The Best Coaster you've ever ridden? TOP 5

[DaveStroem]

Updated List:

Steel

1. Dominator

2. Intimidator 305

3. Maverick

4. Top Thrill Dragster

5. Millennium Force

Wood

1. The Voyage

2. Thunderhead

3. The Legend

4. The Beast

5. Son of Beast

Tom I as just at KD for 2 days this week and Rode I305 no difference on the Trims on the first Drop. It picks the speed right back up and it rides just like it did when we went opening day. BTW Stayed on Dominator 10 times with out gettign off on Monday the park was dead the last hour it was open LOL. Oh i rode Shockwave for you to.

One word - JEALOUS! You rode my two favorite steel coasters AND rode a TOGO stand-up that was closed on KD Opening Day that I couldn't wait to ride. Just wondering, do they trim Hurler at the bottom of its first drop? I remember the one at Carowinds having that trim off.

Tom, I will let you know next week as we are going to KD for a coaster event.

[BeastForever]

1# Maverick

2# Top Thrill Dragster

3# The Beast

4# Flight of Fear

5# Millenium Force

Millenium Force just seemed "meh" to me for some weird reason that I don't know. I wished I liked it more. It's just that since the train goes so fast up the lift it didn't give the very back-seat seat rider, (aka:me) that yanking experience you get on other coasters. It was still "fun" yet dissapointing.

[KI Kevin]

Tom, IMO you didn't miss anything with Shockwave being closed haha.

Kevin, it was a TOGO stand-up that got me to like coasters in King Cobra. I've heard bad things about the ride like it being more than a tad bit rough. Unless it's EXTREME roughness I really don't mind it. I like rides like Georgia Cyclone, Son of Beast, and Invertigo, so unless it's as rough as rides like Dahlonega Mine Train and Mean Streak were to me then I'll more than likely be alright. Was it the restraints you didn't like?

Well yeah, I hated the fact that the restraints aren't adjustable like the B&Ms. Other than that, there's extreme airtime in which you are LAUNCHED from your bicycle seat (not a good thing), awful transitions and the the loops hurts your legs 30495304968709873245 times more than Mantis does. It's short. I could really go on and on about things I didn't like about it. It's just not a good ride IMO.

[UnrealNightmare]

1. Hades

2. Voyage

3. Shivering Timbers

4. Manta

5. Titan

6. Diamondback

7. Montu

8. Evel Kneival

9. Patriot

10.Prowler

[The Interpreter]

Tom, IMO you didn't miss anything with Shockwave being closed haha.

Kevin, it was a TOGO stand-up that got me to like coasters in King Cobra. I've heard bad things about the ride like it being more than a tad bit rough. Unless it's EXTREME roughness I really don't mind it. I like rides like Georgia Cyclone, Son of Beast, and Invertigo, so unless it's as rough as rides like Dahlonega Mine Train and Mean Streak were to me then I'll more than likely be alright. Was it the restraints you didn't like?

Well yeah, I hated the fact that the restraints aren't adjustable like the B&Ms. Other than that, there's extreme airtime in which you are LAUNCHED from your bicycle seat (not a good thing), awful transitions and the the loops hurts your legs 30495304968709873245 times more than Mantis does. It's short. I could really go on and on about things I didn't like about it. It's just not a good ride IMO.

What? The restraints ARE adjustable. In fact, the time it takes to adjust those restraints greatly cuts into capacity, and the TOGOs take much longer than the B & M's. Please tell me that KD did not omit adjusting the restraints...the height of each MUST be adjusted to fit each rider...and the saddles go up and down, just like the B and M's do...it's just a way more complex system.

As for me, I LOVE that airtime. Especially in the front seat, where you can put your arms out and fly like Superman (which I did long before there was a Ride of Steel). I only prefer the TOGO standups to the B & M ones by a factor of oh... 30495304968709873245. (Since you mentioned it...)

[Pillsberry123]

After visiting Holiday World again I have a new list and a better appreciation for the Raven and the Voyage.

Top 5 Wood

1. The Beast

2. The Raven

3. Cornball Express

4. Big Dipper

5. The Voyage

(I'll be riding Shivering Timbers next month so this will change again)

Top 5 Steel

1. Millennium Force

2. Top Thrill Dragster

3. Magnum XL200

4. Dominator

5. Raptor

[fighting31irish]

ALL KI

_____

#1 The Beast after dark

#2 Diamondback

#3 Flight of Fear

#4 The Beast

#5 SOB

[jdawg1998]

Only been to two parks. But here's my list.

#1. The Voyage

#2. Diamondback

#3. Raven

#4. Flight of Fear

#5. The Beast

[ziplock]

Here's my updated top 5 after this weekend.

1) X2

2) Bizarro (SFNE)

3) Diamondback

4) El Toro

5) Nitro

[ahank]

Oh man.

