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Top 10(ish): 2024 Edition - page 124

1. Wildfire - Kolmarden
2. Shambhala - Portaventura
3. Taron - Phantasialand
4. Helix - Liseberg
5. Hyperion - Energylandia
6. Flying Aces - Ferrari World
7. Katun - Mirabilandia
8. Silver Star - Europa Park
9. Capitol Bullet Train - Motiongate
10. Lech Coaster - Legendia
11. Formula Rossa - Ferrari World
12. iSpeed - Mirabilandia
13. Icon - Blackpool Pleasure Beach
14. Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa
15. Montu - Busch Gardens Tampa
16. Nemesis - Alton Towers
17. Oblivion: The Black Hole - Gardaland
18. Blue Fire - Europa Park
19. Winjas - Phantasialand
20. Cheetah Hunt - Busch Gardens Tampa
21. Sheikra - Busch Gardens Tampa
22. Stealth - Thorpe Park
23. Manta - Seaworld Orlando
24. Kraken - Seaworld Orlando
25. Oblivion - Alton Towers
 
My only question was what is Swamp Fox?
Then Google told me.[/QUOTE]
It's such an underrated wooden coaster. Rolly Coaster (a coaster YouTuber) has also ridden Swamp Fox and him and I have similar opinions. To sum it up, Swamp Fox is a hidden gem that has aggressive ejector pops on every single hill and amazing laterals in the final turn before the brakes. It's a lot like Phoenix but instead of only 4 hills giving standing airtime, every hill gives crazy ejector airtime.
 
I have so many questions...
Seeing as how several of you are bewildered by my choice of coasters, I'll explain the controversial picks.

2. Intimidator 305. I only rode this coaster once in the summer of 2017, and I favor intensity above everything else in a coaster. I like some non-intense coasters too, but I found it mental how I305's first turn nearly made me greyout as I'd expected it to. Combine that with the relentless pacing, and how every S-curve throws your body from one side of the train to the other, and for me it's my favorite steel coaster of all time.

5. Mindbender. This is a super underrated gem that I see @CanobieFan also loves. Similarly to I305, Mindbender's first 2 vertical loops offer an insane sustained force of 5.3Gs. The twisted, snappy dive down from the indoor ceiling makes for one of my favorite coaster drops ever. It's a relentlessly paced ride (and a long one at that), features lots of swift directional changes but not on the level of I305/Maverick's, and has an ejector pop that can still be felt through the bulky restraint system. And oh, if you lean back on the restraints/make sure your ears are above the accordions of death (aka horrible OTSRs), then you are guaranteed an incredible ride!

9. The Beast. A legendary night ride that shocked me so much is why this coaster is where it is. I'd waited 50 minutes for this coaster, the longest I'd wait at Kings Island, and expected a rough, boring and painful wooden coaster as many others had told me it was. But I soon grew to enjoy the bouncy roughness that makes you feel like you're flying at a hundred miles an hour, on your 7,000+ foot journey through what felt like a national forest at night. The helix at the end glued me to the side of my seat for its entirety, and is one of my favorite moments on a wooden coaster up there with Voyage's third down (3rd dip on the triple down that sends you FLYING), Phoenix's airtime buffet finale, and Mine Blower's inversion & double down duo.

10. Phoenix. Knoebels is my favorite amusement park of all time, shockingly, as I'd expected Cedar Point to easily top this seemingly small and family-owned amusement park. But I came out of Cedar Point a bit disappointed, yet I came out of Knoebels stunned. Phoenix was my 100th coaster credit and I'd heard that it was an overrated coaster, because its floater airtime was relatively weak. Then I rode it; the first half of the ride is nothing special, just what you'd expect from a well-maintained wooden coaster. A brief pop of floater here or there, relaxing turns... and then the double up-double down hill came. I instinctively clutched onto my restraint on the double down, as I was being forced to stand up. This was a real eye-opener for me. And then, after another turn, the bunny hills came. Oh man, was I not expecting this. I stood up once, then twice, then three times, and finally a fourth; but before Phoenix could cram any more insanity in, it hit the brakes. I came off of Phoenix awestruck.

