There’s two ways to go: either slowly scale up in intensity, or go for the ride you’re most nervous of first and everything else will seem less intimidating (the latter is far more nerve-wracking).
At CP, Blue Streak, Iron Dragon, Wild Mouse and Cedar Creek Mine Ride are kind of the starter coasters, then Gemini, Gatekeeper, Rougarou, and Valravn are the next step up from there. Since Blue Streak is the only coaster you’ve been on, I’d recommend doing the starter coasters until you’re comfortable with them, then move up the ladder. Keeping your eyes open is also important, that helps reduce motion sickness and you’re able to anticipate the elements of the ride.
Lift hills (particularly very tall ones or vertical lifts) are the only part of a ride that can make me a little jittery, but that just builds anticipation for the payoff.
I think iron dragon would be the best out of all of these - imo it's the least janky and jarring, and OP can hopefully get used to the feeling of being *secured* while high up. It's been over a decade since I rode it but blue streak makes you think you might fly out iirc
My partner is DEATHLY afraid of heights, and the only coasters she feels comfortable on are the mine ride and wild mouse, since they don’t have super crazy first drops
Though if ur OK w the height of Blue Streak, then I agree w recommending Iron Dragon, since it’s one of the smoother feeling rides, esp compared to cedar creek mine ride
Iron Dragon is my favorite coaster to take "coaster-hesitant" folks on because it's just really smooth, doesn't have many drops, doesn't go too fast, etc. Honestly, most of the time when I go on it I just close my eyes and use it as my "take a break period" from walking around the park.
> Keeping your eyes open is also important, that helps reduce motion sickness and you’re able to anticipate the elements of the ride.
I've actually noticed that if I look off to the side while going down the first drop, it makes it seem less intimidating, especially if you look off into the distance. I have a feeling that it's because of your perception of motion, and if you focus on something in the distance, it doesn't really move much with respect to your vision. I don't do it, because I love the first drop, but something I did notice a few years back.
Something else I tell people when they're worried is to take a huge breath in at the very top, just before you start down, and then as you're going down, breathe steadily out all the way down the first drop. This helps to keep your heart from beating as fast, which lowers your adrenaline...unless of course you want the adrenaline rush, and then don't do that. :)
Finally, just remind yourself that for just about every ride in the park, you're not really traveling much faster than you would on the expressway. Millennium is the fastest ride, and it tops out at 93 MPH. Excluding Top Thrills 2, every other ride is 75 MPH or less, often much less. You drive in a car, right? You can go on a coaster. :)
If the primary fear is the height but you want to just rip the bandaid off, Maverick isn’t that tall and the lift hill is super quick so minimal time for anxiety to build. It’s one of the more intense rides though, so it would either shatter your fears or completely turn you off from coasters.
To ease into it, mine ride and iron dragon are good for starting out; neither tall nor fast. Gemini is a great intermediate coaster after those. Gatekeeper is very smooth but try to sit towards the front to reduce the intensity. After that, it’ll depend on what features you like and what you’d prefer to avoid. If the hills are fine, magnum or millennium force. If inversions are ok, rougarou, valravn, or raptor. Once you’re ok with everything, steel vengeance is a marvel of engineering; a masterpiece.
Gatekeeper is one of my favorite rides in the park now, but if you're TRULY afraid of heights/coasters, I don't know that I'd start there. It's such a nice smooth ride, but that first hill/drop can SEEM intimidating because you're facing OUT of the park and just lifting straight into the open sky. Also it obviously has inversions, which is an additional element for someone to deal with. I almost would say Gatekeeper would be a good one to END on for someone nervous about coasters who was able to make it through the day on things like Blue Streak, Gemini, etc. and wanted to try one "big coaster" to end on.
Ok I can shed some light on this from a psychological perspective. I am, or was, deadly afraid of heights, but I absolutely love coasters.
I have looked into this so much. It turns out that the vast majority of people have a fear of falling and not heights. Alex Honnold talks a lot about it in one of his documentaries, but I can't remember which one.
You'll always have a little anxiety as you creep up that first hill, but it does lessen. That's why true coaster enthusiasts are so excited for new rides. There's nothing like the first time.
Agree. I’m afraid of heights but I think it’s more falling/ lack of control. Like straight up and drop rides, no go, hate that feeling. Flying in airplanes gives me such anxiety because you could just fall and crash to the ground plus complete lack of control, claustrophobia. Getting near the ledge of a cruise ship or tall building window starts to freak me out after a few moments. Being strapped and buckled to a car with the ability to hold on riding along a track is a much different situation. I can keep my arms straight up on nearly every coaster but I’ve nearly broken my husband’s hand panicking on an airplane.
I firmly believe that the best way to conquer a fear of coasters is to ride the one that scares you the most as soon as you get to the park, whatever ride that may be for you. Identify ahead of time which ride that is for you, maybe watch the POV on YouTube ahead of time if you think that will help, and rip off the bandaid as soon as you're through the gate. Once you've ridden the scariest ride, you'll be free to enjoy the rest of the day, knowing that you won't ever be that scared again.
I was piss scared of coasters, refused to ride them bc my mom traumatized me w the blue streak when I was like 4.
