Top 10(ish): 2024 Edition - page 124

[Matt N]

Sorry to double post, but I realised that I haven't justified my top 10 in a while, and not since the 3 new additions... some of those descriptions need an update!

Matt N's Top 10 as of May 2022 (Coaster Count: 91)
(New entries and description updates in italics, moved entries underlined)

1. Mako - SeaWorld Orlando: My first and last rides on this coaster were in August 2016, but the 3 rides I had on Mako stick out to me as 3 of my favourite coaster rides ever even 5 years on; my first ride in particular gave me a hit of pure joy no coaster has since! As for why this coaster sticks out compared to the rest; where do I begin? As soon as you board the train, the restraints are some of the most gorgeously comfortable coaster restraints I've ever sat in, and when the ride itself kicks into motion, there's so much amazing stuff going on; the sustained airtime is phenomenal throughout, with the first drop, first big hill and speed hill sticking out as 3 particularly biblical airtime moments (I know floater is often considered weak airtime nowadays, but 13 year old me remembers it feeling like I was being catapulted into space, and floating in the air for what felt like forever!), and even away from airtime, the sense of speed is amazing, and the ride is so blissfully smooth, negotiating each element with what feels like flawless precision! And on the whole, while it may not be an intense g-machine, Mako is a coaster where I felt a strong urge to run back round and give it another go each time I did it, more so than any other coaster I've been on; I think the balance between thrill and fun factor/rerideability is just perfect! Prior to riding this, I was a little lost as to why enthusiasts revered airtime so much, but Mako was the coaster that converted me, and made me understand that love for airtime that most enthusiasts have! I'll admit that I'm unsure if this should still be number 1 what with how long it's been (with some of the amazing coasters below like Icon, Wicker Man et al, I worry that this wouldn't stand up if I were to ride it today), but I've decided to keep it here for now on the basis of the memories. What do you guys think? Having recently ridden Silver Star and adored it, I am feeling a fair amount more confident about Mako's placement; the B&M Hyper experience still holds up! 10/10
2. Silver Star - Europa Park: I had high hopes for Silver Star what with Mako being my number 1, but at the same time, noone seems to especially rate it, so I had somewhat lowered expectations, and I was also extremely nervous to see how the B&M Hyper experience held up 6 years on from Mako. However, I shouldn't have had a single worry; Silver Star was a huge surprise for me! It well and truly blew me away, and the B&M Hyper experience well and truly lived up to my memories of it! I said a lot about Mako in the paragraph above, but by extension, a fair amount of that could describe Silver Star as well, as it encapsulates a vast percentage of Mako's great qualities; it has sublime sustained airtime, it's got an awesome sense of speed, it's smooth, it's rerideable, the trains are awesome, and it has so much more! One other thing I love about Silver Star is its ending and consistent pace; as well as the sublime sustained floater in the first half, you also have some phenomenal pops of ejector after the MCBR, which are both phenomenally strong and surprisingly sustained, as well as a fun s-bend that sends you flying into the brake run! In terms of why it's below Mako; we're honestly talking very pedantic differences here. While SS has sublime and breathtaking airtime, I'd say that no individual moment of airtime on SS had quite the same impact as some of Mako's very strongest airtime moments, like its first drop and first hill, and I'd also say that while SS is very smooth and comfortable on the whole, Mako has this sublime feeling of 100% glass smoothness that Silver Star can't quite compete with, and that was one of the things I loved about it. Nonetheless, though, Silver Star is a truly stunning coaster, and it well and truly had Mako quaking in its boots more than any ride I've ridden post-Mako; while it is #2 rather than #1, there's very little in it, and that verdict was reached after much deliberation! What a stunning ride type the B&M Hyper Coaster is; Mako and Silver Star are both truly phenomenal! 10/10
3. Wodan Timbur Coaster - Europa Park: Unhinged. Nuts. Crazy. Those are just some of the adjectives you could use to describe Wodan, yet I'm not sure any of them quite do it justice! Wodan is easily the most relentless roller coaster I have ever been on; this is a layout that has not a single dull moment, and it feels truly out of control from start to finish! The twists and turns are really fun too, and the ride is absolutely packed with airtime; every element seems to hurl you out of your seat with an awesome pop of strong ejector, even in places where you might not necessarily expect airtime! The first drop is awesome, with an awesome moment of airtime going down it, the turns in the middle are so fast and ride great, and the little airtime pops towards the end are awesome and provide some sublime ejector airtime! Overall, Wodan is an exceptional roller coaster, and while I wouldn't call it intense in the traditional sense, it is absolutely demented! Yet it's also so much fun and so rerideable; I love it, and it's an easy steal for #3, as well as my #1 wooden coaster spot! 10/10
4. Icon - Blackpool Pleasure Beach: Controversially, I do really love Icon! I’ve ridden it 4 times on 2 separate visits to Blackpool in 2018 & 2019, and it’s really struck a chord with me, hitting all the right notes each time! It’s fast, it’s thrilling enough to give you a kick but not too intense to be fun, it’s smooth, it’s rerideable, it has some amazing ejector airtime, the trains are lovely, the rapid transitions are great, and on the whole, I see little not to like about Icon from my personal perspective! Sure, the launches aren’t the punchiest (although I don’t personally think they’re as feeble as they’re often made out to be), and the ride as a whole isn’t exactly an intense, pedal-to-the-metal g-machine, but I just find it tremendously, tremendously fun, and it puts a smile on my face and gives me an urge to reride every time! And surely coming off a coaster smiling and wanting to go round again is the most important indicator of enjoyment, is it not? 10/10
