The history of enjoying rides above the ground by humans dates back beyond the stone ages. Man copied the monkeys and the guerrillas as they hung from branches and swung tree to tree chasing companions. The invention of trains and the introduction of rail- tracks in the joy-land parks laid the bases of modern roller coaster thrill rides. These hundreds of feet high above track humps and miles of fast turns and twists have become the main attractions in all amusement parks today. The thrill ride’s popularity is bestowed to the precision design that ensures safety and security of the rider and smooth functioning of the coasters. However the stability of the super structures facilitates faster speeds, steep falls and intricate twists for maximum thrilling experiences.
Insanity: Stratosphere Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
Behold Yourself: The scary thrill is not limited to roller coasters only. Insanity offers the scariest of all thrill swing rides at the roof top. The centrifuge swing extends to over 60 feet beyond the side edge of the sleek hotel tower. The spin speed is over 40mph when the seats-arms open outwards to 70 degree angle to provide the ultimate scariest experience of the city view and the road 900 feet below.
Fahrenheit: Hershey Park, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Behold Yourself: This lift coaster comprises a unique vertical loop that goes up 121 feet before plunging steeply down in a stomach-turning 97-degree negative drop. The steepest in the USA, the descending track simply vanishes from sight giving a suspended surge thrill and of a freefall. The riders continue to test their tolerance as they pass a 107 foot inverted loop, a spine twisting inverted corkscrew roll, cobra and S-roll. Moreover high speed stomach-floating banked curves carry all to the end of the thrills that takes about 85 seconds only.
X 2: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Behold Yourself: This roller coaster was commissioned in 2002 as a new four dimensional ride or 4-D, with 360 degree seat rotation. After massive refurbishing in 2007, it became more thrilling by induction of $10million jiggering equipments. The new audio visual effects, immerse tunnels, trains that extended seats off-track to sides that enabled riders to rotate themselves independently head over heals, forwards and backwards— rendering mind- bending 4 dimensional effects.
The Riddler’s Revenge
Behold Yourself: A very extraordinary fast roller coaster provides extreme effects but this time all activity happens while you are standing and racing at 65mph. Looping, turning and twisting head-over-heels six times on one mile inverted steel track for about 3 minutes. A real thrilling extravaganza comprising 150 foot, 360 degree vertical and oblique loops, two over-the-top diving loops and 150 foot long barrel roll.
Superman Ride Of Steel: Agawam, Massachusetts
Behold Yourself: A roller coaster that wins Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Award (Oscar of amusement park industry) from among three of its kind. Its fast speed of 77mph, a 221 foot drop into a tunnel and three camel-backs that include a fantastic 10 second weightlessness experience are superb enjoyment.
Superman The Escape
Behold Yourself: The escape journey starts in Superman’s Fortress of Solitude, pass through a special effect tunnel and accelerates to 100mph in just seven seconds to take you up a 415 foot tower track. The thrilling surprise is the train’s freefall straight down giving a good 6.5 seconds weightlessness experience. This dual-track roller coaster spreads over 900 feet of the theme park.
Behold Yourself: The dual-track coaster offers a massive thrill quantum as it spans over 1600 feet from end to end and spreading over 10 acres. This resembles two corkscrew spin drops of over 100 feet each and a climactic triple jump, besides 14 climbs and drops at a speed of 62mph. The maximum elevation is about 135 feet.
Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey
Behold Yourself: The giant coaster towers a record 456 feet above ground. The hydraulic launch thrusts the roller coaster ‘Kingda Ka’ to the top at 128mph in just 3.5 seconds and returns at almost the same speed to maximize the stomach-turning thrills. The ride ends in a 270 feet spiral track to exhaust the rider’s joyfully, experiencing both the positive and negative G force.
A safari park is an added attraction for those who are less bold. The drive through wild-park holds all variety of animals. About 1200 lions, rhinos, giraffes, kangaroos etc. roam about and are easily spotted. The more ferocious types are secured behind bars to ensure entertaining atmosphere all the time.
Dreamworld, Gold Coast, Australia
Behold Yourself: The Gold Coast holds the fastest and tallest thrill entertainment. The dual-track coaster climbs a heart-stopping 377 feet and descends at 100mph (4th fastest). A zero-gravity drop extends further by about 500 feet.
The park holds alternate attraction for the less enterprising. The Australian Big Brother House maintains caged wild life shows and the Tiger Island Dream world holds big-cat habitat.
Expedition Ge Force, Holiday Park, Habloch, Rhineland, Germany
Behold Yourself: One of the top class coasters in the world that are most satisfying and provide long duration and well spread out ride. The harrowing journey attains a height of 200 feet and exceeds 74mph. though less thrilling but makes the stomach float repeatedly.
Those looking for a still milder thrill can opt for the Light House Tower that is a circular swing. But remember this too is taller than expected———-300 feet above ground.
Cedar Point Amusement Park, Sandusky, Ohio
Behold Yourself: This park is termed as roller coaster home and houses 17 different rides giving a vast choice. The latest addition ($ 21 million) is the milder best. It runs at 70mph giving eight airtime filled hills including countless twists and turns. The 2.5 minute full of joy ride holds an unusual surprise for the riders.
The Millennium Force, another super coaster, lifts to 310 feet and drops 300 feet at 80 degrees, reaching 93mph with a few twists and turns.Buffer