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Rank the GCIs

Dan Nguyen said:
1. Thunderhead - Relentlessly long layout, incredibly smooth and great operations. Night rides are especially fun
2. Mystic Timbers - Pretty aggressive, but not as aggressive as Thunderhead. The shed is fine but when I was at KI, I was sitting on that brake run an awfully long time.
3. Texas Stingray - a tamed down version of the two above. I love the wave turn.
4. Gold Striker - There's a great ride underneath the rough exterior, but the shakes are a bit distracting. Still a solid ride. I'd love to ride it after a retrack, but I don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon.
5. Lightning Racer - you can tell this is an earlier GCI. Pacing isn't as refined as the newer GCI's I've ridden. The racing part is really fun.
6. Heide the Ride - I liked this ride more than White Lightning. The layout is similar but this ride is a bit smoother and has the little diorama at the end
7. White Lightning - fun coaster. The airtime is really neat. Great for rerides too, especially after a couple $2 beers from the Sky Bar
8. InvadR - this is one of those coasters that gets better and better the more you ride. It doesn't do much but it does pack a nice punch for something its size for sure. I do wish the station had more elaborate theming like Cobra's Curse and I wish BGW didn't clear cut the forest behind, but I'm glad to have this little coaster in my backyard.
9. Roar - much like Lightning Racer before it, Roar feels like an early GCI. The ride isn't bad by any means, but the layout does need some refining.
10. Wildcat - My first time riding this, there were potholes at the bottom of every hill. The ride doesn't really have many standout moments except for the seal brakes at the end. I remember the ride losing speed and meandering to the brakes. Wildcat's Revenge is a definite improvement over the original
11. Gwazi - Worst coaster I've ever ridden. I don't think the Flyers helped it much. I just remember getting rattled hard and hitting bad potholes at the bottom of most of the drops. I was happy to see it closed down as anything is better than this headache machine. Iron Gwazi is a massive improvement for sure.
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I had to chuckle that the GCI credits that you and I have in common are in the same order and your 4th and my 5th which appears to be the cutoff point between great and less than great are both there due to roughness. Probably not that uncommon, but I digress.
 
Added 2 more GCIs to the lineup last year, including my new favorite GCI of all time. There are now 4 GCIs left in North America that I need to ride.

1. Wicker Man - Basically take Thunderhead/Mystic Timbers and add some amazing theming, a preshow, and tuck it into the mountains so you can't really see anything from far away. Easily my favorite GCI of all time. Having the unbanked turn halfway through the ride is a real treat. You don't really see that on coasters as much anymore.
2. Thunderhead - Relentlessly long layout, incredibly smooth and great operations. Night rides are especially fun
3. Mystic Timbers - Pretty aggressive, but not as aggressive as Thunderhead. The shed is fine but when I was at KI, I was sitting on that brake run an awfully long time.
4. Texas Stingray - a tamed down version of the two above. I love the wave turn.
5. Kentucky Rumbler - Like Gold Striker but the turns were retracked with the new 208 track so they're smooth. The ride is pretty aggressive but doesn't have the quick pacing that Mystic or Thunderhead has. It does have a few rough patches but nothing deal breaking.
6. Gold Striker - There's a great ride underneath the rough exterior, but the shakes are a bit distracting. Still a solid ride. I'd love to ride it after a retrack, but I don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon.
7. Lightning Racer - you can tell this is an earlier GCI. Pacing isn't as refined as the newer GCI's I've ridden. The racing part is really fun.
8. Heide the Ride - I liked this ride more than White Lightning. The layout is similar but this ride is a bit smoother and has the little diorama at the end
9. White Lightning - fun coaster. The airtime is really neat. Great for rerides too, especially after a couple $2 beers from the Sky Bar
10. InvadR - this is one of those coasters that gets better and better the more you ride. It doesn't do much but it does pack a nice punch for something its size for sure. I do wish the station had more elaborate theming like Cobra's Curse and I wish BGW didn't clear cut the forest behind, but I'm glad to have this little coaster in my backyard.
11. Roar - much like Lightning Racer before it, Roar feels like an early GCI. The ride isn't bad by any means, but the layout does need some refining.
12. Wildcat - My first time riding this, there were potholes at the bottom of every hill. The ride doesn't really have many standout moments except for the seal brakes at the end. I remember the ride losing speed and meandering to the brakes. Wildcat's Revenge is a definite improvement over the original
13. Gwazi - Worst coaster I've ever ridden. I don't think the Flyers helped it much. I just remember getting rattled hard and hitting bad potholes at the bottom of most of the drops. I was happy to see it closed down as anything is better than this headache machine. Iron Gwazi is a massive improvement for sure.
 
