Overcoming Fears of Rides

[4stokes]

As we are looking as our forthcoming trip as "once in a lifetime", I am really determined to overcome my fear of white knuckle rides - my DS 12 shows me up every time and is fearless. He wants to go on everything! I was scared going on the log flume at Alton Towers!!! I know, what a wimp! My question is which rides should I do first to build up my confidence? My worst fears are the coasters, particularly those that go upside down and I am sure that there will be some like R & R and ToT that I won't do. However, I want to be brave and thought I would be better off with some of the simulation rides like Spiderman, Back to Future, etc. I also want to do Splash, Thunder and Space Mountains. What do you think? Any tips would be appreciated as I would hate to go on a ride on the first day, scare myself silly and then be put off for the rest of the holiday!!

Look forward to hearing your experiences and sugggestions, especially from ex-wimps!!

Caroline

 

[Astrid]

Hi Caroline!

I have a dreadful fear of certain heights and suffer panic attacks in some cases, however, like you I was determined to try and conquer this to some degree this year!! (For more details wait till day 4 of my Trip Reports!!!).

However, I have never had any problem with Space Mountain, primarily because it is completely in the dark and therefore tried RnRC this year (in the dark as well) and was absolutely fine with that - in fact it was my favourite ride, it's just, as the Americans are fond of saying 'awesome'!! Both are fast and thrilling - RnRC has a very fast start and loops and corkscrews (the first time I'd ever gone upside down on a ride!).

Try Great Thunder Mountain Railroad for starters - that's excellent and my son of 9 who's a complete wimp with rides loves that one!

Next off I suggest Space Mountain - for the in the dark reason, then perhaps try Splash Mountain - the theming is excellent and the drop not as steep as it appears to be. I must admit the first time I did this I had my eyes tight shut and when I did open them a fraction thought I'd end up flying into the briar patch, but after the first try it was a doddle (remember I hate heights!!).

ToT was excellent a real thrill, the worst thing was not knowing when the first drop would happen! Everyone seems to feel differently about this one though so go with your instincts.

Spiderman was brilliant, indescribable and hardly scarey (imho) at all, if you get nervous just keep telling yourself it's all simulated!

Back to the Future I'm not keen on I'm afraid - I find it really jerky and I invariably come off there feeling queasy!!

The main thing to remember is that with every ride you can wimp out at the very last moment - a fact I know first hand So, if nothing else, doing the walkthrough to the actual ride means you get to see all the theming beforehand etc. - excellent on RnRC and ToT.

Good luck!!

Astrid x (the ride wimp!!)

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

For years and years I refused to go on any attraction which left the ground. I finally plucked up the courage to go on a coaster and enjoyed it so much and felt so exhilarated that I was cross with myself for missing out on such a great experience for all those years.

Astrid's suggestions for building up your courage are very sensible, and I strongly recommend that you give some of the coasters in Orlando a try. What's the worst that could happen? I've always found that the fear of looking at the coaster is always much worse than the actual ride. They only last two minutes, and if you really think that it's not for you, then you don't have to go on one again. The first time you ride a big coaster you will probably feel a bit shaky and dis-oriented when you finish (but in a good, exhilarating kind of way). After the first time you are able to appreciate the experience more, and even open your eyes now and again!
Regards

Rob

 

[Enright78]

For years I was the official coat holder in our family, far too wimpy to ride almost
anything.
Then in Feb we went for the first time without DD. if I was to continue my wimpiness
DH would have to ride everything himself.
So I steeled myself and went on the following (Iknow it is still wimpy, but a huge achievement
for me!)

Thunder Mountain - I loved it! I screamed and laughed all the way round. Only problem was I am
larger lady and kept sliding over and squishing DH!!

Splash Mountain - kept my eyes shut the first time, except for the drop bit where I accidentally
opened them! Loved it, and wanted to go on again at once

Star Tours - a simulator but with such a lot of humour that I forgot to be scared. Really not too
bad at all!

Alien Encounter - more a psychological thing, not sure if I'd do it again, I don't like being touched unexpectedly (!!!!).


Every ride in US!!! - this took some doing on my part, but i am glad I did. i think with me it is the fear of the unexpected. It was useful that DH had been on them all and could warn/describe to me what was going to happen. No scary rides at all here. I loved Back to the Future.. it IS jerky (DH punched himself in the stomach!!) but I laughed all the way through.

