Matt N
CF Legend
Hi guys. Size is often used as a marketing tool by parks, but many enthusiasts (myself included) believe that size isn't everything. For my money, it's not the size that matters, it's what you do with it. So my question to you today is; are there some coasters that work against that traditional assumption that "bigger is better"? Can you think of small coasters that you think make the most of the size that they have, and also some larger coasters that you think squander their size somewhat?
I'll get the ball rolling with my suggestions.
For a smaller coaster that makes smashing use of its size, I'm going to nominate Mine Blower at Fun Spot Kissimmee. They crammed a fair few airtime hills and a fairly large inversion into a coaster that is only 80ft tall and a little over 2,000ft long, and takes up a very compact footprint little larger than some backyards; I find that a hugely impressive use of size, personally! It's an absolute whippet of a coaster, and I think Gravity Group deserve huge applause for the sheer amount of thrill they crammed into Mine Blower's somewhat diminutive size and stature!
On the other end of the spectrum, for a larger coaster that squanders its size somewhat; I loathe to say this slightly, as it's an older ride now and I do think its layout doesn't entirely deserve the hate it often gets, and it also wasn't really built for airtime, but the first coaster that came to mind for me here was The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. While I digress that the Big One wasn't built for airtime, and was also only the world's 2nd hyper coaster, I don't think it does a huge amount with its sheer size, and I'll admit that the ride was one of my biggest coaster disappointments when I first came off it in 2018. I don't think I've ever had a single hint of airtime on the Big One, and while I'll admit that the ride does have its moments in terms of speed and intensity, a fair amount of it is spent meandering around not doing a huge amount. I'm probably being unfair given BPB's tight footprint and the Big One's age, as well as BPB's design focus on visual impact over thrill, but it was sadly the first coaster that came to mind in this category for me.
But what are some coasters that you feel make the most of or waste their size?
I'll get the ball rolling with my suggestions.
For a smaller coaster that makes smashing use of its size, I'm going to nominate Mine Blower at Fun Spot Kissimmee. They crammed a fair few airtime hills and a fairly large inversion into a coaster that is only 80ft tall and a little over 2,000ft long, and takes up a very compact footprint little larger than some backyards; I find that a hugely impressive use of size, personally! It's an absolute whippet of a coaster, and I think Gravity Group deserve huge applause for the sheer amount of thrill they crammed into Mine Blower's somewhat diminutive size and stature!
On the other end of the spectrum, for a larger coaster that squanders its size somewhat; I loathe to say this slightly, as it's an older ride now and I do think its layout doesn't entirely deserve the hate it often gets, and it also wasn't really built for airtime, but the first coaster that came to mind for me here was The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. While I digress that the Big One wasn't built for airtime, and was also only the world's 2nd hyper coaster, I don't think it does a huge amount with its sheer size, and I'll admit that the ride was one of my biggest coaster disappointments when I first came off it in 2018. I don't think I've ever had a single hint of airtime on the Big One, and while I'll admit that the ride does have its moments in terms of speed and intensity, a fair amount of it is spent meandering around not doing a huge amount. I'm probably being unfair given BPB's tight footprint and the Big One's age, as well as BPB's design focus on visual impact over thrill, but it was sadly the first coaster that came to mind in this category for me.
But what are some coasters that you feel make the most of or waste their size?
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