Your Top Ten Coasters

Leigh · 11th Apr 2024

Slight reshuffle after the last few months.

1. Expedition GeForce
2. Shambhala
3. Gotham City Escape
4. Toutatis
5. Hyperion
6. F.L.Y.
7. Zadra
8. Taron
9. Wodan
10. Nemesis

Surprising nobody, a couple more Intamin airtime machines entered the top spots. F.L.Y. being as good as it was turned out to be a bit of a shocker though.

AstroDan · 9th Jun 2024

So, after a recent trip, my top ten has changed. I am, however, revisiting the parks with my numbers 1,2,3,4 and 7 this summer - so will be safely able to confirm the below in August!

1: Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point (last rode 2018)
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 (last rode 2018)
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 (last rode 2018)
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 (last rode 2018)
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. Voltron, Europa-Park (last rode 2024)
This ride is unbelievable. I never thought Mack would deliver such a package let alone at Europa-Park. It's fast, intense, full of wild airtime and beautifully themed. If they can sort out the trains to be always consistent, it could be even higher in this list. Absolutely amazing.

6. Eejanaika, Fuji-Q Highland (last rode 2017)
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. Significantly better than X2 which, although still a crazy ride, I found less comfortable.

7. Intimidator 305, Kings Dominion (last rode 2018)
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!

8. The Ride to Happiness, Plopsaland (last rode 2023)
When I first reflected on this ride, I wasn't sure it would make my top 10. Or even top 20. But having reflected more in the weeks following, and looking at the other rides on this top 10 list - I think it's fair to say that this is (edit: WAS) my favourite Mack coaster and I would take it over the two rides below on this list. Mack have smashed it with this attraction. It's way better than Time Traveler and offers some intense moments but is, at the same time, incredibly fun. The build quality on these Xtreme spinning coasters is first rate and it really is one of the best ride systems ever devised.

9. Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City (last rode 2018)
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!

10: Ghostrider, Knott's Berry Farm (last rode 2019)
Incredible! Was so surprised by this coaster - but it was an absolute dream. Fantastic!

Dropping out of the list is Raptor at Cedar Point.

My current coaster count is around 800 but it is not precise.

Call_um · 9th Jun 2024

Few changes for me

1) Kondaa
2) Taron
3) Zadra
4) Hyperia
5) Hyperion
6) Nemesis
7) Wodan
8) Kumba
9) Silver Star
10) Stealth

Hopefully going to get Asterix and Plopsaland in this year so that may change things!

Benjsh · 10th Jun 2024

I can't choose a top ten. I find it hard to remember them all and rank them accordingly.

I did really enjoy Flying Aces on my recent trip to the UAE however so that is definitely a contender.

The only thing I know is SteVe is my number one and Nemesis is probably my number two purely because without that coaster I don't think I'd have this hobby.

John_P · 10th Jun 2024

Just finished a big trip round southern Germany, tacking on bits of France and Austria.

Lots of great new parks and memories, but only one cracks my top 10.

1 Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
2 The Voyage - Holiday World
3 Zadra - Energylandia
4 Maverick - Cedar Point
5 Voltron - Europa Park
6 Ride To Happiness - Plopsaland De Panne
7 Baldur - Liseberg
8 Taron - Phantasialand
9 Batman Gotham City Escape - Parque Warner Madrid
10 Helix - Liseberg

Zeock · 5th Aug 2024

Zeock said:
Triple post! A few changes after BPB.
1: Nemesis
2: Wicker Man
3: Stealth
4: Saw
5: Big Thunder Mountain
6: Icon
7: The Smiler
8: Hyperspace Mountain
9: Oblivion
10: Revolution

My Top 10 has changed a lot since I last updated it. The gaps that I show between the rides represent how close they are to each other in my personal opinion.

1: Eejanaika
This ride is stupendous. The intensity of this ride is unlike anything which I had previously experienced, and it does not let up from the bottom of the drop until the brakes. One thing that I do find interesting about this ride is that it seems to increase in intensity as you traverse the ride, with the (admittedly brilliant) drop being the least intense part of the ride, and the final inversion being the most intense part of the ride. This ride is very rough, but it certainly adds to the experience.

2: Nemesis
This ride has been taken off the top spot, but it is still amazing. The helix is the highlight of the ride, but the rest of the ride holds its own, and the terrain usage helps amplify the speed.

3: Hakugei
This ride is full of ejector airtime. It is a long ride, and there are inversions, such as a zero-g stall, but it lacks in variety. It is quite intense throughout, but there is a dead spot in the middle of the ride.

4: Stealth
The acceleration is superb, and the ride provides a great adrenaline rush, but it is too short.

5: Arashi
This ride is very intense, but not quite as intense as Eejanaika. There is very little variety in the ride, and it is fairly short, but it is extremely pleasurable.

6: Hyperia
The drop is excellent, and there is some airtime. However, it is an extremely short ride considering how tall it is. The zero-g stall is also lacking.

7: Saw
I love the intensity of the ride, and there are some great moments of ejector airtime, but it seems to suffer from pacing issues. However, it is quite a long ride, and the indoor theming is respectable.

8: Wicker Man
I adore the theming. This ride is really good fun, despite not being overly intense. One major issue with this ride is the 'boring corner', which is a major dead spot on the ride.

9: Steel Dragon 2000
I am smitten with the first drop, but the rest of the ride is rather rattly, although the final few airtime hills do finish the ride with style.

10: Big Thunder Mountain (DLP)
The theming is superlative, and the indoor parts of the ride inject it with a slight amount of intensity. However, this is a family ride, and most of the layout itself is uninspired.

AstroDan · 18th Aug 2024

AstroDan said:
So, after a recent trip, my top ten has changed. I am, however, revisiting the parks with my numbers 1,2,3,4 and 7 this summer - so will be safely able to confirm the below in August!

1: Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point (last rode 2018)
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 (last rode 2018)
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 (last rode 2018)
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 (last rode 2018)
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. Voltron, Europa-Park (last rode 2024)
This ride is unbelievable. I never thought Mack would deliver such a package let alone at Europa-Park. It's fast, intense, full of wild airtime and beautifully themed. If they can sort out the trains to be always consistent, it could be even higher in this list. Absolutely amazing.

6. Eejanaika, Fuji-Q Highland (last rode 2017)
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. Significantly better than X2 which, although still a crazy ride, I found less comfortable.

7. Intimidator 305, Kings Dominion (last rode 2018)
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!

8. The Ride to Happiness, Plopsaland (last rode 2023)
When I first reflected on this ride, I wasn't sure it would make my top 10. Or even top 20. But having reflected more in the weeks following, and looking at the other rides on this top 10 list - I think it's fair to say that this is (edit: WAS) my favourite Mack coaster and I would take it over the two rides below on this list. Mack have smashed it with this attraction. It's way better than Time Traveler and offers some intense moments but is, at the same time, incredibly fun. The build quality on these Xtreme spinning coasters is first rate and it really is one of the best ride systems ever devised.

9. Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City (last rode 2018)
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!

10: Ghostrider, Knott's Berry Farm (last rode 2019)
Incredible! Was so surprised by this coaster - but it was an absolute dream. Fantastic!

Dropping out of the list is Raptor at Cedar Point.

My current coaster count is around 800 but it is not precise.

Just finished a 16 day trip back to the US and flying home on Monday. Substantial changes to the above incoming...

Matt N · 19th Aug 2024

Matt N said:
Following my recent trip to Florida, my top 10 has changed quite a bit. The composition of this new list did take a fair amount of deliberation, and even now, I should add that I'm still slightly undecided on some of the placements.

This trip presented me with some very interesting conundrums in terms of coaster ranking, as in many cases, I was comparing incredibly different types of ride that were all truly, truly excellent in their own way. It really did test me, and I often second guessed the relative placements of certain rides. Nonetheless, I think I've managed to come up with a final post-Florida ranking.

For clarity, I gained 8 new roller coaster credits during my trip, taking my total coaster count to 99. Of the new coasters I rode, 4 of these made my top 10 and 10/10 tier (which I should add are now one and the same; my 10/10 tier currently encompasses ranking spots 1-10), and the other "new addition" to my 10/10 tier is a previously ridden coaster that exceeded my previous memories of it.

Some of the placements may seem strange. I'm more than happy to answer questions on any placements you find questionable, but I should state that at a basic level, my favourite coasters are rides that have the perfect blend of fun, thrills and rerideability. Out and out intensity is not everything for me; it's the fun factor and rerideability that ultimately matters. There are certainly tangible things that typically correlate with me ranking a coaster highly (for instance, most rides in this list have notable airtime moments to at least a certain extent), but the most important thing for me is a good blend of fun, thrills and rerideability, and I think one entry to my top 10 in particular taught me that the qualities of "what I like in a coaster" are perhaps less tangible than I had previously thought they were.

