What is your favorite rollercoaster?

[Gianna]

Hello everyone! 👋🏻 

With summer coming up (and that being a popular time for amusement parks) I thought it would be interesting to ask what favorite rollercoaster you guys have! Well, if you do anyway!

I love the Aerosmith rollercoaster at Hollywood Studios, I think that would be my favorite. I love Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain at Disney as well ☺️ I don’t like heights too much or big drops, so the Disney rides are perfect for me! I went to Busch Gardens a few years ago and everything was too intense for me 😅

[RickR]

That Aerosmith coaster at the Disney Studios is awesome!  I like that one a lot too.  My only complaint is that it's too short.  I do like that it has both a loop and the corkscrew.  I'll say it's my second favorite. 

I think my favorite is the California Screaming coaster at Disney's California Adventure.  It's not too intense, it has one loop, and it's really long and smooth.  Plus, it's now themed to "The Incredibles", which makes it even better. 

I used to really love the Florida "Space Mountain", but the last few times I rode, it felt pretty rough.  I do love the single-file cars though. 

Space Mountain in California is even better.  They re-built the track about 10 years ago and it's now super smooth and fast.  No jostling at all. 

This is a fun topic.  I love roller coasters.  But I'm with you on the ones that are too intense....no thank you!  One of my kids, though, loves those.  So everybody has different likes.  He'll drag me on a few of the big ones at Magic Mountain or Knott's or Cedar Point.  I can take a few, but usually have to stop. 

I think one that really looks cool that I'd love to try is the "Tron" coaster at one of the Asian Disney parks.  I think it's coming to Florida!  So I'll be all over that one. 

 

 

[Gianna]

19 minutes ago, RickR said:

That Aerosmith coaster at the Disney Studios is awesome!  I like that one a lot too.  My only complaint is that it's too short.  I do like that it has both a loop and the corkscrew.  I'll say it's my second favorite. 

I think my favorite is the California Screaming coaster at Disney's California Adventure.  It's not too intense, it has one loop, and it's really long and smooth.  Plus, it's now themed to "The Incredibles", which makes it even better. 

I used to really love the Florida "Space Mountain", but the last few times I rode, it felt pretty rough.  I do love the single-file cars though. 

Space Mountain in California is even better.  They re-built the track about 10 years ago and it's now super smooth and fast.  No jostling at all. 

This is a fun topic.  I love roller coasters.  But I'm with you on the ones that are too intense....no thank you!  One of my kids, though, loves those.  So everybody has different likes.  He'll drag me on a few of the big ones at Magic Mountain or Knott's or Cedar Point.  I can take a few, but usually have to stop. 

I think one that really looks cool that I'd love to try is the "Tron" coaster at one of the Asian Disney parks.  I think it's coming to Florida!  So I'll be all over that one. 

 

 

I agree, you wait in line forever and it goes by so quickly! I remember last time I went to HS and rode it (I had a fast pass) I wanted to go on again and ended up getting in the regular line right away and waited 2 hours or something. Last time I went on a Disney trip I wanted to go on nearly everything (I have yet to go on Tower of Terror as I am scared of drop rides lol) and waited in line for maybe an hour for the Barnstormer which lasted like 20 seconds. I remember it used to be longer but they shortened it to make room for another Dumbo ride.

That one looks so fun! One day I would love to go to Disneyland. There's a lot of rides there I would love to go on. I'd really like to go back to Disney in Orlando, I haven't been since early 2017 which is too long for me 😅 I would like to get one of the annual passes, I live just over 3 hours or so away and the pass would be beneficial. 

That's good to know! I agree on Space Mountain here, it is pretty rough and if you watch a video of it with the lights on the track looks quite rickety

I've never been to any of those parks, but I've watched "vlogs" before of Knott's and it looks fun. I like roller coasters but the ones with massive drops I am too freaked out to go on! I went on some intense ones at Universal in Orlando and was not only shaking during them but also lost my voice for a day or two after 😆

Yes, I saw that they're building that in Magic Kingdom! Just in the past few years so much has been added. 

