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Roller Coasters!!! - Part One

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Remember the first roller coaster you ever went on? We sure do, and we’re taking you on a memory trip back to Alton Towers, comparing our recent experience to the one we had 14 years ago. Hannah leads the roller coaster talk with infectious enthusiasm, while Davie is more than happy to let her take the spotlight. Besides the adrenaline-pumping rides, you’ll hear about our latest life updates, our plans for EmoFest in November, and a heartfelt shoutout to our five loyal commenters.

Ever wondered how many types of roller coasters exist and what makes each one unique? We break it all down for you, from hydraulic and LSM launches to dive coasters and wooden classics. We even clear up common misconceptions about hypercoasters and gigacoasters. Not to mention, we share a few laughs over the quirkiest coaster restraints we’ve encountered and the thrills (and chills) they bring. This episode is your ultimate guide to understanding the wild world of thrill rides.

Our final coaster chapter is all about facing fears and favorites. We swap stories of our scariest rides, from the record-breaking inversions of the Smiler to the sheer terror of vertical lift hills. The episode wraps up with a deep dive into our favorite types of launch coasters and the psychological impact of certain ride elements. So, buckle up and enjoy this thrilling ride through our roller coaster memories and expertise!

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Davey:

Hello and welcome to Bonus Dad. Bonus Daughter a special father-daughter podcast with me Hannah and me, davie, where we discuss our differences, similarities, share a few laughs and stories within our ever-changing and complex world, Each week we will discuss a topic from our own point of view and influences throughout the decades or you could choose one by contacting us via email.

Hannah:

Instagram, facebook or TikTok links in bio to us via email Instagram, facebook or TikTok Links in bio. Hello and welcome to another episode of Bonus Dad, bonus Daughter podcast, bdbd podcast as we like to refer to it, as as do our fans, our many, many five fans.

Davey:

I was going to say how many fans Five, Five.

Hannah:

Yeah, there's five people I know particularly listen to the podcast regularly.

Davey:

I know, but we do have quite a few. We do have quite a few listeners.

Hannah:

We do have lots of listeners, yes, but to those select five.

Davey:

Who comment? The five who comment regularly.

Hannah:

The five who comment we love you guys. We love you guys. So this episode is probably not going to come as a surprise to a lot of our listeners. This one's going to be all about roller coasters.

Davey:

So if you're not into roller coasters, I really would probably uh, switch to one of our other episodes, just because I am going to rabbit on about roller coasters you are 45 minutes potentially yeah, well, normally, normally you kind of you've said on quite a few podcasts before you've said I'm going to hand this one over to you because you, this is kind of your subject. This is the other way around now yeah I think I'm going to be playing the uh second fiddle on this particular episode, because I think you're the one who's going to be gabbling on yes, I will be gabbling, you will be gabbling, I will be gabbling before we do that, I think, because this would kind of tie in quite nicely with the episode life update a life update life update.

Davey:

What? What have we done? We do life update that was so high.

Hannah:

Why did you why in that key, I don't know choose that key?

Davey:

I don't know, almost, almost went falsetto.

Hannah:

But not quite live update. What have we done to, yes, what have we done to deserve this episode?

Davey:

yes, where have we just been?

Hannah:

well, uh, my husband and I took you and mum to uh alton towers we did, did, didn't we? We all went together. It was a belated Christmas present, because Christmas this year we'd done all stockings for each other and said that our main gift away to all of us independently, I guess was to go away to Alton Towers together. And so we have completed our Christmas present.

Davey:

Yes, we have, but also it was the day after Father's Day. We went.

Hannah:

It was the day after Father's Day, which actually, in hindsight, was more of a coincidence than it was a choice.

Davey:

You see, as a slight confession now, is I quite messed up. So at work in my diary on Monday, as you'll contest to this, I looked at my diary and was like, oh, I've got a dentist appointment on the Tuesday and I thought, oh, I've got to cancel it. So my reasoning for cancelling my dentist appointment was my daughter is taking me away for Father's Day.

Hannah:

So I've just outed, you have I.

Davey:

You've just outed me. Yeah, because I took it as that, because it was the day after Father's Day. In my own heart, I thought this is my daughter taking me away for Father's Day. I see On something that she wants to do.

Hannah:

Yes, exactly, it wouldn't have been a Father's Day thing. Anyway, I have got you a good Father's Day gift, have you? Now that Father's Day has passed, you can probably tell people.

Davey:

Yes, you have, you have, so you have bought me concert tickets.

Hannah:

I have For both of us. There's a theme here. Yeah, we're popping along to EmoFest, aren't we?

Davey:

We are In November.

Hannah:

That's another belated gift. That is never. It's hard when you book things in advance to be oh, that was for your birthday or that was for Christmas, because often they're not around those times no, they're not no. Anyway, yeah, november, if anyone in Norwich is going or afar, I suppose Norwich or afar go into EmoFest in Norwich in November. I think it's at Epic Studios.

