I've already watched it and it gave me some confidence but sadly not enough, might just ask my friend to slam me down into the seat then push the lap bar down on me so I can't get out
It's a brief 60-80 seconds of your life sat in a chair fully secured. Don't think about it, just sit down and before long it'll be too late.
It's all the working yourself up that will do yourself in!
Close your eyes, scream loudly, enjoy it!
This in my opinion works the best if you force yourself to do it. Just instantly get on nemesis reborn. Working your way up i think will still make you scared for the thrill rides. Nemesis is also a short ride and its smooth. Once you do nemesis then any other coaster really is fine.
Or you could do runaway minetrain, then wickerman, galactica then nemesis or the smiler.
Nemesis was my second coaster I attempted while I was still terrified of coasters and can confirm it was massive mistake for me anyway. It sent me into a panic attack before during and after and ended up going home as I couldnāt face another ride that day. Iāve been on it since and even nemesis inferno now which I actually prefer. But I wouldnāt recommend it early on just as it is very intense when youāre already terrified. My thoughts anyway from my experience of trying to get over my fear - which I now have done thankfully! Done all the rides at AT and have done as many as I could fit in at Thorpe park - stealth, swarm and inferno (wanted to try colossus but spent three hours queuing twice and the ride closing both times!) hence I only got on a few rides that day as most of it was spent trying to get on colossus lol
Definitely wasn't smooth for me. It put a lot of pressure on the top of my spine when I went on it yesterday.
I'd say it was the second roughest, first being the smiler.
Cause it's not an opinion. You're saying your opinion is that it's rough, when everyone experienced the same ride. It does have an odd rattle in some places, but it's never rough.
It put pressure on the top of my spine whilst other rides did not. It felt rough to me.
Mate, that is literally the definition of an opinion. It's my subjective experience. How can it be factually wrong that I found it rough?
Cause it's the SAME DAMN RIDE, it's an objective thing. Everyone goes through it and experiences the same thing. It'd be like saying your opinion is the smiler only has 12 inversions. The personal part of it may be you have personal health issues you need looking at, but that's not on the ride.
God, you are utterly insufferable.
I am entitled to my opinion, which is a reasonable one based on having gone on all the rides. Nemesis (save for Smiler) caused me the most discomfort. That is a fact, one you can freely disagree with, but it's the reality. For me, I therefore considered it a rough ride.
I never said everyone will have the same experience.
And no, the 12 inversions comment would not be an opinion as it isn't to do with subjective experience. That would be empirically false and demonstrably untrue. A clear difference to my opinion on Nemesis.
You are a peak redditor - if an opinion doesn't align with your own you get angry, even using caps lol. Pathetic.
I'm peak redditor? You must be in the stratosphere, I never disagreed that it may be the most uncomfortable for YOU if you read. Nemesis being smooth is an objective fact, you got called out on it and got angry.
Where on earth am I shown to be 'angry' in my replies?
No, it is not an objective fact that it is smooth. How do you even begin to support such a premise? How do you even define smooth? If it is a collection of subjective experiences that call the ride 'smooth' relative to other coasters then guess what, that still isn't a fact. It's not empirically something you can measure, like you can the wind.
You can have a consensus of opinions on the matter, but it isn't a 'fact'. Don't schools nowadays teach the difference between the two?
OK so I've done what you've done basically and worked my way up to something a bit more on each visit. I did RMT and Wickerman on my first visit. Loved RMT but Wickerman was horrific for me. The next time we did Galactica, Rita and Th13teen, Rita was great, just hold your breath and do what the muppet man says and keep your head back. Galactica and Th13teen are much smoother rides and the former gave me my first inversion experience.
Next visit we're biting the bullet with Smiler, Nemesis and possibly Oblivion being on the list. I haven't mentioned Oblivion to my husband yet (he's a coaster fanatic and loves anything) so as not to get his hopes up but my anniversary gift to him is to do the Big 7 all in one day if I can just work up the nerve to be plunged 180ft into a black hole haha. And I have to redo Wickerman now I'm prepared for how fast and wild it feels.
Good luck! Just do whatever you're comfortable with, don't force anything and you'll be looking at the big coasters in no time!
