Every year, the rides get higher. Faster. Scarier. MORE INSANE.

It's the Travel Channel's fault.

Last night began a week of programs about Family Fun Week; they're showcasing all of the new rides at amusement parks around the United States and even the world.

Of course, I had to watch...being a roller coaster fan and all.

But some of the rides featured made my stomach drop. YIPE.

Every year, ride designers secretly plan out new horrors to spring on unsuspecting riders. (Trying to get any information takes a high security clearance.) The amusement parks all vie to be the home to THE next big sensation when it comes to rides...but still keep us in the dark until just the right moment.

There has GOT to be a limit on how scary to make the ride.

When Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio opened, it was billed as the first "hyper-coaster," the first roller coaster to break the 200 foot barrier (at 210 feet tall).

Then, it seemed that everyone just HAD to have THEIR ride be taller. (Even if it was 2 inches taller...it was bigger!!)

Coaster Wars.

Cedar Point again broke all of the rules in 2000...by debuting Millennium Force, the first "giga-coaster." The first roller coaster to break 300 feet. (Makes the Magnum XL-200 look like a kiddie ride!! It's a full 100 feet taller than Magnum.)

Now, THIS is one ride that I will DEFINATELY ride. My twin sister, who is the world's biggest chicken when it comes to MOST rides, says that she will ride it, too. (She survived the Magnum--barely--and she wants to ride America's biggest roller coaster???)

We watched a video of the Millennium in action...all we gotta say is "WOWEEEEE, WHATTA RIDE!!!!!!!" That thing rocks...we have GOT to get to Cedar Point and let the Force be with us.

HOWEVER...

I'm beginning to wonder if the ride designers are on some sort of drug or had horrible nightmares to come up with some of the rides they plan.

A new ride opened last year in Thailand. Designed by Venkoma, it is called Gravity Max. What is it? A tilt coaster. At the top of the hill, the entire track somehow disengages and tilts the roller coaster train straight down, so that the riders are looking 90 degrees down the hill. Then, it just...lets 'em go. Into a tunnel.

Cedar Point AGAIN is surprising riders this season with the Wicked Twister, the world's first double twist vertical coaster; riders are blasted out of the loading station and up a 215 foot tall tower, twisting all the way, then fall backwards and reverse the order up another 215 foot tower, twisting all the way. BACKWARDS.

**GULP**

I KNOW I'm not gonna be able to handle either of these bad boys. First of all, I don't like spinning motions. I don't like tunnels. Most importantly, I don't DO backwards. Especially backwards and spinning at the same time. Plus, my already low blood pressure would register "minus zero" on the monitor. Pass out city!!!!

You will NOT catch me on either of those suckers.

I can promise you that. Why? Just watching the prototype of these rides made my stomach flip.

I hadda look away.

Chicken.

That's me...I love roller coasters, but there's gotta be a limit on insanity!!!!