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Top 10(ish): 2024 Edition - page 124

Eyebrows said:
Well, my answer probably isn’t the one you’re looking for, but I’ll answer anyway. I had only ridden Skyrush before I actually became an enthusiast, so I had (and still am, to a lesser extent) based my rankings largely on memories. As a non-enthusiast I focused less on airtime, so Skyrush really impressed me when ridden with an enthusiast’s point of view. Something that helped it in my rankings a lot as well was lots of night rides during ERT. It was running incredible and the ops were (slightly) more lenient. Before the ERT, I was ready to move it up to #4, afterwards I moved it to #2.
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That’s fair enough, and I kind of agree that you do tend to review things differently once you become an enthusiast, so I can certainly understand why certain things might shoot up or go down when viewed from an enthusiast point of view in comparison to a non-enthusiast point of view!

Thanks for the answer @Eyebrows; glad you seemingly had a pleasurable visit to Hersheypark! Well, I assume it was a pretty pleasurable visit, given the 12 rides on your number 2 coaster Skyrush and the entry of Candymonium into your top 10…
 
(changes and new additions in bold)

After two days at Knoebels:

1. i305 (0)
2. Skyrush (0)
3. Twisted Timbers (0)
4. Phoenix (New) - I hate to repeat myself but holy **** holy **** holy **** holy **** holy **** holy **** holy **** holy **** holy **** holy **** holy **** how the hell is this legal?? Dear god, this shouldn’t be allowed! Everything you’ve heard about this ride is true. Ride in rows 1, 3, or 12. (also sorry Talon)
5. El Toro (-1)
6. Beast (-1)
7. Kumba (-1)
8. Mystic Timbers (-1)
9. Flying Aces (-1)
10. Candymonium (-1)
 
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Matt N said:
Please don’t kill me, Skyrush fans, but I have to say; I think Candymonium actually excites me more than Skyrush within Hersheypark.
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Skyrush definitely has the worst restraints I’ve ever experienced. But if — and it is a big if — one can get past those restraints enough to concentrate on the experience of the coaster ride itself, Skyrush is one of the most intense steel coasters on the planet. The drops especially feel like cliff leaps. The aggression in general is like ExGF’s far feistier younger brother.

I love a great B&M hyper, absolutely, but for me a B&M hyper compared with Skyrush is like a pleasant horse ride along a country lane versus the white-hot insanity of a bucking bronco.
 
Matt N said:
Sorry for double posting, but why is it that Skyrush seems to be flying up so many lists as of late? From memory, I think @Snoo and @Eyebrows both notably raised their rankings of Skyrush, and I could have sworn there were more people who raised it a fair amount following a revisit; has the ride been running particularly well as of late or something?

Please don’t kill me, Skyrush fans, but I have to say; I think Candymonium actually excites me more than Skyrush within Hersheypark. Don’t get me wrong, the ride looks absolutely insane, and the ejector looks almost like it shouldn’t exist because it's so strong, but if the restraints are as painful as they’re commonly made out to be, then I feel like that’s the kind of thing that would bother me, personally…
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Well.. I think the adjustments over the years as well as the flood of enthusiasts returning to parks have seen that. Hell, I rode SR last year and it was meh but marathoning it this year just felt right. The ride cooked and was fantastic doing it.

Candy is a GREAT ride, no doubt one of my favorite, if not my favorite B&M Hyper, but not in the same vicinity of SkyRush tbh.

FistedColossus said:
I love B&M Hypers, even the lower rated ones (Raging Bull >>> Goliath).
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Fisted. No. Just no. No. No.
 
Ok.. last time I swear.. LITTLE MORE TWEAKING after sitting down. Moved up Phanny and moved around a few others having reridden them recently as I hadn't really sat down and looked past 15.

