Roller coasters are fun, exciting, and certainly built for those who enjoy a thrill.
If you are a fan of roller coasters, then it is essential to try as many different types of roller coasters as you can find.
In addition to a roller coaster having a name at a specific theme park, these wild and crazy rides are divided into several different types as well.
When you know the types of roller coasters that are available, you can get a better idea of which ones will be the best fit for you.
10 Types Of Roller Coasters
1. Accelerator Coaster
It’s probably no surprise to see the world accelerator used as part of the way to describe a roller coaster.
The accelerator coaster is, without a doubt, going to be an adrenaline rush.
If you are a thrill-seeking type of person, this type of roller coaster makes the most sense to seek out.
With an accelerator coaster, you can get maximum speed in a very short period of time.
These types of coasters will feel as though they start slow at times, but then they will reach very high rates of speed between 60 and 150 mph.
These high rates of speed are typically paired with very high heights of the coaster as well.
Some of these are going to rise to more than 400 feet high.
If you like the idea of flying at 100 miles per hour 400 feet off the ground, then the accelerator coaster is going to be a good choice for you.
Many parks add accelerator coasters because they don’t have to sacrifice large areas of space to provide quite a bit of thrill to the users.
This can be a quick ride but still offer something that people will talk about for years to come.
Some of the newest accelerator coasters have shoulder restraints instead of complete harnesses.
This allows people to have a bit more freedom when in their seat and help to ensure that you get the most out of the ride.
Overall, this is a very popular and easy-to-find coaster design.
2. Flying Roller Coaster
The flying roller coaster has been available to users for more than twenty years.
Although the early popularity of the flying roller coaster started to fade, it was reintroduced about ten years ago and has since become extremely popular.
With a flying roller coaster, you will get on a train-like mechanism that will be upright when you start the ride.
When the ride starts to happen, you will notice that the seat begins to tip and recline just before you are launched.
Essentially, on a flying roller coaster, you will be almost lying on your back as you look up at the sky.
Sometimes the initial position that the flying coaster starts in will be more than what people enjoy.
The overall feeling is a bit scary, and it can increase the pre-ride fear.
If you are a person who is a bit leery of roller coaster rides, you may want to wait a bit before you start on one of these.
There are more flying roller coasters than wing coasters throughout the country.
You can find these at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California and Cedar Point in Ohio.
New flying roller coasters are being created to give people the same feeling of lying on their back and flying without having to actually lie on their backs.
This has made the ride more comfortable for many people and has significantly increased the popularity of the ride as well.
In addition, making sure that the restraint system works well so that it protects a rider but does not prevent them from enjoying the ride is another important factor to look out for.
Sometimes flying roller coasters are built for two or four people in a row.
As with any roller coaster, there are some risks of injury.
It seems as though the flying roller coasters that have worked on making sure the body has more room for movement are the ones that cause the greatest potential for danger.
If you want to be safe and enjoy yourself, do some research about the best types of flying roller coasters for trying to say safe while you are at the theme park.
3. Bobsled Roller Coaster
If you have ever watched the Olympic bobsledding team, chances are you have an excellent idea of how a bobsled roller coaster will work.
With these types of roller coasters, you are going to be in a car, and the car will race along the pipes.
The car balances on the pipes so the ride can feel like it has more movement to it.
The fact that the car can move around makes the ride quite a bit more entertaining and as if you are going to have some control over what the ride is doing.
The bobsled roller coaster is going to be a surprising ride as well.
As you turn the corners in the car, it is going to be difficult to tell what is coming up, and that makes people have quite a bit more fun on the ride.
Overall, the idea is to try and recreate what it feels like to be on a true bobsled in the snow.
Many people like to take their kids on these rides because, although they are fun, they are not all that scary when you look at the overall picture of roller coasters.
Even though many people like the bobsled roller coasters, there are only about ten of them currently in operation.
If you want to find one of these, you are going to have to look a bit harder and be prepared to travel.
4. Stand-Up Coaster
Comparing the two main categories of roller coasters, you are going to have the stand-up and the sit-down roller coasters.
The stand-up coasters allow people to stand while they are riding, which provides a unique experience.
When you are on a stand-up coaster, you will still have a bicycle-like seat that you sort of lean against while you are on the coaster.
In addition, you are going to have some over-the-shoulder restraints that allow you more stability as you are leaning against the coaster.
In addition, some of these stand-up coasters are going to allow people to both sit down and stand up while they ride.
There are about 15 stand-up roller coasters around the world.
The largest of these is a roller coaster by name of Riddler’s Revenge in California.
If you are serious about roller coaster riding, you will likely enjoy something like this.
One of the reasons that people like the Riddler’s Revenge is that it is such a long ride.
The ride is more than 4,000 feet long and more than 150 feet tall, making this an impressive looking roller coaster at the park.
When you stand and look at this kind of roller coaster, you may wonder whether or not this is an excellent idea for you to take on.
The ride is a bit thrilling and can certainly make you a bit weak in the knees.
Some of these rides still have dive loops and inversions to make the ride even more thrilling.
5. Floorless Roller Coaster
The floorless roller coaster has no floor.
When you ride on one of these floorless roller coasters, you will sit on a seat, and your legs will swing freely beneath you.
One of the questions that people often ask about floorless roller coasters is how you will get on and off.
The great thing about these is that the floor is going to be there when you are loaded into the coaster.
However, once the ride is ready to leave the station, the floor is removed, and the front gate is also removed.
People wear over-the-shoulder harnesses when riding on a floorless roller coaster to ensure that they stay in place and are safe during the ride.
