. She then starts laughing manically so I turned around and asked her if she was ok and her reply was "s**t the bed I wasn't expecting that" I love Th13teen and thinks it is a great example of how coasters don't have to have inversions to be good. I knew what to expect when I first went on it but kind of gutted I ruined he surprise by watching a clip on youtube - though having said that, I may have had a heart attack

Oh Lord - Klondike - possibly the most painful ride I have ever been on (I believe they've got rid of it now). That was my second coaster with an inversion (after space mountain at DLP). Totally agree about the flat ride inversions - I always find flat rides scarier than coasters. I usually have a mini panic attack prior to riding Rush and Samurai (when its open) Ah Rameses - never forget the year it opened and waiting for about 2 hours for my sister and her friend to go on it, thinking she was insane! Now the tables have turned a little and she watches me on rides and thinks I'm mental. I find with the flats - especially Slammer, they look a lot worse that they actually are once you are riding them. With the exception of Detonator which looks quite short and tame - until you get on it.....

Agree with all you said here - anti sickness tablets are amazing and really good if you are worried about barfing on rides - they work wonders I would also agree with starting on Inferno - that was the first one that I did. The last of the coasters I did was Saw and I was absolutely bricking it because of the main drop - I have a fear of falling although that's kind of better now. Pretty much all the coasters look a heck of a lot more intimidating than they actually are once you are on them - have you watched any POVs of rides? It can give you some idea of what to expect but obviously being on a ride is totally different. Going upside down was one of my anxieties - I can't even put my finger on it - I just thought I would hate it but you don't actually notice a great deal as it is over so quick. One thing I would say would be to try and go on a quiet day if you can - when I did the coasters for the first time it was a quiet day with no queues and I think, had I been stuck waiting in a queue I would have panicked and possibly bailed out. If you walk straight up to the ride and get on it's a bit easier I think. Last year I took my niece (now 12 years old) to Thorpe for the first time - she had previously only done one coaster that went upside down and that was a smalll one. Over the course of only 2 visits she had done all of the coasters - first visit she couldn't face Colossus or Saw but did the others. We started her off on Inferno and she got straight on and was nervous but ok. Got to the Swarm and she burst into tears and said she wasn't ready but I told her to go take a seat (on the ride ) and I got a member of staff to reassure her and she loved it and wanted to go straight back on. We had tears at Saw aswell but it turned out to be her favourite ride and she's ridden it over 40 times since. She went on The Smiler for the first time on Saturday and she was a wee bit nervous about the amount of inversions but again was fine. I know what helped her when she first went on the rides at Thorpe was having me talk her through the ride - yes it is a bit odd but her first go on each ride I was shouting at when the "upside down" bits were coming (that was her idea ) I think its just a reassurance thing really and the whole anxiety before hand - once you've done it you will probably wonder why you delayed it - I wish I had gone on the big coasters a looong time ago but, better late than never! -So yeah - anti sickness tabs if you are concerned about motion sickness -Start off on Inferno - then maybe do Swarm, then Colossus then Saw -Try to go on a quiet day and with a group of friends who you feel comfortable around -Sit towards the front of the train as it is slightly less forceful that right at the back - also don't close your eyes as its good to see where you are going -Sit with your head resting against the back of your seat and just go with the flow of the ride -Speak to staff if you feel anxious - I did the first time I went on zodiac as I was worried about the spinning action and they are generally really good at putting you at ease -If you start feeling anxious once the ride has started, take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth - at the very worse if you hate whatever ride you are on they don't last long and you'll be back in the station in no time. Oh also if you are scared, screaming can really help take your mind off of it (plus its kinda therapeutic!) -Bachs Rescue Remedy is really good for anxiety - its herbal and you can get it from Boots or Holland & Barrett - tastes minging but it does help to calm nerves - many people use it before taking exams etc and it's helped me in the past with my anxiety -The thought of the inversions is a lot worse than the reality of it - like many phobias And lastly - if you can do Stealth and you like drop rides then I'm fairly certain you will enjoy the coasters that go upside down! I really hope that you are able to overcome your fear of inversions - would love to know how you get on

