Mystic is such a great Winterfest ride. It can be literally freezing, yet that coaster still slams into the brakes. The fog effects added during Haunt 2023 were also a nice seasonal touch. But the best time to ride is during a summer storm. You’ll be half drowned, half blind, and flung around like a rag doll, but you’ll never forget the ride.
My first GCI was mystic timbers and I was blown away by how much of a punch it packed for its size. I was expecting a mid-tier ride but its definitely one of my favorites at Kings Island.
Wow, awesome to see Wodan so high up from my homepark! The ride gets even better in the winter season due to the added winter wheels! You get solid ejector on the first drop all the way down in the back and it runs even faster making it seem like it would derail any moment. Literally all rides at Europapark become jacked in winter. So if your a coaster enthusiast I would highly recommend you going then!
I met Renegade on a cool September morning and it still ran like it wanted to be everyone’s favorite GCI. It got better as the day went on and warmed up. Such a fun layout, it’s right there with Goldstriker, Prowler, and Mystic for me!
I will always say, you can't go wrong with a GCI. I've yet to ride one I didn't enjoy. Some aren't as strong, but I still have fun. I've also got to add, Gold Striker is my favorite GCI without a doubt. The intensity is unmatched by anything else I've ridden from GCI. Sadly, Mystic fell very short when I rode it, so I have it ranked middle of the ground for GCI.
Great rankings! GCI is one of my favorite manufacturers. At the top of my list is the GCI I've ridden most recently: Gold Striker. It is an absolute masterwork in coaster layout and has an incredible, rapid flow to its pacing
I think Roar is by far the most underrated GCI. I was expecting the worst considering it’s reputation but it’s in the top 3 for me. I find Millennium Flyers to feel too light and weak on all their coasters so I loved how those heavy PTC trains felt charging through the layout
My home park is WOF, and I rode prowler all year. I got the best ride ever this year on the last night it was open. It had some of the strongest airtime I've ever experienced. It was quite smooth to. I have it over outlaw run, and thunderhead. It was running excellent 👌
Not only riding a GCI is a lot of FUN, but my visits to their booth @ IAAPA Expo's were lots of FUN! I really watched them evolve over the years. They, like B&M would bring a lead car from an upcoming installation. To bad about Ozark Wildcat. Park WAS a grand concept. Back in the day Silver Dollar City (even in July closed @ 7pm)
Many people over the years got rides on all GCI coasters and some came off with a headache. Why did they have a headache, which sensation? A) pacing B) laterals C) shaky D) quick pops of airtime
My first GCI was Ozark Wild Cat, and then Prowler was built at my home park. Night rides ARE insane on that thing, my first ride on it was actually in the dark and I had no idea what to expect. I think that's why I got my expectations for Mystic Timbers up too high, I still loved it, but honestly I felt a little underwhelmed as well.
@@nielskut2256 even if china is very big, the government still subsidies the parks for those big investments as a non subsidiesed park can't open with a b&m hyper
Nice ranking, surprised to see Invadr that high but it does appear to have some hidden power. My GCI Ranking would be as follows: 7. Wildcat (Only bad GCI IMO) 6. Roar SFDK 5. Apocalypse 4. Lightning Racer 3. Thunderhead 2. Gold Striker 1. Mystic Timbers
My favorite GCI was the old Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa. The roughness of that ride with the original PTC trains never bothered me and I think the Millennium Flyers made it even better in the end. Now that it has become Iron Gwazi, my new favorite is Apocalypse at Six Flags Magic Mountain followed by Renegade at Valleyfair. I surprisingly haven't ridden many rides from them.
My first GCI was Mystic Timbers and it instantly became one of my favorite coasters and it’s still the best wooden coaster I’ve been on. Still haven’t been on El Toro or Voyage yet, though.
@@CanobieCoaster Both of them are being extensively worked on over the off season. I noticed Voyage getting some major track work when I passed Holiday World last week. And, then I’m hearing El Toro is getting a lot of work after the conclusion of that last incident. So, both could be even better this season!
