California Screamin'

[DumbosMagicFeather]

So...to put it quite bluntly I'm a wimp.

But I really want to go on California Screamin'. I love the twists and turns on roller coasters and it has a bunch of them, so far as I can see; the only problem is that I don't like the feeling that you get in your stomach while dropping. I've heard from some that it's a bad ride for me with that situation, and from others that it won't be a problem at all. Could anyone here provide some insight as to how the ride is for a coaster newb/wimp?

EDIT: forgot to mention. I was forced on Rockin' Roller Coaster when my family took us to Disney World. I was okay but the launch bothered me a little bit. Comparisons to that might also help.

 

[barefootmomma]

I honestly do not do roller coasters, but California Screamin' was fun! It's definitely a more mild roller coaster in comparison with some of the others I've seen. The take off does shoot you forward, it's not one that climbs slowly and then falls, and I think that honestly helped with that dropping feeling because you're going fast enough from the beginning so you don't notice it nearly as much. I'm not sure about the one at WDW so I can't offer a comparison, but as a big time roller coaster wimp I recommend trying it.

 

[gethane]

I hate big lift hills and the anticipation followed by long, straight drops. But I loved the Aerosmith Rockin RC at MGM in Florida. The launch doesn't bother me like the drops do.

I liked Screamin' so much I went on it with my husband and my teen daughter. It does have some "fall" time but everything is short lived, moving from one thing to the next. And its a very smooth coaster. If you aren't against all coasters, this is a good one to try IMO.

 

[DumbosMagicFeather]

So the launch on Screamin' does make it easier then? Alright...I think I will try it; I feel like the one on Rockin' helped me too. It's the anticipation that kills me XD But I'm glad that it sounds a lot more mild than it looks. From looks it appears a bit scary...

 

[DmaxHawk]

So the launch on Screamin' does make it easier then? Alright...I think I will try it; I feel like the one on Rockin' helped me too. It's the anticipation that kills me XD But I'm glad that it sounds a lot more mild than it looks. From looks it appears a bit scary...

We just got back from our trip out there. My girlfriend is the same way, she is absolutely terrified of big roller coasters because of the hill and anticipation. I finally convinced her to go on it and she came out with an uncontrollable grin. She had such a great time on it we ended up going on it a second time right after. It is now her favorite ride there.

In short, it looks intense but once you ride it, you will like if not love it.

 

[bumbershoot]

IMO, the launch is so ridiculous (it almost hurts just before it's done) that everything else is just fun.

It does rattle your brains around a bit! Keep your head BACK before the launch.

 

[franandaj]

This and R&RC are my two MOST favorite coasters. I don't ride six flags coasters or the gnarly ones at Universal. I'm not sure what you mean by dropping feeling, but one of my favorite sensations on this coaster is when you go over one of the curves and start to go down, I get a slight feeling of weightlessness as I lift off the seat. I'd say you should at least try it once, you can't have it worse than my DP who even after taking Dramamine high tailed it out of the car as soon as we stopped and ran right to the trash can!

 

[dmked]

I LOVE California Screamin', and I get motion sickness really easily. I think it goes so fast and you are so secure in the seat that there is not a whole lot of bouncing around going on.

 

[DSNY4ever]

Yes the R&RC and CS launch are the same. My mom did it once and while she laughed/SCREAMED the whole time, she said never again...I think she did end up doing it on another trip with my dad once.

It is great- smooth and fast! But it is similar to R&RC, but much longer. It might be worse for someone who gets sick because you can see and get dizzy easier than in the dark on R&RC (I think, I don't know because I don't get motion sickness).

Good luck, have fun!

 

[spacemermaid]

California Screamin' is different from other coasters of its size/type, in that the ride is super smoooooooooooth, so you don't feel like the car is going to jump off the track (Knott's Ghostrider, I'm lookin' at you! ). Also, my BFF won't go on any rollercoaster that goes upside down...except for Screamin'. It's just "different", somehow.

 

[MrsPinup]

I love this ride!!! I would say it is at least worth a try. I am bummed I can't ride it on my trip this weekend since my son is too small for it and we are just going with the two of us. Good luck!

 

[magicallyDisney001]

I have the exact same problem, but I promise I will ride it next time! I find that I'm only afraid of some coasters because my adrenaline takes nearly the whole ride to kick in. With the launch on CS, the adrenaline should kick in much quicker, and you'll enjoy the ride more.

Also, I heard that if you lean forward into the drops, they're not as scary. It makes you feel more "in control," if that makes sense. Good luck!

 

[Eeee-va]

I would try it at night, so you can't see the track as well. I hope you enjoy it!

I'm not trying to talk you out of it, and I will say that most people who I've seen posting in "How scary is California Screamin'?" threads seem to say it's not scary at all and they LOVE it! But it does sound like I'm a bit like you, in that I love curves but hate "losing my stomach" on roller coasters.

I'll be honest--I liked Rock n Rollercoaster quite a bit, launch and all, and California Screamin' (at least in the daytime) was too much for me. I didn't get sick or anything but I didn't really enjoy it and my knees were weak afterwards. I wasn't at all incapacitated but it was probably 5 or 10 minutes before I felt right again. I think it was the launch that did it more than anything else--it got the adrenalin going and intensified the drops even more (and I don't like drops to begin with).

I FEEL like the launch on Screamin' is more intense than RNR (though that may just be because you have so many reference points to see just how fast you're going!), and there are a ton of what enthusiasts would consider "bunny hills" and a couple pretty major drops. My stomach was going everywhere!

I think it may have helped somewhat if our music was working consistently--it was off and on so we didn't have a soundtrack to synch us up. And the other caveat is that I was feeling super-good on my WDW trip so I think I MAY have even been able to ride Tower of Terror (which I've never been on, hating drops). My stomach felt invincible in WDW! In Disneyland my stomach was not quite so brave. Still, I'm not sure I'll personally be on California Screamin' anytime soon.

It didn't kill me or make me anything worse than weak in the knees though.

 

[mystic_path]

This ride is so much fun. Honestly its not as bad as you would think. The first initial take off is probably worse then the drops. You move so fast the pressure knocks you back in your seat, smashes against your stomach and automatically makes you start to scream HAHA! But a fun scream. The ride is fast and drops are not as steep as you think. Your down before you can can count to 3.

My brother is a wimp. He too hates the sudden drops and he found this ride to be amazing. and it turned into his favorite ride. He screamed like a child which made it more fun for me to laugh at, but I lost track on how many times he went on. I remember before we left for the trip I told him to watch a certain video on Youtube, and he did and it prepped him.

Youtube "California Screamin Front Seat Perfect POV". It may help you.

 

[onelilspark]

My boyfriend is the same way. Doesn't mind heights or the twists, but can't stand the dropping feeling in his stomach...he absolutely refuses to go on Tower of Terror. He rides some roller coasters with me so that I don't have to do them alone. He really enjoyed California Screamin'. We were in the middle of the train, which I always think helps, but it was such an easy ride, didn't bounce around that much and it helps with the feeling of dropping. I would suggest to try it, but ask for a seat in the middle.