You could argue that the coaster wars really ended with Maverick. Cedar Point responded to Top Thrill Dragster’s records being broken by building their shortest coaster since Iron Dragon, and until Steel Vengeance opened, most people considered it the best ride in the park!
I agree the whole let's build taller for the sake of it or add more inversions to coaster was a bit over played so I am all for the themed coaster idea
The 2008 recession is what probably ended the coaster wars. Between the fact that chasing the height record was reduced to building slightly taller and longer Dragster clones (and people are limited in how down they are for more of the same), the speed and length records just being expensive, and then Cedar Point demonstrating with Maverick that a great and marketable experience can still be created out of something small for anyone doubting, the industry was certainly moving away from record breaking already. The financial crisis got any potential holdouts on board, because it was incumbent on almost all parks to minimise spending as much as possible during that time.
What got the parks through that time was the increased attendance of more local people who would have liked to fly somewhere and visit a Disney or Universal park, but couldn't find it in their budget. The solution was to improve the rides at smaller parks which is why I think RMC really took off after that.
The coaster wars were such an interesting time, hopefully we get a new coaster war but to make coasters better as opposed to taller. Amazing video as always!
I think there is a coaster war to build more family coasters to entice both families and enthusiasts alike. Family coasters really bring in the crowds with rides like Hagrid’s at IOA and big bear mountain at Dollywood. Even b&m is joining the family coaster game.
@@coasterbot True - but this was Cedar Point. The park so synonymous with the Coaster Wars you could have made pretty much the whole video through their eyes, perpetually known for record-breaking even if they have to invent really specific records to do it (tallest fastest triple-launching roller coaster coming this year!). When *Cedar Point* got to a place where the new coaster was barely 100' tall, innovative, and focused on elements without worrying about records, and it worked wonderfully for them, it instantly became really hard to justify throwing down tens of millions for me-too-but-three-feet-taller.
Coaster Bot, you definitely ran the coaster timeline with this one. Nicely explained from its traditional roots to the most contemporary innovations. A respectful nod for crediting all the parks and manufacturers involved for their notable creations. I also noticed how each engineering and business aspect was cleverly weaved and segued succinctly. In other words, from a fellow coaster enthusiast... This one is PURE COASTER BRILLIANCE!! 😎👍
As someone who's tried to chart the history of tallest and fastest coaster pre-Magnum and been struck with dread by all the conflicting history therein, I think you did a great job summarizing the mess. It really didn't matter until Magnum, but there are so many interesting stories from what could be claimed as "the tallest" before then - my personal favorite is a 130ft tall bobsled coaster. That ride looked insane.
As a more casual thrill seeker, I’d say the coaster wars ending for the best, I think the transition to surpass 100 feet was a meaningful innovation to rollercoaster design but after 200 and especially 300 and 400, I think the sake of building higher either bores some hardcore thrill seekers as it was seen right through or scared the average Parker goer or average thrill seeker such as myself, I think you look at something like i305 and the reputation it got and it show that the average person only needs so much thrill to enjoy themselves before it becomes too much, even something like the x2 at magic mountain shows this as despite it very unique design with its car and the height while high not getting freakish, the r overall intensity has given it a bit of a reputation of being one of the scariest rides period, it’s strange cause I find myself wanting to ride slot of rollercoaster but I’ve come to realize that you should to push yourself to ride something you seem to be too much which I personally think more height intensive coasters fit that, I personally think Goliath is scarier than x2 and magic mountain for that reason lol, overall good video
This is a PHENOMENAL, well-researched video covering so many interesting milestones in coaster history. I'm lucky enough to have been there for the debut of several of these rides including Vortex, Magnum, Millenium Force, Flight of Fear, Shockwave and more.
You probably are the first English person I've ever heard to pronounce Phantasialand the German way! 😂 Very well researched, edited and scripted video! I always was looking for an ultimate sum-up of the most important modern coaster era and never found one. Now I have! One thing that I noticed is that it probably isn't the best to talk about 2001-Dodonpa whilst showing 2017-Do-Dodonpa's Loop without adding that this wasn't there at the time. However, I still think your videos belong to the most informative ones in the entirety of the coaster world!
I don't really know how to pronounce Phantasialand correctly to be honest ha ha. Thanks for the kind words about the video. Good point about Do-dodonpa!
So enjoyable and so well made, Harry! EDIT: Made the above comment about 2/3 of the way through the video, but the ending reached another level, moving from a sweeping recount of familiar history to an insightful and thoughtful summary of where this history has gone! My only complaint is a small one: I just wish you'd given a brief acknowledgement that Qiddiya is controversial -- not a tangent (it's not what this video is about), but just a quick word of acknowledgement.
@@5higuy No, it needs to be mentioned. Other channels do nothing but cheerlead with excitement for the Qiddiya project, and doing so obscures any human rights concerns. People only care about what they know.
Hey thanks for the really really kind words about the video, it means a lot. I have no real response to your comment. Qiddiya is controversial. I'd say that a video about roller coasters isn't the right place for a comment like that, but I also don't believe that's true. My very honest answer is that I don't know enough about the situation to feel I could do it justice, which is no excuse.
@@coasterbot I appreciate your honest response. I’d just repeat that I’m not suggesting a big speech, but just a quick acknowledgment that it’s controversial - it could even be as simple as including that one word (controversial) at some point. As I said, I know human rights is not the focus of the video, so I wouldn’t expect you to suddenly expound on it at any length. Thanks for listening, and I love the channel, as always.
In the BeNeLux the Coaster Wars is still (somewhat) going on. Parks advertise coasters as the fastest, tallest or longest of the BeNeLux. Goliath at Walibi Holland held all 3 records until Kondaa (Walibi Belgium) came along. Troy at Toverland still hold the record for the fastest, tallest and longest wooden coaster of the BeNeLux.
What an amazing video. You covered so much information and kept it well organized and easy to follow. You have a great ability to explain everything in the simplest of terms while keeping everyone engaged. Whether someone is a hardcore enthusiast or not even a theme park/roller coaster fan at all, everyone will enjoy this video. Well done!
