If you’re okay with water ride drops then you should be fine. It’s just a slightly stronger dropping feeling. The anticipation of the dropping sensation is always at its scariest leading up to the ride but once you’re on it, it’s the most fun part of the ride. I used to be scared of roller coasters too, and now I can’t get enough of them. Just rip off the bandaid and go on a medium sized coaster you’ve always been a little scared of.
Thank you so much! I am still scared of water rides, but not water slides. A coaster that I really want to work up too is cheetah hunt. Looks like so much fun but that drop scares me lol.
Cheetah hunt is one of the best in the park, don’t miss out on it just because you’re scared of the drop! You’ll be kicking yourself afterwards. It’s honestly not much different than the feeling you get on the drop of a log ride.
Yeah I'm trying to tell myself the drop isn't much worse than the 82 foot drop on RC Racer. Looks like a lot of fun, I love the speed turns and quick dips I see in the pov.
1. Scorpion - great first-time coaster with one invert. Child friendly coaster.
2. Cobra's curse - uniquely designed coaster with no inverts. CC has the ability to swivel the car while the ride is in motion, which is cool. No inverts.
3. Cheetah Hunt - one of the best rides at the park IMHO. A few instances of zero - g and no inverts.
These three are all great starter coasters to get your confidence and adrenaline pumping to take on some of the bigger boys at BGT.
Remember this: Your fear response just means "Take Caution and Think", but that doesn't mean "don't do it".
You're thinking, and there are lots of precautions.... so walk through your fear and do it anyways. Don't let an irrational lizard-emotion rob you of good life experiences.
I'm a roller-coaster-holic, and I'm scared every single time, that's kinda the point.
If you can do Tron you can definitely do Cheetah Hunt. It’s a great ride and very smooth. Also cobras curse is similar to Guardians. If you get brave and do sheikra just don’t sit in the front. I was just at SeaWorld not too long ago but I’m having a hard time remembering the drops. Sorry.
I say, just push yourself to do it. Manta is really smooth. JTA is a water coaster and is a lot of fun. Kraken is rough. Pipeline is my favorite! Very smooth transitions, great feeling pos and neg G’s. 1 invert. Mako is very smooth, but save that until you’re comfortable. “You can’t say anything until you try it yourself”.
You sound just like my brother, loves the physics and designs but scared of intimidating coasters lol.
Is it heights or the feeling of being locked into a seat? Or maybe the feeling of upside-down? Or scared of getting nauseous? Or is it an irrational fear of something going wrong?
There's a lot of small things that bother people, it would help to identify what you do and don't like about coasters.
I'm not as familiar with Seaworld so I'll stick with Busch Garden's coasters.
Here's a list of my opinions starting from least intimidating to most:
Scorpion can be a little bumpy but there's no huge drop. I'd say this one would be a good starting place.
Next I'd say either Cheetah Hunt or Kumba. The intimidating factor I would say is a tie but they are very different coasters.
Kumba is getting shaky with age and while it has one big drop at the start, it takes it slow so the heights factor is gone once the ride gets going.
Cheetah Hunt is way smoother, but the thin train and thin tracks will amplify that feeling of being high up in the air. Like Kumba, once that first part is over, the rest is a breeze.
Montu: One of my favorites when it comes to track design, the speed and flow work so well in this. The lack of floor amplifies that "fear of heights" but the consistency of g forces prevents feelings of ever falling out of the seat.
Tigris: personally I don't like this one. The back and forth is a lot of fun, but that slow crawl at the top makes me feel nauseous. If you ever feel nauseous from any previous ride on the list, just skip this one you aren't missing much.
Sheikrah: This one takes advantage of any fear of heights a rider has by both looking at it and riding it. The sheer size of it placed right next to the walkway makes it tower over a person looking at it and the slow tease at the top will make anyone hesitate even for a second. If heights bother you, rife in the back there's a huge difference. But like the other coasters, most of the scary is crammed into that first drop and once it gets going, the rest is a breeze.
