I love coasters and such, but my favorite is the one where you ride on a raft down a whitewater river full of rapids and falls-and you get to play Waterfall Roulette! I recall once when my sister got absolutely soaked while I stayed almost completely dry. Cedar Point in Ohio has one.
I haven’t made an extensive survey of the RollerCoasters of the World, but in my limited experience my favorites in no particular order are:
The Beast (Kings Island). No longer the longest, fastest wooden roller coaster, but still #1 in my heart. The roller coaster that made me love roller coasters.
The backwards **Racer **(Kings Island). Yeah, I’m a Cincinnati boy. The backwards Racer eventually became the only coaster that could still give me that feeling in the pit of my stomach. Plus, great air time on the hills.
The Cyclone (Coney Island). Because I’m a damned masochist, apparently. God knows what’ll happen when I get around to riding it without a few beers in me.
Not a very experienced coaster rider but I did love the old wooden one in Santa Cruz. Something about not being so firmly strapped in, that and the fact it was some sort of special night where all rides were $0.75.
Sadly missed out on the The Cyclone. Having loaded up on Nathan’s Hot Dogs to get the full effect :eek: an almighty thunderstorm blew in and spoiled the party.
Yes! 100%!
Also - Millenium Force and Superman: The Escape
I haven’t tried it yet (the line was too long), but I always have a blast riding the Behemoth.
Wow! I thought I was being brave on the Behemoth. I’ll have to see if I have the nerve for that one when I go to TO this summer.
I rode it the first year it was open and almost every year since… last year 5 times in one day. Still one of my favorites.
As of last year they were both going forward again. Not sure if that will continue, but my son is going there tomorrow so I’ll let you know. I lost count of the number of times I rode it last year (all on the same day).
I’m getting older so the wooden ones wear me out. I have a new almost favorite which is the Diamondback also at King’s Island. Looks almost identical to the one in the video above. Same type of car lay out where every seat has a great view. It has six drops so if you are into air time this is the one. It is also steel so it is smooth as silk. Rode it 4 times (same day) last year.
Like I said, my son is going there tomorrow, but I know he is going to be shocked. My company has in the past rented out King’s Island for a private party so the longest wait is maybe 30 minutes for any ride… most you can walk onto and if nobody is waiting you can ride a second time in a row. He is used to riding 30 times or so over the course of a day… he will be shocked to find out he may only fit in 5 or so.
I can never get tired of the Millennium Force (Cedar Point). 300 ft., 80 Degree drop, banks past 90 degrees, 92 mph top speed… and no over the shoulder harness. One magical september day in 2009, I rode it at least 15 times.
I was “eh” on the Maverick. It was a super rough ride and left me vaguely nauseous for the rest of the day.
My #1 will always be the American Eagle at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL. There’s nothing terribly special about it anymore, although at the time it was built (1981), it was the tallest and fastest wooden coaster in the world. Now, it’s just an old coaster with a lap bar, one ascent, and a lot of hills. But it was my first ever rollercoaster ride, and I’ll always remember it as “The Rollercoaster.” I’ve ridden it forward and backward more times than I can count (seriously, ride it backward, so fun!). I really hope they never tear it down.
As far as the most innovative coasters I’ve enjoyed, two come to mind. One is the Raging Bull, the other is Superman (you get to fly like Superman! except with a harness). I really like coasters that make you feel like nothing is underneath you. The Batman was the first inverted coaster I ever rode on (and was the first inverted one in the world, actually!), PLUS the line for The Batman is really interesting–they made it look like the ruins of Gotham.
I also rode on all the coasters at Cedar Point in my teens, the most memorable of which were the Millennium Force (so pretty at night) and the Top Thrill Dragster. But I still like Great America better–mostly for the nostalgia. My first-ever time at a theme park? Great America. My first band field trip? Great America. My first time at a theme park without my parents, splashing in puddles with my best friends in the whole world? Great America.