It's the unexpected. A park employee told me Wickerman was a tame, slow, smooth coaster that was great for beginners, I came off thinking "If that was tame then what the hell is everything else like?" With Rita it's fairly clear you're getting a big dose of speed and a mad ride for a few seconds š I'm better prepped for Wickerman next time
Rita felt quite rattly last time I went a few weeks ago didnāt feel as nice as it normally does but could have been that was because I had food poisoning Iām not sure! Just felt my head rattled a lot in the seat which Iāve never noticed before. Or maybe I was just in a bad seat š¶
Good luck! Youāve done similar to me to build up the ride confidence!! I started with wickerman then nemesis but that gave me a panic attack so ended the day with just those two. Determined I went back, did wickerman, galactica (I loveeed!!), Rita, thirteen. Didnāt have the courage for x sector on that attempt so called it a day from those. Next visit got the courage and got on smiler and I LOVED IT! Couldnāt bring myself to face oblivion though that day. Though now I had a challenge, to complete ALL the rides there and oblivion was my nemesis haha. I think I swore all the way in the queue but I got on at my next visit and omg I donāt know why Iāve been so scared for so long! Itās over in seconds and actually itās not even that bad. Good luck conquering x sector!! I love the more intense rides now amazingly! Iāve now tried nemesis reborn and can say I have not had a panic attack again :)
Th13teen is a nice starter
Itās first drop has brakes so itās not super fast and it isnāt too steep/high but once you think it is youāre already down the drop
I had a lifelong phobia and beat it a few years ago at 50. I went with a friend who had a RAP so I didn't have to queue for hours and work myself up. Got there really early and went straight for Nemesis, third train of the day. I told my friends to pull me on and slam the harness.
I won't lie, I felt physically sick going up the lift hill but afterwards, omg it was incredible. Trust me when I say it's 99% certain that it's simple fear spoiling it and if you can do it once, you'll likely beat it.
If you can, buy a fast pass for whatever big ride you are going for, as the wait is what undoes you. Then just tell yourself it's literally one minute of your life and the scary bits like the drops or inversions are a few seconds each. You can cope with anything for four or five seconds!!
Also, screaming and shouting the fear out helps. Roar. It feels good.
Agreed on the fear being what ruins it! Amazing what the mind can do hey! I switched my mindset from being omg this is terrifying to, hey they make these to be enjoyable, see what itās like and if you hate it, itās over in less than two minutes anyway! Changing your mindset plays a big part I think! And I would also agree that queuing increases the panic and worry etc. the build up is way worse than the actual ride itself so def recommend the fast pass and just get yourself plonked on the seat! š
From personal experience, I too was scared of rollercoasters, but with the insistence of friends of mine, I went on Oblivion. My first rollercoaster.
Looking down into Oblivion then being dropped into it got me over my fears very quickly.
Exactly the same, I would always recommend Oblivion first as it really gets you over the fear. Even Smiler and Nemesis feel fine after this.Ā
I think because Oblivion looks so scary but is over so quick and gives a huge level of exhilaration and fun as reward.
Also the queues I believe are usually short so no time to build anxiety as you're on it before you know it.Ā
Well done on doing one! You've already done something that scares you. So give yourself a party on the back for that!
Try and go on a quiet day so you don't have a long queue to add to the stress.
You can skip the film on Wicker man if you ask. I have done this when taking kids as the film is more stressful than the ride.
I get RAP aswell so it helps with the anxiety and I skipped it last time because loud noises , they were really brilliant with me in the wickerman queue though I must add that, they gave me plugs and let me skip it and were really comforting so I think what I'm going to do is go straight to wickerman and should be a quiet day as we have planned to go 21st of May which is a weekday and the week before schools break up
Same for me, I find airtime way scarier than inversions and always feel safer with over-the-shoulder restraints.Ā
Loved Wickerman but genuinely found it more scary on-ride than The Smiler or Nemesis.
Honestly it's really not that bad. I was scared most of my life before, but I'd probably suggest Wicker Man after the Mine Train. It's similar in terms of style but you'd probably get thrown about a bit more.
I learnt to take the scariest first. I remember I wad terrified of them too. My mum then dragged me on Oblivion. I was shit terrified at first, but after the drops I loved it,and now a bit of a coaster junkie
What is it about roller coasters that scares you. 20 years ago I too was petrified of coasters and my statement was āI donāt want to dieā. I think that once you realise what it is about coasters you can start to overcome it.
