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Overrated and Underrated Roller Coasters

Sorry to bump this thread, but I have a few of my personal coasters that I think are overrated and underrated that I'd like to share with you guys:
Overrated
  • Dragon Challenge (both sides) (Universal's Islands of Adventure) - I've heard quite a few people praise these rides a lot over the years, especially around when the rides closed. But I wasn't personally feeling the love when I rode these in August 2016. I found both to be pretty jolty, uncomfortable rides, and they didn't really pack many forces or interesting sensations of note, in my opinion. A ride doesn't have to be the most intense, forceful ride in the world for me to really like it, as is evidenced by some rides in my top 10, but I feel like force is one of the things that really makes a good invert for me, and it's one of the things that elevates rides like Montu, Nemesis and to a lesser extent Nemesis Inferno over the two Dragon Challenges, for me. I actually thought the queue line theming was excellent on these, though. As for which side I preferred... they're pretty interchangeable, in my opinion, but controversially, I think I actually slightly preferred Hungarian Horntail, as I thought it felt marginally less uncomfortable. Neither were fantastic, though; they were my two personal least favourite B&Ms out of what I've ridden. In all fairness, my enjoyment of them may have been hampered by the fact that they had already stopped duelling when I came to ride them, and I think duelling would probably have made them feel a bit more thrilling.
  • Manta (SeaWorld Orlando) - Now prior to visiting SeaWorld in August 2016, I was quite excited about riding Manta. It was probably my 2nd most anticipated ride of SeaWorld Orlando behind Mako; I had heard very good things about the ride's intensity and forces prior to riding, but when I came round to riding it... besides the pretzel loop, which was probably one of the most intense moments of positive g-force I've ever experienced on a coaster to the point where it was almost uncomfortable, it felt very similar to Galactica in terms of ride experience, in my opinion. Admittedly, I do slightly prefer it to Galactica due to the ride's extra speed enhancing the flight sensation (if you get what I mean?), but it wasn't quite as much of an improvement over Galactica as I was expecting. Also, I think I may have been the only person who has ever noticed this, but I thought it had a bit of a rattle, too. Admittedly, I only had one ride on it in the back row, but it is probably my least favourite of SeaWorld's 3 B&Ms from my experience of them. It's still a good roller coaster, though, and definitely worth a ride or two if you're at SeaWorld. I do in part blame my very high expectations of it on my disappointment in Manta after coming off it, but the thing is; I think I was expecting Manta to be top 10 material and it wasn't. But I still enjoyed it, and I'm glad I rode it.
Now, I know I'm going to get some grief over this final one, and it is with a very heavy heart that I add to the list...
  • Nemesis (Alton Towers) - Now, don't get me wrong; Nemesis is an absolutely fantastic roller coaster, in my opinion. It's my personal number 5, it's definitely in my UK top 3, it's definitely the best coaster at Alton Towers, it's a feat of engineering and I absolutely adore it. However, some people put this ride on an extremely high pedestal, and I don't quite understand it. I mean, everyone's entitled to their own opinions about these things, and different opinions are admittedly what make the coaster enthusiast community thrive, but I don't personally believe that Nemesis is the best invert I've ridden, nor do I quite think it's the best coaster in the UK. However, it is very close to that title in my top 10 (Nemesis is #5 and Swarm is #4). But I don't quite get the whole "god of all roller coasters" pedestal that some people put Nemesis on. Admittedly, though, I did first ride it in 2013, so I don't have those nostalgic first rides from the 1990s that some others do. I adore Nemesis, I really do. It has definitely earnt its place at #5 in my top 10 and I did seriously debate whether to put it in this list or not. But I don't personally put it on as high of a pedestal as others do. I guess it's entirely down to personal taste, though.
Now on to a more positive category, and one that I have quite a few more rides to put into than the Overrated category:
Underrated
