How do you rank your favourite coasters?

[Pokemaniac]

I think I've got the least complicated system out there (that I still bother to call a system): A three-point scale.

A score of 3 means the coaster stands out as enjoyable. Riding it was fun, and I'd really like to ride it again.
2 means "meh-ish". The coaster was alright, but it's not like I'd run back for a re-ride.
1 is my "ouch!" category. It's reserved for directly un-enjoyable rides. Rides that hurt in some way, or are really, really tame, ugly and totally not worth the wait.

Note that this places most kiddie rides in the middle somewhere. While they might not be the best rides out there, they're not directly bad either, which logically means they should be somewhere near the middle of the scale. It's no use having a sliding scale if the simply mediocre stuff ends up with the lowest score.

It makes it kind of hard to have a top 10, which I think is simply fair. It's been, what, seven years since I rode Piraten now, and it was placed in my top 3 back when I kept a tidier count. How can I possibly remember that experience well enough to compare it with coasters I ride today? How can I weigh the nuances of air-time or enjoyability I feel in the moment, against vague memories of an experience way back then? That would require taking notes, and at that point, keeping track isn't even fun anymore. It's better, then, to just give a general score, so I can at least remember whether it is a good ride, even though I can't accurately say how good it is.

 

[PuckDrop]

Yeah I'm with everybody else in that I try not to overthink it and just try to rank by which ride I enjoyed more.

I definitely think I end up basing it more on my highs than my lows though. I rank Boulder Dash #1 based on my 10 amazing night rides and not my one poor day ride. El Toro definitely holds onto #2 at least in part because of one particularly memorable ride. Even a ride further down my list like S:ROS at SFA ranks higher than other people generally have it because I love the drop and first turn enough to compensate for the boring middle section.

 

[Imagineer Josh]

I have my own little system.

Theme: I'm one of those people rabid for good coaster themes. I really like detailed stories, decorations, and just how theming fits into the overall experience.

Trains: Most people would put smoothness in this place, but I actually like rough coasters. Not painful, rough. However, trains are at a different level. The trains vary, from whether they staple you, leave a lot of room, have comfortable or uncomfortable seating, or if they aren't too complicated.

Location/Terrain: This also goes into the theming factor. I'm a HUGE fan of terrain rides. If something is built on a parking lot (i.e. Scream), then that actually takes away from the ride for me. I love coasters that go out into the wood, or just use the surroundings/area well with the layout incorporated.

Drop: I'm sure many people judge coasters based off of how good a drop is, so I won't really describe it.

Layout/Elements: I always love me a good layout with unique elements. I never really like pure straight track, although going back to terrain (i.e. Beast), if it's straight track flying through the woods, then I'm ok with it. But I still love something that you can't find anywhere else, or if it's a very good layout that fits the theme/style of coaster.

Intensity: Talking about ride experience, this is another thing people judge coasters based off of, so I won't describe this one either.

Airtime: Do I really need to describe this one either?

Expectations/Overall Experience: This is one I'm sure not many of you think about. When factoring in the experience, everything comes down to expectations. Was a specific aspect or the overall ride exceeding of expectations, or did it leave me disappointed? This is probably the biggest factor for me. For example, Thunderhead was a great ride in the front row, but I was disappointed in the back because the airtime wasn't as strong.

Sorry if I bumped it, but I'd love to see what other members have to say about this.

 

[JJLehto]

Yeah mine is pretty simple, basically it's off enjoyment and I don't analyze it to hell. Thing is, so many are enjoyable! I don't take rankings tooo seriously but for the sake of doing it, I try to base it off sense of speed, smoothness, flow, pace, elements. For example, MForce was my #1 for over 10 years. Other coasters had more airtime but were shorter or rough, some were more intense, but rough or had an inferior pacing. Since it's tough to compare Phoenix to MForce, I go with the "bigger" one by default. So it's a combo of enjoyment and elements for me, how it all works together. That's why Wicked Cyclone took the top spot, has it all: air, elements, great pace and flow. A superbly well planned ride, it doesn't feel random at all, no out of place moments or waste.