13. Swamp Fox. See my previous response to @HeartlineCoaster

17. Millennium Force. On my first ride of this coaster, sitting in the very back, I was very underwhelmed that morning. It was forceless as others had told me, but the reviews had failed to leave out the fact that this ride has a consistent rattle that is worse than many B&M's. Then, that night, I waited in a 30-45 minute long queue to ride once more. The rainbow colored lights on the lift had attracted me from afar, and so I took my seat in the fourth row. That next ride was what makes me praise Millennium Force so much... the rattle from before was nonexistent, and somehow the airtime was even stronger as I sat closer to the front! I feel like Mille gets too much flack for not being on the level of Fury/I305, but it's still an amazing coaster nonetheless. At least the GP cheered when returning to the station every single time, for good reason!
 
Just got back from the trip of a lifetime with two of my close friends! We spent a week in and around Shanghai and picked up a ton of great new credits. Unfortunately we were spited by Fireball and Steel Dolphin, but got the vast majority of credits at Joyland, Dinosaur Land, Sunac Land Nanchang, Happy Valley Wuhan, Happy Valley Shanghai, Shanghai Disney, and Haichang Ocean Park. (Explanations for new credits)

1) Python in Bamboo Forest - Wow! I honestly didn’t expect anything to beat Helix for me in a long time. I knew this was my style of ride but never did I expect it to be THIS good. The queue and terrain around the ride are beautiful, the airtime is plentiful. I counted 27 (TWENTY SEVEN) moments of airtime, on this ride. Besides a couple floater hills on the first return trip, EVERY single hill delivers. The turnaround gives plenty of lats and the bases of each drop has great positive Gs. More than anything else, the pacing impresses me. The final 1/3 of the ride feels faster than the start and is an absolute onslaught of strong sustained airtime littered with lats and positives. POVs do this ride NO justice. It rides SO much faster than you’ve seen, I guarantee it.
2) Helix
3) Dinoconda- I was only at this park for 3.5 hours... Dinonconda’s line was 4 hours...
Luckily the ride has a single fast pass option, and despite the steep cost we had to get a ride. We got two rides on Dinoconda and this ride blew me away. From lift to brakes it is the most aggressive, intense ride I have ever done. The combination of forces is completely insane. I won’t ever forget the crazy drop and mind boggling zero g roll.
4) Boulder Dash
5) OCT Thrust- This was a huge surprise of the trip for me. My first ride was great, but not quite as good as I hoped. But with each ride, and with a looser lap bar and no seat belt, OCT got better and better. The launch took me by surprise every single time. It’s honestly better than Dragster’s, Ka’s, and Storm Runner’s for me. You then haul up the top hat. As you twist upwards there is already extreme ejector which continues all the way until you enter the tunnel at the base of the drop. It is my ALL TIME favorite element. ~5 seconds of sustained ejector air!! At the bottom of the drop there are crushing positives before two more ridiculous ejector moments, a super sustained floaty wave turn, and then an insanely intense ampersand. If this was a longer ride it may just be my number one.
6) Maverick
7) Skyrush
8) Wildfire
9) Superman The Ride
10) Coaster Through The Clouds- This has to be the most intimidating and gorgeous ride I’ve done. The drop feels like a giga with many similarities to Toro’s drop. The following turns and hills give some pretty good forces and then the ride ends with a fantastic outward bank that gives crazy lats and airtime and another ejector hill.
11) Wicked Cyclone
12) Dualing Dragon (Red)- I was lucky enough to duel on the blue side in the morning on this great gravity group woodie. Then I rode red a few times later in the day. It ran slow on blue side because of a light train and because we were the only riders, but it absolutely hauls on the ride side. Great drop, a RIDICULOUS wave turn, and a crazy ejector hill make up the start. I wish the ending half was paced a little faster as it is tame later in the ride but I loved this coaster so much.
13) El Toro
14) Boardwalk Bullet
15) Time Traveler
16) Starry Sky Ripper- Here’s my new favorite B&M. The drop gave crazy airtime, the overbank had a ton of force, and the 1.5 twist... oh my. The whip through the inversion is insane and the forces at the end are just ridiculous. Both here and at the opposite end of the loop you are PLASTERED against the seat. The next few elements aren’t wowing but the final heartline is great. Definitely worthy of the hype.
17) Thundercoaster
18) Tron- Long has this been one of my most deemed out coasters. The theming is just impeccable in every way, and the ride isn’t too shabby either!! The launch is fantastic and the indoor portion actually has some great floater and positives. This is one of the most fun and rerideable coasters ever and I love it so much. Very fortunate to have gotten 13 rides on it in one day at Disney.
19) Mega Lite- This was probably the most disappointing coaster of the trip. Mega Lite was one of my top bucket list coasters but other than the three twisty hills, I wasn’t amazed. The drop is really good and so is the large ejector hill (although it wasn’t as sustained or as strong as expected). The big twisty hill is filler and the final portion honestly left a lot to be desired. Still awesome though, and those three twisty hills are one of the best coaster sections EVER!
20) Outlaw Run
21) Balder
22) Soaring Dragon and Dancing Phoenix- Here was the biggest surprise EVER for me! Beijing Shibaolai can straight up build great coasters!! This is by far my favorite invert (2nd favorite being Raptor). The layout is just amazing, the ride is smooth almost everywhere, and this is one of the most forceful coasters I have ever ridden. The drop has ejector, the loop is better than those of Schwartzkopf, the cobra roll is super whippy, the overbanks are great, the zero g is absolutely insane, and the airtime hill is a really nice touch. There are no dead spots and this ride exceeds in every category.
23) Storm Runner
24) Phoenix
25) Powder Keg
26) Nitro
27) Millennium Force
28) Top Thrill Dragster
29) Speed Monster
30) Comet (SFGE)
 
