Whether you love them or hate them, everyone remembers their first roller coaster ride. For those of us theme park nerds, that experience kicked off a passion for adrenaline that drags us on vacations around the globe to experience humanity's most twisted creations. Just like with music, movies, food etc. we all have our favorites, so let’s take a look at my top 10 coasters
Back in the late 90’s, at the mere age of 3 years old, I took a ride on Goofy’s Barnstormer, and I was hooked. Since then, I have had the pleasure of traveling throughout the globe to ride some of the world’s coolest coasters, experiencing nearly 400 of the amusement park staples. While I enjoy any opportunity to pull down a lap bar or over-the-shoulder restraint, here are my 10 favorite roller coasters.
10. Viper (Six Flags Magic Mountain)
This may be a controversial take, and I’m aware some of you will think I’m crazy, but Viper is a classic thrill that can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Opening on April 7th, 1990, Viper debuted as the tallest and fastest looping coaster in the world. Standing at 188 feet tall and hitting speeds up to 70 miles per hour, Viper is giant. The last of the seven loop Arrow coasters to be built (and the last to be in operation), the Six Flags Magic Mountain located thrill ride offers an intense and aggressive ride that leaves you hitting the break run in disbelief. While I can admit the ride is far from smooth, it adds an incredible amount of charm to this piece of coaster history. My only qualm with this ride is the restraints. The classic Arrow over the shoulder restraints aren’t tall person friendly, and this ride can be pretty brutal on the shoulders. That being said, I’d never pass up a ride on Viper.
9. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure (Universal’s Islands of Adventure)
Let’s get this out of the way, Velocicoaster isn’t on this list. I know it’s an incredible ride and I have a huge soft spot in my heart for the Jurassic series, but Hagrid’s is pure fun. The Intamin built mulit-launch coaster offers such a smooth, exciting, and unique coaster experience, especially with the highly themed trains, that I find myself wanting to marathon this ride whenever I’m lucky enough to visit Universal Orlando. Theming really adds to the experience with this ride, but the great part about Hagrid’s is the coaster absolutely stands on its own. While I know this isn’t the most thrilling coaster on this list, Hagrid’s succeeds at providing guests with an experience that everyone can enjoy equally. The drop track section is also so much fun.
8. F.L.Y. (Phantasialand)
F.L.Y. over at Germany’s Phantasialand is one of the world’s best themed coasters. Headlining the park’s Rookburgh area, the Vekoma custom flying coaster brings guests into a steampunk fantasy inspired by the early days of air travel. The attraction features a unique loading station, which sees the flying coaster trains rotate, making getting in and out of this coaster far more comfortable and efficient than Vekoma’s former Flying Dutchman model or B&M’s flying coasters. It is also the only launched flying coaster in the entire world, which I think really adds to the sensation of flight. This coaster, intensity-wise, is probably a half step above Hagrid’s. While you won’t find the forces of flying coasters like Tatsu or Manta, F.L.Y.’s near misses, unique layout, and exceptional theming make it one of my favorite coasters.
7. El Toro (Six Flags Great Adventure)
Opening back in 2006, this Intamin Prefab wooden coaster took the coaster world by storm. The sustained ejector airtime was like nothing found on any coaster, especially not a wooden one. Standing at 181 feet tall, this statuesque coaster looks as good as it rides, with stunning steep drops, dominating camelback hills, and beautifully crafted turns. It is such a shame more of the Intamin Pre-Fabs weren’t built, with only four in the world. El Toro really does just sit in a league of its own. While RMC has tried their hand at creating modern wooden coasters with their topper track coasters like Lightning Rod, Outlaw Run, Wildfire, and Goliath, the two I’ve ridden failed to reach the smoothness and ride experience of El Toro.
6. Intimidator 305 (Kings Dominion)
If you are looking for intense, look no further than Intimidator 305. This Intamin Giga Coaster towers at 305 feet tall, reaching speeds of 90 miles per hour. What makes this coaster so unique is how low to the ground it stays after its first drop. With whippy transitions, some decent floater airtime, and plenty of positive Gs, Intimidator 305 is by far my favorite of the Gigas I’ve been on. Currently, the Intamin coaster is being transformed into Pantherian, which will see the original racing theme removed in favor of a theme that will tie it into the park’s Jungle X-Pedition area.
