I love thrill rides, but as I get older some of the wilder ones like Incredible Hulk do a number on my brain. Like, my vision goes black for a moment or two and I feel like I might pass out. Unpleasant.
Equally thrilling, old-school coasters like Expedition Everest don’t mess with my head like that.
I’ll be avoiding Hulk on my next visit, but I’m looking forward — I think? — to VelociCoaster. Should I be leery?
(Likewise, I’m starting to avoid rides that knock you around, like Rip Ride Rockit. A ride doesn’t have to batter your skeleton to be physically thrilling!)
So Hulk makes me black out too and so does RRR. I’ve ridden VelociCoaster twice and it didn’t.
Btw I’m pretty sure based on my son fainting in front of me when getting his blood drawn and the doctors explanation that this is a vasovagal response to stress. But I’m not a dr. It just sounds exactly like what happened to my son. Fainting of course can be dangerous if you fall or bang your head but in general it’s harmless. The doctor said under stress the body expands the veins to get more blood the muscles which can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. Some peoples response makes the veins too big too fast and there’s not enough blood to get around so the blood follows gravity leaving your brain and eyes which causes the blacking out and fainting. A psychiatrist once told me it was a low blood pressure problem when I mentioned this happens when I stand up too fast. All this to say for me I think this is what this so I keep riding. But we can all be different of course
VelociCoaster didn’t seem to do it to me yet. I’m not sure if it’s just cuz I’m riding first thing in the morning when I’ve just drunken my coffee which raises my blood pressure or I have more blood sugar or if it’s because it’s smoother.
It could absolutely be vasovagal which is - overall - harmless
But it could also be a cardiovascular issue. Research has demonstrated that while we LOVE these rides, they are not completely safe for our bodies and wreak havoc on our systems on however a temporary basis that might be. The majority of people do not pass out on these rides (or come close) so those who have a propensity to do so might want to look into whether there is an underlying medical condition.
Of course. I’ve just blacked out a lot my whole life and I have low blood pressure (90something/60something) and low cholesterol so for me I keep riding. But I agree if this is a new thing I’d ask a dr. I asked my psychiatrist as a teen when it happened when I stood up too fast. She didn’t use the word vasovagal but just said low blood pressure.
Of course In the same way others say it happens to them i don’t feel so weird or crazy. Lol. You’re the third person I know this happens to now. We’re a growing community. Lol
I’m old now and in my declining years. I don’t have many left. I find myself decreasingly tolerant of rollercoasters. I don’t like RRR at UOR, or RNR or EE at WDW. I don’t particularly enjoy Space Mountain. I love SDD and 7DMT. I love Hagrid, but I couldn’t ride it twice in row.
VelociCoaster is buttery smooth and comfortable. Nothing bashes your head. It’s a hell of a rush, especially in the front seat. I wouldn’t ride it twice in a row, but I’d pick it over any of the ones I mentioned above that I don’t like.
Omgosh no way. It’s so intense I couldn’t do it. I could do Hagrids twice in a row but I’m pretty sure VelociCoaster from the front row is the most intense roller coaster experience I’ve ever had and I’ve done Cedar Point and Magic Mountain. I think it’s smooth like you said but definitely extreme.
I agree with the responses above. RRR and Hulk rattle me too much. Not fun. I probably won’t do them again. Velocicoaster is equally intense, but “buttery smooth,” as @sanstitre_has_left_the_building aptly put it. It doesn’t feel like you’re the receiving end of a battering ram, like Hulk/RRR do.
(Hagrid is very smooth but also less intense than the other coasters, still one of the top rides in Orlando.)
P.S. I never black out. I just get headaches from rough coasters.
My minor issue with Hagrid is that the seven (?) launches present a challenge to my motion sickness. It’s an endless series of lurches.
I have a similar issue with the sadistic part of SDD where it wiggles up and down maybe one time too many at the end. (Which is like the bouncy tigger part of Pooh. Oh, and the dancing class section of MMRR.)
I also would nearly black-out due to low blood pressure well through my 20’s. I always had these problems on certain roller coasters so I did some reserach.
It’s coasters with high G forces that cause the problem. I have found coasters with a smaller footprint - that can’t build up speed on a straightaway or have big drops for the thrills - tend to rely on sharp turns and creating higher G force for the thrill.
I can’t ride a coaster that has elements that create a sustained g force like these. The stacked vehicle corkscrew that is a sustained, centrifugal force is a no go.
Momentary higher g forces interspersed with weightlessness, like a classic loop or on a horizontal corkscrew are pure fun.
Interesting article on roller coasters and forces.
Also a good one about roller coasters black outs - safe or scary:
Uh uh. That’s a bummer. The only thing that makes me motion sick is stop and go traffic, or my DH’s habit of controling his speed by bouncing on and off the gas pedal like he’s revving and engine before a race.
Looking forward to riding it, but maybe not as much…
One thing to keep in mind for people who black out is that it can be exacerbated if you tense your muscles or don’t breathe. The best way to avoid doing those things is to scream. You need to loosen up and make sure your oxygen is flowing.
