Ranking The Top 20 New For 2023 Roller Coasters in the United States

For many parks around the United States, the 2023 theme park season concluded over Halloween weekend. It was a great year for roller coasters, with 30 new roller coasters opened (with several more along the way) in the U.S. in 2023. While we didn’t make it out to every new opening this season (and some coasters still haven’t officially opened this year), we wanted to take a stab at ranking the Top 20 2023 roller coasters that opened in the United States this past year, based on feedback from the Coaster101 team and others who have ridden the coasters we’ve yet to ride.

For the sake of this exercise, we’re ranking just traditional 2023 roller coasters, and not including mountain coasters, though seven new mountain coasters did open in the United States this year, with one more on the way.

Without further adieu, let’s get to the rankings!

T19. Spinning Coaster – Zao Island (Valparaiso, Indiana) & Barrels of Fun – Tweetsie Railroad (Blowing Rock, North Carolina)

There’s not much to be said about these SBF-Visa spinning coasters that hasn’t already been said. Spinning Coaster came to Indiana’s Zao Island from Texas’ Wonderland Amusement Park, while Tweetsie Railroad added Barrels of Fun directly off the IAAPA Expo show floor in Orlando. The coasters, while simple, both give their respective parks the distinction as now being destinations for coaster enthusiasts, as they are the lone coaster credits found at their parks.

18. Farmer’s Fling – Santa’s Village AZoosment Park (Dundee, Illinois)

It might not seem fair to rank a third SBF-Visa spinner higher than the two we just mentioned. But the reason that Farmer’s Fling ranks higher than its figure-eight counterparts comes down to one simple detail: train theming. Have you seen the cow- and pig-themed cars on Farmer’s Fling? They’re adorable, and enough to bump them slightly higher up on this list.

17. Rolling Thunder – Paradise Pier Fun Park (Biloxi, Mississippi)

A fourth coaster from SBF-Visa on this list, Rolling Thunder became the seventh “Hamster Wheel” roller coaster to open in the United States since the model’s debut in 2020. In addition to the coaster’s spinning cars, the train also features two “hamster wheel” cars that rotate around the “Z” axis, rather than the “Y” axis of the spinning cars. The “hamster wheels” aren’t for everyone, but they make for a fun experience at least once!

16. Rookie Racer – Six Flags St. Louis

Rookie Racer’s 843′ of track felt like it was seemingly constructed overnight. During our visit on August 12, the first piece of track had not been placed, and was completed just a week later according to a social media post from the park. The coaster won’t break any records, but does give Six Flags St. Louis its first “built from the ground up” coaster since American Thunder opened in 2008. It provides a great introductory coaster for “coaster enthusiasts in training” visiting the park.

T14. Kid Flash Cosmic Coaster – Six Flags Fiesta Texas & Six Flags Over Georgia

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As of this writing, the debut “P’Sghetti Bowl” coasters from Skyline Attractions have yet to officially open. However, with a released POV video from Six Flags Fiesta Texas, it’s clear that both (technically “all four”) Kid Flash coasters, complete with their “Aurora” LED lighting packages, are going to usher in a new era of family friendly coaster thrills. The intertwined tracks with multiple crossovers look incredible, we just hope that they ride as great as they look — and can’t wait to get to a Six Flags park for a night ride!

13. DarKoaster – Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Utilizing a high speed track switch and multiple launches, riders on DarKoaster traverse more than 2,450′ of total track in complete darkness despite only having 1,400′ of physical track.. DarKoaster is a great “tweener” coaster between Grover’s Alpine Express and InvadR or Verbolten, but given its relatively low capacity, it’s tough to rank it much higher on this list. During our rides during media day, we had the following thoughts:

“Longtime Busch Gardens fans will appreciate the callbacks to DarKastle, families and “coaster enthusiasts in training” will appreciate that the park has complemented its coaster lineup with an accessible ride that’s not too intense (and the air conditioning), and hardcore coaster enthusiasts will appreciate the forceful launches, snappy transitions, and the fact that there’s now 10 coaster credits at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.”

