Believe it or not, we’ve finally reached the end of the roller coaster of a year that was 2024. Every December we take a look back and reflect on all the ups and downs of the past year. Members of the Coaster101 team will share a few of their favorite coasters, articles, and moments from 2024. Then be sure to add yours in the comments below!
John
Parks Visited in 2024: Busch Gardens Tampa, Dollywood, Six Flags St. Louis, Fun Spot America Atlanta, Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags Great America, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
New to You Coaster Credits in 2024: Iron Gwazi, Air Grover, Cobra’s Curse, Cheetah Hunt, Tigris, Rookie Racer, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, TRON Lightcycle / Run
Favorite “New to You” Ride of 2024: Iron Gwazi (Cosmic Rewind is a very close second!)
Favorite Coaster101 Articles in 2024: I love (LOVE!) theme park “what ifs,” so Nick’s article discussing what would have happened if Legoland had purchased Geauga Lake rather than Six Flags. I’m equally as interested in defunct theme park attractions, so Nick’s list of 13 defunct theme park monorails was a great read. I also loved Eric and Shane’s IAAPA 2024 recap — I’ve always wanted to go, and living vicariously through their recap and live updates on social media made me feel like I was there.
Top 3 Highlights of 2024: Two highlights were without a doubt finally riding Iron Gwazi and Cosmic Rewind. Both lived up to (perhaps even surpassed) their respective high levels of hype. Iron Gwazi was one of the most intense coasters I’ve ever ridden. And Cosmic Rewind was laugh-out-loud fun from start to finish. The two couldn’t be more different, but they are such great attractions. My third highlight was returning to Walt Disney World for a more “normal” visit after my last visit in October of 2020. While I enjoyed that trip (and was very impressed by how Disney handled the COVID-19 pandemic, my 2024 visit was a much more return to form for a Disney trip.
Andrew
Parks Visited in 2024: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Carowinds, Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Fun Spot Atlanta, Six Flags Over Georgia, and a one-credit speed run at Frankie’s Fun Park in Raleigh.
New to You Coaster Credits in 2024: 9, which, like the parks I visited this year, isn’t a lot – but I finally got to cross Kings Dominion’s Great Pumpkin Coaster off my list.
Favorite “New to You” Ride of 2024: A toss up between Arie Force One and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Favorite Coaster101 Articles in 2024: Instead of articles, I want to show some love for the Coaster101 Podcast, which is on hiatus, but will be returning in 2025! We had some great interviews with Cindy Emerick from Mattel Adventure Park, Matt Hughey from COTALand, and theme park legend Dennis Spiegel. Go check out the podcast back catalog for more great podcast interviews!
Top 3 Highlights of 2024:
3. After a full day at a conference in Orlando, speedrunning Epcot (including multiple Guardians of the Galaxy rides!) at EPCOT After Hours. (This came the day after an open-to-almost-close Magic Kingdom visit. My feet still hurt, 9 months later.)
2. Semi-marathoning Arie Force One. I’m not concerned as much about the why or how a world-class RMC ended up at effectively a roadside FEC south of Atlanta, but I’m glad it did. While in Atlanta for a wedding, I wanted to cross off as many new-to-me credits as I could, and managed to get Arie Force One four times, along with their kiddie coaster and Hurricane in an hour before heading to Six Flags Over Georgia.
1) Getting to play a small role in the announcement of Carowinds’ two new-for-2025 Camp Snoopy attractions, including “breaking” the news with a video that I worked with the park to produce. If you want to see how I speak with my hands too much, check it out below.
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Larry
Parks Visited in 2024: A little light this year being only Cedar Point and Six Flags Great America
New to You Coaster Credits in 2024: 1 – Well, Top Thrill 2 would’ve been one of them but unfortunately, we know where that went… But the highlight for me was finally being able to ride Maxx Force.