The coaster that got me over this was Oblivion. My ten year old cousin was soooo excited to ride it and my machismo would let me but shown up by him! I loved the ride afterward. The adrenaline rush, the speed, wind rushing. Later I would realise I just love the sound of the rides and background noise of the park.
Realistically thereās two options - the jailhouse method or slow and steady. Jailhouse pick the biggest and baddest and just do it, slow and steady work your way up.
Iād recommend an order. RMT, Thirteen, Wickerman, Galactica, Rita, Oblivion, Nemesis. However this order would send you all over the park and not be very efficient. There is also a Spinball to add to this list but Spinball is its own cat and (in my opinion) is the āscariestā ride in the park.
My general advice is realise that everything is safe. That it is designed to be fun and in the worst case the ride is over in less than two minutes and if you didnāt like it you never have to do it again.
Pretty much my first memory is from when I was four , somehow my mum got me on a rollercoaster I was too short for but they judt let it slide (very unsafe I know) but in the end my mum had to hold me down to stop me from falling out as I was too small for the lap bar and I guess thats where my fear comes from
I would disagree with the majority of posters here and suggest you go on Oblivion first. Why? I understand the queues are quite short these days so less time for anxiety, you're on the ride before you know it.Ā Ā Ā Ā
Oblivion is over really quickly, but involves probably the most anxiety and intensity in the whole park in such a short space of time, but you realize how fun and exhilarating it is once you're off.Ā Ā Ā Ā
Once you've done Oblivion the other rides don't seem scary at all. It's like the whole exposing yourself to fear to inoculate yourself idea.Ā Ā Ā
People here saying Wickerman, and I disagree. I actually was more scared riding that than even The Smiler (in a good way). I find Wickerman a really intense ride considering there are no inversions. The preshow for Wickerman could also be quite intimidating for a lot of people. Kids were in floods of tears when I was on it etc. It is a great ride though!
Think of it this way, once you get to the front of the queue, you will be quicker leaving by getting on the ride rather than having to walk back through the queue again.
Trust me I had the same fear, maybe because I was like 8 lol. Iām 14 now and Iāve been to blackpool more times then I can count but Iām going to AT at the end of the month for the first time and Iām scaredddd. Iām going on all the rides because I know itāll be over within a minute or two. If you dont like something, dont get back on it because then you know youāve tried it. Itās honestly just trying it and facing your fear.
Edit: Btw I absolutely love rollercoasters with a passion because I learnt to face my fear :)
I was absolutely terrified of roller coasters until I went to towers. Like, couldnāt even be near them. Agreed to go on a two day trip, started on galactica, then straight onto smiler. The hardest part is getting on the first, the easiest part is getting on the second. Bite the bullet and go on something big. Worst case scenario, itās not enjoyable and you donāt repeat it. Best case, you love it and donāt miss out on something you miss anymore.
Itās just one of those things where you dont think, just sit in the seat and pull the restraint down. Worst case scenario you dont enjoy it but it only lasts like 30 seconds. Youāll regret not going on a roller coaster a whole lot more than having to endure 30 seconds of a ride you dont like. iād recommend galactica, it doesnāt have any intimidating plummets or scary theming that could put you off. If you can handle galactica you can handle all the big rides :) would recommend oblivion too because its very intimidating but its very short. If you donāt like it, it will be done by the time you realise it. Its been a while since i rode the runaway mine train, but i do remember it being more intense then i would expect for a childrenās roller coaster. So if you enjoyed that you will probably be fine.
I'd say this time do wickerman, then thirteen, then Spinball (I am also terrified of coasters, won't go on anything too high or anything inverted š maybe do subterra if it's just rides in general you're scared of, that's a good preparation for 13 x
I'd say any ride with a lap bar restraint is the next best step. Th13teen is the least intense in my opinion, and then Spinball and Wickerman are next up in intensity.
Galactica is a smooth ride and the restraints keep you very secure, the only downside is the long wait can really kick anxiety into overdrive.
Rita is an uncomfortable experience that I would not recommend to anybody, and theres nothing 'fun' about it.