5. Wicker Man - Alton Towers: I’m not usually a hardcore wooden coaster fan like a lot of enthusiasts, but I’d have to say that Wicker Man is most definitely a ride I make an exception for; I find it tremendously fun, fairly smooth and comfortable in wooden coaster terms, and very rerideable! The ride is really, really fast, it has some smooth yet exceedingly fun transitions, many surprising pops of ejector airtime, and as I’ve said with the rides above, it strikes the perfect balance between thrill and fun factor, in my opinion! And on the back row in particular, this coaster is a real hoot, with some excellent airtime moments, although I think every row is fun on Wicker Man, personally! Overall, I think Wicker Man is a hugely fun ride; even if it isn't the most intense coaster, it always puts a huge smile on my face! 10/10
6. Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee: I know that 2 3 wooden coasters in my top 5 10 might possibly contradict my earlier statement about not being a hardcore wooden coaster fan, but Mine Blower is the other another ride that I’d say I make an exception for! I should preface what I say about Mine Blower by saying that I only had one ride on it, in the front row, with a practically empty train. However, in spite of this; Mine Blower did impress me, and I think there’s a lot to like about it! The ride is fast-paced from start to finish, and I absolutely love that bouncing, darting sequence of airtime moments the ride incorporates! I also love the ride’s sole inversion; that zero-g roll provides a really excellent moment of sustained hangtime! I know it’s in stark contrast to the more abrupt, erratic sensations in the rest of the layout, but I really like how the start of the ride contrasts with the rest of it! I was slightly worried about Mine Blower’s roughness prior to riding, as I have a low roughness tolerance and I’d heard numerous reports about Mine Blower’s roughness, but on the front row, I’d personally say I didn’t find it overly rough; no more so than something like Wicker Man, anyway. One slight caveat I admittedly have is that I don’t like the trains as much as the GCI trains; the restraints are a bit tight, and I think the GCI rolling stock generally feels a bit more comfortable, in my opinion. Overall, however; even though I’d say the two GCIs just edges beat it for me in terms of woodies (the trains are far more comfortable, and I also really like the smooth twisty bits on Wicker and Wodan, and I think the pacing is on another level on Wodan in particular), I was very impressed by Mine Blower, and I’d say it’s a more than worthy candidate for a favourite woodie! 9/10
7. Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa: My memories of Busch Gardens Tampa are getting hazier with time, as it’s close to 5 years since my first and only visit, but I do remember very much liking Montu! I remember it being relatively smooth, as B&Ms mostly are, but also packing a real punch! It was a long ride, but one that kept its momentum throughout, and it had many awesome inversions and moments of positive force! The one ride I had certainly sticks out as my favourite ride I’ve had on a B&M invert, and I remember really liking it at the time, but I’m unsure whether I’d rank it quite as highly now, as my tastes have changed slightly towards rides with more negative g’s and a wider variety of forces on offer as opposed to rides with little aside from positive g’s. Still, Montu is a fab invert, in my opinion! 9/10
8. SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa: As I alluded to in my musings about Oblivion above, this is probably a tentative ranking until I get a reride on SheiKra, but in spite of me now saying I rank Oblivion a bit higher, I did still really like SheiKra, from memory! The ride is massive, which adds a certain element of fear to it, and I remember the drops and big, swoopy elements being really nice! I really do need a reride, though; based on my recent experience with Oblivion, it might well end up pushing SheiKra up a few spots… 9/10
9. Oblivion - Alton Towers: Perhaps oddly given the one-note nature of it, Oblivion is a coaster I've really grown to love with time! This could admittedly be a tentative opinion until I get back on SheiKra, but to be honest, I actually think I like Oblivion more nowadays I think I like SheiKra slightly more, but Oblivion is fantastic in its own right; I love how concise it is, and although it doesn't do a lot, I think Oblivion does everything it has in its arsenal extremely well! The sense of speed on the drop is phenomenal; my dad always says to me whenever we ride it together that Oblivion feels like the fastest coaster he's ever done, and I can certainly see why he thinks that, as it really feels like you're flying at warpspeed through that tunnel! The airtime is also great, in my opinion; the drop itself provides an excellent moment of strong sustained airtime, and the hill into the brakes also provides a surprising bonus pop! The ride is also really smooth and comfortable, in my opinion; for a coaster of 23 years old, I think it's aged phenomenally, and I think that as OTSRs go, B&M's traditional ones are about as unobtrusive and comfortable as they come! Overall, while it might be short, I think Oblivion is certainly sweet! 9/10
10. Blue Fire - Europa Park: This is a lovely ride! The launch is punchy, the inversions are nice, the trains are comfortable, the hangtime is nice, it's smooth... Blue Fire is just overall a really, really nice coaster. It's rerideable, it's fun, and definitely something I enjoyed; what's not to like? And that last roll is amazing; definitely up there as one of my favourite inversions! However, if I'm being phenomenally picky, it just lacks a little something to make it truly top-tier for me, and I can't quite put my finger on what. I did feel that it lacked airtime for a ride of its type (although it's not really designed to be an airtime machine, I guess), and 1 or 2 of the transitions felt slightly unnatural, but I'm not sure that it was either of those things on its own. It might not help that it's in the same park as the absolutely phenomenal one-two punch of Silver Star and Wodan, but it's definitely not quite hitting my 10/10 tier based on the rides I had, and I definitely rank it lower than Icon, which surprised me slightly based off of most people seemingly preferring Blue Fire. Nevertheless, it's a really excellent coaster that I thoroughly enjoyed, and certainly deserves its place at #10; it's a great ride! 9/10

