Your Top Ten Coasters

[John_P]

1 - Top Thrill Dragster (Cedar Point)
2 - Millennium Force (Cedar Point)
3 - Troy (Toverland)
4 - Shambhala (Port Aventura)
5 - Nemesis (Alton Towers)
6 - Maverick (Cedar Point)
7 - Red Force (Port Aventura - Ferrari Land)
8 - Goliath (Walibi Holland)
9 - The Grand National (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
10 - Lost Gravity (Walibi Holland)

 

[Ted]

Visited Asterix and EP so my top 10 has changed again!

1. Helix
2. Wodan
3. OzIris
4. Wildfire
5. Nemesis
6. Twister
7. Stealth
8. Blue Fire
9. Space Mountain (Paris)
10. Silver Star

 

[ClaraCat]

Keep putting off writing a top 10 as it seems to change almost daily depending on how I feel but as a start point.

1) Helix, Liseberg
2) Mako, SeaWorld Orlando
3) Nemesis, Alton Towers
4) Montu, Busch Gardens Tampa
5) Wodan, Europa Park
6) Balder, Liseberg
7) Oz Iris,Parc Asterix
8) Expedition Everest, Animal Kingdom
9) Tonnerre de Zeus, Parc Asterix
10) Manta, SeaWorld Orlando

 

[Rob]

After a mammoth 3 week trip to the USA, it is time for an updated top 10. I've settled on something but it means leaving out some very good coasters; chances are if you were to ask me this again next week it would be different. Anyway:

1. Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
2. El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure
3. Maverick, Cedar Point
4. Intimidator 305, Kings Dominion
5. Skyrush, Hersheypark
6. Expedition GeForce, Holiday Park
7. Helix, Liseberg
8. Storm Chaser, Kentucky Kingdom
9. Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City
10. Voyage, Holiday World

Honourable mentions to Wodan, Taron, Millenium Force, Alpengiest, Shambhala, Beast and Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park ().

For me, the top 5 coasters in my list are in a class of their own. They are all superb and offer exhilarating ride experiences, some with forces that really should not be possible on a coaster! Despite not being my number one I would argue that Maverick is quite simply the perfect example of a rollercoaster, combining speed, twists, airtime and inversions in to one smooth and long ride.

 

[Coaster]

Probably my last "UK only" top 10 before I visit some European parks towards the end of the year;

1. The Big One
2. Wild Mouse
3. Grand National
4. Megafobia
5. Big Dipper
6. Icon
7. Wicker Man
8. Nemesis
9. The Ultimate
10. The Smiler

 

[rob666]

Sorry mate, time to put the dead rodent out of its misery...it is beginning to smell bad.

 

[Matt N]

Some of these are very close to one another and could change, but here goes:
1) Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
2) Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa)
3) SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa)
4) The Swarm (Thorpe Park)
5) Nemesis (Alton Towers)
6) The Smiler (Alton Towers)
7) The Incredible Hulk (re-tracked) (Islands of Adventure)
8) Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando)
9) Megafobia (Oakwood)
10) Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa)

Right, it's been yonks since I updated this list, so let's give it a bash! I'll start with the top 10, including descriptions (new in bold, moved in italics.):