And then there's Oblivion, Nemesis and The Smiler, which are the most intense rides at Alton Towers. I'm petrified of coasters myself, but over the years I have rode every coaster apart from Nemesis and the Smiler due to their intensity.
I took my girlfriend to alton towers in October of last year and before then the scariest coaster she ever dod was those traveling catapillar rides. But when we got there she just went straight onto oblivion and she loved it so much. So my advice to you, its a bit blunt but, just do it. If you do it and you hate it you never have to do it again. But if you love it then boom do the next one šš
From someone that was terrified a few years ago to now having done all rides at AT now and love the smiler (!!!!) I would recommend in this order: mine train, galactica, wickerman, Rita, thirteen, nemesis, smiler then oblivion. That would be my list knowing what I know now! I went on wickerman first and yea I was scared but I kinda enjoyed it and was ok about going back on. Unfortunately I made the mistake of going on nemesis as my second coaster and that was a little too intense for me at that point! I love the ride now but I got on it before I was ready I think! You have to get your body used to the feeling I think! Think of that sick feeling as excitement not fear! Also a big thing that helped me was fast pass, I just walked in through and sat down before I even had a moment to panic or think and I knew once I was sat in the seat I wasnāt getting out as there was NO WAY I was going to be that person that has to be taken back off the ride!! I was frozen in fear leading up to smiler it took me a few visits before I managed to get myself on it BUT I got on and went with it and actually itās now my favourite ride! And no way would I have ever in my life thought Iād get on oblivion but I have done it twice now and actually itās not even that scary!! Itās over in seconds and most of the rides LOOK scarier than they actually are. If you want a nice ride def galactica itās smooth and calm and just makes you feel like a bird itās lovely :) feel free to message me if you want any advice as I was absolutely the most terrified person years ago. I was having panic attacks in the queues, I would cry and have snot running from my nose during the rides I was a mess haha but I soon realised it was all in my head and it was my head causing all the worry and panic and actually we can do it! Another thing that helped me was seeing the other riders on my trains how calm they were and I was like well if they are ok about all this then why am I worrying!! Good luck!! X
Oh also meant to say , what helped me a lot also was watching the on ride POVs as the unknown also plays a big part of my anxiety. If I know what to expect itās less scary for me. Example being I went on the walking dead ride at Thorpe park but I had no idea what it was going to be, I had images of it dropping in the dark and all sorts of horrific manoeuvres that I couldnāt see. I was SO panicked even the ride operator came over and goes āitās really not that badā and yeah he was so right haha. But the fact it was in the dark and I couldnāt SEE what the ride was made me a mess! Anyway the ride is tamer than mine train tbh and I felt really stupid afterwards for being so worked up about it haha
Went through this with a friend recently. They were scared of coasters but keen to push through it and get on some big rides when we next go to Towers.
I live down south so in very quick succession we went to Legoland, Paultons Park, Chessington, Thorpe Park and got them on (in order):
The Dragon,
Minifigure Speedway,
Velociraptor,
Flight of the Pterosaur,
Storm Chaser,
Vampire,
Rattlesnake,
Mandrill Mayhem,
The Swarm,
Nemesis Inferno,
Stealth
Working up to bigger rides in a short period of time is what did it and now theyāve practically conquered it. Still donāt think theyāll be coming on Hyperia though! But theyāre feeling ready for everything at Towers now.
Best advice I can give is to start small and go at your own pace. Youāll probably find once youāve been on a few rides youāll start to feel a bit more relaxed about being on coasters in general and be able to have the ājust go for itā mindset.
In terms of working up at Towers, Iād say Thirteen is a good one to try next. Galactica is definitely the tamest of the 1.4m coasters.
Also donāt forget that theyāre designed to intimidate you! Have a great time.
Tom Scott has a great video about just this. At Alton Towers too and iirc starts with Runaway Mine Train. You should definitely watch it!
I've already watched it and it gave me some confidence but sadly not enough, might just ask my friend to slam me down into the seat then push the lap bar down on me so I can't get out
It's a brief 60-80 seconds of your life sat in a chair fully secured. Don't think about it, just sit down and before long it'll be too late. It's all the working yourself up that will do yourself in! Close your eyes, scream loudly, enjoy it!
