Do you remember your first coaster experience?

My first coaster I dearly wish were still standing, or what really happened to it known of. The Mad Mouse at Old Indiana Fun Park was my first. My second Coaster the Montagnes Russes also at Old Indiana. My first Wooden coaster, The Raven at HW. My first big steel roller coaster, Chang at KK. Of course I remember Mad Mouse, it was amazing the first time and it only got better. I only wish I would have known the last time I rode it would be the last time forever. It was 91, so I was 8.

My first was at age 2- The Flying Dragon at Funderland. My mom would take me there, the zoo, and Fairytale Town almost every week. The coaster is a simple Wisdom model, but at the time it seemed to go so fast and even had what I considered a head chopper on the helix.

As much as I was memorized by Funderland as a tot, it wasn't until I rode The Giant Dipper at Belmont that I caught the bug. That was at age 10. The rest is history!

My first real coaster was Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Orlando, shortly before my 22nd birthday. I have somewhat of a fear of heights, and an even bigger fear of falling. Therefore, coasters were not something I wanted to do. I got on it, because I did not realize exactly what it was. Nevertheless, it completely changed my opinion of coasters. I am 24 now and have visited the 3 parks in MO as well as both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure. Disney World has been visited also, however, I missed Expedition Everest due to time constraints. I know that is not a lot of coasters ridden or parks visited, but I have not been at it very long. I look forward to experiencing all the great coasters I can!

Jr. Gemini!

I was probably 4, so it was probably in 91 or 92. I barely remember. When i was 7 or 8, I rode Magnum and Mean Streak for the first time. I almost cried on Mean Streak because i had the assumption that since it was wood it was less safe, and it was rough to me. Then i was somehow tricked into Magnum, and i was extremely scared because it was one of the tallest roller coasters in the world. I got sick on it. Needless to say, that visit was traumatic to me.

My first upside down experience was Corkscrew. I was tricked into that too! Man I was gullible!

My first coaster was Rollo Coaster at Idlewild Park. Today, it's boring to me, but when I was 3, it was terrifying. I didn't ride another coaster after that (except for Thunder Mountain at Disney World, but that's a little different) until someone convinced me to ride the Racer at Kennywood, age 7... it was all downhill from there.

My first coaster was at Valleyfair when I was just a little girl. I can't remember the name of it to save my life but it was a kiddy coaster. I hated it. Terrified me to no end.

It wasn't until some friends forced me onto Kumba some eight years later that I came to appreciate coasters. Cried my whole way up the lift, screamed in joy the instant I got halfway through the loop. It's been lurve ever since ;)

My first coaster was Euclid Beaches Flying Turns, followed by The Racing Coaster. I was very young, like 5, and my mom took me on them. The park closed when i was 7, but I remember EBP's coasters well. I think my first time on The Thriller was when I was 6.

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Byron said:
My first real coaster was the Mindbender at SFOG. How many remember this 1st loop having the "siren" sound? I kept hearing that while I was waiting in line and was very intimidated....To this day, it is still one of my favorites..

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It's still one of my favorites too, and I remember the siren. I also remember the dirt path through the woods and waiting for the attendant to drop the chains so the line could cross the train tracks. The bridge underneath wasn't built until 1980 when they introduced Jolly Roger's Island. I rode it opening year (1978) and again in 1979 and 1980 but I don't remember if they still had the siren past the first year. I also remember the billboard on I-20 right next to the parking lot that said "Meet the Mindbender." Even with all the changes since, I'm glad they still have that Q-line winding through the pines, it's very much part of the experience for me.

My very very first coaster was the kiddie Roller Coaster at Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, in 1966, I was 6. I'm pretty sure it was a Schiff, the smaller model - not the "Thriller" that showed up at parking lot carnivals back then. Then I rode a lot of portables - JetStars and Zyklons and such, which is all we had around here back then, and the first wood I rode was the Hunt's Pier Flyer in 1971. The first major adult-size coaster I rode was Rebel Yell in 1977. I remember feeling like I was getting dumped out on the first drop, and everyone screamed louder than I've ever heard a group of people scream before, it was just weird experiencing a ride like that with so many people at once - two whole trains worth, every seat full. I rode King Kobra, my first looping coaster the same day.

yes

The Junior Gemini, like Toledo Toby.