So, without further ado, my current top 10 is as follows... (new entries are in italics, relocated coasters are underlined)

Mako - SeaWorld Orlando: Even 7 years after my first ride, this coaster still reigns supreme for me, and my recent revisit to SeaWorld (where I had 5 rides on it) reinforced that! The sustained airtime is absolutely biblical (particularly in moments like the first drop, first airtime hill and speed hill), the sense of speed is wonderful, it's blissfully smooth, and overall, it's just such a fun, thrilling and rerideable coaster that I could (and indeed tried my darnedest to) sit on all day! I truly love this ride, and on my recent revisit to SeaWorld, it didn't disappoint! 10/10

Jurassic World VelociCoaster - Islands of Adventure: It may not quite be #1, but my goodness was it close, and VelociCoaster would certainly be a worthy contender for the top spot! There is so much that this ride does well; it packs a great sense of speed throughout, with the second section in particular feeling ridiculously fast, there are quite a few sublime moments of ejector airtime that really whip you out of the seat, there are some truly brilliant inversions, and overall, it's just a truly stunning, spectacular coaster, in my view! In terms of some specific highlights; it's hard to pick from the wonderful array of sensations on offer. But if I had to choose a few, the second launch is absolutely obscene, packing a euphoric thrill like few other rides I've ever experienced, the top hat is sublime, packing some breathtaking ejector airtime on the back in particular, and the mosasaurus roll is an absolutely mind-blowing inversion that throws you out of the seat with some sublime sustained negative g-forces and ensures that you fly into the final brakes blown away! Overall, VelociCoaster is a truly stunning coaster, in my opinion; its blend of stunning airtime, impactful elements, fun, comfort and rerideability certainly make it a firm favourite of mine! 10/10

Silver Star - Europa Park: I had quite low expectations for this coaster given that it's not overly well liked, but I have to say that I was blown away; I absolutely adored this coaster! It has wonderful sustained airtime, it's smooth and comfortable, it has an awesome sense of speed, the ending is absolutely brilliant, packing some phenomenal ejector airtime (particularly the MCBR exit), and overall, this is a stunning coaster that I absolutely loved! I did rank this below Mako of the two B&M Hypers I've ridden due to my feeling that its airtime, while stunning, never has quite the same impact as some of Mako's strongest moments, in my view, and while smooth in its own right, it isn't quite as blissfully smooth as Mako. I also felt it to be slightly less consistent, as I did have 1 or 2 slightly weaker rides on it during my trip to Europa. Nonetheless, Silver Star is a stunning coaster with phenomenal sustained airtime, and I love how it is incredibly rerideable and keeps the thrills going right to the end with that awesome post-MCBR section! 10/10

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure - Islands of Adventure: Dismiss this as a “family” coaster all you want, but I think such quick dismissal would be a huge mistake, because this ride is phenomenal, in my view! Of the rides in my top 10, I’ll admit that this one probably has the least tangible reason to be there. However, the key reason why Hagrid’s ranks so highly for me is that purely and simply, it is a phenomenally, impeccably fun roller coaster! In terms of some specifics, the low-to-the-ground turns were a lot more thrilling than I expected and the launches were surprisingly punchy and great fun, but unlike many coasters, my love of Hagrid’s is for a much broader reason than any specific features of the ride layout. It is just so, so fun, and the ride will always leave you laughing hysterically and smiling on the final brake run, and that for me is really important. Riding Hagrid’s taught me a crucial lesson about my taste in coasters; it taught me that a coaster does not necessarily need greatness in the form of tangible elements for me to love it, and that fundamentally, all a coaster needs to be is fun. Hagrid’s is not the most intense ride by any means, but if you want pure fun, I’d struggle to recommend many better coasters than this one! 10/10

Wodan Timbur Coaster - Europa Park: Wodan strikes the perfect balance between pure demented insanity and amazing fun factor and rerideability, in my view! It’s an absolutely relentless coaster, with phenomenal pacing right to the end, and it has quite a few really surprising pops of ejector airtime, including an excellent first drop, but it’s also a really smooth and comfortable wooden coaster, and it just manages to be a ridiculous amount of fun! Overall, Wodan is such a fast, airtime-filled and fun coaster that I absolutely loved on my visit to Europa Park! 10/10

Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa: This ride is phenomenal! In terms of some key strengths, it’s absolutely relentless in pacing and has some of the strongest ejector airtime I’ve ever experienced, and some of the big hitters in the layout like the first drop, outerbanked turn, death roll and wave turn are truly sensational elements that are right up there with the best, in my opinion! The first drop in particular is insane; whipping you far out of the seat with ejector airtime for a surprisingly sustained period of time never gets old! However, my reason for not ranking this coaster higher is that it’s almost a little… much at times. Iron Gwazi is not a rough coaster by any stretch, but it’s certainly fierce in places, and I did find the final few elements in particular to be toeing the line in terms of what I can handle from a violence and intensity standpoint. It does quite a bit of what I’d refer to as “snapping”, where it changes direction and exerts high forces very rapidly, and while this looks good on paper and probably looks good in NoLimits or whatever, it doesn’t ride quite so well in practice for me, and I did find Iron Gwazi ever so slightly uncomfortable in those snappier portions of the layout. If I’m being picky, I also wasn’t the biggest lover of the trains (and these could well have contributed to the slight discomfort I experienced in areas), although they’re admittedly far from the worst trains I’ve ever sat in. Nevertheless, these are minor niggles rather than total deal breakers for me, and the high points of the ride are high enough for me to override them to a certain extent; while I perhaps didn’t love Iron Gwazi quite as much as I’d hoped to for the aforementioned reasons, it’s still a phenomenal ride that I thought very highly of! 10/10

SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa: I had remembered liking this ride back in 2016, but my reride in 2023 was even better than I’d previously remembered! I love a B&M Dive Coaster, and this was a fantastic one! The sustained airtime over both drops was absolutely phenomenal, and the sheer size of them produced a brilliant sensation of speed throughout the ride! You typically think of Dive Coasters for their initial vertical drop, but interestingly, I actually thought that the second vertical drop on SheiKra delivered just as much as the first if not more! Overall, SheiKra was phenomenal, and a really pleasant surprise; I often said that I preferred Oblivion, but I’d now say that I comfortably prefer SheiKra, as I do feel that the added height and length really add something to it! 10/10

Icon - Blackpool Pleasure Beach: Icon is often maligned, but I absolutely love it, personally! Yes, the ride is not the most intense coaster by any means, but I just find it incredibly good fun! There’s some excellent ejector airtime on there, with some particular highlight moments being the top hat, the drop down into the second launch and one incredibly fun drop during the second half of the layout! I also think that the ride is fast-paced and thrilling throughout, and it’s also incredibly smooth and comfortable, with the overhead lap bars ensuring that the inversions in particular are negotiated comfortably in a way that ensures maximum floaty negatives! Overall, I love Icon for its fun airtime, fast pace, fun twists and turns and overall rerideability; it’s just such a wonderfully fun coaster, in my opinion! 10/10

Ice Breaker - SeaWorld Orlando: I had pretty low expectations for Ice Breaker, as its reviews are generally middling to negative, but I have to say that it massively exceeded expectations for me; it was a phenomenal little ride that I absolutely loved! I should say that the much-maligned “comfort collars” have been removed, so I experienced the ride without them, but I found it to be fantastic, with a fun and punchy swing launch, a backwards spike with some brilliant floater airtime, some surprisingly excellent pops of ejector airtime in places, some fun twists and turns, and a smooth and fun ride experience throughout! The trains are a little tight to get into and out of, but I found the restraints unobtrusive when I was sat down enjoying the ride, so I didn’t find them to be an issue overall. All in all, I thought Ice Breaker was a fantastic ride that hugely exceeded my expectations; it may not have quite been my favourite coaster I rode in Florida, but I dare say that coaster-wise, it was possibly the sleeper hit of the trip in terms of how much it exceeded my expectations! I expected very little, but I ended up absolutely loving the ride, personally! 10/10

Wicker Man - Alton Towers: It may now only be in my top 10 by the skin of its teeth, but Wicker Man is a fantastic GCI coaster that I absolutely love! It may not look like much on paper, but I find it to be an enormously fun and rerideable coaster that never fails to put a huge smile on my face! I find it to be a really fast-paced coaster with some really fun twists and turns and some surprising pops of airtime, with some particular favourite elements of mine being the initial s-bend drop, where you gain brilliant speed incredibly quickly, and the big drop out of the high u-turn and following airtime hill, with both elements providing some excellent airtime that really whips you out of the seat! Overall, I find Wicker Man a hugely fun and rerideable wooden coaster with awesome airtime, twists and pacing, and I think it’s a ride that is definitely far more than the sum of its parts, personally! 10/10

In terms of other notable new Florida additions, the only major new coaster addition I can think of that is missing is Pipeline: The Surf Coaster, which I found to be a big disappointment and is ranked at #52 out of 99.

