What coaster do you love that everyone else hates?

[texcoaster]

I tend to have different criteria for what I love in a coaster, so my favorites are rarely lined up with those that end up at the top Mitch's poll, or the ones that will Golden Tickets.

 

Voyage, SFNE's Superman/Bizarro, and EGF are notable exceptions to the above rule, but there are plenty of coasters on my all-time faves list that make other enthusiast friends of mine say "wait... what?"

 

In the wood category, Mega Zeph just blew me away (insert bad hurricane pun here). It had everything I want in a wood coaster, just enough roughness, violent ejector airtime, killer laterals in the final helix, and the best 2nd drop of all time (followed immediately by the most OMFG curving bunny hill ever). Why none of my friends ever exited this ride with more than an "it's OK, I guess" is beyond me.

 

As for steel, I freaking love Lightwater Valley's "The Ultimate". Love, love, love. It's such a mind trip, the gentle trip out in the ungodly-long train, swooshing through the meadowlands. The string of caterpillar-like bunny hills leading to the second lift. The yards and yards of track that just sit on the ground and do pretty much nothing. The sheep grazing in the meadows surrounding the ride. The second lift hill that takes about 20 minutes to get to the top, and the insanely slow turn at the top of it with the odd fence covered in underwear. All of this nonsense and cheekiness is forgotten when that long train finally leaves the lift and drops into the woods for the trip home. My god, what a brutal, insane, poorly-designed, improperly-banked maelstrom of unpredictability that is! There is just nothing right about it and yet that's what I love most.

Edited May 5, 2011 by robbalvey

[SharkTums]

I actually REALLY liked Viper at SFGAd. I thought it had great airtime, cool inversions, and I was at a height where I never got banged around.

 

Granted, I like it's replacement even better, but I was a bit sad to see it go.

[deathbydinn]

I really like Iron Wolf at SFGAm, sure it's not the smoothest coaster but I've never found it to be too bad. I love the feeling of the drop into the corkscrew and the twisty track that follows.

 

I rode Gwazi this summer, before the new trains, and also really liked it and found it smooth and enjoyable. I believe it was getting some track work done to prepare for the MFs, so while that could have helped I really didn't find any parts on either side to be horribly rough. Sure it lacked good airtime but really not a bad ride in my mind.

 

Finally, the Dark Knight at SFGAm is another I really do like. While it may have been more of a disappointment than something people hate, I find it to be a really fun nicely themed ride. I like just plain wild mouses in general so being indoors and the theming really makes me like this one, it's a great break from the bigger intense rides and one I do try to ride at least once each time I go, although sometimes the line prevents that from happening.

[YoshiFan]

Sooperdooperlooper, I don't think most people hate the ride but I think that it is considered average to most people. It's one of my favorite coasters, because it is an overall fun ride and going upside down with just a lapbar is awesome.

[FeelTheFORCE]

Mantis at Cedar Point. If you stand right, it's not so bad on the man area. Also, last year without the trims it was really hauling ass and giving insane rides...I hope that's the case this year.

 

Mean Streak at Cedar Point. I don't *love* this ride, and I have also had many horrible rides on it, but I have had some really fun rides as well. It's fun when you're with a group of people.

 

Predator at Darien Lake. I think it's a good coaster, and has definitely improved since adding the Voyage trains.

 

Son of Beast. I have only ridden it twice, both times post-loop, but I really enjoyed it! It was thrilling, fast, and smooth! Great ride!

 

Deja Vu at SFMM and Aftershock at Silverwood. Vekoma GIBs are one of my favorite type of coasters. They give one insane ride!

 

X at SFMM. It's my number 1 favorite coaster!

Edited May 9, 2011 by FeelTheFORCE

[Ed Farmer]

Iron Wolf @ SFGAm is one of my top coasters and the first one that comes to mind. They simply don't make them like that anymore. I imagine the other early B&M standup efforts at CGA and KD would also rank highly for me. The defunct Arrow mega-looper Shockwave (also SFGAm) is another ride that wasn't popular, and I enjoyed. GASM at SFGAdv was similar, and I enjoyed it, but the trim took away from it a bit.

 

Wooden Coasters- Gwazi, Wildebeast. I haven't ridden Gwazi with the MF trains, but the people bitching about it prior to the MF trains need vagisil. I thought it was the best GCI effort aside from Prowler.

 

Aside from those, I don't recall ever having a bad time on a Vekoma ride. Boomerang and SLC coasters are fine by me. SFoG's and SFStl's Ninja coasters seem to have an especially bad reputation. I didn't mind the Stl. version, but I thoroughly enjoyed the Georgia version. Love it, wish it was closer to me.

[b&mforever]

^That trim didn't work most of the time anyway. They were always working on it with cranes.

[ILoveRides]

I'll get crap for this...

 

I liked Flashback and Windjammer. (I was young when I rode them, and don't remember either of them having head banging issues. Maybe being smaller helped out.)

 

I liked Manhattan Express. (I agree it sucks now, but back in the day I really enjoyed it. Again, maybe because I was smaller. Or maybe it has just gone wayyyyy downhill)

 

I like Silver Bullet.

 

I like California Screamin' (it's one of my favorite coasters).

