Family visit to Thorpe Park today. I started on Swarm and we have done a couple of the water rides, but I am now happily sitting on a bench whilst everyone else rides Saw.

I think as I get older (nearing 50) I have less tolerance for being thrown around from side to side and upside down.

Anyone else feel the same? . My wife thinks I’m being a misery but I don’t enjoy it anymore.

I used to love them. Didn’t do the most extreme ones but pretty much everything else.

I particularly loved Rita Queen of Speed at Alton Towers, my all time favourite. Then one day I went to Alton towers and went straight to Rita so I could have a couple of goes before it got busy.

I was so excited right until it launched, then I was absolutely terrfied and didn’t enjoy a single second. Totally rattled me and I didn’t go on anything else but Air that day, and I haven’t been to a theme park since.

I’ve no idea why it changed, but it did.

I’ve only just got into them at the age of 32 (34 now)

I can see that I’d start to go off the uncomfortable ones, I went on the back row of Smiler last year and it that was rough, much worse than the front. I’d imagine Saw would be similar as they’re the same manufacturer.

Get yersen on Stealth though, that’s smooth, I spent about half of the ride not touching the seat anyway 😆

I’m not a fan.

I think once you know the thrill of riding something scary on a bike or something equally as daft the idea of sitting in a cage completely unable to control your destiny doesn’t compute.

The recent accidents haven’t helped either, I know it’s incredibly rare – but still the whole point of them is it’s very very scary, but completely safe at the same time – now it’s very very scary with the slim chance you’ll have to sit there completely trapped in your seat as you crash into something.

That and they usually come with a 45 min queue.

My wife thinks I’m being a misery but I don’t enjoy it anymore.

Can’t say I do either.

I used to go on absolutely everything but I went to Alton Towers with my daughter and her friend a few weeks ago and only went on the rapids, Spinball Whizzer and Hex.

Not for me anymore.

(the-muffin-man aged 48!)

I love them. Even more so tbh as I’ve gotten older. The only trouble is finding someone to go with if you don’t have kids. Everyone my age seems to think they’re for kids (scared if you ask me). I also love the rickety rides at the fair.

The only one i don’t like is nemesis.

For some reason i feel like i’m getting beaten up. And feel propetly properly sick after.

I think there is probably merit in choosing the right order to get you warmed up.

I can do the rollercoasters that are fast/G force/ loopy…

I litearally vomit in my mouth at the slightest rotation/swaying motion now..even watching kids on roundabouts sets me off…

I’m mid 30s, and this had only been the last few years..

My 7 year old could play ipad whilst spinning upside down, then eat lunch…

Kids eh!

DrP

I’ve enjoyed them more than I expected having never really been into the idea – though I’ve been on them with my kids, so not on really extreme scary ones. Not all that desperate to go on one to scare myself silly either, though it’s quite fun to swoop around.

But then unlike most people going on roller coasters I get plenty of thrills doing things where I’m also in control – if I want to be scared I can go rock climbing, if I want to swoop around there are lots of things I can do on wheels (some of which are also scary). Meanwhile the water rides all seem ridiculously tame compared to taking a little kayak down grade 4 rapids!

DrP – Member

I can do the rollercoasters that are fast/G force/ loopy…

I litearally vomit in my mouth at the slightest rotation/swaying motion now..even watching kids on roundabouts sets me off…

I’m the same. Anything that involves rotation – forget it. Just watching others makes me giddy & queasy….
But things like Oblivion/Nemesis/Rita, Corkscrew/Black Hole etc. I really like.

What’s going on there then, Doc? Inner ear stuff?

yeah, it’s the rotational vertigo triggers/inner ear…
Our inner ears cope less with the confusing signals as we’ve gotten older…
I never used to get sea sick, and recently crossed to Guernsey whilst my lad made me play ‘The Room 3’ on ipad with him -with the game rotating on the Ipad, the boat rocking, adn the 4am start, I was white as a sheet and had to have a lie down!!

Fast or ‘scary’ rides are simply fast or scary – choose if you like them or not…
Fast doesn’t bother me. Upsided down doesn’t bother me. But rotation…whoa….

DrP

Same here.

I still won’t do static rides, just rollercoasters. Unless i get dragged onto one by the eldest, but its normally just the once. He wasnt feeling great after Zodiac and Quantum at thorpe park and that was the last of it.

normaly have no issue, find them enjoyable, but the mad mouse at yarmouth with really fast changes of direction made me feel ill 😳 👿

In addition to what I have already said – I may have to pluck up courage to have a go on the new wooden coaster being built at Alton Towers…

I did feel sick when I came off Swarm, so perhaps there is something in that inner ear thing.

