Popular coasters that you just didn't "get"

Oh, definitely, I was fascinated by the Moebius-type track, and I thought the hand-slapping was pretty cool and unique. But I'm kind of with the guys who felt the ride itself wasn't all that.

According to Mitch's poll Racer is ranked 78th among wooden coasters. I don't think I've ever heard anyone rave about Racer because it's the most badass coaster on the planet or anything. It's old, it's nostalgic, it has an amazing entrance, and above all else it's unique and fun. I don't think there's much more to it than that.

Yeah, I don't really see how you can't "get" the Racer. It is what it is. It's a middle-of-the-road coaster with a couple cool elements.

Rides like the Beast, Magnum, Phoenix, BoulderDash, Apollo's Chariot, hell, even Mean Streak are (or at least at one time were) hyped as biggest, coolest, best in the world, so I can see the anticipointment there... but with Racer? It's like saying you didn't "get" Barnstormer. What were you expecting?

Remember when all those roller coaster specials started airing on the Discovery Channel as part of "Thills Chills and Spills" week?

There was a special called "Greatest American Theme Parks." It focused on Cedar Point, Kennywood, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and I believe Knobles. It really talked up the Racer and Thunderbolt, as being "some of the best wooden coasters in the world" etc. That program helped us plan our first real coaster trip.

To me, Thunderbolt still is one of the best coasters in the world. I just rode it again yesterday and I never get tired of it. The Racer is more of a fun family ride with some nice airtime in the backseat. I won't argue it's much better than that, but I still really enjoy riding it.

The Jack Rabbit on the other hand... I love the double-dip, but it doesn't make up for the rest of the ride being pretty lame. I've never understood the love for this ride. Li'l Phantom aside, It's certainly my least favorite coaster at the park.

^Perhaps because it provides the single best moment of airtime Ive ever experienced on a roller coaster. See the thing is there is really three types of airtime:

1. Floater Air

2. Ejector Air

3. Holy #$% this #$%$ing train is about to send me #$%ing flying air

Jack Rabbit (especially in the back seat) is the only ride that delievers type 3.

Thanks for calling and telling me you were at Kennywood, Matt. I'm defriending you on Facebook.

Josh, I'll give you one more reason to defriend Matt. He called me and told me he was going to be at Kennywood. : P

Touchdown said:

3. Holy #$% this #$%$ing train is about to send me #$%ing flying air

Jack Rabbit (especially in the back seat) is the only ride that delievers type 3.

Then you haven't ridden the back seat of Cyclops at Mount Olympus.

^While I agree about Cyclops, I still think Jack Rabbits airtime is a little more holy #$%@ because of very little restraint in the train.

I won't deny the airtime on the double-dip, but that's just one moment of greatness and I've had scarier airtime on Georgia Cyclone.

Damn Josh. Were you able to meet up? I'm bummed. :(

You got airtime on Georgia Cyclone?

^ Have you ever ridden it with the trims off? That ride is nuts.

Beast....

I will NEVER "get" it.

Acoustic Viscosity said:
Damn Josh. Were you able to meet up? I'm bummed. :(

Yeah, Jen and I were in search of something to do all day, too.

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

Being old doesn't make a ride good, but older rides should be judged in the context of when they were built. I find it funny that several people compared the KW Racer to the Gemini, as if they were built in the same era. To draw an analogy, my Ford Fusion could easily beat the race car that won the first Indy 500 in 1911 (the Marmom Wasp), but does that make my Fusion a more interesting car? Hardly.

One ride I seem to get but not a lot of others do is Hellcat at Timber Falls (formerly the Avalanche). Don't see why this airtime machine is not as highly regarded as Hades, which I find far inferior to Hellcat.

RPM said:
...does that make my Fusion a more interesting car? Hardly.

I dunno. I bet folks in 1911 would find it pretty interesting! ;)

I've never understood the appeal of Ghostrider. Every ride on it, it's been so rough I've barely had attentional resources to note the supposedly amazing layout.

^ Ah. You must have ridden GhostRider after its glory days had long passed. Today, it's total junk. Complete shadow of its former self in its current state...extremely painful, tracks terribly, and if possible, feels slower. Anybody that rode the thing in its heyday (1998 - early 2000's) will tell you how excellent it was.

That's the thing with some woodies. They are really good their first few years then go to crap.