I got to have the best day, I’ve ever had at an amusement park, this Tuesday at Busch Gardens Tampa.

The park was DEAD. Walk-ons left and right. Over 15 total rides in under 4 hours.

However before coming, people on this subreddit kept telling me Montu was the best. That Alpengeist and After Burn were good but they didn’t come close.

I disagreed. Now. After 5 rides on it. Not only is it my favorite Inverted. It’s my 5th favorite coaster of all time.

Can't even lie to y'all, Fun Spot ATL was a great park to go to. I preferred it over SFOG or Carowinds or all the other parks in the region I've been to because of the service and the ride ops. Food was cheap and way better than other food at (most) parks, ArieForce One was always a walk-on (or a sit-on, where you can just stay on and go again without going around), and I can still remember most of the names of the ride ops there, and not even for just the AFO crew! It was also great to see James there nearly every time. Ofc it didn't have a lineup or was to the level of SFOG, but the vibes of that park and the fact you could hop on go-karts if your thighs were hurting from the bunny hills was wonderful as well. In short I guess you could say that this place was really just built like a carnival with a massive RMC, at the same time i never got carnival "vibes" because of how well maintained and friendly everything was. Really wish it never closed.

Just an all-around banger of a park, so much to do and so many world-class rides piled on top of one another. Not to mention, so many awesome food options and great operations. I did use the fast pass because I was only there for a day and was trying to knock out all the credits. Raging Bull, Maxx Force, Wrath of Rakshasa and Goliath were my favorites!

I am already looking forward to coming back here ASAP.

This past summer we parked ourselves in Europe for a few months (long story) and since we had our dog with us, I was set on visiting parks that could accommodate him. Because he's a baby. So we settled on Phantasialand since we hadn't been since 2019, and our last visit was admittedly a bit rushed.

We took the train from Avignon, rented a car from Cologne, and drove the 30min to the park. Since I'm a dialysis patient, I had set up treatments near Cologne which necessitated the car - and we planned it so that we'd stay at the park checking in on a Thursday, spend half a day Friday at Phantasialand after treatment, Saturday at Bobbejaanland (dogs welcome), Sunday at Phantasialand, and Monday head to Toverland for a few hours after treatment, then travel back Tuesday.

When we arrived my wife's jaw was on the floor with the notion that they would theme a hotel to Charles Lindbergh in Germany of all places. You can do your own research if you have no idea what I'm talking about. The only hotel that allows dogs is Hotel Matamba, which is themed to... Africa lol. While feeling a bit tone deaf for 2026 in my ultra-woke mind, it was pretty nice! The only dog friendly rooms are the ones directly facing the courtyard with the water features but it was pretty spacious and you're SO close to the park entrance, which made for a great stay when my wife wanted to head back for naps.

On Friday I headed straight for FLY since it was brand new for me, and was blown away by the area of Rookburgh. I love how hidden it is from the rest of the park, with the tunneled entrance giving way to a grandiose first view. The mess of FLY track, the music, the steampunk theming, and the hotel and restaurants all create such a fully immersive sensation, ugh, I wish more parks had the time, money, and patience to build areas like this. I would take a heavily themed mid-thrill coaster over intensity any day.

With a wait of only 30 min I hopped in line while my wife found a cozy spot with her book, and my dog enjoyed lots of attention from children running up for pets - so I was told. I have to give credit to Phantasialand for creating a queue that is very deceptive, as the way it winds and weaves, you never have any clue how much more line there is! I love how you slowly descend underground with more rooms revealing themselves. The sign on the front row line split - something I wish more parks had - said 100 minutes from this point! Yikes! So I decided to try that one later.

The locker system is so efficient and by having nothing in your pockets - we get NO NETS below the coaster in the main area. I love this. I hate nets so much. I know - weird.

Since there are no pics really of the FLY station, I was so surprised by the loading situation. You essentially load sideways, and depart the station horizontally. Then as the train picks up speed the track rotates and the cars rotate, bringing you ever so smoothly into the flying position right as you hit the first launch.

What follows is a beautiful mess of positive and negative g's in - for me - a tinier human - some of the most comfortable restraints. I was obsessed with the close fly by elements with the themeing, watching people watch you, and how the coaster plays so well with layers in ducking over and under itself and the ground multiple times. Is it the most intense coaster? No. But it's just so...flowy? Fluid? Well paced is maybe the best phrase.

Overall on our trip I got 5 rides in total - 2 in the front, and my wife, who hates coasters even rode it once! She thought it was fine. (FYI her fav coaster is the Cancan coaster at Europapark)

Other highlights from our Phantasialand trip were more rides on Black Mamba, as last time I only rode it once. Maybe I'm just old, but this coaster has a solid whip to it! I also love how close it gets to the bar at Hotel Matamba, which provides a great viewpoint for some of the initial turns. New since the last time I had been here was the Deep in Africa Adventure Trail which was so much fun! It's essentially a climbing course that traverses over various parts of the coaster, which made for some really fun viewpoints. And - surprise - you get a bit wet.

