Tomorrow it will be March, the month when theme parks across the country kick off their seasons. In honor of the start of the season I thought it’d be fun for everyone to share their first roller coaster ride.
Believe it or not, I’m not 100% sure what my first roller coaster was. Growing up in Virginia, I went to Kings Dominion often and I’m pretty sure that the Scooby Doo coaster was my first. Back in the 70′s and 80′s it was the centerpiece of the Hanna Barbera kiddie section. One of my favorite things about Kings Dominion was getting the sweet blue Smurf ice cream. My older brother and I were much too scared to tackle the larger coasters, but I do remember braving Scooby Doo. Those little hills felt enormous back then. Here’s a picture of it today.
One summer I remember going to Ocean City, Maryland. There, we rode the Toboggan at Trimpers Rides. It was a small, rickety contraption with golf cart-like cars and a scary vertical lift. Here’s a picture. Also, in the Summer of 88′ we made the long car trip down to Disney World. My brother and I weren’t up for Space Mountain, but we did ride Thunder Mountain Railroad. I remember thinking that it was a breeze because it didn’t really have any drops so I doubt that it was my first. Anyway, those were some of my early roller coaster experiences. What were yours?
Check out this pre-historic Kings Dominion commercial:
Okay, so it’s not that old. I was born the year after this was aired. Is that Dick Van Dyke? I barely know who that guy is…
Eric over at Theme Park Village just blogged about his first roller coaster experience. Check it out here.
Also, Pat from the A Walk in the Park Podcast, shared what his first roller coaster was on his Walk in the Park Blog.
What’s Your Take?
What was your first roller coaster? What was your first experience like? Leave a comment below.
September 1, 2009 at 12:28
Wait a second! BGE is the (In my opinion) WORST PLACE POSSIBLE to start with coasters. First you ride this extremely tiny coaster, and then to NESSIE! You make a 100 ft. jump to your second coaster. Then you dicide which coaster to do third. Or dicide what you want third coaster to be. The one that goes upside down six times, the one that drops you 150ft. or more three times, or the one that will stop you looking face down 205ft. for five seconds.
Sorry if I hurt your feelings Matthew, but as the chicken on these boards, I think I know what I'm saying.
Once again I say, that was IN MY OPINION!
February 12, 2010 at 15:40
well, i think that he posted way before they announced BBW was closing, so u gotta give that to him in his defense
September 1, 2009 at 14:32
My first coaster was hey arnolds taxi jam at carowinds. My first real ride was thunder road at carowinds. My first looping coaster was the carolina cyclone at you guessed it Carowinds! My first launch coaster was Volcano at kings dominion. My favorite coaster at my local park of carowinds would have to be afterburn aka. TOP GUN. My highest coaster would have to be top thrill dragster.
P.S. I CANT WAIT FOR THE INTIMIDATOR!!!
February 12, 2010 at 15:31
I know this is a year late but I'm psyched for this year to get started. My 1st was Loch Ness Monster but I was a teenager already. I remember being a kid and my family always tried to get me to go on Scooby Doo at Kings Dominion and I never did. Then on Loch Ness the whole climb up I kept saying over and over "i'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die." Two girls in front turned around and looked at me like they wanted to slap me and I don't blame them. After that it was Big Bad Wolf which I liked and then Drachen Fire. Last year I rode Apollo's Chariot and Griffon and now I feel like I can ride anything.
February 13, 2010 at 07:41
I remember being scared on Scooby Doo, but I was brave enough to handle that at least. It still took me years to make my way to the bigger coasters.
February 13, 2010 at 15:24
when me and my fam. went up there, my little bro. was scared too… dont feel bad!
February 14, 2010 at 04:21
when i was younger i needed to be pushed on rides instead of pushing others on rides.
April 19, 2010 at 14:26
Six flags magic mountain LA. Colossus:-D oldie. I was five. and i hated the Air time. Now i love it! haha
May 19, 2010 at 11:24
My first rollercoaster was Rattlesnake at chessing WoA but it was not a rollercoaster to me just some stupid invention
First real rollerocaster:
Vampire @ Chessington WoA
First Rollercoasters to go upsidedown
Nemesis Inferno @ Thorpe Park
Colossus @ Thorpe Park
First Vertical Drop Rollercoaster
SAW The Ride Thorpe Park
And last but not least my first launched rollercoaster is going to be Stealth thorpe park and i am scared!
October 25, 2010 at 16:00
Yep, my first real roller coaster ride was on the scooby doo. I was 6 and the trip to PKD was one of my birthday presents. After that, I was afraid of roller coasters for the longest time until I made up my mind to try them. The first full-sized roller coasters I got on were the Italian Job and Rebel Yell. I worked my way up to riding the Alpengeist and Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens recently and now I'm looking forward to riding the Dominator!
January 9, 2011 at 11:57
I remember riding various small family rollercoasters at some funfairs on holiday. My first big one, however, was the Bobsleigh at Europa Park, Germany.
