Top 30 Coasters by Arrow Dynamics
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- Arrow Dynamics was one of the most influential roller coaster manufacturers of all-time. They reintroduced the inversion and suspended coaster. They also did many firsts: first coaster with tubular steel, first mine train, first full-circuit hyper coaster, and first fourth dimension coaster. But which of their coasters were the best? Find out in this countdown!
Video Credits
Adventure Express POV (Kings Island)- • Video
Anaconda POV (The Coaster Scoop)- • Anaconda Kings Dominio...
Bat (Kings Island)- • Fly with The Original ...
Big Bad Wolf Off-Ride (Sean Flaharty)- • Big Bad Wolf - The Fin...
Big One Off-Ride (Dylans Coaster Universe)- • Big One Off Ride Foota...
Canyon Blaster Off-Ride (coastercrutchfield)- • Canyon Blaster (Off-ri...
Demon POV (California's Great America)- • Take a Virtual Ride on...
Desperado (Savage Coasters)- • Desperado is Open! (ag...
Drachen Fire (Sean Flaharty)- • Drachen Fire Off-Ride ...
Great American Scream Machine (psyclonesteve)- • The Great American Scr...
Magnum XL-200 Off-Ride (Coaster College)- • Ultimate Magnum XL-200...
Ninja POV (Six Flags Magic Mountain)- • Ninja
River King Mine Train POV (Six Flags St. Louis)- • Six Flags St. Louis Ri...
Shockwave (psyclonesteve)- • SCHOCKWAVE SIX FLAGS ...
Steel Phantom (Sean Flaharty)- • Steel Phantom - The Fi...
Steeplechase POV (Theme Park Worldwide)- • Steeplechase On Ride P...
Tennessee Tornado POV (Dollywood)- • Tennessee Tornado POV
Thunderation POV (Silver Dollar City)- • Thunderation POV - Sil...
Vampire Off-Ride (Mr Coller Roaster via No Copyright Coasters)- • Vampire - No Copyright...
Vortex Off-Ride (ElToroRyan)- • Vortex Off-Ride Video ...
Yagiyama Cyclone (Sean Flaharty)- • POV of Yagiyama Cyclon...
Background Music
Cinematic Motivational Trailer by Infraction [No Copyright Music] / Film- • Cinematic Motivational...
![[REUPLOAD: IMPROVED AUDIO] Oceangate Titan: analysis of an insultingly predictable failure](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4eNm8vnKZ38/mqdefault.jpg)
It was pointed out that if I had Big Thunder Mountain, I should have included Space Mountain on this list. Sorry for that oversight. The Tokyo one would have been towards the bottom of the top 10 and the Florida one would have been at the number 2 spot.
The hill up to the second midcourse on right side track of space mountain is amazing. Also does the left side run any differently to the right as I’ve never actually been on that side of the coaster only right track
@@braxtonradcliffe8448 the right station/left side of ride is absolutely the best. It's smoother, and faster. I did both sides back to back twice each
Are you on the spectrum?
It’s hard to imagine what the amusement industry would be like without Arrow.
True.
The boring truth is PTC would've developed the same/very similar technology. Golden Nugget (AKA Black Diamond) demonstrates they were willing to go there. And Disney still would have wanted technology like that, and they'd go with whoever was ambitious enough. I will admit though, it's difficult to imagine coasters so different from their portfolio being built by PTC.
Less intense but Smoother
They definitely made their mark.
@@CanobieCoaster i'm so glad that Vampire still exists in Chessington world of adventures.
The more I ride Arrows, the more I love them. I like all the imperfections in the designs. It makes for some janky transitions that you've got to watch out for, but it also gives them character. The only Arrow that I feel tracks rough is Thunderation, but 1 of the 2 trains does ride quite smooth.
I prefer smoother transitions, but they can cause some odd sensations.
Big One is my favourite out of the three I have ridden and that drop is just insane and the interaction with the other rides is amazing!
That drop doesn't get enough credit.
Anyone else who actually enjoys Arrow’s rough transitions like I do? I just find them unique and fun for some reason
I prefer smoother transitions myself.
