Rank the Orlando coasters

[captainkidd]

So having just got back, I've now officially ridden each of the coasters in Orlando. Here's how I would rank them:

1.Hulk - Coaster is awesome. Great launch, smooth, speed, awesome inversions. Never lets up. Pure power.

2.Chinese Fireball - Amazing to me that an inverted coaster can be this smooth. I rank it just above HH because it seems a bit wilder.

3.Hungarian Horntail - See above. Bit less intense than CF, but crazy ride all the same.

4.Thunder Mountain - More sentiment here than anything else. It's certainly not the most thrilling coaster, but it's theme can't be beat. Plus, if you sit in the back, it's pretty intense.

5.Space Mountain - Like Thunder, a lot about the sentiment here. For a coaster that only goes 28mph, it packs quite a punch, and the effects are good.

6.Kraken - Much like the Hulk, great speed, power and inversions.

7.Expedition Everest - Fun coaster, plus great ride. However, given the broken Yeti's status and the lack of anything really amazing during the 2nd half of the ride, I rank it a bit lower.

8.Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - If this ride ran the way it was supposed to all the time, I'd rank it much higher. A fun, fast coaster, with some unusual maneuvers in it. The problem is, it never runs from start to finish without stopping.

9.Rock n Roller Coaster - Love the launch and the first inversions. But from there, it's a bit slower than I'd like, and it's over too quickly.

10.Revenge of The Mummy - As a dark ride, this one is great, but as a coaster, it's "eh". The coaster portion is too short.

11.Manta - I hated this coaster. I found it uncomfortable, disorienting, and at times, hard to breathe. Won't do it again.

 

[NYwdwfan]

My coaster rankings go something like this:

Too scary for me.
Way too scary for me.
Are you insane - that's too scary for me.

You get the picture!

Glad to see I can handle 2 coasters on the list! (BTMRR and RnRC) Thinking MAYBE I'll try E:E next trip. Maybe.

 

[captainkidd]

If you can handle RnRC, you should be OK on Everest.

 

[NYwdwfan]

If you can handle RnRC, you should be OK on Everest.

I survived it...not sure "handled" was the right word!! I am planning on going again and I did enjoy it, I think. The feeling of falling (out of the coaster on the drops) is what I truly hate - RnRC doesn't do that. Does Everest?

 

[ScoutN]

Hulk goes last on my list. It is the worst B&M on the face of the Earth and the sole reason B&M will never build another launch coaster. Horrendous clearances, transitions are mindrattling, it is a disaster on a huge level. There is nothing intense about it other than the migraine that it generates.

 

[Kamikaze]

I survived it...not sure "handled" was the right word!! I am planning on going again and I did enjoy it, I think. The feeling of falling (out of the coaster on the drops) is what I truly hate - RnRC doesn't do that. Does Everest?

Everest does not have inversions.

 

[powlessfamily4]

I with your review of EE. I believe it could be so much more but without the Yeti the second half is Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[NemoRocks78]

1. Hulk
2. Manta
3. Kraken
4. Mummy
5. Dragons (Ice)
6. Dragons (Fire)
7. Rip Ride Rockit
8. Thunder
9. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
10. Space
11. Everest

 

[captainkidd]

Hulk goes last on my list. It is the worst B&M on the face of the Earth and the sole reason B&M will never build another launch coaster. Horrendous clearances, transitions are mindrattling, it is a disaster on a huge level. There is nothing intense about it other than the migraine that it generates.

Given it's popularity, I dare say it's not a "disaster". I don't get any headaches from it. It's not the smoothest coaster I've ever ridden, but certainly not one of the roughest.

 

[JustInTime]

I'll say I thought Rip Ride Rocket was a theme killer and a dud.

 

[Slipknot]

Manta - I hated this coaster. I found it uncomfortable, disorienting, and at times, hard to breathe. Won't do it again.

By any chance, did you ride in the back or at least behind the middle row(s)?

 

[captainkidd]

I'll say I thought Rip Ride Rocket was a theme killer and a dud.

It doesn't fit in well at all, I agree with that. I think they were trying to tie it in to the Hard Rock Cafe, given it's proximity. They should never have made it part of the park, but rather made it a separate priced attraction for CityWalk. In fact, I thought they were going to keep the ride open after the Studios closed. Not sure if that ever happened or not.

 

[captainkidd]

By any chance, did you ride in the back or at least behind the middle row(s)?

We weren't in the last row, but were pretty far back.

 

[Slipknot]

It doesn't fit in well at all, I agree with that. I think they were trying to tie it in to the Hard Rock Cafe, given it's proximity. They should never have made it part of the park, but rather made it a separate priced attraction for CityWalk. In fact, I thought they were going to keep the ride open after the Studios closed. Not sure if that ever happened or not.

Thanks to Universal selling land that ended up becoming "luxury" apartments just behind MiB and Fear Factor, they now have a noise curfew, holidays being the exception.

 

[JustInTime]

It doesn't fit in well at all, I agree with that. I think they were trying to tie it in to the Hard Rock Cafe, given it's proximity. They should never have made it part of the park, but rather made it a separate priced attraction for CityWalk. In fact, I thought they were going to keep the ride open after the Studios closed. Not sure if that ever happened or not.

I was shocked at the force perspective being ruined by red coaster tracks jutting out of buildings. It is really in a bad spot. That whole area is werd. That stage seemed crammed in as well.

 

[captainkidd]

Thanks to Universal selling land that ended up becoming "luxury" apartments just behind MiB and Fear Factor, they now have a noise curfew, holidays being the exception.

I was wondering what those buildings were. I can imagine the rent there.

