7. Cheetah Hunt – Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Cheetah hunting sounds illegal, but Busch Gardens Tampa Bay somehow makes it thrilling. In 2011, they added this explosive launch coaster that goes from zero to 60 miles per hour in a matter of seconds. That’s the explanation for the theme, too. Nothing’s faster than a cheetah, right? You’ll feel like one as you tear through 4,429 feet worth of track in only three minutes. This one’s all about velocity, and you clearly love it.

One other note: Cheetah Hunt is currently the 11th ranked attraction on the Theme Park Tourist Top 100. So, everything that you read from this point forward is one of your ten favorite attractions overall, too. Suffice to say that Theme Park Tourists are coaster fanatics. These rides comprise more than half of the top ten.

6. Mystery Mine – Dollywood

This is the head-bumping-est ride on the list, and I say that as someone who lives within an hour of the park. Mystery Mine is truly unique by current roller coaster standards, as the goal of the attraction is to mess with your perspective.

At times, you will face straight up, staring at the roof. That’s by design. As much as any roller coaster ever constructed, Mystery Mine controls the line of sight, almost as if it’s a dark ride structure married to the tracks of a standard coaster. Out of all the coasters you’ve voted for, the presence of Mystery Mine is most surprising because it’s clearly not for everyone due to the bumps, bruises, and nausea it causes. Clearly, its diehard supporters have elevated it to the top of Theme Park Tourist’s Top 100 due to the originality, which is commendable.

5. Nemesis – Alton Towers

Ski-lift roller coasters are such a wonderful idea. Your feet dangle helplessly as you experience roller coaster tracks from a different perspective. You’re hanging from them rather than riding on them. It adds a level of excitement that isn’t possible when you’re in a regular seated position with ground under your feet.

Nemesis at Alton Towers is your favorite example of the inverted roller coaster, the one with a ski lift design. This ride is almost 25 years old, but it’s just as good as ever today, which is another aspect of this coaster style. The technology hasn’t improved much since the 1990s, so the best rides then are still the best today. As one of the first hanging coasters, it’s fitting that Nemesis evokes so much passion this long after its debut in 1994.

4. Expedition Everest – Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney heard the criticism for years. They didn’t construct thrill rides, and their parks were worse for it. Imagineers resented the implication and eventually took steps to refute that silly argument. They built a sublime steel roller coaster that did more than deliver thrills.

As is the Disney way, Expedition Everest also diverted expectations. Sure, it has that glacial build as the rider climbs almost 200 feet in the air. It doesn’t have tracks that drop you straight down from there…well, not ones that you can see. Instead, Disney sagely chose to shoot riders backwards into the dark, spinning the standard roller coaster format into a reverse thrill ride into the abyss. It’s exactly the sort of combination everyone should have expected from Disney.

On one hand, the ride delivers on its promise as a kickass roller coaster. On the other hand, it does so on Disney’s terms rather than following conventional roller coaster design.