Re: Top 10: 2013 Edition
Yeah... Though I wouldn't go as far as Gavin (but I've increased my coaster experience since).
Balder was actually the ride that made me think about my "top" being based on best rides. It confused the issue really so I stopped giving a toss
Over two days, I rode Balder dozens of times. I have no idea how many at all, but it was hours of the time at Liseberg on the ride (no queues).
I had one absolutely blinding ride (middle of the train, which was odd). I could see on that one ride why people rated it so highly. It was just once though and I couldn't seem to replicate it. My main opinion of Balder was disappointment. Not "it was so over hyped and I'm so stupid I believe the hype and then get all sad faced because it's not as good as people made me believe" disappointment, but actual, on the ride frustration. Every time I started to get some great air, the ride killed it dead. Just all the time "I'm really loving this wahay... Eugh. Where did the fun go? Oh, here it comes again... No, it started, but never finished"
Two things.
1. I rode early in the season and while it wasn't cold, it wasn't warm either. So maybe the ride runs much better in better weather.
2. I rode the thing for hours. Literally, hours of my life over two days spent on a single ride. I've probably been on Balder more than any other coaster (except maybe Oblivion). If the ride was awful, there's no way I'd be repeating the experience. It's smooth, it's fun and it's fantastically re-ridable.
I preferred Lisebergbanana, but I couldn't ride it quite so much as the high-g's knackered my back :lol:
So yeah, I then tried to compare best ride to best ride and I found it just didn't really work out. Best ride on The Nash was not as good as best ride on Balder, but the majority of rides on The Nash and Megafobia were better and Balder didn't deserve a number 1 spot because it just couldn't consistently offer the ride the time I was there (and others have said the same since).
The oddest thing was that out of our group, there were a number (I'd say four people) who adored Balder and maybe five or six who thought it was seriously lacking.
What that taught me was that personal preference is the absolute most important thing. You cannot tell somebody they're wrong about a ride if it just so happens that it's pushing all their buttons. Everyone is different.
Yeah... Though I wouldn't go as far as Gavin (but I've increased my coaster experience since).
Balder was actually the ride that made me think about my "top" being based on best rides. It confused the issue really so I stopped giving a toss
Over two days, I rode Balder dozens of times. I have no idea how many at all, but it was hours of the time at Liseberg on the ride (no queues).
I had one absolutely blinding ride (middle of the train, which was odd). I could see on that one ride why people rated it so highly. It was just once though and I couldn't seem to replicate it. My main opinion of Balder was disappointment. Not "it was so over hyped and I'm so stupid I believe the hype and then get all sad faced because it's not as good as people made me believe" disappointment, but actual, on the ride frustration. Every time I started to get some great air, the ride killed it dead. Just all the time "I'm really loving this wahay... Eugh. Where did the fun go? Oh, here it comes again... No, it started, but never finished"
Two things.
1. I rode early in the season and while it wasn't cold, it wasn't warm either. So maybe the ride runs much better in better weather.
2. I rode the thing for hours. Literally, hours of my life over two days spent on a single ride. I've probably been on Balder more than any other coaster (except maybe Oblivion). If the ride was awful, there's no way I'd be repeating the experience. It's smooth, it's fun and it's fantastically re-ridable.
I preferred Lisebergbanana, but I couldn't ride it quite so much as the high-g's knackered my back :lol:
So yeah, I then tried to compare best ride to best ride and I found it just didn't really work out. Best ride on The Nash was not as good as best ride on Balder, but the majority of rides on The Nash and Megafobia were better and Balder didn't deserve a number 1 spot because it just couldn't consistently offer the ride the time I was there (and others have said the same since).
The oddest thing was that out of our group, there were a number (I'd say four people) who adored Balder and maybe five or six who thought it was seriously lacking.
What that taught me was that personal preference is the absolute most important thing. You cannot tell somebody they're wrong about a ride if it just so happens that it's pushing all their buttons. Everyone is different.