Just got back from the trip of a lifetime with two of my close friends! We spent a week in and around Shanghai and picked up a ton of great new credits. Unfortunately we were spited by Fireball and Steel Dolphin, but got the vast majority of credits at Joyland, Dinosaur Land, Sunac Land Nanchang, Happy Valley Wuhan, Happy Valley Shanghai, Shanghai Disney, and Haichang Ocean Park. (Explanations for new credits)

1) Python in Bamboo Forest - Wow! I honestly didn’t expect anything to beat Helix for me in a long time. I knew this was my style of ride but never did I expect it to be THIS good. The queue and terrain around the ride are beautiful, the airtime is plentiful. I counted 27 (TWENTY SEVEN) moments of airtime, on this ride. Besides a couple floater hills on the first return trip, EVERY single hill delivers. The turnaround gives plenty of lats and the bases of each drop has great positive Gs. More than anything else, the pacing impresses me. The final 1/3 of the ride feels faster than the start and is an absolute onslaught of strong sustained airtime littered with lats and positives. POVs do this ride NO justice. It rides SO much faster than you’ve seen, I guarantee it.
2) Helix
3) Dinoconda- I was only at this park for 3.5 hours... Dinonconda’s line was 4 hours...
Luckily the ride has a single fast pass option, and despite the steep cost we had to get a ride. We got two rides on Dinoconda and this ride blew me away. From lift to brakes it is the most aggressive, intense ride I have ever done. The combination of forces is completely insane. I won’t ever forget the crazy drop and mind boggling zero g roll.
4) Boulder Dash
5) OCT Thrust- This was a huge surprise of the trip for me. My first ride was great, but not quite as good as I hoped. But with each ride, and with a looser lap bar and no seat belt, OCT got better and better. The launch took me by surprise every single time. It’s honestly better than Dragster’s, Ka’s, and Storm Runner’s for me. You then haul up the top hat. As you twist upwards there is already extreme ejector which continues all the way until you enter the tunnel at the base of the drop. It is my ALL TIME favorite element. ~5 seconds of sustained ejector air!! At the bottom of the drop there are crushing positives before two more ridiculous ejector moments, a super sustained floaty wave turn, and then an insanely intense ampersand. If this was a longer ride it may just be my number one.
6) Maverick
7) Skyrush
8) Wildfire
9) Superman The Ride
10) Coaster Through The Clouds- This has to be the most intimidating and gorgeous ride I’ve done. The drop feels like a giga with many similarities to Toro’s drop. The following turns and hills give some pretty good forces and then the ride ends with a fantastic outward bank that gives crazy lats and airtime and another ejector hill.
11) Wicked Cyclone
12) Dualing Dragon (Red)- I was lucky enough to duel on the blue side in the morning on this great gravity group woodie. Then I rode red a few times later in the day. It ran slow on blue side because of a light train and because we were the only riders, but it absolutely hauls on the ride side. Great drop, a RIDICULOUS wave turn, and a crazy ejector hill make up the start. I wish the ending half was paced a little faster as it is tame later in the ride but I loved this coaster so much.
13) El Toro
14) Boardwalk Bullet
15) Time Traveler
16) Starry Sky Ripper- Here’s my new favorite B&M. The drop gave crazy airtime, the overbank had a ton of force, and the 1.5 twist... oh my. The whip through the inversion is insane and the forces at the end are just ridiculous. Both here and at the opposite end of the loop you are PLASTERED against the seat. The next few elements aren’t wowing but the final heartline is great. Definitely worthy of the hype.
17) Thundercoaster
18) Tron- Long has this been one of my most deemed out coasters. The theming is just impeccable in every way, and the ride isn’t too shabby either!! The launch is fantastic and the indoor portion actually has some great floater and positives. This is one of the most fun and rerideable coasters ever and I love it so much. Very fortunate to have gotten 13 rides on it in one day at Disney.
19) Mega Lite- This was probably the most disappointing coaster of the trip. Mega Lite was one of my top bucket list coasters but other than the three twisty hills, I wasn’t amazed. The drop is really good and so is the large ejector hill (although it wasn’t as sustained or as strong as expected). The big twisty hill is filler and the final portion honestly left a lot to be desired. Still awesome though, and those three twisty hills are one of the best coaster sections EVER!
20) Outlaw Run
21) Balder
22) Soaring Dragon and Dancing Phoenix- Here was the biggest surprise EVER for me! Beijing Shibaolai can straight up build great coasters!! This is by far my favorite invert (2nd favorite being Raptor). The layout is just amazing, the ride is smooth almost everywhere, and this is one of the most forceful coasters I have ever ridden. The drop has ejector, the loop is better than those of Schwartzkopf, the cobra roll is super whippy, the overbanks are great, the zero g is absolutely insane, and the airtime hill is a really nice touch. There are no dead spots and this ride exceeds in every category.
23) Storm Runner
24) Phoenix
25) Powder Keg
26) Nitro
27) Millennium Force
28) Top Thrill Dragster
29) Speed Monster
30) Comet (SFGE)
As if I needed more incentive to get out to China. Enjoyed reading that. Sounds fantastic.
 
