Mitch Hawker 2010 poll

[Electerik]

Pretty sure I say this every year, but Millennium Force sure does well for a coaster that so many people complain about seeing in top 10 lists, and is frequently the first coaster mentioned when somewhat brings up "overrated" rides.

 

And this year, it even went up a couple of spots.

[Thom25]

Ride rankings go both ways over time. It took years for (RoS) Bizarro to reach number one, and for many years MF was right up there with it. It's a great poll and good representation of the best and the worst, but keep in mind many of the top 20 rides weren't ridden by many of the respondents. I'm surprised how well I305 did and is a testament to how intense the ride is. It certainly belongs in the top 5 (no doubt), but if you're a fan of ejector air (like me), it will be hard to overtake Bizarro (imho).

[coasterbill]

I don't want to open this can of worms again... really I don't, but can someone explain how Top Thrill Dragster is #33 and Kingda Ka is #63 when they're the same basic ride except that one is taller and has a hill (but is #63). Sure, Kingda Ka has headrests... but they didn't seem to stop anyone from putting Maverick in the top 15.

 

I love Cedar Point, it's my favorite park but why is it that if Cedar Point puts in the same ride as everyone else, it's instantly better than the same basic version of the same ride at another park?

 

Pretty sure I say this every year, but Millennium Force sure does well for a coaster that so many people complain about seeing in top 10 lists, and is frequently the first coaster mentioned when somewhat brings up "overrated" rides.

 

And this year, it even went up a couple of spots.

 

This may discredit what I just said, but I love Millennium Force. Six Flags New England is one of my home parks but I put Ride of Steel / Bizzaro as my #2 steel coaster, there's just something about Millennium Force that blows me away. The first drop (and the view from that drop) is untouchable, and I've never seen a ride maintain that kind of speed all the way through the course (I have not yet ridden i305).

Edited May 13, 2011 by coasterbill

[Electerik]

I don't want to open this can of worms again... really I don't, but can someone explain how Top Thrill Dragster is #33 and Kingda Ka is #63 when they're the same basic ride except that one is taller and has a hill (but is #63). Sure, Kingda Ka has headrests... but they didn't seem to stop anyone from putting Maverick in the top 15.

 

I love Cedar Point, it's my favorite park and I love the place but why is it that if Cedar Point puts in the same ride as everyone else, it's instantly better than the same basic version of the same ride at another park?

 

I don't think that's it. Top Thrill Dragster has lapbars, and Kingda Ka has over-the-shoulder-restraints. Enough people prefer the lapbars that they chose Dragster over Ka. Yes, that's a big gap. But there are some (including me) to whom restraints are a really big deal.

[Hilltopper39]

Pretty sure I say this every year, but Millennium Force sure does well for a coaster that so many people complain about seeing in top 10 lists, and is frequently the first coaster mentioned when somewhat brings up "overrated" rides.

 

And this year, it even went up a couple of spots.

 

I agree with you, even though I personally think Millennium Force is overrated by my tastes I do understand why a lot of people really love it. it's not in my personal top 10, but I think in general it is a Top 10 quality Ride.

[HCLcoasters]

Pretty sure I say this every year, but Millennium Force sure does well for a coaster that so many people complain about seeing in top 10 lists, and is frequently the first coaster mentioned when somewhat brings up "overrated" rides.

 

And this year, it even went up a couple of spots.

 

I agree with you, even though I personally think Millennium Force is overrated by my tastes I do understand why a lot of people really love it. it's not in my personal top 10, but I think in general it is a Top 10 quality Ride.

 

To add to that, Kingda Ka is noticeably rougher then it's counterpart at Cedar Point. The back rows, while not unrideable, would not be considered pleasant by any means.

[Skycoastin Steve]

I don't want to open this can of worms again... really I don't, but can someone explain how Top Thrill Dragster is #33 and Kingda Ka is #63 when they're the same basic ride except that one is taller and has a hill (but is #63). Sure, Kingda Ka has headrests... but they didn't seem to stop anyone from putting Maverick in the top 15.

 

I love Cedar Point, it's my favorite park but why is it that if Cedar Point puts in the same ride as everyone else, it's instantly better than the same basic version of the same ride at another park?

 

 

Kingda Ka is WAY rougher than TTD. WAYYYYY rougher. The experience on TTD is leaps and bounds better than on KK. Not to mention the difference in restraints, and that hill does absolutely nothing except make the track length longer. And Cedar Point rarely ever puts in the "same ride as everyone else." If you remember, TTD came two years before KK, and they more often than not have broken height/speed records for whatever type of coaster they build. Other parks might clamor to top CP, but they've been the ones setting the bar for over 20 years now.

