As someone who used to be terrified (and I mean terrified) of rollercoasters until I was about 15 years old, I completely understand why so many people out there are scared of coasters. But how can you overcome this fear? What is the best roller coaster phobia cure? We’ve come up with some steps you can take to start facing your fear and begin learning to love roller coasters. Just remember that your phobia of roller coasters can be reduced and even eliminated over time - I’m living proof that you can overcome this fear, no matter how impossible it seems! So let’s dive in and take a look at the ways you can actively start addressing and overcoming your roller coaster phobia today.

Understanding

It’s always best to start by trying to find the root of your fear. Understanding the specific things you are scared of can help you find the best way to tackle and overcome it. Ask yourself, why am I scared of rides? Figure out what aspects of roller coasters worry you the most - this could be anything, like a fear of heights, fear of roller coaster drops or worries about restraint safety. Once you’ve identified the specifics of your fear you can start to reduce the fear even before you get within 10 feet of a theme park.

There are a number of ways you can do this and the methods you choose will depend on what you’re scared of. If your fears surround the idea of roller coaster safety (e.g. restraint might pop open or the structure of the ride might fall down) we would suggest doing some research into the many safety measures that are in place to protect riders. This way you can debunk any fears which might be irrational and not based on facts. Once you have the facts it’s easier to reassure yourself that you’ll be alright when riding a roller coaster.

If your fear is more about not being comfortable with the unknown, we would suggest researching the ride you want to go on first in lots of detail. You can read about it, watch POVs and off-ride footage or even go to the park and watch the ride in action. The more you research, the less the ride will be unfamiliar to you. This will help ease your nerves and get you used to how the ride moves and how it might feel to ride it.

There are lots of other methods you can use depending on your specific roller coaster fear. Once you’ve understood what you’re scared of you’ll be more prepared to find ways to overcome it.

Strategy

So now you know exactly what you’re scared of - what now? We think the best thing to do next is to choose the strategy you want to use. There are two main ways you can go in terms of actually getting on rollercoasters:

Start Big
If you’re someone who’s super determined and feel like diving in at the deep end, you could start with a huge coaster and face your fear head on. By riding the biggest coaster you’d be starting at the top - once you’ve done that you can do anything!
Start Small
If you’re looking for a more gentle approach and feel like you need to ease your way into it, you could start with a family coaster and work your way up to bigger rides later. This is probably the more popular strategy to use and is definitely less intense than starting big.

Familiarisation

Once you’ve chosen your strategy, it’s time to choose your first ride and get familiar with it. We would suggest doing some research before choosing the first ride you’ll face. Read some reviews and opinions from others to find the right ride for you. Some things you should consider when researching: the nature of the ride (smooth or rough), its height and the kind of elements it features. Pick something you think will be manageable and will be a good starting point for you.

We also recommend doing lots of research and really getting to know your ride before you go on it. This will help you become more familiar with it, decrease fear of the unknown and prepare you for the ride. POVs and off-ride videos are a great way to do this. Making sure you know it inside out will help you feel more comfortable with the ride and reduce your nerves the first time you ride it.

Support

Another thing you can do throughout this process and at the moment of actually riding a roller coaster for the first time is to surround yourself with people who can support you. Having friends or family with you can be very reassuring and can help you feel less nervous or worried about facing your fear. It’s also useful if they have been on the ride before as you can ask them questions or their opinion of the ride. Make sure you let them know that you’re afraid of roller coasters and explain to them that the first ride might be a difficult experience for you. Maybe even get a group of friends together that you know are also scared of coasters and go face the rides as a group. Supportive friends and family will be there for you to calm your nerves and help you overcome your fear - and they will be really proud of you when you do it!

Repeat

What about once you’ve done the first ride? After riding a coaster for the first time the key is to keep going! Even if you keep riding the same ride for a while, the more you ride them the less scary they will become. Repetition is the way to eliminate fear completely and learn to love riding roller coasters. Once you have ridden one ride enough times to feel comfortable with it, we suggest moving on to a new ride and trying a new coaster. Keep doing this until you’ve worked your way up to the huge rides! If you ride enough times your fear will turn to enjoyment and you’ll learn to trust roller coasters more and more.

Hopefully this has given you some starting points for ways to overcome your fear of roller coasters. Above all, remember that you can do it!

Good Luck!

- Zoe

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The Coaster Bot Fear Toolbox

Here at Coaster Bot we really want to help people overcome their fear of roller coasters. That’s why we have created so much content based on this topic! Here you’ll find a collection of the content we’ve made in the past which might act as a tool for you to use when facing your fear.

How to overcome a fear of roller coasters: a guide