Steel roller coasters can make you feel like a fighter jet pilot speeding up to 93 MPH, dropping you into nose dives, flipping you in barrel rolls, loops, cobra rolls, diving underground and more. Hold on tight and get ready for battle! Wooden roller coasters don’t go upside-down (except Son Of Beast at Paramount Kings Island) and rarely go over 65 MPH. The thrills you get from wooden roller coasters involve fear of the whole coaster crumbling underneath you because the coaster is shaking from the force of your train and fear of slamming your head on one of the many wooden supports. It provides a forest of obstacles that you are twisting and turning through, narrowly missing everything.

Some other rides evoke your fears of heights and falling. These rides are called Turbo Drops and appear like giant towers from a distance. They either lift you up slowly to heights near 200-300 feet and drop you to the ground with a gentle bouncing stop or they launch you at speeds over 60 MPH to heights of 200-300 feet and let you fall back and bounce a little. The rides use air to blast you and stop you which gives the ride a very smooth and comfortable feeling. There is nothing jerky about it! The feeling of falling on one of these towers is unique from roller coasters. It is just not the same because you are falling straight towards the ground.

There are many other types of rides that will thrill you. Check out your local amusement park and see what kind of rides are there. Talk with people who have been there to get tips on ways to avoid lines, get good food, and of course, the best rides. Next time you don’t feel like traveling, try out one of your nearby urban thrills.