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Top 10(ish): 2024 Edition - page 124

@Rob Coasters did you not think much of Space Mountain (Paris) then? I quite enjoyed that.

P.s. Liseberg is stupidly easy to get to from Gothenburg airport (20 minute bus) if you wanted a break from the long haul rail/bus travelling!
 
@Nitefly - Space Mountain just barely missed out, sitting at around #29. I wish it had more going on inside the building, whizzing around in pitch black darkness is fun but I wish there were more effects or lights or something, then I would've had it much higher. A problem I had with all 3 indoor coasters at those two parks

The vests also got pretty tight on my second ride. I enjoyed the coaster and thought the layout was good, just wish it had more going on in terms of what happens inside

And for Liseberg... its definitely on my radar with Flumeride's future in serious doubt!
 
New top 20 after visiting Parque Warner and Parque di atracciones for the first time last week. Also re-visited Alton Towers for the first time since 2009 this week.

  1. Helix, Liseberg
  2. Zadra, Energylandia
  3. Batman Gotham City Escape, Parque Warner
  4. Taron, Phantasialand
  5. Taiga, Linnanmaki
  6. Dive Coaster, Chimelong
  7. Stealth, Thorpe
  8. Lech Coaster, Legendia
  9. Swarm, Thorpe
  10. Tornado, Sarkanniemi
  11. F.L.Y., Phantasialand
  12. Hyperion, Energylandia
  13. Wildfire, Kolmarden
  14. Icon, Blackpool Pleasure Beach
  15. Black Mamba, Phantasialand
  16. Baron 1989, Efteling
  17. Nemesis Inferno, Thorpe Park
  18. Air, Alton Towers
  19. Smiler, Alton Towers
  20. Superman, Parque Warner
 
New top 20 after visiting Parque Warner and Parque di atracciones for the first time last week. Also re-visited Alton Towers for the first time since 2009 this week.

  1. Helix, Liseberg
  2. Zadra, Energylandia
  3. Batman Gotham City Escape, Parque Warner
  4. Taron, Phantasialand
  5. Taiga, Linnanmaki
  6. Dive Coaster, Chimelong
  7. Stealth, Thorpe
  8. Lech Coaster, Legendia
  9. Swarm, Thorpe
  10. Tornado, Sarkanniemi
  11. F.L.Y., Phantasialand
  12. Hyperion, Energylandia
  13. Wildfire, Kolmarden
  14. Icon, Blackpool Pleasure Beach
  15. Black Mamba, Phantasialand
  16. Baron 1989, Efteling
  17. Nemesis Inferno, Thorpe Park
  18. Air, Alton Towers
  19. Smiler, Alton Towers
  20. Superman, Parque Warner
Very surprising to see Batman up there, I do hope it's better than it looks, this gives me hope. Glad it hit the spot for you.
 
This might end up being the shocker of the year...

1. Steel Vengeance
2. Skyrush
3. Lighthing Rod
4. Voyage
5. Piraten
6. VelociCoaster
7. Ravine Flyer II
8. Wildfire
9. Iron Gwazi
10. Twisted Timbers

11. Fury 325
12. Maverick
13. Storm Chaser
14. Nemesis
15. Phoenix
16. Shambhala
17. Mako
18. Phantom's Revenge
19. Colossos
20. Wicked Cyclone

21. Renegade
22. Mystic Timbers
23. Fønix
24. Pantheon
25. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
26. Millennium Force.
27. Silver Bullet
28. Twisted Colossus

29. Twisted Cyclone
30. Top Thrill Dragster
No new creds, but a couple minor swaps and a couple additions that I never thought would belong up here.

1. Steel Vengeance
2. Skyrush
3. Voyage
4. Lighthing Rod
5. Piraten
6. VelociCoaster
7. Ravine Flyer II
8. Wildfire
9. Iron Gwazi
10. Twisted Timbers

11. Fury 325
12. Storm Chaser
13. Maverick
14. Nemesis
15. Phoenix
16. Shambhala
17. Mako
18. Phantom's Revenge
19. Colossos
20. Wicked Cyclone

21. Renegade
22. Mystic Timbers
23. Fønix
24. Pantheon
25. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
26. Millennium Force
27. Raven
28. Silver Bullet
29. Legend
30. Twisted Colossus

I was still a little hesitant to include these up here, but they'll probably end up dropping out within a year anyway so it's not a big deal where they are. Holiday World's three woodies somehow each get better and better throughout the years. Voyage was just hauling at Holiwood Nights. Previoulsy had it at four, and was planning to keep it there until I rerode Lightning Rod, but those night rides are just too good. I think it's the length that does it for me. Most of the elements aren't mind blowing, but the whole ride is ridiculously fun.