I loved it! I thought for sure when you started going through the Arrow looping coasters of the 70's , Double Loop from Ohios Geauga Lake would get a mention😅Great video! I enjoyed it a lot!
@@coasterbot ha oh for sure! I always love it when you mention a coaster I've ridden or was at my local amusement park where I grew up great channel I absolutely love these videos
Walt Disney took inspiration from Coney Island in Cincinnati, Ohio as well. Coney Island was a very highly regarded theme park in its day. Coney Island was also the father park to Kings Island.
Great video but big disagreement on the length of The Beast. It most certainly adds to the ride, which is incredible and is one of the few to end at its most intense. I love that thing and every inch through the woods matters for sure.
Great video! My prime coaster riding was during the coaster wars. A few highlights of mine. Shockwave at KD was ground breaking. Getting on Batman and Kumba made B&M the go to company. Then magnum..nothing like when that came out. 3 hours waits but it was worth it! Millennium Force..no one thought we would hit 300 ft. Will be neat to see how Falcons Flight challenges the industry !
to clarify 4:14. Walt did not just visit theme parks. In fact, a lot of those parks were just traditional amusement parks, but ones that were doing very well such as Coney Island in Cincinnati, Ohio, which he learned many of the ways to keep a park, running efficiently and cleanly.
I'd love to make a video about the inspiration for Disneyland. A lot of people cover the construction of Disneyland, but iI don't seem to find many videos that highlight the success of other amusement parks / theme parks that Walt drew inspiration from!
So much love and time went into this video. I love that you went into the uniqueness vs record breakers and even talked about Falcon's Flight. Above and beyond content ❤🔥
Have to agree, Phantasialand was incredibly themed. We went there last week. Absolutely stunning, even the toilets were fully themed. The park was also immaculately clean and had some of the most appetising looking park food I've ever seen. Can definitely recommend the park to everyone. Unfortunately I had vertigo a few years ago so F.L.Y. was making me nauseous, but it was so worth it anyway. It is now my wife's favourite ride and the theming was absolutely spot on. I hope that more parks around the world take on the challenge, it's not just about records, or shifting as many people through a park/ride as possible. Immersion, memorable experiences and fun, are ultimately the most important part. Disney knew this right from the start.
You can't make a video on the coaster war without mentioning Maverick at Cedar Point. This is THE coaster that ended the coaster war by proving that the stats aren't everything, but the way you use them
As I mentioned, many parks had already realised they couldn't compete and decided to make unique rides instead. I guess with Maverick, Cedar Point came to the same realisation too!
Disneyland Paris’ financial failure will forever make me think of EuroKrustyland in The Simpsons “My children need wine!” (Yes, I know that was what inspired it, but I do find myself using that quote more than you’d expect for someone with no children).
The coaster wars had more cost than just monetary; the theming of many parks were damaged, leaving many former theme parks as more of unthemed amusement parks due to them; Magic Mountain abandoned its troll mascots, Paramount ended up having to sell its parks, losing much theming, and properties like DC have been largely squandered for years.
That's a good point - in the pursuit of records, a lot of parks sacrificed theming as a cost cutting measure to the point that their big signature coasters and park as a whole started looking more like big versions of traveling carnivals/amusement parks instead of the immersive rides that top players like Disney and Universal are known for. The record-setting rides are thrilling yes, but when your view is not much more than concrete slabs and grass, it gets stale. So glad that theme parks are putting a greater focus on theming, immersion and overall experience of the rides.
I’d argue that the war is still alive and well. Paris still want to advertise their new rides as “tallest tilt coaster in America” or “steepest dive coaster in the world” Competing for quantity of airtime and responding to the enthusiast community by being innovative with inversions, profiling, and rider comfort… it’s still a big competition
As you always do, you managed to make the most pertinent and no nonsense video on the matter! By far the most interesting video on the coaster wars! Outstanding job again, congratulations! 🥳
Growing up less than 2 hours away from Cedar Point, and about 40 mins away from Geauga Lake/Six Flags Worlds of Adventure, in the height of the coaster wars was pretty awesome. Good luck getting on Steel Curtain. Id love to get to the UK and get to Alton Towers.
@@Heatherofscots yeah it is pretty good. It's just down. A lot. People say dragster was down a lot, and it was, but Kennywood has had to shut down that coaster for extended periods of time on multiple occasions. They closed it early last year, and the year before that if I remember right, to try and fix the issues. We went, and had ERT on it in the morning. It ran just fine for us. A little later we were doing a backstage tour of the maintenance shed for steel curtain. It went down while we were talking to the mechanics. I honestly feel kind of bad for those guys. They're really trying with that ride. It is just problematic. It tool me until last year to finally ride it. Every time we had some free time to go to Kennywood, it would go down for a month. It's a shame too, because it really is a fun coaster. I love the first drop.
Even as a parisian, I NEVER realised that our Space Mountain was the first non shuttle launch coaster. What took them so long??? The technology was there this whole time and no one thought to just... close the loop? Baffling
Fun fact neither The Beast nor The Ultimate were ever the worlds longest coaster as Montaña Rusa which opened in 1964 at what is now Aztlán Parque Urbano was wooping 8000’ long. Its record to date is only surpassed by Steel Dragon 2000
Open question - how many minutes on a coaster before riders assimilate and it tuns into just a trip from beginning to end, like driving, biking, or flying? There has to be a point where the body adjusts and the thrill is replaced by routine.
That's a good question. I'd imagine as long as the forces keep changing it would be hard for the body to get used to it. You can used to being in a car because the acceleration is minimal, you're often just driving quickly in a straight line. Fortunately most roller coasters don't feature miles of straight track!
@@coasterbot I agree about most car (etc) rides, but even Baja racers have to get used to it all eventually. I just want to know when eventually is. I have a feeling NASA knows after what they put their astronauts through in training.