Favorite “New to You” Ride of 2024: Maxx Force was for sure the highlight of my trip back to Six Flags Great America this summer. Finally was able to ride it after initially seeing it being built in 2019 when we went there for our Coaster 101 trip. That launch is now the best I’ve ever been on, overtaking Xcelerator and Top Thrill Dragster. Plus, the restraints on those trains are pretty comfortable, even as an above average 6’4″ guy. In that article, I also had a little bit of a foresight when I said the park needed to receive a modern replacement for Revolution, and well, they ended up doing that this year with Sky Striker.
https://youtube.com/shorts/zAHw3rU9MH4?si=kgsCOHrSuujzKhQx
Favorite Coaster101 Articles in 2024: Where to begin with this one… Andrew’s “50 Years of Family Fun at Carowinds” articles are an excellent read into the history of all of the family attractions Carowinds has had over the last 50 years. You can read part 1, 2, and 3 here. As linked in the guy’s other reviews, Eric and Shane’s IAAPA coverage was absolutely amazing, which still is a bucket list event to go to for me.
Top 3 Highlights of 2024: Well for me, 2024 had a lot of ups and downs, but one of the “downs” ended with an “up” and bringing me back to working at Cedar Point from September until the park closed in November. It ended up being 2 highlights for me. One being the absolute amazing time working on Power Tower, Gemini, and Magnum while I was there for Halloweekends. Yes, I did have to stare at TT2 every day while working, and no, I will not elaborate more about its situation. And the second, even though I was only there for a short time, I also received the new Cornerstone award and pin. I was awarded it from management because I showed the Cedar Fair Cornerstones of Service, Safety, and Cleanliness.
The third I’d say was going to Six Flags Great America, the day after 4th of July. While I was semi-crazy going on that date, getting the Flash Pass was very much worth it since I was able to reserve all of my wait times and only pay $15 for a pass ride on Maxx Force without waiting in the really long line for it.
Nick
Parks Visited in 2024: Cedar Point, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, Kings Island, Holiday World, Six Flags Great America
New to You Coaster Credits in 2024: Matterhorn Bobsleds (Left), Gadget’s Go Coaster, Goofy’s Sky School, Top Thrill 2, Snoopy’s Soap Box Racers, Good Gravy!, Maxx Force
Favorite “New to You” Ride of 2024: Top Thrill 2 far exceeded my expectations. The higher center of gravity really amplified the forces, especially the insane airtime going over the top hat. I hope many more get to experience this attraction in 2025.
Favorite Coaster101 Articles in 2024: I enjoyed researching how tilt coasters work. collaborating with Kyle on updating our guide to the alpine coasters in the Smoky Mountains (which we’ll have to update again in 2025). It was fun reading about the best slow moving boat rides in the US. It was a nice surprise to see Coaster101 mentioned in Holiday World’s book!
Top 3 Highlights of 2024:
- The number one highlight of the year was taking my family to Disneyland for the first time. While they had all been to Walt Disney World, this was my kid’s first time visiting California. We rode 80+ attractions over four days and the trip couldn’t have gone any better.
- My second favorite highlight of 2024 was being able to attend Top Thrill 2 media day and getting to ride it nine times.
- Finally, going to Holiday World with my family over the summer was another highlight. While it rained for a bit during the first morning, Holiday World’s worry-free weather guarantee allowed us to come back the next day for free. I had purchased tickets the previous November during their Black Friday sale and I felt like we committed a crime – roughly $36 per person for two days with some of the best roller coasters and water coasters in the world was an absolute steal!
Shane
Parks Visited in 2024: Cedar Point, Dollywood, SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa, all 3 FunSpot Parks, all 4 WDW parks, both Universal Orlando Parks
New to You Coaster Credits in 2024: Everything at Cedar Point and Dollywood, which were both bucket list parks for me and put a significant bump in my coaster count. I also got some other new-to-me credits like ArieForce One, Penguin Trek at SeaWorld Orlando, Trollercoaster at Universal Orlando, the FunSpot Orlando coasters, and the IAAPA coaster.
Favorite “New to You” Ride of 2024: Since this was my first visit to Cedar Point, Steel Vengeance easily joined my top 3 coasters and Maverick made my top 5. ArieForce One at FunSpot America Atlanta made my top 10.