  1. Helix
  2. Taron
  3. Balder
  4. Expedition GeForce
  5. Oziris
  6. Shambhala
  7. Nemesis
  8. Blue Fire
  9. Black Mamba
  10. Silver Star
Honourable mentions to Joris en de Draak, Lost Gravity, Karacho, Goliath (WH).

Looking forward to getting Wicked Cyclone, Steel Vengeance, Maverick, Skyrush and El Toro in the next couple of months!
 
It’s well worth it!! Transportation can sometimes be tough but the language barrier really wasn’t as bad as expected (with a translate app). There’s a super high concentration of great rides and we didn’t even get to all of the area’s parks!
Yeah, I’ve previously researched it a bit for a possible trip, and in the greater Shanghai area alone there’s an amazing number of parks.
 
Call me mad, but I've decided to rifle through Captain Coaster and rank everything I've ever ridden! Yes... absolutely everything, from B&M hypers to Vekoma Rollerskaters! I thought it might be interesting, and I decided it'd be best to do it now while I've still got a sort of low coaster count, so here is the top 30 out of my list:
Matt N's Top 30 Coasters
(You may note that while I was at it, I also decided to rearrange my coaster rankings slightly! Coasters that I've moved are in italics.)
  1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
  2. Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
  3. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  4. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  5. Nemesis (Alton Towers)
  6. The Swarm (Thorpe Park)
  7. The Smiler (Alton Towers)
  8. Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando)
  9. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  10. Wicker Man (Alton Towers)
  11. Megafobia (Oakwood)
  12. Incredible Hulk (Universal's Islands of Adventure)
  13. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (Universal Studios Florida)
  14. Stealth (Thorpe Park)
  15. Nemesis Inferno (Thorpe Park)
  16. Speed (Oakwood)
  17. Nickelodeon Streak (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
  18. Oblivion (Alton Towers)
  19. Cheetah Hunt (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  20. Manta (SeaWorld Orlando)
  21. Galactica (Alton Towers)
  22. Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Studios Florida)
  23. Big Dipper (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
  24. Expedition Everest (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
  25. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (Universal Studios Florida)
  26. Thirteen (Alton Towers)
  27. Cobra's Curse (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  28. Dragon's Fury (Chessington World of Adventures)
  29. Revolution (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
  30. Shockwave (Drayton Manor)
As I also decided to rearrange my top 10 slightly, I'm also updating my top 10 with explanations:
Matt N's Top 10 Coasters (with explanations)
  1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando) - This was my first B&M hyper, and wow! It blew me away! Before I had the opportunity to ride, I had very high expectations of it, but I kept thinking to myself from watching POVs of different B&M hypers; "What do they [coaster enthusiasts] all like so much? It's just a load of hills in a row! Where are the inversions?" But after that first ride on Mako, on the 23rd August 2016, in second row, I was wowed! The airtime was immense, with the drop really pulling me over with an immense moment of airtime. The hills all had an immense amount of airtime too. The ending also provided some nice twisty fun. When I read reviews online after riding, I was thinking "Trim? What trim? I couldn't notice any trim!" And it was so, so smooth! One of the smoothest coasters I've ever ridden. As soon as Mako ended, I just knew it was the best thing I'd ever ridden. Is that what you guys felt like when you first stepped off of El Toro, Lightning Rod, Taron and other highly rated coasters? In conclusion: best thing ever for me. Out of 39 coasters, this is my favourite.
  2. Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - Icon is just stunning! There's quite a bit of decent airtime on the ride, in my opinion, and I also feel that the ride has excellent pacing and some surprisingly intense moments! It's blissfully smooth too, in my opinion! The launches, while not packing as much initial burst as a hydraulic launch, still boost the train with decent force, in my opinion; the second launch especially is simply amazing! You're already going at a decent speed, and then it just blasts you forward with another huge speed boost; I love it! Besides, the launches merely act as a method of propulsion on Icon; I personally feel that Icon is more focused on an overall package than one element of the coaster, and if you ask me, it is one stunning coaster experience! Blackpool and Mack should be very proud of what they've accomplished with Icon, in my opinion!
