The Most Unpopular Opinions of Roller Coasters
Since I don't really have too many people to share my love of coasters with and my opinions figured it'd go here. These opinions are only based on the few coasters I've ridden.
1. Twister is the better coaster at Knoebels, personally I found Phoenix to be underwhelming. The only good part was the restraints.
2. Sky rush is not the best coaster at Hershey, Storm Runner is
3. Alpengeist is the best B&M invert. Even compared to POVs I've seen
4. Boomerangs are actually so much fun
Okay thats it I think

acookie821 said:
Since I don't really have too many people to share my love of coasters with and my opinions figured it'd go here. These opinions are only based on the few coasters I've ridden.
1. Twister is the better coaster at Knoebels, personally I found Phoenix to be underwhelming. The only good part was the restraints.
2. Sky rush is not the best coaster at Hershey, Storm Runner is
3. Alpengeist is the best B&M invert. Even compared to POVs I've seen
4. Boomerangs are actually so much fun
Okay thats it I think
I actually know several enthusiasts who have Twister ranked higher than Phoenix. I myself love Phoenix, but think both coasters are very good.
Skyrush is my #2 favorite steel coaster. In fact if I know it won't be running, I won't visit Hershey. I do agree that Storm Runner is a very underrated coaster. We try to get as many rides as possible on Skyrush, Storm Runner, and Lightning Racer each time we visit. Those are my favorite 3 coasters at Hershey.
I love Alpengeist. The only thing about Alpengeist is that it's almost too forceful for me. I feel the positive G forces in my legs so much, that it feels like I'm riding a Stand up coaster. I ride Alpengeist multiple times each visit, but I just can't marathon it. After 2 rides is row, I have to take a break.
I also find Boomerang Coasters very fun, especially going backwards through the coarse.

And I do have to agree with you on Alpengeist. I only got to ride it twice, but I don't think I would have a third time right away anyways.

Millenium Force wasn't a top 3 coaster. I actually had Goliath at SFMM almost equal to it. It was worse when I told people I liked Blue Streak as much as I liked MF. :-P
Now: I like the New Texas Giant better than Lightning Rod.
I haven't been to Hershey, so I can't comment on that one. I do know a lot of people who like boomers. I don't mind them since I've learned how to ride without smashing my head. Definitely like them when they have the new padded restraints (been on one with those)
While I love Phoenix, I've known a few that shared your love for Twister, which was also excellent. Man, has it really been 16 years since I was there last? :-(

SirWillow said:
Now: I like the New Texas Giant better than Lightning Rod.
I recently wrote elsewhere the same thing about Renegade (Valleyfair) vs Lightning Rod. I had never been to Valleyfair. At the ACE Summer Conference, August 20 this year, Renegade blew me away. Daytime rides were sensational, and then the nighttime ERT riding was off the charts good.
My opinion was not influenced by the fact that Renegade was actually running all day.
Side note: learned that day that Valleyfair is not removing Excalibur. They have "no current plans" to do so. Say what you might about that, I thought it was a decent ride, I had heard it wasn't very good.

Also, I think that Vekoma SLCs aren’t that bad. The one at my home park, Mind Eraser at Elitch Gardens, is actually quite fun if you know when to lean forward and lean back! If that’s not an unpopular opinion, then you tell me what is!

I rode Super Flight, the Zamperla Volare. I heard nothing but bad things about this coaster model (about how rough it is), but got off pleasantly surprised on how pretty smooth it was. With it's sub 30MPH speed, it was tame enough to not be a headbanger.
* This post was modified at 10/19/17 2:55:32 AM *

I rode it expecting some ejector air, but got mediocre floater air instead; I guess that it's over the hill from it's former airtimeyness, which was lauded. Wicked Cyclone definitely delivered though; inversions and ejector airtime galore, from start to finish! WC is easily the best coaster in the park IMO.

It had it's moments, no doubt, with it's very unique tree shrouded, mountainside layout and it's double ups/ downs etc. For me, is it anywhere near Voyage, El Toro(which I'm a lil critical of), Outlaw Run, Dania Beach Hurricane(RIP) or SOB(I know, I'm weird) no way!
It maybe one of those coasters that I have to ride more times to get a feel of, but I doubt if my opinion change on it. I actually heard cheers with people unloading from Wildcat (which I was lucky to ride, with it haphazardly breaking down all that week, and even that day), and none from Boulder Dash. Phobia Phear Coaster (my first Skyrocket II) was awesome!

