Top 10's

[Mark9]

Looking pretty likely that there will be no more new rollercoasters this year so, here by-in lies the top ten new rollercoasters I have ridden in 2019.

 

1. Untamed - Seems pretty inevitable this. Easily one of the finest rollercoasters in Europe. It currently sits a number 4 of my top list and it really is stunning. Breath-taking air time and relentless pacing, this ride is well up my alley.

2. Fenix - A really good B&M Wing-rider. The shorter the trains are, the far better the ride experience. This is a very paced, fast ride and despite its unfinished look in places, has an incredibly scenic setting over the lake. 

3. Troy - This is surprising for me because so few actually really talk about it. Fast paced, aggressive air time throughout and a nice long ride. I feel a bit.. underwhelmed that Wicker Man wasn't more akin to Troy in hindsight. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed Troy.

4. Dwivelwind - Oh man. This was like ride crack. We couldn't get enough of this small but perfect Mack spinning ride. We rode ten times and was always left wanting more.

5. Lost Gravity - I'm not too sure why I wasn't more blown away by this as its clearly an excellent ride and pretty terrifying. I found the outer seat on the back row slightly shaken so it wasn't the normal Mack level I was expecting.

6. Goliath - An Intamin mega I actually like?!  Yeah this was good, nice pacing, good air time, good little layout and that turn around was one of the best. 

7. Slinky Dog Dash - I'm a little unsure how a family friendly Mack launch feels more intense then Icon but nonetheless this ride is pretty good actually. It's like an unthemed big Thunder Mountain with nice pops of air time throughout.

8. Speed of Sound - A boomerang with a relatively okay theme and soundtrack? What is this madness? I had a soft spot for this ride despite its longer then I'd like to wait queue.

9. Booster Bike - Yeah this was okay if nothing outstanding. Not much more to say.

10. Water side of Joris en de Draak - Frankly, I don't like racing rollercoasters and I didn't find this particularly exciting to be honest. It was either this or Condor..

 

Walah, very Holland heavy this year.

[TPJames]

New top 10 coasters after a few trips to new parks including hansa park today

 

Cant decide between taron and taiga. Taron has the theming, the launch, the overall experience whereas taiga’s second half of the layout is just absolutely incredible. Too close of a decision to call so ranked joint 1st.

 

Also three RMCs in my top 10, that’s crazy. I’ve been converted 😱

 

1. Taron/Taiga
2. -
3. Zadra
4. Wildfire
5. Shambhala 
6. Untamed
7. Der Schwur des Kärnan
8. Lech
9. Lost gravity
10. Helix

[JoshuaA]

Cos we are reaching the end of 2019 I thought I would do some highlights for this year

 

Top Ten New Credits:

1. Steel Vengeance- Airtime machine+everything else that makes coasters fun

2. Maverick- Few aggressive pops of air, whippy transitions, amazing launch and drop.

3. TTD- One trick pony, though smooth and forceful launch and small lap bar makes it better than Stealth, and leagues above Red Force's pothole launch.. 

4. Goliath- Nowhere near the level of Steel Vengeance but 2 very solid airtime moments and the zero g make it still kick ass.

5. Millennium Force-Long ride, fast, smooth, fun. First drop is amazing too.

6. Magnum- Final few hills try to kill you

7. Viper- Kinda goes under the radar, but fun woodie with good airtime and a classic woodie feel. Love it.

8. Raptor- Fun invert. Helix is the highlight, that cobra roll holds it back for me though.

9. Superman- Pretzel loop, everything else is meh. Pretzel loop still slays though.

10. Joker- I strangely enjoyed my first freespin. I would take it over boreRavn any day of the week. Loved how chaotic it was.

Dishonourable Mentions: Valravn for its rattle and forcelessness, Raging Bull for being the worst hyper yet by miles.

Honourable Mentions: Corkscrew for being better than Valravn and actually fun, Gemini for having airtime and being a good time, V2 for being kinda not talked about despite having a great drop towards the back.

