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Coasters you like that others don’t and coasters you don’t like that others do

Matt N

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
Hi guys. I’m in a very thread-making mood this afternoon, so I thought I’d make this one about coasters you like that others don’t and coasters you don’t like that others do. Now I admit that on the face of it, this may look very similar to “overrated and underrated coasters”, however I think this one is a little more specific, because I think you can find something overrated and still really like it, for example.


So, I’d best get the ball rolling with my candidates for each category.


In terms of a coaster that I like that others don’t, I actually had a couple I considered here, but I personally thought my best candidate was Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios Florida. I hear nothing but terrible reviews of this coaster, but I must admit that I rather enjoyed it on both of my 2 rides I’ve had over the years (admittedly, to varying degrees)! In fact, when I first rode it back in August 2014, I was absolutely floored by it, and I’d say it was probably my number 2 coaster behind Swarm at the time (I should point out that my coaster count was only about 20-25 at the time, but my point still stands)! When I rerode in August 2016, I did not enjoy it quite as much, but I still think it’s a really solid coaster! While I admit it had a definite rattle, I did not personally remember finding it overly rough, it had some pretty nice bits of airtime (the non-inverted loop in particular had a great moment of ejector from memory!) and I did think it had some very nice speedy moments as well, with the onboard music also adding a really fun and unique layer to the experience! I admit the pacing/MCBRs did hold it back slightly, as well as the rattle, but on the whole, my memories of HRRR are quite positive; while it’s not my favourite coaster by any means, it is in my top 20 and I’d give it a solid 8/10! That being said, however, I have not ridden it since 2016, and there are definitely a few coasters that I liked a lot in 2016 that I like far less now, so maybe a reride is needed...


In terms of a coaster that I don’t like that others do, my candidate was a lot more obvious to me here. My contrast with the majority opinion on this ride is perhaps far, far greater than any other coaster I’ve been on; the ride I’ve chosen here is Olympia Looping. Now, I had the chance to get 2 rides on Olympia in January 2020 at Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, and I admit that I did probably overhype myself for it a little too much given that it’s a 30 year old travelling coaster, but most reviews I’d heard of Olympia were overwhelmingly positive. People always praised it for its “jaw-dropping intensity and pacing” and “phenomenal smoothness and comfort”, calling it “the best coaster in the UK when it goes to Hyde Park” and saying it was “smoother than most permanent coasters”. Even though there are some who aren’t quite as enamoured with it, even those enthusiasts seem to rave about Olympia to a certain degree, so I was naturally very excited to ride. Now before I delve into why I don’t particularly enjoy Olympia, let me preface my very controversial opinion with the positives. For a 30 year old travelling Schwarzkopf, it is an absolute technical marvel, and it’s a truly beautiful ride to look at, especially at night! It is also perhaps one of the most efficiently operated coasters I’ve ever seen, and I think the actual layout is very good for a travelling roller coaster built in the 1980s! However, forgetting these factors, I admit that I did not really like Olympia at all, and I’d say there were a few key factors as to why. The first factor is that while the ride lived up to the billed intensity, it was a very different kind of intensity to other rides I’ve been on, and I’d say it was too much for me to handle, personally. Those loops were very, very intense, potentially more so than any other roller coaster elements I’ve ever experienced, and while that’s certainly very commendable if you like that sort of thing, and don’t get me wrong, there are some intense coasters that I really like, I tend to prefer coasters that are more fun and rerideable, and I didn’t really think the layout did anything else I really enjoyed that redeemed my opinion of it after the loops. My second major critique of Olympia Looping that hampered my enjoyment of it further is the trains. Now I wasn’t expecting B&M hyper coaster or Mack launch coaster levels of comfort from the ride’s trains by any means, given that it’s over 30 years old, however I must admit that the cars did lack legroom considering I’m not overly tall; I personally struggled to comfortably fit my legs into the car. However, my main issue with the trains was the ride’s shoulder bars, as they were very hard and tightened noticeably during the ride. Now the tightening itself is not necessarily the major problem here; I only find it a very minor nitpick on Swarm, and even Icon’s restraints tighten to a degree, but it did not impact my enjoyment of Icon whatsoever. However, I personally found that these restraints tightened far more noticeably than on any other coaster I’ve been on, resulting in immense shoulder pain. I know you shouldn’t necessarily let restraints dictate your opinion on a ride, but it’s hard for me not to when my overriding memory is feeling like I’m getting crushed and wincing with pain every time the ride goes up or down or changes direction. I was personally hoping that I’d feel that sense of euphoria, raw joy and a desire to reride upon getting off that I get from some of my very favourite coasters, or potentially even just a sense of “I liked it”. However, my actual feelings getting off Olympia (both times) were unfortunately a sense of raw pain in my shoulders and a desire to sit down because of the nausea and dizziness I was feeling, which unfortunately does not bode well for my personal enjoyment of a coaster. I feel incredibly honoured to have ridden it, and I still think it’s a ride that I admire from a technical, visual and historical standpoint, especially considering it’s a 1980s travelling Schwarzkopf, but the actual ride experience itself is perhaps the most bitterly disappointed I’ve ever been stepping off a roller coaster.