1 Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
2 Lightning Rod - Dollywood
3 Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce
4 Voyage - Holiday World
5 Goliath - Six Flags Great America
6 Fury 325 - Carowinds
7 Twisted Timbers - Kings Dominion
8 Jersey Devil - Six Flags Great Adventure
9 SkyRush - Hersheypark
10 El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure

11 Wildfire - Kolmarden
12 Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City
13 Storm Chaser - Kentucky Kingdom
14 Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee
15 Copperhead Strike - Carowinds
16 Orion - Kings Island
17 Afterburn - Carowinds
18 Phantom's Revenge - Kennywood
19 Maverick - Cedar Point
20 Boardwalk Bullet - Kemah Boardwalk
21 Wicked Cyclone - Six Flags New England
22 Nitro - Six Flags Great Adventure
23 Mystic Timbers - Kings Island
24 Top Thrill Dragster - Cedar Point
25 Phoenix - Knoebels
26 Lightning Run - Kentucky Kingdom
27 X2 - Six Flags Magic Mountain
28 Steel Curtain - Kennywood
29 Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa
30 Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa
 
MestnyiGeroi said:
I’m going to SFGAdv this Saturday and I’m going to ignore this in an effort to keep my expectations low. Assuming this is some sort of typo… :rolleyes:
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It's an excellent ride, but it seems to be affected by temperature and cycle count much more significantly than other rides. If you ride it first thing in the morning, you have to go back later in the day for a second opinion because I'm sure the ride will be running MUCH faster in the afternoon.
 
MestnyiGeroi said:
I’m going to SFGAdv this Saturday and I’m going to ignore this in an effort to keep my expectations low. Assuming this is some sort of typo… :rolleyes:
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What Antinos said. Those who have ridden it later as opposed to morning said it was moving faster significantly. It did also get better as we went on when we were there and we rode it some 15 times? I was underwhelmed from expectations after the first ride (Due to the Wonder Woman hype) but took it for what it was after no longer comparing it and loved it.

Do that, and you'll be good. Don't compare it to anything else. Just sit back, enjoy, and embrace it for what it is after youre done. You'll know then.
 
Hutch said:
Proud of you for getting rid of Banshee!
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Why is it that Banshee is so hated, out of interest?

Personally, I always thought it looked more up my street than most B&M inverts; I personally prefer the more smooth, fun and floaty B&Ms (often new B&Ms) to the more raw, intense B&Ms (often old B&Ms), and Banshee is one of the few inverts that looks fun & floaty, along with probably Oz’Iris and Monster. Banshee looks almost like they put a load of wing coaster elements onto an inverted coaster, and given how much I love the only wing coaster I’ve done (Swarm is my #4!), I always thought that boded pretty well for Banshee!

One of the things I love about Swarm is that the inversions are just absolutely fab; the first drop, the zero-g roll and the final inline twist in particular have sublime negative g-forces. Swarm also has a really nice balance between thrill/intensity and rerideability, so you get a kick out of it, but it’s not so intense that you feel ill after riding; too much intensity can inhibit rerideability for me, but Swarm doesn’t hit that level. It strikes a really nice balance.

So for that reason, I thought that Banshee looked to have lots of lovely negative g’s in its inversions, and also looked to strike the same nice balance between thrill and rerideability!
 
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Matt N said:
I personally prefer the more smooth... B&Ms
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You'll have to look elsewhere, as Banshee does not offer a smooth ride.

It's had a consistent rattle for years now. making every valley unenjoyable. But even if it was smooth, it'd still be a weak invert for me. I'm not a fan of the huge, drawn out inversions... they just don't really do anything. No snap, no intensity, they're just... there.

I prefer that floaty stuff on the wingriders (like Swarm, as you mentioned), and those are even more interesting with the seating arrangement.

If you want an invert that's smooth and not as intense, I'd recommend Great Bear. It's on the lower end of B&M inverts for me, but it's a big smooth ride with solid moments.
 
To each their own, but I never noticed much of a rattle at all on banshee (most recent KI visit would have been 2 years or so ago). I hear that from so many enthusiasts that it makes me wonder if I rode it in a parallel universe or something.

