Comments on: 2012 Best Single Ride Experience of the Year Series

By: Gearhart

Gearhart — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:21:43 +0000

Best “experience” would probably be me and some friends ending the year by packing the back of the train of the S&S woodie, Timberhawk on a cold December night. It was a party plain and simple. However, best coaster of the year was definately El Toro at SFGAdv, absolutely blew me away with it’s aggresive yet smooth barrage of high bank turns and airtime moments. A fun surprise and honorable mention must go to SeaWorld San Diego’s new Manta, is it a family friendly thrill ride? yes. However, it is also one wildly enjoyable and very repeatable floating air machine. I took 8 rides in a row and still wanted more, soooo much fun!

By: Roller Coaster Rider

Roller Coaster Rider — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:23:23 +0000

My overall favorite roller coaster ride experience for 2012 was Top Thrill Dragster. It’s the fastest and highest roller coaster that I’ve been on.

My favorite roller coaster is MF (Millennium Force)
My favorite roller coaster that I rode for the first time last year = TTD

By: blackdaddy

blackdaddy — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:59:11 +0000

Good choice. Although not new by any means, Volcano remains one of my top coasters because of its uniqueness and incredibly smooth ride. None other on the planet even close to it.

By: Robert

Robert — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 17:05:26 +0000

I would probably have to go with my night rides on The Beast in Kings Island. Average at best during the day, amazing at night. El Toro and Bizarro still are the best, but The Beast was my most memorable ride this year.

By: Darryl Carr

Darryl Carr — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 18:37:11 +0000

SkyRush! My third ride of the day, enhanced by the mildly dark sunglasses that I’d never gone back to car to change, was absolutely insanity. After that rapid first drop, the rest of the ride occurs in that previously unexplored territory behind the Comet. With only a dimly lighted path below, that twisted layout gave no warning and showed no mercy as I felt almost helplessly ejected at the top of every rise, banked or not. For a brief moment, my hands descended, searching for a hold as instinct took over on the Stengel dive. I thought I might go flying over the Comet towards the Boardwalk section of the park. It was the first moment of fear I've ever encountered on a coaster and it was absolutely incredible. After of hundreds of different rides, I’d achieved coaster nirvana. Of course, I got back in line and did it again, front seat and all. The coaster gods were with us that day, as every ride garnered a wing seat.

By: Matt McIrvin

Matt McIrvin — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 03:13:59 +0000

That's a great story!

It's interesting how people react differently to these things. I love inversions (the Loch Ness Monster broke the fear for me), but the mere idea of i305 kind of freaks me out!

By: Matt McIrvin

Matt McIrvin — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 02:59:50 +0000

I didn't do a large amount of coastering this year, but there's really no contest: Boulder Dash. Somewhat tarnished, though, by the fact that my wife found it way way WAY too much and came off seriously shaken by the experience.

Second best was another terrain coaster, but at the opposite extreme and for different reasons: riding the little Polar Coaster at Story Land (NH) with my daughter. On the first ride, when it went around the first couple of turns, she yelled "This is funner than I thought!!"

By: Jo.E

Jo.E — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:55:20 +0000

My best ride experience was Tatsu at Magic Mountain at night, during the Fright Fest. Because of the haloween event, mm turned off the track lights on several rides, and Tatsu was one of them. Tatsu in the day is an incredible flying experience, but at night, with no track lights, it was absoultely awe-inspiring I’ve never felt closer to actually flying, nor have I felt more exhilarated.

By: LTD

LTD — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 19:40:44 +0000

Because of those feelings, I postponed riding the ride until after I rode the usual suspects (i.g, Talon, Batman, Colossus, Green Lantern (which came a close second behind X2 as my most memorable ride experience this year). When I finally got my nerve up, it was dark and the fire effects on the ride were on full blast. I was ready! When we were waiting in the queue and finally got into the station, I noticed that the coaster-lift took the cars up backwards. I really, really hate being lifted backwards, but I sucked it up and was so glad I did. What an amazing coaster experience. So bloody disorienting. It was a totally surreal and was one of the best rides of my 2012 coaster season. If you haven't done it, I highly recommend it — especially at night.

By: LTD

LTD — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 19:39:59 +0000

I am fortunate enough to have visited and experienced many rides throughout my life. I do mean MANY rides – well over a thousand – my parents took me to Cedar Point for the first time in 1965 and I haven't stopped riding since. You get the picture. Anyway, I don't get out to west coast very often, but I was fortunate enough to get to Knotts and Magic Mountain this past spring. and while I had heard a few stories about X2, I really didn't know much about it – only that it was a 4th-dimension ride. ( I guess I was subconsiously trying to preserve the element of surprise….such as our Coaster Critic did with Mystery Mine.) Being a coaster afficionado, I couldn't avoid seeing pictures of the ride and hearing a little buzz about it, but still didn't know much. When I first saw it, I was amazed at the sight of the massive structure. I even had those little 'butterfiles' in my tummy. I hadn't felt that way since my first ride on Millie at CP!