What do you think about the seats and padding on: InvadR at Busch Gardens Williamsburg Mystic Timbers at Kings Island Joris en de Draak at Efteling Renegade at Valleyfair White Lightning at Fun Spot Orlando
Canobie Coaster said: I like the Millennium Flyers. But I was asking you about the seats and padding on them, between the older seat padding and the newer seat padding. Which one do you prefer, Canobie Coaster?
Goldstriker is my favorite coaster. The re track helped the rattle off the first drop but seemed to slow the pacing toward the end for some reason. Despite that, if you get a ride on Goldstriker at the end of a hot day it is relentless from start to finish. My son and I are always laughing at the brake run no matter how many times we've ridden that day.
You have finally seen the light of Troy, welcome to the Way of Truth, young padawan. Seriously though, Troy has been running like a demon for all of 2022. Perhaps not the smoothest year for it but certainly one of the fastest.
I agree Mystic Timbers is GCI's best coaster. Smooth, full of sustained airtime, and great setting. And I've never even done it at night. But speaking of night rides, Prowler gives its best rides during Haunt. It's a top 10 night ride for me
See in RCDB: Mystic Timbers at Kings Island Heidi the Ride at Plopsaland de Panne GhostRider at Knott's Berry Farm White Lightning at Fun Spot America Gold Striker at California's Great America Joris en de Draak at Efteling Renegade at Valleyfair I put those because they run GCI Millennium Flyer trains, and GhostRider was refurbished by GCI during the 2015-2016 off-season. So how would you compare between those seven in terms of forces, pacing, smoothness, and seat padding?
From 5 to 1 5 Wildcat at Hersheypark. I rode this back in 2002 and enjoyed it. The Millennium Flyer trains were welcomed, and from 2007 to 2017, I liked it more. From 2018 to 2021, it became temperamental. In 2022, this ride became horrible, even in the front row. 4 InvadR. Despite its smaller size, this one is fun, and I like the setting. 3 White Lightning. This is a very fun little coaster. I like the airtime 2 Lightning Racer. The 2 tracks do elevate this ride. After Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled came out, I would find myself giving one of the speeches that the boss characters gave before you raced them. 1 Mystic Timbers. This one mixes airtime with a great layout and setting.
Great #1 draft pick my man! Mystic Timbers is a movie from beginning to end. It's a good ride to on with a date, but not a burly dude cause of the laterals. I always love going over the water. This ride reminds me a ton of that freaky cop show with Matthew McCaugnahey and Woody Harrelson, True Detective. That show is creepy like the shed. The best ride for me is if you have a train full of party people who know the lyrics to "Maneater". You'll hear a lot more singing later in the day when guests have a few "BEAST-Weisers" from the Biergarten in them. I think it brings a smile to the ride-ops. If it was up to me, I'd add some creepy rustling sounds in the woods when the sun starts going down for night rides, and also add 4 or 5 more songs to the playlist. If they sold a Timbers Soundtrack and the proceeds went to charity, I'd easily buy one. Fun video, which is not surprising, GCI makes fun coasters.
i liked how you included the small thuderbird from finland did you visit any other coasters in that themepark +(thunderbird is the most northen wooden rollercoaster)
In this video, Apocalypse at Six Flags Magic Mountain was placed at number 14. So if I ask you, did you like all rides you got on Apocalypse, or did you ever come off it disappointed?
And what about the seats and padding on: Gold Striker at California's Great America Prowler at Worlds of Fun Troy at Toverland Heidi the Ride at Plopsaland de Panne Wodan Timbur Coaster at Europa Park
I've been on all the GCI's currently operating in the US other than Roar, and I've been on Wildcat at Hershey. For me I would rank them this way: 1. GoldStriker 2. Renegade 3. Mystic Timbers 4. Prowler 5. Thunderhead 6. Texas StingRay 7. Apocalypse 8. American Thunder 9. White Lightning 10. Lightning Racer 11. Kentucky Rumbler 12. InvadR 13. Wildcat GoldStriker is my clear #1. #2 and 3 are really close. My #5 and 6 are really close. Pretty sizable drop off after #7. Major drop off after #12. Wildcat is the only GCI that I really just didn't like. I think Roar will end up being more similar to Wildcsat than the others if I had to guess.