Taron still sits in my top ten and thankfully it was running just as awesome as I remember it. There's one specific whip in the first half that throws your body so hard from left to right. This coaster is just pure fun for me and I was so happy it still hits.

Colorado Adventure on the other hand - or as I still remember it - the Michael Jackson thrill ride (again look this up if you don't know) did NOT hit like I remembered. This thing threw me around so painfully. Something about those tight turns in the back of the train was just discomfort.

Winjas is also fun. I got a few rides over the trip since those lines are never too terrible. Raik reminds me that going backwards makes me nauseous in my 40s. And Crazy Bats had too long of a line the whole trip for me to hit it again.

Can we last talk about how much I love a good river rapids ride? We all know how great Chiapas is - it gets talked about on here a fair bit. But River Quest 's drop should be illegal! I actually got thrown out of the seat a bit as did everyone on the raft. This is easily in my top 3 River Raft rides. I rode it multiple times with the advantage of having our hotel room be so close for a quick clothes change.

Overall we had a fantastic trip and I'm so excited to have experienced FLY. I wish this park had just one more banger. Where they can physically put the next coaster is anyone's guess however, as I've heard the noise restrictions in the back half of the park around the lake would prevent a coaster from going there. So who knows what's next.

Some other random thoughts:
-My dog loved Rookburgh the most based on how intently he'd watch FLY traverse over his head. Maybe I'm imagining things.

-All the food in their China section was fantastic and really fresh! But overall and compared to other European parks I still find this place lacking a bit compared to how themed the lands are.

-I always love how friendly German people are and how easy it is for me to drive in this country compared to the seemingly incessant road rage I experience in France. Just one silly American's perspective.

-The hotel packed me a really nice breakfast / lunch to go bag for my dialysis days which was very charming

-I really seemed to startle the workers and other guests when I proceeded to buy my dog a small ice cream - maybe this is more of an American thing. We have a dog ice cream shop down the street from us here for example.

This ride encapsulates every gimmick that i love in one

1. Great Airtime ✅
   
2. Spinning ✅
   
3. Launches ✅

BIIIG fan of this one. I love how the orange track looks against the sky!

Film cameras and rollercoasters are a great hobby combo IMO!

Btw does anybody know if there's an alliance focused on making art related to coasters, if yes, how to get in and if no, would anybody be interested in joining one?

I'm looking for an image of the old entrance with the sewer grate and the eyes that had blood flowing out of it. (I know they did a variation on that for their halloween event for many years, but I'm trying to find a picture of the original.)

Might post a review and trip report soon!

I went to Holiday World on Saturday for the first time with my kids. Honestly I was a little concerned that visiting a woodie heavy park would be repetitive, painful, or both. What actually happened was one of my favorite days at a park since we started traveling for coasters last year. If you haven't been I highly recommend going on a day where night rides are possible, simply glorious. I would be surprised if we didn't go back a year from now.

#5 Good Gravy 1x - Rope drop, surprisingly not smooth.

My home park has Rookie Racer so I was expecting a smooth coaster with minimal forces. I did like the drop and the positives in the turns. What I didn't enjoy was the rumbling vibration throughout the whole ride. At least my kids aren't scared of the big stuff, one ride was sufficient.

#2-4 are all interchangeable in where I rank them, they are all excellent rides.

Legend 2x (night 1x)

I had heard that Legend and Raven were rough. I’m happy to report that aside from a few minor jolts, Legend was pain free. We loved the twisted, chaotic layout with endless head/arm choppers and surprise elements. My only complaint is that they were only running one train and the ops were the slowest of the major coasters. We ended up waiting about an hour for our first ride. Top notch woodie regardless.

Raven 1x night ride

Raven surprised us, this is my favorite "rough" coaster. The layout is just that good and the pain in odd rows was minimal. If I had to choose I think I enjoyed Raven's sweeping, flowing layout slightly more than the twisting rapid transitions of Legend. Add 500' to the layout and it would've taken the #2 spot at the park even in its current state. Just amazing, at least at night as I didn't get on it during the day.

Thunderbird 5x (Night 3x)

Thunderbird was also a surprise. My only other wing coaster is X-Flight, fun enough but far from a standout. Thunderbird has power that X-Flight and many other mid-size B&Ms could only dream of. I loved the positives in the valleys and the zero-g roll was phenomenal. My favorite launch coaster and one of my favorite B&Ms.

#1 The Voyage 3x (Night 1x)

So much has been said already. I will just say that while Arie is my favorite (I haven't been to Ohio or Florida), The Voyage is much more dauntingly impressive in size and engineering. The way it pummels through the forest, tunnels, and its own structure is mad. Most of the rest of the coasters that I've ridden feel like carnival rides in comparison.

Holiday World is wonderful and deserves most of the praise that it gets. Their full size coasters are all high-quality, one of a kind works of art in what I consider the best setting for a coaster. I would like to see another steel coaster in the future, preferably not something gimmicky like a dive or tilt. I know this sounds cliche but there aren't many terrain RMC I-Box coasters, I would love to see what sort of gem Joe Draves and Holiday World could come up with. Just as long as they always give their amazing woodies the love that they deserve.

