Manta is the only one in this list I haven’t been on (we’re not big fans of Seaworld, so we haven’t been in years). As for the others...
1. Chinese Fireball – This is the old fire dragon, right? I have been on it since they’ve had the Harry Potter overlay, but I forget… I’ve always loved this ride – much smoother and faster than it’s brother, and it holds a lot of nostalgia for me as the first upside-down rollercoaster I went on (back in maybe 2002 or 2003, when I was 10 or 11). I miss the old theming as it was much more whimsical and ye-oldy-worldy, plus the queues were miniscule! We used to ride it 3 times in a row by going back through the ‘re-ride’ entrance. Now with it’s sudden surge in popularity we only get to do it once a day, and even then we have to wait at least half-hour…
2. Rockin’ Rollercoaster – This one has to go second for the sheer excitement and thrill created by the soundtrack.
3. Expedition Everest – I keep switching opinions between what is better, Rockin’ Rollercoaster or Everest. The actual rollercoaster part of Everest is relatively short, so that’s why it’s #3 instead of #2, but for immersion and theming it wins hands-down.
4.SpaceMountain– It is an absolute classic and always the first ride we do at Disney World. It is simple and great, and has a lot of nostalgia and history attached to it.
5. The Revenge of the Mummy – I remember when this thing opened and it was described as a ‘psychological thriller’, which made me terrified about riding it. I didn’t want anyone messing with my psychology! I still don’t know what is psychological about the ride, but I love the immersive theming and sheer eeriness of the queue – which is getting pretty close to the quality of Disney’s queues! I always thing that the actual rollercoaster bit is pretty intense, especially that jerky ‘tumble’ that follows the steep incline!
6. The Hulk – As a rollercoaster it has to be one of the greatest. For a long time as a child I looked up at it and saw it as the ultimate rollercoaster, the unconquerable. Riding it for the first time when I was about 13 was a big deal for me. It took a lot of strength to get on the thing which I had always seen as the biggest and baddest of them all. And because of its sheer height, it probably is the most extreme rollercoaster on this list in a lot of ways. In terms of theming, the queue is great, but when on the actual ride the views are often far from well-themed – you see the backs of some of the fascades and a lot of pipes and cement, not pretty!
7. Big Thunder Mountain – In terms of theming, this destroys the hulk. In terms of thrills it is kind of weak. It has a lot of nostalgia for me and I love the ride, but I treat it as a mild-thrill ride, not a rollercoaster.
8. Hungarian Horntail – It’s amazing how different this is to the Chinese Fireball, which was my #1! The original ice dragon seems much jerkier than his brother (I think he has more inversions or corkscrews, if I recall rightly). To that extent, you sometimes come off aching a little and wishing you’d gone on the Fireball instead. Plus for me it does not have the nostalgia attached to the Fireball, which we used to ride over and over again!
9.HollywoodRip Ride Rockit – This was ok last time I went on it, but far from the best. It’s catch is that it plays music whilst you’re riding – but wasn’t Rockin’ Rollercoaster doing that back in the 90s!? Catch up Universal! Always seems a bit out-of-place in a park dedicated to movies and movie-making… Or is there a Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit movie out there and I’ve just missed it?
10. Kraken – I enjoyed Kraken, but it lacks theme-wise. Plus it’s kind of forgettable – I’m wracking my brains to remember what it’s like! Plus last time I rode it, coming up towards the end where it goes under the rock-formation, by a waterfall, a stone hit me in the eye! It hurt like crazy! Never again!
