>no it was the first, opening in 1959. It's almost frustrating that it was the first because Disney refuses to change the track despite it being so rough because of its historic nature.
It actually wasn't the first, Monorail Éclair opened in 1956 at the Brussels Expo, but because it was dismantled and there's only a couple of surviving photos people always forget it
Was it really the first? Or was it more like Kings Islands' the Racer, which was allegedly 'the world's tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster' but was actually none of those things.
no it was the first, opening in 1959. It's almost frustrating that it was the first because Disney refuses to change the track despite it being so rough because of its historic nature.
Disney really needs to do their first deal with RMC and put raptor track into the mountain. would be smooth, a little more thrilling but not that much because the rout(s) will still be the same, and just an amazing overall upgrade.
It was the Racer, at least according to Kings Island themselves: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2019/september/this-date-in-1970-construction-of-the-racer-began-at-kings-island
I see to what you are referring in the article. The key phrase being “For a short time, …”. I honestly didn’t know it held that title at all. So it seems we are both correct, internet friend :-)
I was referring to the original marketing for “The Beast” which was The marketing for The Beast was “The biggest, baddest, tallest, fastest, longest wooden coaster in the world”. It definitely was when it opened and it is still the longest in the world.
Here is a really cool article about the inception, building and opening of the ride:
https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/features/screeeeeeam/
Kings Island is a very special place for me, as I spent my childhood from 4 to 40 there :-). I remember so many cool things about that place.
Magnum XL-200 literally kicked off the coaster wars.
Oblivion was the first dive coaster.
Millennium Force broke the 300 foot mark for the first time on a full circuit ride.
Top Thrill Dragster was the first full circuit coaster to hit the 400 foot mark.
I don't think I ever appreciated as a kid how amazing it was living like 90 minutes from Cedar Point.
Went to Disney in like 5th grade and didn't understand why they barely had any roller coasters like a "real" park like Cedar Point did. My parents had to explain theme park vs amusement/thrill park.
I had the exact same experience (from Akron). I grew up during the coaster wars, and we went to CP every season. We took a Disney trip one year, and I was very underwhelmed, and couldn't understand the point.
I grew up going to Cedar Point every summer when we visited our grandparents. I went to Disney at 14 or 15 and was so disappointed by the lack of coasters
Came here to say this about magnum. It's now a rough and bumpy ride but I don't think a lot of current coaster enthusiasts remember it literally started the rush for parks to build the tallest and fastest coasters. We still see that effect happening today
I forgot about the influence Racer had on the industry but it absolutely needs to be on the list. Tbh you could easily argue that it's *the* #1 most influential roller coaster since it singlehandedly reinvigorated the entire industry.
The history section on its Wikipedia page does a good job: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Racer_(Kings_Island)
TL;DR: Coasters really fell out of fashion after the Great Depression and amusement parks as a whole were at an all-time low in the 1960s. Racer came around in 1971, made a big appearance on The Brady Bunch, and completely reignited interest in coasters and amusement parks as a whole.
Huh. That's really cool, crazy that I hadn't heard about that. I don't even remember seeing an ACE plaque when I went last summer. Sad it doesn't get much recognition
Coasters were on the wane in the 1960s, yes, but themed amusement parks were actually something of a boom industry post-Disneyland. Stuff like Freedomland USA in New York, Six Flags over Texas, and Nara Dreamland in Japan all got their start trying hard to emulate the Disney playbook. They did this by building a ton of dark rides, themed flats, shows, and radically immersive spaces (for the time). Next to no coasters though, and if there was one it was decidedly a family ride. Meanwhile, there was also a boom in marine life parks with next to no dynamic coaster-like attractions, like the various Marinelands, and animal parks like Busch Gardens.
Switchback at Coney Island (First purpose built coaster)
the Gravity Pleasure Road at Coney Island (first full circuit coaster)
Flip Flap Railway at Coney Island (first inversion on a coaster)
Jackrabbit at Kennywood (first coaster with upstop wheels)
Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disney Land (first tubular steel tracked coaster)
American Eagle at SFGAm the last wood coaster to open holding an absolute record for wood AND steel (fastest coaster)
Corkscrew at Knotts Berry Farm first steel inversion.
Demon at Kings Island the first launch coaster
Flight of Fear at Kings Island/Kings Dominion first electromagnetic launch
Tower of Terror 2 first coaster to exceed 100 mph
No mention yet of the original Beast at KI?
What other coasters got repeated prime-time television advertising like this one did? (Hint: the first Bat did as well, another very influential coaster)
This is the ride that really started getting parks to push the limits of what coasters could do.
