1 Hour at Kings Island

Speaking of authority...

How can they be in a position of authority on something that is clearly subjective?

And more importantly, who cares what someone else says in terms of preferences? If I like a coaster that every single person on this board totally hates, should I like the coaster less? If I totally hate every coaster in the top 5 here, should I somehow like them more because others do? And implicit in both my like/hate views is a statement that I think each coaster is under/overrated. I just don't see the arrogance there.

Precisely. The fact that, hypothetically, one person likes a coaster less than most other people on here, is the equivalent of saying that person thinks that coaster is overrated. I fail to see any arrogance in such a claim.

Not getting the arrogance thing. I mean, yes, "overrated" sounds a bit more hipster and douchebaggy than a more tactful word, but it's still just an adjective expressing an opinion. I guess maybe I can see that its "tone" is different. I find worrying about this kind of thing is overrated though, so I'm awesome.

Yeah, I kind of get that. The "my opinion is more awesomer" tone behind "overrated" makes you sound like a bit of a poopy pants. High five!

Here's the thing, he never said that it's overrated. He said "I find it to be overrated."

The first implies that popular opinion is wrong, but what he said simply implies that he knows what the popular opinion is but personally disagrees with it.

I don't think it's arrogant, just stating an opinion, and that's pretty much the reason we're all here.

BTW, The Beast really is overrated! Ermahgerd!

Yeah, but he also said "terribly overrated," so it canceled out.

I think Beast and Bizzaro are overrated. I also wouldn't advise anyone skip either ride if they've not ridden them (or it has been a while).

As to the actual topic: Banshee, Diamondback, Beast is a pretty good suggestion, and if you have the time to squeeze it in get on the Bat as well. It is a pretty good hike to the entrance from anywhere in the parking lot, though, and will likely eat up 5-10 min. before you get in the park (assuming you time it perfectly where the gates open right as you get to them), and then another few minutes as you leave the park. Of course, if there's a downtime on any ride (especially the closer you get to that hour mark) and you're in a vehicle stuck somewhere not the load/unload area...

I'd agree with others that suggest trying to find something for your partner to do to give you a little more time, even if it is just using an area Starbucks/Panera/McDs to check email, have some food, and kill some more time.

The word overrated backfired on me. I used to be hugely famous, and then I used the word overrated to describe myself, trying to be all cute, and kind of hoping it would act as a kind of reverse psychology. Well, it didn't work as intended, and people started to realize that I was a talentless hack. lol

Isn't difference of opinion what makes this hobby fun when talking with others? I don't expect people to enjoy the same rides I do, nor do I expect to enjoy the same rides as others. Discussing rides (good or bad) with others has always been pretty fun in my eyes.

At the same time, I will admit my comment may have been a bit troll like... I know people have some weird desire to defend the Beast (for whatever reason, I will never know...) and I may like to a push a button or two once and a while to see why people feel the way they do... But it is all in good fun!

Now that everyone is all riled up, time to go ride a coaster worthwhile or something. I now assume you can all guess for ME, it won't be the Beast (or Magnum...) :)

I rode Steel Eel today and thought it was rated.

I always heard it was over easy-rated. Or maybe I shouldn't have skipped breakfast....

SteveWoA said:

Isn't difference of opinion what makes this hobby fun when talking with others? I don't expect people to enjoy the same rides I do, nor do I expect to enjoy the same rides as others. Discussing rides (good or bad) with others has always been pretty fun in my eyes.

I completely agree with all of this.

At the same time, I will admit my comment may have been a bit troll like... I know people have some weird desire to defend the Beast (for whatever reason, I will never know...)

Maybe, I don't know, we like the ride? We think it's fun? I know that's kind of out there, but those are the reasons.

You kind of validated my point: calling something overrated is a way to express your opinion while simultaneously undermining the opinion of the majority. It goes beyond merely expressing a dissenting opinion. That's where the "weird desire to defend" comes from; it's not defending the ride itself as much as it is defending one's opinion of it. If you say you don't like something then fine, that's your opinion. If you then say that everyone that does has it wrong or is weird, well now that's getting a little more personal.

Let me be clear: most of the time, I don't actually think anyone really means anything by it when they say something is overrated. It's a common word that gets tossed around a lot because everyone gets what you're saying. All I wanted to do was to draw attention to a subtle meaning behind it that is a bit unflattering.

Good point… In the end, I really respect the opinion of everyone and what they like and dislike. Don’t take anything I say too heavy handedly… Just here to burn off some time when it is slow at work. What better way than to argue about overrated or underrated attractions at parks?

In all complete honesty… Beast is not that bad. It is still fun and I enjoy the ride… I am hoping this year at Beastbuzz that my opinion changes for the better, riding it at night and see if those straightaways seem any more exciting!

As long as we're being honest, I'll admit that my love affair with the ride is mostly irrational. It probably deserves an upper 3 to lower 4 rating, but I give it a 5. It was the first coaster I ever rode on my own volition that I liked. It ignited my passion for coasters, so there's no denying the emotional attachment I have to it.

Love affair? Sounds like that lady who wanted to marry that flat ride at Knoebels. lol

Umm, now that I think about it, I would marry The Beast.

novak72 said:

it not only made the list of most overrated, it was number 1

http://themeparks.about.com/od/rollercoasterarticles/ss/OverratedCoasters_9.htm

I love The Beast, but it is very Over rated. It looks like it was created in RCT3 in some places. It's got some odd angles, but it's a classic and it's thrilling.

Sucks.

A popular coaster Blog just posted the results of a quick wood coaster poll, and you might be surprised to see the winner.

I want to know how Mean Streak and Thunderhawk managed to beat Grizzly. ;)