• Coaster Reviews

  Written by The Coaster Critic 3 Comments
  Last Updated: April 29, 2006

  My Highest Rated Roller Coaster Reviews
  
  Led Zeppelin – The Ride
  Hard Rock Park
  Born: 2008
  Height: 150′
  Speed: 65 mph
  Inversions: 7 (Vertical Loop, Cobra Roll, Zero−G Roll, Vertical Loop, Corkscrew)
  Make & Model: Bolliger & Mabillard Looping Coaster
  Review: Led Zeppelin: The Ride is the headliner in Hard Rock Park’s ride lineup. Creating a great new rock-themed park is a draw, but nothing catches the eye of would-be visitors like a flashy new looping roller coaster.…read more>>> Final Rating – 8.5 (Great Approaching Excellent)

  Kumba
  Busch Gardens Africa
  Born: 1993
  Height: 143′
  Speed: 60 mph
  Inversions: 7 (Vertical Loop, Dive Loop, Zero−G Roll, Cobra Roll, 2 Corkscrews)
  Make & Model: Bolliger & Mabillard Looping Coaster
  Review: Strap in for a ride on the best steel looper on the planet. I’ve reviewed the rest of my top ten, for my 300th post I figured it’d be fitting if I reviewed the coaster in my top spot…read more>>> Final Rating – 10 (Superior)

  Incredible Hulk
  Islands of Adventure
  Born: 1999
  Height: 110′
  Speed: 67 mph
  Inversions: 7 (Zero−G Roll, Cobra Roll, Vertical Loop, Corkscrew, Vertical Loop, Corkscrew)
  Make & Model: Bolliger & Mabillard Looping Coaster
  Claim to Fame: Popular launched looping coaster is the marquee ride at IOA.
  Review: Islands of Adventure’s Incredible Hulk is one of the best looking coasters you’ll find anywhere. The twisted mess of bright green track is built partially over the park’s lake. Hulk’s enclosed lift hill and massive cobra roll and vertical loops dominate the skyline …read more>>
  Final Rating – 9.5 (Excellent Approaching Superior)

  Twister
  Knoebels
  Born: 1999
  Height: 101′
  Speed: 51 mph
  Make & Model: John Fetterman Wooden Twister Coaster
  Review: The aptly named Twister is the epitome of a twister roller coaster. It’s an action-packed wooden coaster with more lateral g-forces than you can shake a stick at …read more>>>
  Final Rating – 9.0 (Excellent)

  Beast
  Kings Island
  Born: 1979
  Height: 110′
  Drop: 141′
  Speed: 65 mph
  Make & Model: Wooden Terrain Coaster by Charlie Dinn
  Claim to Fame: The longest wooden coaster in the world. An ACE Coaster Landmark.
  Review: Once again, I traveled westward for another much hyped woodie. This time I was in search of the Beast at Kings Island. For nearly three decades it’s been the longest wooden roller coaster in the world. I’ve been looking forward to riding it for a decade.…>>>
  Final Rating – 10.0 (Superior)

  Phoenix
  Knoebels
  Born: 1948 as Rocket at Playland Park, 1985 as Phoenix
  Drop: 72′
  Speed: 45 mph
  Make & Model: Philadelphia Toboggan Wooden Coaster
  Claim to Fame: World-class wooden coaster that offers insane airtime.
  Review: Knoebels is small amusement park located in the middle of Pennsylvania. It’s a homey park with a very traditional feel. In a past life, Phoenix was the Rocket at Playland Park in San Antonio. After lying dormant for five years, Knoebels…read more>>>
  Final Rating – 9.0 (Excellent)

  Griffon
  Busch Gardens Europe
  Born: 2007
  Drop: 205′ at 90-degrees
  Speed: 71 mph
  Inversions: 2 (2 Immelmanns)
  Make & Model: B&M Dive Machine
  Claim to Fame: World’s tallest dive coaster at a critically acclaimed theme park.
  Review: Busch Gardens Europe has unveiled their first new roller coaster since 1999. The long-awaited addition, introduces America’s second dive coaster…read more>>>
  Final Rating – 8.5 (Great-Approaching Excellent)

  Nitro
  Six Flags Great Adventure
  Born: 2001
  Drop 215′
  Speed: 80 mph
  Make & Model: B&M Hyper Coaster
  Review: Nitro is a popular hyper coaster that completes Six Flags Great Adventure’s trinity of top-notch roller coasters. Kingda Ka, El Toro, and Nitro make Great Adventure a must visit destination for coaster enthusiasts…read more>>>
  Final Rating – 9.0 Excellent