I think before the world wars „theme parks“ weren‘t a thing. There were only amusement parks. 🙄😜 Anyway… great video as always 😍 Some other questionable things (I know this is an overview and thus can‘t mention every detail) And two back to back corkscrews were known as a corkscrew back in the day. The element resembles the tool. At some point it changed to a single inversion. 🤷🏻♂️ As Do-Dodonpa is now standing but not operating for years it doesn‘t remain anything at the moment…
I use the phrase theme park and amusement park interchangeably. I shouldn't but I just prefer the 'theme park', its more magical, captures a wider net, and is easier to say. I'm also from the UK/Europe where most of our major parks are theme parks, not amusement parks. Interesting point about the corkscrews, I never knew that but it makes sense. Do-dodonpa is a real doozy. I keep forgetting it's SBNO, so that's my bad.
Maverick at Cedar Point slowed down the Coaster Wars. It wasn't tall, or particularly fast, it focused on a stellar layout, and it payed off. It's still the best in the park (my opinion)
I think we’re kinda sleeping on Falcon’s Flight. Claiming 3/4 major roller coaster records that have all been standing for approximately 20 years is a huge achievement, especially in just one ride. No other coaster has claimed three major records like that before, at least not to my knowledge. I think the best way you could claim all 4 major records is to build a sit-down inverting coaster with something similar to Dragster near the end to claim the height and speed record and cap off the length record, with the inversion record being broken before this point in the ride.
I think you should have included the old Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain because unlike The Racer, Colossus actually became the tallest, fastest and greatest roller coaster in the world.
I personally think the true end of the coaster wars was rmc's creation of the new texas giant. A all new type of coaster that was very cheap and had never before seen elements.
Hi There, great to hear this unique backstory of the "Coaster Wars" a very influential and key part in the development of rollercoaster technology, thank you for sharing your thoughts, it's greatly appreciated. Cheers Peter :)
Shockwave had the same problem of becoming very rough, you'd ride that sucker and your head would hit the sides of the restraints and give you a headache instantly.
I feel like Top Thrill and Kingda Ka were the most disappointing products of the coaster wars. The focus on stat sheet numbers and guest throughput makes them feel like Rollercoaster Tycoon microcoasters.
@@unnameablename As long as at least some of the train reaches above 200ft, it's a hyper coaster. None of the cars on Mr Freeze breach the 200ft Barrier while Moonsault Scramble's rearmost car did.
I wonder how many of the first generation inverted coasters are still operational? I might have to put one of them on my bucket list, just for the historical value. I mean, these were the pioneers of modern roller coasters. Unrefined? Perhaps, but Rome wasn't built in a day. And any machines that can stay operational for 40 plus years deserves an award. Edit: Corkscrew, Demon, AND Great American Revolution are still operational! Someone give these coasters a Blue Ribbon! They are over 40 fucking years old, and still ticking!
@@coasterbot Keep in mind that the Coney Island Cyclone is 97 years old (give or take), so it wouldn't be without precedence. They will be expensive to maintain, and will likely need a complete overhaul, likely including new track, in order to keep them safely operational. I'm still hoping that one or two will get the American Landmark rating, and they'll still be around in 2076. I am worried about the Great American Revolution, since I've heard that Great America will be closing in a few years, as Six Flags plans on selling the land. I'm hoping that at least some of the rides, including Revolution will be granted a new lease on life in another park. Seems only right, since the Revolution was like the roller coaster equivalent to the first animal to walk on land. A real pioneer for something we now take for granted.
@@assemblyrequired7342The Great American Revolution mentioned in this video is at Six Flags Magic Mountain. It's since had its name changed to La Revolución, then Revolution, then The New Revolution. Fortunately, the only new thing about "New" Revolution was the trains, which had no OTS restraints. The OTS restraints that had been added in the early-'90s had completely ruined the ride.
30:40 the flames were turned off when I went on it for the first time last year in October for Halloween they turned the flames back on this season tho
A lot of these records are now right on the limits of human enjoyment IMO. Eventually to go faster/taller etc. the forces become too strong, which messes around with the ride enjoyment for a lot of people, including coaster enthusiasts. It’s nice to see the focus heading towards the whole experience rather than just big numbers. For instance, Colossus had the mod inversions but it was a rubbish coaster, they just added a load of jerky corkscrews to get the record, they added nothing to the experience. Saw is a tiny coaster by most modern standards, but the steeper than 90 degree drop makes it way more fun than it should be on paper.
The fastest acceleration is actually Maxx Force at Six Flags Great America in Illinois. The acceleration is 0-78 mph in just 1.8 seconds. I just wanted to clear that up
I honestly believe Alton towers will keep the inversion record since most people find 14 inversions a little much it's funny at the half way point people think it's over but bam another lift hill and another 7 inversions
I used to think it'd be a bit much, but then I went on The Smiler and now I'm not sure what point it'd be too much of a good thing. 20 maybe? The limit is definitely above 14. Or maybe I'm too crazy and marmalised.
The coaster wars didn't start with The Racer since it didn't break any records. The modern coaster wars started in 1978 with three coasters: Loch ness, Colossus and Gemini. It ended with Kingda Ka (some argue Formula Rossa for it's speed and full layout to boot) and is now resuming again with Falcon's Flight: the 1st coaster to beat all (length, drop, speed and height) records since The Beast (or Steel Dragon 2000 if shuttle coasters like Superman at SFMM don't count, which I would argue DON'T count.) Love your content, thanks for posting!
Thanks for watching! Fair enough, I think it's hard to pin the official start and end. I don't think the coaster wars is starting up again, no reasonable park will beat Falcon's Flight!