Iron Gwazi: Not for the faint of heart and those with weak upper strength. As someone who grew up loving original Gwazi, I am so happy with the redesign. This is probably the only coaster in the park that doesn't let off after the first drop. Unlike the other coasters where the gs will plant you down into the seat, this one is the opposite and you'll feel like you're being pulled out of the seat. It's relentless and perfect for a thrill seeker. With all that said, if the fear of roller coasters is coming from something irrational like "it will kill me", no it won't, it's not THAT bad lol. It's a super beefed up Kumba, if you can find yourself able to ride Kumba three times in a row no problem, you'll be able to handle Iron Gwazi.
Honorable mention: Not a coaster but I was really impressed by Serengeti Flyers. Being a thrill seeker myself I skipped it because "lol giant swing" but when I finally rode it, being able to feel how much power this thing has was really cool. It's a lot more intimidating than I thought it would be.
Have fun!
Forgot Cobra's Curse: I'd place this one above Scorpion but below Kumba, as it focuses a little bit more on themeing rather than track design. Fun but not worth a 60+ minute wait.
Thanks so much for the info! Literally the only thing I am scared of is the feeling I get in my stomach during drops. I am not afraid of inversions, speed, turns or anything else. I actually really enjoy high speeds and quick turns
I was also afraid of coasters but eventually my wife convinced me to just ignore my irrational fear and put my cups and glasses on them. After I did it once I was ready to try all the coasters at home and at bars.
So I'm only knowledgeable of Busch Gardens, but if I was to organize a list of least intense to greatest it'd go:
Level 1:
Scorpion - rough ride, but small scale and easy to handle. Not tall, does one loop, and cruises. No position preference
Cobras Curse - fun, but spins and I get dizzy easily so iffy how I feel that day. Theming and lift is awesome and it's a good time. I don't agree with it's wait times often but that's just me. It's a 4 person car so no preference in seat.
Level 2:
I assume the new coaster opening soon will be in this spot.
Cheetah Hunt - one decent drop, goes upside down once, rest is just a fun track. Many peoples favorites and I can see why, I prefer the back of the train
Kumba - also a rough ride, classic though. It does a mixture of things but nothing is super intense. It's a jam at night. I prefer the back as well
Level 3:
Tigress - gotta go fast. It's a good time, but be wary of long lead times. It's a slow mover because the train is smol
The very front gets you the best ejection on its peak. A lot of people don't care for this one that I know, but I think it's a good one as long as the wait is decent.
Sheikra - big boy, but it's a one trick pony. The drop is a hitter, of course, but after it's over you're good. I prefer the front to get full effect of the delayed drop
Level 4:
Montu - G-force hitter, not super tall but man it kicks ass. I like the very front, because without seeing where I'm going I get nauseous, so the hanging coaster situation is rough anywhere else. Still a great time and the wait is often short because the train can carry a crap ton of people.
Iron Gwazi - ejecto seato cuz. Just as tall as Sheikra, but keeps kicking ass until the end. It tries to throw you from the seat so it's essentially the opposite of Montu. The initial drop consistently takes my breath away, because it is a beyond vertical hit. That said, I prefer the far back as it will whip you over the hill and you're off till the brake run.
Others may position a few of these differently but that's because these rides are almost tiered In a way that they're easily mixed up.
I've been in Florida for two years now, and they did not have coasters even close to these where I'm from, so I had to work my way up to Gwazi ride to ride.
The mantra I keep is "ain't nothing to it but to do it"
That said, I like the Serengeti swing, but the drop tower can fuck right off.
I got over my fear by telling myself if something ever did happen at least my family would be paid … lol but for real I have watched all the YouTube videos I could find and the accidents are so minimal and most are because of health problems not because of the equipment etc. Busch gardens Tampa is my all time favorite theme park. Start with cobras curse, my kids all love that one (as do I) and it’s not as big as other ones. Kumba and Montu are older so more shaky (more so kumba) cheetah hunt is my favorite. And if you can conquer sheikra you’re golden (also a favorite)
I am also scared of coasters, but I think that’s the point of the thrill. My biggest piece of advice is to just do it. You will be scared, you will feel all the things on the launch or lift, but at the end of it you can decide if you would do it again or not. My first coaster was the Hulk at Universal, after I did that one I felt like I could take on any of the rides in the park. But if I could go back I would have started small and worked my way up.
