Sorry for bumping this thread, but I just wanted to update my bottom 5 flat/water/dark rides, as I was clearly being a loony because my mum berated me the other day about how we never actually rode Wild Arctic! Must have been confusing it with a different ride! So I've reordered the list and added a new number 5! I also thought of a new number 5 water ride. The changes are in italics.
Bear in mind that I haven't done much outside of the UK Merlin parks and Florida, so some of the rides in these lists might look like I'm clutching at straws a bit.
Top 5 - Steel Coasters
1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando) - Wow! This was the ride I was most excited for when we went to Florida last August, and it didn't disappoint! There is so much airtime and so many elements that chuck you out of your seat (not literally, of course!), the ride is themed brilliantly, it's smooth, it's fast; the list of positives goes on. Everyone in my family came off Mako with huge smiles on their faces. Even my Mum who isn't really a fan of big, intense coasters adored Mako. A wonderful first dip into the world of hyper coasters.
2. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa) - Montu provides a similar sensation to Nemesis, but it's longer and faster. What's not to like?
3. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa) - SheiKra is a truly brilliant coaster. The drops, the Immelmann, the water splash; they all add up to make for an unforgettable ride experience. SheiKra feels rather akin to a more modern, more substantial version of Oblivion.
4. The Swarm (Thorpe Park) - I know this is quite a controversial opinion, but I personally prefer The Swarm to Nemesis. "Why?" I hear you ask. Well, I prefer the Swarm because in my opinion, it packs a good punch, it has good near misses with theming and the unique seating position really adds to the ride in my opinion.
Bear in mind I haven't been to Thorpe since 2015, so it may have changed since then. A reride in May 2018 did not change my opinion. This was actually my top coaster before visiting BGT and revisiting SeaWorld in August 2016.
5. Nemesis (Alton Towers) - What a brilliant ride. It's very intense, it's still really smooth at 23 years old and it is just a stunning feat of engineering. The ride also provides excellent near misses with the rocks and when I first became an enthusiast, it was one of very few rides that made me come off feeling a tad dizzy (I don't feel dizzy anymore, as loads of riding has sort of made me impervious to the dizziness.) Another good ride that made me feel dizzy was The Smiler.
Top 5 - Wooden Coasters
1. Wicker Man (Alton Towers) - Wicker Man really surprised me when I rode it in March 2018! While it was being built, I was expecting a ride similar in thrill level to Thirteen, but I remained cautiously optimistic. And I was right to, as Wicker Man is fantastic! It's a speedy coaster, and it's actually quite intense; despite only hitting 44mph, it felt much faster! The ride also has great transitions, and it flows really nicely, much better than Megafobia! Furthermore, it's really smooth, and has a couple of good pops of airtime! Overall, Wicker Man is fantastic! The only things I would do to improve it are add a couple more potential airtime moments and make the ride slightly more intense.
2. Megafobia (Oakwood) -
This is currently the only wooden coaster I have ridden, and what a brilliant ride it is. It's packed with airtime, it's reasonably intense and it just provides that feeling that only a wooden coaster can provide. One slight flaw with the ride that prevents me from ranking it higher in my combined Top 10 is that many of the ride's turns are unbanked, therefore making for a very unpleasant jolt each time the ride turns, not dissimilar to a Wild Mouse coaster.
Top 5 - Dark Rides
1. Gringotts (Universal Studios Florida) - I know it isn't technically a dark ride, but Gringotts is the best dark ride I have done because the 3D is stunning, the queue is stunning and the special effects, such as the water, are brilliantly timed, making for an outstanding overall experience. It probably helps that I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, so I know everything that's going on.
2. Forbidden Journey (Islands of Adventure) - This ride is stunning in very similar ways to its sister dark ride next door at Universal Studios, but it made me feel on edge in a way that no other dark ride ever has before due to an excellent combination of screens and physical theming. It was a very close decision between Gringotts and Forbidden Journey because they're both brilliant dark rides.
3. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (Islands of Adventure) - Spider-Man employs some excellent technology to really immerse you into the ride, such as the stunning 3D and the free fall technology (it still baffles me how that's done!) Also, the ride is an excellent combination of screens and physical theming, similar to Forbidden Journey. I loved this attraction even though I'm not a huge fan of Marvel.
