Rank the GCIs

[James F]

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.

 

[vaugc002]

I've only been on four, but they're all great quality.

1. Mystic Timbers
Perhaps the location helps here but it stood out most of the four I've ridden.
Filled with fun twists and turns and airtime moments over water and through the forest - it's just a great woodie.

2. Troy
It was a while ago but I remember loving this one, and the wild pace it maintained throughout. Although not sure I'd still love it quite as much perhaps...
Basically just a wooden coaster in a field, but a very fun one.

3. Wodan
Wodan is impressive in its speed - like it's just fast throughout the whole layout. It's also unpredictable, diving through tunnels and scenery.
But for me it lacked the fun airtime moments a woodie should offer - all the airtime seems kinda sideways if that makes sense.

4. Joris & Draak
Still super fun, but it fizzles out a little by the end, and doesn't have the most exciting of layouts.

 

[uwurawrus]

I've been on a few GCIs now and they're all (with the exception of one) really fun coasters.

1. Wodan - Europa Park (#11)
Wodan is a very out of control feeling ride that honestly I think rides better in the front of the train; all the weird gci transitions just hit better in the front imo and pop you out of your seat better there. I love how BIG it is, I love how fast it is, it's just very, very impressive.

2. El Toro - Freizeitpark Plohn (#29)
El Toro is a FANTASTIC terrain GCI layout that despite its small size provides an incredible feeling of speed and some fantastic interactions with the surrounding area and log flume. The quad down is brilliant, the airtime after the following turnaround is brilliant, overall a really brilliant coaster that punches well above its own size.

3. Thunderbird - PowerPark (#34)
I had heard not very good things about Thunderbird at PowerPark, and I agreed with that sentiment at the start of the day. It was pretty slow and uneventful. That changed at about 5pm on the day of my visit, where the ride seemed to start running a heck of a lot faster and I'm not quite sure why. When I sent other people footage of the Thunderbird I was riding, they were rather shocked by how fast it seemed to be running. Thunderbird is really, REALLY good and I'm considering moving it up a bit more but unfortunately it seems to not be very consistent based on my morning rides. Nethertheless, the initial drop is great fun, the double down off the subsequent turnaround is fantastic and there's a few really great bunny hills and good laterals. My favourite coaster at PowerPark (Sorry Junker!)

4. Wicker Man - Alton Towers (#53)
I have kind of forgotten how Wicker Man rides. I've not done it in AGES. However, from what I do remember, the first drop is fantastic, there's a few really great transitions that provide funky laterals and the flat turn, while being everyone else's least favourite part of the ride, I thought was really great and provided some really fun lateral force. I just wish there was more airtime peppered into this layout like other GCIs seem to do. It's still a fantastic coaster though.

5. White Lightning - Fun Spot America Orlando (#84)
White Lightning is the definition of fine. It doesn't really do much. The double up/double down thing is really fun but nothing notable. The small bunny hills are fine. Don't really do much though. The lighting package this thing has at night is cool, but other than that there's not really much to say about it. It's quite fun though, I'll give it that.

6. Heide the Ride - Plopsaland De Panne (#UNKNOWN BECAUSE IT'S SO LOW)
Heide the Ride takes an already mediocre ride and somehow manages to do something miraculous that no other coaster in the world has ever done; it manages to pull a sustained 1g of force throughout the entire ride experience.

 

[Inverting_Thrills]

I've finally been on one!

My list is:

1. American Thunder

 

[LightningColossus46]

Thunderhead
Ghostrider (if you count it as a GCI)
Kentucky Rumbler
White Lightning

 

[Hutch]

Got the Dutch GCIs so let's add them here.

1. Renegade - Great layout with some surprising moments, mixed with the perfect amount of woodie aggression. Definitely the best I've done so far.

2. Mystic Timbers - A bit smoother than above but still maintains that aggression. Has the best setting and another fantastic layout.

3. Troy - Kicks your ass real good and has a sneaky good layout too.

4. Joris en de Draak - Honestly better than it has any right to be. Dueling aspect is always fun but the layout has some surprising variety and great moments.

5. Ghostrider - Bit of an alternative to other GCIs. First half doesn't quite hit, but the second half cranks it up. Pretty awesome laterals too.

6. Texas Stingray - Very smooth, long layout, good pace, but it kinda lacks the "wild woodie" feel.

7. Thunderhead - Kinda wild it's this low now... due for a reride. Has some impressive pacing and length but it was just a little rough when I rode it. Apparently it's much better now.