  • The Swarm (Thorpe Park) - I don't often see much love for The Swarm around these parts, and I don't get why. Admittedly, I have far less experience with coasters than many here, but I absolutely adore The Swarm! The drop is great, the ride packs a punch, the inversions are great, the G's in the helix are excellent, it's blissfully smooth, the seating arrangement adds a whole new layer of thrill to the ride; it's just an all round outstanding coaster, in my opinion. It's my personal favourite in the UK, but I know many who wouldn't even put it in their UK top 3/5. All I know is that I love Swarm a lot more than many other enthusiasts do.
  • Nemesis Inferno (Thorpe Park) - I do think that Inferno is inferior to Nemesis, but it is still an awesome ride in its own right, in my opinion! While it's not as intense as Montu or its sibling at Alton Towers, I think Inferno still offers some deceptively good G's through some of the elements and packs a real punch! The pacing is excellent, the ride is smooth; it's just a really fun ride! Personally, I don't think the Nemesis moniker does the ride much justice; in my opinion, comparing Nemesis and Inferno is like comparing a Batman clone to Montu; they're completely different scales of invert and they're both awesome rides in their own little ways! It's just my opinion, though; someone else might think differently.
  • The Smiler (Alton Towers) - Now, The Smiler is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me as far as coasters are concerned! I know that most enthusiasts absolutely despise the ride, but I really like it! It's disorientating, it's quite intense, it's a really long ride, the two hills offer surprisingly strong airtime, and to top it all off; I don't even find it that rough, personally. I'm not going to pretend it's the smoothest coaster ever built; there is a rattle there, and there's a visible jolt in the cobra roll; but I don't think it's as rough as some others do. Apart from when I once rode it on the back row and it was a bit shaky, I mostly find that my experiences with The Smiler have been far more hit than miss where smoothness is concerned. It may not be the smoothest coaster I've ever ridden, but it certainly isn't the roughest, either. I guess that it's partially down to perception; there are other rides I find rough that others find smooth!
  • SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa) - Again, SheiKra is another guilty pleasure of mine; I know that many enthusiasts don't rate Dive Coasters and find them to be one-trick ponies, but SheiKra has a very well executed trick and some excellent inversions and elements to go alongside it, in my opinion! I found the ride to offer some excellent G's and the inversions were brilliantly executed! The ride was also pretty smooth and had a decent length to it, in my opinion. SheiKra is my current number 3, and I absolutely love the ride! It's definitely my favourite Dive Coaster, and there are so many elements to it that I absolutely love!
  • Cobra's Curse (Busch Gardens Tampa) - I had quite low expectations for this as I hadn't heard much positivity regarding it, but I absolutely loved it when I rode in August 2016! It's very different to anything else I've ridden, and it was just so much fun! The spinning aspect was good, I liked the elevator lift and I kind of liked how it differentiates the direction you're facing in throughout the ride! It's certainly an oddball in the best possible way, and it's probably my favourite spinning roller coaster I've ridden! This is because compared to the Maurer and Reverchon models I've done, I thought that Cobra's Curse was still thrilling, but that it executed the spinning aspect with more finesse than the Maurer and Reverchon models, in my opinion. Overall, Cobra's Curse is an awesome ride, and one of my personal favourite family coasters! Also, that queue is stunning!
  • Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando) - I absolutely loved Kraken, despite the fact that I don't hear much praise for it! I had one ride on it in the back row in August 2016, and while there was a rattle there, it didn't really impact the ride, in my opinion, and I thought that the ride felt extremely fast and powerful, for some reason! I really enjoyed it, and for that reason, it sits at #8 in my rankings!
So those are the rides I think are overrated and underrated. As I said above, it's entirely a matter of personal opinion!
P.S. Sorry for long post. Also, sorry if I'm slightly harsh on some of the overrated rides.
 
