Favorite Roller Coaster / Attraction in the United States

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
It's officially summer! That means amusement parks, fairs, boardwalks, festivals, and theme park vacations are in full swing.

What's your favorite current attractions anywhere in the country?

Any ride that is now closed and you wish would reopen?
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'll go first-

Stand out current attractions-

The Beast (at night)- Kings Island.

Mystic Timbers- Kings Island

Banshee- Kings Island.

Music Express- Morey's Pier Wildwood, NJ.

The Slingshot -Old Town Orlando. (Imo this is the best slingshot ride in existence)

Dragon Challenge - Islands of Adventure (Dueling Dragons the last time I rode it)

GateKeeper - Cedar Point

Top Thrill Dragster - Cedar Point.

Favorite Festival Attractions-

The Rainbow.

"Eggs" - don't know the actual name for these, it's like an enclosed egg shaped cage where you flip upside down while going around similar to a Ferris wheel.


Attractions that I loved and are now defunct-

Tomb Raider- Kings Island.

Mr. Toad's Wild Ride- WDW.


We are an adrenaline rush family ;).. always looking for new experiences. We do have a Platinum Pass to Cedar Fair for the first time this year.. goal was to visit 5 this year.. unfortunately we just won't have the time..hoping to make it to at least one that we haven't been to.

A thread on a Six Flags attraction inspired me to create this thread.. we'll make it to a Six Flags eventually.
 
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MinnieM123

Premium Member
Well aside of the coasters that I enjoy at WDW, I also like the Yankee Cannonball roller coaster at Canobie Lake Park, in Salem, New Hampshire. It's been there since 1936 and it's an old woody coaster that creaks and rattles. It's an exciting ride! :happy:. I found this clip on YouTube below --

 

Tick Tock

Well-Known Member
Well aside of the coasters that I enjoy at WDW, I also like the Yankee Cannonball roller coaster at Canobie Lake Park, in Salem, New Hampshire. It's been there since 1936 and it's an old woody coaster that creaks and rattles. It's an exciting ride! :happy:. I found this clip on YouTube below --


Wow. That's almost an identical miniature version of one of my favorite wooden coasters, Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags in Atlanta. The layout, the hills, all very similar in design & route. GASM obviously copied the Cannonball, or at least took a big chunk of influence from it.
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
Wow. That's almost an identical miniature version of one of my favorite wooden coasters, Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags in Atlanta. The layout, the hills, all very similar in design & route. GASM obviously copied the Cannonball, or at least took a big chunk of influence from it.


That one looks really fun, too! I can also see quite a few similarities to it's northern counterpart. When I looked up the history, I was surprised to see that it was built in 1973--I would have assumed much older than that.

Thanks for sharing.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Well aside of the coasters that I enjoy at WDW, I also like the Yankee Cannonball roller coaster at Canobie Lake Park, in Salem, New Hampshire. It's been there since 1936 and it's an old woody coaster that creaks and rattles. It's an exciting ride! :happy:. I found this clip on YouTube below --



That does look fun! I love wooden coasters.

I was hyped for this one when it was known as the Italian Job Stunt Coaster



Back Lot Stunt Coaster is a must for us!
This photo is from Wednesday night. We were able to ride it back to back during the fireworks.

I love the fire part when I'm cold.lol

IMG_0637.JPG
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
@Dead2009 Did you ever see the Tomb Raider ride? That was one of the best theme park/amusement park rides anywhere, imo.

I wish Universal/IoA would do something similar.

 
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Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
Both coasters, The Yankee Cannonball and The Great American Scream Machine, we're built by The Philadelphia Toboggan Co.

The Great American Scream Machine was part of the renaissance of wooden coasters in the '70s ushered in with The Racer at King's Island. Around that time they also built The Shooting Star at Lakeside park in Salem, VA.

928da3c2cceebba35fb94f73a080a01b.jpg


And The Swamp Fox at Myrtle Beach, SC.

Family+Kingdom.jpg

After that, building coasters was cool again.

Now, as to my favorite coasters,

1. Millennium Force, Cedar Point
2. Jack Rabbit, Kennywood
3. Thunderhead, Dollywood
4. Phantom's Revenge, Kennywood
5. Apollo's Chariot, Busch Gardens Williamsburg
6. The Beast, King's Island
7. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Disneyland
8. Space Mountain, Disneyland
9. The Mummy, Universal Studios Florida
10. The Loch Ness Monster, Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Favorite Non-Coaster Attractions

1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Islands of Adventure
2. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-man, Islands of Adventure
3. Tower of Terror, Disney's Hollywood Studios
4. Haunted Mansion, Disneyland
5. Indiana Jones Adventure, Disneyland
6. American Adventure, Epcot
7. Backlot Tour, Universal Studios Hollywood
8. PotC, Disneyland
9. Peter Pan's Flight, Magic Kingdom
10. Cedar Downs, Cedar Point
 
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21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Both coasters, The Yankee Cannonball and The Great American Scream Machine, we're built by The Philadelphia Toboggan Co.

The Great American Scream Machine was part of the renaissance of wooden coasters in the '70s ushered in with The Racer at King's Island. Around that time they also built The Shooting Star at Lakeside park in Salem, VA.