Updated!

1. Wodan
2. Troy
3. Mystic Timbers
4. Wickerman
5. Joris en de Draak
6. El Toro
7. Invadr
 
A short list, but really easy to order...
1. Thunderhead @ Dollywood. My favourite woodie by some margin. Fast, twisty, packed with elements, FUN. I was able to re-ride without exiting, superb. The setting in my favourite park certainly helps, but this is just one top ride.
2. Wodan @ Europa Park. A good woodie with some interesting ideas, but just does not match Thunderhead.
3. Gwazi @ Busch Gardens Tampa. All I remember is lots and lots of rattle and side to side shaking.
 
Dan Nguyen said:
Added 2 more GCIs to the lineup last year, including my new favorite GCI of all time. There are now 4 GCIs left in North America that I need to ride.

1. Wicker Man - Basically take Thunderhead/Mystic Timbers and add some amazing theming, a preshow, and tuck it into the mountains so you can't really see anything from far away. Easily my favorite GCI of all time. Having the unbanked turn halfway through the ride is a real treat. You don't really see that on coasters as much anymore.
2. Thunderhead - Relentlessly long layout, incredibly smooth and great operations. Night rides are especially fun
3. Mystic Timbers - Pretty aggressive, but not as aggressive as Thunderhead. The shed is fine but when I was at KI, I was sitting on that brake run an awfully long time.
4. Texas Stingray - a tamed down version of the two above. I love the wave turn.
5. Kentucky Rumbler - Like Gold Striker but the turns were retracked with the new 208 track so they're smooth. The ride is pretty aggressive but doesn't have the quick pacing that Mystic or Thunderhead has. It does have a few rough patches but nothing deal breaking.
6. Gold Striker - There's a great ride underneath the rough exterior, but the shakes are a bit distracting. Still a solid ride. I'd love to ride it after a retrack, but I don't think that's gonna happen anytime soon.
7. Lightning Racer - you can tell this is an earlier GCI. Pacing isn't as refined as the newer GCI's I've ridden. The racing part is really fun.
8. Heide the Ride - I liked this ride more than White Lightning. The layout is similar but this ride is a bit smoother and has the little diorama at the end
9. White Lightning - fun coaster. The airtime is really neat. Great for rerides too, especially after a couple $2 beers from the Sky Bar
10. InvadR - this is one of those coasters that gets better and better the more you ride. It doesn't do much but it does pack a nice punch for something its size for sure. I do wish the station had more elaborate theming like Cobra's Curse and I wish BGW didn't clear cut the forest behind, but I'm glad to have this little coaster in my backyard.
11. Roar - much like Lightning Racer before it, Roar feels like an early GCI. The ride isn't bad by any means, but the layout does need some refining.
12. Wildcat - My first time riding this, there were potholes at the bottom of every hill. The ride doesn't really have many standout moments except for the seal brakes at the end. I remember the ride losing speed and meandering to the brakes. Wildcat's Revenge is a definite improvement over the original
13. Gwazi - Worst coaster I've ever ridden. I don't think the Flyers helped it much. I just remember getting rattled hard and hitting bad potholes at the bottom of most of the drops. I was happy to see it closed down as anything is better than this headache machine. Iron Gwazi is a massive improvement for sure.
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I think you might be the first person I‘ve ever seen place Wicker Man on top of a list of multiple GCIs! I absolutely love the ride, but most enthusiasts seem to see it as “so-so” or “good but not great” at best. Even for me who likes it more than most, it’s not my favoured GCI out of the two I’ve ridden (Wodan sits a little bit higher for me).

Out of curiosity, do you think Wicker Man would be your favourite GCI based purely on the track and train layout, or do the theming and surroundings largely contribute to your high ranking of it?
 
1.Troy - Toverland
2. Roar - Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
3. Heidi - Plopsaland de Panne
4. Joris en de Draak - Efteling
5. Gwazi - BGT

I will do Thunderbird at Powerpark (Finland) later this year. And also Wodan and Wicker Man are on my wishlist for the coming years.
 
