It was a delight to share my 2023 theme park adventures with you, and it was my best year ever as a coaster enthusiast! I'm currently knocking on the door of my 200th credit and preparing for my 2024 road trip. I wanted to wrap up this season with my current Top 25 roller coaster list, and spill the beans on my plans for the first part of the next season of the podcast. Thank you all for listening, and I can't wait to start Season 3!
If you enjoyed this episode, please help me out by rating, sharing, and subscribing. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @coasterredux.
It was a delight to share my 2023 theme park adventures with you, and it was my best year ever as a coaster enthusiast! I'm currently knocking on the door of my 200th credit and preparing for my 2024 road trip. I wanted to wrap up this season with my current Top 25 roller coaster list, and spill the beans on my plans for the first part of the next season of the podcast. Thank you all for listening, and I can't wait to start Season 3!
If you enjoyed this episode, please help me out by rating, sharing, and subscribing. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @coasterredux.
Welcome to Episode 21 of Coaster Redux. My name is Erik and I am a life-long roller coaster enthusiast, but up until lately, I’ve been kind of a lazy one. For years, I’d all but forgotten my roller coaster obsession from high school and college. Then during the pandemic, I started following the coaster world again, and for the last two years, I’ve been on a mission to ride as many new coasters as I can.
This is the story of my revived roller coaster fandom, and I think I just might have shed that lazy coaster enthusiast monniker after 2023. I visited 15 total parks, 9 new to me, and got 72 new coaster credits, and a total of 195 rides throughout the year. Of course, it’s been an honor and a thrill to share those experiences with you. So how do all these rides stack up?
We coaster enthusiasts love rankings. It’s fun right? Which side of which train hits which element better? What’s the best RMC? The best wood coaster? The best coaster train? The best park? It’s all subjective, and everybody has their own unique tastes. So in this episode, as I knock on the door of getting my 200th credit, I think I’ve ridden enough roller coasters to put together a top 25 list.
I know as a roller coaster fan that one of my favorite parts of the hobby is diving into the details and analyzing what makes a roller coaster great. This time around, that’s what I want to share with you.
And with that, join me as I count down my top 25 roller coasters, and give you a preview of what’s to come in 2024. That’s all coming up on the season finale of Coaster Redux.
Let’s be real, it’s been a ride. The idea for a different kind of roller coaster podcast with more long-form content and in-depth analysis was a topic of discussion over steak and beer in 2018 after my brother and I visited Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Inspired by my first rides on Velocicoaster and Iron Gwazi, I fully embarked on this journey in 2022. New technology, designers looking to push the envelope, and parks willing to invest in them led to rides with new forces and sensations I never imagined. I wanted to get out there and experience more of these game-changing attractions, so I put together a week-long road trip to Carowinds, Cedar Point, Kings Island, and Dollywood, and resolved to tell the stories of my travels via podcast.
After that first road trip I was hooked. I couldn’t wait to share my experiences, and to take on the next theme park adventure. Through extensive trial and error, I learned audio production, and that process is still ongoing. I love telling my stories, and while it’s still very small, this podcast continues to experience steady growth, which combined with your feedback, has me fired up to keep riding and creating. 2024 is going to be my best year yet, but before we get to that, I want to talk about right now.
Putting a Top 25 list together isn’t easy. Top 3? Simple. Top 10? Manageable. But once you go beyond that, the lines start to blur quite a bit. I haven’t been on some rides on this list in several years, and recency bias is a thing. When you’re amped up after an awesome roller coaster, it’s easy to say that one is better than one I rode five years ago. In order to combat this, I asked myself one basic question. Which one would you rather ride? Today. Based on your most recent memory. If I’d rather ride one coaster than another, it’s ranked higher. And that’s how I made this list. Are you ready? Let’s dive in.