1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando) - Mako is just breathtaking; a masterpiece, in my opinion! That first ride on Mako back in August 2016 wowed me like no other coaster has as of yet; the airtime was the strongest I have ever experienced on any coaster to date, with outstanding sustained airtime over every single hill, the ride packed an awesome punch and to top it all off, it was blissfully smooth and comfortable, with not a single sign of roughness to be seen; still among the smoothest coasters I've ever ridden! Two more rides on the coaster while I was in Orlando in August 2016 only reinforced the ride as the best coaster I'd ever ridden, and the ride still stands at the very top of my coaster rankings two years later!
2. Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - Icon may not be my very favourite coaster, but it's extremely close! Mack and BPB have produced an outstanding ride, in my opinion! All elements of the ride blend together to produce something truly wonderful; there are quite a few awesome moments of reasonable strength airtime, the launches are surprisingly good when on the ride itself (especially the second launch!), and the ride has some deceptively forceful sections, too; these are particularly abundant in the second half, if you ask me! As with Mako above, the ride is also among the smoothest coasters I've ever ridden, with no signs of roughness present whatsoever! So, in conclusion, I would say that Icon is definitely my top UK coaster, and we should be very privileged to have such a ride in Britain, in my opinion! The future of BPB looks very rosy if Icon is anything to go by!
3. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa) - It's like Nemesis but longer. What's not to like?
4. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa) - SheiKra is just awesome, in my opinion! Dangling 200ft face first above the rest of Busch Gardens is a really thrilling sensation, in my opinion! Also, the ride has many moments of force, is quite smooth, and just overall blends together to be a simply wonderful coaster, in my opinion!
5. Nemesis (Alton Towers) - Nemesis is one of the most intense experiences I've ever had the pleasure of riding; it still stands strong at 24 years old! The way that it just keeps on building up speed is simply remarkable, the forces are amazing to the point where you actually grey out in between the zero-g roll and the helix, the ride is extremely smooth for its age, with only one or two sections with a slight rattle; it's just an all-round amazing coaster experience, in my opinion! John Wardley and B&M should be very proud of what they produced! The ride actually used to be behind The Swarm, but a particularly good ride I had on it in August 2018 pushed it just ahead of Swarm in my rankings!
6. The Swarm (Thorpe Park) - I absolutely love The Swarm! It keeps its pace excellently during the ride, I personally find it to have pretty good forces that few others seem to see in it (especially in the helicopter helix!), the winged seating position adds a layer of uniqueness to the coaster; it's just generally awesome, and one of my favourite rides! Also, the coaster is among the smoothest coasters I've ever ridden; there are no signs of roughness present at all, in my opinion! All in all, Swarm is an awesome coaster, in my opinion!
7. The Smiler (Alton Towers) - The Smiler is a seriously weird and crazy ride, and I like it for that exact reason! It is just an obscene piece of engineering; Gerstlauer have done an awesome job with making this coaster as intense as possible, and the way that the inversions are so close together make for a very disorientating experience, in my opinion! It is still one of the most intense coasters I've ever experienced, but it is intense in a very different way to something like Nemesis or The Swarm, if you ask me; while rides like Nemesis, The Swarm and Montu try to be intense using g-forces and power, The Smiler tries to be intense through its general craziness and the tight (but not jolty, for the most part) profiling of the coaster. The ride does have a rattle and a jolt in its cobra roll, but I wouldn't say these detract from the ride experience much, if at all, for me. I seem to find The Smiler smoother than many other enthusiasts do, for some reason! In conclusion, I personally find The Smiler great fun, and a very underrated ride!
8. The Incredible Hulk (Islands of Adventure) - The Hulk is a great coaster, in my opinion! I like the launch into the zero-g roll, the coaster has good forces, in my opinion, the ride keeps its pace relatively well; I just generally really like it! The ride did have a rattle when I rode it post-retrack in August 2016, but nothing that detracted from the ride experience! Overall, I really like the Hulk!
9. Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando) - I personally find Kraken to be quite an underrated ride; it certainly is Krakin' () in my opinion! While I didn't find it to have quite the same forces as something like Nemesis or Montu, I do remember it being a very fast and powerful coaster! I also remember it only having a very slight rattle; nothing that detracted from the ride experience for me! Overall, I personally found Kraken awesome!
10. Wicker Man (Alton Towers) - Wicker Man is quite possibly one of the most surprising attractions I've ever experienced! While it was being built, I expected something similar in thrill level to Thirteen, but I remained cautiously optimistic. And I was right to, as it's an incredible ride, in my opinion! I personally found the coaster to keep its pace surprisingly well, and I loved the little hops and bumps that are almost a trademark of GCIs, by the looks of things! I didn't find it to have a staggering wealth of airtime or to be quite as intense as something like Megafobia, but I don't think this really matters considering the audience that Alton intended the ride for and considering the huge amount of fun the coaster is! All in all, I've loved Wicker Man since the very first ride I had on it the day after it opened; definitely my favourite wooden rollercoaster, and a stunning investment for Alton Towers, in my opinion!

