Class of 05 Coasters & Thrill rides!!!

Reading the reveiws it seems Sheirkra graduates with top honors followed by Kinda Ka (Air time hill works and OTSR aren't a problem).
Runners up seem to be Powder Keg and MaXair. Also Hydra and Italian job haven't faired as well. Agree? Disagree? Tell me first hand about your experiences with these rides. I'm planning my summer of coaster riding as I type this. I thrust coaster Buzzer's opinions the most.

I am going to PKI for sure and there is a slim chance I would be near GADV to hit that with my season pass. I personally would base my decision on what looks most interesting to you, since none of us can ever really agree on much.

I would ride Hydra over maxAir any time.

Funny how we haven't heard a whole lot about Hydra... It LOOKS amazing, and I really wanna get to Dorney to ride this thing.

We will hear more after the event. Should be plenty of varied opinions.

More people should visit Silver Dollar City to ride Powder Keg.

I dont see how anyone can pick Hydra over maXair. Shekira takes top honors IMP followed my hydra and a far away 3rd goes to kinda ka, face it if a park like cp, sfmm, or a bg park would have built kinda ka with a ttd already built, they would have been eaten alive

Well this year is taking some top honors.

New types of coasters, new things being done with old favorites, some steel, great wood. What could be better?

I would pick SheiKra as being the new kid on the block this year. New design for the US.

I haven't heard a lot about Hydra as well, but from some of the TR's I have read, doesn't look like THAT thrilling of a B&M. IMO.

MaXaiR is incredible. Not your normal spin and spew. I absolutely loved it and got 2 rides opening day.

I would think top honors would go to the GG new Hades. I think what they are doing is spectacular, so KUDOs to them. Hey the more wood built here in the US the better. It is becoming a dying breed. More and more parks want elements (inversions), steel, speed, and what not.

Not a lot of parks are looking for wood. Which is a total tragedy. This year there were only 2 made. Pretty sad if you ask me.

Katie

Given this sites audience it's hardly surprising, but nobody has yet mentioned the many other coasters that have opened outside the United States.

Kanonen at Liseberg is not a number one coaster by any means, but it's certainly a top tier ride.

I'd also mention Sequoia Adventure at Gardaland, just for being so darn weird...!

I rode maxair, and absolutely loved it. I am going to college in melbourne florida and can't wait to find my first open weekend to hit up sheikra, even though it is quite a hike. I went to sfgadv last summer for the first time and plan on not returning this summer, and don't plan on going to pki either. This summer i am just going to cp and geuaga lake, and the florida parks in the winter, can't wait

Richard, I'm actually more excited to ride both of those, if not next year, then after Japan in 2007, more than just about anything in the states, with the exception of Powder Keg.:)

Hydra is not that thrilling unfortunately, in fact, thrill doesn't really enter the equation. There is a nice combination of elements early in the ride but that's about it. Now, I'm usually more peachy about this stuff but many of you want to know flat out, is it worth a long trip? I drove about 2 1/2 hours and I really don't need to go back this year. It's a fun ride that I will ride multiple times whenever I go there but that's about it. I think I still prefer Talon and Steel Force for sure. It's a solid coaster but just for that area, not for trip destinations and so forth. I would have been disappointed if I travelled a long distance for it. A couple people on here are really into it though so who knows, everyone has their preferences or it could be because everyone LOVES their home park and anything that it builds. My buddy was 100% with me with it. There was hardly any good positive G's, as tame a B&M as I've been on.

Funny thing here....while parks wouldn't mind seeing *us* praise their rides.....the bottom line WILL be the results on the ledgers (not coaster ledgers, LOL).

SheiKra, really, won't do that well (esp. considering the inve$tment). PKeg will fare MUCH better. The best investment still rates as SFGAm's waterpark. KK, results are unclear (magic 8-ball says "try again later")...;)

As far as what excites me personally (instead of exciting the accountants, which in itself is a WEIRD thought)...Hades! WAY looking forward to that ride... :)

Silver Bullet seemed to be doing really well, getting more butts into the park than they did with the Intamin product of just a few years' ago...wonder if SB qualifies as an *'05 model year*? ;)

Silver Bullet was impressive. Another example of B&M going against their normalcy. Just like Top Gun.

All I know is that PK has really made SDC's attendance jump, which in turn has helped with CC and WWB's attendance.

Even not riding them, I would probably pick HADES over all the others combined.

Nothing wrong with the others IMHO but thats just me. Hades would keep me comming back for more and more and more.

Chuck, in hell already.

I really liked IJ:ST, can't speak for all the others. I think Hades would be the one I would want to ride the most, then Hydra, then Sheikra. Kingda Ka just doesn't make me wanna go out of my way to do it. But if I get to DP, I will be sure to get over that way. :)

In my eyes, Rita was a flop.

-The theming was nonsensical in its environment (I thought Ugland was about dinosaurs, not auto racing. Now its an atrocious mix of both!)

-The launch was didn't have much punch

-Its not tall enough (and does nothing to compensate for that unlike Oblivion, Air and Nemesis)

-Too darn short (common rocket coaster complaint)

I'd take Xcelerator or TTD (the other rockets I've been on) over it without a thought. I'll admit I'm spoiled by those two.

HOWEVER- it seemed to be a bit hit with parkgoers, as the UK is dreadfully light in the launched coaster genre. As such, I think the public will really take to it.

So critically, I thought it was not so good, but I know it will be a popular ride there.

I have not been on any of the new Beemers, but I will still take Hades over them. There is just no way B&M could ever make a ride that could compare. I already got about 30 laps on Hades and I can't wait for Media Day.