Number 25 is Texas Stingray at SeaWorld San Antonio. It’s undeniably the best coaster in the park. This 2020 addition is a wood twister with steel supports from GCI, and it does everything this manufacturer is known for……Snappy high banked turns infused with strong airtime between and sometimes even through its direction changes. Texas Stingray delights with its stellar Millennium Flyer trains, near miss elements, action-packed pacing, and a smooth ride. The cherry on top? It’s got a straight first drop which is unusual on GCI’s, and it’s awesome in the back row. Plus, it’s a coaster that’s a hit with enthusiasts as well as families.
Number 24 is Iron Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. RMC’s second IBOX roller coaster was also its first to feature an inversion. It’s got massive height at 179 feet with a 171 foot first drop. That nearly hyper-sized drop has a wacky kink that caught me by surprise every time. Visuals on this ride are amazing as it climbs up and down the park’s quarry wall. Its Gerstlauer trains are also a plus versus RMC’s own because you sit higher with more comfortable lap bars. The final drop off the quarry wall is an unbelievable moment, and the tunnel that follows is one of the few times in my life I’ve put my hands down because the clearance looks too tight. This roller coaster is so good, but RMC’s proven that they’re capable of more. WAY more.
Number 23 is Fahrenheit at Hersheypark. It’s an Intamin, and y’all know I love a good Intamin. And this one is super unique. It’s almost like a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter with a vertical lift hill and a 97 degree beyond vertical drop. You get absolutely ejected down that drop in the back row, and the rest is one of the finest looping coasters I’ve experienced. It’s smooth, whippy, and its elements are intense and unusual. The Norwegian Loop provides airtime and laterals, and after a cobra roll and two tight corkscrews, you get an ejector airtime hill before returning to the brakes. I love a coaster with varied elements, and Fahrenheit has inversions and airtime combined beautifully.
Number 22 is Orion at Kings Island. Is it a giga? Yes, it’s got a 300 foot first drop. Did I like it better than Diamondback? Yes. I had mixed reactions to Kings Island’s hyper. I had some amazing rides with stellar airtime, and some duds with a nasty rattle. Plus the long trains mean you only get airtime over half of each hill. Orion was always steadfast. It’s got a world class first drop, and while the wave turn has nothing on RMC’s, sitting up front it’s a unique feeling. The return trip includes an awesome speed hill with great flojector, a strong camelback, and that last turn into the brake run has some great lateral airtime as B&M cautiously dip their pinky toes into the realm of new-age elements.
Number 21 is Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure. The world’s tallest roller coaster is an undeniable rush. The experience of boarding the train with a near perfect ride crew and then slowly rolling out to the launch track is an amazing way to build anticipation. The hydraulic launch from 0 to 128 is extreme, as is the vibration as the train reaches that incredible velocity. Next comes that pitch up, an airtime filled roll over the world’s tallest hill, and a ferocious twisting descent to Earth before a braked airtime hill. You know it’s short, but it sure is sweet, and it’s a roller coaster experience like very few others in the world. Intamin’s hydraulic launches are a maintenance nightmare, but they deliver a thrill like no other.
Number 20 is Mako at SeaWorld Orlando. 2016 marked the year Florida finally got a coaster focused on airtime. I first rode in 2021 and it exceeded my expectations after lackluster rides on earlier B&M hypers. This one delivers flojector airtime in spades with a steep first drop, perfectly executed camelback hills, and that sweet speed hill. The quote unquote second half following the mid-course has some nice whip through its turns over the water, but it’s the first half that truly shines. Plus Mako is still butter smooth without the slightest hint of a rattle. It’s a coaster I’m happy to marathon with every visit to SeaWorld.
Number 19 is Candymonium at Hersheypark. Statistically and stylistically similar to Mako, this chocolate-themed hyper just slightly edges out the shark because it provides the same strong floater airtime and adds a helix, a sideways airtime snap, and doesn’t really have a mid-course brake run. There’s a nasty trim brake on the hill following the helix that was a bit of a buzzkill, but other than that, it has the stronger second half. Mako’s first half is undeniably better, but I think Candymonium wins on pacing overall. It’s got everything you could want in a B&M hyper.
