Rock-n-Roller Coaster ?

[ajwolfe]

It's been years since I've ridden this ride due to having kids with us that didn't meet the height requirements....Now this year my little guys will be 10 & a new 7 at the time of the trip...My 7 year old will be tall enough to ride, but not by much. This will be the first time he has ridden a roller coaster that goes upside down. Refresh my memory: Is this is a good idea? lol. Is it rough or will it scare him with the quick take off? He's a pretty brave kid and loves all rides, so in general I'm not worried about him getting scared more so worried about him hurting his neck or such during the quick take off...I remember loving the ride but thinking it might have been a bit rough.

 

[OtherScott]

It's been years since I've ridden this ride due to having kids with us that didn't meet the height requirements....Now this year my little guys will be 10 & a new 7 at the time of the trip...My 7 year old will be tall enough to ride, but not by much. This will be the first time he has ridden a roller coaster that goes upside down. Refresh my memory: Is this is a good idea? lol. Is it rough or will it scare him with the quick take off? He's a pretty brave kid and loves all rides, so in general I'm not worried about him getting scared more so worried about him hurting his neck or such during the quick take off...I remember loving the ride but thinking it might have been a bit rough.

Mine were 11 and 7 in October. Tell him to keep his head back during countdown and any acceleration effect will be minimal. I thought it was rather tame after initial takeoff and my 11 year old said he wouldn't wait in line very long to do it again.

YMMV

 

[disnut8]

It's been years since I've ridden this ride due to having kids with us that didn't meet the height requirements....Now this year my little guys will be 10 & a new 7 at the time of the trip...My 7 year old will be tall enough to ride, but not by much. This will be the first time he has ridden a roller coaster that goes upside down. Refresh my memory: Is this is a good idea? lol. Is it rough or will it scare him with the quick take off? He's a pretty brave kid and loves all rides, so in general I'm not worried about him getting scared more so worried about him hurting his neck or such during the quick take off...I remember loving the ride but thinking it might have been a bit rough.

Are you concerned with him possibly hurting his neck because he just makes the height requirement? Or just concerned with him hurting his neck?

If it's because he barely makes the minimum height, don't let that worry you. That's why the requirement is there. The safety harnesses (over the head ones) will keep him in place.

If it's just a general concern, anyone can hurt their neck on this attraction if they don't follow the safety instructions. As the PP suggested (and I second it), make sure EVERYONE'S head (not just the seven year old's) is back against the seat cushion. That's the key to the ride.

As for the upside down part, it took at least two trips on this for my husband to even know when we were going upside down. I doubt your little guy is even going to realize when it happens.

 

[ajwolfe]

I think I was more concerned with him hurting his neck during the take off...I'll just make sure and sent with him and remind him right before to push his head back...We are going with a group of family, so I could have seen one of his older cousins sitting with him and forgetting to remind him.
Thanks for the thoughts!!

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

Just make sure he looks straight ahead with his head back during the launch.

My oldest rode at 5 and didn't care for it and still doesn't like to go upside down on roller coasters.

My youngest rode at 6 and liked it and will do every coaster he's tall enough for.

 

[PrincessKathleen]

Definitely push the head back, otherwise it shoots forward during takeoff and bobbles around during the ride. Other than take off, though, it's a really fun ride and to me (this was also my first upside down roller coaster) didn't feel like it went upside down.

 

[prisjoyce]

Both of my kids (10 & 8) rode this for the first time in Oct. My DD loves coasters, my DS, not so much, but they both enjoyed it & went on twice. My DS came off screaming, "That was awesome!"

I told them to keep their heads pressed against the headrest & I sat beside them & patted their knee throughout the first ride. It helped them to know that I was right there, though they couldn't really see me.
Good luck!

 

[kaybird]

The ride is MUCH smoother in the front half than in the back half. You can ask to wait for the front half. Like PP's have said, keep your head back.

 

[Hannathy]

My DS just made the height when he went on the first time and was about 7 and loved it! I didn't tell him anything about his head and he was fine! and he is a very thin gangly thing. They are down in the seat more than adults anyway so it is less of an issue. Got off and couldn't wait to get back on.

It is extremely smooth!, I'm not a fan of upside down things, love coasters just not upside down and this one doesn't bother me at all.

 

[bumbershoot]

From what I recall, it launches and immediately goes into the corkscrew(s). That's the extent of upside down, and it didn't feel like a corkscrew to me. It just felt like FORCE. They take the picture just about then, too.

The first time DS rode it (at about 7), his picture nearly made me cry. He looked utterly terrified, like the most frightened a child can be. But by the time we saw the pictures, he was laughing and begging to go on it again and again. The launch/corkscrew/picture was frightening for him, but the sum total of the ride experience made him happy.

(for me, however, I dislike it, and have never given it a second chance)

As the PP suggested (and I second it), make sure EVERYONE'S head (not just the seven year old's) is back against the seat cushion. That's the key to the ride.

Yes yes and yes.

I think I was more concerned with him hurting his neck during the take off...I'll just make sure and sent with him and remind him right before to push his head back...

Just don't look towards him while you're reminding him! Inevitably, as you're looking towards him to help him protect his neck, it'll take off right then and it will be YOUR neck that hurts! Grownups take longer to heal from things like that, so you don't want to hurt yourself unnecessarily. Lots of verbal reminders and maybe a hand squeeze as a reminder.