Raven and Legend also deserve some recognition. Legend especially might be the most improved coaster I've ever experienced... it used to be BAD. Somehow it runs great now but still kicks your ass. It may sound crazy to put it above a couple RMCs (also kicking down Twisted Cyclone), but I just have to ask myself what did I have more fun on... and the answer is pretty clear. I did settle on slightly preferring Raven. Not as intense, but I LOVE the second half of the ride. It's just a tighter layout really.

Oh, and I swapped Storm Chaser with Maverick again. Love me some Storm Daddy.

Rip Dragster :(
 
Went to Knotts and SFMM last weekend and had an absolute blast! Didn't miss any coasters I wanted and had ERT on the fun ones! That side, some rides moved back up or established themselves!

1 Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
2 Jurassic World Velocicoaster - Islands of Adventure
3 Voyage - Holiday World
4 Hyperion - Energylandia
5 Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa
6 Fury 325 - Carowinds
7 Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce
8 Zadra - Energylandia
9 Twisted Timbers - Kings Dominion
10 Goliath - Six Flags Great America

11 Fønix - Farup Sommerland
12 SkyRush - Hersheypark
13 Batman The Ride - Six Flags Over Georgia
14 Tatsu - Six Flags Magic Mountain
15 Wonder Woman Flight of Courage - Six Flags Magic Mountain
16 Jersey Devil Coaster - Six Flags Great Adventure
17 Pantheon - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
18 Wildfire - Kolmarden
19 Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City
20 Afterburn - Carowinds
21 Storm Chaser - Kentucky Kingdom
22 Phantom's Revenge - Kennywood
23 Renegade - Valleyfair
24 Goliath - Six Flags Over Georgia
25 Iron Rattler - Six Flags Fiesta Texas
26 Piraten - Djurs Sommerland
27 Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee
28 Orion - Kings Island
29 X2 - Six Flags Magic Mountain
30 Twisted Cyclone - Six Flags Over Georgia

I forgot about Tatsu. I only rode it once in 2007.. so I had to be reminded.. and holy **** was I reminded. Best Flyer by a country mile and the best ride at SFMM IMO. WW at SFMM was a hair better then JDC at SFGAdv and X2 was as brilliant as ever but got some rattle in a few seats for sure.

Count now up to 527!

Got to visit Holiday World, Kings Island, Worlds of Fun, and Lost Island in the last few weeks and have a bit of a shake up down yonder. Prowler was DELICIOUS during night ERT, raking in 20+ rides during our 1hour. Also can't forget Mystic, which I somehow did, and it came back sexy as can be.

But the star.. Mamba at WOF. Holy. ****. This came out of nowhere. The airtime on this bad boy is what everyone has been saying. Recommended for EVERYONE to marathon this bad boy while you can.

1 Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
2 Jurassic World Velocicoaster - Islands of Adventure
3 Voyage - Holiday World
4 Hyperion - Energylandia
5 Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa
6 Fury 325 - Carowinds
7 Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce
8 Zadra - Energylandia
9 Twisted Timbers - Kings Dominion
10 Goliath - Six Flags Great America

11 Fønix - Farup Sommerland
12 SkyRush - Hersheypark
13 Batman The Ride - Six Flags Over Georgia
14 Tatsu - Six Flags Magic Mountain
15 Wonder Woman Flight of Courage - Six Flags Magic Mountain
16 Jersey Devil Coaster - Six Flags Great Adventure
17 Pantheon - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
18 Wildfire - Kolmarden
19 Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City
20 Afterburn - Carowinds
21 Prowler - Worlds of Fun
22 Storm Chaser - Kentucky Kingdom
23 Phantom's Revenge - Kennywood
24 Mystic Timbers - Kings Island
25 Renegade - Valleyfair
26 Goliath - Six Flags Over Georgia
27 Mamba - Worlds of Fun
28 Iron Rattler - Six Flags Fiesta Texas
29 Piraten - Djurs Sommerland
30 Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee

Count now up to 531
 
But the star.. Mamba at WOF. Holy. ****. This came out of nowhere. The airtime on this bad boy is what everyone has been saying. Recommended for EVERYONE to marathon this bad boy while you can

Ahh, good old Mamba, what a fab ride. Me and @DelPiero had a great time on this. That series of headchoppers on the helix that just get closer, and closer, and closer and... holy f***, even closer! 👌👌👌
 
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)
  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  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!
 