Number 18 is Storm Runner, also at Hersheypark. Intamin took their ridiculously forceful hydraulic launch and added a notable layout to follow when this coaster opened in 2004. You go from 0 to 75 mph in two seconds flat, then experience ejector airtime over a top hat. Bonus points for the 180 foot vertical descent off that element for being straight so your stomach is fully in your throat. That top hat is followed by three demented inversions, a cobra loop and the flying snake dive which offer completely unique combinations of weightlessness and laterals before a snappy S-bend into the brakes. Storm Runner is 2600 feet of pure adrenaline.
Number 17 is El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure. I had America’s only Intamin pre-fab wood coaster at number four in my last ranking based on my experience in 2014. Back then, I was blown away by the best ejector airtime I’d felt on those first two camelback hills and the Rolling Thunder hill. The first drop took my breath away, being so steep with a phenomenal head chopper going through the support structure. It rode smoother than many steel coasters back then, and after getting back on last summer, the ride’s suffered. The layout still kicks, and the airtime is still bonkers, but the valleys between the airtime hills, the turnaround, and the twisting finale require defensive riding and selecting a non-wheel seat. Long story short, El Toro’s gotten rough. It’s still on this list because it’s still just that darn good. It’s just no longer rerideable. Toby Keith sums up my opinion perfectly. I’m not as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was.
Number 16 is Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, and while it’s the shortest ride on this list at 1800 feet, it’s also one of the most intense. The world’s first Raptor Track single rail roller coaster from RMC runs its course so quickly it looks like a cartoon. The first drop is only 100 feet, but it’s taken at 90 degrees. From the moment you crest that first drop to when you hit the final brakes, it’s a relentless assault on your senses as your shoulders repeatedly force the vest restraints to their maximum extension. You twist through a dive loop, cutback, and corkscrew with airtime hills and an S-bend in between, and it all comes at you so fast that you stumble off as though you’ve just survived a car crash, but in the best possible way.
Number 15 is probably the toughest to rank because it’s the only coaster on this list I haven’t ridden in the last two years. In fact, the last time I rode Intimidator 305 (just renamed Project 305) was September of 2018, but this G-force machine absolutely deserves a spot on this list. Every other giga coaster I’ve ridden dials back intensity, and showcases speed and grace. While that model achieves monster stats without being too much for the average rider, Project 305 does exactly the opposite. This coaster is intense from start to finish, with a phenomenal first drop, followed by a crushing positive-G turn. While there are some airtime moments through the rest of the layout, this coaster’s best moments are its snappy direction changes. I’m talking break your neck if not for the vest restraints snappy. It’s a roller coaster that begs the question, “How does this even exist?” because it’s so intense. And that’s why I love it.
Number 14 is Thunderhead at Dollywood. Before my 2022 road trip, the only GCI’s I’d ridden were the disastrous Gwazi and the family friendly InvadR. Thunderhead delivered everything a great wooden roller coaster should be. It’s got that outta control feeling without being rough thanks to extensive trackwork and the wonderful Millennium Flyer trains. From the moment you crest the first drop through the lengthy serpentine layout you experience endless direction changes which are always combined with simultaneous pops of airtime and laterals, head choppers, and a station flyby. It would be GCI perfection if not for a coaster I rode the day before.
Number 13 is Mystic Timbers at Kings Island. Statistically similar to Thunderhead, this coaster has more of an out-and-back layout and it follows the terrain way out into the woods next to the park’s other legendary wood coaster, the Beast. Mystic Timbers is an unrelenting joy filled with amazing airtime, laterals, and a gorgeous setting. Plus, it’s well themed to mysterious happenings around the park and ties into Kings Island history with the hoaky ending in the shed. If this and Thunderhead were built in a parking lot, I’d prefer Thunder, but the setting and theme of Mystic Timbers gives this coaster the leg up.
