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.
February 28, 2009 at 16:24
Thats crazy because the scooby doo coaster at Kings Dominion was my first roller coaster too. But that was a loooong time ago and i completely forgot about it until i read about it here. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
March 1, 2009 at 10:49
I'm sure a lot of kids got their first ride on Scooby Doo. I'm glad that I could take you back. Thanks for reading!
March 1, 2009 at 13:53
Hmmm…I think my first roller coaster was Loch Ness Monster when I was about 15…then Corkscrew at Myrtle Beach.
March 2, 2009 at 18:08
I jumped right in and rode an 84 foot tall, double loop Schwarzkopf (or however its spelled) coaster similar to Laser at Dorney Park!
March 7, 2009 at 20:52
My first roller coaster was Millenium Force– yikes! It made me deathly afraid of roller coasters for like five years!
March 8, 2009 at 17:09
You three had some pretty big first roller coasters compared to mine. I couldn't imagine riding Millennium Force as a kid. Heck, that was a little scary as a grown up!
April 14, 2009 at 15:12
My first coasters were Wild Maus at Busch Gardens Europe (now Cheetah Chase at BG Africa) Being 5 at the time, I loved it!
June 24, 2009 at 08:25
My first rollercoaster was Stealth, the worlds first flying coaster. i was 8. That ride was cool!!!
June 24, 2009 at 17:28
my first real coaster was the GA cyclone at six flags over GA
June 30, 2009 at 07:00
My first coaster, hmmm…… I think I was 3 or 4 when I first rode Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster.I thought that there was NO WAY AT ALL THAT THERE COULD BE A BETTER COASTER. I remember looking from the top of it over to the Hulk, probably a few thousand yards away, and laughing at the people waiting in like a 2 hour line, when I waited 2 trains for the front seat. I called all the people on that and Dueling Dragons suckers, and boy did my dad make me pay for that one. Was anyone else's first coaster Woody Woodpecker at Universal Orlando?
June 30, 2009 at 13:04
My first coaster was thunder road at carowinds. I thought it was a world of torture! I was 6
June 30, 2009 at 14:56
First roller coaster:
Tiger at pixieland, concord, CA
First real roller coaster:
Giant Dipper at santa cruz beach boardwalk, santa cruz, CA.
First roller coaster to go upsidedown:
Boomerang at six flags discovery kingdom, valajo, CA.
July 1, 2009 at 03:08
boomerang wow first flipping roller coaster: and it has a cobra roll!
July 1, 2009 at 04:37
Well, as I said above my first was Wild maus, first real one was Big Bad Wolf, my first loop is Loch Ness Monster, and my first (and only!) wood is Blue Streak @ CP. Sad part is that that is about 1/3 of the coasters I've ridden…
July 1, 2009 at 05:15
busch gardens is now the best place for people to overcome there fears of roller coasters. Now that they have the Sesame Street Place many little kids can ride that. Then Big Bad Wolf. Loch Ness Monster is the perfect roller coaster to overcome your fear of loops, well even though they have the roughest flips known to man kind. Alpengeist is perfect for flips. Very smooth and lots of them. Most people first experience the cobra roll. Now after that if you are a pretty big dare-devil you can go on Apollos Chariot. Trust me if you ride this ride, there is nothing to be afraid of on roller coasters. Then the best roller coaster in the world, Griffon. If you do this roller coaster, you will overcome your fear of heights. Trust me, getting hanged over for 5 seconds looking 205 ft. down!!! Yeah, Busch Gardens is a theme park that is getting more popular every day. If they get ONE wooden coaster all of Busch Gardens problems will be solved!!!
July 20, 2009 at 13:54
my favorite ride would probably griffon and loch ness monster and dominator
August 17, 2009 at 05:35
mine was drachen fire or loch ness monster and my sons was top thrill dragster and my seven year old daugters was apollos chariot then millennium force
August 17, 2009 at 05:37
does big bad wolf go upside down
February 12, 2010 at 21:49
no.
August 31, 2009 at 20:04
My first coater (other than carnival dragon coasters) was likely Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I was still scared of coasters then, but BTMR was awesome to me. Loved it.
My first big coaster was Viper at Six Flags Over Georgia. When I first rode that thing, I HATED it! It scared the crap out of me soooo bad.
Then came Kings Island. Still too afraid to do much, I decided to try the then big and scary Top Gun (now Flight Deck.) Got off that thing with a HUGE smile on my face! We rode it over and over. I still love Flight Deck to this day. I hope it's days aren't numbered like Big Bad Wolf's are.
Then we took a trip that would forever change my outlook on coasters. We headed up to Six Flags Great America with my uncle. It was there that my entry into coaster fandom was confirmed. I rode everything! (except V2…still too scared of launched coasters after Viper) My favorite that day was Superman: Ultimate Flight, but nowadays my favorite at SFGAm is Raging Bull.
So yeah, that's the long-winded story of my journey towards coaster love. The year after SFGAm, I fell in love with launched coasters at Cedar Point.
-Josh
September 1, 2009 at 06:26
My first coaster was probably the canyon blaster at the great escape and splashwater kingdom. my first real coaster was the canyon blaster at the great escape and splash water kingdom…. when i first rode it i was 4 and i was sreaming like i was faling of a cliff. the canyon blaster is similar to the run away mine train at SFGA in jersey except that the canyon blaster is taller, faster and is more intense. but the runaway mine train has a better view and it isnt crammed into a small space. but how the canyon blaster`s crammed into a smal space makes it fun and adds to the intesitey. after that, i swore of coasters until the next year were i rode this little coaster at this mini theme park called hoffman`s. next, i rode the road-runner chase at the great escape (by then it had been bought by six flags) and rode the canyon blaster again this time i enjoyed it and was able to ride it whithout sreaming my head off. after that i went to disney world and rode every coaster there besides for rockin rollercoaster which was down when i went there. after that i rode my first flipping coaster called the steamin demon next the boomerang: coast to coaster at the great escape. next my first woodie:
the comet at the great escape(if busch gardens is the best place to start out at the great escape is the second) then i went to SFNE and rode S:ROS, mind eraser, batman ,pandemonium, thunder bolt and the cyclone. it was a big step for me except for the cyclone in which case it was a big bruise. after that we went to six flags,GA were i rode my fist launch coaster: Kingda Ka i also rode nitro, medusa, and el toro.
January 7, 2012 at 16:04
Sometimes I feel as though my internal reading ears are in pain after reading some of my older comments…