10. Space Mountain @ Disneyland (Anaheim, California) 1977
Compared to the rest of the coasters on this list Space Mountain is downright tame. There are no loops, no crazy drops. It mostly consists of small bunny hops and a few sharp curves. So what makes it so much fun? It takes place in near-complete darkness. Those hops may be small and the curves and twists quite simple, but by not being able to see where you're going Space Mountain manages to surprise you the whole way through. When the Disney Imagineers unleashed this iconic ride upon the world, putting a coaster indoors was virtually unheard of. By doing so they turned a relatively mild ride into an exciting, unforgettable adventure that always leaves you breathless. It doesn't hurt that everything leading up to the actual boarding of the train is exquisitely themed, placing you in an opulent but minimalist future. Disneyland is the best theme park in the world, and Space Mountain is just one example of why.
9. Intimidator 305 @ Kings Dominion (Doswell, Virginia) 2010
If Space Mountain is a shining example of maximizing the minimum, Intimidator 305 is what happens when you maximize the maximum. Standing 305 feet tall and reaching a top speed of 90 mph, Intimidator is relentless! Indeed, just a year after it's opening part of the ride had to be re-profiled; it seems too many people were blacking out while riding it! Controversy notwithstanding, Intimidator is an amazing coaster -- more an experience than a mere ride. From the moment you descend that first, massive drop, it's nonstop action, loaded with intense ejector airtime (that thing that makes you feel like the train is trying to throw you out of it), head spinning directional changes, and speeds so fast you can't make heads or tails of where you're at, where you've been, or where you're going. Many people, after seeing that first drop, back out of riding. If ever there was a perfectly named coaster, this is it.
8. Mind Bender @ Six Flags Over Georgia (Atlanta, Georgia) 1978
When Mind Bender debuted it represented the cutting edge of roller coaster design. Utilizing two vertical loops, an inclined helix, and an assortment of drops, it wasn't quite like anything seen before. Of course, compared to the scream machines of today (see above), the 'Bender seems downright quaint. But that only adds to the ride's charm. Built alongside -- and inside -- a ravine bordering the park's entrance, you get a sneak preview of Mind Bender before you've even entered the gates. Originally painted brown and white, in the 90's it got a neon green makeover to tie it loosely to the Joker. (Batman The Ride had moved in next door; Mind Bender had to keep up appearances.) Although it's not an especially wild ride, it is a whole lot of fun, with pops of airtime, a unique layout that drops you into that ravine I mentioned, and it's two iconic loops. There's just something really... likable, about this ride. Towards the end you even speed by a small brook -- charming! Oh yeah, something else: despite it's loops and steep-ish drops, Mind Bender holds you in with only a simple lap bar. No seatbelt, no over the shoulder restraint; just a simple little bar that doesn't even go all the way to your lap. Cool.
7. Superman Krypton Coaster @ Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio, Texas) 2000
Even if SKC were a bad ride, it would still be worthy of your attention thanks to it's location on and around an actual rock quarry wall. How unique! Luckily SKC is a great ride, it's location being but one of it's many attributes. SKC is a "floorless" coaster: you sit in typical coaster seats, but there's no floor underneath to rest your feet on! After sending you plummeting towards the ground 168 feet below, SKC goes through no less than six inversions (aka loops), including a wicked zero-g roll that gives you a few moments of weightlessness. It also climbs back up that quarry wall to execute an intense helix before dropping again and finishing out it's course with two interlocking corkscrews. Perhaps best of all, it's a smooth journey the whole way through. No roughness, no painful head banging, just an action packed course with some fantastic views along the way.
6. Boulder Dash @ Lake Compounce (Bristol, Connecticut) 2000
And here we are already with another coaster built on the side of tall rock -- this time a mountain! This is also the first of several wooden coasters we'll be looking at today. Boulder Dash is hidden deep within the Connecticut forest. Aside from the lift hill and a portion of the return trip into the station there's not much you can see of BD. It's not so great for taking pictures of it, but it adds immeasurably to the actual ride. A bit like Space Mountain, a big part of what makes the ride so fun is that you can't see where you're going next. This time, though, it's trees rather than darkness that keeps things hidden. Boulder Dash is an extremely wild ride. It has a tummy-tickling first drop that twists down the mountain before careening into sharp turns, quick hills, an intense turnaround that has to be ridden to be believed, and countless, airtime-filled bunny hops back to the station. This is one of the most popular coasters in the world among enthusiasts, and with good reason. If you live in Connecticut you already know how amazing BD and the tiny little park it calls home are. If you've never been, correct that mistake ASAP!