[Solid Gold]

Sure, Kingda Ka has headrests... but they didn't seem to stop anyone from putting Maverick in the top 15.

 

I don't think that's it. Top Thrill Dragster has lapbars, and Kingda Ka has over-the-shoulder-restraints. Enough people prefer the lapbars that they chose Dragster over Ka. Yes, that's a big gap. But there are some (including me) to whom restraints are a really big deal.

 

Restraints can be a huge deal. SFMM's Revolution is nowhere to be found, 38 spots behind Sooperdooperlooper which is about the same ride, probably less cool of a track actually.

 

Robin hood at Walibi World has plenty of ejector air. Too bad it all sucks because the restraints are knife-like.

[robbalvey]

I don't want to open this can of worms again... really I don't, but can someone explain how Top Thrill Dragster is #33 and Kingda Ka is #63 when they're the same basic ride.

 

Top Thrill Dragster is at Cedar Point. And to many people being at Cedar Point is roller coaster heaven. I have actually had someone tell me once "Being at the top of Dragster is the closest you'll get to touching god."

 

I'm not joking. That was actually said to me.

 

That's why it gets ranked higher. Touching God is apparently worth more points!

Edited May 13, 2011 by robbalvey

[chickenbowl]

Mitch found that a few ballots were sent, but not counted, so the results have been changed. Nemesis took Piraten for #5, and Goliath took MF for #7

 

http://www.ushsho.com/steelrollercoasterpollresults2010.htm

 

New results-

1. Bizarro

2. Expedition GeForce

3. Intimidator 305

4. Kawasemi

5. Nemesis

6. Piraten

7. Golith (WH)

8. Millennium Force

9. iSpeed

10. Katun

[PAL]

^^Don't forget the frequent free meals on that flight to heaven for those who ride mouth-open. I think TTD is superior in almost every way to KK: smoothness, the setting, off-ride interactions, station loading, the view from the top, the restraints. The one exception: the bug factor. A night-time front row ride when the bugs are thick is an incredible windshield simulation: smack, splat, sploosh!

[Skycoastin Steve]

 

Top Thrill Dragster is at Cedar Point. And to many people being at Cedar Point is roller coaster heaven. I have actually had someone tell me once "Being at the top of Dragster is the closest you'll get to touching god."

 

I'm not joking. That was actually said to me.

 

That's why it gets ranked higher. Touching God is apparently worth more points!

In fairness, I feel like the Cedar Point factor gets coasters ranked lower than they should be, as well. Pretty sure if MF was at another park not named Cedar Point, a lot more people would probably love it. But, c'est la vie.

[robbalvey]

^ Agreed.

 

^^ That's kind of a bummer, but not really. Nemesis is an awesome ride!

[PKI Jizzman]

Let's see what Intamin rides are in my top 10:

-Cali Screamin'

-TTD

-Millennium Force

-Maverick

 

vs B&M:

-Raging Bull

-Diamondback

-Goliath (SFOG)

-Afterburn

 

Others:

Mr. Freeze

Titan

Scooby's Spooky Coaster

Mystery Mine

[xVicesAndVirtues]

I think that Cedar Fair and Six Flags should do a "train trade", where Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster trade trains, and Bizarro and Millennium Force trade trains. Nobody will hate on Bizarro for the crappy new slow trains, and nobody will hate on Kingda Ka for feeling like they got shaken infant syndrome or whatever, and everybody can satisfy their Cedar Point hate.

 

But, no, in all seriousness, as much as everyone likes to hate on Millennium Force for being at Cedar Point, Millennium Force is pretty awesome.

 

Just not as awesome as the purposely-five-feet-shorter-so-Cedar Point-stays-boss Giga.

[kennywood_racer]

Phantom's Revenge still in the top 25! and the Best steel coaster in PA

[David H]

I've ridden 7 of the top 10 (lucked out on number 8), 5 of those 7 made my personal top ten. I rated X2, Montu, Maverick, Top Thrill Dragster, and Kumba in my top ten which was a bit higher than the poll - just what I enjoyed personally. Though I'm confident that if I'd ridden Kawasemi, i305, and GeForce they would well up in my top ten.

 

I think the poll is fantastic, and Mitch seems to have weeded out a lot (if not all) of the fanboy rigging. Is it just me or does the fanboy fervour seem far greater for favourite woodies? Like I don't see the same levels of misguided devotion to any steel as there is to Prowler or Voyage.

 

Though I am disappointed that Robb didn't instruct Mitch to make Lethal Weapon at Movie World Australia number one*.

 

*please read disclaimer at the bottom of the page before taking this comment seriously.

