Underrated rollercoasters

Not your best or worst here, but rollercoasters that you went on expecting little but enjoyed them a lot more than you thought.

I'll start with the Muntanya Russa in Tibidabo, Barcelona. It looks like a pretty boring coaster but the way it is shaped around the terrain combined with the surprising speed and brilliant views make it an excellent little coaster for the park. In addition, it is a smooth Vekoma

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuyzVMsZhQY[/youtube]

Your actual post sort of contradicts the title in a way. I know you mean coasters you were expecting to be crap but turned out to be good/great (surprises) but the title implies that the topic's about coasters you like but everyone else seems to dislike. I know the two can be interlinked in some way but I'll answer both forms regardless.

Coasters I Expected to be Crap But Weren't

Space Mountain, Disneyland (California) - The ride had just been re-done when I rode but I was expecting it to be a bit like Florida's: jerky, outdated, rough and fun but nothing special. How wrong I was! It felt bloody fast, forceful, smooth yet out of control, the music and theme was wonderful. I was totally blown away!

Dragon's Fury, Chessington - First ride was in 2004 shortly after I'd ridden Colossus and Inferno for the first time. Back then I had the attitude of "if it doesn't loop, it's poop", of course my ride on Fury changed that!

Wild Mouse, Blackpool - I was just expecting a bog-standard mouse, not a near-death experience!

I also think Muntanya Russa is a really fun coaster too!

Coasters I Like But Everyone (or a Large Majority) Thinks It's Crap

Furius Baco, PortAventura - This can go in the above category as well but the only thing I was expecting from this was a migraine. It rattles, there's no doubt about it but I really didn't think it was as bad as everyone makes it out to be! It certainly didn't detract from the experience in any way for me and I rode it numerous times in numerous seats. The launch is still the best I've experienced. Then again I can understand why people dislike it, but I guess I have a greater tolerance to the rattling?

Nemesis Inferno, Thorpe Park - It's constantly overshadowed by its more acclaimed (and in my opinion, inferior) sister. I think it's a good ride. Not fantastic, but there's nothing bad about it at all.

Rita, Alton Towers - Yes, it's lazy and plonked down but I like the layout, it gives great airtime and I don't have any neck cutting problems, except for perhaps the first corner.

Gwazi, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay - Okay, it's not that good, but it's not dreadful either.

When I first went to Parc Asterix I wasn't looking forward to Goudurix in the least, but found it to be a far less painful experience than anticipated. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was a particularly good ride, but merely coming off without any injuries caused it to exceed my expectations.

I've always felt Euro Mir doesn't get the praise it deserves, when facing backwards for the 2nd half of the ride it's a hugely thrilling ride which builds in intensity right until the end. The landscaping and audio are stunning too!

Recently I've developed a bit of a soft spot for Colossus, a ride I used to actively dislike. I don't know why, but I've not had anywhere near as much trouble with roughness over the past 2 seasons than I used to, which leaves me with a thoroughly enjoyable ride. The final inversion is a clear highlight as you skim the ground below (or is that above?) you.

Some I like that goes against the consensus:

Pepsi Max Big One:

A lot of people seem to find PMBO forceless, but I totally disagree. The first drop offers some amazing views and I actually think it's quite forceful towards the back of the train, plus a couple of the hills have some floater airtime and the helix into the tunnel is fairly intense. Plus it's so iconic and beautiful looking, rising above the Blackpool promenade as it does.

Sonic Spinball:

A fun family coaster that I find more forceful than both Air and 13. Without a doubt I'd hate to see it removed anytime soon.

Jubilee Odyssey:

By far the best SLC I've been on, it's a very forceful ride that I don't find to be all that rough.

Infusion:

Much smoother to me than most people say it is, and I think it's a very aesthetically pleasing coaster as well.

Furios Baco:

Love the launch and didn't find it any rougher than Nemesis is.

Goliath:

A few people say it's quite forceless for an Intamin airtime coaster, but I've no idea why. That Stengel dive is an awesome bit of track and there's not a hill on the ride's circuit that I found lacking in airtime. Also my favourite coaster for looks I've ever seen in the flesh.

Jubilee Odyssey - One of my favorite coasters, but underrated because its a Vekoma SLC. The drop on the ride is amazing and equals Oblivions in my opinion. If your ever down near Skegness then this is well worth a ride.

Saw the ride - I rode this with low expectations after what I'd heard, but after I came off I loved it. I don't know why people think thats it's rough because I didn't feel any roughness at all.

I think Saw is underrated too. People complain about it being rough, but I've been on worse. The theming is great, the dark ride section is awesome (when all the effects are on/working) and it proves that an IP can work at a theme park.

