California Coaster Kings rated many coasters, and although we’re usually not fans of listing/ranking rides or parks, we do create an annual California TOP 50! You might, and likely will, disagree, that’s totally fine! That’s what this TOP 50 is all about! Of the many rides in the state, we selected the 50 we think are best! Here are places 10-1 in the 2015 California TOP 50!
We would like for you to understand that all rides in our TOP 50 went through our own rating/ranking system that created a TOP 50, the way we think the rides are ranked best! By the time the entire TOP 50 has been published, our minds may have changed, because with this much variety and top quality rides in CA, it’s insanely hard to get to a ranking. You might as well say that these 50 are the best rides in CA, no matter which ride will take first place! Other than that; here’s our TOP 50 Part FIVE, or in better words the TOP 10:
- 10. – Scream! – We find Scream! To be one of the more underrated coasters out there, because when you break it down, a forceful B&M floor-less coaster that features seven inversions is a great coaster and Scream! is. Often lost among the other flagship coasters at SFMM, Scream! Still packs a punch with some great elements like its snappy Zero G Roll, a perfectly forced loop, and interlocking corkscrews just to name a few. Although many complain about its setting and rattle, the pros simply outweigh the cons here. Scream! is still certainly worthy of its title.
- 9. – Gold Striker – The essence of a GCI wooden coaster. It’s aggressive pace and line up of elements make it a thrilling ride, not to mention it hasn’t aged a day and so far Goldstriker has stayed butter smooth. The banked turns, many pops of airtime, and the speed at which these maneuvers come at you, make Goldstriker a highlight at California’s Great America, and a world-class coaster.
- 8. – Medusa – With such a perfect sequence of elements and inversions, Medusa is one of B&M’s finer loopers, as they actually made significant improvements on the commonly used Kumba layout, with a straight down drop, the one of a kind Sea Serpent Roll, and a few well placed helices. At a maximum of 4.5 G’s Medusa sure doesn’t meander around either. Combine this with a few unexpected laterals and positives around the ride, and you have one excellent coaster.
- 7. – Goliath – Goliath certainly earns its namesake, as it features a 255 foot drop (largest on any closed circuit coaster in the state) into a 100 foot long underground tunnel. This goes well with another 200+ foot drop, a sustained floater airtime hill, and two absolutely punishing helices that will leave the blood pooling in you’re feet and you desperately trying to raise your arms against the insane and prolonged G forces. Goliath is not only big in size, but also in what it delivers, earning its spot on this list.
- 6. – Xcelerator – From 0-82 mph in 2.3 seconds, Xcelerator features a launch intenser than any coaster in the state. In addition, this ride zooms up 205 ft into the air at a 90 degree angle, and then back down face first towards the earth, after which it hits two over banked turns. Xcelerator’s one of the best launch coasters in the state, and the best at Knott’s Berry Farm.
- 5. – Full Throttle – After the hit-ride Superman Ultimate Flight at SFDK, Full Throttle came along in 2013. Along with a great new interactive ride-plaza, this Premier coaster features three launches (2 forward, 1 backwards), world’s tallest loop, and a ‘special effects tunnel’. Which is the only thing that can be optimized to better the ride! The hang-time in this gigantic loop is simply incredibly. A can’t miss when at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
- 4. – Superman: Ultimate Flight – Superman: Ultimate Flight was the first of its now many sibling around the world. Despite capacity issues, this ride has been continuously cloned and that is because it’s spectacular. From moments of insane ejector airtime, crushing positive G’s, and one of the worlds best hang time filled inversions, it certainly packs a lot into a little bit of time. The three launches that throw you into this beast are all striding in their own way, giving S:UF no wasted track. It is still world class despite its clones, and it is arguably the best coaster at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
- 3. – Tatsu – The world’s tallest, fastest, and longest Flying Coaster also features the world’s tallest pretzel loop, and is the only Flying Coaster to feature a zero-G-roll! The ride is a terrain hugging master piece that shows you all sides of the park in many different ways. Flying like a dragon, you’ll fly high above the park’s mountainous terrain, and you’ll dive down several times to almost become one with the ground beneath. This exhilarating coaster is a fan favorite at the park, and around the world! Weren’t it for the very close competition in our ranking, Tatsu would have definitely placed 2nd.
