2010 Best Theme Park Attraction: El Toro vs. Griffon

March 25, 2010, 11:45 AM · The second round of the 2010 Best Theme Park Attraction Tournament continues with a contest from the Best Roller Coaster bracket.

You can click the links or pictures below for a full description of each coaster, along with ride video and comments from other Theme Park Insider readers.

3. Six Flags Great Adventure's El Toro [Intamin Wooden]
(Round One: Defeated Six Flags Magic Mountain's Goliath)

Six Flags Great Adventure's El Toro

vs.

6. Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Griffon [Bolliger & Mabillard Dive]
(Round One: Defeated SeaWorld Orlando's Manta)

Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Griffon


Please tell us in the comments why you voted the way you did.

Wanna know the best way to keep up with the tournament, so you never miss a vote?

Next up: In the Best Themed Ride bracket, 1. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man vs. 8. Splash Mountain

Replies (23)

March 25, 2010 at 11:55 AM · Robert, it always makes me laugh that in the picture of Griffon you always use, the front row is completely empty.

I'm honestly not sure how to vote for this one. Admittedly, Busch Gardens is my favorite park and Griffon is an awesome ride. I've never gotten a greater adrenaline rush than the first time I sat in the first row. However, the ride does rely entirely on the first hill and if you're not sitting i the first row, it's not nearly as fun. Six Flags Great Adventure is the closest park to me and while I've never actually been on El Toro, it seems like it's the stronger coaster. I might have to break with my favorite park on this one and vote for El Toro.

March 25, 2010 at 11:56 AM · I'm trying to direct Six Flags fans to the site to make this contest more interesting. El Toro is the last Six Flags attraction in the tournament, and from the reviews it sounds like a real whopper of a ride.

I've experienced Sheikra, which must be similar to Griffon, and enjoyed it very much. However, I don't think there is much to the coaster after the first two drops.

March 25, 2010 at 11:57 AM · No contest! Griffon blows away the competition!
March 25, 2010 at 12:04 PM · David - It's Russell's picture from the media day. If you look closely, you can see the camera set-up on the car, in the lower right corner of the photo.

Since they had to mount the camera on the front row, no one could ride there that day.

March 25, 2010 at 12:10 PM · Griffon is so much better than SheiKra it's not funny. It's the second Immelmann that does it, just makes it a lot more fun. Granted, my first ride on SheiKra was as it started to rain (and let me state, SheiKra sucks in the rain hardcore.)

Still, this does not involve SheiKra, it involves Griffon, which is a surprisingly fun ride. While I did not think it would get this far (Manta is a better ride, honestly), I voted for it this round.

March 25, 2010 at 12:23 PM · Don't know how Griffon can be winning!?!
It's a great ride but pales in comparison to the much more complete experience of El Toro!
March 25, 2010 at 12:37 PM · I'm a little disappointed so far. :( Griffon is a very good, fun ride but El Toro HANDS DOWN deserves to win. It's longer, more intense, has a lot more to it...it's basically just a lot more bang for your buck. Don't get me wrong, Griffon is a worthy opponent, but El Toro is simply the better coaster.
March 25, 2010 at 12:41 PM · Again, turn-out usually swings the vote in these coaster contests. So if you don't like the way a vote is trending, get out the vote by asking your friends to come vote, too!
March 25, 2010 at 12:42 PM · to me you cant even compare these to. el toro is one of, if not the best woody ive been on. griffon is just a big, slow dive machine. fun yes, but personally i dont care for them. but that doesnt stop me from riding them anyway.. lol...
March 25, 2010 at 1:09 PM · I have never ridden El Toro, but because everyone says it is the one coaster that can keep up with the Voyage, I figure it deserves some love. So, despite my BGW Fanboy tendencies, I voted for El Toro.
March 25, 2010 at 1:23 PM · If you love airtime... El Toro is nothing but!!!
March 25, 2010 at 2:42 PM · Weak.

I take issue with this one. Griffon is not as good as El Toro...period. Too bad Six Flags isn't getting out the vote in this competition, because Griffon advancing this far is kind of like if Dragster would advance this far. Fun yes...best coaster, absolutely not.

I'm pretty certain that just about every coaster enthusiast in the country would be laughing at this result right now if they saw it.

March 25, 2010 at 3:12 PM · El Toro is an amazing ride and it's really unfair to put a wooden coaster up against a steel. Griffon is at best an "oh hum" ride. El Toro gives you non-stop air time bliss filled ride with a "WHO'S YER DADDY?!" all the way through the entire circuit. Who picks these rides to compare???? Not EVEN a close match in manliness. Griffon is a one trick ride at best. Dark Kastle at Busch Gardens is more exciting than Griffon!
March 25, 2010 at 3:15 PM · I haven't been on El Toro, so I'm saving my vote on this one! I still need to make a visit to Magic Mountain, though I barely have enough money to make it out of the state, let alone across the country.
March 25, 2010 at 3:22 PM · Guess my GOTV attempt failed on this one.
March 25, 2010 at 5:02 PM · As much as I love Griffon and the amazing surroundings, El Toro is a top 5 wooden coaster. It's right up there with Phoenix and The Voyage combining incredible speed, an amazingly smooth ride, and awesome airtime.
March 25, 2010 at 5:27 PM · OK, the fix must be in! :)

Admittedly, I haven't been on Griffon. The general consensus seems to be that it's a superior ride to Sheikra, which I HAVE been on...so I can only judge by the coaster TYPE..it's the only dive machine I've rode. I liked it a helluva lot.

I may live in NJ, but I'm not a GAdv "fanboy" by any stretch of the imagination, although I've been going there since 1974 when it opened. Cedar Point, Kings Island, and some others beat the socks off GAdv.

But I live to ride El Toro. I've had probably 250-300 laps on the Bull since he was born in '06. I can count on my two hands..no toes necessary..the number of bad rides I've had. If you're in the back third, preferably back seat, there is NOTHING better. Most of those afore-mentioned bad rides were in the front seat. That ain't the place to be on this baby.

Do I wish it had three trains? Yep. Do I wish I wasn't so stapled in? Yep. Would I vote for anything else? Nope. Will I be on it this Saturday for Opening Day? Wild Horses couldn't stop me.

Mike

March 25, 2010 at 5:50 PM · The Griffon is the smoothest ride ever! None of that jerking you around and that drop is awesome!!! Can't wait to ride it again this year!
March 25, 2010 at 6:22 PM · Your speech got me pumped up, Mike. I just wanna hop on the nearest bull and ride it to hell.
March 26, 2010 at 3:30 AM · Joshua, if you want to ride it to Hell, you don't have to go far. Dark Knight is just at the other end of the park...

Mike

March 26, 2010 at 5:12 AM · I have been on both coasters and while el toro is undoubtedly the best woodie ive ever ridin nothing compares to griffon and that drop.
March 26, 2010 at 10:05 AM · Ooooh, Mike! You want some lotion for that burn?
March 26, 2010 at 10:08 AM · I'm surprised on this result, I haven't ridden either but would expect to like El Toro better, though I may be near Williamsburg in the next month or two, will have to make sure I set some time aside to try out Griffon.

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