Overall, I thought that this trip was brilliant, personally!

Following my visit to Thorpe Park yesterday, the first new addition of 2024 has graced my top 10!

Since I last posted an updated list in this thread, I’ve also rejigged the order of my rankings a bit, so the order is slightly different to what it was before.

With this in mind, my current top 10, with a coaster count of 123, is as follows (new addition in italics, altered placements underlined):

Mako - SeaWorld Orlando: Even 8 years after my first ride, this coaster still reigns supreme for me, and my 2023 revisit to SeaWorld (where I had 5 rides on it) reinforced that! The sustained airtime is absolutely biblical (particularly in moments like the first drop, first airtime hill and speed hill), the sense of speed is wonderful, it's blissfully smooth, and overall, it's just such a fun, thrilling and rerideable coaster that I could (and indeed tried my darnedest to) sit on all day! I truly love this ride, and on my 2023 revisit to SeaWorld, it didn't disappoint! 10/10
Jurassic World VelociCoaster - Universal’s Islands of Adventure: It may not quite be #1, but my goodness was it close, and VelociCoaster would certainly be a worthy contender for the top spot! There is so much that this ride does well; it packs a great sense of speed throughout, with the second section in particular feeling ridiculously fast, there are quite a few sublime moments of ejector airtime that really whip you out of the seat, there are some truly brilliant inversions, and overall, it's just a truly stunning, spectacular coaster, in my view! In terms of some specific highlights; it's hard to pick from the wonderful array of sensations on offer. But if I had to choose a few, the second launch is absolutely obscene, packing a euphoric thrill like few other rides I've ever experienced, the top hat is sublime, packing some breathtaking ejector airtime on the back in particular, and the mosasaurus roll is an absolutely mind-blowing inversion that throws you out of the seat with some sublime sustained negative g-forces and ensures that you fly into the final brakes blown away! Overall, VelociCoaster is a truly stunning coaster, in my opinion; its blend of stunning airtime, impactful elements, fun, comfort and rerideability certainly make it a firm favourite of mine! 10/10
Silver Star - Europa Park: I had quite low expectations for this coaster given that it's not overly well liked, but I have to say that I was blown away; I absolutely adored this coaster! It has wonderful sustained airtime, it's smooth and comfortable, it has an awesome sense of speed, the ending is absolutely brilliant, packing some phenomenal ejector airtime (particularly the MCBR exit), and overall, this is a stunning coaster that I absolutely loved! I did rank this below Mako of the two B&M Hypers I've ridden due to my feeling that its airtime, while stunning, never has quite the same impact as some of Mako's strongest moments, in my view, and while smooth in its own right, it isn't quite as blissfully smooth as Mako. I also felt it to be slightly less consistent, as I did have 1 or 2 slightly weaker rides on it during my trip to Europa. Nonetheless, Silver Star is a stunning coaster with phenomenal sustained airtime, and I love how it is incredibly rerideable and keeps the thrills going right to the end with that awesome post-MCBR section! 10/10
Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa: This ride is phenomenal! In terms of some key strengths, it’s absolutely relentless in pacing and has some of the strongest ejector airtime I’ve ever experienced, and some of the big hitters in the layout like the first drop, outerbanked turn, death roll and wave turn are truly sensational elements that are right up there with the best, in my opinion! The first drop in particular is insane; whipping you far out of the seat with ejector airtime for a surprisingly sustained period of time never gets old! There are also some absolutely top-drawer moments of ejector airtime elsewhere in the layout, and the ride is smooth and rerideable! In terms of why I moved it up when I haven’t reridden it, this is because in retrospect, I think I was overly harsh on Iron Gwazi at the time, fixating on its very tiniest imperfections to try and quantify the slight disappointment of it not quite living up to my wildly high expectations on the very first go. This is going to sound odd, but Iron Gwazi is a coaster where the more I sit back and think about it, the more I actually love it. Thinking back, it grew on me considerably the second and third times I did it once the weight of expectation was off its shoulders, and it is genuinely a top tier ride that is more than deserving of a top 5 placement for me! 10/10
Hyperia - Thorpe Park: What a sublime ride! I was excited for Hyperia, and it did not disappoint! I love a good hyper, and Hyperia is a phenomenal one! For starters, the ride is primarily designed around weightlessness, and it delivers this excellently; you seem to spend half of the ride pinned out of the seat in some capacity! The first three big elements on the ride are an obscenely perfect sequence. The first drop is absolutely unhinged and so, so good, delivering excellent sustained ejector, the non-inverting Immelmann is sublime and offers both brilliant speed rushing up into it and top-drawer sustained ejector coming out of it, and that outerbanked turn into the inversion is wild and pins you right of your seat with top-tier sustained sideways ejector! The zero-g stall is not quite up there with the other elements, but it is still excellent, with sustained hangtime, and the final two elements after the trim were surprisingly excellent, with both the outerbanked turn and the final airtime hill delivering! Overall, then, Hyperia is an absolutely sublime coaster, in my view, and it definitely lived up to the hype for me. It’s so good to have a coaster this brilliant 2 hours from home, that I can most probably ride at least once annually! 10/10
Wodan Timbur Coaster - Europa Park: Wodan strikes the perfect balance between pure demented insanity and amazing fun factor and rerideability, in my view! It’s an absolutely relentless coaster, with phenomenal pacing right to the end, and it has quite a few really surprising pops of ejector airtime, including an excellent first drop, but it’s also a really smooth and comfortable wooden coaster, and it just manages to be a ridiculous amount of fun! Overall, Wodan is such a fast, airtime-filled and fun coaster that I absolutely loved on my visit to Europa Park! 10/10
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure - Universal’s Islands of Adventure: Dismiss this as a “family” coaster all you want, but I think such quick dismissal would be a huge mistake, because this ride is phenomenal, in my view! Of the rides in my top 10, I’ll admit that this one probably has the least tangible reason to be there. However, the key reason why Hagrid’s ranks so highly for me is that purely and simply, it is a phenomenally, impeccably fun roller coaster! In terms of some specifics, the low-to-the-ground turns were a lot more thrilling than I expected and the launches were surprisingly punchy and great fun, but unlike many coasters, my love of Hagrid’s is for a much broader reason than any specific features of the ride layout. It is just so, so fun, and the ride will always leave you laughing hysterically and smiling on the final brake run, and that for me is really important. Riding Hagrid’s taught me a crucial lesson about my taste in coasters; it taught me that a coaster does not necessarily need greatness in the form of tangible elements for me to love it, and that fundamentally, all a coaster needs to be is fun. Hagrid’s is not the most intense ride by any means, but if you want pure fun, I’d struggle to recommend many better coasters than this one! 10/10
SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa: I had remembered liking this ride back in 2016, but my reride in 2023 was even better than I’d previously remembered! I love a B&M Dive Coaster, and this was a fantastic one! The sustained airtime over both drops was absolutely phenomenal, and the sheer size of them produced a brilliant sensation of speed throughout the ride! You typically think of Dive Coasters for their initial vertical drop, but interestingly, I actually thought that the second vertical drop on SheiKra delivered just as much as the first if not more! Overall, SheiKra was phenomenal, and a really pleasant surprise; I often said that I preferred Oblivion, but I’d now say that I comfortably prefer SheiKra, as I do feel that the added height and length really add something to it! 10/10
Wicker Man - Alton Towers: Wicker Man is a fantastic GCI coaster that I absolutely love! It may not look like much on paper, but I find it to be an enormously fun and rerideable coaster that never fails to put a huge smile on my face! I find it to be a really fast-paced coaster with some really fun twists and turns and some surprising pops of airtime, with some particular favourite elements of mine being the initial s-bend drop, where you gain brilliant speed incredibly quickly, and the big drop out of the high u-turn and following airtime hill, with both elements providing some excellent airtime that really whips you out of the seat! Overall, I find Wicker Man a hugely fun and rerideable wooden coaster with awesome airtime, twists and pacing, and I think it’s a ride that is definitely far more than the sum of its parts, personally! I decided to bump it up a few spots after my most recent visit in 2024, where it was running so well on the 2 rides I had; the airtime was kicking, the ride was blisteringly fast-paced, and it just made me laugh and smile so much! Somewhat similarly to Hagrid’s, Wicker Man just takes the raw fun factor to a whole new level for me! 10/10
Ice Breaker - SeaWorld Orlando: I had pretty low expectations for Ice Breaker, as its reviews are generally middling to negative, but I have to say that it massively exceeded expectations for me; it was a phenomenal little ride that I absolutely loved! I should say that the much-maligned “comfort collars” have been removed, so I experienced the ride without them, but I found it to be fantastic, with a fun and punchy swing launch, a backwards spike with some brilliant floater airtime, some surprisingly excellent pops of ejector airtime in places, some fun twists and turns, and a smooth and fun ride experience throughout! The trains are a little tight to get into and out of, but I found the restraints unobtrusive when I was sat down enjoying the ride, so I didn’t find them to be an issue overall. All in all, I thought Ice Breaker was a fantastic ride that hugely exceeded my expectations; it may not have quite been my favourite coaster I rode in Florida, but I dare say that coaster-wise, it was possibly the sleeper hit of my 2023 trip in terms of how much it exceeded my expectations! I expected very little, but I ended up absolutely loving the ride, personally! 10/10

