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Your top 10 coasters in your home country/state

Matt N

CF Legend
Hi guys. With COVID-19 and its various new variants, and travel restrictions currently in place, it’s looking as though 2021 could be similar to 2020 in seeing quite a bit more coaster riding in our home countries than we’ve perhaps been used to for quite a few years. So I thought it might be quite fun to make a positive out of a negative, and have a bit of appreciation for the coaster lineups in our home countries; my question to you today is, what are your top 10 roller coasters in your home country or state? I say “state” because I know we have quite a few American members on here, and I know the whole of America is massive and as such, probably quite hard to pick 10 coasters from.

I’ll get the ball rolling, then. I live in the UK, and my top 10 UK coasters as of right now are as follows:
  1. Icon
  2. Wicker Man
  3. The Swarm
  4. Stealth
  5. Megafobia
  6. Rita
  7. Oblivion
  8. Nemesis Inferno
  9. Nemesis
  10. Galactica
But what are your top 10 roller coasters in your home country or state?
 

CanobieFan

Strata Poster
Woooooo, list topics!

Florida top 10

1 Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa
2 Mako - SeaWorld Orlando
3 White Lightning - Fun Spot America
4 Dania Beach Hurricane - Boomers!
5 SheiKra - Busch Gardens Tampa
6 Dragon Challenge - Universal Studios Islands of Adventure (Mostly just the Ice side <3)
7 Revenge of the Mummy - Universal Studios Florida
8 Expedition Everest - Walt Disney World - Disney's Animal Kingdom
9 Mine Blower - Fun Spot America
10 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Walt Disney World - Magic Kingdom

Waiting to see where VelociCoaster is gonna fall in here <3
 

JoshC.

Strata Poster
This thread has made me realise that the Ranking tab on my Excel spreadsheet doesn't include the country each park is in. What a silly oversight. In any case, my UK Top 10 is...

  1. Nemesis
  2. The Swarm
  3. Nemesis Inferno
  4. Th13teen
  5. Grand National
  6. Rita
  7. Saw
  8. The Walking Dead
  9. Galactica
  10. Spinball Whizzer

What a sad list.
 

Eyebrows

Hyper Poster
I live in Virginia, where there are approximately two parks. Here’s my KD/BGW top 10 I guess. (I haven’t been to BGW since 2013 so I haven’t ridden InvadR or Tempesto)

1. i305
2. Twisted Timbers
3. Alpengeist
4. Grizzly
5. Griffon
6. Apollo’s Chariot
7. Verbolten
8. Flight of Fear
9. Backlot Stunt Coaster
10. Loch Ness Monster

Apart from the top 4, I’m kinda envying people in California and Texas right now.
 

Matt N

CF Legend
Please, just kill me now
Of course, I’m not saying that there won’t be opportunities to go abroad by any means; I could very much see a similar scenario to last summer being able to occur at some point, and things may even open up further later in the year once a greater proportion of people have been vaccinated. I’m just saying that I’m not sure we’ll be triumphantly returning to our previous jet setting ways until later this year or possibly even next year, so a higher proportion of our coaster riding than usual will probably take place at home.
 

TilenB

Strata Poster
@Matt N, I get what you meant, it's just that I don't have any theme parks in my country, so I'm dreading to go another year without riding any coasters. Though if the world is at least somewhat normal, it won't be that hard for me to travel abroad (I can't see say Croatia closing their borders in the Summer unless there's a literal apocalypse going on).
 

HeartlineCoaster

Theme Park Superhero
Lazy to fire up the spreadsheet today, though I doubt anything has changed on this front, so here's a copy & paste from your CoasterForce's favourite UK rollercoasters topic - you should fire up that idea for another country some time (even if it's just so I can bore everyone to death with ranking methodology again)!