I enjoy them, but I don't prefer them. Arrow coasters are fun because of the jank, just like modern coasters are fun because of the smoothness
I’ve ridden Desperado several times. It is rough, but I’ve always enjoyed it.
I hope to try it someday.
My favorite Arrow coasters are:::
1. Desperado: Back Seat ride only…so much extreme airtime and totally out of control Wild and fast!
2. X2
3. Magnum
4. Ninja
5. Canyon Blaster
6. Matterhorn
7. Space Mountain
8. Viper
9. Titan (defunct) Probably the 4th best overall on this list.
10. Tennessee Tornado
Wow, that's one of the best reviews of Desperado that I've heard.
Vortex at Kings Island is my favorite arrow ever. I'm VERY lucky to own a piece of its track rail! (I have a video showing it off on my channel!) (My thread on KICentral was one of the sole reasons they were even sold at all, which is really cool!!) It was the original mega looper. That color scheme is my favorite ever and it was beautiful. Plus those first 2 inversions absolutely plastered you to the seat, and the corkscrews gave good hangtime. RIP Vortex. 1987-2019
That's cool you bought a piece of it!
Special place in my heart. XLR8 at Astroworld is the first rollercoaster I remember riding.
I was a ride op. on XLR-8. It took them over a month to plasma cut this coaster apart. I wish I had a "chunk" of it. Got a bolt from Excalibur & Serpent though.
Wish I could have made it to that park.
@@CanobieCoaster Astroworld at night had serious charm. Keep up the good work!
Canyon Blaster is my favorite Arrow I’ve ridden so far. I’m lucky to live just 20 minutes from the park. It’s the coaster that made me love Arrow Dynamics and their work.
Nice!
I love arrow,even tho there sometimes rough I can look past a rough or boring ride experience if it has good history. That’s why arrow is my favorite manufacturer
I agree I love arrows rides I can handle the roughness of the sudden jarring and jerks in some of their roller coasters but they're fun that's what makes it a ride
They did so much for the industry.
I wish arrow hadn't gone bankrupt I would have liked to see How they would have adapted to the current Years Also their concept of a pipeline roller coaster they had planning was interesting
They really had some great rides at the end.
I grew up on the defunt Orient Express at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City. It was the second coaster they built with interlocking loops after Lochness Monster. I agree Tennessee Tornado is great.
Wish I could have tried Orient Express.
Arrow deserves more love.
They innovated a lot.
I’ve been on Desperado, Dragon Mountain, Vortex (CW), Big Thunder, Viper (SFDL), my fave: Canyon Blaster (Adventuredome)
Nice!
You're too young to have experienced it when it was smooth, but Orient Express at World of Fun was faster and more intense than Loch Ness Monster, the other interlocking looper. Arrow only made 2. The batwing and interlocking loops and the first drop in the 7th car made me pop out of my seat all the time! It got rough sometime in the 90s. I don't know where you'd rate it, but I'm sure it would've been on your list.
That one looked pretty good.
Absolutely love the thumbnail of this video!
Thanks!
Great video, this has been a unique and fun series! Arrow was pretty great
Glad you enjoyed it!
I got to meet with a lot of Arrow guys @ the IAAPA Expo's. Ron Toomer (got his autograph) Ed & Dana Morgan also met them. They had even more stuff they had planned to build, like the Flying Turns & spinning coaster. Now spinners are everywhere!
Very cool!
Yes X2 is the king of Arrow coasters!
Sure is.
This is the one I've been waiting for. I still love Arrow. Growing up Arrow coasters were the standard but became slowly replaced by B&M as I was a teenager. But when i think of a coaster I still think of an Arrow coaster. And while their work has led other manufacturers to exceed their accomplishments, their very best coasters still remain some of the greatest coasters ever built (especially X2 and Magnum.)
They were so innovative.
It was great. So interesting to see other coasters that were built by Arrow. We have 2, Vortex, which is fast and very cool and Dragon Fyre which is a double loop and corkscrew. I love both of them. Favorites.
I think Vortex is my third favorite at the park behind Leviathan and Behemoth. Great ride
Vortex is the far better of those 2.
@@deluxedoorman yep! Agreed, it is a great ride.
