Popular coasters that you just didn't "get"

^There was some airtime, but not nearly enough airtime as dozens of other wooden roller coasters out there.

Phoenix has more moments of airtime than El Toro does. I prefer a layout with no dead hills vs. one with 4 great hills and 4 lame hills. But to each each their own. :)

Clint, you have two vastly superior coasters to ride at Magic Mountain. Well I can't speak personally for the wooden robot ride, but Tatsu is my favorite B&M coaster ever.

I still say pound for pound I get the most airtime on the Yankee Cannonball at Canobie Lake. Huge heaps of airtime on every single hill, not something I can say about most coasters. Its also the length, unlike Voyage where after the turn around you only get quick pops (which are still amazing) the Cannonball delivers airtime for what seems like an eternity even on the bunny hills.

We were absolutely blown away by BIZAЯRO. It could easily take the first 5 spots in my favorites list. Our entire group felt the same way.

Loved El Toro and never felt that any part of it was boring.

One that did shock me was Cyclone at SFNE. In the back row that ride has incredible ejector air. I understand that it used to be much better. Luckily since I have noting to compare it to, I am not tainted by the past.

Add Raptor to my previous list. How does this thing get the love that it does? I've ridden over a dozen inverts, and the only one I can think of that Raptor probably beats is the Great Bear, although if you break up the Dueling Dragons (and I don't), you might get one more. It's not a bad ride or anything by any stretch of the imagination, and I really do enjoy it, but I think it's beaten pretty handily by a number of competitors.

I don't think it's even close to being the best B&M at Cedar Point, but I KNOW I'm in a minority with that one.

I feel 180° from your assessment of Raptor. Of the 11 that I have ridden only Afterburn comes close to Raptor. Now I have not ridden Montu which is often considered best of breed. What others do you feel beat it?

B-TR (ridden all 6 as well as SFFT's Goliath), Talon, Dueling Dragons (counting the interaction with the opposing Dragon as part of the experience), Montu, Alpengeist, Great Bear, Raptor. B-TR is the top of the heap for me, with Montu and Alpie right behind.

Raptor has that killer helix at the end of the ride which pushes it into my top 5. Only invert that beats it is Alpengeist, its opening combo (drop, diving loop, vertical loop, cobra roll) might just be the best 30 seconds of any roller coaster Ive ridden, especially in the front.

Touchdown said:
-Knobles Grove in general: Its dirty, dusty, employees are non energetic and really slow operators, I didn't care for the food, and other then the fantastic fliers, bumper cars and carousel there is nothing there I need to go back and ride, ever.

Awesome, one less person in front of me in line. Like they say, different strokes for different folks. Although I'm not sure where the really slow operator part comes in. Really?

Maybe he means slow in that they give you long rides LOL. Those rides on the Skooters have to be 5 minutes long

I like SFMM's Goliath. Clearly it's deeply, deeply flawed but I love the trains, and the feel of the ride itself. It's unfortunate that Gio never got a chance to build a large, freewheelin' out and back style hyper, or something like that. I feel like with a good layout it could beat most of my favorite Intamin and B&M hypers. Then again I have a almost maniacal obsession with Phantom's Revenge and I think you can draw a lot of comparisons of how PR and the Gio hypers track.

For me, El Toro is right up there with the coasters I don't "get." Kinda. Clearly, it's a phenomenal ride in a lot of aspects, but by wooden coaster standards it just doesn't hold up for me. My #1 biggest complaint though is the lap bar stapling which really sucks a lot of my enjoyment out of the ride. That first drop and first two hills are still pretty undeniable, though.

Stapling aside, El Toro was a ride I find difficult to categorize. It's obviously not steel, but if I compare it to traditional wooden coasters, it's so drastically different that I have a hard time ranking it (especially since I rank wood and steel separately). But it is in my wood list, behind Thunderhawk and Phoenix at #3.

Regardless of all the comparisons I can make to both types, it's unquestionably the most demented experience I've had on two rails.

There are many popular coasters that I myself don't enjoy, but I also "get" that different people like different things, so I wouldn't say I don't "get" them. :) For example, there's absolutely nothing pleasant for me about Legend, but many other people like it, so obviously it must be doing something right.

As for Phoenix, I'm sure I would enjoy it much more if I didn't constantly feel like I'm about to fall out of the car, and/or if the buzz bar were covered in a thick layer of bubble wrap. And hello, Twister? Sherwin-Williams called, they want their paint shaker back. ...Yet I'm probably going to PPP anyway. :)

The more different coasters I ride, the better picture I get of what styles and forces I like. If I think I'm not going to enjoy a new coaster (but of course I'm going to credit wh0re it anyway), I can mentally brace myself -- and if I end up having a good time, all the better! I had heard stories about the "insanity" and "violence" of Voyage, so I wasn't sure whether I'd like it, but now it's #2 on my woodies list. I'm expecting with the Timberliners it will move up to #1.

I don't get The Beast. There are only two coaster experiences that I prayed to God that the ride would end, and it was one of them. Imagine my dismay when The beast got to the breaks and there looming in front of me was another lift hill. Drat!

Touchdown said:
-KW Racer: This one is all boring, only exciting thing is hand slapping and I can do that on the Gemini and have a ride that is enjoyable as well.

Seriously, how can put down the Racer. Sure, the ride experience is not the most intense, but we'll see how fast you move when you are 83 years old. I think its one of the best looking coasters, plus its got that continous track think which is pretty unique.

I've never been a racer fan either. It's okay, but boring to me.

Big fan of Racer here. IMO, it's the best family woodie ever built. It's not very intense, but loads of fun with the racing and hand-slapping, and it has some good airtime in the back of the train. That said, I am also a big fan of Gemini, but I'd like it more if it had a wooden track.

I usually pass on Racer much like I will pass on Sky Rocket for future visits. More time for me to spend riding Phantom and Thunderbolt which are popular coasters I do "get".

Racer ride is made worse by knowing you could have been riding Jack Rabbit next door instead, a ride which is even older but is a far better ride.

Saying a ride should be good because its old makes no sense (as does insisting that every new ride has to be good.)

Oh, c'mon, people. There's nothing wrong with Racer. And isn't it cool to be on one of only two continuous circuit, racing coasters on the planet? I think so, at least, but maybe I'm just a dweeb.