12. Flying Viking – Adventureland (Iowa)

The second “Junior Coaster/Super Flume” combination of Integrated Rides from Zamperla, Flying Viking at Adventureland benefits from the surrounding views of the intertwined Drakken Falls while providing an incredibly smooth ride experience. When I rode it during the summer, I was quick to point out the range of accessibility of the attraction for everyone from younger riders to hardcore coaster enthusiasts.

“Flying Viking is a perfect roller coaster for families and/or those who want the thrill of a roller coaster, but don’t necessarily want to deal with the height, forces, and speed that come with a larger roller coaster. With less than 1,500′ of track, a height of 50′ tall, and a top speed that wouldn’t get you a ticket in most residential neighborhoods, Flying Viking isn’t breaking any records, but a seat in the back row subjects riders to a decent bit of lateral forces, especially in the ride’s two 450-degree helices.”

11. Aquaman: Power Wave – Six Flags Over Texas

On August 29, 2019, Six Flags Over Texas announced that the park would be adding the United States’ first MACK Rides Power Splash in 2020…Then in 2022…then in March of 2023. A perfect way to “beat the heat” during the hot summers in Texas, Aquaman: Power Wave is part multi-launch coaster, part “Shoot the Chutes,” made possible by some fantastic engineering. While the ride is just 70 seconds long, the addition of a turntable loading station has yimproved the capacity, and I can’t wait to get to Texas to experience this attraction for myself.

10. Arctic Rescue – SeaWorld San Diego

The second “straddle” coaster on this list after DarKoaster, Arctic Rescue ranks higher than its east coast counterpart largely in part to its sprawling outdoor layout and visible theming. There’s double the amount of physical track on Arctic Rescue than DarKoaster, and while SeaWorld San Diego’s height limitations mean that this coaster spends most of its time winding through its twisted path at ground level, the closeness to the terrain provides an added sense of excitement that both enthusiasts and those who are scared of heights will both appreciate. In a park that previously lacked a true “entry level” roller coaster, Arctic Rescue fills that gap in a fantastic way.

9. Primordial – Lagoon

Part roller coaster, part interactive dark ride, Primordial and the giant mountain surrounding it have been years in the making at Utah’s Lagoon Park. Standing 85′ tall and reaching top speeds of 40mph, Primordial’s “spinning cars” are actually more of a controlled rotation designed to point riders, equipped with laser blasters, towards the 3D screens inside the ride, but also pivot to send riders backwards and down a section of “drop track” in its less than 2,000′ of track. Primordial appears to be a great ride for families, and I know personally that I’d love to see more interactive roller coasters in locations that were a little bit more convenient for me to travel to!

8. Wild Mouse – Cedar Point

For several months in 2023, Wild Mouse at Cedar Point was definitely the most important Zamperla project at “America’s Roller Coast.” An anchor attraction in Cedar Point’s new “Boardwalk” area, the custom twister coaster from Zamperla breathed new life into the “family coaster” genre at Cedar Point, with its 42″ minimum height requirement (with a companion). While the coaster isn’t a “true” wild mouse in the sense of the name, the elements of hairpin turns and sudden drops are enhanced with the added overbanked curves and helices not typically found on coasters that bear the “Wild Mouse” name.

“I was a bit apprehensive about the spinning aspect as I get dizzy easily,” wrote C101 writer Nick during his experience earlier this year. “However, with a balanced car (adults on the sides, kids in the middle) we didn’t spin too much. We spent most of the ride going sideways or backwards. Overall, I thought it was a fun ride!”

