I'm not going to dilly dally with some witty intro this time, let's finish the list!
#5: The Incredible Hulk
One of my first "big" coasters, The Incredible Hulk at Universal's Islands of Adventure packs a really big punch. As always, I'm a fan of launches and this one delivers as it shoots you up the lift hill and through a barrel roll before continuing on. If you hate lift hills, this is a perfect ride because you can't see how high up you are and you get launched before you can panic. It won't help with the whole heights and flipping thing though...
Hulk recently got a completely redone track (and some updated effects), so I imagine it's super smooth at this point and still modern 19 years after it opened. The ride is pretty stellar for a more "family-friendly" park and features a relatively long ride and lots of fun elements. It does (or at least did) have one of my coaster pet peeves though: Who wants a photo op at the very end of the ride?!
Stats:
Height: 110 ft.
Drop: 105 ft.
Speed: 67 mph
Inversions: 7
Hulk recently got a completely redone track (and some updated effects), so I imagine it's super smooth at this point and still modern 19 years after it opened. The ride is pretty stellar for a more "family-friendly" park and features a relatively long ride and lots of fun elements. It does (or at least did) have one of my coaster pet peeves though: Who wants a photo op at the very end of the ride?!
Stats:
Height: 110 ft.
Drop: 105 ft.
Speed: 67 mph
Inversions: 7
#4: Maverick
Another great choice for people who hate lift hills but love the thrills, Maverick at Cedar Point is still super popular and will probably remain so as it's right next to the new kid on the block, Steel Vengeance (Seriously, look it up). Maverick has a sort of launched lift hill, fast enough to keep you from getting antsy but slow enough that it's not uncomfortable. From that point on though, you're on a whirlwind of fun tricks.
The most striking feature of Maverick is it's beyond 90° drop, which feels pretty unsettling and a little jarring, but it's a fun sensation none-the-less. The layout follows the ground/lake closely which makes the ride feel faster, and that's on top of the second launch that spits you out at 70mph. Maverick has a little something for everyone: A good launch, inversions, a unique drop, and, my personal favorite, a fair bit of airtime.
Stats:
Height: 105ft.
Drop: 100 ft.
Speed: 70 mph
Inversions: 2
The most striking feature of Maverick is it's beyond 90° drop, which feels pretty unsettling and a little jarring, but it's a fun sensation none-the-less. The layout follows the ground/lake closely which makes the ride feel faster, and that's on top of the second launch that spits you out at 70mph. Maverick has a little something for everyone: A good launch, inversions, a unique drop, and, my personal favorite, a fair bit of airtime.
Stats:
Height: 105ft.
Drop: 100 ft.
Speed: 70 mph
Inversions: 2
#3: Dueling Dragons/Dragon Challenge
Fire Dragon/Chinese Fireball
I can already hear someone crying foul. "But Scott, you actually worked on this ride! You're biased!" You're right. I am. Despite that, I truly believe the now defunct Fire Dragon from Dueling Dragons, also of Universal's Islands of Adventure, is my third favorite coaster ever. Careful readers may note it is also my second B&M inverted coaster on the list after Montu, and three more were in the Top 25: Ice Dragon, Alpengeist, and Raptor.
What truly made Dueling Dragons as a unit amazing was the dueling trains. Going up the lift hill against another train and nearly running into each other at multiple points throughout the ride just added so much to the experience. Unfortunately, in its later years the coasters did not duel, but the Fire Dragon was still a stellar ride.
Despite being relatively short, the coaster is very fast, feeling a bit faster than its counterpart. The drop is good, the inversions feel fresh and different, and it was just a joy to ride over and over. The airtime hill going over the ice dragon train's roll was packed with floating airtime and, if your restraint was loose enough, kept your butt out of the seat the entire time. I will truly miss this one as it was a great coaster that had a special spot in my heart.
Stats:
Height: 125ft.
Drop: 115 ft.
Speed: 60 mph
Inversions: 5
What truly made Dueling Dragons as a unit amazing was the dueling trains. Going up the lift hill against another train and nearly running into each other at multiple points throughout the ride just added so much to the experience. Unfortunately, in its later years the coasters did not duel, but the Fire Dragon was still a stellar ride.
