Fear on a Ride

[Charlesberg]

@ChessingtonSam Honestly the drop track on Th13teen is more terrifying and tense than pretty much anything else there is at Alton Towers. Not to mention the burst of speed at the brake run which is a decent stepping stone towards launches.

Comparing it to Obilvion, it is similar in the sense that you’re falling downwards however it feels much more gradual and natural on Oblivion. The holding brake actually makes it much less terrifying as it allows your body to quickly adjust to the steepness.

 

Also, I remember you saying you had ridden Dragon’s Fury. In my opinion DF is “scarier” than most of Alton Towers’ rides as the transitions on DF are much quicker and snappy whereas they’re gradual on the “thrill” coasters. I’ve known people to enjoy riding the Swarm but also to absolutely freak out on DF.

- I’ve just realised this is the second time I’ve mentioned this 

 

Again, I would suggest jumping straight to a biggie like I did with Silver Star back in 2011 (that story has been mentioned in various places amongst the forum) as that will then make you feel unstoppable afterwards but I think Oblivion would act as a good step up for now.

[TPC]

I can only talk from experience and trust me inversions used to properly scare me, but the only way to do more rides is to confront your fears. In a way, being too scared to ride air for the first time made me feel annoyed with myself for chickening out, so I actively made sure I rode it on my next visit.

[JoshuaA]

I agree that Dragons Fury is actually pretty snappy and intense compared to some of Alton's rides.

The Smiler is really just inversion after inversion followed by a inversion, not very intense, just sickly.

Oblivion is really all about the tension and anxiety of going up the lift hill, but the drop itself is fun but not really scary.

 

I guess just slowly build up the rides next time, thats what I did when I first did all the main rides.

I built up the courage to go on Rita, after that I insisted that I would try Nemesis and Air, then I finally built enough courage to do Oblivion all in the same day- I think the more rides you do the more confidence and courage you get.

[yeah]

I think the hardest part is finding the right ride - as people have said throw yourself in at the deep end but I dont really want to go on Smiler because if I go on and happen to hate inversions, I still have 13 more to do, its also a very intimidating ride. Ive also heard Nemesis is really really intense, how does that compare to Dragons Fury or Wicker Man?

[Coaster]

Nemesis is probably the best for inversions, seeing as it flies through them and is more about the intensity - you definitely don't get hang-time like on some of The Smiler's inversions.

 

I remember being really nervous before my first ever inversion (on this Pinfari thing https://youtu.be/ffnWABe-0Yc) but they really aren't as bad as they look - they're massively overrated IMO. 

 

[Stuntman707]

The one ride that scared me more than anything when I was younger was Oblivion. I refused to go on it for ages. It didn't help that they designed the marketing at the time to make it sound intimidating. Bare in mind this is at a time when no other rollercoaster in the world had a huge vertical drop. I think it's just the strange sensation of freefall I don't like, never liked drop towers either. It feels more out of control than an inversion because at least you can feel the car following the track which you don't get during a drop. First time I went on it though, I remeber I was actually shaking with adrenaline on the brake run. Oblivion is a very psychological ride.

[TPC]

Being honest the only reason why I didn't ride 13 in 2014 was I wasn't too aware of it and thought it would be very scary, based on the adverts. However, despite this sounding harsh, you can't just give yourself excuses every visit to make you think you cannot ride for a specific reason. Just ride the coasters you are scared to do ChessingtonSam. I bet you will love them, once you conquer your fear! 

[Mark9]

2 hours ago, ChessingtonSam said:

I think the hardest part is finding the right ride - as people have said throw yourself in at the deep end but I dont really want to go on Smiler because if I go on and happen to hate inversions, I still have 13 more to do, its also a very intimidating ride. Ive also heard Nemesis is really really intense, how does that compare to Dragons Fury or Wicker Man?

 

Lets face it, if you hate the first inversion on the Smiler, you've not much choice in the other 13 inversions, you'd have to do them if you're already on the ride. Nemesis is intense but its one of the greatest highs you can have in the UK, the adrenaline rush it gives you is almost addictive. It is more intense then Fury and Wicker Man which are more family orientated but don't let that dissuade you. Nemesis is sublime and you will love it once you conquer it.

[Whatever]

You won't know you don't like them until you do it. I don't like Detonator or Rush, but I know that I don't like them because I've tried them (but I'll go on them if someone dares me to bc I know I won't die)

Go on the Smiler, or get someone to dare you to.  That's what got me onto swarm. My mum went on Colossus 10 years ago because my cousins dared her to. She hated it but at least she knows she hates it. 

[Charlesberg]

When conquering fear on a ride you will start to realise that the stuff you’re afraid of is the reason you ride the ride. As scary as it may be, that’s only a small part of it, the other part will be your body taking in the amazement of the experience.