Number 12 is Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and I like the way this coaster is different. Intamin is continually evolving and trying new things, and this ride is proof of that. It’s the same ride type as Velocicoaster, but that’s where the similarities end. Pantheon has some weird laterals and hangtime on the beginning sequence before the main launch. Then the swing launch is fun with stellar backwards airtime as you accelerate towards the spike. Floating in the back row is amazing as you slow, stop, and head towards the top hat. Then the ride feels more like an RMC with a massive outerbank and a gnarly stall. Busch Gardens sold themselves short on theming this coaster which is placed in a field in an otherwise beautiful park, but there’s no denying that Pantheon is the best roller coaster here.
Number 11 is Skyrush at Hersheypark. This is another example of Intamin taking on an ambitious project resulting in a roller coaster that is incredibly intense; maybe too much for some. It’s the shortest hypercoaster out there as far as track length, but it’s action-packed with ejector airtime over its kinky first drop and twisting layout over Spring Creek. The ride’s compact footprint means it provides exceptionally strong forces through its short ride time. Skyrush is also a wing coaster featuring 4-across trains with the outer rows flying off the side of the track. While the whip in the wing seats is awesome, the rattle isn’t. No matter what row you choose, the vibration and strong positive G’s cause the restraints to tighten through the course giving it the nickname Thigh Crush. Fortunately, Hersheypark has replaced the restraints for 2024, and I’ve got a sneaking suspicion this coaster will climb up these rankings after my next ride.
Number 10 is Ghostrider at Knott’s Berry Farm. As far as traditional wood coasters go, this one is pretty much perfect. It’s got a phenomenal blend of airtime and laterals combined with near miss visuals as you careen through the massive structure. The moment called “the drop” that comes after the unbanked turnaround over the station provides incredible airtime and sets up a second half that wizzes through wood without wherewithal. Then there’s that ferocious final helix serving up breakneck laterals before a return to the station. At 4,533 feet, this is a super long ride, and it never lets up. Knott’s keeps Ghostrider impeccably maintained, and after getting off this ride in December, it’s now my favorite wooden roller coaster.
Number nine is Millennium Force at Cedar Point. This may be the most hyped roller coaster of all time, and it took me 22 years to ride it. I first visited Cedar Point in 1999, and missed riding it by one year. I closely followed the coaster wars and 2000 marked the debut of the world’s first giga coaster. Superman: Ride of Steel at my then home park Six Flags New England blew my mind that year, and I longed to try out its longer, taller cousin in Sandusky. When I returned to Cedar Point on my 2022 road trip, Millie was my first ride. I couldn’t wait any longer. The Intamin trains are sheer perfection with the minimalist T-Bar restraints, and the climb up the 310 foot lift hill with Lake Erie on the left builds anticipation. The roller coaster that follows is perfect. Insane first drop. High-banked turns. Sustained floater airtime. And a killer flyby over the queue line where you put on a show for the uninitiated. Millennium Force isn’t the most intense roller coaster out there, but it’s two minutes of pure bliss.
Number 8 is Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point. This may also be the most hyped roller coaster of all time. The world’s first hyper-hybrid. Vertical drop. Four inversions. Over a mile of track. Cedar Point’s newest, longest, tallest, fastest, roller coaster from the most bestest manufacturer of the decade. Rocky Mountain Construction exploded onto the scene as the creator of super intense conversions of old beat-up wooden roller coasters adding inversions, airtime, and over, under and outer banked turns. It’s the latest superlative in Cedar Point’s line-up of superlatives, and it’s the number one on many enthusiasts’ list. And it’s absolutely worthy of that. It’s got a great first drop, unbeatable views of Lake Erie, a disorienting layout, killer visuals as you invert through the structure, and more airtime than you could possibly want. That’s why it isn’t higher on this list. It’s too much of a good thing. The second half is a bit repetitive with quick airtime snaps sending your thighs up into the lap bar again and again and again. We’re talking elite roller coasters here, and Steel Vengeance is elite. I absolutely love this ride. The roller coasters that rank higher are just more enjoyable for me.