 

PS: Forgot Wickerman, but Wickerman is awesome and would probably be #6

 

[Matt 236]

Might as well do my list considering I probably won’t hit another abroad park, let alone a new before the end of the year/decade. At least 43 new creds this year, probably won’t see that level again for a while.

 

Top 10 (New For 2019 Creds)

1/ Oziris- beutiful B&M invert with many blissful moments and rich theming 

2/ The Beast (K.I)- absolutely relentless and thrilling. Such a great classic and probably the best coaster in the dark

3/ Fenix- a beutifully crafted coaster with some beutiful theming and surroundings 

4/  Valkyria  great variety of elements for a dive coaster, the theming helps too

5/ Rutschebanen (Tivoli Gardens)- Such a classic coaster, which perfects it’s simple tasks 

6/ Troy- Not a Wodan beater, but still a great coaster nonetheless 

7/ Tonnere De Zeus- This ride knows how to pull some forces

8/ Pegasus Express- Lovely themed coaster with quite a few surprises up its sleeve

9/ Dwirvelwind- Such a fun,whacky and re-rideable attraction

10/ Mystic Timbers- It was still a good GCI regardless 

 

Other Decent (new non coaster) attractions 

The Flying Trunk- charming dark ride based on Hans Christian Anderson 

Vertigo- One of the craziest and most intense rides I have ridden, still good 

Defy Caesar- impressive mad house with several pre-shows 

Merlin’s Quest- the dark ride section was incredible 

World Of Plop- a lovely dark ride with much charm 

Dino Splash- probably one of my favourite flume rides that isn’t Chiapas
kronosar- the Hotel looks lovely, can’t wait until Rutluntica opens

 

Worst (new for 2019) rides

Gouderix- probably one of the roughest coaster I’ve experienced to date

Banshee- this coaster didn’t do anything for me, the vests ruined the ride and it is one of the worst (if not the worst) B&M I have done 

Boo Blasters- dull and dreadful ride, makes Tomb Blaster look like Phantom Manor

Hero- it was not anything special 

 

 

[Coaster]

I have finally got round to updating my top 10;

 

1. Magnum XL 200 - Cedar Point
2. Phantom's Revenge - Kennywood
3. Steel Vengeance - Cedar Point
4. Milennium Force - Cedar Point
5. The Big One - Blackpool Pleasure Beach
6. Wild Mouse - Blackpool Pleasure Beach
7. Cyclone - Coney Island
8. Maverick - Cedar Point
9. Troy - Toverland
10. Grand National - Blackpool Pleasure Beach

[Martin Doyle]

Revised top ten coasters having been to the Netherlands and Germany since my last list. This will feature rides being switched having done rerides on rides already on the list as well as new entries.

 

1. Steel Vengeance

2. Untamed

3. Taron 

4. Millennium Force

5. Wildfire

6. Helix

7. Maverick 

8. Shambhala 

9. Top Thrill Dragster 

10. Mystic Timbers 

 

In fairness with this list, the only 2 coasters that I can place with conviction is the top 2. Rides 3 to 7 I keep swapping around with each other!!

 

[Mark9]

Top five parks that people love but I don't really enjoy as much as others and I won't use the word over-rated because that implies that I think the place is rubbish when it actually isn't apart from the Number 1 park which really is awful.

 

 

5. Blackpool Pleasure Beach. I don't mind the pleasure beach as such. I like Icon and I like the Wallace and Gromit ride. Big Dipper is okay as well. But everything else is just a bit bad. It doesn't help that Blackpool as a place really needs to sink into the sea and never return. 

 

4. Islands of Adventure.  I know why people love this place but I've never felt any love for it. Sheds. Thorpe Park on steroids. The first park to destroy not one but two B&M's. Thats a cardinal sin. It also has that really bad log flume where you just travel past cardboard scenery but nobody talks about it because the final drops look pretty on instagram.