 

[Hutch]

Nothing new here, but some minor updates after this past weekend...

1. Steel Vengeance
2. Skyrush
3. Lightning Rod
4. Voyage
5. VelociCoaster
6. Ravine Flyer II
7. Twisted Timbers
8. Maverick
9. Storm Chaser
10. Nemesis

11. Phoenix
12. Mako
13. Phantom's Revenge
14. Wicked Cyclone
15. Nitro
16. Mystic Timbers
17. Millennium Force
18. Twisted Cyclone
19. Top Thrill Dragster
20. Goliath

21. Montu
22. Storm Runner
23. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
24. Fury 325
25. Lightning Run
26. Superman: The Ride
27. Manta
28. Diamondback
29. Stealth
30. Apollo's Chariot

Some updates.

1. Steel Vengeance
2. Skyrush
3. Lightning Rod
4. Voyage
5. VelociCoaster
6. Ravine Flyer II
7. Fury 325
8. Twisted Timbers
9. Maverick
10. Storm Chaser

11. Nemesis
12. Phoenix
13. Mako
14. Phantom's Revenge
15. Wicked Cyclone
16. Nitro
17. Mystic Timbers
18. Pantheon
19. Millennium Force
20. Twisted Cyclone

21. Top Thrill Dragster
22. Goliath
23. Montu
24. Storm Runner
25. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
26. Lightning Run
27. Superman: The Ride
28. Manta
29. Diamondback
30. Stealth

After keeping Fury out of the Top 20, some redemption rides deemed it worthy enough as a Top 10 contender. It's fast, powerful, has some great airtime, and is long. I can't put it any higher than 7, as everything higher ups the ante in the intensity.

Pantheon is really fun and super strange. Definitely one of the more unique rides in the list, purely for that swing launch. That bunny hill is one of the wildest airtime moments you'll find, and the rest of the elements are super fun as well. Couldn't get it any higher than 18... Mystics Timbers was definitely a clear reference, being a better ride with better pacing/consistency.

And sadly, Nemesis has dropped out of the Top 10. I have more love for that ride than coasters higher than it (including Fury), but unless I ride it again, it's going to continue to drop. Honestly, I fear that it might drop even more if I get back on it. It's been eight years! Longer than any other coaster in my Top 10.

 

[Matt N]

I also decided to try something else last night. Now, I wasn’t on here in my early years of theme park enthusiasm, so while I didn’t actually keep a top 10 until 2016, I’d ridden vastly less coasters in my earlier years, and I do have a fair recollection of what I thought of things at the time. So with that in mind, I decided to try and do 2 retrospective lists; a top 8 from 2013, when I’d only visited Alton Towers and my coaster count was only 8, and a top 10 from 2014/15, when I’d been to a few more parks and my coaster count was 25.

For clarity, this is not me simply ranking the coasters I’d ridden at the time according to my current preferences (the lists would look very different if I had done that). I tried putting myself in my own shoes from when I was between 10 and 12 years old, and based on what I remember my thoughts on rides being at that particular time, I decided to try and formulate a list that accurately reflected my preferences at the time. And even though I do of course say so myself here, I’d say that both are surprisingly accurate given what I remember my thoughts being!

Let’s start with the top 8 from 2013…
Matt N’s Top 8 from 2013
Age at the Time: 10 (I was only just tall enough to ride the largest coasters…)
Coaster Count: 8
Park Count: 1 (Alton Towers)

1. Rita - Alton Towers: As surprising as this might be now, Rita was actually my first ever number 1 coaster, and was my favourite coaster at Towers initially! I was just absolutely blown away by that hydraulic launch!
2. Nemesis - Alton Towers: One thing that has remained constant over the years is that I’ve always at very least really liked Nemesis. Even when I was 10 and oblivious to its sheer level of hype, I remember being blown away by the sheer speed and intensity of the ride! I think Rita’s launch just edged it for the first time ride on both, though.
3. The Smiler - Alton Towers: I rode this for the first time after a 2 hour queue at the end of our 2nd Alton Towers day in 2013, and I absolutely loved it! I loved the intensity, I loved the relentlessness of it, and I loved the overall feel of the ride! It didn’t quite leave the same impression on me as the above 2, though, which is why it’s #3.
4. Air - Alton Towers: I always loved this ride when I was younger, for some reason! I remember finding the flying position a cool novelty, and I always remember liking its smoothness and fun factor, but I don’t think the intensity was high enough for it to go any higher than #4 for me at the time, really.
5. Oblivion - Alton Towers: I was terrified to ride this for the first time (that drop into the hole looks so scary!), but I remember stepping off underwhelmed. “Is that it?” was the main thought passing through my 10 year old mind…
6. Thirteen - Alton Towers: Despite being rather underwhelmed by Oblivion above, I would still have said that it ranked slightly higher for me than Thirteen. Thirteen never made a particularly strong impression on me when I was younger, and rightly or wrongly, 10 year old me had the view that “higher height restriction automatically equals better ride”. I mainly remember the crypt scaring me a bit when I was younger…
7. Sonic Spinball - Alton Towers: I liked this somewhat more as a younger child than I do now, and I did always appreciate it for what it was, but I definitely saw it as a lower-tier ride compared to the big 6 at the time.
8. Runaway Mine Train - Alton Towers: I always had a soft spot for this, but I think I appreciated it a lot less at the time; as with Spinball above, 10 year old me simply saw it as a lower-tier ride compared to the big 6.