However, my first ride was back in the early 80's. We would ride it over, and over and...you get the idea.

My first "greater than" coaster beyond JG was the Mine Ride. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I rode this. There was never any line, never any stacking, yet every train was always full. I remember it as being the ride you could get on, get off and back in line immediately, and get right back on! The helix at the end made me laugh so hard...

So even though JG was my first, the Mine Ride is the one I really have memories of.

Mine was the Beast the year it opened. It was sometime early in the year. There was still the running of the bulls for the ride at that time. I was with a couple of my friends but ended up with this guy and he said to hang with him. We would wait for the front seat and I would love it (and I did and it was very memorable hanging over the first hill and seeing such a small tunnel below). Turned out this guy happened to be Carl Eichelman. Funny that my first ride was with the guy who would set the ride record on it. Although when we rode, they already seemed to know him pretty well.

Aww I remember like it was yesterday... I was between the ages of 10 - 12 and I was at Kennywood Park. I had been on the racer but that was not bad but my real experience was on the Steel Phatom back in 1997-1999. All I know is my father, who's deceased as of now, forced me to get on it with my little brother because he was on the other side of the park with other group members. I tried my hardest not to ride but because I respect my father and did what he asked.

I stood in line with my brother and watched as the train flew over us, down the 225 ft. drop and hearing guest scream their heads off. I literally cried with everyone watching me saying, "I don't want to ride this but I have to". Long story short, We rode the back seat, I closed my eyes and loved the coaster after I got off. Ever since then, I've been traveling to many parks as much as I can at 20 years old just to admire/ride these modern marvels. *** Edited 12/3/2007 4:05:31 PM UTC by Starintraining***

Like the original poster, my first was the American Eagle, the year it opened.

I had been going to the park quite a bit already because my uncle was working in management in the park and we had free tix all the time. I had been going on a lot of the flat rides already, but I could not gather the courage to ride the coasters.

Anyways, the year that the American Eagle came out it was billed as the fastest, scariest coaster around. Everyone talked about the steep drop and how scary it was. I tried one time earlier in the year to ride it, figuring if I was going to get over my fear to start big. Only problem was that lines were typically a couple hours long every day. That gave me enough time to get afraid enough to chicken out and leave the line.

My opportunity came towards the end of the season. My parents would be racing in an autocross event on the parking lot closest to the Eagle. We were in the parking lot at six in the morning so they could get ready for their racing and walk the course. Needless to say, I was the first in line to get into the park. I was also first in line that morning to ride the Eagle.

I was instantly regretting my decision as we climbed the lift hill. I wanted off the ride. The park got smaller and smaller as we climbed the lift to impossible heights. As we crested the hill my heart was pounding so hard that I am betting that everyone on that train could have heard it and felt it. I felt myself slipping out of the seat as we careened down the unbelievably steep drop, my stomach in my throat. I was slammed down into my seat as we hit the bottom of the hill. My adrenaline was flooding my body from the thrill of having conquered the first drop. By the time the train reached the helix my hands were up in the air.

I have never felt as alive as I had that cold, September morning. I have come close a few times, especially my first ride of Top Thrill Dragster, but never will it be as great as that day, at age 13 when I conquered...The American Eagle.

EDIT: Ripping off Vater's post below, and refusing to post again!

Other firsts:

Steel: Williards Whizzer (1981)
Looping: Demon (1982)
Launched: Tidal Wave (1982)
Stand-Up: Iron Wolf(not sure, but the year it debuted)
Suspended: Iron Dragon (2000)
Inverted: Batman: The Ride(1991)
Hyper: Raging Bull (again, the year it debuted)
Flying: Superman: UF (year it debuted at Great America) *** Edited 12/3/2007 8:06:17 PM UTC by Kick The Sky***

My first was Jumbo Jet at Cedar Point in 1976 when I was 11. My second was that same day on Mine Ride followed by Wildcat and then Blue Streak. Corkscrew was new that year and nobody I was with wanted to wait 90min to ride it. Admission to Cedar Point back then was $7.50.

