The Ups and Downs of Roller Coasters and Kids

Roller Coasters

I fell in love with riding roller coasters when I was 15 years old. My first "real" roller coaster was Space Mountain at Walt Disney World in Florida. It was our family vacation in February 1975 and the ride opened only the month before. If you aren't familiar with the ride, it is an indoor roller coaster designed to simulate space flight - including re-entry. You are in the dark with the only light coming from the illuminated sides of the cars. I first rode with my father and, I will admit, I was rather frightened. In the end, I enjoyed it so much I couldn't wait to go back on! I did go back, alone, one more time before we left and I was officially hooked on coasters. I got back to Disney only one more time - my parents took my family on a trip in January 2000 - and I rode Space Mountain again. This trip I discovered the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster featuring Aerosmith. This, too, is an indoor coaster and I rode it twice (three times?) - one after the other.

My experience with roller coasters was mostly a lonely one but for the few times we were with friends who enjoy the thrill. I was hoping to get my children as coaster companions and I did, to a degree.

Kiddie Coasters

I mentioned being in Disney with the kids - they were 6 1/2 and 5 and too young for roller coasters. Well, not quite. There was a "kiddie coaster" that they wanted to ride - it may have been Goofy's Barnstormer - and they wanted me to ride with them. I'm not sure how many times we rode it but it was more than once and it was a tight fit each time. I believe this was their only roller coaster encounter until we went to Dorney Park for the first time a few years later.

The Woodstock Express is a kiddie coaster at Dorney Park - it doubles as a torture device for their parents. This was a ride they wanted to go on a lot! I'm guessing we went at least three or four times and they loved it; I think I had bruises on my legs for days afterward due to small cars and bracing myself so as to not bang into the kids. The sacrifices we make.... It was during that trip that I first discovered Steel Force. The first drop is 205' and during the ascent you cannot see anything but the trees and then the park laid out in front of you. Unlike every other roller coaster I have been on, you cannot see the track or walkway on the ascent - you feel like you are suspended in air! It didn't take long before I started to get uneasy (I absolutely hate the ascent) and decided to focus on the head of the person in front of me; when his head was gone I knew I was about to go over the top. What a wild ride! There was also a green, looping coaster called "Laser" and the wooden coaster, "Thunderhawk". I rode them all - alone.

We went back to Dorney Park in 2008 and this time I was able to avoid Woodstock and I got both kids on a coaster that I cannot remember the name of but it is similar to "Trailblazer" at Hershey Park. That is a reasonably mild coaster and from there I was able to convince them to try "Thunderhawk". That was a big step for them but they survived and enjoyed themselves. I thought I would press my luck and get them on Steel Force but they wouldn't go. I knew my daughter wasn't going to like it but worked on my son (13 at the time) and finally convinced him to ride with me. This was, without a doubt, the most fun I have ever had on a roller coaster!

YAY! We survived Steel Force!

Steel Force

This was quite a big leap for someone who had just ridden his first "real" roller coaster earlier in the day. He was doing great until we started to climb. That is the first time I heard him say, "I hate you!" but, believe me, it was not the last! It became his mantra throughout the ride, interrupted only by an occasional, "I can't breathe!" Now, before you think I am heartless or that he was in distress - he was able to breathe. He repeated "I hate you!" and "I can't breathe!" right up to when we slowed down before entering the station. By this time my side hurt and I had tears rolling down my face from laughing. He looked at me and let me know that he enjoyed the ride. I asked if he wanted to go on again, "NO!" That was good, I can only take the ride once per outing.

Laser

Laser was a green, looping roller coaster at Dorney Park. I had ridden it a few times in previous trips and now I was hoping to take my son for a ride. I figured, after Steel Force, it would be an easy sale. "NO! I am not going on a looping roller coaster!" Well, maybe I was wrong. I worked on him a little bit, told him after Steel Force this was like riding Woodstock Express; after a few minutes he relented. However, he was only going to go on it once! There was no hate on this ride and everyone was able to breathe just fine. When the ride was over he looked at me and asked, "Can we go again?" Sure! Why not?

Trailblazer

It has been quite some time since we've all gone to an amusement park together. Last month we took a family vacation to Hershey Park, along with my daughter's boyfriend. The first ride we hit was Trailblazer and all four of us went - my wife doesn't "do" coasters of any kind. It was fun to be back on a coaster with the kids and we ended up on Trailblazer twice but with time in-between. Trailblazer doesn't go very high or very fast but there are some nice, tight turns and the ride is quite smooth. I heard some chatter from my daughter and boyfriend behind me but can't remember anything more than the normal roller coaster screams. That was the only coaster we all went on that day - in fact, it was the only coaster I went on with my children. I knew my daughter wasn't going to ride others but was a bit disappointed that my son wasn't quite feeling up to it. I did ride the wooden coasters with my daughter's boyfriend and watched with the others while he braved some of the other steel coasters.

What's Next?

I'm afraid my coaster days are winding down and fear this trip may have been the last opportunity to ride with them. I have developed a horrible fear of heights and I get very anxious during the ascent. I experienced this anxiety on each of the wooden coasters I rode at Hershey and was afraid to ride the bigger coasters. This is a new phenomena for me and a very disturbing one. I also found the violent movements of the wooden coasters to be a bit much and was actually sore the next day. I guess it may be back to the "kiddie coasters" for me when it comes time to take grandchildren to the parks.