What's your favourite roller coaster?

[Phil Reynolds]

Here's a thing, right: one of my "never seen Star Wars"-type claims used to be that I'd never been on a roller coaster. Used to be, that is, until November 4th 2010, when I well and truly lost my cherry (and quite a bit else besides) on Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando. Despite swearing loudly and colourfully for most of the second half of the ride (the section that runs backwards down a spiral track in the dark is stomach-churningly scary), I amazed myself by going on it a second time later in the day. And a love affair had begun.

Over the rest of the holiday I went on pretty much all the big coasters at the four main Disney parks and Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. Right up until the last day I still wasn't sure whether I was really a fan or not - I bottled out of a couple, including Rip Ride Rockit at Universal (the initial vertical ascent made my palms sweat just to look at it). But then I went on The Incredible Hulk which was, if anything, even scarier to look at from the ground - and loved it. I realised that, if I could cope with that, I could probably cope with anything. Since returning from that holiday I've found myself thinking about roller coasters quite a bit: researching the technical details of how they work, reliving the ones I went on in Florida by watching videos on YouTube, and looking forward to trying some more.

So, coaster fans: what are your favourites? How scary are the really big ones in the UK (like the Pepsi Max at Blackpool)? What are the best ones at Alton Towers/Drayton Manor/Thorpe Park etc? If you've been to Orlando, what were your favourites there?

[Matt Morrison]

I'll tell Heather about this tonight, she'll have some input. She made me go on a scary swinging-arm-with-rotating-bit-at-the-end ride last summer and I almost shat my legs off. I know it's only a 'scary ride' and not a roller coaster but yeah - compared to scary(ish) roller coasters I'd been on before (which to be fair were probably quite lame anyway) I think I'm ok with speed and g-force, but not ok with heights, long drops, and weightlessness-with-a-long-distance-to-the-ground type moments.



I'll try and get her to add something later as she loves them scary and has probably done some of the ones you mentioned or enquired about.

[Jon O'Neill]

In before Kirk Bevins.

I don't like roller coasters. Well, I do like them, but I don't get on them very often, because I don't like them.

[Michael Wallace]

I love how bored everyone looks in MWM's rollercoaster photo. Great stuff.

I can't go on rollercoasters because I'm DISABLED, and this thread should be locked because it is discriminative of my disability.

Although from what I hear about rollercoasters from CF, they are rarely worth the effort of queueing up for forever, but presumably if one were a super l33t rollercoaster haxx0r, you'd be able to work out the optimal times to go to avoid the queues.

[Mark James]

I adore roller coasters. Only been on a few though. My favourites were all in Canada's wonderland. The Behemoth, Flight Deck and The Bat probably being the highlights. The most frightening roller coaster I was ever on though was the shitty one at a place called Funderland. It's a once a year carnival thing that arrives in Ireland around Christmas time. Most of the rides are awful and the roller coaster only has one loop but the bloody thing shakes while your going through it. I don't go on it any more, it genuinely doesn't look safe.

[Matt Morrison]

I love how bored everyone looks in MWM's rollercoaster photo. Great stuff.

Haha, sorry should have explained. That was on the way up, as the damned thing was setting itself ready to begin. Our legs had only recently left the floor.
That look on everyone else's face is casual relaxation. That look on my face is shitting panic.

Try this one, it's a bit better. Note how I have to hold hands, and I have to do it on MY terms, on MY side of the seat hahah. Such a puss.


Talking of shitty funfairs run by pikeys, I didn't realise at the time but the whole frame was shifting backwards and forwards each time the arm reached the apex of its swing.
No way I would have been persuaded (blackmailed for sex) to go on it if I'd seen that before.


Sorry for all the images but I'm still quite proud. I couldn't walk straight for about ten minutes. (After the sex.)

[Phil Reynolds]

I know it's only a 'scary ride' and not a roller coaster but yeah - compared to scary(ish) roller coasters I'd been on before (which to be fair were probably quite lame anyway) I think I'm ok with speed and g-force, but not ok with heights, long drops, and weightlessness-with-a-long-distance-to-the-ground type moments.

Yeah, it's mainly roller coasters I'm interested in, certainly on the technical side, although some of the other rides in Orlando would certainly get honourable mentions on my list of favourites. Having been on a few funfair-type rides in this country that made me feel pretty nauseous, I was relieved that none of the coasters I rode on had this effect - I just don't see the point of taking a ride that makes you feel physically ill afterwards.

A lot of the appeal of the best ones for me lies in the imaginative scenarios that prepare you for the ride itself. Expedition Everest certainly falls into this category - one of the reasons I went on it a second time was to take a closer look at all the "Tibetan village" set dressing in the queuing area (which we just walked straight past the first time because there were no queues). Also, although it's not a coaster, I'd have to mention the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in this context - even the overgrown and neglected hotel grounds that you walk through on the way to the Tower itself are brilliantly realised, and every detail of the interior is just breathtaking. (As we walked past the Tower earlier in the day, I expressed some misgivings about the terrified screams coming from within every time the elevator doors flew open at the exposed 13th floor. "They're just recordings, to get you in the mood," assured my beloved, a Disney veteran. Needless to say he was lying through his teeth.)