Though I understand rattle on B&M coasters varies a ton from ride to ride, from things like load distribution, rider height, weather conditions, etc. I likewise often heard that Superman at Fiesta Texas had a noticeable rattle, yet my first ride on it was so tame I could have taken a nap on it. Conversely, I find Rougaroo to be unpleasantly rough, but I've talked to people who think it's glass smooth. Who knows. I guess there's a lot of subjectivity involved too.
 
solarfall said:
To each their own, but I never noticed much of a rattle at all on banshee (most recent KI visit would have been 2 years or so ago). I hear that from so many enthusiasts that it makes me wonder if I rode it in a parallel universe or something.

Though I understand rattle on B&M coasters varies a ton from ride to ride, from things like load distribution, rider height, weather conditions, etc. I likewise often heard that Superman at Fiesta Texas had a noticeable rattle, yet my first ride on it was so tame I could have taken a nap on it. Conversely, I find Rougaroo to be unpleasantly rough, but I've talked to people who think it's glass smooth. Who knows. I guess there's a lot of subjectivity involved too.
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The build of the rider and how they fit into the restraints can affect that sort of thing too. For instance, my dad at 6’6” says that Saw at Thorpe is glass smooth, but I at 5’9.5” find it incredibly rough, and never fail to come off without a headache.
 
Matt N said:
Why is it that Banshee is so hated, out of interest?

Personally, I always thought it looked more up my street than most B&M inverts; I personally prefer the more smooth, fun and floaty B&Ms (often new B&Ms) to the more raw, intense B&Ms (often old B&Ms), and Banshee is one of the few inverts that looks fun & floaty, along with probably Oz’Iris and Monster. Banshee looks almost like they put a load of wing coaster elements onto an inverted coaster, and given how much I love the only wing coaster I’ve done (Swarm is my #4!), I always thought that boded pretty well for Banshee!

One of the things I love about Swarm is that the inversions are just absolutely fab; the first drop, the zero-g roll and the final inline twist in particular have sublime negative g-forces. Swarm also has a really nice balance between thrill/intensity and rerideability, so you get a kick out of it, but it’s not so intense that you feel ill after riding; too much intensity can inhibit rerideability for me, but Swarm doesn’t hit that level. It strikes a really nice balance.

So for that reason, I thought that Banshee looked to have lots of lovely negative g’s in its inversions, and also looked to strike the same nice balance between thrill and rerideability!
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It was fantastic year 1. But I've ridden it many times in the last few years hoping it was just a one train or a time of year time deal but nope.. I've ridden it front to back, early to late, summer to fall.. its rattling pretty badly unfortunately. Diamondback had the same issue recently as well.

It's also more concerning because other, older rides are much smoother then a brand new B&M, which is probably the most annoying part of it.
 
Matt N said:
So for that reason, I thought that Banshee looked to have lots of lovely negative g’s in its inversions, and also looked to strike the same nice balance between thrill and rerideability!
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There's some decent hangtime on that last roll, but not much else in the realm of negative g's. The layout is mostly about positive g's.

I absolutely loved my Banshee rides in 2018 and 2019, so I used to roll my eyes when I heard other enthusiasts Banshee bashing because of a rattle. This year was a different story. I've had two separate trips to KI this June, and got on Banshee both days. First trip I got a back row ride. The layout felt much less interesting than I remembered, and there was a NASTY rattle. I got off thinking "Well that was a ride" and had no interest in waiting for a second lap.

On my next trip I had a fastlane, and thought I'd give it another go. Maybe my previous trip had just been a bad day? Front row ride this time, and even in the front row it was one of the shakiest rides I've ever had on a B&M. For the second time I had absolutely no interesting in a reride. Just out of curiosity, (and because I'm apparently a glutton for punishment) I decided to take a spin on Invertigo for comparison. Thanks to the fastlane I only had about 10 minutes between the two rides, and the rattle on Banshee was significantly worse than on the 22-year-old vekoma.