8. Invadr - It's honestly probably worse than White Lightning, but I guess I was just more impressed with Invadr. It's actually pretty fun in the back and does a good job of what it needs to do.

9. White Lightning - It has some good moments but just suffers a bit in length.

10. Lightning Racer - The racing is obviously the best thing about this ride, and it does have a couple pops of airtime, but it doesn't offer a whole lot. Couple spots in the beginning are a little rough too.

11. Apocalypse - Fine layout and pacing, just in bad shape.

12. Wildcat - Good ****ing riddance. Yeah let's trade this in for a Top 5 cred.

 

[I'veGotFourB&MsInMyGarden]

Rode my first GCI earlier this year:

1) Wicker Man

It took me by surprise and was a lot better than I was expecting. I thought it had a great sense of speed which it maintained throughout. It has some nice pops of airtime, a great first drop, some interesting laterals, and awesome theming. What more could you ask for!? I loved it so much that it's currently my favourite rollercoaster! (I can see that potentially changing due to a certain Mack Hyper opening next year though.)

 

[JoshC.]

Realised I've never posted in here before...

GCI Rank	Coaster	Park	Overall Rank
=1	Joris en de Draak (Water)	Efteling	=14
=1	Joris en de Draak (Vuur)	Efteling	=14
3	Troy	Toverland	20
=4	Lightning Racer (Thunder)	Hersheypark	=51
=4	Lightning Racer (Lightning)	Hersheypark	=51
6	Heidi The Ride	Plopsaland	52
7	Wildcat	Hersheypark	73
8	El Toro	Plohn	77
9	Wicker Man	Alton Towers	131

I need to up those numbers

 

[JackFish]

American Thunder still on top

 

[Howie]

This is actually quite hard. I love a good GCI me, but as it stands at the moment, my current Top 10% ish doesn't feature a single GCI. As much as I like them, I somehow don't find any of them unique, memorable or special enough to be 'noteworthy'. They're all kinda samey. Raucous, loud, twisty, turny etc, which is all fine, but just not particularly memorable. Plus, I haven't been on that many. Plus, some of them were a one-and-done, sometimes over 15 years ago, so my memory of them might be a little hazy... but anyway, here goes:

1. Troy. Ranked at number because it's probably the one I've ridden the most. It's a beast, that's for sure.

2. Goldstriker. Good one. Lots of tunnels.

3 & 4. Joris en de Draak. The racing aspect makes it better.

5. Prowler. Liked this one, got a few rides in on it. Great woodland setting.

6. Mystic Timbers. Only got 1 ride on this, but I remember liking it lots.

7. Apocalypse. Rode it once as Terminator Salvation back in 2010. Can't remember much about it, but it had fire effects, so that was cool. Up yours, Wicker Man.

8. Wodan. Solid, but seems to end too soon.

9. Heidi The Ride. Good fun. Nothing more, nothing less.

10. Wicker Man. Too small.

11. American Thunder. Distinctly unmemorable.

12. Gwazi. Rode it once in 2007, can't even remember which side I rode tbh... but it was dreadful.

 

[The_bullgod]

3 & 4. Joris en de Draak. The racing aspect makes it better.
.......
10. Wicker Man. Too small.

Hmmm, strange, very strange.
You put Wicker Man at #10, while Joris en de Draak are in #3 & #4.
There are hardly any differences in stats between these rides and the racing aspect doesn't make it this much better.
I don't understand this.

 

[DelPiero]

11. American Thunder. Distinctly unmemorable.

Harsh, was a good cred but we were dying in the heat. Shame we couldn't physically manage a re-ride.

Hopefully Thunderhead is as good as the first time I rode it, that's a top tier GCI, so should get up high in your list.

 

[Howie]

Harsh, was a good cred but we were dying in the heat. Shame we couldn't physically manage a re-ride.

Ha - that was the day my fudge melted.
But you're right, in that sweltering heat it was just a case of getting it over with so we could get the hell outta there. Not the best way to enjoy a coaster and yeah, probably did deserve a re-ride in hindsight.

 

[witchfinder]

You put Wicker Man at #10, while Joris en de Draak are in #3 & #4.
There are hardly any differences in stats between these rides and the racing aspect doesn't make it this much better.

Joris has way more airtime than WM, the layout is miles better and the racing element does add a lot. I agree with @Howie completely on those ratings of the two rides.

