Mitch Hawker's Coaster Poll 2009!

[Manic Monte]

 

Wood:

1 The Voyage Holiday World - I surprised that the Voyage has bounced back to number one since I've been hearing complaints about roughness. I'm happy that It's regained it's crown because GG is one of my favorite companies.

 

 

Not everyone takes issue with the roughness on Voyage. I happen to think it's pretty mindblowing.

[larrygator]

The main difference that I see between Mitch's Poll and the Golden Ticket Awards is the lack of international coasters in the latter. Is there a reason why the Golden Ticket Awards don't consider coasters outside of the United States, other than Expedition GeForce?

 

The main difference is that Mitch's poll uses complex algorithims that compare preferences against people. With Golden Ticket each participant selects their Top 10 Steel and Wood. However, since the Golden Tickets is not as geographically disperse (and US based) coasters in the US are accumulating more "points".

 

Participants can select any coasters (domestic or international), but too many participants have never ridden the international coasters.

[King of Ka]

Pretty good seeming results, I am surprised about Diamondback and Prowler, but I agree that they'll fall in the coming years. I think new rides like this get a boost because after one year a relatively small number of people have ridden it, and most likely a decent percent of those people have had multiple rides on it since, and seen it at it's best- I think next year Diamondback will drop towards or out of the bottom of the top ten, and Prowler will fall one or two spots, but probably remain the top GCI. Nonetheless, I'm not surprised that either did well. Another surprise, for me at least, was that Eagle's Fortress stayed near the top- I really was expecting it to do worse than last year, as more people rode it.

 

Very solid results, they make my possible Boulder Dash/Bizarro trip this year all the more appealing.

[robbalvey]

Another surprise, for me at least, was that Eagle's Fortress stayed near the top- I really was expecting it to do worse than last year, as more people rode it.

But that's just the thing, more people DIDN'T ride it as it was closed the entire year.

 

All those people who went to Everland on the ECC trip didn't get to experience the #2 steel coaster in the world!

 

--Robb "Which is why I think many of them were bitter and chose to not like T Express as much just to spite the park." Alvey

[King of Ka]

Another surprise, for me at least, was that Eagle's Fortress stayed near the top- I really was expecting it to do worse than last year, as more people rode it.

But that's just the thing, more people DIDN'T ride it as it was closed the entire year.

 

All those people who went to Everland on the ECC trip didn't get to experience the #2 steel coaster in the world!

 

That's true, I hadn't realized it had been closed for so long- I guess that's why it only has 13 riders. I can't help but wonder how the ECCers would have ranked it, if they had loved it too it might have dispelled some of the "TPR is rigging the polls!" conspiracy theories. Of course, even if they had liked it some of them might have ranked it badly....

[the ghost]

The main reason Golden Ticket Awards are rigged is that there are no nods to Disney or Universal. I can see a Disney ride not winning, but I would much rather spend a day at a Disney or Universal Park than Cedar Point. Dragons and Mummy are both easily in my top ten, and are fairly highly ranked in Golden Tickets. The sad part is I have been on no top rides, but hopefully I'll get on a TPR tour sometime and fix that as well as improve my depressing credit count.

[therooboy]

Another surprise, for me at least, was that Eagle's Fortress stayed near the top- I really was expecting it to do worse than last year, as more people rode it.

But that's just the thing, more people DIDN'T ride it as it was closed the entire year.

 

All those people who went to Everland on the ECC trip didn't get to experience the #2 steel coaster in the world!

 

--Robb "Which is why I think many of them were bitter and chose to not like T Express as much just to spite the park." Alvey

 

Not the only coaster that suffers due to park impressions.

Unfortunate, but going to happen.

Eejanaika will no doubt yet again be ranked 200 spots below its twin X2, due to past Fuji Queue memories.

The main thing is hopefully all the great coasters are at the top & the not so good ones are at the bottom.

[Dobba]

Good to see Nemesis still sitting high up the rankings.

[cfc]

 

Wood:

1 The Voyage Holiday World - I surprised that the Voyage has bounced back to number one since I've been hearing complaints about roughness. I'm happy that It's regained it's crown because GG is one of my favorite companies.

 

 

Not everyone takes issue with the roughness on Voyage. I happen to think it's pretty mindblowing.

 

I didn't find Voyage all that rough back in April, with the exception of one noticeable bump on one of the hills. I think it's a great ride, but almost a bit "too much" (have the same minor complaint about El Toro, another great ride).

[robbalvey]

Eejanaika will no doubt yet again be ranked 200 spots below its twin X2, due to past Fuji Queue memories.

Well Eejanaika is also a terrible ride. While I had a *slightly* better ride on it during our '08 visit than our '07 visit I still found it WAAAAAAY rougher than the current X2.

 

I have only received a beating like I did on my first ride on Eejanaika on very few rides - the original restraints on Outer Limits - Gouderix - SFKK's T2 - all come to mind.

 

Seriously, Eejanaika is terrible and it deserves the god awful ranking it received.

 

Good to see Nemesis still sitting high up the rankings.

And that's because even 16 years later, Nemesis is STILL one of the best in the world! Every time I ride that coaster, it continues to impress me. Same with Kumba.

 

--Robb "They don't make them B&Ms like they used to!" Alvey

[OldJJman]

Not the only coaster that suffers due to park impressions.

Unfortunate, but going to happen.

Agreed. No doubt.

 

Eejanaika will no doubt yet again be ranked 200 spots below its twin X2, due to past Fuji Queue memories.

