The elements? Does a great coaster need a huge initial drop? A launch? Inversions? "Air time"?
Or are the transitions and the tone of the ride more important? Are some coasters with great individual elements weakened by rough transitions between them?
Can a one element coaster provide a great ride? Or does a coaster need multiple elements to reach greatness?
And what about theme? Can a twist of metal on a parking lot be considered an excellent attraction? Or does a ride need a captivating setting and a theme to be considered among the world's best?
Finally, consider those, um, not-so-great coasters. What is it about certain coasters that fail which seperates them from the great rides? Maybe by considering them we can figure out those qualities that a coaster really needs to be considered great.
Have at it. Why is the coaster you consider the best in the world so great? And what is it about other coasters that make them weaker attractions?
Secondly, the drops and airtimes. I don't really care for inversions, but I love the big drops and airtimes, that's why I love wooden coasters the most.
And lastly, the good combo of inversions and the kind of coaster. I don't like the Hulk because besides the launch and the first zero-g roll, it becomes boring. It would be in a themed environment it would become great if set to a story. Dueling Dragons doesn't have theming but it's an inverted, has a good track and features innovations so it's great by itself.
A bad coaster to me is a coaster with no purpose, no surprise, tame on the speed side, and featuring boring classic inversions.
There is something to be said for speed and height. All one has to do is ride Millenium Force to see that, but what makes MF great is not just its speed and height, but it's pacing. The elements are just the right distance away from each other, therefore when you ride you feel as if you are flying. The same can be said for The Hulk. Both of these rides start off with a bang and simply do not let go till the very end (you are doing 68 mph through the last turnaround on MF). I've heard designers talk about the X-factor, and in my opinion, pacing is that X-factor. That's why coasters like the Raven at Holiday World can have a high rating while having less than average height and speed.
In my eyes, theming is not really a factor when it comes to a great roller coaster. It adds to the visual aspect of the ride in the queue and to onlookers, but really has minimal impact when it comes down to the actual ride. When I'm going 80 mph in a train, I'm not going to pay much attention to the statue that I am speeding by. There are three outside factors that can have an effect on a ride. Those are light, water, and woods. If you have the ride in the dark, or use a snazzy lighting sequence in the ride, then it adds to the experience. If you put the ride over water or have waterfalls, fountains, or some other similar feature, than it has an effect. If you set your coaster in the woods close to the trees, than it makes the ride seem faster than it really is. Theming is good eye candy for the onlookers, but elements, speed, height, and good pacing is what makes a coaster great.
Theming and beauty also combine in making a great attraction. GEORGIA SCORCHER is a far better ride than SHOCKWAVE because of this. Something as simple as paint (or lack of it) makes a ride: REBEL YELL is far better freshly painted, while WILDCAT is cool all falling-apart-looking.
Also ... the excitement of a 'newer' attraction, something not yet ridden, helps to hype the thrill factor. Older rides may hold a place in your heart, but nothing compairs to a new thrill.
But seriously, that launch at the beginning of the ride is the best I've ever experienced. The first time you do it, it's so unnexpected, you end up screaming through the next two inversions because of it. Then each time you ride it after that, you think back to your first time and that anticipation kicks in inside your gut and you get real giddy.
Dueling Dragons is also a great coaster(s), in my opinion. The theming is definitely there, the detail given to the queue is unbelievable and they topped it off with two great and completely different coaster experiences.
I love the Rock N Rollercoaster pretty much for the same reason I love the Hulk, the launch. Disney handled this one differently, though, by showing it to you as you draw close to the ride. A very nice touch to see the car dissappear into the dark tunnel.
Do drops count as a rollercoaster? Tower of Terror would be considered really good in my book. Again, great theming. I also like it, when you're done with the ride, the little room is filled with all sorts of Twilight Zone-esque stuff.
Oh yeah, and Spider-Man is simply the greatest ride ever built. Anywhere.
If you are in a different mind set before you even step foot on the ride, you know the experience will be great. Disney has some weak coasters but the themeing makes them seem better than they are. IOA got both right will all the rides, especially the coasters. Great theme, great rides.