 

 

3. Disneyland (CA). The grand-daddy of the Western themed area, Disneyland holds an amazing amount of nostalgia for so many people. It was Walt's park, he walked those streets, came up with the groundbreaking hub and spoke, the man was a genius. But this was a park for a different generation and these days, Disneyland is a struggle. It's tiny, full of low throughput attractions and is frustrating when all queues spill out into walkways all over the place. Nah.

 

 

2. Liseberg. I like Liseberg. But its a park that gets ridiculously busy all the time and is a real hassle to get around. I've been twice and I like Helix a lot, Lisebergbananananananana is wonderful, I liked Kanonen and I don't so much mind Balder. Valraven is boring. I find this park such a pain to get around because it was clearly designed with a smaller amount of people in mind. During my last trip when it was open 6pm-12am, the park was empty and it was lovely to be around. We could appreciate the rides and layout and how beautiful parts of it are. But on a busier day, forget it. I don't like the escalator up to Helix and the drop tower and I find the park annoying to get around.

 

1. PortAventura. The typical love for this place comes down to two things; It's hot and has good opening hours. For me it has two rides worth doing in Shambhala and Dragon Khan, a pretty good show and then you have 10 hours of wasting time because there's nothing else that I enjoy to ride or see. And worse is the queue-jumping. This isn't exclusive to PortAventura (The Madrid parks have exactly the same problem). But PA is far busier and full of queue skipping children. The only park where I recommend buying Fast-lane because if everyone queue jumps anyway you may as well do it within the park rules.

[Mark9]

Top five parks that I love with all my being and would recommend whole heatedly. But please bare in mind this doesn't always have the groundbreaking rides, its all about that sweet, sweet theme as I at heart prefer escapism to just being thrilled.

 

5. Chessington. Nostalgia is important. Chessington has that nostalgia for me and every time I go I enjoy it far more then a lot of bigger, high budget parks. Whether its exploring the Zoo which makes this the more unique Merlin park or sitting in the hotel bar overlooking the savannah, this feels like the chill out park that I love. Vampire is a classic, Fury is great and the nostalgia for operating these rides will always make it a special place for me.

 

4. Phantasialand. Wonderful place. Naturally Chiapas and Taron are the standouts. There are parts of the park that are pretty weak such as the awful Winjas Force, Temple of the Knight-hawk and the tedious Chinese Vekoma madhouse. But the charm remains around the rest of the place and its always hotly anticipated.

 

3. Disneys Animal Kingdom. Immersion is the name of the game and this is the most consistent, natural and beautiful parks that Disney offers. From the wonderful food and drink (siting in Nomad lounge is a pleasure) too the unique Kilimanjaro Safari which is the ultimate E-ticket, a trip to Animal Kingdom has become more and more integral the more I go to Disney World. Pandora has only made the park more important.

 

2. Efteling. I don't think any theme park is as timeless, beautiful and charming as Efteling. European theme parks can be divided into two categories, the modern like Phantasialand and PortAventura or the classic like Alton Towers and Efteling. This place is gorgeous and a pleasure to explore. 

 

1. Europa Park. Yeah this is an obvious Number one. It's a theme park I've been going to for nearly twenty years and it has everything that I require from a theme park. Whether its escapism with well themed rides or beautiful resorts, Bundles of rides and walk throughs, good food and lots of cheap beer. Yeah this has it all. My personal favourite is walking through the diamond cave and watching Alpine Express zooming through every two minutes. It's wonderful.

[JoshC.]

32 minutes ago, Mark9 said:

2. Liseberg. I like Liseberg. But its a park that gets ridiculously busy all the time and is a real hassle to get around. I've been twice and I like Helix a lot, Lisebergbananananananana is wonderful, I liked Kanonen and I don't so much mind Balder. Valraven is boring. I find this park such a pain to get around because it was clearly designed with a smaller amount of people in mind. During my last trip when it was open 6pm-12am, the park was empty and it was lovely to be around. We could appreciate the rides and layout and how beautiful parts of it are. But on a busier day, forget it. I don't like the escalator up to Helix and the drop tower and I find the park annoying to get around.