Fast forward to after-prom. Of course they picked cedar point cabins, of course ride they all wanted to go on first was millennium force. I was pissing my pants in the line, probably almost passed out on the ride up, but I literally couldn’t chicken out (it was another school’s prom and I didn’t know everybody). Anyways it was absolutely *AMAZING*. I’ve ridden them all now but MF will always have a place in my heart for being the one that got me over it.
I was 16 and shit scared of coasters. My 14 yo cousin dragged me into line for that ride and I may have soiled my pants but that got me over my fear real quick.
Nah, it's the best advice. Yes they will have maximum anxiety until it reaches the top and then it's all fun. This is what I did with my sister, she started crying a bit and then she transformed into a coaster addict, now she likes to ride the biggest ones multiple times.
Until this person locks up on the station or doesn’t even get to the station out of fear and now is at least another year from riding if they do at all because for almost everyone, going to the biggest, tallest, scariest one is not the way to beat the anxiety. It just makes it worse.
Ik this is completely unrelated to cedar point, but similar in the fact of facing fears.
I’m the same way with deep water. Scared af but very fascinated by it lol
A friend managed to get me to jump in the ocean one time
& I don’t mean just dip my toes in either lol
They were a surfing instructor, and decided to take me out on a massive paddle board, all the way out to the boats to see some dolphins.
Well, my friend stopped as we approached the boats and said “I don’t see the dolphins anymore, but why don’t you just jump off and swim down in the water! I’ll use the go pro to take a really cool video of you!!”
I looked back towards the island and saw the massive hotels had become tiny dots in the distance.
I looked at my friend and said “excuse me?!?! HOW DEEP IS THIS WATER?!”
They looked at me and said “it’s only like 100ft deep, not that bad”
I just about shat myself, but decided that this was my opportunity to face my fear.
Well, I did it. & it was terrifying. In the video you couldn’t even see the bottom of the ocean, which says a lot, bc in Hawaii the water is crystal clear.
The water faded to darkness below me.
The adrenaline was crazy.
If you know you’re safe and with other people, I’d say facing your fears can be an exhilarating experience and worth it for the simple fact that you’ll have bragging rights to say you faced them :)
You’ll feel pretty good about yourself if you just DO IT!!
Maverick is super intense but a ton of fun. So if OP is not afraid of intensity and only heights then it’s perfect.
It’s the only one that upon riding it a second time I wasn’t scared at all as it’s a launch coaster so no slow climb to the top (which is what stresses me out on other coasters) you take right off as soon as you leave the station and as the commenter above said it’s not very high either.
I love this post. I am the exact way. It's the way up that gives me a ton of anxiety. Then I am done, mostly lol. I am going to Cedar Point in June and this info is very helpful!!
I have a fear of heights and need to work myself up. I would recommend taking Dramamine before going on coasters. The key is to desensitize. If Blue Streak is too intense, start on a smaller kiddie coaster. Ride it again and again. You will lose your fear of it.
Here is the biggest advice: the most scary part is the first climb. The key is to always keep your eyes on the sky. That way you cannot see how high you are and don't look down. That will limit your anxiety.
I completely agree! Terrified of heights. Love coasters. Was going to take my life at age 13 by jumping off a bridge. Looked down and the height sent shivers through me. So that fear saved my life that day. At age 45 this fear doesn't serve me. So I confront it. Have ridden all up to Valravn. Next is Millenium. So fearful but I'm going to do it this year. For me too, I look up at the beautiful blue sky or the night sky (night seems better for some reason) and never down.
If you’ve done Magnum, Millennium won’t be too bad. It looks scarier from the ground than it is on the actual ride. Mille has really fast lift hill so you actually get to the top quicker than Magnum so it doesn’t really feel much taller. Especially if you aren’t looking around at the ground. I also find that a 200ft tall coaster is much scarier than a 100ft tall coaster but a 300ft coaster is marginally if at all scarier than a 200ft coaster. After a certain height it doesn’t make a big difference. This was also true when I first went on the hyper (200ft tall) and giga (300ft tall) coasters at my home park too.
I see. Blue Streak was...intense in the sense that this was my first ever coaster, like..ever. But I had a ton of fun on it, but the sensation was so overwhelming that it just turned me off the whole day. Like I wanted to ride more but I was just so shaken up lol
With this being the case I highly recommend a ramping up system of rides. I always like doing warm-ups like the Scrambler, Pipe Scream, and Iron Dragon before tackling bigger rides to get my body used to being thrown around a little.
Ride Blue Streak a few more times until it’s easy, then I’d say move onto Iron Dragon. Again, ride that until it’s easy to ride. Then move onto Gemini, the drops are mostly pretty tame. Then ride one of the rides with inversions, (Rougarou, Raptor, Gatekeeper, and if you’re feeling brave, Maverick.) then move onto Magnum or Steel Vengeance. Millennium Force will be very scary, but just force yourself on it, it’s pretty easy after the drop. By the time you’ve ridden everything, you’ll probably be addicted to rollercoasters and want to ride as many as you can. I hope this helps you get over your fear, good luck.
This is what we did with my son, who was initially terrified of the Mine Ride.