So, those are my choices for this thread, but what would you pick?

P.S. I apologise for my take on Olympia; reading back, I admit it looks incredibly bitter, and I’m probably being way too harsh given its circumstances! Maybe I need to give it another chance some time...
 
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I didn't like Kanonen (ex Liseberg) when I rode it in 2016 but others in the group seemed to enjoy it a lot more than me!

However, I really like Lost Gravity at Walibi Holland, however I've heard a few people say how it's a bit average and nothing particularly amazing. The twist down the first drop and several intense airtime moments are fab!
 
I really enjoyed Speed of Sound at Walibi Holland. So i would say Vekoma Boomerang coasters. Though I've heard Speed of Sound is one of the better ones, and it's the only one I've tried.
 
I really enjoyed Speed of Sound at Walibi Holland. So i would say Vekoma Boomerang coasters. Though I've heard Speed of Sound is one of the better ones, and it's the only one I've tried.
Speed of Sound is by and large the best Boomerang out there as far as I can see. I don't rate it at all track and train (they're all a much of a muchness) but the theming and soundtrack in particular improve the overall experience. "Buck up! It's a TRILL RIDE!"
 
Given how SLCs can vary between virtually unrideable through to being quite fun providing they have the new restraints, T3 is meant to be one of the worst yet I didn't find it particularly offensive. Admittedly the Kumbak restraints are a bit over-the-top, but I'd take it over any of the standard SLCs any day.

Nighthawk as well. Heard plenty of negativity surrounding this, yet I was pleasantly surprised and found it quite enjoyable. The only downside is the horrendously faffing loading procedure and then being in that awkward position sat on the brake run for a while.

I really enjoyed Speed of Sound at Walibi Holland. So i would say Vekoma Boomerang coasters. Though I've heard Speed of Sound is one of the better ones, and it's the only one I've tried.

The restraints make the world of difference; Sidewinder at Hershey is very much the same (although it lacks the catchy on-ride soundtrack sadly).
 
I just thought of another prime candidate for "coasters you like that others don't", and this one is perhaps even more controversial than HRRR; I must admit I do have quite a soft spot for Shockwave at Drayton Manor! Most stand-ups apart from a select one or two seem to review terribly, and sadly Shockwave is one of these, so I naturally went in with very low expectations when I first went to Drayton Manor in August 2018. However, I was very pleasantly surprised with what Shockwave had to offer!


While the stand-up riding position was admittedly a bit odd, and I would definitely have preferred regular sit-down trains, I didn't personally find it the enjoyment killer that some had implied it was, and while quite short, the actual coaster layout itself was quite fun, in my opinion! There was a good level of force and some fun elements, and I thought the ride was pretty well-paced too! A particular favourite moment of mine was the zero-g roll; in that riding position, it almost offered a sort of "inverted airtime"-style sensation, and I felt like I was about to fly out of the train! The only real drawbacks for me were that I would prefer the ride with sit-down trains, and I did think that it was quite rattly in sections, particularly the corkscrews towards the end; I would have liked the ride more if it didn't have these rattly sections and was smoother all the way through.