 

In MY opinion, the trashing of Eejanaika is well deserved, and has very little to do with the park. Granted, I like the park (mostly due to it's setting). The rides are average, and I really did like Fuji. It's the operations that are horrible. From what I understand, each ride is owned & operated by a different vendor. So, there is no consistancy in operations.

 

Getting back on topic.

 

Having ridden X2 (and the original X) a couple hundred times over the years, thru the good and bad times, and in every seat, X2, was NEVER NEARLY as bad as my single ride on Euthanasia (sorry, Eejanaika).

 

Eejanaika was just bad, in my opinion. (I would speculate that there are/were some issues with proper clearances as to the wheels' proximity to the track. Visible gaps of 3/4" on every wheel, etc... Very similar to what you'd see on most older SLC's.)

 

I was so violently shaken by the ride, that it instantly made my "Never Again" list! Something X2 (X) never even approached.

 

And, I have to make my ranking based on my own experience, not what it could, or might feel like, but what it did.

 

 

My .02 for the day.

 

 

JJ

[ginzo]

Now that we have Insane, who needs crappy Arrow rides?

 

I have only received a beating like I did on my first ride on Eejanaika on very few rides - the original restraints on Outer Limits - Gouderix - SFKK's T2 - all come to mind.

 

Original OTSRs on Outer Limits gets my vote for WORST COASTER EVER. In fact, I still take a very jaundiced view towards Premier for that reason alone.

 

Maybe it's also the fact that I had to take a relative to the ER for whiplash because of that ride.

[SharkTums]

^I'm pretty sure looking back that I had a mild concussion from PKD's Outer Limits durin the OTSR days. I remember afterwards being very sleepy and having a two day long headache. I couldn't even drive home.

 

God those things were like putting your head between two sledgehammer wielding Germans!

 

Unfortunately, DLP's Space Mountain is almost at this level and it's just very sad.

[Jew]

Eejanaika will no doubt yet again be ranked 200 spots below its twin X2, due to past Fuji Queue memories.

 

I know everyone has different styles to their voting, but I believe that park operations can play a huge role in someones opinion.

 

For example: Dodonpa is one of the most intense coasters I have been on, both the launch and INSANE pop of airtime over the hill, but...when you combine the fact the ride fizzles out after that with the fact I waited 3 hours for it, the thrill is diminished. Had I been able to re-ride it more and begin to appreciate it, it could have been ranked higher.

[deathbydinn]

robbalvey wrote:

I also want to point out that this group is a lot more "die hard" and some of them don't even consider T-Express a wooden coaster because of the way it is manufactured and several of them ranked it low because of this very reason.

 

Excuse my teenage ignorance but how can they say T-Express isn't a wooden coaster? Hades has steel supports but because it has a wood track its still a wooden coaster. So how is that wood but T-Express isnt?

[hyyyper]

Just another nail on the cheaters coffin,

 

If you claim that El Toro isn't a wooden coaster, than why do they rank it so low between other WOODEN coasters?

 

If you think it isn't a wooden (which it is, btw) that just leave it out and let the rest decide it's rank.

[ginzo]

Excuse my teenage ignorance but how can they say T-Express isn't a wooden coaster? Hades has steel supports but because it has a wood track its still a wooden coaster. So how is that wood but T-Express isnt?

 

It's just an obnoxious way of expressing their preference for traditional woodies.

 

Those people might have more cause for dismay if Intamin woodies were displacing the construction of traditional woodies. But they're not. And, due to the cost, they never will.

[King of Ka]

^^^I don't think they're so much arguing that it isn't a wood coaster, but moreso that it's smoother and less "out of control" (although El Toro is pretty out of control to me) than they expect a wooden ride to be.

 

I guess it's sort of similar to the people who don't count Superman: TE as a coaster; something about the ride just doesn't seem to fit to them.

[ginzo]

Upon further reflection, I remember some wooden coasters that aren't nearly as fun with ratcheting lap bars as they were with buzz bars. Probably every John Allen coaster that was converted falls into this category. The Beast definitely falls into this category.

 

Can we say that all woodies that don't run with a buzz bar or less aren't real woodies? Ratcheting lap bars certainly aren't a traditional method.

 

How about we call everything with parabolic hills "not real woodies" while were at it?

 

How about under friction wheels? LaMarcus Thompson would have never dreamed of using those!

[therooboy]

Well Eejanaika is also a terrible ride. While I had a *slightly* better ride on it during our '08 visit than our '07 visit I still found it WAAAAAAY rougher than the current X2.

 

Thanks for the explanations guys, I am glad i asked.

I rate it due to my own memories in 2006 when it was brand new & I rode it.

Was considering going back to Fuji Queue one day primarily for this ride (as it's closer & cheaper for me than SFMM) but sounds like i'll be glad i haven't.

Will now stick with X2 for my 4D coaster rush.

I use the poll (with many other resources) as a rough guide in determining my trip plans so to hear information such as this is very useful.

[themeparkologist]

Well I'm glad to see Prowler got what it deserved. It's AWESOME at night and when it peaks(around 3:00 in the summer) it really gets insane.

[haux]

The subtitle of this thread should be changed. Only preliminary results are out, and every time I see it, I think the whole results are out.

[robbalvey]

^ Does it really matter that much?

 

When the final results are out, I'll change the thread subtitle.

[ginzo]

^He wants detailed coverage.

[PKI Jizzman]

^He wants detailed coverage.

 

Still not good enough.

 

I need IN DEPTH COVERAGE!