  3. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa) - It's just like Nemesis but longer. What's not to love?
  4. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa) - I was not expecting to like SheiKra as much as I did. It's such a great ride! It packs a punch, the drops are great, it's quite smooth for a 12 year old coaster and I just adore this ride! Fun fact for you guys: SheiKra is actually my Dad's number 1 coaster!
  5. Nemesis (Alton Towers) - Brlliance. Sheer brilliance is what this ride is. John Wardley is a genius. Where do I even start with Nemesis' awesomeness? It's still one of the most forceful and intense roller coasters I've ever ridden. For the first few years I rode, I actually came off Nemesis with a sort of dizzy/light-headed feeling which strangely, no ride other than Montu in 2016 has given me. Also, I love that the ride builds up speed as it goes on and is still going at the same speed it started at when it hits the brake run. It's incredibly smooth for a 23 year old coaster, as well! It does have a very slight rattle to it on some rides, but this is more than acceptable at the ride's age. There are no kinks, jolts or roughness whatsoever in the trackwork itself. In fact, I actually reckon I may have had a Mako smooth ride in July 2017, with no rattle whatsoever. It just glided forcefully along the track! It was great!
  6. The Swarm (Thorpe Park) - I love this attraction! It packs a punch, it's virtually Mako smooth, the seating position makes for an interesting ride experience, the theming is excellent and it's just a great ride. I don't really get all the hate for wing coasters, as Swarm is fantastic in my opinion. Although in a way, I am slightly worried that I've overrated the Swarm. I last rode in May 2015, so I may have to rejudge in 2018. A reride in May 2018 didn't change my opinion.
  7. The Smiler (Alton Towers) - This ride is seriously messed up, from the ton of inversions to the theme, and I like it! This coaster is actually quite intense, but in a different sort of way to rides like Nemesis and Montu. Rides like Nemesis and Montu are intense in a forceful way, whereas the Smiler is intense in a crazy/dizzying sort of way, if you get what I mean. Gerstlauer were actually very clever in how they designed the Smiler's layout, because every single inversion adds to the feeling of dizziness and disorientation you get during the ride. I have also not found the Smiler overly rough, just a bit rattly. The rattle is more noticeable than on the park's B&M coasters, but is nothing too unbearable. I did have a pretty rough back row ride, however. And don't forget the cobra roll exit. An exit from one of the dive loops has a pretty hard jolt, as well. If the ride is any rougher when I next ride, I may consider bumping it down a few spots, as I'm not a fan at all of rough coasters. Some of my 2018 rerides on Smiler actually haven't been that bad rattle-wise, so it maintains its #7 spot for now. One thing I do find interesting, however, is that I actually think Speed at Oakwood is smoother, and it's 7 years older than Smiler.
  8. Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando) - I was pleasantly surprised with Kraken! It was not as rough as I was expecting and I actually thought that it was pretty fast and packing a good force when I rode! It felt lovely and powerful, in my opinion, and reasonably smooth, too!
  9. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa) - Yes; after giving it a little more thought, Kumba has made it into my top 10! The more I think about it, the more I remember Kumba being quite good! From the one ride I had on it, it was relatively smooth for a ride of its age, had some good g-forces and was generally a really good ride! The only reason it's below Kraken for me is because I didn't personally think it quite had that same level of pacing that Kraken did.
  10. Wicker Man (Alton Towers) - Well, well, well... I think Wicker Man might possibly be one of the most surprising attractions I've ridden in a while! During its construction, I was expecting a similar level of thrill to Thirteen from this ride, but I remained cautiously optimistic. And I was right to, as Wicker Man is a fantastic ride! It's pretty wild, and actually quite forceful in portions, even if not quite as forceful as Megafobia! The ride also had 2 pretty good pops of airtime following the not-so-boring corner, even though the airtime is not as strong for me as Megafobia's. The reason I prefer this to Megafobia, though, is because; it's smoother, with more comfortable trains; the transitions are much better and more thrilling than Megafobia's and just because I think I enjoyed the ride just a little bit more than I enjoyed Megafobia. Overall, Wicker Man is absolutely fantastic, and it really makes me want to ride more GCIs in the future.
Here is my whole list if you'd like to see it: https://captaincoaster.com/en/lists/192