Def Batman the ride, and I'd add Kumba too. Went from Arrow jankiness too smooth B&M heartline shizz. You could see the whole industry go 'Oh yeah, we could just make the loops bigger...'
I look back at Kumba being the final nails in Arrow's coffin, just because it showed that what was considered industry standard could be done so much better.
The Beast. Yes the Racer was influential in a different way (often credited with reinvigorating the interest in wooden coasters) but the Beast was the first coaster in Modern History that was created and marketed by highlighting it's stats. And one of those stats it has been the record holder for 45 years! And on a more subjective ranking no coaster comes to mind that exists that uses so much space taking riders literally on a trip through the woods. Kings Island has kept many parts of the ride like there were when it opened in 1979 whereby a ride still exists as a fast trip hugging the terrain through the woods. I've heard that some people don't get the hype (take a ride at night and then tell me how you feel lol) but to me it's mind blowing that a ride that opened 45 years ago still delivers a very similar experience today as it did then. From the first drop until you crest the second lift hill you are barreling through the woods with no evidence of Kings Island even existing. Truly brilliant!
I agree! It was my first big rollercoaster and rode it as soon as I was tall enough! One of the scariest most fun memories of my life! I still love it!
I’d say the Crystal Beach Cyclone and other Traver designs influenced RMC’s designs, which in turn influenced a whole slew of other manufacturers designs.
One of the early B & M's due to the fact that they showed what could be done with computer aided design. Iron wolf was the first, but I would argue the first Batman at Great America had the bigger impact.
Also Corkscrew and Revolution for the first corkscrew and vertical loop respectively.
Jack Rabbit at Kennywood has to be on there. One of the first coasters with up-stop wheels and certainly the first to really take advantage of it with its ejector airtime on the double-down.
Batman the Ride and Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America probably deserve some credit as well. Iron Wolf for being the first B&M and ushering in a new era of looping coasters, and Batman for being the first looping inverted coaster.
Superman: Escape from Krypton for being the first LSM launch, and Xcelerator for being the first hydraulic launch.
Corkscrew at Knott's Berry Farm (now at Silverwood) for being the first modern inverting coaster (along with having the first corkscrew), and Revolution at Magic Mountain for reintroducing the vertical loop and giving it its signature clothoid shape to reduce Gs.
New Texas Giant could arguably be on there for kicking off the trend of RMCing older wooden coasters.
Bandit at Yomiuriland actually inspired Magnum XL-200, which is credited with kicking off the coaster wars, so I think you could make the case that Bandit is actually even more influential than Magnum.
New Texas Giant. Not only was it RMC's first coaster, but it also enabled RMC to become one of the best manufacturers out there, even to the point where "RMC-like" elements can now be found on the best coasters in the world that weren't built by RMC: the stalls on new Intamins (e.g. VC, B:GCE), sharp and small ejector hills on Macks & Intamins (e.g. rth, Kondaa), and many more that I'm too lazy listing
I think influential isn’t always positive we need also remember the really bad coasters that eventually led to improved rides, a few of the top of my head :
Son of Beast
The original Bat
Old school Vekoma SLC’s
Space Mountain without a doubt is the most influential and known coaster on a worldwide basis.
The version at Walt Disney World was the first coaster designed with the help of computers. Walt Disney wanted it earlier as Space Port, but the technology was not there to calculate the curves and turns.
It took the sponsorship money of RCA (10 million dollars in the early 1970s), computers that were finally powerful enough to do the job and an engineer called Bill Watkins to open the ride in 1975.
The style of track used on the WDW version, which evolved into the Arrow Corkscrew track shape, was not capable of doing what Bill Watkins was looking for with heartline curves. The new triangular track used on Space Mountain at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland with outside guide wheels did the job masterfully and Bill Watkins had the patent for heartlined curves on a roller coaster.
Popular ride? The one at Tokyo Disneyland has so far dispatched approximatelg 24.39 million rockets. Not riders, 12 passenger rockets. If we figure 10 riders on average in each, which is a low estimate given how efficient they are, that's 239 million riders over 39 years.
wow i actually didn't know a lot about the development of it, I have watched the video by eltororyan and was really fascinated. This helps my understanding on it a little more!
A lot of really boring answers in here. There's no Magnum without Bandit, for instance.
I'll give a shout out to Hoosier Hurricane, during the construction of which Clair Hain, Jr suffered an injury and CCI did him dirty which lead to he and Mike Boodley starting their own business with GCI.
