Rides that Almost Made us Quit…

InvadR did that to me, i just got back into riding coasters after 5-7 years. i was like, 7 at the time, and i dont know what happened.

Mine was Grand National at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It is an old woodie and does have a rattle at the best of times, not to mention it is a bit of a hit and miss ride depending on where you sit, which train you get, the weather and just some days runs better than others. That said, on the whole, I really enjoy it and it was in my top ten until this particular day. I was at a coaster club event where we had ERT on it in the morning. No joke it was running so rough that you had an instant headache in every single valley. I did two laps on it (one on each train) to give it a chance, then had to give up on it for the day. I feel for those in the group who hadn't ridden it before and were put off from it for good because it doesn't always run like that.

There was a mine train in Southport in the theme park and it was the roughest ride I have ever been on even compared to the traumatizer which is now infusion at Blackpool. I think the ride system didn't help two people sitting in a mine cart.

The one I'll always remember was Villain at Geauga Lake. I rode it in 2006 a year before the park closed for good. It reminded me of Cedar Point's Mean Streak but even rougher.

I went to Six Flags St. Louis once on a slow day, was like "Cool, I can ride The Boss three or four times." After the first ride they said if nobody wanted your seat you could stay on and I was like "nah..." headache out of nowhere. My only really good ride on The Boss was a night ride when it was cooler...besides being an enjoyable pitch-black unlit night ride through cool air maybe the lower temperature made it slow down a bit and be less out of control? Or since it wasn't so hot I wasn't as prone to a stress headache? The back half was much better in the dark.

Also once on Fire Dragon at IOA I randomly ended up in one of the seats for larger guests. Since the dimensions were different than the other seats, the harness was able to click one extra notch and I got super-stapled and could not move. I was okay until like halfway through - the g-forces by the mid-course made it seem to squeeze my chest increasingly like a python and I was ready to get to the end. I did ride it again later, I just avoided that row.

I remember riding rip ride rocket, and I came of the ride with a raging headache. Next day, woke up with a migraine and had to skip that day

it was Silver Bullet at Knott's Berry Farm for me, not because of the ride experience, but instead for the absolute piss-poor operations. We ended up waiting 3 hours for an okay~ish Invert, meanwhile, kids were cutting in and out of the line throughout, then when we finally got to the top of the stairs, ride ops were taking forever to dispatch, even dispatching trains with whole rows empty because fast pass holders wanted specific seats. After 3 hours, the entire experience was rage inducing

I have never been a fan of Wild Mouse coasters, I haven't been to a whole lot of parks, but I worked at six flags great america in the late 1980's. I did operate the Shockwave, which was during its Debut year. I was on a Stand up coaster, at Kentucky Kingdom where it caused a lot of discomfort because the seats wouldn't fit anyone over 6 feet tall. I ended up getting a cramp in my leg during a high G turn.

I’m going to Ride El Toro for the first time next week so I hope I will get a non-wheel seat

I rode thunder mountain one time as a little kid
almost fell off for real
i was barely tall enough to ride and i was pretty small so the lap bar didnt hold me in like it should and i came up out of my seat alarmingly too high

Leave Great American Scream Machine alone! You clearly rode it at the end of its run in 2010 you never got ride it in its prime in the 90s it was much better!

YOU ON ABOUT HERO AT FLAMIGO LAND NORTH YORKSHIRE I HAVE HEARD THAT THEY MAYBE REVAMPING IT GETTING NEW RIDE CARS

Texas Giant made me tap out...needed a neck adjustment when I got back home from the trip.

Flashback used to known as Z-Force back when it used to be at SFGAm and SFOG.

Great content! I've been a coaster enthusiast since the mid 70s and I absolutely cannot handle flying coaster pretzel loops. After one ride, I feel seasick for the rest of the day. Ugh!

