The 25 Greatest Amusement Park Rides in America

Image via Complex Original

Address: Universal Studios, Orlando, FL
Website: universalorlando.com
Duration Of Ride: 5:00
Year Built: 2000
Slogan: "All right rookies... this is no drill! It's up to YOU to protect the Earth from aliens in MEN IN BLACK Alien Attack."

As far as many amusement park fans are concerned, shooting-based dark rides aren't for everyone. Even those who aren't fans of mixing laser guns with their rides seem to appreciate Men in Black: Alien Attack. The attraction pits two teams of contestants against each other with the goal of eradicating as many aliens as possible with their formidable laser guns. Ride designers used technological twists like spinning cars and humorous animated sequences to create an experience that is just as fun and exciting as watching the Men in Black films.

Address: Universal Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
Website: universalstudioshollywood.com
Duration Of Ride: 5:30
Year Built: 1996
Slogan: "Come face-to-face with "living" dinosaurs, a 50-foot T-Rex, and a treacherous drop straight down an 84-foot death-defying raft plunge."

Jurassic Park: The Ride has been one of the most beloved water rides in America since it opened on the heels of Jurassic Park's cinematic release. A 50-foot animatronic T-Rex and an 84-foot raft plunge punctuate the dinosaur laden ride. Water-ride aficionados and cinephiles alike will appreciate the combination of thrilling and soaking offered by the continually popular attraction.

Address: Busch Gardens, Tampa, FL 33612‎
Website: buschgardens.com
Duration Of Ride: 3:00
Year Built: 1996
Slogan: "If you're crazy about coasters, Montu has your lucky number: 7."

Piggybacking off of the park's success with an earlier ride, Kumba, Montu briefly held the record for the world's largest and tallest roller coaster before being usurped by Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Alpengeist only one year later. This formidable coaster is named after the Egyptian God of War and briefly featured live crocodiles living below a portion of the ride. Adrenaline lovers will enjoy the 150-foot twisting drop into a 104-foot vertical loop and the seven inversions Montu offers.

Address: Universal Islands of Adventure, Orlando, FL
Website: universalorlando.com
Duration Of Ride: 7:00
Year Built: 1999
Slogan: "Snidely Whiplash has made off with the fair Nell Fenwick and trapped her in a saw mill, and it's up to Dudley Do-Right to ride to the rescue. "

Though it isn't the fastest or tallest ride around (in fact, it's steep drop was reduced to make the ride less intense), this beloved family water ride is known for its charm and sense of humor. Features like parodies of popular movies that line the entrance and a section of the ride that parodies Mr. Toad's Wild Ride provide a quirky sensibility that combines with the exciting flume to create a fast-paced charming experience.

Critics awarded Ripsaw Falls the 2012 Golden Ticket Award for best water ride. The ride is one of the best in the country for both children and adults to enjoy.

Address: Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, TN
Website: dollywood.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:30
Year Built: 2004
Slogan: "Thunderhead is the wildest ride in the woods!"

Inspired by the history of the Thunderhead Gap, a storied logging area of the Smokey Mountains, this ambitious coaster has become one of the best regarded wooden rides in America in the years since its 2004 debut. 700,000 board feet of Southern Yellow Pine were used to create The Thunderhead, which features 22 turns and 32 crossovers. The Thunderhead anchors Dollywood's new historically-inspired Thunderhead Gap section.

Address: Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA
Website: seaworld.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:15
Year Built: 1999
Slogan: "Born of myth and imagination, Apollo's Chariot soared high up on the list of favorite coasters when it debuted—and hasn't come down since."

Though Apollo's Chariot opened under inauspicious circumstances when ride spokesman and super model Fabio was struck in the face by a passing goose, the ride has gone onto become a fan favorite signature ride at Busch Gardens. Riders experience a combined total of 26 seconds of weightlessness as they snake their way through the coaster's path which features four notable drops and an upward helix which subjects riders to 4.1 Gs.

