America's 15 BEST Themed Coasters (Non-Disney or Universal)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 พ.ย. 2022
- Aside from the amazing theming at our Disney and Universal parks, what other American coasters have a great theme? Let's count down the 15 best.
Thanks to CoasterSloth and LilCloutVevo for this video idea!
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One thing I always loved about Flight of Fear that people don't seem to realize anymore is that you disembark in a separate location so that when the train returns to the station it's empty like everyone disappeared on the ride.
Disaster Transport at CP used to do the same thing.
Same with rock in roller coaster at Disney world
We used to tell my sister that they didn’t make it when the trains came back empty
I never understand why all coasters can't be themed... It elevates the ride experience and if you're gonna spend $10-50M on a coaster, why not put 100K into the theming, doesn't have to be a complicated story, just make it look nice and make the queue intimidating.
I'm thinking Maverick at Cedar Point, Demon at Great America, Oblivion at Alton Towers.
maybe it's a time thing in part. Rollercoaster usually are erected in about, what, 1 years time? of course most of the parts are prefabricated, but finishing a station to look nice is a lot more time than just a concrete pad with a roof and open walls
I think SFFT figured this out and has been investing the money in not overly involved but still effective theming
You also have to count in the upkeep of the themed elements. It can make it look even worse when they don’t work.
Think about it. A park will only spend what they think it’s worth to bring people in and make a profit. A good coaster without theming will bring in more people than a decent coaster with lots of theming.
It saves them money to go out more for the coaster itself, and the general public don’t really care that much as long as they enjoyed the ride.
@@ItsSiebay That is a common disbelief, because the average people will spend more on immersive experiences, the feeling of magical moments etc. Especially in this time.
But to built this up you have to invest more from the beginning and later on. So the question is which economical strategy you want to follow and what the investors expect from you and your themepark chain to do.
In Western Europe you can’t run themeparks like six flags so easily, cause there are many nicely themed parks a few hours away and people always spend more on these.
Especially in this times, where we follow the “logic of the special”, where are on instagram and all the social media.
Verbolten was the first coaster I ever experienced a drop track.. I didn’t even think about the track freaking detaching from one to another. I’ve never been so frightened
SAME! I was riding with my dad at the time and we looked at each other (because it was stopped) and when it dropped we briefly thought something broke lol
The same thing happened to me on Hagrid’s 😂
Big Apple Coaster - the price alone bears an uncanny resemblance to New York
It’s a shame Volcano closed, I feel like it’d be incredibly high on this list if it was still open, it was certainly my favorite non Disney/Universal themed coaster, as well as my all time favorite defunct credit
Nice list! I think Cobra’s Curse should of Ben on this list, the theming is very nice, but other than that nice list
yeah I was surprised when it wasn't
BGT used to be my home park. I think Chris just forgot about that one. It definitely should have made the top 10.
I definitely considered Cobra's Curse but other that the station and the giant Cobra statue there wasn't much there
@@AirtimeThrills there's onboard audio on cobras curse
@@AirtimeThrills the same holds true for a lot on this list like Krypton, Batman, and Wicked Cyclone. Feel like Cobra’s Curse has better theming as the extensive dog site theming, the projection room preshow, the live snakes, animatronic snakes in the pre loft scene, the giant statue, and the onboard audio.
Nice that you gave attention to themed coasters that aren't disney/universal's, and showed that other parks can also have good theming!
Alpengeist should have made this list imo. Its surrounding area is themed well, station is themed very well, and the ride has multiple areas of theming. Its one of the best themed B&Ms I know of
If you mean in America, I agree. If you mean worldwide, no.
I disagree. COUGH NEMESIS COUGH THE SWARM COUGH
@@kateorourke6390 That list is much longer. Black Mamba, Baron 1898 and Raptor at Gardaland are incredibly well themed. Rides like Krake, Oblivion, Oblivion the black hole, Flug der Dämonen and Oziris aren't badly themed either.
@@phantafan7965 Sorry, I meant in america with that last sentence, not worldwide
Best themed b&m in america is probably x flight
I would’ve included cobras curse, it’s not a very thrilling coaster but the theming is so well done
I definitely considered Cobra's Curse but other that the station and the giant Cobra statue there wasn't much there
@@AirtimeThrills What about the voice explaining all the changes to the ride experience?