It’s crazy how much marketing can change the public perception of a ride. Due to all the marketing about how fast it was, my partner thought that Rita was one of the fasted coasters in the world, or at least in the ok. He couldn’t believe it when I told him wasn’t even the fastest in the park 😆
I would probably say that the top-hat design of the tallest coasters, ruined the tallest record, in terms of meaningful ride experience. And in that regard, the Falcons flight is a welcomed addition. I don't agree that length of the ride isn't valuable, but this could be solved cheaper with designs that recycles the track, by making it so that the coaster can run much of the track twice. That would not set any records, but it would absolutely contribute to the experience. But one thing I would mention in the context of record breaking coasters, is that, thanks to the coaster-tube, and mainstreaming of nerdy culture, there is the potential for record breaking coasters to get more free/cheap marketing than ever. In the past, the general public not local to the specific themepark/amusement park, would not know of the record-breaking, until they visited the park, and by that time, it was usually no longer the record holder, at least during the actual coaster war period. The issue with Falcons flight is it's location, not the lack of draw. It isn't located in a tourist area. And the park, will probably not be built out to be a real tourist destination, before the records are either broken by other coasters, of it has reached its end of life. A record breaking coaster placed in a better location could probably attract a lot of riders to establish a new park, or to bring one back, and it could perhaps, had it been in a fully developed themed park by Disney or Universal, actually become a new tourist spot on its own. While fastest coaster may have suited the Ferrari brand, the issue is Ferrari doesn't have a story universe to build parks around. So they would have been much smarter if they bought a ride maker, or became one from the ground, and then license Ferrari rides to parks. I'm sure themeparks could come up with storylines (or if they are a media company integrated it to their other media), to justify having Ferrari branded coasters or even areas. Had that happened, me might had seen VAG also enter the coaster scene, to market their cars (and perhaps then with greater potential, as their whole fleet of car brands, would scale well from children coasters, to story based coasters, up to speed thrilling coasters, and I mean, I think the I Robot (Audi) Car sequence would still hold up well as a baseline story for a ride, and VAG could need something to boost their brand after Diesel-gate and them struggling in the electric market, when competing with Chinese brands).
@@toddjones1480 I'm not a fan of really steep drops. But I do feel the tunnel feels out of place. It feels like they added it, just because they could do the under ground section, so that part of the ride design feels really off to me, and every element isn't the best out there. But I have no issue with the steepness of the hills.
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Now it's the right wars. The war of theming, decorations, comfort, interactivity, smoothness, airtimes, innovations. All that we love
Hell yeah
You could argue that the coaster wars really ended with Maverick. Cedar Point responded to Top Thrill Dragster’s records being broken by building their shortest coaster since Iron Dragon, and until Steel Vengeance opened, most people considered it the best ride in the park!
Except in the us
& most launches.
I agree the whole let's build taller for the sake of it or add more inversions to coaster was a bit over played so I am all for the themed coaster idea
The only coaster to not have its record broken by Falcon's Flight is the Smiler. So there is still a survivor of the coaster wars. Kind of.
Good point!
Im probably taking you way too seriously but that only applies to steel coasters.
@@HugeRMCFanBoY-bx3od no, no, that's a perfectly valid point
I wonder long long before it becomes defunct or modified. It is just so grand, it looks like a maintenance nightmare.
Do-Doompa and TMNT Shellraiser also retain their records as the steepest and fastest accelerating coasters of all time.
This was the history of rollercoasters I'd always wanted.
That's great to hear! 😊
The 2008 recession is what probably ended the coaster wars. Between the fact that chasing the height record was reduced to building slightly taller and longer Dragster clones (and people are limited in how down they are for more of the same), the speed and length records just being expensive, and then Cedar Point demonstrating with Maverick that a great and marketable experience can still be created out of something small for anyone doubting, the industry was certainly moving away from record breaking already. The financial crisis got any potential holdouts on board, because it was incumbent on almost all parks to minimise spending as much as possible during that time.
The financial crisis is a very good point!
What got the parks through that time was the increased attendance of more local people who would have liked to fly somewhere and visit a Disney or Universal park, but couldn't find it in their budget. The solution was to improve the rides at smaller parks which is why I think RMC really took off after that.
My favorite Coaster Bot video so far. I think you covered the meaning of each era of records more accurately and more detailed than anyone ever has.
Thanks for the very kind words, it means a lot :)
With that focus on uniqueness and theming, we come full circle back to Matterhorn Bobsleds! What a great story.
The coaster wars were such an interesting time, hopefully we get a new coaster war but to make coasters better as opposed to taller. Amazing video as always!
I honestly feel like RMC sparked that new coaster war. The innovation we're seeing in insanely creative and unique elements is insane.
@@lenividivici9123RMC has definitely shaken up the coaster community. Will any other company be able to keep up?
I think there is a coaster war to build more family coasters to entice both families and enthusiasts alike. Family coasters really bring in the crowds with rides like Hagrid’s at IOA and big bear mountain at Dollywood. Even b&m is joining the family coaster game.
It really was an interesting time! Thanks for watching
I’d argue the coaster wars ended with Maverick at Cedar Point. It focused more on elements over records and that’s what most coasters do now.
That's true, but weren't many other roller coasters focused on elements over records beforehand? Rides like Expedition GeForce, which opened in 2001.
@@coasterbot True - but this was Cedar Point. The park so synonymous with the Coaster Wars you could have made pretty much the whole video through their eyes, perpetually known for record-breaking even if they have to invent really specific records to do it (tallest fastest triple-launching roller coaster coming this year!). When *Cedar Point* got to a place where the new coaster was barely 100' tall, innovative, and focused on elements without worrying about records, and it worked wonderfully for them, it instantly became really hard to justify throwing down tens of millions for me-too-but-three-feet-taller.
Coaster Bot, you definitely ran the coaster timeline with this one. Nicely explained from its traditional roots to the most contemporary innovations. A respectful nod for crediting all the parks and manufacturers involved for their notable creations. I also noticed how each engineering and business aspect was cleverly weaved and segued succinctly. In other words, from a fellow coaster enthusiast... This one is PURE COASTER BRILLIANCE!! 😎👍
Thank you for the very very kind words about the video, it really means a lot :)
As someone who's tried to chart the history of tallest and fastest coaster pre-Magnum and been struck with dread by all the conflicting history therein, I think you did a great job summarizing the mess. It really didn't matter until Magnum, but there are so many interesting stories from what could be claimed as "the tallest" before then - my personal favorite is a 130ft tall bobsled coaster. That ride looked insane.
