There is a big local amusement park which kids love. Every year, a group of schools in the city has a ‘special night’ where those few thousands of kids are invited to the park at a special discounted rate ($22.90 per person). It is classed as a ‘private event’ but basically, anyone with ‘special code’ can log on and buy tickets.
Despite having lived here for 9 years I have never been to said park despite seeing the rides closely from Hubby’s office. Two of my kids have been before with their various friends – this year however I really pushed for Mac to get to go too – with me. Rory stayed home with Hubby as I thought he was maybe a bit young. He was quite cross about this seeing as others in his class were going but I assured him he would go next year.
I am not a fan of amusement parks, it must be said. I remember 2 or 3 trips to Al.ton Towers as a kid… the most memorable being with some French exchange students – wow, I was so ridiculously happy that day…..I think they can be a rip off,(the amusement parks, not the French per se) especially where you spend ages queueing when there are too many people wanting the rides….. but I was here for my kids, not for me… although Paddy soon left us to go off with his friends.
(Incidentally a ‘rich friend’ of his upgraded 3 of his tickets to ‘rapid ride experience = jump to the front of the queue tickets – and assured his mates he’d go with them all at different stages….. of course he didn’t – which was fine…..but interesting to hear him gloat it all around for the whole night)…
Before the lines got really long, we all went up to get on the Mind Eraser rollercoaster….. and as the wagons pulled in and I read the description of the ride (The Mind Eraser is a monster coaster that suspends riders (legs and feet dangling) and blasts them through rollovers, dives and double corkscrew spins at speeds greater than 50 mph.) I was secretly hoping that Mac would back out and yes – he did – big sigh of relief from moi…. We watched Paddy get on with a complete stranger…. and 2 minutes later he came back looking quite red in the face (the force had slammed his head against the side bumper cushion at a weird angle)… but he survived it….. claimed later the queues were too long to go another ride on it though…..
Eventually Mac and I went on the ‘Sidewinder’ – a smaller rollercoaster that still had drops and upside down loop and then the whole thing repeated backwards. We heard departing ‘guests’ claim the back seats were the best… so we naively sat there (should had we had just been drenched on the water ride) got clicked in, double checked, bags(me) and glasses (Mac) left off and off we went.
O.M.G. I screamed like a girl. No in fact I screeched like a banshee. I HATED it. The feeling of my stomach lurching, the weightlessness of being upside down (I knew it was coming and had closed my eyes as I screamed with fear)… and then muttered ‘you ok Mac?’ as he was suddenly quiet….. and as we lurched to a stop high up in the air I saw the rosy cheeks of a middle age woman in a tower next to us – the control demon I guess – who must have read the fear in my eyes…. maybe that is why we appeared to stay there for what felt like 10 minutes… as the adrenaline kicked in and I realised we had to do the whole bloody thing backwards again. Perhaps it’s similar to being in a fist fight where you know the blows are coming and it will hurt and you brace yourself and it still hurts. But the way the evil woman with the control chuckled ‘byeeeee!’ as we lurched backwards at speed – a loop de bloody looping was just plain mean.
We made it back onto terra firma. But I was shaking all the way down the steps. Secretly praying Mac would not want to go again (he didn’t) – and keen as anything to meet up with my even more chicken friend who wouldn’t even get on the Sunflower swings with her kid. I was up for any ride providing it didn’t go upside down. ANY. Olympic diver I will not make. Alas I think I’ll live.
I spluttered to Bee this morning how much I hated it. Really really hated it. Just couldn’t even fathom the words to describe the fear/dread of it all. She seemed to think she must have her rollercoaster love from her dad. I agree.
Al.ton Towers it was not – a relatively small park – with a big water area (not yet open this summer) but a mix of little kid and fear inducing rides offer a lot for the cost I dare say…. although there were so many attractions that had height restrictions I was glad we’d left Rory at home. We went on to do a few games where we won him some prizes which he loved when he found them on his bed this morning. He obviously rushed in and asked Mac how it had all been because when he came down for breakfast he said;
“So you only did one rollercoaster and then you chickened out?” Well I suppose I did – and if Mac wants to put the blame on me (he went back to ‘our rollercoaster’ with his friend later and came straight back down again) then so be it. I HATED it – just in case there was any misunderstanding.
This was a caricature we had done just before we left. Best deal and memory of the night (Mac loved the posing bit and was very impressed with what the lady did in 5 minutes).