I think the best themed coaster in the US is the Matterhorn. unlike every other mountain coaster at Disneyland and Disney world, it doesn’t rely on darkness (outside of the lift hill). Every inch of that mountain has rockwork, and it is much appreciated. Plus those waterfalls add a great dynamic. AND that first snowman animatronic is AGRESSIVE AND LOUD and I love that thing. But yeah, awesome video!
(non-disney or universal)
@@layzabullit 12:43 🙃
I would've put Demon (both of them) as an honorable mention. I think that the rock work and lights look great and kind of tie into the theme. Not to mention that theme song is a B O P
I tend to think I’m not bothered about theming, and then I remember my favourite coaster is Nemesis that has awesome theming and my favourite ride overall is Wallace And Gromit’s Thill O Matic and that is so well themed that at one point the smell of baking bread is pumped in, and almost 10 years on I still notice little details.
Rip
I’ve always loved the theme of Banshee at Kings Island. That ride sign with the fog going, the Irish styled grave stones in the line queue along with the massive Son of Beast tombstone with the eternal flame, the creepy haunted church theme of the loading station, and of course the Banshee scream at the top of the lift hill. There are better themed coasters out there but Banshee is definitely one of my favorites. :)
I honestly think that Cobra's Curse at BGT is one of if not my overall favorite non disney/universal themed coasters
Yes! Just went on it recently and the theming was great!
I am really surprised to not see Loch Ness Monster from Busch Gardens Williamsburg on this list, but at the same time, not surprised as they don’t theme it the way they used to. The queue is the same but I remember as a kid that the helix in the tunnel was so memorable because as you enter the tunnel, you would see on the wall lights, and as you got farther and farther, you realize that those lights were the body of the Loch Ness Monster, and just as you are realizing it, it’s about time to exit the tunnel, and at the end of the tunnel, the lights culminate in the head of the monster, who then blows smoke in your face from his nostrils as you exit the tunnel. There would also be flashing lights and sound effects of thunder and the monster. I’ll never forget that as a kid and I’m sad that they don’t theme it that way anymore.
I have always found Ghost Rider at Knott's Berry Farm to have stellar theming, especially with Ghost Town right there. I also love Banshee at Kings Island with its clever cemetery theme
Ghostrider definitely fits into Ghost Town but I don't really see much theming there
I think there's some big misses on this list. LochNess Monster, Alpengeist, Medusa at Great Adventure, Superman at new England, Cobra's curse, Montu. I would put any of these over rollercoasters you listed with good queues but nothing on the ride itself, because they actually have theming on the ride and in the queue.
I don't remember any theming on Nessie...I haven't seen the new Medusa theming tho
@@AirtimeThrills There's really great theming in the queue that unfortunately youll only see if you're having a bad day on a busy Saturday. Then there's the tunnel that used to have a lochness monster head at the end but unfortunately it's been removed but then they added sound effects and I think strobes after the 40th anniversary but it might have turned those off too unfortunately
Wait, Pantheon isn't number 1, what is this list?!!
lol 😂😂pantheon has soooo much theming its seriously best theming in the park totally
Haha...possibly worst theming ever, but the ride itself was amazing
What’s so frustrating is that all the pieces are there.. they just gave up! This ride could pack so much more of a punch if they’d simply start by adding on ride audio and a couple of statues of the gods along the way
I was waiting for Verbolten and glad to see it number one. Absolutely love this roller coaster and first time riding that drop track nearly made me shit myself
Throwing in a vote for alpengeist. Always loved the quadruple black diamond sign, the missing persons sign and the cartoonish crashed skiers all over. The queue and station are spot on and the skis on the ride and the trip through the lodge look great. One more thing, it sits in this valley which definitely adds to the feeling that you’re off the main trail.
Top Thrill Dragster. Not backstory or anything, just very straightforward theming that happened to match the ride perfectly and set the mood tremendously well.
The theming of Blazing Fury at Dollywood was so scary to me as a five-year-old kid.
@@humfree6436 real fire on blazing fury? I think you’re mistaking it for Mystery Mine or Firechaser Express
@@stephenboshears4832 ok you’re right lol
fr lol, I literally closed my eyes the whole time XD
Great idea for a list! You're absolutely right that the majority of parks in America stick to the "amusement" aesthetic instead of the "theme" aesthetic, so there's just not a lot of examples. I think TIme Traveler deserves a spot around number 5, but it's hard to ignore how the theming is so unfinished. Great concept, and the execution they did do is top notch, but once on the ride it feels apparent that they had more planned and just ran out of money (the brake run before the first launch really seems like it was meant to have a show sequence built around it). And as long as Verbolten is number one, I think it's worth mentioning Cobra's Curse at their sister park. Great queue, and decent theming on the ride itself as well.