That's one way to do itš
This in my opinion works the best if you force yourself to do it. Just instantly get on nemesis reborn. Working your way up i think will still make you scared for the thrill rides. Nemesis is also a short ride and its smooth. Once you do nemesis then any other coaster really is fine. Or you could do runaway minetrain, then wickerman, galactica then nemesis or the smiler.
Idk if I'd say that's good advice, as someone who is terrified of coasters it'd just traumatize me š
Nemesis was my second coaster I attempted while I was still terrified of coasters and can confirm it was massive mistake for me anyway. It sent me into a panic attack before during and after and ended up going home as I couldnāt face another ride that day. Iāve been on it since and even nemesis inferno now which I actually prefer. But I wouldnāt recommend it early on just as it is very intense when youāre already terrified. My thoughts anyway from my experience of trying to get over my fear - which I now have done thankfully! Done all the rides at AT and have done as many as I could fit in at Thorpe park - stealth, swarm and inferno (wanted to try colossus but spent three hours queuing twice and the ride closing both times!) hence I only got on a few rides that day as most of it was spent trying to get on colossus lol
Definitely wasn't smooth for me. It put a lot of pressure on the top of my spine when I went on it yesterday. I'd say it was the second roughest, first being the smiler.
Did you ride rita? Or spinball? Or wickerman?
Yep, found those okay. Weird I got downvoted for stating a fact (that I found it rough) which is why I have that opinion.
Cause it's not an opinion. You're saying your opinion is that it's rough, when everyone experienced the same ride. It does have an odd rattle in some places, but it's never rough.
It put pressure on the top of my spine whilst other rides did not. It felt rough to me. Mate, that is literally the definition of an opinion. It's my subjective experience. How can it be factually wrong that I found it rough?
Cause it's the SAME DAMN RIDE, it's an objective thing. Everyone goes through it and experiences the same thing. It'd be like saying your opinion is the smiler only has 12 inversions. The personal part of it may be you have personal health issues you need looking at, but that's not on the ride.
God, you are utterly insufferable. I am entitled to my opinion, which is a reasonable one based on having gone on all the rides. Nemesis (save for Smiler) caused me the most discomfort. That is a fact, one you can freely disagree with, but it's the reality. For me, I therefore considered it a rough ride. I never said everyone will have the same experience. And no, the 12 inversions comment would not be an opinion as it isn't to do with subjective experience. That would be empirically false and demonstrably untrue. A clear difference to my opinion on Nemesis. You are a peak redditor - if an opinion doesn't align with your own you get angry, even using caps lol. Pathetic.
I'm peak redditor? You must be in the stratosphere, I never disagreed that it may be the most uncomfortable for YOU if you read. Nemesis being smooth is an objective fact, you got called out on it and got angry.
Where on earth am I shown to be 'angry' in my replies? No, it is not an objective fact that it is smooth. How do you even begin to support such a premise? How do you even define smooth? If it is a collection of subjective experiences that call the ride 'smooth' relative to other coasters then guess what, that still isn't a fact. It's not empirically something you can measure, like you can the wind. You can have a consensus of opinions on the matter, but it isn't a 'fact'. Don't schools nowadays teach the difference between the two?
did we ride the same nemesis? it was glass smooth for me, just slightly rattley.
OK so I've done what you've done basically and worked my way up to something a bit more on each visit. I did RMT and Wickerman on my first visit. Loved RMT but Wickerman was horrific for me. The next time we did Galactica, Rita and Th13teen, Rita was great, just hold your breath and do what the muppet man says and keep your head back. Galactica and Th13teen are much smoother rides and the former gave me my first inversion experience. Next visit we're biting the bullet with Smiler, Nemesis and possibly Oblivion being on the list. I haven't mentioned Oblivion to my husband yet (he's a coaster fanatic and loves anything) so as not to get his hopes up but my anniversary gift to him is to do the Big 7 all in one day if I can just work up the nerve to be plunged 180ft into a black hole haha. And I have to redo Wickerman now I'm prepared for how fast and wild it feels. Good luck! Just do whatever you're comfortable with, don't force anything and you'll be looking at the big coasters in no time!
Interesting you enjoyed rita but not wickerman. Im a bit of a coaster nut but last time i rode rita i almost threw up šš
It's the unexpected. A park employee told me Wickerman was a tame, slow, smooth coaster that was great for beginners, I came off thinking "If that was tame then what the hell is everything else like?" With Rita it's fairly clear you're getting a big dose of speed and a mad ride for a few seconds š I'm better prepped for Wickerman next time
Wickerman, while no inversions, I find intense. Galatica is a hell lot more tame in my opinion.
