What makes a coaster enthusiast tick?

[Katie]

Yes, I am really asking our members this question! As a special feature idea, I wanted to do a write up about why people enjoy coasters and thrill rides for different reasons. For instance, why some people LOVE Son of Beast and some just HATE it. Everyone has their own opinion and I want to hear what it is!

I am going to post what I want you to answer here in the forums. I would like you to copy and paste it into an email and email it to me (Katie@thrillnetwork.com). I will use all answers in this special feature. If you have any questions, please post it here!

What elements make up a fantastic coaster or ride?

What makes a ride so terrible you won't ride it again?

What do you use as a factor in rating the coasters or rides you have ridden? (Airtime, speed and so on!)

What park would you go to over and over again and never get tired of it and why?

What do you think is the most overrated coaster you have ridden? (For example you heard so many good things about this ride and when you got off the ride you felt underwhelmed.)

What is the worst stero-type you exude when going to your favorite park? (park shirts, coaster count on each ride, etc.)

Please be very detailed when writing these to me! I want more then one sentence. I want to show the people that read this site what our members are made of and what we bring to the community!

[KodiakAaron]

What makes a ride so terrible you won't ride it again?

I'll say roughness, because I won't EVER ride Viper again. I'm not willing to sacrifice my ears!

[psyclonerider]

Yes, I am really asking our members this question! As a special feature idea, I wanted to do a write up about why people enjoy coasters and thrill rides for different reasons. For instance, why some people LOVE Son of Beast and some just HATE it. Everyone has their own opinion and I want to hear what it is!


What makes a ride so terrible you won't ride it again?

What do you use as a factor in rating the coasters or rides you have ridden? (Airtime, speed and so on!)

what do you think is the most overrated coaster you have ridden? (For example you heard so many good things about this ride and when you got off the ride you felt underwhelmed.)

Please be very detailed when writing these to me! I want more then one sentence. I want to show the people that read this site what our members are made of and what we bring to the community!

I personally think that roughness, and forcelessness would be factors that turn me away from rides. Saying that, I rate the rides I've been on mostly on Gforces/airtime, and smoothness.
I think that the most overated coaster i've been on would have to be Behemoth at canada's wonderland. Many people told me it was butter smooth, but after riding it in many places, I noticed that the only good seat was the fromt...And of course, being the front, it always has a long line. Behemoth is one of those rides b&m actually failed at, which is somthing very rare.

[Chris H]

psyclonerider I have to disagree with you on that one about Behemoth. It was my first B&M coaster and I rode it on opening day, rode it three times. Since that day the experience may have changed but Behemoth was the coaster that made me want to ride B&Ms all over. While it's not my favorite B&M, it did launch in my opinion the Hyper Coaster "wars". But that's a conversation for a place not on this thread. Message me if you want to know why I don't think it's a fail.

[psyclonerider]

psyclonerider I have to disagree with you on that one about Behemoth. It was my first B&M coaster and I rode it on opening day, rode it three times. Since that day the experience may have changed but Behemoth was the coaster that made me want to ride B&Ms all over. While it's not my favorite B&M, it did launch in my opinion the Hyper Coaster "wars". But that's a conversation for a place not on this thread. Message me if you want to know why I don't think it's a fail.

I felt the same as you my first time on behemoth, but after riding better rides, it's certainly not the best. Also, as I said before I don't like roughness, and that's what bugs me about behemoth, it's only smooth in the front row

[CP Maverick]

Please be very detailed when writing these to me! I want more then one sentence. I want to show the people that read this site what our members are made of and what we bring to the community!
I'm sorry to say I won't be able to meet this request.

What elements make up a fantastic coaster or ride?
Pacing, directional changes, a mix of positive and negative forces.

What makes a ride so terrible you won't ride it again?
Crowds, poor maintenance, predictability.