Now that we've done the top 10, let's go on to all of the coasters I've ridden ranked as far back as I've currently ranked them, which is the top 24. (New in bold, moved in italics.)

1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
2. Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
3. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa)
4. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa)
5. Nemesis (Alton Towers)
6. The Swarm (Thorpe Park)
7. The Smiler (Alton Towers)
8. The Incredible Hulk Coaster (Islands of Adventure)
9. Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando)
10. Wicker Man (Alton Towers)
11. Megafobia (Oakwood)
12. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa)
13. Stealth (Thorpe Park)
14. Speed: No Limits (Oakwood)
15. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (Universal Studios Florida)
16. Nemesis Inferno (Thorpe Park)
17. Nickelodeon Streak (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
18. Oblivion (Alton Towers)
19. Manta (SeaWorld Orlando)
20. Galactica (Alton Towers)
21. Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Studios Florida)
22. Cheetah Hunt (Busch Gardens Tampa)
23. Big Dipper (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
24. Revolution (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)

So those are my top coasters. I apologise for both the very long post and for any particularly controversial opinions that may crop up in here! If you want any opinions justified, just ask me and I'll justify them for you!

 

[John]

Oh hello top 10 topic, long time no post from me! My list has been in need of updating for a while, seems my most recent list is 5 years old and I've ridden whole bunch of challengers for a place on it since then. Some previous entries also didn't quite live up to my memory of them on my recent USA trip and have dropped away slightly, so here goes:

1. Steel Vengeance. Absolutely no doubt about this one, best coaster on the planet by an absolute mile. The hype is real.
2. Maverick. What a 1-2 Cedar Point have got themselves. Mavis is an absolute masterpiece, a phenomenal ride and endlessly rerideable.
3. Eejanaika. Utter mayhem from start to finish, the final section of track does more than many coasters achieve in their entire layout.
4. Pheonix. Returning to Knoebels I was concerned this wouldn't live up to my memory of it, but I was wrong. If anything it was even better - the corners are as good as (if not better than) the hills - take note Balder!
5. Intimidator 305. Like Millennium Force, this Intamin giga doesn't have much airtime, but unlike MF it's a very dynamic ride with huge sustained positives and Maverick-esque flicks.
6. Fury 325, Never mind Shambles, this is B&M's greatest hyper (unless Behemoth is better, hopefully I'll find out one day).
7. El Toro (SFGtAd). The ride has aged a little since my first ride in 2013, but it's still an absolute phenomenon.
8. Flying Dinosaur. Before riding this I'd pretty much written off flying coasters as being generally poor. I never rated Air, Superman's layout is terrible and I wasn't particularly enamoured with Manta (or Acrobat). This one proves the design can offer a great ride if a park is willing to push the boundaries far enough (Tatsu is a great ride too, but doesn't trouble the upper echelons of my ranking).
9. Ultimate. Fanboy vote. Seriously though, I like properly intense coasters and I've never had a problem with the roughness for some reason (I'm not saying it isn't rough, it's just never affected my enjoyment of it).
10. Skyrush. A ride you have to fight against to enjoy, but keep the restraint from crushing you and the rewards are incredible. The airtime and some of the transitions are absolutely bonkers.

Usual caveats apply, ask me tomorrow and I've put at least 3 different rides in there and reshuffle the rest (top 3 aside).
There are so many more epic coasters that are fighting for a place in that list. The likes of Helix, Green Lantern (GtAd), Steel Dragon 2000, EGF, Outlaw Run, Raptor (CP), The Voyage, Top Thrill Dragster, Wodan and Smiler are all contenders.