Davey:

It is Epic Studios.

Hannah:

We're not plugging it.

Davey:

We're not sponsored by it no, no, no, we're just saying we're going to be there.

Hannah:

So if you want to come and say hi, we'll be there to those five listeners.

Davey:

But I will say Epic Studios is an amazing venue yeah fabulous. It's going to be a good night. It is going to be a good night so anyway, back on track.

Hannah:

We went to Alton Towers we did indeed did you enjoy it? I loved it yeah, when was the last time you went to Alton Towers, do you remember?

Davey:

it was 14 years ago it was indeed now exactly slight confession. I didn't remember ago since we last went.

Hannah:

Yeah, because I'm because I'm 28 now. I'm gonna be 28 soon, um, and I went when I was 14, so I know it's with you with us?

Davey:

yeah, and we were with. Lucy went to wanton towers with us, didn't she? Yeah?

Hannah:

but we've been several times. Me and my husband have been several times um between then, but you guys have not not ventured up north for no or midlands. I should say it's not really north, but no I mean, I did like the fact.

Davey:

I did like the fact that you and Mitchell have been quite a few times. It's been a while since we went, so you kind of knew the quickest ways to get places. So me and your mum were basically just following you and Mitchell around the whole two days.

Hannah:

Is that exactly true, because mum has a bit of a pace on?

Davey:

Yeah, yeah, she was pretty much going for it and I must admit I was more knackered. Honestly, I went to work on the Wednesday, I know, yeah, my legs were killing, and I don't think it was from bracing on the roller coasters or standing in the line. I think it was just trying to keep up with your mum.

Hannah:

I mean I was a bit poorly on Wednesday but I didn't make it to run club on Wednesday. One, because my legs hurt I was poorly, you know like it was. Oh yeah, I, I was, I was bushwhacked, I know she had a right stride on, didn't she?

Davey:

yeah, she did she. Yeah, jesus, excited, don't she does get excited, your mum, yeah so so this episode is all about roller coasters.

Hannah:

I'm not a seasoned expert, I'm just merely a roller coaster enthusiast. I'd call myself I just like roller coasters, but I don't know any engineering or anything like that, I just like to ride them ah, now I'll disagree with you on that one.

Davey:

Okay, because I think you do know a little bit more than what you're you're giving yourself credit for, because I was listening to conversations between you and mitchell about the different types of coasters and I must, all right, okay, you might not be an expert, but you and mitchell do know a little bit more than what the average person does know about the type of coasters and how they work and the engineering. So I'm going to disagree with you on that one. I'll take it.

Hannah:

But I just want the listeners to know that they should not take what I say for gospel and I might get a couple of things wrong.

Davey:

No, you might get a couple of things wrong, but I think you're much better placed to. You know, you're one of the better people to discuss roller coasters.

Davey:

I'm probably the most qualified that we know of yeah by far, yeah by far, and that is saying something. So, did you want to start with your questions that you had for me? Yeah, because I thought, because we were going to do this episode as because this is your bag, this is what you know I thought we'd do it almost like as a almost like as an interview and I was going to ask you, yeah, a few questions. Maybe I might even answer them myself as well, from my point of view.

Hannah:

Yeah, absolutely. That's what this podcast is all about Exactly.

Davey:

Exactly, but I think you're going to be the one doing most of the talking. Okay, okay. So can you remember your first time on a roller coaster?

Hannah:

You know what? I've actually really struggled with this. I've been asked this quite a lot just because this is not a shameless plug, but I also have a rollercoaster Instagram account. Well, it originally was a travel account, but because all of our traveling is rollercoasters, it just kind of evolved into that and I get asked this question quite a lot.

Davey:

You can just give a plug for your Instagram, oh cool.

Hannah:

I actually don't know what it's called. Is it Big and Small?

Davey:

It's Big and Small Adventures.

Hannah:

Big and Small Adventures.

Davey:

Big and Small Adventures, big and Little Adventures.

Hannah:

Big and Small Adventures. Big and Small Adventures, isn't it? Yeah. So yeah, maybe type that in try and find us, but we're a little account. I've actually got more followers than our podcast account. But yeah, it's a small account but I enjoy it. I do some rollercoaster reels, do some funny stuff on there sometimes. But, yeah, I'm mostly behind the camera, to be honest, but you'll get my face the odd time.

Davey:

Yeah, your reels are quite good, your videos are. I quite like your videos, I do like them. Thank you, thank you.

Hannah:

So anyway, you asked what my first roller coaster was. I'm going to really struggle with this, but I think it probably would have been Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach.