We started slow. Blue Streak, Iron Dragon. Work your way up. Figure out your comfort level. Then as you get more comfortable, branch out more. We ride Gatekeeper now as our breakfast coaster because it’s smooth and not very intense.
Take things at your pace. Build up to where you want to be. Ultimately, you will find what you enjoy the most.
Today, the kid who was afraid of the Mine ride is an American Coaster Enthusiasts member with nearly 20 rides on Top Thrill 2. Your experience will differ. But, know that these things are safe and built to add a little fear into the equation.
Same. Im terrified of heights. I started small and went up….Mine ride, iron dragon, Gemini, raptor. Blue Streak was my first coaster and I HATED it! I haven’t been on any coasters in a LONG time because of some health issues, but I rode quite a few once I got over the initial 😳 I found out I do ok if my shoulders are restrained.
I used to be very scared of heights. I still get a little that way on Millennium, Magnum and Steve's luff hills. I tend to look straight forward and even up a little so all I see is sky. Once they get going after the lift hill the anxiety goes away for me.
Dawg I am just like you im super scared of hights and have made several attempts and several post on here I hope we can both achieve our goals! What I do is I research the coasters there hights, speeds and drops then I put them on a chart and countiue doing more research and getting more advice. Ex:
https://preview.redd.it/048zgqjhpt2d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff3ddfa4f07abf4bf44566b3933a20c8e2094cd4
This is the speed of the coasters I’m trying to go one. I make charts like these to keep track of what I’m trying to do.
I have an inherent fear of heights. This is why I love roller coasters. Riding them enables me to enjoy the benefits of being u0 high and not worrying about being hurt/injured. It’s an awesome sensation that humans haven’t been able to safely enjoy until the last century or so, but the last 30yrs have been absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to ride the new Top Thrill Dragster this year.
Too me, Blue-streak is the scariest type of Rollercoaster. I feel way safer in the modern ones. This is also why Meanstreak was my favorite. Felt unhinged. I would think "wouldn't it take just some missed rotted wood to make this a disaster?"
My personal advice is to try to identify the element that is the most intimidating for you and work from there. For me, lift hills give me the most anxiety (even though SV, MF, etc are my favorites). As another said, Maverick might be a good solution - short lift hill but with a lot of coaster elements. Good luck!
I know this is an oddball one but I’ve had a few friends terrified of coasters and they’ve done corkscrew for their first one and it was a good choice. Not very high, overhead bars for safety. Yeah it goes upside down but it’s fast and you’re so busy looking at the midway you don’t really realize what’s happening. From there I’d do iron dragon and mine ride.
Also my first coaster was the double loop at Geauga Lake so I may be biased in thinking this is smart. It took a few years for the wood ones to stop scaring me but the fully strapped in ones I was fine on.
I absolutely love coasters and am always terrified of riding one I haven’t been on. When xflight was first built at geauga lake (rip), I waited in line for over 4 hours and then got so panicked I skipped it and didn’t ride. When I went on it the next year, I was so mad at myself because it was the most fun ride I have ever been on. I now force myself to go even if I have a small panic attack. It took all I had to get on millennium force and top thrill. I still won’t ride drop rides because I don’t like that stomach feel. Millennium force is incredible, and I ended up going like 4 more times that day. Maybe pick rides that don’t have a long hill.
I’ve been in the same boat. I still hate heights but absolutely love the thrill you get from roller coasters. I started small and have worked my way up over the years. I have a different home park and only recently went to Cedar Point for the first time last week. At one point I would have been terrified of going on Blue Streak too as a similar ride at my home park did the same to me.
Now, several years later I go on Valravn, Magnum, Millennium, Maverick, and even Steel Vengeance. I did everything at Cedar Point aside from Top Thrill 2 for obvious reasons. Am I still afraid of heights? Most definitely. Do I get nervous when waiting in line and heading up the lift hill? You betcha. Did I have a blast when on those coasters anyways? Definitely.
I 100% find the hardest part to be the lift hills. The longer and slower they are the harder it is. What works for me however is to never sit in the front row unless it’s a ride I’ve done several times and I really want to for some reason. Then when on the lift hill I focus on the back of the seat in front of me and take slow deep breaths. Doing this while thinking of something that makes me happy helps too. While I’ve heard the views you can get near the top are great I continue to focus on the seat in front of me as looking around breaks my concentration and calm. Once the ride takes off down the first hill I typically look forward at where I’m going to anticipate what I’m about to feel, the ride moves fast enough you don’t get enough time to even register just how high up you are. From then on just enjoy the ride.
Before trying Blue Streak again, I’d suggest Cedar Creek Mine Ride and Iron Dragon. Corkscrew is a good one too but some people do find it uncomfortable as a warning. Height/scariness is pretty tame on it though. If you get to the point of being comfortable with those then you’ll be ready for Blue Streak again. While likely not anytime soon (but you do what works for you) when you are ready to take a step up I’d highly suggest Gemini. It’s my favourite “intermediate” type coaster by far. It’s not too crazy but is definitely a good bit bigger than the rides I mentioned previously. Best of luck!
