Giga coasters are defined as any coaster standing between 300 and 399 feet in height.
Or in the case of Orion, any coaster with a drop between 300 and 399 feet in height.
Giga coasters are revered by coaster enthusiasts and park-goers for their massive height and
sense of speed.
But few parks are actually able to install a giga coaster due to their immense price
tag.
And their rarity is part of the reason why they're so special.
I have had the fortune to ride every single operating giga coaster, including the brand
new Orion, so in this video, I will rank the giga coasters from the worst to the best.
Before starting this list, I am counting any coaster with a drop between 300 and 399 feet
in height, regardless if the coaster has a traditional lift hill or launch.
I'm also going to rate the gigas by their prime seat, whether that be the front or back,
but I'll also show where they'd place if you considered only the front or back.
Superman Escape from Krypton at Six Flags Magic Mountain- If you go off the height of
the tower, Superman is technically a giga coaster.
But if you go off the height the vehicles actually reach, Superman is a giga coaster.
This is the last remaining Intamin reverse freefall coaster and the backwards 100 mph
launch, while gradual, is quite thrilling since it continuously builds more and more
speed.
And the view of the park atop the tower is breathtaking.
This is just a one trick pony, which is why it’s at the bottom of this list.
Red Force at Ferrari Land- Hot take, but I actually prefer Red Force to Top Thrill Dragster.
While the initial kick isn't as strong as the hydraulic launch accelerator coasters,
it feels every bit as fast and intense towards the end of the launch.
But most importantly, I love the straight drop on Red Force over the twisting drops
on Dragster or Kingda Ka because it offers some good airtime.
Red Force is undoubtedly a rush, but I just can't place it above the longer and more complete
rides on this list.
Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land- Morgan's only giga coaster feels like a supersized
version of their Cedar Fair hypers with the mid-course trim turned off.
Unlike the Cedar Fair hypers, Steel Dragon offers great floater airtime on both the outward
and return leg.
In all honesty, I think it offers the largest quantity of airtime of any giga coaster.
And it offers one of those giant turnaround sections Morgan is famous for.
So why doesn't Steel Dragon place higher?
It's easily the roughest of the giga coasters.
All of the valleys in the first half are quite bone-jarring.
Leviathan at Canada's Wonderland- B&M's original giga coaster is probably their worst, but
it's still a wonderful coaster.
In many ways, Leviathan feels like a larger B&M hyper outside of the incredible speed
hill.
That being said, Leviathan may feel like it ends a bit quickly, but it offers some great
airtime on its first drop and camelbacks while providing a glass smooth ride.
Orion at Kings Island- It was a coinflip if I'd place Orion ahead of Leviathan, but ultimately
this is what I settled on.
The newest giga coaster is undoubtedly a front row ride for me.
Up there, the coaster feels quite fast and offers a diverse set of elements combining
sideways and traditional airtime.
The only reason to ride in the back is for the sustained floater airtime on that first
drop.
Ultimately the reason I can't place Orion any higher is that the amphresand helix is
a bit of a deadspot while the coasters above it don't really have any dead spots.
Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion- Easily the most intense of the giga coasters, Intimidator
305 is one crazy coaster.
Once you crest that incredible first drop, you haul through the course.
You start with the famous greyout turn and then fly over a fantastic airtime hill, but
then you whip through a layout that oddly hugs the ground despire the immense speed.
The result are some of the wildest transitions of any coaster.
You are thrown around like a ragdoll getting laterals and airtime.
While Intimidator does lose some speed following the trim brake, the finale is still quite
good.
So why number 3, Intimidator 305 just isn't as reridable as the two coasters ahead of
it.
Millennium Force at Cedar Point- Millennium Force in the front row is magical.
Start to finish, Millennium Force holds its speed better than any other giga coaster.
You never slow down!
And if you're up front, the sense of speed is amplified by the unobstructed view and
wind blasting against your face.
Millennium Force may not have as many airtime hills as the other giga coasters with a chain
lift, but I think every single airtime hill delivers some really nice and underrated floater
airtime.
The only reason to ride in the back is for the fantastic first drop, but that's a trait
shared by all the lift hill giga coasters.
Fury 325 at Carowinds- Considered by many to be the best steel coaster in the world
before Steel Vengeance opened, Fury 325 is B&M's masterpiece.
The first half feels completely out-of-control with the massive first drop, banked speed
hills, and treble clef.
And then the second half delivers some fantastic fl-jector airtime.
Fury 325 tops this list because it combines speed and airtime better than any of the other
giga coasters.
So that is how I rank the giga coasters.
How would you rank the giga coasters?
I’d love to hear your comments down below.
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