Anyway, thanks all for making me a little bit less crap.

The wooden ones are my favourite, I love the fact that unlike the steel ones they really do feel like they will collapse at any minute. And the Mouse at Blackpool is fantastic if you want to know how it feels to have a gorilla hit you round the head with a lump of 4 x 2.

Used to love them but now they just scare me and too much spinning around and I chuck now 🙁

I love them just as much now (47) as i did in my 20’s, great now my 14yo is in to them as i have someone who will go on everything, wife hates them.

I’m the other way round. For all my life I used to be shit scared of all sorts of fairground rides and never went on a roller coaster. Then a family trip to Alton Towers and sitting out every ride I thought I was missing out so I forced myself to queue for Nemesis with my two grown daughters.

I had a panic attack when I got near the front of the queue but managed to control myslef and concentrated on the cars coming in. I realised that no-one was pasing out or puking up so I convinced myself that I could go through with it. The first ride was terrifying but after that I was hooked. After that I even did Oblivion twice and that IS terrifying!

Since that time we have been to Florida and I did everything at all the main parks and even went back to Universal one day with my grandson and we did all the rides again multiple times especially on the front.

I’m 62 this year and still a mincer on a mountain bike though, LOL!

Respect forzafkawi!

I can’t get enough of them. Hate flying, cos i’m stuck in a tube for hours with other people. I’d rather be strapped to the wing.

Only time I’ve chickened out was the Pepsi Big One at Blackpool. Got a bit of a fear of heights anyway, and also had the most raging hangover ever. Stood at the bottom of the drop looking up… nope.

I don’t like any of them except Oblivion at Alton Towers. I think it’s the fact that it’s over so quickly. The scariest part of any theme park is when you’re in a massive queue, can’t really move and then

Wasp!

Nope, mid 40s and loved my first visit to Alton Towers a few weeks ago. Can’t wait to go back,

I realised that no-one was pasing out or puking up so I convinced myself that I could go through with it.

Someone had puked on the Smiler as we waited, then on the carriage behind us and finally on the 3rd.

They shut it down for the rest of the afternoon after that.

No. I’m a coaster nut.

The only one i don’t like is nemesis.

Delete your account.

I’ve ridden some of the biggest / fastest / longest / highest / insert-superlative-here-est, and Nemesis is hard to beat. The entire thing is an assault on the senses (though less so these days), it’s a design classic, and it’s completely unique. Apocryphal legend goes that they blew out the Nemesis crater with dynamite and then designed the ride to fit in what was left. Probably mince but it’s a cool story.

It’s supposed to be the carcass of some mythological creature, the ivory track is its twisted spine. Back when it opened, rivers of ‘blood’ ran underneath. The queuing system deliberately takes you through the ride from all angles so you can witness its torment from all angles, building up tension and anticipation. Like most B&M coasters you can hear its distinctive howl from the other end of the park (largely due to the square cross-section shape of the track). And when you finally get on it, for a relatively small coaster, it Does Not **** About.

Nemesis rules. It’s a stone-cold masterpiece of coaster design built by the surely undisputed masters of coaster design.

Use to like them, but it’s not the fear factor that puts me off, it’s the overcrowded expensive theme parks with screaming kids, huge queues and not really enjoying them enough to want to go running to the next ride. It appealed to my younger mind that wants constant stimulation, but not my 40+ mind. Probably same reason I don’t enjoy modern CG action movies that bombard the senses (with complete garbage).

Also doesn’t help that my last few opportunities to go to them have been “team building” events, and the concept of team building itself is enough to make me puke.

I don’t like any of them except Oblivion at Alton Towers.

Oblivion is a waste of floor space, it needs tearing out. “We’ve got a vertical drop!” Yeah, so have plenty of others, what else? “Erm…”

Give me a roller coaster over something like the pirate ship any day of the week. I love them and I am too close to 50 for comfort!!

I have done Nemesis at Alton towers and the Big One at Blackpool, but just the once. I’m glad I have done them but would be in no rush to ride them again (think the Big One is no longer there anyway?)

Use to like them, but it’s not the fear factor that puts me off, it’s the overcrowded expensive theme parks with screaming kids, huge queues and not really enjoying them enough to want to go running to the next ride.

