I’ve never actually posted my rollercoaster ranking here. Here on my sham of a blog with coaster in the title. But as the curtains are drawn over 2022, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on what has been an absolutely insane and incredible year for me as an enthusiast – and on the rides that really made it special. This year I rode a frankly ridiculous 185 new rollercoasters. Whilst plenty of these coasters were nothing to write home about, some completely re-wrote what I knew about rollercoasters, leaving my top ten unrecognisable from the year before.
For reference, this was my top ten at the end of 2021 – thank you Vote Coasters for essentially being a top ten time capsule, I love it!
It’s probably worth mentioning that Wicker Man at Alton Towers was sat at number 11, as since the discourse about #0 coasters – coasters that are so sentimental to you that objective ranking is impossible – one of the above has happily moved to that spot.
So, that’s where we were at the end of 2021. But what about 2022? Well, things are looking a little different around here…
10. Kondaa
Walibi Belgium, Belgium
When anyone starts the discussion around whether rollercoasters really do ‘warm up’ (get faster throughout the operating day), I point them toward Kondaa. I have never known any coaster to have offered such a dramatically different ride experience at different times of day as this gorgeous Intamin. Morning Kondaa was a delight, offering charming airtime, hangtime and enviable smoothness all in Intamin’s excellent – and incredibly themed – trains. A beauty for sure, but not particularly earth-shattering. Afternoon Kondaa on the other hand was a beast. Suddenly, all these gentle elements were being taken at speed and it felt relentless! I adore Kondaa, although it’s fair to say it wouldn’t be ranking this highly if I’d only ridden it in the morning. Bonus points also for letting out a monstrous roar when the train dispatches. Any ride with dispatch effects gets an instant thumbs-up from me!
9. Fury 325
Carowinds, United States of America
Fury 325 at number 9 feels like a crime, but it’s simply a reflection of how much I love inversions. Without inversions, this doesn’t quite creep into the top of the top (there is an exception to this rule, but we’ll discuss that later) but holy cow, where do I start with Fury 325? Quite simply the best first drop I’ve ever experienced, or am likely to experience given that it holds the title of the world’s tallest lift hill. After plunging for what feels like an eternity, you’re treated to a veritable feast of airtime, but that’s not what makes this ride memorable for me. That would be the speed. The front row on Fury 325 is quite simply one of the greatest ride experiences in the world. This is the only rollercoaster that has pulled the skin back from my face and left it flapping around at the sides, whilst I squinted through the endless stream of tears being ripped from my eyeballs. Despite having experienced greater speed on Kingda Ka, this was truly the greatest feeling of speed I have experienced, perhaps due to its comparative longevity. It’s just bloody beautiful too isn’t it? The way Fury dominates the entrance plaza of Carowinds should be studied by amusement parks the world over.
8. Copperhead Strike
Carowinds, United States of America
What happens if you take a coaster, pack it to the brim with sloowwww hangtime and relentless pops of airtime, give it a story-based pre-show and then theme the whole area to the nines? You get one of my favourite ever coasters of course!
Now, this ranking might be a little spicy. After some of the discourse I’ve seen surrounding this ride this year, it sure feels spicy. Particularly its ranking above its iconic neighbour, Fury. But once again this placement of Carowinds’ gorgeous Copperhead Strike is a testament to my love of both hangtime and theming. From the Cedar Fair parks I’ve experienced, Copperhead Strike is a strong contender for most themed coaster – off the top of my head, only the Jaguar (Knott’s) queue line is superior – so it’s only natural that I adore it. But I can see why others aren’t so fond. It’s not exactly a thrilling coaster. Despite being a multi-launch, I try not to think of Copperhead as a launch coaster as for me the word ‘launch’ always brings with it connotations of great speed, but that is very much not the case here. The launches are used as more of a means to an end, a way to get you flowing slowly through the graceful elements, rather than a thrill in their own right. I’m no great lover of intensity, so floating and dangling my way through was perfectly alright with me, and I’d give anything to be doing so right this minute.