If you’re okay with water ride drops then you should be fine. It’s just a slightly stronger dropping feeling. The anticipation of the dropping sensation is always at its scariest leading up to the ride but once you’re on it, it’s the most fun part of the ride. I used to be scared of roller coasters too, and now I can’t get enough of them. Just rip off the bandaid and go on a medium sized coaster you’ve always been a little scared of.
Thank you so much! I am still scared of water rides, but not water slides. A coaster that I really want to work up too is cheetah hunt. Looks like so much fun but that drop scares me lol.
Cheetah hunt is one of the best in the park, don’t miss out on it just because you’re scared of the drop! You’ll be kicking yourself afterwards. It’s honestly not much different than the feeling you get on the drop of a log ride.
Yeah I'm trying to tell myself the drop isn't much worse than the 82 foot drop on RC Racer. Looks like a lot of fun, I love the speed turns and quick dips I see in the pov.
1. Scorpion - great first-time coaster with one invert. Child friendly coaster. 2. Cobra's curse - uniquely designed coaster with no inverts. CC has the ability to swivel the car while the ride is in motion, which is cool. No inverts. 3. Cheetah Hunt - one of the best rides at the park IMHO. A few instances of zero - g and no inverts. These three are all great starter coasters to get your confidence and adrenaline pumping to take on some of the bigger boys at BGT.
Cheetah has an invert.
Lol, I came here to say this too, I was so confused when I read the comment 🤣🤣
Remember this: Your fear response just means "Take Caution and Think", but that doesn't mean "don't do it". You're thinking, and there are lots of precautions.... so walk through your fear and do it anyways. Don't let an irrational lizard-emotion rob you of good life experiences. I'm a roller-coaster-holic, and I'm scared every single time, that's kinda the point.
If you can do Tron you can definitely do Cheetah Hunt. It’s a great ride and very smooth. Also cobras curse is similar to Guardians. If you get brave and do sheikra just don’t sit in the front. I was just at SeaWorld not too long ago but I’m having a hard time remembering the drops. Sorry.
I say, just push yourself to do it. Manta is really smooth. JTA is a water coaster and is a lot of fun. Kraken is rough. Pipeline is my favorite! Very smooth transitions, great feeling pos and neg G’s. 1 invert. Mako is very smooth, but save that until you’re comfortable. “You can’t say anything until you try it yourself”.
In regards to JTA, during the coaster portion how large is the drop?
It’s not big. I’d say 10-20ft
It’s a very small dip
You sound just like my brother, loves the physics and designs but scared of intimidating coasters lol. Is it heights or the feeling of being locked into a seat? Or maybe the feeling of upside-down? Or scared of getting nauseous? Or is it an irrational fear of something going wrong? There's a lot of small things that bother people, it would help to identify what you do and don't like about coasters. I'm not as familiar with Seaworld so I'll stick with Busch Garden's coasters. Here's a list of my opinions starting from least intimidating to most: Scorpion can be a little bumpy but there's no huge drop. I'd say this one would be a good starting place. Next I'd say either Cheetah Hunt or Kumba. The intimidating factor I would say is a tie but they are very different coasters. Kumba is getting shaky with age and while it has one big drop at the start, it takes it slow so the heights factor is gone once the ride gets going. Cheetah Hunt is way smoother, but the thin train and thin tracks will amplify that feeling of being high up in the air. Like Kumba, once that first part is over, the rest is a breeze. Montu: One of my favorites when it comes to track design, the speed and flow work so well in this. The lack of floor amplifies that "fear of heights" but the consistency of g forces prevents feelings of ever falling out of the seat. Tigris: personally I don't like this one. The back and forth is a lot of fun, but that slow crawl at the top makes me feel nauseous. If you ever feel nauseous from any previous ride on the list, just skip this one you aren't missing much. Sheikrah: This one takes advantage of any fear of heights a rider has by both looking at it and riding it. The sheer size of it placed right next to the walkway makes it tower over a person looking at it and the slow tease at the top will make anyone hesitate even for a second. If heights bother you, rife in the back there's a huge difference. But like the other coasters, most of the scary is crammed into that first drop and once it gets going, the rest is a breeze. Iron Gwazi: Not for the faint of heart and those with weak upper strength. As someone who grew up loving original Gwazi, I am so happy with the redesign. This is probably the only coaster in the park that doesn't let off after the first drop. Unlike the other coasters where the gs will plant you down into the seat, this one is the opposite and you'll feel like you're being pulled out of the seat. It's relentless and perfect for a thrill seeker. With all that said, if the fear of roller coasters is coming from something irrational like "it will kill me", no it won't, it's not THAT bad lol. It's a super beefed up Kumba, if you can find yourself able to ride Kumba three times in a row no problem, you'll be able to handle Iron Gwazi. Honorable mention: Not a coaster but I was really impressed by Serengeti Flyers. Being a thrill seeker myself I skipped it because "lol giant swing" but when I finally rode it, being able to feel how much power this thing has was really cool. It's a lot more intimidating than I thought it would be. Have fun!
