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CoasterForce’s Favourite Pennsylvania Rollercoasters

Matt N

Matt N

CF Legend
Hi guys. Another month has passed by, and as such, I have a new poll for you all, if you’re willing to participate! For this month’s poll, I decided to stay within the USA, and I used a popular suggestion from the California topic; this month, I’m determining CoasterForce’s Favourite Pennnsylvania Rollercoasters!

I haven’t been to Pennsylvania, so I can’t contribute a list of my own to kick things off.

But if you have, and want to contribute, then post your lists down below; you have until 11:59pm on 31st July 2021 (coincidentally, my 18th birthday!) to post your lists if you want them to be counted in my final data compilation, so get posting if you want to influence those final results!

Also, if you have any suggestions for next month’s poll, whether it’s in or out of the USA, I’d be keen to hear them!
 
Let's do it!

1. Skyrush, Hersheypark
2. Storm Runner, Hersheypark
3. Phantom's Revenge, Kennywood
4. Ravine Flyer II, Waldameer
5. Fahrenheit, Hersheypark
6. Talon, Dorney Park
7. Lightning Racer (Lightning), Hersheypark
8. Lightning Racer (Thunder), Hersheypark
9. Phoenix, Knoebels Amusement Park & Resort
10. Great Bear, Hersheypark

Was tough to place them after about #6 for me, although not ridden most of those since 2016 or earlier, so memory is not super strong.
 
Pennsylvania has a great coaster collection, the only time I have been there was in 2018.

1: Skyrush - I love this thing, so forceful, restraints were fine for me.
2: Phantom's Revenge - brilliant coaster with a really fun layout, I would like more Arrow hypers to have this treatment.
3: Storm Runner - great launch and a funky layout.
4: Phoenix - While the restraints are great the coaster is also smooth and has a simple yet solid layout.
5: Ravine Flyer II - First half is great, but it starts to slow at the end.
6: Flying Turns - I adore this coaster more than I should but I find it so so fun, the park put so much effort into it and it fits perfectly at Knoebles.
7: Lightning racer - Pretty fun and duelled perfectly. Will this mess up the count if I don’t separate the two sides? I did not really feel a real difference between them.
8: Fahrenheit - Great looper with some nice air, give it lap bars and it would be higher.
9: Twister - Great laterals but after a few rides it was a bit to much for me.
10: Great bear - Nice, chill and scenic looper.
 
😭😭 Waaaah!
I've never set foot in Pennsylvania. 😭😭

Are we allowed to post a Top 10 wishlist, Matt? As in, Top 10 coasters that we'd like to ride, or is it strictly from experience only?
And also, can we do CF's Favourite Dutch Rollercoasters next month?
 
Howie said:
😭😭 Waaaah!
I've never set foot in Pennsylvania. 😭😭

Are we allowed to post a Top 10 wishlist, Matt? As in, Top 10 coasters that we'd like to ride, or is it strictly from experience only?
And also, can we do CF's Favourite Dutch Rollercoasters next month?
Click to expand...
I’m afraid I can’t really include a wish list in my calculations, but post it if it makes you happy!

And sure, I’d love to do the Netherlands next month! That’s a great suggestion!
 
Matt N said:
I’m afraid I can’t really include a wish list in my calculations, but post it if it makes you happy!
Click to expand...

Ok cool, in that case here are my top 10 Pennsylvania coasters that I'd like to ride:

1. Skyrush
2. Phantom's Revenge
3. Candymonium
4. Pheonix
5. Steel Curtain
6. Talon
7. Storm Runner
8. Fahrenheit
9. Hydra
10. Great Bear

I need Pennsylvania in my life. 😕
 
Last edited:
Feels bad to do it from just one park (and a spitey one at that), but here we are:

1. Skyrush
2. Storm Runner
3. Comet
4. Lightning Racer (Lightning?)
5. Lightning Racer (Thunder?)
6. Great Bear
7. Wildcat
8. Sooper Dooper Looper
9. Trailblazer
10. Cocoa Cruiser

Oh yes.
 
Good stuff. One of the better states for coasters imo (top 6 are all in my overall Top 30).