 

[Slipknot]

We weren't in the last row, but were pretty far back.

Then that's the problem. The back is horrible. I felt the same way (disoriented after riding the first time in the back) and decided to try it again and found the front or near it is a lot better.

 

[captainkidd]

Interesting notes about Manta:

My first journey on Manta was in the back row, as I had heard from many people that it was the most physically intense. For comparison, my second trip was in the front row, as that’s generally the row with the least physical forces exerted on riders and the most visual impact. After riding the two extreme positions on Manta, I can safely say that it is now both the most intense and most visually appealing roller coaster in Orlando.While riding a roller coaster, I have never felt anything quite like pressure exerted on me during Manta’s pretzel loop while sitting in the back row. The loop, aptly named for the fact that it is shaped like a pretzel, occurs very early in the ride and was definitely not expected. I’ve been on hundreds of coaster loops in the past – indoors, outdoors, tall, short, twisting, non-twisting – but never one as forceful as this one was.
In cresting the top of the loop (riding underneath the track on the inside of the loop), riders have no choice but to stare straight at the track ahead, curving underneath and out of view. The lightweight feeling of flying over that uppermost arch quickly becomes the sheer opposite as the car rounds the vertical corner sending you on a trip toward the ground, exerting extreme forces on you all the while. It’s a uniquely breath-taking experience (literally) that I would only recommend for those looking for Orlando’s newest extreme thrill.
Riding around this loop in the front row relieves most of the extreme pressure and allows for a much more scenic trip around the loop, enabling you to focus less on remembering to breathe and more on the beautiful water and greenery that surrounds Manta.


Honestly, I think Sea World should let you know that. Obviously, many people like being in the front row, but that's usually to add to the experience. Honestly, I thought I was going to die on Manta. The pressure felt on my head and chest was so extreme during that loop, it scared me. I literally could not breathe for about 7 or 8 seconds.

 

[Bairstow]

Ooh! Fun!

10. Rip Ride Rockit - If Gerstlauer can make lap-bar seats that are tolerably comfortable for vertical launches, Maurer Sohne should be able to also. Would have added points for having a unique non-inverting loop, but it loses more points for being butt-ugly and pathetically unreliable.

9. Thunder Mountain - Highly-themed twist on a solid family coaster.

8. Space Mountain – More history and nostalgia here than thrills. Haven't ridden since before the last refurb.

7. Revenge of the Mummy - Wasn't sure where to put this one. More of a dark ride/coaster hybrid. Love it to death, though.

6. Fire/Red/Fireball - Classic B&M Invert. Do this one in the front, in the dark, and if possible, in the rain.

5. Rock n' Rollercoaster - Fun launch, though tame by national coaster standards. The rest is fine.

4. Kraken - Awesome views, rarely any wait time. Would have put it lower but it gets extra points for eels in orbs.

3. Ice/Blue/Horntail - Zero-G city, but you've got to sit in the last row to experience the effect properly.

2. Hulk - The first 15 seconds are the most brutal you'll find in any Florida coaster and make up for the obnoxious queue.

1. Manta - Only flying coaster I've enjoyed, the uplifting music is a pleasant change from the convention that coasters have to be "threatening", and between the queue aquaria, scenery, and surrounding gardens this is the single most beautifully themed coaster in the world. This is roller-coaster engineering as an artform.

*Can't rank Everest because I haven't ridden it.

 

[B-Mac]

Depends entirely on where you sit. In the rear of the train you're definitely going to get rattled up something awful, in the front you might get a few jabs. The worst part is definitely the helix after the first loop to the brake run, there's no avoiding a head jab in there. The layout is not that forceful either, and the last half of the ride from the second loop on is just rather pointless twists with a brake run and a corkscrew thrown in. Not to mention the thing looked downright UGLY a few years ago until they finally decided to give it a fresh coat of paint. Universal hasn't really been kind to that ride over the years. It's also worth mentioning B&M hired another company to build that launch because they had no interest in building launching coasters at the time. Makes me wonder how those people got the friction wheels to carry that train up the hill let alone launch it, those trains are heavy!

At least it isn't a total abortion like Rip, Ride, Rockit. I want to know what Maurer Shone was thinking when they were designing this thing. It sure says something when the park asks another company to rebuild the trains the same year the ride was built. Not to mention having to pour more concrete into the footers due to how badly they were cracking.

Here's my list:

1. Dragon Challenge (Fire)
2. Dragon Challenge (Ice) - I haven't been to Universal since 2009, way back when the dragons used to duel. It's sad that some jerk had to throw rocks at the ride and hurt people, really ruined the ambience of having the two trains nearly collide right in front of the entrance.
3. Revenge of the Mummy - Absolutely outstanding themeing and execution. Universal hit one out of the park with this Dark ride + roller coaster concept.
4. Expedition Everest - Considering everything in Disney has a family orientation to it this is definitely a fun coaster. That drop down the mountain can be good for some air time in the back seat Too bad they can't get that yeti working
5. Big Thunder Mountain - Again an incredible family coaster
6. Incredible Hulk - Opinion above
7. Space Mountain - Can't go wrong with this classic, got to ride it with the lights on back in 2007 because the other side broke down
8. Rock n' Rollercoaster - Been riding this since '99 and it's just been getting rougher and rougher. Vekoma made a good ride though, it just needs major smoothing.
9. Primeval Whirl - I love Wild Mouses, they're always worth a ride or two
10. Rip, Ride, Rockit - Opinion above

I haven't been to Sea World Orlando, yet. My list is likely to change whenever I get the chance to go, which is kind of unlikely in the next few years.