Went on Galactica on Saturday - was actually crying (slightly) whilst queuing because my fear of outer space is pretty bad putting it mildly (had to take a valium as I was borderline panicking) - the only reason I went on was because I was with my niece and she loved Air. I also really liked Air and was really miffed when I heard of the transformation to Galactica - but hey ho We went on it first thing - good really as the queue time shot up to 90mins at one point during the day I believe. Despite being the first ride and not a huge queue it seemed to take f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get on. I spoke to the ride batcher and asked if you have to wear the goggles and he told me to speak to the ride host - she sort of gave the impression that they prefer you to wear it but you don't have to - so I put the damn goggles on ready to soil my pants.....but actually I really enjoyed it (despite screaming initially ). The first part of the ride is really good - mainly because you can't see the manky tunnel just out of the station(!!) It is odd because you can't tell whereabouts on the ride you are and it does feel like it is over and done with really quick. I don't envy the ride hosts with all the work they have to do wiping the goggles down, putting them in the pouches only to take them back out when the next lot of riders board the coaster - seems like a heck of a lot of effort for a ride which, IMO was pretty good before (ok there was zero theming on Air but they could have maybe popped a couple of near misses near the track a la The Swarm). So yeah - it's good - not amazing but its a little different. I can imagine it could induce motion sickness on some people - I felt a tad queasy at one point and I take anti-sickness medication. Not sure if I would rush to go on it again - I would do it again if there was little/no queue but it sort of feels like once you've done the VR bit once you're not really going to gain much by retrying it. The music though

I'll drop a longer reply later as I can barely type at the moment but I know how you feel regarding inversions - I was 18 before I did my first proper rollecoaster (and that was only vampire at Chessie). First upside down coaster was Space Mountain at DLP at the age of almost 20 - then at 32 I did all the coasters at Thorpe which isnt bad considering I used to be a complete and utter wuss. Find someone you can go with who likes riding coasters - that's a big help as they will probably make you feel more at ease (it was actually this site and my first theme park meet I went on that got me into riding big coasters) For me personally it was a combination of fear of heights, fear of having a panic attack and the main one = fear of vomiting (over other riders). After my first go on Stealth I was shaking and vowed to never ride it again but 3 years on and I've ridden it loads. I take motion sickness tablets which work wonders for the fear of vomiting on other people. As for the fear of heights, you don't really notice - I can't do the London Eye after my first and only ride on it back in 2006 when I had a massive panic attack due to the height of it. But with coasters they are so quick you hardly realise and its over so quickly. My first big coasters I was with people (from this site) who helped me massively and understood my anxieties and I know I've held peoples hands on rides before if I've been scared. But once you've done it a couple of times you won't even question the fear. I remember when I used to look at Colossus and particularly the vertical loop and think "sod that" but I love it now

haha it's not like I go round the indoor queue line licking the entire walls - that would be pretty nasty (though it could do with a clean in there) I once put my finger on what can only be described as....snot..... on Inferno when pulling down my harness - I very nearly Sod the rides, it's all about the pandas! but seriously that is bad, operation wise. I've had a gander on their FB page and it would appear that if you are having a *** time at Chessie you have to queue for about 2 years to make a complaint at guest services.

This is spot on I used a pretty accurate ride times thing last year but I don't know if it is still around - will have to take a look

You call it crappy - I seriously almost chundered on it once - not because it is intense but I had just had a particularly spinny ride on Fury - I think I would have died of embarrassment had I blown chunks. Thankfully I have discovered the wonders of motion sickness drugs now. Also - someone taking a wee.....in a station? Um that is grim. I've needed a pee in a queue line before but never thought "ooh I'll go here" - yes I know it's easier for males and more discreet but heck I think I'd rather wet myself. Pretty sure if you get caught urinating in a public place it is an offence? Chessie sounds pretty bad at the moment and I'm in no particular rush to visit. Such a shame as it used to be a great park in the 90s.