I rode Prowler and Renegade, 2 days in a row, Prowler was way easier to re-ride than Renegade which has gotten way rougher than it was when I rode it in 2019. I would put Thunderhead way ahead of them and neck and neck with Mystic Timbers. A trick for making GCI's more fun, 90% of the time we ride, eyes closed. It's amazing how speed hills all of a sudden feel like huge drops. BTW, my first time to Dollywood was in 2016. Thunderhead could not even come close to Lightning Rod. Now, Thunderhead is, by far, the best ride there.
I have only been on 5 GCI's so here's how I rank them. 1. Troy 2. Wodan Timbur Coaster 3. Wickerman 4. White Lightning 5. Joris en de draak - Water Hopefull this year if there open I shall be experiencing more GCI's including: Lightning Racer Thunder, Lightning Racer Lighting, InvadR, Roar, Thunderbird, Bombay Express
@@CanobieCoaster quite possible with the recent reliability problems, but Joris also has waits up to an hour on busy days and you don’t have time for re-rides on a one day trip, even on moderately busy days, because there is so much to do in the Efteling.
I have not ridden any GCIs. My sister likes Invadr. (But she also liked Hersheypark's Wildcat--she is a big wooden-coaster fan and will put up with a lot.)
Texas Stingray when running fast is a top GCI!! I got a couple good rides and it holds its own with any of the others!! Those final bunny hills going into the brake run will launch you when running fast!! With the smoothness and power running fast its top 3!!
Nice rankings. I so badly want to ride Wood Coaster in China, it looks amazing! I think if Hersheypark had found a way to keep the PTC trains on Wildcat but get it running smoother, it may still be around. It was noticeably faster in its original form. Lightning Racer is a great ride, but it's lost the spark it once had. One of the main reasons is popularity and the other being the tracks don't consistently race neck and neck like they used to. I would love to see that ride get a full retrack and regain some of the potential speed loss. As for Thunderhead, I haven't ridden that coaster in years but I loved it and got several rides on it. Mystic Timbers is the only other GCI coaster I've been on so far and I agree it's the best. I'd love to ride some of the others though such as Invadr, Goldstriker, and Renegade.
@@CanobieCoaster Interesting, I've never seen them just run one track. I was mostly referring to the fact that the Thunder track seems to win 90% of the time due to running faster than the Lightning track. It's been that way for years now.
I would put Invadr at the top, but I haven’t ridden any higher than that on the list. I really liked Wildcat when I went on it within a few years of it opening, but it was so much rougher when I last rode it in the 2010s. It so rough that I never bothered riding it again, didn’t think it was worth it. I rode Gwazi not too long after it opened and don’t remember it being bad, but not great either.
My ranking: 5. Heidi the ride 4. Joris en de draak - vuur 3. Joris en de draak - water 2. Troy 1. Wodan Though I have to say I enjoy every single one quite a bit
I rode Roar in the back, and I honestly didn't find it very rough at ALL. Maybe it was just because I went into it nervous, since 30 minutes ago I tore my shoulder, trap, AND pec on Wild One, then was pleasantly surprised at how NOT janky it was...Ion know
@@CanobieCoaster Oh it was smooth for sure, it's just the profiling. I've heard it's great towards the front, though, so I plan on trying it again next time.
If GCI is building clones or mirror images of some of their coasters, I want someone to build a copy of Ozark Wildcat from Celebration City because that looked like a very fun ride. And I think the perfect park for one of those would be Lost Island in Iowa. They'll need some new rides to keep guests there all day and a copy of Ozark Wildcat would be perfect as its the perfect thrill ride for guests who aren't quite ready for the upside down action of their other two thrill coasters yet.