The unfortunate casualty of the most recent addition to my top 10 has been Icon, which has now dropped out. I do love Icon to bits, and it’s still just about a 10/10 tier ride for me (it’s now the lowest ranking ride in this tier), but it’s the ride that’s tended to bear the brunt of the collateral damage of new additions to my top 10 in recent years. I do love the airtime, the fun factor and the way it all flows and meshes together wonderfully and encapsulates a lot of different elements, but one thing that’s become more evident as I’ve ridden more coasters is that it lacks any particular standout “wow” elements compared to things I rank more highly. For a ride to really stand out for me these days, it has to either take the fun factor to an entirely new level (e.g. Hagrid’s, Wicker Man) or it needs a couple of real standout elements, and compared to other rides in the 10/10 tier, I don’t think Icon delivers on either of those things quite as well, so I have found it sliding down the rankings in recent years. There could be a bit of recency bias at play here, as it’s easily the 10/10 tier ride I last rode the longest ago (my last ride was in 2019), but those are my current thoughts.

For those interested, my wider top 30 is currently as follows (I’ve also done a bit of rejigging here…):

Mako - SeaWorld Orlando (10/10)
Jurassic World VelociCoaster - Universal’s Islands of Adventure (10/10)
Silver Star - Europa Park (10/10)
Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa (10/10)
Hyperia - Thorpe Park (10/10)
Wodan Timbur Coaster - Europa Park (10/10)
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure - Universal’s Islands of Adventure (10/10)
SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa (10/10)
Wicker Man - Alton Towers (10/10)
Ice Breaker - SeaWorld Orlando (10/10)
Icon - Blackpool Pleasure Beach (10/10)
Oblivion - Alton Towers (9/10)
Stealth - Thorpe Park (9/10)
Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa (9/10)
Nemesis Reborn - Alton Towers (9/10)
Nemesis Inferno - Thorpe Park (9/10)
Revenge of the Mummy - Universal Studios Florida (9/10)
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts - Universal Studios Florida (9/10)
Blue Fire - Europa Park (9/10)
Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee (9/10)
The Swarm - Thorpe Park (8/10)
Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa (8/10)
Kraken - SeaWorld Orlando (8/10)
Megafobia - Oakwood Theme Park (8/10)
Rock’n’Rollercoaster - Disney’s Hollywood Studios (8/10)
Cheetah Hunt - Busch Gardens Tampa (8/10)
Sik - Flamingo Land (8/10)
Thirteen - Alton Towers (8/10)
Rita - Alton Towers (8/10)
Eurosat CanCan Coaster - Europa Park (7/10)

D4n · 19th Aug 2024

1. Wildfire, Kolmården (new)
2. Taiga, Linnenmaki
3. Zadra, Energylandia
4. Lech Coaster, Legendia
5. Ride to Happiness, Plopsaland
6. Shambhala, PortAventura
7. Helix, Liseberg
8. Taron, Phantasialand
9. Kondaa, Walibi Belgium
10. iSpeed, Mirrobilandia (new)

Updated after trips to Italy and Sweden this summer . I’ve also reassessed some of my existing rankings

Leigh · 20th Aug 2024

1. Voltron (new)
2. EGF (-1)
3. Shambhala (-1)
4. GCE (-1)
5. Toutatis (-1)
6. Hyperion (-1)
7. Taron (+1)
8. Zadra (-1)
9. Wodan (=)
10. Nemesis (=)

Three main differences to last time - Voltron being the biggest shocker in that it was fantastic and really does blow the Intamin multi launches I’ve done out of the water. After a few rides, I didn’t even have to think about making it my number one.

I’ve also raised Taron up to 7; still the weakest of the 3 Intamin multi launches, but my last rides on it in July were a big improvement over earlier the year. F.L.Y. has also been dropped out of my top ten to #12 behind RTH - still a great ride (and my favourite flyer) but I prefer the others in my top ten more.

Dhev123 · 20th Aug 2024

Having only been on UK coasters (only merlin parks) and portaventura:

1. Hyperia
2. Shambhala
3. Stealth
4. Nemesis Reborn
5. Wicker Man
6. The Swarm
7. Dragon Khan
8. Nemesis Inferno
9. Rita (I know!)
10. The Smiler
----
honourable mentions:
11. SAW: The Ride
12. Oblivion
13. Colossus
14. Furius Baco
15. Th13teen

Hope to someday visit BPB and Flamingo land, among more international parks

owenstreet7 · 20th Aug 2024

For me, these are my personal top 10 coaster rankings out of the coasters I've ridden.

1. Taron - Phantasialand
2. Voltron Nevera - Europa Park
3. Hyperia - Thorpe Park
4. Wodan - Europa Park
5. Icon - Blackpool Pleasure Beach
6. Nemesis - Alton Towers
7. Blue Fire - Europa Park
8. Silver Star - Europa Park
9. FLY - Phantasialand
10. Nemesis Inferno - Thorpe Park
Honourable Mention/11. The Swarm - Thorpe Park

danlouislucy · 20th Aug 2024

My top 10 from my Spreadsheet, big shout goes to Na Fianna Force (at 11) but such a fun coaster

Helix	Liseberg	SE
Hyperion	Energylandia	PL
Balder	Liseberg	SE
Wildfire	Kolmården Zoo	SE
Zadra	Energylandia	PL
F.L.Y.	Phantasialand	DE
Nemesis (Reborn)	Alton Towers	GB
Shambhala	PortAventura World	ES
Hyperia	Thorpe Park Resort	GB
Taron	Phantasialand	DE
Na Fianna Force	Emerald Park	IE

AstroDan · 20th Aug 2024

I have just returned from a 16-day US trip, my first visit to this part of the States in some time. Last visit date in brackets, we visited:

Dorney Park (2013)
Hersheypark (2018)
Kennnywood (2013)
Cedar Point (2018)
Kings Island (2018)
Dollywood (2018)
Carowinds (2015)
Busch Gardens Williamsburg (2018)
Kings Dominion (2018)
Six Flags Great Adventure (2018)

My top ten before the trip was
Steel Vengenace, Maverick, El Toro (SFGAdv), Skyrush, Voltron, Eejanaika, Intimidator (Project) 305, Ride to Happiness, Outlaw Run, Ghostrider.

There have been some changes, and here is my new Top Ten!

1: Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point, USA (last rode 2024)
This coaster is almost the perfect machine. It has been well maintained and remains smooth. The reason it sits top of the pile isn't that it does everything better than everything else (it did when it opened, but the gap has narrowed) - it's the bang you get for your buck. This ride is LONG. Airtime. Intense transitions. This is quite simply a masterclass of thrill engineering. As the day goes on, the ride comes into its own and if you weren't sure after a ride at 11am, you'll be certain come 10pm.

2: Maverick, Cedar Point, USA (last rode 2024)
If anything, Maverick has grown on me since my 2013 and 2018 trips to Cedar Point. Maverick is re-rideable, smooth, comfortable - but also wildly creative in its layout given its age - a brilliant launch and fantastic first drop and intense corners. Probably the most perfect coaster ever built. It is just an absolute treat to ride, and quite honestly it's almost interchangeable with Steel Vengeance. Maverick complements it perfectly.

3. Voltron, Europa-Park, Germany (last rode 2024)
This ride is unbelievable. I never thought Mack would deliver such a package let alone at Europa-Park. It's fast, intense, full of wild airtime and beautifully themed. If they can sort out the trains to be always consistent, it could be even higher in this list. We spoke to an American enthusiast at Kings Dominion who said that whilst 305, El Toro and co. are awesome rides, Voltron was the best coaster he had been on. The idea that we're talking about a coaster in Rust, Germany in these terms is honestly a day I never thought I would see. Wow.