 

[DiogoJ42]

Well I may have only been on one of your top ten, Duckers, but I can tell you that Shambles is far better than Behemoth and Leviathan, so I don't think Fury 325 has anything to worry about.

 

[Benjsh]

I'm going to Cedar Point in less than 3 weeks time. Expect my current top 10 will be smashed to bits.

 

[alee298]

After a visit to BPB, a small update.
1.Nemesis-Intense, fun great theme/landscaping. If only B&M would go back to being this intense
2.Colossus- Still great fun, better with new wheels and a good experience despite the loss of the best music in the Merlin owned parks.
3.Icon- Bloody great ride plenty of airtime and really smooth and enjoyable. Plus lap bars make it all the more exciting. Nice ride area too when it goes through some landscaped parts, shame it cant have more themeing through lack of space.
4. The Swarm- Intense in parts, smooth, I love the first drop and has some decent themeing, needs louder dispatch audio though.
5.Oblivion- Does its job of being intimidating really well, short but sweet.
6.Wickerman- Good addition, good themeing, nice airtime moments and good fun for everyone.
7. Nick streak- Surprisingly more fun and smooth than I was expecting, an enjoyable experience.
8.The Smiler- Despite some jolty parts, its fun has intense moments, the airtime hills are great plus I love inversions. Shame it doesn't have lap bars and is looking quite tatty.
9. Stealth- Fast, intense, tall. Shame it doesn't do more though...
10.Revolution- Going backwards over the second drop flung me out my seat, it was really fun to experience, despite the short ride I quite enjoyed it.

The Big One doesn't make it on the list, after the first drop its super boring and quite rough, the jolts into the brake runs hurt and it does nothing with all its speed. Take it down after the first drop and make it exciting!

 

[AstroDan]

1: Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
Believe the hype. It will live up to your expectations. This ride spits out every other and eats it for breakfast the next day. Endless airtime. Intense transitions. Long duration. This is quite simply a masterclass of thrill engineering and the most incredible ride in the world. That doesn't mean you could sit on it for an hour - you would probably die.

2: Maverick, Cedar Point
If anything, Maverick has grown on me since my 2013 trip. Unlike most of my top coasters. Maverick is re-rideable, smooth, comfortable - but also wildly creative in its layout - a brilliant launch and fantastic first drop and intense corners. Probably the most perfect coaster ever built. Taron? Say what? As with all Intamins - let this ride warm up and check it out later in the day for the best!

3: El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure
Wild. Airtime is insane. It is simply an epic, epic rollercoaster which gets almost universal praise from all who ride it. That said, since my 2013 trip the ride has become a little rougher, and that is why it is no longer higher than Maverick.

4: Skyrush, Hersheypark
The airtime on this coaster is almost too much. It makes you scream and shriek. It is like no other coaster experience. The lift hill alone is just madness. The first drop is incredible. As with all Intamins - let this ride warm up and check it out later in the day for the best!

5: Raptor, Cedar Point / variants
Raptor represents a kick ass layout on an awesome ride model. Genuinely, this is a top, top class inverted coaster and classic from B&M. Intense or what! Note that Raptor is actually better than Monster, as unlike the latter, Raptor runs 3 trains, warms up properly during the day and is far better taken care of.

6. Eejanaika, Fuji-Q Highland
This ride is actually quite vicious. But it's like nothing else I have done. I certainly couldn't ride again in quick succession but this is a thrill and intensity like no other ride.

7. Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City
A fantastic ride in a fantastic park. It no doubt helps that my first experience of this coaster was at night - and the entire layout is shrouded in complete blackness. I couldn't recall the layout and as such, it was one of the best experiences I had ever had on a coaster. Check it out after dark for the best experience!

8. Intimidator 305, Kings Dominion
Millennium what? This ride is everything Millennium Force wishes it was - combining the speed of the Cedar Point icon with the tight twists of Maverick and the intensity of... well no other ride. The sustained G forces during the helix on this coaster will have your eyesight going blurry. It's something else. As with all Intamins - let this ride warm up and check it out later in the day for the best!

