Help for the hill-fearing person

Allow me to give some background as to why I am posting here.

I went to Cedar Point on July 9th and 10th. I had been there nine years ago, when I was nine years old, and I thought this trip would be a breeze for me.

I went on the Gemini first, and this is what I felt. The hill almost killed me. Yep. The drop was beyond frightening for me...wow. I thought that if THAT coaster could scare me so much, then I would probably die on the bigger ones.

I determined that my fear came from getting to the top slowly, and going over the hill. The rest of the Gemini was pretty fun for me, it's just that first hill. I went on it again and although I didn't think I was going to die, I did end up giving the bar a death grip.

I decided to ride the Raptor after being pressured by my friends. With my overblown fear of the Gemini apparent, one would think a ride on the Raptor would be worse for me. But it wasn't: I wasn't scared at all on that ride, rather, I enjoyed every second on it, and I came off very pleased. Inversions (and just about every other coaster trick) don't scare me in the least bit, but hills do. Weird...

Now for the questions. I am going back on the 30th. Would any of you suggest that I try a really big ride like the MF or the TTD first so I can rip my fear in half? Or would a gradual build up be better? I have read advice all over, but I do think my case is rather unusual. Well, maybe not, but I have read many comments about how someone has conquered the Magnum but is too scared to ride the Raptor, etc., and that is odd for me, since for me, it's the other way around.

Is my exclusive fear of the first hill unusual or normal? The drop itself isn't that frightening, it's just the seemingly everlasting turn over the top. It is quite disconcerting to me. Well, I have rambled enough...it may just be anxiety coming to a peak, but I don't know for sure.
*** This post was edited by Raptorite 7/15/2003 10:16:15 PM ***
*** This post was edited by Raptorite 7/15/2003 10:19:19 PM ***

If you're scared of hills, DEFINATELY ride TTD then MF. I used to be the same way, going up those hills slow really scared me. But TTD's won't, mainly because you're just going so insanely fast when you go up, its over before you can even think to be afraid. Then when you are going to get on another coaster, just look over, chances are you can see TTD, and say to yourself, wow, this thing is nothing compared to that! Same thing with MF, because the lift on that ride is extreamly fast, I haven't timed it, but I think it might be one of the fastest trips up a lift hill in the park. So go ride TTD, the scariest thing is waiting to launch on that ride, the hill is nothing since you are going so fast. Ok, now i'm rambling so I'll end this post here.
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Arms down.....Arms down.....Arms down.......Arms down.....Arms down....Arms down...(you think they would get it the first time?!)

It's not unusual to feel that way because I was exactly like that before. Up until I was 13 I had never ridden anything bigger than the Mine Ride. I decided to get on the Raptor with my friends to show them I had no fear because they didnt know I was afraid. I loved the Raptor and I didnt have much trouble on it except for the ride up the hill. Then we rode that we rode the Mean Streak. Man I was so scared on that. I had my legs propped up on the front of the seat in front of us and I had my head ducked down I was so scared. But what scared me was that first hill and after I'm fine. Later I was in such a good mood I just got on the Millennium Force. Now I had so much fear about the Millennium Force. I took me a year to ride it even though I went to Cedar Point like 6 times the year before. Well I rode it, and the ride up wasnt too bad after all. It doesnt seem so high going up and it only takes like 22-28 seconds or so. I hadn't even ridden the Magnum at that time so right afterwards we went over there and sat up front.

I recommend just facing your fears and get on the Millennium Force. You won't regret it, in fact you'll probably love it.

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adriane ;)

Try focusing on the car or track in front of you-- instead of looking around (or, God forbid, down). Sounds like you may have a fear of heights. I do, but I love coasters. Go figure.

MrScott

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"If we go any faster, she'll blow apart for sure!"

Millennium Force's first hill takes about 20 seconds to get to the top. Magnum takes about a minute.

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Ohio State, here I come!

I'm exactly the same way as you. I love the rides and inversions and stuff but i hate exactly what you said. Last year, i rode corskrew and i loved it and i rode blue streak but i still hated the first hill on both of them. Even on iron dragon it was like that. I'm glad they have TTD now because i might actually ride it this year because its short and it isn't slow over the hill.

--brennan

Thanks for the advice. I will have to convince myself the riding the TTD or the MF first will be best for me.

Brennan, I know, even those rides you listed had me gripping the seats. I admitted that to my friends and some of them laughed and said things like "the Blue Streak is a kiddy ride", among other things.

I must also say that although the first hill is the scariest part of the ride, but there are a few other things that scare me (to a very slight extent). Well, just one: airtime. Airtime to me is actually quite fun but I always get this image that the bar will break, and then my mood gets sour. I know the bar won't break, but the thought of it breaking ruins all airtime. It just happens...