4. Wildcat's Revenge, Hersheypark, USA (last rode 2024)
I don't know what I expected from this re-work of the original GCI, Wildcat. But nothing quite prepared me for this ride. It's like a mini Steel Vengeance. The transitions are rapid, the variety of elements is sensational (this is what gives Wildcat's Revenge the edge over many RMCs such as Twisted Timbers) and the ending is, like Steel Vengeance, punishing (for want of a better word). I was shocked at just how good this ride was. Wow!

5. The Ride to Happiness, Plopsaland, Belgium (last rode 2023)
When I first reflected on this ride, I wasn't sure it would make my top 10. Or even top 20. But having reflected more in the weeks following, and having just come back from the USA - I think it's fair to say that this is top 5. Mack have smashed it with this attraction. It's way better than Time Traveler and offers some intense moments but is, at the same time, incredibly fun. The build quality on these Xtreme spinning coasters is first rate and it really is one of the best ride systems ever devised. For me, as I gracefully age, being able to re-ride coasters is starting to play into my judgements more, and, like Maverick above it, I could sit on this ride for 1/2 an hour without getting off. A joy.

6. Project 305, Kings Dominion, USA (last rode 2024)
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! Another example of a coaster I wouldn't ride more than two or three times in quick succession.

7. Fury325, Carowinds, USA (last rode 2024)
A triumphant return to my top 10 list, having dropped out previously. In 2015, I first rode this and thought it was amazing but, over time, it was surpassed by other rides. Having re-visited last week though - wow. I rode this thing 6 times during the day and enjoyed every single one. It remains totally smooth and the first 2/3 of the ride are top quality. If only that long, dull, drawn-out helix near the end was not there it could be higher. This is one great coaster.

8. Eejanaika, Fuji-Q Highland, Japan (last rode 2017)
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. Significantly better than X2 which, although still a crazy ride, I found less comfortable.

9: Skyrush, Hersheypark, USA (last rode 2024)
Dropping a few places from my previous list, Skyrush is more comfortable than it used to be thanks to the new restraints - but equally feels slightly less extreme. The ride does makes you scream and shriek and is like no other 200' coaster. It is from the era of crazy Intamins that left behind the likes of this, Maverick and Intimidator (Project) 305. The lift hill alone on this is just madness, taken at great speed. The first drop is incredible. The ride warms up during the day so check back in during the evening for the best experience.

10: Ghostrider, Knott's Berry Farm, USA (last rode 2019)
Incredible! Was so surprised by this coaster - but it was an absolute dream. The lateral forces on this are brilliant, the night rides are top drawer. I could sit on this for 1/2 hour and just have the best time.

Dropping out of the list is Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City and El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure (sadly this ride has plummeted from top 5 as when I rode last week over a wheel, it was horrible).

With this list, I can confirm that a trip to the East Coast of the USA really is the holy grail of rollercoaster riding and that everybody should save their pennies and get to these parks as soon as they can.

Rob · 21st Aug 2024

Rob said:
I don't think I've updated my top 10 since 2018, but now the time has come. So here we go:

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. Ride to Happiness, Plopsaland De Panne
7. Storm Chaser, Kentucky Kingdom
8. Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City
9. Twisted Colossus, Six Flags Magic Mountain
10. Expedition GeForce, Holiday Park

I've been to Plopsaland twice this year and across those two visits I've ridden Ride to Happiness countless times, including in the dark. Each ride has been just as exhilarating as the first ride I had on it, which is why it ranks so highly for me. My top 5 are in a league of their own, but RtH is not far behind, it is utterly relentless.

It was good to get on EGF again the other week, and it remains a top coaster with some very powerful airtime. It was very interesting comparing it with Kondaa at Walibi Belgium actually, they both share similarities in that they start and end superbly but the middle third of the rides are bit wishy washy. EGF just feels more of a powerful beast than Kondaa, hence why it retains a spot in my top 10 (despite falling slightly) and Kondaa does not.

Helix has dropped out of my top 10 for no reason other than I have not ridden in since 2014 and I think I prefer the RMCs at 7, 8 and 9 over it. Voyage also sadly drops out, but damn I love that coaster.

I'll be riding Untamed later in the year so looking forward to seeing how that compares with the other RMCs that I have done.

Well I've not updated this for a while, but having ridden Voltron and now just having re-ridden all of my existing top 5, it is time for a review. I find it very difficult to come to a definite top 10, I last rode Outlaw Run and Storm Chaser in 2018 and can I really compare them with something I have just ridden? Probably not. Anyway, here goes:

Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
Voltron, Europa-Park
Maverick, Cedar Point
El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure
Project 305, Kings Dominion
Wildcat's Revenge, Hersheypark
Ride to Happiness, Plopsaland De Panne
Fury 325, Carowinds
Skyrush, Hersheypark
Storm Chaser, Kentucky Kingdom

I'm pretty confident on my top 3, but after that it is a bit of a lottery and there's some bloody good coasters that I have had to leave out. So honourable mentions do go to the likes of Outlaw Run, Twisted Colossus, Voyage, Beast, Helix, Wodan, EGF and A Hauling Chariot.

After my initial ride on Saturday I feared that El Toro would drop down further than it has. However 7 re-rides in a row on Saturday night without getting off the train re-affirmed my love for this coaster; sure it has got rougher but I did not sit over a wheel and the airtime is still utterly insane.

SteVe remains the greatest coaster event built, and I am not sure it will ever be topped. It is still perfectly smooth and just delivers every time. If you had told me this time last year that Voltron would end up as my number 2 then I would not have believed you! It's very close with Mavis, but I just find Voltron more comfortable to ride with the lap restraints.

Wildcat's Revenge was a real surprise, I was expecting a mid-tier RMC but this thing is crazy, as well as being brutal in places! Every ride on it left me breathless. The other new entry is Fury 325, the speed of this thing is crazy and unrelenting. There is one drawn out helix but other than that, it's phenomenal, especially on the front row.

Burbs · 31st Aug 2024

Having come back from one of the best road trips you can do for this silly little hobby of ours, my top 10 has changed somewhat dramatically.

Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point (new addition)
Voltron Nevera, Europa Park (-1)
Maverick, Cedar Point (new addition)
Wildcat's Revenge, Hersheypark (new addition)
Iron Gwazi, Busch Gardens Tampa (-3)
The Ride to Happiness, Plopsaland de Panne (-3)
El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure (new addition)
Zadra, Energylandia (-4)
Jurassic World Velocicoaster, Universal Islands of Adventure (-4)
Untamed, Walibi Holland (-4)

Honourable mentions of new additions also go to The Beast, Project 305, Fury 325, Kingda Ka and Griffon, all of which I enjoyed immensely.

I haven't ridden Untamed for 4 years now so my judgement may be slightly clouded and it will probably change when I reride, considering I have 7 more *standard* RMCs under my belt since last visiting the Netherlands. I also only managed to ride Velocicoaster the once when I visited Florida, so again this might not be a hugely accurate placing.

Shaggy_Dog_ · 13th Sep 2024

Time to update my Top 10 after riding Hyperia for the first time last week and visiting PortAventura and Linnanmaki this summer.

1) Ride To Happiness
2) Helix
3) Taiga
4) Taron
5) Shambhala
6) Untamed
7) Zadra
8) F.L.Y
9) Kondaa
10) Hyperion

So Hyperia didn’t make the top 10 (if they’d have built the second half of the thing then it would have). Red Force and good old Nemzy (a previous number #1 no less) just miss out.

George W · 14th Sep 2024

Here's my top 15 although it'll be interesting what changes after my trip to Europa park next week and a trip to Orlando next year.

Matt N · 3rd Oct 2024

Matt N said:
Following my visit to Thorpe Park yesterday, the first new addition of 2024 has graced my top 10!

Since I last posted an updated list in this thread, I’ve also rejigged the order of my rankings a bit, so the order is slightly different to what it was before.

