What's Your Coaster Philosophy?

[robbalvey]

Have fun and don't take everything so seriously.

This!

 

And "Quality over quantity."

 

I will just never understand the people will go to great lengths out of their way for crap roller coasters or kiddie coasters. Yes, we will ride something if it's there and convenient, but we will happily skip dumb and stupid coasters if it requires any significant amount of effort. I'd rather ride GOOD rides than try to prove something by having a higher number.

 

Maybe it's just me getting older and feeling that hunting down "credits" is just such a huge waste of time when I can be going back to good parks with awesome rides. I've found that my respect for credit whores is quickly diminishing over the years.

Edited December 25, 2014 by robbalvey

[ajfelice]

^You guys beat me to it.

 

My "Coaster Philosophy" comes down to one simple yes or no question; Did I have FUN on the ride? 99.9% of the time the answer is yes. You can pick apart the details or lack thereof on every ride, but what it boils down to is whether or not the ride made me happy. Themes, scenery, queue areas, stations, and you name it all are things that can be discussed within the enthusiast community, but ultimately the deciding factor was whether or not the ride was fun and put a smile on my face.

 

The same philosophy applies when visiting a park in general. There are very few parks I have been to that I did not enjoy my time there, because I look back on each day with the same question; Did I have fun? Certain elements of parks aren't perfect, but I can never let picking on the details prevent me from having fun. A "fun" day at the park means I not only rode rides, ate good food, and was treated well, but whether or not I had a great time with family and friends.

 

If we go to every park with a magnifying glass to nitpick the fine details and let that hinder the otherwise great day, we should give up on our hobby.

[viking86]

I used to be a coasterenthusiast, now I'm much more of a park enthusiast. For me atmosphere, theming, food and good service is as important as the rides. I guess thats why I fell in love with Disney so much. I also dont care much about coastercount any longer, I will not visit a park if its just to get a credit and I dont care about riding kiddie coasters. As others have said, its all about having fun.

[YoshiCraft2011]

To me, it's coasters first, park second, although these two factors are a bit even. I don't ride coasters that often, so I'm a credit whore. Go to the park, ride all of the coasters at the park, and repeat. However, if I'm not having fun while riding, there's no point to get the credit. If you're a credit whore like me, at least have fun doing it. The coasters I like the best are launched coasters, with only one inversion or maybe even none. Launched coasters are fast, smooth, and they simply provide great fun. Knott's Berry Farm has a good collection of launched coasters. There's Xcelerator, an awesome Intamin accelerator, Montezooma's Revenge, a forceful and fun shuttle loop, and Pony Express, a sub-par, but still fun coaster.

 

For me, the parks need to be inviting and clean. Knott's is a good example here. The Ghost Town is classic, Camp Snoopy is very forest-y, the Fiesta Village really sticks to its theme, and the Boardwalk, while being a bit generic, is also themed nicely. Even on a warm summer day, I have not encountered much trash at the park, and the restrooms seemed quite clean. While the coasters are fun, the park itself is really what makes a place special.

 

Lastly, I want a good balance between theming and the actual rides. While Disneyland looked nice, I hated it because of the bad ride selection. The Adventuredome, while a good park, seemed cramped with all of those coasters and flats stuffed into the park. Again, Knott's is a great example. The theming is excellent and the coasters are just as good. There. That's my philosophy behind coasters.

[thrillseeker4552]

Personally, I like to have a good balance of everything. Parks like Disneyland are fun and all, but I tend to just get uninterested. Yes, the theming is excellent and the park is well kept with great employees, but I guess that doesn't buy it for me. On the other hand, parks like Six Flags that are "roller coasters and roller coasters only" occasionally get tedious because there is literally nothing else to do, other than eat an overpriced piece of semi-decent food.

 

As a happy medium, I love parks like Knott's and Cedar Point (or any large Cedar Fair park for that matter). The rides are solid and enjoyable, while at the same time there is a decent selection of flats, shows, and other entertainment. My family (who aren't all huge coaster nerds) had an absolute BLAST at Kings Island and Cedar Point last summer. My 9-year-old sister had plenty to do with my mom (who doesn't ride coasters), while my older siblings, my dad, and myself were greatly entertained by the big rides. For some reason, I don't think we could have had that same experience at any Disney park.