[Adam Gillard]

The most frightening roller coaster I was ever on though [...] the bloody thing shakes while your going through it. I don't go on it any more, it genuinely doesn't look safe.

Shakiness can be good though in a proper (health-and-safety-ified) theme park. Gwazi in Busch Gardens is a fun roller coaster. It doesn't have the mad loops and corkscrews of other coasters, but it's pretty quick and the thrill is intensified by the bumpiness of the wooden tracks. Admittedly, the main attraction of this ride when I was there as a young whippersnapper was that you only had to be 4ft tall to go on it.

[Phil Reynolds]

Gwazi in Busch Gardens is a fun roller coaster. It doesn't have the mad loops and corkscrews of other coasters, but it's pretty quick and the thrill is intensified by the bumpiness of the wooden tracks.

That looks really good fun and very fast. On the speed theme, the thrill of the high speed launch into the Rock'n'Roller Coaster (my first coaster with inversions) is pretty hard to beat, and the ride itself is wonderfully smooth. Almost as fast is the Incredible Hulk which begins by accelerating you straight into a zero g roll - terrifying in prospect but actually really exhilarating once you're in it (though this one is anything but smooth).

[Jon Corby]

I love pretty much every coaster/fairground ride* that I've been on. I love just being strapped in and thrown about. I find it very, very easy to disregard my own personal safety in the sense that I just think "meh, I'll be fine, they wouldn't have the ride if I could get hurt".

(*I've only been to Chessington/Thorpe Park though. Oh, and Paulton's Park. Which actually contains the one ride I don't like and don't go on anymore (Dragon), because it just spins you round, and the adults have to sit on the outside of the kids, and I find all it does is make me dizzy, and crushes my waist against the edge of the ride, which isn't that fun.)

[Jon O'Neill]

I love pretty much every coaster/fairground ride* that I've been on. I love just being strapped in and thrown about. I find it very, very easy to disregard my own personal safety in the sense that I just think "meh, I'll be fine, they wouldn't have the ride if I could get hurt".

(*I've only been to Chessington/Thorpe Park though. Oh, and Paulton's Park. Which actually contains the one ride I don't like and don't go on anymore (Dragon), because it just spins you round, and the adults have to sit on the outside of the kids, and I find all it does is make me dizzy, and crushes my waist against the edge of the ride, which isn't that fun.)

You're a dick*.

* For having an aside that's longer than your actual post.

[Jon Corby]

I love pretty much every coaster/fairground ride* that I've been on. I love just being strapped in and thrown about. I find it very, very easy to disregard my own personal safety in the sense that I just think "meh, I'll be fine, they wouldn't have the ride if I could get hurt".

(*I've only been to Chessington/Thorpe Park though. Oh, and Paulton's Park. Which actually contains the one ride I don't like and don't go on anymore (Dragon), because it just spins you round, and the adults have to sit on the outside of the kids, and I find all it does is make me dizzy, and crushes my waist against the edge of the ride, which isn't that fun.)

You're a dick*.

* For having an aside that's longer than your actual post.

I also remembered that I've been to EuroDisney a few times, making me an even bigger dick.

[Soph K]

only ever been on 2 rollercoasters. they were very good. my fave was something called 'thunder...'thunder something. cant remember it. was at disneyland.
any of you guys been on one where it goes loop the loop upside down? they seem scary but awesome!...couldnt you fall out your seat when you go upside down???

[Phil Reynolds]

my fave was something called 'thunder...'thunder something. cant remember it. was at disneyland.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad? Yeah, quite enjoyed that one although you get shaken about quite a bit.

any of you guys been on one where it goes loop the loop upside down?

Yeah, I already said that. The Incredible Hulk is especially good - there are lots of POV videos of this one on YouTube but one of the best (because the camera is fixed to the front of the train, rather than being hand-held, so it doesn't shake about all over the place) is this one which also gives a pretty good sense of what that initial accelerated launch is like.

couldnt you fall out your seat when you go upside down???

Yes, provided (a) your seat belt and/or restraining bar fail and (b) the laws of physics suddenly cease to operate.

[Soph K]

couldnt you fall out your seat when you go upside down???

Yes, provided (a) your seat belt and/or restraining bar fail

D'OH! I thought it'd be fun, but now I'm worried!!! You've put me off!!! lol
IM GONNA DIE IF I GO ON A LOOP THE LOOP ROLLERCOASTER (i dont know if you'd be happy about that or not ) SO YOU'D BETTER ALL SAY POSSIBLY YOUR LAST BYE TO ME RIGHT NOW BEFORE I GO ON ONE.

[Phil Reynolds]

Why's Kirk not posted in this topic? I'm disappointed.