Riding alone

Sometimes I go myself, sometimes I go with other people. It depends on who's not working etc. I'm pretty good at striking up a conversation in line with other people, and I've met many an enthusiast while doing so (hint: coaster t-shirts are usually a dead give-away). I always find it interesting to find out where people are from, their impressions of the ride we're waiting for etc. Plus, if you talk to someone they're more likely to include you in their group if they have an uneven number (like the nice teenagers waiting for Disaster Transport).

Until 2 years ago I would have never thought about going to a park by myself.  But when CP had the first Millennium Mania, none of my friends wanted to go.  So I went anyways and had a good time.  Since then, I’ve done several solo trips to different parks.  It’s nice to be able to decide last minute you want to go and just do it.

One nice think about going solo is you can ride the same coaster over-and-over again.  Most of my friends want to ride everything once (maybe twice for the top rides) and then leave.

The only problem I have going solo is that you feel silly riding anything but coasters.  Riding spin’n’pukes by yourself is not very fun.

I enjoy going to the park with my girlfriend, she is just as big of a fan of coasters as I am. At Silver Dollar City over christmas vacation, we rode Wildfire about 6 times in a row, it was so great. She loves them and we go at the same pace so it was really really cool. Unlike riding with my dad, who likes to go at a slow pace.

-----------------

I hate riding alone, so I basically 'forced' my wife to become a rollercoaster rider.  Of course, she fought it, but after I wrangled her onto SD2K, she was all mine.  She flung up her arms, and 'got it.'  So, no more lonely Rob......:)

Hey Ravenguy98.....I like your posts, but your sig is creepy dude.  No offense.  whew.........;)
---------------------
!! www.tripowered.com Check it out!

Rob,what is your secret to getting your wife on coasters?The only coaster that I was successful at getting my wife to ride with me was the Ice Mountain Bobsled at Enchanted Forest in Turner,Oregon.The coaster trains on this coaster are enclosed and the track never gets very high off the ground.Nothing would make me happier than for my wife to be sitting next to me as we climb the lift hill on the PNE Coaster as we anticipate the airtime delights before us.But,riding alone is better than not riding at all.Sometimes riding alone can be cool.Last May I had the entire train to myself on the Dania Beach Hurricane.It was though the train was dispatched just for me.

I only reason i don't like going to parks alone is that their is no one to talk to if you have to wait in a very long line

when you guys are riding with someone for the first time ever try and freak him out?? (if hes not an enthusiast)

When I go to my home park (SFNE) it's so much more fun with a big group.  Especially since I've done everything so many times already...

But, when I make a big trip to visit someone and their home park (like if I fly to SFMM) it frustrates me when my host isn't as keen on riding Goliath 10 times in a row as I am.  I know that they're the host and I am the guest, but it seems like whenever I fly to visit someone and their home park, I'm just getting started when they're ready to go home.

So, I like groups for parks that I've already been through many times, and solo for parks that I make a big trip for.

-----------------
The legend lives!

I agree that riding costers alone is just flat out boring.  Even with strangers, its kind of boring.  There is nothing like riding with friends!
-----------------
So...you can't handle a rollercoaster huh? Well...you ARE the Weakest Link! Goodbye!
Number 1 Batwing Fan!

Only ever been to a park alone once.  It was before a hockey game at Hershey and my wife could not go as she was working as a visiting nurse at the time and was "on call" that weekend.  The park was open for Hersheypark in the Dark so stopped by there for a few rides on the Great Bear, sooperdooperlooper, and Comet before the game.  I didn't really mind given the circumstance, but I am not sure I would go to a park by myself.

As for riding alone, it really doesn't bother me.  I've got a higher tolerance for coasters than my wife (I did 6 rides in a row on Kraken, she was only good for 2). She gets dizzy, nauseaous and headachey.  At SFA, Jokers Jinx did her in (headache from the head banging) and she had to sit out Roar, BatWing and Wild One.   So.... when we go to parks, I have no problem riding alone... I'm used to it.  Actually, what bothers me more is the fact that while I am waiting in line and riding a coaster, my wife has to wait for me and can not enjoy the fun. Again, its not that she doesn't like coasters, but that certain coasters just don't like her.

-----------------
"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."

Ron, I took my wife to Expoland in Osaka Japan for her first ride on a coaster.  It was Orochi, the Raptor clone, and she looked at it with that terrified pall in her eyes, but I did the "it would make me so happy....." to her, and so she went.  The onride photo shows her screaming, with her eyes completely shut.  Hilarious.  After that, though, she felt empowered, and rode coasters the rest of the day, even riding Orochi before the park closed, this time with her eyes open, and she liked it quite a bit.  She remarked that it wasn't so scary after all.  Two days later, I took her to Portopialand in Kobe, where they have a few fun little coasters, and a big Skycoaster at the front gate.  Well....I had never been on a skycoaster, so I just ran up to it, and bought two tickets before she could even say anything.  Then, when she did, I said "you know...I would really love it if you went on this ride with me."  She relented, and I can say that this was much scarier than any ride I have been on previously.  I was terrified myself, so that didn't help her, but after it was over, she again felt empowered, and we rode all day.  Then off to Suzuka Curcuit, where they have a Premier clone (spaghetti bowl) called Mad Cobra with these awesome and soft head restraints.  She loved it, because the ride doesn't go up a hill slowly, but just fires you down the line.  Then an SLC clone later in the day.  I didn't even have to say "I would really love you if...." to her.  Well, I know that this is a long story, but after that, she refused to ride coasters with me until last summer.  (In fact, she went to Silverwood, and had a terrible day because she just couldn't get past her fear of the 'climb' and suffered in the heat instead of riding Tremors and Timber Terror.)  We went to Japan to visit family, and I had to go to Nagashima...of course.  She knew I would be trying to manipulate her to get on SD2K or White Cyclone, so she had been telling me prior to the trip that nothing would get her on, so don't even try.  I started to admit defeat, but I had a few tricks up my sleeve.  When we got there, SD2K wasn't open yet, because of the terrible rain, but White Cyclone opened about 11am, and it looked so small compared to SD2K that she relented and went on with me.  As we neared the top, I put my hands up, and she screamed.  After the ride, she asked me how I can do that, and I told her that it makes the ride smoother, with a somewhat different feel, because there is a level of trust being put into the hands of the designers.  Well, she thought that was interesting, so when they opened SD2K, I took her on a mad dash across the park to get in line, and along with some friends that we had made at the pools, we basically surrounded her, and before you knew what was happening, we were all in the line nearing the trains.  She looked at me with a terrified smile, and I kissed her saying it would be okay.  She got on, probably because there was a lot of people in line behind her, and she didn't want to "wuss" out.  Well, at the top, I grabbed her hands and held them up for the drop.  Again, she screamed, but soon realized that she wasn't going to fall out, and she just started laughing.  At the end of the ride, she started jumping up and down begging me to ride again.  In fact, she raced me to the line.