Another coaster I love, or rather a type of coaster that I like is the well-themed (or some kind of theming, at least) examples of the Wild Mouse from Maurer Söhne. These include Chessington's Rattlesnake, Hansa Park's Crazy Mine and Drievliet Family Park's Kopermijn. There's just something I love about how compact they are and the amount of theming they have, as well as the fact that queueing underneath them is really fun too, because you get some great views of the ride shooting around.

The Mack Wild Mouse also looks great too. I've never been on one, but from what people say about Mack's other rides, I can assume the Wild Mouse is great as well. Some good examples are Europa Park's Matterhorn Blitz, Warner Bros. Movie World's Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster, Mer De Sable's Tiger Express (this ride looks seriously good ), Walibi Holland's Flying Dutchman Gold Mine, Movie Park Germany's Ghost Chasers and Nigoland's Schlitt'Express. All of them (especially Tiger Express ) look like great family coasters!

Thing is with Saw, when you've been on other versions like Mystery Mine and Fluch von Novgorod, THAT'S when you realise how poor it actually is...

Speaking of Eurofighters, I think Speed doesn't get as much praise as it should, the airtime hill is fab for example...

I've got a few in mind:

X:/No Way Out

I personally really like this ride, When I went to Thorpe Park in 2005 (When I was 9) I was more scared by this then I was by Nemesis Inferno and Colossus. It serves as a good laugh as well!

Saw:The Ride

At first I thought this ride was very average, But then I ridden it this year and I have different opinions on the ride, The indoor section is great and the themeing is done pretty well. The 2nd half is very painful, But I find painful and forceful rides to be enjoyable


Sonic Spinball

I'm not putting this here because it's a Sonic themed coaster and I'm a Sonic fan, but because I really do enjoy this ride! It's fun family coaster which is a great filler between RMT and something like Air or TH13TEEN.

Air

Seems to be unpopular with enthusiasts, But I enjoy it. It's relaxing and makes a nice change from the thrill rides (like the B&M invert next door)

Boomerang at Pleasure Island is criminally underrated, I absolutely love that thing! Also, as has already been mentioned, X:\NWO would be a brilliant little ride if they gave it a bloody good overhaul!

The Rollercoaster at Great Yarmouth, a very neat woodie with alot of history.

LordOfDarkness said:

The Rollercoaster at Great Yarmouth, a very neat woodie with alot of history.

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The second drop is brilliant for such an old coaster - I love it when woodies dive and weave inbetween their supports.

Whirlwind at Camelot is actually rather good, even if the station is a trailer and the park only has one other decent thrill ride. It's certainly my favourite spinning coaster so far (this is prior to visiting Europa Park bare in mind!)

Air
Come at me!
Seriously though, I really enjoy it, it's different and it's the closest to a true flying coaster there is, the layout achieves exactly what it's supposed to, it's designed to be about the sensation, not the forces. That said, the helix is ridiculously intense, weirdly, it's the only ride that's ever pushed e close to greying out.

PMBO
Yes, it is a terrible ride, it's made with straight lines, the banking is all wrong, there's no lead-ins, heartlining or whatever, build quality is appalling and it's a lumbering dinosaur that wastes its height and size. And yet, that's somewhat the point. It's not supposed to be EGF, it's about scale and spectacle. The slow, straight lines give a great chance to look out over the park, out to sea, over the area and wherever. There's something about the way it looks, rising out from the seafront, towering over this flat park, it's surreal. Place it in a normal park, it's a terrible ride, but in it's context, it's a wonderful, weird, perfect experience ride.

Sonic Spinball
Whenever I bother riding it, I'm reminded how fun it is, and how incredibly intense I find it.

Any Boomerang coasters... Most people think they're naff, but I find them surprisingly fun and forceful - provided they're not as rough as hell. Haven't ridden the one at Pleasurewood for a year or two but it used to be pretty damn smooth!

Benzin said:

Thing is with Saw, when you've been on other versions like Mystery Mine and Fluch von Novgorod, THAT'S when you realise how poor it actually is...

Speaking of Eurofighters, I think Speed doesn't get as much praise as it should, the airtime hill is fab for example...

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But for a UK coaster, I feel that Saw is pretty damn good!

Air - So it lacks some themeing. Whoopdy doo. There are a lot of higher rated rides out there with no themeing whatsoever. The ride is innovative, and really shows a ride position being used in it's intended form, rather than a cheap gimick. "So we have this new flying concept. How do we theme it?" "Flying?" it does what it says on the tin. Why can't people accept it for that, rather than put it down for not being the new Nemesis?

X:\ No Way Out - Again, so it lacks proper themeing. It's still a fun ride, and is no where near as rough as I here some make out. If anything I'd put it under the smooth category for me!

Space Mountain - DLP - Once again, I know so many people who really put the ride down for being rough. I seriously didn't think it was at all. Sure, it's no B&M, but it still rides well!