I also enjoy smooth, floaty elements mixed with positives, so Banshee should be a great ride. Unfortunately when it's running like this it seriously diminishes the experience.
 
Can't believe I forgot to update this?!? Rode Jersey Devil a few weeks ago, and, while it needed some time to warm up, that first half ended up riding viciously after an hour of operation. Lovely, lovely stuff.

  1. Lightning Rod- Still not confident in putting this above SteVe, but I did so for a variety of reasons. One is that my memories associated with LRod are still among my favorite I've had at a park. Those ERT night rides just a few days after opening where that coaster was hauling WAY too fast. Bragging rights I have not attained before or since. Then, there's the layout. As great as SteVe's maximalist approach to airtime is, I have some major gripes with it. The biggest of which is how unmemorable the elements of its second half are. Don't get me wrong: the second half of SteVe is probably the greatest stretch of coaster track out there. But, for me, I prefer a layout with distinctive elements and moments. The way SteVe handles itself is to get lost in its structure, getting airtime whenever and however it can. I like how LRod is so simple in its approach. You can list off its elements by hand: launch, first drop, wave turn, outward high five kinda wave turn, airtime hill, quad down, turnaround. Lastly, and simultaneously the most surface level and personal, is the park it's in. I just want my favorite coaster to be in a park that is quintessentially southern. After 5 years in NYC, I've come around to my love of the southern USA, flaws and all. And I just love the prospect of my favorite coaster being in this park that is all about that part of the country. Not only that but also in a park named after the queen herself: Dolly Parton.
  2. Steel Vengeance- Still though, SteVe is the best coaster I've ridden. I may not prefer the maximalist approach in general with coaster layouts, but SteVe takes maximalism to such an extreme that it becomes a category of coaster unto itself. There really are two types of coasters: Steel Vengeance and everything else.
  3. Helix- People who don't think Helix is one of the best coasters on the planet are CRAZY. What more could you ask for?!? It's got the most fully realized layout of any coaster. Floater airtime, ejector airtime, lateral airtime, hangtime, launches, and terrain hugging positive Gs all over the place. Then, you've got one of the greatest settings for a coaster on a hillside in the downtown of a Swedish city. THEN, you've got the best trains on any coaster. What other coaster train could I fall asleep in? THENNNN, you've got the sheer length of it. Providing 7 inversions, two launches, and about as large a variety of forces that you can ask for. Even as I'm typing this out, I'm wondering how on earth this isn't my favorite coaster.
  4. Outlaw Run- This was the coaster that I grew up with. I visited every year during my most formative coastering years, 2013-2017. I haven't ridden it since, but my memories of it are as strong as ever. Even among RMC's topper track offerings, Outlaw feels distinctly wooden. I think ElToroRyan said it best when he talked about how the steel wheels and the track create this riding sensation that's to die for. It just tears through the woods with element after element of iconic RMC airtime. Then, there's how the ride felt in its opening year. It's hard to understand how unique this coaster felt at the time. Sure, we had amazing coasters like El Toro and the Voyage to define just how far wooden coasters could go. But, Outlaw Run was truly the next generation of wooden coaster. It had the flexibility of a steel coaster with the distinct feel of a wood coaster.
  5. El Toro- The biggest jump of any coaster I've ridden. It is my home coaster, more or less. And, I've ridden it more than any other coaster. I would like to argue, here and now, that El Toro is the best paced coaster I've ridden. From a sheer storytelling standpoint, it's flawless. A fast chain lift into a slow turnaround creates a perfect sense of anticipation. Then the unreal first drop, where it feels like level ground you're sitting on is being pulled out from under your feet. Two perfectly placed airtime hills with intense ejector that lasts just long enough. The coaster turns around with a distinctive wood coaster crunch in its valley. Next is the most important part of the ride: the quick break. I've heard criticism of the airtimeless hill between the turnaround and rolling thunder hill, and I used to be a part of that criticism. However, after 40+ rides, I think it's vital to making the ride feel substantial. Much like how a third act only feels climactic because of the lull at the end of the second act. It is a quick breather before the best part of the ride. You might think I'm speaking of the rolling thunder hill, which is a part of the highlight of the ride. However, my favorite moment on the ride is the twister section. It tears through this section like nobody's business, with strong positive Gs making the track scream out. Every time the coaster hits this section, I'm reminded why this is one of my favorites. It finally finds its way to the brake run, ending one of the most perfectly constructed rides ever built.
  6. Taron - Taron is one helluva coaster. The way it weaves over and around both itself and the land it dominates is such a pleasure to watch and to ride. Just a shame that it's at such a mediocre park (ducks and hides).