4. Hex (Alton Towers) - Hex is the definition of the phrase "hidden gem". This is an attraction that looks fairly insignificant from the outside, but on the inside, it's a brilliant attraction, especially after the 2017 refurbishment. You can tell that every little detail has been thought of inside Hex, from the smells to the lighting. I also adore the way that the story gradually unravels itself with a real sense of drama as the experience goes on. This is a must-do if you ever visit Alton Towers!
5. Transformers: The Ride (Universal Studios Florida) - Transformers is a very similar ride to Spider-Man, except it doesn't have as good of a balance between screens and physical theming as Spider-Man and it also feels less action-packed. It's still a good ride though!
Top 5 - Flat Rides
1. Falcon's Fury (Busch Gardens Tampa) - Falcon's Fury has to be one of the most insane things I've ever done! It's the drop tower taken to a whole new level, and I love it!
2. Detonator (Thorpe Park) - Detonator is a ride that proves a drop tower doesn't need height to be an insane ride. It still packs brilliant forces even though it's only 115ft tall. I was utterly blown away by this ride!
3. Doctor Doom's FearFall (Islands of Adventure) - Even though it doesn't quite stack up to Falcon's Fury in Tampa, it was still a really fun ride. This is the only shot'n'drop tower I've done, so if they're all like this, then I think they are very underrated among enthusiasts.
4. The Blade (Alton Towers) - The Blade is one of Alton Towers' classic rides that still packs a punch. It provides a peculiar sensation in your stomach every time you ride.
5. Sizzler (Folly Farm) - This ride is actually quite forceful for a ride built in the 1930's! It is an asset to Folly Farm's collection of vintage rides.
Top 5 - Water Rides
1. Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges (Islands of Adventure) - A word I would use to describe Bilge-Rats is wet. Very, very wet. I don't think I've ever had so much water poured on me in such a short space of time in my entire life! The ride also has some good rapids sections and excellent theming.
2. Jurassic Park River Adventure (Islands of Adventure) - This ride is a really good water ride, but where it shines most is as an experience. The animatronics are good considering their age, the moment where the gates to Jurassic Park open always sends a tingle down your spine and the little touches throughout the ride really make the whole experience.
3. Kali River Rapids (Disney's Animal Kingdom) - Again, Kali River Rapids is a ride that shines as an experience. The theming is stunning and the drop is a real soaker!
4. Logger's Leap (Thorpe Park) - I personally think that this is a very underrated water ride. Both the times we rode (July 2014 and May 2015) we got absolutely soaked! It makes me sad that the ride is most likely dead and buried, but if its replacement turns out to be a B&M Hyper in 2020, I'm not complaining!
5.
Congo River Rapids (Busch Gardens Tampa) - Come to think of it, this was actually pretty good! There was a giant waterfall at the end that got us all soaked, and the rapids themselves weren't bad! All in all, this was a pretty good rapids!
Top 5 - Worst Coasters
1. Colossus (Thorpe Park) - Oh dear. Colossus has to be the roughest, joltiest, most painful ride I have ever ridden. The Intamin OTSR's do not help matters at all, and the ride's layout isn't the best I've ever ridden either.
On the positive side, the ride's landscaping and soundtrack are both great.
2. Rita (Alton Towers) - I dislike Rita for the same reasons I dislike Colossus, but Rita's intense launch makes me prefer Rita slightly.
3. Rattlesnake (Chessington World of Adventures) - Rattlesnake is unappealing in a way quite unlike other unappealing coasters I've ridden. It isn't rough as such, it's more uncomfortable due to its incredibly jerky turns and the cars being incredibly cramped, resulting in a painful experience for every rider. I don't know if this is a general quality of Wild Mouse coasters or whether this is exclusively Rattlesnake, although Primeval Whirl makes me think it may be the latter. I'm also unsure why the ride has a 1.4m height restriction, when I would class both Dragon's Fury and Vampire as better and more intense than it.
4. Dragon Challenge (Islands of Adventure) (both sides) - The Dragon Challenge coasters have not aged very well at all for 18-year-old B&M's. They are both incredibly rough, and jerk you hard around every single turn. The rides' layouts didn't do much for me either. I am glad these rides are being removed because I know that they are iconic for many people, but they aren't great as rides and I'm confident that Universal can conjure up a brilliant replacement. On the positive side, the queue theming is very detailed and really replicates the Potter universe.