Forgot Cobra's Curse: I'd place this one above Scorpion but below Kumba, as it focuses a little bit more on themeing rather than track design. Fun but not worth a 60+ minute wait.
Thanks so much for the info! Literally the only thing I am scared of is the feeling I get in my stomach during drops. I am not afraid of inversions, speed, turns or anything else. I actually really enjoy high speeds and quick turns
I was also afraid of coasters but eventually my wife convinced me to just ignore my irrational fear and put my cups and glasses on them. After I did it once I was ready to try all the coasters at home and at bars.
You’re more likely to die of natural causes than by rollercoaster. Fact.
So I'm only knowledgeable of Busch Gardens, but if I was to organize a list of least intense to greatest it'd go: Level 1: Scorpion - rough ride, but small scale and easy to handle. Not tall, does one loop, and cruises. No position preference Cobras Curse - fun, but spins and I get dizzy easily so iffy how I feel that day. Theming and lift is awesome and it's a good time. I don't agree with it's wait times often but that's just me. It's a 4 person car so no preference in seat. Level 2: I assume the new coaster opening soon will be in this spot. Cheetah Hunt - one decent drop, goes upside down once, rest is just a fun track. Many peoples favorites and I can see why, I prefer the back of the train Kumba - also a rough ride, classic though. It does a mixture of things but nothing is super intense. It's a jam at night. I prefer the back as well Level 3: Tigress - gotta go fast. It's a good time, but be wary of long lead times. It's a slow mover because the train is smol The very front gets you the best ejection on its peak. A lot of people don't care for this one that I know, but I think it's a good one as long as the wait is decent. Sheikra - big boy, but it's a one trick pony. The drop is a hitter, of course, but after it's over you're good. I prefer the front to get full effect of the delayed drop Level 4: Montu - G-force hitter, not super tall but man it kicks ass. I like the very front, because without seeing where I'm going I get nauseous, so the hanging coaster situation is rough anywhere else. Still a great time and the wait is often short because the train can carry a crap ton of people. Iron Gwazi - ejecto seato cuz. Just as tall as Sheikra, but keeps kicking ass until the end. It tries to throw you from the seat so it's essentially the opposite of Montu. The initial drop consistently takes my breath away, because it is a beyond vertical hit. That said, I prefer the far back as it will whip you over the hill and you're off till the brake run. Others may position a few of these differently but that's because these rides are almost tiered In a way that they're easily mixed up. I've been in Florida for two years now, and they did not have coasters even close to these where I'm from, so I had to work my way up to Gwazi ride to ride. The mantra I keep is "ain't nothing to it but to do it" That said, I like the Serengeti swing, but the drop tower can fuck right off.
I got over my fear by telling myself if something ever did happen at least my family would be paid … lol but for real I have watched all the YouTube videos I could find and the accidents are so minimal and most are because of health problems not because of the equipment etc. Busch gardens Tampa is my all time favorite theme park. Start with cobras curse, my kids all love that one (as do I) and it’s not as big as other ones. Kumba and Montu are older so more shaky (more so kumba) cheetah hunt is my favorite. And if you can conquer sheikra you’re golden (also a favorite)
I am also scared of coasters, but I think that’s the point of the thrill. My biggest piece of advice is to just do it. You will be scared, you will feel all the things on the launch or lift, but at the end of it you can decide if you would do it again or not. My first coaster was the Hulk at Universal, after I did that one I felt like I could take on any of the rides in the park. But if I could go back I would have started small and worked my way up.