Theme parks

When I was in year 9 (true story) my year group went on a trip to drayton manor and I'd never been on a rollercoaster in my life due to fears that's it'd break etc.

There was a Ben 10 one and my mates went on it and when other go with you it makes you less nervous so try going with mates sitting next to you. Also choose a short rollercoaster.

Btw I went on the ****ing G force rollercoaster, it was so scary because It was my 2nd time being on one and the queue was long so I thought it was something special. Oh my gosh when it goes upside down I was filled with euphoria

G force got permanently closed after a safety inspection.

I’m one of the people who have enrolled on university, but have not yet conquered a fear that everyone else seems to have done. I fear rollercoasters highly, the sound, the idea, it consumes me. In a few weeks my society are going to Alton Towers and I don’t want to miss out on the trip. Does anyone have any experiences they would like to share about their first time, because I am fed up of missing out and I don’t want to crack under pressure and be a ‘bag person’ for the day like I usually am. Which ride would you recommend first?

During high school, I went to Alton Towers for the first time. I'd never been on a rollercoaster before and so I chickened out of a lot of the stuff. I went on Thirteen but nothing else that's really intense; Thirteen just sort of plays with your nerves but it's funny once you're done. I went a couple more times after with my family and now I really enjoy it. I've been on all the rides except Nemesis (mainly because queue times) and the Smiler (looks dodgy af to me).

My advice is to just get on and do it. It's fun and you're not going to die. I understand that the horrific feeling of butterflies churning in your stomach whilst you stand in a line is frightening, but ultimately these feelings themselves are worse than the rides lol.

Hope you have a great time!

I’m so glad I can answer this because used to be in the same boat as you, it depends what your fear is, my fear was the gut feeling. I wish I could tell myself a year ago that rollercoasters aren’t bad!

I started out by watching POV videos of Th13teen before my visit, it’s a great coaster to start of with because when queuing you can’t actually see it and it’s relatively tame as it’s a family thrill coaster. If you don’t want to spoil the fun of the surprise don’t watch the POV but it helps to become comfortable with it.
I rode it after some anxiety and I loved it but I wanted more, you’ll probably find you’ll want something to boost your adrenaline by the end of the ride. Then I rode wickerman and that was good fun.

On my trip after, at scarefest, I started doing th13teen but then did Galatica and Galatica is very relaxing and exhilarating it’s not too intense, although the restraints give me claustrophobia. Then I moved on to nemesis, I found it so fun it’s not as “intense” as they make out, it’s not tame but it’s fun.

I then did oblivion which is over in literal seconds and i found that fun the drop takes your breath away. And then Rita which I was so scared about because I didn’t know what to expect from the launch, what it would feel like, but it has been my favourite on recent visits the launch is so fun, it’s a little on the intense side but after doing oblivion I knew I could do Rita. It’s very fast but also quite rough it flies you around in your seat but that’s the fun of it because it flings around corners and is really fast.

Since then I’ve been again a few weeks ago and did those rides again, and did Rita two times,

I love Alton Towers and rollercoasters now and I would consider myself an enthusiast. Beforehand I was probably the most scared person when it came to rollercoaster I would physically shiver at the sound of them but now they really interest me! I’ve found rollercoasters to be a big step in my anxiety and helps me to think not everything’s as bad as it is in your mind.

My tips for you:
Start off with Th13teen and then work your way up
Get there early and head to dark forest or forbidden valley and the queues are 0 mins which means you pretty much get a walk on the ride. This means you don’t actively question and fear the ride you just get right on.
Have the logic that well if I can do that ride then I can do this ride, it really helps.
Watch POV (point of view) videos of the rides to know what to expect and sometimes it helps you to relax and feel comfortable with certain rides.
Have an incentive to get over your fear do it for yourself, it may sound silly but it does definitely give your confidence a good boost
Look at people coming off the ride how happy they are
Look at the ages of people getting on the ride, mostly whenever I go I see young children to older people this reassured me, because I thought well if they can do it so can I, also the fact that everyday normal people ride them
If it’s the gut feeling you do not like, that’s the g force, it’s a strange feeling but you learn to like it and honestly you get used to it. I used to think rides were just this feeling but you only feel it in certain parts. A good tip is to clench the muscles in your stomach when you approach a drop or loop.
Remember these rides are made for your entertainment not to kill or harm you, yes there may have been an accident in the past, but more accidents happen on the roads, it’s extremely rare. And that accident was just down to human error.
It’s always good to have someone with you who is an enthusiast and can reassure you, if you go on rides with someone who is nervous then that will make you nervous. Rides have sensors and all sorts of technology on them, and the restraints are very secure, pretty much every ride has over restraints, the restraint on Rita is so heavy I found it hard to pull down!
Don’t be hindered about the fact that the ride is facing technical difficulties, a lot of rides at Alton Towers break down quite a lot this isn’t down to a major fault they just have to test, if anything it shows how cautious Alton are about rides.
Just do it. Get in the queue line and don’t let your conscious persuade you not to, don’t question it or stare at the line or ride beforehand just get in the queue.
A lot of rides like Oblivion and Th13teen’s theming like the sound track, videos, queuing props make them more scary than they actually are, the trick is just to go in knowing it’s all theming by Alton towers to make it seem worse than it is and to put you on edge.
When you get on the ride scream and have fun, it’s not often you get to take a break from everyday life and just scream and have fun
Stay out of your comfort zone and be brave
Keep your head back on Rita
And I cannot stress enough you’ll find them fun trust me, I promise you!

Thank you a tonne! I’m due to to tomorrow and seeing these has really comforted me. I have watched a few POVs and I’m feeling prepared. All the points you have stated are really going to make me want to do it especially how you can relate. I’m sure it will be fine once it’s all over and I’m sure I will kick myself for avoiding it for years. I shall start with thirteen like you say, and I shall let you all know how it goes