Now let’s try a top 10 from 2014/15…
Matt N’s Top 10 from 2014/15
Age at the Time: 11/12
Coaster Count: 25
Park Count: 6 (Alton Towers, Chessington, Thorpe Park, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
(New entries in bold, moved entries in italics)

1. The Swarm - Thorpe Park: I was well and truly floored by this when I first rode! I loved the winged seating position and the sense of speed, and at the time, it was the smoothest roller coaster I’d ever ridden! Some of those elements also felt truly insane at the time; my thoughts were something like “A drop where you turn upside down and then fly towards the ground at speed? A roll that hurls you out of your seat over the station? Utterly insane stuff!”, and I was well and truly blown away!
2. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - Universal Studios Florida: I was truly wowed by this when I first rode! I was pretty scared, but I absolutely loved HRRR after my first ride! From memory, it’s the first time I ever remember feeling airtime on a ride and picking up on it, with the non-inverted loop providing what felt like an amazing jolt of airtime, but that wasn’t really what did it for me. I think it was more the general size, speed and intensity of it that stuck out to me the first time I rode; I remember thinking it was absolutely massive, and so fast, and I remember being mind-blown at how a ride that massive had only a lap bar!
3. Stealth - Thorpe Park: I don’t have too much to say about my initial opinions of Stealth other than that I loved launches and this had an incredible one, so it was right up my alley!
4. Nemesis - Alton Towers
5. Rita - Alton Towers: During the 2014/15 period, the tables did turn a tad at Alton Towers, with me beginning to rate Nemesis over Rita. I don’t know why; perhaps riding Stealth kind of ruined Rita for me at the time? I still loved it, though… that launch was such a gut punch that still had me shocked every time!
6. The Smiler - Alton Towers
7. Incredible Hulk - Universal’s Islands of Adventure: As I said with Stealth, I loved launches at the time, and this had a very decent one! I also loved the intensity and found some of the inversions really great fun!
8. Nemesis Inferno - Thorpe Park: Interestingly, my initial thought when getting off Inferno for the first time was “it rides more like Air than Nemesis”. I found Inferno fun at the time, but I preferred the intensity of the original, and I found it more comparable to Air intensity-wise at the time.
9. Air - Alton Towers
10. Revenge of the Mummy - Universal Studios Florida: I did like this when I rode it for the first time, but I never remember enjoying it quite as much as the 2 more out and out thrill rides above. With that being said, however, I thought it was a fun ride; once again, anything with a launch was a winner for me at the time, and I did find the layout quite fun too!

Fascinating to see how my tastes have changed over the years… I definitely valued out and out intensity a lot more back when I was younger, whereas I value fun and rerideability more these days, and actually now think that too much intensity can be to a ride’s detriment.

It’s also interesting to think back to what kinds of rides I rated highly back then, and to see how some things that now rank fairly highly for me took a bit of time to grow on me as opposed to being instant hits…

 

[James F]

@Matt N out of interest, which of the Towers coasters was your very first coaster?

Sent from my SM-A217F using Tapatalk

 

[Matt N]

@Matt N out of interest, which of the Towers coasters was your very first coaster?

Sent from my SM-A217F using Tapatalk

I think it was Runaway Mine Train, although I’m not 100% sure, in all honesty. I’ve got it listed as Runaway Mine Train in my spreadsheet.

I know this sounds bizarre, but I actually started my coaster count from when I started getting properly into theme parks as opposed to for my entire lifetime. My start date for it was the 28th September 2013; while I know that sounds like a random arbitrary date, it does actually have some personal significance, as it was the first theme park visit I had where I was over 1.4m tall and it was the first time I ever rode any big rides.

In terms of why I do this; I wanted to track my personal journey as a theme park enthusiast. Although I’ll digress that completely forgetting about anything I did before becoming a theme park enthusiast when I initially did my coaster count was a pretty solid reason, as well; that was how I did it initially, so I just decided to stick with that… using this strategy did also help me because Captain Coaster, the site I count coasters on, doesn’t let you say you’ve ridden something unless you can rate it. I have at least a fair recollection of how I rated I’ve ridden since becoming an enthusiast, but I literally could not rate anything I rode earlier if I had a gun to my head…

 

[James F]

I think most people have to backtrack when doing a coaster count to be fair. I rode my first roller coaster (Woody Woodpeckers Nuthouse Coaster) when I was 3 and I couldn't even count back then.

I have always been into rollercoasters from a very young age so it's hard to pinpoint when I became an "Enthusiast" but I think the first top 10 I did was back in 2009 back when I was 13. I don't think I started counting coasters until 2015/16, so it involved some backtracking.

In the spirit of your last post, here is my first top 10 list from 2009.

1: Sheikra
2: Kraken
3: Rock n Roller Coaster
4: Stealth
5: Kumba
6: Oblivion
7: Dueling Dragons (when they dueled)
8: Incredible Hulk
9: Nemesis
10: Air

So Flordia mainly.



Sent from my SM-A217F using Tapatalk

 

[Eyebrows]

Since my last ranking, I've ridden Pantheon and thought a lot about my top 10, as well as migrated my rankings to CaptainCoaster. All this will change again soon but I wanted to get this out before I add anything from Carowinds or Holiday World in two or three weeks.

(Changes and new additions in bold)

1: Intimidator 305 (0)
2: Skyrush (0)
3: VelociCoaster (0)
4: Twisted Timbers (0)
5: Phoenix (0)
6: Pantheon (New) - Very very very good. A glass smooth new Intamin with incredible air and fun whippy inversions. I only got one ride on this, so I definitely need to come back here to fully form my opinion on this ride. Tentative placement here.
7: El Toro (-1)
8: Lightning Rod (-1)
9: Flying Aces (+4) - Here's one that came out of nowhere. I was browsing my rankings when I noticed how far down I had this. My judgement of this ride is clouded because I rode it before I actually became an enthusiast, but comparing POVs to my limited memory of this ride "unlocked" something in my head, and I remembered just how much I really like this ride. An unintended side effect of this is that my top 10 is now 60% Intamin.
10: Beast (-2)

Pushed out of my top 10 are Kumba and Thunderhead, two great rides. I don't take removing Kumba lightly, but I finally feel happy with my rankings like this, so it'll stay here at least until I get a reride.

