Roller Coaster Records

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4 years ago

Rollercoaster enthusiasts and theme parks themselves love to talk about the latest roller coaster records being broken. Fans love to ride the fastest, tallest and longest coasters while parks love to boast about the records their coasters hold.

In this article we will look at which coasters currently hold a variety of different types of rollercoaster records.

The First

The only coaster on this rollercoaster record list no longer in operation, Switchback Railway at Coney Island (New York, USA). Opening on the 16th June 1884, this wooden structure is the marvellous creation we have to thank for the thrill seeking adventures we are able to take.¹ The first ever roller coaster, breaking a record it didn’t even know would hold such importance. Without Switchback Railway, it’s likely we wouldn’t even be writing this list or riding the coasters on it.

The World’s Oldest Continually Operating

The Scenic Railway at Luna Park (St Kilda, Australia) opened on December 12th 1912. This wooden coaster still offers rides today, the oldest remnant of theme parks past still accessible today.²

World’s Fastest

Formula Rossa at Ferrari World (Abu Dhabi) blasts riders from 0 to 240kmh (150mph) in 5 seconds.³ The coaster’s shape is designed to look like the Italian racetrack ‘Autodromo Nazionale Monza’ and its speed really puts you in the shoes of a race car driver.

So fast you need goggles to ride it, or risk the Abu Dhabi sand blasting in your eyes, this 2010 rollercoaster is pretty remarkable.

World’s Tallest

Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure (New Jersey, USA) stands 456 ft. This Accelerator Coaster, 45 stories high, opened in 2005.⁴ Guests are launched from 0 to 206km/h (128 mph). Lasting only 28 seconds, this rollercoaster was once also the fastest until it was overtaken by Formula Rossa.

Most Expensive

Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Florida, USA) opened in 2006 at a staggeringly high cost of $100 million.⁵ The rollercoaster took six years to build, including research and construction time. The track travels in and out of a giant recreation of the Himalayas, going backwards and forwards before encountering a fearsome Yeti. The Yeti audio-animatronic stands 22ft tall and is covered in 1,000 ft² of fur, with 19 actuators (mechanisms that make the animatronic move). The design is so stunning inside and out, it’s easy to see why this coaster cost so much.

Largest Inverting Loop

Full Throttle at Six Flags Magic Mountain (California, USA) accelerates riders over a 127 ft loop.⁶ The tallest in the world, riders are launched immediately into this loop before inverting again, momentarily going backwards and then shooting forward over the top of the loop. Reaching speeds of 110 km/h (70 mph), this coaster really takes your breath away.

Largest Non-Inverting Loop

Flying Aces at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has the world’s tallest non-inverting loop at 170 ft.⁷ In fact, this is the largest loop on any coaster in the world.

The Steepest Drop

The most recent entry on this rollercoaster record list, Shellraiser (A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle themed coaster) opened at Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream (New Jersey, USA) in 2019.⁸ Guests are held in their carriage over a 141ft drop for 14 seconds. This drop is 121.5 degrees, just knocking Takabisha at Fuji-Q Highland (Yamanashi, Japan) which held this record with a 121 degree drop from 2011 to 2019.

The Most Inversions

The Smiler at Alton Towers (Staffordshire, England) inverts riders 14 times, 4 more than even its closest competitors.⁹ Manufactured by Gerstlauer, this coaster debuted in 2013 and has a heartline roll, a sidewinder, two Sea Serpents, two Cobra Rolls, three Dive Loops and a whopping five Corkscrews.

The Longest

Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land (Kuwana, Japan) is the world’s longest roller coaster. It spans a length of 8133.2 ft and lasts around 4 minutes.¹⁰ Named after the Chinese year of the Dragon in 2000, this coaster has yet to be beat in length.

The Smallest

Dvergbanen at Tusenfryd near Oslo (Norway) is only 8.2ft and 85.3ft long. Truly tiny, this kiddy coaster is an amusing addition to the list.¹¹

The Longest, Fastest, Tallest B & M Dive Coaster

Yukon Striker at Canada’s Wonderland (Ontario, Canada) opened on May 3rd 2019. It reaches a speed of 128.7kph (80mph), is 3,625ft long, taking guests 223ft high before dropping then down the 90 degree drop.¹² Lasting 3 minutes and 25 seconds, this coaster has four inversions and takes guests down into an underground tunnel.

The Tallest Wooden Coaster

Steel Vengeance, a wooden steel hybrid coaster, is the tallest wooden type coaster in the world at 205ft.¹³

The Longest Wooden Coaster

The Beast at Kings Island (Ohio, USA) opened in 1979 and has the longest wooden track on any coaster. Its track measures 7,359ft and lasts over four minutes. An icon for most coaster fans, this ride is a must do.

The Fastest Wooden Coaster

Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point has a top speed of 119 (km/h) (74mph).This makes it the fastest wooden steel hybrid coaster in the world.

Most inversions- Wooden Coaster

Untamed at Walibi Holland has 5 inversions. This wooden-steel hybrid coaster opened in October 2018 and instantly became one of the best coasters in Europe.