- 2. – X2 – Lets be honest, the world’s first fourth dimension coaster is a fantastic title on its own, however the world’s only fifth dimension coaster truly makes this ride Xtreme to the Second Power. The amazing combination of incredible track layout, innovative train design, with inverting seats, a fantastic soundtrack and (the occasional) fire effects… earn this ride the culminating number 2 spot on our top 50 of 2015!
- 1. – Twisted Colossus – Perhaps it’s the eight wonder of the world. Perhaps it’s the craziest air-machine in California (who am I kidding… IT IS the craziest air-machine in the state)… This ride has set Six Flags Magic Mountain apart. The ride is crazy, amazing, filled with air-time, but most importantly… FUN. It’s incredibly FUN, besides the thrilling aspects, the ride is just filled with spectacular entertainment when the trains race. Twisted Colossus is by far the best ride in the state, RMC magic has shown Californians what real air-time is. I’m sure many agree with us, that Twisted Colossus is deserving of the #1 spot on this list. For a full ride review of Twisted Colossus, click here.
Thanks for checking out the FINAL TOP 10 part of the 2015 California TOP 50! For spots 50-41, click here! For spots 40-31, click here. For spots 30-21, click here. For spots 20-11, click here.
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Great top ten! I actually agree with just about everything on this list, great job! I really enjoy this whole series and it’d be nice to see it continued maybe with water parks?
-Barbasol
I really like the Top 10, though I usually don’t look at Scream! As that good of a ride, I can see that it’s underrated, and if it were at any other park it’d be very popular. I personally like Medusa better than SUF. But if I look at my first ever experience with both, SUF was definitely the most intense. Overall I think I agree almost a 100% with this line up.
You were pretty much very accurate on the entire series good work
I very much disagree with the placement of TC at 1. Yes it is a good ride but I would take X2 over it any day. Yes it may have a great ride experience but there are no other 4D coasters in Ca,whereas, to me, TC is a sit down coaster (a very good one) but none the less that’s all it is.
I respect your opinion, nonetheless Green Lantern: First Flight is considered a 4D coaster, therefore there isn’t only another 4D coaster in the state, but there’s actually one in the same park. In addition, X2 is starting to show its age and is getting quite rough. Twisted Colossus is smooth, filled with air-time that California lacks, and if you wish yo talk about uniqueness, there are no other Hybrid Coasters in the state, as there are multiple 4D coasters.
I also must respectfully disagree. I think you make a pretty large mistake when you use the classification of a coaster to determine its quality. Is Scream! Better than Kumba just because it’s a floorless? They have very similar layouts. No, and the reason why is forces. Kumba is unparalleled in its unrelenting positive g’s which makes it a more intense and more thrilling ride than Scream. TC is unparalleled in the insane amounts of ejector airtime it provides, as well as good amounts of powerful laterals. X2 is great but it relies more on orientation than on force. Factor in age, smoothness, duration, theming, I don’t think there is much of an argument that TC is the better coaster. As far as you’re uniqueness falicie, even if uniqueness did determine a coasters worth, TC is plenty unique. It is the only dueling coaster on this half of the country and is the only airtime heavy coaster in the area, whereas with X2 you can walk across SFMM to ride another orientation based 4D ride. They’re both great coasters but TC is easily the greater in my mind.
Great list! I agree with everything! Good job!
I still disagree what makes a hybrid so different from a steal sit down, yes it’s smooth but so are new steal coasters when they open, yes it has a top gun stall, but how many raven turns, lie to flies, and fly to lies do you count in ca, and while we’re at it how many coasters come close to 88.5 degree drops in Ca, I know tc doesn’t, on top of that when fire and audio work it is incredible, tc is a good coaster yes, but it just doesn’t compare to x2, I feel like the only thing I prefer on tc is ride duration
I would choose to ride X2 over TC anyday, but let’s be real. TC is definitely better than X2. X2 has gotten way too rough, the effects rarel work, and there is no theme whatsoever. TC has a theme, at least 2 unique elements (being a dueling coaster and a racing coaster), and a long ride duration. The only thing X2 has going for it, and the only reason I get on the ride, is the soundtrack, but I’m even starting to prefer the Screampunk District’s soundtrack over the one on X2. I’m sorry, but Colossus wins by a mile.
I largely agree with the list, great job! I’d remove Scream, but that’s just me 😉
I wholely agree with this top ten, although I can’t back up Medusa, Gold striker, or S:UF, only because I haven’t experienced those. Hoping to make a trip up to Discovery Kingdom to ride two of three next year though!