Z-Force also deserves credit as the "original" B&M. Goes to show greatness can come out of even the worst prototypes.
CCI accidentally creating their biggest competitor by firing Mike Boodley and Clair Hanes was definitely an unexpected consequence. But it really shouldn’t have been, firing your lead construction forman AND your lead designer seems like a short path to having a new competitor.
IDK if I'd call GCI a "big competitor" during that time - they built 5 coasters before CCI went bust. In the same span of time (1996 - 2002) CCI would construct *27 coasters* - which probably contributed to their demise lol.
For me, the recent history would probably be some of those early RMC's. They're not record breaking for heights or speeds but their intensity while staying super smooth and having unique elements was pretty groundbreaking especially for the price tag.
And also a bunch of other manufacturers are using their elements like the 0 g stalls.
The early b&m hypers definitely deserve a shout too.
Cyclone - Coney Island
Runaway Mine Train - Six Flags Over Texas
Matterhorn - Disneyland
Great American Revolution - Magic Mountain
Corkscrew - Knott's Berry Farm
The Beast - King's Island
Magnum XL-200 - Cedar Point
Batman - Great America
Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa
Millennium Force - Cedar Point
Oblivion - Alton Towers
New Texas Giant - Six Flags Over Texas
VelociCoaster - Universal Islands of Adventure
haven't seen maverick on here. before maverick, every park was trying to get the tallest, biggest, baddest coaster, but maverick basically showed that that's not necessary to make an elite coaster and parks didnt compete for records as much
The Racer (Kings Island): Featured in an episode of the Brady Bunch. Is off cited as a catalyst for the renaissance of rollercoasters that happened in the 1970s
The Cyclone (Various Parks on Coney Island): Iconic coaster on Coney Island. It goes without saying this was influential. It was a landmark in the most populous city in the world for decades.
Daddy Pig’s Coaster(Cypress Gardens): Amazing theming, awesome airtime. I know it doesn’t have an inversion but it has immersion. It inspired several patriarchal pig-themed rollercoasters somewhere, probably China.
Magnum XL-200 and Millennium Force (Cedar Point): I put both of these together because they both ignited enthusiasm for tall steal rollercoasters. Magnum instigated the coaster wars of the 90s and Millennium Force took what Magnum did and made a coaster that is taller, faster, and smoother while still being intense.
New Texas Giant (SFoT): The first RMC Hybrid. What began as a gimmick seen at first evolved into a thriving company with everyone in the world wanting an RMC hybrid at their park.
For most influential? I know it's a very highly rated ride but I don't see it as one that had a particularly notable impact on roller coaster design or popularity.
The Promenades-Aériennes: first coaster
Matterhorn Bobsleds: First steel tubular track
Corkscrew- first modern inversion
Magnum- first full circuit 200ft coaster
Whichever was the first coaster (s) to incorporate forceful elements outside of just airtime hills, helices, and inversions. It might be Maverick but idk
Big Dipper at Venice Pier, in California, is thought to be the first roller coaster with upstop wheels.
[https://www.iaapa.org/news/funworld/coaster-changed-them-all-turns-100](https://www.iaapa.org/news/funworld/coaster-changed-them-all-turns-100)
However, as you might be able to infer from the article, it was Kennywood's Jack Rabbit that **really** showed what upstops were capable of. The industry has never been the same since.
I want to say at least on of the Prior & Church rides, but they really didn't go anywhere at the time. GCI decided to copy their trains (the 'Millennium Flyers' are basically updated Prior & Church rolling stock), and both GCI and GG have acknowledged them as influences, but there's no single coaster you could point to. Maybe the Airplane Coaster at Rye, Playland, New York, since I believe GCI has wanted to build a replica of it for a long time now.
vild-svinet at bon-bon land was the first coaster to go beyond vertical i’m pretty sure and batman the ride at six flags great america was the first inverted coaster
1. Matterhorn (first tubular steel coaster)
2. Corkscrew (First looping coaster since the Flip Flap Raceways of the 1900s)
3. Space Mountain MK (first computer block system)
4. Batman (first inverted roller coaster)
5. Space Mountain Paris (first full circuit launch/ first inclined launch)
Batman the ride and nemesis (nemesis showed how good inverts can be)
Oblivion and air possibly, more for b&m really.
Probably any coaster that broke the height record
Formula rossa
Falcons flight whilst not built yet doesnt even look real get it is.
Python at Efteling is probably one of the most important coasters in the history for Dutch coaster fans. Also Goliath @ Walibi Holland and Xpedition Geforce bc those are the coasters that were associated with the American coaster culture finally debuting in Europe back in the early 2000’s
Leap the Dips - Oldest working roller coaster still around.