I loved Vortex at KI, even though I only got one ride on it. GASM at Great Adventure was one I got to experience and I remember it being a lot rougher in comparison. I have yet to experience Viper at Magic Mountain. Big Bad Wolf was another great ride I was sad to see go. But I'm glad Loch Ness Monster is still around. It may not be the most intense ride but there's no denying that's probably helped prolong it's life compared to Arrow's larger loopers. I still think it's a great ride anyway.
As a fellow Vortex lover, I suspect you will also love Viper as well
Vortex at KI is my 2nd favorite from Arrow. In the back car, especially with a full train, I would get strong ejector airtime. The inversions were all great, and it did ride smooth in the back car. Viper at Magic Mountain is my 3rd favorite Arrow, not too far behind Vortex. Viper doesn't have the airtime drops, but it's faster and more intense. It's given me my only lifetime blackout. It's got a couple janky transitions, but it's overall smooth.
I imagine Great American Scream Machine wouldn't have bothered me too much since my ears clear the top of the harnesses to make the headbanging more bearable.
I miss the Orient Express at Worlds of fun. That was my first steel coaster.
Never rode that one sadly.
I've been on what's ranked No. VI recently. Like a month and a half ago amid winter break.
Nice!
I would put space mountain at Disneyland in the top five personally, but I enjoy looking at your list
It is a fun ride, but what really makes it great are the setting and effects. I wonder how much Arrow had to do with creating all the stuff that makes Space Mountain so unique. I would guess it was probably mostly Disney. The coaster itself, if you take away the theming and effects, is not that amazing. Watch a lights on video of it. Either way, it’s a lot of fun and worth riding.
@@Incuensuocha I agree standing alone in a field it wouldn’t impress, but same could be said for big thunder and Matterhorn both which made the list
I never rode the old Space Mountain at Disneyland, but I absolutely should have had the Florida one on there. That was an oversight.
@@CanobieCoaster the Disneyland one is so superior even to the magic kingdom one
Still loved the list mate!
@@zacharygambler9306 The new Disneyland one is a Dynamics Attractions one (since it was rebuilt in full).
As a 5'4 14 year old who rode loch ness monster earlier this month, I can say that it really isnt shaky at all. it only shakes at the top of the hills where it has a small shake where you might hit your head but it is easy not to and doesnt hurt.
It's worse the shorter you are.
I wouldn't say Viper at Magic Mountain has wonky pacing, imo the midcourse slamming you to a stop results in some of the best and most graceful hangtime around. That batwing in the back car is just magical. Though I will 100% say that I'm biased, I also have it ranked #11... overall.
You definitely like it more than me.
LONG live Arrow Dynamics!! I always love an Arrow coaster. I know that some of them have some badddd transitions. But hey they were learning and taught the entire industry! History!
They did so much!
What do you think about Bat at Kings Island in comparison to Vortex at Canada's Wonderland in positive Gs?
Vortex has more Gs.
Which restraints does Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain use? How are your head and ears positioned there?
Over the shoulder harnesses. I'm tall enough my ears are above them.
Great show!
It's crazy to think about this, but historically, Cedar Point is the home that Arrow built. Five Coasters - the most by manufacturers at Cedar Point for coasters, plus Snake River and I think the Auto ride as well.
I'm excited to see the brand new Adventure Express theming at King's Island, but if was up to me, I'd love it to go back to it's Indiana Jones roots and finish the ride up the lift, "Temple of Doom" style with Mola Ram shouting, "Kali Ma" before entering the station.
Also - King's Island Bat is my legit fave Arrow, although I have let to go on X2.
Arrow helped those 2 parks a lot.
A bit random but the track design for the standard arrow coasters and the old gen vekoma track (they have very similar designs as arrow essentially taught vekoma how to design rides) is by far my favourite track type aesthetically speaking; it just looks so traditional in a good way. The smoothness on the other hand…
It does look good!
Before I watch I am predicting X2 in the top spot, Magnum top 5, probably Tennessee Tornado top 5 also.
How did I do?
Will watch now.
Correct!
To ride, of the operating Arrow suspended coasters, what do you think about Iron Dragon at Cedar Point and Vortex at Canada's Wonderland?
Iron Dragon is a tame one, but Vortex is fast and forceful.