Wood-

1. Tremors - Silverwood

2. Raven - Holiday World

3. The Beast - Kings Island

Yes, I have ridden Voyage (this summer actually) and I felt like my spine was being ripped out of my back. No thanks.

Steel-

1. Montu - BGT (don't judge)

2. Fahrenheit - Hersheypark (front seat only though, back seat isn't that great.

3. Diamondback - Kings Island (only at night) or

3. Kumba - BGT

[Guest rcfreak339]

Steel:

1. Top Thrill Dragster, Cedar Point

2. Diamondback, Kings Island

3. Millinium Force, Cedar Point

Wooden:

1. The Beast, Kings Island

2. The Legend, Holiday World

3. Screamin' Eagle, Six Flags St.Louis

[Benji]

Kings Island

1 Flight of Fear

2 Beast

3 Son of Beast

4 Vortex

5 Diamondback

Everywere Els.

1 American Steam Machine

2 Top Thrill

3 Malenum

4 That one with that

5 one loop

[bkroz]

I love reading these, because I feel as though I'm learning so much... I would never associate certain posters with certain rides, and reading through these "top fives" gives a whole new insight into the kind of experience that individuals seek, and the crazy discrepancies between our favorite things! Thank God for opinions!

[BavarianBeatle]

1. The Voyage

2. Magnum

3. Racer (in its original form)

4. Millenium Force

5. (Tie) Raven, Cornball Expess, Superman:Ride of Steel at Six Flags America

So many choices. This was hard.

[KIfan1980]

My updated top-5 list in no particular order:

• Dimaondback
• Montu
• Silver Bullet
• Voyage
• Thunderhead

What tops the list kind of depends upon what I'd want to ride at any given time.

[DeLorean Rider]

1. The Voyage

2. Magnum

3. Racer (in its original form)

4. Millenium Force

5. (Tie) Raven, Cornball Expess, Superman:Ride of Steel at Six Flags America

So many choices. This was hard.

What do you mean Racer in it's original form? Racer is currently in it's original form. (minus one dip at the end of course)

Everywere Els.

1 American Steam Machine

2 Top Thrill

3 Malenum

4 That one with that

5 one loop

Wow. I'm not sure spell check could even help this one.

[Jasper]

After my visit to Holiday World yesterday, my top 5 now consists of these coasters.

1.(TIE) Magnum XL-200 & Maverick

2.The Beast

3.Millennium Force

4.The Voyage

5.Top Thrill Dragster

[HTCO]

1. Raptor, Cedar Point

2. Top Thrill Dragster, Cedar Point

3. Maverick(Front Seat Only), Cedar Point

4. Diamondback, Kings Island

5. Dragon Challenge Chinese Fireball, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure

[Creed Bratton]

1. Millennium Force, CP

2. Diamondback, KI

3. Maverick, CP

4. Beehmoth, CW

5. TTD, CP

[KIfan1980]

1. The Voyage

2. Magnum

3. Racer (in its original form)

4. Millenium Force

5. (Tie) Raven, Cornball Expess, Superman:Ride of Steel at Six Flags America

So many choices. This was hard.

What do you mean Racer in it's original form? Racer is currently in it's original form. (minus one dip at the end of course)

Several things have changed on Racer over the years. In addition to the final dip you mention, the trains have had headrests, seat dividers, seatbelts, and individual ratcheting lap bars added if my memory serves correctly. I've also "heard" that there were other track modifications in addition to the final dip, but can not speak to the accuracy of that.

[The Interpreter]

In addition, the biggest change, to me, is the installation of high density urethane foam, replacing the original soft cushioning, and computerized braking replacing the big old brake levers originally manually controlled in the station...

[calakapepe]

Didn't The Racer used to have tunnels too? On the turn on the side of the hill, where the tracks split?

[The Interpreter]

The Racer still has tunnels, at the end on the brake run. I am not aware there were ever any others.

[KIfan1980]

Regarding the brake run tunnels - Were those always there? I have memories (which can be faulty) of these being an open sided canopy when I first began riding.

[calakapepe]

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=22587&st=0 (5th post) Tunnels to the right [what appears to be some]

http://cache.rcdb.com/pictures/picmax/p140.jpg (to show where Flight Commander was)

EDIT: Nevermind. I think the picture with the tunnels is Rebel Yell.

[The Interpreter]

Yes, that's Rebel Yell....there was never water at Kings Island in that area near Racer...plus that coaster is very obviously Rebel Yell...

[XGatorHead 8904]

Regarding the brake run tunnels - Were those always there? I have memories (which can be faulty) of these being an open sided canopy when I first began riding.

You are correct, the brake run tunnels were added later. Back in the day you could actually see which side won the race.

There were never any other tunnels along Racer's course, at least in the time I remember riding from the mid-'70s to now, and even looking at the Brady Bunch and Partridge Family episodes.

[DeLorean Rider]

I think the thing that would have had the most impact on guest experience is the restraint change.