 

[Youngster Joey]

2nd post pandemic trip update

Hit up Sesame Place, Six Flags Great Adventure and Morey's Piers (along with a trip to seabreeze a few weeks back). (new additions in bold)

1: Steel Vengeance
2: Lightning Rod
3: Voyage
4: Storm Chaser
5: Twisted Timbers
6: Outlaw Run
7: Goliath (SFGrAm)
8: Shambhala
9: Phoenix
10: X2
11: Leap the Dips
12: Phantom's Revenge
13: Lightning Run
14: Thunderbird
15: Space Mountain (WDW)
16: Maverick
17: Oscar's Wacky Taxi
18: Matterhorn Bobsleds
19: Superman (SFNE)
20: Twisted Colossus
21: El Toro
22: Tatsu
23: Leviathan
24: Mystic Timbers
25: Nitro
26: Fury 325
27: Boulder Dash
28: Ravine Flyer II
29: Top Thrill Dragster
30: Great White (Morey's)
31: Wicked Cyclone
32: Banshee
33: Afterburn
34: Firechaser Express
35: Bobsleds

I have to tell you all I was not expecting RMC ejector to try to murder my legs on Oscar's Wacky Taxi and I'm here for it. Easily my favorite of the 3 Family GG's I've ridden.

Nitro was running REAL well in the 103 degree heat. Jersey Devil sadly spited me.

Great White in the pitch black at night after raining for 7 hours was quite the incredible experience it was HAULING. earlier in the day we maybe made it up a quarter of the lift hill before the chain took over, on that night ride the chain picked us up at least half way up the lift hill if not further. Just a crazy experience that's probably not ever going to be replicated again.

Also shout out to Great Nor'Easter for showing to me how good SLC's would actually be without the **** trains and restraints

Finally after having re-ridden bobsleds I learned they retracked and profiled the ride. It's a much smoother ride experience but because of that what really made it great and special for me was the janky ejector you'd get because of the profile of the ride and that's just neutered and not there anymore. It's just not the same ride it was my entire life anymore. It will probably live in that spot forever for nostalgia reasons and all the great fond memories i have of my rides on it (hell its the ride that sparked my enthusiasm) but if I was ranking the ride objectively for what it is now it'd be no where close to my actual rankings.

I've hit a few major parks and gotten to ride or re-ride a bunch of top notch coasters since my last post so I guess it's about time to upate this. For sake of ease I've added a 0 coaster slot to allow for my nostalgia fueled ride I'll love no matter how good (or now bad as is the case) it may be. (new rides in bold, new rank based on re-rides in italics)

0: Bobsleds (Seabreeze)
1: Steel Vengeance
2: Lightning Rod
3: Voyage
4: Storm Chaser
5: Twisted Timbers
6: Outlaw Run
7: Goliath (SFGrAm)
8: Shambhala
9: Phoenix
10: Iron Gwazi
11: X2
12: Leap the Dips
13: Phantom's Revenge
14: Jurrasic World Velocicoaster
15: Fury 325
16: Lightning Run
17: Pantheon
18: Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
19: Thunderbird
20: Space Mountain (WDW)
21: Maverick
22: Oscar's Wacky Taxi
23: Matterhorn Bobsleds (Tomorrowland side)
24: Twisted Colossus
25: Superman the Ride (SFNE)
26: El Toro
27: Afterburn
28: Montu
29: Mako
30: Top Thrill Dragster
31: Mystic Timbers
32: Hurricane (Fun Spot Kissimee)
33: Ravine Flyer II
34: Firechaser Express
35: Flying Turns

Parks Hit since last update I can remember: Both Busch Gardens, Sea World San Diego and Sea World Orlando, Both florida Fun spots, Universal Studios (FL) and Islands of Adventure, Belmont Park, Knott's, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Carowinds, Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure.

I suspect there's some rides in there that would fall in my rankings if I managed to re-ride them but I can only really go with my memories of how the ride was while I rode it while ranking.

 

[Hutch]

Stealth drops out of the Top 30, but thanks to another European coaster.

1. Steel Vengeance
2. Skyrush
3. Lightning Rod
4. Voyage
5. VelociCoaster
6. Ravine Flyer II
7. Fury 325
8. Twisted Timbers
9. Maverick
10. Storm Chaser

11. Nemesis
12. Phoenix
13. Shambhala
14. Mako
15. Phantom's Revenge
16. Wicked Cyclone
17. Nitro
18. Mystic Timbers
19. Pantheon
20. Millennium Force

21. Twisted Cyclone
22. Top Thrill Dragster
23. Goliath
24. Montu
25. Storm Runner
26. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
27. Lightning Run
28. Superman: The Ride
29. Manta
30. Diamondback

 

[Youngster Joey]

Stealth drops out of the Top 30, but thanks to another European coaster.

1. Steel Vengeance
2. Skyrush
3. Lightning Rod
4. Voyage
5. VelociCoaster
6. Ravine Flyer II
7. Fury 325
8. Twisted Timbers
9. Maverick
10. Storm Chaser

11. Nemesis
12. Phoenix
13. Shambhala
14. Mako
15. Phantom's Revenge
16. Wicked Cyclone
17. Nitro
18. Mystic Timbers
19. Pantheon
20. Millennium Force

21. Twisted Cyclone
22. Top Thrill Dragster
23. Goliath
24. Montu
25. Storm Runner
26. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
27. Lightning Run
28. Superman: The Ride
29. Manta
30. Diamondback

Shambhala is SO. DAMN. GOOD.

 

[Hyde]

I also decided to try something else last night. Now, I wasn’t on here in my early years of theme park enthusiasm, so while I didn’t actually keep a top 10 until 2016, I’d ridden vastly less coasters in my earlier years, and I do have a fair recollection of what I thought of things at the time. So with that in mind, I decided to try and do 2 retrospective lists; a top 8 from 2013, when I’d only visited Alton Towers and my coaster count was only 8, and a top 10 from 2014/15, when I’d been to a few more parks and my coaster count was 25.