The history of records is insane, for sure! Thanks for the kind words :)
I am honestly so glad that my home park is what caused this "war", thank you Tony Clark for causing such an amazing era in the amusement industry.
Was he even in that position at the time?😂
As a more casual thrill seeker, I’d say the coaster wars ending for the best, I think the transition to surpass 100 feet was a meaningful innovation to rollercoaster design but after 200 and especially 300 and 400, I think the sake of building higher either bores some hardcore thrill seekers as it was seen right through or scared the average Parker goer or average thrill seeker such as myself, I think you look at something like i305 and the reputation it got and it show that the average person only needs so much thrill to enjoy themselves before it becomes too much, even something like the x2 at magic mountain shows this as despite it very unique design with its car and the height while high not getting freakish, the r overall intensity has given it a bit of a reputation of being one of the scariest rides period, it’s strange cause I find myself wanting to ride slot of rollercoaster but I’ve come to realize that you should to push yourself to ride something you seem to be too much which I personally think more height intensive coasters fit that, I personally think Goliath is scarier than x2 and magic mountain for that reason lol, overall good video
Great video, it's really cool seeing the majority of the industry's history in one place.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
This is a PHENOMENAL, well-researched video covering so many interesting milestones in coaster history. I'm lucky enough to have been there for the debut of several of these rides including Vortex, Magnum, Millenium Force, Flight of Fear, Shockwave and more.
Really amazing job with this one! Could not have been easy to summarize that much coaster history in just 30 minutes. Bravo!
Hey thank you very much, that really means a lot. 😊
I look forward to seeing your next video, I need the next instalment of coaster history!
You probably are the first English person I've ever heard to pronounce Phantasialand the German way! 😂
Very well researched, edited and scripted video! I always was looking for an ultimate sum-up of the most important modern coaster era and never found one. Now I have!
One thing that I noticed is that it probably isn't the best to talk about 2001-Dodonpa whilst showing 2017-Do-Dodonpa's Loop without adding that this wasn't there at the time. However, I still think your videos belong to the most informative ones in the entirety of the coaster world!
I don't really know how to pronounce Phantasialand correctly to be honest ha ha.
Thanks for the kind words about the video. Good point about Do-dodonpa!
Absolutely Outstanding From Start To Finish
You're too kind, thank you
So enjoyable and so well made, Harry!
EDIT: Made the above comment about 2/3 of the way through the video, but the ending reached another level, moving from a sweeping recount of familiar history to an insightful and thoughtful summary of where this history has gone!
My only complaint is a small one: I just wish you'd given a brief acknowledgement that Qiddiya is controversial -- not a tangent (it's not what this video is about), but just a quick word of acknowledgement.
saying qiddya is conterversial is like saying that chocolate tastes good. it needs no acknowledgement as everyone knows it
@@5higuy No, it needs to be mentioned. Other channels do nothing but cheerlead with excitement for the Qiddiya project, and doing so obscures any human rights concerns. People only care about what they know.
that is a good point I hadn't even thought of the problems with Qiddiya till now.
Hey thanks for the really really kind words about the video, it means a lot.
I have no real response to your comment. Qiddiya is controversial. I'd say that a video about roller coasters isn't the right place for a comment like that, but I also don't believe that's true. My very honest answer is that I don't know enough about the situation to feel I could do it justice, which is no excuse.
@@coasterbot I appreciate your honest response. I’d just repeat that I’m not suggesting a big speech, but just a quick acknowledgment that it’s controversial - it could even be as simple as including that one word (controversial) at some point. As I said, I know human rights is not the focus of the video, so I wouldn’t expect you to suddenly expound on it at any length.
Thanks for listening, and I love the channel, as always.
In the BeNeLux the Coaster Wars is still (somewhat) going on. Parks advertise coasters as the fastest, tallest or longest of the BeNeLux. Goliath at Walibi Holland held all 3 records until Kondaa (Walibi Belgium) came along. Troy at Toverland still hold the record for the fastest, tallest and longest wooden coaster of the BeNeLux.
Taron at Phantasialand had 7 records. Fly 2 records.
And they started the theming war 😂
@@CavHDeu Phantasialand theming is insane. And the coasters are great too!
This year is the most exciting year from a UK thoosie perspective for 100 years!
Thoosies in 1924 after the carriage ride has some nice ejector: Oh boy, that was a nice feeling! This horse sure has the bee’s knee’s!
What an amazing video. You covered so much information and kept it well organized and easy to follow. You have a great ability to explain everything in the simplest of terms while keeping everyone engaged. Whether someone is a hardcore enthusiast or not even a theme park/roller coaster fan at all, everyone will enjoy this video. Well done!
I loved it! I thought for sure when you started going through the Arrow looping coasters of the 70's , Double Loop from Ohios Geauga Lake would get a mention😅Great video! I enjoyed it a lot!
Thanks for the kind words. Honestly there were too many roller coasters to mentioned!
@@coasterbot ha oh for sure! I always love it when you mention a coaster I've ridden or was at my local amusement park where I grew up great channel I absolutely love these videos
Talking about new types of coasters: Voltron in Europa-Park, Germany will be the first "Stryker Coaster" :D
Walt Disney took inspiration from Coney Island in Cincinnati, Ohio as well. Coney Island was a very highly regarded theme park in its day. Coney Island was also the father park to Kings Island.
0:49 Greatest pun ever
Great video but big disagreement on the length of The Beast. It most certainly adds to the ride, which is incredible and is one of the few to end at its most intense. I love that thing and every inch through the woods matters for sure.
Thanks! I'll let you know whether I agree when I ride it this summer ;)
@@coasterbotdid you ride it yet?
Veteran of the coaster wars. Saw one of my best friends blown away on Millenium Force
Served a tour in The Big One, saw too many of my friends taken out there, would rather not talk about it
Great video! My prime coaster riding was during the coaster wars. A few highlights of mine. Shockwave at KD was ground breaking. Getting on Batman and Kumba made B&M the go to company. Then magnum..nothing like when that came out. 3 hours waits but it was worth it! Millennium Force..no one thought we would hit 300 ft. Will be neat to see how Falcons Flight challenges the industry !