Overrated: Intimidator 305, Phoenix, Boulder Dash, X2, El Toro

Underrated: Iron Rattler, Hades 360, Switchback, Twisted Cyclone, TFAP Avalanche, Whizzer, El Loco Vegas, Powder Keg, Ride of Steel, Cheetah Hunt
 
Overrated:

Voyage - Bit too rough and doesn't have the best airtime. That combined with the sheer length keeps it from being a great ride for me. But it's still a solid experience in its own right.

Mind Bender - It's just a nice little Schwarzkopf looper, don't see why people think it's special.

Oblivion - It's just a drop. A good drop, but that's it.

Underrated:

Gatekeeper - My favorite wing rider and honestly has a lot to offer.

Dragon Challenge - @Matt N I actually think most people (at least on this site) aren't huge fans of it. IMO they were actually pretty great and had some awesome elements and transitions, dueling or not.

Lightning Run - Okay, I don't think it's actually underrated. I think most would agree it's a great coaster but it's just overshadowed by Storm Chaser so it doesn't get enough attention.
 
Overrated

Fury 325- I really, really enjoy it, and it's solidly in my top 10. However, it seems to be getting a reputation of being the best coaster (at least before Vengeance) which I don't think it fully accomplishes. Just could have used a better second half, especially after that insane beginning.

Most B&M Hypers- I'd put in Goliath OG, Mako, Nitro, and maybe Shambhala here. It's not that they are bad rides, far from it in fact. It's just that floater airtime doesn't do much for me anymore. They're always a good time and rank highly, but they're not top tier anymore IMO. Perhaps I'm catching them on the bad days, but every ride I've had on Nitro since 2012 has been, in a word, turd.

Bizarro- I would also describe my recent rides as turd.

Lightning Racer- I only rode it in the morning, so this may be on me. However, I got absolutely no airtime. I like dueling, but I need at least a little airtime on a GCI.

Wicked Cyclone- It's great, don't get me wrong, but RMC has done much better with the small Iron Horse design since this. Plus, that ending is very slow, even at night.

Underrated

X2- This is rated highly but never highly enough. This **** is CRAZY <3 <3

Kumba- This coaster after a Florida downpour with no trims, nearly blissful. Plus, I give it a lot of credit for its place in coaster history.

Space Mountain, WDW- The ride's tight turns and great pops of airtime are rarely commented on. It remains in my top 20 after all this time. I would also put the DL version here.

Twisted Cyclone- This is truly a mini Steel Vengeance. The airtime and flow are both just amazing. Plus, it never had a wait when I went. Marathoning a new RMC, ummmm yes pls. Yet, I still don't hear much praise for it. Hopefully that's just because some enthusiasts haven't ridden it yet.

Mind Bender- Yep, three Over Georgia rides. Still, I fell in love with this. It's simple, smooth, and just a good time. Sure, I enjoy an insanely intense ride like Steel Vengeance, but I also love an old school looper that pulls crazy Gs but also has some nice pull and excitement to it. I think a day at the park is most fun with a variety of coasters.

Storm Runner- This was unexpectedly insane. Flying Snake Dives should have caught on, gotta love that SNAP. Plus I got some absolutely amazing airtime in the back.
 
I don't really see why Twisted Cyclone is underrated when everyone I've seen who's ridden it rates it highly? That ride is excellent, it's just overshadowed by Steel Vengeance.
 
Sanchezmran said:
I don't really see why Twisted Cyclone is underrated when everyone I've seen who's ridden it rates it highly? That ride is excellent, it's just overshadowed by Steel Vengeance.
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I've ridden it and it's outside my top 30.

Another nod to Space Mountain (WDW) being underrated and i'd add Matterhorn bobsleds in to that as well. Lightning Run at Kentucky Kingdom and Thunderbird at Holiday World I'd say are underrated as well.

As for overrated I'll echo the response to Fury and add skyrush. Neither are bad, but I'd say neither are in my top 20 which is likely blasphemous for anyone who's ridden them.
 