Here’s my GCI ranking: 1. Prowler 2. American Thunder 3. White Lightning 4. Thunderhead 5. Mystic Timbers (I’ve never gotten airtime even while holding up the lap bar) 6. InvadR 7. Apocalypse (I rode it in 2018 before it got that extensive track work done)
@@CanobieCoaster I’ve done it 12 rides on it across 2020, 2021 and 2022, and it’s always been disappointing. Prowler had the strong airtime that I wish Mystic had, and having done both Prowler and Mystic at night, I can safely say Prowler’s night ride crushes Mystic. Mystic’s night ride was lit up thanks to White Water Canyon, and Prowler had no light on the course
I love my GCIs. Overall, I would take a GCI over a B&M hyper. The quick, rapid fire elements are more my thing, which is why I rank many GCIs over GhostRider. However, GCIs are so inconsistent in how they run. Hershey's Wildcat ran fantastic for me, as did Lightning Racer. Kentucky Rumbler probably gave me some of the best rides of any GCI. InvadR ran like a kiddie coaster, no airtime anywhere. Apocalypse only gave very weak airtime a couple times. Texas Stingray has delivered all the way to the finish for me. American Thunder has ridden great and pathetic on different visits. I've even had a few rides on Mystic Timbers and Prowler that were weak.
I know what you mean. I got my best rides on Lightning Racer on a 40 degree day this year. I got airtime I had never gotten on 100 degree days. That's opposite what I'd expect.
Hey, wait a minute, Mike. Didn't you say your top 50(or 100) favorite roller coasters as of 2022 video was gonna come out late January? I recall you saying that! Now, January is about to end! So what do you have to say?
The big thing with Wodan and Troy is, that when Troy runs as smooth as possible, and you ride it in the evening/night, it can completely outrun wodan in force, airtime and pacing. In 2018 a majority of Troy was re-tracked and Oh boy, it delivered. This summer was particulairy hot so all the re-tracked sections and older sections took quite a beating cause they used a type of wood more common for the European weather systems. With Joris en de Draak, most visitors are saying it is the most intense coaster at Efteling.
@@CanobieCoaster That is on Wodan also a hit and miss. The one ride you get loads of airtime and sometimes there is practically none. So that means you were lucky.💪
Am I the only here who doesn’t like gold striker as much as most other people? I rode it after the retrack even and it was not very good. Gold striker is the only gci I have ridden, so if it’s apparently one of the best, I don’t have high hopes for the rest of their line up.
@@CanobieCoaster that’s fair, it definitely has both of those. Anyone can like any ride, I was sharing my opinion. I ride gold striker every time I’m at cga so I can’t say I hate it I just don’t think its that hype.
I honestly prefer Prowler over Mystic because the older trains provide more room with my build. Heck Prowler even got the retractable seatbelts for 2022 and I was still getting launched out of my seat in the front row.
I haven't ridden anything from either company (6FGA is my home park and I rarely get anywhere else. I'm counting down the ten or so weeks until I get to Hershey for the first time since the 90s), but all of the info I have points to Gravity Group being way better than GCI. Well, at least the best coasters from Gravity seem to be clearly better than the best GCI's.
Unfortunately, I have been on 4 if the best GCIs and they all in so.e way disappointed me, maybe I went on with high expectations but it happened all 4 times. GCIs just aren't my thig overall, they have fantastic pacing but lack in the forces. Overall Mystic Timbers and Thundhead are 2 fantastic rides if you don't want something super intense but you like something that feels like it has fast pacing. GCIs are cool in that way, they feel fast but don't give the forces you would expect.
As a coaster enthusiast in China, I’d say whether one would enjoy the woodies in China is highly dependent on the roughness tolerance, all the woodies here are extremely rough, and those ruined a lot of the good layouts
I really hope titan track doesn't take over... did joris and de draak with it and before it was better, it felt to smooth, forceless and took away the crazy laterals that turn had... and the track looks cheap and poorly made imo :/
Mystic is such a great Winterfest ride. It can be literally freezing, yet that coaster still slams into the brakes.