1. Skyrush
2. Ravine Flyer II
3. Phoenix
4. Phantom's Revenge
5. Storm Runner
6. Fahrenheit
7. Talon
8. Steel Curtain
9. Steel Force
10. Great Bear
 
I’m all over this, big fan of the Pennsylvania parks (Dorney definitely included)!

1. Skyrush
2. Phoenix
3. Phantoms Revenge
4. Storm Runner
5. Ravine Flyer 2
6. Great Bear
7. Talon
8. Steel Force
9. Twister
10. Hydra
 
1. Skyrush - Hershey
2. Phoenix - Knoebels
3. Phantoms Revenge - Kennywood
4. Storm Runner - Hershey
5. Lightning Racer - Hershey
6. Steel Curtain - Kennywood
7. Twister - Knoebels
8. Jack Rabbit - Kennywood
9. Great Bear - Hershey
10. Super Dooper Looper - Hershey

That top 3 🥰
 
I haven't been to Kennywood in almost 25 years so I can't comment on Phantom's Revenge, which seems great, and I've never ridden Ravine Flyer 2. Having said that here's my top 5...

5. Great Bear -- Hersheypark
How this ride interacts with its terrain and the other attractions around it make it a top 5 invert for me. Nothing about its layout is predictable, which feels rare for B&Ms of any type.


4. Twister -- Knoebels
I only got one ride on this so I'm not the best judge, but that one was enough for me to understand that this would be the most popular coaster at most parks. If I were more into laterals, this would be a star for me. Reminds me of Legend at Holiday World in some ways.


3. Candymonium -- Hersheypark
Not my favorite B&M hyper but it might be the most intense one I've ridden. If it were longer and had more airtime, I could see it being a top 10 or 15 ride for me. It's still the second-best ride in the park, next to...


2. Skyrush --Hersheypark
I actually thought Candymonium was just as intense until I rode Skyrush in the back left wing seat. That experience or anywhere on X2 probably make for the craziest ride experience for me. It feels like the ride is trying to throw you out of your seat on every maneuver. While it's the craziest experience in the state for me, the most fun is...


1. Phoenix -- Knoebels
It might be mostly due to the buzz bars, but this is one of my top 3 roller coasters for airtime -- and the only one where you more or less stand up. I don't think there's a bad seat on the train here, and the ride just gets better as it progresses.
 
Checking my list real quick it seems I've got 65 ridden coasters in Pennsylvania
Only missing 6 operating coasters in the state with Candymonium and Steel Curtain being the only adult coasters missing and 2 others being kiddie coasters with strict 'no adult' rules, but I've at least seen in person haha... And I did attempt Steel Curtain 😐

1 Storm Runner
2 SkyRush
3 Ravine Flyer II
4 Thunderbolt
5 Williams Grove Cyclone (RIP)
6 Phantom's Revenge
7 Phoenix
8 Talon
9 Flying Turns
10 Oscar's Wacky Taxi
 
1 Sky Rush
2 Steel Curtain
3 Fahrenheit
4 Storm Runner
5 Lightning Racer
6 Talon
7 Phantoms Revenge
8 Great Bear
9 Ravine Flyer 2
10 Flying Turns
 
Haven't been to either Hersheypark or Kennywood, so...

1. Blue Streak (Conneaut Lake Park)

Had a hugely memorable hour or so marathoning this in a deserted park. Started off in the front row, which was fun enough, but in the back row on an otherwise empty train - oh, my! During the first half, you could feel the entire car lift off the track on the little hills. With the exception of the Blackpool Mouse, I can't recall the upstop wheels doing so much work on any other coaster.

(Mrs. Flavors would disagree with this placement because she seemed to be genuinely concerned about her safety. The large amounts of visibly rotting wood didn't help.)

2. Twister (Knoebels)

Unpopular opinion I know, but I enjoyed this more than Phoenix. I know that on paper there's not much in it but if feels significantly faster and longer than Phoenix and throws you around a lot more....

3. Phoenix (Knoebels)

...but I'm not completely insane. Really, really good woodie.

4. Talon (Dorney Park)

I do enjoy B&M inverts but I tend to have trouble remembering the significant differences between them. It's been a while and I can't remember this being any worse or better than the various Batman clones, for instance. Sorry, bad goon.

5. Ravine Flyer II (Waldameer)

Decent enough. A little too smooth and over-designed for my tastes.

