How to Survive Roller Coasters (without Crying)

Canada’s Wonderland can be paradise for some. Rides and coasters and a huge waterpark – what’s not to love? However, for others like me…it can be more like a death sentence. 

When I told my friends for the first time that I didn’t want to go on the Leviathan, they looked at me like I was crazy. But I ask you, is it really so crazy to not want to be strapped into some machine and letting it drop me 306 feet at the speed of light? I don’t think so. 

The whole concept of roller coasters baffles me. First, you willingly allow yourself to be caged in a tiny metal cart that leads you on a track which looks like a STEM project you did in third grade. Not only does it take a million years to start the ride, but the safety bars seem more decorative than functional! Then, as you’re finally on that first hill leading you up, away from the ground, you can’t help but wonder if the ticking sound is a countdown to your inevitable doom. Every regret you’ve ever had flashes in your mind, starting and ending with getting yourself in this situation in the first place! Then, out of nowhere…you drop.

And that’s when your hair decides to audition for a horror movie, your stomach does an Olympic worthy triple flip, and as you scream your lungs out, you’re left wondering why anyone would want to willingly feel like this.

However, the worst thing about being afraid of roller coasters is not even the actual ride: it’s waiting in line. When you’re on the ride, you have no option but to endure it. You can scream your lungs out and no one can really blame you. But when you’re in the line surrounded by people who are actually excited to go, you have no choice but to ignore every instinct in your body urging you to leave.

It doesn’t help when your own parents are stressing out in the days leading up to this. If from reading this blog you believe that I’m scared of roller coasters, you do not know how much my mom is terrified of them. I don’t know if it’s genetics or the fact that she’s always reading articles about people getting hurt because of them. So not only is she freaking herself out, she’s also trying to dissuade me to go and making me even more petrified than I already am (and I’m actually the one going!)

This vicious cycle continues every summer when my friends choose to go. Of course, I don’t want to miss out, so I say yes when they invite me. But each time, I’m left with my nerves jumbled and every part of me dreading having to do it again. 

So… how do I get over this? How do I become like all the others who actually enjoy this experience? For starters, something I always do is sit in the middle. No matter what people may say about the front being the best, sitting in the middle makes me feel the safest. With people on either side of me, front and behind, it feels much better!

Secondly, you may always hear that you should “start on smaller coasters” or “work your way to the top.” It seems useless at first (it definitely did to me) but honestly…it really works. Doing this essentially warms you up by getting you in the zone and used to the experience of the fast turns or even the weird stomach feeling everyone gets. 

Lastly, observe the ride. I always survey the coaster to not only distract myself when waiting in line, but to also feel prepared. For me, counting things like the seconds leading up to the fall, or the number of loops, really helps to reassure me that I can do it. Because, let’s be honest, one of the scariest parts of a roller coaster is going up, so if I know how many seconds there are leading to the drop, I feel much more prepared even when I’m actually on the ride. 

All in all, roller coasters are still terrifying for me. The twists, the heights, the drops, the loops, everything is designed to be like a high-speed blender for humans. But in reality, the scariest part about coasters is when you get off. Legs shaking, nervously laughing, and realizing that maybe, just maybe…you actually like it. Because, apparently, fear can be another word for fun.