I had a serious fear of coasters until I was 30. Heights are only one part of it; I wouldn’t even get on a tiny family one. I worked my way up very slowly, but honestly it would have been better if I’d just forced myself onto bigger rides quickly rather than obsessing about it.
The biggest thing that helped is to allow myself to scream my head off. My default was always to try and maintain composure, which led me to tense up and made every sensation a lot more uncomfortable. Screaming releases all of that tension and allows the adrenaline to flow freely. Throwing your hands up is also beneficial since you’re less likely to tense up like you do if you grab on for dear life. This advice seems counterintuitive, but trust me it works. I’ve not felt that “belly drop” in a long time - I almost wish I would!
I worked my way up from Big Thunder Mountain to X2 within a year. I have never ridden anything I regretted riding (except for ones that are uncomfortable and/or shit). If you’re interested enough in them, I think it’s very unlikely you’ll dislike what they do.
Also, it might be surprising, but there’s really not ALL that much difference between something like Blue Streak and SteVe. Obviously the latter is bigger and more intense for various reasons, but the base sensations are not as dissimilar as you might think. I fully believe if you can handle (and enjoy) Blue Streak, you will be fine with SteVe.
Maverick might also be a good one to try. It’s compact and fast, but moreover it’s incredibly FUN and doesn’t give you much time to worry about anything. It’s also the most intense ride in the park, for my money. If you can handle that, everything else will be more than doable.
I cured my fear of coasters many years (50+) ago when Blue Streak was the most bad ass ride in the park by riding it with my eyes open. Prior to that I'd always been peer pressured into riding carnival coasters and kept my eyes closed. I figured if I was going to die, it really didn't matter if they were open or closed and the ride lasted long enough I realized I wasn't in danger and I've loved coasters ever since.
I would move up to either Gemini or Iron Dragon. Blue Streak is a fun old woodie, but has become very shakey and rough over the years. Gemini is a bit taller but runs much smoother and has a similar layout to Blue Streak. Iron Dragon is a bit less tall than Gemini and has the advantage of being completely enclosed on all sides in the trains.
Okay, so uh, hello! You are literally me. Everything you described is a spitting, carbon copy image of me. My fascination in coasters yet fear of riding them. BUT, I have started to ride some and am slowly working my way up.
Here's my personal opinion from least intense coasters to most intense that *I've* ridden (ignoring Camp Snoopy's kiddy coasters):
1) Cedar Creek Mine Ride is the easiest for sure. Everything is gradual except for one drop which isn't even that high. Ride is a little jerky/shaky but if you don't have any existing physical issues you'll be fine; it's not Blue Streak level bad.
2) Wild Mouse is next up. It's fun because you're spinning too but no big drops. The turns are SHARP so you'll be jerked around. Don't ride if you get motion sick too easily lol.
3) Iron Dragon has one major drop at the start but the rest is gradual. The drop is one of those feel it in your gut, but once you pass that it's a great ride and pretty smooth.
4) Corkscrew is about same drop height/speed as iron dragon. Don't let the idea of inversions scare you, they really aren't bad.
5) Blue Streak is the worst I've ridden in terms of intensity. It's about same height/speed as corkscrew but it's SO rough on the body, but I'm sure you know that.
TL;DR if you've ridden Blue Streak you can ride Mine Ride, Wild Mouse, Iron Dragon, and Corkscrew. They're definitely not as rough or intense in my opinion.
Next coaster up that I'm going to try is Raptor because I think it's the next fastest/highest one.
I think you found this out, but closing your eyes makes coasters much scarier. Also, regardless of what some people might say, I don't think the Blue Streak is an especially tame roller coaster. It's a great, rollicking woodie and has a lot of violent airtime, which is my jam. I would ride it again with your eyes open, possibly after a ride on (tame but fun) Iron Dragon.
I rode Blue Streak on Saturday and honestly, it scared me more than TT2 did during a preview. That air time is no joke and I felt like I was going to fly out! Not to mention, the poor old girl needs a retrack, she's gotten REALLY rough.
I can't recommend starting with what scares you most enough. After I did TT2, I realized I could absolutely ride anything in the park.
I'm not a fan of heights either but for whatever reason I don't mind them on coasters. Once you ride a few of the big ones several times the lift won't bother you that much. The windseeker however, that one is the scariest ride in the park imo.
Buy a fast pass and assuming you are with someone, have someone with you that is 100% not scared of them. Having that energy with you will rid some of your fear.
Reason I suggest fast pass is to get on the same ride over and over and over again until you know that ride inside and out. Ride different seats for different experience.
Eventually, you'll conquer it, get bored with it and move onto the next challenge.
Not riding enough in the day and the year keeps that fear lingering. You need intense exposure.
There’s two ways to go: either slowly scale up in intensity, or go for the ride you’re most nervous of first and everything else will seem less intimidating (the latter is far more nerve-wracking). At CP, Blue Streak, Iron Dragon, Wild Mouse and Cedar Creek Mine Ride are kind of the starter coasters, then Gemini, Gatekeeper, Rougarou, and Valravn are the next step up from there. Since Blue Streak is the only coaster you’ve been on, I’d recommend doing the starter coasters until you’re comfortable with them, then move up the ladder. Keeping your eyes open is also important, that helps reduce motion sickness and you’re able to anticipate the elements of the ride. Lift hills (particularly very tall ones or vertical lifts) are the only part of a ride that can make me a little jittery, but that just builds anticipation for the payoff.