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Now that my first Europe trip has come to a close, I can post my updated, post-Europe top 20. This is the first time that I’ve made a top 20 and felt that it really was a curation of the best of the best that I’ve done, and every ride really deserves to be there.

1. Voyage
2. Iron Gwazi
3. Intimidator 305
4. Steel Vengeance
5. Toutatis
6. ArieForce One
7. Skyrush
8. VelociCoaster
9. Fury 325
10. Phantom’s Revenge
11. Expedition GeForce
12. Pantheon
13. El Toro
14. Maverick
15. Phoenix
16. Twisted Timbers
17. Ravine Flyer II
18. Raven
19. Taron
20. Flying Aces

My year is far from over, with a few very exciting trips on the horizon, so expect this list to change at least a few more times before the year is out!
 
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)
  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  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!
I get it.. I do.. but man I don't get it.
 
A new challenger approaches.

1. Helix - Liseberg
2. Ride to Happiness - Plopsaland de Panne
3. ArieForce One - Fun Spot America Atlanta
4. Python in Bamboo Forest - Wanda Nanchang
5. Jungle Trailblazer - Fantawild Dreamland Zhengzhou
6. Twisted Colossus - Six Flags Magic Mountain
7. Skyrush - Hersheypark
8. Toutatis - Parc Astérix
9. Taiga - Linnanmäki
10. Flying Aces - Ferrari World

11. Eejanaika - Fuji-Q Highland
12. Wood Coaster - Knight Valley
13. Hakugei - Nagashima Spa Land
14. Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa
15. Twisted Timbers - Kings Dominion
16. Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
17. Zadra - Energylandia
18. Fjord Flying Dragon - Happy Valley Tianjin
19. Wildcat's Revenge - Hersheypark
20. Storm Chaser - Kentucky Kingdom
21. Wicked Cyclone - Six Flags New England
22. Phoenix - Knoebels
23. El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure
24. Untamed - Walibi Holland
25. Kondaa - Walibi Belgium

Lightning Rod ungraciously plummets out, first time that's happened to me I believe. Saved Kondaa from the fall, Veloci wasn't so lucky.
 
Updated top 25. Note that I haven't yet been to Europe, and I haven't ridden Gwazi and ArieForce -- which I expect would make this list...

25. GateKeeper (Cedar Point)
This ride is the ultimate "I'm at Cedar Point, my happy place" coaster. Incredibly graceful. Awesome views of the beach. The near-miss is stellar. Not the most intense ride but one I enjoy so much.

24. X2 (Magic Mountain)

IMHO, this is the most intense coaster in the U.S. It might rank higher if the soundtrack and fire effects were operating more consistently. The layout doesn't feel as unpredictable after you've ridden it several times, but it's tough to avoid the leg-banging at the end of the ride that kinda hurts. It's still tough to not smile at the end of this one. I liken it to peaty whisky -- once you have a taste for it, it can become an obsession.

23. T Express (Everland)
I only got 3 rides on this one in October 2022 because of the crazy lines and slow operations at this park. The airtime is stellar and the setting is beautiful. That said, I probably would like it much more if it were warmer when this was running (low 50s Farenheit/~11 Celsius). Even though the ride is less than 20 years old, the layout feels a bit dated when compared to some of the more modern coasters from RMC, etc. In other words, there were a few spots that felt they would be dead even in warmer weather. Still an awesome ride though.

22. Space Mountain (Disneyland)
This ride is pure fun. The soundtrack and frequent re-themes add to the variety one can get on this coaster. I understand that something like Hagrid's or Guardian's -- the latter of which I haven't ridden yet -- are probably better rides of this genre, but the simplicity of this ride works well for me.