But on the whole, while Shockwave isn't my favourite coaster, I have a definite soft spot for it; it's in my top 25, and I'd give it a solid 7/10, personally!
 
I just thought of another prime candidate for "coasters you like that others don't", and this one is perhaps even more controversial than HRRR; I must admit I do have quite a soft spot for Shockwave at Drayton Manor! Most stand-ups apart from a select one or two seem to review terribly, and sadly Shockwave is one of these, so I naturally went in with very low expectations when I first went to Drayton Manor in August 2018. However, I was very pleasantly surprised with what Shockwave had to offer!


While the stand-up riding position was admittedly a bit odd, and I would definitely have preferred regular sit-down trains, I didn't personally find it the enjoyment killer that some had implied it was, and while quite short, the actual coaster layout itself was quite fun, in my opinion! There was a good level of force and some fun elements, and I thought the ride was pretty well-paced too! A particular favourite moment of mine was the zero-g roll; in that riding position, it almost offered a sort of "inverted airtime"-style sensation, and I felt like I was about to fly out of the train! The only real drawbacks for me were that I would prefer the ride with sit-down trains, and I did think that it was quite rattly in sections, particularly the corkscrews towards the end; I would have liked the ride more if it didn't have these rattly sections and was smoother all the way through.


But on the whole, while Shockwave isn't my favourite coaster, I have a definite soft spot for it; it's in my top 25, and I'd give it a solid 7/10, personally!
I would say that Shockwave was up against a lot of competition in 1994 as it debuted along with Nemesis and the Big One. If it wasn't being compared to Nemesis then I think it would be more popular.
 
I would say that Shockwave was up against a lot of competition in 1994 as it debuted along with Nemesis and the Big One. If it wasn't being compared to Nemesis then I think it would be more popular.
Interestingly, I'd actually say Shockwave is my 2nd favourite of the 1994 coasters, with Nemesis in 1st and the Big One in 3rd!
 
Coaster that I don't like that others do - Expedition GeForce. OK, don't like is a stretch as this coaster does have an exceptional first drop and first airtime hill. God knows, however, how it topped the coaster polls for so many years. Most of its mid-ride speed is absorbed by sweeping turns and in reality the only truly great part is the first 10 seconds after the drop - after which for me it was a total disappointment.

Coaster that I like that others don't - Balder. Now this seems oxymoronic given what I just said, however Balder serves its purpose perfectly as an airtime machine which carries great speed throughout and is just hill after hill of incredible ejector. For some odd reason after riding it with many others from this site in 2016, I seemed to be the only one that rated the ride - everyone else said it was uninteresting and a dull layout. The latter may be true but the Intamin prefabs just offer a smoothness and an intensity of airtime that most other true woodies just can't obtain (RMC aside!)
 
I really like Stampidia. Anyone who’s played RCT knows how difficult racing and dueling coasters are to design. The way it switches from racing to dueling is a stroke of genius in my book. I understand that the Kumbak trains are restrictive for larger guests, but for me it’s perfectly comfortable.

The same with Saw, another ride I really like. The first drop catches my breath every time and the zero g roll over the body with the water squirting out is a superb effect.

I also love the Grand National and would hate to see anything happen to it, which is unlikely now it’s listed. Although I find the real Grand National cruel, it’s an effective premise and I love the art deco station. The ride has a fantastic sense of history. Aside from Wild Mouse type coasters, you don’t tend to get much in the way of lateral gs on a modern coaster, so I like the turns with little banking.