 

Well, I think the CP fanboys have always managed to rig all of the polls. Well, they don't rig them. They just irrationally love all of their coasters more than they deserve. There's something about CP that has always been kind of a mecca for coaster enthusiasts worldwide. And everything there seems better than it actually is. And ranks higher than it deserves. It's a testament to how bad Mean Streak is that it ranks so low, at least in Mitch's poll!

 

I mean, seriously, what exactly does MF do that's so much better than almost any other coaster out there? Even die-hard Intamin nuts like Elissa rank it much lower than it ranks in ALL of the polls. (Note: I'm a big Intamin fan myself, particularly when it comes to their hypers, so there's no criticism there!)

 

As for "misguided devotion", I'll strongly disagree with that notion for both Prowler and Voyage. I'm not exactly a newbie in this hobby. Nor do I unfairly jump to support anyone's coaster unless it deserves it, IMHO.

 

And I'm hardly a WoF fanboy. In fact, I actively disliked the place on my first visit, over a decade ago (one of the reasons I didn't go back until last year)! Not am I a huge GCI fan. I like their coasters, but none of them was in my recent top 20 list before Prowler. So, I went into the ride without huge expectations. And it really showed a power and intensity I'd never seen from GCI before, except maybe kind of from Ozcat on a really good day. I was quite impressed. I ranked it at 19, which, while not quite as high as it did on Mitch's poll, is still damn good!

 

But Voyage is another story. I've ridden nearly 150 woodies, over 3/4 of the woodies on the planet. And no other coaster even comes close to doing what Voyage does. Pretty much every other coaster in my top 10 (hell, pretty much my whole chart) could jump up or down a notch or two (or 20) depending on the day and my mood. Most of them are pretty close to the coasters before and after them in the rankings for me. But honestly, Voyage is on a tier all its own. Some of you may not agree with, or may not like what it actually does, or may think it's too rough or too intense, but I honestly think there's nothing like it on the planet. (Although some of you may be happy about that!) It's not "misguided devotion." It just happens to deliver exactly what *I* like in a wooden coaster in a way that no other woodie does. There are a few things it could do slightly better to make it the more perfect coaster for me, but it comes closer to perfect for me than any other coaster that currently stands.

 

Now, if you want to talk about misguided devotion on woodies, how about Phoenix, Thunderhead (which appears to be finally waning), Cornball Express (which I've never understood), or especially LIghtning Racer? All fine coasters, and all a ton of fun. (Well, Cornball less so.) But none which has deserved the devotion they've gotten in certain circles, IMHO.

 

And, for the record, I'll agree with you on Montu (my #1), Kumba and X (I haven't ridden X2 either), all of which are in my top 10, but not in the poll results' top 10. And in sentiment (although not quite in ranking) on Maverick (my #29, which is a still quite high, considering that I ranked almost 250!)

[matteocrepaldi]

I'm REALLY happy to see that Mirabilandia's two coasters are both in the top ten!

So awesome!

[David H]

I'm REALLY happy to see that Mirabilandia's two coasters are both in the top ten!

So awesome!

 

Actually, that's only because Mitch changed the rules for when the mutual rider tie-breaker kicks in. Last year, it was when the difference between two coasters was under .001 WinPct. This year, it's when the difference between two coasters is under .0005 WinPct. That means that the tie-breaker didn't kick in for iSpeed and Pyrenees. Under last years rules, it would have, and iSpeed lost their mutual ride contest 2-3. That would have moved Pyrenees into the top 10, knocking iSpeed down to #11.

 

For the record, I'm one of those 3 who voted Pyrenees higher. Both are great rides -- and maybe I'll get the chance to love iSpeed more after my return visit in July. But Pyrenees currently stands far higher on my list (3 vs 40.)

[texcoaster]

I don't want to open this can of worms again... really I don't, but can someone explain how Top Thrill Dragster is #33 and Kingda Ka is #63 when they're the same basic ride except that one is taller and has a hill (but is #63). Sure, Kingda Ka has headrests... but they didn't seem to stop anyone from putting Maverick in the top 15.

 

I love Cedar Point, it's my favorite park and I love the place but why is it that if Cedar Point puts in the same ride as everyone else, it's instantly better than the same basic version of the same ride at another park?

 

I don't think that's it. Top Thrill Dragster has lapbars, and Kingda Ka has over-the-shoulder-restraints. Enough people prefer the lapbars that they chose Dragster over Ka. Yes, that's a big gap. But there are some (including me) to whom restraints are a really big deal.

 

And this probably answers the previously-asked question "Why don't looping coasters rank higher?"

 

There are very few lapbar-only coasters with inversions and many of those are clones.