Edward M said:
Overrated

Fury 325- I really, really enjoy it, and it's solidly in my top 10. However, it seems to be getting a reputation of being the best coaster (at least before Vengeance) which I don't think it fully accomplishes. Just could have used a better second half, especially after that insane beginning.
Disagree to an extent, while it's not and tbf nowhere near the best coaster, it's easily my fave B&M. I wasn't a fan of the massive forceless helix but everything else is incredibly badass.
Most B&M Hypers- I'd put in Goliath OG, Mako, Nitro, and maybe Shambhala here. It's not that they are bad rides, far from it in fact. It's just that floater airtime doesn't do much for me anymore. They're always a good time and rank highly, but they're not top tier anymore IMO. Perhaps I'm catching them on the bad days, but every ride I've had on Nitro since 2012 has been, in a word, turd.
Agree here, they are overrated by a lot of here, though I did like Nitro a lot. The others are decent but don't crack my 20.
Bizarro- I would also describe my recent rides as turd.
Agree, it's garbage, no idea why it's so hyped.
Lightning Racer- I only rode it in the morning, so this may be on me. However, I got absolutely no airtime. I like dueling, but I need at least a little airtime on a GCI.
Night rides are better, with the lightning and the increase in speed. Morning rides aren't great on GCIs in general.
Wicked Cyclone- It's great, don't get me wrong, but RMC has done much better with the small Iron Horse design since this. Plus, that ending is very slow, even at night.
Not sure why you think it's overrated though, I'm pretty sure at least 80% of the forum agree with you, including me, it's my least fave RMC so far, but it's still damn good ;)

Underrated

X2- This is rated highly but never highly enough. This :emoji_zipper_mouth: is CRAZY <3 <3
It's generally in peoples top 10 if they've ridden it, that's highly rated for me. Need to get my ass to ride it myself.
Kumba- This coaster after a Florida downpour with no trims, nearly blissful. Plus, I give it a lot of credit for its place in coaster history.
Preach brother, Kumba is easily one of the best sit down rides made by B&M, so fierce!!
Space Mountain, WDW- The ride's tight turns and great pops of airtime are rarely commented on. It remains in my top 20 after all this time. I would also put the DL version here.
Disney Fanboy comment right there ;)
Twisted Cyclone- This is truly a mini Steel Vengeance. The airtime and flow are both just amazing. Plus, it never had a wait when I went. Marathoning a new RMC, ummmm yes pls. Yet, I still don't hear much praise for it. Hopefully that's just because some enthusiasts haven't ridden it yet.
Not ridden, not many have I don't think
Mind Bender- Yep, three Over Georgia rides. Still, I fell in love with this. It's simple, smooth, and just a good time. Sure, I enjoy an insanely intense ride like Steel Vengeance, but I also love an old school looper that pulls crazy Gs but also has some nice pull and excitement to it. I think a day at the park is most fun with a variety of coasters.
Again, not ridden, will be back soon enough so will check it out.
Storm Runner- This was unexpectedly insane. Flying Snake Dives should have caught on, gotta love that SNAP. Plus I got some absolutely amazing airtime in the back.
Dude, Storm Runner was my number 5 or something back in the day, it's amazing! Could do with some updated restraints but damn that's a fine ride!
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Youngster Joey said:
Another nod to Space Mountain (WDW) being underrated and i'd add Matterhorn bobsleds in to that as well.
You two need a Disney cuddle ;)
Lightning Run at Kentucky Kingdom and Thunderbird at Holiday World I'd say are underrated as well.
I don't know anyone who doesn't love either of these two, no other wing comes close imo.
As for overrated I'll echo the response to Fury and add skyrush. Neither are bad, but I'd say neither are in my top 20 which is likely blasphemous for anyone who's ridden them.
It's Ok to be wrong man, I won't hold it against you, didn't say this when we saw each other last month though did you? o_O:mad:
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^
I would have but you never asked. My top 20 is also a weird beast and I have a ton of rides I'd prefer to ride in it then the quote unqoute best rides i've been on. I also had a pretty bad experience on Fury and Skyrush's restraints are just enough for it to get knocked out of my top 20 (though skyrush at the very least would be in my top 30 if i bothered to rank that far down and fury would likely end up around there as well if not higher if not for previously mentioned bad on ride experience)

as for Lightning Run and Thunderbird I always tend to think about over/underrated about how much i hear people talking about them and while they do tend to be universally liked I rarely hear them mentioned outside of trip reports to their respective parks.
 