Test Track - just do it!! It really isnt scary at all IMHO


In Oct 2002 we are going back my aims are; Tower of Terror and Space Mountain
Wish me luck!!

 

[WebmasterPenny]

Another vote to start off with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!

Don't be nervous of the big climb it makes to start as it doesn't do the equivelent drop, unlike some other coasters do. Also, if you <i>really</i> want to make BTMR even 'softer' then ask to sit at or near the front...skip a train if neccessary. The reason for this is, when it gets to the top and starts it's first decent, the front part of the train only creeps down the first drop to about half way until the back of the train has reached the top, then the ride starts. After that, I'd say it's not worse than a series of big hump back bridges

I'm not big on rides myself...BTMR, and Space Mountain I'm fine with, but I won't do TOT and I've only done Splash Mountain once. Having said that, I DID do RnR. It is the smoothest coaster going, it inverts 3 times, but it's so smooth that you hardly know it's happened until you're out of the loop...infact, for me, the fast start is definately the scariest bit, even though nothing bad is really happening

I hold with the theory, that yes, I could probably do just about ANY ride I wanted...but why do it if you know you won't <i>enjoy</i> it. And fun is what it's all about afterall

Penny

 

[WDWfan uk]

........ Caroline, once you had been on the Alton Towers log-flume, did you enjoy it?

I don't go on the really big coaster i.e. Duelling Dragons and Hulk in IOA, but the three Magic Kingdom Mountains are my faves!

My choice for building up would be Test Track in Epcot - a great ride and not scary. I would also suggest Big Thunder Mountain and rather than sit stiffly, "go with it"! I absolutely love Splash and this ride is a lot of fun before you get to the drop as it tells the story of Brer Rabbit. Also Dinosaur in AK- just be sure to sit on the left for less 'thrills'!

I was very scared before I did TOT the first time, and when I came offI was shaking so badly but I was laughing too!! I was so proud I'd done it! I've ridden again too and it is quite disorienting as just as you get used to the feeling of dropping you are rising again just as fast, but it is a great ride!! If you do pluck up the courage, I recommend riding before lunch and screaming like mad, LOL! Screaming really does help you get rid of that adrenalin!

However, on our last trip, I was in the same condition before riding R'n'R and it really was a scary experience for me and I felt very bad for about 15 minutes afterwards - I will not ride it again.

I don't do simulators as they do make me nauseous but, Spiderman is not just a simulator, it does move along on tracks and is really wonderful! You are missing something if you don't go on this ride! (Just scream )

My advice would be to try a couple of rides a little outside your comfort zone and see how you feel, but if it doesn't suit you, there are plenty of other attractions to enjoy..... my sons are the same as yours - the bigger the ride the better they love it, but if don't feel bad if you don't get on the biggest coasters, just enjoy what you can

 

[vernon]

I'd agree with the "build up "approach. The coasters ( Hulk , DD, Kracken,Kumba and Montu) are all pretty similar, if you can do one, you can do all of them. I would say RockNRoller is slightly different because it takes place in the dark and you have the music to take your mind off things, I would probably start with RnR as my first coaster experience, having warmed up on some of the other not quite so drastic rides.

BTM is a good start as you have no invertions, Splash mountain is really pretty tame ( other than the one large drop) and the themeing on the rest of the ride do make this worth the trip ( even if you close your eyes on the big drop LOL). TOT , again has a great theme and build up and , IMHO it's worth going through the "drop sequence" just to experience the rest of the ride, although like Alien Encounter if you have a fear of the dark or are claustrophobic I would advise giving both a wide bearth.

Spiderman isn't a "scarey" ride although it does whisk you around a bit, again the themeing and ride really do make this worth "forcing yourself" to experience. It is SOOOO clever.

 

[UKDEB]

Caroline, I am the World's wimpiest person and all my life I've been afraid of <i>everything</i>, rides being no exception. This is one fear, however, which I feel I've pretty much overcome and, like Rob, could kick myself for missing out for so many years. Of course I still get nervous, but it's nothing like the feeling of sheer terror I used to feel.

I have probably ridden Splash Mountain about 12 times and I'm just starting to get used to it - I even manage to put my hands up for the drop now so that I don't spoil the photo! For years I desperately wanted to ride ToT, but just couldn't bring myself to do it, but in 2000 I finally plucked up the courage and rode it twice, but I can't say I'll rush to do it again.

The first coaster I rode was Nemesis at Alton Towers and to this day, I do not know what possessed me to do it. I absolutely loved it. I've since ridden Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Hulk, Duelling Dragons and Space Mountain.