There are nearly 20 floorless roller coasters in the world, and they are located not just in the United States but all over the world.
Cedar Point is another place to ride on one of these floorless roller coasters.
One of the most sophisticated types of floorless roller coasters is the X Car, which can be found in Arkansas.
This allows you to remain upside down during the roller coaster ride as well.
As you can see from these rides, the less restraint that people have, the more they are going to enjoy the ride and all that it has to offer.
Those who are interested in riding a roller coaster don’t really want to feel as though they are stuck inside.
The floorless allows the rider to feel that lack of confinement.
6. Dive Coaster
A dive coaster is something that will allow the rider to feel as though they are diving straight down.
The dive is a very steep vertical drop to the point that the ride can be known for this technology.
When you think about a typical roller coaster, there are going to be lots of ups and downs.
However, a dive coaster has a straight down drop to the ground from a very high height.
The dive coaster gives people a sensation that many other roller coasters cannot produce.
This means that from, a very high height, you will feel as though you are going to simply drop to the ground.
Just like some of the other roller coasters on our list, the company known for producing this coaster is Bolliger and Mabillard.
This company gets very involved in the technology and design of what they are making, and they are serious about the engineering and the safety of their roller coaster models.
The dive coasters have been around for quite some time.
The first of the dive coasters were featuring drops from around 150 feet or more.
This is a considerably high drop when you consider the rate of speed that the coaster is traveling at.
Some rides make this even scarier by having the riders drop into a dark hole at the bottom.
Not only will you feel the sensation of this crazy ride, but you end up in a dark hole afterward.
This is not for the faint of heart.
Some of these drops are 90-degree drops from more than 175 feet high.
It seems that, as time goes on, the drops are getting more severe and the height and speed are also increasing.
The most popular dive-type coasters are those that add a water element at the end.
At the end of the ride, after you dive down, you also get covered in water.
This certainly brings in yet another element to the dive coaster and all that it is capable of.
Dive coasters come in both big and small options, but if you are a fan of roller coasters, you will enjoy the dive coaster.
7. Inverted Roller Coaster
An inverted roller coaster is an option that essentially lets riders go upside down as they make their way around the track.
When you are on an inverted roller coaster, your seat is attached to the underside of the tracks.
This allows for your legs to hang down with your feet dangling.
This is one of those roller coasters where you are going to likely lose your shoes if you are not careful.
The inverted roller coasters don’t usually have inversions or loops, but there are some with inversions.
Some people find that the inverted roller coaster makes it a great choice for the entire family to ride on.
These are actually quite popular, and you can find them at many amusement parts around the country.
Some people will say that the people who sit in the front of the roller coaster have the best ride while those that sit in the back are missing some of the action and the thrill of the ride.
If you can sit near the back or the front on the inverted roller coaster, your ride will be a bit more fun.
Some of these are featured at Cedar Point, Busch Gardens, and also Dorney Park.
People who decide to take a ride on an inverted roller coaster have to be ready for a unique experience.
These roller coasters are a great choice for a fun and exciting ride.
8. Suspended Roller Coaster
A suspended roller coaster is another option where the roller coaster travels beneath the track.
With this option, you will get a similar ride to an inverted coaster, yet it is slightly different.
Instead of the train of the roller coaster being fixed to the underside, there is a swinging arm that will pivot from side to side.
This means that, in addition to hanging upside down, you are also going to have to deal with the roller coaster train moving up and down.
Suspended roller coasters are about as popular and common as inverted roller coasters.
Parks will have these types of coasters in varying sizes across the country.
If you don’t like a lot of movement, this is not a roller coaster you are going to want to experience.
The car moves around quite a bit, and you will be in what some would call a more difficult position.
Keep these things in mind when you head to a theme park: not all roller coasters are going to have the same ride or feeling, and they are all unique.
9. Pipeline Roller Coaster
When you look at a pipeline roller coaster, you will quickly discover how it gets its name.
When you ride in this roller coaster, you will feel as though you are shooting down a pipe at warp speed.
Instead of the roller coaster train car sitting above or below the tracks, the pipeline roller coaster has you heading directly down the middle.
When you head down the middle, expect your ride to be a bit more enclosed and maybe not quite as extreme as it is in some other roller coasters.
This is a model that you are going to see at some smaller theme parks that may not have quite as many attractions.
The overall ride experience of any roller coaster is something that you must consider carefully before hopping in.
If you think you may get sick, you will surely want to skip this one.
10. Wing Coaster
Last but certainly not least is the wing coaster.
With a wing coaster, there are two seats positioned on either side of the track.
These seats will typically have just one seat but sometimes there can be room for more than one person.
Since the seats are positioned on the side of the track and not directly on the track, there is quite a bit more noticeable movement from the seats.
Each seat can spin and rotate on its own axis.
Depending on the type of roller coaster you are on, this movement will either be a free movement where the gravity and motion of the coaster cause it, or it will be a more controlled or planned movement.
The wing coaster is a new type, and it is not all that popular yet in the world of roller coasters.
In fact, in the last five years, there have only been about fifteen wing coasters available to use.
If you are a fan of roller coasters, this is a model that will probably be a bit harder to find, but something that is worth looking for.
The engineering firm of Bolliger and Mabillard are the designers behind the wing coaster.
The idea was to make it so that there is nothing above or below the riders to help promote an even more intense ride.
In 2011, the first wing coaster opened in Italy at Gardaland with the release of the Raptor roller coaster.
Overall, if you are a roller coaster fan, this is one that you are going to want to try and find.
NEXT:
56 Types Of Nectarines (Differences, Size, Color, Appearance)
