My Top 5 Favorite "Stock" Rides that are non-rollercoasters

In Celebration of Opening Day of Amusement Parks across the country, I present my top 5 amusement park rides. In a previous post, I highlighted my top 10 roller coasters, but most coasters are unique to the park they are built in. The other rides tend to be "off the shelf rides" or "stock" rides that several parks can purchase to give guests thrills.  Here are some of my top 5 "stock" rides, most still can be found across the country, but one is now a ride that is quickly going into extinction.

Rest in Pieces

5)  The old school Rotor - This great ride would spin and have centrifugal force stick you to the wall. When ride got up to speed, screams would fill the air as the floor was dropped out from beneath you. This would leave you stuck to the wall a good foot or two off the floor. If you can find one of these, take the chance to give it a whirl. These are becoming quickly extinct from amusement parks across the country. The last one I rode was the Cajun Cliff Hanger at Six Flags Great America, it has since met it's demise. Now there are some rides that travel with carnivals that are called Gravitons, these work on the same concept but in no way compare to a Rotor.

Viking Fury at Kings Island placement over the water gives it more character

4) The Pirate Ship or Swinging Boat-  A classic ride usually themed to a ship of some sort, designed to make you "loose your stomach".  Back in the day, and occasionally nowadays,  rides would ended up with one end of the boat at it's pinnacle declaring "Taste great" then the other at it's pinnacle "Less filling". Fans of this ride, like myself, will seek out the the bow or the stern of the ship to get the most height and thrill from this ride.

Simple yet fun

3) The tilt-a-whirl- This ride can get you dizzy and make you giggle at the same time. Once you get that sweet spot and start spinning you will be hooked. Watch out for protein spills(google it), especially if spinning rides do you in.

The octopus  lights up a midway nicely

2) The Octopus (also known as The Monster or The Spider). The thrills of losing your stomach from sudden dips combined with the spinning you get from a tilt-a-whirl equals great times. Many of these rides have nice lighting packages that add more character to them at night.

1) The S&S Screamin' Swings- A twist on the pirate ship concept. This is a swing on steroids, nice open air ride experience, and it is a LOUD ride that is powered by large air compressors. Cedar Point has the largest, SkyHawk, towering in at 125 feet with two giant arms, each holding 20 riders, swinging at 60 mph. Dollywood has heavily themed one, that slices through a barn. They start out tame and then ramp up taking you to extreme heights. This ride is definitely not for people who like tame rides.

What are your favorite Amusement Park Rides? 

Coming Soon....My Top Central Florida rides.

My Top 10 (um 11) Roller Coasters

I love Roller Coasters and love to ride new and old ones. My top10 list is not static but is dynamic allowing for it to be changed after riding something new, either a new build or from a new park that I visit. The coaster doesn't  have to be a monster in height or bust records to be my favorite, though I love those one trick ponies, it's overall ride experience that places a coaster on my list. Coaster rankings are something that people will argue about and people will go to great lengths to promote their favorite coaster. I like to read other top 10 lists, not only to see what other people think, but to start a bucket list of coasters that I would make a trip to ride.

Here are my current  Top Ten Roller Coasters

Cheetah Hunt just under the Sky Ride hop. Great Family coaster

#10 is a tie between  Wild Cat-Cedar Point  and Cheetah Hunt- Busch Gardens Tampa..... Why the tie? The Wild Cat is a great, small, classic coaster the whole family can ride over and over. It has nice twist and turns, couple of nice airtime dips, there aren't too many out there like this anymore.This is a coaster my daughter and I make sure we ride every trip to Cedar Point.  Cheetah hunt is very scenic with quick changes of directions and bursts of speed. It makes you feel like you are a Cheetah on the hunt. I would consider this a family coaster compared to it's older sibling  that will come up later in the list. My 6 year old niece and 8 year old love this coaster. Look forward to riding this over and over again as a family.

