I am planning on riding all rides at Kings Island when I go in the summer of 2016. There are some rides I really want to ride because of the thrill but am nervous about riding them. These rides are: Firehawk, Diamondback, Drop Tower, Vortex, Xtreme Skyflyer, and Slingshot. Any advice to help me stay calm on these rides? Again I am going to ride these rides, but am nervous about riding them. I am going with a girl so could I hold their hand if needed ( We are very close friends)? Also what rides have a tight harness? I am asking because I enjoy having my harness tight. Any advice is helpful.

General tips. Remember that what you are embarking on is something that is safer than riding in a car on the highway. Millions on people have already embarked on the rides at Kings Island and have lived to tell the tale. You are safer than your instincts tell you. Learn to trust you're logic.

Firehawk- This ride has a tight-ish vest thing, but you're legs likely won't be pinned down. It's okay. You won't fall as long as you're sitting normally. This probably shouldn't be you're first ride.

Diamondback-enjoy your ride. I recommend sitting in the middle of the train so you never get sudden bursts of airtime. It's very smooth and just remember that it may look steep, but when you're on it, it's not gonna feel extremely steep.. it'll just be.. a hill. It's not like you're going straight down.

Drop Tower- when you think you've stopped moving, you havent. You've merely slowed to a crawl. Pinpoint on two objects and notice how their boundaries will still move passed each other. You can hear the motor humming when you're at this point, and right when you hear it stop. That is when you are about to drop. Maybe 2 seconds after. Just try to breathe while you're are falling. Your tendency to tense up will make you not breathe and stress you out a bit.

Vortex.. anticipate the banks and the turns. Sit in the middle to not have much airtime, sit towards the back to have a smoother ride. Lean your head away from where the force should take you.

(If there is a quick bank from left, banking right, lean you're head to the right and keep you're attempt to the right. The force will make you're head go left, but if you do it right, you should end up not hitting the left side of the restraint.

Xtreme Skyflyer- dont be the one to pull it if you're nervous. Have the person count down when they pull. It's just a giant swing. Again, understand those cables are strong enough to hold much much more weight than you are going to inflict on them.. you are fine.

Slingshot- askde from maybe one or two flips. This ride is not going to be as intense as one might expect. Just remember that the fastest part is the beginning and that is basically just gonna feel like accelerating in a car.

I think as long as you remember what these rides are, and remind yourself that these things safely have had riders for years, you may get yourself to remain clam ish.. but maybe screaming or laughing might make you have more excitement and less anxiety when riding

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/31743-i-need-advice-for-kings-island-in-the-summer-of-2016/

There is so much safety involved to be worried about something with the rides! Just get on without thinking about it! Don't second guess yourself. Have someone take your loose articles to the bin so you don't think about not getting into the seat. Just sit down, put the seatbelt on, or strap in  and get ready!

Just remember that the ladies are into guys that aren't afraid of a little danger.

Also your Username is Blackhole...You're living on a rock floating through space and you need more motivation to ride a roller coaster here on Earth?

You only live once.

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/31743-i-need-advice-for-kings-island-in-the-summer-of-2016/

and

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/31768-my-kings-island-iteanrry/

Diamondback- The restraints on this ride is of a clamshell type that rests on your lap with hand bars built in. If you are afraid of heights, I wouldn't recommend sitting in row 1 or 2 as there is nothing in front of you. Also, I wouldn't sit in the back couple of rows as the first drop takes you by surprise. Personally, I love both the front and back on this coaster, and was something I did after I rode it several times. I've ridden Diamondback hundreds of times and have never had a bad experience on it. 

 

Vortex- Sit in the first row of the fifth car, 5-1. It was the very seat that Mr. Ron Toomer designed this ride around. The transitions from turns to straight track is abrupt and isn't nearly as subtle as on newer coasters like Banshee and Diamondback, but this ride opened in 1987 and it's come a long way since. Be prepared for the different turns and transitions to avoid any headbanging on this one. Over the shoulder restraints similar to The Bat as this was built by Arrow as well.

 

Firehawk- I'd possibly ride Diamondback and Vortex first as this coaster offers a very different experience than any coaster in the park.  There's a vest restraint and a lap restraint. You board the train in an upright position, and prior to dispatch you are laying completely on your back. You'll stay this way up the lift hill and transition into a flying position at the top. I rode it the year after it opened and the first ride was disorienting and not something I was used to.

 

Can't help you at all on Drop Tower, Slingshot, and Skyflyer as I've never ridden any of these.

 

In closing, roller coasters are very safe. In fact you are more likely to be in a car accident than be injured on any of these rides. All computer controlled, Diamondback moreso than the other two from what I've heard, roller coasters are very safe and a lot of fun. Enjoy your visit to the park!

I was going to ask a question here about a particular part of your post, but instead, I will re-word it as a statement, so as to not pry into personal matters.

 

You are going with a girl you say, and you say that she is a very close friend. If it happens that she might perhaps be a little more than a friend (or if there is a potential opportunity for her to become more than a friend), I can assure you that it helps a lot with ride anxiety.

 

In spring of 2010, I had a pathological fear of roller coasters. Even something as small as Adventure Express gave me the jibblies. I managed to convince myself to ride The Beast once, and it took everything I had to work up the courage to ride it. I wouldn't do anything that went upside-down, and I didn't like riding anything higher than 50 feet or so. Then a girl who I had recently started dating, who loved roller coasters dragged me, practically kicking and screaming, onto Flight of Fear. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

There is one ride at Kings Island that still scares me, and that's Drop Tower. I simply will not ride it under normal circumstances, even with my best friends. I have ridden it twice. Both times it was a girl who I was dating that convinced me to ride it with them.

 

I don't know if your situation is similar to mine or not, but if it is, you might find yourself getting a sudden, inexplicable boost in courage and find yourself riding in no time. And if you decide that the major coasters aren't for you, that's fine too. There's still no shortage of fun to be had at Kings Island.

 

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/31743-i-need-advice-for-kings-island-in-the-summer-of-2016/

and

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/31768-my-kings-island-iteanrry/

 

 

And the 8 or so threads this user has started on the roller coaster subreddit about the exact same topics (without ever participating in the threads, I might add!). 

 

 

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/31743-i-need-advice-for-kings-island-in-the-summer-of-2016/

and

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php/topic/31768-my-kings-island-iteanrry/

 

 

And the 8 or so threads this user has started on the roller coaster subreddit about the exact same topics (without ever participating in the threads, I might add!). 

 

^ How is that card weak to Fire? I thought most trolls thrived on provoking others into flaming them. Thus it should be resistant to Fire.

Are we not going to consider that perhaps the original user is young and/or extremely excited for their next trip to Kings Island, so that is why he/she is asking lots of questions in lots of places?

 

Because it kinda seems like that person isn't asking intentionally annoying questions. They're just asking the sorts of questions that we normally field here in the spring or summer. It seems like he or she has a lot of anticipation for his or her next visit to Kings Island. Which is kind of the reason sites like this exist and kind of the feeling that inspires most of us to post here in the first place, right?

 

It seems pretty unnecessary to fault a new user for innocent questions that we've all asked before, even if they're being exceptionally eager about asking them. But that's me. I'll stop playing social justice police now.

 

I'd add some advice here, but I think everyone else has done a great job. I hope you have a great time at the park, Blackhole6670! Be sure to swing back through here sometime and let us know how things went.