The fog effects added during Haunt 2023 were also a nice seasonal touch.
But the best time to ride is during a summer storm. You’ll be half drowned, half blind, and flung around like a rag doll, but you’ll never forget the ride.
So many GCIs run awesome in cooler temps. I've gotten my best rides on Lightning Racer and InvadR in the cold.
My first GCI was mystic timbers and I was blown away by how much of a punch it packed for its size. I was expecting a mid-tier ride but its definitely one of my favorites at Kings Island.
It's my second favorite at that park after Orion.
Absolutely, it might even be my favorite at KI!
It's better than The Beast and Kings Island is my home park 😂
Wow, awesome to see Wodan so high up from my homepark! The ride gets even better in the winter season due to the added winter wheels! You get solid ejector on the first drop all the way down in the back and it runs even faster making it seem like it would derail any moment. Literally all rides at Europapark become jacked in winter. So if your a coaster enthusiast I would highly recommend you going then!
Wow that sounds awesome!
My first GCI was Troy and so far I’ve only ridden El Toro (Plohn) and Joris en de Draak (Efteling) and I love all of them
I prefer Joris of those 2.
The GCI I am currently most intrigued by is Bombay Express as it set to have 33 Airtime Pops
I’ve watched it run and what stood out to me was the steepness of the first drop.
Is there any updates at all from that coaster?
@@SunshineStateCoasters Not that I know of. Something fishy is up. Employees were riding it regularly when I visited last April!
@@StamfordBridge wow it’s basically ready to go. Maybe they found a issue with the ground it sits on? Or just the fact that well it’s a desert…
@@SunshineStateCoasters No idea.
I met Renegade on a cool September morning and it still ran like it wanted to be everyone’s favorite GCI. It got better as the day went on and warmed up. Such a fun layout, it’s right there with Goldstriker, Prowler, and Mystic for me!
GCIs run well in the cold from what I've seen.
I will always say, you can't go wrong with a GCI. I've yet to ride one I didn't enjoy. Some aren't as strong, but I still have fun.
I've also got to add, Gold Striker is my favorite GCI without a doubt. The intensity is unmatched by anything else I've ridden from GCI. Sadly, Mystic fell very short when I rode it, so I have it ranked middle of the ground for GCI.
Gold Striker is probably their most intense ride (minus the ones in China).
Great rankings! GCI is one of my favorite manufacturers. At the top of my list is the GCI I've ridden most recently: Gold Striker. It is an absolute masterwork in coaster layout and has an incredible, rapid flow to its pacing
Such a great ride!
I think Roar is by far the most underrated GCI. I was expecting the worst considering it’s reputation but it’s in the top 3 for me. I find Millennium Flyers to feel too light and weak on all their coasters so I loved how those heavy PTC trains felt charging through the layout
The difference between old and modern Wildcat footage is striking.
My home park is WOF, and I rode prowler all year. I got the best ride ever this year on the last night it was open. It had some of the strongest airtime I've ever experienced. It was quite smooth to. I have it over outlaw run, and thunderhead. It was running excellent 👌
I really hope I can get better rides on it in the future.
@@CanobieCoaster yeah, I hope you can to. This year in the back for me was smooth
Not only riding a GCI is a lot of FUN, but my visits to their booth @ IAAPA Expo's were lots of FUN! I really watched them evolve over the years. They, like B&M would bring a lead car from an upcoming installation. To bad about Ozark Wildcat. Park WAS a grand concept. Back in the day Silver Dollar City (even in July closed @ 7pm)
That's cool!
Many people over the years got rides on all GCI coasters and some came off with a headache. Why did they have a headache, which sensation?
A) pacing
B) laterals
C) shaky
D) quick pops of airtime
C
with InvadR being my first roller coaster, I have a lot of respect for this company and love all of the rides they have made
That's fair.