9: Fury325, Carowinds
In the evening, with the darkness falling, this is a beast of a coaster offering speed, airtime and comfort in one. Wow!

10: iSpeed, Mirabilandia
Crazy pacing and relentless twists. The first 30 seconds are sensational. As with all Intamins - let this ride warm up and check it out later in the day for the best!

The following rides deserve a mention as they are amazing in their own way, and some of my favourites too:
Time Traveler (Silver Dollar City), Gran Monserrat (Parque Espana), Wodan (Europa-Park), Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom), The Smiler (Alton Towers) & Schwur des Karnan (Hansa-Park).

 

[Burbs]

Thought I'd update this since my recent tour of the Netherlands.

1. Helix - Liseberg, Sweden
2. Wodan Timbur Coaster - Europa-Park, Germany
3. Oblivion - Alton Towers, UK
4. Black Mamba - Phantasialand, Germany
5. Nemesis - Alton Towers, UK
6. Taron - Phantasialand, Germany
7. Lost Gravity - Walibi Holland, Netherlands
8. Goliath - Walibi Holland, Netherlands
9. Troy - Toverland, Netherlands
10. Gold Rush - Slagharen, Netherlands

Honourable mentions go to the likes of Blue Fire, Stealth, Silverstar, Fēnix and Joris en de Draak.

 

[John_P]

Here's my current top ten

Maverick
Top Thrill Dragster
Shambhala
Troy
Goliath
Icon
Nemesis
Red Force
Magnum XL200
Millennium Force

Visiting Phantasialand and Europa Park in the autumn so potentially some changes to come this year.

 

[AstroDan]

Mavis <3

 

[Poopoohead]

Has el toro got significantly tougher? I think I rode it in 2007 and I still rank it as number 1, simply stunning. Would love to compare it to steel vengeance

 

[Benjsh]

Has el toro got significantly tougher? I think I rode it in 2007 and I still rank it as number 1, simply stunning. Would love to compare it to steel vengeance

I lived in NYC for 2 years in 2009/2010 which was when I last rode it and it was perfectly fine. Still my number 1 coaster all this time on but I'm going to Cedar Point in 2 weeks for the first time so I think it might be finally beaten by SV.

I have heard El Toro has become a lot rougher over last few years sadly. Still supposed to be awesome but not quite like it was. I can imagine some of those sharp turns are quite painful now if it's become a bit rough as the speed of the thing is just insane.

 

[Matt Creek]

Might as well do mine considering I’ve just returned from the states.

1/ Steel Vengeance/
Some say there are rides overrated, not this. SV is both crazy and amazing from it’s relentless pace, length, airtime and hangtime. Even in the middle it’s a stunning coaster. Each train even has unique dispatch announcements.

2/ Helix
Impressive launches, inversions, airtime, hangtime and terrain. Still best european coaster.

3/ Maverick
Crazy twists, turns and a surprise launch make for a great ride.

4/ Taron
Stunning landscapes, fast launches and some fun airtime.

5/ Millennium Force,
Much better than expected. I was actually very impressed by this. It features force, an amazing first drop and air time.

6/ Shambhala
Lovely floaty airtime and surroundings

7/ Wodan,
Still my favourite woodie to date.

8/ Nemesis
A mighty beast still, 24 years on.

9/ Raptor,
Impressive invert, some of those inversions are crazy.

10/ Icon,
Stunning coaster for the U.K. there, the interaction is flawless.

 

[Martin]

There's a Wild Mouse shaped hole in my top 10 so until I decide what takes that space my top 9 will do

Helix
Wildfire
Taron
Nemesis
Ultimate
Smiler
Olympia Looping
Shambhala
Wodan

 

[Ted]

1. Helix
2. Oz' Iris
3. Wodan
4. Olympia Looping
5. Wildfire
6. Nemesis
7. Twister
8. Silver Star
9. Rutschebanen (Tivoli Gardens)
10. Stealth