7. TRON: Lightcycle Run – Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom

Another roller coaster that was delayed several years in its opening, TRON: Lightcycle Run has brought “The Grid” to the Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. The highly-themed experience begins before even boarding the coaster while wandering through the queue. TRON’s initial 59mph indoor-to-outdoor launch into a sweeping banked curve makes it the fastest attraction at the Magic Kingdom by a wide margin, and the highly themed indoor section leaves no stone unturned when it comes to replicating the look and feel of the 2010 film TRON: Legacy. For a quick recap, here’s what Shane Joseph on the Coaster101 team had to say following his first rides.

“While the ride time is short, it still feels like a substantial experience and everyone on my train was smiling from ear to ear each time we pulled into the final brakes. As a roller coaster, this ranks third or fourth at Walt Disney World, behind Cosmic Rewind, Expedition Everest and Rock n Roller Coaster, but as an overall experience from the outdoor plaza through the queue and on the actual ride, it’s easily second. It’s the perfect addition for Magic Kingdom, which was lacking a truly high tech modern ride experience that provides a higher thrill but can still be enjoyed by most park guests and isn’t too intense.”

6. Zambezi Zinger – Worlds of Fun

Photo courtesy of Worlds of Fun

In celebration of the park’s 50th anniversary, Worlds of Fun brought back a (re-imagined) classic with Zambezi Zinger in 2023, ending a 14-year “coaster drought” at the park in the process. Featuring Great Coasters International and Skyline Attractions’ new “Infinity Flyer” trains and a spiral lift hill comprised of both companies’ new Titan Track, Zambezi Zinger pays a wonderful tribute to its predecessor while also further bolstering Worlds of Fun’s wooden coaster line up of Prowler and the recently-redesigned Timber Wolf. According to guest writer Dani Lasher, “Zinger’s” layout is enjoyable, and made better by the amount of time the coaster is hugging the ground throughout its course.

“The new Zambezi Zinger really delivers on offering an experience that mimics the style and layout of its predecessor, but adds a new level of thrill to its design. The coaster spends most of its layout, especially its second half, hugging the terrain as close to the ground as it possibly can, much like the original did, and occasionally mixing in a small airtime hill. The newest aspect of the ride (and the part that I think of as the most fun) is that it features quick, snappy transitions that only seem to amp up as the coaster traverses its layout. These quick transitions, along with the low-to-the-ground track, make the second half of the coaster feel like it’s flying all the way up until the final brake run.”

5. Matugani – Lost Island Theme Park

It’s debatable whether or not we should include a coaster that was a transplant so high on this list, but Matugani’s addition gives Lost Island Theme Park a more “complete” attraction lineup, joining the Nopuko Air Coaster and Volkanu: Quest for the Golden Idol as signature attractions at the park. One of the “shorter” Intamin accelerator coasters ever built, the former “Kanonen” at Sweden’s Liseberg packs a punch that one might not typically expect to find at a family-owned park in a small Iowa Town. It can be summed up best in a quick few sentences in our “Small Park Showcase” article we wrote after our visit.

“Don’t let its relatively small stature fool you, Matugani is a snake that still has some bite.”

4. Big Bear Mountain – Dollywood

When a family-friendly roller coaster can crack the top four best roller coasters to open in the United States in a calendar year, you know it’s something special. When Big Bear Mountain opened at Dollywood earlier this year, it became the longest roller coaster at Dollywood. While the coaster has a relatively small stature – just 66′ tall at its peak, much of its nearly 4,000′ of track hugs the terrain surrounding Wildwood Grove, which makes it “feel” faster than its top speed of 48 mph. In a review on Coaster101.com, writer John Stevenson was quoted as saying:

“Big Bear Mountain is a fantastic addition to Dollywood’s coaster roster. With a 39″ minimum height requirement, many members of the family will be able to ride. And while it’s billed as a family-friendly coaster, it’s a thrill coaster — thrilling enough to appease fans of the park’s bigger offerings like Lightning Rod and Wild Eagle. The coaster’s transitions are snappy, and it zips along with a blazing momentum that lasts all the way to the brake run.”

