free fallin'

My family is a roller coaster loving family.  Truly.  Since I was tall enough to get the top of my head to that "taller than this" line, I've been riding them. My first memory was the Super Duper Looper at Hershey Park.   I think my parents said I was about 4 years old.  "Start them young" was my their motto.  I must admit that my siblings and I are grateful now.  We can't get enough of them.

So while on this trip, we had to go on as many as we could squeeze in with 3 kids in tow that were too short to ride and a brother in law how doesn't care for them (what?!!).  I think the Manta in Sea World was the best coaster.  Yes, definitely.  It's a "lay face first looking at the ground" roller coaster. It feels like you are flying.  It.was.awesome.

I also love Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom.  Kraken in Sea World is pretty sweet too.  We did Rockin' Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios, the Hulk and the Dragon Challenge (HP World) in at Islands of Adventure.  We tried Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey (hello 2.5 hour wait), but it made both my mom and I motion sick.  I'm sure there are a few more I've forgotten, too.  (No Space Mountain or Thunder Mountain this time though because the lines were so long.  Sniff-sniff.)

I think our favorite though wasn't an actual "roller coaster," but has the same idea.  Tower of Terror in Hollywood Studios (does anyone else still call it MGM?).  It's a drop ride where you free fall several times. The day my parents and I had a spur of the moment need to go back to Disney, we rode that thing 3 times.  Two of those times being back to back because there was no line and my mom just had to go on it again and how could my dad and I say no for goodness sake.

There is something so kid-like in screaming your head off and laughing hysterically at the same exact time.  It only happens on rides like that.  There is a certain glee that they bring that nothing else can compare with.  I love that feeling.  The terror of how "scary" it is and how absolutely funny it is to be weightless for 2 seconds when you are falling.  I'm smiling now just remembering it.  And I want to go back and ride it again this second.

Dear roller coasters,
We love you.
We hope to see you again really soon.


What about you?
Are you a roller coaster fan?
Or are you more the "safe on the non-moving ground" type of person?
Did your parents make you try them when you were young?