I went on the predator when I was 13 with my crush and we smashed our heads together

I thankfully haven't been physically injured on any bad roller coaster I have ridden

Surprised nobody mentioned the Big Apple Coaster at NY, NY in Las Vegas! It was the roughest, most painful ride I've ever been on full stop. Worse than any wooden coaster. I had bruises on the tops of my shoulders for days afterwards. Damn thing should be condemned. It's a menace.

As the Boss being at my home park I can totally agree. STL is still great tho

Mine was Carolina Cyclone. It hurt. I felt rough for weeks or months afterwards.

I need to get back on Mineblower. Having ridden Velocicoaster I still thought Mineblower was my favorite ride in Florida (only missing Iron Gwazi which would probably be better).

Thunderhead. Hated it!

I will never understand the restraints used on the Thunderbolt. They are too tight on the thighs, with too little padding to compensate, and especially on the inversions. What you want in a restraint is something that will keep you secure, but not to the point of cutting off circulation or leaving bruises. I don't remember going on the Soarin' Eagle, but I guess that wasn't much better.

At least the padding on the Cyclone is adequate that the ride is actually comfortable.

But yeah, Zamperla needs better WAAAY better restraint designers. I mean, do they even test ride their designs before manufacturing them?

This happened to me too. I rode the original Wildcat at Hersheypark and I refused to go on another roller coaster for half a decade…

On Kingda Ka, my friend threw out his back first time he went on. I didn't believe him and thought he was just being a crybaby. Nope. Went back almost a year later and same damn thing happened to me. Either my back cracked during the launch, or more likely, my neck was too far forward during the ascent so I had like 5 G's pulling my head down away from my back. Excruciating back pain for about 3+ days following the ride. Stretch a little before any of these, and keep your damn head back! Never made me want to quit, but boy did it remind me to keep my head in proper position...

Actually, a few days ago at Fun Spot Orlando, White Lightning was super fun, but I was putting my elbow next to me on what I thought was soft, but it was hitting the hard plastic "liner" between the outside of the car and the inside of the cushion. Either keep your hands up, or tuck your elbow in. Took me 'till the second ride to realize the issue, but still went on 6 more times and out of habit still hit my elbow a bunch more times. Minor issue compared to Kingda Ka though.

Hades 360 didnt make this list?

The problem with flashback was all the unneeded restraints. The restraints were so horrible!! I always wanted to try that ride with just a comfortable lap bar, like the one from El Loco in Las Vegas.

Wow Green Lantern and Desperato is not on this list? I am so surprised.

Why pay for a chiropractor when you can just ride Matterhorn at Disneyland! Probably a great ride for kids, love the theming and Harold but for tall people and anyone over the age of 30, heck no!

Ha! It's always funny to hear about Soarin' Eagle. I road it exactly one time when it first opened at my home park of the notorious Elitch Gardens as "Flying Coaster". Yes, I road it exactly one time, at my home park...

The Boss was one of the last CCI's before they went bankrupt... They also owed PTC a lot of money and never paid their bills so they went to Gerstauler for trains which didn't work well on CCI configurations... they were designed for PTC.

Another problem at this point was CCI was cutting corners due to financial issues so the work was going to contractors who didn't car about tolerances. The Last good CCI was Boulder Dash, but as it aged it became rough even with GCI retracking it didn't take long for it to need additional work... they finally put GCI stell track on the drop and are re-tracking other elements but didn't get the new contract for Wildcat, that went to Gravity Group who assessed the coaster and noted some bad design issues from the DINN rebuild from the 1980s, WILDCAT will receive Gravity Groups new CMC'd track for 2024.

If it is successful Lake COmpounce said they would consider a Gravity Group re-tracking of Boulder Dash (Which is still in my top 3 wooden coasters

Here is what I don't get... retracked coasters can be hit or miss.... knoebels does a fantastic job of Retracking the phoenix and certain sections get a rebuild every year... but the 2023 retracking and rebuild of the Twister Rose bowl was awful, it jackhammers so bad that after one ride... I was done. and I used to love that ride... I probably have over 200 ride credits on Twister and close to 1000 on phoenix. However, my last ride during halloweekends 2023 was the last time i will officially ride Twister until it gets work done on the rosebowl again.

