Do you hate Alton Towers?

I loath the place with a passion as I used to live near to it and worked there for three years. Soul destroying does not cover it! Not to mention the fast traffic along country roads, the litter.

Dad!?

... or how about this for a "look"?

EDIT: I just remembered that Sir Anthony is one of us! (Diagnosed AS in his 70's.)

Great idea!

I'd bet if I when full-on stimming autistic they'd back off, too, in case it was catching. (Cheaper than a leather jacket and boots.)

Damojo said:

put me in a crowded queue where the person behind keeps bumping into me and I am likely to have a "Little Moment".

You could adopt a bit of a biker persona and get a jacket wth lots of metal spikes on the back. I imaging there won't be too many repeat occurrances of the bumping then.

I like the rides. It's the crowds and the queuing that I hate. Combine the two and put me in a crowded queue where the person behind keeps bumping into me and I am likely to have a "Little Moment". I've concluded that I hate the queues more than I like the rides, so theme parks are on my list of places of avoid.

My latest accommodation/support, which I tried out recently in an airport while queuing to board a plane, was to have a person I was travelling with stand directly behind me in the queue to act as a buffer. It worked a treat. Maybe there's hope for me yet.

For my autistic daughter's 18th we went to Alton Towers. She and sibling enjoyed it immensely, I hated it, I do not understand why people want their equilibrium upended by violent motion. Also it rained continuously, I have never felt so cold and wet in my life. The best thing was getting back to our accommodation having a hot shower, a meal and then relaxing in front of a log fire.

- yep, I was there.

Part of my WhatsApp support to this young person involved me going off on just such a rant.

The big one for me is Sociological Conformity, like being in some dystopian "Black Mirror" with people acting in bizarre ways just because they're in a theme park and no one stops to consider why they're doing it.  Then if you ask them "Why were you putting your arms in the air on that rollercoaster, I don't understand" you're looked at like you're the idiot for not just going along with it.

Queuing LITERALLY for THREE AND A HALF HOURS to go on The Smiler (when it first opened) - we were only there for 4 hours.

No!... you nearly dragged me into another rant there, just breathe... carry on 

I like your style

Part of my support to this young person yesterday was very much not self-hating, understanding how different environments can negatively affect someone with autism.  Sadly I didn't have a story like yours to draw on, but coming up with a ND alternative which plays to your strengths is very much what it's all about.

HyPO sensitivity is one of the interesting things i've recently begun to learn about and help me to understand myself better, I have an almost non-existent reaction to caffeine, and have had to have the highest possible dose of medication for depression to even begin to start feeling treated by it.

So I am aware of the hypo-seeking of loud noises, busy environments etc. but in my experience of living and working with autistic people, still the majority do appear to be people/noise/light/activity adverse, rather than attracted.  

I know being attracted to something like Alton Towers is a possibility within the spectrum, but for ease of communication with someone who had had a very adverse reaction, it was of more value to generalise at that moment.

However now, I was wondering what people's own experiences were - you didn't mention how you feel about it, what are your own feelings?

IntruderAlarmAbatis said:

One of the final comments I made to this young person was going to be along the lines of "don't worry, all Autistic people hate Alton Towers" but I didn't send it

For some sensory-seeking autistic people, theme parks and the stimulation of their senses by loud noise and rides can be extremely enjoyable.

Whilst some of us can be hypersensitive to such things as loud noises and motion - and so can actively try to avoid them - others can be hyposensitive / under-sensitive in respect of those senses, and actively seek them out.

It’s always important to remember that autism is a spectrum, and that there’s no such thing as a “typical autistic person”.

Sounds perfect to me! Relaxing with little noise!

I am AuDHD and epileptic. I don't do rollercoasters and I don't like crowds. Last time I went to Alton Towers, I went to the day spa to chill out whilst those who like rollercoasters did their thing. Not always an option, I know, but I had a good day!

When I was a child and teenager; various family / school outings insisted on dragging me around various "theme parks" in the UK and other countries. 

I do not enjoy those venues / their entertainments / their rides and roller coasters / their food odours / their environment / their oppressive and clamouring crowds / their twee soundtracks / their garish decor / their poor quality and expensive souvenirs / their rudimentary and oversubscribed bathrooms / their very long queues for some rides / the garbled and feedback-laden tannoy announcements / their forced "fun" / their contrived reasons to automatically take your photo and then try to peer pressure people into buying the costly photo / the often long and travel sick-inducing journey to get there / the likelihood that everyone else wants our visitor group to be there for far too nany hours.

I may have forgotten some other odious-to-me parameter(s)!

Suffice it to say; as an adult: I have managed to avoid attending theme parks (despite workplace teams sometimes suggesting them as part of "team-building" events).

Well, I guess that trip down the horror show memory lane rant was more cathartic than a ticket to any of the said theme parks!

It's a long time since I've been but I didn't hate it. I used to enjoy rollercoasters and can manage large busy places as long as I am able to move away from people when needed and I'm motivated enough by the thing that I like. The bit I struggled with was the queuing but I think that was more of an ADHD issue. I feel like my sensory issues have changed as I've got older though and I don't think I'd enjoy the roller coasters much anymore and so it wouldn't be worth dealing with the people. So now it's possible I would hate Alton towers.

I knew an autistic boy once that really struggled with noise, people, change etc and he absolutely loved Alton Towers so it is fair to say that not all autistic people hate Alton Towers.

I have been a couple of times, but more than 30 years ago.

The adrenaline rush was interesting, but it was marginal compared to the fear. I guess it was not enough as I have avoided them ever since. For most rides I was happy when it ended.

I can’t say for sure because I have never been but I wouldn’t want to go either just through choice. It would most definitely be too noisy and I don’t think I’d get any sort of buzz from the rides, I am more likely to be wondering if I’m gonna lose a leg or something because the mechanic missed something. I just don’t think people are meant to do these things and because of that I’d avoid it. 

and you being you is all I could ask for - thank you.

IntruderAlarmAbatis said:

I didn't send it because I realised I was projecting my own thoughts and feelings onto all autistic people

This is a wise observation.

For people with a special interest in the theme of the part and a higher tolerance for being around NTs then it can be quite enjoyable.

I have been to the local roller coaster amusement park and quite enjoyed it in spite of the teeming hoardes of noisy kids. 

For me the prep was to think of all the positives of the visit, try to really lean into the idea of being made to feel weird on the rides when they are spinning you upside down etc and generally go with the flow. The positive mental attitude makes a huge difference to me as the odd time I went when I was a bit down then I hated it, which shows that for me at least, it is largely in my own head.

A few sensible precautions like taking paracetamon before arriving helped take the edge off the noise impact, staying hydrated and avoiding the junk food stopped me feeling ill and taking time now and again to sit and re-center myself meant I could make a good day of it.

This is just for me though.

I've never been, because it dosen't appeal to me at all, to much noise, I hate rollercoasters and all the rides, far to crowded for me too and the smells of food. It all seems designed to be hell for ND's.

I also wouldn't want to go on a cruise, hell afloat, all those people and the only way to get away from them is to stay in your cabin or jump overboard, staying in your cabin would be a waste of money.