Address: Six Flags Over Georgia, Austell, GA
Website: sixflags.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:45
Year Built: 2006
Slogan: "You've got a date with an 8.5-acre, 200-foot-tall steel juggernaut."

A giant spiral section is the most distinctive of Goliath's features, including several airtime hills and a 175-foot drop. While there are five roller coasters across the Six Flag franchises that bear the Goliath brand, Georgia's Goliath is the most well-regarded: the coaster is a perennial top-ten contender for Golden Ticket's list of best steel roller coasters.

Address: Universal Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
Website: universalstudioshollywood.com
Duration Of Ride: 6:00
Year Built: 2008
Slogan: "The Simpsons are visiting Krustyland and you are there right alongside Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie as you enter through the carnival-like midway."

While The Simpsons might not seem like the most thrilling source material for a ride, Universal Studios has used sophisticated technology to create an immersive Springfield experience. 2,500 LED lights and an 80 ft. diameter dome are employed to make the vivid simulation function. When the ride launched in 2008, The Simpsons Ride replaced the Back to the Future Ride as Universal's marquee simulator ride attraction, and judging by the positive response from riders, it will likely enjoy a long run as the beloved ride's successor.

Address: Six Flags Over Texas, Arlington, TX
Website: sixflags.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:00
Year Built: 2011
Slogan: "The Texas Giant has awakened—higher, faster and smoother than ever."

This steel-wood hybrid has been open in one form or another since 1990. When it initially debuted, the Texas Giant was an all-wooden roller coaster. Several minor renovations led to an expansive overhaul that was completed in 2011, taking the coaster from an aging wooden ride into a world-class attraction. The unique renovation history of the Texas Giant makes it one of the only coasters in history to win awards for both best wooden coaster and best steel coaster.

Address: Disney's Animal Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, FL
Website: disneyworld.go.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:50
Year Built: 2006
Slogan: "Careen through the Himalayan mountains on a speeding train while avoiding the clutches of the mythic Abominable Snowman."

Not only is Expedition Everest the largest fake mountain that Disney has created, but it is also the largest mountain in Florida. 1,800 tons of steel and 2,000 gallons of paint were required to create this Himalayas-inspired roller coaster. The mountain is not the only impressive aspect of the ride. The cars run both forwards and backwards, a first for a Disney ride, and the Yeti that haunts the mountain is the largest audio-animatronic device Disney has ever produced. Though the steel coaster doesn't win awards for speed or track layout, this is one of the most ambitious and intriguing roller coaster efforts of all time.

Address: Kennywood, West Mifflin, PA
Website: kennywood.com
Duration Of Ride: 1:45
Year Built: 2001
Slogan: N/A

In 1991, Kennywood Entertainment Group opened the Steel Phantom, the small Pittsburgh amusement park's first foray into steel roller coasters. Though the ride was popular, the numerous inversions caused more headbanging than your average coaster. The park considered closing down the coaster, but ultimately elected to give the ride extensive renovations and then re-open it as The Phantom's Revenge. This proved a shrewd move, as the Phantom's Revenge remains incredibly popular among Kennywood patrons today.

Address: Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ
Website: sixflags.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:20
Year Built: 2001
Slogan: "Experience the most explosive roller coaster on the planet."

An impressive seven dramatic drops take place during a ride on Nitro, including one from a height of 230 feet. The coaster isn't just drops however, as several S-curves and a unique hammer head turn create a twisty 80 mph journey for riders make this one of the most distinctive and exhilarating rides in the Six Flags franchise.

Address: Splashin' Safari, Santa Claus, IN
Website: holidayworld.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:30
Year Built: 2010
Slogan: "Can you tame the Wildebeest?"

Along with its sister coaster, the Mammoth, Holiday Land's marquee attractions are the world's longest water coasters.The 1,700 foot long track includes seven drops and two underground tunnels. Construction on the Wildebeest was notoriously complicated, as the ride features a conveyor boat-lift hill that requires seven linear induction motors. The tricky process of building the Wildebeest was featured on an episode of National Geographic's World's Toughest Fixes.

