Readers Respond: My Picks for the Most Overrated Coasters

Note that while About.com would greatly appreciate it if you would register, it is not necessary to log in to leave a response. Share Your Picks

You blew it

I could be on board with you, but the Beast is a great coaster. Yes, sometimes the trim brakes are a little stiff, but you hit a light rain at night and it won't matter. It'll fly. Just an example of someone tired of a great ride that hasn't had a good rival. For whatever reason, the computer models just can't make a woody right.... You need an artist.

—Guest contrascout

My three picks, from Orlando

I have 3 picks that I'm actualy amazed they're not here. 1) Hulk's in Island Of Adventure. There's only one good second when it shoots you out, and then it becomes the slowest coster I've ever been on! 2) Aerosmith's in Holywood Studios. yeah yeah, I know everyone will disagree, but, after the first half of the ride, it becomes a lame lame coaster, has no major drops and turns, it's almost as if you were riding Big Thunder Mountain!!!! 3) Rip Ride Rock It at Universal. Great great lifting hill, nice first drop, and then it becomes another boring and unoriginal roller coaster. It reminds me of the RC Tycoon game, in which you clicked a button, it finished the ride for you with a couple of inclined tracks, and that was it.

—Guest Daniel

Overated "Kill" Machines

Mind Eraser @ SF New England : Extremely rough and enough to give anyone a headache. Replace it with a Batman The ride (wow that would make 3 batman themed coasters @ one park). Goliath @ SFMM Well duh! It has extreme g's and I learned that it's the coaster that recieved the most complaints in the world. Manhattan Express: WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! You don't put inversions on a coaster that big. Plus it's rough! (sadly) Kingda Ka: I love this coaster but it's a one-trick pony. It can also be rough. Once, I my head got thrust down so I was looking a my chest from half through the launch to a quarter up the drop. Time Machine: OK, it was rough to begin with, you don't need to take away the pre-show and perfect song! Hypersonic XLC: Just like Kingda Ka, rough, one-trick pony. Millennium Force: NO AIRTIME! WTF Cedar Point!? If you want a real airtime mama, try Bizarro @ SF New England. So, that is my list of the most overrated rollercoasters.

—Guest chewie0905

My Top 3 Most Overrated Coasters

1. KingdaKa (SF:GAdv) A one trick pony 2. Superman: Ultimater Flight (various SF parks). The Pretzel loop is cool but the rest is just meh... 3. Goliath (SF:MM) No airtime on a hyper? Really???

—Guest michcoasterguy

The Beast

The Beast is super fun at night, and i think that the brakes are kinda fun. It is like you are waiting for it to go fast. It's like an adventure riding it. :)

—Guest bleah

Worst Coaster-- at Least on This Day

The worst roller coaster is the one at Lakeside Amusement Park in Denver. We had to climb down it one day, because it stoped at the top. That was the one of the scariest moments of my life.

—JoanWesthoff

Revolution at Six Flags Magic Mountain

I went on the Great American Revolution (my first roller coaster) in 1976 just after it opened. First looping coaster. Besides the loop, the tunnel and the helixes after the loop were totally wicked! The most amazing part though, is that the trains only had a simple lap bar restraint. Now they have shoulder restraints and brakes throughout the ride. The coaster didn't need the restraints or the brakes in 1976, why does it need them now? Nothing like shoulder restraints to make a steel looping coaster more boring. Lose the shoulder restraints and brakes and return the Great American Revolution to its former glory! [Note: The ride is now known simply as "Revolution."]

—Guest EL_oscuro

Millenium Force and Apollos Chariot

MF is overrated because it is always #1 on every list! It has NO AIRTIME. The ride is boring after the first drop and first overbank. Apollo, because it just does not live up to its limit. There are a lot of hypercoasters out there, and AC is fun, but there are better hypercoasters.

—Guest Timmy

BEAST!

I agree with you on a few of these coasters, but come on! The Beast overrated????? Have you ever tried riding that thing at night? That has got to be one of the most amazing experiences you can get at KI! Besides that I have noticed how rough some of the steel coasters are due to poor design... Perhaps they should take notes on coasters like Millennium Force.

—Guest Shy Guy

English and France

I found that the two most overated rollercoasters in the world are Th13teen at Alton Towers, and Gouderix at Parc Asterix. Th13teen was a fairly tame ride, but was discribed by Alton Towers as the scariest and most intense ride in the world, and at one point they said that people had to sign a lease saying they would not sue if they experience psychological damage. Gouderix, although impresive looking, is one of the most painfull rides i have ever been on. It may have a full queue most of the time and it may boast seven loops, but it is short and whenI got off, i had a headache for three days and so did most of my friends.

—Guest dominoes

Viper?

Thanks for reminding me, tryder13. I rode Viper once and that was enough. My head pinballed in the OTS restraints and I had a headache the rest of the day. I might try it w/o the restraints, but that ain't gonna happen.

—Marko50

New York, New York

I agree that the former Manhattan Express is no big deal unless you like to visit the chiropractor. But most people I hear, talk and read to don't think that it's any great shakes (well, you know what I mean). I'm not disagreeing with your assessment of the ride; I'm disagreeing that it's rated highly at all. However, I did like Goliath the only time I rode it. Even though I almost passed out.

—Marko50

Magnum takes the cake

Magnum XL-200 is, in my opinion, by far the most overrated coaster ever made. Sure it is a classic but it is so painful it's not even funny. I remember getting jackhammered on every hill and squished by the awful lats on the lead in to the turn around. This ride is not fun. I don't get how people like it so much.

—Guest HCLcoasters

Time Machine

The Time Machine delivers on thrills and theme! Guests got exasperated when wanting to ride a second, third, fourth time and having to cycle through the Led Zep pre-show each time. Many of these riders had no connection or memory of Led Zep. I love Led Zeppelin, but let's face it Art, we're two "Boomers" who grew up and fell in love with classic rock. Not a theme or genre that is endeared by the majority of guests visiting theme parks today. Case in point, "Hard Rock Park". TM serves up five different musical montages from the last 50 years, offering a musical journey down memory lane for riders of all ages. Regarding the ride thrill experience, I'm a coaster enthusiast and grew up 45 minutes west of Cedar Point visiting that park on numerous occasions. The Time Machine holds its own against many of the CP coasters. The Time Machine also has the notoriety as the tallest and fastest coaster in the Carolinas.

—JohnStine

So When Did You Write This?

Seems as though your list is a bit outdated, a couple of the coasters have been torn down. [Added by Arthur Levine:] I noted in the profiles of the defunct coasters that they were no longer operating. But they were, IMO, heavily hyped coasters that never lived up to the hype.

—Guest coastergal