What do you use as a factor in rating the coasters or rides you have ridden? (Airtime, speed and so on!)
Direct comparison to similar rides

What park would you go to over and over again and never get tired of it and why?
Geauga Lake was there. Cedar Point hasn't been very thrilling lately. Hersheypark is fun but not frequently repeatable. Busch Gardens Williamsburg is probably my #1 right now.

What do you think is the most overrated coaster you have ridden? (For example you heard so many good things about this ride and when you got off the ride you felt underwhelmed.)
Fahrenheit and Raven.

What is the worst stero-type you exude when going to your favorite park? (park shirts, coaster count on each ride, etc.)
Free cups of water.

[Ryan F]

What elements make up a fantastic coaster or ride?
Theming. To me, a great ride has a theme or story set around the ride. This is why I love Disney and Universal so much, their rides start from the minute you enter the line and don't finish until you exit. Sure, I love the speed and height that comes with some great roller coasters, but when a ride has some theming and I actually feel like I've been transported somwhere else, it makes the ride 100x better.

What makes a ride so terrible you won't ride it again?
I don't think there's any ride I wont ride again. Yes, there's some rough ones out there I really don't like, but if I'm at the park, I'll ride it once.

What do you use as a factor in rating the coasters or rides you have ridden? (Airtime, speed and so on!)
A couple factors.
1. The most important - Did I like it? If I had fun on it and came off with a smile on my face and the thought in my head that "hey, that ride was awesome!" it'll be rated higher for me.
2. Again, theming, sotry, and landscape. Was there a theme or story carried out through the ride? Did the park put any effort into placing their ride or just plop it down in the middle of a parking lot? It may not affect the ride itself, but I like parks that look good as well, so if the park put an effort into making the ride look good, it makes it a better experience for me.
3. Airtime. I love the feeling of floating out of my seats on a good ride.

What park would you go to over and over again and never get tired of it and why?
Tough call. I've always been a Canada's Wonderland fanboy, so I'd probably have to say that. They have some good coasters, a really good collection of flat rides, and actually take care in making their park look good. Besides that, stick me in Florida and I'd be happy going to all the parks there non-stop. The parks there have everything I look for in rides and theme parks.

What do you think is the most overrated coaster you have ridden? (For example you heard so many good things about this ride and when you got off the ride you felt underwhelmed.)
Wildcat at Hershey Park.

[CP Maverick]

What do you think is the most overrated coaster you have ridden? (For example you heard so many good things about this ride and when you got off the ride you felt underwhelmed.)
Wildcat at Hershey Park.

It's not my fault they put those abomination trains on it! PTCs made that ride great...

[Daniel Barto]

^ I'm actually going to argue the oposite. I think it's better with flyers.

[CP Maverick]

Flyers inherently staple riders in the most uncomfortable positions. PTCs have spring-loaded restraints. Tracking is irrelevant when you're pinned.

[Ryan F]

I didn't like with PTCs and I hated it with Flyers. Both times were unbarably rough.

[PANTSFREE]

What elements make up a fantastic coaster or ride?
Plenty of airtime. If a ride has lots if airtime I will ride it over and over again.

What makes a ride so terrible you won't ride it again?
An unbearably long line is typically the only thing that would keep me from trying a coaster more than once. Or if its so rough or boring I don't think its worth a second try. For example, when I rode SOB during its last version (with the G-trains, minus the loop) after one front seat ride I was done, it was both so rough and in general terrible I knew my time would be better spent anywhere else in the park.

What do you use as a factor in rating the coasters or rides you have ridden? (Airtime, speed and so on!)
By far above anything else airtime. After that I would say a general feeling of the ride being out of control, as in having a constant barrage of elements with little time to react or think about whats happening. And lastly I would say smoothness, if a ride isn't smooth enough that it isn't re-rideable I won't rate it very highly.

What park would you go to over and over again and never get tired of it and why?
Six Flags America. I can truthfully say I did this for years and years. I had a season pass for more than a decade and rarely took more than a week or two break between visits. For a local living only 30 minutes away its hard to imagine a much better park, really. You currently have a really good intamin hyper, an underrated classic out and back woodie, a vekoma flyer, a premier launch coaster and a GCI twister all with extremely little to no wait 99% of the time.