Hopefully Thunderhead is as good as the first time I rode it, that's a top tier GCI, so should get up high in your list.

It was just as good on my second visit to Dollywood as the first time. Loved it, and anyone moaning that it's rough is basically a

 

[Howie]

Hmmm, strange, very strange.
You put Wicker Man at #10, while Joris en de Draak are in #3 & #4.
There are hardly any differences in stats between these rides and the racing aspect doesn't make it this much better.
I don't understand this.

Joris has way more airtime than WM, the layout is miles better and the racing element does add a lot. I agree with @Howie completely on those ratings of the two rides.

Yeah, what witchfinder said.
Not to mention the flags, the cheering knights for the winning side, the groans for the losers, the giant animatronic dragon out front, plus the fact that there's... y'know, two of them. It's two creds, not just one. Oh, and did I mention the greatest coaster theme tune of all time? All these things add up y'know.

 

[JoshC.]

Love how Howie got the suspicious eyebrow raised for his rankings of Joris and Wicker Man, when 2 posts prior I said Joris is literally my favourite GCI and Wicker my least favourite.

But yeah, everything Howie says is true
(About Joris and Wicker, not generally)

 

[Sticky_T_Wicky]

This is actually quite hard. I love a good GCI me, but as it stands at the moment, my current Top 10% ish doesn't feature a single GCI. As much as I like them, I somehow don't find any of them unique, memorable or special enough to be 'noteworthy'. They're all kinda samey. Raucous, loud, twisty, turny etc, which is all fine, but just not particularly memorable. Plus, I haven't been on that many.

This is well put! They are really good rides but nothing that just wows one. The "full-sized" ones that I have been on are all great. The top 5 are essentially interchangeable:

1. Prowler (9/10) - Great out & back layout in the woodsy setting. Also, one of the best night rides in the country. Halloween Haunt with the fog from the fog machines settling in the lower elevation of the park where this is located is quite the experience.
2. Thunderhead (9/10) - Great and unpredictable layout, I still did not have this one memorized despite riding it 5 or 6 times on my visit. Know I had the benefit of riding after a lot of retracking but I found this extremely re-rideable.
3. Mystic Timbers (9/10) - Similar to Prowler with more airtime but felt less aggressive/out of control.
4. Texas Stingray (9/10) - Probably my biggest favorable surprise of 2023. It was excellent in the front row with, at best, half full trains. I think with fuller trains, the back row could be elite as well.
5. Renegade (9/10) - Fantastic layout, possibly GCI's best, and loads of airtime, however, this is the only one where I would consider roughness to take away from the ride experience.
6. American Thunder (8/10) - I enjoyed this one as it had a lot of airtime but it lacked the intensity of the GCI's above it.
7. White Lightning (8/10) - Similar to American Thunder but with an out and back layout. An enjoyable ride with way more airtime than I expected.
8. Zambezi Zinger (6/10) - This coaster did not do that much for me. It is not a bad coaster but the lack of airtime, the infinity flyer trains being a downgrade from millennium flyer trains and the fact that this already has a some shakiness to it leads to it brining up the rear of my GCI's.

 

[Skyye]

1. Mystic Timbers - This ride was flying through its layout when I rode it back in 2019, and was surprised by how quick paced it was.
2. Prowler - It was also fast paced, but not as much as Mystic Timbers. The airtime was just as strong somehow considering it was a fairly cold day when I rode it. These two could swap honestly because they're that close
3. American Thunder - Still a really fun ride, the airtime isn't as strong as the first two but its still a really good ride.
4. Lightning Racer (Either side) - Was fun, but is not that good of a ride. The airtime was barely there and it seemed to run mildly slow, but considering that I rode it in early April, I probably need to give it a reride.
5. Zambezi Zinger - Honestly, not that great. It was rougher than I expected, the airtime was basically nonexistent except for the first drop, and the lap bar came down really hard on my thighs during the ride.

 

[Esther7]

Ok, here's my GCIs ranking!

1. Troy (Toverland)
2. Wodan (Europa Park)
3. Wicker Man (Alton Towers)
4. Heidi (Plopsaland)
5. Lightning Racer (Hersheypark)
6. InvadeR (BGW)
7. Apocalypse (SFMM)
8. Wildcat (Hersheypark)
9. Roar (SFA)

I think Europe beats the US in GCIs, at least the ones I've ridden.

 

[Dan Nguyen]

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.