For clarity, this is not me simply ranking the coasters I’d ridden at the time according to my current preferences (the lists would look very different if I had done that). I tried putting myself in my own shoes from when I was between 10 and 12 years old, and based on what I remember my thoughts on rides being at that particular time, I decided to try and formulate a list that accurately reflected my preferences at the time. And even though I do of course say so myself here, I’d say that both are surprisingly accurate given what I remember my thoughts being!

Let’s start with the top 8 from 2013…
Matt N’s Top 8 from 2013
Age at the Time: 10 (I was only just tall enough to ride the largest coasters…)
Coaster Count: 8
Park Count: 1 (Alton Towers)

1. Rita - Alton Towers: As surprising as this might be now, Rita was actually my first ever number 1 coaster, and was my favourite coaster at Towers initially! I was just absolutely blown away by that hydraulic launch!
2. Nemesis - Alton Towers: One thing that has remained constant over the years is that I’ve always at very least really liked Nemesis. Even when I was 10 and oblivious to its sheer level of hype, I remember being blown away by the sheer speed and intensity of the ride! I think Rita’s launch just edged it for the first time ride on both, though.
3. The Smiler - Alton Towers: I rode this for the first time after a 2 hour queue at the end of our 2nd Alton Towers day in 2013, and I absolutely loved it! I loved the intensity, I loved the relentlessness of it, and I loved the overall feel of the ride! It didn’t quite leave the same impression on me as the above 2, though, which is why it’s #3.
4. Air - Alton Towers: I always loved this ride when I was younger, for some reason! I remember finding the flying position a cool novelty, and I always remember liking its smoothness and fun factor, but I don’t think the intensity was high enough for it to go any higher than #4 for me at the time, really.
5. Oblivion - Alton Towers: I was terrified to ride this for the first time (that drop into the hole looks so scary!), but I remember stepping off underwhelmed. “Is that it?” was the main thought passing through my 10 year old mind…
6. Thirteen - Alton Towers: Despite being rather underwhelmed by Oblivion above, I would still have said that it ranked slightly higher for me than Thirteen. Thirteen never made a particularly strong impression on me when I was younger, and rightly or wrongly, 10 year old me had the view that “higher height restriction automatically equals better ride”. I mainly remember the crypt scaring me a bit when I was younger…
7. Sonic Spinball - Alton Towers: I liked this somewhat more as a younger child than I do now, and I did always appreciate it for what it was, but I definitely saw it as a lower-tier ride compared to the big 6 at the time.
8. Runaway Mine Train - Alton Towers: I always had a soft spot for this, but I think I appreciated it a lot less at the time; as with Spinball above, 10 year old me simply saw it as a lower-tier ride compared to the big 6.

Now let’s try a top 10 from 2014/15…
Matt N’s Top 10 from 2014/15
Age at the Time: 11/12
Coaster Count: 25
Park Count: 6 (Alton Towers, Chessington, Thorpe Park, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida, Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
(New entries in bold, moved entries in italics)

1. The Swarm - Thorpe Park: I was well and truly floored by this when I first rode! I loved the winged seating position and the sense of speed, and at the time, it was the smoothest roller coaster I’d ever ridden! Some of those elements also felt truly insane at the time; my thoughts were something like “A drop where you turn upside down and then fly towards the ground at speed? A roll that hurls you out of your seat over the station? Utterly insane stuff!”, and I was well and truly blown away!
2. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - Universal Studios Florida: I was truly wowed by this when I first rode! I was pretty scared, but I absolutely loved HRRR after my first ride! From memory, it’s the first time I ever remember feeling airtime on a ride and picking up on it, with the non-inverted loop providing what felt like an amazing jolt of airtime, but that wasn’t really what did it for me. I think it was more the general size, speed and intensity of it that stuck out to me the first time I rode; I remember thinking it was absolutely massive, and so fast, and I remember being mind-blown at how a ride that massive had only a lap bar!
3. Stealth - Thorpe Park: I don’t have too much to say about my initial opinions of Stealth other than that I loved launches and this had an incredible one, so it was right up my alley!
4. Nemesis - Alton Towers
5. Rita - Alton Towers: During the 2014/15 period, the tables did turn a tad at Alton Towers, with me beginning to rate Nemesis over Rita. I don’t know why; perhaps riding Stealth kind of ruined Rita for me at the time? I still loved it, though… that launch was such a gut punch that still had me shocked every time!
6. The Smiler - Alton Towers
7. Incredible Hulk - Universal’s Islands of Adventure: As I said with Stealth, I loved launches at the time, and this had a very decent one! I also loved the intensity and found some of the inversions really great fun!
8. Nemesis Inferno - Thorpe Park: Interestingly, my initial thought when getting off Inferno for the first time was “it rides more like Air than Nemesis”. I found Inferno fun at the time, but I preferred the intensity of the original, and I found it more comparable to Air intensity-wise at the time.
9. Air - Alton Towers
10. Revenge of the Mummy - Universal Studios Florida: I did like this when I rode it for the first time, but I never remember enjoying it quite as much as the 2 more out and out thrill rides above. With that being said, however, I thought it was a fun ride; once again, anything with a launch was a winner for me at the time, and I did find the layout quite fun too!

Fascinating to see how my tastes have changed over the years… I definitely valued out and out intensity a lot more back when I was younger, whereas I value fun and rerideability more these days, and actually now think that too much intensity can be to a ride’s detriment.

It’s also interesting to think back to what kinds of rides I rated highly back then, and to see how some things that now rank fairly highly for me took a bit of time to grow on me as opposed to being instant hits…

I feel like I should rename this thread to Matt N's Multiverse of Madness.

