Top 10 Roller Coasters to (Maybe Not) Check Out

By Idy Perl

Roller coasters are one of the landmarks of amusement parks everywhere, and although they may be frightening to some, there are plenty of roller coaster enthusiasts who look for the wildest, fastest, highest roller coasters to get a bit of that breathless, euphoric feeling when you go down a drop. 

Here are some of the most popular and wildest roller coasters around the world:

Kingda Ka

The Kingda Ka is located right here in our local Six Flags in New Jersey. It’s currently the tallest roller coaster in the world, and the fastest one in North America. At its highest peak it reached a whopping 456 feet!

Formula Rossa

The Kingda Ka held the title as the fastest roller coaster until the Formula Rossa came along. And it came along quickly! The Formula Rossa opened in 2010 and is located in Abu Dhabi. It reaches speeds of 149 miles per hour!

Steel Dragon

The longest roller coaster in the world is located in Japan and is called the Steel Dragon. The track for this roller coaster is 8,133 feet and takes a full four minutes to complete. In comparison, the next longest roller coaster, the Formula Rossa, comes in at “only” 6,709 feet. 

Fury 325

Located in North Carolina, this roller has a 325- foot drop, making it the tallest Giga roller coaster, which are coasters with drops between 300-399 feet. But its steep inclines and S-turns aren’t what make it the most unique. Riders on this roller coaster cross between North and South Carolina while on the ride!

Shellraiser

You’d think that a drop at an angle perfectly vertical to the ground would be the steepest drop possible, but the Shellraiser takes things even further. The Shellraiser, which is located in the Nickelodeon Universe amusement park right here in American Dream Mall, has a 121.5-degree drop, which means that it starts completely vertical and then bends backwards. Not for the faint of heart.  

Kingda Ka/Red Force

The roller coaster with the longest drop is of course the Kingda Ka, since it’s the highest roller coaster in general. The Kingda Ka’s big drop is a heart-stopping 418 feet. The Red Force, located in Spain, has the second longest drop at 345 feet. 

The Smiler

If you like being upside down, The Smiler in England is for you. The Smiler roller coast, named so because it has various elements that are meant to make you smile, holds the world record for the most inversions, or loops, with a total of 14! 

X2

The X2 is not for those with weak stomachs. A truly unique coaster located in California, riders on the X2 sit on seats that hang off the two sides of the track and rotate 360 degrees while the coaster goes through the ups and downs of the track!

Manta

If sitting in a seat is too boring for you, try the Manta located in SeaWorld in Florida. This roller coaster has riders laying on their stomachs, so you experience every drop, twist, and loop headfirst!

Superman

The Superman roller coaster in California is another truly unique ride. Besides sending its riders up 415 feet while going from 0-100 miles an hour in just 7 seconds, and having 90-degree vertical drops, the entire ride is done… in reverse! Experiencing the completely vertical drop while backwards gives the riders the feeling of total weightlessness for 6.5 seconds. 

photos: Shutterstock