Hannah:

Okay, that's the only one I can think of that dates back in my brain. I could have been on a roller coaster sooner than that, but it's the one that I seem to recall, the wooden one. The wooden one, yeah, it's um. For those that are enthusiasts and you're a little bit more into railcars, this is actually a scenic railway. I think it's the third or fourth oldest in the uk yeah it's not the oldest. A lot of people think it is, but it's not. It hasn't surpassed 100 years old yet I think she's got eight years to go.

Hannah:

I think she's's about 92 years old, which is incredible. But yeah, I think that was my first roller coaster.

Davey:

What's quite unique about that roller coaster, Hannah?

Hannah:

Well, its age is a big factor.

Davey:

There's something else quite unique about it.

Hannah:

I don't know what you're referring to.

Davey:

It's got brake man.

Hannah:

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah. Of course I forgot about brake man. Yeah, it's one of the? Um oldest existing human braked or human power brakes. I don't know how you'd you'd word that in a sentence, but yeah, it's got a human that actually um activates the brakes whilst you're going along on the roller coaster.

Hannah:

Yeah, that's very true, it's a long roller coaster as well. It's got quite a few, um, quite a few, seats. They're bench seats, which means that when you sit in the car, you are freely uh, sitting next to someone else. There's no, no divide or anything, and the lap bar is across both of you, so it's called a bench seat. That's a type of restraint. We'll get onto those later. But, that's one of them. Yeah, it is man-powered it is.

Davey:

It is man-powered and you know, as you said, that I think actually that might have been my first roller coaster as well. Really, yeah, you can't really count the snails in Joyland, can you?

Hannah:

No.

Davey:

No, no, I mean, that was.

Hannah:

They're more of a flat slash, dark ride.

Davey:

Yeah, I was riding the snails at a very early age, but I think I think we all were. Yeah, I think my first roller coaster yeah, I think it was the one at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach.

Hannah:

Yeah.

Davey:

Although I do remember going on a lot. I Great Pleasure Beach in Great Yarmouth Not anymore. Is there not? It's gone, is it rusted away?

Hannah:

finally, it has been dismantled and there is now just an empty concrete slab there. Really, yeah it went there recently. Nostalgia, really, yeah. And I'm not sure if my husband had been on the roller coaster or not. He wasn't sure if he had. So we thought, oh well, swear, this used to be something. And then it finally clicked to me that that was the log flume. But it got very little use and I think that's why they got rid of it, Because I mean, we don't get lost out here in the UK anyway.

Davey:

But yeah, it was horrible. You get wet and yeah.

Hannah:

It wasn't horrible in some sense.

Davey:

It was quite a good log flume for log flumes. No, no, I'm talking about the wetness, being wet, walking around yeah, absolutely.

Hannah:

Um, it was also an upcharge, so it used to be a what an upcharge so you'd pay more to ride. That you know with the rest of the the amusement park right, okay so that's again why a lot of people didn't go on it as much it used to have a false so you'd you had like a false security little hump before you done the big drop and you used to get wetter on the little one than you did on the big drop.

Davey:

Yeah, ah, okay. Also, just going back to talking about first times Now, interesting, I'm going to interject. I just thought of something I'm going to interject which isn't part of the questions. Mitchell also loves roller coasters. Yes, was Mitchell as into roller coasters before you got together, or is this something that you two have kind of?

Hannah:

it's evolved. I think it's safe to say that he wasn't into them as much as he is now.

Davey:

Yeah.

Hannah:

He liked roller coasters. He was scared of them as a child, which most children are, and that's absolutely perfectly fine and acceptable. They are scary things. They are meant to frighten you.

Davey:

They are terrific they are terrific rather than horrific than horrific.

Hannah:

Yep, so they are. Yeah, they are. They're meant to be scary. Yeah, I would practice caution with any anyone taking their little ones to theme parks for the first time. You know um being being put into restraints. I think is one scary element. And then you've got the lift hills, which is anticipated, anticipated scary. And then once you're on it and you're going, you're absolutely fine, but it's getting that hurdle across to your children and anyone in the UK I'd recommend.

Davey:

Not just children.

Hannah:

Yeah, not just children. I'd recommend to anyone in the UK taking someone for the first time I'm going to say someone for the first time, not necessarily children Chessington. Chessington is probably the most tamest fully-fledged theme park we have in the UK. The rides are a little bit slower in terms of actual miles per hour. It's a lot more tame, and you've also got the zoo as well.

Davey:

No-transcript yeah, just on the lift hills, I mean you're not a fan I'm not, never have been. It's the. Yeah, you talk about the anticipation. See, I don't know. It's the. I mean like, as you know, we've had many conversations about this. I don't know what it's just like. For me, it's like get on with it. I think that's why I love Rita so much.

Hannah:

Yeah, Rita and Stealth, they're called a hydraulic launch.

Davey:

Yeah, I love them. It's like just get on with it and off we go.