Favorite Coaster101 Articles in 2024: As someone who is beyond excited for Epic Universe, John’s article of the top 5 attractions coming to Dark Universe only added to the hype for my most anticipated land. Andrew’s review of the after hours event at Epcot was one of the deciding factors that led to me attending the event, and anything that helps me get 6 rides on Cosmic Rewind deserves a mention. And Nick mentioned this already, but the Comprehensive Guide to the Alpine Coasters of the Smoky Mountains actually helped me plan which alpine coasters I wanted to include on my first Pigeon Forge trip so I have to give that a special shoutout (even though I don’t count them as credits, but that’s for another article).
Top 3 Highlights of 2024: My first two highlights are finally visiting my top two bucket list parks, Cedar Point and Dollywood. I reviewed Cedar Point in an article with all of my thoughts, but long story short, it was incredible. Other than the elephant in the room (Top Thrill 2 being closed), the park met and exceeded all of my expectations. I also stayed at Hotel Breakers, so I feel like I got the full Cedar Point experience.
For my Dollywood visit, it was just a few weeks ago in early December so it was only about 40 degrees at the warmest in Tennessee (it even snowed). Even though no rides were open on the first day, and most likely running fairly slow when they finally opened on the second day, it was more than surreal finally being in the Smoky Mountains. I also think I ate more food on this trip than on any other trip, the portion sizes are massive and they just keep bringing food. Cinnamon bread alone could be a highlight here. Plus, we stopped in Atlanta for some rides on ArieForce One on the way back, so I’m lumping that in as a part of the road trip.
My final highlight was seeing the new entertainment offerings at Universal Orlando, specifically the Mega Movie Parade. CineSational is a great nighttime show, but something about the Mega Movie Parade just stands out at something you can’t get anywhere else. I’m not even a big fan of parades, but this one features all my favorite movies, and so many fun characters and float designs. Usually this spot on my list is taken up by Halloween Horror Nights, but I was so impressed with the parade that I’ll give it the edge this year. Don’t miss it when you’re visiting the park!
Evan
Parks Visited in 2024: Busch Gardens Tampa, Dorney Park, New York New York Las Vegas
New to You Coaster Credits in 2024: Every coaster at BGT (minus Sheikra), Iron Menace, and the New York New York coaster.
Favorite “New to You” Ride of 2024: Iron Gwazi – This might be the best new to me credit of my last decade. Honestly will be tough to beat in 2025!
Favorite Coaster101 Articles in 2024: There’s too many great ones to pick from! I’m a sucker for drone pictures that can’t be captured just from walking around the park, John’s Incredible Aerial Photos of Busch Gardens Tampa gave me a new perspective and bird’s eye view of one of my recent visits. Combining my love of theme parks and food really hits the spot (no pun intended) so I thoroughly enjoyed Kyle’s A Comprehensive Guide to the Disney Dining Plan. This will be my go-to guide for the next time I visit WDW, hopefully paired with a trip to Epic Universe in 2025.
Top 3 Highlights of 2024:
- The Epic Universe land reveals were really something to marvel at. It’s very rare to see this level of hype surrounding a new park opening, especially in the United States. I personally cant wait to see the impact this park has on the world. The more details that are revealed, the more the excitement builds for me.
- Iron Menace Media Day – Dorney Park really put out all the stops for this event! They immersed the entire area for the new ride with incredible food and activations. Iron Menace adds so much value to the park, I can’t wait to see how they build on this momentum.
- RIP Green Lantern. My least favorite coaster from my home park, Six Flags Great Adventure, has met its end. I’m disappointed by the lack of closure announcement for Kingda Ka but excited to see how they develop this area of the park.
Eric
Parks Visited in 2024: California’s Great America, Knott’s Berry Farm, Disneyland, California Adventure, Hershey Park, Hong Kong Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, Epcot, Magic Kingdom
New to You Coaster Credits in 2024: Candymonium, Wildcat’s Revenge, the HK Disneyland coasters, Tron, and Cosmic Rewind
Favorite “New to You” Ride of 2024: For coasters, Guardian’s (especially in row 9). For non-coasters, I rode Mickie and Minnie’s Runaway Railway for the first time and Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland for the first time. Loved them both!