“One thing I love most about Dollywood is the fact that they have so many different levels of coasters,” added C101 writer Kyle Lindner, “There are intro coasters for the smallest thrill seekers, slightly larger ones in Dragonflier and Firechaser Express, and then the big thrills. Big Bear Mountain fills in the gap between these ever so perfectly. It is absolutely enjoyable for adults as well as the young ones.”

3. Pipeline: The Surf Coaster – SeaWorld Orlando

Surf’s up at SeaWorld Orlando as we head into the top three “new for 2023” coasters that opened in the United States this year. The prototype “Surf” coaster from Bolliger & Mabillard – the next generation of the “stand-up” coaster, took all of the good things about previous stand-up models and took away the head-banging and groin-banging. Featuring a 0-60mph LSM launch, a butter smooth layout, and “more forgiving” stand-up trains that allow riders to catch moments of airtime while standing up, Pipeline: The Surf Coaster is a fantastic addition to not only SeaWorld Orlando, but to all of the roller coasters that opened in 2023. Coaster101 writers Mike Martin and Shane Joseph were both impressed during their first rides!

“Pipeline fills out SeaWorld’s lineup while still being true to what park goers are used to,” said Shane. “The unique design will make this a must-ride for enthusiasts visiting Orlando.”

“It definitely is a one-of-a-kind experience,” added Mike. “It basically removes everything I didn’t like about B&M stand-up coasters (the locked in seats and restraints), but still brings in all of the thrills. My first impression of the ride reminded me of Georgia Scorcher at Six Flags Over Georgia. The Scorcher is probably the best B&M stand-up coaster. Pipeline takes everything good about that ride and takes it up to the next level.”

2. ArieForce One – Fun Spot America Atlanta

To rank a roller coaster at a family entertainment center with no “real” coaster history as the second-best coaster to open in the United States in 2023 speaks to just how good ArieForce One is. Built from the ground up by Rocky Mountain Construction, ArieForce One features a little bit of everything that has made RMC one of the premiere coaster designers in recent history. It reads almost like an “RMC greatest hits” of sorts – airtime before the lift hill, unique inversions, wave turns, barrel rolls, a quad down, along with the world’s longest zero-gravity stall.

“ArieForce One is a coaster that demands multiple rides to appreciate everything that is packed into its 100-second ride time. No inch of track is wasted. There is airtime or some other crazy force squeezed into every second,” wrote John Stevenson during his review. “This coaster is no doubt a turning point and game-changer for Fun Spot America Atlanta. I hope that it also encourages other similarly-sized parks to consider building their own monster RMC coasters. The world could certainly use more of them.”

1. Wildcat’s Revenge – Hersheypark

When getting to this point, it’s tough to truly distinguish what makes one Rocky Mountain Coaster better than another. Hersheypark’s former Wildcat coaster has gone under the “RMC Conversion” knife, and has emerged with vibrant red rails set upon black steel track, in a mass of tangled wood and steel that claim our honor as the best new roller coaster of 2023 in the United States. Let the Coaster101 team tell you why from their reviews.

“Wildcat’s Revenge is everything an RMC hybrid should be — intense, fast-paced, overflowing with ejector airtime, packed with dizzying inversions and fun — lots and lots of fun,” said John Stevenson.

“Wildcat’s Revenge is one of the very few rides I’d classify as coaster-perfection, it is the ideal amount of all of the classic coaster elements,” added Kyle Lindner.

“Wildcat’s Revenge encompasses what it takes to be a well-rounded coaster, making this my new #1 in the park,” concluded native northeasterner and C101 Guest Writer Evan Scharf. “If you’re looking for speed and ejector airtime, I defer to Skyrush. If it’s floater airtime you’re after, Candymonium is your coaster. Inversions? Fahrenheit. If you’re looking for all the above, Wildcat’s Revenge has it all. It’s not only the best roller coaster at Hersheypark, not only the best roller coaster in Pennsylvania — it’s the best roller coaster in the Northeast United States.”