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Your Top Ten Coasters

venny said:
It’s interesting that Balder doesn’t seem to make it into more people’s lists, especially since Helix seems to be a popular choice, so there must be a fair few people who’ve ridden and judged it.

I’m interested as to why this is. Whilst it’s a little formulaic, that perfectly engineered airtime is obscene and I would have thought been a little more popular.
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The air-time on it is brilliant but it has so many dead spots (akin to Wicker Man's much maligned 'boring corner') that I find it hard to rank it as a top tier coaster.

I think the opening of Wodan will also be a big factor in knocking Balder down people's rankings. We inevitable tend to compare like for like and few would dispute that Wodan comes out on top between the two.
 
Matt N said:
Where are you headed, out of interest?

Interesting list. I'm definitely seeing a trend with regards to the type of rides you like! Quite different tastes to my own, but each to their own, I suppose!
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Some of the "coaster-intensive" parks in America :)

venny said:
It’s interesting that Balder doesn’t seem to make it into more people’s lists, especially since Helix seems to be a popular choice, so there must be a fair few people who’ve ridden and judged it.

I’m interested as to why this is. Whilst it’s a little formulaic, that perfectly engineered airtime is obscene and I would have thought been a little more popular.
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I enjoyed the crazy airtime on Balder but found the overall ride package very predictable and repetitive, it did the same thing over and over again with little variation and felt soulless for a wooden coaster. If it had some of those airtime hills and then went on to do other things, and had the "out of control" wooden coaster feel, I'd have rated it much higher.

I'd take something like the National (raucous, has character to it) and Troy (relentless and feels totally out-of-control despite not having as much airtime as other woodies) over Balder by quite a considerable distance.
 
Coaster said:
Some of the "coaster-intensive" parks in America :)
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Oh wow; have fun! If you're visiting Cedar Point on your trip, I'd imagine that Magnum XL-200 will rank very highly for you as you seem to be a Big One fan, as well as Steel Vengeance, of course!

As for Balder, I actually reckon I'd quite like it. Wicker Man's unbanked corner doesn't bother me and I love airtime, so it sounds win win to me? Is Balder's airtime nice and sustained?
 
Balder is a good coaster with some great airtime. However years back many people ranked it among one of the best coasters in the world which gave it that reputation of it being "overrated" as there is a lot better wooden coasters now (Wildfire and even Twister). I do like it, but even when I barely had 60 coasters it still didn't make my top 10.
 
Right, I decided to have a little fun with my rankings, and I decided to go through last night and compile historical coaster rankings for myself! Now, I didn't actually start keeping a proper top 10 until 2016, but I've been an enthusiast since 2013, so I decided to make myself an estimated list for each year (or in some cases, two-year period as it didn't really change much between some years) from then onwards based on how much I remember liking rides at the time. So, let's get started!
Matt N's Top 3 Coasters of 2013
Coaster Count at the time: 8
  1. Rita (Alton Towers)
  2. Nemesis (Alton Towers)
  3. The Smiler (Alton Towers)
Matt N's Top 5 Coasters of 2014/15
Coaster Count at the time: 25
  1. The Swarm (Thorpe Park)
  2. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (Universal Studios Florida)
  3. Stealth (Thorpe Park)
  4. Rita (Alton Towers)
  5. Nemesis (Alton Towers)
Matt N's Top 10 Coasters of 2016/17
Coaster Count at the time: 38 (2016)/39 (2017)
  1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
  2. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  3. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  4. The Swarm (Thorpe Park)
  5. Nemesis (Alton Towers)
  6. The Smiler (Alton Towers)
  7. Incredible Hulk (Universal's Islands of Adventure)
  8. Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando)
  9. Megafobia (Oakwood Theme Park)
  10. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa)
Matt N's Top 10 Coasters of 2018
Coaster Count at the time: 56
  1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
  2. Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
  3. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  4. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  5. Nemesis (Alton Towers)
  6. The Swarm (Thorpe Park)
  7. The Smiler (Alton Towers)
  8. Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando)
  9. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  10. Wicker Man (Alton Towers)
And finally, my present top 10:
Matt N's Present Top 10 (as of May 2019)
Present Coaster Count: 65
  1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
  2. Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
  3. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  4. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  5. Nemesis (Alton Towers)
  6. The Swarm (Thorpe Park)
  7. Mine Blower (Fun Spot Kissimmee)
  8. Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando)
  9. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  10. Incredible Hulk (Universal's Islands of Adventure)
So, those are my rankings through time! Hope you enjoyed my little look through my own ranking history! I do actually have my entire rankings stored in a spreadsheet, but I've kept it to the top 10 to keep things easy.
 
