Best and Worst Flat Rides?

Hey everyone, I am interested to know what you consider to be the best and worst flat rides that you have ridden. With so many different types i'm sure we'll see a wide variety of responses.

As for me, i've always loved Zippers for their unpredictability and intensity. I don't know why we don't see more of those in major parks. They are very exciting and take up a minimal amount of space.

On the contrary, the only type of flat ride that I actually HATE are among the most common. I'm talking about those torture devices known as Top Spins. Ouch! ...and people complain about Vekoma SLC's...

What are your thoughts?

Zamperla Power Surge is among the best. Chance Inverter among the worst.

Worst? IMHO the Wisdom Gravitron. The concept is not bad, but most operators cycle these things too long. You want to give the riders a buzz, not have them staggering and puking out on the midway after they get off.

One of the worst, rode it the first, and last time at Florida State Fair. The Fighter - you face backward for the entire forceful heavily-spinning cycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTV2udtEQcg

I also used to like the Zipper, but if you get a carnie that wants to see you puke, or shake change out of your pockets, you'll get a really long dizzy ride. I think the reason you don't see them at amusement parks, is because of the loading process, and downtime from people throwing up.

As for the gravatron, it's a pretty common carnival ride. I'm guessing there must be hundreds of them in the US alone. I actually find it pretty boring. Though did find one carnie who knew how to manipulate the ride, and cause the slats to go up and down the walls. Then it was fun. I also like the top spin.

The worst flat to me is that tornado ride. Looks it might be exciting, but it's pretty dull. You have to really get your car spinning to have any fun. They should have called it the bore-nado. Don't care for that hang-gliding paratrooper ride either. Just not comfortable.

best: 1: Delirium @ Kings Island

2: Barnstormer @ Dollywood

3: Sledgehammer @ Canada's Wonderland

worst, for me at least, is the ACME Rock N' Rocket at Six Flags Over Texas. like the Mean Streak of flat rides (not that mean streak is bad, it's just rough and painful)

And boring. Don't forget boring.

How do you define "best" and "worst"? A carnie will tell you his best ride is probably a Himalaya or a Wave Swinger.

The one ride that struck me as such a bad idea that I have avoided riding it (and been told I chose wisely) is the Tango.

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Amusements of America had a brand new Tango that was to play the Ohio State Fair and on the way one of the trailers rolled over on a freeway ramp. The rack with the arms and chairs showed up, but the other one with the base was a few days coming. I was disappointed when it finally showed up and inspectors called the ride a total loss, damaged beyond repair in the accident.
Then, a few years later I saw a Tango in action at the Florida State Fair, and I said "oh hell no"- it looked like a torture device with the smallest seats ever. I chose not to ride it, have never been on it, and my disappointment over Big A's loss quickly faded.

MohawkWarrior said:
best: 1: maXair @ Cedar Point

2: Barnstormer @ Dollywood

3: Sledgehammer @ Canada's Wonderland

Fixed that for ya...

The best Flatrides are those who are not only fun to ride with, but those you can actually have a good time just watching...

Transformer is a Flatride that travels the German Funfair circuit and does this perfectly. Here is a cool video, as it shows that there is no set program, the carny talking is also running the ride. The louder you scream, the longer the ride goes.

It is entertainment pur, even if you are not getting on the actual ride.

I used to think maxair was the best flat until i rode Black widow at kennywood. The worst is a pos ride that was at Gradv called Evolution.

Evolution still isn't a great ride, but it IS a reliable ride at SFStL under the name Excalibur. Maybe Arthur pulled the sword from the stone and fixed the problems with it? ;~P

Never was open for me at GrAdv, I may hit Missouri in June. Maybe I'll finally get to ride the freakin' thing.

I still want to ride Transformer. I'd probably boot halfway through the cycle, but it is just so different, and I love the lights and fog and everything. Pretty elaborate for a traveling show.

bunky666 said:

I still want to ride Transformer. I'd probably boot halfway through the cycle, but it is just so different, and I love the lights and fog and everything. Pretty elaborate for a traveling show.

I think Transformer is a fun ride if you are 16 years old and dont care. I am older now and love watching the ride in motion as it is a great show. My suggestion: Sit down across the ride with a beer in your hand and enjoy the music. I went on it once, it is to intense for me(and way to long), but I did it!

^^ Nope. My dumb butt would still ride it once just so I could say I did it. I'd hate to actually see one of these and regret not riding it. I'd just wait until the end of the night when this would be the last ride of the evening and is done everything else I wanted to do just in case.

I have to give a qualified best to the simple Tilt-A-Whirl as long as it was one of the tractor engine driven units that carnivals used to use. They could wind those things up, crack the throttle a few times and you would literally spin for the entire duration of the ride.

My worst is the SCAT 2 ride at Beech Bend. Not really sure why but that thing scared me silly.

I would say my favorite flat ride is Falling Star at Michigan's Adventure, but it's not there anymore.

Brad G - Scat 2 was a brutal ride. I sat in the grass under a tree for ten or fifteen minutes after riding that contraption.

Pretty much any flat that I haven't ridden before, I'm going to try and ride once.