After just getting back from our first trip where we went to Busch Gardens, I've finally ridden all the coasters at the big 4 (Disney, Universal, Sea World, Busch Gardens). Inspired by the Unofficial Guide to WDW's ranking of the best coasters in Central Florida, here are mine:
1.Big Thunder Mountain - Yup, hardly the scariest or fastest coaster, but it tops all others for theme, fun, nostalgia, and just putting you in the setting like no other coaster. The new queue just helps it that much more.
2.Hulk - Sadly, refurbed Hulk isn't open yet, but original is awesome. Best launch, non stop action, great inversions, great views.
3.Montu - Holy moly. I figured this was going to be just like Dragon Challenge. Nope. Far more intense, longer, faster, bigger inversions, and the G-forces are crazy. Front row was super intense.
4.Space Mountain - What can I say? It's just a classic. Won't win any awards for speed or comfort, but effects are awesome, queue is great, and it just gets extra points for always bringing a smile to my face from start to finish.
5.Kraken - Most underrated coaster in my opinion. This could easily be #2. Has a bit of everything. Speed, lots of inversions, big drops. Only negative is lack of nice scenery.
6.Mako - Scary as heck the first time you're headed up that big hill, but just an absolute blast from start to finish. The airtime is crazy, and the seats make it such a thrill.
7.Chinese Fireball - The twin dragons are almost interchangeable. I give red the advantage as the drop is a bit bigger and it's slightly faster. But both are wild, albeit, too short coasters.
8.Hungarian Horntail - See above.
9.Cheetah Hunt - Very impressed with this coaster. The launches are amazing, and the curving action is just a blast. The type of coaster anyone could enjoy.
10.Expedition Everest - Great theme. Good G-forces, despite no inversions. Good speed, amazing scenery. Just loses points for Disco Yeti.
11.Sheikra - Cool coaster, if not a bit anti-climactic and short. The drops and unusual cars give it a bit of a boost in ranking.
12.Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - This could be higher or lower, depending on the seat you're in. Some seats are fine, while others are very uncomfortable. It gets points for the outside loop, rise to the top, and uniqueness. Loses points because so often it breaks down or slows down at the end while the other cars are unloading.
13.Rock n Roller Coaster - Best launch of any coaster. Actually, best first 10 seconds of any coaster. From there it's just kind of a standard coaster as it slows down quite a bit. Love Aerosmith, so it gets points for that.
14.Kumba - Eh. I liked it, but felt like an inferior version of the Hulk.
15.Cobra's Curse - Certainly not the fastest, but the technology is cool, and it's actually quite a wild ride. Not too intense, but very fun.
16.Mine Train - All about the mine scene on this one. The rest of the ride is kind of a snoozer.
17.Revenge of the Mummy - This used to rank a lot higher for me, but it hasn't aged well. Effects are never all working. But worst of all, it has gotten almost too uncomfortable to ride. The scene where you stop at the bugs needs to be fixed. The 2 drops, last one especially, aren't even enjoyable as you're banged around so much in your seat.
18.Scorpion - Boring. Belongs at a traveling fair.
19.Manta - Yup. I bet no one will agree with me on this one. I hate this coaster. Great concept and beautiful scenery, but it's too uncomfortable. I don't like being on my stomach, but what really gets me is the first inversion. I've sat in the back and then towards the front, and both times, the G-forces knocked me out for a couple of seconds. From there, it's just far too disorienting an experience. I know a lot of people love it, and if they don't have an issue with the comfort I can see why. But for me, it's just a very unenjoyable experience.
1.Big Thunder Mountain - Yup, hardly the scariest or fastest coaster, but it tops all others for theme, fun, nostalgia, and just putting you in the setting like no other coaster. The new queue just helps it that much more.
2.Hulk - Sadly, refurbed Hulk isn't open yet, but original is awesome. Best launch, non stop action, great inversions, great views.
3.Montu - Holy moly. I figured this was going to be just like Dragon Challenge. Nope. Far more intense, longer, faster, bigger inversions, and the G-forces are crazy. Front row was super intense.
4.Space Mountain - What can I say? It's just a classic. Won't win any awards for speed or comfort, but effects are awesome, queue is great, and it just gets extra points for always bringing a smile to my face from start to finish.
5.Kraken - Most underrated coaster in my opinion. This could easily be #2. Has a bit of everything. Speed, lots of inversions, big drops. Only negative is lack of nice scenery.
6.Mako - Scary as heck the first time you're headed up that big hill, but just an absolute blast from start to finish. The airtime is crazy, and the seats make it such a thrill.
7.Chinese Fireball - The twin dragons are almost interchangeable. I give red the advantage as the drop is a bit bigger and it's slightly faster. But both are wild, albeit, too short coasters.
8.Hungarian Horntail - See above.
9.Cheetah Hunt - Very impressed with this coaster. The launches are amazing, and the curving action is just a blast. The type of coaster anyone could enjoy.
10.Expedition Everest - Great theme. Good G-forces, despite no inversions. Good speed, amazing scenery. Just loses points for Disco Yeti.
11.Sheikra - Cool coaster, if not a bit anti-climactic and short. The drops and unusual cars give it a bit of a boost in ranking.
12.Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - This could be higher or lower, depending on the seat you're in. Some seats are fine, while others are very uncomfortable. It gets points for the outside loop, rise to the top, and uniqueness. Loses points because so often it breaks down or slows down at the end while the other cars are unloading.
13.Rock n Roller Coaster - Best launch of any coaster. Actually, best first 10 seconds of any coaster. From there it's just kind of a standard coaster as it slows down quite a bit. Love Aerosmith, so it gets points for that.
14.Kumba - Eh. I liked it, but felt like an inferior version of the Hulk.
15.Cobra's Curse - Certainly not the fastest, but the technology is cool, and it's actually quite a wild ride. Not too intense, but very fun.
16.Mine Train - All about the mine scene on this one. The rest of the ride is kind of a snoozer.
17.Revenge of the Mummy - This used to rank a lot higher for me, but it hasn't aged well. Effects are never all working. But worst of all, it has gotten almost too uncomfortable to ride. The scene where you stop at the bugs needs to be fixed. The 2 drops, last one especially, aren't even enjoyable as you're banged around so much in your seat.
18.Scorpion - Boring. Belongs at a traveling fair.
19.Manta - Yup. I bet no one will agree with me on this one. I hate this coaster. Great concept and beautiful scenery, but it's too uncomfortable. I don't like being on my stomach, but what really gets me is the first inversion. I've sat in the back and then towards the front, and both times, the G-forces knocked me out for a couple of seconds. From there, it's just far too disorienting an experience. I know a lot of people love it, and if they don't have an issue with the comfort I can see why. But for me, it's just a very unenjoyable experience.