You should do a video on Arrows extinct coasters that are no longer in operation like Excalibur at Six Flags AstroWorld which originally opened in 1972 as Dexter Freebish Electric Roller Ride it was the first mine train to have a high lift hill it paved the way for other mine trained like Gemini to go high up in the air for a lift. Then XLR-8 Six Flags AstroWorld was the first successful swinging Coaster by Arrow it open before the Big Bad Wolf. Yes Six Flags AstroWorld was shut down in 2005.
As a former ride op. I have bolts or parts from many rides. Excalibur, Serpent, Serial, Viper, Lightnig, Cyclone, Mindbender, Astroway. BTW in the mechanics shop, the oil used for the wheel bearings was in a 55 gallon drum. The sign over it read Dexter Oil. They never renamed it Excalibur Oil. May have been sold at auction. Greezed Liightnig & XLR-8 also had signage.
Excalibur looked like a cool mine train with that big drop.
Wow, even on the top 30 list, ShockWave is chopped liver. Lol. Oh well. I will always remember how epic that big blue coaster looked. It's really a shame it wasn't perfected and smoothed out for all the sissies out there. I personally loved how violent shockwave felt. Such a kick ass ride. No bs stomach drops, just gnarly positive G's through and through.
I never rode Shock Wave, which is why it did not make the list. I suspect it would have placed near Magic Mountain's Viper.
@@CanobieCoasterShockwave was the original bad boy. The wild one. Also the prettiest to look at. Lol
Out of 39 arrow credits, Desperado only is behind X2, Magnum, Gemini, and Tennessee Tornado for me. It is right ahead of Excalibur and Viper at SFMM. Shockwave at SFGAm is next as I rode that coaster a lot as a kid.
I hope I can get on it someday!
There was an Arrow coaster at the 19882 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. It did not have seat restraints. I believe it was driven up a corkscrew lift. Where might I find information about this coaster?
Fair coasters can be tricky to find information about unfortunately. I haven't heard of that one. Are you sure it wasn't a Schwarzkopf Jumbo Jet?
Thank you for the suggestion! I'm not a follower of coasters, so I was guessing based on various videos I've seen here on CZcams. That coaster could very well have been the one. I can see how it might not 'need' restraints with all the pressure placed upon the riders in the turns as well as the minimal drops. Over the years I've wondered if I was merely a dumb kid (now a dumb adult) and didn't see the seatbelt. However, the ride attendant didn't check either, leading me to believe there was none. I understand that a restraintless coaster was uncommon, but not unheard of. I had just turned 9 at the time and I remember recounting to my shocked parents that it didn't have a seatbelt after getting off. @@CanobieCoaster
I love ur thumbnail ❤
Thanks!
First time I went on runaway mine train at great adventure I was laughing the entire time. I love those old janky mine trains lol
They can be fun.
So what would you rate Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point?
Probably an 8-9.
Is ninja at six flags St Louis not on this list or is it on the vekoma video
Vekoma
See Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds. So what would you rate it?
I believe I made a review for that one answering that.
I’m surprised you included the big Thunder mountains, but not space mountain at magic kingdom. I believe arrow had a play in that coaster
Oh yeah good point. I consider Space Mountain an Arrow, it definitely feels like one lol.
That was an oversight. Space Mountain should have been on there.
Love Magnum XL-200. My favorite Arrow Ive done over X2
I can see why people could prefer that.
Arrow changed everything
They really did.
Arrow used computer aided design, but they never made the jump to computer aided manufacturing. Their tracks were still handmade on-site by skilled metalworkers. The company had a long history of metalwork and fabrication, from even before they made amusement park attractions. They started off as a fabrication and repair shop for cars and trucks. They aren't perfect, but that's what makes them special. Serious blood, sweat, and tears went into that track.
They did a lot of innovating and I respect that.
Epic
Thanks!
My favorite is Matterhorn Bobsleds. I like the theming this ride has and it's cool how it runs its way through the mountain on two tracks unpredictably. It's a shame how Arrow is no longer with us today because with how its competitor Vekoma has completely changed its image in recent years, it would've been cool to see what kind of rides Arrow could be building today.
