Best Rides

Here are my ratings of the rides that I have ridden (in order):

	Kingda Ka, Six Flags Great Adventure (Last Ride: June 2006) Photo It is only fitting that the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in the world should be at the top of my list. This was awesome!!! 0 to 128mph in 3.3 seconds. The launch is a buzz and by the time you get up to speed you are 458 feet in the air, creeping over the top to be facing basically straight down. A 270 degree twist and a 200 foot camel hump before breaking and coming back into the station. Everybody was hooping and whollering well after the train stopped.
	X, Six Flags Magic Mountain (Last Ride: July 2006) Photo Awesome super-coaster. First of all, first incline has the riders going up the hill backwards. The seats swivel and before you know it you facing straight down in a 200-foot drop seeing almost nothing but ground. The riders are then taken through a serious of turns and spins leaving them breathless and coming back for more!!!
	Incredible Hulk Coaster, Universal's Islands Of Adventure This super-coaster had an unusual twist, part of which you could see before getting on the ride. Whilst in the line waiting to get on the ride, the scene is set using Marvel Comic's The Hulk character. Once on the ride you start up the first hill slowly and quietly. Before you know it you are catapulted to 40mph in a couple of seconds and are turned upside down before you start down the first hill. A serious of inversions and turns make this a fantastic ride. Rode this at night which added to the experience.
	Deja Vu, Six Flags Magic Mountain Photo Another of Magic Mountain's super-coasters. A variation of the much-loved "Boomerang" coaster. Riders sit in suspended cars that are 4-wide in a "V" shape. One of the unpredictable aspects of this ride are that riders are place into rows by the attendants. So you can't decide where you will sit. I got the front row. This is an open-ended coaster so you are pulled backwards up a vertical incline, held for a few seconds and then dropped. Pass back through the station before passing through a huge loop and then butterfly turn. Then it is straight up a vertical incline but facing straight up before being held, dropped and doing it all backwards.
	Silver Bullet, Knott's Berry Farm (Last Ride: July 2006) Photo This is Knott's Berry Farms's latest addition to their already impressive rides and is their first suspended coaster. I didn't know what to expect until I got to the park as their web site had no information on it. So I was suitably impressed to find a ride of this stature. One of the highlights of the ride is an impressive Cobra roll that is a focal point as you enter the main entrance. Other features of the ride is a loop, a couple of what appear and feel like barrel rolls, one other inversion plus an upward helix. This last manevoure made my legs feel like the blood was rushing to my legs.
	Xcelerator, Knott's Berry Farm (Last Ride: July 2006) Photo The first time I saw this coaster I had decided not to ride it. The top of the loop is unsupported and shakes. Before the day was out I was in the line. The ride has you strapped in and then shot like a bullet to 82mph, almost straight up and over a section track before coming straight down again. The rid finishes off with a huge turn where you are almost at 90 degrees to the ground.
	Riddler's Revenge, Six Flags Magic Mountain (Last Ride: July 2006) Photo Stand up rollercoaster with six huge inversions / barrel rolls. This is the world's tallest standing rollercoaster and the line can be long but most definitely worth the wait.
	Superman - Ride Of Steel, Six Flags New England (Last Ride: June 2006) Photo I can see why this ride was voted the world's best rollercoaster in 2000, 2001 and 2002. The cars are of an open design so you get to feel everything. The first drop is a little over 200 feet but is awesome. After the drop there is a camel hump, followed by a sharp 180 degree turn and two more camel humps. A helix, some other turns and a drop into a fog-filled tunnel have this ride rounded off nicely. This is one ride that you want to ride in the back. This will give greater sensation and more air-time when going over the drop and the camel humps. No inversions but a hell of a ride.
	El Toro, Six Flags Great Adventure (Last Ride: June 2006) Photo Watched this woodie being built via the Internet. It is billed as a woodie that is as smooth as a steel coaster. It has one of the steepest drops for a woodie and I have to admit that the first ride was really scary. Fantastic ride and this is why I have it rated as the woodie. Very smooth and the first camel hump is taken at a great speed to give unreal airtime. Be prepared that the photo is taken after going over the first camel hump, not during the first drop.
	Dive Coaster, Chimelong Paradise My first diving coaster and my first Chinese rollercoaster. The ride is a train of three rows of 10 seats. The outside seats are well away from the track. It takes you up the lift hill, around a bend and then holds you on the edge of the drop for a few seconds. If you are in the front row (only place to be) you are looking straight down. Once you are released down the 80 metre almost 90 degree drop, it is straight into the only inversion which is an Immelmann loop. This takes you to the second and smaller vertical drop before a turn-around and then into a straight section where special attachments to the train spray two water columns into the air.
