10-Best: Roller Coaster Rides of Your Life

My mother, who is constantly sending me articles about roller coasters, sent me this one from USA today, reprinted in the Arizona Republic. I found it interesting although I also found some of the author's choices rather odd. I've ridden only 6 out of his top ten so can't comment about the other 4 but I've ridden Wildcat at Hersheypark and am nonplussed that this would be included on a top ten list. I mean, really! I agree with his decision to include Outlaw Run, Millennium Force and Bizarro, but how many people actually think that Wildcat offers a better ride than El Toro or Boulder Dash or any number of others? Here's the link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/10greatplaces/201.../14737467/

You won't believe what happens next!

Still a better list than the Golden Tickets.

This is unacceptable. All roller coaster rankings should be identical.

Well, I mean, come on, they more or less are. ;) If I had a nickel for every time Bizarro came up on one of those lists, I'd have enough to buy an ad in Amusement Today advertising myself as the best wooden coaster...wait, hold up, I didn't mean to type that...

With this specifying "rides" as opposed to coasters, this could actually make for some unique lists for me personally:

-Midnight front car ride on Nessie as a 5 year old

-While not being a coaster, on my first trip back to Disney World in 10+ years back when they had E-ride nights, and after being up since 4 am, and riding Splash Mountain for the first time at night, seeing an empty queue we got the ok to re ride a Disney Mountain :).

-Fall Affair Thunderstorm Voyage Ride

-15th night ride of Magnum in a row trimless during Joe Cool Nights

-Night moonsoon ride on MF

-Dumbo with Goofy, Chip, Dale and all teens/adults at 3am in the morning July 2nd during Evening EMH

-Double Roll back on TTD Opening Day 2009

-Evacing off of Space Mountain

-HP Wildcat during the 4th of July Firework Show

-Halloweekend MF ride the first year Terror Island was open, and dipping in and out of the fog on the island during a calm night.

Bobbie1951 said:
I found it interesting although I also found some of the author's choices rather odd.

That's ok. I find the author rather odd...

That's funny, I was sent the exact same article! I also agree that some of the author's choices were somewhat strange.

Which one is the stinkiest?

My ten best rides all occurred during the HWN that coincided with a fantastic lightning storm show...

That night will likely never be topped.

Im just going to with one of the cooler ones. So its octoberfest at gl. You get that perfect combo of warm humid air and then cool fall air at night. That made it especially foggy and i rode the dominator in some pea soup type fog. Was the best added effects to a ride ever.

I don't have the specific level of memory that some people earlier in this thread have displayed!

The 4 things that pop in my mind are:

opening day rides on Top Thrill Dragster

some very foggy rides at Cedar Point on Dragster, MF and Magnum

a night of marathon rides on the Raven in 2004 or so at HWN

my first night rides on the Beast at Beastbuzz in 2004.

A few of my best coaster memories:

>Picture it: Coaster Con, Kings Dominion, 1992*. We had ERT on Rebel Yell at night, if no one was waiting for the seat you could remain in the seat ride after ride, and it wasn't quite raining, it was kind of "misting".

That ERT session has stayed with me. It was just perfect -- ride after ride on a great coaster, that light mist in the air, listening to people around me chat.

>ACE event at William's Grove, 1993. I thoroughly enjoyed the Cyclone. Great ride, and I loved how the return leg was under the track of the outbound leg. What I especially remember: the long line during ERT and the non-existent line once the park opened to the public; sitting in the front seat of the Cyclone, with my feet up, watching the people in the park as we waited for enough people to get on the ride so that it could actually run; climbing the lift hill, watching someone from the park pounding nails into the support structure.

>That perfect moment on a clear summer night, when you're cresting Magnum's first hill, stars above you, Lake Erie in front of you, and then you plunge down the hill.

*With apologies to Sophia Petrillo

Assorted early 2000's PPPs on Phoenix stand out to me. Also, the one HWN I've been to (stinky tunnel on voyage) was incredible. But I think the best single set I've had was with my wife on Boulder Dash in 2005. We rode front seat about 8 times in a row in increasingly dark conditions and couldn't wait to run around and do it again.

Front seat ride on Deja Vu after waiting for it to re-open and encountering some very "memorable" people while waiting.

MF during Haloweekends when they still had the pirate walkthrough on the island. The entire low part of the course was fogged in and every elevated portion was in the clear.

Almost every ride on Phoenix during every PPP.

Ditto Raven during my earlier SRM's

MF when it started sleeting halfway up the lift hill. (not "best ride" but certainly memorable.)

Nitro on cool fall nights, diving into the darkness away from the crowds

These are a few, I'm sure I have more.

Like many others, I have some seriously memorable rides:

While I had been to Kings Island many times prior with the whole family, my Dad and I went to the park alone when I was six to knock-out Top Gun, Racer, Vortex, and The Beast one June Sunday afternoon. We finished the day going up The Beast's first lift just as the fireworks went off for the night.

As well, being on SoB's first public train at Media Day. The jarring at the top of the second hill was insane... And obviously "fixed" shortly thereafter.

SRM 2001, I was on the train during Legend ERT that had to be evac'ed from the brake run because the school bell had dislodged and was hanging in front of the train's path.

Waiting 13 years and getting to ride Mr Freeze... In reverse blast.

Charlie: +1 for Mr Freeze!

The ride that turned me from casual rider into Coastertool.

Top 5 at the moment (not counting Voyage):

OL: FoF post-transformation, and Chiller without OTSRs...absolutely insane. Two rides I had pretty much disliked, and then suddenly, it was love at second sight (or something, not really proficient with slanted metaphors).

Phoenix, PPP, every single time. With friends, or even by myself, LOVE it.

Montezooma - "gator's revenge" - 50+ laps in a day...back seat, hands UP!

Cyclops - THE DROP, first ride, back seat.

Raven, back seat, SRM....nuff said.

That time I threw up on ApolloAndy on Vortex. I'm hurt he didn't think it was as memorable.

The worst part was that the green slurpee was still recognizable the second time.