I must admit that this was quite difficult for me, as I'm terribly indecisive and I don't normally like to rank family coasters up against thrill coasters due to them being gentler rides intended for younger audiences and all, but I must admit that it felt quite satisfying having a place for everything within my list!
Right, after a wonderful trip to Florida, I think it's time I updated my top 10 (ish) list! As well as some new rides added, I also moved some things around a bit, so here goes. Firstly, have my updated top 30:
Matt N's Top 30 Coasters
(new in bold, moved in italics)
  1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
  2. Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
  3. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  4. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  5. Nemesis (Alton Towers)
  6. The Swarm (Thorpe Park)
  7. Mine Blower (Fun Spot Kissimmee)
  8. Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando)
  9. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa)
  10. Incredible Hulk (Universal's Islands of Adventure)
  11. Wicker Man (Alton Towers)
  12. The Smiler (Alton Towers)
  13. Rock'n'Rollercoaster (Disney's Hollywood Studios)
  14. Megafobia (Oakwood)
  15. Stealth (Thorpe Park)
  16. Nemesis Inferno (Thorpe Park)
  17. Speed (Oakwood)
  18. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit (Universal Studios Florida)
  19. Oblivion (Alton Towers)
  20. Space Mountain (Alpha) (Disney's Magic Kingdom)
  21. Nickelodeon Streak (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
  22. Revenge of the Mummy (Universal Studios Florida)
  23. Cheetah Hunt (Universal Studios Florida)
  24. Galactica (Alton Towers)
  25. Manta (SeaWorld Orlando)
  26. Big Dipper (Blackpool Pleasure Beach)
  27. Expedition Everest (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
  28. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts (Universal Studios Florida)
  29. Thirteen (Alton Towers)
  30. Slinky Dog Dash (Disney's Hollywood Studios)
Right, so now the top 30's done, have a little explanation for the top 10:
Matt N's Top 10 Coasters (with explanations):
  1. Mako (SeaWorld Orlando) - This was my first B&M hyper, and wow! It blew me away! Before I had the opportunity to ride, I had very high expectations of it, but I kept thinking to myself from watching POVs of different B&M hypers; "What do they [coaster enthusiasts] all like so much? It's just a load of hills in a row! Where are the inversions?" But after that first ride on Mako, on the 23rd August 2016, in second row, I was wowed! The airtime was immense, with the drop really pulling me over with an immense moment of airtime. The hills all had an immense amount of airtime too. The ending also provided some nice twisty fun. When I read reviews online after riding, I was thinking "Trim? What trim? I couldn't notice any trim!" And it was so, so smooth! One of the smoothest coasters I've ever ridden. As soon as Mako ended, I just knew it was the best thing I'd ever ridden. Is that what you guys felt like when you first stepped off of El Toro, Lightning Rod, Taron and other highly rated coasters? In conclusion: best thing ever for me. Out of 64 coasters, this is my favourite.
  2. Icon (Blackpool Pleasure Beach) - Icon is just stunning! There's quite a bit of decent airtime on the ride, in my opinion, and I also feel that the ride has excellent pacing and some surprisingly intense moments! It's blissfully smooth too, in my opinion! The launches, while not packing as much initial burst as a hydraulic launch, still boost the train with decent force, in my opinion; the second launch especially is simply amazing! You're already going at a decent speed, and then it just blasts you forward with another huge speed boost; I love it! Besides, the launches merely act as a method of propulsion on Icon; I personally feel that Icon is more focused on an overall package than one element of the coaster, and if you ask me, it is one stunning coaster experience! Blackpool and Mack should be very proud of what they've accomplished with Icon, in my opinion!