^ Thunderbird seems to be universally loved from the Rank the Wingrider topic - http://coasterforce.com/forums/threads/what-is-your-favourite-b-m-wing-coaster.40369/
And there was loads of comments in the Fenix thread hoping it would be forceful like Thunderbird, so it comes up quite a bit.

Lightning Run I'll agree doesn't get enough chatter, but when pressed people do highly rank it. Personally I prefer it to Piraten, as it has some great ejector, especially on the final humps. Put it in any park in the UK and it's the best ride in the park, but with Storm Chaser literally over the road it's clear why it's sometimes forgotten.
 
OVERRATED
LIGHTNING ROD - The uphill launch is fun, but the middle of the ride doesn't provide much in the thrill department. And to be honest, the quad-down was less exciting than I thought it would be. This is still in my top 20 for its uniqueness and general fun, but it's not the great thrill machine people make it out to be.
GOLIATH (SFGAm) - The weakest RMC. The first drop is great! Otherwise, it's too short, and it just doesn't have the thrills of other RMCs.
VOYAGE - It's too rough. After two rides, I didn't want to ride it anymore. It has a great layout, and it would be in my top 20 if it didn't give me a headache. My teenage daughter refused to ride it more than once because it was so rough.
MOST B&M HYPERS (over 200, not over 300) - The only exception is Goliath. Otherwise, Apollo's Chariot/Raging Bull/Diamondback/Nitro/Intimidator are too smooth for their own good. They're pleasant to ride, but they leave me thinking, "OK. You gave me some pleasant airtime. Got anything else?"

UNDERRATED
KUMBA - This is such a fun, classic coaster. It has great pacing, and its mix of elements makes a great coaster experience.
RAPTOR - Out of the 16 inverts I've ridden, this stands out. It just has a better combination of elements than any other invert.
 