All I can really say, Ronald, is that I had the good fortune to have the right elements on the right day for her to "become" an enthusiast.  Hopefully, that will happen for your wife too, but then again, it might not.  By the way, she is still worried about Coaster, mostly because she gets those big 'ol butterflies, but she will be fine once it is going.  She knows she has ridden the big 'uns, so what's the deal, you know?  Perhaps she will convince your wife to try it when we go?
Sorry about the terribly long story.  Hopefully Jeff won't get mad over the grand use of space.
----------------------
www.tripowered.com

I agree, going to Parks alone has it's good and bad points. Like many have mentioned, when you go alone you don't have to worry what anyone else wants to do and you can do whatever you want. I guess some of it depends who you go with.
           I guess the worst part, for me, about going alone is when there is a line. It sucks to have to stand in line alone... BUT standing in line is also where you can make new friends.
   And as some have mentioned, Riding with a Good Friend is a lot of fun.
   Going to Parks alone has gotten me to be more people oriented though.
   Overall I guess it depends on what kind of mood I am...

*** This post was edited by JulieSFO on 1/24/2002. ***

I agree, I hate riding alone. it seems to take a good amount of the fun out of it. But I do sometimes stop into my homepark if im in the area for a ride or two on the comet. :)
-----------------
John
Planet Xtreme - http://home.nycap.rr.com/greese1/
Planet Xtreme Forums - http://pub39.ezboard.com/bplanetxtreme20680

Riding coasters alone is like meditation for me.  I'm generally very silent and internalized.  It's quite the opposite when I'm with loved ones-- I hoot and holler and, if the coaster's fun enough, tend to laugh my arse off.  I must say, I'd rather be with my wife every time (who'll go on anything), but I don't dislike the solo rides.

Chris, welcome back to the boards!  Heck, you never need to ride alone when I am around.  PNE here we come!
----------------------
www.tripowered.com

The 4 across are nice even when you don't know the others. It's fun on Raging Bull to look across and see 3 other reactions. I'm used to riding alone, so I don't mind my Arrows! Even after I find my permanent coaster companion I will prefer those 2 seaters. :)
-------------
Don't.....look.....back! The Headless Horseman awaits you in 2002!
Model coasters and rides

I have never gone to a park alone before, every time I go either a friend has invited me or I have invited a friend. I think it would be fun going to a park alone, especially because you can do what you want to do when you want to do it.

I had one of the best experiences going to a park alone...I got to act on impulse, I got to do what I wanted to do, I could power-ride when I wanted to, I could eat where I wanted--when I wanted, and I got to skip through some lines since I was a single rider.

I might just have to go back alone again some time. :)

-------------
Mayday - Memorial Day Weekend - Nonpoint, Nickelback, Oleander, Staind
Ozzfest - June 8 - Drowning Pool, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Disturbed, Black Sabbath
Awake Tour- June 15 - Darwin's Waiting Room, Puddle of Mudd, Deftones, Godsmack

I made it a point to try and go to SFGAm once a week this last summer. I invited friends, and if they could go, they did. If not, I went alone. I also made it a point to stop at the park anytime I was driving past it - even if for just one ride on Raging Bull or Viper. Season passes are great ! :)

My first and only visits to CP and HW were alone too. I had business in southern Indiana, and had a few days to kill. So I went to Holiday World for a few hours one night, drove to Cinci and met up with friends and went to PKI for the first time in 10 years. I was planning on using my season pass for SFWoA, but decided that I couldn't be that close to Cedar Point and not go (especially since I had never been). So after Cinci, I made the trip to CP. Going alone has it's benefits sometimes... Like being on a business trip and deciding at the spur of the moment that you are going to spend the next 3 days at amusement parks ! :)

-------------
Current favorite coasters:
Wooden: 1) Beast 2) Raven 3) Son of Beast 4) The Boss 5) Timber Wolf
Steel: 1) Raging Bull 2) Millennium Force 3) V2 4) Wild Thing 5) Mr. Freeze
Visit: http://www.dynamicgroove.com

I love going to parks by myself.  Last October I drove up the East Coast to visit BGW, PKD, SFA and SFGAdv; by myself!  I loved every minute of it.  I don't know too many people in South Florida that love coasters to much as to ride them over and over again.  If I would've brought one of my friends, I would not've been able to get 25 rides on Apollo's Chariot. 
-----------------
"...far, far beneath the abysmal sea, the KRAKEN sleepeth..."
http://www.rollercoasterfreaks.com/