5. ArieForce One (Fun Spot Atlanta)
If you are an airtime maniac, ArieForce One is the perfect coaster for you. Opening in 2023, this worldclass RMC I-Box coaster sits proudly at the otherwise unremarkable Fun Spot Atlanta. Towering over the park at 155 feet, this coaster is relentless. Highlights of this coaster are hard to pick, purely because it really does everything. The first drop is spectacular, the airtime hills prior to provide remarkable and sustained airtime, the zero-g roll following the rides large airtime hill is comparable to the mosasaurus roll, the quad down is insane. This coaster just packs such a punch. I’m not one for cloning rides, but I would gladly take ArieForce One clones at every park. I hope that Fun Spot Atlanta continues to expand and add rides as daring as ArieForce One.
4. X2 (Six Flags Magic Mountain)
We are back at Magic Mountain to highlight another Arrow creation. The last Arrow creation, in fact. Originally opening as X, X2 is the world’s first 4th Dimension coaster. Sitting riders over the sides of the track, X2’s trains rotate riders during the ride’s layout, providing disorienting inversions, a terrifying face-first drop, and phenomenal thrill filled with unrelenting forces. While X2 is on the rough side, I think it really adds to the ride’s experience. After Arrow went under, S&S purchased the company and built two additional 4th Dimension coasters, with Fuji-Q Highland’s Eejanaika said to be incredibly smooth and more intense than X2. I can’t wait to get out and try it, but, for now, I feel so lucky to have X2 so close to home.
3. Maverick (Cedar Point)
Opening in 2007, Maverick proved to a world fighting for the tallest and fastest coasters that an exceptional ride could be found in a small package. Standing at a respectable 105 feet tall, the first Intamin Blitz coaster provided riders with a high tech multi-launch coaster that set out to provide a whippy experience for thrill seekers. Featuring an LSM lift hill and launch, this ride offers a complete experience with the ride duration lasting 2 minutes and 30 seconds, much longer than most coasters. Taking riders through a unique set of elements, including a beyond vertical 95 degree drop, two inversions, ejector airtime moments, and close encounters with rock work, Maverick really is just the whole package.
2. The Voyage (Holiday World)
2006 was a really great year for wooden coasters. Designed by The Gravity Group, this wild coaster uses its surrounding terrain in a way that is almost like an optical illusion. Starting out, riders climb up 159 feet, dropping down at speeds of up to 67 miles per hour. Initially starting with a few classic camelback hills, riders experience some really strong floater airtime. While the coaster heads out into the woods, the low to the ground “spaghetti bowl” section of the ride whips you around through the trees before you begin heading back towards the station. Here’s where the cool part comes in. The elevation change between the rides station and spaghetti bowl is 75 feet, so while you are low to the ground during the ride's twisted turnaround, the second half is actually downhill, constantly picking up speed. There is never a lull during a ride on Voyage, especially if you have a chance to ride it without trim breaks during the park’s Holiwood Nights event. Santa Claus, Indiana should be on every enthusiasts must visit list.
1. Ride to Happiness (Plopsaland De Panne)
Located in the small Belgian town De Panne, a unique thrill ride themed to the Tomorrowland Music Festival awaits. Ride to Happiness is one of only two MACK Xtreme Spinning Coasters in the world, a revolutionary coaster model that combines MACK’s traditional launched coaster technology with free spinning cars. This makes for an incredibly disorienting, ever-changing ride experience not meant for the faint of heart. Exiting the station directly into a heartline roll, Ride to Happiness makes a bold first impression. After which, you are launched at nearly 56 MPH through 3018.4 feet of track, 5 inversions, and several moments of ejector airtime. Ride to Happiness transforms the, otherwise, quaint and charming local park into a bucket list location for coaster nerds.
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