I *think* my first coaster was the Rollo Coaster at Idlewild, and I believe I was around two or three at the time. I don't remember much other than careening through the woods, screaming at the top of my lungs, then after we got off asking my cousin, "Can we ride it again??!" :)

My first "real" coaster was the Jack Rabbit at Kennywood. I was around three or four. It scared the snot out of me, mainly because (a)it starts out pretty mild and (b)I almost fell out. I was riding with my cousin (again) and she insisted on sitting on the inside. I didn't know well enough to argue, so I let her. The first couple of hills were fine, but when we hit the double dip I slid off my seat at the bottom and almost fell out the side. Grrr... I didn't tell my mom about this until recently, and boy was she ticked! :D

Of course, this explains why I was more or less a coaster-phobe until I was in my early-to-mid teens! Luckily a friend "trained" me out of it. We started out with the Mine Train (SFOG), then the GA Cyclone, then GASM, then Z-Force, and finally the Mindbender. The Mindbender is still my favorite looper, after all these years!

CatPurrson

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Ensign Smith said:
Just like DanTheCoasterman, my first coaster was the Beastie...only it was still the Scooby Doo.
[snip]
I loved it, but was still too intimidated to go on [snip] Racer.

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My situation is very similar, with the exception of the location. My first was Scooby Doo at Kings Dominion in 1979; I was 6. To this day I haven't marathonned a coaster nearly as many times as I have the Scooby Doo.

It wasn't until the following year that I rode my first adult-sized coaster at the same park, Rebel Yell. I don't think my folks used reverse psychology to get me to ride it, however. I think I needed to convince myself I was ready for it, and then I had to convince my folks that I was ready for it. I didn't realize it then, but I think they had to convince themselves that they were ready for it. :)

Other firsts:

Steel: Galaxi (Kings Dominion) (1980)
Looping: Sooperdooperlooper (1980)
Launched: King Kobra (1981)
Stand-Up: Shockwave (Kings Dominion) (1986)
Suspended: Big Bad Wolf (1991)
Inverted: Alpengeist (1997)
Hyper: Magnum XL-200 (1997)
Flying: Batwing (2001)

My first coaster was Big Thunder Mountain at WDW. I was four and rode it with my grandpa. I wasn't scared and I didn't make a sound the whole time. We then headed over to the little Tom Sawyer island thing and I heard people screaming. I asked my grandpa why those people were screaming and he told me that some people hold up there arms and scream when they ride costers. So I begged him to take me back on the Big Thunder Mountain and I held my arms up and screamed the whole time and loved it. Now I've been doing it ever since!

Jr. Gemini at Cp when I was 5. I was terrified and refused to ride it again.

Didn't get on another coaster until I was 8. CCMR at CP. I was terrified and refused to ride it again.

Didn't get on another coaster again until I was 13 - it would've been one of KW's four during the Laser Loop era. I was terrified, but rode them all.

My firsts (ripping off Vater's list):

Steel: Jr. Gemini (1978) or CCMR (1981) (depending on if kiddies count)
Woodie: One of KW's threesome (1986)
Looping: Laser Loop (1986)
Launched: Laser Loop (1986)
Stand-Up: Mantis (1996)
Suspended: Iron Dragon (1995)
Inverted: Raptor (1995)
Hyper: Magnum XL-200 (1995) (does Steel Phantom count? If so I did that in 1993)
Flying: X-Flight (2001)

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Starintraining said:
Long story short, We rode the back seat, I closed my eyes and loved the coaster after I got off.

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That ride could have turned you off of coasters for life, what a nightmare it was in the back seat.

Gonch, you have something in common with my daughter. Jr. Gemini was her first coaster too -- except that she 17 months old, and she immediately tugged us back to get in line for a re-ride. :)

Of course, that was probably already her third or fourth visit to the park, so her indoctrination was well underway...

Now she's almost six, and has 54 coaster credits already, including Magnum, Twister, Villain, both U.S. Space Mountains, and Leap the Dips. The one I'm jealous of is Expedition Everest, which she got to ride on a summer trip with her grandmother. Sigh.