  7. Skyrush- This coaster feels like a mistake. Like somebody put the wrong numbers into a coaster designing program. From its lethal quirk on the first drop to its "who in their right mind would put this airtime hill so low" first two airtime hills to its far too aggressive banking changes to its restraints that are designed for the ultimate sense of freedom and ultimate sense of pain, it just feels like a science experiment gone wrong. A science experiment that cost $25 million and is now a staple of one of the most popular parks in the country. Who let this happen?
  8. Voyage- The best coaster layout. Never before or since has there been such a clever use of terrain on a coaster. Climbing up a hill only to fall back down it, which ends up with a coaster over a mile long that somehow feels faster hitting the brakes than it did after the first drop. I'm dying to get back on this one. It has absolutely everything I love about a coaster, and it should be higher up. However, I last rode it in 2016. And it was absolutely brutal. Among the roughest coasters I've ever ridden. I hear nothing but immense praise for how it's been riding after 2020, and I could easily see this shooting up the list once I can reride. Lastly, I cannot express in words how lethal a moonless night ride on this is. Riders be warned... it's a lot.
  9. X2- The highest placed coaster I've only ridden once. And what a ride it was!! Front row during the sunset with no idea just what I was in for. Still, I have so much trouble placing any coaster I've only ridden once. It remains one of the best single coaster rides I've had, but the flaws in its experience were apparent even in that one go. It starts and ends as well as a coaster can, but it has a very laggy middle as it quite literally shuffles its way to the second raven turn. Really need to get back on this.
  10. Phoenix- Went on a rant just a few pages back. Needless to say Phoenix SLAPS.
  11. Beast- Far and away the toughest coaster to rank. I haven't ridden this since my two rides in 2012 as a young and starry eyed enthusiast. However, it blew me away, and I still hold immense respect for it. It can be hard to understand just how revolutionary this coaster was. Built with the same mindset as a backyard coaster, it's one of the most impressively crafted ride experiences in the world. Sure, it may not have any airtime and can seem like a series of straight track. But, that, to me, seems like such a wasteful way to view an experience like this. There's no other coaster that seems to defy what a coaster should be. It plays by its own rules, completely outside what enthusiasts would consider a good ride. Its emphasis is on being a singular experience; a true beast of a ride. Going out miles into the middle of nowhere. Going out so far that it needs a second lift to even make it back. I still think of the Beast as the avant garde coaster. It breaks nearly every rule of coaster storytelling in an effort to create something completely new, and I think it fully succeeds. What other coaster reaches its top speed at an unknown moment; either after its second drop, before its second lift, or right before its climactic double helix. There has never been a coaster like the Beast before or since. It may not be a coaster enthusiast's definition of a great coaster, but I think that makes it all the more unique and worthwhile. I don't think every coaster needs to be an airtime machine or chock full of laterals. Some can simply be so fully themselves that they are their own genre of coaster. The Beast is the Beast, and no other coaster can make such a bold claim.
  12. Fury 325- I got a handful of rides on Fury in 2016, but it was such a rushed visit. I didn't get to know the coaster like I wish I could've. Still, the quality of the ride is extremely apparent. With an emphasis on trying to help the rider understand just how fast they're going, it's the ultimate realization of what a giga coaster can be. The same low to the ground turns and sense of speed that I305 has, but the GP can actually ride it. It's the opposite of everything I expect from a B&M, and I just love it for that.
  13. Boulder Dash- Ah Boulder Dash. One of the quintessential wooden coaster experiences. Hopping up and down a mountain for its first half then finishing with a fantastic plethora of airtime hills.
  14. Wildfire- The most beautiful coaster ever built with one of the best starts to a coaster. It really loses steam in its second half, but I can't help but still love it for its uniqueness.
  15. Untamed- My big issue with the smaller RMCs is they all bleed into one another. Much like SteVe's second half, it's a lack of distinctive elements in favor of squeezing airtime out of every moment possible. Of these smaller RMCs, Untamed is easily the best, if only for having its own distinctive elements throughout the layout. Still, I do find it a bit unmemorable as a totality. I think I may be spoiled by RMC at this point.
  16. Jersey Devil Coaster- When Jersey Devil is nice and warmed up, it HAULS. Easily one of the best first drops in the world followed by one of the best inversions in the world with its wondrous dive loop. A shame it loses so much steam in its MCBR and has a very lackluster finale. Still, everything leading into the MCBR is absolutely brilliant.
My God, what a monstrous post I've made!! Turns out I've got a lot to say on certain coasters.
 