Great video! Here is my ranking of the ones I’ve done:
1: Troy
2: Mystic Timbers
3: Wodan
4: Joris
5: Apocalypse
6: Wicker Man
7: Heidi: The Ride
Nice!
Do you think GCIs will start to look more like RMCs or stick to their original layouts just with Titan Track to make them smoother?
Hard to say since they've been fairly conservative with it thus far.
Very excited to see this one!
Enjoy!
My first GCI was Ozark Wild Cat, and then Prowler was built at my home park. Night rides ARE insane on that thing, my first ride on it was actually in the dark and I had no idea what to expect. I think that's why I got my expectations for Mystic Timbers up too high, I still loved it, but honestly I felt a little underwhelmed as well.
I still need to get on that one at night.
Mystic Timbers is virtually wood coaster perfection in my opinion. And KI keeps it running butter smooth.
They take great care of it.
you’ve convinced me to give white lightning a try in the summer heat haha. $12 a ride now
It's worth it.
Why does China get all the best GCIs lol
probably because of budget as I have a feeling most amusement parks there are subsidized by the chinese governemt
They build a lot of parks to distract the population from what they are doing behind the scenes
@@cxllen9314 naah, china is just very big
@@nielskut2256 even if china is very big, the government still subsidies the parks for those big investments as a non subsidiesed park can't open with a b&m hyper
@@nielskut2256 the economy isn't that big compared to the population
My very first GCI was renegade. I was sold on woodies ever since
Nice!
Wonderful vid. Are you gonna do an updated version of the top 20 coasters from Gravity Group?
Not this year. Probably next year after Bobcat opens.
I am so glad you ranked goldstriker so high. It is phenomenal! I say it’s top 3 in California along with Twisted Colossus and X2
It's definitely one of the state's best.
Except you're forgetting the ride he said would've been #1 if it was included! Goldstriker is only second best woodie in the state!
Nice ranking, surprised to see Invadr that high but it does appear to have some hidden power.
My GCI Ranking would be as follows:
7. Wildcat (Only bad GCI IMO)
6. Roar SFDK
5. Apocalypse
4. Lightning Racer
3. Thunderhead
2. Gold Striker
1. Mystic Timbers
I seem to like InvadR more than most. It's very weak in the middle of the train but great on the ends.
So many great GCI's all over the world. They have their great ones, their meh ones, and some underrated ones that no one knows about.
Maintenance plays a big role.
My favorite GCI was the old Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa. The roughness of that ride with the original PTC trains never bothered me and I think the Millennium Flyers made it even better in the end. Now that it has become Iron Gwazi, my new favorite is Apocalypse at Six Flags Magic Mountain followed by Renegade at Valleyfair. I surprisingly haven't ridden many rides from them.
Wish I could've tried the old Gwazi, but I'm glad how it all turned out.
My first GCI was Mystic Timbers and it instantly became one of my favorite coasters and it’s still the best wooden coaster I’ve been on. Still haven’t been on El Toro or Voyage yet, though.
Those 2 are bucket list rides.
@@CanobieCoaster Both of them are being extensively worked on over the off season. I noticed Voyage getting some major track work when I passed Holiday World last week. And, then I’m hearing El Toro is getting a lot of work after the conclusion of that last incident. So, both could be even better this season!
The first GCI I went on was the original Gwazi and I am excited to be riding some of their best later this year in Mystic Timbers and Invader
Enjoy!
What do you think about the seats and padding on:
InvadR at Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Mystic Timbers at Kings Island
Joris en de Draak at Efteling
Renegade at Valleyfair
White Lightning at Fun Spot Orlando
I prefer the soft padding.
All of these countdowns deserve a sub. Great content man!!!! 👌🏻
Thanks!
i've only ridden renegade and its a great coaster indeed
It's great.
Canobie Coaster said:
I like the Millennium Flyers.
But I was asking you about the seats and padding on them, between the older seat padding and the newer seat padding. Which one do you prefer, Canobie Coaster?
I prefer the older, softer padding.
