It's been a busy couple of weeks for roller coaster debuts, so I thought now would be a good time to look back and start a debate over which coasters have moved to the head of the class of 2023.
We still have a few more coasters to welcome this year, of course. Our next scheduled coaster debut is PortAventura's Uncharted: The Enigma of Penitence, an Intamin multi-dimensional coaster with a design assist from Sally Dark Rides. That opens on June 17.
We are awaiting opening dates for Zambezi Zinger at Worlds of Fun, which pushed back its expected late-May debut, the coaster-ish Catapult Falls at SeaWorld San Antonio, and Wandering Oaken's Sliding Sleighs in Hong Kong Disneyland's World of Frozen. It's probably too early to tell whether Knott's Berry Farm's revamped MonteZOOMa: The Forbidden Fortress will make the call for this year or have to wait until 2024.
As for what has opened already, this top 10 list is my opinion alone, based on personal experience and reaction to reviews and online video of the coasters I have yet to ride. It's intended simply to inspire some debate rather than be any type of definitive judgment that people must abide by, here or elsewhere. Please tell us in the comments which new 2023 are most capturing your attention.
That said, here is my top 10 list, so far, for 2023:
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Wild Mouse at Cedar Point seems to have been visited by the veterinarian, and most of its earlier emergency stops have been fixed. There's been a lot of reports of other coasters going down occasionally, but it doesn't seem to be a major problem. Wild Mouse fills a much-needed spot for intermediate coasters, for riders graduating from the kiddie coasters but not yet ready for the super big boys. And if you're curious about Top Thrill Dragster, the FBI and CIA could take lessons from Cedar Point about keeping secrets!
If I had the ability to go anywhere for new for 2023 coasters, these are the ten I'd prioritize...
1. Toutalis (Parc Asterix)
2. Wildcat's Revenge (Hersheypark)
3. ArieForce One (Fun Spot America Atlanta)
4. All American Triple Loop (Indiana Beach)
5. Batman Gotham City Escape (Parque Warner Madrid)
6. Big Bear Mountain (Dollywood)
7. TRON Lightcycle / Run (Walt Disney World - Magic Kingdom)
8. Pipeline the Surf Coaster (SeaWorld Orlando)
9. Arctic Rescue (SeaWorld San Diego)
10. Zambezi Zinger (Worlds of Fun)
As for what I'll actually ride this year, I've already gotten on Aquaman: Power Wave and Arctic Rescue, and I have a trip planned this month to hit Matugani and (hopefully) Zambezi Zinger. Fall is still a bit up in the air...I'm considering a FL/GA trip that would get me ArieForce One, Pipeline, and Tron (as well as last year's Guardians of the Galaxy), but I'm also investigating the feasibility of a Japan trip instead of doing Florida for a fourth year in a row (which would have lots of new to me attractions, but very little that's actually new).
These all look like top contenders but having ridden only one on the list I have no basic for comparison. Although not on the list, ArieForce One has gotten rave reviews. I enjoyed Robert's post on Pipeline but have never ridden a standup coaster and never will due to a history of back problems. Also, there is so much walking involved in a visit to a theme park that all I want to do is sit down. I remember standing in line for almost 2 hours to ride Millennium Force and although I was somewhat nervous about riding a giga coaster for the 1st time, at that point I would have ridden almost anything just to have the opportunity to sit down.
I'm in the same boat as Bobbie having only ridden one of the coasters on this list (shakes fist at Worlds of Fun for delaying the opening of Zambezi Zinger). I do have a good feel for Gotham City Escape and Toutatis having ridden both Velocicoaster and Pantheon. Wildcat's Revenge looks like a real winner, and Pipeline has me really intrigued, but I have no doubt that if put to a popular vote, Tron would ultimately win out. Personally, I would probably vote for the newest RMC or maybe Toutatis (reviews have been almost universally positive), but nonetheless, this is absolutely a banner year for new coasters.
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Just realized that I forgot Mission Ferrari. But I’m gonna DQ it anyway, since it closed “for annual maintenance” within just months and I didn’t get to ride it when I was in Abu Dhabi last month.
But feel free to include it on your list!