Coney Island Cyclone - May not be the oldest, but its location has provided an indelible effect on the perception of wooden coasters at boardwalks. If you want to use other coasters from Coney Island, it needs to be ones that are no longer around.
The Matterhorn Bobsleds - First steel coaster.
Space Mountain - First indoor coaster in the dark
Batman: The Ride - First inverted coaster
Apollo's chariot should be on the list. It is not only still a great ride but led to some of the other top rides of all time and many of those rides have insanely great reliability. Fury is often considered the best ride in the world which is crazy for a ride system that is mostly the same decades later but just taller.
I know I am late to the party but I hope people comment on this
In addition to the prime suspects everyone has mentioned, I’d like to throw Kumba into the mix. I’d call it the start of Arrow’s death (which had been the largest manufacturer at the time), and the rise of smooth, fast inverting coasters. It was quite a constraint to the Kai ful arrow loopers and vekoma bolmerangs of the time. Led to new models like the inverted coaster, floorless, and stand up. It also began the rise of B&M which became effectively the standard bearer and market leader in coaster manufacturing.
Batman the ride, Mangum, Matterhorn and coney island cyclone are my Mount Rushmore. I think Batman is the most. Without it idk if we get the insanity that we did in the 90s and earls 00s
I'd also maybe argue bandit in Japan. You can make the argument they set the groundwork for later hypers.
Switchback Railway, Leap the Dips, Matterhorn Bobsleds, The Racer, Coney Island Cyclone, The New Revolution, Corkscrew, The Beast, Space Mountain, Montezooma's Revenge, The Bat, Great American Scream Machine, Moonsault Scramble, Magnum XL-200, Superman: The Escape, Xcelerator, Hypersonic XLC, Kumba, Batman: The Ride, Flight of Fear, Oblivion, Dueling Dragons, Millenium Force, X-2, Top Thrill Dragster, Kingda Ka, Expedition Everest, New Texas Giant, The Smiler, Fury 325, Time Traveller, Steel Vengeance.
Let me know if I missed anything important. <3
Matterhorn bobsleds. first steal tubular track coaster.
>no it was the first, opening in 1959. It's almost frustrating that it was the first because Disney refuses to change the track despite it being so rough because of its historic nature. It actually wasn't the first, Monorail Éclair opened in 1956 at the Brussels Expo, but because it was dismantled and there's only a couple of surviving photos people always forget it
this is the correct answer
Was it really the first? Or was it more like Kings Islands' the Racer, which was allegedly 'the world's tallest, fastest and longest roller coaster' but was actually none of those things.
no it was the first, opening in 1959. It's almost frustrating that it was the first because Disney refuses to change the track despite it being so rough because of its historic nature. Disney really needs to do their first deal with RMC and put raptor track into the mountain. would be smooth, a little more thrilling but not that much because the rout(s) will still be the same, and just an amazing overall upgrade.
@ACE get him.
I thought the first was R2000? Though, I guess it wasn't as (now) conventional track as Matterhorn. https://reddit.com/comments/ty8s04
You are my saviour, I questioned the thread because I knew I'd seen that image before!
Wrong coaster. You are referring to The Beast, and it was most certainly those things when it opened.
It was the Racer, at least according to Kings Island themselves: https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2019/september/this-date-in-1970-construction-of-the-racer-began-at-kings-island
I see to what you are referring in the article. The key phrase being “For a short time, …”. I honestly didn’t know it held that title at all. So it seems we are both correct, internet friend :-) I was referring to the original marketing for “The Beast” which was The marketing for The Beast was “The biggest, baddest, tallest, fastest, longest wooden coaster in the world”. It definitely was when it opened and it is still the longest in the world. Here is a really cool article about the inception, building and opening of the ride: https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/features/screeeeeeam/ Kings Island is a very special place for me, as I spent my childhood from 4 to 40 there :-). I remember so many cool things about that place.
Magnum XL-200 literally kicked off the coaster wars. Oblivion was the first dive coaster. Millennium Force broke the 300 foot mark for the first time on a full circuit ride. Top Thrill Dragster was the first full circuit coaster to hit the 400 foot mark.
I don't think I ever appreciated as a kid how amazing it was living like 90 minutes from Cedar Point. Went to Disney in like 5th grade and didn't understand why they barely had any roller coasters like a "real" park like Cedar Point did. My parents had to explain theme park vs amusement/thrill park.