21. GhostRider (Knott's Berry Farm)
This is currently my favorite roller coaster in my home state. Not a dull moment on this ride. Other than Legend at Holiday World and Twister at Knoebels, this might have the best lateral forces of anything I've ridden. Night rides are great (although a bit overrated), and the smoothness and length of this roller coaster help give GhostRider a top 25 spot in my rankings.

20. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
Mako has a nice setting on the water and the best floater airtime in any first half of a roller coaster that I can recall. The second half isn't as impressive, but the fact that each hill delivers so well in the first half gives this a top 20 spot.

19. Skyrush (Hersheypark)
The back, left, wing seat of this makes me feel like I'm riding some wild animal that ones to throw me off of it. I haven't had this experience on any other ride. It's amazing. I actually don't feel so much traditional airtime on Skyrush but nothing about this ride is traditional. Total insanity and bliss.

18. Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster (Fiesta Texas)
This ride does some of what Skyrush does but adds more ejector forces in a beautiful setting. It's short, but if it were longer, I'm not sure many people (including myself) could take it.

17. Orion (Kings Island)
This is a stellar roller coaster. I feel like most enthusiasts would rate this much higher if Fury didn't exist. Every moment on this ride delivers. Yes, it is short, but it is also blue. And blue is my favorite color. So, yeah.

16. Incredible Hulk Coaster (Islands of Adventure)
I do miss the old theming where the launch was meant to symbolize the rider being Bruce transformed into the Hulk. Other than that, this ride is incredibly smooth and intense. I love the launch, how the track goes under the water, the mist, etc. It was a top-3 ride for me when it first opened. While others have surpassed it, there is a strong nostalgia factor for me with this (as with others on my list).

15. Twisted Timbers (Kings Dominion)
The best roller coaster for ejector airtime. It doesn't do a whole lot else, but it doesn't need to.

14. Storm Chaser (Kentucky Kingdom)

Similar to Twisted Timbers. It doesn't have as many strong, traditional ejector pops, but it has a bit more character. It has a janky look and feel to it even though it's a newer ride. I like that.

13. Fury 325 (Carowinds)
Unlucky #13 just broke. I feel like it should be penalized more since the ride clearly isn't as sustainable as it should be. But it's a lot of fun, super intense, and a masterpiece otherwise. I only have had two rides on it (one front row, and one back row), so I'd love to get back there if/when it opens again.

12. Intimidator 305 (Kings Dominion)
This feels like the fastest ride on earth with some amazing turns interrupted by graceful pops of floater airtime. A super unique experience that wasn't as intense as I anticipated but just intense enough for me.

11. Phoenix (Knoebels)
Even though I'm older than this ride, the fact that it feels like it was built a century ago because of the restraints set in a park that feels even older makes the airtime even more pronounced. This ride is so much fun and feels like something I can marathon for hours.

10. Space Mountain (WDW Magic Kingdom)
Yes, I'm a Space Mountain fanboy, but it's also the ride that set me on my enthusiast path when I was 10. It still holds up too. I look at it as representing the MCU of roller coasters: there's a reason this is arguably the most famous roller coaster in the world. It has something for everyone. I still am left with a huge smile on my face after riding this. It will likely always have an honorary spot in my top 10.

9. Hakugei (Nagashima Spa Land)
This ride is not like Space Mountain, though. It is the most intense RMC I have ever ridden. The ride looks amazing with the white structure and blue track on the water. Every element delivers incredible force and for me, it's the perfect length. The only thing that keeps it from beating #8 is that the restraints on this one come down during the course of every ride so that I'm stapled by the end of it.

8. Steel Vengeance (Cedar Point)
The perfect roller coaster on paper. Long ride, tons of airtime, inversions, set on the water, smooth, comfortable, etc. It doesn't rank higher because all the ibox RMCs that I've ridden sorta feel similar in some ways to each other. It doesn't feel unique. But it's still spectacular.

7. Eejanaika (Fuji-Q Highland)
While some might say Eejanaika is much more similar to X2 than SV to other RMCs, Eejanaika feels like its own monster. When you're riding it, it feels like you're going backward most of the time, so the elements feel more surprising and you're forced to adopt the mindset of not even trying to anticipate the next move. It's just total insanity. It's also much smoother than I thought it would be, although it still has a bite. The setting at the base of Mt. Fuji is also beautiful. This is my current favorite coaster outside of the U.S.

