Coasters - ever changed your mind?

Yah, it's still the off season. Here's a topic for you -

Have you ever changed your mind about a coaster for better or worse? I know my taste certainly has changed over the years, and I'm thinking more along those lines; there plenty of coasters that used to rock that now suck (or vice versa) because of aging and modifications and actual *physical* changes, but have you ever changed your opinion just as a matter of taste?

I remember growing up in Central KY and being a total King's Island fiend, I was sorely dissapointed with the Top Gun's length when it first opened but once I grew up a bit I much more appreciated the coaster's intensity, terrain features, and nuance in some of the features.

Another example at the same park would be Vortex, I always *liked* it but as I aged a bit more I was able to savor that hellacious first drop much, much more. I enjoy the rest of the ride, too, but that first drop got me power riding Vortex a lot on slower days.

So, you? *** Edited 1/12/2007 11:11:51 PM UTC by matt.***

I like SOB the first time I rode it. Two years later it beat the crap out of me and I vowed never to ride it again. I highly doubt I will even attempt to try the new neutered version even if they get it back open.

It took me a very long time (5 years) of heavy riding to find a wood coaster I liked. Partly because of my focusing on the big corporate parks and partly because of not riding in the optimal conditions. Now, I'll definitely take my favorite woodies over my favorite steelies, but mostly at night. In the day it's still a toss up.

I used to like a lot of looping coasters, but now I seem to want to ride hypers (and up) exclusively.

I originally hated Ninja at SFSL now it's probably my favorite steel coaster here in MO.

Favorite steel is quite the whacky opinion but I have to admit I like Ninja more every time I visit SFStL - best head chopper ever.

I learned that even if it isn't a great coaster, I can have a great time on it.

Chuck, it's all attitude and friends people. Thats all that matters.

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WOF Guy said:
I originally hated Ninja at SFSL now it's probably my favorite steel coaster here in MO.

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And your a sick puppy! :)

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matt. said:
best head chopper ever.

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I assume you're talking about the chain return. I almost pooped myself.

All the non-"Speed" inverting Premier coasters, shuttles and bowls.... :)

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Marky Mark said:

I assume you're talking about the chain return. I almost pooped myself.

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Oh hell yeah.

Well, when I first rode it, I felt Phantom's Revenge was a borderline 'top tier' coaster. Several years have passed and I haven't had a return visit to Kennywood (something that *must* be rectified in the not-to-distant future), but for some reason Phantom's revenge seems to creep higher and higher in my affections. Depending on what day you catch me, I *might* even say it's my #1 (though if I were to actually rank, PR would *usually* rate no higher than 3rd after S:ROS (NE) and RB (GAm)). I have similar feelings about the Mr. Freeze coasters. Definitely top tier and occasionally flirting with #1.

The other coaster that I've been warming up to is Great Bear. The ride has it's flaws, but some rides on it I've really *really* liked.

On the flipside, the more I ride, the less I like flying coasters, especially the Vekoma kind. There is nothing *wrong* with them per se. It's just that I realize more and more that they are not my cup of tea.

That happened to me with the Mr. Freeze coasters, too. Every ride I seem to like more than the last, and I haven't even been since the lap-bar retrofit, I can't imagine how much I'd like them now. Good stuff.

Is this a trend? Do we tend to like good coasters more the more we ride them? I think there may be something to that, if there's a coaster I like I might be tricking myself into liking it even more if I get the chance to ride it a bunch. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just something I'd never pondered before.

Its weird. There are several coasters I have been on where everytime I go on them, my opinion of them changes. I sit in almost the same seats everytime, so that isn't a factor, so its strange.

I didn't *gasp* enjoy airtime when I started ridding coasters in 2000, now I'm beginning to enjoy it. My first pop of airtime that I remember was from MF!

I would have to talk about Iron Wolf, Whizzer, Viper, and Raging Bull. These are all at Six Flags Great America.

Before, I really cared about all of these rides. Maybe, it was because it was during the openings of two of the rides, or my opinions just changed over time. At first, I really cared for Raging Bull, and Viper. However, over time these two rides got to the point that I feel bored of them. I don't why. They were something, and now I don't care about them. They aren't rough, and somewhat boring.

As for Iron Wolf, I really did like this ride, but for this year, the ride has gotten much worse. The reason is because of the harnesses. They beat you up. They changed the harnesses, and they are absolutely horrible.

However, for Whizzer, I have been going on that a lot as a younger child, and I did like it. Than I stopped going on it, and I now I'm back on it. I really like this ride again. I've also become so addicted to Demon non like before. It's just a really good ride. I don't know why, but that's just it.

I can go to another park, and that parks name is Islands of Adventure. The coasters name is Ice at Dueling Dragons. That ride really has become addicting. I didn't like it as much before, but the more I rode it, I started to really like it. I still don't like Fire, but Ice is just a really good ride in my opinion.

GL's Serial Thriller. We rode it 20 times one day during it's first seasonand loved every ride.
The following year, a group of us went and we hyped it bigtime. Boy, did we make a few people ticked at us. It had changed that much in one year and gave everyone a headache.

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On the flipside, the more I ride, the less I like flying coasters, especially the Vekoma kind. There is nothing *wrong* with them per se. It's just that I realize more and more that they are not my cup of tea.

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My thoughts exactly, with the possible exception of Tatsu. (I've only had 1ride on it)

I am probably the pickiest coaster fan in the world. Ask anyone. ;)

I appreciate each and every coaster I have been on and will try them all once. There are just some I physically can't tolerate anymore. There are enough peeps on here that know what I like.....GCI's, Intamins, most B&M's, even a Vekoma or two. ;) I am getting used to Gravity Group's woodies. :)

I think I have explained it several times.......TOGO's, jarring woodies, old school Arrow loopers (TN Tornado excluded) and anything that causes those headaches don't appeal to me and I avoid them. If it hurts me once I won't do it again unless there is some major reconstruction (like SOB!)

I get fussier (and older and more sensitive) every year. ;)

-Tina

*** Edited 1/13/2007 6:16:40 PM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

I had a change of opinion on Timberhawk at WW/EV. This S&S first opened in 03, and I rode it after my first visits to GL, PKI, SFKK, HW, IB, MA, KW, and 3 days at CP, as well as CAC at SW. After all those world class coasters, Timberhawk was more than a bit underwhelming, added by the fact that a family coaster was delivered on a what was promised to be a thriller (SF marketing over-hyped what WW/EV actually ended up getting). I found one tiny pop of air on it and after multiple rides, came away sorely disappointed.

Now in 04, upon returning to WW/EV with my hubby, I convinced him to give Timberhawk a try. He is my opposite in the world of coasters; he really doesn't like them much (though that's slowly changing). So we boarded up front, and I was slightly shocked how much I enjoyed it. So did my husband, and we ended up re-riding much more that day.

Maybe it was just that it was not coming on the heels of some truly great rides this time; 04 was not a big travel year for me. Even then, the ride had more little pops of air than the year before, and it ended up being more fun than I expected. The intensity level was still low, and the end still boring, but overall there was way more pep to it.