I'm with you here. I love Helix and Balder (both are in my Top 5), and Lisbergbanan too. But outside that? There's nothing that really grabs my attention. It's all a bit bland, coupled with the burdensome layout. I guess the fact I don't like spinny rides (Loke and Mechanica are 2 immediate nopes from me) doesn't help my feelings either. 

 

I've never really understood the pedestal it's put on within enthusiast circles.

 

12 minutes ago, Mark9 said:

4. Phantasialand. Wonderful place. Naturally Chiapas and Taron are the standouts. There are parts of the park that are pretty weak such as the awful Winjas Force, Temple of the Knight-hawk and the tedious Chinese Vekoma madhouse. But the charm remains around the rest of the place and its always hotly anticipated.

I adore Phantasialand, but it always strikes me as interesting at how forgiving I am for the large chunks of rubbish they have. When visiting with a first timer last month, there were plenty of times I was saying 'this is a joke ride' or 'don't expect much here' or whatever. China, Hollywood Tours, Temple / Crazy Bats stick out. Mystery Castle's different settings. Parts of Fantasy aren't exactly in great shape. Colorado Adventure looks surprisingly tired in place. I detest all of their shows too.

 

But for every piece of junk, they have two pieces of brilliance. And much of the brilliance is really up there with some of the best of the best. And those modern areas have such a charm to it as well.

 

I guess the junk can be forgiven because it's clear to see they're getting rid of it all slowly. I genuinely can't imagine how the park will feel when they update China and Hollywood/Crazy Bats, which could easily happen over the next decade.

 

12 minutes ago, Mark9 said:

2. Efteling. I don't think any theme park is as timeless, beautiful and charming as Efteling. European theme parks can be divided into two categories, the modern like Phantasialand and PortAventura or the classic like Alton Towers and Efteling. This place is gorgeous and a pleasure to explore. 

I genuinely believe that Efteling (along with Phantasialand, albeit that's more of a stretch I admit) is a park everyone should visit, regardless of whether they like theme parks or not. The Fairytale Forest can takes hours if you do it properly and take your time. Their dark ride selection gives something for everyone. Their coaster selection is quite varied and decent. Then they have the shows too. And even on busy days, it copes and manages to keep a hold of it's charm.

 

The fact that basically everyone who lives in The Netherlands has been to the park speaks volumes for its appeal.

[Benin]

I'm gonna disagree with Liseberg. I don't find the layout annoying (and my second visit was with a wheelchair!) And it has an actual good collection of flat rides and a good atmosphere as well, even during Halloween where it was busy (though the wheelchair might factor that, people move very quickly out the way).

 

Very surprised by the dislike of Valkyria too, I thought it was fab.

[Martin Doyle]

13 minutes ago, Benin said:

I'm gonna disagree with Liseberg. I don't find the layout annoying (and my second visit was with a wheelchair!) And it has an actual good collection of flat rides and a good atmosphere as well, even during Halloween where it was busy (though the wheelchair might factor that, people move very quickly out the way).

 

Very surprised by the dislike of Valkyria too, I thought it was fab.

 

I agree with this.

 

To me Liseberg is worth a visit because it has 

 

1. One of Europe's best coasters in Helix.

2. The best flat ride on the planet in the form of Loke.

3. One of the finest wooden coasters in Balder.

4. In my opinion, the best dive coaster in valkyria 

5. Two solid enough water rides

6. A very well themed horror maze in Hotel Gasten.

7. A brilliant classic coaster in Lisebergbanan

 

Is it my favourite park?? Nope. It sits behind Cedar Point and Phantasia, but to me it's certainly one of the best parks in Europe. Good ride collection, good food options, nice atmosphere and pretty decent operations and staff. 

[Matt 236]

I like Liseberg, although it is not necessarily my favourite park. 
 

They have a good selection of headlining coasters, some varied flat rides and other attractions too. It’s clean and has decent food generally too.

 

However parks such as Phantasialand and Europa I definitely prefer, mainly for the escapism and overall experience front. 
 

P.A is just overrated tbh, I have no plans for a return visit right now, even with my bucket list. 