Number 7 is Wildcat’s Revenge at Hersheypark. RMC’s new designer, Joe Draves, created an intensity monster with this refurbishment of the world’s first GCI coaster. It features a 140 foot steel truss lift hill and an 82 degree first drop heading into the world’s largest step-up underflip. This coaster has a little bit of everything, and every bit of those little bits are extreme! There’s ejector airtime over the speed hill between the underflip and the wave turn leading into the zero-G stall. It’s a great moment, but it’s eclipsed by a surprising lateral pop on a flat left turn heading into the two of the most outrageously whippy zero-G rolls I’ve ever experienced. These things are taken way too fast, especially when riding up front. Wildcat’s Revenge concludes with another ridiculous lateral punch of unbanked track before entering the brakes. It’s a roller coaster that keeps its speed and disorientation from start to finish, and it’s amazing that it tops five roller coasters from Hersheypark on this list.
Number 6 is Lightning Rod at Dollywood. Possibly the most problematic roller coaster of all time is also one of the best! When you can ride it. I had the pleasure of riding it 5 times on my one-day visit in 2022, and I couldn’t get enough. It opened as the world’s first launched wood coaster in 2016, featuring topper track from RMC. Ongoing problems forced the park to slow the launch down, and convert much of the layout to steel IBOX track before I rode. I got to experience this roller coaster in front, back, and middle rows, and no matter where you sit it’s amazing! The launch feels like the Incredible Hulk Coaster at Islands of Adventure, but instead of inversions, you then head out into the Smokey Mountains for an all out rush. The first drop is steep and powerful, then you get two sustained sideways airtime moments in a massive wave turn on the mountainside followed by a whippy Twist and Shout. The finale is the infamous quad down that follows the terrain down the hillside with four succinct ejector pops. The ride concludes with a photogenic upward swooping turn into the brakes. Lightning Rod has a masterful combination of forces and visuals making it one of my favorite roller coasters. 2024 brought a changeover from a launch to a high-speed chain lift which should make this coaster more reliable. I’m so glad I got to experience it with a launch!
Number 5 is ArieForce One at FunSpot America Atlanta. This ground-up RMC IBOX coaster was built to put a sleepy little family entertainment center on the map, and to say it makes an impression is an understatement. The towering lift hill, raven truss dive, and zero-G stall are built right next to the road. Its white supports with one red rail and one blue rail ooze patriotism and pop with contrast. I had the pleasure to ride ArieForce One just one week after it opened, and the park was so excited to share this new roller coaster with the world. The queue and station are themed to aviation and space flight, and I never had to wait more than one train, so I got 11 rides in my couple of hours in the park. Like Wildcat’s Revenge, this is another Joe Draves creation and it’s full of intense and whippy elements that feel even more aggressive than previous RMC’s. The 146 foot first drop at an 83 degree angle is fine, but it’s not a memorable moment, nor is the raven truss dive, at least compared to what follows. You then careen over a speed hill before entering North America’s largest zero-G stall that provides an amazing weightless moment. Next is a massive outerbanked turn that keeps your thighs pinned to the lap bar for an eternity, and a huge double up camelback, leading into the Arcade roll. This is a super snappy heartline roll built over the roof of the arcade, and it’s taken at breakneck pace. A tight turnaround leads into another in-line twist that feels unnatural because you go the opposite direction you think you would, followed by the all-out airtime blitz of the chili dip and quad down finale. After riding this and Wildcat’s Revenge, I pondered over which new for 2023 RMC was better. They’re pretty much the same size and length and have the same number of inversions. It came down to ArieForce having more memorable moments than Wildcat. Wildcat is a great sum of parts that are non-stop action, but I couldn’t name a single moment that stuck with me. On the contrary, Arie’s middle sequence between the stall and the Arcade roll is roller coaster Heaven.