Hold on as you drop into the underworld and world's longest tunnel on a roller coaster

#9 Hades- Mt.Olympus......The uniqueness of being submerged underground for long periods of time in the pitch black twisting, turning at 90 degree angles, and the two drops into the underworld, places this on my list. Hades is getting really rough even for a wooden coaster, the Wisconsin winters are not easy on this monster. Hades needs some love, but is worth a ride.

Gone from the Shores of Geauga lake but still thrilling people at Kings Dominion

#8 Batman: Knight Flight- Geauga  Lake/ Six Flags World of Adventure  now know as Dominator- Kings Dominion...... At Geauga Lake/ Six Flags World of Adventure, this had a wonderful location on the shores of Geauga lake. It was a great addition to the park offering a smooth ride, wonderful feet choppers being floorless, and having one MASSIVE loop.  I have not been fortunate enough to ride it in its new location, regardless if its near a lake or land locked, its gonna be a great ride.



#7 Manta_ Seaworld Orlando...... Theming , flying, g forces, and more theming make this the best flyer coaster I have ever been on. The beautiful Que helps to make the wait for this ride go. It is as fun to watch as it is to ride.

Beautifully themed flyer, very photogenic as I prove here with my camera skills

#6 Maverick- Cedar Point This coaster is the older sibling to Cheetah Hunt.  Many coaster enthusiasts jeered this coaster when it was announced. I was skeptical as well, but from my first ride, Maverick will probably always have a place on my top 10 list. This coaster doesn't need heights to give thrills. The airtime hills, quick inversions, beyond 90 degree drop, terrain hugging layout, and tunnel launch make this a must ride coaster.

I am not a professional photographer, but this shot of Maverick's first drop against  the twilight sky is almost as amazing as the ride.

The Top 5

Let's hang for a minute with  Sheikra  before we drop.

#5 Sheikra - Busch Gardens Tampa ......The first and only dive coaster I have been on. Nice concept, great build up. well worth the wait for any coaster fan.

This is only the First 3 hills..........

#4 Shivering Timbers- Michigan Adventure..... It's a rough tough out and back wooden roller coaster that has amazing airtime and doesn't let up until you hit the brake run, a shocking find at such a small park. This coaster dominates the skyline at Michigan Adventure and is very photogenic. Coaster fans would flock to Timberfest to get rare night time rides on this bad boy.... the only lights on the coaster come from the parking lot.....

Montu Can go under Ground, Raptor can only rule the sky

#3 Montu-Busch Gardens Tampa..... While  Raptor rules the sky at Cedar Point, this coaster beats the raptor hands down with landscaping elements, ride experience, and smoothness. By far the best inverted coaster I have been on.

Magnum diving into the sunset

#2 Magnum Xl-200- Cedar Point... Many have been built taller and longer, but the views and airtime on this first coaster to ever top 200 feet still can't be beat in my book.

















#1 The Beast at Kings Island....No matter what time of the day it's going to be hard to top this coaster. With a long ride time out into the woods and in a valley this coaster lives up to its name.  Not much of this coaster is visible from the park, the low lighting conditions, multiple tunnels and lifts make this a very memorable ride. I love night rides as well day rides on this classic. Love the howl through the helix!

The Beast will swallow you whole Day or Night!

I would enjoy hearing your list of top ten coasters leave a comment about them in the comment box below.

My Bucket List of Coasters I want to ride.

The coasters at Dollywood.
The Coasters at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Six Flags Magic Mountains' Coasters
HolidayWorld's Coaster Collection
Indiana Beach's Coaster Collection
Dorney Park's Coaster
Hershey Park's Collection
Kings Dominion's Collection
Carowinds Collection
Knott's Berry Farm Collection
X-Flight at Six Flags Great America
Dare Devil Dive at Six Flags over Georgia.
And the one that will be the hardest to achieve.... Hard Rock Park/Freestyle Music Park if it ever reopens.