Hannah:

Yeah, it's essentially kind of the easiest way to explain a hydraulic launch is it's almost like a catapult system. It's not quite enthusiast.

Hannah:

Will go mad at me for saying that but, essentially, it pulls you back and releases you through a hydraulic system. It's not like a catapult, like a bit of string that pulls you back. There are wires involved but, yeah, essentially pulls you back a little bit and then releases you with that potential energy. Um, you've got something else called an lsm launch, which is the modern launch, uh, which uses magnets. So the potential energy is already in the magnets. Once the magnets release, you just ping and you shoot off. Isn't that what rita is? Though no, rita's a hydraulic launch is it?

Davey:

yeah, because I thought that was ah, right, okay okay, so rita's. I'm not saying they don't use magnets, no, no okay, so with with regard to the different types of roller coasters that we've got, you've already said hydraulic launch. Yeah, example of a hydraulic launch.

Hannah:

Example of a hydraulic launch. So you've got Stealth and Rita.

Davey:

Yeah.

Hannah:

They're both the same. Okay, fun fact for anyone that didn't know. So Rita at Alton Towers, stealth at Thorpe Park, were originally going to be one coaster.

Davey:

Were they really.

Hannah:

Yep, but they got split into two, and the reason being Alton Towers has a height restriction limit because of the surrounding areas. You cannot build above the tree line. You will also see parts of Rita, parts of other rides that are coloured green to camouflage with the tree line as well.

Davey:

But what I like about Alton Towers is I didn't know the fact about the tree line, but they actually build down as well, don't they? They do build down, so that's how they get kind of around their height restrictions.

Hannah:

I think the word would be like topical.

Davey:

Yeah.

Hannah:

They use the geography around them to build the coasters which makes Alton Towers such a unique park.

Davey:

Yeah, it is. I mean, that's what I really like about Alton Towers, especially like with air. Well, sorry, no, it's not air anymore, is it. Galact, quite close to the ground. Yeah, yeah all the time all the time. Yeah, and even like nemesis, because nemesis goes down into the dip isn't it as well?

Hannah:

yeah?

Davey:

so we've got a hydronic launch.

Hannah:

Yeah, we've got lsm launch lsm launch example. And what's that an example I'm not sure if you have specifically been on an lsm launch, but for our listeners, lsm launches taran at fantasia land in germany, um if you've ever been to icon at blackpool, blackpool pleasure beach um in the uk that's also an lsm launch.

Hannah:

Um, they're fairly new in the world, can't? Sorry, off the top of my head, I cannot think of a us example. There are several about. I think velocicoaster might be. Uh, off the top of my head might be an lsm. I don't think it's hydraulic launch, um, so so yeah, mandrell's mayhem is a um lsm, which is uh, uh, chessington world of adventure in the uk. Um, there are several about now. I don't know all of them, unfortunately. Uh, so that's an lsm launch. And then you've got you've got something called a dive coaster. An example of a dive coaster would be oblivion oblivion yeah, um alton towers that's the first one, isn't?

Hannah:

itlivion was the first ever dive coaster in the UK. So the definition of a dive coaster is something where the cart will hold you at the top of a vertical drop and then will drop you. So yeah it was the first of its kind. Technically, oblivion is actually not a vertical drop, is it not, no? So vertical is obviously 90 degree angle.

Davey:

It's actually 87 point, something or other.

Hannah:

Oh yeah, okay, so he doesn't know really much too much about yeah, exactly, but what a lot of people don't know about Oblivion at Alton Towers is it's just as high above the ground as it is below.

Davey:

Yes, exactly, I like Oblivion.

Hannah:

It's a great coaster.

Davey:

Yeah.

Hannah:

It's short, but it's amazing.

Davey:

Yeah, yeah.

Hannah:

I'm a massive fan of Oblivion. Then you've got suspended coasters and inverted coasters, not to be confused. So suspended and inverted coasters mean that the track is above you and the car hangs below. A suspended coaster example is Nemesis. So Nemesis Reborn at Alton Towers, nemesis Inferno, and I believe off the top of my head, infusion is also a suspended coaster, which is at Blackpool, pleasure Beach. An inverted coaster is where the car is the same but pivots freely. So I can't now remember, now off the top of my head, if Infusion does pivot freely, so Infusias might go mad.

Davey:

Would it be like Joker at Six Flags?

Hannah:

No, freely uh so enthusiasts might go. Would it be like joker at six flags? No, no, completely different, right? Okay, I actually don't know what that's called, because it's kind of winged. Uh, yeah, I didn't like that weird one yeah, um, an example of a uh, inverted coaster where the car pivots freely underneath would be vampire at chessington okay so the, the, the cars themselves, they kind of they swing with the track. Do you see what?