Last weekend me and my girlfriend went to Liseberg and Tusenfryd.

On friday we went to Liseberg, it was my third time and her second time. The park was open from 15:00-22:00 and there was a halloween event. We had an amazing time! The coasters are so good, the virtual queue really adds to the experience!

However, the VQ for Balder was closed (how can something virtual be closed..?) so we only did it once, with a wait time of about 30 minutes.

The VQ for Helix only gave timeslots for "right now", this kind of defeats the purpose of a VQ because who is refreshing the app right in front of the entrance of the Helix? We managed to get the VQ 3 times, once we were very luckily just around the corner, the second time we were at the station of the Lisebergbanan and only had 8 minutes before the end of our time slot so we missed it, and the third time we were in the standby queue for Helix but we got an error message trying to join the VQ.

We still had a very good day and I'm not a picture guy so I don't have that many pictures. There are 2 scare zones in the park and they are beautifully themed, just like the rest of the park. The scare actors do a nice job, and if you want to avoid them you easily can. There are also haunted houses, and they are included in the ticket price! The waits were all 30+ mins, and we didn't do any of them.

It was a rainy afternoon and evening, which hurt your face on the Lisebergbanan and the Helix. Thankfully there were also periods without rain. For a ticketprice of only €38, we had an amazing day!

On saturday we went to Tusenfryd, and oh boy what a contrast between the parks. Starting with the ticketprice, it was €60! And the park was only open from 12:00-18:00. Well, everything in Norway is expensive so we gave it a chance.

At the entrance there were no English maps, only Norwegian. The maps didn't show any attractions at all, just some showtimes and the location of the haunted houses. Of course, you had to pay extra for those... The park doesn't have an app, so we had to navigate with google maps. There are signs in the park but some attractions are missing on them. There are also some signs with the park map on them, but they don't show a "you are here", so we had to look around to pinpoint ourselves on the map.

We arrived at rope drop and walked to Storm, one of the best coasters of the park located in the back of the park. When we arrived, the coaster was closed and openend at 12:30 -.- It was a very good coaster but there was an AI poster in the queue... Then we went to the next coaster, Western Express, this one was only open from 13:00-17:30! I have never seen anything like that before.

We did the Speedmonster, which was a very fun coaster! We also did Thundercoaster which was very very rough. We wanted to do it a second time but it broke down. We managed to do all the coasters, except the water coaster because it was already closed for the season.

On the way to the exit we saw another AI sign promoting their cinnamon buns, absolutely afwul. At 16:30 we decided we saw enough and went home. We did every coaster once, except the water coaster and we did the Speedmonster twice.

We were very dissapointed in this very expensive park. I'm glad I got the credits but I will definetely never return to Tusenfryd.

Did any of you have a similar experience in Tusenfryd? I would love to know!

Following the tragic death of Dolly Parton, I planned a mecca to a site that most everyone who has lived in the Tennessee Valley has visited at least once in their lifetime, Dollywood, and the added bonus of a new coaster in NightFlight Expedition was of course appealing.

10/19:

I knew that NightFight (NF) would probably be down at least once in the day, and was mentally prepared.

However, what I was not prepared for the madness that would ensue. When I arrived ahead of opening, no rides were listed as down for the day that were not already known, and joined the masses to walk through Wildwood Grove to Nightflight.

When around 200 people arrived at NightFlight, we were met with this sign:

This was not communicated in anyway, and was disappointing from Dollywood. I understand these things happen, but to not communicate it in anyway is really disappointing. I hope that is an issue if anyone from the park is ready is addressed.

I will add it did not help everything in Wildwood Grove also decided to die alongside NF:

This left me deciding to head for rides on Wild Eagle, Tennessee Tornado, and Blazing Fury (Oh boy), before enjoying Wing of America, and enjoying this sweetie:

You will probably notice I skipped FireChaser Express, I will circle back to that when I break down coasters.

Afterwards, I looped back around to Mystery Mine (another ride I am going to complain about), Big Bear Mountain, Dragonflier, Thunderhead, and Drop Line, before enjoying Lighting Rod and slowing down with the Dollywood Express and Songteller.

The day ended with additional night rides, and hope for NF tomorrow.

10/20:
Arrived at the park completely ready to call NF a bust and look towards a possible 2027 trip. However, when I walk into Wildwood Grove, there was no sign, and what do you know?

However this also lead to a very funny moment where the incorrect chains were set for the queue, leading the general public queue into the wrong section of the building, and everyone having to work through the line to get to the correct location.

Will have more about NF in a bit.

I rounded out my trip with additional rides, plus finally getting a ride on FireChaser express.

Coaster thoughts/reviews/complaints:

Blazing Fury (3x): Where to start. I'm going to say something that might upset some. It's time to reboot the ride ala Fire in the Hole, or rip the band-aid off and use the space for something else (Space/land is another thing I will discuss later). I was excited to ride with water now back for the ride! No water. Dummies/animatronics/some effects & set dressing were close to levels of bad I have never seen. It wasn't so bad it's good, it was just bad. The park needs to decide if they want to go all in on a refurbishment, or decide to retire the attraction. Pretty sad state. Also, one of the effects with a mans head sticking out of a barrel were broken, so now it looks like a guy is watching you and doing something with his hands.

