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Which park got you into rides?


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I was definitely interested in rides/theme park industry before I went on scary rides (weird I know).  First theme park visits were TP and CWOA in the very early 90s but I was a massive wimp back them - actually I was 18 before I went on the Vampire :wacko:

 

I guess what really got me interested would be when I was doing my advanced GNVQ in IT back in 1998 - 2000.  We were doing a module about sensors and all that jazz and got to go to Disneyland Paris to learn more (well, we could have learnt all we needed to know without visiting but I'm not complaining).  Found it really interesting learning about how sensors are used on rides and DLP was where I first went upside down, back in 2000, at the age of nearly 20 :lol:.

 

Revisited TP back in 2013 after being away from the place since the arrival of Colossus in 2002 (I didn't ride it despite following the construction of it closely - doh!)

Finally lost all my wimpiness that year and yeah, I'm waffling

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For me it has to be Drayton Manor. I used to visit every year with my (extended) family. We used to take up a whole row when the car parks were at the 'front' of the park by the hill near the Buffalo. I loved Pirate Adventure, and I gradually built my way up the roller coasters there including the Klondike Gold Mine! I still remember my first de-masculating ride on Shockwave and have a great on-ride photo from it! I rode the Crypt but can't remember a whole lot about it, and the Jungle Cruise was always a family favourite. I remember going to the Slot Machine Museum on the mini train and one of the staff giving me some coins to use in them. Great memory! It basically started my love of theme parks.

 

This was supplemented by school trips (in September - so less queues!) to Alton Towers. We always had a sleep over at mine the night before so we could plan out our day. Which basically always resulted in running to get a (free!) fastpass to Nemesis or  Air and then queuing the five minutes for the other. Then working our way around the park. I always used to go with a friend who couldn't use the skyride so spent many a time walking through the valley!

 

It was our first trip to Disney in 1996 that really did it for me though - and made me realise that I wanted to work in theme parks and especially Disney World. Which I did actually manage to do in 2009! 

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  • 1 month later...

It was Europa Park that started it all for me but mainly Silver Star.

It was back in August 2011 on a visit to Europa Park, at that time I had no interest in theme parks or roller coasters.

This follows on to when I went to Europa Park in 2008, it was a stop on the way to Austria as part of our holiday. When we got there The first thing I remember seeing was Silver Star going down the drop. At that time I was under 11 and 1.4m so of course I couldn't ride it, I would've been too scared anyway. On that trip, when I saw people going on and off Silver Star I would think that they were brave people that could do anything (I was only 7). I remember being proud of riding the mine train which I laugh at now. I do remember that Silver Star was the grand thing in the park.

When we planned the same trip again to Austria with Europa Park on the way we planned it so that we did Europa Park on the 19th August, the day after my 11th birthday, by then I was already over the 1.4m mark. As I hadn't done a ride with a drop before I thought I could maybe ride it. When we got to Europa park on my birthday we stayed at the Camp Resort which I loved and enjoyed loads but right outside our log cabin was Silver Star (across a short field) reminding me how scared I would be the next day, at least I had my birthday to take my mind off the fear on that day.

The next day we went into the park and we were with another family who we were friends with. I remember when me, my dad, and the father of the other family broke off the queue to ride Silver Star, at this point there wasn't really any turning back.

We joined the queue which was about 30mins, I was very scared at this point. Then we got to the station, I got into my seat and the ride attendant I remember had dreadlocks pushed down my lap bar, this was it, I was about to ride Silver Star. The train then exited the station and ascended the lift hill. I remember saying "I'm scared". Then we started to head over the drop, I though this isn't to bad until this. Then train sped up so much down the hill and caught me completely off guard. I was screaming, the wind was rushing past, it was like in a cartoon when red goes past very fast. It then continued, going up and down, scaring me over and over again, dropping over the car park and the gate, it was so freaky as it wasn't my usual environment. It then ended, my heart racing like it had never done before. I then reminded myself: I have just done Silver Star, the greatest feeling at the time.

I then did more rides that day (chickened out of blue fire (this was over 4 years ago)) which eventually adapted me to the free fall nature.

I kept saying to people I've been on the tallest roller coaster in Europe (this was before Shambhala) which then got me hooked on roller coasters. It then started my interest which continues today. It was a hidden interest.

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My first coaster was Vampire at Chessington. But my first big coaster was Areosmith at Disney Hollywood Studios.

I remember just being tall enough at like age 8-9. I didn't know it went upside down when I went on it.

And.. I loved it. Shortly after on a trip to spain I did Furius Baco thinking it was gonna be a walk in the park after looking at a POV of it.

Hell was I wrong.

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My first coaster was Vampire at Chessington. But my first big coaster was Areosmith at Disney Hollywood Studios.

I remember just being tall enough at like age 8-9. I didn't know it went upside down when I went on it.

And.. I loved it. Shortly after on a trip to spain I did Furius Baco thinking it was gonna be a walk in the park after looking at a POV of it.

Hell was I wrong.

I know people that are tricked by Furius Baco, less young people would ride it if they actually knew it was the fastest roller coaster in Europe.
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Everyone's tricked by Baco by thinking it isn't going to be THAT bad surely?

 

Then you ride it, and confuse the survey woman when you give it a 1 because 0 wasn't on her scale...

When I rode Furius Baco I was aware of the launch so it didn't fool me too bad.

I just didn't know the launch occurred when the scientist jumped into the wine.

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everyone's opinion I guess... I mean yes rita is quite rough (and had the roughest ride ever in the dark at fireworks on it), but still baco is in a completely different league of intense vibration and shaking, it's quite frankly horrendous. I could happily ride Rita several times over Saw & Colossus to put things into perspective.

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I really want to go on Furius Baco!

 

I've mentioned before on here, I rode it about 4 or 5 times in a weekend, I love the idea, and the layout and the power of the launch... but honestly had one ride front row on the inside right seat, and absolutely loved it... sat anywhere else (in particular noticed row 4 was considerably worse than back), and it was unbearable for me unfortunately and regret riding it, so much that I had to go back to the hotel and chill in the sauna and hot tub one afternoon afterwards.

 

but you like blackpool pleasure beach rides... so you must enjoy the rough rides that chuck you about  :rolleyes:

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but you like blackpool pleasure beach rides... so you must enjoy the rough raucous rides that chuck you about   :rolleyes:

Infusion is the only rough coaster at BPB, I enjoy it usually but it depends how it's running.

 

Generally I enjoy raucous rides that throw you around much more than smooth ones, so I'd like a go on Baco!

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Infusion is the only rough coaster at BPB, I enjoy it usually but it depends how it's running.

 

Generally I enjoy raucous rides that throw you around much more than smooth ones, so I'd like a go on Baco!

 

 

I always prefer smoother the better (although do like being chucked about a bit in the case of nemesis & inferno)... saying that, I absolutely love megafobia the latest woodie I've been on (first time was a few years ago, but only truly appreciated it this year)... the pleasure beach ones just don't seem to appeal to me that much  :unsure:

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