Number 4 is Maverick at Cedar Point. This Intamin Blitz Coaster breaks the Cedar Point tradition of building record-breaking roller coasters, yet it’s still a resounding success. It uses LSM launches and short three-car trains to navigate a sublimely twisted layout with rapid direction changes to create monster thrills without being overly large. It’s only 105 feet tall, but it does have 4,450 feet of track, so this is a long ride. What I like most about Maverick is that it manages to combine everything an enthusiast could want into one roller coaster, and everything about it is unique and interesting. The ride begins with an LSM lift hill that isn’t intense, but it’s faster than a traditional chain. Then things get wacky with a 105 degree first drop that provides absurd ejector in the back row. While it’s only 100 feet tall, it’s one of the most powerful first drops out there. The first half of Maverick features several banked turns with rapid direction changes through rockwork, a crazy ejector airtime hill, and the back-to-back opposing corkscrews called the twisted horseshoe roll. The second half begins with an intense launch to 70 mph in a tunnel before a turn over a lagoon, two wicked Stengel Dive overbanked turns, and a final airtime hill. Maverick is a rush unlike any coaster I’ve ridden, and it checks all the boxes. Launches, drops, tunnels, rockwork, inversions, airtime, laterals, positive G’s, whip, you get the idea. It’s a little coaster that does everything well, and to this day, it’s my favorite ride at Cedar Point.
Number 3 is Fury 325 at Carowinds. It’s the world’s tallest roller coaster with a lift hill and 6,602 feet pure speed. This was my 100th credit, and I left the park disappointed after my first rides in June 2022. It had a nasty rattle, and while I thought it was good, it didn’t live up to the hype. My rides on my two subsequent visits to Carowinds have turned me into a Fury fanatic! The rattle is gone, and this ride is always hauling the mail. The first drop is predictably amazing, and it sets up a first half that stays low to the ground, whipping riders from side to side in high-banked turns. This section of track is placed perfectly above the park entrance and seeing the trains rush past at over 90 mph sets the tone for your day in the park. The treble clef turnaround is a standout element where the train twists up and dives back down towards a tunnel while still banked at almost 90 degrees. The airtime in the back row is epic as you twist out and enter a tunnel beneath the main pedestrian entry bridge. Then the ride concludes with three large bunny hills providing perfect flojector airtime with a sweet helix between them. It’s got a great beginning, middle, and end, it looks amazing in the park, and it’s one of the most re-rideable roller coasters out there. I seem to find myself marathoning Fury every time I go to Carowinds. I simply can’t get enough! B&M threaded the needle between huge dimensions and mass appeal with this coaster, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Number 2 is Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa. This coaster was hinted by park officials during the announcement for Tigris in 2018, and didn’t open until 2022 due to the pandemic, leaving me almost three years of sheer anticipation. The park took their time announcing specifics of the layout and its dimensions. When they finally revealed that it would be America’s second hyper hybrid, the coaster community immediately jumped on the Steel Vengeance bandwagon. Iron Gwazi was to be 1,700 feet shorter, so it would probably end too abruptly making SteVe the better ride. I rode Gwazi before SteVe, and was blown away by its power. It’s got one of the best first drops in the world, an amazing outerbanked turn, and then the Death Roll. It’s a highly disorienting 540 degree barrel roll down drop taken at full speed, and it’s one of the best coaster elements out there. Another stellar moment is that wave turn over the station that provides endless sideways airtime. It’s such a cool sensation. Then the rest of Iron Gwazi is no slouch either, I think it just gets overshadowed by the signature elements. It’s got a great zero-G stall, and it ends with a wonderful series of large hills with unbeatable ejector. The ride ends strong with a huge airtime hill before a sharp banked turn into the brakes. Iron Gwazi does the RMC thing better than any other I’ve ridden. Every element is perfectly executed, and transitions seamlessly into the next. Steel Vengeance lost me at the end. Its choppy airtime moments that just throw you into the lapbar kinda say, “Look what we can do, and look how many times we can do it.” Iron Gwazi is more grown up. It’s more mature. It does every maneuver with purpose. Nothing is just there. It’s quality over quantity, and it’s a masterpiece.
