Overcoming fears: Tamest and most thrilling seat for each coaster

Been to an attraction recently? Planning a trip? Tell us about it here or get some hints and tips for your next visit.
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slimifyd
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So we are just over a week away from the start of the 2019 season and as I mentioned before I'm going to try and over come my fear of coasters.

So my question is are there any coasters that have a tamer place to sit?

For example big thunder mountain in Disneyland Paris is a much slower/gentle ride at the front of the train.

Hopefully I can join the ranks of the "fearless" (I say that as an element of fear is a good thing I mean like not so much fear that I don't get on it lol)
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G&J
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Generally speaking most coasters are "tamer" at the front.
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slimifyd
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Thanks :) I know that you can't really make 4 inversions including a zero g roll tame but yeah like I say I'm looking for any little tips and tricks to get over the fear. I've admired coasters for over 25 years but only now am I looking to conquer the fear
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Dom
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I would say there are two ways of doing it. Either just brave it and hope that it doesn't scar you for life, or start with the weaker coasters first and then each visit build up slowly. If you are trying to conquer your fear at Alton Towers than I would suggest the following:

Start with Octonauts. As silly as that sounds, it's the perfect starter coaster for anyone big or small. If you are confident with that, then do Runaway Mine Train. Its a bit more forceful than Octonaughts but its still a very easy coaster to enjoy. Start at the front and then work your way back for an idea of intensity building. After you have become confident with that, then you have two options. Spinball Whizzer and Thirteen. They are about the same level of intensity and fun so are easily the next step up after Runaway Mine Train. If you can brave both of those, including Thirteens Crypt element, both towards front and back on Thirteen, than I suggest Wicker Man. It's definitely more fun and it is just an enjoyable ride. The front is not as intense as the back. Then I'd give Rita a go.. It's a lovely introduction to the more exhilarating coasters the park has to offer. With this, sit in the middle if you are nervous over the launch, You won't get the full force of it being in the middle. Than work to either the back or the front for the more forceful rides. After this, Galactica is your best shot. Its a smooth ride with an adding thrill to it. Oblivion is probably best next as it doesn't contain any inversions, but its scary the first time you ride it. On Oblivion there is no where to sit that is really any different. Its just as intense on the front row as it is on the back. After, its up to you. Nemesis is quite a forceful and intense inverted coaster, but it is smoother to ride, whereas Smiler is intense and forceful, but many find it easier to ride than Nemesis. Both are the most intense the park gets. Both are less intense at the front than the back, but it doesn't really make that much of a difference to me. To others it does though so it purely is different personal preferences. 

Hope this helps :)
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slimifyd
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Awesome thank you for the full break down :) working my way up is the plan :) RMT and 13 are my goals for the first trip on the 23rd :)
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Justin
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Personally, I'd do the following...

Octonaughts
Runaway Mine Train
Th13teen
Wicker Man (Although should not be underestimated)
Oblivion
Rita
Galactica
Nemesis
The Smiler

I've listed them in this particular order as you'll start off slow and then invert towards the end. I would say though, if you are ok with Th13teen, then go straight to Galactica!

Wicker Man is my favourite coaster, followed by The Smiler!
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slimifyd
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Thanks Justin :) I think Oblivion is my biggest worry as heights is one of things that gets me most :p but it's good to see that RMT/13/WM are kind of universally considered more manageable, what is it in WM that I should be aware of? From the pov's it seems to be a damn nippy ride and consistent once it gets going lol
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Bert
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My tip is to overwhelm yourself with excitement, get yourself worked up in the queue line and avoid any negative thoughts as much as possible until you are locked into the restraints.

Then remember to relax do not tense yourself in any circumstances as you will only injure yourself. Then all you have to do is sit there and when the brakes kick in you’ll want to ride again.
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slimifyd
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Yeah thats my general approach at the moment, I'm looking up pov's and trying to get hyped etc think about treating mysepf to ride merch as a treat for doing them etc
Swarm Chris

Learning to relax is a big part of getting the enjoyment from it all. The restraints, especially if you pull them very tight, will keep you in place. Tensing up against them will most likely make the whole thing feel worse. :)

In terms of overall ride comfort, the middle of the train will typically be the smoothest. The front and back will typically give the extremes of being pushed or pulled through an element faster. So much so, that the wooden rollercoaster at Efteling has a lesser height requirement for the middle seats than the rest of the train.
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slimifyd
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Since a few of you asked me to update you on challenging my fear of coasters I figured after opening day I'd let you know how we were getting on!

2 coasters down...