Thanks for watching! I couldn't imagine what it must have been like when Magnum and the other iconic rides of the industry opened!
to clarify 4:14. Walt did not just visit theme parks. In fact, a lot of those parks were just traditional amusement parks, but ones that were doing very well such as Coney Island in Cincinnati, Ohio, which he learned many of the ways to keep a park, running efficiently and cleanly.
I'd love to make a video about the inspiration for Disneyland. A lot of people cover the construction of Disneyland, but iI don't seem to find many videos that highlight the success of other amusement parks / theme parks that Walt drew inspiration from!
@@coasterbot yes!! It’s so important to highlight! 😄 the parks should be recognized!
excellent documentary. Well done!
So much love and time went into this video. I love that you went into the uniqueness vs record breakers and even talked about Falcon's Flight. Above and beyond content ❤🔥
Thanks for the very kind words ☺️
you never let medown on the best topics. i cant thank you enough for most enjoyable videos to watch with such calm but perfect scripts.
This is a really really kind comment, thank you it genuinely means a lot. :)
The roller coaster wars will never happen again. Especially not with Falcons Flight in Quiddiya annihilating all the old records.
Have to agree, Phantasialand was incredibly themed. We went there last week. Absolutely stunning, even the toilets were fully themed. The park was also immaculately clean and had some of the most appetising looking park food I've ever seen. Can definitely recommend the park to everyone. Unfortunately I had vertigo a few years ago so F.L.Y. was making me nauseous, but it was so worth it anyway. It is now my wife's favourite ride and the theming was absolutely spot on.
I hope that more parks around the world take on the challenge, it's not just about records, or shifting as many people through a park/ride as possible. Immersion, memorable experiences and fun, are ultimately the most important part. Disney knew this right from the start.
Also an honourable mention goes to Efteling, didn't understand half of the Dutch fairytales, but Joris un de Draak is for now my new favourite ride.
Love the long videos and just love your research and information. More, more, more! Well done....
Thanks for the very kind comment, it means a lot :)
You can't make a video on the coaster war without mentioning Maverick at Cedar Point. This is THE coaster that ended the coaster war by proving that the stats aren't everything, but the way you use them
As I mentioned, many parks had already realised they couldn't compete and decided to make unique rides instead. I guess with Maverick, Cedar Point came to the same realisation too!
Do a video about Voltron Nevera in Europapark. It's got many very cool, never before seen features. I'd love it!!!
Disneyland Paris’ financial failure will forever make me think of EuroKrustyland in The Simpsons “My children need wine!” (Yes, I know that was what inspired it, but I do find myself using that quote more than you’d expect for someone with no children).
My heart hurts every time I see wicked twister
I’ll never forget that school field trip to cedar point lol
The coaster wars had more cost than just monetary; the theming of many parks were damaged, leaving many former theme parks as more of unthemed amusement parks due to them; Magic Mountain abandoned its troll mascots, Paramount ended up having to sell its parks, losing much theming, and properties like DC have been largely squandered for years.
That's a good point - in the pursuit of records, a lot of parks sacrificed theming as a cost cutting measure to the point that their big signature coasters and park as a whole started looking more like big versions of traveling carnivals/amusement parks instead of the immersive rides that top players like Disney and Universal are known for. The record-setting rides are thrilling yes, but when your view is not much more than concrete slabs and grass, it gets stale. So glad that theme parks are putting a greater focus on theming, immersion and overall experience of the rides.
I’d argue that the war is still alive and well.
Paris still want to advertise their new rides as “tallest tilt coaster in America” or “steepest dive coaster in the world”
Competing for quantity of airtime and responding to the enthusiast community by being innovative with inversions, profiling, and rider comfort… it’s still a big competition
As you always do, you managed to make the most pertinent and no nonsense video on the matter! By far the most interesting video on the coaster wars!
Outstanding job again, congratulations! 🥳
Thanks for the very very very kind, that you it means a lot :)
@@coasterbot no, thank you for sharing your passion with us!
Growing up less than 2 hours away from Cedar Point, and about 40 mins away from Geauga Lake/Six Flags Worlds of Adventure, in the height of the coaster wars was pretty awesome. Good luck getting on Steel Curtain. Id love to get to the UK and get to Alton Towers.
I hope to ride Steel Curtain this summer, we'll see how it goes though! Alton Towers is a great park, definitely worth the trip :)
Steel Curtain is a great ride. I hope it opens in the spring.
@@Heatherofscots yeah it is pretty good. It's just down. A lot. People say dragster was down a lot, and it was, but Kennywood has had to shut down that coaster for extended periods of time on multiple occasions. They closed it early last year, and the year before that if I remember right, to try and fix the issues. We went, and had ERT on it in the morning. It ran just fine for us. A little later we were doing a backstage tour of the maintenance shed for steel curtain. It went down while we were talking to the mechanics. I honestly feel kind of bad for those guys. They're really trying with that ride. It is just problematic. It tool me until last year to finally ride it. Every time we had some free time to go to Kennywood, it would go down for a month. It's a shame too, because it really is a fun coaster. I love the first drop.
Even as a parisian, I NEVER realised that our Space Mountain was the first non shuttle launch coaster. What took them so long??? The technology was there this whole time and no one thought to just... close the loop? Baffling
Yeah it's pretty wild honestly
Fun fact neither The Beast nor The Ultimate were ever the worlds longest coaster as Montaña Rusa which opened in 1964 at what is now Aztlán Parque Urbano was wooping 8000’ long. Its record to date is only surpassed by Steel Dragon 2000
Open question - how many minutes on a coaster before riders assimilate and it tuns into just a trip from beginning to end, like driving, biking, or flying? There has to be a point where the body adjusts and the thrill is replaced by routine.