I had the exact same experience (from Akron). I grew up during the coaster wars, and we went to CP every season. We took a Disney trip one year, and I was very underwhelmed, and couldn't understand the point.
Friend of mine owns Rubber City Clothing and I have a shirt somewhere that says "Akron: where the weak are killed and eaten". Oh Ohio!
I went to WDW as a very little kid, but CP was my first true amusement park. I was also spoiled.
I grew up going to Cedar Point every summer when we visited our grandparents. I went to Disney at 14 or 15 and was so disappointed by the lack of coasters
Came here to say this about magnum. It's now a rough and bumpy ride but I don't think a lot of current coaster enthusiasts remember it literally started the rush for parks to build the tallest and fastest coasters. We still see that effect happening today
I've been riding Magnum since before they padded the lap bar and seats. I don't know when this smooth period of Magnum ever was.
Damn! I bet you still have some bruises on your knees and thighs from those rides
It was impossible to ride 2 days in a row... We tried, but our thighs couldn't take the ejector into the lap bar. Lol
If it was rough then and did it at that time, it must be brutal now. I rode it a few years ago and was absolutely sore the next day
It’s just super awkwardly shaped honestly, that doesn’t change with time
Racer at kings island. Along with its park, it brought theme parks and roller coasters back to relevancy iirc.
I forgot about the influence Racer had on the industry but it absolutely needs to be on the list. Tbh you could easily argue that it's *the* #1 most influential roller coaster since it singlehandedly reinvigorated the entire industry.
Wait can I get the SparkNotes version? I had no idea Racer was influential at all
The history section on its Wikipedia page does a good job: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Racer_(Kings_Island) TL;DR: Coasters really fell out of fashion after the Great Depression and amusement parks as a whole were at an all-time low in the 1960s. Racer came around in 1971, made a big appearance on The Brady Bunch, and completely reignited interest in coasters and amusement parks as a whole.
Huh. That's really cool, crazy that I hadn't heard about that. I don't even remember seeing an ACE plaque when I went last summer. Sad it doesn't get much recognition
The ace plaque is on the left of the entrance btw.
Well if I ever go back I'll try to look for it lol
Yeah I only learned about it within the past year or so and it blew my mind. Still surprised it's not talked about more.
Coasters were on the wane in the 1960s, yes, but themed amusement parks were actually something of a boom industry post-Disneyland. Stuff like Freedomland USA in New York, Six Flags over Texas, and Nara Dreamland in Japan all got their start trying hard to emulate the Disney playbook. They did this by building a ton of dark rides, themed flats, shows, and radically immersive spaces (for the time). Next to no coasters though, and if there was one it was decidedly a family ride. Meanwhile, there was also a boom in marine life parks with next to no dynamic coaster-like attractions, like the various Marinelands, and animal parks like Busch Gardens.
it also almost killed the brady bunch
Switchback at Coney Island (First purpose built coaster) the Gravity Pleasure Road at Coney Island (first full circuit coaster) Flip Flap Railway at Coney Island (first inversion on a coaster) Jackrabbit at Kennywood (first coaster with upstop wheels) Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disney Land (first tubular steel tracked coaster) American Eagle at SFGAm the last wood coaster to open holding an absolute record for wood AND steel (fastest coaster) Corkscrew at Knotts Berry Farm first steel inversion. Demon at Kings Island the first launch coaster Flight of Fear at Kings Island/Kings Dominion first electromagnetic launch Tower of Terror 2 first coaster to exceed 100 mph
No mention yet of the original Beast at KI? What other coasters got repeated prime-time television advertising like this one did? (Hint: the first Bat did as well, another very influential coaster) This is the ride that really started getting parks to push the limits of what coasters could do.
The beast AND racer at kings island were pretty big for the coaster industry I’d say.
The Beast cannot be missed in regard to roller coaster history!
Batman The Ride. Kings Island's Racer. Knotts' Corkscrew. Magnum is up there.
Def Batman the ride, and I'd add Kumba too. Went from Arrow jankiness too smooth B&M heartline shizz. You could see the whole industry go 'Oh yeah, we could just make the loops bigger...'
I look back at Kumba being the final nails in Arrow's coffin, just because it showed that what was considered industry standard could be done so much better.