And yes, I did discover I was afraid of heights when I got a little tense while on the Giant Wheel. I was never scared of heights before, so I have no clue why I should be now. It's really frustrating to feel that way about CP.

On the Raptor, I looked at the seats in front of me, so I think that helped. It may have been because the turn before the drop almost eliminated the free-falling sensation (which may also be what is scaring me, along with the turn over the top).

While I was on the Gemini: when we reached the top I braced my legs and pushed back, effectively gluing myself to the seat. I looked directly ahead of me at the disappearing cars...and that took so long, I felt like I was going to be thrown out of my seat...but when the turn over ended I felt relieved, even before the train reached the bottom. Relieved, aside from the gut-feeling that comes with falling.
*** This post was edited by Raptorite 7/16/2003 3:33:16 PM ***

Just go on TTD and after that, believe me, you will be like, Oh MY GOD!!!!!, that was the most fun thing I have ever done!!, I wanna go again!!! And believe me, the launch is more scary than the hill, because you know you're launching when it does, but after 3/4 of the launch strip you willl be cheering going up the hill and down the hill and then you probably wont be scared. But I would do TTD first because MF is scary going up but TTD is going so fast that you dont notice how high you r, and also, TTD IS THE BEST 17 SECONDS OF YOUR LIFE!!!, Definitly ride TTD!!!

the first 8 or so times i went on millenium force i always clenched and got all tight and nervous when we went down the first hill. but the last two times i've loosened up on the hill and it's been just amazing. i always feel like i'm flying on that ride, but those two times i felt like i was flying on the first hill, too.

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It's like a new pair of underwear; at first it's constrictive... but after a while it becomes a part of you. -Garth Algar

Okay...time for an analysis.

I have compared the MF's trip-to-the-top time, its over-the-top time (starting from the change in rise slope to the end of the downward turn), and its OTT after it reaches horizontal, to the two scariest coasters that I actually rode, the Gemini and the Blue Streak (okay, well BS didn't scare me as much as it made me tense for a few seconds, but it was just a bit more tense than the CS and ID, etc.) I didn't have a stopwatch handy so I just used the computer's clock, therefore these numbers may be off a little.

MF: Ride-up: 21 seconds, OTT: just over 9 seconds, OTT Down: 6

Gemini: Ride-up: just under 40 seconds (enough time for me to regret going on the ride), OTT: little under 9, OTT Down: just under 7 (longer than the MF's, apparently)

Blue Streak: Ride-up: 27 seconds, OTT: just under 8, OTT Down: about 6

If those numbers are the prime indicators, MF should be just marginally scarier than Gemini for me. But of course, I should factor in looking down, which should add to the fear. I believe that MF won't actually be much more frightening. That is rational thinking. But irrational thought will dominate my mind even in line (which is the never-go-back point, I don't have enough humility to turn around) and I will build the coaster up to be a lot worse than it is...I just have to find a way to calm myself down.

I have become quite obsessive now. I just came from watching the MF video on this site about 10 times...I also had to watch the Gemini video over and over to convince myself that its over-the-top drop is indeed longer than MF's.

My trip is still 2 weeks off for crying out loud. By the time I am ready to go I won't want to go on anything. I must return to life now...and think about it when the time comes, but that doesn't mean I won't continue to come here and go to other sites.

I think I will hit the TTD first.
*** This post was edited by Raptorite 7/17/2003 1:35:29 AM ***

I seem to have the same problems you do! Lift hills just scare me blind. I cannot fit on MF or Raptor yet, so the Magnum is the biggest coaster I can ride. Strangely enough, I become almost calm going up the hill, and when going over the top I just hang on to the bar and resign myself to the fates. I have found I do not like to look up to see how much hill is left. I look around at the scenery, but never directly down. The lake is very beautiful from the Magnum hill. I guess my biggest fear is a walk-down. I think I might collapse from fear if it ever came to that. I hope it never happens to me!

The rest of the Magnum ride is simply amazing. I am still getting used to it, so I am still a bit afraid of the whole thing. I am going to ride the Magnum at least once each time I am at Cedar Point. I have not ridden any coasters in over 20 years, so I think I have made good progress. I guess you just have to try and "disconnect" your mind on the way up the hill. Strangely enough, the terror is greatest for me from the time I climb the steps to the platform to the time the coaster train goes through that first dip before starting up the hill. Keep at it! I am finding that the fun is worth the fear.

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Tank
Magnum: 2

I agree. I would go with TTD (or any other big ride) first, to conquer that and move on.

The thing with TTD is that it just hits you (so to speak) SO. FAST. The whole thing is just...over before you can really think about how you should be feeling. You dont slowly climb that hill either, you SPEED up the incline and just seem to float on up and over. Its a great feeling, and after you conquer that, you can do anything!

Best of luck :)