Davey:

I mean, I know what you mean. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hannah:

Yeah, and that's a very cool ride. Vampires, probably the best ride to go on with children. Again is quite slow, but it's also got some whips in it.

Davey:

Yeah.

Hannah:

So, yeah, it's a very fun, but slow coaster.

Davey:

Yeah.

Hannah:

Great starter coaster. And then you've got what we like to refer to in the industry as woodies. Some people have a different idea of what a woody is, but in the roller coaster world it just means a wooden coaster. And then you've got a hybrid coaster.

Davey:

So just an example of wooden coaster would be like Wicker man. Wicker man is a wooden coaster.

Hannah:

Then you also have wooden coasters with steel tracks and they're called a hybrid coaster. Yeah, and then we get onto our hypercoasters and our gigacoasters. So a hypercoaster is any coaster that is either the height or the drop is less than 300 meters tall.

Davey:

Okay.

Hannah:

Hyperia. For example, the new roller coaster at Thorpe Park is, funnily enough, a hypercoaster.

Davey:

Yeah, that's what it's called, that's what the name was named after.

Hannah:

Gigacoaster is 300 and above.

Davey:

So gigacoaster would be Kingda Ka.

Hannah:

Yeah, I think so I can't remember how tall Kingda Ka is.

Davey:

It's too tall. Kingda Ka is too tall. That's ridiculous. I mean there are some coasters where I mean we'll probably get on to Smiler later on, where I'll look at a roller coaster and go, okay, I'd love to go on that, another one, I'll go. Oh, not so sure, but I'll go on anyway. Kingda Car was an absolute. No way am I getting anywhere near that one.

Hannah:

Yeah, I'm just wondering, if I've got that wrong, whether it's 300 feet, because 300 meters is quite a. I think it might have been 300 feet.

Davey:

Yeah, I think it might have been 300 feet. Yeah, say 300 meters is quite a big one.

Hannah:

Let me do a quick Google. I apologize. No but like I always get my measurements wrong.

Davey:

Yeah, Kingda Car is just ridiculous. Your mum went on it, but I absolutely flatly refused to go on that one. There was no way I was going on that.

Hannah:

I'm so jealous. Oh sorry, a hyper roller coaster is the height or drop measuring at least 200 feet. I apologize, coaster is the height or drop measuring at least 200 feet. I apologize. So 200 feet. Feet, yeah, 200, not 300. Don't know where I got that from, ah told you I knew I'd get it wrong. So, um, yeah, so we talked about hyper and giga coasters, um, and then I think the only one that I'm missing off the list is, oh no, there's two actually. So you've got a flying coaster. A flying coaster is galactica.

Hannah:

Yeah, um I like those yeah, we haven't got many in the uk. Um, I can't actually think of another one off the top of my head superman or not in the uk, but there's a superman in six flags oh, is there, yeah, I went on that we've also got one called fly, which is in fantasia land in germany as well.

Hannah:

Um, that's a very intense flying coaster. Um, but it is a flying coaster. I think there's one at flamingo world actually. Uh, off the top of my head I think it's called hero, something like that. I believe that's a flying coaster. So a flying coaster is the track is above you, a bit like a suspended inverted coaster, except you're laying on your tummy, um, as you're going around. Excellent, and the only one I think I've missed off the list is a winged coaster, pretty self-explanatory, um, so car is on the track, of course, but you are on the wings of the car that is joker uh, joker would be yes I'm not sure about, because joker's a bit of a bit of a strange one I didn't like the look of it it's a weird category, joker um it is a winged coaster.

Davey:

Yes, that's in six legs, by the way, in america, new jersey it's because it spins as well. I'm not sure if it has its own yeah, from looking at it as well, because we I looked at it from a distance and I thought actually that looks really good fun yeah but when we got a little bit closer to it, I thought yeah actually that's good. It wasn't scary, it wasn't a scary factor. I thought that's actually going to make me feel really sick yeah, a winged coaster.

Hannah:

In the uk example is swarm um. Okay, also Also Mandrill's Mayhem at Chessington as well.

Davey:

Yeah so.

Hannah:

Swarm is at Thorpe Park. Swarm actually is my favourite coaster in the UK.

Davey:

Is it? I don't think I've ever been on it.

Hannah:

It's incredible it's so good.

Davey:

I thought Wicker man was your favourite, or was that your favourite at Alton Towers? At Alton Towers, I've got, don't tell me, let me guess. Okay, wicker man, yeah, smiler, yeah, and okay, ooh, ooh, I don't know.

Hannah:

I mentioned it a minute ago, how much I loved it.

Davey:

Wicker man Smiler. Yeah, what Nemesis.

Hannah:

No.