 

[Matt N]

I feel like I should rename this thread to Matt N's Multiverse of Madness.

In my defence, my last post in here prior to the recent Europa Park buzz was in October 2021, so I managed a near 6 month hiatus.

But I am very indecisive… even one park visit can change my list a surprising amount!

 

[Eyebrows]

After two days at Holiwood Nights:

(Changes and new additions in bold)

1: Voyage (New)

That’s all

 

[jmg.ai]

Re: Top 10: 2013 Edition

1. Maverick (CP)
2. Fury 325 (CW)
3. The Beast (KI)
4. Mystic Timbers (KI)
5. Copperhead Strike (CW)
6. Steel Vengeance (CP)
7. Raptor (CP)
8. Goliath (SFGAM)
9. Diamondback (KI)
10. Banshee (KI)

I really like roller coasters that give great rides while also having a lot of character, adds to the experience. I think my top 3 all have tons of character, especially compared to copy and pasted Six Flags clones. This list is out of 42 credits, mainly CP CW and KI, with a packed half day at SFGAM.

 

[Youngster Joey]

1. Maverick (CP)
2. Fury 325 (CW)
3. The Beast (KI)
4. Mystic Timbers (KI)
5. Copperhead Strike (CW)
6. Steel Vengeance (CP)
7. Raptor (CP)
8. Goliath (SFGAM)
9. Diamondback (KI)
10. Banshee (KI)

I really like roller coasters that give great rides while also having a lot of character, adds to the experience. I think my top 3 all have tons of character, especially compared to copy and pasted Six Flags clones. This list is out of 42 credits, mainly CP CW and KI, with a packed half day at SFGAM.

...Why did you feel the need to quote a post of mine from 2013...

 

[Hutch]

Another new entry that kicks out Diamondback.

1. Steel Vengeance
2. Skyrush
3. Lightning Rod
4. Voyage
5. VelociCoaster
6. Ravine Flyer II
7. Fury 325
8. Twisted Timbers
9. Maverick
10. Storm Chaser

11. Nemesis
12. Phoenix
13. Shambhala
14. Mako
15. Phantom's Revenge
16. Wicked Cyclone
17. Nitro
18. Mystic Timbers
19. Pantheon
20. Millennium Force

21. Twisted Cyclone
22. Top Thrill Dragster
23. Goliath (Over Georgia)
24. Montu
25. Storm Runner
26. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
27. Lightning Run
28. Goliath (Great America)
29. Superman: The Ride
30. Manta

Of all the RMC's I've ridden, Goliath is the most different from all of them, but it's also easily the weakest.

It's an awesome ride, but it really does come down to its length. I'd be a little more forgiving if there were a couple more standout elements to make up for that short ride time.

 

[James F]

*Energylandia has entered the chat*

1: Hyperion
I am honestly shocked that this has become my new number 1. I knew it was going to be good, but I didn't think I'd rate it over the zany Kondaa or the nearby RMC. The First three elements on this ride are out of this world. The first drop and 1st airtime hill feel almost illegal with the amount of airtime they produce, especially in the back. Yeah it rides a bit rattley towards the end, but the sensation of speed and forces more than make up for it, considering I was expecting it to be furious baco rough it felt like silk.

2: Helix (-1)
It feels kind of sad to drop this from the number 1 spot as it has been there since 2017. Helix is still an outstanding coaster for me. It's like a no limits coaster, but in real life. It's the perfect coaster for variety, if you want airtime, hangtime and positive G's all in one coaster.

3: Zadra
My first RMC. Hopefully I am starting to shred my "basic" status. I tried not to overhype this one, but at the same time it's ranked as a top tier RMC, so it's hard not to get excited about. It didn't disappoint. The airtime is great throughout the entire ride. The inversions are whippy, but enjoyable. My favourite element is either the first drop or zero G stall. Zadra definitely feels more aggressive later on in the day similar to Kondaa. So it delivered on high expectations although I don't think anything surprised me enough to rank it higher.

4: Karnan (-2)
The award for the most terrifying coaster still goes to Karnan. Amazing first drop and a forceful layout that follows. The theming and super top secret surprise really add to it as well.

5: Kondaa (-2)
Intamin's wacky Mega-coaster features some incredible airtime and truly bizarre elements, it is as smooth as glass and the little bunny hills at the end really pack a punch.

6: Shambhala (-2)
The most graceful coaster I have experienced. This is how you do good floater.

7: Taron (-2)
Taron is already a fast coaster, but if when you have buildings and track flying at you as you twist side to side it feels like you are going at twice the speed.

8: Sheikra (-2)
I admit it's the odd one here, but Sheikra is honestly brilliant in my opinion. I think it's the suspense that really makes it, when you feel the train crawl over a 200ft turn and you see the edge coming towards you, it still makes me a little nervous to this day.

9: Wodan (-2)
After you plunge down that first drop there is no time to breathe on Wodan. The pacing is just remarkable.

10: Icon (-2)
Just about holding it to my top 10. Icon is the closest thing to Helix within the UK, so that's probably why I rate it so highly.

11: Silver Star (-2)
12: Kraken (-2)

13: Abyssus
Abyssus gets significantly better later on in the day, my morning ride felt like it was a solid coaster, but nothing special, but my evening ride in the back row really bumped this one up. Some nice pops of airtime (especially the turn diving under the station) and the inversions feel fairly whippy, the launches are decent, but not as good as Intamins LSM's.

14: Stealth (-3)
15: Rock N Roller Coaster (-3)
16: Cheetah Hunt (-3)
17: Dragon Khan (-3)
18: Nemesis (-3)
19: Black Mamba (-3)
20: Blue Fire Megacoaster (-1) bumped up 3 spots after my Europa Park visit this May, then dropped a spot because of Energylandia.

