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By Camillia Anum Mohamad Ashraff (24S03B)

Most roller coaster reviews would tell you if a coaster isn’t for the faint of heart.

This roller coaster review will do exactly the opposite—it’s made specifically for our more anxious counterparts.

I’ve never been a fan of roller coasters. I purposefully avoid amusement parks because I think they won’t be worth the price without the thrill-seeking rides. In fact, the last time I went to Universal Studios Singapore (USS) was at least 7 years ago.

And yet, I somehow found myself in USS 7 years later, facing the steep drops and high speeds that nightmares are made of.

Part 1: How Did We Get Here?

I’ll be honest. I’m not exactly terrified of roller coasters, but I am exceptionally anxious about getting on one. Why? Well, roller coasters get their thrill from two things: their speed and ‘zero G’. Zero G is what gives you the heart-dropping sensation during the drops, and speed is, well, speed.

I love speed. I’m obsessed with it. I’m a huge fan of go-karting and I’ve experienced speeds of up to 180km/h. If roller coasters were just automated Formula 1 race tracks, I’d probably be way more interested.

My issue with roller coasters lies with zero G. People say that you get used to it the more you experience it, but I just hate the feeling of my heart dropping into my stomach. Why would you want to feel like falling? Isn’t solid ground good enough?

Jokes aside, I’ve never been able to get comfortable with that feeling. I’ve dreaded it on every single roller coaster I’ve been on, and I really dread it on bigger coasters. In my ranking of the USS coasters, they will be assessed based on their speed and zero G. But fair warning, I’m heavily biased towards one and deeply against the other.

Part 2: Getting Over, Under, and Around It

If it’s your first time facing these fears, it’s probably a good idea to come prepared. Here’s what I did before begrudgingly making the journey to sunny Sentosa.

The very first thing you should do is research: What park are you going to? What coasters are there? What do people say about them? Study the park map, and plan your route. Start from the tamer coasters, and work your way up to the scariest ones. If you don’t mind getting spoilers, there are usually Youtube videos of the ride you can refer to.

Now you’re physically prepared. To be emotionally prepared (or at least, preempted), I recommend bringing a trusted person along—this is crucial to the operation. You need to pick someone (or a group of people) that won’t demoralise you when you get scared, but will also convince you to get on the ride. 

It doesn’t hurt to have a hand to squeeze either. Bring someone who’ll tick all these boxes! I hate to say it, but peer pressure does work in these situations.

Lastly, you need to remember that it’s all in your head. Stepping out of your comfort zone is never going to be easy, and sometimes you just need to strap in and get it over with. Take some deep breaths, and remind yourself that the scary parts are usually over before you know it. 

Then, take the plunge.

Part 3: King Of The Hill

And now, what we’ve all been waiting for: the definitive ranking of the USS roller coasters for the faint of heart, arranged in order of least to most intimidating.

1. Puss In Boots’ Giant Journey

I don’t have much to say about Puss In Boots. Honestly, I think it’s even worth skipping. It’s pretty slow and has tons of stops in the middle of the ride. Granted, I went to USS at night, so many of the visual elements were not as visible as they normally would’ve been. I won’t be too critical of it though, because it’s a great starter option if you’re truly very scared of roller coasters.

2. Enchanted Airways

This might be a controversial opinion, but I actually think that Enchanted Airways is scarier than TRANSFORMERS The Ride. The only reason it’s ranked higher is because it’s the quintessential roller coaster.

Enchanted Airways is a good gateway to the world of roller coasters—it’s short, and only has one average drop in the beginning. You can ride this coaster to build your confidence, and hype you up for the coasters to come.

3. TRANSFORMERS The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle

I was told that I wouldn’t like TRANSFORMERS The Ride because it has a lot of the floaty zero G feeling, but I disagree. It was an incredibly immersive experience, and I never felt like my heart was going to fall out of my chest and into the abyss. In a way, it just feels like driving in a car. If the car was driven erratically, that is.

The visuals and story are very captivating, which makes for an enjoyable ride even if you may find it scary at times. I also think this ride has one of the coolest ride carriages in USS, which immediately gives it bonus points.

4. Canopy Flyer

I absolutely adore Canopy Flyer. It gives you an amazing bird’s eye view of the park below, and has great speed with a few mild drops. I’d recommend sitting in the front-facing seats if you’re scared, but the back-facing seats have the better view in my opinion. But be warned, you will be falling backwards on the drops. 

Though, I don’t think the drops were bad at all—and that’s coming from someone who hates drops. I loved this ride so much that I knew I wanted to take it again the minute I got off.

5. Revenge of the Mummy

This might be a debatable ranking. I think there are two groups of people: those who think Mummy is the scariest ride in USS, and those who think CYLON takes that mantle. (No prizes for guessing which camp I’m in.)

I used to be terrified of Mummy ever since I took it at the young, impressionable age of 10. I had thought it was one of those rides with laser guns, where everyone would compete to shoot the targets and get the highest score. Safe to say, I left the ride scarred. 

But 7 years on, I don’t think it’s as bad as I made it out to be in my head. It definitely does have many scary drops though, like the initial backwards drop or the drop into the monster’s mouth. The speed is quite manageable, but the zero G sensation is a bigger factor. Accompanied by the fact that it’s largely pitch black, I can agree that it doesn’t make for a very welcoming experience.

Nonetheless, I think it’s a great roller coaster and it’s worth going for if you’re feeling brave. You can always close your eyes and scream your heart out. It’ll be over before you know it.

6. Battlestar Galactica: HUMAN

I won’t sugarcoat it: HUMAN is scary. I was not excited to get on this ride. It took a few nudges from my friend and some anxious pacing, but we made it through. That initial drop is no joke—it made me feel like my body was going to fly out of the seat as my heart sank to bedrock.

That being said, HUMAN is also exceedingly fun. After the drop, speed is the main player. HUMAN is one of the longer coasters in USS, and most of it is spent twisting and turning at high speeds. I enjoyed it thoroughly just because of that part. If you’re willing to brave the crazy zero G in the beginning, you’ll be rewarded with a great speed section.

7. Battlestar Galactica: CYLON

If HUMAN was scary, CYLON is indubitably worse. At that speed? With those drops? Not to mention loops and inversions? You’d have to pay me to ride it. I was too mortified at the prospect to even consider getting in the queue. This is the only ride I didn’t take when I went.

Every coaster will have its screamers, but on the night I went, most coasters were relatively quiet. Even Mummy and HUMAN. But everyone on CYLON was screaming their heads off. If that doesn’t say anything about how hair-raising the ride is, I don’t know what does.

Part 4: Screeching To A Halt

Congratulations! You’ve conquered your fear. Yes, even if you only mustered up the courage to get on just one roller coaster.

Coming back to USS all these years later, burdened with a presumed fear I carried throughout my teenage years, was no easy feat. Being 10 and scared of roller coasters is one thing, but being 17 and scared just feels a little embarrassing.

But it doesn’t have to be. Now that I’m older, I’m able to do things with more conscious bravery. And sometimes, things in the rear view mirror seem a lot bigger than they actually are. Drops that I thought were massive back then actually aren’t so bad now!

I think this applies to so much more than just roller coasters. Maybe all it takes to overcome a challenge is coming back to it later. Maybe it’s worth doing even though it’s scary, because you might find something enjoyable about it in the end.

Maybe life is simply a roller coaster, and we’re all strapped in for the ride. So, take some deep breaths, bring a friend, and remind yourself that the scary parts are usually over before you know it. 

Then, take the plunge.

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