For me, the rides with drops are worse than the coasters - I find the building anticipation unbearable. After the initial build-up on a coaster you are just taken along with the momentum. It's rides like Splash and ToT which I find hardest. I still haven't plucked up the courage to ride Jurassic Park or Journey to Atlantis and never ever intend to ride Oblivion or Doctor Doom. I did ride Dudley Do-Rights Ripsaw Falls and hated it. Have you ever ridden a coaster? Maybe you will be like me and find them less terrifying than the log flume and drop rides. My friend and s-i-l love Splash and ToT, but both hate R'n'R which is one of my favourite rides. As Penny says, the most terrifying part is the 'take-off' at the start - the first time I rode I totally 'lost' my stomach, but I've ridden so many times now I don't really notice it. For me the inversions are just complete exhilaration - not scary at all.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Test Track are not in the least bit scary and I agree that they'd both be good ones to start with, but as a fellow wimp I know you will be nervous the first time you ride. As Penny says, BTMR cranks you up quite high which is a bit worrying, but there is no corresponding big drop. Once you have ridden BTMR I promise you will want to go again straight away.

Space Mountain is a bit scarier for me than the newer, smooth coasters with inversions. It is a bit rickety, but it's still exhilarating. Back to the Future throws you around a lot and dh won't ride it anymore because he always comes off with a bad neck. It seems to be worse in the back (there are two rows of seats in each car).

Spiderman holds no fears for me at all and I don't even remember being nervous the first time I rode - it's a simulator after all. Luckily I don't suffer from motion sickness. If you do feel nervous, it might help if you look around occasionally rather than directly at the action - you can actually see the set which helps to remind you that it's not real.

 

[SpottyDog]

Caroline,

The fear is the worst thing isn't it?

Like Rob said, 'what's the worst that could happen?'- well maybe better not to think of that.

I can see the sense in the build up approach but wonder if the fact it's a build up might increase yer tension as the rides get bigger? I can see the smaller rides will increase yer bravery and confidence but not really sure they'll prepare you for the coasters.

The coasters are so different. Yes they're higher and do loops and stuff but these factors make them safer in my twisted logic. They have to be! The height makes them faster so you don't really know what's goin on first time. The full restraint keeps you firmly in yr seat and there's very little sense of movement other than visual and of wind rushin past etc. And they're so much smoother - don't think you'll get buffetted around like you do on Thunder Mountain.

You could try closin yer eyes (which I'm sure I did first time) but I'm not sure that won't make it more scary. My tip to riders is to watch straight ahead coz it keeps you still. Our Gaz insists on lookin around and wonders why he comes off dizzy!

The day I rode Krakken (me first last year), I was still as terrified as I approached the ramp for all the times I'd ridden Splash and Space Mountain etc. I just figured everyone else thought they were safe and I hadn't heard of anyone fallin out so the sooner I got over it the better.
Believe me, it was just blind faith and stupidity that got me on that thing and I've never been so terrified as it climbed to the top of the hill. Well I thought I hadn't till it fell down the other side! But once you get that first drop out of the way the ride's momentum just carries yer from one thing to another. All the way round, I thought I was gonna die and just wanted to get off.

But I did it.

I DID IT!!!!!!

Nothing compares to that overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. I've been a coaster rider ever since.

I hope this helps you give a coaster a try and that you enjoy survivin when you do.

 

[Nita]

I've always been chicken about rides
But on my next trip was determined to give more of them ago
After reading your thought's guy's I'm determined as ever to try out all that I missed
Thanks Guys

 

[janeossie]

I'm the original wimp when it comes to rides, I have only ridden one coaster in my life when I was young the small one at Blackpool. (Acording to my mum & nan I was a 4yr old demented idiot trying to get off at the top!)

Whatever you do don't miss the spiderman ride it is absolutely brill I would say worth going to US just for that ride alone. I rode all the simulator type rides and found them OK but body tours did leave me feeling woosy perhaps the subject matter, I did say I was the original wimp!

Next trip in December, I am going to give MK mountains Epcot Test Track and MGM RnR and TOT ago. Not saying I will go back for more. I don't think I'll be trying Hulk, Duelling Dragons etc.... Well probably not this trip. More down to the height issue until recently I couldn't even get up one step of a ladder. I think the idea of doing some rides out of your comfort zone a good idea, once I'd done Dinosaur once it wasn't too bad.