6 Flying Turns (Knoebels)

Have to hand it to them for the sheer bonkers uniqueness of this ride.

7. Steel Force (Dorney Park)

Again, decent enough, but I prefer the two other Morgan hypers I've ridden (Superman and Mamba).

Kinda getting to the dregs now so I'll wrap it up...

8. Thunderhawk (Dorney Park)
9. Possessed (Dorney Park)
10. Impulse (Knoebels)
 
Made my first visit to Dorney Park today actually, so this list's timing is perfect!! Genuinely impressed by Dorney's showing on this list. 3/10 ain't bad! It's got some very solid filler but is in need desperate need of some killer. Still need to make my way to Western PA, so no Kennywood, Ravine Flyer II, or Blue Streak.
  1. Skyrush
  2. Phoenix
  3. Storm Runner
  4. Twister- Never got to comment on just how amazing my 2021 ride on this was. It is basically the perfect companion to Phoenix. Whereas Phoenix has some of the best airtime on the planet, Twister has some of the best laterals. It just hauls through its layout with such fury. It also helps that it's in the best amusement park in the country.
  5. Steel Force- I went in with very, very low expectations. I'd quite enjoyed Mamba, but that was back in 2013. I've gotten onto my fair share of hypers since then, so this ride looked Steel Forceless amirite?!? But, I was shocked to find some great G-forces in the valleys with a wonderful sense of speed throughout its prolonged helix. Then, the bunny hills on the return course provided some of my favorite flojector on any coaster. Shot me up aggressively and kept me there for a long while. I'm a big fan of how Morgan designed their hypers. Especially considering that these coasters were made before Intamin or B&M went to the drawing board, they've aged fantastically. Butter smooth along with a good variety of forces.
  6. Comet
  7. Talon- Really, really solid B&M Invert. It has a pretty generic beginning with loop, zero-g, then immelmann, but it really finds its own voice after its first three inversions. A nice turnaround followed by an airtime hill (airtime on a B&M invert is yummmmy) leads into my favorite finale on any invert. Sticking close to the ground with tight turns and a whippy corkscrew highlights why this type of coaster works so well. It doesn't really excel anywhere, but I loved that it hit the brake run with a ton of speed, never dying down like its counterpart over in Hershey.
  8. Hydra: the Revenge- I appreciate Hydra quite a bit. After going on so many B&M loopers, the formula becomes quite repetitive. Sure, I love the snappy inversions of your typical floorless, but I found myself enjoying the floaty nature of Hydra more than the usual floorless design. It has a bit of a rattle, and it lacks the usual highlight of a B&M looper (the snappy Zero-G). However, I think that it more than makes up for that with its uniqueness. Also, how come only two coasters have jojo rolls?!? What a way to start a coaster!!
  9. Black Diamond- This probably shouldn't even be on here. Its heart is purely in the place of a dark ride, and it works best within that mindset. But, it is technically a coaster, even if it doesn't quite feel like one. Either way, it's got that wondrous Knoebels' charm all over it, with your usual classic dark ride visual gags. The whole experience just works, and I think that goes a long way to make it stand out among the coasters that didn't quite make the cut.
  10. Fahrenheit
 
Pennsylvania is such a beautiful state and has an awesome rich history of roller coasters. If I have to rank them here they are

1. Phoenix
2. Skyrush
3. Lightning Racer
4. Storm Runner
5. Ravine Flyer
6. Impulse
7. Comet (waldameer)
8. Twister
9. Great Bear
10. Fahrenheit
 
CanobieFan said:
Checking my list real quick it seems I've got 65 ridden coasters in Pennsylvania
Only missing 6 operating coasters in the state with Candymonium and Steel Curtain being the only adult coasters missing and 2 others being kiddie coasters with strict 'no adult' rules, but I've at least seen in person haha... And I did attempt Steel Curtain 😐

1 Storm Runner
2 SkyRush
3 Ravine Flyer II
4 Thunderbolt
5 Williams Grove Cyclone (RIP)
6 Phantom's Revenge
7 Phoenix
8 Talon
9 Flying Turns
10 Oscar's Wacky Taxi
Click to expand...
Oscars Wacky Taxi> Everything imo
 
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