Roller Coaster Rides

The thrill-centric Six Flags parks are known for their signature roller coasters. Each park's skyline is a riot of colorful coaster track, and each park's soundtrack is a cacophony of coaster-induced screams. But not all Six Flag coasters are created equal. Find out what's up and what's down (ratings wise) with my Six Flags coaster reviews.

Select Six Flags parks and roller coaster reviews:

• Six Flags Great Adventure coasters In Jackson, New Jersey. Including Kingda Ka, El Toro, and Nitro.
• Six Flags Magic Mountain coastersIn Valencia, California. Including X and Goliath.
• Six Flags New England coasters In Agawam, MA. Including Bizarro and Batman--The Dark Knight.
• Six Flags America coasters in Mitchellville, Maryland, Including Superman: Ride of Steel and The Wild One.

Sandusky, Ohio

Always rated among the best of the traditional amusement parks, Cedar Point opened in 1870 and never stopped growing. Located on a peninsula along Lake Erie, the sandy beaches that beckoned visitors more than a century ago are still enticing, but it's mostly the coasters--widely considered to be among the best collection of thrill machines on the planet--that lure the throngs today.

Select Cedar Point roller coaster reviews:

• Top Thrill Dragster One of the world's tallest and fastest coasters.
• Maverick- Wild, launched terrain coaster.
• Magnum XL-200 - The world's first "hypercoaster."

Santa Claus, Indiana

A family park in the truest sense of the term, Holiday World foregoes the mega-thrill rides and hyped-up atmosphere of its teen-targeting competitors for a more laid-back and gentler experience. That's not to say that Holiday World doesn't deliver great rides--and thrills. In fact, its wooden roller coasters rank among the best in the world.

Select Holiday World roller coaster reviews:

• The Voyage- A top-rated coaster.
• Raven- A wild ride through the woods.
• The Legend- A mega-twisty ride.

Williamsburg, Virginia

You have to hand it to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. With its rich themeing, stunning, award-winning landscaping (they don't call it Busch GARDENS for nothing), and superior food, it's a seasonal, more-or-less regional park that thinks it's a year-round destination park. Thrill-ride freaks love the place for its world-class coasters.

Select Busch Gardens Williamsburg roller coaster reviews:

• Apollo's Chariot- One of my favorite hypercoasters.
• Griffon- A wonderful diving coaster.

Charlotte, North Carolina

Carowinds has a wonderful collection of coasters that includes everything from traditional woodies such as Hurler to a bone-rattling inverted coaster, Afterburn. The wonderful Intimidator delivers coaster airtime nirvana.

Select Carowinds roller coaster reviews:

• Intimidator- Great hypercoaster
• Afterburn Among the best inverted coasters.
• Hurler So-so wooden coaster.

Mason, Ohio

An enormously popular park, coasters are king at Kings Island, and the legendary The Beast, the world's longest wood coaster, is thrill machine royalty. Diamondback, introduced in 2009, is a world-class hypercoaster and among the best steel coasters in North America.

Select Kings Island roller coaster reviews:

• Diamondback- Fabulous hypercoaster.
• The Beast Famous wooden coaster.

Buena Park (next to Anaheim), California

The Farm is a bit schizophrenic. While it still retains the charm of the Old-West Ghost Town area from the original park, the grafted-on Boardwalk section, with its souped-up Xcelerator launched coaster, makes an odd contrast. Other coasters dot Knott's skyline.

Select Knott's Berry Farm roller coaster reviews:

• Xcelerator- Satisfying rocket coaster.
• Ghostrider Once-great wooden coaster.
• Silver Bullet OK inverted coaster.

As the most visited theme park resort on the planet, Disney World has some of the world's most popular and celebrated rides, including its roller coasters. I mean, who hasn't heard of Space Mountain? Get ready for your next trip to Florida's Mouse House and gauge the thrills that await you by checking out the coasters at Disney World.

Select Disney World roller coaster review:

• Expedition Everest- Highly themed--and surprisingly thrilling--coaster.

More roller coaster ride reviews await at parks including Darien Lake, Lake Compounce, SeaWorld Orlando, and others.