And of course my number one roller coaster remains Velicicoaster at Universal Islands of Adventure. If Maverick is a Swiss Army knife that does everything well, this one does more things even better. First off, it’s an immersive themed experience with a beautiful location over the park’s central lagoon, and the theme is elegantly simple. You really are visiting Jurassic World. A theme park. And they built a roller coaster, that you’re about to ride. It travels through the raptor paddock. It’s a terrible idea. We all know this. The claw marks on the front of the trains prove it, but here we are, ready to fall into that same Jurassic trap all over again. Maybe this time they got it right. The details through the queue are outstanding, as they set up the story with animatronics and screen actors. In the boarding station, the ride crews do a dance to dispatch the world’s best coaster trains with incredible precision. Intamin’s over-the-shoulder lap bars are super comfortable and provide amazing freedom. Once onboard, it’s time to brave the hunt along with Jurassic World’s four raptors. The first launch is punchy and sends you into a twisted mass of track beginning with an Immelman and dive loop. Then you rocket around rockwork with quick airtime pops as you narrowly avoid the four hungry raptors. It’s a sublimely disorienting beginning, and then you hit the second launch. It boosts the train up to 70 mph giving you the velocity to clear the 155 foot tophat that provides ejector airtime for all. You plummet down to the midway then invert through a superb stall; head over heels just above guests’ heads, then enter a helix. But this helix includes a wave turn and an outerbanked fake-out before heading out over the lagoon. There’s a speed hill, and then that moment. The one you knew would be awesome but couldn’t possibly comprehend until you experience it. The mosasaurus roll. While it looks like a simple heartline roll taken feet above the water, it’s so much more. Intamin profiled this element to simultaneously provide laterals, airtime, and whip in a moment that looks instantaneous off ride, yet onboard it seems to last forever. It’s the single best inversion I’ve experienced, and it’s the grand finale on my favorite roller coaster of all time. Every time I ride it, I walk off so amped up because the ride finishes stronger than it starts. How many coasters can claim that? Velocicoaster has inversions, launches, whip, airtime, laterals, visuals, and theming. It’s going to take a new marvel to top this ride for me, and I can’t wait to see what that is.
So there you have it. My top 25 roller coasters as of April, 2024. Like I said before, I’ve got big plans for this year as well. More new parks, and return trips to some old favorites to sample their new attractions. I’ll be embarking on my third road trip in the middle of June, which is right around the corner, and as of now, here’s the plan.
My first stop will be a return to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN. I felt like I could have used a second day here after my last visit in 2022. I really only rode the coasters, and I want to experience the rest of the park a bit more. I mean I didn’t even get their famous cinnamon bread! Plus, they introduced Big Bear Mountain last year, and enthusiasts and the general public rave equally about this new Vekoma family coaster. And of course, I can’t wait to see how Lightning Rod runs with the high-speed chain lift. Dollywood is one of my favorite parks of all time, and I can’t wait to go back.
Day two will be a travel day as I drive due west from the Smokey Mountains to the Ozarks. My second stop will be Dollywood’s sister park, Silver Dollar City! This place looks absolutely stunning, and there’s a lot to look forward to on my first visit. This year marks the debut of their new Fire in the Hole RMC indoor family coaster, and they have three other really unique coasters I’m just itching to try out. Powder Keg is a weird hybrid Premier Rides water coaster and S&S compressed air launched coaster, Outlaw Run was the first RMC topper track wood coaster, and Time Traveler is the only Mach Expreme Spinning coaster in the United States. Plus, if any park can beat Dollywood out for being truly beautiful, this may be it. I’ll have a day and a half at Silver Dollar City before heading north.
Park number three will be Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, MO. This smaller Cedar Fair park just got some love last year with the addition of Zambezi Zinger, a GCI wood coaster featuring a spiral lift hill. They’ve also got the acclaimed Prowler, another CGI that was said to be the inspiration for the phenomenal Mystic Timbers at Kings Island. Then there’s Mamba, a Morgan hyper that’s recently been reprogrammed with less braking to provide insane airtime, and a solid looking B&M invert in Patriot.