What do you think is the most overrated coaster you have ridden? (For example you heard so many good things about this ride and when you got off the ride you felt underwhelmed.)
Lightning Racer comes to mind. Its a good ride (both sides are), but its never really impressed a great deal.

What is the worst stero-type you exude when going to your favorite park? (park shirts, coaster count on each ride, etc.)
I almost always wear a coaster/park shirt while visiting parks. I also make sure its not a ride at the park or typically in the immediate region of wherever I'm visiting.

[Alpengeistfan]

What elements make up a fantastic coaster or ride? I like height, speed, and inversions. But I'd rather spend my time in a well run and cared for park instead of day-tripping the nearest place.

What makes a ride so terrible you won't ride it again? There aren't any coasters I wouldn't get on again. Spinny rides are the only ones that have made me queasy, so I do those in moderation. Been more or less avoiding Sky Rides since I got stuck on Cedar Point's (I'm actually afraid of heights, but being strapped in to a coaster car gets me over that right quick.)

What do you use as a factor in rating the coasters or rides you have ridden? (Airtime, speed and so on!) Speed and smoothness of the ride.

What park would you go to over and over again and never get tired of it and why? We always seem to gravitate back towards Busch Gardens Williamsburg. It's five hours away but the rides and shows have kept us coming back for more.

What do you think is the most overrated coaster you have ridden? (For example you heard so many good things about this ride and when you got off the ride you felt underwhelmed.) Space Mountain. Coming from a non-riding family, it used to be the 'big' ride to do at Disney. Still a fun ride but nowhere near the coaster experience of TTD, Millie, or Alpengeist.

What is the worst stero-type you exude when going to your favorite park? (park shirts, coaster count on each ride, etc.) I wear park shirts, usually from 'other' parks. Got a lot of black BGW shirts that I can wear to CP without fear of heatstroke!

[hawkman]

What elements make up a fantastic coaster or ride?




Themeing to the ride is what makes it good. Like Back lot stunt coaster,Flight of Fear,Flight Deck,Maverick and Top Thrill dragster.

[coasterell]

What elements make up a fantastic coaster or ride?
For myself, the coaster to be fantastic has to be smooth, gain lots of airtime, comfortable cars/restraints while feeling safe. The lift system has to be very secure as well, if I feel the lift is rough or not safe I most likely won't ride again.
As far as rides go, anything spin and puke and I'll ride, if its not pulling too many g's I'll re-ride.

What makes a ride so terrible you won't ride it again?
Slowness (i.e. ferris wheels), if it is known to breaking down, or has broken down on myself several times.

What do you use as a factor in rating the coasters or rides you have ridden? (Airtime, speed and so on!)
I use a combination of speed, smoothness, and airtime. I sometimes point out some elements I like as well.

What park would you go to over and over again and never get tired of it and why?
Waldameer Park, PA===small park, free parking, shorter lines, decently priced food, cheap wristbands.
Holiday World, IN===family oriented, fairly large themed areas, free soda and sunscreen, friendly staff.
Disneyland, CA===It's where the magic is, and working there made it even more magical. It's Disney, need I say more?
Cedar Point, OH===it's my "home" park, and just been a part of my life for so long.
Kings Island, OH===after yesterday (read trip review) I would gladly go back over and over again.

What do you think is the most overrated coaster you have ridden? (For example you heard so many good things about this ride and when you got off the ride you felt underwhelmed.)
Top Thrill Dragster===15 seconds and its done.

What is the worst stero-type you exude when going to your favorite park? (park shirts, coaster count on each ride, etc.)
Ride count, and park count
I brag about places I've been and rides I've been on....

Please be very detailed when writing these to me! I want more then one sentence. I want to show the people that read this site what our members are made of and what we bring to the community!