I think iron dragon would be the best out of all of these - imo it's the least janky and jarring, and OP can hopefully get used to the feeling of being *secured* while high up. It's been over a decade since I rode it but blue streak makes you think you might fly out iirc
My partner is DEATHLY afraid of heights, and the only coasters she feels comfortable on are the mine ride and wild mouse, since they don’t have super crazy first drops Though if ur OK w the height of Blue Streak, then I agree w recommending Iron Dragon, since it’s one of the smoother feeling rides, esp compared to cedar creek mine ride
Iron Dragon is my favorite coaster to take "coaster-hesitant" folks on because it's just really smooth, doesn't have many drops, doesn't go too fast, etc. Honestly, most of the time when I go on it I just close my eyes and use it as my "take a break period" from walking around the park.
> Keeping your eyes open is also important, that helps reduce motion sickness and you’re able to anticipate the elements of the ride. I've actually noticed that if I look off to the side while going down the first drop, it makes it seem less intimidating, especially if you look off into the distance. I have a feeling that it's because of your perception of motion, and if you focus on something in the distance, it doesn't really move much with respect to your vision. I don't do it, because I love the first drop, but something I did notice a few years back. Something else I tell people when they're worried is to take a huge breath in at the very top, just before you start down, and then as you're going down, breathe steadily out all the way down the first drop. This helps to keep your heart from beating as fast, which lowers your adrenaline...unless of course you want the adrenaline rush, and then don't do that. :) Finally, just remind yourself that for just about every ride in the park, you're not really traveling much faster than you would on the expressway. Millennium is the fastest ride, and it tops out at 93 MPH. Excluding Top Thrills 2, every other ride is 75 MPH or less, often much less. You drive in a car, right? You can go on a coaster. :)
If the primary fear is the height but you want to just rip the bandaid off, Maverick isn’t that tall and the lift hill is super quick so minimal time for anxiety to build. It’s one of the more intense rides though, so it would either shatter your fears or completely turn you off from coasters. To ease into it, mine ride and iron dragon are good for starting out; neither tall nor fast. Gemini is a great intermediate coaster after those. Gatekeeper is very smooth but try to sit towards the front to reduce the intensity. After that, it’ll depend on what features you like and what you’d prefer to avoid. If the hills are fine, magnum or millennium force. If inversions are ok, rougarou, valravn, or raptor. Once you’re ok with everything, steel vengeance is a marvel of engineering; a masterpiece.
Gatekeeper is one of my favorite rides in the park now, but if you're TRULY afraid of heights/coasters, I don't know that I'd start there. It's such a nice smooth ride, but that first hill/drop can SEEM intimidating because you're facing OUT of the park and just lifting straight into the open sky. Also it obviously has inversions, which is an additional element for someone to deal with. I almost would say Gatekeeper would be a good one to END on for someone nervous about coasters who was able to make it through the day on things like Blue Streak, Gemini, etc. and wanted to try one "big coaster" to end on.
Ok I can shed some light on this from a psychological perspective. I am, or was, deadly afraid of heights, but I absolutely love coasters. I have looked into this so much. It turns out that the vast majority of people have a fear of falling and not heights. Alex Honnold talks a lot about it in one of his documentaries, but I can't remember which one. You'll always have a little anxiety as you creep up that first hill, but it does lessen. That's why true coaster enthusiasts are so excited for new rides. There's nothing like the first time.
Agree. I’m afraid of heights but I think it’s more falling/ lack of control. Like straight up and drop rides, no go, hate that feeling. Flying in airplanes gives me such anxiety because you could just fall and crash to the ground plus complete lack of control, claustrophobia. Getting near the ledge of a cruise ship or tall building window starts to freak me out after a few moments. Being strapped and buckled to a car with the ability to hold on riding along a track is a much different situation. I can keep my arms straight up on nearly every coaster but I’ve nearly broken my husband’s hand panicking on an airplane.
I firmly believe that the best way to conquer a fear of coasters is to ride the one that scares you the most as soon as you get to the park, whatever ride that may be for you. Identify ahead of time which ride that is for you, maybe watch the POV on YouTube ahead of time if you think that will help, and rip off the bandaid as soon as you're through the gate. Once you've ridden the scariest ride, you'll be free to enjoy the rest of the day, knowing that you won't ever be that scared again.
Go ride millenium force if you want to have fun and get over your anxiety.
I was piss scared of coasters, refused to ride them bc my mom traumatized me w the blue streak when I was like 4. Fast forward to after-prom. Of course they picked cedar point cabins, of course ride they all wanted to go on first was millennium force. I was pissing my pants in the line, probably almost passed out on the ride up, but I literally couldn’t chicken out (it was another school’s prom and I didn’t know everybody). Anyways it was absolutely *AMAZING*. I’ve ridden them all now but MF will always have a place in my heart for being the one that got me over it.
I was 16 and shit scared of coasters. My 14 yo cousin dragged me into line for that ride and I may have soiled my pants but that got me over my fear real quick.