6. Nitro (Great Adventure)
My caveat is that I only have had 2 rides on this: once in 2001 and once in 2019. Having said that, I've never had more fun on a roller coaster than I have had on those 2 Nitro rides. The best ride for floater airtime IMO. Nice setting. Long ride. Exhilarating.

5. Alpengeist (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)
This used to be my #1. I rode it in 1997, 2019, and 2022. I'm very pleasantly surprised how well it has held up. I love the theming, the intensity, and how it weaves through the terrain in a way where anticipating the next element is difficult. I get the criticism that the second half is a bit lackluster, but that doesn't diminish how much I love this ride.

4. Millennium Force (Cedar Point)
My top giga. That amazing first drop combined with the sense that you're on a speeding train by the water makes this ride so exhilarating and freeing. It makes me feel like nothing else in the world matters. Truly a euphoric sensation. Critics say it's not intense enough, but I'm not sure I'd like it if it were more intense. This ride tries to make you have as much fun as possible and succeeds at that.

3. VelociCoaster (Islands of Adventure)
The total package of theming and thrills. I wouldn't be surprised if this were my #1 one day. It's not as crazy as my top 2 but delivers everything else. Yes, the Mosasaurus roll is incredible but the top hat in the back row might be my favorite moment on any roller coaster. I hope that it can stay as smooth as it was when I rode it in December of 2021.

2. Lightning Rod (Dollywood)
This is a unique beast of a ride that uses its terrain perfectly. I've heard it isn't as punch since I rode it in 2019, and I only got 2 rides on it then. But those two rides made me restore my faith in the universe. The night ride was one of the best night rides I've ever had on anything. Every element was incredible. I need to get more rides on it, but I remember getting off this one thinking that it was a work of art. The only thing that gives my #1 the edge over it is that Lightning Rod isn't quite as long.

1. The Voyage (Holiday World)
This is the total package: A+ airtime, a terrific setting in the woods, a long ride, smooth but with a small bite. The Holiwood Nights night rides on The Voyage are an experience that every enthusiast should have on their bucket lists. I can't picture a more euphoric experience on an amusement park ride. I just wish Holiday World were easier to get to...
 
New top 25:
  1. Kondaa
  2. Taron
  3. Schwur des Kärnan
  4. Untamed
  5. Helix
  6. Shambhala
  7. blue fire Megacoaster
  8. Fønix
  9. Wildfire (Kolmården)
  10. Balder
  11. Silver Star
  12. Colossos: Kampf der Giganten
  13. Lisebergbanan
  14. Troy
  15. Goliath (Walibi Holland)
  16. Piraten
  17. Ride to Happiness
  18. Valkyria
  19. OzIris
  20. Jetline
  21. Expedition: Everest
  22. Star Trek: Operation Enterprise
  23. Wicker Man
  24. Joris en de Draak
  25. Rutschebanen (Tivoli Gardens)
 
Recently got back from a week roadtrip round some of the south-eastern states which took me to Six Flags Over Georgia, Fun Spot, Dollywood and Carowinds. It's been a while since I've ridden some US coasters so there's been quite a change to my Top 25 (which also roughly equates to my top 10%) and I have a few thoughts of my new additions:

1. Der Schwur des Karnan - Hansa-Park
2. Kondaa - Walibi Belgium
3. ArieForce One - Fun Spot America Atlanta
4. Taron - Phantasialand
5. Zadra - Energylandia
6. Untamed - Walibi Holland
7. Lightning Rod - Dollywood
8. Lech Coaster - Legendia
9. Helix - Liseberg
10. Goliath - Six Flags Over Georgia
11. Goliath - Six Flags Great America
12. Balder - Liseberg
13. The Ride to Happiness - Plopsaland de Panne
14. Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa
15. Troy - Toverland
16. Alpengeist - Busch Gardens Williamsburg
17. Thunderhead - Dollywood
18. Wildfire - Kolmarden
19. Hyperion - Energylandia
20. Afterburn - Carowinds
21. Lost Gravity - Walibi Holland
22. Twisted Cyclone - Six Flags Over Georgia
23. Wild Mouse - Blackpool Pleasure Beach
24. Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa
25. Intimidator - Carowinds

