*Why* Is Your #1 Roller Coaster Your Favorite?

[Hyde]

We’ve explored various aspects of what makes roller coasters your favorite over the years (e.g., https://coasterforce.com/forums/threads/what-makes-a-favorite-coaster-for-you.42512/page-3). But I'm curious to delve more into the “why” behind your enjoyment of certain coasters over others. Or, put another way, what else contributes to your enjoyment of a roller coaster, beyond its statistics and ride experience? Is there a “newness” factor that plays a role? Exclusivity? (For instance, Eagle’s Fortress, a top-ranked Arrow suspended coaster that tragically met its end.) What else?

As more coaster enthusiasts flock to Falcon’s Flight, and (most likely) rank it as the top coaster, it felt appropo to pose the question - not to judge "if" enthusiasts are valid in their ranking of FF (or whatever your favorite roller coaster is), but exploring what else of a roller coaster we crave. I must admit that recency bias has influenced my coaster rankings over the years. For example, the debut of RMCs caused a surge in my counts of Outlaw Run, New Texas Giant, and Iron Rattler, but these coasters have since declined in my rankings to other, older coasters.

What are the reasons behind your enjoyment of your favorite roller coasters?

 

[Eyebrows]

My absolute favorite roller coasters (as of now, just Voyage and Pantherian) are the ones that have a certain unique effect on me that I can't get from another coaster. When I'm riding most coasters, I have a mindset that I can't shake where I'm actively thinking about the ride as I'm experiencing it. I don't necessarily mind it and I think it makes riding some coasters more rewarding, but I often find that I psych myself out trying to "live in the moment and enjoy it". Voyage and Pantherian both manage to shatter this mindset in vastly different ways, resulting in an experience I can only describe as "raw". Voyage at night is consistently just too much coaster for my brain to process in its typical analytical way, and I always end up simply holding on for dear life at the mercy of the ride by the time the second 90 degree bank hits. I liken it to a clicker in my head counting up to 9999 and then rolling over to 0000.

Though I consider Voyage my favorite, the singular rides on any coaster I cherish the most are actually the couple of times I rode Pantherian (then Intimidator 305) and fully lost consciousness on the first turn. The feeling upon waking back up on the giant airtime hill is indescribable. You regain your consciousness in phases as your brain fires back up from its hard reboot, first regaining sight, then awareness of your body, then touch, then remembering where you are, and then after ALL that you finally regain muscle control. Those first few seconds spent being able to see and know that your arms are pinned in the air despite you not putting them there, processing it all with the groggy mind of someone who has just been woken up unceremoniously from a nap, are otherworldly. And then I have the rest of what is still the most intense coaster layout ever to contend with afterwards, with no time to get myself into my discerning amusement park mindset. I don't know that anything else I ever do in my lifetime will top those Intimidator 305 rides.

 

[codeman94]

My number 1 has more to do with it being my favorite... than "the best." Millennium Force. I was 14 the year it opened, it was the tallest and fastest in the world, and just the fastest and smoothest thing I'd ever experienced. It was the rollercoaster that got me hooked on being an enthusiast. I wanted to know why I liked it so much, why it was so different than other coasters. More than the ride itself, it was the way the queue got so close to the ride, it was the comfort and freedom of the restraints, the length of the trains, the music in the station, the immediate lift, the elevator lift, the speed of the lift, the beautiful blue track... I just love the entire Millennium Force experience and always have. Even just at Cedar Point if someone were to day their favorite was Maverick, Steel Vengeance, Top Thrill 2, even Raptor... I'd say "great pick, Iove that ride!" But Millie holds a special place in my heart. My first love.

 

[Hyde]

Well said @codeman94!

The general thing I come back to is rideability as an undercurrent to top rankings. Put another way, if I were to ride the coaster back-to-back-to-back; would it still feel novel and thrilling? Or does the excitement and novelty wear off?

This type of metric is why my tallest roller coaster in my top 10 is only 206 ft., or how my top 10 fastest coasters ridden are complete no-show.

 

[ZeroG]

My new number one is Falcon's Flight. But, to explain why I need to discuss some of my other experiences...

Nothing contextualises my ratings better than my first trip to Energylandia last year. In my mind, prior to this trip, I adored a big lift hill, a big tall drop, and speed. I have (still) never done a giga coaster, but growing up I've always thought they would be the ultimate roller coasters for me. Hyperion was going to be awesome, I thought.

However, I had already been to Florida a few months prior, and Iron Gwazi had blown me away. I had been on Untamed before and I rate that fairly highly but not necessarily any higher than Kondaa and both were comfortably beaten (on the same trip) by Ride to Happiness, which had me struggling to keep my hands up and left me giggling in the brake run. It still frequently does, even after 10+ rides on it.

I went straight to Hyperion upon arriving at Energylandia and got a wing seat on the back row and... I was underwhelmed. It didn't feel as fast as I hoped. The drop didn't feel as big as I hoped. There were moments of air that were good, but nothing nearly as crazy as Hyperia (which I rate highly, just above RtH). It felt both too short, but also surprisingly slow at the end. It was good, but it wasn't what I dreamed it would be. I wasn't hugely surprised, I know it isn't rated that highly, but it is rated higher than Hyperia but - for me - it wasn't nearly as good.

Meanwhile, Zadra was an absolute beast. Somehow it felt faster. It felt way more out of control. It has 3 elements in the time Hyperion has one. It doesn't hold back. It lasts what feels to be a similar duration, but seemingly flies into its brake run with insane speed. It doesn't fizzle out. Every moment feels crazier and wilder than any on Hyperion. It leaves me giggling in the brake run and eager for another go.

I realised that there's two major things I want from a ride for it to compete for top spot - one of them is that it has to blow my mind. It has to leave me thinking "what the hell was that?". It has to deliver sensations faster than my brain can predict them. There's plenty of great roller coasters out there, but many of them don't quite elicit this sense from me. For me, RMC does it purely through their layouts very, very well. Better than anyone else.

But the other thing is that it has to be huge. Untamed feels a bit small to me, compared to the hyper RMCs, for example. And it just doesn't invoke the sense of childlike awe that a huge coaster does. This is why I rate Hyperia just above RtH. Hyperia is the tallest coaster in the country, it's an icon and staring up that lifthill excites my inner child.

For me Falcon's Flight is perfect. It is everything I thought giga coasters would be back when I was 10 years old. The speed and size are mind blowing. The layout is a dream. It is like a hero's journey story, or a symphony, with multiple parts: buildups, quiet moments, a final resounding crescendo and climax and finished with a resolution. It feels like you're Frodo going to Mordor, or something like that. Most tall coasters fizzle out, this doesn't. Most multi-launches don't have a slow, quiet and terrifying moment at great height, this does. And it definitely leaves me thinking "omg what was that" at the end. The big drop, launch and hill certainly ticks my box for being something I can't wrap my head around.

For me, nothing else will probably ever come close. It stands in a league of it's own.

 

[Scoobert McDoobert]

My personal #1 coaster is Diamondback at Kings Island. I love it for two main reasons: number one is the airtime. It just feels great. It's kind of in this area of being "just right", where it doesn't feel wimpy, but it doesn't try to absolutely throw you out of your seat (I love me some floater airtime). Next is the location. I love the splashdown into the lake. I have been on other coasters that have done the same, but none compare to just the sheer size of the lake. I don't think it was built just for the ride, so that may be why. On a smaller note, I love the snake themed train, I just find it funny. It's an elite hyper, no doubt about it.