 

I love all theme parks and roller coasters. They're my passion. And for that reason, I enjoy having a blend of all the positive things people like in a park: entertainment, flat rides, family rides, roller coasters, food, and overall, just a good experience of all aspects.

[Angle O. Descent]

I first like to explore new parks within reasonable driving or price limits, then i determine which parks i want to REVISIT and plan out 'combo trips' from that point forward

[ytterbiumanalyst]

I feel that coasters can be a great addition to a fantastic park, but they cannot make a bad park good. What makes a great park is customer service. As trite as that may seem, a park that is genuinely interested in the happiness of its guests will always deliver, even if a ride is down, even if it's crowded, even in bad weather. I have had a fantastic time at Silver Dollar City without riding any coasters at all--simply because they will do whatever it takes to make your day. Parks are always in it for the money, and you understand that and even support it--but a park that wants you to have a good time is so much easier to give your money than a park that seems all about profit. I will rave about even a small park that is doing its best to please its customers, because I can appreciate how hard they are working to keep their business alive and growing. I try to visit small parks as well as large, as long as they're within driving distance really--not because I just want to get credits (although I do keep a count--I'm kind of a sucker for lists), but because I want to support local parks that are doing their best to entertain their guests. That's the heart of the industry.

[fraroc]

I feel that coasters can be a great addition to a fantastic park, but they cannot make a bad park good. What makes a great park is customer service. As trite as that may seem, a park that is genuinely interested in the happiness of its guests will always deliver, even if a ride is down, even if it's crowded, even in bad weather. I have had a fantastic time at Silver Dollar City without riding any coasters at all--simply because they will do whatever it takes to make your day. Parks are always in it for the money, and you understand that and even support it--but a park that wants you to have a good time is so much easier to give your money than a park that seems all about profit. I will rave about even a small park that is doing its best to please its customers, because I can appreciate how hard they are working to keep their business alive and growing. I try to visit small parks as well as large, as long as they're within driving distance really--not because I just want to get credits (although I do keep a count--I'm kind of a sucker for lists), but because I want to support local parks that are doing their best to entertain their guests. That's the heart of the industry.

 

I agree, you can literally have the time of your life at Busch Gardens Williamsburg and not really ride any of the rides. I feel like when I went to BGW for the first time, I kind of took the beautiful atmosphere and theming for granted because of the fact that the park is home two three amazing B&Ms, a totally kick-butt Arrow looper, and a pretty awesome and unique Zierier launched coaster. All those things are cool, but in hindsight, I am absolutley amazed by the atmosphere and the effort put in those themed areas.

[GwaziBSRider1]

Seems like I'm in the minority here, but coasters are still my #1 priority. I ride every coaster with an open mind, and it's very rare that I can't find at least one good thing about the ride. However, I'll still usually walk around the park and ride any interesting flats. I love classic flats and anything unique. Theming and whatnot is nice, but it's definitely not necessary for me. I would say theming is "icing on the cake" for me.

[ArgoZ]

Seems like I'm in the minority here, but coasters are still my #1 priority. I ride every coaster with an open mind, and it's very rare that I can't find at least one good thing about the ride. However, I'll still usually walk around the park and ride any interesting flats. I love classic flats and anything unique. Theming and whatnot is nice, but it's definitely not necessary for me. I would say theming is "icing on the cake" for me.

 

Well, I am still in your group. I can appreciate good theming. I enjoy Magic Kingdom, because it reminds me of my childhood. Of course, I always have fun on in the newest technological rides like Harry Potter, Transformers and such. Being a coaster enthusiast, it will always be the biggest, newest, coolest coaster that will be the final determining factor where we visit. I usually do one "coasterthon" trip with family every year. Next year, the SFNE area is on the radar.

[boldikus]

Seems like I'm in the minority here, but coasters are still my #1 priority.