It would be interesting to see what Arrow would do today given how much their later rides changed.
As someone who is 6/7 and all torso I can appreciate Gemini and Magnum as they are some of the only old steel coasters I can ride.
That's a fair point.
I've heard from multiple people that "Eagles Fortress" was the best coaster they've ever experienced. Basically Big Bad Wolf on steroids. An experience unlike anything else. I'm just sad I never got to ride it.
I've heard it was amazing.
My current favorite coaster by Arrow Dynamics is Tennesee Tornado at Dollywood. It's short but sweet.
That's a great one.
Canobie Coaster, you never rode the defunct Arrow mega looper at Six Flags Great Adventure, that was considered by many enthusiasts as a rough ride, and could you have hated it or liked it?
I probably would have rated it similar to the Magic Mountain Viper.
Probably the best defunct manufacturer, Arrow coasters are honestly some if my favorites. Arrow Loopers would have intense positive G Loops, the suspended coaster were fun and nuts at times. And then the unique ones like hypers and the 4d coaster. I hear X2 is the vest Arrow but iv only ridden Magnum which is easily one of the best coasters to exist, without a doubt top 3 at CP. Arrow was one if the best manufacturers and even if they were still around to this day and didn't make any more coasters, they would still be one of the best. Extremely sad what happened.
I wish they were still around.
So what would you rate Viper at Six Flags Magic Mountain?
Probably a 6 or 7.
How many Arrow and Vekoma looping coasters do you know in the world with hangtime?
Vekoma has put more hangtime on their newer coasters.
I really like the arrow loopers
They're solid rides.
So what would you rate Road Runner Express at Six Flags Fiesta Texas?
See my review.
I miss Arrow so much
They did so much.
My favorite Arrow is Magnum XL at Cedar Point. X2 at Magic Mountain may change that in 2024.
Hope you like X2!
Shockwave was great! 💙🤍 janky and headache inducing, but the drop and height were awesome, especially when I rode it for the first time when I was 8. Made me feel I could conquer Raging Bull when it opened.
It's a bummer it was removed.
So what would you rate Anaconda at Kings Dominion?
Probably a 5.
Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😄
Thanks!
@@CanobieCoaster No Problem😄
Are you going to ride and review exodus when that releases in 2024?
I'd like to.
if you ride ninja at night in the back, it becomes a much wilder experience. can’t recommend it enough
I can see how that would be a great night ride.
With steeplechase when you said it would be fun, as someone who is 6ft 5 and has been on the big one with steeplechase what you meant is pure terror
Big One's drop is excellent.
@@CanobieCoaster really is
Do you think Desperado will ever operate again?
I hope so. I wanna ride it lol
I hope so, but I'm very skeptical.
I'd like to see Anacomda get the Phantom's Revenge treatment. It's got a good location, and it would be able to keep the areas of high investment (chassis, station, lift, footers), thus reducing cost. In the case of Anaconda, I imagine they'd also reuse the drop into the tunnel. I honestly find it surprising that more parks with larger scale Arrow loopers haven't done that yet.
That's interesting. I don't think the ride has as big of a following though.
@@CanobieCoaster True. I'm more thinking about the potential, that being something like Lightning Run with a setting over water and a tunnel. And perhaps better trains being that the Morgan refit of Arrow trains is a lot better than the trains with shinguards on Lightning Run. The concept has very strong potential if KD wanted a lower cost replacement for Anaconda that would be high quality and be able to play to any nostalgia locals may have for it.
How have you been to so many countries
I have a good job that also includes some travel.
Was Carolina Cyclone at Carowinds the roughest coaster for you in the world?
No
I think Big Bad John is quite underrated. I’d personally put it miles above River King.
I haven't ridden River King in quite some time, so I may need to reride it to see if it's noticeably worse than Big Bad John.
X² is my favorite, but Viper is at Magic Mountain is a close second.
I much prefer X2.
Top 3 agree. Not sure if you can call x2 a arrow alone. By your logic phantom revenge should be on this list
I count X2 as Arrow since the track and layout is all Arrow. I agree S&S made some changes, most notably to the trains. Whereas Phantom's Revenge had 75% of the layout completely redone.