5. SAW: The Ride (Thorpe Park) - I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Saw prior to riding for the first time in May 2018. I'd heard many reports that the ride was very rough, but past Gerstlauer thrill coasters I'd ridden (The Smiler and Speed) had not provided anything more than a slight rattle and the odd jolt here and there. However, Saw turned out to be extremely rough, much more so than The Smiler and Speed. Some of the transitions were also quite jolty, and made for an uncomfortable experience. In its defence, however, I first rode in May 2018, and the ride was nearly 10 years old at this point. Also, some rides are intended to be rough, so maybe Saw is one of those. I'm just not a fan of rougher rides. Overall, Saw isn't the worst coaster I've ever ridden, but it's a bit too rough for my liking.
Top 5 - Worst Rides (Flat/Water/Dark)
1. Rumba Rapids (Thorpe Park) - They may as well rename this ride Rumba River, because we didn't get a single wave both times we rode.
On the positive side, however, I have heard that the ride is a bit rougher after 2016, so my opinion might change if I go back to Thorpe. A reride in May 2018 did not change my opinion.
2. The Flume (Alton Towers) - The Flume was a ride that wasn't overly wet, but dragged on... and on... and on. I'm glad that Towers have removed it and I'm excited for
SW8 Wicker Man, which
will almost is certainly
be better.
3. Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin (SeaWorld Orlando) - Now, Antarctica isn't bad as such, it's more strange than bad. It seems like a lot of dancing around rooms randomly. On the positive side, however, the scenery is great and really makes you feel like you're in Antarctica. (This might also be helped by the fact that it is incredibly cold in there, especially when you are wearing summer attire.) Also, the exhibit is lovely. Again, we only rode once and walked through the non-riders entrance the other times.
4. Journey to Atlantis (SeaWorld Orlando) - Again, Journey to Atlantis isn't bad as such, in fact the dark ride scenes were actually pretty good when I rode it in August 2016! I just didn't think it was really that good as a water ride. It just wasn't very wet and I found the coaster section mildly rough. I get that it was the prototype water coaster, however, and I think that the layouts of succeeding Mack water coasters look much better. Also, I'm hoping that the ride is smoother now after the March 2017 refurbishment, as that apparently involved some track work (did it
@MakoMania?). One thing the March 2017 refurbishment also did, however, is it also looks to have cannibalised most of the ride's immersion, as a POV I watched just after the refurbishment was completed showed the dark ride section as completely static with a nice, but strangely unnerving soundtrack playing in the background. (Just realised I should probably have documented this under coasters... oops.)
5.
The Simpsons Ride (Universal Studios Florida) - Again, The Simpsons Ride is not necessarily bad. It just pales in comparison to Universal's newer dark rides. I think it's not quite as convincing of a themed ride as something like Gringotts or SpiderMan, for example. Personally, I'd like it if they put 3D on Simpsons, but I'm not sure if it would work with the ride system. Springfield USA is stunning, though!
Top 5 - Theme/Amusement Parks
1. Alton Towers - The reasons that Alton Towers is my favourite park include that it is the best example of a park that combines a well-rounded ride lineup and good theming that I have visited. Also, the park just provides a sense of magic that no other theme park has really replicated.
2. Islands of Adventure - Islands of Adventure is another stunningly themed park that combines a well-rounded lineup of rides and excellent theming. It doesn't quite clinch the top spot for me because of the connection I have with Alton Towers, but it's a stunning park that's really worth a visit.
3. SeaWorld Orlando - This park was one of the biggest surprises of Orlando for me. It has a lovely, relaxed vibe and just provides a great day out in general, with a good ride lineup and great animals. Theming is good, but not the best theming I've ever seen in a theme park (although this looks set to change with additions like Infinity Falls and Mako). Overall, SeaWorld is a brilliant park, really worth a visit if you're in the Orlando area.
4. Disney's Animal Kingdom - This is another park that has a great, relaxed vibe. The theming is great, Kilimanjaro Safaris is stunning and really worth a ride, Expedition Everest is an excellent family thrill ride; this park is just great. It and SeaWorld could possibly swap places if I ever revisit WDW.
5. Busch Gardens Tampa - Busch Gardens is a great park with an excellent lineup of thrill rides and some good theming. It reminded me a bit of a better landscaped, better themed version of Thorpe Park. It's really worth the drive from Orlando just for the coasters!
P.S. Sorry if some of these reviews seem a bit negative. I like to think of myself as a positive person, but some of these rides don't really have many positives.