Vote of the week: Open or shut?

June 18, 2007 at 3:50 AM · My friend rides with her eyes shut and then tells me how much fun the ride was. How much fun can it be if you can't see everything whizzing by? Best part of Kraken, (haven't done Griffon or Sheikra yet) was eyes open, front row, shoes off, waving arms & legs in the air. Might have looked funny, but it was FUN!!!

June 18, 2007 at 5:52 AM · I've always hated roller coasters as a child and I'm just not getting used to them as an adult.
One of the reasons I don't really care for Space Mountain here in Orlando is because I can't see where I'm going. I can take and enjoy coasters much more if I can see the turns and drops coming.

June 18, 2007 at 6:01 AM · Once or twice, out of curiosity I've rode with my eyes closed part of the time. It made the ride meaningless--I might as well have been sitting down somewhere pretending to ride. For me, even on a ride in the dark like Space Mountain there's still a lot to see. One semi-recent experience of mine: the exquisite awesomeness of the in-ride view you get on Silver Bullet at Knott's Berry Farm (and you don't have to sit in front because everything to see is below you), how can you not be wowed by that?

June 18, 2007 at 7:08 AM · Good ideas with these votes and stuff!

Really cool!

June 18, 2007 at 1:51 PM · My answer is yes. Open on the way up, sometimes closed on the way down :)

June 18, 2007 at 2:31 PM · Nothing better than the sight of Lake Erie and the surroundings of Cedar Point as you crest the top of a 400+ foot hill.

June 18, 2007 at 2:35 PM · If you close your eyes in the final brake run of Kumba, you'll get vertigo (and very likely hurl).

June 18, 2007 at 3:23 PM · I always keep my eyes open, it adds to the thrill of the ride to see things fly by. I admit that on my first ride I closed my eyes on Sheikra down the big hill, but open the rest of the ride. I always keep my eyes open now, whats the point of closing them?

June 18, 2007 at 6:55 PM · Open unless I'm getting bored, then to spice it up I'll try it with them shut. ;)

June 18, 2007 at 8:45 PM · I started out w/my eyes closed due to me being afraid of heights but I've been slowly keeping my eyes open. Last yr on BMTR I kept my eyes open for the first time on a steel coaster & it was awesome! I was very proud of myself! lol. I have trouble w/faster coasters like Alpinegeist & Desperado because I'm afraid the breeze will somehow knock my contacts out, lol. Silly maybe but I always feel that might happen. There's some I still close my eyes though like Ninja at SFOG or just tall ones like Ninja, or Anaconda, Viper, etc. (I didn't ride Anaconda but it's tall like the others so I'm definitly assuming that I'll keep my eyes closed at least on the lift, probably not the rest of the way but still get heebie jeebies on the lifts.) I'm a wuss, lol.

June 18, 2007 at 10:39 PM · As a wee little coaster...hater? Yes, I used to despise roller coasters. When I was younger, I rode EVERY ride with my eyes scrunched thoroughly shut.

Nowadays, if I even BLINK, I curse myself endlessly when I get off. My eyes better be STREAMING or I failed that ride and, le sigh, must simply go again. ^_^

Eyes open = good.

Eyes closed = boooo.

June 18, 2007 at 10:41 PM · I have always kept my eyes open. It never really occurred to me to close them. In fact I always thought it would be much scarier to close them then open them.

Recently I went to Europa Park over in Germany and they have an Ok coaster with some awesome airtime and a few good drops. I decided that this time I would lift my hands and feet, and close my eyes through the whole ride.

I found what some of you found... closing my eyes took most (all) of the thrill away from an otherwise great ride! You could not tell how high you were... how far you were falling... sure it was surprising to turn into a sharp bank... but when you cannot brace for them they end up hurting your neck more than anything else.

It is a bit scarier to keep your eyes open... but closing them robs you of any thrill you might have otherwise felt.

June 20, 2007 at 6:17 PM · Always open, EXCEPT for one moment on one coaster. On Goliath at Magic Mountain, I always close my eyes during the Helix later in the ride where people are known to grayout. I know it happens to me, but I don't want to see it happening, so I close my eyes on that part.