My dad used to be a roller coaster operator (when he was a teen), and he says that wooden ones can be rougher on you (b/c wood rots and stuff); in comparison metal doesnt rot, and they can put anti-rust on it. just my 2₵
RollerCoasters
A place to talk about roller coasters and parks that have them. Everyone is welcome here to both learn and to celebrate these magnificent machines designed to scare you.
Here are some important resources:
Images are welcome if they are of high quality and it doesn't get out of hand. Please use PostImages to upload your image and then use that link in the URL field of your post (other image sites are permitted but Post Images has the best policies and compatibility).
Some basic rules:
-
Opinions, theories, and facts are all welcome – but be clear about what you’re saying.
-
Back up facts with sources as much as possible
-
No spam or sell-promotion. Linking to your own media or site is permissible only if it’s specifically related to a topic/post that someone else created.
-
No photos or videos taken on the rides. This is dangerous and shouldn't be encouraged.
-
Limit political discussion. When discussed it must be park related.
-
No fictional coasters (models, no limits, planet coaster, etc)
-
No posting personal information.
-
No shaming of anyone. We all can continue to learn and not everyone knows everything -- and that's ok.
Not exactly the case. Wooden coasters can actually outlast a steel coaster if it's properly maintained. Unfortunately, at least in the US, the problem is that most parks don't care enough to maintain the wooden coasters. There are shining examples of what a wooden coaster should be like (Phoenix at Knoebels, Mystic Timbers at Kings Island, any of the woodies at Holiday World or Kennywood) but they are the exception to the rule sadly.
The biggest thing is that wooden coasters are fairly easily to replace wood on while replacing steel can be more complicated.
Maaan, at this point I'll take any roller coaster. It has been way too long! It seems like whenever I'm at a location with an opportunity to ride one, no one else is interested, or fate conspires against me.
You can lap coasters when you're alone with single rider lines
I wish we had more single rider lines in the US. Universal is one of the few parks that consistently use them. Six Flags tried (and some may still have them) but, for the most part, they can't manage them well at all.