[Mattgwise]

I don't get the fuss behind Helix TBH, I was hugely disappointed with it after YEARS of people banging on about it. The launches were naff, the airtime wasn't half as much as expected, the restraint dug into my leg more and more as I went through (Icon and Blue Fire doesn't do this as bad),  and the whole thing rattled and was not as smooth as it should have been. That added with numerous technical issues made for a not so pleasant time with it. I know i'm in minority, so no need for backlash. I am however entitled to my opinion. Odd considering I like Icon!

[Benin]

I'll agree it's odd that you like Icon given the launches on that aren't exactly better than Helix's two.

[JoshC.]

22 hours ago, Mattgwise said:

I don't get the fuss behind Helix TBH, I was hugely disappointed with it after YEARS of people banging on about it. The launches were naff, 

I think this is the thing with Helix, and probably all Mack launch coasters (at the very least, all Mack launch coasters I've done).

 

Helix shouldn't really be thought of as a 'launch coaster'. It is a coaster that happens to feature launches. They are not there as a way of making you go very fast very quickly. They are there as a way to maintain and/or build up slight speed in unnatural positions of the layout (ie: flat / inclines upwards). There's nothing wrong with that. It's good. But it certainly can make it underwhelming if that's not what you're wanting / expecting.

 

Helix's layout more than makes up for it in my mind (and clearly in the majority of people's mind too!). Plus the location, length and such really adds to it. But I think there is a managing expectations vibe to it as well, given it was the first 'modern' multi launch coaster and really burst onto the scene in that sense.

 

It says a lot the most powerful Mack launch coaster I've done is probably Pulsar: a ride which is regarded by Mack as 'a coaster with a launch', rather than a 'launch coaster'!

[Martin Doyle]

10 minutes ago, JoshC. said:

 

Helix's layout more than makes up for it in my mind (and clearly in the majority of people's mind too!). Plus the location, length and such really adds to it. But I think there is a managing expectations vibe to it as well, given it was the first 'modern' multi launch coaster and really burst onto the scene in that sense.

 

And this to me is why I personally enjoy Helix and not Icon. Icon to me has the dull launches and in my opinion a poor layout. Whilst Helix also has poor launches in terms of forces and has several moments of it just meandering around, the moments such as the inverted top hat, the Norwegian loop and that final airtime hill make for an incredible coaster experience. It utilises a decent variation of elements to counter it's weaknesses and that's the word that inevitably is why I rank Helix highly. Variation.

 

Though I can absolutely see why it's not some enthusiasts cup of tea.

[TPJames]

8 hours ago, Martin Doyle said:

 

And this to me is why I personally enjoy Helix and not Icon. Icon to me has the dull launches and in my opinion a poor layout. Whilst Helix also has poor launches in terms of forces and has several moments of it just meandering around, the moments such as the inverted top hat, the Norwegian loop and that final airtime hill make for an incredible coaster experience. It utilises a decent variation of elements to counter it's weaknesses and that's the word that inevitably is why I rank Helix highly. Variation.

 

Though I can absolutely see why it's not some enthusiasts cup of tea.

I personally found helix extremely overrated and actually a bit boring compared to modern launch coasters (notably Intamin; Taron, taiga etc). I enjoy icon because I think it's really the best of a bad bunch in the UK, it has a pretty weak layout but small pops of airtime and hang time make for a fun ride if you sit at the back. So yeah, whilst I find both helix and icon fun, I think icon is more of a novelty because its in the UK where we don't really have anything like it, whereas Helix is out in Europe with the big players and doesn't really compare IMO to other coasters out there in Europe.

 

To be honest I wasn't the biggest fan of the park either as a whole(the best thing about it is the chocolate tombolas everywhere!). I much preferred the atmosphere at Grona Lund, Grona Lund felt much more quirky and vibrant whereas Liseberg just felt a bit dead in terms of atmosphere.... I much preferred my second day at Liseberg to my first though as spent pretty much the whole of the first day queueing whereas on the second day I could appreciate the beauty of the gardens and detail within the park (really wanted to ride the big wheel but queue was too long and operations were also slow which was another gripe).