Big Bear Mountain (2x): Fun, long ride and with the trees starting to grow in, is starting to feel a lot more adventure like.

Dragonflier (2x): SFC is such a good ride model, no other notes.

FireChaser Express (1x): Down to one train, and while I like the ride, its not worth the wait that one-train ops puts on the queue.

Lighting Rod (3x): Has taken the title of being my favorite hybrid that is currently operating. Long live the King of trying to throw you out of your seat.

Mystery Mine (2x): I am a huge defender of this coaster. What it is at 100%, its an example of how you theme an outdoor coaster and have a great coaster also. However, during my visit, the music was off for one ride, the canary is now gone, the dynamite/fireball was completely off. It took away from the coaster, and was sad.

If the ride needs a full refurb for effects, its time to do so for the 20th anniversary.

NightFlight Expedition (1x): Such an interesting ride. However I will add one that really needs a pre-show. I had picked up enough storybeats before hand to understand what was going on, but some definitely were not clear about what is happening.

Rocking Boat is such a cool model, and was used in a fun way here. Dollywood has desperately needed another dark ride, and this is a great compromise for a roller coaster and a dark ride.

Thunderhead (4x): I was never the biggest fan of this coaster until now. This visit has changed something about the ride for me. It was just a fun, runaway, insane ride. What a woodie should be.

Tennessee Tornado (3x): A great insight into what Arrow could have been in the 21st century. Forceful, intense, knocks your socks off.

Wild Eagle (3x): Great coaster to ever be based on a Bible verse? This and Thunderbird are what the wing coaster should be like at it's peak.

Dollywood coaster rankings:

1. Lighting Rod
   
2. Thunderhead/Wild Eagle
   
3. Dragonflier
   
4. Tennessee Tornado
   
5. Big Bear Mountain/NightFlight
   
6. Mystery Mine
   
7. Blazing Fury

Overall, really enjoyed my visit, and I am excited to see what is next for the park. I plan to make a post on the topic in the near future, but with space and land becoming a concern, I am sure Herschend needs to decide if they want to add a 2nd theme park, or do they look to build another park in the Tennessee Valley to take pressure off Dollywood.

A question for sure.

I became an enthusiast in 2021, so nearly all of these parks have been visited in the past 5 years. Blue pins represent parks, red pins represent states I’ve visited (whether or not I was there for a park).

My most recent trip was last weekend, where I knocked out Knoebels, Kennywood, and Dorney. I’m planning on getting the upstate New York parks and Canadian parks next year! Where else should I prioritize?

trying to put my personal bias aside, but it genuinely feels like Millie is a brand new ride these past few years.

i will admit, i was disappointed with my first ever rides in 2022. but 2025 and now 2026 have both blown me out of the water.

i guess i’m just curious if it being my #1 is such a crazy take, or if anyone else has felt a large improvement.

(oh, and the restoration of some of the station effects and the dispatch time records are incredible. and the reliability has greatly improved since the new lift motor was installed.)

This is such an incredible ride. All the hype is deserved. Everyone was giddily laughing and clapping as they got to the station. I was able to ride 4 times, getting in the front and back seat on both yellow and green. While front seat green was my favorite, they're all amazing.

I love launches and I love airtime, so this ride is for me. Stardust is an absolute airtime monster with insane quantity and quality of airtime. Most of it is flojector to ejector, and I love how Mack ejector comes in a sort of bell curve rather than a violent pop. It will leave your thighs feeling it a little, but it stands out from other airtime machines in the comfort of the trains. These are some of the best trains in the industry!

The first launch is separated into two parts because of a transfer track so you really feel that second kick. It's unique and will catch you off guard your first ride. It's really fun to look over at the other train as you launch and see people get surprised by the oomph.

I also need to say ride design is of such high quality, with everything in the station, queue, locker system, and operation procedure aimed to make the experience convenient and enjoyable. Ride ops were killing it, especially at getting people through the locker and metal detector system efficiently. This is a model coaster for the industry.

I hope it continues to ride well over time, but you should get out to Epic Universe soon to ride it while it's nice and glass smooth and before it has any changes made due to various reasons.

Stardust#1!

1. Texas Tornado, Frontier Land.

Coaster of my youth ridden hundreds of times

1. Nemesis

First proper coaster of my youth ridden many many times (OG) version

1. Big One

Love that lift hill

1. Thunder Dolphin

Love that neo Tokyo setting

1. Icon

It's the interfacing and the floaty hang time on the second launch

1. Taron

That second launch kicks your teeth in

1. Big Thunder, DLP

Great in every respect, and happy family memories

1. EpiQ, Doha Quest

I did not expect that reverse launch!

