Your most ridden coasters and your most visited theme parks?

[Matt N]

Hi guys. Over the years, I’m sure that most of us have done a number of coasters and a number of parks quite a few times. With this in mind, I’d be interested to know; what are your most ridden coasters and your most visited parks?

 

For me, my answer to these questions would not have been exhaustive and exact until a couple of days ago. I always started my coaster and park counts and visit log from an arbitrary “enthusiasm start date” of 28th September 2013, the day I rode Alton Towers’ big coasters for the first time, as my recollections of exact orders and dates before that was spotty. However, my dad recently found an old hard drive with all of my parents’ pictures from when we were kids on it. This meant that I was able to ditch my “enthusiasm start date” and go right back to the very start of my life to the degree of exactness I desire. And it’s unveiled some interesting stats about my most ridden coasters and my most visited parks across the course of my entire life… not to mention that changing my coaster counting method gained me a bonus +3 from 2011 that tipped me over 100 coasters!

 

Following the discoveries of the other day, my all-time unique coaster count is 102, and my all-time unique park count is 22. I have had 451 coaster rides in total, so I have averaged 4.4 total rides (to 1dp) on each coaster I have ever ridden. I have had 113 park visits in total, so I have averaged 5.1 total visits (to 1dp) to each park I have ever visited.

 

My top 10 most ridden coasters of all time are as follows:

1. Nemesis and Runaway Mine Train at Alton Towers - 29 rides (Nemesis first ridden 28th September 2013, RMT first ridden 30th May 2009)
2. Oblivion and Thirteen at Alton Towers - 25 rides (Oblivion first ridden 28th September 2013, Thirteen first ridden 15th August 2010)
3. Wicker Man at Alton Towers - 24 rides (first ridden 25th March 2018)
4. The Swarm at Thorpe Park - 20 rides (first ridden 27th July 2014)
5. Galactica at Alton Towers - 19 rides (first ridden 28th September 2013)
6. The Smiler at Alton Towers - 18 rides (first ridden 29th September 2013)
7. Rita at Alton Towers - 16 rides (first ridden 28th September 2013)
8. Spinball Whizzer at Alton Towers - 15 rides (first ridden 15th August 2010)
9. Stealth at Thorpe Park - 12 rides (first ridden 27th July 2014)
10. Nemesis Inferno at Thorpe Park - 11 rides (first ridden 27th July 2014)

My top 5 most visited parks are as follows:

1. Alton Towers - 40 visits (first visited 30th May 2009)
2. Universal’s Islands of Adventure - 11 visits (first visited 29th August 2012)
3. Thorpe Park and Universal Studios Florida - 10 visits (Thorpe first visited 27th July 2014, USF first visited 31st August 2012)
4. SeaWorld Orlando - 5 visits (first visited 28th August 2012)
5. Legoland Windsor - 4 visits (first visited 28th July 2009)

My first ever theme park visit was to Drayton Manor on 18th April 2008, and my first ever coaster was Troublesome Trucks Runaway Coaster on the same day. However, I have only visited Drayton Manor twice more since; once on 8th August 2018 and once on 9th June 2022. I have only ridden Troublesome Trucks once more since my first ever ride on it.

 

Of the 102 coasters I have ridden, 42 of those are coasters that I have only ridden once, which equates to 41.2% of my count (to 1dp). Of the 22 parks I have visited, 3 of those are parks that I have only visited once, which equates to 13.6% of my count (to 1dp).

 

If I extend that to encompass coasters that I have ridden 3 times or less, the number of coasters that I have ridden 3 times or less is 75, which represents 73.5% of my count (to 1dp). The number of parks that I have visited 3 times or less is 16, which represents 72.7% of my count (to 1dp).

 

So overall, then, the bulk of my coaster rides and park visits are concentrated around a relatively small number of parks and coasters, with there being a significant outlier at the very top; Alton Towers. Of my 113 park visits since 2008, 40 of these have been Alton Towers visits, which represents 35.4% of my total visits (to 1dp). Of my 451 coaster rides since 2008, 201 of these have been at Alton Towers, which represents 44.6% of my total coaster rides (to 1dp).

 

I have to say that I found this a very interesting insight into my coaster riding and park visiting habits… I’ll post my full visit log spreadsheet later when I’m not on the move and using 4G.

 

But I’d be keen to know; what are your most ridden coasters and most visited parks?

[Imagineer]

What a detailed history! I don't think it would be even possible for me to have anything similar to this. Not sure if we're counting trips or individual visits but if so I have been to the Walt Disney World parks the most (but I did work there for 3 months) - individual trips would probably either be Drayton Manor or Alton Towers with Disneyland Paris also being up there. I would probably say the coaster I have ridden the most would be Nemesis and then I think Expedition Everest must also be up there due to the single rider line being magic.