That's a good question. I'd imagine as long as the forces keep changing it would be hard for the body to get used to it. You can used to being in a car because the acceleration is minimal, you're often just driving quickly in a straight line. Fortunately most roller coasters don't feature miles of straight track!
@@coasterbot I agree about most car (etc) rides, but even Baja racers have to get used to it all eventually. I just want to know when eventually is. I have a feeling NASA knows after what they put their astronauts through in training.
I think before the world wars „theme parks“ weren‘t a thing. There were only amusement parks. 🙄😜 Anyway… great video as always 😍
Some other questionable things (I know this is an overview and thus can‘t mention every detail)
And two back to back corkscrews were known as a corkscrew back in the day. The element resembles the tool. At some point it changed to a single inversion. 🤷🏻♂️
As Do-Dodonpa is now standing but not operating for years it doesn‘t remain anything at the moment…
I use the phrase theme park and amusement park interchangeably. I shouldn't but I just prefer the 'theme park', its more magical, captures a wider net, and is easier to say. I'm also from the UK/Europe where most of our major parks are theme parks, not amusement parks.
Interesting point about the corkscrews, I never knew that but it makes sense.
Do-dodonpa is a real doozy. I keep forgetting it's SBNO, so that's my bad.
Maverick at Cedar Point slowed down the Coaster Wars. It wasn't tall, or particularly fast, it focused on a stellar layout, and it payed off. It's still the best in the park (my opinion)
What a great movie. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for watching! :)
Isn't it weird to think the coasters from this era are still some of the best to this day ala Millennium force
It's pretty wild honestly!
I think we’re kinda sleeping on Falcon’s Flight. Claiming 3/4 major roller coaster records that have all been standing for approximately 20 years is a huge achievement, especially in just one ride. No other coaster has claimed three major records like that before, at least not to my knowledge. I think the best way you could claim all 4 major records is to build a sit-down inverting coaster with something similar to Dragster near the end to claim the height and speed record and cap off the length record, with the inversion record being broken before this point in the ride.
Rollercoasters were the only reason that I would visit a theme park.
Nice to see a new video from you guys, Harry!
Thanks for watching! :)
Magnum was the REAL start of the coaster wars
Says who? Parks were aiming to break records way before Magnum opened!
Excellent video in all regards
I think you should have included the old Colossus at Six Flags Magic Mountain because unlike The Racer, Colossus actually became the tallest, fastest and greatest roller coaster in the world.
I personally think the true end of the coaster wars was rmc's creation of the new texas giant. A all new type of coaster that was very cheap and had never before seen elements.
Love your videos
Thanks that means a lot!
Hi There, great to hear this unique backstory of the "Coaster Wars" a very influential and key part in the development of rollercoaster technology, thank you for sharing your thoughts, it's greatly appreciated. Cheers Peter :)
Shockwave had the same problem of becoming very rough, you'd ride that sucker and your head would hit the sides of the restraints and give you a headache instantly.
This is an amazing video, thanks so much. I can't believe it only has 50K views,
Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching 😊
Ka was the pinnacle of the coaster wars
0:42 Is that Megafobia Oakwood?
Yup
Actually, Caroline cyclone at Carowinds, was the first roller coaster to feature 4 inversions
What an excellent video!
Thank you very much! 😊
Can we get a Rest in Peace for do-dodonpa, so sad tbh.
I like the aero dynamics corkscrew cars
wish this happened again so we get more great cossters
We're seeing parks compete in different ways now, less about the scale and more about the quality!
I feel like Top Thrill and Kingda Ka were the most disappointing products of the coaster wars. The focus on stat sheet numbers and guest throughput makes them feel like Rollercoaster Tycoon microcoasters.
I'm surprised you didn't mention son of beast (tallest woodie ever built)
We want to make a whole video specifically about the history of wooden coasters, so it'd feature in there. I ran out of space in this one honestly :)
Moonsault Scramble broke the 200ft record first.
He didn’t count shuttle coasters due to the fact that not all the train will reach the highest point on the track.
@@unnameablename As long as at least some of the train reaches above 200ft, it's a hyper coaster.
None of the cars on Mr Freeze breach the 200ft Barrier while Moonsault Scramble's rearmost car did.
@@richmountain1128 hey, that’s the reason he gave, I’m not saying it was correct or not to exclude moonsault scramble
@@unnameablename Is it correct though?
@@richmountain1128 idk, that’s really up to personal discretion.
In 5-10 years Kinda Ka will be again the tallest... that Six Flags Qiddiya is too crazy to be successful
Racer started it all. Always comes back to kings island.
I wonder how many of the first generation inverted coasters are still operational? I might have to put one of them on my bucket list, just for the historical value.
I mean, these were the pioneers of modern roller coasters. Unrefined? Perhaps, but Rome wasn't built in a day. And any machines that can stay operational for 40 plus years deserves an award.
Edit: Corkscrew, Demon, AND Great American Revolution are still operational! Someone give these coasters a Blue Ribbon! They are over 40 fucking years old, and still ticking!
As time goes on more of the original looping coasters close, but I'm sure some parks will keep them for the heritage value!
@@coasterbot Keep in mind that the Coney Island Cyclone is 97 years old (give or take), so it wouldn't be without precedence. They will be expensive to maintain, and will likely need a complete overhaul, likely including new track, in order to keep them safely operational.
I'm still hoping that one or two will get the American Landmark rating, and they'll still be around in 2076.
I am worried about the Great American Revolution, since I've heard that Great America will be closing in a few years, as Six Flags plans on selling the land. I'm hoping that at least some of the rides, including Revolution will be granted a new lease on life in another park.
Seems only right, since the Revolution was like the roller coaster equivalent to the first animal to walk on land. A real pioneer for something we now take for granted.
@@assemblyrequired7342The Great American Revolution mentioned in this video is at Six Flags Magic Mountain.
It's since had its name changed to La Revolución, then Revolution, then The New Revolution. Fortunately, the only new thing about "New" Revolution was the trains, which had no OTS restraints. The OTS restraints that had been added in the early-'90s had completely ruined the ride.