 

[caffeine_demon]

Following Poland and europa park trips, 2 new entries (inc new number 1):


was:
1 - Skyrush
2 - Wicked Cyclone
3 - Formula Rossa
4 - Colossos -
5 - Taron
6 - Untamed
7 - Bizarro (SFNE)
8 - Sliver Star
9 - Oziris
10- Formula (energylandia)


Now
1 - Zadra - Perfect pacing, and OHHH - that stall, also doesn't suffer from the shin squish as much as wildfire, ridiculously reridable

2 - Skyrush ridculous amounts of Non stop airtime, and great wherever you sit, ridden around 20 times over 2 visits

3 - Wicked Cyclone Doesn't seem to have anything "spectacular", but does it all very well, only had 2 rides on it, but is clearly very special

4 - Formula Rossa A coaster that totally exceded my expectations - got about 5 rides on it during 1 visit

5 - Colossos - Can't believe there are people who thgink this has no airtime, rode on 2 visits before the retrack, and on one visit since (about 20 ish rides overall)- lovely fun airtime wherever wherever you sit! Maybe a little too "polite"

6 - Taron Brilliantly themed, Brilliantly operated, consistent throughout the train, Beautifully designed, cracking transitions, lovely pops of air - just has everything!

7 - Untamed Relentless airtime and inversions, lovely layout, good in most seats, lower than wicked cyclone because those leg restraints are a bit uncomfortable, rode just under 10 times on a blisteringly hot july day....

8 - Bizarro (SFNE) Was my number one after my first visit, dropped a bit, bacause one of the trains was giving a less comfy ride than the other, still fab airtime though. Ridden about 10 times

9 - Lech coaster - My second visit persuaded me that this is worthy of a top 10 place - despite being so intense, it's just great for 2 or 3 rides on a visit.

10 - Sliver Star Ridden on 2 visits, about 15 laps, first time was average, second time was almost as much fun as colossos, and didn't seem to have any bad rows


Oziris and Formula (energylandia) have just dropped out!

 

[Eyebrows]

After two days at Holiwood Nights:

(Changes and new additions in bold)

1: Voyage (New)

That’s all

It has come to my attention that, in my Voyage-induced stupor, I hadn’t actually posted my rankings. Whoops!

Featuring rides from Carowinds and Holiday World!

(Changes and new additions in bold)

1: Voyage (New) - Before I made this post, I thought I was finally ready to put a coherent thought about this ride into words. Then, I sat down to type this and I just couldn’t. Even during the day, with the trims active, there are so many amazing moments on this ride. Every time I try to write anything specific, a huge smile breaks out on my face and I get lost in thought about this ride. My first trimless ride is the only time a coaster has ever made me cry on-ride. I cried a single tear, and it had dried off by the time we hit the brakes. You honestly don’t need to pick a row, but if you do, choose row 11 or 12. Row 1 is not to be missed out on either. Oh my god that triple down. Oh my goodness gracious.
2: Intimidator 305 (-1)
3: Skyrush (-1)
4: Velocicoaster (-1)
5: Fury 325 (New) - It doesn’t feel like it, but it is new to me since my last actual ranking. This is an incredible ride. The drop in the back has unparalleled floater. The rest of this ride has so many awesome moments. Beautiful air throughout. A work of art. Ride it in row 8 for the air and row 1 for the speed.
6: Twisted Timbers (-2)
7: Phoenix (-2)
8: Pantheon (-2)
9: Storm Chaser (New) - Oh yeah, I went to Kentucky Kingdom too! This is a phenomenal RMC with some stellar moments. I prefer Twisted Timbers overall because it flows better and doesn’t let up, and Storm Chaser has a few dead spots. I would say that Storm Chaser’s best moments are better than Twisted Timbers’ best moments though. Ride it in the front or back, obviously. At this park you can lap either easily, at least when I went.
10: El Toro (-3)
11: Lightning Rod (-3)
12: Flying Aces (-3)
13: Beast (-3)
14: Raven (New) - Hey, would you look at that, a top 15! Now that I have over 150 coasters ridden, I can feel certain that I do in fact need 15 spaces to fit in all of my favorite rides. In regards to the ride itself, you may have been expecting a different woodie from Holiday World to be residing in my top 15. Yes, Legend is good, but I knew that going in. Legend was about as good as I expected it to be (a great wooden coaster, I have it at #25), but Raven blew me away. The first two drops give great air, and the helix gives awesome laterals combined with a beautiful view of Lake Rudolph, during the day with the view over the water or during the night with the fountain illuminated. You then climb out of the helix into a shallow drop, then climb back up. All is going as expected up until this point, it’s a fun little CCI. Here, at about the halfway point of the ride, Raven turns the **** up. Raven’s iconic drop, “the 5th drop” comes out of absolutely nowhere and just throws you out of your seat. The rest of the ride is insane laterals throughout and nonstop speed. When I got off I had to do a double take. “People say this is the worst ride here?” I have no idea what those people are on about, but if it means I can lap Raven during ERT, I’m fine with it. Ride this in the back, please.
15: Kumba (-4) - Oh hey, Kumba! Welcome back to the list!

 

[mewantcandy2]

Went back to Kennywood, BGW, Dollywood, IoA and Cedar Point since the last update and got Steel Vengeance and Velocicoaster. Lightning Rod was closed… Phantom’s Revenge still rips and I think the top 4 are more or less interchangeable.

Was a bit underwhelmed with Pantheon - was a great ride but I’m not sure it’s even the best coaster at the park. The swing launch is for sure unique but the rest of the elements could have packed a bit more punch.

1. Velocicoaster
2. Zadra
3. Steel Vengeance
4. Phantom's Revenge
5. Skyrush
6. Incredible Hulk
7. Nemesis
8. El Toro
9. Maverick
10. Twisted Timbers