I don’t go to theme parks anymore, because I get extremely anxious in large crowds. Also, I’m too fat to fit on the really fast coasters anymore. But it’s fun to reminisce =)
Once they invented drop towers I no longer had any need to ride roller coasters as the zero-gee is my favorite coaster element. I still have a fondness for the Big Shot in Vegas but Magic Mountain is building one that will be the tallest in the world.
I’m not a roller coaster junkie, but these are my faves:
California Screamin’ @ Disney California Adventure
The Tower of Terror, @ Disney California Adventure (haven’t been to the Florida version)
The Psyclone (RIP), a copy of the Cyclone at Coney, @ Six Flags Magic Mountain
Goliath, @ Six Flags Magic Mountain
They’re all big fun, but the only time I have ever been convinced that I would die on a coaster was on a Wild Maus at the LA county fair. Jesus Christ.
The actual Cyclone is on my bucket list. So is the Eye of London, though it’s not considered a thrill ride.
I actually injured one of my ribs at the bottom of the Cyclone’s first hill. Took 9 months to stop hurting.
But you can’t beat Cedar Point (I live just a 1.5 hours’ drive from there).
Happened to me, too! After I got off, I wanted to find the train ride, or even a park bench. Kind of disappointing. I had been at Cedar Point the summer they were tearing down the old log ride, I think, to make room for it, and eagerly waited for it to be done.
Millennium Force is a good one, especially since you can see it towering throughout the entire park. That 80 degree drop looks more like 95 degrees when you’re looking at it. 
I like The Raptor (Cedar Point) for the feet-dangling experience. Also completely love Mean Streak (also Cedar Point) since it’s not a long wait, usually, and is a pretty long ride. I didn’t get to go on it last time , ~2010. The rest of the group went right after we’d been on Maverick, and, as I said, a park bench was an appealing alternative, but my brother said it was a pretty rough ride. Apparently they’ve recently fixed that.
I cannot recommend the Mantis unless you are taller. If you’re ~5’3" like me, your head just bangs away in the harness.
With the newer coasters the Corkscrew often sees short lines, but it still pulls a lot of G’s with all those tight loops and curls. Once a friend and I rode it like 6 times in 15 minutes.
I grew up going to Cedar Point at least twice a summer. I was afraid of heights, but every year I would ride the next biggest coaster. I graduated from the Blue Streak to Gemini, to the Raptor… My goal was to eventually ride the Magnum, which for many years was the tallest coaster in the park.
Eventually I gave up on my goal, deciding it just wasn’t worth the terror. But one day I was there with my best friend, and out of nowhere I said, ''I’m ready. Let’s do it." So I finally faced my fear and rode the Magnum. And it was so. much. fun. I went straight from there to the Millenium Force, and I rode that first hill down with my hands all the way in the air. It was amazing.
So I’d have to say, in order
-Milennium Force
-Magnum
-Gemini (just because it’s neat - a big wooden coaster with a double track and at certain points you can reach out and touch the hands of people in the other train. Plus it’s always a “race” to see which train makes it to the end first.)
Living on the East Coast, where few people have heard of Cedar Point, I have to tell you. You’re missing out. There’s no better coaster park. You should book a flight this summer!
Here’s why I will never ride the Mantis again. I got in, I pulled down my harness, it wouldn’t lock. I told the attendant my harness wasn’t locked, and he said, as the cars pulled away, “just hold it down.” I rode the entire Mantis with an unlocked harness, meaning the only thing securing me to my seat was a seat belt. :eek:
Do they still have the Mine Ride at Cedar Point? That was my favorite both due to the short lines and the longness of the ride.
I also like Space Mountain (ETA: at Disney World in case there are ones elsewhere that differ), even though they’ve brightened it up over the years so that once your eyes have adjusted you can basically see everything around you. Except The Drop. That thrills me every time.
I enjoyed Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disney World, and also the Haunted Mansion. I think the former’s gone now, though. 
Yeah, now it’s using the same equipment and pathway, but it’s now Pooh-themed rather than Toad. I rode it once and it was disappointing. But not halfway as bad as the travesty that is the Tiki Room under new Management.