ArieForce One
- utterly obscene. The first 2/3 of the ride are incredible and left me in fits of laughter at just how wild it is. Sadly for me the return hills are a bit overkill and confirms that it is possible to have too much airtime. Jelly thighs for days after riding.
Lightning Rod - whilst the consensus appears to have been that it's been neutered I had a blast, particularly getting a front-row-dusk ride. Unlike the above RMC, the quad-down is how you do airtime hills in quick succession. Other than the top of the lift and first drop I really enjoyed the pacing of this but probably would've been a #1 contender for me in its original form.
Goliath - Amazing variety of floater, ejector and high positives in the turnaround. Really re-rideable and my best experience of the ride type.
Thunderhead - Wild and out-of-control, don't think I ever figured out the layout to this one! Really great airtime pops in the front row too!
Afterburn - it's been a while since I've experienced a whippy invert and this one had buckets of it.
Twisted Cyclone - best RMC first drop I've done and the wave turn is outstanding. Had a huge amount of fun on this and it's incredibly re-rideable, I just liked the other rides I've been on a bit better.
Intimidator - thought this was heaps of fun. My first experience in the staggered style cars and I felt extremely exposed on this. Lots of great floater airtime and I managed to bag a night ride as the fireworks started which was quite an experience.


Sadly absent - Fury 325pite 😢, until next time
 
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)
  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. 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
  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!
I realise that I haven't posted a top 30 in a while, as I only did a top 10 with descriptions when I initially got back from Florida. My current top 30 is as follows:
  1. Mako - SeaWorld Orlando (10/10)
  2. Jurassic World VelociCoaster - Islands of Adventure (10/10)
  3. Silver Star - Europa Park (10/10)
  4. Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure - Islands of Adventure (10/10)
  5. Wodan Timbur Coaster - Europa Park (10/10)
  6. Iron Gwazi - Busch Gardens Tampa (10/10)
  7. SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa (10/10)
  8. Icon - Blackpool Pleasure Beach (10/10)
  9. Ice Breaker - SeaWorld Orlando (10/10)
  10. Wicker Man - Alton Towers (10/10)
  11. Oblivion - Alton Towers (9/10)
  12. Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa (9/10)
  13. Revenge of the Mummy - Universal Studios Florida (9/10)
  14. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts - Universal Studios Florida (9/10)
  15. Blue Fire - Europa Park (9/10)
  16. Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee (9/10)
  17. Nemesis Inferno - Thorpe Park (9/10)
  18. Rita - Alton Towers (9/10)
  19. Stealth - Thorpe Park (8/10)
  20. Nemesis - Alton Towers (8/10)
  21. CanCan Coaster - Europa Park (8/10)
  22. Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa (8/10)
  23. Kraken - SeaWorld Orlando (8/10)
  24. Megafobia - Oakwood Theme Park (8/10)
  25. Rock'n'Rollercoaster - Disney's Hollywood Studios (8/10)
  26. Cheetah Hunt - Busch Gardens Tampa (8/10)
  27. Thirteen - Alton Towers (7/10)
  28. The Swarm - Thorpe Park (7/10)
  29. Slinky Dog Dash - Disney's Hollywood Studios (7/10)
  30. Arthur - Europa Park (7/10)
I should also say that after discovering some exact dates and confirmation of early theme park visits, I decided to change my coaster counting methodology and ditch my "enthusiasm start date", increasing my coaster count to 102. I had initially hesitated to rank and rate the added +3 from Disneyland Paris in March 2011, but when I sat down today and properly gave it some thought, I realised that my vague recollections of the rides I did at DLP are better than I had previously given myself credit for, and that my vague recollections of some of the rides I already had ranked and rated weren't much better (mainly a fair amount of Chessington, which I haven't done since 2014), so I decided to have a go at ranking and rating them. I did these coasters many years ago, so my recollections are vague and I can't remember too much in the way of specifics, but thinking about it, I do remember a vague hierarchy of enjoyment, and based on my vague recollections, I have decided upon the following placements and ratings:
  • My highest-ranked coaster from DLP is Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland Park. This is the ride I remember most, and I remember thinking it was pretty fun at 7 years old; it was the only coaster I rerode, and from vague memory, I rode it 3 times or so. I figure that it was fairly similar to the Florida version that I did in 2019, but I do remember enjoying this version a little bit more at the time than I later enjoyed the Florida version, so I opted for #34/102, one spot higher than the Florida version, and a 7/10 rating. On a fun aside, this ride was of one of only 3 coasters I've ever been evacuated from (with the other two being Wicker Man in 2018 and Hagrid's in 2023)!
  • My second highest-ranked coaster from DLP is Crush's Coaster at Walt Disney Studios Park. I remember it being pretty good at the time, and possibly more fun than Spinball, but it probably wasn't quite as good as Dragon's Fury, so I opted for #45/102, one spot below Dragon's Fury, and a 6/10 rating.
  • My lowest-ranked coaster from DLP is RC Racer at Walt Disney Studios Park. I don't remember it being anything especially spectacular even at 7 years old, so I opted for #69/102, just below the similarly unremarkable Atlantica SuperSplash, and a 4/10 rating.
I know it's weird that I suddenly counted these rides as part of my count and ranked them, but I finally felt able to add them to my count and visit log after finding out the exact visit dates and ride counts and such, and discovering that I hadn't ridden anything I didn't vaguely remember riding. I'd never rated and ranked them as I thought that my recollections were too vague for me to rate and rank them, but after giving it some thought, I realised that my recollections were better than I'd previously given myself credit for and that some of the rides I'd already ranked were things I had relatively vague recollections of.