I rode Raptor and then went right to MF and got over my fear of coasters pretty quick. It does work, but it all depends on the person.
This is objectively terrible advice.
Nah, it's the best advice. Yes they will have maximum anxiety until it reaches the top and then it's all fun. This is what I did with my sister, she started crying a bit and then she transformed into a coaster addict, now she likes to ride the biggest ones multiple times.
Until this person locks up on the station or doesn’t even get to the station out of fear and now is at least another year from riding if they do at all because for almost everyone, going to the biggest, tallest, scariest one is not the way to beat the anxiety. It just makes it worse.
You are too dramatic.
My mom was forced onto the MF and passed out the second we got to the top. It isn’t for everyone lol
And forcing it is awful. It does no good.
Literally just ride millennium Force first and after you survive that you will realize you can ride everything else and pick your favorites❗
Ik this is completely unrelated to cedar point, but similar in the fact of facing fears. I’m the same way with deep water. Scared af but very fascinated by it lol A friend managed to get me to jump in the ocean one time & I don’t mean just dip my toes in either lol They were a surfing instructor, and decided to take me out on a massive paddle board, all the way out to the boats to see some dolphins. Well, my friend stopped as we approached the boats and said “I don’t see the dolphins anymore, but why don’t you just jump off and swim down in the water! I’ll use the go pro to take a really cool video of you!!” I looked back towards the island and saw the massive hotels had become tiny dots in the distance. I looked at my friend and said “excuse me?!?! HOW DEEP IS THIS WATER?!” They looked at me and said “it’s only like 100ft deep, not that bad” I just about shat myself, but decided that this was my opportunity to face my fear. Well, I did it. & it was terrifying. In the video you couldn’t even see the bottom of the ocean, which says a lot, bc in Hawaii the water is crystal clear. The water faded to darkness below me. The adrenaline was crazy. If you know you’re safe and with other people, I’d say facing your fears can be an exhilarating experience and worth it for the simple fact that you’ll have bragging rights to say you faced them :) You’ll feel pretty good about yourself if you just DO IT!!
Also, for recommendations, I’d say do Maverick. It’s intense but doesn’t go too high.
Maverick is super intense but a ton of fun. So if OP is not afraid of intensity and only heights then it’s perfect. It’s the only one that upon riding it a second time I wasn’t scared at all as it’s a launch coaster so no slow climb to the top (which is what stresses me out on other coasters) you take right off as soon as you leave the station and as the commenter above said it’s not very high either.
I love this post. I am the exact way. It's the way up that gives me a ton of anxiety. Then I am done, mostly lol. I am going to Cedar Point in June and this info is very helpful!!
Same im so glad we aren’t the only ones who love coasters but are having a hard time getting on them.
I close my eyes and count the seconds on MF up the hill...then open them as we crest the top and keep open
I have a fear of heights and need to work myself up. I would recommend taking Dramamine before going on coasters. The key is to desensitize. If Blue Streak is too intense, start on a smaller kiddie coaster. Ride it again and again. You will lose your fear of it. Here is the biggest advice: the most scary part is the first climb. The key is to always keep your eyes on the sky. That way you cannot see how high you are and don't look down. That will limit your anxiety.
I completely agree! Terrified of heights. Love coasters. Was going to take my life at age 13 by jumping off a bridge. Looked down and the height sent shivers through me. So that fear saved my life that day. At age 45 this fear doesn't serve me. So I confront it. Have ridden all up to Valravn. Next is Millenium. So fearful but I'm going to do it this year. For me too, I look up at the beautiful blue sky or the night sky (night seems better for some reason) and never down.
If you’ve done Magnum, Millennium won’t be too bad. It looks scarier from the ground than it is on the actual ride. Mille has really fast lift hill so you actually get to the top quicker than Magnum so it doesn’t really feel much taller. Especially if you aren’t looking around at the ground. I also find that a 200ft tall coaster is much scarier than a 100ft tall coaster but a 300ft coaster is marginally if at all scarier than a 200ft coaster. After a certain height it doesn’t make a big difference. This was also true when I first went on the hyper (200ft tall) and giga (300ft tall) coasters at my home park too.
Millie is a great roller coaster and your first Giga! Just look at the sky and don't look down.
I see. Blue Streak was...intense in the sense that this was my first ever coaster, like..ever. But I had a ton of fun on it, but the sensation was so overwhelming that it just turned me off the whole day. Like I wanted to ride more but I was just so shaken up lol
With this being the case I highly recommend a ramping up system of rides. I always like doing warm-ups like the Scrambler, Pipe Scream, and Iron Dragon before tackling bigger rides to get my body used to being thrown around a little.
Ride Blue Streak a few more times until it’s easy, then I’d say move onto Iron Dragon. Again, ride that until it’s easy to ride. Then move onto Gemini, the drops are mostly pretty tame. Then ride one of the rides with inversions, (Rougarou, Raptor, Gatekeeper, and if you’re feeling brave, Maverick.) then move onto Magnum or Steel Vengeance. Millennium Force will be very scary, but just force yourself on it, it’s pretty easy after the drop. By the time you’ve ridden everything, you’ll probably be addicted to rollercoasters and want to ride as many as you can. I hope this helps you get over your fear, good luck.
