Caught On Camera: 40+ Hilarious Roller Coaster Photos That Are Pure Gold

Roller coaster rides are exciting and fun for most people. The exhilarating feeling of going through the fast and swirly rides can easily turn you into an adrenaline junkie. If you haven’t been on one yet, trust us when we say your first will leave an impression.

Another fun aspect of roller coasters that most people overlook is the pictures. If you are someone who prides themselves in never taking a bad photo (hey, “Barney Stinson”), we dare you to get on one of these rides and show us the results.

For some people, these pictures become fond souvenirs to brag about. For others, however, they are embarrassing. The ridiculous faces and absolute horror captured are usually enough to make the owners want to shred them! Fortunately, though, the owners of these ones decided to share them just for laughs. Enjoy!

Scream! 

This picture takes us back to the ’90s. The poor woman’s screaming face looks eerily similar to the iconic mask from the horror movie Scream. Was she trying to intentionally recreate it, or was this just her reaction to the ride? We’ll never know.

Is this a scream of excitement or fear? Honestly, it’s probably a bit of both. This is one of those photos we’re sure the ride operators would use as advertising material. After all, the scarier the look, the better. We salute your courage, ma’am.

Reading Rapids

Most of us know and enjoy the feeling of reading an interesting book. Sometimes we can get so engrossed in the pages of the book that we’re unable to look away from it. This group decided to bring that feeling to life with this photo.

Just look at how they are intensely glued to their books! Splash Mountain is notorious for its wet and wild rides, so we hope their books did not get wet. Though the photo might be staged, it still made it to our list because of its out-of-the-box quality.

Cool grandma

While some seniors might prefer not to go on roller coasters, others still choose to be daring. Take this cool grandma in the image below, for example. She did not just dare to ride the roller coaster. She rode it like an absolute gangsta!

We bet you wish you looked as cool as her during a ride like this. It’s as if God knew how awesome this was and made her shades and hoodie stay on! Hopefully, she had fun. But even if she didn’t, which we highly doubt was the case, the picture was absolutely worth it.

The Three Musketeers

During any sort of roller-coaster ride, your “cool and collected” facade goes out the window. We bet this dad was cool as a cucumber before the ride started. Now, look at him — screaming his face off with his wife. The son, however, seems t be enjoying himself.

There’s no way we’d be able to remain that calm in the same situation. There’s also no way the kid’s not going to save that photo to use strategically later. Who knows? Maybe one day, he’ll need this embarrassing photo as leverage!

Horsing around

There is a lot going on in this picture that we want to discuss. The ‘horse’ and the human kissing at the front, the boy and the girl in the middle, and the frightened couple in the background. A bonafide award-winning shot.

Which couple should we laugh at first? We have no idea which reactions were staged and which were honest. But if we’re being honest, it doesn’t make much of a difference because now we have this epic roller coaster photo.

Beam me up

The unfortunate user who submitted this post was on this ride when he realized he had lost his phone. While he was going through the photos after the ride, he realized the exact moment his phone flew out of his hands!

Losing your cell phone is undoubtedly frustrating, but this picture makes us laugh. Hopefully, the passenger found it again. But even if he didn’t, at least he’ll always have the memory (and pictorial evidence) of when and how he lost it!

Uneasy rider 

Taking children on a roller coaster can be tricky; this photo perfectly illustrates why. Just look at how scared these two girls look! The funny thing is that their dad seems to be enjoying himself, blissfully unaware of their turmoil!

We’re guessing these kids needed a lot of cheering up after that ride or maybe a visit to a therapist! We totally feel the girl in the back seat because we’ve been there before. If we were to guess, we’d say this was probably her first and last time on a roller coaster.

Take the position

The woman in this picture knows what’s up — just look at the excitement on her face! Her daughter seems to be prepared for the worst. After that ride, the father probably needed a relaxing spa stay — or, even better, a therapy session.

This mom is clearly the thrill seeker in this family. We wonder if her daughter followed in her footsteps and wants to go again and again. The dad probably just went along to encourage his daughter and make his wife happy. Being a dad is tough!

Opportunity calls

These two brothers had gone down the luge together. The younger brother decided to use that opportunity to get back at his older brother for previously teasing him. Unfortunately, we are not sure he picked the best time for that!

Though we don’t support violence among family members, we do support funny family pictures, and this is certainly one of them! Of course, we know it’s probably staged because everyone knows those cameras exist. But the timing, the pose, and everything else is so on point!

Anniversary anxiety

As far as anniversary photos go, we don’t recommend taking one on a roller coaster. It may sound unique and exciting, but it’s not the best option, folks. That said, this couple did it to celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary. Hopefully, they didn’t share this photo with the family.

You know what they say: the couple that cries together stays together. The person who posted this picture said it was his favorite picture of him and his wife. However, we doubt that she feels the same way about it!