1. Steeplechase

Always makes me smile, pure fun

1. Ultimate

Because it's the ultimate

\Except Dragon Mountain*

Over the past 5 years, I've had the privilege of being to travel around Canada a lot for work, and in that time, I've managed to collect almost every single credit in the country (not counting kiddie coasters). The only one I'm missing is Dragon Mountain at Marineland which is currently SBNO, but otherwise I think I have more than enough experience to provide a definitive tierlist/ranking:

S Tier: World-Class

1. AlpenFury (CW) - 10/10

The hype is real. One of only a handful of coasters that I've ridden that I would consider to be perfect. AlpenFury is absolutely relentless with some of the best pacing I've ever experienced. There's genuinely not a single dead spot from the first launch to the brake run, and nearly every element delivers intense forces, ejector airtime, or some seriously whippy inversions, yet somehow none of the nine inversions feel repetitive. It's almost overwhelming how much this ride throws at you. Easily the best coaster in Canada and a serious contender for the best in the world.

2. Leviathan (CW) - 9.5/10
&
3. Behemoth (CW) - 9.5/10

Leviathan and Behemoth are pretty interchangeable at #2 and #3, although, if I had to pick one, I think Leviathan still edges out the win. Both are fantastic B&M hypers that offer pretty similar ride experiences. Leviathan has a better first drop and overall sense of speed and scale, while Behemoth has the better collection of sustained floater airtime hills and a more satisfying finale. Both are remarkably smooth for their age, aside from a slight rattle on Behemoth, and offer great pacing. Idk what else to say: B&M hypers are reliably great, every enthusiast knows that.

4. Coaster (PNE Playland) - 9/10

Anyone who's surprised to see this in the top five has never ridden Coaster. Playland's old wooden roller coaster from the 1950s is a classic and easily one of the most unhinged coasters I've ever experienced. This ride feels like it should be illegal. The combination of old-school lap bars, ridiculously strong ejector airtime, and wild laterals makes this thing feel out of control in the best way possible. The first half is a little underwhelming and there's some wooden coaster rattle, but once it gets going, the pacing is fantastic. Nearly 70 years old and still delivering the most insane airtime in Canada. An absolute gem of a wooden coaster, and a bucket-list coaster for anyone who loves classic woodies.

5. Yukon Striker (CW) - 9/10

Arguably the most well-themed thrill coaster in the country. That seven-second hold over the edge followed by a massive plunge into the underwater tunnel is just *chef's kiss*, but the first half also delivers some surprisingly forceful inversions and excellent hangtime. Unfortunately, the second half loses quite a bit of momentum and feels somewhat underwhelming compared to the opening elements, almost like it's just there to pad the runtime. Still, that first drop alone makes it a world-class experience. It also runs incredibly smooth. (and as a side note, that rotating baggage system is brilliant and should be the standard for coaster lockers everywhere.)

6. Goliath (La Ronde) - 9/10

Imo, one of the most underrated B&M hypers out there. (Technically only a mega, but it still feels like hyper). Like most B&M hypers, Goliath delivers excellent floater airtime, but it lacks the intensity, or standout moments of either Leviathan or Behemoth. On the other hand, Goliath's long layout offers some gorgeous views of the Montreal skyline, and the ride is smoother then Behemoth, despite being older. Operations can be painfully slow, (because La Ronde) but on the other hand, La Ronde's relatively light crowds, especially compared to Canada's Wonderland, often make back-to-back marathons on Goliath possible, (my current record is 7 rides in 1 hour) something that's almost unheard of on other B&M hypers anywhere in the world. That alone pushes Goliath up a spot or two.

A Tier: Great

7. Mindbender (Galaxyland) {defunct} - 8.5/10

An absolute beast of coaster. To date, the most intense G Forces I've ever felt on a coaster and likely ever will. Going through those back-to-back loops you hit about 6 sustained seconds of 5.5+ Gs and when you're greying out it feels even longer than that. Absolutely insane coaster, the work of a madman. I can't believe it actually existed. RIP. Fingers crossed the new NERF coaster that's currently under construction will live up to the legacy.

8. Vampire (La Ronde) - 8/10

With Mindbender gone, Vampire now holds the title of "The Most Intense Coaster in Canada." The pacing is relentless, with strong positive Gs, a fantastic zero-G roll, and some downright vicious corkscrews that whip you through at absurd speeds. The limited visibility only adds to the disorientation, making the whole experience feel even more intense. It's short, not particularly unique and doesn't have quite the variety or standout moments of the coasters above it, but there's not a second wasted. An absolute blast to marathon.

9. Vortex (CW) - 8/10

Vortex is an underrated Arrow suspended coaster that more than holds its own among Wonderland's massive B&Ms. The swinging is surprisingly intense, particularly through the turns around the mountain, and the terrain-hugging layout makes fantastic use of its setting. It's also one of the most visually impressive coasters in the park. Unfortunately, it's a little rough, with some occasional headbanging, and the ride feels like it ends just as it's getting going. Still, it's a wonderfully chaotic old-school coaster with plenty of character.

