Going to Alton Towers as a chaperone .. help me woman up!!

[Annoy]

I’m a teacher at a PRU and I have stupidly agree to take 4 boys to Alton Towers next week 🙈.... I know they’ll love it! They come from backgrounds/homes were they never get to really ‘play’

But I’m shitting myself 🤣🤣... They’ll want me to go on everything with them! They’ll love it if I do!

I have been on most of them before... Oblivion, Nemesis. The Smiler wasn’t open when I last went.... so was a long time ago!

I’m 37 now and worry that my body won’t cope! I’m fit though, will that make a difference?

Why oh why did I agree to this?!.... Any tips??

Thanks!

I loved all of that as a youngster. Went to AT as a teacher chaperone a couple of years ago and almost puked several times. Turns out my body at 18 could handle things that my body at 35 couldn’t. So take some mints, bang some travel sickness tablets before hand and be prepared to perhaps feel quite sick.

I'd do a big one first get it over with, and the adrenaline rush will carry you to the next! The boys will have an amazing time and will love it if you go on with them even if you scream, it's another anecdote for them. I work in the criminal justice system and so many of the young men we work with have very few positive fun experiences with an adult in a caring role. Well done for doing this even though it's not your cup of tea!

My experience of taking organised groups of children to theme parks is that they prefer the adults to stand below and wave at them, to say how scared they are and how brave the children are.

I’m much older than you and roller coasters do me no harm. I don’t like full circle ones, but there is no compulsion to go on those. Log flumes are brilliant.

There are usually also children who don’t like them but don’t want to be seen to not like them - so you might need someone to go on quieter rides with you.

Ask the boys to look after you because Miss doesn't like rides.

The problem with rollercoasters is usually related to your tolerance of movement relating to your ears. Lots of people as they get older lose the ability to tolerate it and the risk is getting very nauseous when you come off. I'd say at your age it's very unlikely this will be an issue. I hope you enjoy the rides and have a great time!

@BillyShears

I loved all of that as a youngster. Went to AT as a teacher chaperone a couple of years ago and almost puked several times. Turns out my body at 18 could handle things that my body at 35 couldn’t. So take some mints, bang some travel sickness tablets before hand and be prepared to perhaps feel quite sick.

I was like this! Used to love going on all the biggest rides when I was a teenager, went on one super tame one at a local fair when I was older and had to go and have a sit down because I felt so ill 🤣

I went to thorpe park this week for my mid 40's birthday
As theres 4 boys you might end up on your own for some rides so an easy pass if you don't fancy a particular ride.
I went on thirteen with dd and a friend so ended up next to random woman who I presume was in the same situation, was funny when at a particular part of the ride she grabbed onto my arm and screamed the rest of the way round 😂
Definitely go on some rides but take a travel sickness tablet if you're prone to that and also decent shoes, alton towers can be a trek!

do you have the disabled access pass for the q's? if so, only 4 people can ride at one time using this and one of the riders needs to be over 14.

Give it a try. I had children late and we were (pre covid) Merlin pass holders and always at a theme park. I'm late 40s and go on them all still.

If you hate it after the first couple become the bag holder at that point.

I've missed the theme parks and rides. I'll be over 50 by the time I next go.

The whole send them off doesn’t work with PRU pupils you can’t do that they can start a fight in an empty room.

My experience with PRU kids they love you being with them and interacting and making an effort.

I agree letting them pair if they will on rides, also some might not want to ride so you’ll have to go with one of them. Get involved, I remember having a conversation and some of the kids I’d worked with had never been to a theme park so it might be very overwhelming, exciting, fear etc.

You’ll have a blast, I absolutely adore working the these students.

Have fun

@cookiecreampie

You either like rides or you don't. If you don't like them, don't go on them. You can't just overcome fear because you feel you should and can't be expected to go along with something like this for a job.

This. I'm sorry that other posters are telling OP to just get on with it - due to very bad vertigo/inner ear problems (luckily which don't have much effect day to day), I cannot go on roller coaster type rides. I would faint or throw up. I'm feeling quite sick writing about it, tbh.

