Happy National Roller Coaster Day 2016

Happy National Roller Coaster Day! Today is the day where the white-knuckle thrill rides we love so much are celebrated from coast to coast (and beyond). And this year, one of our writers is celebrating the day in a big way (keep reading).

National Roller Coaster Day 2016

Pictured above: Loop the Loop (also known as Flip Flap Railway), a dual-tracked steel roller coaster which operated on Young’s Million Dollar Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey from 1901-1912.

Roller Coasters by the Numbers

I visited RCDB to get some worldwide roller coaster statistics:

There are 4,122 roller coasters operating in the world today — 3,937 steel coasters and 185 wooden coasters.

By the end of 2016, 181 new coasters will have opened across the globe — compared to 238 in 2015, 231 in 2014 and 196 in 2013.

The United States is home to 741 operating roller coasters, while 19 are standing but not operating (SBNO).

There are 2,622 amusement parks operating in the world today — 340 are in the United States.

Note: these numbers are accurate as of this posting.


National Roller Coaster Day Coaster Crusade

13 Thrill Rides. 2 Parks. 1 Day. Sounds like a great way to celebrate National Roller Coaster Day, no?

Coaster101 writer Mike M. is participating in SeaWorld Orlando’s and Busch Gardens Tampa’s Coaster Crusade event, which allows a select group of enthusiasts to ride all of the two parks’ coasters and thrill rides in one day:

Of course included in the offering is SeaWorld’s new-for-2016 Mako hyper coaster:

Follow along on our Twitter feed for more updates from Coaster Crusade.

How are you celebrating National Roller Coaster Day? Share your plans in the comments section below.

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