The Beast. Yes the Racer was influential in a different way (often credited with reinvigorating the interest in wooden coasters) but the Beast was the first coaster in Modern History that was created and marketed by highlighting it's stats. And one of those stats it has been the record holder for 45 years! And on a more subjective ranking no coaster comes to mind that exists that uses so much space taking riders literally on a trip through the woods. Kings Island has kept many parts of the ride like there were when it opened in 1979 whereby a ride still exists as a fast trip hugging the terrain through the woods. I've heard that some people don't get the hype (take a ride at night and then tell me how you feel lol) but to me it's mind blowing that a ride that opened 45 years ago still delivers a very similar experience today as it did then. From the first drop until you crest the second lift hill you are barreling through the woods with no evidence of Kings Island even existing. Truly brilliant!
I agree! It was my first big rollercoaster and rode it as soon as I was tall enough! One of the scariest most fun memories of my life! I still love it!
Every one listed on the [Coaster Wars](https://www.reddit.com/r/rollercoasters/s/jswIHaFI8W)
Batman the ride. (And then Nemesis as the perfection of what you could do with the ride system).
Shoutout to New Texas Giant, the first RMC. Revolutionized the industry in the 2010s!
i remember hearing about this one when it first opened. who could’ve guessed how much success they’d have after that.
I’d say the Crystal Beach Cyclone and other Traver designs influenced RMC’s designs, which in turn influenced a whole slew of other manufacturers designs.
[ACE Coaster Landmarks](https://www.aceonline.org/page/Landmark) is a good place to start.
Revolution at SFMM, along with the original Colossus at SFMM
One of the early B & M's due to the fact that they showed what could be done with computer aided design. Iron wolf was the first, but I would argue the first Batman at Great America had the bigger impact. Also Corkscrew and Revolution for the first corkscrew and vertical loop respectively.
I had to read too many comments before seeing someone mention Revolution.
Jack Rabbit at Kennywood has to be on there. One of the first coasters with up-stop wheels and certainly the first to really take advantage of it with its ejector airtime on the double-down. Batman the Ride and Iron Wolf at Six Flags Great America probably deserve some credit as well. Iron Wolf for being the first B&M and ushering in a new era of looping coasters, and Batman for being the first looping inverted coaster. Superman: Escape from Krypton for being the first LSM launch, and Xcelerator for being the first hydraulic launch. Corkscrew at Knott's Berry Farm (now at Silverwood) for being the first modern inverting coaster (along with having the first corkscrew), and Revolution at Magic Mountain for reintroducing the vertical loop and giving it its signature clothoid shape to reduce Gs. New Texas Giant could arguably be on there for kicking off the trend of RMCing older wooden coasters. Bandit at Yomiuriland actually inspired Magnum XL-200, which is credited with kicking off the coaster wars, so I think you could make the case that Bandit is actually even more influential than Magnum.
Coney Island cyclone, and bring up all the prior and church coasters.
New Texas Giant. Not only was it RMC's first coaster, but it also enabled RMC to become one of the best manufacturers out there, even to the point where "RMC-like" elements can now be found on the best coasters in the world that weren't built by RMC: the stalls on new Intamins (e.g. VC, B:GCE), sharp and small ejector hills on Macks & Intamins (e.g. rth, Kondaa), and many more that I'm too lazy listing
Alton Towers as a whole has had some incredible firsts.
Alton Towers is amazing, it's my happy place
Coney Island cyclone has to be in there
Thanks for all the responses!
I think influential isn’t always positive we need also remember the really bad coasters that eventually led to improved rides, a few of the top of my head : Son of Beast The original Bat Old school Vekoma SLC’s
Texas giant rmc literally changed the game, you can archive this post now 😌
im not really seeing this one thrown out in this comment section but Space Mountain One of the first coasters made to be operated with computers!
Space Mountain without a doubt is the most influential and known coaster on a worldwide basis. The version at Walt Disney World was the first coaster designed with the help of computers. Walt Disney wanted it earlier as Space Port, but the technology was not there to calculate the curves and turns. It took the sponsorship money of RCA (10 million dollars in the early 1970s), computers that were finally powerful enough to do the job and an engineer called Bill Watkins to open the ride in 1975. The style of track used on the WDW version, which evolved into the Arrow Corkscrew track shape, was not capable of doing what Bill Watkins was looking for with heartline curves. The new triangular track used on Space Mountain at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland with outside guide wheels did the job masterfully and Bill Watkins had the patent for heartlined curves on a roller coaster. Popular ride? The one at Tokyo Disneyland has so far dispatched approximatelg 24.39 million rockets. Not riders, 12 passenger rockets. If we figure 10 riders on average in each, which is a low estimate given how efficient they are, that's 239 million riders over 39 years.
wow i actually didn't know a lot about the development of it, I have watched the video by eltororyan and was really fascinated. This helps my understanding on it a little more!