7. The Ride to Happiness
Plopsaland De Panne, Belgium
Mack Rides heard everything you (and I) said about their launches, and they’re here to tell you they ain’t playing around no more. The Ride to Happiness is ridiculous. It’s insane. It’s so unique, so terrifying, so utterly disorientating, that it’s undoubtedly one of the greatest rollercoasters out there. Everything from the stunning steampunk (admittedly, heavily borrowed from Time Traveller) trains, to the ride building and its surrounding area, is pure beauty. The initial jojo roll is not only one of the most terrifying elements in existence, but also is an aesthetic joy as these gorgeous trains twist in slow motion before you, immediately in front of the ride entrance. The greatest possible welcome. Speaking of Time Traveller, having also ridden that coaster this year, it really is wild how much The Ride to Happiness built on its predecessor. Time Traveller is fun, but The Ride to Happiness is in its own league. It’s almost impossible to explain the ride experience, outside of saying that it is certifiably batshit. POVs do not do justice to the way this thing throws you around like a ragdoll at every opportunity. You quite simply have to ride it for yourself. The only reason this doesn’t rank higher for me is that I found some rides so intense that I needed a sit down afterwards, so its lack of instant re-ridability takes it down a few spots. But it really is a masterpiece. If this is the future of Mack Rides, then chuck me some cheese and call me Ed Euromaus because I am all aboard the Mack hype train baby.
6. Pantheon
Busch Gardens Williamsburg, United States of America
If there’s one ride on this list that’s on shaky footing, it is probably Pantheon. It’s the only ride here that I only got to experience once, with that one experience being at about 5pm after the ride being down all day. So, I do worry that the sheer elation of actually managing to ride the world’s fastest multi-launch coaster may have affected my ranking unfairly, but holy cow that elation was really something. I didn’t really know what to expect from Pantheon. The POV looked fun enough, but nothing particularly inspired, so it was a little bit of a shock when I found myself on the brake run laughing with glee at what I’d experienced. This ride gave me everything (except theming, *eye roll*), speed, airtime, a zero-g stall (my favourite element), an outward banked airtime hill (very quickly becoming a favourite element) to the point that it almost felt designed for me. I so wish I’d been able to get more rides on it to form a more solid opinion, but I’m just so very grateful I got the one.
5. Taron
Phantasialand, Germany
And here’s the exception. The sole coaster that managed to creep into my top 5 with not a single inversion to its name. It’s Taron. Of course it’s Taron. So far the only coaster to make me tear up with delight mid-ride, Taron is not just a rollercoaster. It’s an experience. Darting through what simply must be some of the greatest rock work on this planet at silly speed is about as good as it gets for a lover of rollercoasters and theming. I spoke at length in my review of Phantasialand about my deep love of Klugheim (the area in Phantasialand which Taron calls home), and I think it’s the way in which Taron’s existence in Klugheim feels organic that makes this so much more than a multi-launch coaster. Taron is everything, and I truly cannot wait to experience it at night – it might just manage to creep even further up this list!
4. Zadra
Energylandia, Poland
The sole survivor from 2021’s ranking, Zadra has slipped a few places but still remains up there as one of my favourite ride experiences. When I ride a new coaster and try to determine its ranking, I often find myself thinking about whether any moment on the ride made me feel close to the way Zadra’s Zero-G stall does. That stall is one of my favourite pieces of metal in the world. A moment of peace and tranquillity in the middle of an incredibly paced whirlwind of action. Of course, it’s not just the stall that I love. This is an astonishing ride, with a glorious first drop and a relentless pace right up until the brake run, and one that I’ll always have a certain sentimental attachment to, having completely re-written my understanding of what a rollercoaster could be back in 2021.