  Superman: Ride of Steel
  Six Flags New England
  Born: 2000
  Drop: 221′
  Speed: 77 mph
  Make & Model: Intamin Hyper Coaster
  Claim to Fame: Highest rated steel coaster in the world, Golden Ticket winner and top ranked steel coaster on Mitch Hawker’s Internet Poll
  Review: I don’t give out a lot of 10’s. But this ladies and gentlemen, deserves a 10. It’s reputation was huge and I figured it would be better than the other coasters by the same name, I just didn’t know it was going to be THAT good…read more>>>
  Final Rating – 10 (Transcendental)

  Thunderhead
  Dollywood
  Born: 2004
  Drop: 100′
  Speed: 55 mph
  Make & Model: Great Coasters International Twister Wooden Coaster
  Claim to Fame: 2005 & 2006 Golden Ticket Award winner for Best Wooden Coaster
  Review: By some random chain of events my family decided to take a summer vacation in Tennessee. This gave me the opportunity to stop at Dollywood on our way back home…read more>>
  Final Rating – 8.5 (Great Approaching Excellent)

  Storm Runner
  Hershey Park
  Born: 2004
  Drop: 180′
  Speed: 75 mph
  Inversions: 3 (Immelmann, Heartline Roll, Flying Snake Dive)
  Make & Model: Intamin Accelerator (Launch) Coaster
  Claim to Fame: Hydraulic launch propels riders from 0 to 72 mph in 2 seconds.
  Review: As a big steel coaster fan, I was curious to see how good Storm Runner really was. Since it wasn’t there the last time I went to the park I figured a 2 hour trip to re-visit Hersheypark wouldn’t be a bad idea…read more>>
  Final Rating – 8.5 (Great Approaching Excellent)

  Apollo’s Chariot
  Busch Gardens Europe
  Born: 1999
  Drop: 210′
  Speed: 73 mph
  Make & Model: B&M Mega Coaster
  Claim to Fame: An airtime king, once held the record for most downward track. Fabio was struck by a goose while riding it.
  Review: After having not ridden one of my top coasters for over three years I was excited to see that it still shined. All of the pluses that had made it one of favorite roller coasters were still there…read more>>
  Final Rating – 10 (Superior)

  Hades
  Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park
  Born: 2005
  Drop: 140′
  Speed: 70 mph
  Make & Model: Gravity Group Wooden Coaster
  Claim to Fame: Longest roller coaster tunnel in the world. 90-degree banked turn, underground in complete darkness.
  Review: In Greek mythology, Hades was the god of the underworld. Hades, the roller coaster, more than lives up to it’s name. It boasts the single most impressive tunnel section I’ve ever experienced. The tunnel’s not only long, it’s a white knuckle journey through a terrifying pitch black abyss…read more>>
  Final Rating – 9.5 (Excellent-Approaching Superior)

  El Toro
  Six Flags Great Adventure
  Born: 2006
  Drop: 176′
  Speed: 70 mph
  Make & Model: Intamin Prefabricated Wooden Coaster
  Claim to Fame: First prefabricated wooden coaster in the U.S. Offers an utlra-smooth ride.
  Review: Ladies and gentlemen, the future is here! Riding El Toro is something any coaster enthusiast, heck, any person with a pulse should do. Especially if you think you know what wooden coasters have to offer. El Toro is going to turn your world upside down…read more>>
  Final Rating – 10 (Superior)

  Kumba
  Born: 1993
  Drop: 135′
  Speed: 60 mph
  Inversions: 7 (Vertical Loop, Dive Loop, Zero-G Roll, Cobra Roll, 2 Corkscrews)
  Make & Model: Bolliger & Mabillard
  Review: Strap in for a ride on the best steel looper on the planet. I’ve reviewed the rest of my top ten, for my 300th post I figured it’d be fitting if I reviewed the coaster in my top spot. Read more>> Final Rating – 10.0 (Superior)

  Kingda Ka
  Six Flags Great Adventure
  Born: 2005
  Drop: 418′
  Speed: 128 mph
  Make & Model: Intamin Strata Coaster
  Claim to Fame: Tallest and fastest roller coaster on the planet since 2005.
  Review: After my rainy trip to Cedar Point and the subsequent closing of Top Thrill Dragster, I was looking forward to getting to Six Flags Great Adventure. Not only does Great Adventure have the only other Strata Coaster on the planet, they boast the world record holder for height (456′) and speed (128 mph) in Kingda Ka…read more>>
  Final Rating – 8.0 (Great)

  Alpengeist
  Busch Gardens Europe (Williamsburg)
  Born: 1997
  Drop: 170′
  Speed: 67 mph
  Inversions: 6 (Immelmann, Vertical Loop, Cobra Roll, Zero−G Roll, Corkscrew)
  Make & Model: Bolliger & Mabillard Inverted Coaster
  Claim to Fame: Largest and fastest inverted coaster in the world.
  Review: From the first time I saw the ominous white lift high above the surrounding trees while on Loch Ness, I knew it would be a ride to remember. In my opinion, this is the king of the inverted coasters not just because of its height and speed, but because it delivers thrills with every ride…read more>>
  Final Rating – 10 (Superior)

