U.K. theme park offers roller coaster tickets that include health insurance

Alton Towers Resort is billing the new thrill ride Thirteen as the world’s first “psychoaster.” And for some, this ticket to ride could include medical attention.

The theme park has spent more than $22 million on the roller coaster, which is being billed as a combination of the “ultimate elements of physical and psychological fear.” So much fear, in fact, that apparently some riders will need to see a doctor when it’s over.

At least that’s what Alton Towers officials want you to believe, so that you’ll pony up an extra $1.50 per ticket for health insurance before riding through the theme park’s Dark Forest area and over an alleged “unearthed ancient burial site.”

The Sunday Mercury reports that the health insurance gets you treatment for physical and psychological trauma, should you need it after riding Thirteen. The treatment will be administered by a staff doctor, conveniently stationed right at the roller coaster.

That’s all well and good, but who’s going to come hold my hand when I have nightmares next week or next month? Exactly how much “scary” is still fun?

For me, the fun ends when I’m told that I might need medical attention at the end of a ride, but maybe I’m in the minority here.

Thirteen opens March 20.

Two New Roller Coasters with Top Thrill Factor

There are two new roller coasters opening this summer with a thrill factor rating of 5, according to the American Coaster Enthusiasts. A 5 means that you’re in for a hair-raising treat that is unique from other coasters’ offerings.

The Flying Turns is a bobsled ride of sorts. Styled after a roller coaster that was popular in the 1930s to 1950s, this ride is a remake. Two people sit with one in front of the other in one car that is joined with four others. The cars then zoom down a wooden track that circles in various configurations for two minutes. The thrill partly comes from it’s rarity. This is the only coaster like it. Head to Knobels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania to try it out, although, I’m not sure if it’s open yet. It is supposed to open this season though.

The other top thrills coaster, Griffon, is found in in Busch Gardens Europe, Williamsburg, Virginia. The park’s Web Site has a clip advertising it with a horror film type voice that finishes the description with “The only way down is face down.” It’s also described as “the world’s tallest, floorless dive coaster.” Just look at the photo. The dive part comes from the 90 degree angle decent. The floorless part might be because you sit with your legs dangling. Somewhere along the three minute ride there are two inverse loops that are patterned after the stunt of a World War I German fighter pilot. Leave your sunglasses behind.

The other top new coasters to open this year, according to the enthusiasts, are: Tony Hawk’s Big Spin (see post) Thrill factor: 2; Mystery Mine (see post) Thrill factor: 4; and the Maverick (see post) Trhill factor: 3.

New Roller Coaster in Dollywood: “Mystery Mine”

The Mystery Mine at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee is a ride I’m just going to have to go on one of these days. Not only is it a roller coaster, it has some sort of light show as a feature. The theme of this 2 ½ minute ride is an abandoned mine that takes you on a journey of a vertical climb followed by 55 mph of straight down tracks-think 95 degrees. Then there’s a feature called the “heart-line roll” and another called a “roll-over loop.”

This is the first such roller coaster in the United States. According to the description of it, this is a Gerstlauer’s Euro-fighter ride which adds a twist to the interactive experience. If you spend some time on the Mystery Mine Web site, you can watch a series of videos of a man telling a story of the mine to two children in the tradition of a campfire ghost story. There’s also a cool mine animation video complete with mood music, screaming, and roller coaster wheels clickety-clackiting against the track noises.

In pure ghost story spirit, the ride opened on Friday, April 13 (Friday the 13th). The first 56 people who road the rollercoaster paid $625 each for the experience as a way to raise money for charity.