 

Over time that fear will become excitement and you will look forward to a ride which could be terrifying. You won’t need to think “well a ride I’ve ridden is more terrifying than this ride so I think I’ll be fine” and instead you’ll be thinking “now that’s a step up from anything I’ve ever done, sign me up!”. You will also get to a point where you embrace intensity, so rather than opting for the inside seat and least intense row, you end up going for a more adventurous row (back or front) and shotgunning the outside seat. That’s basically the main goal which even took me plenty of fear conquering.

 

A way to maybe conquer your fear is to really think about the end result and how much more exciting your life as an enthusiast will be. At that point you can then go further, to theme parks in exotic places (gives a good excuse to travel the world) to rides in unusual locations.

[JoshuaA]

I think the post above me really is true.

Fear and intensity really is quite addictive when it comes to rides- it makes some rides for me, Baco for example always makes me anxious on the build up to the launch.

The fear is part of the fun- especially when you are with a group of mates and you can laugh afterwards about how you just became a nervous wreck for a few minutes.

 

I have a massive fear of Drop Towers  (Detonator makes me terrified!)

But I plan to finally do Hurkan Condor at PA, just remember the amount of adrenaline and relief you will get after the ride will be a insane and fun feeling, and you'll probably be back again later for more!

[yeah]

On 12/04/2018 at 10:33 PM, Mark9 said:

 

Lets face it, if you hate the first inversion on the Smiler, you've not much choice in the other 13 inversions, you'd have to do them if you're already on the ride.

Yeah that's my point, if only there was a clone of the Smiler with ten less inversions 

On 12/04/2018 at 11:01 PM, Whatever said:

Go on the Smiler, or get someone to dare you to.  That's what got me onto swarm. My mum went on Colossus 10 years ago because my cousins dared her to. She hated it but at least she knows she hates it. 

Yeah if all goes well Ill be getting to Thorpe with at least one friend pretty soon.

 

[Charlesberg]

2 hours ago, ChessingtonSam said:

Yeah if all goes well Ill be getting to Thorpe with at least one friend pretty soon.

I would recommend going into the park at opening and being one of the first (if not the first) to ride a ride. At least that way you can more or less guarantee no queue and therefore less tension beforehand. Plus it will set you up for the rest of the day.

 

Also if this helps, because of the centripetal force on inversions like vertical loops, Immelmanns, corkscrews (anything remotely circular you travel through at a high speed) your body will remain in your seat. Any inversions involving hangtime, well every major coaster at TP has OTSRs so you will feel incredibly secure, it’s just a case of the weight on your body acting in a different directions amongst the seat.

[yeah]

Okay so here's where we are right now:

 

- I'm feeling very intimidated by the height of the rides at Thorpe, as well as the drops.

 

- I'm not scared of Smiler, like, at all, I just don't know when I'll next be going to Towers.

 

- I'm thinking of going on Rameses with a friend on Saturday

[Han30]

@ChessingtonSam I have a huge fear of heights but will go on pretty much any coaster - I won’t however go on the London Eye again.  With coasters you actually don’t really notice the height much and you are only at the highest point for a few seconds.

 

I did Rameses Revenge before I conquered my fear of big coasters so might be a good start - but honestly the best thing (which I know isn’t easy) is to just do it.  It was the guys here at TPM that helped me get over my fear of big rides - even holding my hand!

 

My niece was absolutely terrified when I took her to Thorpe for the first time but started her off on Inferno which I think is a good starting point - it took a couple of visits but now she goes on all the coasters without holding on and is a mini geek.

 

Would you ever consider going to a TPM meet? No one would pressurise you to go on anything but you’d have support there from people who’ve ridden the coasters countless times which might put your mind at ease.

 

You can conquer your fears - I did it at 32 years of age and used to be terrified of pretty much any ride - I’d be the one holding the bags and waiting for my sister to come off the big rides 

[yeah]

On 5/3/2018 at 12:08 PM, Han30 said:

@ChessingtonSam

Would you ever consider going to a TPM meet? No one would pressurise you to go on anything but you’d have support there from people who’ve ridden the coasters countless times which might put your mind at ease.

 

 

Might be replying to this a bit too early  but yeah I've considered it, don't know about it though for various reasons.

[Han30]

11 hours ago, ChessingtonSam said:

Might be replying to this a bit too early  but yeah I've considered it, don't know about it though for various reasons.

Definitely worth thinking about - if it wasn’t for the guys on here I would never have got over my fear of big rides.

 

Did you manage to do Rameses?

[yeah]

On 5/14/2018 at 11:40 PM, Han30 said:

Did you manage to do Rameses

Unfortunately not, I had a reason but I can't remember now.

[Han30]

11 minutes ago, ChessingtonSam said:

Unfortunately not, I had a reason but I can't remember now.

Ah - well to be honest, for me I find flat rides a lot scarier than coasters.  I flat out refuse to do Detonator ever again and I’m not a massive fan of Rush and Vortex either.

I know it’s not easy but you might have to just grit your teeth and go for it.  When I took my niece on her first upside down coaster (Pinfari ?), she freaked out going up the lift hill so I just stayed calm, got her to sing and scream and it worked.