 

My other main issue with Liseberg was they advertised a closing time but the actual ride queue lines didn't have a particular closing time, they just seemed to close whenever the staff felt like it, so wanted to do a night ride on Helix but missed out because the queue line was shut way before park close...

[JoshC.]

8 hours ago, TPJames said:

So yeah, whilst I find both helix and icon fun, I think icon is more of a novelty because its in the UK where we don't really have anything like it, whereas Helix is out in Europe with the big players and doesn't really compare IMO to other coasters out there in Europe.

This is a bit of a weird stance no?

 

Sweden is Europe, sure, but it's a bit more detached from the mainland. You say Icon is a novelty because the UK doesn't have anything like it, but Helix is the same because Sweden doesn't have anything like it (and until last year, no where in Scandinavia did).

 

I get the whole "there's greater competition in mainland Europe" argument, and that definitely helps improve quality from those parks. But it's very odd to say you have a not-positive reaction for a coaster because it's surrounded by other good coasters?

 

8 hours ago, TPJames said:

My other main issue with Liseberg was they advertised a closing time but the actual ride queue lines didn't have a particular closing time, they just seemed to close whenever the staff felt like it, so wanted to do a night ride on Helix but missed out because the queue line was shut way before park close...

This is a very common thing in Europe. The closing time for the park is when the rides stop running. So if closing time is 11pm and a ride has a 30min queue at 10.20, the ride staff will get ready to shut the queue at 10.30. Obviously not an exact science and it relies on staff being good at knowing how long a queue is and keeping guests informed of those times (easier said than done), but most people will understand that.

 

Admittedly it's becoming less common now in my experiences, but this is an complaint I've seen from a lot of UK people who are used to the 'closing time is when the queues close' logic, who don't realise that this isn't so much the norm.

[Martin Doyle]

Top 10 European coasters!!

 

1. Untamed

2. Taron

3. Wildfire 

4. Helix

5. Shambhala

6. Expedition G force

7. Karnan

8. Black Mamba

9. Balder

10. Wodan

 

I do regularly find myself swapping around Helix and Wildfire. Both to me have brilliant elements but at the same time have plenty of dead spots. So it's very much a draw between the two. If Wildfire did not have it's awful morning pacing issues, it would be above Helix hands down. Helix in fairness also needs warming up throughout the day but nowhere near to the extent of Wildfire. So very close between the two in my book and that's coming from a self confessed RMC fanboy!!

[TPJames]

3 hours ago, JoshC. said:

This is a bit of a weird stance no?

 

Sweden is Europe, sure, but it's a bit more detached from the mainland. You say Icon is a novelty because the UK doesn't have anything like it, but Helix is the same because Sweden doesn't have anything like it (and until last year, no where in Scandinavia did).

 

I get the whole "there's greater competition in mainland Europe" argument, and that definitely helps improve quality from those parks. But it's very odd to say you have a not-positive reaction for a coaster because it's surrounded by other good coasters?

 

This is a very common thing in Europe. The closing time for the park is when the rides stop running. So if closing time is 11pm and a ride has a 30min queue at 10.20, the ride staff will get ready to shut the queue at 10.30. Obviously not an exact science and it relies on staff being good at knowing how long a queue is and keeping guests informed of those times (easier said than done), but most people will understand that.

 

Admittedly it's becoming less common now in my experiences, but this is an complaint I've seen from a lot of UK people who are used to the 'closing time is when the queues close' logic, who don't realise that this isn't so much the norm.

I completely understand your point, however I think living in the UK it just appears we don't really have any stand-out competition to icon, nothing with a double launch, lots of airtime, hang time and a long, decent layout. I was just grouping all of Europe in my head because that's usually where I head out on my theme park holidays, but I completely understand the geography and helix is a unique coaster for Sweden and to be honest the whole of Europe as well, as it is the best mack launch out there.