Favorite Coaster101 Articles in 2024: Hmm, is it arrogant to say Shane and my IAAPA coverage? I think we did a good job. Beyond that, even though I disagree with Andrew’s rankings, I’m glad we finally got up the list of best slow moving boat rides, arguably my favorite type of ride. Also, everything about Epic Universe this year has gotten me extremely excited for it, from the new details announced early in 2024 through John’s look at the Dark Universe rides. I can’t wait to see these.
Top 3 Highlights of 2024: It was a pretty slow year for me in terms of theme parks, with the big exception that I was able to make it to IAAPA for the first time! The packed three days of walking the show floor was exhausting, but it was amazing to see so many cool things, from new coasters to all the smaller companies that do “behind-the-scenes” things we don’t usually think about. I’d wanted to go for year and extremely glad I was able to join Shane for this one. Will try to make it out again for another one!
The other benefit of IAAPA is I was able to tack on a day at Epcot and a short jaunt to Magic Kingdom. I hadn’t been to WDW since 2019, I think, so finally getting on both Guardian’s and Tron was at the top of my to do list, and successfully checked both off. Even got on Guardian’s twice! And got to enjoy Epcot food and wine, which is always a highlight.
Lastly, thanks to a work trip to Asia, I was able to check off another over-seas Disney Park with a day at Hong Kong Disneyland! It’s an interesting little park, so much smaller than other Disney Parks, but also so much emptier! The setting for the park is amazing, and there are some really good rides. Mystic Manor is definitely one of my top-10 Disney rides, Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars is a standout coaster, really good, Frozen land looked great (I wish Oaken’s was longer, but it was fun), and I was very impressed by trilingual Jungle Cruise with climactic fire and water special effects! Definitely worth a visit.
Another Disney Castle checked off!
Kyle
Parks Visited in 2024: Kings Island, Cedar Point, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Adventure Park USA, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Universal Orlando.
New to You Coaster Credits in 2024: 22, most notably Top Thrill 2, VelociCoaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, TRON, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Favorite “New to You” Ride of 2024: I’m going to jump a bit of course here and go with a non-coaster. I was really blown away by Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios. The attention to detail and full-immersion into the story were top-notch. I also loved how it was more of an experience and not just a ride. The multiple pre-shows and walk-throughs really make the attraction worth the wait.
Favorite Coaster101 Articles in 2024: Just like the rest of the team, I enjoyed reading all about Shane and Eric’s adventures at IAAPA—I would love to make it to the show someday. Andrew’s review articles on the Orlando Informer Universal Meet-up were also read over a few times in preparation for my first trip to the resort.
Top 3 Highlights of 2024:
3. Taking my son to his first media day events are definitely on this list. We we able to take a behind the scenes construction tour for Snoopy’s Soapbox Racers at Kings Island. It was such a cool experience to be on an active roller coaster building site. Later in the spring, we got to attend Holiday World’s opening of Good Gravy! and were the first unofficial record holders for the most rides on the new family coaster, at 13.
2. Attending the Orlando Informer Universal Meet-up. This was the first time my wife and I got to visit a park alone since having kids eight years ago and also both of our first time visiting either park at the Universal resort. We ran between parks, attractions, rides, and food for a solid 7 hours and it was amazing. I highly recommend this event to anyone who wants to see everything these parks has to offer but doesn’t necessarily have the time to spend a few days there. I would love to go back in the near future!
1. Spending a week at Walt Disney World with my family takes the cake for the year. I grew up going to these parks and getting to go back and share it with my kids was a blessing. I spent a long time planning our trip, trying to find the least-crowded days to visit, best places to eat, and it was all worth it. We couldn’t have asked for a better week.
That’s it for our 2024 Year in Review. Now we want to hear from you! Comment below with your favorite Coaster101 article of the year and your favorite personal coaster highlight of 2024.
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