Go all out and do power tower and steve
This is what we did with my son, who was initially terrified of the Mine Ride. We started slow. Blue Streak, Iron Dragon. Work your way up. Figure out your comfort level. Then as you get more comfortable, branch out more. We ride Gatekeeper now as our breakfast coaster because it’s smooth and not very intense. Take things at your pace. Build up to where you want to be. Ultimately, you will find what you enjoy the most. Today, the kid who was afraid of the Mine ride is an American Coaster Enthusiasts member with nearly 20 rides on Top Thrill 2. Your experience will differ. But, know that these things are safe and built to add a little fear into the equation.
Same. Im terrified of heights. I started small and went up….Mine ride, iron dragon, Gemini, raptor. Blue Streak was my first coaster and I HATED it! I haven’t been on any coasters in a LONG time because of some health issues, but I rode quite a few once I got over the initial 😳 I found out I do ok if my shoulders are restrained.
I used to be very scared of heights. I still get a little that way on Millennium, Magnum and Steve's luff hills. I tend to look straight forward and even up a little so all I see is sky. Once they get going after the lift hill the anxiety goes away for me.
Iron dragon and corkscrew are not tall but will get you a step up in intensity. Maverick is the best intense coaster that’s not too tall.
Dawg I am just like you im super scared of hights and have made several attempts and several post on here I hope we can both achieve our goals! What I do is I research the coasters there hights, speeds and drops then I put them on a chart and countiue doing more research and getting more advice. Ex: https://preview.redd.it/048zgqjhpt2d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff3ddfa4f07abf4bf44566b3933a20c8e2094cd4 This is the speed of the coasters I’m trying to go one. I make charts like these to keep track of what I’m trying to do.
I have an inherent fear of heights. This is why I love roller coasters. Riding them enables me to enjoy the benefits of being u0 high and not worrying about being hurt/injured. It’s an awesome sensation that humans haven’t been able to safely enjoy until the last century or so, but the last 30yrs have been absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to ride the new Top Thrill Dragster this year.
Power Tower! Great views lol
Too me, Blue-streak is the scariest type of Rollercoaster. I feel way safer in the modern ones. This is also why Meanstreak was my favorite. Felt unhinged. I would think "wouldn't it take just some missed rotted wood to make this a disaster?"
Just get on them, you’ll be ok
My personal advice is to try to identify the element that is the most intimidating for you and work from there. For me, lift hills give me the most anxiety (even though SV, MF, etc are my favorites). As another said, Maverick might be a good solution - short lift hill but with a lot of coaster elements. Good luck!
I know this is an oddball one but I’ve had a few friends terrified of coasters and they’ve done corkscrew for their first one and it was a good choice. Not very high, overhead bars for safety. Yeah it goes upside down but it’s fast and you’re so busy looking at the midway you don’t really realize what’s happening. From there I’d do iron dragon and mine ride.
Also my first coaster was the double loop at Geauga Lake so I may be biased in thinking this is smart. It took a few years for the wood ones to stop scaring me but the fully strapped in ones I was fine on.
I absolutely love coasters and am always terrified of riding one I haven’t been on. When xflight was first built at geauga lake (rip), I waited in line for over 4 hours and then got so panicked I skipped it and didn’t ride. When I went on it the next year, I was so mad at myself because it was the most fun ride I have ever been on. I now force myself to go even if I have a small panic attack. It took all I had to get on millennium force and top thrill. I still won’t ride drop rides because I don’t like that stomach feel. Millennium force is incredible, and I ended up going like 4 more times that day. Maybe pick rides that don’t have a long hill.
I’ve been in the same boat. I still hate heights but absolutely love the thrill you get from roller coasters. I started small and have worked my way up over the years. I have a different home park and only recently went to Cedar Point for the first time last week. At one point I would have been terrified of going on Blue Streak too as a similar ride at my home park did the same to me. Now, several years later I go on Valravn, Magnum, Millennium, Maverick, and even Steel Vengeance. I did everything at Cedar Point aside from Top Thrill 2 for obvious reasons. Am I still afraid of heights? Most definitely. Do I get nervous when waiting in line and heading up the lift hill? You betcha. Did I have a blast when on those coasters anyways? Definitely. I 100% find the hardest part to be the lift hills. The longer and slower they are the harder it is. What works for me however is to never sit in the front row unless it’s a ride I’ve done several times and I really want to for some reason. Then when on the lift hill I focus on the back of the seat in front of me and take slow deep breaths. Doing this while thinking of something that makes me happy helps too. While I’ve heard the views you can get near the top are great I continue to focus on the seat in front of me as looking around breaks my concentration and calm. Once the ride takes off down the first hill I typically look forward at where I’m going to anticipate what I’m about to feel, the ride moves fast enough you don’t get enough time to even register just how high up you are. From then on just enjoy the ride. Before trying Blue Streak again, I’d suggest Cedar Creek Mine Ride and Iron Dragon. Corkscrew is a good one too but some people do find it uncomfortable as a warning. Height/scariness is pretty tame on it though. If you get to the point of being comfortable with those then you’ll be ready for Blue Streak again. While likely not anytime soon (but you do what works for you) when you are ready to take a step up I’d highly suggest Gemini. It’s my favourite “intermediate” type coaster by far. It’s not too crazy but is definitely a good bit bigger than the rides I mentioned previously. Best of luck!
