Are you a roller coaster superfan? Does the mere thought of g-force make your heart race and your blood pump aggressively? Loving roller coasters is what unites us as ride enthusiasts. Since you are a hardcore theme park tourist, you want to visit amusement parks that best fit your needs.
Here are five of the best non-Disney/Universal parks for adrenaline junkies. Note that these parks are listed in no particular order. If I could only pick one, however, let’s just say that my heart belongs in Sandusky, Ohio.
5. Six Flags Magic Mountain
While my heart belongs to another amusement park, Six Flags Magic Mountain stakes a claim as the mecca for coaster lovers. There are an almost unimaginable 19 of them at the park. To put that number in perspective, consider that Magic Mountain is open for 11 hours during most of the summer. You would need to ride a coaster every half hour or come back on consecutive days to have any chance of putting a checkmark beside every thrill ride at the park.
Choosing the best coaster at Six Flags in Valencia, California, is akin to selecting your favorite child. You shouldn’t answer too quickly, if you are forced to answer at all. Still, the basic law of roller coaster engineering applies. The newer rides generally feature more technologically advanced and therefore better thrills.
LEX LUTHOR: Drop of Doom, which debuted in July of 2012, held the record of largest drop for any amusement park ride for a full two years. It elevates the rider 40 stories in the air and then pulls the ground out from under you, causing a freefall at an unconscionable 85 miles per hour. Drop of Doom is also integrated with the park’s Superman: Escape from Krypton, meaning that you can choose good or evil, depending on your mood when you visit Six Flags.
4. Cedar Point
Oddly, not every park is bound by the doctrine that newer is better. Perhaps the best example resides in Sandusky, Ohio. Cedar Point has been in operation since 1870, making it the second oldest amusement park that is still open to the public. Considered by many to be the roller coaster capital of the world, Cedar Point offers 16 of the best thrill rides in the industry, tying it for second-most of any amusement park in operation. Among its many claims to fame is that this is the only park that currently offers four coasters taller than 200 feet.
The best part about Cedar Point is that its rides are built to last. Consider that the debut of Magnum XL-200 in 1989 created the hypercoaster war. It was the first such coaster, becoming the first to reach a height in excess of 200 feet. Over a decade later, Magnum XL-200 was still winning awards as the best steel roller coaster in existence. In fact, the only reason why it stopped being the king of the category is that Cedar Point beat itself.
In 2000, Millennium Force Debuted to historically positive reviews, and not much has changed in the interim. The world’s first gigacoaster was selected as the best steel coaster in the world the first two years of its existence. Since that time, it has sustained its claim as one of the best roller coasters in the world. To wit, it has NEVER finished lower than second place in the category of best steel roller coaster since its inception. Despite 15 years of technological advances, all other roller coasters can do is mimic Millennium Force rather than surpass it.
Simply stated, Cedar Point is the gold standard in the ongoing roller coaster wars. Any self-respecting adrenaline junkie should make plans to visit the mecca of thrill rides.
3. Kings Island
Here’s a question. Why does Ohio of all places claim two of the best amusement parks in the world? It’s fairly random and yet any respectable list of the best places for coaster enthusiasts will include Cedar Point and Kings Island. Located in the suburbs of Cincinnati, this park made a splash when it debuted in the 1970s. Its signature ride experience, The Racer, is given credit for reinvigorating the entire roller coaster industry.
Fast forward to today and Kings Island offers an eclectic mix of 14 coasters. Its trio of upper tier thrill rides is comprised of an old-timer, a relative newcomer, and a brand spanking new endurance test. The ancient but much beloved ride is The Beast, which debuted in 1979, back when Jimmy Carter was President and Three’s Company was the number one television show. This wooden coaster was so far ahead of the curve that it is still consistently ranked as one of the ten best such coasters in the world despite being 35 years old. To this day, it is still the longest wooden roller coaster in the world. Let’s all tip our cap to some fearless Ohio architects in the 1970s.
The relative newcomer is Diamondback, which was ranked as the fourth best steel roller coaster in the world last year. While the specs on this ride aren’t impressive in terms of height or velocity, its twin helixes are marvels of innovation. One is 323 degrees while the other is 287 degrees, which means that if you don’t suffer from vertigo right now, you may by the time Diamondback is finished with you.
Finally, the newcomer is Banshee, which Golden Ticket named the second best new ride of 2014. This inverted coaster is the first of its kind in America since 2006, and your dangling feet will be the least of your worries as you get hurled onto the track at almost 70 miles per hour. Banshee’s innovations include a tongue-in-cheek reminder that that it is located in the former space of the failed Son of Beast, as there is a memorial to it during the line for Banshee. I admire Kings Island’s ability to have a sense of humor about a situation that garnered a lot of negative publicity.
2. Canada’s Wonderland
The Simpsons may reference our friends to the north as America Junior, but this 18-coaster park is no joke. It is the largest amusement park in Canada while also offering the tallest and faster roller coaster, Leviathan. Another fairly recent Cedar Fair addition, it is the most trafficked seasonal amusement park in North America. It has to be seasonal because…Canadian weather.
Tied with Cedar Point for the second most roller coasters with 16, Canada’s Wonderland has benefited from the same attention to detail as the other parks on this list. The company’s dedication to the hypercoaster concept explains why their parks comprise 80 percent of this list. The Canadian choice for best steel coaster is Leviathan, which rises to 306 feet before thrusting the rider down the track at an incomprehensible 92 miles per hour. It’s the best ride in the best park in Canada. If you want to go north of the border for an adrenaline rush, Canada’s Wonderland is the clear choice.
1. Carowinds
The pride of the Carolina border, Carowinds has been in existence since 1973. It was originally intended to be part of a hub including an NFL stadium, which means that its inventor’s ambition has never quite been matched by its actual achievements. Since its acquisition by Cedar Fair, however, Carowinds has become a much more significant player in the industry. It currently houses 14 roller coasters, the most famous of which debuted less than five years ago.
Intimidator pays tribute to NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, whose famous nickname provides the ride its name. The ride even begins with a fitting announcement of “Gentlemen, start your engines!” It was recognized as one of the ten best roller coasters in the world last year. However, it will lose its status as the best coaster at the park when Fury 325 debuts later this year. That ride will immediately become the tallest giga-coaster in the world, and it will offer a breathless 81-degree drop during the course of the ride. So, Carowinds may be a fringe choice for this list today, but it will be a no-brainer by the end of 2015.