Nightmare at Legoland

Legoland is not known for being scary. It’s supposed to be a fun and relaxing place to take your kids while you look at the amazing Lego buildings. But the picture below shows us that there are people (like us) who don’t enjoy this roller coaster nonsense.

It’s hard to say who had the most fun on this ride — or rather, if anyone had any fun at all. Parents should be warned: don’t go on a ride with your child if you’re afraid of it yourself.

First timer

For many of us, the first ride on a roller coaster is the most terrifying. Sure, it’s exciting, but then you never know how you’ll feel when the ride starts. This man’s sixty-seven-year-old mother decided to take the plunge for the first time in forty years. We admire her for that!

Judging by her reaction, we suspect she probably regretted that decision immediately. Going on a roller coaster as a child is scary, but we can’t imagine doing it as a senior citizen. We hope she wasn’t too traumatized after the ride ended!

Demon drop

When you look at this picture, you might think it’s from The Exorcist or some other paranormal horror movie. But no — it’s just a scared man on a roller coaster! He definitely regretted taking that ride because we can’t imagine that having your soul leave your body feels all that great.

This picture is the reason why you should never go on roller coasters alone. If you’re with someone, at least you won’t be scared alone. After all, there’s strength in numbers! This guy probably needed a hug after this ride.

Fake smile

Some people think this photo at Splash Mountain is staged. However, we’re pretty sure it’s real, thanks to the expression on the girl’s face. We don’t know what she was thinking when she decided to grab her husband’s cheeks instead of the handlebars for support.

It seems that she couldn’t find something to hold on to, so she grabbed whatever she thought of first! Her man probably wasn’t very happy about it. Just look at his face as she grabs the corners of his mouth. Frankly, we wouldn’t be amused either.

The game never stops

Some people are very creative with their roller coaster photos. Check out these four, who somehow managed to get a “TV screen” (or, you know, some cardboard) and a Nintendo Gamecube onto a Splash Mountain ride! That was a real success.

These guys deserve a lot of respect for being creative and brave enough to embark on this journey. Either that or they simply could not tear themselves away from playing! We wonder what other cool poses they’ll unleash next time!

Need to hurl

For some people, a roller coaster ride can be pretty nauseating, literally. We counted at least three people in this picture who were just about to show everyone what they had for lunch. We definitely wouldn’t want to see the photo that was taken after this!

The guy in the middle looks like he’s about to kill the guy in front of him, probably because the ride is so scary! The poor lady in the middle is about to be pelted with food chunks from all sides. We can only feel sorry for her.

Too cool for school

We’ve all had that phase as teenagers where we thought we were just too cool for everything. Well, this girl wanted that time in her life to be remembered! Just see the way she rolls her eyes during the ride.

As if that wasn’t enough, look at her brother’s face in the front! The difference in their reactions is so funny, especially since the boy is older. Their dad at the back is the epitome of cool. We’re sure that’s where the girl got it from.

Comic at the ride

There are so many different emotions in this picture that make it funny. The guys in the front row are having a great time, while the boy with the glasses looks confused. The guy in green can’t believe what he’s seeing.

The funniest in the group, however, is the guy on the phone with his shoe. Definitely the funny guy in the friend group. He obviously just wanted to appear funny in the photo. Needless to say, his plan worked because here they are on our list!

Emotional roller coaster

This is another creative photo. The man in the middle asked his friends to help him propose to his girlfriend during a roller coaster ride. Unfortunately, she looks like she has no idea what is happening behind her at all!

Well, she said yes to the proposal, and we can see why. Who wouldn’t like a guy who thinks out of the box like this? We hope they have a happy life together— and so many more fun pictures! We wonder if this one will be framed on the mantel.

Triple threat

As we’ve mentioned before, taking a child on one of these rides is always a gamble. But do you know what’s even worse? Taking three kids on the roller coaster at different intervals. None of them look like they had fun, especially not the middle one.

This looks like the three phases of a roller coaster ride. First, it’s mild fear and excitement. Then comes absolute terror, and in the last phase, you’re ready to throw up! Dad looks like he enjoyed every second of this ride, though, and probably wouldn’t mind a fourth one.

Age of terror

We have seen quite a few kids being dragged on roller coasters by their parents. The person who posted this picture said that his child was excited to go on this roller coaster until the first drop came. Look at that face!

That fall must have aged him by about 40 years! He certainly learned a few things from that ride. On a different note, Dad deserves a lot of respect for managing to take this picture with his cell phone. We certainly wouldn’t have been able to accomplish such a feat!

Killer looks

And now we move on to creepville! This father-daughter duo was on a roller coaster in Dollywood when this picture was taken. The little girl looks like a demon just possessed her, but the father is pretty relaxed, considering what’s transpiring next to him.