My Top 10 Coasters- May 2019:
1/ Steel Vengeance
2/ Helix
3/ Taron
4/ Maverick
5/ Millennium Force
6/ Shambhala
7/ Oziris
8/ Wodan
9/ Nemesis
10/ Mystic Timbers
 
Updated list - new coasters in bold!

1. Helix - Liseberg
2. Mako - Seaworld Orlando
3. Oz'Iris - Parc Asterix
4. Wodan - Europa Park
5. Olympia Looping (various)
6. Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa
7. Wildfire - Kolmarden
8. Nemesis - Alton Towers
9. Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa
10. Twister - Grona Lund
 
Laura91 said:
My updated list

1. Shambhala
2. Icon
3. Wickerman
4. Nemesis
5. The swarm
6. The smiler
7. Red force
8. Olympia looping
9. Dragons fury
10. Stampida
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Dragons Fury is brilliant tbf, a very underrated coaster. It's pure fun.

Used to ride that several times a day in the mid 00's as a teen. Shame you're lucky to get one ride in now with the way it's operated.
 
1. Shambhala - PortAventura
2. Wicker Man - Alton Towers
3. Stealth - Thorpe Park
4. Th13teen - Alton Towers
5. Saw: the Ride - Thorpe Park
6. Furius Baco - PortAventura
7. Oblivion - Alton Towers
8. Nemesis Inferno - Thorpe Park
9. THE SWARM - Thorpe Park
10. Dragon's Fury - Chessington
11. Nemesis - Alton Towers
12. Munich Looping - Winter Wonderland
13. Red Force - Ferrari Land
14. Stampida (Blue side) - PortAventura
15. Big Thunder Mountain - Disneyland Paris

Probably I've got some controversial opinions, especially with where I placed Munich Looping and Nemesis. I've only got 40 credits, which is why none of my coaster count is too unique
 
John_P said:
Right then, with no new parks planned until next summer here is my updated list...

Taron (Phantasialand)
Maverick (Cedar Point)
Top Thrill Dragster (Cedar Point)
Wodan (Europa Park)
Troy (Toverland)
Silver Star (Europa Park)
Shambhala (Port Aventura)
Goliath (Walibi Holland)
Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
Nemesis (Alton Towers)
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After my previous post and trip to America here is my new top ten

1 Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
2 Maverick - Cedar Point
3 Taron - Phantasialand
4 El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure
5 Top Thrill Dragster - Cedar Point
6 Wodan -Europa Park
7 Troy - Toverland
8 Cyclone - Luna Park - Coney Island
9 Millennium Force - Cedar Point
10 Silver Star - Europa Park
 
New top 10 after my recent trip to Orlando:

1.Shambhala-Portaventura
2.Mako-Seaworld Orlando
3.Balder-Liseberg
4.Helix-Liseberg
5.Blue Fire-Europa Park
6.Pepsi Max Big One-Blackpool Pleasure Beach
7.Revenge of the Mummy-Universal Studios Orlando
8.Wodan-Europa Park
9.Expedition Everest-Disney Animal Kingdom
10.Icon-Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Shout outs to Sheikra and Hulk which fell just short of making it in to the list.
 
SirDossa said:
New top 10 after my recent trip to Orlando:

1.Shambhala-Portaventura
2.Mako-Seaworld Orlando
3.Balder-Liseberg
4.Helix-Liseberg
5.Blue Fire-Europa Park
6.Pepsi Max Big One-Blackpool Pleasure Beach
7.Revenge of the Mummy-Universal Studios Orlando
8.Wodan-Europa Park
9.Expedition Everest-Disney Animal Kingdom
10.Icon-Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Shout outs to Sheikra and Hulk which fell just short of making it in to the list.
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Big One? Jesus. Better than Hulk n Sheikra? I think you might be alone there my friend.

There isn't a B&M in the world as bad as the Big One for me. Its just too rough these days and doesn't even give great airtime either.
 
Benjsh said:
Big One? Jesus. Better than Hulk n Sheikra? I think you might be alone there my friend.

There isn't a B&M in the world as bad as the Big One for me. Its just too rough these days and doesn't even give great airtime either.
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Ha yes I thought that would cause some controversy. Big One will always be one of my favourites though.I first went on it aged 7 not long after it had first opened and I just remember how daunting it looked from the motorway as we approached Blackpool. The ride itself then blew me away and I have been on it multiple times in the last few years and it still holds a special place in my heart. Yes, it's not the smoothest of rides and doesn't offer loads of airtime but it is still one of my personal favourites. The views at the top (especially in the dark) play a big part in why I like it so much but ultimately it is in my list mainly for nostalgic reasons.
 
Never been to America or Germany so my list won't be too interesting but here goes anyway.

Edit - wasn't happy with my list so made it a top 15 instead.

