What percentage of coasters would you say you enjoy?

[MestnyiGeroi]

Coaster enthusiasts often get into a mode of discussing some coasters as if they were medieval torture devices. When I hear this kind of talk, I wonder what makes people who love coasters so much talk about some of them with such hate. Is it one of these:

1. When you ride a lot of coasters you learn to discriminate between superior and inferior ones, and over time you tend to express this knowledge by instinctively exaggerating how bad the inferior ones are -- making them not just inferior, but horrifically bad.

or

2. No, it's far simpler: people can love great coasters but still have absolutely terrible experiences on the bad ones.

If the second, simpler explanation is true, then I feel particularly fortunate, as I think I have more or less enjoyed every coaster I've been on so far. I mean, I've experienced significant pain on some coasters, even on some rides on some of my favorite coasters (Skyrush, El Toro, Lightning Rod), but I still loved them despite this. But when I think of the roughest coaster I can recall -- Super Flight, the Zamperla Volare at Rye Playland -- I still came off laughing. I was shaking my head at how ridiculously rough the ride was, but I'd enjoyed the bizarre experience overall (even if I was NOT about to get back on).

So, maybe I'm just inexperienced (coaster count 190 right now). Maybe I'm lucky with my constitution. Or maybe I'm just blessed with a stupidly nondiscriminating coaster palette. I don't know, but I'm glad I haven't yet had the kind of horrific experience I hear others complain about.

So my question: We've all had rough or painful rides here and there, maybe enough to make you dislike the coaster overall or maybe not. BUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE COASTERS THAT YOU'VE RIDDEN COULD YOU SAY THAT YOU ENJOYED ON THE WHOLE? (In other words, despite any roughness, if you were forced to give a final, simple thumbs up or thumbs down to every coaster you've been on, how would the percentages break?)

 

[ThomVD]

99%. Only the horribly rough/****ty coasters I don't enjoy. Everything else I do, including kiddie creds.

 

[MestnyiGeroi]

Another category I didn't include in my question would be coasters that are just boring. But I think even a boring coaster offers some enjoyment. I mean, coaster "boredom" is not the same as waiting-in-line boredom.

 

[SilverArrow]

Like 95%. I don't really moan about bad ones that much tbh. I've only done two coasters I can remember that I really hated. Turbo on Brighton Pier and Flight School at Legoland Florida. Ok maybe some SLCs and kiddie creds I'd think twice about re-riding.

I liked gwazi and corkscrew, still like colossus, goudurix and others that people rave about being/having been horrific. I think people tend to exaggerate bad points of coasters a lot. I tend to go in with the attitude that I want to like every coaster and go from there.

 

[MestnyiGeroi]

Like 95%. I don't really moan about bad ones that much tbh. I've only done two coasters I can remember that I really hated. Turbo on Brighton Pier and Flight School at Legoland Florida. Ok maybe some SLCs and kiddie creds I'd think twice about re-riding.

Yeah, if having little to no interest in a re-ride means you didn't enjoy it, then I'd have to admit there are quite a few coasters I didn't enjoy.

Anyway, just to be clear, I'm NOT saying it's wrong to moan about coasters. No judgment from me on this -- just asking questions.

 

[Smithy]

Probably about 60% enjoyed, with the 40% being made up of kiddy coasters nad rough pieces of ****.

 

[Zek_Teh_Kek]

99%. Only the horribly rough/:emoji_poop:ty coasters I don't enjoy. Everything else I do, including kiddie creds.

It'd be the same for me. I hate rough coasters, and since I've only ridden 51, I've only had a few bad coasters I don't like.

 

[SilverArrow]

Yeah, if having little to no interest in a re-ride means you didn't enjoy it, then I'd have to admit there are quite a few coasters I didn't enjoy.

Anyway, just to be clear, I'm NOT saying it's wrong to moan about coasters. No judgment from me on this -- just asking questions.

I meant that if you ask me about coasters there's very few I'll saw were truly awful.

 

[MestnyiGeroi]

I meant that if you ask me about coasters there's very few I'll saw were truly awful.

Yeah, you were clear. I was just sort of riffing off your post.

 

[Edward M]

Hmm, 95% or so. I almost always enjoy coasters, but I sometimes come across a rough or crap one that may have a long line. Don't enjoy those. On average though, I love this hobby and have a good time with the coasters.

