Sensations on roller coasters

General theme park and attraction industry chat, along with the world of theme park gaming.
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AZ Explorer
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I came to realize overtime watching coaster enthusiast's YouTube channel's, that every theme park youtuber I watch seem to look for the same thing in a roller coaster, that being airtime.
I am curious to know if there are any coaster enthusiast's that look for other physical sensations in a roller coaster instead of airtime.
I say "physical sensations" because I am not including theming.

The #1 thing I look for in a roller coaster & other thrill rides is an endurance test.
I no longer get the overwhelming punch to the gut feeling on steep drops or sudden launches like I used to back in the day I used to get scared on some roller coaster rides.
So I look for other various alternative ways a roller coaster ride can push my endurance to the limit, whether that be pressure in the joints on fast wild snappy transitions on some coaster layouts, or extreme wind exposure on some record breaking launches like when I rode Kingda Ka back in 2012.

Either way my previous sentence explains why airtime is not my #1 thing I look for in a ride but those various other things described.

However I know many familiar theme park youtubers say they prefer airtime over inversions.
I'm curious to know if there are any in existence who prefer vice versa, or other types of sensation's, as I don't see any on YouTube at least.
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ROYJESS
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That is a good question.

For me, it has always been about the drop, the speed, the wind blowing into your face. I like the negative G's of the drops. Back in the 80's/90's, it was always about riding the coaster with the biggest and steepest first drop. Sitting at the rear of a coaster is best to maximise the negative G's and towards the front for the positive G's and air time.

It is also about being thrown around on a ride, the acceleration and deceleration. The best rides for these are those smaller coasters with single cars. The Black Hole at Alton (before they added the second car) and the old mouse ride at Blackpool was great for this. They were very nippy to ride.

I'm not a big fan of inversions. Back in the 1980's, I rode my first looping coaster at Margate (the Looping Star). Probably my favourite looping coaster. The reason for this, was back in the day, you only had a lose lap bar. This ride didn't have over head restraints. You were only held literally in by the G force of the coaster going around the loop. You would have fallen out if the coaster had stalled upside down. Lap bars of this type would not be allowed today due to H&S.

I find that modern coasters don't give you great air time due to the restraints now used. For me, true air time is where your bottom literally leave the seat, unlike with todays coaster where the restraints now pin you tightly to your seat.

I like to ride Nemesis front row, just for the pure visual sensation of flying and near misses of the rocks as oppose to the physical sensations.

When I ride a new coaster, I like to ride something that gives me a new/different sensation to those that are already out there.
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Thanks for sharing your thought's ROYJESS.

What you just said about looking for the biggest and steepest coaster drop's in the 80/90's, describes me exactly the first time I rode Oblivion when I was 14 back in 2005.
I used to enjoy that scary feeling in the stomach going down into the tunnel the first several times I went on it, which may have been what you describe as the negative G's.
However that feeling started to disappear by the time I rode it again in 2007, the last time I have been to Alton Towers BTW.

About what you said about the Looping Star at Margate and their lap bars really caught me by surprise.
Dreamland was one of my Childhood Parks I went to on two occasions growing up in 1999.
I didn't go on the Looping Star (the smaller version) because I was scared to go upside-down at that time.
The wooden roller coaster terrified me beyond belief at that age for having way to much "negative G's?" as you would probably describe.

And what you described about the old fashioned lap bars giving what felt like raising the stakes & modern day H&S, sounds to me exactly why I am also interested in waterslide's and Skiing/Snowboarding, as you are way more exposed and less restricted when experiencing those things.
Coasters on the other hand I look for different sensations expectation wise, similar to what you describe in your last sentence.

I am very fascinated to hear you share your thought's ROYJESS.
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ROYJESS
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That is the problem with riding rides over time, you do build up immunity with the rides. You get used to them that you no longer get that adrenaline/rush feeling. On the plus side, your body get used to the rides and you no longer feel motion sickness as well as your muscles build up to take the motion/bumps/jolts.

If I remember, things like the 4 man bob rollercoaster ride at Alton and the Black hole didn't have restraints at the start of its life. Also rides like the log flume also didn't have restraints. Like you say, those were the day where the added phycological danger is the fear of falling out of the ride.

I love the feeling of free falling (negative G's) hence why some of my favourite rides are Oblivion, Apocalypse. One of the scariest things that I've done is a SCAD dive (this is falling from a height of around 200 feet into a net, you are not attached to anything when you free fall, this was once a paid attraction on Blackpool pier) and Sky coaster, another paid attraction on Blackpool pier and is still there today.