1. Dragon Khan
2. Shambhala
3. Wicker Man
4. The Big One
5. Swarm
6. Stealth
7. Nemesis (But its gotta be in the front row)
8. Kumali
9. Air
10. Infusion
11. Velocity
12. Irn Bru Revolution
13. Oblivion
14. Furius Baco
15. Saw - The Ride

Total Coaster count: 48
N.B. I haven't been on Icon yet.
 
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Right, I know I updated the list fairly recently after my Florida trip in April, but I've reridden some other things and let's be honest; I'm never truly decisive about the ordering of my coaster rankings, am I? Also, I'm going to place a rating out of 10 next to each of the coasters in my list, as I have ranked every coaster I've ridden and rated it out of 10 on an overall spectrum of enjoyment, so I thought you guys might be interested to see what score I would give each of these rides. Anyway, without further ado, let's get right into my rankings, starting with my top 10 coasters with descriptions (warning in advance; some of my opinions may be controversial!):

Matt N's Top 10 Coasters (w/descriptions)

  1. Mako (Orlando) - Nearly 3 years after my first ride, this wonderful beast of a coaster still remains at the top spot for me! That might seem ludicrous given how many more rides I've ridden since, but when I delve into the ride experience, it's easy to see why this ride remains my #1; it's glass smooth and insanely rerideable, yet also forceful enough to feel as though you've gotten a kick out of it! But the main reason why it did so much for me was because it is an absolute airtime machine wherever you sit! This ride probably still has the greatest airtime I've ever experienced on a coaster; that first drop and those big hills provide ludicrously good sustained airtime, in my opinion! Mako is pretty much everything I enjoy in a coaster summed up in one ride, and even though it's nearly 3 years since I last rode, I am fairly certain that it is still my favourite coaster; plummeting over those airtime hills and down that first drop for the first time are still some of the greatest memories of my entire life! 10/10
  2. Icon - A phrase I would use to describe Icon is "jack of all trades"; I don't think it is the best coaster I've ridden in any particular category, but it is immensely good in quite a number of categories! I will admit the launches are not the greatest, but I don't think that really matters given how awesome the rest of the ride is! Icon is an extremely smooth coaster, it has very good ejector airtime, the turns are nice and whippy, the trains are excellent and the ride is very well paced, as well as being forceful enough to feel as though you've gotten a kick out of it! Overall, I think Icon is a wonderful coaster, and as with Mako above, it is exactly my sort of ride! I value fun and rerideability hugely in a coaster, and Icon is outstanding at both of these, in my opinion! 10/10
  3. Montu - An absolutely outstanding inverted coaster! Montu packs some absolutely fantastic forces and elements into its layout, in my opinion, and despite being such a big, sprawling beast of a coaster, it has just the right amount of intensity for me! It's also fantastically smooth for a coaster of its age and intensity, and some of the inversions are brilliant and unique, as well as having brilliant pacing, which I find staggering given that it's quite a long coaster! Overall, Montu is a simply fabulous coaster! 10/10
  4. Nemesis - As soon as I came off Nemesis for the first time in 2013, I knew it was a special ride for me! Even though my coaster count has increased exponentially since I first rode it, Nemesis has somehow managed to stand the test of time within my rankings; in fact, it actually ranks 1 spot higher for me now than it did in 2014, when I'd only ridden 25 coasters as opposed to the 66 I've ridden now! I swear my respect for it grows every time I ride it, and I loved it from ride 1! It shares many positive attributes with Montu above; it too is a fantastically paced coaster that is staggeringly smooth for its age and intensity! Nemesis is also potentially one of the most unique and artfully designed coasters I've ever ridden; even though Montu ranks slightly higher for me, I still absolutely love how Nemesis keeps on building up speed and intensity throughout the layout! It may be one of my most ridden coasters, and I may rank Montu marginally higher, but I don't think the raw thrill of Nemesis will ever grow old for me! 10/10
  5. The Swarm - In my opinion, The Swarm is potentially one of the most underrated coasters in the UK! Many slate it, but I absolutely adore it! It's glass smooth, decently forceful, the hangtime is fantastic and it's genuinely one of the most relentlessly fun and rerideable coasters I've ever ridden! As with Nemesis above, I also think that The Swarm grows on me each time I ride it, despite how much I loved it upon my first ride back in 2014! Overall, The Swarm is definitely my favourite Thorpe coaster, and such a thrilling, yet smooth and rerideable coaster, in my opinion! 10/10
  6. SheiKra - Enthusiasts may often criticise Dive Coasters for being one-trick-ponies, but SheiKra's trick is executed fantastically, in my opinion! The vertical drop 200ft above Busch Gardens is simply fantastic, in my opinion! The ride is also decently forceful, very smooth and has a number of other fantastic elements to it that really make it a fantastic ride! Overall, SheiKra is awesome, if you ask me! 10/10
  7. Mine Blower - Do not let this ride's unassuming stats fool you; Mine Blower is awesome! It's got some brilliant moments of ejector airtime and has fantastic pacing! The ride's signature inversion is also fantastic, and provides a seriously nice moment of hangtime in somewhat stark contrast to the relentless nature of the rest of the ride! Even though it wasn't the smoothest coaster I've ridden, I also didn't find Mine Blower as unbearably rough as expected; I only found it to have the slight rattle you'd expect from a wooden coaster and the odd minor jolt! However, do bear in mind that I only rode in the front, so it might vary further back. All in all, Mine Blower is a brilliant wooden coaster that's definitely worth taking a detour from the main parks of Central Florida for, in my opinion! 9/10
  8. Kumba - I don't initially remember Kumba ranking insanely highly for me when I first made a top 10, but the more I think about it, the more I remember this ride being fantastic! Kumba certainly packs a punch throughout, and is reasonably smooth with some great inversions! Overall, a really good sit-down looper from B&M, in my opinion! 9/10
  9. Kraken - Another one that I personally find to be very underrated! I never hear much positivity regarding Kraken, but I thought it was brilliant! Some great inversions in there, and I remember it being very well paced with power right through to the end, even though I don't remember it being quite as forceful as some other B&Ms I've done! Overall, a brilliant B&M coaster, in my opinion! 9/10
  10. Incredible Hulk - The only launched B&M coaster I've done, and it packs a punch for sure! The ride starts with a huge bang; the initial sequence of elements following the launch are absolutely outstanding, in my opinion! However, the reason the ride does not rank as highly as some other B&Ms for me is because I find the ending to be somewhat weak compared to the likes of Kumba, Kraken, Montu and others and I also don't think it's quite as smooth, although I certainly didn't find Hulk anywhere near unrideable by any means. Still, it's a fantastic coaster despite all of this, in my opinion; if it was a little smoother and the ending maintained the momentum of the fantastic start, it would possibly hit my 10/10 tier! 9/10
Now I've gotten the descriptions over with, I'll give a wider insight into the rest of my rankings with a top 30:

Matt N's Top 30 Coasters

  1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando) (10/10)
  2. Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) (10/10)
  3. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa) (10/10)
  4. Nemesis (Alton Towers) (10/10)
  5. The Swarm (Thorpe Park) (10/10)
  6. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa) (10/10)
  7. Mine Blower (Fun Spot Kissimmee) (9/10)
  8. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa) (9/10)
  9. Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando) (9/10)
  10. Incredible Hulk (Universal's Islands of Adventure) (9/10)
  11. Wicker Man (Alton Towers) (9/10)
  12. Megafobia (Oakwood) (9/10)
  13. Rock'n'Rollercoaster (Disney's Hollywood Studios) (9/10)
  14. Stealth (Thorpe Park) (8/10)
  15. Nemesis Inferno (Thorpe Park) (8/10)
  16. Galactica (Alton Towers) (8/10)
  17. Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Studios Florida) (8/10)
  18. Oblivion (Alton Towers) (8/10)
  19. Nickelodeon Streak (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) (8/10)
  20. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (Universal Studios Florida) (7/10)
  21. Cheetah Hunt (Busch Gardens Tampa) (7/10)
  22. Space Mountain Alpha (Disney's Magic Kingdom) (7/10)
  23. Big Dipper (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) (7/10)
  24. Expedition Everest (Disney's Animal Kingdom) (6/10)
  25. Thirteen (Alton Towers) (6/10)
  26. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (Universal Studios Florida) (6/10)
  27. Slinky Dog Dash (Disney's Hollywood Studios) (6/10)
  28. Manta (SeaWorld Orlando) (6/10)
  29. The Smiler (Alton Towers) (6/10)
  30. Cobra's Curse (Busch Gardens Tampa) (6/10)
So, that's my rankings! With the whole rating out of 10 thing, do bear in mind that this is relative to my entire count, which is why some of the top-notch family coasters I've done, like Thirteen and Everest, only get a 6/10. This is also why Gringotts only gets a 6/10 as a coaster; if I was to rate and rank it as a dark ride, its score would be far higher!
 
D4n said:
Incredible how often you manage to post the exact same top 10 in this thread, @Matt N. ;)

Also if Icon is a 10/10 coaster I don't want to be an enthusiast anymore.
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I admit that may be true, but at least it's reshuffled slightly! ;)

As for Icon, it's all down to personal opinion. For me, my 10/10 tier is the tier I enjoy most out of all the rides I've done; I come off the rides in my 10/10 tier feeling like I've had an outstanding experience, and I certainly feel like this after Icon!
 
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