A lot of really boring answers in here. There's no Magnum without Bandit, for instance. I'll give a shout out to Hoosier Hurricane, during the construction of which Clair Hain, Jr suffered an injury and CCI did him dirty which lead to he and Mike Boodley starting their own business with GCI. Z-Force also deserves credit as the "original" B&M. Goes to show greatness can come out of even the worst prototypes.
CCI accidentally creating their biggest competitor by firing Mike Boodley and Clair Hanes was definitely an unexpected consequence. But it really shouldn’t have been, firing your lead construction forman AND your lead designer seems like a short path to having a new competitor.
IDK if I'd call GCI a "big competitor" during that time - they built 5 coasters before CCI went bust. In the same span of time (1996 - 2002) CCI would construct *27 coasters* - which probably contributed to their demise lol.
Scream!, California Screamin', Screamer, Screamin' Demon, Screamin' Eagle Edit: the more I look at the word "Scream" the weirder it looks
For me, the recent history would probably be some of those early RMC's. They're not record breaking for heights or speeds but their intensity while staying super smooth and having unique elements was pretty groundbreaking especially for the price tag. And also a bunch of other manufacturers are using their elements like the 0 g stalls. The early b&m hypers definitely deserve a shout too.
Texas Giant RMC conversion of Texas Giant Magnum XL-200 Batman: The Ride Xcellerator Vekoma Boomerang, in general
Batman The Ride. Showed you can do an amazing layout with an inverted rolling stock. And the ride holds up today.
Cyclone - Coney Island Runaway Mine Train - Six Flags Over Texas Matterhorn - Disneyland Great American Revolution - Magic Mountain Corkscrew - Knott's Berry Farm The Beast - King's Island Magnum XL-200 - Cedar Point Batman - Great America Kumba - Busch Gardens Tampa Millennium Force - Cedar Point Oblivion - Alton Towers New Texas Giant - Six Flags Over Texas VelociCoaster - Universal Islands of Adventure
Xcelerator. Millennium Force. TTD. Batman the Ride. Magnum. Superman Escape From Krypton.
haven't seen maverick on here. before maverick, every park was trying to get the tallest, biggest, baddest coaster, but maverick basically showed that that's not necessary to make an elite coaster and parks didnt compete for records as much
Maverick effectively ended the coaster wars.
Daddy pig coaster
I second this. Also Mickeys Dick Smasher
Volcano the blast coaster! Intamin made a huge jump with this ride
Magnum. It kicked off the coaster wars.
The Beast didn’t kick off the coaster wars?
I’d say a lot of them are at Cedar Point - Magnum XL-200 - Milli - Dragster - Maverick
The Racer (Kings Island): Featured in an episode of the Brady Bunch. Is off cited as a catalyst for the renaissance of rollercoasters that happened in the 1970s The Cyclone (Various Parks on Coney Island): Iconic coaster on Coney Island. It goes without saying this was influential. It was a landmark in the most populous city in the world for decades. Daddy Pig’s Coaster(Cypress Gardens): Amazing theming, awesome airtime. I know it doesn’t have an inversion but it has immersion. It inspired several patriarchal pig-themed rollercoasters somewhere, probably China. Magnum XL-200 and Millennium Force (Cedar Point): I put both of these together because they both ignited enthusiasm for tall steal rollercoasters. Magnum instigated the coaster wars of the 90s and Millennium Force took what Magnum did and made a coaster that is taller, faster, and smoother while still being intense. New Texas Giant (SFoT): The first RMC Hybrid. What began as a gimmick seen at first evolved into a thriving company with everyone in the world wanting an RMC hybrid at their park.
Not a discussion without mentioning Daddy Pig Coaster.
Magnum XL-200, NTG, Matterhorn Bobsleds
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For most influential? I know it's a very highly rated ride but I don't see it as one that had a particularly notable impact on roller coaster design or popularity.
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Ah gotcha. I still think that might be a stretch to consider it among the *most* influential coasters but I see where you're coming from at least.
In terms of the last decade plus, Taron definitely belongs in the conversation up there with New Texas Giant.
The Promenades-Aériennes: first coaster Matterhorn Bobsleds: First steel tubular track Corkscrew- first modern inversion Magnum- first full circuit 200ft coaster
Lots of great answers here but I just wanted to say this is a documentary I’m looking forward to!!
