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Best Drop Towers?

RicketyCricket

RicketyCricket

TS Member
Favourite Ride
Taron
In the world of drop towers - bigger does absolutely not mean better IMO.

In fact id say the taller the tower - the more disappointing the drop.

1. Detonator
2. Apocalypse
3. Falcons Fury
4. Dr Doom
5. Hurracan Condor

What are your favourites?
 
I think I've done 5 drop towers, so here's my personal ranking:
  1. Falcon's Fury (Busch Gardens Tampa) - I don't think I've ever experienced anything quite so terrifying, yet so wonderful at the same time as Falcon's Fury; it was absolutely insane, in my opinion! The drop was awesome, and nothing I've ever done felt quite the same as looking face down at Busch Gardens from 335ft in the air! Intamin nailed it here, if you ask me! Still my number 1 drop tower and my number 1 flat ride overall!
  2. Apocalypse (Drayton Manor) - This ride may not be the biggest of drop towers, but it sure packs a punch! That drop is simply amazing; so forceful! A definite highlight of Drayton Manor for me!
  3. Detonator (Thorpe Park) - Do not let Detonator's size fool you, because even though it's short (in drop tower terms), it sure is intense! I don't get why Fabbri haven't sold more drop towers, personally, because they absolutely nailed it here, in my opinion!
  4. Doctor Doom's FearFall (Islands of Adventure) - While I didn't enjoy Dr Doom quite as much as the above towers, these shot'n'drop towers are still brilliant fun, in my opinion! A very underrated ride type, if you ask me! I personally found the initial upwards shot to be quite forceful, and the bouncing was great fun!
  5. Ice Blast (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - Similar to above, but I didn't personally find Ice Blast to have quite the same kick to it as Dr Doom. Still great fun, though!
So I absolutely love drop towers!
 
@Matt N see I personally found Falcons Fury a massive let down. It's absolutely huge, but the actual drop feels so slow.

It is a brilliant experience due to the face down element, but should be much better
 
I would love to do some more drop towers but I’ve only done
ice blast (awful)
venom at West mids
and apocalypse at Drayton manor which I love
Unless you count all the dungeons ones..
 
RicketyCricket said:
@Matt N see I personally found Falcons Fury a massive let down. It's absolutely huge, but the actual drop feels so slow.

It is a brilliant experience due to the face down element, but should be much better
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Ah, the wonder of personal opinion! I seem to remember FF feeling quite fast, myself.
 
Donjon de l’Extrême at Nigloland is the best - it's just absurdly massive, has over shoulder lap bars that leave you feeling very vulnerable and it brakes late.

Honourable mentions to Apocalypse, Detonator and Drop Tower at King's Dominion. I'm excluding S&S shot towers from the list on a technicality, but the double shot versions are generally pretty good and beat a lot of mediocre drop towers.

Whilst I've got a few giant towers towards the top of my list, bigger doesn't always mean better. The gyro drops at King's Island and Liseberg are relatively dull, whilst I found Falcon's Fury rather redundant in a park that already has a floorless B&M dive. Zumanjaro at SFGtAd is absurdly tall but the drop didn't do much for me. As for Hurakan Condor, I'd say even the stand up side is probably no better than Apocalypse despite the extra height.

 
Falcon's Fury is definitely my favourite drop tower. It's just so insane being tilted into the flying position more than 300ft above the ground and whilst it's not the most forceful drop in the world, it's certainly not slow!

Apocalypse at Drayton has to be second for me, brilliant ride.
 
Apocalypse is what I call a real drop tower, partially facing down, and entering the station at such a speed just before it comes to a standstill is just thrilling. I've not been on that many drop towers to compare, but all the other drop towers* that I've ridden don't come anywhere near riding Apocalypse.

* My other drop towers that I've ridden include Detonator, Ice blast, N-ST, Thirteen (crypt inside drop section) and frog hopper :rolleyes:
 
I'm extending my exclusion of S&S shot towers to Intamin bungee towers and overly fast Otis lifts so I don't have to add ToT or Mystery Castle to my list. They're both phenomenal rides, but not strictly drop towers (and I didn't completely forget about them, honest).
 
Now, obviously I'm not one to get involved in this, but I have to ask: Are first gen Intamin drop rides classed as a tower, or a coaster?
 
If we're specifically talking drop towers, I agree with John. Donjon de l’Extrême is the best I've encountered. Normally I find stand-up towers more concerning, but the height, open structure rather than concrete tower, exposed seating, late braking and sudden release from the top combine to make Donjon pack a hefty punch.

Apocalypse seems more noteworthy than a lot of Intamin towers to me, and not just because it's on our doorstep relatively speaking. I think the height is just about perfect in that you don't get over the sudden shock of falling before you hit the brakes like you sometimes do on a taller tower.

Other towers I'd recommend include Scream, one of the few reasons to visit Heide Park, and High Fall at Movie Park Germany; potentially uncomfortable by virtue of being stand-up floorless, but it tilts at the top and looks shorter than it really is.
 
This might be considered cliché, but Tower of Terror. Hands down. Not a huge fan of drop towers myself but everything just fits together so well on that ride.
 
Sadly, the only Tower of Terror I have done was at Camelot, so my top spot goes to Apocalypse, stood, floorless.
My mates kids reckon that the kiddy hopper in Nickland is better than Ice Blast!
Not a patch on what it was.
 
Matt N said:
[*]Detonator (Thorpe Park) - Do not let Detonator's size fool you, because even though it's short (in drop tower terms), it sure is intense! I don't get why Fabbri haven't sold more drop towers, personally, because they absolutely nailed it here, in my opinion!
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There used to be an abundance of Fabbri drop towers, especially on the travelling fairground circuit. They seem to have been replaced by star flyers these days.
 
The only "freefall" drop tower i've done is Apocalypse- standup was scariest ride I've ever done! :eek:

I have also riden a couple of shot towers and lots of spring towers too.
 
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