2. Skyrush has painful restraints and painful airtime. Storm Runner, Fahrenheit, Lightning Racer(s), and Comet are all better.
3. Patriot and Talon beat out Alpengeist as the best B&M inverts but just bearly. Banshee is just ok.
4. I only ride Boomerangs for credit. (I may not have very many left in North America that I haven't ridden. Good.)
My unpopular opinions are:
1. El Toro is not THAT good. The airtime is very short lived and can be painful.
2. Because the restraints are painful on the neck or the seats are uncomfortable, some Intamins aren't THAT good. Storm Runner and Fahrenheit are better than they were. Maverick's seats hurt my butt. Kingda Ka's and Cheetah Hunt's restraints have to go !
3. There are some Vekoma SLC's that wouldn't kill you. Gauntlet, Fly the Great Nor'Easter, T3, and Twisted Typhoon are actually pretty good.
* This post was modified at 10/19/17 6:46:49 AM *

theRock-steel said:
3. Patriot and Talon beat out Alpengeist as the best B&M inverts but just bearly. Banshee is just ok.
Don't know if you've been on it, but Montu beats out all of those for best invert. I really miss riding Montu.

* This post was modified at 10/19/17 3:10:37 PM *

SirWillow said:
Don't know if you've been on it, but Montu beats out all of those for best invert. I really miss riding Montu.
I live just south of Orlando and have a SeaWorld / Busch Gardens annual pass. Yes, Montu is pretty good too. This is my B&M invert list in order:
Patriot
Talon
Alpengeist
Afterburn
MONTU
Banshee
Flight Deck
Great Bear
Batman Clones
Dragon Challenge
Raptor
Silver Bullet
As a group, inverts are one of the best types of steel coasters.


Beast is nothing. The first lift hill takes way too long, and the second completely kills the pacing. The back section is very flat but is still able to be very rough.

I thought Holiday World was a crappy park. Yes, great woodies, but horribly slow operations. And yucky food.
* This post was modified at 10/20/17 11:33:38 AM *

NotSo said:
My unpopular opinion would be:
I thought Holiday World was a crappy park. Yes, great woodies, but horribly slow operations. And yucky food.
I actually agree that Holiday World has some of the slowest and worse operations of any park. Their food is terrible also. Employees used be very friendly and the park used to be very clean. Ever since Pat and Dan Koch left, it seems more corporate now, and lost some of its charm. I do really enjoy all 3 wooden coasters and Thunderbird.

Wildfire is a good coaster, but it screams the feeling of 'B&M complacency' (I love the rustic color scheme and the natural setting though).
Powderkeg is vastly overrated, and it the weirdest coaster I ever ridden. I'm aware of it's transforming history from Buzzsaw Falls, but it seems like a Frankenstein coaster went awry.
From it's weird diagonal elevator, to the okay launch (no air over the hill) to the pointless curvy stretch to A LIFT HILL! a lift hill...To a used to be splash area, annndddd quickly back to the station...
I was rooting for this coaster so bad, but it literally failed to deliver anything besides an okay launch.
* This post was modified at 10/22/17 12:52:39 AM *

acookie821 said:
Super flight was actually my first "major" steel coaster! It was what encouraged me to go on an actual inverting coaster. Playland is my home park and the Dragon Coaster will always have a special place in my heart. I do have to agree Super flight is not as bad as people say it is. Its a good coaster for a small park like Playland. Plus there are not too many operating in the US or around the world to my knowledge so its a cool credit.
I was very impressed with my first time Playland visit. The centerpiece flower garden is very beautiful. Playland is like a throwback to yesteryear with the simple and charming vendor stands, to it's classic rides, to the wonderful view of Long Island Sound.
The Dragon Coaster is great! It's all about that classic Dragon tunnel. The two dry dark rides are awesome (didn't ride Ye Old Mill because of the two rider policy). Sky Flyer is a fun thrill ride. I loved the pizza and freshly made cotton candy there. I'm glad that Playland has kept it's old school charm over all of those years.

Powderkeg is UNDERrated. It was my favorite ride in that park. Outlaw Run kills my legs. Another RMC wooden, Goliath at SFGAM has better trains.
Playland is a good park. The larger wooden and the larger family coaster are real good for want they are. I wasn't able to spend enough time there because I was trapped trying to get out of New York City. I'm looking forward to going back sometime in the next couple of years.

theRock-steel said:
I live just south of Orlando and have a SeaWorld / Busch Gardens annual pass. Yes, Montu is pretty good too. This is my B&M invert list in order:
Patriot
Talon
Alpengeist
Afterburn
MONTU
Banshee
Flight Deck
Great Bear
Batman Clones
Dragon Challenge
Raptor
Silver BulletAs a group, inverts are one of the best types of steel coasters.
your rankings there would certainly put you in some unusual territory. :-) Montu that low, and Dragons down near the bottom? I know there's a lot of love for Raptor, but for me that head smashing turn into the midcourse kills it.
I enjoyed Patriot, but there's no way I'd put it above Montu or Dragons.
but that's what makes each of us unique. :-)

Speaking of Dragons, I haven't ridden them in years. I believe that I have been to all the other parks with B&M inverts more recently than when I had a pass to Universal back in 2011. I actually did like the red one much more than most of the Batman clones and the blue one only a little less than the clones. I am thinking of putting all "defunct" rides on a completely different list because we will never get to ride them again. How can 10 year old memories compete with something that can be re-tracked or otherwise improved ?
I think silver dollar city is way underrated - I loved how weird Powder Keg was, and it's the last compressed air launch coaster in the States, if I'm not mistaken. (I never did get to ride the XLC in Kings Dominion, back when it was operating)
I also think outlaw run is more fun than Goliath at SFGAm, despite the latter being taller and faster.
I recently had a a chance to visit Thorpe Park - it was nice but none of the rides compare to their US equivalents, except colossus and saw. Stealth is awesome but doesn't compare to TTD, KK or even Storm Runner in my opinion.