 

Stealth used to scare the ? out of me until my 20ish ride on it and the only thing that helped was screaming/swearing on the way up - not very ladylike but it worked.

 

Inferno is a great one to start with - it’s the first one I did at Thorpe and the same with my niece.  I remember being scared of the vertical loop going up the lift hill on my first go thinking “sh£&& that’s high” but you really don’t notice it - as in it feels a lot different to how you would expect it to.  If you are concerned about motion sickness I can highly recommend cinarazine (Stugeron) - without that stuff I would be so unwell on rides.  Obviously you are anxious but if you can get hold of some, Rescue Remedy is really good..

 

I’ve probably repeated myself from older posts but I’m too lazy to go back and check ? so apologies.  Finally go with someone who understands your fear and will reassure you but not bully you or pressurise you to do something if you’re not ready.  

 

If someone had told me 6 years ago that I’d ride all the coasters at Thorpe, Towers and BPB (plus Efteling and Phantasialand) I would have laughed in their face but I’m glad I took the plunge - it’s just that first step to overcome then I’m sure you’ll be hooked 

[yeah]

Right then - surprise Alton Towers trip this weekend. Let's see how this goes.

[Han30]

3 hours ago, ChessingtonSam said:

Right then - surprise Alton Towers trip this weekend. Let's see how this goes.

 

You can do it!  Think positive and just go for it - trust me - Nemesis is worth facing your fear 

[yeah]

Not looking likely this trip either, for reasons Ill dicuss when I'm home and have access to an actual keyboard.

[Han30]

2 hours ago, ChessingtonSam said:

Not looking likely this trip either, for reasons Ill dicuss when I'm home and have access to an actual keyboard.

I was just wondering how you got on - don’t be too hard on yourself - you can face your fear but you have to do it when you’re ready

[yeah]

Right then - back at my computer for Why I Didn't Conquer My Fear of Roller Coasters Vol. 3450.

 

The long and short of it is - the first day I felt a bit under the weather for most of the day. My dad was basically begging me to go on Rita last time, and there was no queue so I told him to go on his own if he so desperately liked to go on it. He did (despite later admitting he was bricking it and was only mocking me for trying to persuade my sister on Wicker Man haha), and told me all about it which reassured me. I came back later ready to go on it, and noticed the RAP queue leads to the back seat which put me off (I usually hate going on coasters on the most intense rows first time). Overnight and during the half hour journey to the park I was preparing to go on Rita, followed by either Nemesis or Oblivion, then followed by the other.  I was fairly up for it, but sat in the test seat for Rita and found it incredibly uncomfortable at first which also put me off. We went about the day how we normally would doing all the rides we normally would, however one station was broke on Galactica meaning it took forever. By about 3:30pm we were exhausted from the two consecutive days on park, I was in a bit of a bad mood all day for no real reason, everyone was getting a bit sick of each other and so we just decided to call it a day after one more ride on Wicker Man.

 

Another thing is - I give myself a big prep talk and get prepared for whatever ride I may be "going on", but then when I get near the ride I get pretty much frozen with fear. It's happened with Colossus, Smiler (both of which we were outside for an hour or so), Galactica, Oblivion, Swarm, even Vampire, and now Rita. The only ride I've ever walked up to and just got on (that I've been scared of) is pretty much Wicker Man. I still don't know what I can do about this. Maybe I just need to find a ride that's way less intimidating to look at.

[Han30]

It’s a shame that you weren’t able to get on some of the rides BUT don’t be disheartened about it.  Years ago I was about to go on Vampire and had a panic attack so just walked out of the station.

I remember following the construction of Colossus then when it opened I stood for 2 hours waiting for my older sister and her boyfriend to ride it!

 

My first big coaster was Space Mountain (back in 2000)and I think the only reason I went on it was because I couldn’t see the track layout.  But in all honesty, coasters look a lot more terrifying than they are in reality.  Oblivion looks very intimidating and when I first went to Towers back in 2013, I had done the other coasters fine yet I cried going up the lifthill on Oblivion.  I ended up loving it so much - I know it’s easy to say and harder to put into practice but worst case scenario, you go on a coaster and hate it - it’s all over with so quickly you can just say “yup I’ve done it but never again” - since I conquered my fear of rides 5 years ago, there has only been one coaster (out of a fair few) that ive ridden and hated and that was Wild Mouse at BPB.  But I’m glad I got to experience it even though I was pooping myself!

 

Youll get there - and I bet that once you take that step (as hard as it is) you will wish you’d done it sooner - the thoughts that go through your head are far worse than what you experience on a coaster but it is difficult to face any fear.  I personally am petrified of flying - never been in a plane in my almost 38 years on this planet - I have so many scenarios go through my head just thinking of it.

 

You’ve done Wicker Man so you’re doing better than my younger sister who literally has a panic attack on log flumes and the only coaster she has ridden is Scorpion Express (when it was Runaway Mine Train)!