You definitely do experience positive Gs on Velocicoaster, though… you feel them during any kind of rapid acceleration (including in your car, and on a plane). On any coaster you’re going to feel them, but especially at the bottom of a big hill, and you also feel them in vertical loops and helixes. People with Apple watches generally record a little over +4, and a little less than -2 at various points on Velocicoaster. It’s worth noting that pretty much all forces are stronger the further you go toward either end of a coaster train, and that’s where coaster enthusiasts try to ride, so there’s not many reports from the middle, where you feel everything slightly less.
FWIW, RnR is one of only a handful of currently operating non-Boomerang/Invertigo coasters on the planet that pulls 5gs, and half of the other ones that do were built by the same company. If you don’t like the rough ride and super Gs feeling then for sure stay away from any coaster built by Vekoma (their Boomerang, Invertigo, and Suspended Looping Coaster models are very common and are, as a whole category, pretty awful and are always included in any worst of the worst coasters list).
I’ve never seen a map of the forces, but I’m pretty sure it’s when you go up into the first vertical inversion after the launch… that’s definitely where I feel it the most.
And people definitely do sometimes poop themselves… “Down, operational: AFR (accidental fecal release)” is a real ride status that happens. It’s not an every day thing, but it’s a thing.
I loved Velocicoaster, and hadn’t ridden a megacoaster in 30 years. Super smooth, just as reported. Though I did take a dramamine beforehand. IOA first aid gives them out.
I was going to say the same thing! Just being snarky of course, it was clear he didn’t mean he pooped his pants. At least, I wouldn’t think he’d tell us if he did.
That about covers it! You will have a great time. You question all your life choices that brought you to that point once it starts going. But it is thrilling and takes your breath away, and makes you feel more alive than you’ve ever felt.
The lap bar only restraint acually terrifies me! I’m almost never afraid on rollercoasters and there were a few moments on Velocicoaster that had my heart racing for sure. You really are going to be fine though, and the queue is really, really well done. I have no problem waiting in the line there at all!
VelociCoaster is by far my favourite grown-up coaster in Orlando. I don’t remember feeling any kind of physical ill-effects during or after riding it. That’s not true of any of the other big ones, e.g. RNR, EE.
I would be very interested to see details of how the VC restraint works because it is odd that there is no apparent fail-safe mechanism. The psychological games the ride plays are obviously intentional and part of the fun. Though there have been rollercoaster catastrophes in the world, I have very high confidence in Universal’s design, engineering and operations.
Hagrid gives me mild and very temporary motion sickness but enough that I wouldn’t ride it twice in a row.
First time I rode velocicoaster greyed out but was fine for many rides after that. It happened my first time riding while sitting in the last row. Have done the last row again without an issue (but the first row is AWESOME!!!) Hulk definitely got me closer to passing out.
Pro tip that I tell my patients- if you feel like you are going to pass out, start coughing. It can break the vagal response and hopefully keep you from passing out completely
This is all fascinating. I’ve never been on a coaster in my life that made me even feel a bit woozy. I might have greyed out once on Mission Space Orange. But I think I was just tired.
Yeah, “lap bar” for me evokes Big Thunder, with a thin metal bar across that really doesn’t do much.
The "lap bar’ on VC secures you tight on three sides of your legs / waist with the seat itself securing the fourth side. There is no way you are going anywhere. It’s as secure if not moreso than any shoulder harness.
Restraints without a seatbelt just freak me out, even before the kid fell out of the ride this spring. I saw enough restraints fail that I just have a hard time trusting without that mechanical line holding it down… not that it happens often, but seeing it even just a few times in 5 summers is enough to convince me that belts just make it safer, especially for us fluffier people.
Yeah and that incident you mention had shoulder restraints, if I remember correctly. It’s not about where it harnesses, more about how securely, and what redundancies there are. As @sanstitre_has_left_the_building said, some of the redundancies on VC are intentionally invisible, but I assume they are there.
Yes. They are. They require activation to disengage. In other words, a loss of power and you are trapped in the thing until they come and engage a manual override. A great many roller coasters now use these kind of restraints. They have been proven effective and safe.
The case of the restraint failing on that drop tower was due to intentional modification of the design. It would not have failed had it been left as intended by the manufacturer.
Can you elaborate on this or point me to an article that explains? I’ve been hoping to get some comfort that would help me ever be able to ride a drop tower again.