You missed the best part of Flight of Fear. It has separate load and unload stations so it appears that the previous riders were abducted when you board.
One of my personal favorites is Ghostrider but I love X-Flight too! Glad to see Batman and Dark Knight so high
I love the flight of fear theming. The pre show really works well with the overall story. And the trains rolling in empty adds so much ambience.
I have been one the Backlot Stunt Coaster and the FireChaser Express. I forgot about the FireChaser Express before I saw it in this video, though.
This is a very unique idea, considering the list is excluding Disney and Universal. Velocicoaster is my favorite Intamin, and it’s theming is amazing. If it were eligible, it would place very high. Keep up the great work!
You should do a version for the best themed European coasters, since they seem to be really good at that
That would be my rank, i only did half of them (including Phantasialand, more beautiful than disney and universal combined for me):
15 Kondaa
14 Fenix
13 Wodan
12 Thirt3en
11Star Treck Operation enterprise
10 Oziris
9 Nemesis
8 Arthur
7 Movie Park Studio Tour
6 The Ride to Happiness
5 Winjas
4 Baron 1898
3 Black Mamba
2 Taron
1 Fly
Phantasialnd is definitely just another level of themeing. Even Disney has a hard time competing with them in that department
(except UK-parks, never been there)
* darkride coasters
1 F.L.Y.
2 Big Thunder Mountain
3 Taron
4 Schwur des Kärnan
5 Baron 1898
6 Van Helsing's Factory
7 Black Mamba
8 Vliegende Hollander*
9 Wodan
10 Winja's
11 Movie Park Studio Tour*
12 Arthur*
13 Eurosat CanCan
14 Flucht von Novgorod
15 Juvelen
@@timdruyts5025 i forgot about karnan and hollender, good point
This is probably one of the best countdown lists I’ve watched yet
Amazing that Verbolten topped this list even with half it's effects broken or turned off and the top of the "bridge" before the 80 ft drop still gone lol. Man I miss the old Verbolten.
Hope they fix it up soon, but with all the focus on Darkoaster, it probably won't happen for a while yet.
Great video! I love the 3 Kings Island coasters!
Well, now how about a top 10 Disney/Universal themed coasters list?
Wow I guess I haven't caught a video in a while - the new intro looks great!!
A slept on US themed coaster is Dr Diabolical Cliffhanger the videos I saw of the theming is amazing, it looks like they put their all into the theming and effort. Great video Chris🔥🔥
Flight of Fear is probably one of my favorite themed areas, when I first went into it and I saw the giant ufo I completely forgot I was going on a rollercoaster
I was thinking of Cobra’s Curse when you started the video at least an honorable mention
I definitely considered Cobra's Curse but other that the station and the giant Cobra statue there wasn't much there
One thing you missed about Wicked cyclone was that when it opened, the TVs in the queue displayed weather reports that got increasingly distorted as you traveled thru the queue to imitate the progression of a real storm being covered in real time
Hey man, I love your videos and when I get that notification that you posted it instantly makes me happy. Also when are you getting out to Europe and Japan and China? If you have any plans you should post about it and if
not that’s fine because I know you’ll get out there soon! Keep making the great content man.
Great video! 🤗👌
Saw the ride is my favourite theme for a ride. What gets you more pumped than being told you're gonna be murdered by a puppet
A really neat list. I haven't ridden Stunt Coaster or Wonder Mountains Guardian yet. It was closed last summer when I went.
A bit surprised Manta didn’t get a shoutout
I really am glad Fiesta Texas is upping their theming game. It’s my home park and it really needed it!
Really figured Alpengeist would have made this list since the courtyard in front of the ride, trains, and numerous elements you go through or over are pretty regular.
haven't watched in a while, but I love the new intro.
Glad someone else likes Wicked Cyclone’s theme as much as I do! I probably would’ve also put Cannibal on here because of the section before the elevator and the helix in the waterfall at the end.
i was thinking back on this video the other day and it had me realizing that a clever part of the excellent theming and storytelling of time traveler is in the layout of the ride itself. the twists, turns, and inversions combined with the spinning aspect make for a unique, out-of-control feeling that seems fitting for the experience of traveling through time. though the sudden pause in the middle of the ride before the first launch is strange, i think it represents having reached a different point in time before the time machine takes off again to bring you back to the characters’ present. i think it’s pretty clever and unique and makes me love that ride a whole lot more, and i do wonder if this something that anyone else has picked up on. great video!