Rita - "It's rough" Really? It's far from rough! Yes, it's a bit shakey and rattley, but it still handles it well. The main let down for it is those OTSRs. If it could be retrofitted with lapbars it'd probably be much more highly rated. It's those straps which I think make you notice it more. If you're slightly taller they press into your shoulders and rub every time you move the slightest bit.

Shockwave - DMP - Sure, the standup is pretty pointless, but it's something different. Plus I can honestly say I've never had a painful ride on it yet. There's only that slight kink in the loop which you really feel. The rest is fairly smooth.

Goudurix - Ok, so it's not the most comfortable ride in the world. It does rattle a bit, but I'd only say one area of the ride is painful, and that's the pull out from the Butterfly. Even so it's really not that bad. Just a temporary bit of pressure. I've ridden worse



How can you not love that epic mindf***?!

Colossus - Thorpe Park - Same as Goudurix really,except I don't find any part of it painful. It's a nicely landscaped ride (Probably the best in the UK next to Nemesis), and when it opened it had some lovely theming. A good jet wash, and a repaint and it'll look brilliant once more.

AIR - It's an amazing ride with a sensation that you can't get in the UK.What do you want for flying as theming? You can't theme it. If they themed it then my rating of it would probably go down. It concentrates on the feeling of flying over a normal landscape. The feeling of skimming over peoples' heads is all the theming I need.

RITA - I find the launch incredible and don't find the layout dull at all. The speed and airtime makes it one of my favourite coasters. It is rough, especially near the back which is why I always head near the front of the train. The front makes the launch even better. People say they don't like it because no thought was given into where it was placed. I disagree and find it really dominating and intimidating the way it snakes over the area and shoots past near your head.

TH13TEEN - I know it wasn't marketed correctly and was a let down to most people but I find it as a fun ride. I always get nervous near the top of the lift hill and my stomach ends up in my mouth going down the steep first drop. I find the forest section a laugh and it has some decent air time. I always find the freefall drop fun especially seeing and hearing the shock from people who haven't ridden before. The backward section is a nice twist and I think it completes the ride.

I have always liked Rita just for its launch and ride afterwards always like going on the ride

I am going to go for the Europa-Park duo of Wodan and Silver Star.

I have read (and watched) in recent days, reviews of the new wooden coaster at EP - give it marks as low as 2/5 - that's a 40% score. By no means is it my favourite woodie (I would rate Tonnerre de Zeus and Troy higher) - but the ride fits Europa-Park's demographic perfectly and, even if it could have been more airtime filled/faster at the end - it's a wonderful experience backed by even more wonderful theming. Ultimately, Europa-Park probably couldn't ever had a wooden coaster unless they used the noise reducing wheels, and I would rather have the beautiful Wodan than nothing at all. I certainly don't think it's as poor as many reviews are making out - more "it's decent, but not mindblowing". If you ask me, the more negative reviews are presumably from people not quite so "on the game" with what EP tend to achieve - they'll never install a kickass, intense, crazy coaster as it simply isn't what they want.

Silver Star is another. The amount of times I hear "the trims ruin it" really frustrates me. Yes, they are unfortunate, but you still get floater airtime on every single hill. I have read reviews of this going so far as to say there was no airtime whatsoever. I am really unsure what ride these people were on. Silver Star is great fun, perfect for the park and got them a European record back in 2002. It's a solid, good fun coaster.

The Antelope - Gulliver's World

I think it needs a mention as I rarely ever see its name cropping up anywhere. It was the coaster that made me who I am today and gave me the courage to take on every coaster I've ever been on. It's not exactly an old woodie, opening in 95, but I know many people who have ridden The Antelope as their first. I remember it looking huge and terrifying when I first went on it, but now it appears to me as the great family ride that broadened my horizon. Should the day ever come where it is unfortunately dismantled, no matter my age, I will be there to give it a send off that it deserves. It really is a great little woodie!

It's also my highest single day ride count of any rollercoaster, with my personal record of single day rides on this sitting at 52. It was an incredibly quiet day and I managed to get multiple goes every time I visited the ride.

http://www.rcdb.com/866.htm

Danny said:

The Antelope - Gulliver's World

I think it needs a mention as I rarely ever see its name cropping up anywhere. It was the coaster that made me who I am today and gave me the courage to take on every coaster I've ever been on. It's not exactly an old woodie, opening in 95, but I know many people who have ridden The Antelope as their first. I remember it looking huge and terrifying when I first went on it, but now it appears to me as the great family ride that broadened my horizon. Should the day ever come where it is unfortunately dismantled, no matter my age, I will be there to give it a send off that it deserves. It really is a great little woodie!

It's also my highest single day ride count of any rollercoaster, with my personal record of single day rides on this sitting at 52. It was an incredibly quiet day and I managed to get multiple goes every time I visited the ride.

http://www.rcdb.com/866.htm

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That was one of my first coasters too! Seems inconceivable then that I actually thought the drop was intense - shows you how good a modern woodie as a family coaster can be though.