Whilst there are people out there who will inevitably abuse the system, I do think that everyone should have the opportunity to experience rides (obviously taking into consideration the restrictions - I'm not saying a heavily pregnant woman should go on Colossus etc). I do agree about short queues however - rides which have a 20 minute or less queue should be do-able although it obviously depends on the individual and what their limitations are. Back to park operations - after my visit last week, I felt a bit meh about the whole place, but yesterday felt better (apart from the weather). It was still relatively busy but staff just seemed more efficient and quicker. The staff working in the retail outlets were really friendly and helpful - especially the lady in the Saw store - I'm pretty sure she worked in the Swarm shop last year and she is really lovely. Also the queue boards were working! - well, the one by Inferno was and the queue times listed were pretty accurate and updated regularly. I really don't understand why TP don't have an app where you can check queue times, like they do with the other parks - would be kinda handy rather than having to hoof it to a queue time board - yeah I know the park isn't big but when you've been walking all day and feel like your feet are going to drop off it would help

Non coaster related. I used to have a thing for Alan Sugar and George Bush.....and Jeremy Kyle. Pretty sure there are even worse ones which I've forgotten but yeah, thankfully it was a phase. I'm cured now...I think

Oi ya nicked my photo lol - I do have another one with a dude hanging off the side of the plastic covering but it looked a bit odd! I saw movement around the area so went into Bush BBQ to have a snoop but only saw this thing and not a lot else - was hoping for a juicy exclusive, but they are keeping things very well covered over there. I've not really been following this thread - am excited for the new ride but don't want to hype myself up too much, plus keeping up with loads of posts is hard for a dense person such as myself. I popped into the Ghost Train shop yesterday and wow - it is amazing! Saw some pretty cool merch which I resisted buying - those levitating ghost trains look awesome, I could stand and watch them all day (yes I am easily pleased).The theming in the shop is fantastic and I love the rotating wall - I really hope that the ride is a success for the park. Ok it isn't a coaster but TP are in need of a decent dark ride and hopefully this will deliver. As for the preview - pretty sure I read that annual pass holders can book a slot to try out the ride on the 4th (in the afternoon) - not sure how non pass holders will feel seeing other guests being allowed to go on the ride - could imagine it could cause a bit of mayhem as it is restricted to AP holders. Hopefully they will stick to allowing pass holders to preview the ride and not do a u-turn on it

Gone back to Swarm and it's only running for test purposes - did manage an amazing ride on Quantum 20 mins ago. Rock on!

So apparantly someone decided to run through the exit of the Swarm station and try to run across the track?! According to a staff member stood outside. It's currently unavailable dammit and it's raining aghh

Thanks for the heads up - ooh teacups I should be ok on - although if I'm in one and someone starts spinning it furiously I get a bit nauseous

Ok I know what a meme is but what the hell does dank mean?! wow - what delightful language your class mate has! Did a teacher not hear her? Don't blame you for screaming back - sometimes it's the only way to get yourself heard. Jeez, maybe she has PMS and that's why she went bat crap crazy over....a pen!

There was a discussion on RAP somewhere and about who qualifies for it etc and people who abuse the system. there are no doubt people who will take the pee and use it when they don't need to which sadly can shine a bad light on those who genuinely need it. A couple of years ago I did get a ride access pass at Alton Towers as a small group of us had been swarmed by wasps most of the day and one person actually got stung. I told the lady at customer services about the wasp issue and that it sets off my anxiety (I'm freakin' terrified of them!). She asked a few questions then gave me a wristband and said I would probably qualify for one on each visit. It's hard because if I'm having a good day I would feel like a fraud using it. With a lot of illnesses you can have good days and bad days and sometimes you could be feeling ok and the next minute feel like you're dying.