With this in mind, my current top 10, with a coaster count of 123, is as follows (new addition in italics, altered placements underlined):

Mako - SeaWorld Orlando: Even 8 years after my first ride, this coaster still reigns supreme for me, and my 2023 revisit to SeaWorld (where I had 5 rides on it) reinforced that! The sustained airtime is absolutely biblical (particularly in moments like the first drop, first airtime hill and speed hill), the sense of speed is wonderful, it's blissfully smooth, and overall, it's just such a fun, thrilling and rerideable coaster that I could (and indeed tried my darnedest to) sit on all day! I truly love this ride, and on my 2023 revisit to SeaWorld, it didn't disappoint! 10/10

Jurassic World VelociCoaster - Universal’s Islands of Adventure: It may not quite be #1, but my goodness was it close, and VelociCoaster would certainly be a worthy contender for the top spot! There is so much that this ride does well; it packs a great sense of speed throughout, with the second section in particular feeling ridiculously fast, there are quite a few sublime moments of ejector airtime that really whip you out of the seat, there are some truly brilliant inversions, and overall, it's just a truly stunning, spectacular coaster, in my view! In terms of some specific highlights; it's hard to pick from the wonderful array of sensations on offer. But if I had to choose a few, the second launch is absolutely obscene, packing a euphoric thrill like few other rides I've ever experienced, the top hat is sublime, packing some breathtaking ejector airtime on the back in particular, and the mosasaurus roll is an absolutely mind-blowing inversion that throws you out of the seat with some sublime sustained negative g-forces and ensures that you fly into the final brakes blown away! Overall, VelociCoaster is a truly stunning coaster, in my opinion; its blend of stunning airtime, impactful elements, fun, comfort and rerideability certainly make it a firm favourite of mine! 10/10

Silver Star - Europa Park: I had quite low expectations for this coaster given that it's not overly well liked, but I have to say that I was blown away; I absolutely adored this coaster! It has wonderful sustained airtime, it's smooth and comfortable, it has an awesome sense of speed, the ending is absolutely brilliant, packing some phenomenal ejector airtime (particularly the MCBR exit), and overall, this is a stunning coaster that I absolutely loved! I did rank this below Mako of the two B&M Hypers I've ridden due to my feeling that its airtime, while stunning, never has quite the same impact as some of Mako's strongest moments, in my view, and while smooth in its own right, it isn't quite as blissfully smooth as Mako. I also felt it to be slightly less consistent, as I did have 1 or 2 slightly weaker rides on it during my trip to Europa. Nonetheless, Silver Star is a stunning coaster with phenomenal sustained airtime, and I love how it is incredibly rerideable and keeps the thrills going right to the end with that awesome post-MCBR section! 10/10

Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa: This ride is phenomenal! In terms of some key strengths, it’s absolutely relentless in pacing and has some of the strongest ejector airtime I’ve ever experienced, and some of the big hitters in the layout like the first drop, outerbanked turn, death roll and wave turn are truly sensational elements that are right up there with the best, in my opinion! The first drop in particular is insane; whipping you far out of the seat with ejector airtime for a surprisingly sustained period of time never gets old! There are also some absolutely top-drawer moments of ejector airtime elsewhere in the layout, and the ride is smooth and rerideable! In terms of why I moved it up when I haven’t reridden it, this is because in retrospect, I think I was overly harsh on Iron Gwazi at the time, fixating on its very tiniest imperfections to try and quantify the slight disappointment of it not quite living up to my wildly high expectations on the very first go. This is going to sound odd, but Iron Gwazi is a coaster where the more I sit back and think about it, the more I actually love it. Thinking back, it grew on me considerably the second and third times I did it once the weight of expectation was off its shoulders, and it is genuinely a top tier ride that is more than deserving of a top 5 placement for me! 10/10

Hyperia - Thorpe Park: What a sublime ride! I was excited for Hyperia, and it did not disappoint! I love a good hyper, and Hyperia is a phenomenal one! For starters, the ride is primarily designed around weightlessness, and it delivers this excellently; you seem to spend half of the ride pinned out of the seat in some capacity! The first three big elements on the ride are an obscenely perfect sequence. The first drop is absolutely unhinged and so, so good, delivering excellent sustained ejector, the non-inverting Immelmann is sublime and offers both brilliant speed rushing up into it and top-drawer sustained ejector coming out of it, and that outerbanked turn into the inversion is wild and pins you right of your seat with top-tier sustained sideways ejector! The zero-g stall is not quite up there with the other elements, but it is still excellent, with sustained hangtime, and the final two elements after the trim were surprisingly excellent, with both the outerbanked turn and the final airtime hill delivering! Overall, then, Hyperia is an absolutely sublime coaster, in my view, and it definitely lived up to the hype for me. It’s so good to have a coaster this brilliant 2 hours from home, that I can most probably ride at least once annually! 10/10

Wodan Timbur Coaster - Europa Park: Wodan strikes the perfect balance between pure demented insanity and amazing fun factor and rerideability, in my view! It’s an absolutely relentless coaster, with phenomenal pacing right to the end, and it has quite a few really surprising pops of ejector airtime, including an excellent first drop, but it’s also a really smooth and comfortable wooden coaster, and it just manages to be a ridiculous amount of fun! Overall, Wodan is such a fast, airtime-filled and fun coaster that I absolutely loved on my visit to Europa Park! 10/10

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure - Universal’s Islands of Adventure: Dismiss this as a “family” coaster all you want, but I think such quick dismissal would be a huge mistake, because this ride is phenomenal, in my view! Of the rides in my top 10, I’ll admit that this one probably has the least tangible reason to be there. However, the key reason why Hagrid’s ranks so highly for me is that purely and simply, it is a phenomenally, impeccably fun roller coaster! In terms of some specifics, the low-to-the-ground turns were a lot more thrilling than I expected and the launches were surprisingly punchy and great fun, but unlike many coasters, my love of Hagrid’s is for a much broader reason than any specific features of the ride layout. It is just so, so fun, and the ride will always leave you laughing hysterically and smiling on the final brake run, and that for me is really important. Riding Hagrid’s taught me a crucial lesson about my taste in coasters; it taught me that a coaster does not necessarily need greatness in the form of tangible elements for me to love it, and that fundamentally, all a coaster needs to be is fun. Hagrid’s is not the most intense ride by any means, but if you want pure fun, I’d struggle to recommend many better coasters than this one! 10/10

SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa: I had remembered liking this ride back in 2016, but my reride in 2023 was even better than I’d previously remembered! I love a B&M Dive Coaster, and this was a fantastic one! The sustained airtime over both drops was absolutely phenomenal, and the sheer size of them produced a brilliant sensation of speed throughout the ride! You typically think of Dive Coasters for their initial vertical drop, but interestingly, I actually thought that the second vertical drop on SheiKra delivered just as much as the first if not more! Overall, SheiKra was phenomenal, and a really pleasant surprise; I often said that I preferred Oblivion, but I’d now say that I comfortably prefer SheiKra, as I do feel that the added height and length really add something to it! 10/10

Wicker Man - Alton Towers: Wicker Man is a fantastic GCI coaster that I absolutely love! It may not look like much on paper, but I find it to be an enormously fun and rerideable coaster that never fails to put a huge smile on my face! I find it to be a really fast-paced coaster with some really fun twists and turns and some surprising pops of airtime, with some particular favourite elements of mine being the initial s-bend drop, where you gain brilliant speed incredibly quickly, and the big drop out of the high u-turn and following airtime hill, with both elements providing some excellent airtime that really whips you out of the seat! Overall, I find Wicker Man a hugely fun and rerideable wooden coaster with awesome airtime, twists and pacing, and I think it’s a ride that is definitely far more than the sum of its parts, personally! I decided to bump it up a few spots after my most recent visit in 2024, where it was running so well on the 2 rides I had; the airtime was kicking, the ride was blisteringly fast-paced, and it just made me laugh and smile so much! Somewhat similarly to Hagrid’s, Wicker Man just takes the raw fun factor to a whole new level for me! 10/10

Ice Breaker - SeaWorld Orlando: I had pretty low expectations for Ice Breaker, as its reviews are generally middling to negative, but I have to say that it massively exceeded expectations for me; it was a phenomenal little ride that I absolutely loved! I should say that the much-maligned “comfort collars” have been removed, so I experienced the ride without them, but I found it to be fantastic, with a fun and punchy swing launch, a backwards spike with some brilliant floater airtime, some surprisingly excellent pops of ejector airtime in places, some fun twists and turns, and a smooth and fun ride experience throughout! The trains are a little tight to get into and out of, but I found the restraints unobtrusive when I was sat down enjoying the ride, so I didn’t find them to be an issue overall. All in all, I thought Ice Breaker was a fantastic ride that hugely exceeded my expectations; it may not have quite been my favourite coaster I rode in Florida, but I dare say that coaster-wise, it was possibly the sleeper hit of my 2023 trip in terms of how much it exceeded my expectations! I expected very little, but I ended up absolutely loving the ride, personally! 10/10

The unfortunate casualty of the most recent addition to my top 10 has been Icon, which has now dropped out. I do love Icon to bits, and it’s still just about a 10/10 tier ride for me (it’s now the lowest ranking ride in this tier), but it’s the ride that’s tended to bear the brunt of the collateral damage of new additions to my top 10 in recent years. I do love the airtime, the fun factor and the way it all flows and meshes together wonderfully and encapsulates a lot of different elements, but one thing that’s become more evident as I’ve ridden more coasters is that it lacks any particular standout “wow” elements compared to things I rank more highly. For a ride to really stand out for me these days, it has to either take the fun factor to an entirely new level (e.g. Hagrid’s, Wicker Man) or it needs a couple of real standout elements, and compared to other rides in the 10/10 tier, I don’t think Icon delivers on either of those things quite as well, so I have found it sliding down the rankings in recent years. There could be a bit of recency bias at play here, as it’s easily the 10/10 tier ride I last rode the longest ago (my last ride was in 2019), but those are my current thoughts.