 

Just to clarify, helix is in my top 10(just); I did have a positive reaction for the coaster, I thought it had great landscaping, amazing airtime and great hang time moments, it just was no where near as "WOW!" as I expected it to be. I'd heard so many amazing reviews for the coaster before riding it that I don't really felt it met my expectations when I actually rode the coaster (whereas things like shambhala, Taron, taiga left me with that WOW feeling afterwards). Maybe had I not read lots of reviews before actually getting on the coaster, then I would have enjoyed it way more than I did. I do prefer helix to icon it's just I've never seen anything like icon in the UK before and it's nice to have such a unique coaster so close to home.

 

---

 

And regarding the closing times, I completely understand closing the queue line earlier than the park closing time, I have no issue with it; Phantasialand do it too. However, what I do have the issue with at Liseberg is the queue closing times were not advertised the staff just shut the queues randomly and if you then came along 30 seconds later after they'd shut the queue they wouldn't let you in, even though the closing time for that queue wasn't advertised. Whereas at Phantasialand they have queue boards around the park advertising what time each of the queues for the respective rides shut, I wish they did similar at Liseberg because that did aggravate me a little bit.

[Benin]

I don't think many parks actually advertised the queue closing time. Had that happen to me at Efteling before.

 

Phannyland is the exception rather than the norm.

 

As we're discussing Taron against Helix, if Taron's layout wasn't just corners then it would be better. Helix's inversions break it up a bit whilst also incorporating one or two golden moments of airtime. Whilst it lacks the theme quality (which in a park with minimal themeing doesn't bother me), the layout doesn't bore me about halfway in. See also the second half of Black Mamba.

 

In terms of Icon it just feels like a missed opportunity. Half the moments of hangtime exist because it crawls along the track, and probably has about the same amount of airtime moments as Helix. Plus the second half is dreadful after a quite fun first half. It's a weird ride and just seems to miss something when compared to the other Mack launches.

 

As for parks pulling out their finger and investing? Well that's up to them to better Icon (which wouldn't be THAT hard let's be honest) with something similar. But do the UK parks have the desire and ability to spend that money? Beyond Merlin the answer is no, as much as I'd love to see Paultons get one in the near future I think we're a way aways from them getting something truly big. I'd imagine a small Gravity Group would be the next coaster for there.

[TPJames]

21 minutes ago, Benin said:

I don't think many parks actually advertised the queue closing time. Had that happen to me at Efteling before.

I’ve never had any issues at Efteling before, infact their park closing time is earlier than the park actually closes. I visited in October when the park was open until 8pm, and they still run Aquanura at about 8:15 and some of the restaurants(notably the pancake house) were open until 9pm. Maybe you were on an off-peak day, because I’ve only ever visited Efteling on peak days before and have had no problem getting on all the rides as I’ve found normally the queuelines shut at the advertised park close time(managed to just squeeze a ride on python at the end of the day before park close) - maybe I just got lucky though?

[Benin]

If the queue is walk on or 5 minutes then you would find they close it in tandem with the park. But 15 minutes seems to be the cut off at minimum. 

[ste193]

Top 10 Parks:

1. Tokyo Disney Sea
2. Island of Adventure
3. Fuji Q Highland
4. Hollywood Studios
5. Animal Kingdom
6. Tokyo Disney Land
7. Epcot
8. Sea World Orlando
9. Disney Land Paris
10. Black Pool Pleasure Beach

Top 10 Coasters:

1. Hagrids Coaster
2. Expedition Everest
3. Ejekna
4. Dodoponda
5. Hulk
6. Space Mountain Hyperspace
7. Thunder Mountain
8. The Big One
9. Mako
10. Saw The ride

Top 10 Rides:

1. Monsters Inc (Tokyo version, duh)
2. Journey to the Center of the Earth
3. Indiana Jones and the temple of the crystal skull
4. Tower of Terror
5. Soarin
6. Forbidden Journey
7. Escape from Gringotts
8. Jurassic Park
9. Haunted Mansion
10. Spiderman Adventures

 

[Benin]

Give you some due with that coaster list, perhaps the most out there choices I've seen in anyone's top 10.