3. Jurassic World VelociCoaster
Universal’s Islands of Adventure, United States of America
I recently spilled all of my thoughts on VelociCoaster, so I won’t go into too much detail now, except to say that if you told me as a kid that one day there would be a Jurassic-themed rollercoaster and that it would be this good, I think I would have started my countdown there and then. It’s incredible to me that we’ve reached the point where prestige theme parks, known mostly for their theming and dark rides, are creating thrill coasters worthy of the top spots on enthusiast lists the world over. I cannot wait to see where this leads us in the future!
2. Steel Vengeance
Cedar Point, United States of America
The ride I fully expected to be my number one rollercoaster after this year – and to be fair, it was until three weeks ago – sits proudly at number two: Steel Vengeance. How to talk about Steel Vengeance? Honestly, you should have some idea of how it rides from the fact that it holds the record for the most airtime of any coaster on earth, and boy does it make sure you feel each and every last second. This is a coaster that sends you bouncing between your restraint and your seat like a paddle ball, all the while twisting you in and out of it’s gargantuan structure, or offering you astonishing views over Lake Erie. Steel Vengeance is the full package. Glassy smooth, fast, intense but never too intense, ridiculous… pretty much everything you could ever want from a coaster. The only minor flaw for me is the mid-course brake run which feels like it lasts for a beat longer than it should, but this is usually a blast in itself as the whole train laughs and catches their breath after a wild first half. I love this coaster with all of my heart, and if I ever get to return to Cedar Point, I know where I’ll be heading first.
1. Iron Gwazi
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, United States of America
And here we are. Out of the three-hundred and thirty-five rollercoasters I’ve ridden, my absolute favourite is Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa. Not by much I’ll grant you, I think it took three rides before I decided it had overtaken Vengeance, but as usual a front-row night ride sealed the deal. Iron Gwazi is magnificent. It takes the very best parts of Zadra and Steel Vengeance and fuses them together in to the ultimate Rocky Mountain Contruction coaster. If Steel Vengeance is an airtime feast, and Zadra is a pacing and hangtime buffet then Iron Gwazi is a 10 course fine-dining tasting experience. Plus the trains are the best design I’ve seen on an RMC! The only thing that hampers Iron Gwazi are the Busch Gardens ops, we had 40 minutes at the end of the day in which we were planning to lap the heck out of the ride – and with a 0 minute posted wait, things were looking promising! We got two rides. With a near empty station. It hurt. But hey, that’s the way the cookie crumbles! I still love you Iron Gwazi, and I always will.
0. Big Thunder Mountain
Disneyland Paris, France
Big Thunder Mountain is John Wardley’s favourite ride in the world (although from context I believe he may have been talking about one of the US versions), so you know it’s worthy of this spot. Big Thunder Mountain in Magic Kingdom was the ride that made me fall in love with rollercoasters (admittedly only small ones for another 10 years, but it was love all the same). So when I finally rode its Parisian equivalent in 2017, it was love, okay obsession, at first ride. Disneyland Paris’ Big Thunder Mountain is a work of art. So much so that I have an enormous hot spot on my Google Photos map from taking the above shot multiple times on every visit. It’s just stunning. The weenie that Frontierland always deserved. But aside from its cinematic beauty, it’s an incredibly themed, lengthy and at times completely wild ride that’s unbeatable fun for all ages. (I still always feel like we are about to derail every time I race back under the lake!) Big Thunder, you have my entire heart and I simply cannot wait to hear that whistle again. (Next week!!!)
So, there we have it. My top ten rollercoasters as of the final day of 2022. Writing this really made me think about how differently we all feel about these masses of metal – I know for a fact that many of my friends will disagree strongly with some of these placements! But I think that’s one of the things that’s so special about this hobby, it encompasses so much variation. There really is a rollercoaster out there for everyone. Let me know what yours are!
I hope you’ve all had a fabulous 2022, and wish you an even better 2023.
Thank you so very much for reading. It truly means the world.
Speak again soon,
Claire
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