I love mystic timbers. I went on it 5x last weekend. Probably no1 at kings island for me.
Nice! It's my 2nd favorite there.
Goldstriker is my favorite coaster. The re track helped the rattle off the first drop but seemed to slow the pacing toward the end for some reason. Despite that, if you get a ride on Goldstriker at the end of a hot day it is relentless from start to finish. My son and I are always laughing at the brake run no matter how many times we've ridden that day.
We rode it most recently on Labor Day weekend when temps were around 100 so it was flying.
May fav (and only ridden) is white lightning
same
A good one.
You have finally seen the light of Troy, welcome to the Way of Truth, young padawan. Seriously though, Troy has been running like a demon for all of 2022. Perhaps not the smoothest year for it but certainly one of the fastest.
I didn't find Troy all that rough. I've ridden far rougher coasters.
@@CanobieCoaster Oh, for sure. I came off the German Bandit seriously worried about my ability to procreate...
Joris en de Draak (George and the Dragon) deserved a spot here, one of the best dueling woodies there is.
It is on there.
@@CanobieCoaster Oh i didnt spot it.
I agree Mystic Timbers is GCI's best coaster. Smooth, full of sustained airtime, and great setting. And I've never even done it at night. But speaking of night rides, Prowler gives its best rides during Haunt. It's a top 10 night ride for me
I hope to try it at night at some point!
See in RCDB:
Mystic Timbers at Kings Island
Heidi the Ride at Plopsaland de Panne
GhostRider at Knott's Berry Farm
White Lightning at Fun Spot America
Gold Striker at California's Great America
Joris en de Draak at Efteling
Renegade at Valleyfair
I put those because they run GCI Millennium Flyer trains, and GhostRider was refurbished by GCI during the 2015-2016 off-season. So how would you compare between those seven in terms of forces, pacing, smoothness, and seat padding?
See the reviews for them.
From 5 to 1
5 Wildcat at Hersheypark. I rode this back in 2002 and enjoyed it. The Millennium Flyer trains were welcomed, and from 2007 to 2017, I liked it more. From 2018 to 2021, it became temperamental. In 2022, this ride became horrible, even in the front row.
4 InvadR. Despite its smaller size, this one is fun, and I like the setting.
3 White Lightning. This is a very fun little coaster. I like the airtime
2 Lightning Racer. The 2 tracks do elevate this ride. After Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled came out, I would find myself giving one of the speeches that the boss characters gave before you raced them.
1 Mystic Timbers. This one mixes airtime with a great layout and setting.
Nice list! Same number 1.
Nice list! Not gonna lie seeing Prowler below Invadr hurt a bit as a WOF home Parker 😂 haven’t made it on Invadr yet though.
I wish I could put Prowler higher. It should be better, but it didn't have the power I wanted.
Great #1 draft pick my man! Mystic Timbers is a movie from beginning to end. It's a good ride to on with a date, but not a burly dude cause of the laterals. I always love going over the water. This ride reminds me a ton of that freaky cop show with Matthew McCaugnahey and Woody Harrelson, True Detective. That show is creepy like the shed.
The best ride for me is if you have a train full of party people who know the lyrics to "Maneater". You'll hear a lot more singing later in the day when guests have a few "BEAST-Weisers" from the Biergarten in them. I think it brings a smile to the ride-ops.
If it was up to me, I'd add some creepy rustling sounds in the woods when the sun starts going down for night rides, and also add 4 or 5 more songs to the playlist. If they sold a Timbers Soundtrack and the proceeds went to charity, I'd easily buy one. Fun video, which is not surprising, GCI makes fun coasters.
That sounds awesome!
i liked how you included the small thuderbird from finland did you visit any other coasters in that themepark +(thunderbird is the most northen wooden rollercoaster)
Yes, I have a whole series of videos from Power Land.