 

I'm with ya. 'Nitro' sits very high on my list of favorite rides and has basically no themeing whatsoever. I love coasters first and foremost, it is absolutely the reason I go to parks and even why I am posting on this board right now. Themeing or no themeing, if a coaster is great its great. Put El Toro over a parking lot and I'll still think its the best coaster on earth. I can't think of a single situation where bad or no themeing made for an overall bad ride experience for me.

[palmerleeberry]

Okay, I have some philosophies on roller coasters, but not on the structures themselves, but with the riders.

 

1) If you are single rider and another single rider wants to ride with you, then let him/her. With a partner to ride with, you won't get frown upon nor booed from the others waiting for a long time in a line, plus it's more fun to ride with two.

 

2) Sometimes it is okay to change partners to ride with, so that person can ride without breaking any of the park rules. This has happened to me several times. One in particular was a wooden coaster in which you had two sisters that wanted to get on. One was tall enough to ride, but the other needed an adult to ride with. So I asked them if they would like to ride with me, since I was an adult and a single rider, and they accepted with glee.

 

3) If someone doesn't want to go on a roller coaster, then don't force them too. That is why many amusement parks have carousels and other low-impact rides. That philosophy goes the same to any ride, regardless of how thrilling it is.

 

4) If you need to scream, please do it when the train is going down the first hill, not when the train is leaving the station. However, cheers and whoops and clapping of hands is not just permissible, but highly encourage ( especially on the Rebel Yell coaster at Kings Dominion).

 

5) Last, but not least, HAVE FUN!!!

 

Ancient Chinese saying - He who breaks park's rules will soon break bones.

[rcjp]

Seems like I'm in the minority here, but coasters are still my #1 priority.

 

I'm with ya. 'Nitro' sits very high on my list of favorite rides and has basically no themeing whatsoever. I love coasters first and foremost, it is absolutely the reason I go to parks and even why I am posting on this board right now. Themeing or no themeing, if a coaster is great its great. Put El Toro over a parking lot and I'll still think its the best coaster on earth. I can't think of a single situation where bad or no themeing made for an overall bad ride experience for me.

Totally agree. Most people here agree that skyrush is a great coaster (and so do I) and yet it doesn't really have theming. I also love coasters first and foremost. I might sometimes go to a park with plenty of flats and smaller coasters and ride the same 3 or 4 big coasters all day long over and over again. Of course theming always improves a ride experience but right now I can't think of any coaster I would rank differently if it had better/worse theming. So if it is there, then great! But I will always take a better ride over a better themed one. Maybe this will change as I grow older and visit more and more parks as I've noticed that I'm gradually paying more attention to things like atmosphere, whether the place is clean or not and other details I couldn't care less about a few years ago. For now, I'm all about the coasters.

[GwaziBSRider1]

^ I've noticed that I'm starting to become the same way. I can remember going to parks and riding nothing other than coasters, but nowadays, I ride more flats and such than before. The only time I can really remember making a sole park trip that wasn't focused on coasters was WDW in January. Obviously, they were a priority, but I ended up only liking Space Mountain and BTMR (the new Mine Train wasn't open and, honestly, the others are awful). Then again, anyone who goes to a Disney park just for the coasters is an idiot anyway.

[rcjp]

^That's right. That's why I'm nowhere near as enthusiastic about the Disney parks as most people here. If I were in the Orlando area (I know I'll be killed for this) the Disney parks would be the last of the "big" ones I'd do as I would rather ride some coasters first. I know Disneyland Paris isn't regarded as the best Disney park but it's probably the one that appeals to me the most because of that (even if their coasters are not the best). Like I said, this might change one day and I'm definitely not saying I wouldn't enjoy one day in a Disney Park but I would definitely prefer spending that time in a place like Cedar Point or Hershey Park

[VF15]

Ancient Chinese saying - He who breaks park's rules will soon break bones.