	Kraken, SeaWorld Orlando Photo This is the only coaster in the SeaWorld park. This is a beauty. Seven inversions in 2 loops, a dive loop, a zero-G roll, cobra roll and a corkscrew. It has a couple of areas that give good head-chopping effects when it dives into a cave and at the bottom of one of the loops. As I rode this as part of a conference event, it was dark at the time but still, what a great ride.
	Nitro, Six Flags Great Adventure Photo One of the longest rollercoasters that I have ever been one. Lots of air time on some very big camel humps. Some really tight turns and the first drop is big also. The restraint adds to the effect as it is a modern lap bar that leaves you feeling open to the surroundings.
	Scream, Six Flags Magic Mountain (Last Ride: July 2006) Magic Mountain's floorless coaster. This is the first floor-less coaster that I have ridden. No less than 8 inversions, making it a great ride. The first time I rode it was too quick after lunch. Wait a little while after eating before getting on this beauty. Was glad to get back there to ride this again to fully appreciate the ride.
	Tatsu, Six Flags Magic Mountain (Last Ride: July 2006) Photo Magic Mountain's newest ride. The world's tallest, Longest and fastest flyer. Although I have it ranked here I was disappointed. I don't know if the hype of watching it be built and commissioned via the Internet gave too much of an expectation. One thing that you will be left with is the astonishing height for a flyer. It is a long way to the ground!!!
	Superman Ultimate Flight, Six Flags Great Adventure (Last Ride: June 2006) Photo This ride was destined to be high on the list. Seats in the trains leaves you riding the rollercoaster as if you were Superman flying, ie. starting off face down. A swooping first drop that then takes you into a dive that leaves you close to the ground facing up. Add some curves and dives with a 360 degree in-line roll and this makes it a must to ride.
	Duelling Dragons, Universal's Islands Of Adventure This is actually two coasters in one, both suspension. Fire and Ice are two separate tracks with different experiences. Ice is the faster of the two tracks but Fire is a more thrilling ride. The two tracks actually come together at one point at a inverted loop. When you ride this for the first time it can be shock because the cars come together at the loop and seeing the other car coming at you will surprise you.
	Batman - The Dark Knight (Last Ride: June 2006) Photo If you are going to ride this then be prepared that your seat will be allocated to you. I was fortunate to get into the front row and what a ride. A floorless coaster with a total of five inversions, including a large loop. From the front seat the drop, the loop and the other inversions were fantastic.
	Batman The Ride, Six Flags Great Adventure Photo Batman The Ride, Six Flags Magic Mountain (Last Ride: July 2006) This one cool ride. Suspension coaster that includes a Heartline roll and several other inversions. I could ride this one all day and it is most definitely a better ride when in the front!!!
	Goliath, Six Flags Magic Mountain Photo As its name gives away this coaster is big, namely tall. The first drop is a huge 255 feet (or 78 metres) into tunnel. I have rode this coaster both at night and during the day. In daylight the entrance to the tunnel from the top of the first hill looks like a small black dot. At night the tunnel is lit up so it appears as a small white dot. This coaster has no inversions but it is one of the fastest in the world and what adds a thrill to this ride is that the restraints are a modern day lap bar, nothing else.
	Medusa, Six Flags Great Adventure Photo Another floorless coaster (the world's first). Great first drop and no floor makes these rides feel fantastic. A huge cobra roll and a lot of high-banked turns make this worth the wait.
	Superman Escape, Movie World This coaster is the one that I have rated the best in Australia, taking over from Lethal Weapon. The launch is awesome. 0 to 100kph in 2 seconds onto a top hat. Some serious tight turns with one that re-enters the building above the launch area and goes back out again. Great head chopping effect!!! This is getting us closer to what the Americans are used to.
	Great American Scream Machine, Six Flags Great Adventure (Last Ride: June 2006) Photo Viper, Six Flags Magic Mountain Photo These two rides are almost identical so I have rated them together.. The top of the first loop is around 140 feet above ground. It does two more loops, a double boomerang and a double corkscrew. In its day this was one of the best coasters in the world and to this day is still one of my favourites.
	Ghostrider, Knott's Berry Farm (Last Ride: July 2006) Photo This is a great woodie. This is tall and fast and thrilling. Seriously, this is especially smooth for a modern day wooden coaster. I hate the way they throw you around but Ghostrider is not as bad as most.. Well worth the wait in the line.