Address: Disney Hollywood Studios, Anaheim, CA
Website: disneyworld.disney.go.com
Duration Of Ride: 2-3 Minutes
Year Built: 1994
Slogan: "Hurtle up and down into the Twilight Zone aboard a haunted elevator."

The Tower of Terror has been a fan favorite ride franchise for Disney since they first opened the Tower in Disneyland's Hollywood Studios in 1994. It may seem like a ride conceived as a haunted hotel elevator would be relatively simple to execute, but constructing the 200-foot high attraction stretched the limits of Disney Imagineers. Construction on the Tower required Disney to commission technology that would allow the vehicles to move in and out of their vertical motion shaft, no easy feat. Other intriguing technological flourishes of the ride include a "Pepper's Ghost Effect," which creates the illusion of disappearing spirits, and randomized drop sequences. The result is an amazingly spooky experience that Disney park patrons don't soon forget.

Address: Holiday World Santa Claus, IN
Website: holidayworld.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:45
Year Built: 2006
Slogan: "The #1 Wooden Roller Coaster on the Planet."

Strangely, this elite wooden coaster is themed after the Pilgrim's Voyage to America, but don't let this fool you: this ride is a modern marvel. The Voyage, constructed in honor of Holiday World's 60th anniversary, boasts 24 seconds of airtime, which outstrips any other wooden roller coaster, and is just one of seven records belonging to the ride. Three 100+ drops punctuate the Voyage riding experience, providing the bulk of the Voyage's thrills.

Address: Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH
Website: cedarpoint.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:40
Year Built: 2013
Slogan: "Winged Record Breaker!"

Less than a month ago, the GateKeeper opened, boasting the world's highest roller coaster inversion. The GateKeeper is also the longest, fastest, and offers the steepest drop in its class of roller coaster, known as the "wing coaster." The team that built GateKeeper increased excitement for riders by adding numerous "near-miss" elements to the ride, creating a feeling of impending calamity at every turn. One customer remarked, "It feels like you're going to get your knees chopped off and your head chopped off."

Address: Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH
Website: cedarpoint.com
Duration Of Ride: 0:17
Year Built: 2003
Slogan: "The ride may be over in 17 seconds, but it'll stay with you forever."

An ideal ride for speed demons, this brief coaster takes riders from 0-120 mph in four seconds. Top Thrill Dragster is one of two stratacoasters in existence; to qualify as a Stratacoaster, a ride must feature a 400+ foot drop and complete a full circuit. The drag racing inspired coaster provides one of the greatest amusement park thrills in the world. Three groups of riders have had an extra dose of excitement in the ride's history: on a few occasions, the ride has stalled at the height of its 420 foot summit, and a technician has had to push the ride back down after customers spent a few extra minutes high in the sky.

Address: Universal Studios, Orlando, FL
Website: universalorlando.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:57
Year Built: 2004
Slogan: "The Curse is Real!"

Almost ten years after its construction, the Revenge of the Mummy ride remains one of the most ambitious indoor roller coasters ever constructed. The ride has a darker tone than most coasters, indoor or outdoor, featuring soul-sucking spirits and possessed ride attendants. Though the speed and drops on this ride are modest compared to major outdoor coasters, the Revenge of the Mummy offers non-stop thrills with its dark, thrilling storytelling.

Address: Six Flags New England, St. Agawam, MA
Website: sixflags.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:35
Year Built: 2000
Slogan: "This newly transformed coaster takes it to another dimension with fog and fiery flame effects timed perfectly with heart-pumping audio for an unforgettable ride."

Locked in a constant battle with the Millennium Force for the title of best US roller coaster, Bizarro's more than 200 foot drops create an unforgettable experience. While zooming through the ride's four hills, fogged sections and several other special effects punctuate the 75 mph ride creating one of the most thrilling roller coasters of all time.

Address: Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ
Website: Six Flags Great Adventure
Duration Of Ride: 1:42
Year Built: 2006
Slogan: "Inspired by the strength and bravery of a bull-taming matador, El Toro features the steepest drop of any wooden roller coaster in the country at a record-breaking 76 degrees."