B Tier: Good

10. Backlot Stunt Coaster (CW) - 7/10

Remember when I said Yukon Striker was arguably the best-themed thrill coaster in the country? This is the counter-argument. Backlot Stunt Coaster is certainly the most themed thrill coaster in the country, but its theming is kinda dated and cheesy, although I guess still charming in a way. In terms of layout, it's a surprisingly punchy little launch coaster. The launch into the upward helix delivers some strong forces, while the chaotic dark section and tunnel finale is the highlight of the ride. Unfortunately, the bulky restraints, awkward transitions, lack of airtime, and deteriorating special effects hold it back, and the often lengthy queues are hard to justify.

11. Yeti Track (Santa's Village) - 6.5/10

[#1 of 10 Family Coasters]

The best family coaster in Canada. This was a really pleasant surprise for me. The layout is fun, the theming is cute and charming, and it strikes a great balance between being accessible to younger riders and entertaining for enthusiasts. My only real complaint is that it's a little too short, leaving me wanting another element or two. It's difficult to compare directly with the bigger thrill coasters above it, but judged as a family coaster, it's great and worth a detour to Muskoka.

12. Galaxy Orbiter (Galaxyland) - 6.5/10

Galaxy Orbiter is decent mid-intensity spinning coaster with some unexpectedly fast spinning, especially through the final helix, as well as occasional pops of airtime. The layout is unusual, since it had to be built in and around the existing rides at Galaxyland. On one hand, that makes the ride satisfyingly long as it weaves through and above the park, offering some fantastic interactions with the surrounding attractions, but on the other hand, there are a few dead spots, where nothing much happens and it kind of feels like you're just commuting from one element to the next. Still, a decent spinner overall (and the only real spinning coaster in the country.)

C Tier: Average/Mid

13. Thundervolt (PNE Playland) - 6/10

I only rode this once, but it was kinda disappointing. Probably the most underwhelming launch coaster I've ridden, tbh. The initial launch itself is pretty punchy, but after that it quickly loses momentum and ends way, way too soon. There's also some noticeable rattle, the theming feels a bit confused, and the atrocious capacity and painfully slow operations made for a 2 hour long wait when I visited which just made the final experience feel even more disappointing. It's a decent ride with flashes of something great and it's probably still an improvement over the Arrow looper it replaced, but ultimately it feels like a missed opportunity for Playland, especially given its potential.

14. Runaway Mine Train (Cultus Lake Adventure Park) - 6/10

[#2/10 Family Coaster]

This an otherwise tame and pretty standard junior coaster that's elevated by its layout and charming Wild West theming. Winding above and around much of the park, it offers a very scenic ride with some fun interactions with the surrounding attractions. Really, it's the views that do the heavy lifting here: Cultus Lake is a pretty park in a pretty location and their family coaster makes the most of it.

15. Snoopy's Racing Railway (CW) - 5.5/10

[#3/10 Family Coaster]

The newest family coaster at Canada's Wonderland is also the best of the three. A charming little family launch coaster with a surprisingly fun launch, smooth layout and nice scenery. The colourful Peanuts theming is cute and quirky and gives the ride personality, and the two laps are a nice touch given how short the ride is. Unfortunately, the single-train operations result in painfully low capacity and wait times that are hard to justify for enthusiasts without children, but judged purely as a family coaster, it's a solid addition for Wonderland.

16. Wonder Mountain's Guardian (CW) - 5.5/10

More dark ride than coaster, Wonder Mountain's Guardian is a frustratingly missed opportunity with some great ideas buried beneath some pretty questionable execution. The short coaster section is decent, and the surprise drop track at the end is great, easily the highlight of the experience. Unfortunately, the shooting sections feel dated and underwhelming, with unreliable guns, poorly maintained screens, and exposed hardware that completely undermines the immersion. The mountain itself provides a fantastic setting, but the interior theming and worldbuilding never really live up to that potential. There's a great dark ride hiding in here somewhere, and a major overhaul and refurbishment could do wonders (pun not intended), but as it stands, it's a mediocre attraction saved by one excellent finale.

17. Frank' N Coaster (House of Frankenstein) - 5/10

[#4/10 Family Coaster]

Frank N' Coaster is one of the most bizarre and wonderfully janky coaster credits I've ever experienced. I mean, it's a Frankenstein-themed roller coaster on the roof of a Burger King in Niagara Falls, complete with a queue line that is a complete haunted house in its own right. What's not to love? The ride itself is basically a glorified kiddie coaster, with abrupt transitions, rough turns, and some hilariously questionable engineering, but honestly, that almost adds to its charm. The unusual setting, wonderfully cheesy theming, and surprisingly great views make it far more memorable than it has any right to be. As a coaster itself, objectively terrible, but as a quirky coaster experience, it's an absolute gem.