	Lethal Weapon, Movieworld Photo A suspension coaster with several inversions. This ride lacks the build up that some of its North American counterparts. This just has a line but once on the ride it is just as good as them. This is one coaster that I can ride time after time and have done so.
	Mind Eraser, Six Flags New England (Last Ride: June 2006) Photo Another suspended coaster. This one has a twist to it. Out of the drop the ride starts as if to go into a loop but at the top it levels out into a barrel roll before dropping out. The other thrill on this ride is that the tracks are close and tight. There are times when you think your feet are going to hit the support structure.
	10-Inversion Rollercoaster Coaster (Last Ride: April 6th, 2008) The ride holds / equals the world record for the most number of inversions. You may think that this would rank it higher but to be honest it got boring. Five of the inversions are heartline rolls and they are consecutive. I know I wasn't feeling well that day but by the end of a loop, cobra roll, double corkscrew and then five heartline rolls I was almost ready to throw up.
	Batman & Robin: The Chiller, Six Flags Great Adventure Photo Dual track ride where the both tracks start from a standing start. The Batman (black) track shoots out to do an inversion on the inside of the track and an inline roll before doing it all again backwards. The Robin (red) track starts off the same but does a huge double boomerang and inline roll before doing it again backwards. The only disappointment on this ride was that the Batman track was closed.
	Rock N Roll Coaster, Disney / MGM Studios Indoor coaster set to the music of Aerosmith. This ride is almost worth your time just for the music. Once inside the ride has a standing start with a couple of inversions. I was surprised that you can take your stuff with you on this ride.
	California Screamin', California Adventure (Last Ride: July 2006) Photo This is the biggest ride in Disney's Anaheim complex. Several hills, a helix and a loop that is set inside a mock-up of Mickey's ears. Standing start along the lake makes for a bit of novelty.
	Colossus, Six Flags Magic Mountain An old favourite that is still great today. Dual track and they now put a new twist to it by running the cars on one track backwards.
	Tower Of Terror, Dreamworld Superman, Six Flags Magic Mountain I rated these coasters together as they are identical. Standing start with magnetic propulsion, straight out, then straight up and back down again. Tower Of Terror for me is a slightly better ride due to the track being closer to the surrounding trees, etc. Superman is basically at the top of the hill with not much around it.
	Boomerang, Knott's Berry Farm Photo Flashback, Six Flags New England Classic Boomerang coaster with a boomerang and a single loop. Pulled up the first hill backwards for a drop and back through the station. Then through the boomerang and the loop only to go up the second hill and go through it all a second time but backwards. Apparently this configuration is the most installed coaster in the world.
	Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Disneyland (Last Ride: July 2006) Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Magic Kingdom (Last Ride: January 2006) Great non-inverting coaster. Some tight turns. The open cars themed as a train add to the atmosphere.
	Space Mountain, Disneyland (Last Ride: July 2006) Space Mountain, Magic Kingdom (Last Ride: January 2006) Classic Disney indoor coaster. It was my first indoor coaster. The atmosphere of this ride in unreal and I cannot wait to ride it when it re-opens after some improvements.
	Cyclone, Dreamworld Nice coaster with a couple of inversions. Situated at the front of the park and is a nice coaster to take the kids on as their first inverting ride.
	Revenge Of The Mummy - The Ride (Last Ride: July 2006) I was disappointed with this ride. So much media hype that left the ride not living up to its name. Has a quirk in that the ride gets one point where it stops and then starts on a different section of track going backwards. Good ride for novices to get started on.
	Motorbike Launch Coaster, Chimelong Paradise (Last ride: April 6th, 2008) Another disappointing ride. Uncomfortable and apart from the launch not much to talk about.
	Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster, Movie World Indoor wild mouse with a twist. The lead up to the ride proper has you roll through a themed area and then go into an elevator with the car exiting the elevator backwards. At one section the car stops and is turned around 180 degrees before continuing the ride.
	Jaguar, Knott's Berry Farm (Last Ride: July 2006) Simple steel rollercoaster. Good ride for the kids.
	Thunderbolt, Six Flags New England Simple wooden rollercoaster. Old but a classic.
	Skull Mountain, Six Flags Great Adventure Indoor rollercoaster. Not dark, no great heights, short duration, some tight turns. Okay, I guess.
	Cyclone, Six Flags New England I have this one at the bottom of my list. I hurt bad on this one. It jerked backwards and forwards during the ride. Didn't enjoy it ay all.
	Primeval Whirl, Animal Kingdom Spinning Coaster, Chimelong Paradise (Last ride: April 6th, 2008) Wild Mouse-style ride with a twist where the cars spin.