I love the dodgems, carousel and the more gentle water rides - I'm sure you'll find ones you can join in on, OP, and look after the bags for the rest

I share your fear and hatred of scary rides (as do my husband and teenage sons). If it makes you feel better...,I was asked to go as a parent helper on the Year 2 trip to Legoland. We went on the Dragon (really quite a tame rollercoaster). My efforts to keep smiling for the kids were sprung by the very sweet teacher who offered to go on again so I didn't have to. I might have been embarrassed but not so much so that I didn't accept her offer.

I did try to be a good helper for the rest of the day but I would really struggle to go on any of the scary rides at Alton Towers, even with my eyes shut. They are properly frightening (although the two rollercoasters at Universal looked even worse).

@BillyShears

I loved all of that as a youngster. Went to AT as a teacher chaperone a couple of years ago and almost puked several times. Turns out my body at 18 could handle things that my body at 35 couldn’t. So take some mints, bang some travel sickness tablets before hand and be prepared to perhaps feel quite sick.

This is my worry

@KingdomScrolls

I'd do a big one first get it over with, and the adrenaline rush will carry you to the next! The boys will have an amazing time and will love it if you go on with them even if you scream, it's another anecdote for them. I work in the criminal justice system and so many of the young men we work with have very few positive fun experiences with an adult in a caring role. Well done for doing this even though it's not your cup of tea!

Thank you!

@Thoughtcontagion

The whole send them off doesn’t work with PRU pupils you can’t do that they can start a fight in an empty room.

My experience with PRU kids they love you being with them and interacting and making an effort.

I agree letting them pair if they will on rides, also some might not want to ride so you’ll have to go with one of them. Get involved, I remember having a conversation and some of the kids I’d worked with had never been to a theme park so it might be very overwhelming, exciting, fear etc.

You’ll have a blast, I absolutely adore working the these students.

Have fun

Haha, this is my lot to a tee! 🤣

So using a Rap pass you will have to go on, no skipping out the exit. But wicker Man is fine, Rita queen of speed and oblivion both so quick you can simply pretend it's not happening. With the rap pass it's only the big rides you have to wait for. So you can't do wicker Man and then immediately go on Rita but you can go on other rides straight away. Some of the tamer rides are still great fun. I love Marauder's mayhem which is essentially spinning tea cups. Your lads will likely enjoy getting it to spin faster by turning the bit in the centre. With the rap pass you could go on this over and while waiting for the time for the next big ride. Next to it is an alternative pirate ship called Heave ho which is also fun. Duel is harmless but fun also battle galleons, the cable car and Hex. Download the app so at least you know what you are letting yourself in for.

Thanks! Yeah I’ve downloaded the app, it’s been handy today looking at the waiting times. I’m going to keep an eye on it next week to give me an idea of what it will be like when we go.

What helps me in ‘adrenaline’ activities such as rollercoasters or high wire things is remembering that they are really rigorously safety checked all the time. There is no way you will fall out or injure yourself, even if they are designed to make you feel that way 😀. Just hold on tight and it will be over with quickly!

I did Smiler at the age of 44 ... hated every second of it, but was determined to be able to say that I'd done it I generally spend the entire time of a ride muttering "fuck fuck fuck" under my breath

I've been in your position a few times OP. I used to love rollercoasters but not keen on them now. Just try to act as excited as you can, they'll probably probably excited that it will either rub off on you or they won't notice that you're not feeling it.

I would go on:
Oblivion
Galatica (if it's still similiar to what it was like as Air)
Nemesis
Spinball wizzer

Also some more "kiddy" rides went down really well with the kids I went with:
Duel
Rapids
Runaway mine train

I would miss out:
Enterprise (I feel sick just looking at it)
The Blade (see above)
Rita (made me feel like I had whiplash, make sure you put your head against the headrest before it flies off if you do go on it. If you have to go on with them for every ride and they want to go on this one, I'd aim to go on it last, so that you don't feel sick for the rest of the day).

Haven't been on 13, Smiler, or wicker man.