Do You Try to Ride Coasters as a Group?
The last month or so has been packed with theme park trips. I’ve ridden both of the new U.S. wing coasters visited a park for the first time (Six Flags St. Louis), and boosted my coaster count to the 240’s. I’m working on coaster reviews and trip reports that’ll cover my adventures. All of this traveling has reminded me of some of the more fun and annoying theme park experi...[Read More]
Should Wooden Roller Coasters Have Loops?
Wooden roller coasters haven’t evolved and spawned off as many sub-genres and types as steel coasters have in the past few decades. But in recent years, elements like 90-degree banking and smooth steel-like rides have started to change the story. Nothing would be as genre bending as another new looping wooden coaster, but should woodies have loops or just stay in their proverbial lane? This ...[Read More]
POV Videos & Sneaking Cameras on Roller Coasters
Sneaking Cameras on Roller Coasters: A Public Service Announcement Technology’s a great thing. Who would’ve thought ten years ago that we’d be able to do the cool things that we can with our gadgets? Cameras have become so small that they can easily fit into our pockets. Or they can be integrated into even smaller cell phones. Just this week, Apple announced that the new, slimmer...[Read More]
Why Looping Coasters Deserve a Separate Top Ten List
Over the past few years, a change in roller coaster rankings has been afoot. Have you noticed? I know The Coaster Critic has, when Montu fell off of the top ten steel coaster list for the annual Golden Ticket Awards, he made mention in a blog post. I’ll admit it, at the time I thought nothing of it, but later, I had a revelation. No one questions the little wooden brother on the block. Aside from ...[Read More]
Top 3 Theme Park Foods
Everyone knows that theme park food is expensive, terrible tasting and terrible for you. For the most part, those assumptions are all too true. Yet after much diligent research-read, being a pig-I have uncovered three food items that actually are worth the money, even if most of them are still pretty terrible for you. Now then, before anybody gets all huffy, these are subjective reviews, based on ...[Read More]
Top 10 New Roller Coasters for 2010 Part 1
With the start of the 2010 roller coaster season underway, it’s time for my annual top picks for the best new roller coasters. This year was tougher than usual as there weren’t many new coasters opening in the States. Also, there were a few attractions with very little information for me to go on. After much deliberation and repositioning here’s Part 1 of my Top 10 New Roller Coa...[Read More]
A Coaster Enthusiast’s Resolutions
As represented by the sudden increase in attendance at my gym, January is the month to start New Year’s resolutions. It’s the chosen time to turn over a new leaf, start better habits, and end bad habits. I thought of a few ways that I could be a better roller coaster enthusiast in 2010. Learn About Coasters & Theme Parks of the World Of course many of us know and love our local par...[Read More]
The Tallest Steel Coaster in South Central Montana!
A Look at Silly Roller Coaster Records and Weak Distinctions To wrap up “Record Breaking Roller Coasters Week”, I wanted to discuss marketing hype with regards to records. Theme Parks looking to make a splash with a new attraction love to tout that their new ride has a distinction tied to some record. For example, over the past few years we’ve had: The Steepest Roller Coaster in ...[Read More]
Your First Roller Coaster Ride
Tomorrow it will be March, the month when theme parks across the country kick off their seasons. In honor of the start of the season I thought it’d be fun for everyone to share their first roller coaster ride. Believe it or not, I’m not 100% sure what my first roller coaster was. Growing up in Virginia, I went to Kings Dominion often and I’m pretty sure that the Scooby Doo coaste...[Read More]
2008 Theme Park Year In Review
Class of 2008 – Roller Coasters That Debuted This Year As predicted in my Top 10 New Roller Coasters for 2008, my top pick Ravine Flyer 2 opened to many positive reviews and it landed at 8 on my Top 10. Read my full review. I’m looking forward to seeing how it fairs in Mitch’s ’08 Coaster Poll next month. Canada’s Wonderland’s Behemoth also received a lot of pro...[Read More]
The Next Generation of Wooden Roller Coasters
The Next Generation of Wooden Roller Coasters – Part INot Your Father’s Wooden Roller CoastersFrom my early riding experiences at Kings Dominion on wooden staples like the old-school racing coaster Rebel Yell, I would use two words to describe wooden roller coasters. Rough and boring. Of course some woodies were more enjoyable than others, but I think overall I didn’t appreciate ...[Read More]
Top 3 Top 3 Thursdays Lists
The Best of Top 3 ThursdaysFor this week’s Top 3 Thursday I’m doing a ‘Best of’ post. I’m recapping my favorite Top 3’s and their number 1’s. Top 3 Most Annoying Things at an Amusement ParkI ranted about the most annoying things I find at my favorite places to be. Number 1 was line cutters.Line CuttersThere’s nothing worse than waiting in a long line...[Read More]