If you're wondering why I only have Big Thunder Mountain from Disneyland Park and Crush's Coaster and RC Racer from Walt Disney Studios Park:
  • I wasn't tall enough to ride Space Mountain or Indiana Jones.
  • I was tall enough to ride Rock'n'Rollercoaster, but I refused to ride it because someone from primary school told me it would give me tummyache...
  • I have no memory of ever having ridden Casey Jr, and I found no evidence to the contrary, so it's not counted.
If you'd like to view my full, exhaustive ranking, here it is: https://captaincoaster.com/en/tops/192
 
Now that my Canada trip has come to a close and I’m about to start University, I have settled on my new, and perhaps final for 2023, top 20. Nothing new that I rode in Canada or New York quite cracked my top 20, but a straggler from my Florida trip has been added, and rerides on old favorites shifted some placements. Movers and shakers in bold.

1. Voyage
2. Intimidator 305
3. Iron Gwazi
4. Steel Vengeance
5. Toutatis
6. Skyrush
7. ArieForce One
8. VelociCoaster
9. Fury 325
10. El Toro
11. Phantom’s Revenge
12. Expedition GeForce
13. Ravine Flyer II
14. Pantheon
15. Maverick
16. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
17: Phoenix
18: Twisted Timbers
19: Taron
20: Raven

Intimidator 305 has always been a favorite of mine, but recent rides with friends (including my second ever full blackout!) secured it my #2 spot once again. There’s never going to be another i305.

Skyrush is the same deal as above. I hadn’t ridden it since 2021, though, and coming back to it with my friends left no doubt in my mind that it had leapfrogged AF1 for my #6 spot. That drop is what doing a bump of coke must feel like.

El Toro was one of those rides that I sort of “didn’t get” before. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it and thought it was top 20, but I didn’t rate it as highly as nearly anyone else I knew. On a random dead July Saturday, I lapped it 20 times and something just clicked. It’s certainly not a perfect ride, but that air is damn near unbeatable.

Ravine Flyer II was one of the rides I hoped would jump up in my rankings after reriding it, and I was correct in that assessment. I finally got to experience this ride warmed up from running all day, and got that magical sunset ride that everyone talks about. I’ll never forget being absolutely humbled by that view on the turnaround.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind was a massive surprise. I was expecting to like this ride, but from what I had heard about it, it wasn’t for me. Boy was I wrong. After the impressive preshow, what followed was possibly the most pure fun I’ve ever had on a coaster. The integration of the ride hardware with the theming is damn near perfect. On my fourth and final lap, I was worried that I wouldn’t get “my song”. Hearing those first notes as the ride began was a seratonin rush that I haven’t felt from a coaster since Voyage. Serious contender for my favorite ride on property, that.
 
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