Ways to beat nerves about getting on a ride?

Hi all,

Although most of us coaster enthusiasts are pretty good at mastering our nerves when it comes to going on rides, many of us have one or two rides that we just haven't quite managed to pluck up the courage to go on yet! :-)

Does anyone have any effective/novel/funny suggestions as to ways of overcomming the fear and "just do it" (to paraphrase the Nike slogan! :-) )

For my part, the ride that got to me was not a coaster, but a waterslide: Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach. I went up there and made the classic mistake of looking over the edge. Next thing I knew, I was hugging the ground!! :-) My embarrassment was then severely compounded by the next rider in line, who without a second glance, just got on the slide and went down it without so much as a second thought. That wouldn't have been so bad, except said rider was a girl......who looked to be no more than 10 years old!! :-(

Can anyone else who has been on this slide offer any words of support, comfort or encouragement! :-)

All the best.

I had a fear of just waterslides in general up until Tuesday! I had been to Sandcastle waterpark (Kennywood's sister park) one time before, and went on their speedslide first thing. I thought "hey, its the biggest thing in the place, I'm a coaster person, this outta be awesome!". How wrong I was! My legs came apart, I got my swimsuit jammed into my throat, along with other "things", I was scared out of my mind on the entire thing and when I got out of the water, I was done for the day - only 15 minutes into my visit. I hadn't been back until my girlfriend convinced me to go Tuesday. Well, after doing the wavepool and lazy river for a while, she convinced me to try the slides again. I took the mindset similar to yours, there are little kids that are fearlessly going down these things, it cannot be that bad. So I plopped my butt on the smallest slide they have and twisted and turned my way to the bottom - and had a great time! It took almost an hour of those slides before I'd do the one with the tunnel (claustrophobia fear), and finally, just before we were ready to go, she told me it was time to do the speed slide. By this point, I was just so tired from the wavepool and sliding that I didn't really care anymore, and once again, the fearless 6 year olds going down these slides helped greatly. It took some prodding but I went on it, and "conquered" my fear, although I don't know if I'll go back. I still don't like speed slides that much, but at least I got some thrill out of it. My suggestion on beating ride fears: get pissed that there are little kids riding and loving it and you who are supposed to be a big, tough, cool guy are sitting there whimpering like a dog. :)

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Give me launched or give me ... uh ... more launched!!
--Brett

Talk to your friends in line about something other than coasters.

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Is that a Q-bot in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Well I can honestly say there is only one ride that still scares me or makes me nervouse! That ride is a FERRIS WHEEL! Don't ask me why but those things scare the poo out of me! Other than that though I can no problem straping myself in or sliding down anything! Skydiving ahhh piece of cake! Bungee Jumping kids stuff. Ferris Wheel Ummm I think I will pass. LoL sad but true.

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THE SCARIEST PART OF THE RIDE IS THE LIFT HILL!

LOL Wildfire.. I hate the Demon spawn of Elli Ferris too !
But to over come my Fear I usually look at the riders getting off the ride If they have smiles and laughing ....Then I know the ride aint so bad.. eg.. Deleruim At PKI ...Looks really wicked .. But the ride was Absolutly Fun !
( Thanks Jeff for Beastbuzz )
So my advice is look at how much fun others are having on the ride and tell yourself you will have the same fun.
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WOOF !

just DO it. dont think.

Usually I have the person im riding with force me on! I remember my first roller coaster ride, it was Timber Terror and i was totally thinking that it was gonna be like a slide but got a not so sweet surprise. it was pretty funny! Any yes I am too afraid of Ferris Wheels! The last time i went on one i was with my dad and he kept rocking the cars back and forth! I only like the paratrooper when its moving. fast! lol
*** This post was edited by SilverStar 8/15/2003 12:47:59 PM ***

Woohoo, I'm not the only one that is terrified of Ferris Wheels! I thought I was alone!!

I went to the Del Mar Fair in San Diego, CA over the summer with an ex-gf of mine who will almost NEVER get on coasters, but I managed to get her to go on Hi-Miler and the Crazy Mouse. She punched me the entire time on the ride, screaming things like "I hate you!! Get me off this stupid thing!!!"

The only way I got her to do it was to get on the Ferris Wheel with her, where she said "Ya know...you're the only guy on this ride who has a girl's arm around him rather than the other way around." Felt pretty goofy, but I was straight up terrified. Go fig... ;)

I'd have to also say, "Just do it!". The best way should be just to stop thinking about it and just go.
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"I don't need a compass to tell me which way the wind shines."
-Mr. Furious

The only rides that really scare me are most carni rides, just for the safety factor.