[Atari 5200 Guy]

I used to live in Arkansas, 30 minutes away from Silver Dollar City in Brandon, MO.  My favorite coaster was a steel rail called Wildfire.  Thunderation is not bad but a bit rough.  Then I seen this and I hope to get to go back someday to try it out.  Say hello to Outlaw Run rated one of the 10 best by USA Today.

 

[Justin]

Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom is my favorite in terms of my most sentimental roller coaster, and The Mummy rollercoaster at Universal Studios Florida is my favorite rollercoaster to ride. It was always a lot of fun. Every Friday I'd meet up with my friend Brent and we'd go to Hard Rock Cafe for lunch, and then hit the park for a ride or two. We almost always ended up going on The Mummy. Terrific ride to go on right after you've had a Double Decker Double Cheeseburger or some Hard Rock Twisted Mac 'n Cheese!

Space Mountain was my favorite ride as a little kid. My parents always share this story about taking me to Space Mountain for the first time and preparing me that it might be scary, and then being surprised that I loved it and wanted to go again. Now Space Mountain reminds me of Sunday mornings, I'd always wash my car and go for a little Sunday morning cruise down World Dr., wrap around the back of Magic Kingdom and come back out past the Grand Floridian. The coolest part was always when you get to that part of the street where the Contemporary Resort is on your right and Space Mountain is hugged up against the street on your left. It's the closest I think you could drive a car to a rollercoaster, sort of surreal. Those are always good times and nice memories. 

 

1 hour ago, Gianna said:

I love the Aerosmith rollercoaster at Hollywood Studios, I think that would be my favorite.

I wonder if that's Tommy Tallarico's favorite ride?

 

1 hour ago, Gianna said:

I love Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain at Disney

Big Thunder Mountain is fun because you ride it without restraints, but it's just on the verge of needing to be strapped in! It's a lot of fun for families.

 

55 minutes ago, RickR said:

I used to really love the Florida "Space Mountain", but the last few times I rode, it felt pretty rough.

It's pretty rickety for sure! It feels like it's made out of Erektor set pieces.

 

37 minutes ago, Gianna said:

Yes, I saw that they're building that in Magic Kingdom! Just in the past few years so much has been added. 

Can't wait!

[TrekMD]

I love rollercoasters, so choosing my most favorite is difficult.  Certainly the ones mentioned already at the Disney Parks are great: Aerosmith, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain.  Another one I like there is Expedition Everest.  At Universal, The Mummy is definitely, as well as The Hulk. 

When I lived in NJ, I went to Six Flags quite often.  There I loved Nitro! 

[Atari 5200 Guy]

1 hour ago, TrekMD said:

I love rollercoasters, so choosing my most favorite is difficult.  Certainly the ones mentioned already at the Disney Parks are great: Aerosmith, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain.  Another one I like there is Expedition Everest.  At Universal, The Mummy is definitely, as well as The Hulk. 

When I lived in NJ, I went to Six Flags quite often.  There I loved Nitro! 

I went to Six Flags over St. Louis once in the early 1990's and the Ninja had just opened.  I loved it!

[dauber]

I don't do roller coasters, but...thought I'd contribute this picture I took of the Shock Wave at Six Flags Great America in late May 1988, literally days after the coaster opened. It was my eighth grade class trip.

 

[Atari 5200 Guy]

One of my other favorite coasters was in a Silver Dollar City spin-off park called Celebration City.  They had a coaster called Thunderbolt, a really closed-in steel coaster.  Seriously.  The space allowed for the coaster was really tight...very little elbow room.  I never really knew of the park's closing until a few years ago when I was doing research on roller coasters I enjoyed riding.  To my surprise Thunderbolt actually lives on as Cliffhanger at Glenwood Springs, CO.  

For comparisons, here is the original Thunderbolt:

 

Here's Thunderbolt, renamed Cliffhanger, at its current location.  Fasten your seatbelts!