Davey:

No, which one? Oblivion? Oh, oblivion, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, can you remember? Actually, I do remember this. So I know we said we're going to get onto restraints, and that later on, but 14 years ago and I remember this, when we went on Oblivion. Now, when you've got the shoulder restraints, when they come down, so I find them and Mitchell said this as well. I think he finds them the same is. Finds them the same is. They're either one of two ways. They never fit me perfectly.

Davey:

Yes, so they're either crushing right down on my chest to the point that it hurts or they're a little bit not too loose, but they're a little bit looser than I would like. Yes, yeah, there's either one or the other. And I remember when we went to Oblivion 14 years ago I was on Oblivion and I was trying to push this thing down a little bit more click it. Yeah, click it once. And you were looking at me and I just looked at you and went I think I'm gonna die. And you were just you'll be fine, you'll be all right yeah, yeah, it's, it's.

Hannah:

Even if it's not clicked in the way you'd like it, you are still safe you're still clicked in and you're still ready to go. I think sometimes it's nice having that space within the restraint, unless you're in a ride that's particularly intense and then you get knocked about more and then you get bruised more. Yeah I don't suffer from the problem with the shoulder pinching because obviously I'm quite short yeah, so my shoulders very rarely go to the top of the restraint.

Hannah:

Um, the only restraint I think that's ever done, that is, it's no longer a standing coaster but shockwave. At drayton manor used to be a standing coaster, it's now called the wave and it's a sitting down coaster. That's the only one I ever remember thinking oh my shoulders. I've never, never felt it on my shoulders before because I'm so short. The problem I have is the boob crusher.

Davey:

Um yeah, on my chest.

Hannah:

Um, I get that. That's why I'm I'm actually not a massive fan of flying coasters.

Davey:

For that reason oh, because of what?

Hannah:

because you're suspended and it does kind of yeah it does hurt the, the big chested lady I would say, and I think it would be the same for any man that maybe has slightly a bigger sort of pectorals and things like um, yeah, people as well, I imagine, they struggle with restraints because they're they. They're designed to fit the average person as opposed to yeah all of our unique body shapes, so yeah, exactly yeah.

Davey:

Um yeah, because I had a bit of an injury on spinball wizard, didn't I?

Hannah:

You trapped a nut? Yeah, I did.

Davey:

That really hurt. That really really hurt. Yeah, ouchies, so they're the different types of coasters, yeah.

Hannah:

What would you say, in your opinion, is the scariest you've ever been on? Scariest is so difficult for me. I remember going on taran for the first time at fantasia land yeah which is an lsm launch coaster. Um, it's very, very speedy and a lot of the track intersects with itself, so it goes back on itself, it goes around and I remember coming off that thinking and you might have to bleep this, but what?

Davey:

just go on yeah like it was so intense and with launches in particular, I get quite um nervous about the anticipation of when it's going to release us right because some of them they count down, like rita and stuff, it's like three, two, one, go, go, yeah but rita kind of has a bit of a funny start a little bit of a delay, that there's a little bit so you think you're gonna go, you're not, and then you go, you go, and oblivion's a little bit like that as well, because you get to the top, it stops and you think it's going to stop for longer, but it's only like a click, you're down I think, I think taran looks quite intimidating and I would agree that smiler looks quite intimidating yeah, we'll come on to smiler, because I had a bit of a an issue with smiler you know smiler holds um, I'll go through some facts later, but just smileriler does hold the most inversions, and when I talk about inversions I mean upside-downy bits on coasters.

Hannah:

So it's got 14, and that's the most in the world. So it looks like a very intimidating roller coaster.

Davey:

It's very compact as well, isn't it?

Hannah:

Yeah, it's also got a bit of history as well in terms of accidents. Yeah, it's got one particularly bad accident that was, you know, said around the uk, particularly at the time when it happened. So, you know, I think it looks like a very intimidating coaster and if you've also got that in the back of your mind, you already know that story, you're kind of like, oh, you might be a bit intimidated by it, but I think I think I will say probably the scariest roller coaster I've been on.

Hannah:

Just for how intimidating it looks and the speed and the type of coaster it is, I would probably say Taron at Fantasia Land.

Davey:

Okay, you Rip Rocket.

Hannah:

Yeah, you're not a fan. That's a universal right.

Davey:

Yeah, that's a universal and that's why I had a little bit of an issue with Smiler.

Hannah:

Yeah.

Davey:

So when we went to Universal, there was this ride called Rip Rocket and what it is? I, the me. You listen to music the whole time it's like to choose you get to choose your music, that you can go on concept of it. Yeah, but when you go it goes directly vertically, like straight vertical. Now I don't have, I didn't have a problem with vertical coasters until I went on that one particular one you're talking about the vertical lift hill the vertical lift hill?

Davey:

and aren't you the vertical lift hill? And it doesn't. And again, I'm not overly keen on lift hills with the. I don't like that, I'll be honest.