For those interested, my wider top 30 is currently as follows (I’ve also done a bit of rejigging here…):

Mako - SeaWorld Orlando (10/10)

Jurassic World VelociCoaster - Universal’s Islands of Adventure (10/10)

Silver Star - Europa Park (10/10)

Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa (10/10)

Hyperia - Thorpe Park (10/10)

Wodan Timbur Coaster - Europa Park (10/10)

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure - Universal’s Islands of Adventure (10/10)

SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa (10/10)

Wicker Man - Alton Towers (10/10)

Ice Breaker - SeaWorld Orlando (10/10)

Icon - Blackpool Pleasure Beach (10/10)

Oblivion - Alton Towers (9/10)

Stealth - Thorpe Park (9/10)

Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa (9/10)

Nemesis Reborn - Alton Towers (9/10)

Nemesis Inferno - Thorpe Park (9/10)

Revenge of the Mummy - Universal Studios Florida (9/10)

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts - Universal Studios Florida (9/10)

Blue Fire - Europa Park (9/10)

Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee (9/10)

The Swarm - Thorpe Park (8/10)

Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa (8/10)

Kraken - SeaWorld Orlando (8/10)

Megafobia - Oakwood Theme Park (8/10)

Rock’n’Rollercoaster - Disney’s Hollywood Studios (8/10)

Cheetah Hunt - Busch Gardens Tampa (8/10)

Sik - Flamingo Land (8/10)

Thirteen - Alton Towers (8/10)

Rita - Alton Towers (8/10)

Eurosat CanCan Coaster - Europa Park (7/10)

Following my recent (well, nearly a month ago…) trip to PortAventura World in Spain to close out the year, I can now update my top 10 and top 30 yet again, with a rather big new entry at the very top being the icing on the cake…

My current top 10, with a coaster count of 134, is now as follows (new in italics):

Shambhala - PortAventura Park: It’s finally happened… after 8 years, a new top dog is in town! I had very high expectations for Shambhala, and it did not disappoint; it’s an absolutely sublime coaster! As with Mako, the sustained airtime is glorious; the first drop is wonderful, and every single hill had brilliant sustained air! But there were a few little things that pushed it the distance above Mako for me. Unlike Mako, Shambhala keeps the thrills going right to the end, with every hill delivering, and as a result, I think it flows a bit better. The enhanced height and speed also really added to the ride compared to Mako and Silver Star for me, and another aspect I loved on Shambhala was the speed hill, which seemed much more notable in my mind than the similar element on Mako. Overall, though, Shambhala was just wonderful, and I loved every single one of the 7 rides I had on it while in Spain. Mako had a good 8 years at the top, but Shambhala is a very deserving successor!
Mako - SeaWorld Orlando: It may not be top dog anymore, but Mako has held a special place in my heart ever since I first rode it back in 2016, and my 2023 revisit to SeaWorld (where I had 5 rides on it) reinforced my love for it! The sustained airtime is absolutely biblical (particularly in moments like the first drop, first airtime hill and speed hill), the sense of speed is wonderful, it's blissfully smooth, and overall, it's just such a fun, thrilling and rerideable coaster that I could (and indeed tried my darnedest to) sit on all day! I truly love this ride, and on my 2023 revisit to SeaWorld, it didn't disappoint! 10/10
Jurassic World VelociCoaster - Universal’s Islands of Adventure: It may not quite be #1, but my goodness was it close, and VelociCoaster would certainly be a worthy contender for the top spot! There is so much that this ride does well; it packs a great sense of speed throughout, with the second section in particular feeling ridiculously fast, there are quite a few sublime moments of ejector airtime that really whip you out of the seat, there are some truly brilliant inversions, and overall, it's just a truly stunning, spectacular coaster, in my view! In terms of some specific highlights; it's hard to pick from the wonderful array of sensations on offer. But if I had to choose a few, the second launch is absolutely obscene, packing a euphoric thrill like few other rides I've ever experienced, the top hat is sublime, packing some breathtaking ejector airtime on the back in particular, and the mosasaurus roll is an absolutely mind-blowing inversion that throws you out of the seat with some sublime sustained negative g-forces and ensures that you fly into the final brakes blown away! Overall, VelociCoaster is a truly stunning coaster, in my opinion; its blend of stunning airtime, impactful elements, fun, comfort and rerideability certainly make it a firm favourite of mine! 10/10
Silver Star - Europa Park: I had quite low expectations for this coaster given that it's not overly well liked, but I have to say that I was blown away; I absolutely adored this coaster! It has wonderful sustained airtime, it's smooth and comfortable, it has an awesome sense of speed, the ending is absolutely brilliant, packing some phenomenal ejector airtime (particularly the MCBR exit), and overall, this is a stunning coaster that I absolutely loved! I did rank this below Mako of the two B&M Hypers I've ridden due to my feeling that its airtime, while stunning, never has quite the same impact as some of Mako's strongest moments, in my view, and while smooth in its own right, it isn't quite as blissfully smooth as Mako. I also felt it to be slightly less consistent, as I did have 1 or 2 slightly weaker rides on it during my trip to Europa. Nonetheless, Silver Star is a stunning coaster with phenomenal sustained airtime, and I love how it is incredibly rerideable and keeps the thrills going right to the end with that awesome post-MCBR section! 10/10
Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa: This ride is phenomenal! In terms of some key strengths, it’s absolutely relentless in pacing and has some of the strongest ejector airtime I’ve ever experienced, and some of the big hitters in the layout like the first drop, outerbanked turn, death roll and wave turn are truly sensational elements that are right up there with the best, in my opinion! The first drop in particular is insane; whipping you far out of the seat with ejector airtime for a surprisingly sustained period of time never gets old! There are also some absolutely top-drawer moments of ejector airtime elsewhere in the layout, and the ride is smooth and rerideable! In terms of why I moved it up when I haven’t reridden it, this is because in retrospect, I think I was overly harsh on Iron Gwazi at the time, fixating on its very tiniest imperfections to try and quantify the slight disappointment of it not quite living up to my wildly high expectations on the very first go. This is going to sound odd, but Iron Gwazi is a coaster where the more I sit back and think about it, the more I actually love it. Thinking back, it grew on me considerably the second and third times I did it once the weight of expectation was off its shoulders, and it is genuinely a top tier ride that is more than deserving of a top 5 placement for me! 10/10
Hyperia - Thorpe Park: What a sublime ride! I was excited for Hyperia, and it did not disappoint! I love a good hyper, and Hyperia is a phenomenal one! For starters, the ride is primarily designed around weightlessness, and it delivers this excellently; you seem to spend half of the ride pinned out of the seat in some capacity! The first three big elements on the ride are an obscenely perfect sequence. The first drop is absolutely unhinged and so, so good, delivering excellent sustained ejector, the non-inverting Immelmann is sublime and offers both brilliant speed rushing up into it and top-drawer sustained ejector coming out of it, and that outerbanked turn into the inversion is wild and pins you right of your seat with top-tier sustained sideways ejector! The zero-g stall is not quite up there with the other elements, but it is still excellent, with sustained hangtime, and the final two elements after the trim were surprisingly excellent, with both the outerbanked turn and the final airtime hill delivering! Overall, then, Hyperia is an absolutely sublime coaster, in my view, and it definitely lived up to the hype for me. It’s so good to have a coaster this brilliant 2 hours from home, that I can most probably ride at least once annually! 10/10
Wodan Timbur Coaster - Europa Park: Wodan strikes the perfect balance between pure demented insanity and amazing fun factor and rerideability, in my view! It’s an absolutely relentless coaster, with phenomenal pacing right to the end, and it has quite a few really surprising pops of ejector airtime, including an excellent first drop, but it’s also a really smooth and comfortable wooden coaster, and it just manages to be a ridiculous amount of fun! Overall, Wodan is such a fast, airtime-filled and fun coaster that I absolutely loved on my visit to Europa Park! 10/10
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure - Universal’s Islands of Adventure: Dismiss this as a “family” coaster all you want, but I think such quick dismissal would be a huge mistake, because this ride is phenomenal, in my view! Of the rides in my top 10, I’ll admit that this one probably has the least tangible reason to be there. However, the key reason why Hagrid’s ranks so highly for me is that purely and simply, it is a phenomenally, impeccably fun roller coaster! In terms of some specifics, the low-to-the-ground turns were a lot more thrilling than I expected and the launches were surprisingly punchy and great fun, but unlike many coasters, my love of Hagrid’s is for a much broader reason than any specific features of the ride layout. It is just so, so fun, and the ride will always leave you laughing hysterically and smiling on the final brake run, and that for me is really important. Riding Hagrid’s taught me a crucial lesson about my taste in coasters; it taught me that a coaster does not necessarily need greatness in the form of tangible elements for me to love it, and that fundamentally, all a coaster needs to be is fun. Hagrid’s is not the most intense ride by any means, but if you want pure fun, I’d struggle to recommend many better coasters than this one! 10/10
SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa: I had remembered liking this ride back in 2016, but my reride in 2023 was even better than I’d previously remembered! I love a B&M Dive Coaster, and this was a fantastic one! The sustained airtime over both drops was absolutely phenomenal, and the sheer size of them produced a brilliant sensation of speed throughout the ride! You typically think of Dive Coasters for their initial vertical drop, but interestingly, I actually thought that the second vertical drop on SheiKra delivered just as much as the first if not more! Overall, SheiKra was phenomenal, and a really pleasant surprise; I often said that I preferred Oblivion, but I’d now say that I comfortably prefer SheiKra, as I do feel that the added height and length really add something to it! 10/10
Wicker Man - Alton Towers: Wicker Man is a fantastic GCI coaster that I absolutely love! It may not look like much on paper, but I find it to be an enormously fun and rerideable coaster that never fails to put a huge smile on my face! I find it to be a really fast-paced coaster with some really fun twists and turns and some surprising pops of airtime, with some particular favourite elements of mine being the initial s-bend drop, where you gain brilliant speed incredibly quickly, and the big drop out of the high u-turn and following airtime hill, with both elements providing some excellent airtime that really whips you out of the seat! Overall, I find Wicker Man a hugely fun and rerideable wooden coaster with awesome airtime, twists and pacing, and I think it’s a ride that is definitely far more than the sum of its parts, personally! I decided to bump it up a few spots after my most recent visit in 2024, where it was running so well on the 2 rides I had; the airtime was kicking, the ride was blisteringly fast-paced, and it just made me laugh and smile so much! Somewhat similarly to Hagrid’s, Wicker Man just takes the raw fun factor to a whole new level for me! 10/10

