Fear

> Well...I've got to say I have a fear of heights...well more
> specifically high drops on rollercoasters. Inversions I can
> take. Throw as many inversions twists, turns, helixs,
> loops, corkskrews, rolls etc...etc... at me and I'm fine.
> It's just those big first drops. You feel like your going
> head/face first to the ground, and I find that terrifying.
> Just the thought of going on something like MF or TTD/KK
> makes me freak! I think that being perched on top of the
> track certainly doesn't help, that way you feel kind of
> exposed and likely to fall over...somehow. Do you know what
> I mean?
> So does anyone here have any suggestions how to over-come
> this hicup? I guess you just have to completly let go of
> all of that. Just accept the ride, treat it as an
> experience...forget gravity, know that you are safe blah
> blah blah. Or maybe you have to work up to it? I don't
> konw...
> I'm sure one of you rollercoaster buffs can shed some light
> on this topic, please. Thanks!
> Ry. (the Australian question dude)
>

Well I know this isn't gonna help, but I am not afraid of heights. But, if it is a new coaster, I do get the butterflies in my stomach, but I MAKE myself go on it. Even if I have to staple myself to do so. The lift usually un-nerves me. I freak til we get to the top, throw my hands up and let it all out. Yell if you must. You will get used to a ride.

Is there any ride in particular that you are totally freaked on. Maybe it would help if you knew the layout before riding it. Looking at pics helps too. Anything to make sure you see the ride, then just do it. If you force yourself once, you don't have to do it again. You have the experience under your belt, and you can claim I did it. Scared me to death, but I did it.

Hope this helps!

Katie

> Well I know this isn't gonna help, but I am not afraid of
> heights. But, if it is a new coaster, I do get the
> butterflies in my stomach, but I MAKE myself go on it. Even
> if I have to staple myself to do so. The lift usually
> un-nerves me. I freak til we get to the top, throw my hands
> up and let it all out. Yell if you must. You will get used
> to a ride.

> Is there any ride in particular that you are totally
> freaked on. Maybe it would help if you knew the layout
> before riding it. Looking at pics helps too. Anything to
> make sure you see the ride, then just do it. If you force
> yourself once, you don't have to do it again. You have the
> experience under your belt, and you can claim I did it.
> Scared me to death, but I did it.

> Hope this helps!

> Katie

Thanks Katie.
A particular ride? Well...the "rides" here are kind of limited. To fully understand the extense of this limitness simply check out the link below.
Try not to laugh too hard at it!
I guess really tall rides like Power Tower (-the drop one not the launch one, at Cedar Point) and giant steel coasters like MF, Titan, TTD etc...would be my most feared. It's just the feeling of being open to such a giant expanse...on some crazy rollercoaster! Don't get me wrong here, I'm certanly NOT agoraphobic or anything...I mean I've been on Tower of Terror (once the tallest fastest blah blah blah)at Dream World and I've done freefall rides, Space probe at Wonderland (Sydney. It's just If I end up going on some crazy American coaster hunt'n holiday I don't want to be out of my depth.
Perhaps I'm make'n somethn of nothing. Your right...just force yourself on...don't whoos out.
Thanks again Katie...Guess you weren't scared quite to death after all.
Ry.

Perth (WA, Aust.) Amusment park.

Being scared of the big drops is what makes it fun. It's not fun going over a drop that you're not nervous about.

-Devon

That is what I am doing on Phantom's Revenge. The biggest one I have been on is Thunderbolt, and I will probably cry on PR but I am pretty brave so I am doing it I really don't care. I will just scream like nuts on it... What's the worst that can happen?

It's not like the ride is an hour long. There are really only 2 hills. Big ones at least. Most of the other ones are bunny hops... As long as it does not go upside down. I have a fear of being stuck in the middle... So... I guess I am the opposite of you and I won't be able to go on many steel ones. Almost all steelys have loops or corckscrews. WAY too intense for me. That is why the PR is so totally wicked.

I think you'd be surprised at how many coaster nuts are afraid of heights. I remember one discussion with a bunch of people from a coaster board, and for a heck of a lot of them the scariest ride around was a simple ferris wheel- just because of the height.

For some, I guess, that fear and being able to conquer it in a fashion is part of what makes riding coasters fun for them. The fear adds to the thrill of the ride, but in a way that they still know that they are safe and nothing can happen to them. In any case, there's a pretty good number of coaster enthusiasts who share your fears.

i LOVE drops; that's what a drop is supposed to do, make you feel like you're going to die; without killing you. that's the beauty of a roller coaster!
> Well...I've got to say I have a fear of heights...well more
> specifically high drops on rollercoasters. Inversions I can
> take. Throw as many inversions twists, turns, helixs,
> loops, corkskrews, rolls etc...etc... at me and I'm fine.
> It's just those big first drops. You feel like your going
> head/face first to the ground, and I find that terrifying.
> Just the thought of going on something like MF or TTD/KK
> makes me freak! I think that being perched on top of the
> track certainly doesn't help, that way you feel kind of
> exposed and likely to fall over...somehow. Do you know what
> I mean?
> So does anyone here have any suggestions how to over-come
> this hicup? I guess you just have to completly let go of
> all of that. Just accept the ride, treat it as an
> experience...forget gravity, know that you are safe blah
> blah blah. Or maybe you have to work up to it? I don't
> konw...
> I'm sure one of you rollercoaster buffs can shed some light
> on this topic, please. Thanks!
> Ry. (the Australian question dude)
>

> Well I know this isn't gonna help, but I am not afraid of
> heights. But, if it is a new coaster, I do get the
> butterflies in my stomach, but I MAKE myself go on it. Even
> if I have to staple myself to do so. The lift usually
> un-nerves me. I freak til we get to the top, throw my hands
> up and let it all out. Yell if you must. You will get used
> to a ride.

