How do you convince someone to ride a roller coaster?!?!

Alcohol.

Renegade said:
Alcohol.

true, unlike other amusement parks, CP is not shy at all serving alcohol...i had a great buzz last time, just made the ride even crazier

So Kevinj, forgive me for asking but what type of class do you teach? Is it for coasters or fears in general? Just curious because at first I assumed you've just went through girlfriends so quickly you've had to convince many to ride a coaster ;)

Renegade said:
Alcohol.

Duh! That's a givin' HAHA

^
Here you go: a shameless plug.

Face your Fear

It's part of my Abnormal Psychology courses here at Mount Union; just a chance for the students to get a real-time experience on what a behavioral disorder/mental illness can look like, feel like, and how they can be treated.

Sign her up! :)

Ugh. I'm reading through the survey for this upcoming class (Fall 2012), and there are three that are scared of "the one where you have to stand up"...Mantis may be a new addition this year. :)

Here is what the "gradual-buildup lineup" looked like last year (it changes depending on specific phobias)...

Session 1: Mine Ride, Iron Dragon, Wildcat

Session 2: Gemini, Magnum, Maverick

Session 3: Wicked Twister, Millennium, Dragster

Too far for us. But that is really cool. I think I helped her with her lack of experience on the aforementioned Serpent in Saginaw, Mi. She doesn't have any fears, she's just never had the experience. It's more of a let's do it attitude so I'm pretty sure she could handle starting on the big ones. Maverick is gonna be her first true coaster experience and that's her choice. I'm really looking forward to it, actually. Being a selfish, lifetime enthusiast (Magnum in '89 at the age of 9 was my first ride), I can't imagine waiting for Iron Dragon, CCMR, or Wildcat open thinking I've missed two rides on Maverick or MF. I know, its sad, right?

You cant really force someone to ride Millenium or Dragster. Its best to start someone out on the smaller rides and work them up until they feel that they are ready.

I took one of my friends to CP for the first time in his life and he had not been on a roller coaster before either. My girlfriend and I just took him on all of the smaller rides like Blue Streak, Iron Dragon, WildCat, Disaster Transport, etc... Until he finally told us that he wanted to try Magnum. Then from Magnum came Millenium and then he finally decided to try Dragster.

If you really want to get her riding...you and your group need to be supportive. Don't try to force her, don't try to make her feel bad, don't try to convince her, let her do it at her own pace. When I was 11, my cousin and her husband forced me on a small coaster...first drop was only 63 feet. I think I left my fingerprints on the buzz bar that night. I got off shaking and almost crying, acting like a total wuss-and for the next six years, I would walk 10 miles around a park to avoid even going NEAR a coaster again. The entire time I'd look at photos of them and envy the people riding, I watched all the coaster movies I could, secretly trying to build the courage up to ride. At the age of 17, my GF and I went to this same park again-spent the entire day. She asked me if I wanted to ride and I said no-In short, I got sick of sitting there like a total wimp watching her and as dusk began to close in, and the lights came on, I decided I wanted to try it. She started to head for the queue and I said wait up-I wanted to try it again.

I was nervous the entire time waiting, I believe my hands were shaking as we stood at the front of the air gates as the next train was ours...she was a front seat kinda girl...I think I hyperventilated on the way up the lift-didn't particularly enjoy the first drop but loved the rest of it. When we got off-she said "Well, how'd you like it?" I grabbed her hand and said lets go again or I may not ride it ever again. A coaster junkie was born that night. We rode 7 times total, the last couple of times I was doing it hands up with her.

The point I'm trying to make is, she made it completely non-threatening. She asked once and that was it. She never asked again. The more people would ask me to ride, the more I felt pressured and it only built the fear up. She knew her tactic would work and it got me on.

I went from riding everything BUT the coasters to now only riding the coasters...I wimp out on most everything else but the coasters don't scare me.

Make it fun...and if she does get on & seems nervous-talk to her on the way up about stuff-distract her. Don't freak her out by reminding her her how high up you're going or saying you're gonna crash or fly off the rails. The Point is an AWESOME place to ride...there's everything from mild to totally wild and everything in between. I'm bummed this will be the first summer in 5 years I won't be able to go to CP :( NOT gonna be fun. Start her off on Cedar Creek Mine Ride...go to Iron Dragon from there. If she's cool with those...let her pick what she wants to ride next

Have a blast & I hope she gets the courage to ride. I missed too many years through my 20's and 30's because friends were too afraid or said they were too old. At 44 now, I'm making up for lost time LOL!