  3. Montu (Busch Gardens Tampa) - It's just like Nemesis but longer. What's not to love?
  4. SheiKra (Busch Gardens Tampa) - I was not expecting to like SheiKra as much as I did. It's such a great ride! It packs a punch, the drops are great, it's quite smooth for a 12 year old coaster and I just adore this ride! Fun fact for you guys: SheiKra is actually my Dad's number 1 coaster!
  5. Nemesis (Alton Towers) - Brlliance. Sheer brilliance is what this ride is. John Wardley is a genius. Where do I even start with Nemesis' awesomeness? It's still one of the most forceful and intense roller coasters I've ever ridden. For the first few years I rode, I actually came off Nemesis with a sort of dizzy/light-headed feeling which strangely, no ride other than Montu in 2016 has given me. Also, I love that the ride builds up speed as it goes on and is still going at the same speed it started at when it hits the brake run. It's incredibly smooth for a 23 year old coaster, as well! It does have a very slight rattle to it on some rides, but this is more than acceptable at the ride's age. There are no kinks, jolts or roughness whatsoever in the trackwork itself. In fact, I actually reckon I may have had a Mako smooth ride in July 2017, with no rattle whatsoever. It just glided forcefully along the track! It was great!
  6. The Swarm (Thorpe Park) - I love this attraction! It packs a punch, it's virtually Mako smooth, the seating position makes for an interesting ride experience, the theming is excellent and it's just a great ride. I don't really get all the hate for wing coasters, as Swarm is fantastic in my opinion. Although in a way, I am slightly worried that I've overrated the Swarm. I last rode in May 2015, so I may have to rejudge in 2018. A reride in May 2018 didn't change my opinion.
  7. Mine Blower (Fun Spot Kissimmee) - Mine Blower is a fantastic wooden coaster! It's pacing is something to behold; it just keeps going and going! It also packs in quite a bit of airtime for a coaster of its size and while it isn't the smoothest of coasters, I wouldn't say it's overly rough, either!
  8. Kraken (SeaWorld Orlando) - I was pleasantly surprised with Kraken! It was not as rough as I was expecting and I actually thought that it was pretty fast and packing a good force when I rode! It felt lovely and powerful, in my opinion, and reasonably smooth, too!
  9. Kumba (Busch Gardens Tampa) - Yes; after giving it a little more thought, Kumba has made it into my top 10! The more I think about it, the more I remember Kumba being quite good! From the one ride I had on it, it was relatively smooth for a ride of its age, had some good g-forces and was generally a really good ride! The only reason it's below Kraken for me is because I didn't personally think it quite had that same level of pacing that Kraken did.
  10. Incredible Hulk (Universal's Islands of Adventure) - Now, the thing with Hulk is that the first part of the layout is fantastic; that launch into the zero-g roll is a stunning combination, and the elements that follow are fantastically intense! However, the thing that prevents it from ranking higher for me is that it peeters out somewhat after the MCBR and it isn't really the smoothest of coasters. Still a fab ride, however!
So, that's my new list! As always, it could have been reshuffled again next time I post it as I am incredibly indecisive!
 
