Rollercoasters: the ultimate speed demons of force and power, only bested by your boyfriend’s corvette fleeing from the cops! Whenever you decide it’s time to take that speed and put him to shame, where will you go? An amusement park, of course! If you’re finally ready to put on your big kid pants and face the epidemy of a 325-foot plummet or 120 mph launch… Well, this article is just for you to learn about the wonderful types of terror that rollercoasters can provide!
There are amusement parks all over America, with levels of intensity for everyone. Many options are a great thing. However, you need to know what you’re looking for when it comes to rollercoasters. In today’s article, we’ll be exploring 2 of these parks, and 2 of the rides they offer.
If you’re looking for some hardcore coasters, Cedar Point is the place to be. Cedar Point is a theme park nestled on Lake Erie, in Sandusky Ohio. Known as the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World,” you can bet there is a multitude of thrill rides to behold. There are 18 roller coasters located in this park, 4 of which being world-class favorites.
Steel Vengeance marks the top spot at Cedar Point in many tourist’s rankings, with a running time of 2 minutes and 30 seconds and speeds of up to 76 mph down a 90-degree plummet. This furious challenger is a steel hybrid rollercoaster, which means the support frame is made from steel while the track is wooden! Steel Vengeance is also what you call a hyper coaster, a category of coasters that surpasses 200ft in height. Steel Vengeance took the title as the first ever “hyper-hybrid” following its remodel in 2018. This twisty track doubles back in on itself, burrowing through its own support structure, all while inverting and looping at the same time.
Next on the iconic Cedar coasters list is the insane Top Thrill 2. Mentioned briefly earlier, this coaster once featured a horrific 120 mph launch up 420 feet over a “top hat” hill, which keeps its riders suspended vertically for the entirety of its course. It is currently in the process of being revamped, now piling on an additional “spike,” which is a rollercoaster characteristic that involves launching up to the end of a segment of track only to shoot backwards down the same portion of track. It’s easier to comprehend with a visual representation of a spike than a description, trust me. However, with an additional 420-foot spike and a longer ride time applied to the original triple-launch coaster, Top Thrill Dragster just got a whole lot more foreboding.
“If you go with a friend, it’s a lot easier to not chicken out. They will probably make fun of you if you do. I will say, if you’re going by yourself, props to you.” Jordan Smith (11) says, who has gone to a variety of these parks on his marching band trips.
Now we move down south, in the misty crevices of the smoky mountains, to Dolly Parton’s hometown of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Here, in the heart of Dollywood, lies 10 rollercoasters suited for all types of people. Two of the topmost rated coasters of the park are Lightning Rod and Mystery Mine. While no coasters in Dollywood hold a status as a hyper or giga coaster, they’re full of unique scares all the same.
Mystery Mine! Don’t let the name fool you into thinking this ride isn’t rough. With about a minute of this 2:30 minute ride spent in the dark, Mystery Mine has gained a name as one of the best themed rides in the park. Mystery Mine is full of many elements other than darkness, such as suspenseful vertical inclines, a 95-degree, 80 ft drop, as well as a corkscrew just before the end of the ride! This ride is an un-skippable, must for all Dollywood visitors.
Next up comes Lightning Rod. Lightning Rod is considered the best Dollywood coaster by many people. This ride is under 200ft in height but draws close at 165 feet. Based off the hot rod cars of the 1930s, this steel coaster storms a 3800 ft track at 73 mph. Lightning Rod is a big and powerful specimen that holds a distinct flavor to all its challengers alike.
“In my humble opinion, I think big drops are one of the best parts to a rollercoaster, along with loops and suspensions. I’m not a big fan of double launch coasters, or coasters that don’t have an acceleration mechanism to propel you forward. Rollercoasters that launch you back, I don’t like those. I can see why people would enjoy them though.” Tells Julia Pearce (10), who is a rollercoaster fanatic.
Finally, instead of visiting an individual park this time, we’ll be outlining a couple of noteworthy east coast coasters. This duo will include an example from Carowinds and Busch Gardens, which are both amazing parks worth reading into. Yet, here are some prime examples of modeling coasters from each park.
Teetering on the border of the north and south sides of the Carolinas is Carowinds. A park shared by both states, Carowinds has a multitude of intense rides to gape at. Here you’ll find the famous Fury 325, boasting its role as America’s tallest and fastest giga coaster! Giga coasters surpass 300 feet or more, as cleverly shuffled into the name, the Fury spires 325 feet into the sky on the first drop, with an 85-degree angle to spare.
With the end of our daring adventure in sight, we return to our home state of Virginia, with a more local example of a famous coaster. On the mighty back of the Pantheon at Busch Gardens, you’ll be winded in all sorts of ways. This aerobatic, steel-made monster has everything to fear. 4 launches, a spike, a top hat, oh my! This coaster is definitely more agreeable than the otherworldly Top Thrill 2 if you’re seeking the same features with a little less velocity. Pantheon only peaks at 73 mph and has a top drop of 180 feet. Despite that, Pantheon still has the title of the fastest 4-launch rollercoaster. Beware!
“The best rollercoasters I’ve been on was either the Fury at Carowinds or Pantheon at Busch Gardens. Pantheon is pretty cool; I think my favorite part is where they suspended you upside down for a little bit.” Julia Pearce continues on the topic of her favorite rollercoasters.