I don't seem to get the same rush now a days. Back in the day, a simple family rollercoaster or log flume was as good as it get and they were good white knuckle rides then. Today, we have coasters that have pushed the boundaries with speed and height and those smaller rollercoasters no longer feel as exhilarating as they used to.

I've been unable to visit a theme park and go on rides for a good 2 years due to covid, so when I made my return to Alton this scarefest, I was hoping to get that feeling of riding the rides for the first time again, but I was disappointed, the rides did nothing for me except for making me ill with motion sickness and painful to ride. However, I recently visited Great Yarmouth pleasure beach and it look like my body was getting used to the rides again and I had a good time.

Between 2006 and 2020, I owned a little convertible red sports car. With the roof down, with the wind blowing in your face/hair, with bumpy suspension, for me that was just as exhilarating to drive as riding a rollercoaster (keeping to the speed limits of course).

I can't believe that you haven't been to Alton since 2007. It has change a lot since then with the addition of Thirteen, The Smiler, Wickerman and the sad removal of the Black Hole and Flume. The operations have gone down hill. The Scarefest and Fireworks are great events.

Riding the rides in the dark also add another dimension to the ride and gives you that feeling of greater speed and drops. Hence why the Black Hole was a favourite of mine

For me, a theme park isn't always about how good the big ride is or what sensation a ride gives me. I also go for the theming and escapism . Hence why I still like to visit places like Chessington. I'm an ex professional entertainer (magician/illusionist which I have made a living from for over 35 years) and I still have a feel for theatrical effects, and a theme park is one large theatre full of effects
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I agree ROYJESS that the body must clearly adapt quickly overtime to the G's (both negative & positive), as to why the roller coasters/theme park rides don't feel the same as they once did.
I always assumed that to be the case, just as you have described.

I am however still convinced I can still find what I am looking for (Scary Adrenaline Rush) in an alternative way.
I just believe that whatever it is would be something that doesn't rely only on G force alone, but rather something that relies on either something you are exposed to, or something you collide with that comes with & impact's experience.
High Thrill waterslides, Skiing/Snowboarding big mountains, & Scad Towers are 3 of a few things that I truly believe may fall into the category or description, of the last sentence.
Of course I am (believe it or not) yet to do any of those 3 things mentioned above, although I have a very strong bucket list interest in experiencing all 3 of those stuff someday soon in the near future.

About what you said about those scad towers, there is one in Denmark that I have planned to do in a future bucket list trip merged together with a a first trip to Liseberg & another theme park in Denmark, back-to-back-to-back.

As for me not having been to Alton Towers for way more than a decade, That will soon change next year as long as I find out how to pre-book a room at the resort hotel, which I am still not familiar with how to do it, at this the moment unfortunately.
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The most scary thing that I've done is a Skycoaster which can still be found on Blackpool South pier.

For me the scary things are those that you have to give yourself a push to do. Vertical slides (Pleasurewood Hills used to have one) Go Ape (Tarzan Rope swing) etc..

I would like to do the velocity 2 Zip wire in Wales which claims to be the worlds fastest and longest in Europe.

I've always wanted to do skiing, but I never ever got around to doing it or having the money to fund the lessons. My daughter done a sky dive and I would love to do that as well as a bungee jump. The closest thing that I've done to any winter sport is ice skating

I've done an indoor sky dive around 17 years ago. You float on a giant fan of air. It was more of a sport rather than a thrill ride as you had to hold your body in the perfect position to float. It did really take it out on your muscles.

As for booking a hotel room at Alton, you should be able to do that next year online once they release the dates, usually just before the season starts. As nice as the accommodations are themed, a Local B&B or Travel lodge will save you money.
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Thank you ROJESS for sharing your story, it was sure very fascinating to read.

As for the hotel, I appreciate your advice about saving the cost by staying elsewhere nearby, however that for me would not be possible as I don't drive or would I always be able to rely on my parent's to take me there every time I want to go.
Plus I would want to feel like I bond with the resort more buy staying onsite, even though I am aware that the price would be a fair bit higher.

I will most possibly look into getting there and back in one-piece over the winter holiday in preparation for the parks reopening again.

So hopefully I will get myself up there around the beginning of opening season 2022.

Sorry I took this long to reply.
ColaRoaster

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