Matt N said:
Sorry to bump this thread, but I have a few of my personal coasters that I think are overrated and underrated that I'd like to share with you guys:
Overrated
  • Dragon Challenge (both sides) (Universal's Islands of Adventure) - I've heard quite a few people praise these rides a lot over the years, especially around when the rides closed. But I wasn't personally feeling the love when I rode these in August 2016. I found both to be pretty jolty, uncomfortable rides, and they didn't really pack many forces or interesting sensations of note, in my opinion. A ride doesn't have to be the most intense, forceful ride in the world for me to really like it, as is evidenced by some rides in my top 10, but I feel like force is one of the things that really makes a good invert for me, and it's one of the things that elevates rides like Montu, Nemesis and to a lesser extent Nemesis Inferno over the two Dragon Challenges, for me. I actually thought the queue line theming was excellent on these, though. As for which side I preferred... they're pretty interchangeable, in my opinion, but controversially, I think I actually slightly preferred Hungarian Horntail, as I thought it felt marginally less uncomfortable. Neither were fantastic, though; they were my two personal least favourite B&Ms out of what I've ridden. In all fairness, my enjoyment of them may have been hampered by the fact that they had already stopped duelling when I came to ride them, and I think duelling would probably have made them feel a bit more thrilling.
  • Manta (SeaWorld Orlando) - Now prior to visiting SeaWorld in August 2016, I was quite excited about riding Manta. It was probably my 2nd most anticipated ride of SeaWorld Orlando behind Mako; I had heard very good things about the ride's intensity and forces prior to riding, but when I came round to riding it... besides the pretzel loop, which was probably one of the most intense moments of positive g-force I've ever experienced on a coaster to the point where it was almost uncomfortable, it felt very similar to Galactica in terms of ride experience, in my opinion. Admittedly, I do slightly prefer it to Galactica due to the ride's extra speed enhancing the flight sensation (if you get what I mean?), but it wasn't quite as much of an improvement over Galactica as I was expecting. Also, I think I may have been the only person who has ever noticed this, but I thought it had a bit of a rattle, too. Admittedly, I only had one ride on it in the back row, but it is probably my least favourite of SeaWorld's 3 B&Ms from my experience of them. It's still a good roller coaster, though, and definitely worth a ride or two if you're at SeaWorld. I do in part blame my very high expectations of it on my disappointment in Manta after coming off it, but the thing is; I think I was expecting Manta to be top 10 material and it wasn't. But I still enjoyed it, and I'm glad I rode it.
Now, I know I'm going to get some grief over this final one, and it is with a very heavy heart that I add to the list...
  • Nemesis (Alton Towers) - Now, don't get me wrong; Nemesis is an absolutely fantastic roller coaster, in my opinion. It's my personal number 5, it's definitely in my UK top 3, it's definitely the best coaster at Alton Towers, it's a feat of engineering and I absolutely adore it. However, some people put this ride on an extremely high pedestal, and I don't quite understand it. I mean, everyone's entitled to their own opinions about these things, and different opinions are admittedly what make the coaster enthusiast community thrive, but I don't personally believe that Nemesis is the best invert I've ridden, nor do I quite think it's the best coaster in the UK. However, it is very close to that title in my top 10 (Nemesis is #5 and Swarm is #4). But I don't quite get the whole "god of all roller coasters" pedestal that some people put Nemesis on. Admittedly, though, I did first ride it in 2013, so I don't have those nostalgic first rides from the 1990s that some others do. I adore Nemesis, I really do. It has definitely earnt its place at #5 in my top 10 and I did seriously debate whether to put it in this list or not. But I don't personally put it on as high of a pedestal as others do. I guess it's entirely down to personal taste, though.
Now on to a more positive category, and one that I have quite a few more rides to put into than the Overrated category:
Underrated
  • The Swarm (Thorpe Park) - I don't often see much love for The Swarm around these parts, and I don't get why. Admittedly, I have far less experience with coasters than many here, but I absolutely adore The Swarm! The drop is great, the ride packs a punch, the inversions are great, the G's in the helix are excellent, it's blissfully smooth, the seating arrangement adds a whole new layer of thrill to the ride; it's just an all round outstanding coaster, in my opinion. It's my personal favourite in the UK, but I know many who wouldn't even put it in their UK top 3/5. All I know is that I love Swarm a lot more than many other enthusiasts do.
  • Nemesis Inferno (Thorpe Park) - I do think that Inferno is inferior to Nemesis, but it is still an awesome ride in its own right, in my opinion! While it's not as intense as Montu or its sibling at Alton Towers, I think Inferno still offers some deceptively good G's through some of the elements and packs a real punch! The pacing is excellent, the ride is smooth; it's just a really fun ride! Personally, I don't think the Nemesis moniker does the ride much justice; in my opinion, comparing Nemesis and Inferno is like comparing a Batman clone to Montu; they're completely different scales of invert and they're both awesome rides in their own little ways! It's just my opinion, though; someone else might think differently.