The old Intamin Drops like Demon Drop are still very terrifying. Just something about the noises they make.....most of them are so old and rackety and feel like they will just fall apart at any second. Also the INTENSE force at the bottom when you fly onto your back still freaks me out to this day, but they still ROCK!

I still get nervous going on the Demon Drop and Mr. Hyde's. :-)

-Tina

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Gimme speed, height, airtime and plenty of LAUNCH!!!

Speed slides scare the crap out of me. I once saw my friend have his legs both over the side on one. Everyone watching gasped.

I don't think summit plummet would scare me because the mountain is right there and I know that if something happened , and I fell, I might not die.

*wimpers and cries like a baby*

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I'm so friggin' sick of people who think the Crystal beach Cyclone would have been a great coaster. Woohoo ! I just rode this great ride , and Now My arm is broken and my tailbone is Bruised!

Speed slides are not very well designed when it comes to the human anatomy factor. I think many of us have had that extremely uncomfortable first ride on a speeder that taught us to keep our legs crossed. Anyone else receive a water enema on their first ride? I much prefer the types that splashdown into a pool of water or give you a sled or innertube to ride on.

What am I "scared" of? Nothing really, but there are plenty of spinning flatrides that I refuse to ride. Not out of fear, but out of the fact that I KNOW I will puke after too many spins. I think the term "spin & puke" was coined after me. I don't think I'm ever scared because I know that nobody would intentionally build a ride (or slide) that would have a fair chance of injuring or killing its riders.

As for those who are afraid of ferris wheels... grow a pair! ;)

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SCREAM with me... in 2003!

My friends and I were just down at Blizzard Beach two weeks ago. My friend was extremely scared to go but since he was with all of his friends he knew he couldn't chicken out. So he ended up riding it out of embarassment and of course loved it once he rode it.

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B Rad

Glad I'm not the only one who is terrified of Ferris Wheels! All the people that I tell that to make fun of me incessantly about it, but I tell them this - I love coasters, but you're strapped in, and the cars are attached to the rails with large bolted wheels on three sides, and the tracks are very well supported ...
Ferris Wheels are supported by one or two little pins of metal ...
You do the math ;)

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Give me launched or give me ... uh ... more launched!!
--Brett

All my friends make fun of me as well because I am deathly afraid of Ferris Wheels. I am afraid of heights, although I did look behind me on the last seat on Millenium Force once near the top, and because Ferris Wheels go so stinkin slow my mind plays tricks on me like I am falling or something. I too am glad to know there are others that share my fear!

Well the only thing that scare me are those speedslides, not from being that high up, but because I always get burned on my back when I ride them. And yes, I have had that "uncomfortable experience". The last coaster to scare me was the Williams Grove Cyclone, but that would scare most anyone in their right mind.

I do have a hint though. My mom and I went to kennywood for the first time last week. She had never ridden a full sized coaster, because she has vertigo, and is scared of the drops. Well we somehow got her on Jackrabbit, by keeping on other supjects while in line. Like we talked about how comfy the trains were, and the ducks in the nearby pond, that kind of stuff. And I talked with her through most of the ride. She loved it, and is now considering riding an even taller coaster.

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Boulderdashdashdash

I too get terrified on the Intamin freefall drop rides! There's this morbid fear I have that the car won't brake and just shoot off the end of the track.

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Nashville needs a theme park!

Hi all,

Thanks for the great replies; everyone is being a great sport admitting to the times when their nerves have taken a "temporary vacation" :-)

I also had an off-moment after riding "Steplechase" (Sp?) at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. For those of you who don't know, it's a single rail coaster where you negotiate dips and turns on the back of a "horse" ride car. It felt so precarious perched up on that saddle with only a seatbelt on. I really thought I was gonna topple off at several points during that ride.

Afterwars I needed to stettle my nerves....with a ride on the Pepsi Max Big One...which was no-where near as scary! :-)

Best wishes.

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BeyondOblivion said:

I also had an off-moment after riding "Steplechase" (Sp?) at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. For those of you who don't know, it's a single rail coaster where you negotiate dips and turns on the back of a "horse" ride car. It felt so precarious perched up on that saddle with only a seatbelt on. I really thought I was gonna topple off at several points during that ride.

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That ride looks like an accident waiting to happen.

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"You know its a good ride when you come into the final brake run wiping tears from your eyes."

I am scared of skyrides also a Tilt a whirls. If it doesn't lock I don't feel safe. You feel especally unsafe when your friend likes to open the restraint up in mid ride or on the skyride thats over a lake!

Speed Slides have never bothered me. I was told how to ride from the start. Ferris wheels. If there enclosed I am fine. If there not I am picky if its at a local fair HECK NO!

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Hi.....whats your name again?

Freedom that time off when the kids go back to school!
*** This post was edited by PKIEMPSOB 8/16/2003 10:49:17 AM ***