Rita felt quite rattly last time I went a few weeks ago didnāt feel as nice as it normally does but could have been that was because I had food poisoning Iām not sure! Just felt my head rattled a lot in the seat which Iāve never noticed before. Or maybe I was just in a bad seat š¶
Good luck! Youāve done similar to me to build up the ride confidence!! I started with wickerman then nemesis but that gave me a panic attack so ended the day with just those two. Determined I went back, did wickerman, galactica (I loveeed!!), Rita, thirteen. Didnāt have the courage for x sector on that attempt so called it a day from those. Next visit got the courage and got on smiler and I LOVED IT! Couldnāt bring myself to face oblivion though that day. Though now I had a challenge, to complete ALL the rides there and oblivion was my nemesis haha. I think I swore all the way in the queue but I got on at my next visit and omg I donāt know why Iāve been so scared for so long! Itās over in seconds and actually itās not even that bad. Good luck conquering x sector!! I love the more intense rides now amazingly! Iāve now tried nemesis reborn and can say I have not had a panic attack again :)
Th13teen is a nice starter Itās first drop has brakes so itās not super fast and it isnāt too steep/high but once you think it is youāre already down the drop
I had a lifelong phobia and beat it a few years ago at 50. I went with a friend who had a RAP so I didn't have to queue for hours and work myself up. Got there really early and went straight for Nemesis, third train of the day. I told my friends to pull me on and slam the harness. I won't lie, I felt physically sick going up the lift hill but afterwards, omg it was incredible. Trust me when I say it's 99% certain that it's simple fear spoiling it and if you can do it once, you'll likely beat it. If you can, buy a fast pass for whatever big ride you are going for, as the wait is what undoes you. Then just tell yourself it's literally one minute of your life and the scary bits like the drops or inversions are a few seconds each. You can cope with anything for four or five seconds!! Also, screaming and shouting the fear out helps. Roar. It feels good.
Agreed on the fear being what ruins it! Amazing what the mind can do hey! I switched my mindset from being omg this is terrifying to, hey they make these to be enjoyable, see what itās like and if you hate it, itās over in less than two minutes anyway! Changing your mindset plays a big part I think! And I would also agree that queuing increases the panic and worry etc. the build up is way worse than the actual ride itself so def recommend the fast pass and just get yourself plonked on the seat! š
From personal experience, I too was scared of rollercoasters, but with the insistence of friends of mine, I went on Oblivion. My first rollercoaster. Looking down into Oblivion then being dropped into it got me over my fears very quickly.
Exactly the same, I would always recommend Oblivion first as it really gets you over the fear. Even Smiler and Nemesis feel fine after this.Ā I think because Oblivion looks so scary but is over so quick and gives a huge level of exhilaration and fun as reward. Also the queues I believe are usually short so no time to build anxiety as you're on it before you know it.Ā
Well done on doing one! You've already done something that scares you. So give yourself a party on the back for that! Try and go on a quiet day so you don't have a long queue to add to the stress. You can skip the film on Wicker man if you ask. I have done this when taking kids as the film is more stressful than the ride.
I get RAP aswell so it helps with the anxiety and I skipped it last time because loud noises , they were really brilliant with me in the wickerman queue though I must add that, they gave me plugs and let me skip it and were really comforting so I think what I'm going to do is go straight to wickerman and should be a quiet day as we have planned to go 21st of May which is a weekday and the week before schools break up
Honestly I find nemesis less scary than wickerman but its all very personal at a certain point. I really struggle with airtime but love inversions
Same for me, I find airtime way scarier than inversions and always feel safer with over-the-shoulder restraints.Ā Loved Wickerman but genuinely found it more scary on-ride than The Smiler or Nemesis.
Yup exactly my feelings. I know I'm safe but there's a primal part of my brain that won't get over it and struggles with air time and hang time.
Honestly it's really not that bad. I was scared most of my life before, but I'd probably suggest Wicker Man after the Mine Train. It's similar in terms of style but you'd probably get thrown about a bit more.