  Loch Ness Monster
  Busch Gardens Europe (Williamsburg)
  Born: 1978
  Drop: 114′
  Speed: 60 mph
  Inversions: 2 Interlocking Vertical Loops
  Make & Model: Arrow Looping Terrain Coaster
  Claim to Fame: Unique steel looping coaster positioned over a river, rare interlocking loops.
  Review: For a steel coaster from the 70’s Loch Ness is amazing and still rocks in 2006! Busch Gardens Williamsburg does it again. Even the park’s ‘dinosaur’ so to speak has some pretty cool elements. A steep 11-story drop to the Rhine River and the world’s first set of interlocking loops. You really have to give Busch and Arrow credit. In 1978 …read more>>
  Final Rating – 8.0 (Great)

  Boulder Dash
  Lake Compounce
  Born: 2000
  Drop: 115′
  Speed: 60 mph
  Make & Model: Custom Coasters International Wooden Terrain Coaster
  Claim to Fame: Wooden coaster built on a mountain.
  Review: The hype for this ride was huge. Almost too huge. But after three rides on this baby I was able to form an opinion. While I’m not the biggest wooden coaster fan, I am a huge fan of terrain coasters and mountains for that matter. So I was itching to get up to Connecticut and check this coaster out…read more>>
  Final Rating – 9.5 (Excellent-Approaching Superior)

  Millennium Force
  Cedar Point
  Born: 2000
  Drop: 300′
  Speed: 93 mph
  Make & Model: Intamin Giga Coaster
  Claim to Fame: The tallest coaster in the world when it opened, critically acclaimed.
  Review: Millennium Force is a great example of bigger not always being better. I had a short 20 minute or so wait on a rainy, dreary day in May. I was looking forward to my trip to the Coaster Capital for a number of reasons including riding my 100th new coaster. As I arrived at Cedar Point I was drawn to MF like a magnet. It was to be number 100…read more>>
  Final Rating – 9.0 (Excellent)

  The Voyage
  Holiday World
  Born: 2006
  Drop: 154′
  Speed: 67 mph
  Make & Model: Gravity Group Hybrid Wooden Coaster
  Claim to Fame: Claims to offer most air time of any wooden coaster, five underground tunnels.
  Review: Another trip and another extremely hyped coaster. This time I traveled more than 700 miles for two parks, but mainly for one new beast of wooden coaster, Voyage. Luckily, I wasn’t let down. It rained on and off all day at Holiday World which must have helped with the lines. At times Voyage was nearly a walk-on…read more>>
  Final Rating – 10.0 (Superior)

  Magnum XL-200
  Cedar Point
  Born: 1989
  Drop: 184′
  Speed: 72 mph
  Claim to Fame: Revolutionary design that kicked off the hyper coaster craze.
  Final Rating – 9.5 (Excellent-Approaching Superior)

  SheiKra
  Busch Gardens Africa (Tampa
  Born: 2005
  Height: 200′
  Speed: 70 mph
  Inversion: 1 Immelmann
  Make & Model: Bolliger & Mabillard Dive Machine
  Claim to Fame: 90 degree twenty story drop. America’s first diving roller coaster.
  Final Rating – 7.5 (Good-Approaching Great)

  Big Bad Wolf
  Busch Gardens Williamsburg
  Born: 1984
  Drop: 80′
  Speed: 48 mph
  Make & Model: Arrow Suspended Coaster
  Claim to Fame: Most acclaimed suspended coaster in the world. Includes a Bavarian village and a dive to a river.
  Final Rating – 7.5 (Good-Approaching Great)

  Volcano, The Blast Coaster
  Paramount’s Kings Dominion
  Born: 1998
  Drop: 80′
  Speed: 70 mph
  Inversions: 4 (Roll out & 3 Zero-G Rolls)
  Make & Model: Intamin Inverted Coaster
  Claim to Fame: Riders are launched out of the top of an ‘active’ volcano.
  Final Rating – 8.5 (Great-Approaching Excellent)

  Browse more roller coaster reviews including Mean Streak, Mantis, Superman: Ride of Steel, Hypersonic XLC, Anaconda, and more.

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3 Comments

1. #1 Ella Demon says:
   July 13th, 2008 at 6:14 pm

   i love the roller coaster at upper clements park in nova scotia

   Reply
2. #2 Evan says:
   July 13th, 2008 at 6:16 pm

   The roller coaster at crystal palace in new brunswick is super fun for ages 7-10 or up but kind of small!

   Reply
3. #3 Mr. New England says:
   July 13th, 2008 at 6:17 pm

   anyone live in new england??

   Reply