EDIT: I actually calculated the amount of coasters I enjoyed since I have a good old Google Spreadsheet. It was 93%, so I was very close! I do actually love a good kiddie coaster if I'm being honest.

 

[Snoo]

Honestly, around 30% or so. Many of the smaller or older ones don't provide much thrill or excitement, especially when you've ridden many of the great ones out there.

 

[MestnyiGeroi]

Honestly, around 30% or so. Many of the smaller or older ones don't provide much thrill or excitement, especially when you've ridden many of the great ones out there.

Wow, that's a low percentage. So when you head off to a Darien Lake or a Six Flags America, do you find it hard to drum up any enthusiasm, knowing that nothing there is going to rival your top coasters?

 

[Mysterious Sue]

99.9%. We're only critical because, well, it's what you do when you love something!
Even the shameful kiddies and wacky works are amusing - if it wasn't fun, why would we ride them?

I've can only think of two rides that I've truly disliked (both Interpark Whirlwinds) because the pain to fun ratio was way too high. Even extra-rough woodies, the worst SLCs, Tornado at M&Ds, Tornado at Bakken - I'd re-ride them all under the right circumstances because there's still a (small) element of fun to be had. But Whirlwinds take the biscuit and smash it into the ground like yesterday's Smiler tribute.

 

[jayjay]

I'm interpreting this question as "would I legitimately prefer it if the ride stopped right now and I could get off?" I can think of maybe 5-10 or where I've had that thought, and it's usually because it's far too uncomfortable. But even sometimes, discomfort can be amusing. I think on some level, I kind of enjoy Volares just because of how ridiculous they are. But the Pinfari looper, Turbo, that I did a few weeks ago was just as painful, and I really wanted it to end.

 

[DelPiero]

90%+ for me. Realistically I can't think of more than 10 coasters off the top of my head that I hate, as in, I'll never ride it again.
I don't mind slightly rough creds, most of the old Vekomas are a bit naff but do provide some thrill, a bog standard ACE woodie won't get in my top 50 but they are usually pleasant enough.
But the ones that make me shudder when I remember the ride, like the Volare, a couple of SLCs, or Vilehawk, are disgusting and should be removed/upgraded to a better standard ride.

 

[Hixee]

I'm with the majority here - I "enjoy" almost ever coaster I ride. The number I've genuinely hated is very small. Probably 90%+ of my count I enjoyed. Everything from the gigas to the go-gators.

We are probably particularly harsh to sub-par coasters, but I think that's totally normal. I'm sure Gordon Ramsey hasn't ever overly criticized the quality of food - it's his passion and so he notices the little things.

 

[Will]

Having dug out the spreadsheet, roughly 27.5% of my coastercount scores less than 4/10 - or an alarming 48.8% scoring less than 5.
I once described coaster enthusiasm as a field where mediocrity outweighted brilliance, and that's a line I continue to use 8 years on.

I'd like to work out what percentage I'd ride immediately if given the opportunity, and which were fun for any other reason than the prospect of adding another line to the spreadsheet. However, I am tired and don't have too much time on my hands at present Having said that, some of the crappy things still managed to be fun if I was riding with the right people (both Go Gators I've done have been hilarious)

 

[HeartlineCoaster]

Based on the same logic as the above, 35.9%.
Everything outside that comes under my 'don't feel the need to ride again, but would' category.
Not necessarily a lack of enjoyment, just better things to do.

 

[Jarrett]

I've actually managed to calculate this based on how I rank my creds!

I do my rankings on a theoretical 10 to -10 scale, with 10 being ultimate enjoyment and -10 being completely offensive. So with it based on enjoyment, I can find a 0 in the middle (which I've selected as Mall of America's Back at the Barnyard, which is barely a coaster as a powered loop with a one foot hill in the middle, kind of the equivalent to not riding a coaster at all), and find out what percentage of my creds go from Lightning Rod at the top to Back at the Barnyard. Doing so, I get 78.57%, which doesn't surprise me at all considering how I usually seem to be one of the more easily amused enthusiasts out there.

 

[caffeine_demon]

adore: 4%
Love: 12%
like: 31%
so-so: 30%
tolerate -= 17%
want burnt - 5%

(rounded figures)