 

Personally, Mr Freeze and Poltergeist went from near the bottom of my list to the top 25 when they traded out the earbashers for tummycrunchers. Those still aren't great restraints, but they at least allow you to enjoy the ride instead of just enduring the ride.

 

With a similar restraint system and decent trains, even the Arrow mega-loopers could find some love.

Goudurix might even move up a few notches.

[RollerCoasterSmi]

I don't want to open this can of worms again... really I don't, but can someone explain how Top Thrill Dragster is #33 and Kingda Ka is #63 when they're the same basic ride except that one is taller and has a hill (but is #63). Sure, Kingda Ka has headrests... but they didn't seem to stop anyone from putting Maverick in the top 15.

 

I love Cedar Point, it's my favorite park and I love the place but why is it that if Cedar Point puts in the same ride as everyone else, it's instantly better than the same basic version of the same ride at another park?

 

I don't think that's it. Top Thrill Dragster has lapbars, and Kingda Ka has over-the-shoulder-restraints. Enough people prefer the lapbars that they chose Dragster over Ka. Yes, that's a big gap. But there are some (including me) to whom restraints are a really big deal.

 

And this probably answers the previously-asked question "Why don't looping coasters rank higher?"

 

There are very few lapbar-only coasters with inversions and many of those are clones.

 

Personally, Mr Freeze and Poltergeist went from near the bottom of my list to the top 25 when they traded out the earbashers for tummycrunchers. Those still aren't great restraints, but they at least allow you to enjoy the ride instead of just enduring the ride.

 

With a similar restraint system and decent trains, even the Arrow mega-loopers could find some love.

Goudurix might even move up a few notches.

 

I really hope Parc Asterix invests in some of those new Vekoma lovelies. The layout is pretty good, but it is just the headbanging that makes it a terrible ride...

[ParkTrips]

Nice to see Robb helped bump Olympia Looping up 30ish spots

 

(its still too low!)

[rcdude]

I finally got around to looking through the results and I've found the following of interest:

 

1. I'm surprised Intimidator 305 ranked as highly as it did. I know a lot of people really like the ride, but I thought there would be enough haters due to the trim brakes that it would finish more around 10-15.

 

2. Is Bizarro really the best ride in the world anymore? Ever since the transformation I've heard that the ride is less forceful and has some general annoyance (specifically the soundtrack). I expected it to begin dropping, but it hasn't yet. Maybe in next year's results.

 

3. 7 of the 10 B&M Mega Coasters ranked right next to each other. This indicates that they give similar rides, so perhaps they should be condensed into a Favorite B&M Mega category despite not being identical. Additionally, a Favorite Arrow Mine Train category might be god as well since most of those are ranked fairly close together.

 

4. I'm very interested to see how many spots SFMM's Superman gains next year. It was ranked 196 this year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it gain 30-40 spots (or more) next year.

 

5. As usual, I always find it interesting that most of the coasters on my personal list are in the same general location as they finish in the poll (the top quarter of my list all finish in the top quarter of the poll, etc.), but within that group they are in a radically different order.

[larrygator]

I finally got around to looking through the results and I've found the following of interest:

3. 7 of the 10 B&M Mega Coasters ranked right next to each other. This indicates that they give similar rides, so perhaps they should be condensed into a Favorite B&M Mega category despite not being identical.

 

Just because they ended up in the same place doesn't mean everyone views them in the same manner. I've been on 6 of the 7 and had them scattered from 4 to 60 something.

 

My biggest problem is that Dragon's Fury is lumped into a larger category.

Edited May 15, 2011 by larrygator

[texcoaster]

There is no way that the B&M coasters should be lumped together.

 

The reason there are "fave X" categories are because of production model coasters that have the same stats and layout. The B&Ms are similar in that they have lots of hills and no loops, but are otherwise very different. If you're going to lump all of them together, you might as well add Magnum, Bizarro, GeForce, etc into that group as well and call it "Fave non-looping steelie"

 

As for me, I know it would be a bit more intimidating, but I'd prefer not to have those groupings at all. Just because a coaster is one of several that share the same stats and layout, it doesn't mean that the ride experience is similar enough to pick just one of them and toss the rest out.

 

A good case in point is Vekoma boomerangss. Just choosing my favorite boomer for the list makes it seem totally skewed in Vekoma's favor. The one at Fiesta Tx is actually a pretty good ride. Headbanging is minimal, the setting is nice, the trains are (somewhat) comfy, and it ranks somewhere in the 50s on my list. Others, however, like the one at SFOT are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down on my list. Not only do I not like them enough to hit the top 100, I don't even like them. But when I put out my list for the poll, there's "Fave boomerang" right there in the 50s with no way for me to indicate how much I loathe those rides in general.