I love Demon at Great America, because there is never a line and I can ride it 20 times in a row
Nice!
That runaway mine train was kinda cool and I'd call it good if it weren't for all 3 of my friends and I walking away with bruises and pain
Yikes!
I didn't like Magnum in the one back seat ride I had. Maybe we had a bad ride, I don't know. This was in 2001, 22 years ago, and it wasn't rough per se, it was just really "janky". On my return visit to CP years later, I skipped it, no jokes! Had a half day there so prioritised things like dragster which I hadn't ridden and so forth. We just didn't get much airtime on Magnum at all, much like Steel force where we actually got zero on a back car ride (cold rainy night maybe)? Then again, I wonder if you had really bad rides on Ninja cause I've always had great ones in the back car. I would have put it about 15th. No airtime or anything but I always found it a heap of fun speeding around the mountain. Surprised you didn't.
Magnum is definitely janky. I know it's not for everyone, but I genuinely like it.
Imagine riding again:
Canyon Blaster at Great Escape
Iron Dragon at Cedar Point
Anaconda at Kings Dominion
Viper at Six Flags Darien Lake
What would you think?
The loopers are solid.
Sad that there arent alot of those in eurpe.
It is.
Is Big Thunder Mountain even an Arrow coaster? I’d like to know the history behind this, the transitions don’t look like Arrow transitions
I've heard Arrow was heavily involved in the two US Big Thunder Mountains.
@@CanobieCoaster oh ok, I didn’t know that
Never been to Cedar Point?
Nevermind I guess you’ve never ridden the three other arrows there. All smoother than Demon
I've been to Cedar Point several times.
Where is Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom?
That was an oversight since RCDB pulled up WED even though Arrow was involved.
Have you ridden all of these?
Yes
runawayyyyy mineee trainnnnn
A classic.
Magnum is my favriot normal hyper coaster
Guessing you love the ejector on the return run.
the whole ride is awsome
I would have put Iron Dragon on the list above a few of the mine trains.
I find that to be a weak suspended unfortunately.
The Florida Thunder Mountain at Magic Kingdom was actually built by Vekoma, not arrow.
Ah ok, thanks!
Where is space mountain?
I put a comment. I forgot about that one since RCDB doesn't list Arrow as the manufacturer officially.
Magnum is #1!
I prefer X2, but Magnum is up there.
Last Thing I Would Call Loch Ness Monster Is Shaky Or Rough
I definitely find it shaky at points. Still fun though.
I love thunderation at sdc its 3 miles from my house but it recently hit a worker and under investigation😢
Oh no!
honestly i find it hilarious that X2 made arrow go bankrupt
It's honestly sad since Arrow was doing so well at the end.
@@CanobieCoaster yea got a point
Second!
Nice!
Consider yourself LUCKY you never rode Scream Machine. It made your head into a pinball. Too many rides would have put you at risk for CTE.
I think my head would have cleared the top of the harness, avoiding headbanging.
Matterhorn Bobsled Is Not On my Top 25 Favorite Roller Coasters That I Ridden Coming Soon
Is In My Top 10 Worst Roller Coasters Coming Soon
How I Re-Ride This with no Pain
I don't mind how Matterhorn throws yoh around, but I know some find it uncomfortable.
You can’t listen to enthusiasts who complain about Desperado being too rough which is not any rougher then Magnum. Enthusiasts in my experience are way over sensitive to a rough coaster. They consider a rattle to be rough and a lot of these enthusiasts are too young so they think everything is rough that was built before the year 2000. Until an enthusiast has at least over 500 non kiddie Coaster credits will I listen to their opinions
People who love Magnum seem to bash Desperado, so I'd love to ride it for myself someday.
Currently x2 is my favorite arrow, but IMO it's extremely overrated, and I could see Magnum taking its spot.
Edit: Rode Magnum, its my number 3 coaster out of about 100 credits.
I love how unique X2 is.
30th
Nice!
Disneys big thunder mountain was made by vekoma. Idk why disney stopped doing buisness with arrow and did buisness with vekoma instead. Why leave one comoany for another that builds the exact same coasters.
Not sure why.
When great americs closes six flags should buy the demon and add its inversions to their demon.
That would be something cool.