This bull-themed ride is one of the greatest wooden roller coasters in the world. Only one South Korean wooden coaster boasts a steeper maximum vertical angle than the formidable El Toro. The impressive construction of El Toro was made possible because of a choice to laser cut rather than hand cut the wood, allowing for a greater degree of precision.

Address: Universal Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
Website: prepareforbattle.com
Duration Of Ride: 4:30
Year Built: 2012
Slogan: "Transformers: The Ride-3D is an immersive, next generation thrill ride blurring the line between fiction and reality."

You'll fight alongside Optimus Prime in this thrilling ride experience where nothing less than the survival of the human race is at stake. With Transformers: The Ride, Universal Studios has set out to redefine the dark ride. They have invested $100 million in each of the three iterations of the ride they have installed in Florida, Hollywood, and Singapore. The thrills of this ride come from mammoth 3-D HD TV screens and special effects instead of harrowing drops, but the results are no less fantastic a great roller coaster. Since its introduction, Transformers: The Ride has remained a critical and fan favorite at each of the three locations. Unlike many movies that have deployed 3-D technology poorly, critics agree that this ride harnesses 3-D in an exhilarating and entertaining way.

Address: Schlitterbahn, New Braunfels, TX
Website: schlitterbahn.com
Duration Of Ride: 3:00
Year Built: 1996
Slogan: "Selected as the best water ride in the nation again and again."

Few water roller coasters have the technology to move riders uphill, which makes the Master Blaster one of the most unique water ride experiences around. Roller coaster fans will enjoy the numerous hills and drops that lead to ride's splashy conclusion. The blast technology that makes the Master Blaster popular has won numerous industry awards and has earned the Master Blaster Best Water Ride honors from a number of different trade organizations.

Address: Universal Islands of Adventure, Orlando, FL
Website: universalorlando.com
Duration Of Ride: 5:00
Year Built: 2010
Slogan: "Soar above the castle grounds as you join Harry Potter and his friends on an unforgettably thrilling adventure, coming face-to-face with magical creatures!"

This hi-tech dark ride provides Muggles with an amazing wizarding experience. During the five minute journey, you encounter Whomping Willows, a quidditch match, and even come face to face with Dementors. The unique experience provided by Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is facilitated by KUKA robotic arms that allow riders to experience a range of motion, from soaring on broomsticks to falling into gaping holes with a fire breathing dragon.

Address: Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ
Website: sixflags.com
Duration Of Ride: 0:28
Year Built: 2005
Slogan: "The fierce Kingda Ka is the tallest coaster in the World, fastest in North America."

Only the GateKeeper, a similar ride at Cedar Point, boasts anywhere near the height world-record holder Kingda Ka. On the Kingda Ka, you will be thrust 456 feet in the air while going from 0-128 mph in 3.5 seconds. With the exception of the Bengal Tiger theme and an additional hill, the ride experience is remarkably similar to the GateKeeper, though on a slightly grander scale, which has allowed the Kingda Ka to wrest several records away from the GateKeeper. In its short life, the Kingda Ka has endured a strange series of mishaps. To date the ride has survived a bolt failure, damage inflicted by Hurricane Irene, and being struck by lightning.

Address: Cedar Point, Sandusky, OH
Website: cedarpoint.com
Duration Of Ride: 2:00
Year Built: 2000
Slogan: "A true Giant among coasters."

A perennial favorite, winner of countless Golden Ticket awards for the best steel coaster, and the holder of seven different world records, The Millennium Force is one of the greatest roller coasters ever built. The ride, which features a 300 foot drop, maxes out at 93 mph, and features a moment of zero gravity, helped pioneer the term "gigacoaster." Prior to the Millennium Force's opening, there was no need for the term, as gigacoasters are a class of ride that has a drop of between 300 and 400 feet and completes a full circuit. Though taller coasters have been completed since, no coaster provides thrills like the Millennium Force.