Your Top Ten Coasters

[Rob]

Suppose it's time for an update to my top 10 after visiting some European parks, fully expect some abuse over this but here goes...

Overall Top 10
1. The Big One
2. Wild Mouse (Sorry @Rob!)
3. Troy
4. Grand National
5. Megafobia
6. Taron
7. Big Dipper
8. Joris En De Draak
9. Icon
10. Helix

It's okay, I take more offence to you having The Big One as your number 1 and Icon over Helix!

 

[Benzin]

Griffon is the only genuinely great dive coaster.

Yet for me I came off it with a distinct sense of "meh", much like with SheiKra...

I think it's similar to my neutrality towards the bigger drop towers, once you lose the sensation of dropping as you hit the terminal velocity, the excitement of the drop seems to just wane for me...

 

[AstroDan]

Griffon was brilliant as when you have a loose restraint, you literally float in mid-air for multiple seconds due to the sheer scale of the drop. Then, towards the end, the strange little layout gives you pops of airtime. It's a wonderful machine!

 

[Tuggerz]

Overall Top 10
1. The Big One

6. Taron

Abuse

 

[Ash84]

1. Grand National. Yes it's making enjoying the ride a challenge these days, but I have almost always beaten the restraint system this year and as such managed to enjoy the ride. That said it was running terribly slow on the final few weekends, but I will give it the benefit of the doubt for now.

2. Mako. Tall, fast, great airtime and massive amounts of fun. Incredible ride.

3. Dragon Khan. Fast, fun and intense. Love this old school B&M.

4. Furius Baco. I am a awaiting the abuse with pleasure, but I absolutely love this ride. The launch, followed by the small drop creates ridiculous airtime, the intensity of the corners and near misses with the tunnel and shrubbery is great and the barrel roll and final turn go hand in glove for the final section. Brilliant coaster.

5. Revenge of the Mummy. It's so innocent looking, it doesn't even look like a coaster from the outside, but it's a great ride. I love the quality of the theme and scenery with the building and on the coater itself.

6. Montu. Again, a top quality coaster. Really intense fast paced coaster.

7. Nemesis. It's hanging on by a thread as my favourite ride at Alton, but it has been asked some tough questions by the new comer this year. Still a quality coaster.

8. Shambhala. I wasn't expecting so many coasters to come between this and Mako, but on reflection I think this is accurate. I love the ride, but Mako just pipped it at the post.

9. Icon. It will be interesting to see if this remains so high in years to come or if it's here because finally after over 20 years BPB have installed a new coaster. I do enjoy it though, very much.

10. Nickelodeon Streak. It's not the famous Blackpool woodie, it's not the best out in the world, but for some reason this historic, nostalgic ride does it for me, especially towards the front of the train. I love the floating airtime you get on the return leg even more so well into the day or even better at night when it's been running for 12 hours. A true classic.

Honourable mention's to the following:

Big Dipper
White Lightening
Wickerman
Space Mountain
Kraken
Wild Mouse (RIP)
Dragon Challenge (RIP)
Texas Tornado (RIP)

 

[Rob]

4. Furius Baco. I am a awaiting the abuse with pleasure, but I absolutely love this ride. The launch, followed by the small drop creates ridiculous airtime, the intensity of the corners and near misses with the tunnel and shrubbery is great and the barrel roll and final turn go hand in glove for the final section. Brilliant coaster.

Ridiculous airtime? I'm happy to reevaluate when I'm there again in a couple of weeks but I have no such recollections. I recommend riding a coaster with actual airtime!

 

[Benzin]

Griffon was brilliant as when you have a loose restraint, you literally float in mid-air for multiple seconds due to the sheer scale of the drop. Then, towards the end, the strange little layout gives you pops of airtime. It's a wonderful machine!

So file under "You have to ride it in a particular fashion to make it good"?

 

[Rob]

So file under "You have to ride it in a particular fashion to make it good"?

I wouldn't say that, all Dive Coasters with the standard B&M restraints are better when riding with a looser restraint. Well, one could argue that most coasters are better with looser restraints, no one likes being pinned in!

 

[Ash84]

Ridiculous airtime? I'm happy to reevaluate when I'm there again in a couple of weeks but I have no such recollections. I recommend riding a coaster with actual airtime!

You know one thing that never fails to boil my p**s about members of the coaster 'community' is this refusal to accept anyone else's opinion when it differs in any way to their own.

Rob, you don't like Baco, you have made that very clear on more occasions than I care to count. I however do, get over it.

Now when we are talking about being launched at speeds of around 80mph at a slight incline, followed by a drop, it doesn't take a genius to work out that negative G's will be involved.

As for your final sentence, go back and read the list. Mako, Shambhala, Nash, Streak.....I think it's fair to say I know what airtime is.

 

[Martin]

You're so much more accepting of other people's views than Rob is you've gone on a four paragraph rant because he said he doesn't like Baco in a two line post with a light bit of banter at the end...

 

[Benzin]

What I find peculiar is that a lot of BPB fanboys love Baco... Is it because of a predisposition towards rough rides equal good because of being brought up on a diet of old woodies and a crap hyper?

Mean obvs there are others who love it, but from those I know personally their opinions on things tend to mean bugger all...

 

[RicketyCricket]

Baco has one of the best launches in the world in fairness.

If it had lap restraints you would definitely get some excellent airtime. As it is though you're pinned into the seat.

