According to your records, you’ve ridden 99 coasters. You won’t visit another amusement park until the spring, but you want to announce to the coaster community that you’ve reached the 100-coaster mark as soon as possible. What to you do?
A roller coaster is defined as “an elevated railway (as in an amusement park) constructed with sharp curves and steep inclines on which cars roll.”
Well, you did ride a portable Dragon Wagon coaster at that carnival that came through town a couple weeks ago. You also rode Aftershock after it was moved from Six Flags Great America. Is that a new credit?
Lucky for you, there are no guidelines that state what qualities as a “coaster credit.” But I’ll share with you what guidelines I’ve set for myself:
1. Traveling coasters are their own breed. Sure, that wild mouse coaster that you rode is without-a-doubt a coaster, but it’s hard to keep track of where it goes. What if you go to a lot of fairs. What if you unknowingly ride it twice? Keep a separate list of traveling credits and add that to your overall list if you feel it’s necessary.
2. New location… Same coaster. When Deja Vu moved to Silverwood and was renamed Aftershock, it was still the same coaster. Same layout, same track, same just about everything. I don’t classify a new location as a new credit. An exception to this rule would be a coaster such as the Zippin Pippin when it was “moved” to Bay Beach Amusement Park. None of the coaster’s original materials were reused, therefore, I would count the Bay Beach Zippin Pippin as a new credit.
3. Two tracks… two credits. If a coaster has two separate tracks (racing or dueling), I count each side as separate credits. But may sure that you’ve actually ridden both sides.
4. No track… No credit. I don’t count water or trackless rides as credits. Simple as that. A roller coaster needs a rail in order to roll and coast.
These are just the guidelines that I use when counting roller coaster credits.
I invite you to comment below and share any of your own rules that you use when counting credits.
I count moved coasters twice. Granted, I’m not sure that I’ve been on one myself yet. But I would certainly check it off again! I think my biggest dilemma is for the water coasters – Journey to Atlantis is a credit to me, but Splash Mountain isn’t. And then there’s Dudley Do-Right’s, which falls in-between for me.
I agree with your statement about needing to have rails which is why I count the Alpine Coaster at Park City and not the Wildebeest water coaster at Holiday World.
So what about Dudley Do Right’s Ripsaw Falls? It has a track on which it goes down the main drop and airtime hill. It has upstops and restraints. So why is it not a credit? All the Journey to Atlantis flumes have a coaster portion and are on RCDB and disengage from the track at some point just like Ripsaw Falls. So what gives?
question. I have ridden two coasters pippen/thunderbolt, the steel phantom/phantom’s revenge, which the second is a redo of the first. do ‘I get to count 2 coasters or 4 coasters
For me,if it is on RCDB,then it is a credit.If isn’t,whatever.