Want a Shot of Adrenaline on a Roller Coaster?
- José Rivera
- hace 9 horas
- 3 Min. de lectura
Want a shot of adrenaline on a roller coaster? I got you. All over the world there are roller coasters, some tame and others not so much, but loved by people of all ages (except older folks, unless there’s a cool grandma who can handle it). In this article, I’ll be talking about the more intense coasters I’ve ridden and ranking them.
I’ve ridden coasters from California to Spain, and even here in Puerto Rico. A roller coaster is an amusement park attraction that consists of a light railroad-style track with tight turns and steep drops, where riders travel in small, fast, open cars. Coasters also vary in car design, such as sit-down coasters, stand-up coasters, 4D coasters, motorbike coasters, and more.
These are the best adrenaline-packed rides I’ve ever ridden:
Expedition Everest
Announced on January 26, 2003, based on Mt. Everest, for Disney’s Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort. It officially opened on April 7, 2006. It was built by Vekoma and even received its own documentary. When it opened and still today, it is the tallest attraction at the resort, standing just five feet taller than The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The ride vehicle is based on a real-life train.
The ride starts off tame, but soon you begin climbing the lift hill. After a few turns, the track ahead appears broken, and the train suddenly goes backward. This is made possible by a switch track, a section of track that moves and changes direction. While going backward, the train descends and enters a helix that feels like an inversion. The train then stops; you see the shadow of the Yeti, and you plunge down the famous drop.
After several twists and turns, you enter the mountain one final time and come face-to-face with the Yeti, a 25-foot-tall animatronic. It is nicknamed the “disco Yeti” because it no longer moves and is only lit by flashing lights. The queue for this ride is very well themed and filled with Easter eggs. No true visit to Animal Kingdom is complete without riding this attraction at least twice. I give it a 7/10 on the adrenaline scale
Incredicoaster
We go from coast to coast, all the way to California. This ride opened alongside Disney California Adventure on February 8, 2001. It was built by Intamin and is located at the Disneyland Resort. It originally opened as California Screamin’, but later closed in 2018 to be rethemed to the Incredibles movies.
The ride begins with a turn that leads straight into a launch, sending you from 0 to 55 mph, followed by a hill and one of the several tunnels featured on the ride, each showcasing different characters from the movies. It is the sixth-longest steel coaster in the world and the longest steel coaster with an inversion, the famous loop with the Pixar Pier logo in the center. The train is designed to resemble the Incredibles logo.
The queue is not heavily themed until you reach the station. I give it a 7/10 on the adrenaline scale.
Cannibal
Opened on July 2, 2015, at Lagoon, Utah. It has the sixth steepest drop in the world and the tallest beyond-vertical drop, with an angle of 117° and a 208-foot drop. It was built by the park itself, like many other rides at Lagoon.
The ride begins with a vertical elevator lift. Once you reach the top, the train holds you for a few seconds before the drop. After the drop, the g-forces are so strong that it becomes difficult to keep your hands up. Next, the train enters an Immelmann, which is like a half loop, followed by a dive loop, which is like a reversed Immelmann.
After that, the train goes through an overbanked turn, then enters the mid-course brakes, followed by the Lagoon Roll, where the train twists its axis like a barrel roll. After the final helix, the ride comes to an end. There is no apparent theming to the ride, and the train is a generic Gerstlauer-style car.