> Is there any ride in particular that you are totally
> freaked on. Maybe it would help if you knew the layout
> before riding it. Looking at pics helps too. Anything to
> make sure you see the ride, then just do it. If you force
> yourself once, you don't have to do it again. You have the
> experience under your belt, and you can claim I did it.
> Scared me to death, but I did it.

> Hope this helps!

> Katie

I don't like heights or big roller coasters either. I get really scared when going up the chian hill lift. NEVER close your eyes..its worse that way. i really dont like when you fly up in your seat!! :( i read that if your scream or laugh or hold your breath, its not as scary. don't look down- i just look at something in the car..like the bar of seatbelt or the person in front of you's head or something...but don't look at the person beside you...i don't know why, but just don't

I hope i was helpful

> Well...I've got to say I have a fear of heights...well more
> specifically high drops on rollercoasters. Inversions I can
> take. Throw as many inversions twists, turns, helixs,
> loops, corkskrews, rolls etc...etc... at me and I'm fine.
> It's just those big first drops. You feel like your going
> head/face first to the ground, and I find that terrifying.
> Just the thought of going on something like MF or TTD/KK
> makes me freak! I think that being perched on top of the
> track certainly doesn't help, that way you feel kind of
> exposed and likely to fall over...somehow. Do you know what
> I mean?
> So does anyone here have any suggestions how to over-come
> this hicup? I guess you just have to completly let go of
> all of that. Just accept the ride, treat it as an
> experience...forget gravity, know that you are safe blah
> blah blah. Or maybe you have to work up to it? I don't
> konw...
> I'm sure one of you rollercoaster buffs can shed some light
> on this topic, please. Thanks!
> Ry. (the Australian question dude)
>

well once you conquer that... i mean really conquer that (i.e. do the thing you fear about...ride it again and again till you fear no more) its like a feeling of deep joy!

> Well...I've got to say I have a fear of heights...well more
> specifically high drops on rollercoasters. Inversions I can
> take. Throw as many inversions twists, turns, helixs,
> loops, corkskrews, rolls etc...etc... at me and I'm fine.
> It's just those big first drops. You feel like your going
> head/face first to the ground, and I find that terrifying.
> Just the thought of going on something like MF or TTD/KK
> makes me freak! I think that being perched on top of the
> track certainly doesn't help, that way you feel kind of
> exposed and likely to fall over...somehow. Do you know what
> I mean?
> So does anyone here have any suggestions how to over-come
> this hicup? I guess you just have to completly let go of
> all of that. Just accept the ride, treat it as an
> experience...forget gravity, know that you are safe blah
> blah blah. Or maybe you have to work up to it? I don't
> konw...
> I'm sure one of you rollercoaster buffs can shed some light
> on this topic, please. Thanks!
> Ry. (the Australian question dude)
>
Dragster is not bad, Because you start off from the ground. And its up before you know it. I get a little shaky on the climbs thow. But only on MF. I just can get so tight on the climb. Once it starts to drop I'm having fun. But even on like Power Towers. I wont ride the up slow side to much. Because I hate sitting up their. But Ill ride the blast side all day long. Sorta odd. I don't mind the drop at all. I would go 600 lol. But I hate sitting up their, or slowly going up. Yea I can ride Dragster, but yet I cant get on the lookout tower which 80 year old grandmas can ride lol.

Fastfly48,

I got over my fear after riding Dominator at Geauga Lake, I'm not sure why though. Dominator is a tall looping coaster and I was afraid of the height, not the loops. And now I've ridden MF and TTD and Magnum and other stuff with minimun fear.

Well, TTD is only scary right before the launch, after the launch, it all goes away 'cause it's so fun and you wonder why you were scared in the first place. When you get to the top, it doesn't give you time to be scared. In fact, I forgot about the drop on the top because I was looking around mezmerized.

MF is a different story. It's scariest to me because of the speed and angle of the lift. After you start dropping the fear is sweeped completely away.

Magnum is scary too because it takes forever to get to the top.

So my advice is force yourself and right after the hill you'll be fine. But whoever thinks the fear is the fun part, you're dead wrong. That's my opinion. The fear just sucks and you wish it was gone so you can just ride on. The fear sucks. The fun part is when the fear is gone (going down the hill).

Ethan

> Well...I've got to say I have a fear of heights...well more
> specifically high drops on rollercoasters. Inversions I can
> take. Throw as many inversions twists, turns, helixs,
> loops, corkskrews, rolls etc...etc... at me and I'm fine.
> It's just those big first drops. You feel like your going
> head/face first to the ground, and I find that terrifying.
> Just the thought of going on something like MF or TTD/KK
> makes me freak! I think that being perched on top of the
> track certainly doesn't help, that way you feel kind of
> exposed and likely to fall over...somehow. Do you know what
> I mean?
> So does anyone here have any suggestions how to over-come
> this hicup? I guess you just have to completly let go of
> all of that. Just accept the ride, treat it as an
> experience...forget gravity, know that you are safe blah
> blah blah. Or maybe you have to work up to it? I don't
> konw...
> I'm sure one of you rollercoaster buffs can shed some light
> on this topic, please. Thanks!
> Ry. (the Australian question dude)
>

Hey Ry, I understand what you mean. I actually was afraid to go on Millenium Force the first time, I was thinking about skipping out of the line. The first drop on MF is absolutely insane, now I'm addicted to all coasters, once you ride Top Thrill, you're ready for anything, you just have to get excited about it. While in line for a ride your scared of, just go insane. I was trying to start a rave in line, but no one would really join in, but that doesn't matter, I was having fun, and it took my mind off of the ride. Hope you can get over you fear, Ry.

Keep on Riding,
MilleniumForce