Where did the Thrill go???

As many of you know we have been hitting the parks hard this year. I was just at CP yesterday and was riding Maverick, Mantis & Raptor when it hit me that they were no longer Thrilling me the way they did earlier in the season.

The only ride that has given me the WOW has been The Voyage at HW. Don't get me wrong, I still love the rides but when TTD doesn't get your heart pumping I get worried.

Have any of you experienced what I am talking about?

What coasters still get you excited?

Just about every steel coaster out there loses its THRILL factor after about the tenth ride to me. Exception is FOF too me. A good woodie, I can ride hundreds of times a season for mulitple seasons and never get the No reason to ride feeling. Votex at KI, I just pass by about every time im there. Not that its a bad ride. Its just I know exactly what it does. *EVERYTIME* and should expect no different!

Dave - Considering the amount of travelling you've done this summer it's no wonder you've reached coaster overload. Don't worry, the condition is only temporary :)

Yeah, I worked at Cedar Point for three seasons, and rode the rides at least a few times a week, sometimes a lot more. I found that I wouldn't hold on to anything, allowing my hands to relax with the rest of my body. The excitement was there, but I didn't feel threatened anymore.

Moosh is right though, it will pass.

This is exactly why I like to rotate the nearby parks I go to on a yearly basis, to keep them exciting. Also, a coaster like TTD only gave the true real thrill the first time, now I consider it overrated. For me the true thrillers are the ones that seemed to have been carefully designed to fully take advantage of their setting as well as their placement of elements. For example, I can never get enough of Ravine Flyer II (as I stopped by just to ride it this afternoon) and Maverick because of their uniqueness and brilliant designs. Of course early in the season any coaster may seem very thrilling, but the true thrillers still completely satisfy the seasoned rider well through the summer.

Yep. Sadly, the more I ride the less interesting it gets. Especially once I start putting the riding before the overall experience (letting a closed coaster or a long line ruin my day).

Andy, I know what you mean. A few weeks ago I let a line jumper tarnish my day at CP. Yesterday I went back already having decided to let what ever roll off my back. I had a great day even though I didn't get in as many rides as I would have liked.

I did decide that when ever we are at a SF park and there is a hint of crowd, we are going for a flash pass.

No coaster thrills me. They're all just good fun to me. I got over the thrill a long time ago. But a good ride on a skyscraper or flyers still thrills me. :)

This time of year I can really only visit smaller parks. The big parks are more or less just pumping people in and out and not focusing on all the small things that makes a great visit. Or you see employees at CP just working their magic of back breaking harness checks on the coasters and are a well oiled robot....compared to the fall when they can really show off their college pride, and just have some fun while still being safe...of when it gets colder the less the crowd the easier it is to make contact with someone and just visit with them or share a moment instead of being shoved around like a giant school of fish.

I stick with CP and KI during spring and fall (unless I know it's going to be warm in the fall...than look out crowds) and hit Kings Island, ...and in the mid summer...(use to go to Geagua Lake,) Waldameer, Holdiday World. Just all depends on what I'm in the mood for, or want to put up with.

-RollerCoasterGod

Know the feeling, I have had thoughts of well I guess the place to go for more excitement would be to jump out of a plane.

As you mature as an enthusiast, you really do lose that sense of thrill quite a bit. However, as you lose the thrill you begin to realize how much fun these things are and you start focusing on going to parks that have just plain fun coasters. Then before you know it, you find yourself spending an entire ERT at Magnum marathoning the thing and laughing most of the way, instead of riding TTD and driving home with your legs unpleasently warm and downing some ibuprofin before you go to bed so that you can walk in the morning.

That's a great idea, RollercoasterGod. I'm going to start visiting parks that way! Big parks in the spring and Fall, small parks in the summer! Awesome!

I've always rotate close-to-me parks from year to year also, ALFelice, but not because of thrill. I do it more to keep things interesting. :)

Also, this time of year it helps to have something to look forward to (Halloween aka the season's grand finale) that keeps you going. My park visits usually drop off after the 4th, but pick up again starting in late August.

Perhaps someone who knows more about this than I do can weigh in...but here's how I look at it--

When we are in mortal danger, the human body goes into an autonomous response, something we call "fear", which is designed to protect us from harm. When the danger passes, the brain gets flooded with another chemical to shut down the fear response, and that relief makes us feel really good.

When we are excited, the body responds with a mechanism which is physiologically very similar to if not identical to the fear response, and again, when that excitement reaches its payoff, the chemical response of the body is exactly the same, and we feel really good.

Most amusement rides take advantage of this, and they operate in the most basic way possible: they stimulate the fear response. I always think it interesting when people complain that they are scared by rides, meaning that they completely miss the point: it's supposed to frighten you to the point of stimulating those responses. It's an amusement ride; it is supposed to be scary!

The problem for *us* is that we are familiar with the experiences. The novelty is gone, and we simply aren't scared of the rides anymore. Which is, in fact, quite dangerous, because familiarity breeds contempt: the minute these things don't scare you, that's when you can get into serious trouble. That's why I say it is so important to maintain your respect for the rides. If the ride can't scare you anymore, you have to remember that it can still do you serious damage, and you have to consciously respect that.

But I digress. The real point is this: As the ride action becomes more natural to you, it isn't going to scare you, and you're not going to get that same feeling that you used to get. The question, then, if the ride can't *scare* you anymore, can it still *excite* you? For the best rides out there, the answer is "yes".

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

*Sigh... I too have suffered from CI (Coaster Impotence).

Jumping out of a plane didn't do all that much for me either. It was just a fun ride. But waiting to go out the door was certainly thrilling. :)

Hey Dave, just as an FYI, after spending a few years doing the same crazy travel you have, the next step for me was...not traveling as much anymore!!

With the exception of the best ones like GAdv, MM, CP, etc...I could easily die happy if I never went to about 20 major parks like WoF, VF, all of TX, GAm, etc. ever again.

Instead I focus on quality and fun...although, how much do you do the up-charge flats? Those still give me a "thrill" in riding (though it's not like I'm scared like I used to be).

I love flats. Did Chaos on Monday at CP but did not get a good ride this time. Loved Shockwave at CanW. Drop towers are OK but again don't give me that feeling.

I just watched the National Geographic Roller Coaster show again and it explains a bit of what Dave was saying. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLDIImmeOCk

I figure this year will be about getting credits. Next year we will be hitting the CF parks with new coasters and HW.

This has been the BEST summer of my life. It will also be a memorable one for my daughters.

Note to self.. Dont ask RideMan simple question. ;)

Short answer:

Experienced riders know what to expect and thus arent in anticipation for what is to come, eliminating fear/anxiety.

It still can be exciting/pleasurable (or painful) as you are whipped through different forces, however

JoelWhy said:
*Sigh... I too have suffered from CI (Coaster Impotence).

The new coaster at KD "Viagra the Ride" with its 300' vertical erection. If the line exceeds 4 hours, seek a different ride.