Hannah:

I do tend to close my eyes on those To explain just to people what a lift hill is, just in case there's any confusion. A lift hill is the hill that you got normally initially on a roller coaster and that's the bit that you're on the chain and that's how you get to the top bit of a roller coaster. Some coasters have two halfway through. We'll get onto that later. That's smaller, for example, and other ones, but just I just want to explain yeah, and that's with the.

Davey:

It was the second lift hill which I have yeah exactly.

Hannah:

I just want to explain to anyone that might not know of course.

Davey:

Uh. So with this particular one it wasn't a slow, so I don't like slow lift hills, I like quick lift hills. Hulk is one of my favorite rides. Rita is one of my favorite rides because it just goes, it doesn't mess around you're like a launch coaster.

Davey:

I love a launch coaster absolutely love a launch coaster, um, but this rip rocket and it's this wasn't. It's not a slow one and it's not a quick one, it's a medium one. But as we started going vertical and this is again to do with the restraints so I started sliding backwards to the point of I actually thought I was going to fall out of the back, the back of it, my, my rational brain was like you're not going to fall out of the back of it, but I think, because I slid back as far as I did in the chair and, being in that vertical kind of thing, it freaked me out. So that's why. But once we were going, once we got to the top and we started going down and going around the rest of it, I was fine, but it was just the beginning part of it. So much so your poor mum. I crushed her hand yeah I did.

Davey:

Yeah, I genuinely grabbed her hand so hard I crushed her fingers, bless her, um. So I didn't like it for that. And then, when we got to smiler, now I was all up for going on smiler I really was but when we turned the corner, and you saw the vertical lift. And I saw the vertical lift, I had a bit of a wobble in the fact of, no, I'm not going. I went on it the next day.

Hannah:

You did, you did. I'm very proud of you.

Davey:

I did go on it. Oh, bless you. You were holding my hand, weren't you? Yeah, oh it's all right for mum. It's true, mum. Yeah, but when we were going up that lift hill, that second one, which was vertical, I just because I had my eyes closed at that point, because I didn't like it, because I thought I'm not going to like this, and I just felt your hand coming across to my hand and you just went. It's okay.

Hannah:

It's okay. You were going up the lift hill and you're like I can hear you, oh bless, I can hear you oh, bless you, but yeah we're all scared of something exactly it was.

Davey:

It was that rip rocket that actually it freaked me out because I honestly thought I was going to fall out yeah, and it freaked me.

Hannah:

There is another one in the UK that's got a vertical lift hill and that's Saw at Thorpe Park as well yeah, I don't think I probably will go on that.

Davey:

It's a shame, because it's such a good element. Well, again, I think I might if I go on it with you, but I think it's.

Hannah:

It's a cracking element.

Davey:

It's the initial looking at it and thinking Also the drop is.

Hannah:

It's not vertical, it's actually inverted as well.

Davey:

See the drops, don't bother me.

Hannah:

It's the going up, it's in on itself.

Davey:

Yeah, the up in on itself. Yeah, the drops, yeah, the drops don't bother me, it's the going, it's the going up that bothers me. Yeah, it's bizarre. It's bizarre. Even wicker man, which I know because alton towers is quite strange, because it's because, like you say, it doesn't go above the tree line, so it's not actually that high issue now but even the wicker man, even on that one, which again isn't that much, isn't that really that high, I did find myself looking down into the car rather than looking across yeah bizarre.

Davey:

So my next question is one that you would most want to try, and why?

Hannah:

I think kingda car is up there just because just to be able to say I've been on the tallest roller coaster in the world. To be honest is just yeah, is it?

Davey:

because your mum's got bragging rights over you.

Hannah:

She has got bragging rights over and she has now bought me a hoodie and I feel like I need to ride it to now be, able to wear the hoodie.

Hannah:

Yeah, it's up there. I've got a few bucket list roller coasters um, mostly parks, though like I really want to do europa and uh, as I'm saying this, we are booked to go to europa in october, so I'm very, very excited to go. It's got a new coaster called Voltron there which I just want to ride. I think yeah, probably Kingda Kara's probably the most, just because it is the tallest, but it won't probably be the tallest for much longer.

Davey:

No, why is that?

Hannah:

They're building another roller coaster park. I always get this wrong. I think it's in Abu Dhabi. I always say the wrong city, that it's in the wrong place. It's in, I think it's in Abu Dhabi and basically this park is trying to beat all of the world records in one park, which is quite a feat. Alton Towers used to be that park. It used to have the first of everything, so it had the first dive coast, it had the first drop coast in the UK. It had this, I had that. So, yeah, it's trying to be everything.

Hannah:

And I feel like I've never been to that part of the world either. So I guess, what better excuse than a roller coaster park for me. So I guess I haven't really got the most. Like one roller coaster I want to try, I think. I just want to go on some of the ones that are like the record-breaking ones.