Added and moved significantly up two rides, Fury 325 (which was at 28) to number 8. I dunno what happened last time but she was BURNING deliciousness when we hopped on. Glad to have rerode such a fun ride. Definitely worthy of where it sits. Copperhead Strike is the new one and the fun, the airtime, the hangtime.. all brilliant. I'm one of the weirdos apparently calling it better then Maverick but when you break it down to which ride I liked more, CS wins. Maverick may be more intense but CS is more fun. In this case, fun wins.

1 Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
2 Lightning Rod - Dollywood
3 Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce
4 El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure
5 Goliath - Six Flags Great America
6 Wildfire - Kolmarden
7 Voyage - Holiday World
8 Fury 325 - Carowinds
9 Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City
10 Storm Chaser - Kentucky Kingdom


11 Mine Blower - Fun Spot Kissimmee
12 Copperhead Strike - Carowinds
13 Maverick - Cedar Point
14 Ravine Flyer II - Waldameer
15 Phoenix - Knoebels
16 Cornball Express - Indiana Beach
17 Banshee - Kings Island
18 Afterburn - Carowinds
19 Boardwalk Bullet - Kemah Boardwalk
20 Wicked Cyclone - Six Flags New England
21 Top Thrill Dragster - Cedar Point
22 Superman The Ride - Six Flags New England
23 Lightning Run - Kentucky Kingdom
24 X2 - Six Flags Magic Mountain
25 Behemoth - Canada's Wonderland
26 Tatsu - Six Flags Magic Mountain
27 Mystic Timbers - Kings Island
28 Prowler - Worlds of Fun
29 Leviathan - Canada's Wonderland
30 Thunderbird - Holiday World
 
Added and moved significantly up two rides, Fury 325 (which was at 28) to number 8. I dunno what happened last time but she was BURNING deliciousness when we hopped on. Glad to have rerode such a fun ride. Definitely worthy of where it sits.
I wholeheartedly agree that Fury deserves a top 10 spot.
Well done for seeing the light.

Now go re-ride Skyrush and beg for forgiveness.
 
I wholeheartedly agree that Fury deserves a top 10 spot.
Well done for seeing the light.

Now go re-ride Skyrush and beg for forgiveness.

My thighs beg to differ. :p

Fury did surprise me as the last ride was so lackluster. I didn't get to marathon it last time however and I squeaked in some 8 rides this last weekend. I think if we hit it at night, it would have been even higher.
 
My thighs beg to differ. :p

Fury did surprise me as the last ride was so lackluster. I didn't get to marathon it last time however and I squeaked in some 8 rides this last weekend. I think if we hit it at night, it would have been even higher.
Ooooh yeah, night rides are delicious on Fury, I went late April and there was a good hour of semi darkness, of course I absolutely whored my Fastlane.
 
I got a night ride on Fury 325 as well... it was in the back row, during the Scarowinds event. It takes on an entirely new personality, to be honest; there is minimal lighting everywhere but the first drop and station, and the coaster itself somehow manages to be even more fun! Unfortunately, that one lap was the only redeeming factor of my visit.
 
And we've got updates! Bold are new this year, as is tradition.

1. Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
2. Lightning Rod - Cedar Point
3. Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City
4. Goliath - Six Flags Great America
5. Voyage - Holiday World
6. Superman: The Ride/Bizarro - Six Flags New England
7. Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce
8. El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure
9. Maverick - Cedar Point
10. Fury 325 - Carowinds

11. Storm Chaser - Kentucky Kingdom
12. Banshee - Kings Island
13. X2 - Six Flags Magic Mountain
14. Twisted Cyclone - Six Flags Over Georgia
15. Tatsu - Six Flags Magic Mountain
16. The Joker - Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
17. Copperhead Strike - Carowinds
18. Mako - Sea World Orlando
19. Thunderbird - Holiday World
20. Wicked Cyclone - Six Flags New England

21. Skyrush - Hersheypark
22. Roar-o-saurus - Story Land
23. Leviathan - Canada's Wonderland
24. Mine Blower - Fun Spot America
25. Top Thrill Dragster - Cedar Point
26. Ravine Flyer II - Waldameer
27. Phoenix - Knoebels
28. Goliath - Six Flags Over Georgia
29. Flight Deck - California's Great America
30. Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
 
And we've got updates! Bold are new this year, as is tradition.

1. Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
2. Lightning Rod - Cedar Point
3. Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City
4. Goliath - Six Flags Great America
5. Voyage - Holiday World
6. Superman: The Ride/Bizarro - Six Flags New England
7. Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce
8. El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure
9. Maverick - Cedar Point
10. Fury 325 - Carowinds

11. Storm Chaser - Kentucky Kingdom
12. Banshee - Kings Island
13. X2 - Six Flags Magic Mountain
14. Twisted Cyclone - Six Flags Over Georgia
15. Tatsu - Six Flags Magic Mountain
16. The Joker - Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
17. Copperhead Strike - Carowinds
18. Mako - Sea World Orlando
19. Thunderbird - Holiday World
20. Wicked Cyclone - Six Flags New England

21. Skyrush - Hersheypark
22. Roar-o-saurus - Story Land
23. Leviathan - Canada's Wonderland
24. Mine Blower - Fun Spot America
25. Top Thrill Dragster - Cedar Point
26. Ravine Flyer II - Waldameer
27. Phoenix - Knoebels
28. Goliath - Six Flags Over Georgia
29. Flight Deck - California's Great America
30. Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Fury not better then Maverick? Get that outta here. WE HAVE THINGS TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT SIR!
 
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