Felt the headaches, I get them a lot and sometimes coasters will do it, although usually not bad my worse experience with getting a major headache after a coaster was wildcat to the point I rode wildcat one time and then just waited for RMC to do their magic years later before trying again 😂

My first time ever going to a Cedar Point was the final year of operation for Mean Streak. When i got off that ride my whole body was hurting. The only ride to make me stop and take a short break from riding rides. I have only ever ridden that ride once but if it makes any difference on that ride but me and the wife only ride coasters in the back row

Mine was bandit at Movie Park Germany. I was happy that i ride it as last of the day before i was going to home.

I rode the boss, when I was younger, about 12, and I could not stand it. I was getting thrown so hard that I was getting pushed under the lap bar, and shot from side to side, when I got off I had a bloody lip from my head smashing into the lap bar. It was so bad, that without American thunder also being there, I most likely would have never riden a wooden coaster ever again. And at the age of 12 I already had more than 50 credits. I have over 400 now.😅

Great American Scream Machine @six flags great adventure. Whoooo, that gave me a sore neck and shoulders. I git a headache also on Thunderhawk at Dorney park.
Manhattan express, never again!!!!!!

Great American Scream Machine was like rocks in a blender.

Rougarou

Odd that i haven't seen anyone talk about Demon at Six Flags Great American in IL. Most of the ride is fairly good, but that last corkscrew at the very end just a nightmare. I always get a headache after, and shoulder pain 😩

I chipped my tooth on The Boss at Six Flags St. Louis. That ride almost made me hang up my coaster enthusiast glasses strap.

It wasn't blood exactly, but I had a huge bruise on my arm from the seat on The Beast. Maybe I'm a sadist because I loved it considering it literally looked like a huge scrape from a beast 😆 Totally worth it!

The ride Flashback at Six Flags Magic Mountain. I am glad that you mentioned that one. I rode it at Six Flags Great America in Chicago the year it opened and it was called Z Force and all I can say is that ride sucked. It was rough and it was not worth waiting 30 minutes in like for 30 seconds of thrill. That ride completely SUCKED and was not worth the walk upto the que.

Hero and Infusion are one and done. Yet I’ve been persuaded on Infusion repeatedly, a beer isn’t sufficient payment but it’ll do.

The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley left me with bruises all over my left leg—for the rest of the week it was purple.

This is one people might not expect, but I had a cousin who basically got scared of coasters due to getting banged around on Phoenix at Knoebels. Phoenix is pretty clean most of the time, but can reach out and grab you when you don’t expect it…

Tigrr at Indiana Beach gave me rib contussion (6weeks break) and Lost coaster of superstition mountain is a evacuation almost every time, but one day, the cabin and net on top broke down on us during the ride. I still have a season pass but never TigRRR again

I loved the Grizzly at kings dominion back in late 80's. Took my daughter to Kings dominion back in 2018. Rode Grizzly front seat, it was so rough I actually cracked a rib..but since i spent so much money to skip lines on all coasters, I continue to ride rest of them in pain, but not grizzly.

Mine was Shockwave at Kings Dominion. Bike seats are already insanely uncomfortable but combine those with chest smashing restraints and your head getting flung around. It was awful. Glad I went and rode Volcano and I-305 after 👍🏻

Flashback at Magic Mountain gave me cauliflower ear.

I’m honestly REALLY surprised that nobody mentioned the Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park. That woodie may have great airtime in the back seat and may have been historic, but I’m honestly GLAD it burned down. Idk how I rode it three times in one day when I was younger, but no matter where I sat, it was TERRIBLY rough. Even with the padding they had in the seats, it still hurt getting off the ride… but hey, at least I can say I rode it 😂