Because of being weird, Powder Keg gets a lot of points for me. Small one-trick-ponies like HyperSonic XLC didn't do much for me. Regardless of how their launch works, just about any other coasters "that shoot you forward" were better. (You didn't miss much.)
Because of its more comfortable trains, Goliath is better than Outlaw Run. Also, because of its dive loop and zero-g stall, the big guy has hangtime that has yet to be beat.

Lightning Rod - very overrated. I only include it on my favorites list because of the uphill launch and the quad down. The middle of the ride is boring.
Banshee - overrated. Bigger and faster is not always better for inverts. Same goes for Alpengeist, which is the only invert that makes me slightly nauseated.
Goliath (SF Great Am) - overrated. A great first drop. But the rest of the ride is just OK, and it's too short.
The Voyage - great layout but OUCH. I removed it from my favorites list because it has become too rough. By the middle of my last ride on it, I was praying for it to end.
Nitro - very overrated. While it gets a "10" for smoothness, it gets a "1" for thrills.
Most overrated coaster type - winged coasters. They're nice and smooth, but I have yet to ride one that provides any kind of "wow" factor.
Tunnels on wood coasters - get rid of them. They add nothing but horrendous noise.
Most underrated coaster? Raptor! The best invert by far. Doesn't get the love it deserves. Afterburn is my second-favorite invert, also underrated.
* This post was modified at 2/19/18 7:09:15 PM *

Voyage gives great airtime, but by the end of the ride, its transitions and turns are bringing some pain. Holiday World and Kentucky Kingdom are not really worth the time.
Nitro doesn't do much for me. It and Raging Bull are good because they are hypers, but there is not much to get thrilled about. The two Ride Of Steels at Darien Lake and Six Flags America don't offer much. Although Goliath is a little better than Titan, the two Giovanolas give almost no airtime. Skyrush is too painful to really enjoy. The airtime is very short lived and the ride isn't long enough for a hyper.

I love it, I hate it, I love it, I hate it...
I do love Kings Island. When we were on family trips in the late 80s early 90s, my dad would always say "we only come here because of The Beast.."
* This post was modified at 2/28/18 8:28:43 AM *

I have some more...
Many GCI coasters feel the same (similar to many Beemers on the steel side). Around 100ft, very twisty, smooth, a couple of pops of air, crossovers and unders; Like B&M, they are quality coasters, but many feel the same (examples Apocalypse, Renegade, and KY Rumbler).
Lightning Racer(mainly because of the racing factor) and Thunderhead (very strong transition switches with air) are the most differing GCIs that I've experienced.
Excalibur is utter trash, one of the most painful coasters that I've ridden. It's a one hitter quitter. I can't say that I'll be chaining myself to that wood and steel torturous monstrosity if Valleyfair decides to tear it down.
Wild Thing is underrated, and my favorite older era hyper, and favorite in the park. It has nice air, the helix, the tunnel station run and smoothness.
Renegade is good, but like I said earlier, its in the realm of GCI complacency.
Will the RMC Raptors live up to the hype? TBH, I'll be surprised if they do. That being said, everything that they (RMC) touch seem to turn into gold.

Cool topic!


Cheetah Hunt too, cmon really??

Don't even get me started on Cheetah Hunt. The restraints hurt the whole time, and kill any chance of me enjoying the airtime.
Avatar Airbender, El Toro, Kingda Ka, and, Skyrush all have "problems" in similar ways that make the rides painful when they don't need to be. I was told that Superman the Ride at SFNE has terrible cars, but since I wasn't able to ride it, I don't know myself.
On the other hand, Fahrenheit, Intimidator 305, Top Thrill Dragster, and Xcelerator all have great restraints that make the experiences better than they could have been.
1. I loved Gatekeeper far more than Maverick (but they're both great).
2. I enjoy Boomerangs.
3. Batman clones are headbangers for me, so I don't like them.
4. To add confusion to that last one, I enjoyed the 1 Vekoma SLC I've ridden (Gauntlet). No headbanging.
5. I enjoy "forceless" coasters almost as much as the forceful ones.

All Vekoma SLC's are NOT created equal. Because of changes to the restraints and/or tracks, there are better ones. In order, Gauntlet, Fly the Great Nor'Easter, and T3 are better. (You can actually ride these, LOL.) These are just below the same ranking as the "normal" B&M Batmans. I have learned how to ride the other SLC's without getting hurt. If I have the time, I'll give them one other try. I'm not a cry baby, so I don't care one way or another.
Boomerangs are generally all crap too. Sidewinder at Hershey seemed a little better. If I am in the mood, I'll ride any of the others, but only once.