I don't get how some coasters get their ratings (I.E. Raven)

I was looking through the records of coasters (woodies) and didn't see the Raven or Legend from Holiday world listed in the top ten of any catagory yet Holiday World claims them to both be top 10 wooden coasters. Is there something else they rate them on, like overall quality or is this just a fan based rating they post. I have rode both and really didn't see how they got a rating at all, they both were like Adventure Express (kinda) at PKI IMO. Decent but not worthy of a top 10 rating IMO. Sorry if some think I should know something like this but i'm new to the whole ratings and rankings of coasters thing. So I am learning right now about how they get rated. Mainly this is for my personal knowledge to know if I see a rating again for a park to know if I should waste my time or not. I went to Holiday World for free, but was excited about riding these "great" rides but was highly disappointed, I want to avoid that again by knowing what I am reading when I see rankings. Thank you.

EDIT- (I wasn't trying to make this a flame topic against Raven or Legend, I just used that as a personal example of a rating I didn't understand, thanks for clairifying though that they are just popularity ratings for the most part. I'm sure both rides are better than I felt they were and one day i'm sure I will give them a second chance. Sorry if this was looked at as a TOS type post, I thought it was along the same lines as the "why do you liek the beast" topic. So far I feel like being new has made me more a target than vet posters. :( *** Edited 6/29/2004 3:09:44 PM UTC by blotich***

I hardly can see how someone would compare Raven and LEgend to Adventure Express, but you are entitled to your opinion. As for what makes a "Top 10" ride... well, there so many so-called "Top 10" lists, that they all pretty much negate each other. There is no official Top 10 list of anything, at least not one that everyone would agree with. Most polls come down to a popularity contest which would favor any coaster that is in a park with high attendance. Besides, I doubt that you could get any 2 enthusiasts to agree on a top 10, much less all of us.

The poll that probably has the most clout (or at least the most math involved) would be Mitch Hawker's poll. http://www.geocities.com/wcoasterpoll/
It's the one that holds the most water with me, anyway.

Not sure where they get their official clai mof them being in the top 10, but I assume it comes from some awards site on the Internet, which obviously is fan voted. Which one I don't know.

I think Legend is an amazing coaster, but I personally did not like The Raven. There was recently a discussion on this in anoter topic. You aren't the first to be dissapointed by those coasters, but I don't think it is just the coasters that people enjoy at Holiday World, it is the atmosphere with friendly employees, free drinks, and a unique looking park.

The ratings that Holiday World uses to make their claims is the Golden Ticket awards that Amusement Today gives. It has rankings that are awarded when enthusiasts vote. You can find the lists at www.amusementtoday.com

That is the short answer. If you are looking for why people voted them so high, here are some things that enthusiasts tend to like in a coaster: Airtime, lateral forces, an interesting layout, quality tracking, good pacing, tunnels and head choppers that enhance the experience, an "out of control feeling", and of course, personal taste.

When you are new to coaster riding, usually all that matters is higher, faster, and going upsidedown more times. However, those thrills are the kind you get used to and they loose their effect to some degree eventually. I bet there is some small coaster that thrilled you at one point in you life, but now you want bigger. It is not like those things don't matter to enthusiats, but other things take precidence eventually. Coasters like Raven and Legend give great rides that are just as thrilling after several rides in a row as they are the first time.

...and this is exactly why "What do you like best" types of threads are discouraged here. Everyone has their own opinion, and they're welcome to them, but posting something like "I don't get Raven", which is a favorite for many, can quickly drag down into a flamewar...

ESPECIALLY when comparing it to something like Adventure Express, which is clearly a completely different ride style. Ride Raven and Legend at night, after a long day of warming up, then see if you'll still make the same comparison...