  • The Smiler (Alton Towers) - Now, The Smiler is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me as far as coasters are concerned! I know that most enthusiasts absolutely despise the ride, but I really like it! It's disorientating, it's quite intense, it's a really long ride, the two hills offer surprisingly strong airtime, and to top it all off; I don't even find it that rough, personally. I'm not going to pretend it's the smoothest coaster ever built; there is a rattle there, and there's a visible jolt in the cobra roll; but I don't think it's as rough as some others do. Apart from when I once rode it on the back row and it was a bit shaky, I mostly find that my experiences with The Smiler have been far more hit than miss where smoothness is concerned. It may not be the smoothest coaster I've ever ridden, but it certainly isn't the roughest, either. I guess that it's partially down to perception; there are other rides I find rough that others find smooth!
  • SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa) - Again, SheiKra is another guilty pleasure of mine; I know that many enthusiasts don't rate Dive Coasters and find them to be one-trick ponies, but SheiKra has a very well executed trick and some excellent inversions and elements to go alongside it, in my opinion! I found the ride to offer some excellent G's and the inversions were brilliantly executed! The ride was also pretty smooth and had a decent length to it, in my opinion. SheiKra is my current number 3, and I absolutely love the ride! It's definitely my favourite Dive Coaster, and there are so many elements to it that I absolutely love!
  • Cobra's Curse (Busch Gardens Tampa) - I had quite low expectations for this as I hadn't heard much positivity regarding it, but I absolutely loved it when I rode in August 2016! It's very different to anything else I've ridden, and it was just so much fun! The spinning aspect was good, I liked the elevator lift and I kind of liked how it differentiates the direction you're facing in throughout the ride! It's certainly an oddball in the best possible way, and it's probably my favourite spinning roller coaster I've ridden! This is because compared to the Maurer and Reverchon models I've done, I thought that Cobra's Curse was still thrilling, but that it executed the spinning aspect with more finesse than the Maurer and Reverchon models, in my opinion. Overall, Cobra's Curse is an awesome ride, and one of my personal favourite family coasters! Also, that queue is stunning!
  • Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando) - I absolutely loved Kraken, despite the fact that I don't hear much praise for it! I had one ride on it in the back row in August 2016, and while there was a rattle there, it didn't really impact the ride, in my opinion, and I thought that the ride felt extremely fast and powerful, for some reason! I really enjoyed it, and for that reason, it sits at #8 in my rankings!
So those are the rides I think are overrated and underrated. As I said above, it's entirely a matter of personal opinion!
P.S. Sorry for long post. Also, sorry if I'm slightly harsh on some of the overrated rides.
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Update; I unfortunately have another ride to add to the overrated category. However, I also have another to add to the underrated category! Yay!:
Overrated
  • Vampire (Chessington World of Adventures) - Now, before riding this coaster in 2014, I had ridden it in 2010, but I was quite young and couldn't really remember it or formulate an opinion on it. Prior to me visiting Chessington, I had heard quite a bit of praise for this coaster, with many citing it as one of the best family coasters in the UK, as intense; the praise went on. However, when I came to ride it, I didn't quite get what the fuss was all about. I know that many love it, and I can see why, but I found it to have quite a few dead spots... and I actually found it quite rough. It really was quite the head basher, in my opinion! It remains the only Arrow Dynamics coaster I've ridden (not for long, though... what with BPB coming up in August.) and the only suspended coaster I've ridden (excluding inverts). Now, in its defence, the ride was already 24 years old by this point, and I don't really expect a 24 year old ride to be as blissfully smooth as a ride like Mako is, for example. Also, I never got to experience Vampire with the bat trains, and the ride was apparently much better with these. But I personally didn't get the hype for Vampire.
Now on to the...
Underrated
Now, this one may sound a bit stupid, but I'm going to say it anyway:
  • Dragon (Legoland Windsor) - Prior to visiting Legoland Windsor in 2017, I actually knew very little about Dragon. I went in expecting it to be like the one in Florida; an extended Vekoma Junior Coaster. I've never visited Legoland Florida, though, but that's besides the point. When I actually rode the ride, however, it was great fun, and had many surprises up its sleeves for such a small coaster! For starters, I never knew it had 3 lift hills, so that was a surprise! Also, the ride section was pretty long, and packed a nice punch for a family coaster! Overall, I enjoyed Dragon much more than I expected to! I'd happily say it's about on a par with Runaway Mine Train at Alton in terms of how I'd rank it against other family coasters, but this coaster is fun when enjoyed for what it is, in my opinion! Final fun fact for you all; this was the only new cred I got in 2017.
P.S. Sorry that this post is a bit negative. I also apologise if I'm being a bit hard on Vampire.
 
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