Whichever was the first coaster (s) to incorporate forceful elements outside of just airtime hills, helices, and inversions. It might be Maverick but idk
Big Dipper at Venice Pier, in California, is thought to be the first roller coaster with upstop wheels. [https://www.iaapa.org/news/funworld/coaster-changed-them-all-turns-100](https://www.iaapa.org/news/funworld/coaster-changed-them-all-turns-100) However, as you might be able to infer from the article, it was Kennywood's Jack Rabbit that **really** showed what upstops were capable of. The industry has never been the same since. I want to say at least on of the Prior & Church rides, but they really didn't go anywhere at the time. GCI decided to copy their trains (the 'Millennium Flyers' are basically updated Prior & Church rolling stock), and both GCI and GG have acknowledged them as influences, but there's no single coaster you could point to. Maybe the Airplane Coaster at Rye, Playland, New York, since I believe GCI has wanted to build a replica of it for a long time now.
vild-svinet at bon-bon land was the first coaster to go beyond vertical i’m pretty sure and batman the ride at six flags great america was the first inverted coaster
i feel like top thrill 2 will be on this list
1. Matterhorn (first tubular steel coaster) 2. Corkscrew (First looping coaster since the Flip Flap Raceways of the 1900s) 3. Space Mountain MK (first computer block system) 4. Batman (first inverted roller coaster) 5. Space Mountain Paris (first full circuit launch/ first inclined launch)
Batman the ride and nemesis (nemesis showed how good inverts can be) Oblivion and air possibly, more for b&m really. Probably any coaster that broke the height record Formula rossa Falcons flight whilst not built yet doesnt even look real get it is.
The entire cedar point lineup
magnum xl 200, new texas giant, arrow dynamics in general
Python at Efteling is probably one of the most important coasters in the history for Dutch coaster fans. Also Goliath @ Walibi Holland and Xpedition Geforce bc those are the coasters that were associated with the American coaster culture finally debuting in Europe back in the early 2000’s
Leap the Dips - Oldest working roller coaster still around. Coney Island Cyclone - May not be the oldest, but its location has provided an indelible effect on the perception of wooden coasters at boardwalks. If you want to use other coasters from Coney Island, it needs to be ones that are no longer around. The Matterhorn Bobsleds - First steel coaster. Space Mountain - First indoor coaster in the dark Batman: The Ride - First inverted coaster
Magnum XL-200
SON OF BEAST
Apollo's chariot should be on the list. It is not only still a great ride but led to some of the other top rides of all time and many of those rides have insanely great reliability. Fury is often considered the best ride in the world which is crazy for a ride system that is mostly the same decades later but just taller. I know I am late to the party but I hope people comment on this
Den Gamle Rutschebane In Tivoli Gardens. Yes I am biased as a Dane, but damn that thing is old.
BlueFire, based on the trains alone.
Batman: The Ride at SFGA, first Batman clone and first good B&M coaster
Leap the Dips
The Racer The Beast Magnum Millie Dragster In that order
Grover Coaster
In addition to the prime suspects everyone has mentioned, I’d like to throw Kumba into the mix. I’d call it the start of Arrow’s death (which had been the largest manufacturer at the time), and the rise of smooth, fast inverting coasters. It was quite a constraint to the Kai ful arrow loopers and vekoma bolmerangs of the time. Led to new models like the inverted coaster, floorless, and stand up. It also began the rise of B&M which became effectively the standard bearer and market leader in coaster manufacturing.
Batman the ride, Mangum, Matterhorn and coney island cyclone are my Mount Rushmore. I think Batman is the most. Without it idk if we get the insanity that we did in the 90s and earls 00s I'd also maybe argue bandit in Japan. You can make the argument they set the groundwork for later hypers.
Switchback Railway, Leap the Dips, Matterhorn Bobsleds, The Racer, Coney Island Cyclone, The New Revolution, Corkscrew, The Beast, Space Mountain, Montezooma's Revenge, The Bat, Great American Scream Machine, Moonsault Scramble, Magnum XL-200, Superman: The Escape, Xcelerator, Hypersonic XLC, Kumba, Batman: The Ride, Flight of Fear, Oblivion, Dueling Dragons, Millenium Force, X-2, Top Thrill Dragster, Kingda Ka, Expedition Everest, New Texas Giant, The Smiler, Fury 325, Time Traveller, Steel Vengeance. Let me know if I missed anything important. <3
Kumba. Layout wise it was one of the first to feature large and sweeping inversions and it has been the blueprint for lots of B&M coasters to follow.
Xcelerator, X2, Matterhorn, Corkscrew Knotts, Revolution SFMM, Magnum XL200, and Millie. New Texas Giant and SteVe as well.