I never really thought too much about it but the spinning thru time thing is definitely the intention. Not sure what point of the ride was supposed to be the jump back to the present
It’s also funny how wicked cyclone has “wicked” in it, considering it’s in Massachusetts
Can't get enough of that intro
Surprised Cobra's Curse and LOCOSUMO didn't make this list but cool video idea!
Those are popular picks, I didn't think either one had a whole lot of theming but that's just my recollection
I am surprised that Mr. Freeze didn't at least make the honorable mentions. It has been quite a long time since I road the one at St. Louis, so maybe it has changed. It was back before it was reverse blast. When I was there the theming while waiting in the queue was great. Maybe they took it out or it hasn't aged well, but man I enjoyed it and the ride way back when.
I thought Manta at Seaworld San Diego should’ve made the list. That pre show is really cool
Yeah the launch tunnel is pretty legit
I will never forget the day I rode Verbolten. I wasn’t really a theme park enthusiast yet and I never heard of the ride. It absolutely blew my mind and is still my favorite roller coaster ever.
Awesome video especially for those of us that have already done all the disney and universal coasters. Went on Flight of Fear without knowing if it was even a roller coaster this past Halloween. What an experience I kept saying over and over what is this, what is this. Just total shock around each corner.
I love the wicked cyclone theming! With the plane, van, newspaper headlines all over the station and the video of the guy screaming they play in the station. Superman the ride at NE has good theming too
As I clicked on the video I was thinking, "Verbolten better be on the list". As the video kept going I was getting madder at its omission until...boom...#1. Haha...great minds think alike.
You severely underrated Dr Diabolical's Cliffhanger. I can't think of another Non-Disney coaster with two animatronics and two seperate preshows.
It got its spot because of the preshow, would have been higher if they carried more of the theme onto the ride aside from the audio
Solid list, I think Flight Deck at CGA could edge out some of the earlier rides on the list with its Top Gun/Aircraft Carrier themed queue and Fighter Jet decal on both trains. Nothing crazy, but a lot of these rides mainly had themed queues anyways.
I agree on Verbolten. I knew it was a good ride, but I was completely blown away by it. One of the best at BGW!
I'm sorry but watching this as someone whose home park is Alton Towers is hilarious
Yeah. My home park is Movie Park and even though most of their coasters aren't themed that well, but Studio Tour and Van Helsing's would still both be in the Top 3 without a doubt. If I go a bit further I'd reach parks like Efteling and Phantasialand and then it's just over :D
The US doesn’t have good theming outside of Disney and Islands of Adventure 💀
The entire theme of Copperhead Strike is moonshine. Everything is a winking reference. The White Lightening signs, the "snakes" which are actually just the coils coming out of the stills, the copper tops which were put over the barrels before they sold them, and finally the truck escape from the distillery from the cops when they get busted. You even hear the police radio at the end of the ride talking about how they got away this time. It's a little adult, and in real life everything was spoken about in code, so I love that they did it this way. I was blown away when I stood in line and it dawned on me. But I was raised in NC, so I get how a lot of people who aren't local might miss it.
manta at seaworld orlando is really nicely themed too.
Aweeome video. I would love to have a beer with Bad Bob from Adventureland.
I saw Kennywood Exterminator, but didn't see Steel Curtain.
It's the ultimately themed coaster
1) seats are shaped like footballs
2) on the life, you hear Myron Cope - a football man
3) it cart looks like football jerseys
4) Steelers Colors
5) its ride is like getting tackled inna blitz with all them wild inversions
6) literally the focal point of Steeler's Town.
Top Thrill Dragster's theme arguably adds the most to the ride even though several don't respect it. Simple, but well done and effective.
I knew that verbolten was gonna be on the list but was absolutely not expecting it to be the first!!! As this coaster is in my home park I think it’s one of the best there! I also loved the German and have memorized the German lady’s lines when leaving the ride! (“Glad you have made it back from the forest! Please lift up on your safety harnesses and exit strait to your left and have a great rest of your day at Bush Gardens! Auf Wiedersehen!” That’s it’s from memory and it’s probably not completely right but it’s almost perfect!)
I love the new intro
that taco bell joke had me rolling
I think there are a few misses here:
Kingda Ka with the whole golden kingdom.