The next day will be spent on the road from Kansas City to Gurnee, IL where I’ll visit Six Flags Great America for the first time. This park has a massive line-up of coasters. Maxx Force from S&S features the punchiest launch in the States: 0-78 in 1.8 seconds. Goliath is another ground up topper track wood coaster from RMC, and it’ll be cool to compare this with Outlaw Run just a few days later. Raging Bull is the only B&M hyper with a twister layout, and X-Flight is the only B&M wing coaster at a Six Flags park. That’s just scratching the surface of the 15 coasters at Great America, and with only one day to spend here, it’ll be action-packed for sure.
This will be the proverbial turnaround on this experience, and I’ll begin the return portion of the trip with two full days at Cedar Point. What’s not to love about America’s Roller Coast?! It’s the coaster enthusiasts’ Holy Grail, and I’m looking forward to trying out the refurbished tallest and fastest ride in the park, Top Thrill 2. I never got to experience the original Dragster, but having ridden Kindga Ka last summer, I’m excited to see how this compares with Zamperla’s swing launch and that 420 foot vertical spike. Plus, there’s the new Boardwalk area complete with the Wild Mouse coaster I haven’t done, and the legendary collection of rides the park is known for.
My next hotel will be in Louisville, KY, but the drive is only six and a half hours, and Kings Island is just about half way. I’m going to stop for half a day to check out the new Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers Vekoma Family Boomerang, and hopefully the Bat Arrow Suspended Coaster. It was closed on my last visit because a wheel fell off. Then getting back on Mystic Timbers, Orion, Diamondback, and the Beast will be great as well.
The next morning, I’ll drive an hour from Louisville to Santa Claus, IN for my first visit to Holiday World. This charming Holiday themed park is known for its three outstanding wooden roller coasters, The Raven, The Legend, and the Voyage. I’ll get a ride on the new Good Gravy! Vekoma Family Boomerang, and of course Thunderbird, which is widely considered to be the best B&M Wing Coaster in the country. I’m super hyped up about this one! I’ll leave Holiday World and drive the hour back to Louisville for the night.
My final new park for the trip will be Kentucky Kingdom, so I’ll have been to all three Herschend Family parks within two weeks. This small park has three small coasters that guarantee big thrills. Storm Chaser is the RMC conversion of the old Twisted Twins wood coaster from when the park was operated by Six Flags. Many say it’s one of the best small RMC’s, so we’ll see. Then there’s Kentucky Flyer, a Gravity Group family wood coaster that’s known for providing good airtime and laterals despite its small size. Finally, I can’t wait to check out Lightning Run. This Chance Hyper GT-X is basically a mini-hyper coaster. While it’s only 100 feet tall, it’s known for an outta control ride experience with plenty of ejector airtime.
I’ll depart Louisville the next morning for the two day drive back to South Florida and I’ll stop in Atlanta for the night with the option to hit up Six Flags Over Georgia and/or Fun Spot.
This is going to be my longest road trip to date, and I’ll visit nine parks with five new to me with the potential for over 40 new coaster credits. It’s going to be intense, but I can’t wait!
As I close out Season 2 of the podcast, I want to thank you, the listener, for continuing to keep me motivated throughout this experience. I said from the beginning that I’d do this whether or not people are listening because I truly enjoy every part of the process, and just putting myself out there. It’s been 16 months since I launched my first episode, and the steady growth and positive feedback has been truly humbling. Please help me out by reviewing and following me wherever you are listening.
Lastly, I strongly encourage you to check out and follow @coasterredux on Instagram and Facebook. I post reels and stories from my time in the parks, so you’ll get a sneak preview of what’s to come to the podcast. Make sure to turn the sound on because my reels are like music videos about my experiences. I love pairing the perfect song to video to capture the vibe of a ride. This season has been an absolute joy to put together, and I’m beyond excited to embark on my next adventure. Join me for more storytelling about first time park visits, and new rides at old favorites. There’s a lot to look forward to in Season 3 of Coaster Redux.