1. Icon
2. Nemesis
3. Nemesis Inferno
4. Swarm
5. Smiler
6. Dragon's Fury
7. Thirteen
8. Raptor Attack
9. Oblivion
10. Galactica
 

MountedShooter

Mega Poster
I live in Georgia, and although we have 3 parks, I've only been to Six Flags Over Georgia. I did have plans for Wild Adventures last year but we all know how that turned out. Anyway, my rankings ruling out 3 defunct coasters are:

1. Goliath
2. Twisted Cyclone
3. Blue Hawk
4. Georgia Scorcher
5. Batman the Ride
6. Superman - Ultimate Flight
7. Mind Bender
8. Dahlonega Mine Train
9. Dare Devil Dive
10. Great American Scream Machine
 

Zek_Teh_Kek

Hyper Poster
Living in Ohio, I'd say I have a good selection to choose from for this thread

1. Steel Vengeance
2. Maverick
3. Orion
4. Millennium Force
5. Mystic Timbers
6. Top Thrill Dragster
7. Magnum XL-200
8. Diamondback
9. Raptor
10. The Beast
 

TMCoasters

Mega Poster
I live in Massachusetts and considering we really only have one park, I'll make my top 10 out of my region, New England. Here goes.

1) Boulder Dash
2) Superman The Ride
3) Wicked Cyclone
4) Roar-o-saurus
5) Wooden Warrior
6) Phobia
7) Batman: The Dark Knight
8) Joker
9) Thunderbolt (SFNE)
10) Untamed

Only major cred I don't have yet from New England, which would surely be top 10, is Excalibur but that will have to wait
 

Gazza

Giga Poster
In the state of Queensland.



1-DC Rivals

2-Superman Escape

3-Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster

4-Jet Rescue

5-Green Lantern

6-Storm Coaster

7-Surfrider

8-Buzzsaw

9-Gold Coaster

10-Escape from Madagascar
 

EmmaUK

Mega Poster
Living in the UK I can't help but feel the top ones will be a little predicable, but here goes:

1. Nemesis
2. Ikon
3. Stealth
4. Swarm
5. Nemesis Inferno
6. Big One
7. Shockwave (True story time - I was once in a TV programme where I had to be filmed on the front seats of Shockwave, meaning that I had to stay on the front seats for like 12 or so times a row. The faces of the people who had queued up to go onto the front seat but couldn't go on because we just stayed on time and time again were priceless. I've loved that coaster ever since)
8. Ultimate
9. Oblivion
10. Galactica

I wanted to include Raptor / The Rat (god rest its soul) just to give it a send off, but I think it might have been number 11. Strange how Wicker Man comes nowhere near my list, and I'm not sure I'd have had it even in a Top 20!
 

Pokemaniac

Mountain monkey
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
*Cries in Norwegian*

Not an awfully big lot of coasters over here, I'm afraid. And I haven't even ridden all there are. It might just be enough to compile a list, though:

1. Speed Monster, TusenFryd. The most consistently good coaster in Norway, I'd say. It has a launch, inversions, and even airtime. What more can one ask for in a coaster? Well, a lick of paint probably wouldn't have hurt. Bonus points awarded for a great location and setting. On that particular front, I'd even't say it's world-class.
2. Thundercoaster, TusenFryd. A coaster that occasionally delivers one heck of a ride, and occasionally doesn't. It has really had its ups and downs over the years, but when it's good, it's really good. It's a tad rough even on its best days, though. At its best, it can take the number one spot, but on average, I'd put it below Speed Monster.
3. Bukkerittet, Kongeparken. If this isn't an indication of the Norwegian coaster scene, I don't know what is. A third-hand Reverchon spinner from 1999 is the third best coaster in the country. That being said, it's a very nicely located and even decently themed Reverchon spinner. Individually painted cars and way more custom carpentry than most cloned coasters get. Its setting atop the hill is really nice too. I haven't ridden Primeval Whirl (despite having visited Animal Kingdom twice when it operated - sue me), but I'd say Bukkerittet edges them out as the nicest-looking Reverchon Spinner I know of.
4. Den Aller Minste, TusenFryd. It appears a little out of order from its placement in my Top 10 (which doesn't include Bukkerittet), because I'd be hard-pressed to say it's the third best coaster in the country given the existence of the above. It's more of a personal preference of mine, this waist-high coaster whose lift hill has only two pairs of drive tyres and whose track length is barely in the double digits. It's so absurdly small you only gotta love it.
5. Svalbard-Expressen, Kongeparken. Another Kongeparken entry. It's a really good family coaster, as family coasters go. Nicely themed, nice setting, custom train, has a story, and is really pleasant overall. It's solid as these things go, despite being an off-the-shelf clone.
6. Bobbanen, Kongeparken. Do we count Alpine slides? Well, we sort-of have to, otherwise we won't get to 10. I don't think this one is special as Alpine slides go, but Alpine coasters are generally good fun and it has a really nice station (RCDB link). That has to count for something, or what?
7. Dragen, Tusenfryd (Defunct Zamperla). Better give a disclaimer in brackets for any future readers. I think the new Dragen will get a spot near the top of this list, but this is the old one that was removed in 2011. I think I remember it as better than it actually was. It's mostly up here because of personal preference. Substitute this with SuperSplash, Tusenfryd, if you prefer to only count operating coasters but also count water coasters among them. Personally, I count SuperSplash more as a glorified log flume than a coaster.
8. Western-Expressen, TusenFryd. Another off-the-shelf Vekoma clone, relocated from Mirabilandia back in 2012. I guess its train is themed, otherwise it's nothing special. Kind of forgettable and not themed at all. Somehow it could be even worse, though:
9. Steampunk Hunters, TusenFryd. I don't know what kind of marketing mind came up with the idea, but apparently one coaster can be marketed as two attractions if you have a separate queue for VR riding. Western-Expressen got a VR package with a name of its own, giving the coaster two separate identities depending on which train is running at the time. And man, did VR ruin a coaster you wouldn't think it possible to ruin in the first place. Not that the VR is bad in itself (except yes, it is), but it slows operations to an absolute crawl. As in, "one train dispatching every five minutes". The name is pretty lame too.
10. Loopen, TusenFryd. One of the coasters that defined the spotty reputation Vekoma had for a while until they learned how to build coasters a few years ago. To start with the positive: There's rarely a queue to ride it. After all, it has a seven-car train on a layout barely 400 meters long. It's literally a turn out of the station, lifthill, turning drop, loop, turn, corkscrew, turn, brakes. Over the years, some nice foliage has sprouted inside the layout of what was obviously meant to be a portable coaster that was never moved anywhere, but otherwise, there's little positive to say about it. It's rough, coarse, irritating, and it gets nowhere. Ride it once for the cred, then forget it. Your ears will probably give you some reminders of its existence for a few days, but after that, it's really forgettable.

Hm, somehow, we got all the way to 10, albeit while counting an alpine slide, a defunct powered coaster, and counting another coaster twice. I guess Il Tempo Extra Gigante would take a spot in the upper half of the list if I ever get to ride it. The train alone makes it a Top 4 contender pretty easily. There are a few other minor creds scattered about, otherwise the Norwegian coaster scene is pretty unremarkable. I recommend a trip to Kongeparken, though, if you're ever in the Stavanger area. I won't hesitate to rank it above TusenFryd in terms of quality, although it doesn't have any big thrill coasters.
 

Christian

Hyper Poster
Great idea Matt! I'm Swedish. We actually have quite a lot of coasters (34) and I have ridden most of them but some I just don't remember. Anyways, here are the ones I like the most.

1. Wildfire, Kolmården. This is hands down the best coaster in Sweden and probably one of the best in Europe. It's an incredible elite class RMC, enough said.

2. Helix, Liseberg. Helix is all I ever look for in a launch coaster, it's fun, not too intense and works incredibly well with the terrain. I wouldn't call it elite level but very close. It's also incredibly lapable if you fint a short line. While Wildfire will physically wear you down after 10 rides due to it's intensity, Helix wont. Go to Liseberg on a weekday with rainy weather, close to park season opening and you will find it without a line.

3. Balder, Liseberg. Balder is a great compact (but decently sized) Woodie, that's all. Extremely fun ride to lap and checks all the boxes of a good Woodie. Very smooth.

(this is probably where Monster at Gröna Lund is going to go, we will see about that)

4. Lisebergsbanan, Liseberg. I love this ride to death! I have ridden it so much that it is insane. It's incredibly fun and such an unique ride. Never thought going around in circles could be so fun.

5. Valkyria, Liseberg. This is a pretty big B&M drop coaster with great views during the drop and ride. Except for the incredible sound track and good theming I find the ride itself very generic. The drop is cool but after that it's a half decent B&M looper. GP love this thing though.