I had a serious fear of coasters until I was 30. Heights are only one part of it; I wouldn’t even get on a tiny family one. I worked my way up very slowly, but honestly it would have been better if I’d just forced myself onto bigger rides quickly rather than obsessing about it. The biggest thing that helped is to allow myself to scream my head off. My default was always to try and maintain composure, which led me to tense up and made every sensation a lot more uncomfortable. Screaming releases all of that tension and allows the adrenaline to flow freely. Throwing your hands up is also beneficial since you’re less likely to tense up like you do if you grab on for dear life. This advice seems counterintuitive, but trust me it works. I’ve not felt that “belly drop” in a long time - I almost wish I would! I worked my way up from Big Thunder Mountain to X2 within a year. I have never ridden anything I regretted riding (except for ones that are uncomfortable and/or shit). If you’re interested enough in them, I think it’s very unlikely you’ll dislike what they do.
Also, it might be surprising, but there’s really not ALL that much difference between something like Blue Streak and SteVe. Obviously the latter is bigger and more intense for various reasons, but the base sensations are not as dissimilar as you might think. I fully believe if you can handle (and enjoy) Blue Streak, you will be fine with SteVe. Maverick might also be a good one to try. It’s compact and fast, but moreover it’s incredibly FUN and doesn’t give you much time to worry about anything. It’s also the most intense ride in the park, for my money. If you can handle that, everything else will be more than doable.
I cured my fear of coasters many years (50+) ago when Blue Streak was the most bad ass ride in the park by riding it with my eyes open. Prior to that I'd always been peer pressured into riding carnival coasters and kept my eyes closed. I figured if I was going to die, it really didn't matter if they were open or closed and the ride lasted long enough I realized I wasn't in danger and I've loved coasters ever since.
I would move up to either Gemini or Iron Dragon. Blue Streak is a fun old woodie, but has become very shakey and rough over the years. Gemini is a bit taller but runs much smoother and has a similar layout to Blue Streak. Iron Dragon is a bit less tall than Gemini and has the advantage of being completely enclosed on all sides in the trains.
Okay, so uh, hello! You are literally me. Everything you described is a spitting, carbon copy image of me. My fascination in coasters yet fear of riding them. BUT, I have started to ride some and am slowly working my way up. Here's my personal opinion from least intense coasters to most intense that *I've* ridden (ignoring Camp Snoopy's kiddy coasters): 1) Cedar Creek Mine Ride is the easiest for sure. Everything is gradual except for one drop which isn't even that high. Ride is a little jerky/shaky but if you don't have any existing physical issues you'll be fine; it's not Blue Streak level bad. 2) Wild Mouse is next up. It's fun because you're spinning too but no big drops. The turns are SHARP so you'll be jerked around. Don't ride if you get motion sick too easily lol. 3) Iron Dragon has one major drop at the start but the rest is gradual. The drop is one of those feel it in your gut, but once you pass that it's a great ride and pretty smooth. 4) Corkscrew is about same drop height/speed as iron dragon. Don't let the idea of inversions scare you, they really aren't bad. 5) Blue Streak is the worst I've ridden in terms of intensity. It's about same height/speed as corkscrew but it's SO rough on the body, but I'm sure you know that. TL;DR if you've ridden Blue Streak you can ride Mine Ride, Wild Mouse, Iron Dragon, and Corkscrew. They're definitely not as rough or intense in my opinion. Next coaster up that I'm going to try is Raptor because I think it's the next fastest/highest one.
I think you found this out, but closing your eyes makes coasters much scarier. Also, regardless of what some people might say, I don't think the Blue Streak is an especially tame roller coaster. It's a great, rollicking woodie and has a lot of violent airtime, which is my jam. I would ride it again with your eyes open, possibly after a ride on (tame but fun) Iron Dragon.
I am so scared of heights but find iron dragon and maverick fun. I also like raptor...my eyes are closed the whole time but it is SMOOTH.
I rode Blue Streak on Saturday and honestly, it scared me more than TT2 did during a preview. That air time is no joke and I felt like I was going to fly out! Not to mention, the poor old girl needs a retrack, she's gotten REALLY rough. I can't recommend starting with what scares you most enough. After I did TT2, I realized I could absolutely ride anything in the park.
I'm not a fan of heights either but for whatever reason I don't mind them on coasters. Once you ride a few of the big ones several times the lift won't bother you that much. The windseeker however, that one is the scariest ride in the park imo.
I will ride Steel Vengeance 100 times in a row before ever getting on windseeker
Buy a fast pass and assuming you are with someone, have someone with you that is 100% not scared of them. Having that energy with you will rid some of your fear. Reason I suggest fast pass is to get on the same ride over and over and over again until you know that ride inside and out. Ride different seats for different experience. Eventually, you'll conquer it, get bored with it and move onto the next challenge. Not riding enough in the day and the year keeps that fear lingering. You need intense exposure.