January 9, 2011 at 12:03
I remember riding a very tame wild mouse at a French carnival about ten years ago, however, my first big ride would be Judge Roy Scream at Six Flags Fiesta Texas – which I loved. It was the end of the day and the only ride I had ridden was the rapids. When I visited Astroworld a year after, I rode my first looping coaster, which was viper.
September 19, 2011 at 07:50
My first coaster was Goofy's Barnstormer at Magic Kingdom. The first coaster that I actually enjoyed was the Dragon at Legoland California. My first coaster with inversions was Corkscrew at Cedar Point.
January 6, 2012 at 13:15
My first coaster was either Goofy's Barnstormer at Magic Kingdom or Fire in the Hole at Silver Dollar City. My first medium sized coaster was Thunderation at Silver Dollar City. My first coaster that I would consider a real coaster was Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios. My first big coaster was Magnum XL-200.
January 7, 2012 at 08:08
I was so afraid of rides when I was a kid that I only rode on any sort of roller coaster once before puberty: the Trailblazer, Hersheypark's short Arrow Mine Train. That was enough thrill for me, maybe more than enough.
My first big coaster was none other than Mister Twister at the original Elitch Gardens outside of Denver. That was an intense, scary ride, probably too much for a newbie; in hindsight I'd have done better to go on the Wildcat instead. I was proud of having faced my fear, but I didn't go on any coaster again until a few years later, when I once again rode Mister Twister and the Wildcat.
I think it was after that that I finally dared to go on the Big Bad Wolf at Busch Gardens, which was at just the right thrill level to make me actually love riding it. That last drop was a special moment for me. So I suppose I think of each of those three as my first coaster, in a different way.
(My *second* ride on the Trailblazer was just this past summer, with my wife and daughter, and we missed the shaking from the Virginia earthquake by standing on the queue platform! I think my kid is going to be much more into coasters than I was.)
January 7, 2012 at 09:54
My first rollercoaster was Roar at SFDK.
January 25, 2012 at 21:31
My first coaster was Scooby Doo @ Carowinds (now Woodstock Express). It scared the living daylights out of me. Mind you I was either 5 or 6 and somewhat forced to get on. Because of that I didn't ride coasters willingly again until I was about 15. My second (and first steel) was Carolina Goldrusher and fell in love. After that I rode the likes of Thunder Road and the Hurler before braving my first looper…Carolina Cyclone and then my first Stand-up (& B&M): Vortex. All of the previous @ Carowinds.
The 2nd park I went to was BGW in '97. I was definitely intimidated by the sheer height of the coasters there, as I had only been to CW prior. I braved them all tho. Loch Ness Monster was the first coaster I tried there and still a fav. I had many firsts at this park including: Wild Maus (first wild mouse coaster now Sand Serpent @ BGT), Big Bad Wolf (the only suspended coaster I've ridden), and Alpengeist (first inverted and also the tallest I had ridden). That height record held until I rode SheiKra (first Dive) @ BGT 10 years later (Dec. '07) and then 6 months later (June '08) rode Griffon @ BGW; still the tallest I've been on….I really need to go to more parks…lol.
My first launch coaster (and Intamin) was Volcano: The Blast Coaster @ KD ('98). That is still my favorite ride there (last visit in '99). Flight Of Fear was my first enclosed ('98). My first Megacoaster ("Hyper") was Apollo's Chariot @ BGW ('99). The first "true hyper" was Goliath @ SFOGA (May '08). I still prefer AC over it…perhaps it's the terrain, or the fact I didn't have to wait 3 hours to ride…lol. My first flyer was Superman: UF (May '08), @ SFOGA, but have since ridden Nighthawk @ CW which to me is better, and then Manta @ SW which is far superior to the previous.
February 15, 2012 at 11:27
This made me disappointed- My first coaster was a pinfari big-apple coaster in Aberdeen,UK.
Yours looks a lot more exciting.
Actually mine might of been at Six Flags New-England-I went when I was 1 so am completely unsure if I rode anything.
March 3, 2012 at 16:26
Mine was a wild mouse of some kind. Don't know the name, but it was in Sea Isle City. The first one I really remember was Comet at Hersheypark.
June 12, 2012 at 16:24
my first coaster was Crystal Wings at Happy Valley in China,when I was 8,surprisingly I liked it very much.
My first coaster with inversions is Rock N Rollercosster…
July 3, 2012 at 07:17
My first was racer at kings island
July 3, 2012 at 07:20
my first roller coaster with inversions was vortex
August 10, 2012 at 01:23
My first roller coaster was Woodstock Express at Cedar Point. Two years later at the age of 7, I endured Gemini and was traumatized by the experience. Two years later, I was convinced into going on Top Thrill Dragster, which I actually enjoyed. Now, I am a true roller coaster fanatic.