That's not actually too bad for pricing- I thought it would be a lot more expensive than that. Not sure if I would go for wood from a wooden coaster as it could technically have come from anywhere although a fiver ain't bad! You got a heck of a lot of rides done! - what ones would you recommend and are there any that are really spinny? - I almost vomited on Time Machine at Adventure Island but thankfully I take motion sickness meds which help. As an example - I can do all rides at Thorpe with the exception of Detonator - because that thing is damned evil!

I really need to get my butt up to BPB this year - love the photos that you took. I also really like the fact that they sell ride parts - I'm surprised Merlin haven't cottoned onto that idea as I'm sure they would make a small fortune for enthusiasts. How much are various coaster parts out of a matter of interest?

That is actually really sad that they felt that way - they obviously needed the exit pass but sadly some people in society are damned ignorant and only think people who are wheelchair bound are disabled.With some illnesses they can vary - I have anxiety problems and have done for the past 16 years. I don't get ride access passes (don't even know if I would qualify for one tbh) but at its worse I am housebound. On a good day I can go out taking just a low dose of anti anxiety meds and sometimes none at all. As for queuing - I am usually ok but with anxiety you can get a panic attack out of the blue - a couple of times I've had to leave queues because of it. So people can look perfectly healthy but you never know what issues they are battling. At TP on Wednesday I (and I resent this) bought fast track for Saw - main reason was that we were leaving at 3pm and my niece was desperate to get back on it and also because I don't think I would have coped well with the 70 min queue - one if the main reasons I only got on 7 rides that day

Oh sod that! 45 mins for sea storm?! Though I have to admit I once queued 45 mins for Flying Jumbos only because my niece who was quite small at the time wanted to go on it badly. My sister went last year to pick up their family passes and in the space of about 5 hours my niece got on 2 rides. Anyone know what's up with the unavailable rides? Had a look on their app the other day and they were unavailable then aswell - I mean c'mon Griffins Galleon is the BEST ride at Chessie!

Ah the original Zodiac looked SO much better with the lost city theming! Am I right in thinking they got the current Zodiac from Drayton Manor (I may have dreamt it). Just wondering what they would class as "summer" - because if it's August that's a tad late and you can pretty much guarantee it'll be knackered in time for Fright Nights. Ugh that board is just depressing

I think I would genuinely have soiled my pants if that had happened to me. After 4 rides on Detty I have vowed never again. Oddly I was probably the most relaxed the first time I went on it back in 2013 then the subsequent 3 other goes, the same year got progressively worse until I was almost in tears. I don't mind small drops like Sub Terra or at The Dungeons, or Magma at Paultons but I am terrified of heights and the intensity of detonator is too much for my anxiety

Dragon Falls is a pretty good log flume - I personally prefer Loggers due to the final drop but I think Falls is fun plus you gave the added bonus of not tasting scabby lake water. Didn't they run a competition back in 2013 for a new design for the ride? I know the ride experience is the same but removing them Buddhas makes the final drop so boring to look at. #bringbackbuddhas

Oh I'm glad you said that he survived- when I read it I felt really sad, although being hit by a vehicle isn't nice. That whole situation regarding the kid and his parents has probably been made even worse than it was before that incident. Back to Dragon Falls - does anyone know if they are even going to get around to that retheme or sorting out the lack of Buddhas next to the main drop? It makes me sad seeing it look so naked!

Aha yeah I've often thought that with some restraints, when checking them a slight slip of the hand and it could end up somewhere else haha. I think that would be what I would be most worried about if I worked at a theme park! Lol no chance I would punch someone unless I was really angry. I have 18 piercings and am a complete wuss - people always think I'm goth due to my black hair and piercings and I always wear dark clothes but I'm too old for that! I almost nodded off myself having been awake for almost 24 hours at the point my lap bar was "checked". Love your sons response to you jumping and scaring the ride attendant - that's the sort of thing my niece would come out with!