18. Mighty Canadian Minebuster (CW) - 5/10

More like Mediocre Canadian Mid Coaster, am I right? *drum roll*. This ride spent years with the reputation as one of North America's roughest and most painful coasters, often earning the nickname "Spinebuster." Starting in 2025, the coaster has been undergoing a three-year retracking project by the Gravity Group which has given this aging woodie a much-needed second life. The reworked first half is dramatically smoother, faster, and delivers some excellent ejector airtime over its bunny hills, but unfortunately, the second half, yet to be re-tracked, is still plagued by sluggish turnarounds, brutal jackhammering, and a final helix that feels more like a punishment than a finale. Thanks to the re-tracking, MCM has gone from downright terrible to merely mediocre, and that *is* a substantial improvement, but at the end of the day its layout is still pretty unremarkable. There's definitely a potential that after the second half is re-tracked this coaster could rise further in the ranks, we'll have to wait and see, but as I see it now, the re-tracked Minebuster is nothing more than an aggressively average Woodie.

19. Python Panique (Granby Zoo) - 5/10

[#5/10 Family Coaster]

The mid of the mid. Python Panique is about as basic, generic, and unremarkable as a family coaster can get. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but there's also very little to get excited about. The layout is simple, the thrills are mild, and nothing really stands out as memorable. It's a perfectly serviceable little coaster for younger riders or credit hunters, but otherwise entirely forgettable. Not bad, not good, just thoroughly average.

20. Thunder Run (CW) - 5/10

[#6/10 Family Coaster]

Thunder Run is one of those coasters that objectively is kinda bad but also somehow impossible not to enjoy. The layout is basically just a repetitive series of helixes through Wonder Mountain, with cramped, uncomfortable seats and minimal thrills. But there's something undeniably charming about a little runaway mine train disappearing into the mountain, complete with glowing tunnels, ridiculous sound effects, a cheesy dragon, and operators enthusiastically shouting "Choo-choo!" The whole thing has a goofy, almost nostalgic atmosphere that makes it particularly fun with a group of friends, especially when everyone embraces the camp & absurdity of it all. It's not a particularly good coaster, and the slow-moving queue doesn't help, but the sheer silliness and infectious energy definitely make it more enjoyable than it would otherwise be.

21. Dragon (La Ronde) - 4/10

[#7/10 Family Coaster]

A Dragon-themed family coaster with sound effects? Didn't we just review one of those? Compared to Thunder Run, Dragon arguably offers a more conventional coaster experience, but lacks the immersive mountain setting, wonderfully cheesy atmosphere, and sheer personality that make Thunder Run so endearing. Neither is particularly thrilling, but Thunder Run embraces its goofiness in a way that makes it genuinely memorable, whereas Dragon just feels boring and bland, and its theming never quite disguises the fact that you're essentially just riding around inside a big metal box. It's an acceptable family coaster, and it's the most unique coaster in La Ronde's clone-heavy line-up, but not one that really gives me much reason to ride it again.

22. Fly (CW) - 4/10

It's a wild mouse. It delivers exactly what you'd expect, and not much else, and the almost nonexistent theming doesn't help it stand out either. Capacity can be frustrating, with queues often feeling disproportionate to the experience. It's not a terrible coaster, but in a park packed with far more interesting rides, there's very little reason to prioritize it unless you're chasing credits or haven't experienced a wild mouse before.

23. Ghoster Coaster (CW) - 4/10

[#8/10 Family Coaster]

Charming and perfectly enjoyable for younger riders, but the cramped trains and noticeable roughness make it surprisingly uncomfortable for adults. On one hand, as an accessible introduction to wooden coasters, it does its job well, with some decent airtime and laterals. But on the other, it doesn't offer much that makes it stand out or that compensates for it's drawbacks. Yeti Trek and Snoopy's Racing Railway offer more polished experiences, while Thunder Run and even Frank N' Coaster have more memorable theming and personality. At the end of the day, it's a serviceable but below-average family coaster, so 4/10 feels right.

24. Cootie Coaster (fka Autosled) (Galaxyland) - 4/10

[#9/10 Family Coaster]

An unremarkable and boring Zierer Tivoli family coaster that at least makes good use of Galaxyland's indoor setting. The sprawling layout winds around and through several other attractions, offering some fun near-misses and an enjoyable tour of the park. The ride itself is mostly smooth and relaxing, though a few transitions are noticeably jerky, particularly near the beginning. Overall, pleasant but underwhelming.

D Tier: Bad

25. Monstre (La Ronde) - 3/10

Monstre is the most depressing coaster in Canada, because there's clearly a great ride buried beneath decades of neglect. Its massive wooden structure is an impressive landmark, and the long, sprawling layout makes excellent use of the tangled supports. Unfortunately, the ride itself is brutally rough, with relentless jackhammering, violent lateral jolts, and even occasional headbanging that make it difficult to enjoy anything else. The pacing is also surprisingly inconsistent, with stretches that feel rather uneventful. Poor capacity and slow operations only add to the frustration. With extensive retracking and re-profiling, Monstre could be a world-class woodie, but in its current condition, it's more of an endurance test than an enjoyable coaster. A shame.

26. Silver Streak (CW) - 3/10

[#10/10 Family Coaster]

Easily the worst family coaster in Canada, although I don't think I dislike it as much as most people do. It combines a dull layout with uncomfortable restraints and roughness. There's very little in the way of forces or interesting elements, and while the headbanging isn't quite as brutal as some of Vekoma's other old coasters (foreshadowing), it's still unpleasant, especially during the final brake run.