RMT (which was a lovely little mellow ride first thing in the morning) that being said it does get a fair bit of pace (compared to the rest of the ride) on the helix in the pass through the tunnel! (Sat 2nd from back)

Th13teen - this was an interesting one for me, I have watched the pov's and none of them do that first drop justice! It's waaaayy steeper than it looks on the videos. So at that moment I had to use all my resolve to remember there are trim brakes on that drop lol. The air time moments were fun. There was a brief moment on the high banked curve where I thought "ok I don't like this I want to get off" but my brain quickly shut that down and reminded me that this is a life long fear and it's meant to be a bit scary and b) seriously how am I going to get off lol. So I returned to enjoying it quiet quickly. The crypt was just straight up fun and the backwards section was quiet mellow and fun. (Sat front row as to quote the staff member - it's more mellow in the middle but if you really want to test yourself the front is the most intense version of the ride. Normally I don't rise to challenges but because the staff member said it in a kind supportive, hear are you options sort of way I felt like I owed it to him lol I wish I'd taken his name as he was super cool and even appluded me as the train came back in, top lad with a good level of banter to actual kindness ratio.)

So yeah due to queue times, picking season and digi pass etc yesterday that was about all we got in though I did get to show my GF hex as I love the theming on that ride.

So once again coaster gurus and oracles I throw myself to your wisdom.

2 questions - Th13teen vs Wicker Man which is the more intense (bear in my review from above).

And what should my next course of action be. Is it go to Wicker Man or ride Th13teen till I can do it in my sleep?

Hope you all had a blast this weekend, it's nice to have the towers back!

Can provide ride photo, so you can say hello if you spot me in future etc

Also special shout out to the guy in the TT jacket at the end of the day yesterday that actually made the pirate barrels spin faster than I thought was actually possible lol.
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Mr_Gibson
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Although I haven’t been much in recent years the staff have always been a highlight for me. As someone who books and deals with a lot of school and Scout trips, I always find dealing with staff at Alton Towers to be a pleasure.

As for the rides, I can’t help as I haven’t ridden Wicker Man yet, but I’ve had quite a few students who have had a great and positive first experience on Air/Galactica as it’s designed to be thrilling but not scary.

Then again I can also be very persuasive with my students when I want to be. :-P
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slimifyd
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Yeah I was really shocked as I feel like I very rarely hear staff being praised but so far I've had a great experience with them.
Swarm Chris

Really glad you got on your first two rollercoasters at Alton Towers and had a great experience on both. The ride operator sounds like they were brilliant. :)

For Wicker Man compared to Th13teen, Wicker Man throws you side to side a lot more, whereas Th13teen tries to launch you out of your seat a little more. The only drops on Wicker Man are slightly shielded, so you don't feel as high or as exposed as you do on Th13teen. In loosest terms, Wicker Man is kind of a faster and slightly more out of control version of Big Thunder Mountain. Differences are that the restraints are similar to those on Th13teen, so you won't slide around the seat, and that the warmer it is, the faster Wicker Man will go.

I would say give Wicker Man a go next. Despite seeing some nervous faces in the queue, I've never heard anyone come off saying they never want to ride it again. :)
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slimifyd
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Hahaha ok well let's hope I'm not the first! I was kind of hoping I would find my BTM closer to home as after willing myself on to it I found it to be a amazing balance of fun, thrill and theming
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Great work! I'm also scared of heights and still often shut my eyes going round the top of Oblivion.

 For years the biggest thing I could go on was RMT, and the thing that changed it for me was going with a group of people I hardly knew. Before we were together, I went with my now boyfriend and a group of his friends, who were all strangers to me. Because I didn't want to look like the wuss I am in front of all these strangers, I internally went "sod it" and just went for it! They also got me to go on Nemesis as the very first ride which was the ultimate test of not wimping out, but I did it, and after that everything else was easy to go on! (tbf this was 2010 so Nemesis WAS the scariest thing in the park!). 

The only one I refused was Spinball because if I spin, I vom...

Also you will LOVE Wicker Man. I promise!
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slimifyd
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vikkimoo wrote:Great work! I'm also scared of heights and still often shut my eyes going round the top of Oblivion.

 For years the biggest thing I could go on was RMT

Also you will LOVE Wicker Man. I promise!
This is the limbo I'm stuck in at the moment I can do RMT with my eyes shut now lol I'm trying to will myself back on to 13 as I did it once but due to the hour queue I didn't get back on and it's the first coaster I havnt done twice in a row so I think I let fear creep back in :p I'm going again Sunday so I hope I can crack 13 and do it a couple of times to allow me to move on to wicker man as that is the ride in the park I'm most interested in. I tend to get to the end of the queue then they say "row 10" and I walk through the train and out lol
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