Top tip - don't get drunk and doze off on the beach and then ride Baco with a sunburnt belly. It felt like the restraint was ripping me to shreds

 

[Coaster]

What I find peculiar is that a lot of BPB fanboys love Baco... Is it because of a predisposition towards rough rides equal good because of being brought up on a diet of old woodies and a crap hyper?

Mean obvs there are others who love it, but from those I know personally their opinions on things tend to mean bugger all...

No, it's because people can like different things. Does everyone like the same films? No, someone's favourite film could be total garbage to someone else, but that doesn't mean it's a bad film, just that it isn't for everyone.

This sort-of attitude feels a bit snobbish really, saying that people's opinions mean nothing (presumably because they haven't ridden as many coasters as you...?)

I'm always interested to hear people's views on coasters but it feels very much like some people who have maybe ridden more or whatever other reason like to throw their weight around and basically say "you're not allowed to like such-and-such ride because I said it's crap".

 

[Ash84]

You're so much more accepting of other people's views than Rob is you've gone on a four paragraph rant because he said he doesn't like Baco in a two line post with a light bit of banter at the end...

Review the topic. You will find he makes the same kind of post every few pages at someone. It's other people's opinions, if they aren't welcome why are topics like this open?

What I find peculiar is that a lot of BPB fanboys love Baco... Is it because of a predisposition towards rough rides equal good because of being brought up on a diet of old woodies and a crap hyper?

Mean obvs there are others who love it, but from those I know personally their opinions on things tend to mean bugger all...

Oh I see, today I'm a BPB fan boy am I, nice to see the wind has changed again. I seem to alternate well between that and being anti BPB. I wish you'd make your minds up and just tar me with the same brush.

Nothing to do with BPB, I find Baco I great ride. Maybe some of you have spend too long on Air, Rita and Thirteen to actually tell what a decent coaster is?

 

[AstroDan]

So file under "You have to ride it in a particular fashion to make it good"?

Umm, well there's a hell of a lot of coasters in that bracket? What I am saying is, don't have a tight restraint. There are so many rides with that kind of requirement: most mega/hyper coasters, for starters! - honestly, I love Griffon. Which is odd, as I don't really rate any of the other dive coasters I have done, oddly including Sheikra which doesn't stand out. When I first rode Griffon I didn't expect to like it. The end section is really quirky. I can't really explain it. I was quite negative actually before my first time! Fair play you don't like it, though.

RE: The Baco thing, Blackpool fans do seem to like the ride a lot. Just one of those things, I guess. Personally, I think Baco is crap. People bang on about the launch, but I find Stealth's better.

 

[TPC]

My view on Furius Baco is it is a lot better than what people make it out to be. It's rough but still less rough than DK.

 

[AstroDan]

My view on Furius Baco is it is a lot better than what people make it out to be. It's rough but still less rough than DK.

To be fair, the issue with Baco is that people susceptible to a headache from the shaking will like it less than those who simply don't get headaches as easily. Khan is probably rougher than Baco in the traditional sense. For me, the issue with Baco is that due to poor engineering, the outer seats, particularly towards the rear of the train, vibrate. Thus, for many, a headache ensues. I also get a headache after too many rides on Khan, too. But generally, I find the layout of Khan more enjoyable. Baco doesn't really go for airtime hills or intense twists, it just sort of pans out like a less inclined Rita at higher speeds, with an inversion thrown in for no real merit. If Baco really dished out intense elements within the layout, I would probably be more forgiving - but as it is, for me, it's down there with Hades 360 and always has been since my first ride(s) in 2009.

However, due to the sheer number of people who dislike the ride, it's fair to say it probably rarely lives up to the negativity - whereas Khan probably takes people by surprise with it's roughness. I'd say it's a little like The Ultimate.

 

[Danny]

Maybe some of you have spend too long on Air, Rita and Thirteen to actually tell what a decent coaster is?

Given that all three actually do something or achieve what they set out to do in the first place, perhaps that's not a bad thing. Baco may look great with its finale backdrop, but that's about as much merit for it as can be mustered.

 

[Ian]

Well it’s been a while, and now I’ve ticked off Florida and had some time to dwell on it I’m due an update.

1) Monster - Walygator (still not quite beaten!)
2) Manta - SeaWorld Orlando
3) Expedition GeForce - Holiday Park
4) Taron - Phantasialand
5) Air/Galactica (sans VR) - Alton Towers
6) Mako - SeaWorld Orlando
7) Oz’Iris - Parc Asterix
8) Revenge of The Mummy - Universal Studios Orlando
9) Sheikra - Busch Gardens Tampa
10) Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa

Flyer fanboy, in case you couldn’t tell...

Some top 20 highlights would include (in no particular order)

• Winjas Fear - Phantasialand
• Space Mountain - Parc Disneyland
• Tonnerre de Zeus - Parc Asterix
• Nemesis - Alton Towers
• Euro Mir - Europa Park
• Expedition Everest - Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Goliath - Walibi Holland
• Blue Fire - Europa Park

 

[Dave]

You know one thing that never fails to boil my p**s about members of the coaster 'community' is this refusal to accept anyone else's opinion when it differs in any way to their own.

So what you are saying is you don’t like debate..... on a forum?

What you are maybe looking for is a Blog, you can air an opinion on one of those without anyone taking a right to reply.