Shambhala was the only ride at PortAventura to make my top 10. I had an outside hope that Red Force might make it in there based on some of the more positive comments I’d heard about it, but alas, it was “only” top 20 material for me! Perhaps controversially, I actually ended up marginally preferring Stealth…

In terms of the top 30 following PortAventura, this now looks as follows:

Shambhala - PortAventura Park (10/10)
Mako - SeaWorld Orlando (10/10)
Jurassic World VelociCoaster - Universal’s Islands of Adventure (10/10)
Silver Star - Europa Park (10/10)
Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa (10/10)
Hyperia - Thorpe Park (10/10)
Wodan Timbur Coaster - Europa Park (10/10)
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure - Universal’s Islands of Adventure (10/10)
SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa (10/10)
Wicker Man - Alton Towers (10/10)
Ice Breaker - SeaWorld Orlando (10/10)
Icon - Blackpool Pleasure Beach (10/10)
Oblivion - Alton Towers (9/10)
Stealth - Thorpe Park (9/10)
Red Force - Ferrari Land (9/10)
Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa (9/10)
Nemesis Reborn - Alton Towers (9/10)
Nemesis Inferno - Thorpe Park (9/10)
Revenge of the Mummy - Universal Studios Florida (9/10)
Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts - Universal Studios Florida (9/10)
Blue Fire - Europa Park (9/10)
Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee (9/10)
The Swarm - Thorpe Park (8/10)
Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa (8/10)
Kraken - SeaWorld Orlando (8/10)
Megafobia - Oakwood Theme Park (8/10)
Rock’n’Rollercoaster - Disney’s Hollywood Studios (8/10)
Cheetah Hunt - Busch Gardens Tampa (8/10)
Sik - Flamingo Land (8/10)
Uncharted: El Enigma de Penitence - PortAventura Park (8/10)

Another surprise contender since my last update that only narrowly missed out, sitting in the #32 spot, was Gold Rush at Drayton Manor! That was an unexpectedly excellent family coaster!

It has been an excellent year for me, on the whole. It’s been my most cred-tastic year ever, with 23 new credits ridden this year in total (the first time I’ve ever gone over 20 new credits in a year!), and I’ve also had 2 new top 10 additions in Shambhala and Hyperia (not quite as good as last year, where I had 4 new top 10 additions and a resurgent previously ridden coaster that re-entered my top 10 after a particularly strong performance on my revisit, but still pretty good, in my view!). For those interested, I would rank all 23 new coasters I rode this year as follows:

Shambhala - PortAventura Park (10/10, #1/134)
Hyperia - Thorpe Park (10/10, #6/134)
Red Force - Ferrari Land (9/10, #15/134)
Uncharted: El Enigma de Penitence - PortAventura Park (8/10, #30/134)
Gold Rush - Drayton Manor (8/10, #32/134)
Roller Coaster - Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach (7/10, #39/134)
Dragon Khan - PortAventura Park (6/10, #50/134)
Minifigure Speedway (Legends) - Legoland Windsor (5/10, #65/134)
Minifigure Speedway (Allstars) - Legoland Windsor (5/10, #66/134)
El Diablo: Tren de la Mina - PortAventura Park (5/10, #67/134)
Tomahawk - PortAventura Park (5/10, #68/134)
Furius Baco - PortAventura Park (4/10, #87/134)
Stampida (Red) - PortAventura Park (4/10, #88/134)
Stampida (Blue) - PortAventura Park (4/10, #89/134)
Spook Express - Joyland Children’s Fun Park (4/10, #95/134)
Tami Tami - PortAventura Park (4/10, #96/134)
Egg-Spress - Pleasurewood Hills (4/10, #101/134)
Cannonball Express - Pleasurewood Hills (3/10, #108/134)
Wipeout - Pleasurewood Hills (3/10,#112/134)
Whirlwind - Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach (3/10, #114/134)
Big Apple - Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach (3/10, #118/134)
Family Star - Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach (2/10, #127/134)
Tyrolean Tubtwist - Joyland Children’s Fun Park (1/10, #134/134)

I’m not sensing that next year will be quite as fruitful due to me having to do an MSc dissertation over the summer, but me and my parents are still pondering another new foreign park visit next year, so who knows!

Martin · 2nd Nov 2024

End of year update

10 The Smiler
Still hanging on despite it all. Every ride brings a new bump or shuffle or jolt, and I can only really face maybe 2 rides a day. But the ridiculousness of it and the intensity is like little else.

9 The Ultimate
Getting on for half a decade since it closed and a lot longer since I rode it, and I'm a lot more fragile these days, but those who know, know.

8 Nemesis
Maybe it's familiarity that has pushed it down because arguably it's still the best pound for pound coaster ever built.

7 Wildfire
Not many rides look this good or have views this good. Dies towards the end though, probably runs faster than it did when I rode it but even with that the layout is a bit of an anticlimax.

6 Hyperion
Did not expect this to be so high up, the B&M hypers I've done are both top 20, but this was on another level to them. The airtime and the feeling of speed are amazing, and it's so smooth.

5 Zadra
The better of the two RMCs I've done because it refuses to run out of steam. It isn't as intense as maybe I expected in terms of positive Gs, but the intensity comes from how relentless it is and the near misses with the supports.

4 Lech
How does this exist? Probably the closest we've come to another Nemesis, everything about this ride defies logic. The drop is obscene, the forces are right at the limit, it's such fun too. Beats out Zadra which is 50% bigger because it's the first coaster to make me grey out.

3 Taron
Loved it when I rode it new, seems like its reputation has grown as it's bedded in so can't wait to finally get back on it. Amazing theming and amazing use of space.

2 Helix
An almost perfect coaster, shame I've heard it's getting a bit bumpy these days but until I've been back to see what it's like now it's easily still my number 2.

1 Voltron
Helix may be almost perfect as a coaster, but Voltron is much more than that. It's a true work of art.

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