928da3c2cceebba35fb94f73a080a01b.jpg


And The Swamp Fox at Myrtle Beach, SC.

Family+Kingdom.jpg

After that, building coasters was cool again.

Now, as to my favorite coasters,

1. Millennium Force, Cedar Point
2. Jack Rabbit, Kennywood
3. Thunderhead, Dollywood
4. Phantom's Revenge, Kennywood
5. Apollo's Chariot, Busch Gardens Williamsburg
6. The Beast, King's Island
7. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Disneyland
8. Space Mountain, Disneyland
9. The Mummy, Universal Studios Florida
10. The Loch Ness Monster, Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Favorite Non-Coaster Attractions

1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Islands of Adventure
2. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-man, Islands of Adventure
3. Tower of Terror, Disney's Hollywood Studios
4. Haunted Mansion, Disneyland
5. Indiana Jones Adventure, Disneyland
6. American Adventure, Epcot
7. Backlot Tour, Universal Studios Hollywood
8. PotC, Disneyland
9. Peter Pan's Flight, Magic Kingdom
10. Cedar Downs, Cedar Point

I'm going to have to YouTube some of those today. I've never been to Dollywood or Kennywood.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
To piggyback on @Disneyhead'71 .. here's a really neat bit of roller coaster history (especially bc it's about one of my faves ;) )

A park took their want for a new coaster into their own hands..when the Philadelphia Toboggan Co. wouldn't do it, in 1979.
To this day it remains one of the best roller coasters in the world.

A notable non-PTC coaster built during this time was The Beast at Kings Island. After John Allen refused to design the coaster in lieu of retirement, Kings Island built the coaster themselves, with the coaster designed by Al Collins and Jeff Gramke and construction overseen by Charlie Dinn. Rather than a typical out and back layout, the coaster sprawled over the woods at the back of the park, using the terrain to create an elevation change from lowest to highest point of 201 feet, even though the coaster was only 118 feet tall.[1] The coaster also had two lift hills which, while common for mine train coasters at the time, was uncommon for wooden coasters. Opening in 1979, the coaster was, and still is, the longest wooden roller coaster in the world at 7,359 feet.
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I've been meaning to share something here and keep forgetting.. so here it is..

@larryz @Disneyhead'71 @Dead2009
@MinnieM123

Have you guys heard about the #theyrecoming campaign?
It's the newest obsession in our house.. kiddo is just over 51 inches now.. fingers crossed that the height requirement will be 52" when it open next year. If it's not, we won't be renewing our Platinum passes..I can't deal with torturing him like that.lol

Check out this video on YouTube:

 

Disneyhead'71

Well-Known Member
I've been meaning to share something here and keep forgetting.. so here it is..

@larryz @Disneyhead'71 @Dead2009
@MinnieM123

Have you guys heard about the #theyrecoming campaign?
It's the newest obsession in our house.. kiddo is just over 51 inches now.. fingers crossed that the height requirement will be 52" when it open next year. If it's not, we won't be renewing our Platinum passes..I can't deal with torturing him like that.lol

Check out this video on YouTube:


When Mean Streak opened I was blown away and loved it. Even though it should have been named "Bug Eater Express". But over time, it got way too rough. Too the point that I avoided riding it. I am super excited about this upgrade
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
When Mean Streak opened I was blown away and loved it. Even though it should have been named "Bug Eater Express". But over time, it got way too rough. Too the point that I avoided riding it. I am super excited about this upgrade

Me too!!! I've been following it on twitter and FB.. the hints are exciting. I wonder if they can actually keep it under wraps until opening day.

The shed wasn't leaked, surprisingly, but it was enclosed.. so no outdoor photos could be taken.
 

Dead2009

Horror Movie Guru
I've been meaning to share something here and keep forgetting.. so here it is..

@larryz @Disneyhead'71 @Dead2009
@MinnieM123

Have you guys heard about the #theyrecoming campaign?
It's the newest obsession in our house.. kiddo is just over 51 inches now.. fingers crossed that the height requirement will be 52" when it open next year. If it's not, we won't be renewing our Platinum passes..I can't deal with torturing him like that.lol

Check out this video on YouTube:



Where is this?
 

21stamps

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Where is this?

Cedar Point.

Last year CF did a similar hashtag/teaser campaign with Kings Island's Mystic Timbers- #whatsintheshed.

Somehow they actually kept the secret until 1st rides on opening/preview day. I hope they do the same with this!

The coaster was "Mean Streak" and it was awesome, but very rough.. Cedar Point held a "funeral" for it after it was closed last Fall.

A short time later they announced that RMC is doing a complete revamp/redesign of it. Name is to be determined..
 

MinnieM123

Premium Member
I've been meaning to share something here and keep forgetting.. so here it is..

@larryz @Disneyhead'71 @Dead2009
@MinnieM123

Have you guys heard about the #theyrecoming campaign?
It's the newest obsession in our house.. kiddo is just over 51 inches now.. fingers crossed that the height requirement will be 52" when it open next year. If it's not, we won't be renewing our Platinum passes..I can't deal with torturing him like that.lol

Check out this video on YouTube:



That looks scary. (I'd like to try it! :D ) Unfortunately, I believe that's in Ohio, right? Too far away--I'll have to live vicariously through other people's adventures on it.
 

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