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Matt N said:
I think you might be the first person I‘ve ever seen place Wicker Man on top of a list of multiple GCIs! I absolutely love the ride, but most enthusiasts seem to see it as “so-so” or “good but not great” at best. Even for me who likes it more than most, it’s not my favoured GCI out of the two I’ve ridden (Wodan sits a little bit higher for me).

Out of curiosity, do you think Wicker Man would be your favourite GCI based purely on the track and train layout, or do the theming and surroundings largely contribute to your high ranking of it?
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I honestly wasn't expecting much out of Wicker Man but the layout is really fun plus the theming really puts it above the rest. I love the preshow segment, the flaming statue and the dark sequence at the end. The layout has the quick pacing that Mystic and Thunderhead has but its much better themed than both of those. It might not rank as high without the theming or the setting but it would still be a top tier GCI for me regardless.
 
1. Wicker Man
2. Thunderhead
3. Mystic Timbers
4. Texas Stingray
5. Kentucky Rumbler
6. Gold Striker
7. Apocalypse: the Ride - This ride was pretty fun but even front row rides felt a tad rough. I love the queue theming, easily some of the best found on any GCI. That being said, the operations kinda suck here. I did luck out and get two front tow rides, which was nice.
8. Lightning Racer
9. Heide the Ride
10. White Lightning
11. InvadR
12. Roar
13. Wildcat
14. Gwazi
 
James F said:
1: Wodan
My favourite by some margin. Relentless experience from start to finish.

2: Joris en de Draak
Feels like what you would expect from a typical GCI, great pacing, quick airtime pops and the right amount of intensity for families and thrillseakers.

3: Troy
A bit disappointing honestly, but I won't deny that it can be a thrilling ride especially in the back, while I found it to be a bit rough and lacking airtime Troy does still have that "out of control" aspect you expect from a good wooden coaster.

4: Wickerman
While admittedly not as thrilling as it's larger counterparts Wickerman is still a fun ride which can provide decent airtime depending on where your sat, the theming is the main highlight for me.

5: Hedie
The most forgettable of the bunch (and it's the most recent one I've ridden) I remember it being smooth but lacking in airtime, although the cold weather may have affected my rides.

6: Gwazi
I only went on it once and remember not liking it at all. The whole ride felt rough and uncomfortable.
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Update:

1: Wodan
2: Joris en De Draak
3. Wicker Man
4: Troy
5: Hedie the Ride
6: Lightning Racer
7: Gwazi
 
Top tier
1. Python in Bamboo Forest - Absolute beast. Goes on forever and never lets up. We bonded.
2. Wood Coaster - Another beast that goes on forever and never lets up. Can't believe it exists, or did exist.
3. Mystic Timbers - So good it was tearing itself apart. Don't go in the shed.

High tier
4. Jungle Dragon - Big, fun and terrainy, but not quite their A-game. (Anyone noticed that this massive GCI is now called Jerome's Wooden Dragon and themed to a cartoon plane?)
5. Kentucky Rumbler - What a curveball. Such a strong start and packed full of killer rather than filler.
6. Roaring Timbers - Another surprise package that's mostly my cup of tea.
7. Wodan - A bit of theming and music help it stand out. Also gave me that joyous laughing effect throughout. (Need to reride this, it's been sooo long done, s'alright)
8. Prowler - Mostly faff-free and the more intense than usual laterals were a nice bonus.
9. Renegade - Still well above average, just faced a lot of stiff competition in a single week.
10. El Toro - Short but very fun.

Mid tier
11. Texas Stingray - The very definition of an average GCI for me
12 & 13. Joris en de Draaks - Effects, music, racing and pacing elevate these above the others. Ran awfully on the last visit though.
14, 15 & 16. Heidi, Wilkolak & White Lightning - Short but fun.
17. Thunderhead - Perked up a bit last visit.
18. Troy - Doesn't do enough with it's size, not as well paced. Still a laugh. A good dose of waterboarding helped a bit.
19. Thunderbird - Lower middle of the pack, seems about right.
20. Wicker Man - Meh, but still getting better with age

Low tier
21. Wild Buffalo - Good little sit down.
22. InvadR - Short but not quite as fun.
23. Desert Rally - Fun but not quite as short.
24. Gold Striker - Another case of not doing enough with it's size. And headaches.
25 & 26. The Lightning Racers - Running so poorly as of last visit, no desire to ride any more
27. Roar - Some wood, not long for the world
28. Wildcat - Some corners (revenge is sweet)
 
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