Hutch said:
Should've been paying attention to this... I am indeed due for an update. No new creds but a few changes.

1. Steel Vengeance
2. Skyrush
3. Lightning Rod
4. Voyage - Moved up from No. 10... those trimless night rides man. If it was up to the night rides alone, I'd probably put it at No. 1, but the average day rides are still more of a lower Top 10 ride for me. I think 4 is a fair spot.
5. Ravine Flyer II
6. Maverick
7. Storm Chaser - Swapped places with Maverick. Wasn't running as fast as last year (apparently that's been the case all year), but still has some fantastic airtime.
8. Nemesis
9. Phoenix
10. Mako

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

21. Fury 325
22. Lightning Run
23. Fahrenheit
24. Diamondback
25. Superman: The Ride
26. Stealth
27. Intimidator
28. Manta
29. Kumba
30. Thunderbird - Decided to replace Gatekeeper with this, as I finally realized Thunderbird is indeed the better wingrider.
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Couple new entries and an old one welcomed back in.

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

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

21. Storm Runner
22. Fury 325
23. Lightning Run
24. Diamondback
25. Superman: The Ride
26. Stealth
27. Manta
28. Apollo's Chariot
29. Kumba
30. Intimidator 305


Twisted Timbers is a better version of Storm Chaser, and has better pacing than Maverick, earning its spot above those two rides.

It took me 8 years to re ride Apollo's Chariot, and while it's one of the weaker B&M hypers, that still makes it better than most coasters. It's smooth, has some fun airtime, and is very rerideable.

I struggled to squeeze Intimidator 305 on this list, but I figured I might as well squeeze it in for now as it'll inevitably be kicked out anyway pretty soon. If it wasn't for the first turn, it'd be much closer to Fury for me. 305 does a much better job with the speed and transitions than Fury does, but it's just not rerideable.

Losses:
Thunderbird was previously #30. It did its time.

Kicked out Intimidator, previously #26. It's my least favorite B&M hyper, and considering all the other hypers I have on this list, it's just not that necessary to include at this point.

I was kinda surprised to find that I had Fahrenheit at #23. It's a great looper and certainly unique, but I dunno, I didn't feel comfortable having it that high up.


I'm hoping to update my spreadsheet/stats at some point and share some of it with you all. I also would like to go back and see what my Top 10s were throughout the years... I remember when Storm Runner was a Top 10er... now it's all the way down in the 20s!
 
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