I’m not such a fan of Wodan. You’re very aware that you’re on the edge of farmland when you’re riding it. Seeing outside the park is good on some rides, like the Big One where you see the sea, but at a park like Europa Park is breaks the escapism somewhat. I’m also not massively keen on the theme, although I love the turning heads in the station and the tunnels. On one hand it doesn’t seem dramatic in the way that Valhalla does/did. On the other hand, it’s also a bit of a sombre theme. It doesn’t give me an uplifting vibe like, say, Can Can or Euro Mir. I find the queue a bit claustrophobic and dingy. It does have great pacing and it’s clearly going to be well maintained with frequent re-tracking. However, for a wooden coaster there isn’t much airtime and compared to some GCIs it doesn’t hug the ground that much, which I think are often the best parts on a GCI. It’s definitely not a bad coaster, but for me it’s a bit mediocre.
 
I'm sure people are fed up of me saying this but the one I don't like at all that has (somehow) linked towards the top of a lot of global coaster polls is Hyperion. It did very little for me and I found it really frustrating that a coaster that hits such high speeds lacks any kind of memorable element. The queue line is ugly, too, yet somehow heralded as the start of Eneegylandia's "great" theming efforts.

Coaster I like that others don't... Nemesis Inferno. It gets a lot of flak but at the end of the day it's a B&M invert. For me it's the best coaster at Thorpe and amongst the best in the country, yet nobody seems to acknowledge that it is anything above average. It has a lot going for it including several snappy inversions, near miss elements, the pre-lift drop and tunnel... even the facade is very pretty (...shame about the exit).
 
Coaster I like that others don't... Nemesis Inferno. It gets a lot of flak but at the end of the day it's a B&M invert. For me it's the best coaster at Thorpe and amongst the best in the country, yet nobody seems to acknowledge that it is anything above average. It has a lot going for it including several snappy inversions, near miss elements, the pre-lift drop and tunnel... even the facade is very pretty (...shame about the exit).
Ooh, I really like Inferno as well! Only just misses my top 10; I think it has some brilliant moments and is still really smooth and enjoyable, and dare I say it, I don’t think it’s anywhere near as far removed from Nemesis as many often suggest! In fact, even though the original still just edges it for me overall, there are definitely elements of Inferno I prefer to Nemesis!
 
Goliath at Six Flags Great America was surprisingly crap for a massive RMC. Minimal airtime and very short.

Baron at Efteling is offensively dull for a dive coaster.

The like list...

Grand National
GalacticAir
Inferno
Colossus
Raging Bull

That's about it really, my coaster opinions are pretty vanilla. I mostly enjoy the highly rated ones and don't bother with the crap ones.

Edit: on Inferno, it's taken me 15 years to realise it but it's clearly the best coaster at Thorpe tbf.
 
I'd probably say that the only coaster that I like that others don't is Rattlesnake.
I can't think of a coaster that others like which I actually don't like; I might find them overrated but that doesn't mean that they are bad rides.
 
Since I made this thread, I have a new one for a coaster I like that others don’t tend to; Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando. It generally gets middling to negative reviews, but I absolutely loved it; it had a fun swing launch sequence, an awesome Junior Scorpion Tail and numerous fantastic pops of airtime, and overall, I thought it was just an absolutely fantastic coaster that I certainly enjoyed far more than the majority seem to. It was certainly a huge positive surprise for me, and was probably the sleeper hit of my June trip to Florida coaster-wise!

In terms of a coaster I don’t like that others do; I’d struggle to top my original nomination of Olympia Looping, and I have to say that I’d probably lump Schwarzkopfs in general into that category after having ridden and not liked Scorpion at Busch Gardens Tampa since.

I must say that I was quite sorely disappointed by Pipeline: The Surf Coaster at SeaWorld Orlando after hearing some very positive initial reviews, but I’m not sure whether my opinion has grown a bit less unpopular now that more people have ridden it. While the general consensus on Pipeline is seemingly still a fair amount more positive than my own view of it, I’ve seen a few other reviewers who weren’t overly enamoured with it and share similar criticisms to the ones I had back in June.
 
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