Davey:

Yeah. Just because, yeah, just to be able to tick it off, just just, just yeah you did it did it yeah, so myself I don't know really yeah, you're not as into them, I guess I'm not. No, as I say, this is more kind of your bag. Yeah, this isn't this. I mean there's, I mean don't there's. You know, would would there be any roller coasters that I wouldn't go on?

Hannah:

Yes, yeah, yeah, kingda Car is one of them. There's not many, I wouldn't go on yeah.

Davey:

Yeah, I have, yeah, I have got to them. I mean, yeah, where was that dragon one in Spain?

Hannah:

Fuerteventura.

Davey:

Fuerteventura. I remember enjoying that one.

Hannah:

I can't. I was too young to really remember enjoying that one.

Davey:

I can't, I was too young to really remember. Yeah, yeah, oh, you got really upset actually because you were too small, you couldn't go on it. Yeah, yeah, let's move on from that because it's bringing back horrible memories of does, of being too short of being too short.

Hannah:

Yes, yeah, so glad that I grew more than 140 centimeters, because otherwise I would have been rubbish yeah.

Davey:

Is there one that you I'd say hate is a strong word? Oh, no, there is one I hate. Oh, is there? Is there one that you I'd say hate is a strong word?

Hannah:

Oh no, there is one I hate.

Davey:

Oh, is there? Is there one you hate? Go on.

Hannah:

There is a roller coaster at Blackpool Pleasure Beach called Infusion.

Davey:

Okay.

Hannah:

It's a suspended roller coaster, I believe. I don't think it's an inverted, I think it is a suspended one like Nemesis, but instead of having four people to a train, it's two yeah it is probably the most uncomfortable rickety, the the least smoothest ride I've ever been on, and that is including all of the other coasters at blackpool pleasure beach which are, like you know, grossing on 60 years plus the big dipper yeah being over 100 years old itself.

Hannah:

It is probably the most uncomfortable roller coaster I've ever been on in my entire life. Restraints are horrible. The actual track is horrible. Every single inversion hurts. Just not a fan right it's over water. That's the calming, the most calming part of it.

Hannah:

Um, but other than that, not a fan not a huge fan at all okay I don't mind old coasters being rickety because I'm like they're an old coaster and I appreciate they've deteriorated over time. Of course they're not going to be that smooth, but I would even say some of the older coasters there are smoother than Infusion.

Davey:

Yeah, but even what you've just said is slightly concerning.

Hannah:

You know roller coaster deterioration. Just deterioration of just general comfort, more than anything um but yeah, yeah, okay, uh, what about your most favorite one?

Davey:

which? Which, if you, if you could say let's put this away that if all the roller coasters in the world were suddenly to disappear, disappear bar one, which one would you like to keep?

Hannah:

I mean Taron at Fantasia Land was incredible it's the first one that comes to my brain. It was the one I was most scared of. It's the most intimidating one but yet the most fun in the UK. I would say Swarm is my absolute favourite roller coaster in the UK at Thorpe Park. The winged coaster is just so smooth. Park the winged coaster, it's just so smooth. The restraints are comfortable. It's just such a good ride. It's hard to pick just one is it?

Davey:

it's really hard yeah, I don't.

Hannah:

I do have a favorite coaster. I guess taran would be up there yeah, I really like icon that's very similar to taran taran.

Hannah:

We both like launches yeah both launched coasters again with the restraints. So I think for me with restraints is um I know we'll get on to restraints later, but I keep mentioning them, that restraints really make it for me, because some restraints give me a headache saw a thought park, for example, is one of those where it's an over the shoulder jobby and my head just bangs between the shoulder restraints. Now that's probably because I'm short. Uh, it might be because they're not as well cushioned as other roller coasters. Maybe it's just the smoothness of the roller coaster itself, but for me I find it very uncomfortable ride, whereas taran and icon both have the same and um, same restraint, which is um, there's a little podium that comes up and it crushes.

Hannah:

It comes up and in between your legs yeah your legs down, so so nothing on your shoulders at all. It's essentially a lap bar, I guess, but it's a more robust one, whereas something like sore over-the-shoulder restraints is not my favourite. Then again, swarm has restraints that have a special type of flexible padding in them. So, your head is actually above the restraints and they fall not nice naturally over your body galactica has those galactica also has those.

Hannah:

Not as modern as swarm, I'd say they are comfortable in that sense. Um, it's just the way you're angled on. Galactica for me is uncomfortable. Um, but yeah, um, but the flexibility of the restraint is is quite good. It feels quite tight and secure. So I've been rabbiting on about roller coasters and it appears this might need to be a two-parter.

Davey:

Yeah, we didn't plan on this being a two-parter, but I think we should make it a two-parter.

Hannah:

Apparently, we're going to make this a two-parter. Join us for the second part next week.