Re: Top 10: 2013 Edition
I only got one new credit this year but it was up there.
1. Millennium Force- Don't see why the coaster community hates this one. It has great airtime, flying along the lake like that is amazing, you get a great view from the top, those overbanks pull just the right level of force, and the tense atmosphere created in the station is just one of those feelings that can't be described until you've felt it yourself.
2. Maverick- I got to ride this one in light rain and it was AWESOME. I thoroughly enjoyed the beating I took on that one due to the brisk nature of its layout and awesome launch.
3. Intimidator 305- This one and Maverick are close since they're essentially the same thing, but this one wasn't as choppy as Maverick and that's what got it a lower ranking. It's still an amazing ride, though, and anything that goes so fast that it needs trims to keep the wheels from melting will still be awesome when you ride it no matter how much they trim it.
4. Diamondback- It's the flagship attraction of my home park and needless to say, I'm pretty happy to live so close to it. I love how the area on which it's built is as secluded and away from the park as it is and the airtime this thing dishes out is awesome.
5. Wild Eagle- I do expect a lot of people to disagree with this one, but personally, I enjoyed flying around that mountaintop with nothing above or below me. The view is breathtaking, the theming in the ride area, while minimal, is well done, and it's an amazing ride on the front right side.
6. Intimidator- I think that a coaster plopped in the parking lot is as ugly as the next guy thinks it is, but for Intimidator, for some reason, it fits. It's big, tall, and fast, so putting it on flat ground with the hot Carolina sun beating down on it makes for a good ride. The trims do hurt it a bit but my favorite part still has to be the airtime and that awesome hammerhead.
7. Thunderhead- The only GCI I've ridden and I feel like I need more. This is my favorite wooden coaster due to how smooth it is compared to others and the fact that the roughness comes from the layout and not the track. Though when we went to Dwood this summer, I was wearing a belt with my shorts and the buckle added half an inch to my waist and I couldn't get my restraint down that extra click, turning me into a loose object for the coaster to throw around. Ouch! (But still fun! Can I do it again?
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8. The Beast- Another one of my favorite woodies, The Beast is known for its low-to-the-ground terrain layout and length, and even though it's pretty rough, whizzing past the trees like that is a lot of fun. And it's possibly the best ride in the park at night.
9. Alpengeist- Busch Gardens really outdid themselves with this one. This is just like any other good terrain-hugging B&M Invert but it's MASSIVE. I like the theme they chose, too, so that's why I like this one.
10. Volcano: The Blast Coaster- This seems like an RCT3 fantasy coaster brought to life, and both launches are stellar. The layout is a bit repetitive, but it has some good footchoppers and I rode it when there was a huge storm on the way, so the sky was all dark and ominous-looking.
Sorry for my long-winded explanation of everything.
The only real change I expect to be made is Gatekeeper landing somewhere in the bottom half of the list.