Luckily, the little girl was able to take the situation with humor because she decided to buy the photo at the end of the ride. We can only imagine how many smiles it has brought on random people’s faces, including ours.

BOGO

This photo has a pretty funny backstory. This couple had been dating for a while. The guy suggested they go for a roller coaster ride, and the girl said she was game since she wasn’t scared of them. Needless to say, she overestimated herself just a bit.

We’re pretty sure she changed her mind about roller coasters after that. That’s a lesson we learned the hard way: don’t pretend you’re not scared of something just to look cool! The shame will pass, but the memory will live on. Probably on your boyfriend’s fridge!

Hair raiser for sure

The worst thing about taking a ride on Splash Mountain is that you can ruin your hair. If you have spent a lot of time doing it, this could be a disaster. But that wasn’t the case for this smart mom. Her hair didn’t fall victim to that.

She was one step ahead. Wearing a plastic bag on your head to protect your hair is a very creative idea if you find yourself in such a situation. Just make sure there are no holes in it. We are definitely using this hack in the future!

Morning routine

Anyone who can pose on a roller coaster ride is insanely brave. Getting the whole family to do it is an absolute miracle! Just look at how clever these folks were to stage their morning routine. We tip our hats to them!

We are not sure which pose was the most difficult to stage. Pretending to shave while riding could have easily turned into a disaster. Not poking your eyes out with a mascara wand is also a challenge. Massive respect for this daring fam!

One sweet ride

This is a pretty cute photo. The old man in the photo was diagnosed with COPD a few years ago. This is a disease that causes numerous breathing problems. Still, he was happy and excited to ride the roller coaster, and it’s so amazing that he was able to enjoy it.

Just look at the joy on his face! He seems insanely excited about the ride. This is a reminder that it’s not all bad and gloomy on roller coasters. They really can be exciting! Plus, it shows that even a disheartening diagnosis shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying life.

Upchuck nightmare

Warning: this one is really gross. This is easily our worst fear about riding a roller coaster. One useful tip everyone could benefit from is not to eat a lot before going on these rides. If that’s impossible for some reason, at least keep your mouth closed.

If we were the girl in the front, we would be extremely disgusted! The reactions of the guys in the back perfectly sum up our feelings about this picture. It’s so gross but kind of funny at the same time! You can’t help but also feel sorry for both the guy and the girl.

Actually amazing

We have already seen a couple of seniors taking their first rides, and now we witness the first time a little girl decided to take on a roller coaster. Though we can’t decide who took it better, the fact is that they are both super hilarious!

It is unclear what the girl is more afraid of, the axe or the roller coaster itself. Fortunately, the axe seems to be a dummy or maybe something that was added to the photo during editing. Luckily the girl’s dad was there to calm her during the scary ride.

She’s seen some things

Another collection of children! This time the girl in the front looks like she’s seen terrible things on this trip, judging by the expression on her face. The boy in the back looks like he doesn’t want to see anything! The boy in the middle is ready to bolt.

We love the expression of the couple in the third row. They don’t look very impressed! No one is wearing a seat belt, which means it must have been a smooth ride. What exactly did the kids see that was so terrible?

Feeling flushed

Everyone who has children should take a look at this picture. The first one shows this user’s brother before he rode the roller coaster. The second picture apparently shows him during the roller coaster ride. His face reminds us of a gremlin!

Honestly, this would be a great meme format. It’s so versatile; “Before and after a test,” “Gym vs. math class,” the meme potential is endless! Judging by the effect on the kid’s face, we wouldn’t want to try this one.

Playtime never ends

Another creative couple. This time playing Jenga instead of a video game. This game is hard enough to play on a stable, windless surface. How they were able to play it on this ride is a mystery to us! These guys must have steady hands.

The guys in the background look as confused as we are! Rumor has it that they used glue to hold the pieces together, which we highly suspect to be the case. Either way, this was a pretty clever photo. Thumbs up, guys!

Totally not photoshopped

You might think that this is a trick, but we promise you that it is real. This user’s sister visited a theme park in North Carolina with her family, and they had this photo taken while on the “children’s ride.”

Looking at the face of the child on the back. You can tell that the ride was way too scary for him! The adults seem to be having a lot of fun, though, so maybe it wasn’t that bad. As for the boy, it was his first time, that’s why he was so horrified.

Up in the highlands

This must have taken a lot of planning. The only thing missing from this group of Scots for the perfect picture is their bagpipes. But they probably weren’t allowed to take them on the ride. In any case, it’s a hilarious photo!

Luckily, there were no loose kilts spotted during the ride! Otherwise, we would have to tag this photo as NSFW! Plus, it looks like they all had a great time. We probably would have, too, if we were on a themed ride like this.

Teens and roller coasters equal silliness

Some kids will look for any excuse to make a silly face or look cool, even if they are on a roller coaster. This one is too funny not to laugh at! Let’s just hope these looks were intentional and not accidental.