 

Interesting news I found about this coaster while hunting stuff down for this post...it was originally used in Belgium before being relocated to Branson, MO in 1999.  It was first operated under the name Firestorm before being put in storage three years later.  It was brought back out to be used at Celebration City in 2003 as Thunderbolt until the part closed in 2008.  Then it just sat until 2012 when Glenwood bought it and gave it a new home.  

This coaster's max speed is 25 MPH.  That's it.  But it feels like you are going faster than that and being put on a cliffside gives this coaster the much needed thrill it was missing.  This is a Hurricane model made by SDC.

Edited April 29, 2020 by kamakazi20012

[RickR]

That looks like a fun one, especially that beautiful location in CO. 

There's a wooden coaster at Wild Waves in Seattle called "TimberHawk" that goes through the woods, which makes it pretty spectacular.  I had forgotten about it until you posted that video from CO.  It's pretty cool because it's so smooth -- a rarity for a Woodie. 
 

 

[RickR]

17 hours ago, dauber said:

I don't do roller coasters, but...thought I'd contribute this picture I took of the Shock Wave at Six Flags Great America in late May 1988, literally days after the coaster opened. It was my eighth grade class trip.

 

That one looks "too intense" for me.  But I'm sure those who ride it love it. 

[TrekMD]

Oh, those look fantastic!  There is one in Six Flags in NJ that is called El Toro.  Not to be underestimated even though it is a wooden coaster! 

 

[Gianna]

It's not exactly a rollercoaster, but the world's tallest drop ride just opened in Orlando, FL. It has a 430 foot drop. Just watching the video made me nervous! 

Would you go on it? 

 

[RickR]

That's it?  Just a big drop?  I absolutely would not go on that one.

A note from our trip to Disneyland a few weeks back...they changed the "TZ Tower of Terror" ride to have Guardians of the Galaxy theming.  I know it's a weird fit for theming, but it changes the ride completely.  From fear and foreboding about the drops, it has turned into really fun and funny.  They tell you when the drops are coming, no more suspense.  And the cut scenes are hilarious.  Also, really good music going the whole time. 

 

[Gianna]

24 minutes ago, RickR said:

A note from our trip to Disneyland a few weeks back...they changed the "TZ Tower of Terror" ride to have Guardians of the Galaxy theming.  I know it's a weird fit for theming, but it changes the ride completely.  From fear and foreboding about the drops, it has turned into really fun and funny.  They tell you when the drops are coming, no more suspense.  And the cut scenes are hilarious.  Also, really good music going the whole time. 

That's cool, it's nice you know when the drops are coming. The Tower of Terror here in FL has been the same since it opened, and is one of the only rides I will not go on. I have watched it on YouTube and it looks scary, and is all in the dark. I got up to the entry of the line once and turned around, couldn't do it!

[RickR]

3 minutes ago, Gianna said:

That's cool, it's nice you know when the drops are coming. The Tower of Terror here in FL has been the same since it opened, and is one of the only rides I will not go on. I have watched it on YouTube and it looks scary, and is all in the dark. I got up to the entry of the line once and turned around, couldn't do it!

I'm totally in the same boat as you, although I have gone on both the FL and CA versions, I usually will just pass if I'm not feeling exactly right.  But with the GoG theming, I feel like it's a "do not miss" and will go on it over and over.  Same ride, different theming, but it totally changes into someting super fun IMO.

 

[Justin]

Keep in mind, rides like that aren't at the center of a theme park, they're found next to a Burger King.

[TrekMD]

Velocicoaster has become my most favorite rollercoaster lately.  That is one awesome ride!

 

[Gianna]

@TrekMD  I saw it the last time I was at Universal and it looked so intense! 

[TrekMD]

Oh, it is!  That's what makes it so fun!

[Atari 5200 Guy]

I removed my post because I didn't realize that I had already posted.  My bad.

Edited January 28, 2022 by Atari 5200 Guy