Please Help! I am scared to go on rollercoasters

[leah1987]

Hello my name is Leah and I am going to Disneyland soon. My family really wants me to go on California Screamin' but I am really nervous to go on it. The only rollercoasters I have been on are Ninja at Six Flags Magic Mountain, Manta at Sea World, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Matterhorn, Goofy's Sky School and some fair rides. I have also been on Splash Mountain a long time ago but now I am too scared to go on that too. I have never done a loop before and I have done 1 launching rollercoaster at Sea World which is Manta. Can someone please professionally convince me that California Screamin' is not scary and that I should go on it

 

[NannyBeBe]

If you do not feel comfortable about going on Screamin, you should not be forced to do so, or be made to feel bad because you do not. DLR is for having fun.

 

[limace]

What I will tell you is that I’m kind of a wimp but love CS-as do my pretty young kids. The loop happens so fast that you aren’t even really aware of it-you really do t feel like you’re upside down at all. I promise!

 

[bumbershoot]

I thought manta was harder than screamin'. The loop is seriously nothing; when I'm in the loop I barely notice it.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I agree that Disneyland is a place for having fun. No one should be forced to do anything that doesn't make them happy. If the thought of a roller coaster gives you anxiety, just skip it. Send the family on the ride. Stand by the lake and watch their train launch. Then wait for them at the exit.

 

[JeannieJay]

DH goes on that ride alone. I'm terrified of it and won't go and he doesn't push me. Your family shouldn't be trying to push you to go on it if you are afraid to.

 

[ashley0139]

It depends what you are scared of. The ride is completely safe. You're not going to get hurt. There are safety measures upon safety measures. Nothing bad will happen. If you're worried you'll get motion sick and it will ruin the rest of the day, that's different and I wouldn't risk it.

 

[audrianna890]

I like roller coasters but not the hard core ones. CS is tame in my opinion. I actually *like* the loop, but it happens so fast you barely feel it at all. I think Goofy's Sky School is rougher than CS, honestly. I hate that ride. Lol

That being said, if you aren't comfortable riding it, don't! There's a few other rides and shopping close by to keep you occupied while you wait.

 

[lalasmama]

In my opinion, Goofy's Sky School is WAY worse than Screamin'. Sky School has all those hairpin turns that slam you into whomever you are sitting with, and Screamin' doesn't. Screamin' also has over-the-shoulder hard restraints. At no point on Screamin' does it look like you are going to fall off the ride (I'm always positive I'm going to get the Sky School car that will fall right off the track on one of those turns!).

If you close your eyes on Screamin', you won't even realize when you go upside down. That slow up-clunk-up-clunk-up-clunk-up that a lot of coasters do, Screamin' doesn't do either. Its a very smooth ride, I promise!

I route with my eyes closed the first few times I went on it. After I was used to the feeling of it, I started opening my eyes on it. But it took me several rides to get brace enough to open my eyes at all!

As for Splash, I still have my eyes closed tightly and looking like I'm trying to poop when they take the picture before the drop. I'll never be one of those "cute picture" people on that ride, hahaha! But it's fun other than that drop, so I remind myself its like a 10-minute ride and I don't like 30-seconds of it; I can put up with 30 seconds of fright for all the other fun!

But, it's a call you have to make for yourself. I was pleased and enjoyed myself once I finally braved those rides, and you might find the same about yourself. But if you are filled with fear about doing it, then you shouldn't do it just to make your family happy. Good luck deciding!

 

[danceanddisney2010]

I literally ride like no rollercoasters anywhere else but Disney parks! I'm not afraid of them, but I don't like them. California Screamin was my first upside down ride when I was around nine and I LOVED it! The ride is so much more than flipping upside down every five seconds, which is awesome, since most rides elsewhere are just that. Most of the time everyone in our group wants to ride, but occasionally we have a person who is either scared of or just doesn't want to go on and they wait for us at the pier and watch the take off! So whether you ride or not, you'll still have a fun experience!

 

[Whistlebee]

First, all the rides at DL are very safe and you're not going to get hurt. California Screamin is surprisingly smooth. The harness holds you extremely tight. You will not feel like you are going to fall out at all.
I think it looks like a big scary rollercoaster but it feels much safer, smoother and less scary than some of the other rides you've already been on! If you can work up the nerve you should try and ride it 1 time so you can decide for yourself if you like it or not. You might love it!

 

[cruisehopeful]

It's going to depend on what you like. I enjoy Goofy's skyschool. I only rode Screamin once and it gave me a headache for the rest of the day. I haven't ridden it since.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

I love CS. So does my DH and DD11. It’s such a smooth coaster and the harnesses keep me feeling very snug. But my DD14 does not like coasters that go upside down and rather than make her feel anxious and miserable by trying to talk her into riding Screamin’, we let her go on another ride or just hang out and wait for us. Sometimes we will pair up and two of us will ride CS while DD14 goes on a different ride with the other person (DD11 used to be scared of ToT so that worked pretty well).

DD14 actually told me a few days ago she’s thinking of trying CS for the first time on our trip later this week. She asked me not to say anything to DH or DD11. I definitely won’t be putting any pressure on her! If she decides to try, I’ll post back and let you know what she thought.

 

[gottalovepluto]

It's scary & there's no way to hide it. Like, with Space you can't see what you're getting into but with CS you see everything long before you get there and hear it loudly rumbling/rushing by above you. I love to tell people to try stuff once but if Splash is too scary for you then no, CS is way too intense. You might need to go the serious route with your fam sometime when they're pushing you pre-trip and ask that they stop because it's making you stress about what should be a fun trip. You can watch them ride & see their train launch from the Pier.

 

[nutshell]

Leah, read Green Eggs and Ham. Your family may simply be trying to share something they truly believe you'll enjoy, and I bet you will. I say go for it!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Leah, California Screamin' is not scary. It's a fun ride and my favorite loop rollercoaster, probably my favorite rollercoaster because it is so smooth, and there is fun music to listen to. However, if you do not enjoy, or are afraid of these types of rides then I would recommend not going on it. I've always told my family that we're at the Disneyland Resort for all of us to have fun, and if there is something someone doesn't enjoy, is afraid to do, or simply doesn't want to go on it, then they shouldn't. You might walk with your family in line, and when you get to the attraction if you really don't want to go on it, walk to the other side, and wait the couple of minutes it takes for the rest of the family to ride. You may decide that you want to go, but will have that out if you really do not want to.

 

[JanJan324]

I am a huge chicken when it comes to most roller coasters and it was a big leap for me to try CS when I first did it. Yes, my eyes were closed for the loop, yes it scared the crud out of me. I love it now. I could go on in over and over and be happy as a clam. That being said, if it gives you that much anxiety - don't do it. That's the reason I won't do Mickeys "fun" wheel of death lol I know i'd be miserable the whole time. Good luck and enjoy Disney!

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

What helped me with the loop is looking strait at the track. Never road coasters until I was a late teenager. Looking at the track really helped me.

 

[mummabear]

Manta at Sea World

CS is not as "bad" as Manta, if you can do Manta you can do CS.

 

[az4boys]

I've never been on CS, but I have one teenage son that wants to go. The problem is he wants someone to go with him and nobody in the family has been willing yet. Here is my problem... I'm not afraid of the ride. I'm afraid of motion sickness. I've gotten sick on space mountain before. Is it better or worse than space for motion sickness? I just might take some bonine and go on it once, but I want to be prepared.