6. Jetline, Gröna Lund. This is a weird Zierer. This coaster just doesn't do it for me. It has a pretty shallow drop and it's like a Schwarzkopf looper but without the loops. The cool part is when it goes towards the water after the first drop but except for that I'm not a big fan.

7. Twister, Gröna Lund. This is a small little Gravity Group. It's incredibly fun and pretty intense but it is just a bit too small for me. And it's also really popular with kids which can be annoying.

8. Vilda Mus, Gröna Lund. This is a really special wild mouse. It pretty different from the Mack wild mice in that the track is actually banked at som points and not always straight between turn. It goes over roofs, which is cool. It's also surprisingly intense. A really fun out of control feeling.

9. Rocket, Furuviksparken. I love classic coasters and this jetstar is truly a classic. Also cool that it comes from Alton Towers.

10. Kvasten, Gröna Lund. It's a cloned Vekoma suspended family coaster. It's really good and has som nice interactions with the boardwalk and it goes over the paths but the ride itself is nothing special. But I love the surroundings.

That's all I could fit in 10 spots. Missed rides such as Insane and Fireball but I just think these 10 are better. Considering we just have a 10 million population we have a pretty good coaster quality here in Sweden. With Monster opening next year we will probably have a top 5 that few countries can match.
 
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Peet

Giga Poster
Another UK list:

1. Nemesis - Of course.
2. Smiler - Rough around the edges but it packs a hell of a punch, and just look at that tangled mess of track, I love it.
3. Icon - Yeah if you've been on Helix is pales in comparison but this is a really top drawer ride. I love the way it weaves through the other coasters on the first half.
(puts on rose-tinted glasses for some rides I'll never get to experience again)
4. The Ultimate - Soooo different to ANYTHING else in the world, what a beautifully weird ride, and those first few corners of the second half are simply fantastic.
5. Wild Mouse - The only coaster I've ridden where you only have a seatbelt and you can not only feel your bum lift off the seat, but also the wheels of the car lift off the track. Blissful carnage. RIP.
(takes off rose-tinted glasses)
6. Grand National - What's that, it's too rough for you? Well boo hoo, I'd happily get beaten up by this vintage monster 10 times a day and love every second.
7. Megafobia - Just a lovely ride, although it could do with a bit of track work these days.
8. Stealth - That initial acceleration on the launch is absolutely World Class.
9. Oblivion - As an engineer I love the fact that this thing goes SO deep underground. It's the only coaster ever built that enters the ground vertically - the more you think about that the more impressive you realise this is as an engineering feat. Plus it gives some brilliant bum-off-seat time.
10. Wicker Man - Really good fun ride. I'd actually say Alton got this one just right by going for a family-friendly wooden coaster that everyone can enjoy. Obviously I would personally have preferred something with Cu Chulainn's intensity, but Wicker Man is probably a better fit for what they were going for here.

Where's the Swarm? It would probably rank in the teens somewhere for me; too much time pulling positive Gs, not enough airtime.
 

oriolat2

Giga Poster
So, here is mine.