[coasterkyle]

I'm a bit biased on this one but Mean Streak. ( the Queen of "Everyone loves to hate category".) Before being assigned to it last year i never was a fan, but it grew on me last year, and now I'm the ATL this summer for her

[cedarpointfangirl]

I like California Screamin' (it's one of my favorite coasters)

 

I second that! I don't hear many people talk about it, but I found it to be alot of fun. I love the on-board music, it is all perfectly timed for the different areas of the track. Just an overall fun coaster, smooth, constant with the exception of that one lift hill mid stream. It is one of my fave coasters.

[BaMiTsPaT]

I actually really enjoy the Hurler at Carowinds. I don't know why, but I've gotten some really great rides on it this season.

[XII]

Cobra @ La Ronde. Not only is it underridden, but most of the reviews from those who have ridden it are bad. I however, thought it was a pretty fun ride and and some really good pops of ejector air.

[buckaroo234]

Deja Vu at SFMM, and Roar at CGA (however i havent ridden this since i was like 14)....

[rolercstrluvr]

^ I didn't know CGA had roar, lol. I think you might mean Grizzly.

 

On another note, people that I've talked to don't really like saw the ride at Thorpe park. Said it was on the rough side for them. Me on the other hand loved it.

[DenDen]

Wow, where do I begin, my list goes on and on. I love most of the Arrows from their peak years. MagnumXL200, Steel Phantom, Desperado...

[Thelegendarymatthew]

I like Hurler. May be a bit rough and not much of an original layout, but it does have a lot of air. Its a ride you can go on and expect no lines.

I also like riding Grizzly at night. That is amazing.

[shivtim]

I really enjoyed Desert Storm at Castles n' Coasters. Sure, it's no top ten ride, but it was smooth, has a very unique layout, and two inversions with lapbars only. Overall a very "fun" ride. For some reason it ranks at #292 on Mitch's poll.

[cfc]

I still like Grizzly at KD, mainly for the SHED OF DEATH! I got a kick out of Dark Knight at Six Flags Great America, too (I thought the little dark-ride gags were fun).

 

But there is one ride that was so bad when I rode it in 2006 that I found it rather endearing: X:/No Way Out at Thorpe. Yes, this ride is completely pointless, but I think, for me, that is the point. If Ed Wood, Jr., were a coaster designer, this would've been his crowning achievement. (Note that I rank it pretty low in the Hawker poll, but not in my "bottom ten.")

Edited May 4, 2011 by cfc

[simon8899]

I still quite like the Vekoma MK-1200 and Invertigo....

[SharkTums]

I like California Screamin' (it's one of my favorite coasters)

 

I second that! I don't hear many people talk about it, but I found it to be alot of fun. I love the on-board music, it is all perfectly timed for the different areas of the track. Just an overall fun coaster, smooth, constant with the exception of that one lift hill mid stream. It is one of my fave coasters.

 

I don't think that really applies for this thread. No one HATES California Screamin. I agree it doesn't get the attention it deserves (probably cause it's in a Disney park), it's a great ride for sure, but people don't hate it.

[Sir Clinksalot]

^ Agreed ... CA Screamin' is a great ride, I don't think anybody actually "hates" it.

 

My list:

Deja Vu: SFMM

GASM: SFGadv (I know it's gone now, but I actually enjoyed it)

 

Add me to the list who liked Flashback when it was around. Not sure why, but I did enjoy it.

 

I also really liked Psyclone before it went to hell.

[dippindotsguy8]

1. Disaster Transport. Sure it's not necessarily one of the best rides there, but I really enjoyed it for some reason.

2. Excalibur at Valleyfair. Not sure why but there's something i just love about this ride (aside from the fact that it's almost always a walk-on, no matter how busy the park is). I really wish I was around back in '89 when it opened so I could experience it before the trims and with the extra ejector hill.

 

3. Ghostrider. I had heard all kinds of crap about it from people, but I rode it anyways just for the credit. Wasn't smooth as glass, sure, but it definitely was enjoyable.

 

4. Every boomerang I've ridden so far. I've been on 3 now, and I don't get why everyone hates them! The return trip in the back seats is super intense. The most common complaint I've heard is roughness, but I've never had a problem with it as long as I lean at the right times during the cobra roll. Sure, they aren't really special considereing how many there are, but they aren't terrible either.

 

5. Viper at SFMM. Again, searching for the roughness people talk about. Just learn where the lateral pumps are and keep your head back during the back-to-back loops, and you'll be fine.

Edited October 23, 2012 by dippindotsguy8

[Hugecoltsfan]

1. Mantis - When I rode it in '09 I really enjoyed although a couldn't feel my legs after geting off

 

2. Grizzly at KD - I just love this ride no matter how bad it hurts after multiple rides. Flying past the trees at night just gives it a great experience IMO.

 

3. Anaconda at KD - O the . After figuring out the spots that hurt and how to avoid it its actually enjoyable.

[DCody]

Maybe not HATE, but I feel like a lot of enthusiasts dislike Rampage. It's one of my favorite woodies! I don't normally love aggressive rides, but I love that one.

[Meteornotes]

^The rides we got on Rampage during out ERT on the Deep South trip were some of the best coaster rides ever. Even if it had some spine-adjusting spots on the track.

 

dt