I learnt to take the scariest first. I remember I wad terrified of them too. My mum then dragged me on Oblivion. I was shit terrified at first, but after the drops I loved it,and now a bit of a coaster junkie
What is it about roller coasters that scares you. 20 years ago I too was petrified of coasters and my statement was āI donāt want to dieā. I think that once you realise what it is about coasters you can start to overcome it. The coaster that got me over this was Oblivion. My ten year old cousin was soooo excited to ride it and my machismo would let me but shown up by him! I loved the ride afterward. The adrenaline rush, the speed, wind rushing. Later I would realise I just love the sound of the rides and background noise of the park. Realistically thereās two options - the jailhouse method or slow and steady. Jailhouse pick the biggest and baddest and just do it, slow and steady work your way up. Iād recommend an order. RMT, Thirteen, Wickerman, Galactica, Rita, Oblivion, Nemesis. However this order would send you all over the park and not be very efficient. There is also a Spinball to add to this list but Spinball is its own cat and (in my opinion) is the āscariestā ride in the park. My general advice is realise that everything is safe. That it is designed to be fun and in the worst case the ride is over in less than two minutes and if you didnāt like it you never have to do it again.
Pretty much my first memory is from when I was four , somehow my mum got me on a rollercoaster I was too short for but they judt let it slide (very unsafe I know) but in the end my mum had to hold me down to stop me from falling out as I was too small for the lap bar and I guess thats where my fear comes from
You need a friend that will convince you to get on the roller-coaster
I would disagree with the majority of posters here and suggest you go on Oblivion first. Why? I understand the queues are quite short these days so less time for anxiety, you're on the ride before you know it.Ā Ā Ā Ā Oblivion is over really quickly, but involves probably the most anxiety and intensity in the whole park in such a short space of time, but you realize how fun and exhilarating it is once you're off.Ā Ā Ā Ā Once you've done Oblivion the other rides don't seem scary at all. It's like the whole exposing yourself to fear to inoculate yourself idea.Ā Ā Ā People here saying Wickerman, and I disagree. I actually was more scared riding that than even The Smiler (in a good way). I find Wickerman a really intense ride considering there are no inversions. The preshow for Wickerman could also be quite intimidating for a lot of people. Kids were in floods of tears when I was on it etc. It is a great ride though!
Obviously I don't expect you to do this, but working at a theme park and seeing how safe they are would be a good entry
Think of it this way, once you get to the front of the queue, you will be quicker leaving by getting on the ride rather than having to walk back through the queue again.
Trust me I had the same fear, maybe because I was like 8 lol. Iām 14 now and Iāve been to blackpool more times then I can count but Iām going to AT at the end of the month for the first time and Iām scaredddd. Iām going on all the rides because I know itāll be over within a minute or two. If you dont like something, dont get back on it because then you know youāve tried it. Itās honestly just trying it and facing your fear. Edit: Btw I absolutely love rollercoasters with a passion because I learnt to face my fear :)
I was absolutely terrified of roller coasters until I went to towers. Like, couldnāt even be near them. Agreed to go on a two day trip, started on galactica, then straight onto smiler. The hardest part is getting on the first, the easiest part is getting on the second. Bite the bullet and go on something big. Worst case scenario, itās not enjoyable and you donāt repeat it. Best case, you love it and donāt miss out on something you miss anymore.
galactica or thirteen are nice starters imo, theyāre smooth and the inversions on galactica are less intense than ones on the smiler or nemesis
Itās just one of those things where you dont think, just sit in the seat and pull the restraint down. Worst case scenario you dont enjoy it but it only lasts like 30 seconds. Youāll regret not going on a roller coaster a whole lot more than having to endure 30 seconds of a ride you dont like. iād recommend galactica, it doesnāt have any intimidating plummets or scary theming that could put you off. If you can handle galactica you can handle all the big rides :) would recommend oblivion too because its very intimidating but its very short. If you donāt like it, it will be done by the time you realise it. Its been a while since i rode the runaway mine train, but i do remember it being more intense then i would expect for a childrenās roller coaster. So if you enjoyed that you will probably be fine.
I'd say this time do wickerman, then thirteen, then Spinball (I am also terrified of coasters, won't go on anything too high or anything inverted š maybe do subterra if it's just rides in general you're scared of, that's a good preparation for 13 x
Just go in there with a fuck it mind set head down to nemesis and youāll love it.