Despite being relatively short, the coaster is very fast, feeling a bit faster than its counterpart. The drop is good, the inversions feel fresh and different, and it was just a joy to ride over and over. The airtime hill going over the ice dragon train's roll was packed with floating airtime and, if your restraint was loose enough, kept your butt out of the seat the entire time. I will truly miss this one as it was a great coaster that had a special spot in my heart.
Stats:
Height: 125ft.
Drop: 115 ft.
Speed: 60 mph
Inversions: 5
#2: Twisted Timbers
By far the newest coaster on the list, Twisted Timbers at King's Dominion absolutely blew my mind. This is the first ride I've been on by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and I sure hope it won't be my last. The company specializes in renovating busted old wooden coasters with a steel track and a modified layout to come up with a thrilling new experience. In this case, they took King's Dominion's Hurler and turned it into a stupid awesome experience. They are doing the same with Mean Streak at Cedar Point in the form of the absolutely bananas Steel Vengeance.
What makes this ride rank so highly? It checks a lot of the boxes I like: smooth track, unique elements, and A TON OF AIRTIME. Seriously, your butt is barely in the seat on this ride, which is quite unsettling as you go upside down three times. From the barrel roll drop to the series of crazy airtime hills to the stalling inversions, this ride packs a wallop. What makes it super thrilling though?
What makes this ride rank so highly? It checks a lot of the boxes I like: smooth track, unique elements, and A TON OF AIRTIME. Seriously, your butt is barely in the seat on this ride, which is quite unsettling as you go upside down three times. From the barrel roll drop to the series of crazy airtime hills to the stalling inversions, this ride packs a wallop. What makes it super thrilling though?
NO SHOULDER RESTRAINTS! It's such an unnerving experience to be flying out of your seat and flipping around with a reinforced lap bar and shin holders. It's sturdy, I felt safe, but man is it weird to be able to have your hands up freely as you fly around upside-down for a little longer than is comfortable. Downsides to the ride: The wait time can get out of hand and they're still working out some glitches with the trains which leads to a fair bit of downtime. If you get anywhere near Richmond, Virginia though, this is a must do.
Stats:
Height: 111ft.
Drop: 109 ft.
Speed: 54 mph
Inversions: 3
Stats:
Height: 111ft.
Drop: 109 ft.
Speed: 54 mph
Inversions: 3
#1: Apollo's Chariot
And finally we get to #1, my most ridden coaster of all time: Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Surprise, surprise, it's yet another B&M Coaster (#6 on the list) but this time it's the company's first hyper coaster, which means it has a 200+ft drop. So what makes this ride so special? Airtime.
From the first drop throughout the entire layout, you are floating out of your seat. The ride has a pretty minimal restraint so you really get to fully experience the airtime as you roll along over a series of 4 100+ foot hills. It might not have all the bells and whistles of Twisted Timbers, but it's got a killer first drop and just keeps rolling along for a pleasant experience.
From the first drop throughout the entire layout, you are floating out of your seat. The ride has a pretty minimal restraint so you really get to fully experience the airtime as you roll along over a series of 4 100+ foot hills. It might not have all the bells and whistles of Twisted Timbers, but it's got a killer first drop and just keeps rolling along for a pleasant experience.
There is no other coaster that I've been able and willing to just ride over and over, luckily without even getting off if the park is dead. I've been on this ride close to or more than 100 times, all over the damn train, and it just doesn't get old. The back row whips you down the hills and forces you out of your seat on the crest of the hills. The front row rushes you through the ride at a runaway pace at a small loss of airtime, but with a lot more force. In my pretty well-versed opinion, the best seat is in the back row on the right side.
Stats:
Height: 170 ft.
Drop: 210 ft. (Not a typo, it dives into a ravine)
Speed: 73 mph
Inversions: 0
Stats:
Height: 170 ft.
Drop: 210 ft. (Not a typo, it dives into a ravine)
Speed: 73 mph
Inversions: 0
Well that concludes the list. I know I don't have some of the super big ones that I'm still scared of like Millenium Force at Cedar Point, but it might be added in time. For now I know what I like but I'm still searching for new coaster experiences.
In case you are curious, I have ridden a total of 68 coasters, some of which are no longer operating. If you are curious to see the full list, click the button below!
In case you are curious, I have ridden a total of 68 coasters, some of which are no longer operating. If you are curious to see the full list, click the button below!