@@assemblyrequired7342Also, I'm not aware of plans to close Six Flags Great America. You may be thinking of California's Great America.
The coasters wars were insane time for the amusement industry
Oh for sure!
Dododonpa is closed indefinitely. It kept breaking people's bones.
I really hope it doesn't close for good :(
Too late now, just closed permanently. 😢
0:48 what a missed opportunity to not quickly show a shot of one of the Universal parks
Oh damn, that's going to annoy me now ha ha
30:40 the flames were turned off when I went on it for the first time last year in October for Halloween they turned the flames back on this season tho
RIP Dodondompa
:(
A lot of these records are now right on the limits of human enjoyment IMO. Eventually to go faster/taller etc. the forces become too strong, which messes around with the ride enjoyment for a lot of people, including coaster enthusiasts.
It’s nice to see the focus heading towards the whole experience rather than just big numbers. For instance, Colossus had the mod inversions but it was a rubbish coaster, they just added a load of jerky corkscrews to get the record, they added nothing to the experience. Saw is a tiny coaster by most modern standards, but the steeper than 90 degree drop makes it way more fun than it should be on paper.
R.I.P do dodonpa 2001 - 2024 ( it did stand there for 3 years cause it closed in 2021)
Did they rebuild Montezumas Revenge? When I was riding it in the 2000s, it was a fly wheel launch
Big up these coasters
Well done!
Hey thanks! :)
The fastest acceleration is actually Maxx Force at Six Flags Great America in Illinois. The acceleration is 0-78 mph in just 1.8 seconds. I just wanted to clear that up
aren't they closing that location?
its stealth at thorpe park thats 0-80 in 1.8 seconds actually.
And good video! Real good video!
NICE VIDEO
Great video 📹
Thanks!
@@coasterbot no problem. Never knew half of this before but good to know now
I need wars of inversions to continue, but seems that coaster wars between Thorpe park and Blackpool after big one lost it's title
And now we have falcons flight to put all these on their arse
I honestly believe Alton towers will keep the inversion record since most people find 14 inversions a little much it's funny at the half way point people think it's over but bam another lift hill and another 7 inversions
I used to think it'd be a bit much, but then I went on The Smiler and now I'm not sure what point it'd be too much of a good thing. 20 maybe? The limit is definitely above 14.
Or maybe I'm too crazy and marmalised.
Phantom’s Revenge is the best purple hyper coaster
The coaster wars didn't start with The Racer since it didn't break any records. The modern coaster wars started in 1978 with three coasters: Loch ness, Colossus and Gemini. It ended with Kingda Ka (some argue Formula Rossa for it's speed and full layout to boot) and is now resuming again with Falcon's Flight: the 1st coaster to beat all (length, drop, speed and height) records since The Beast (or Steel Dragon 2000 if shuttle coasters like Superman at SFMM don't count, which I would argue DON'T count.) Love your content, thanks for posting!
Thanks for watching! Fair enough, I think it's hard to pin the official start and end. I don't think the coaster wars is starting up again, no reasonable park will beat Falcon's Flight!
@@coasterbot Yeah, you're probably right, Falcon's Flight's stats will likely not be beaten in our lifetime (except the length of mountain coasters).
WOAH SMILER MENTIONED
It’s crazy how much marketing can change the public perception of a ride. Due to all the marketing about how fast it was, my partner thought that Rita was one of the fasted coasters in the world, or at least in the ok. He couldn’t believe it when I told him wasn’t even the fastest in the park 😆
I would probably say that the top-hat design of the tallest coasters, ruined the tallest record, in terms of meaningful ride experience. And in that regard, the Falcons flight is a welcomed addition. I don't agree that length of the ride isn't valuable, but this could be solved cheaper with designs that recycles the track, by making it so that the coaster can run much of the track twice. That would not set any records, but it would absolutely contribute to the experience.
But one thing I would mention in the context of record breaking coasters, is that, thanks to the coaster-tube, and mainstreaming of nerdy culture, there is the potential for record breaking coasters to get more free/cheap marketing than ever. In the past, the general public not local to the specific themepark/amusement park, would not know of the record-breaking, until they visited the park, and by that time, it was usually no longer the record holder, at least during the actual coaster war period.
The issue with Falcons flight is it's location, not the lack of draw. It isn't located in a tourist area. And the park, will probably not be built out to be a real tourist destination, before the records are either broken by other coasters, of it has reached its end of life. A record breaking coaster placed in a better location could probably attract a lot of riders to establish a new park, or to bring one back, and it could perhaps, had it been in a fully developed themed park by Disney or Universal, actually become a new tourist spot on its own. While fastest coaster may have suited the Ferrari brand, the issue is Ferrari doesn't have a story universe to build parks around. So they would have been much smarter if they bought a ride maker, or became one from the ground, and then license Ferrari rides to parks. I'm sure themeparks could come up with storylines (or if they are a media company integrated it to their other media), to justify having Ferrari branded coasters or even areas. Had that happened, me might had seen VAG also enter the coaster scene, to market their cars (and perhaps then with greater potential, as their whole fleet of car brands, would scale well from children coasters, to story based coasters, up to speed thrilling coasters, and I mean, I think the I Robot (Audi) Car sequence would still hold up well as a baseline story for a ride, and VAG could need something to boost their brand after Diesel-gate and them struggling in the electric market, when competing with Chinese brands).
To me a huge drop needs to also be very steep. Falcon's Flight's largest drop is a huge disappointment in that area.
@@toddjones1480 I'm not a fan of really steep drops. But I do feel the tunnel feels out of place. It feels like they added it, just because they could do the under ground section, so that part of the ride design feels really off to me, and every element isn't the best out there. But I have no issue with the steepness of the hills.
Coaster Wars has been over for almost two decades
Saudi Arabia randomly decides to build everyones no limits dream
What is this timeline
My only gripe with this video is that you didn’t put the numbers on screen.
OH SHIT CAPTIONS
*Petition to start a Netflix documentary made by coaster bot*
Comment = “sign”
Starting with yes