You can virtually ride these eight roller coasters, and you always get the front seat
While we’re all at home practicing social distancing or abiding by shelter-in-place orders, there are ways to still pretend we’re out there traveling the world. You can virtually visit zoos and aquariums, watch Broadway shows, see museum exhibits, and much more, right from your couch. And theme park lovers, take note: You can go on virtual roller coaster rides of some of the fastest, steepest, and most famous coasters in the world.
These virtual roller coaster rides put you in the front-seat point of view of a regular rider at the amusement park. And don’t think that the at-home experience will quell the vertigo-inducing drops or unsettling loops. It doesn’t. Trust us. (Full disclosure: Our editor legit yelped at her computer when one of the roller coasters took off.)
Maybe the virtual roller coaster rides won’t replace your family or friends’ trip to Disney World or the Wizarding World of Harry Potter but, for now, it’s a little something different to keep you entertained between TV-watching sessions. And, hey, maybe it will inspire a future group vacation when we’re all out from quarantine.
Space Mountain at Disney World in Orlando, Florida
Strap into your rocket ship and relive your childhood trip to the Happiest Place on Earth with this POV roller coaster ride. If you feel like you aren’t getting the full experience of this dark ride, there’s another video in which all of Space Mountain’s lights are on. It is a trip.
As a bonus, Disney lovers can virtually ride other attractions at Disney World and Disney Land—not just roller coasters.
Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey
At 456 feet, this steel roller coaster is the tallest in the world, so be prepared if you are afraid of heights. Hold your breath at the very start of the video because the coaster uses a hydraulic launch mechanism to send you from 0 to 128 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds. (And it happens to be the virtual ride that made our editor yelp out loud when it kicked off.)
Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio
Cedar Point has been dubbed the “roller coaster capital of the world,” so you really can’t go wrong with any of their 18 (!!) official virtual coaster rides. Steel Vengeance is the park’s newest roller coaster, and we just can’t deny the anticipation we felt from the click-click-click of the coaster train going up its first hill.
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida
Potterheads: This one’s for you. Muggles can ride this Harry Potter-themed, immersive roller coaster without having to weather the crowds at the Wizarding World. Pretend you’re Hagrid riding your flying motorbike and travel through the Forbidden Forest, into a Magical Creatures class with Ron and Harry, and so much more. (Ahem, is that a dragon we see?)
Takabisha at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan
Chances are, even without the quarantine, many of us wouldn’t be able to make it to Japan to visit the Fuiji-Q Highland amusement park. So now’s your opportunity to ride the Takabisha roller coaster from home. Fair warning: One of the hills is so steep you can’t even see the track below you.
Manta at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida
If you’re looking for something a little different, experience a flying coaster. With no track beneath you and only a glimpse of it above, it pretty much feels like you have magical powers.
Full Throttle at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles, California
The Full Throttle roller coaster has three separate launches, so you never know what’s going to come next on this ride. It drops and twists and turns—and, at one point, it even stops and starts again, but backward.
Cyclone at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York
It’s a classic bit of summertime Americana, and with Coney Island postponing its 2020 opening date, now’s your chance to cross this one off your bucket list and ride the Cyclone. (Or, if you already have, beat the at-home blues and ride it again.)
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