*1. Flying Coaster. PortAventura Park.
1. Dragon Khan, PortAventura Park.
It is a masterpiece. Of course some snowflakes will say it's got rough but that's what you get when you don't invest in proper maintenance (looking at you InvestIndustrial). After all these years, the drop still gives me some floater, and I just love the rapid-fire transitions and the really snappy zero G roll. An icon (unlike you, BPB's xD). Khan was also the first time I went upsidedown!
2. Shambhala, PortAventura Park. Someone from the States once referred to this as a hyper that has a drop that feels like a giga (and you know, if Orion can get away with its 287 feet, I don't know what a giga is anymore xD). Honestly, the ride offers a really creative layout and is the ride that dethroned Khan as king of the park (and I am bit sad to admit that). I love it although I'd love for it to be a bit more forceful and I find it a bit temperamental (some times it gives a super ride while some times it's just soooo sluggish, like on that Live back in 2017)
3. Batman la Fuga, Parque Warner. I am a sucker for B&M inverted coasters and this one is so tight and compact I just LOVE IT. Pair it with an amazingly detailed queue line and you wouldn't believe this was at a former Six Flags park. The colour scheme is also vibrant, and having Superman next door means that the ride is normally a walk-on.
4. Muntanya Russa, Tibidabo. This one is up here for its own merits. The ride feels like a mini Lisebergbanan. It is so well integrated with the hill it sits on you cannot see much of its layout besides the drop. Surprisingly forceful in some of its helices, I have a soft spot for this one as I closely followed its construction, I got to be trained by Vekoma and I was part of the opening crew. It is kind of my coaster.
5. Stunt Fall, Parque Warner. The best freefall experience you will get in Spain besides drop towers. I just love how MASSIVE that thing is. Also, bonus points for having a striking colour scheme and original theme (although the ride isnt't that themed at all). It is a reminder of the golden age of Spanish theme parks (mid-90s to mid-00s).
6. Furius Baco, PortAventura Park. Although the ride tries to MURDER you on any seats (it used to be back-edge seat but now it really doesn't matter), the launch is great and the creativity that went into making sure that the ride fitted the Mediterranean area is unbelievable: the vineyard, Masia-type building as the station, and even the crazy storyline behind the ride. Bonus points for the silly soundtrack that's a proper earworm!
7. Abismo, Parque de Atracciones de Madrid. What can I say? Replacing an aging Schwarzkopf with a massive ride is good in my book. The upsidedown views of Madrid at the top of the lift hill are amazing, as is the perfect hill mid-ride. I would go as far as saying that Abismo has the best single airtime hill in Spain.
8. Red Force, FerrariLand. It is fast, hardly ever breaks down and I don't have to spend hundreds of $$ to relive TTD or KK (although the launch really doesn't compare). Awesome drop in the back!
9. Superman la Atracción de Acero, Parque Warner. If it was more forceful, you bet this one would be on par with Khan. The ride, however, runs sluggishly and I just find it too bland to enjoy it. Spanish enthusiasts drool over it but I just don't get it. Meh, I will take the neighbouring Batman any day.
10. Stampida, PortAventura Park. It used to be very good, that's why I treat it kindly in this top 10 list. Before the ride got trains from Kumbak and received brakes on the first drop, let me tell you, it was WILD. I know what the ride is capable of with proper maintenance and good rolling stock. Shame the park owners (InvestIndustrial) are cheap-asses and don't give a rat's ass about it. What once was the best family thrill attraction in Spain has progressively fallen into disrepair and feels lackluster. Maybe the ride can return to its former glory if the park RMCs it? I wish!

*Wishful thinking! A flying coaster like Flying Dinosaur soaring over Polynesia with a pretzel loop throw a rock formation and over a pond would be the perfect ride theme and would offer the best coaster experience!

This post made me think how stagnant the Spanish coaster lineup currently is.
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
This shouldn't take long...

1. Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars

2. Space Mountain

3. Hair Raiser

4. Wild West Mine Train

5. RC Racer

6. Arctic Blast

7. Dragon




Sent from my Redmi Note 7 using Tapatalk
 

Hutch

Strata Poster
To avoid a ranking of simply the SFNE coasters, I'm gonna borrow @TMCoasters's idea and do a New England ranking.

1. Wicked Cyclone
2. Superman: The Ride
3. Boulder Dash
4. Roar-O-Saurus
5. Yankee Cannonball
6. Wooden Warrior
7. Joker
8. Batman: The Dark Knight
9. Excalibur
10. Thunderbolt
 

Howie

Donkey in a hat
Another fairly predictable UK list from me:

1. Nemesis. What else?
2. The Swarm. I actually really love this thing. As good as any wing coaster out there... (except Thunderbird).
3. Stealth. A kick ass ride for sure.
4. Oblivion. King of the Dive Machines (thanks @Serena 😉).
5. Icon. A quality all-rounder.
6. The Smiler. I wouldn't say I like it exactly, but I definitely admire it in a twisted, perverse kinda way. Plus, a certain notoriety always adds a little something, don't you think?
7. Nemesis: Inferno. Solid enough.
8. Wicker Dude. S'alright.
9. Big 'Un. Rough as a badgers bollocks, but it's big, iconic and as uniquely British as soggy fish n chips.
10. T'Ultimate. See point 9 above. Gloriously awful.
 
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