Every time we look at this picture, we find something even funnier. The hand movement of the boy in the front, the cheeks of the man in the back, the man with the cast on the ride, the thumbs up — it’s all just so wholesome!

Just keep pushing

No, that is not Melissa McCarthy! This poor woman took a trip to Disneyland and had her picture taken on the rides. In every single one, she looks like she’s giving birth! Hopefully, she didn’t push herself too hard and get hurt.

Closing your eyes is something many people do during roller coaster rides. But we can’t say that it’s much of a solution. It doesn’t get rid of the feeling in your stomach or the G-force in your face. That said, we just can’t help it!

Lost chin action

This roller coaster ride must have been quite legendary! It looks like the G-force was so strong when this picture was taken that it looks like the man’s chin was blown off! He almost looks like a hilarious cartoon character.

The girl on the right also has a priceless expression on her face. The person who posted this said it was their first time on this ride. Judging by their expressions, we doubt they would ride it again in the future! Maybe it’s time for a kid’s ride.

She’s heard things

The expression on this girl’s face is very similar to that of the little girl we saw a few slides above. But instead of seeing something, this one appears to have heard something just as terrible! Apparently, it’s human instinct to cover our ears when we hear certain frequencies.

We doubt that this was effective, considering how loud roller coaster rides can be. The girl’s father, sitting next to her, looks quite relaxed. Suspiciously relaxed, in our opinion. It looks like they were experiencing two completely different things on the same ride.

She is not amused

The person who posted this photo refused to go to Splash Mountain with his wife, and boy, was she upset with him. Just look at her face! If looks could kill, this woman’s husband would be a dead man for sure!

Hopefully, she wasn’t too angry about it afterward, but something about her facial expression tells us that this might be wishful thinking. It takes a lot to strike such a serious pose, and something tells us she went on this ride ready for the camera so he could see her annoyance.

The Skyrush haunting

This picture deserves a prize; it’s an absolute classic. In it, you can see the normal face of a boy and how it looked after a particularly wild ride. Compare the two. The irony is in the message on his t-shirt.

This reference image makes us think of “Luke Skywalker,” while the roller coaster one reminds us of “Darth Vader.” You can tell that the G-force was quite strong on the ride judging by the look on his face. This is a photo he won’t soon forget.

T pose

In case you didn’t know, the T-pose is the standard pose used when creating a video game. We are guessing that this boy already knew this because he decided to try it out while riding. Maybe he is a future game developer.

Or maybe he decided to live up to the writing on his T-shirt and just “chill.” That said, we don’t advise anyone to follow this guy’s example. Remember to keep your hands and legs inside the car at all times. We will be watching from the ground!

Armless ride

If you still think you don’t have to leave your legs and arms inside the roller coaster car, just take a look at this picture. Just kidding; it’s a staged photo but still a funny one. Look at their expressions! These are the kinds of friends we want!

Let’s hope everyone got the joke. Otherwise, they’re going to need some kind of therapy for what they just saw on the ride. Aside from the fun bunch, this photo also features a hilarious twosome consisting of a girl clearly faking excitement and her nonchalant boyfriend next to her.

Statue still

Have you ever wondered what the meaning of life is? Just ask this man in the blue shirt — he seems to have discovered it on Splash Mountain. The best part is that he’s not even the funniest person in the picture!

Behind him is a girl making a very bizarre face. In front of him is a boy who is clinging on for dear life. Sandwiched between them is a couple who knows how to enjoy the full experience of a roller coaster ride. If you don’t scream, you’re just missing out on the fun.

Lucky catch

The man in the front left of this picture dropped his keys during a roller coaster ride. Fortunately, the man behind him had really excellent reflexes and was able to catch them just in time. Maybe he should train for the Olympics! But we’re not sure for which sport.

That said, if you look at the photo from a different angle, it looks like they are releasing the keys back into the wild. The man on the top right looks exactly how we feel. Admittedly, this was a pretty amazing catch.

Simpler times

Remember the ’90s? No cell phones, no internet, and apparently, no seat belts either! The user who posted this picture is shown holding the little girl in the front. She was only a year old when she took this ride! Today that would be unthinkable.

Fortunately, the safety guidelines have been tightened up considerably since then. There’s no way a small child like this could go on this ride now. Especially not without seat belts. Still, you have to admire Dad’s quick thinking. He doesn’t look too happy, though.

Rock on

This picture pretty much sums up the two types of people who ride roller coasters. There are those who seek the thrill, like the man on the right, and those who dare not but are forced to ride, like the woman next to him. Which group do you belong to?

Though we love the man’s “rock out” hand gesture, we feel pretty sorry for the girl. She looks more like she was dragged into this and doesn’t seem to be having any fun! They probably have a lot of pictures like this!