World's Firsts
Launches
Special Track Elements
Europe
Defunct
200
The first in the Six Flags chain, this now-famous park opened in 1961.
Six Flags Over Texas
200
Intamin introduced the LIM Launch to their inverted coasters in 1998, but the first and only built with a complete circuit was this ride.
Volcano, The Blast Coaster
200
The only two roller coasters in the world to feature a vertical bounce track are only a 250 mile drive from each other; Winjas at Phantasisland, and this roller coaster at Europa Park.
Voltron at Europa Park
200
With the closure of The Ultimate at Lightwater Valley, this hyper coaster is now the longest roller coaster in Europe.
Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach
200
Before Tennessee Tornado, this relocated mine train occupied the plot in the back corner of Dollywood.
Thunder Express
400
Vekoma pioneered their Suspended Looping Coaster model in 1994 at Walibi Holland with this ride.
El Condor / Condor
400
S&S Worldwide is so far the only company to utilize compressed air launches on their coasters, with this now-removed ride in Japan being the fastest example.
Dodonpa / Do-Dodonpa
400
Twelve roller coasters feature vertical drop tracks, with Intamin pioneering the element on this British coaster.
Th13teen at Alton Towers
400
Rutschebanen at this Copenhagen theme park is the oldest operating roller coaster in Europe.
Tivoli Gardens (Denmark)
400
One of only three LIM Shuttle Coasters built by Premier Rides, this roller coaster operated in Las Vegas for eleven years.
Speed - The Ride at Nascar Cafe
600
The first of only eight roller coasters ever built by D. H. Morgan, this hyper coaster opened at Valleyfair! in 1996.
Wild Thing
600
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure features the most launches on any individual roller coaster, tallying this many.
Seven
600
At the now defunct Freestyle Music Park, Round About by this manufacturer was the first and only coaster to feature a Ferris Wheel Lift.
Premier Rides
600
This country has the most operating roller coasters of any in Europe, with 280.
Germany
600
Operating for only twenty years, this wooden roller coaster was the tallest ride ever given the RMC Hybrid treatment.
Rattler at Six Flags Fiesta Texas
800
Both opening in 1989, Goudurix (seen here) and Kamikaze, now Blue Hawk, were the first and only roller coasters to feature this double-inverting element.
Butterfly Loop
800
With the closure of two other Intamin Accelerator coasters in 2021 and 2024, this ride is now the world's fastest accelerating coaster.
Stealth at Thorpe Park
800
Russian company PAX built the world's only Scorpion Tail element on this Swiss roller coaster.
Cobra at Conny Land
800
Three of Europe's Top 4 fastest roller coasters are at the PortAventura Resort in Spain, with the other being this ride with a top speed of 88.2mph.
Hyperion at Energylandia
800
Before designing Mine Cart Madness for Universal parks, Setpoint opened four "Swing Thing" models, including this one that operated for ten years at Hersheypark.
Roller Soaker
1000
The world's first of three Screaming Squirrel coasters by S&S, this roller coaster opened at Gardaland in Italy in 2005.
Sequoia Adventure / Sequoia Magic Loop
1000
Turbine, an indoor Schwarzkopf Shuttle Loop at Walibi Belgium, had its original Flywheel Launch replaced in 2013 with an LIM Launch system from this company.
Gerstlauer
1000
Vekoma invented the Tilt Track with Gravity Max in 2002, but Jinma Rides built the first "modern" example with this Chinese dueling coaster
Battle of Jungle King at Hefei Sunac Land
1000
The steepest roller coaster in Europe, this French roller coaster has a drop angle of 113°.
Timber Drop at Fraispertuis City
1000
Psyclone at Six Flags Magic Mountain, a Dinn Corporation wooden coaster, infamously used trains made by this manufacturer.
Bolliger & Mabillard