Longest we queued was 25 minutes and that was one ride, we walked straight onto most of them laughing at those with premium passes coming up their little route to find we were next to them on the rides.

Cougar – Nemesis is hard to beat. The entire thing is an assault on the senses (though less so these days), it’s a design classic, and it’s completely unique

You’re not wrong. Nemesis is my fave ever. But, why do you think it’s “less so these days”? I went on it last year for the first time in about five years and it didn’t seem as good, Do you mean that other rides have taken over, or that it’s somehow got slower, or we’ve acclimatised etc?

(think the Big One is no longer there anyway?)

Wut? Really?

why do you think it’s “less so these days”?

I think at least in part they no longer treat it as their showcase, it’s “just another ride” and it could do with maintenance (not technically / mechanically but, y’know, a lick of paint and a tidy-up of the surrounding foliage). It’s just a little bit tired and neglected. They don’t have the rivers of blood any more, for instance. When I first rode it the excitement of the staff was at American levels.

Bigger / better / acclimatising probably plays a part too, but that’s not really the issue for me I don’t think. The ride itself is still awesome, but it lacks that raw visceral punch that it had when it was newly installed. And that’s a shame.

*whispers*

Am I the only person in the world to have never been on a roller coaster…and not want to try one? I’m 34 🙂

However, give me a day with a paintball gun, quad bike, or canoe and I’m over the moon 🙂

Try it. I think you’d like it.

Do it spooky, like I said, until I was 32 I’d only been on Corkscrew and Shockwave. We got Merlin passes when the kids were prime kiddie ride age and really hammered them for two years. We only live 40 mins from AT so went every month, only managed a few trips to Thorpe Park but I forced myself to have a go and managed to get on everything except Collosus and Saw at Thorpe Park.

Nemesis is amazing, my favourite ride so far and a stone cold classic. The kids are at that awkward age now where they’re too old for the kids rides, but still too young/short for the bigger ones. Will probably get Merlin passes again for next year, really missed it this year, could do with a bit more of a buzz.

Yeah, Nemesis on the front feels almost like you are flying!

I can’t see how anyone would not enjoy a roller coaster. I did try paint-balling once but was distinctly underwhelmed. Like lazer-quest but freezing and infinitely more expensive. I got shot in the stones, quelled the urge to pistol-whip the rambo-wannabe in the face and cleared off to the pub.

Fair enough things like kayaking and rock climbing, but you can’t just go and do them on a whim when you wake up on a Sunday morning if you’ve never done it before/don’t have a kayak etc…

Nemesis was very good but I preferred the Smiler.

50 today and spent it at Lightwater Valley with my family. I love rollers but had never been on The Ultimate 1 mile long and really so much better than I’d hoped. I managed to get two goes on it in between doing things with our two recently 8 yr olds who did their first ever proper grown up thrill ride (Twister) and loved it too.

Absolutely love ‘coasters – but I’m finished with them now.
Only because the last time we went to Alton Towers on The Sun tickets they had a massive power cut just as they opened the gates and didn’t know when it would be back on coupled with the drizly rain meant loads of people went home. We walked over to Nemesis and the power came back on after an hour or so- there was literally no queue! We rode it got off (attendant wouldn’t let us stay on) ran back round and got back on the same train. Did this 6 times then ran over to Rita and did that a few times, couple of goes on Air, single ride of Smiler, Oblivion etc and went home knackered.
Would never have it so good again – it was almost like it was privately opened for us!

Nemesis is teh awesumezt. I love the noise: the howl that you can hear as you queue; the clack, clack, CLACK, clack clack, CLACK.. as it comes into the ‘station’. I love the way that is is SO smooth. I love the way that you stand still and the world goes on a ride around you…

Otherwise, I like wooden roller coasters – the Grand National at Blackpool and the one at Oakwood (Megaphobia??).

Smiler was ‘meh’ – the one in the dark at Alton Towers was better… Likewise Oblivion – a one trick pony.

I really don’t like the “Wild mouse” style of rollercoaster, but anything else is brill.

Nemesis is teh awesumezt. I love the noise: the howl that you can hear as you queue; the clack, clack, CLACK, clack clack, CLACK.. as it comes into the ‘station’. I love the way that is is SO smooth. I love the way that you stand still and the world goes on a ride around you…

That’s B&M, all their coasters do that. (Arguably aside from Air…)