Cobras Curse at BGT, excellent theming with that giant snake on the ride.
Just the 2 that came to mind quickly. Great job on the video
Medusa at Six Flags Great Adventure has some good theming, fire, and an interesting backstory.
I'll have to check it out, I haven't seen it yet
Flame throwers around the dive loop were awesome back in June of this year. hope they can keep them going well
Fun Fact about 4:50: There are 3 monsters you could get a "jumpscare" by: The tree monster, the bat monster, and the python. The tree monster is the rarest and has the front "doors" closed, the bat monster has mini bats over the breaks, and the python is the most common and it has snakes. I always try to reride till I get the tree monster for bragging rights but its really hard lol
I didn't know that there were 3 stories in verboten. Wow that ride is exceeding expectations even more.
While there's not much theming during the actual ride (as is the case with most of these coasters), I have always appreciated the queue and station for the two Mr. Freeze coasters. And now that the Texas version is running forward again, I really do hope Six Flags keeps the one in St. Louis as a backward experience.
Mr Freeze also has some theming.
Poltergiest at Fiesta Texas also has good theming after its overhaul.
Take a shot everytime there's a SF coaster on the list
But in all seriousness, it's impressive SF has good themed coasters
The first time I rode Back Lot Stuntcoaster at Kings Island, not knowing what it was going in, I was blown away and thought it was a top five in the park. Then I immediately rode it again and realized it was all show. Still love the ride, but defs not that initial “WTF!” high.
Every once in a while I remember how well themed batman is at SFGA, I would argue the ride itself is themed as you go over the police car and go around the queue, but it's so fast you never notice...but it really is well themed throughout
I made a slightly good themed roller coaster in Planet Coaster, no themed queue, but a launch tunnel. Called it Argon, it's on the Steam Workshop. Hydraulic launched coaster.
5:20 Special shoutout to Batman at Over Georgia: when i went, i think some type of work was being done around the ride because there were staff access doors open and cones around the queue. This made the queue feel even more like a maze and was surprisingly really immersive
Do a worst themed coaster vid plz 🙏🙏🙏 love your work keep it up
This new intro is killer
Let's go new airtime thrills video.
My overall favorite themed ride is probably FLY at Phantasialand. I could live in that themed area
Whoa that’s a first btw my favorite themed non Disney or universal coaster is mystic Timbers
new intro i like it
So glad Poltergeist made the list (in my opinion that is the best themed Coaster I've been on which tells you about how much I've been on😆)
It was a little concerning how many Six Flags coasters made this list. Also how did Batman The Ride make this list over a ride like Cobra's Curse that actually has theming.
I definitely considered Cobra's Curse but other that the station and the giant Cobra statue there wasn't much there. Maybe I'm misremembering. I just like the progression of Batman's queue from the beautiful park to the batcave
@@AirtimeThrills The gardens are nicely landscaped, I was surprised because the rest of the queue is pretty bland.
Im just happy that verboten made the list!!!!
8:46 Doc Brown: GREAT SCOTT!!!
It’s funny seeing so many Six Flags coasters make this list when so many people like to clown Six Flags for their minimal theming.
Just goes to show, when they actually try, it pays off. Especially at Fiesta Texas.
cobras curse should have a spot on here
I feel like Cobra's Curse at Bush Gardens Tampa deserved to be on this list. It has a well themed queue, with live animals and a room with a show in it. Not to mention the massive snake statue, and themed pre-elevator lift section with on ride audio.
mystery mine is the best themed coaster I have ridden, its basically the bad guys movie but on steroids
I like the new intro
I would say Manta at Seaworld Orlando should've made the list. No way most of these beat that aquarium que when talking theaming exclusively. The argument could be made for Manta to at least crack top 5 even when you include Universal and Disney.
Also while some might not consider them coaster credits (I do though) the pretzel coaster-dark rides (Hawnted House, Devil's Den, 2 story Wacky Shacks featuring gravity drops) should have at least gotten honourable mentions.
surprised cobras curse didn't make this list
I definitely considered Cobra's Curse but other that the station and the giant Cobra statue there wasn't much there
Theming always makes a ride better for me. I like feeling immersed in a story.
I'd Love To See A Europe's 15 BEST Themed Coasters :)
I absolutely love the theme of mystery mine
Favorite themed coaster will probably be Hagrid’s motorbike adventure. At universal studios Florida…it’s on my bucket list!