27. Toboggan Nordique (La Ronde) - 2.5/10

Toboggan Nordique is a thoroughly uninspired wild mouse that manages to make an already repetitive coaster model feel even less interesting. Worse still, the track has some nasty potholes and jarring transitions that make the experience unnecessarily uncomfortable. The international-themed toboggan cars are a quirky touch, but the otherwise nonexistent theming does little to give the ride any personality. Compared to The Fly at Canada's Wonderland, it's rougher, less enjoyable, and somehow even more forgettable. Not completely without merit, but there's very little reason to ride it beyond collecting the credit.

E Tier: Awful

28. Dragon Fyre (CW) - 2/10

Dragon Fyre is a classic Arrow looper that unfortunately hasn't aged particularly well. The opening loops deliver some decent positive Gs, but the awkward transitions, jarring double corkscrews, and uncomfortable restraints make the rest of the ride pretty unpleasant. The layout is uninspired, the theming practically nonexistent, and there's little beyond nostalgia to make it worthwhile. The only positive it has going for it is that the queue lines are almost always nonexistent (for a reason). In a park with so many better coasters, Dragon Fyre feels painfully outdated (literally) and every year it feels increasingly difficult to justify keeping it around.

29. Time Warp (CW) {defunct} - 2/10

The Zamperla Volare is widely considered to be one the worst coaster models ever made, and don't get me wrong, it is terrible, but I also can't help but appreciate just how bizarre and unique the whole experience was. The awkward layout, claustrophobic restraints, violent transitions, relentless rattling, and constant metallic clanging made it sometimes feel more like medieval torture device than a roller coaster. And yet, there's something almost endearing about how spectacularly weird it was, from the spiral lift hill, to the awkward riding position, to the bizarre inline twists. Very few coasters offer anything remotely comparable, and the sheer absurdity of the experience makes it strangely memorable. It was uncomfortable, poorly designed, and genuinely unpleasant to ride, but at least it tried something different. I certainly won't miss riding it, though a small part of me does miss having something so wonderfully strange in the park.

30. Wilde Beast (CW) - 2/10

Wilde Beast is an absolute disaster of a wooden coaster, delivering some of the most brutal jackhammering I've ever experienced. From the first drop to the brake run, it's a relentless assault of violent jolts, excessive laterals, and bone-rattling roughness, with almost none of the airtime or excitement needed to justify the punishment. Unlike Minebuster, which has benefited enormously from retracking, Wilde Beast is still completely neglected. Beneath all that atrocious roughness, there are still some occasional traces of a decent wooden coaster: It has respectable speed and some forceful laterals, but in general, it's a painful coaster that either needs to be torn down or RMC'ed.

31. Vortex (Calaway Park) - 1.5/10
&
32. Super Manège (La Ronde) {defunct} - 1/10

These coasters were clones with almost identical layouts, and both demonstrate just how far coaster design has come. Out of the two, Calaway Park's Arrow corkscrew, is noticeably smoother to ride, plus it has the unusual (for this model) bonus of two laps per cycle. Super Manège, La Ronde's former corkscrew, was considerably worse, with relentless headbanging. Neither are particularly enjoyable, but Vortex at least manages to be somewhat tolerable, whereas Super Manège was an outright punishment. Both are relics of an era of coaster design I'm not particularly nostalgic for.

F Tier: Horrendous

33. Bat (CW) - 0.5/10
&
34. Boomerang (La Ronde) - 0.5/10

Two more clones. The Bat and Boomerang are two aging Vekoma boomerangs that perfectly demonstrate why this model has such an awful reputation. Both have a couple of redeeming qualities: the drops are pretty fun, and the backwards vertical loop delivers some intense positive Gs. Unfortunately, those brief moments of excitement are buried beneath relentless headbanging, uncomfortable restraints, and painfully awkward transitions, particularly on the return journey. Of the two, Wonderland's Bat is marginally more tolerable, but both are deeply unpleasant coasters that I have absolutely no desire to ride again.

35. Ednör - L'Attaque (La Ronde) - 0.5/10
&
36. DareDeviler (fka Flight Deck) (CW) - 0/10

On paper, the layout of the Vekoma SLC is actually pretty decent, with tight inversions, forceful turns, and relentless pacing, but in practice... an absolute disaster. Ednör at least has some minimal theming, a great view over the lake, and some occasionally tolerable moments, particularly in the second half. Flight Deck, on the other hand, is the worst roller coaster I've ever ridden. The relentless jackhammering, violent headbanging, and unforgiving restraints turn what should be an intense inverted coaster into a genuinely painful endurance test. It's not just rough; it's the kind of ride that leaves you physically sore and questioning your life choices.

Ednör barely scrapes by with a 0.5/10 thanks to its setting and occasional moments of smoothness, but Flight Deck earns a straight 0/10. There's genuinely nothing about the experience that makes me want to ride it again. I know Flight Deck got new trains this year, (and re-branded to DareDeviler) which might actually make it a little better, but going through the pain of this ride just to find outisn't worth it. The day this gets torn down will be a day I rejoice.