Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I got the idea for this edition of Top 3 Thursdays from Jake at Coasterdom. Recently, he did a post listing his favorite roller coasters from the year he was born. He was working with a pretty strong year; 1991. My birth year was a bit more sparse, but the top pick is undeniable. Here’s my list of the best new coasters 1979 had to offer:
3 – Rolling Thunder at Six Flags Great Adventure
Rolling Thunder makes the list for what it might have been when it opened, not for what it is. The two times I’ve ridden it I was bored and rattled like a maraca. It’s been a few years so maybe it’s been rehabbed. If it hasn’t it’s in desparate need. When will Six Flags overhaul and re-theme their woodies? At least Cedar Fair is good about rehab. Carowinds has been working on their racing woodie Thunder Road a bit at a time for the past few seasons.
2 – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland
Big Thunder Mountain is a popular family ride at Disneyland. Over the years, it has spawned clones at three other Disney parks including The Disney World clone that was one of my first roller coasters. I’ll never forget how we convinced my Mom to ride Thunder Mountain and how scared she was. Truth is, I was probably a little scared too until I realized how that it didn’t have any big drops. Roller coasters weren’t really my cup of tea when I was 8. See images of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland.
1 – Beast at Kings Island
There was really no contest in this list. The Beast was by far the best coaster that
opened in my birth year. The legendary roller coaster has topped favorite roller coaster lists for decades. And, although I get hammered for it occasionally, it’s still in my Top 10 as my 2nd woodie and 4th coaster overall. I think it angers some because there are fanboys who have it ranked high because of sentimentality or homerism. I’m from Virginia and I rode it when I was 26, so neither of those reasons apply to me. It was such a unique and thrilling voyage into a wooded area that I loved it. I’ve always been a HUGE fan of terrain coasters and I did right a few times at night. These factors play a big part in my love for the Beast. Read my complete Beast at Kings Island review.
Other notable coasters that debuted in 1979 were: Wildcat at Cedar Point, Corkscrew at Michigan’s Adventure, a water coaster called Vikingar/Water Chute at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and Revolution at the defunct Libertyland (Memphis, TN). There were a ton of steel coasters with corkscews as this was during the steel looping coaster boom. See the full list here.
What’s Your Take?
What do you think of my picks for the class of 1979? Do an advanced search on RCDB, pick your birth year for “Opened”, and find coasters from your birth year. What’re your picks? Leave a comment below.
Coaster Critic 
24 responses to “Top 3 Roller Coasters from My Birth Year”
My top three would probably be Riddler's Revenge, Ghost Rider, and Valcano: the Blast Coaster.
Honorable mentions would probably be Mamba, The Mr.Freeze clones, and Batman & Robin: The Chiller.
Raptor at Cedar Point, and Batman at Magic Mountain. My first roller coaster was the Disneyland Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
P.S. Happy Turkey Day!
Probably 1. Montu, 2. Superman: The Escape, 3. Mantis. Honorable Mention- Flight of Fear
Happy Thanksgiving!
Cool, I was born in '79, too! Definitely slim pickin's for us, but hey, at least we can say we were born just as the looping coaster boom was starting lol. Good article!
Unless I'm missing one, I believe I've only been on two coasters that opened in my birth year which would be Kumba and Batman: The Ride at SFGAdv. Although I know Kumba is your personal favorite, I actually found it quite painful when I rode it (maybe I caught it on a bad day) so I definitely prefer Batman. It continues to impress me how such a small ride still packs an intense punch.
I looked up the 1959 coasters and the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland is the only coaster on the list I've ever even heard about! It ended up being my first steel coaster 12 years later.
As for Joel's list … Rolling Thunder is still pretty bad. It shakes like crazy and they rarely run it in racing mode. I'll put it in the same beat-me-up category as Predator, Gwazi and Mean Streak. I occasionally give it a token ride, but I'd much rather spend my time next door on El Toro (my #2).
I never rode Big Thunder Mt. at Disneyland, the it's counterpart at Disney World is smooth and a lot of fun. My mom even rode it snd she was 80 at the time.
Hey, Joel, if you had made one of the Thunderhawk's #1, you would have listed 3 coasters with "Thunder" in their names!
I understand your feelings about The Beast. There is no other coaster out there that can give me the same feeling as The Beast tearing through the woods on a cool, moonless night. My only complaint is the long walk (or sprint)from the exit gate back to the loading platform for the next ride.
Not bad, although I'll never ride The Beast again (OUCH!) Rolling Thunder was a lot of run when it was new (and smooth). My first twin coaster that couldn't race. The inside track with the banked curve always dusted the outside train at the far turn. Back then, the ride ops consistently started them together, but it never mattererd. Either were fun to ride back then and we were just happy to have some new rails in the mix. This was before the incredible building boom that followed. Thankfully, the parks realised that "if you build it, they will come", IN DROVES! (a quick 'thank you' to the Rebel Yell and John Allen for jump starting this resurgence.)
The only two rides on my list I've ridden are the python pit(jeepers) and the Alpine Bobsled(Great Escape & Slpashwater Kingdom).
Rolling thunder dosnt sound anybetter now than when you rode it I viseted the park in agust and I was flailing around like a rag doll but not in the good beast el toro way but in utter pain not something I would want to ride again unless it got some much needed rehab
1. Great Bear
2.Ghost rider
3.roar
I have to imagine riddlers revenge would make the list but i wasnt able to ride
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I would think beast could probalaley make ocaster in your decade at number 1
I haven't ridden all these, but I had a good year
Alpengeist
Tonerre de Zues
Chang
Pyrenees
Euro Mir
Great White (SeaWorld Antonio)
This- http://rcdb.com/2380.htm
Steel Force
Superman: The Escape to Krypton (New nonsensical name)
Zues
Lots in my year!
3. Steel Force- have to include this for it is my favorite ride at my home park, Dorney!
2.Chang- Stand up coaster, never been on it but I will this year when it is turned into the Green Lantern at SFGAdv!
1.Alpengeist-Tallest and Fastest complete circuit inverted coaster in the world!
Honorable mention- Superman the Escape/ Escape from Krypton
Bizarro the hulk and rock n rollercoaster
Bizarro, the hulk, and, rock n rollercoaster.
I was born in 2000.
Imo, #3 was Boulder Dash. #2 was Superman: Ride of Steel (now Bizzaro). #1 is probably Millenium Force.
I was born in 1999, quite a few good coasters opened that year so it's hard to pick a top 3, especially since I haven't ridden most of them. But I'd say:
1. Apollo's Chariot, Busch Gardens Williamsburg
2. Incredible Hulk, Islands of Adventure
3. Afterburn, Carowinds
Some other noteworthy coasters from 1999:
Dragon Challenge, Islands of Adventure
Raging Bull, Six Flags Great America
Ride of Steel, Darien Lake
Twister, Knoebels
Mine are
1: Millennium Force
2: Nighthawk (formerly Stealth at California’s Great America)
3: Steel Dragon 2000
Actually 1: millennium force
2: Bolder Dash
3: Steel Dragon 2000
Or maybe domionator instead of steel dragon?
I was born in 1968. I’ve never even heard of any of the coasters that opened that year. The only one still operating is a Wild Mouse at a park in Texas.
Apparently Riverside (now SFNE) got a now-long-gone Schwarzkopf Wildcat then.