5. Maverick @ Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio) 2007
Until very recently Cedar Point held the world record for the most roller coasters in one park. (Seventeen, but it closed Wildcat after the 2011 season and the record has since gone to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California -- another great park!) Cedar Point has a long history of breaking records with their coasters; throw in the fact that they simply have so damn many of them anyway and a visit to this park is a rite of passage for any enthusiast. With the opening of Maverick in 2007, CP broke their tradition of building insanely tall and ridiculously fast coasters. But don't be fooled, Maverick packs quite a punch! It doesn't slowly pull you up it's lift hill, it launches you up it! And the first drop isn't steep, it's beyond steep, hurtling you over the edge into a 98 degree drop. Yep, that's beyond vertical! From there the ride traverses sharp airtime hills, quick twists, and two loops. It also takes a moment to come to a complete stop in a dark tunnel; suddenly strobes flash and you're launched again, out over a lagoon with spouting geysers, a steeply banked turn, and even more intense airtime hills. Maverick is the definition of "small but mighty".
4. The Voyage @ Holiday World (Santa Claus, Indiana) 2006
Oh, Voyage, how I love you! By the time you folks read this, there's a good chance I'll be riding this instant classic at that very moment! (Squee!) At well over a mile long, and featuring a mind-numbing succession of intense elements the whole way through, this wooden coaster is one of the most popular in the world! After a 154-foot drop, Voyage takes you through several tall, graceful hills. By the last of these extra-tall hills you're deep into the woods of rural Indiana. From there you hit a snake pit of intense, 90 degree turns, that turn you around for the return trip. Along the way back you'll hit a triple-down (look it up) and an airtime-filled crossover. You're now back in the vicinity of the station but Voyage isn't done yet, hitting several more highly-banked twists and sweeping drops, all surrounding the station. If you're waiting in line you'll see the train thunder past overhead, mere feet away from where you stand. The combined length and intensity of Voyage make it a force to be reckoned with; as well-seasoned as I am in riding intense coasters, only a couple of rounds on Voyage totally wipe me out. But I'm wiped out in only the best way possible.
3. El Toro @ Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson, New Jersey) 2006
Here we have yet another wooden coaster, this one close in length to The Voyage, but taking a completely different approach to ride design. El Toro is much more twisted (literally), than Voyage, offering up it's own fair share of dramatically tall hills at the beginning, but then going into a gnarly series of turns that stay close to the ground and near the station. Not that it matters; the ride is so fast and out of control that you're completely discombobulated throughout, unable to get your bearings at all. Debate rages within the enthusiast community as to whether El Toro or The Voyage is the better ride. As you can see, I give the edge to El Toro, mostly due to it's comparatively smooth ride, and one particular hill that offers the most intense ejector airtime I've ever experienced. Really though, whatever your personal preference you can't go wrong with either ride. There's a reason these are the two most popular wooden coasters in the country.
2. Apollo's Chariot @ Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, Virginia) 1999
Apollo's Chariot is a massive steel coaster that acts like a wooden one. There are no inversions, no loops or corkscrews, on Chariot. Just tall, airtime-filled hills and surprising dips in an out-and-back layout. Apollo's Chariot is a hyper coaster, meaning it stands at least two hundred feet tall. With that much height, it's able to gain an enormous amount of speed so that it can run the rest of it's course perfectly. A huge part of the appeal of this ride is the magnificent views it gives you of the wooded area in and around the park as you crest each hill. Busch Gardens is a ridiculously lush, beautiful place. In fact, after Disneyland it's by far my favorite park! Chariot also benefits from giving silky-smooth rides every time. The coaster's unique, whirlpool turnaround happens right by the parking lot entrance. It's a stunning welcome to the park, enticing you in with it's sleek track and vibrant color scheme. It's the promise of a great time at Busch Gardens, one that it has yet to break any time I've been.
1. Bizarro @ Six Flags New England (Agawam, Massachusetts) 2000
And here we are, down to one! Known until recently as Superman Ride of Steel, Bizarro got a new look and theme a few years ago. Not that it matters -- you could paint the ride rust brown and it'd still be the best coaster in the world (to me). Bizarro is another hyper coaster, with a 221-foot first drop and not a single inversion to be found. It stands literally right next to the Connecticut River, offering up some gorgeous views as it traverses ejector airtime hills in abundance -- but you have to look fast! Aside from the insane amount of airtime, what I think makes Bizarro so good is the variety it offers. After those initial hills, Bizarro goes into a twisted layout, complete with swift directional changes and a mist-filled, underground tunnel. It finishes with a series of bunny hops, all taken with extreme speed. Bizarro has a little bit of everything; something for everyone as they say. And yet it's not so intense that it wears you out. I could ride Bizarro all day, every day, if they'd let me. For my taste, it's literally the perfect coaster. It's the best.
Til next time!
Note: Unless otherwise tagged, all photos were taken from www.rcdb.com, where individual credits are listed.