[rcdude]

For me, coasters are usually the first thing I'll go for at a park, but are not the only thing I will do during a visit. I'm not a huge fan of credit runs as riding nothing but coasters gets boring after a few hours and you don't get to fully experience the park. When I visit a park, I usually will take a lap and ride every coaster, dark ride, and flume ride in the park, then go around the park to re-ride my favorites and do anything else that looks interesting.

 

As far as what makes a good coaster, everyone is a little different on what they prefer. For me, I like rides that are intense but not overly demanding to ride, hence why I generally prefer B&M and Premier coasters to Intamins. I'd take a ride that is simply fun over the world's most extreme coaster almost any day. When it comes to theming, I think it's presence can improve a ride but it's absence can't hurt it, and the more intense a ride is the less I care about the theming. I'm willing to give any roller coaster a try, and when it comes to rating them I prefer assigning a grade to a group vs. the "x is better than y but not as good as z" method, as a lot of rides are difficult to compare directly. I do rank them in order, but the difference between two coasters in an A group is much less significant than that between an A coaster and a B coaster.

 

As far as parks go, the first time I visit a park is due to coasters or other significant attractions. When determining whether a park is worth visiting, it either needs to have a coaster that qualifies for the Mitch Hawker poll or some other significant attraction to be worth a stop. Once I've visited, however, the park as a whole needs to be worth returning to. I definitely prefer parks with a mix of theming and thrills to an iron ride park or a heavily themed park with only family rides, but as long as the park provides an enjoyable day I still consider it worth a visit.

[Nrthwnd]

If it coasts, I ride it.

And if it's powered...I still ride it.

 

(I'm at 'that age' of needing to fit in as

many coasters {as I can still ride} in my life, lol.)

And it was a powered coaster too.

[DirkFunk]

I pay money to go to amusement and theme parks primarily to go on rides. That isn't to say that I don't care about delicious food or entertainment or theming or any of that, but if all I want is theming and waiter served meals, I can go to the Rainforest Cafe and save myself a helluva lot of money. But the whole "I do this because it is fun" thing is paramount. All these rides are supposed to be entertainment, and if I get to a point where the majority are ceasing to be something I can enjoy, then it is time for me to move on and do something else with my money, time, and energy.

[Pyrozooka0]

Have fun and don't take everything so seriously.

 

THIS. Also, I like rides that are an enjoyable experience for me. Airtime is highly reccomended.

[p-sychiatrist]

It's all about balance. My favorite attractions and theme parks (with an emphasis on theme) have a blend of all of the qualities that provide a memorable experience. I prefer Top Thrill Dragster to Kingda Ka even though it isn't as tall because it has a decent theme with awesome trains and is situated in the center of the park instead of a remote corner of the parking lot. Also, when it comes to theming: quality over quantity. Compare Skull Mountain and the Dark Knight coasters at Great Adventure. Skull Mountain's exterior and queue are well themed as a pirate's cave but the ride itself is mostly set in darkness. The Dark Knight is filled with so many lights, billboards, sound effects, and statues that it becomes an incoherent mess. And not all coasters need theming, some are more beautiful without anything added, especially wooden coasters. I also think atmosphere is a huge part of a ride experience. A coaster that traverses through the woods (like Boulder Dash) will intrigue me more than a more intense coaster on a parking lot.

 

When I go to a park I want to feel like I'm in another world. Some parks attain this with unbelievable theming and immersion (Disney), some find that perfect sweet spot in between theming and thrills (Universal and Busch Gardens), and others are coaster paradises (Cedar Point). No matter which setting there is a sense of magic and childlike wonder about in a well designed park. And as much as I love my airtime and launches, bewilderment and spectacle is what fascinates me the most and keeps me coming to a park.

[robbalvey]

I pay money to go to amusement and theme parks primarily to go on rides. That isn't to say that I don't care about delicious food or entertainment or theming or any of that, but if all I want is theming and waiter served meals, I can go to the Rainforest Cafe and save myself a helluva lot of money. But the whole "I do this because it is fun" thing is paramount. All these rides are supposed to be entertainment, and if I get to a point where the majority are ceasing to be something I can enjoy, then it is time for me to move on and do something else with my money, time, and energy.

My thoughts exactly!