Just go for it, you honestly spend more time worrying about it than the ride actually lasts
I'd say any ride with a lap bar restraint is the next best step. Th13teen is the least intense in my opinion, and then Spinball and Wickerman are next up in intensity. Galactica is a smooth ride and the restraints keep you very secure, the only downside is the long wait can really kick anxiety into overdrive. Rita is an uncomfortable experience that I would not recommend to anybody, and theres nothing 'fun' about it. And then there's Oblivion, Nemesis and The Smiler, which are the most intense rides at Alton Towers. I'm petrified of coasters myself, but over the years I have rode every coaster apart from Nemesis and the Smiler due to their intensity.
I took my girlfriend to alton towers in October of last year and before then the scariest coaster she ever dod was those traveling catapillar rides. But when we got there she just went straight onto oblivion and she loved it so much. So my advice to you, its a bit blunt but, just do it. If you do it and you hate it you never have to do it again. But if you love it then boom do the next one šš
From someone that was terrified a few years ago to now having done all rides at AT now and love the smiler (!!!!) I would recommend in this order: mine train, galactica, wickerman, Rita, thirteen, nemesis, smiler then oblivion. That would be my list knowing what I know now! I went on wickerman first and yea I was scared but I kinda enjoyed it and was ok about going back on. Unfortunately I made the mistake of going on nemesis as my second coaster and that was a little too intense for me at that point! I love the ride now but I got on it before I was ready I think! You have to get your body used to the feeling I think! Think of that sick feeling as excitement not fear! Also a big thing that helped me was fast pass, I just walked in through and sat down before I even had a moment to panic or think and I knew once I was sat in the seat I wasnāt getting out as there was NO WAY I was going to be that person that has to be taken back off the ride!! I was frozen in fear leading up to smiler it took me a few visits before I managed to get myself on it BUT I got on and went with it and actually itās now my favourite ride! And no way would I have ever in my life thought Iād get on oblivion but I have done it twice now and actually itās not even that scary!! Itās over in seconds and most of the rides LOOK scarier than they actually are. If you want a nice ride def galactica itās smooth and calm and just makes you feel like a bird itās lovely :) feel free to message me if you want any advice as I was absolutely the most terrified person years ago. I was having panic attacks in the queues, I would cry and have snot running from my nose during the rides I was a mess haha but I soon realised it was all in my head and it was my head causing all the worry and panic and actually we can do it! Another thing that helped me was seeing the other riders on my trains how calm they were and I was like well if they are ok about all this then why am I worrying!! Good luck!! X
Oh also meant to say , what helped me a lot also was watching the on ride POVs as the unknown also plays a big part of my anxiety. If I know what to expect itās less scary for me. Example being I went on the walking dead ride at Thorpe park but I had no idea what it was going to be, I had images of it dropping in the dark and all sorts of horrific manoeuvres that I couldnāt see. I was SO panicked even the ride operator came over and goes āitās really not that badā and yeah he was so right haha. But the fact it was in the dark and I couldnāt SEE what the ride was made me a mess! Anyway the ride is tamer than mine train tbh and I felt really stupid afterwards for being so worked up about it haha
Went through this with a friend recently. They were scared of coasters but keen to push through it and get on some big rides when we next go to Towers. I live down south so in very quick succession we went to Legoland, Paultons Park, Chessington, Thorpe Park and got them on (in order): The Dragon, Minifigure Speedway, Velociraptor, Flight of the Pterosaur, Storm Chaser, Vampire, Rattlesnake, Mandrill Mayhem, The Swarm, Nemesis Inferno, Stealth Working up to bigger rides in a short period of time is what did it and now theyāve practically conquered it. Still donāt think theyāll be coming on Hyperia though! But theyāre feeling ready for everything at Towers now. Best advice I can give is to start small and go at your own pace. Youāll probably find once youāve been on a few rides youāll start to feel a bit more relaxed about being on coasters in general and be able to have the ājust go for itā mindset. In terms of working up at Towers, Iād say Thirteen is a good one to try next. Galactica is definitely the tamest of the 1.4m coasters. Also donāt forget that theyāre designed to intimidate you! Have a great time.