@@CanobieCoaster i live 15 mins from powerland or powerpark as we say
InvadR is the only GCI I’ve ridden, and I really liked it, so it’s really cool to see it rank so high given how small it is. : D
It does a lot with its size
Canobie Coaster, do you like the seats and the padding on all GCI wooden cossters?
I like the Millennium Flyers.
In this video, Apocalypse at Six Flags Magic Mountain was placed at number 14. So if I ask you, did you like all rides you got on Apocalypse, or did you ever come off it disappointed?
I've had wildly different rides on it based on when it was last retracked.
And what about the seats and padding on:
Gold Striker at California's Great America
Prowler at Worlds of Fun
Troy at Toverland
Heidi the Ride at Plopsaland de Panne
Wodan Timbur Coaster at Europa Park
I prefer the soft padding.
Have you done a countdown for B&M’s coasters yet? Love the content btw
Not yet, but I will.
@@CanobieCoaster Looking forward to it!
Which GCI seat padding do you prefer, the older one or the newer one?
The older softer padding.
I've been on all the GCI's currently operating in the US other than Roar, and I've been on Wildcat at Hershey. For me I would rank them this way:
1. GoldStriker
2. Renegade
3. Mystic Timbers
4. Prowler
5. Thunderhead
6. Texas StingRay
7. Apocalypse
8. American Thunder
9. White Lightning
10. Lightning Racer
11. Kentucky Rumbler
12. InvadR
13. Wildcat
GoldStriker is my clear #1. #2 and 3 are really close. My #5 and 6 are really close. Pretty sizable drop off after #7. Major drop off after #12. Wildcat is the only GCI that I really just didn't like. I think Roar will end up being more similar to Wildcsat than the others if I had to guess.
Nice list!
I rode Prowler and Renegade, 2 days in a row, Prowler was way easier to re-ride than Renegade which has gotten way rougher than it was when I rode it in 2019. I would put Thunderhead way ahead of them and neck and neck with Mystic Timbers.
A trick for making GCI's more fun, 90% of the time we ride, eyes closed. It's amazing how speed hills all of a sudden feel like huge drops.
BTW, my first time to Dollywood was in 2016. Thunderhead could not even come close to Lightning Rod. Now, Thunderhead is, by far, the best ride there.
Odd, I found Renegade far smoother.
I have only been on 5 GCI's so here's how I rank them.
1. Troy
2. Wodan Timbur Coaster
3. Wickerman
4. White Lightning
5. Joris en de draak - Water
Hopefull this year if there open I shall be experiencing more GCI's including:
Lightning Racer Thunder, Lightning Racer Lighting, InvadR, Roar, Thunderbird, Bombay Express
Joris’ fire side is better than water imo.
Was only one side of Joris open for you?
@@CanobieCoaster Yes only water side was open, fire side was undergoing a retrack
@@CanobieCoaster quite possible with the recent reliability problems, but Joris also has waits up to an hour on busy days and you don’t have time for re-rides on a one day trip, even on moderately busy days, because there is so much to do in the Efteling.
I have not ridden any GCIs. My sister likes Invadr. (But she also liked Hersheypark's Wildcat--she is a big wooden-coaster fan and will put up with a lot.)
InvadR thankfully is a lot smoother than Wildcat.
Texas Stingray when running fast is a top GCI!! I got a couple good rides and it holds its own with any of the others!! Those final bunny hills going into the brake run will launch you when running fast!! With the smoothness and power running fast its top 3!!
I need to get on it on a summer day.
@@CanobieCoaster yes!! Powerhouse!!
Imagine, I think some rode Gold Striker at California's Great America and came off with a headache
It can run a bit rough.
Nice rankings. I so badly want to ride Wood Coaster in China, it looks amazing! I think if Hersheypark had found a way to keep the PTC trains on Wildcat but get it running smoother, it may still be around. It was noticeably faster in its original form. Lightning Racer is a great ride, but it's lost the spark it once had. One of the main reasons is popularity and the other being the tracks don't consistently race neck and neck like they used to. I would love to see that ride get a full retrack and regain some of the potential speed loss. As for Thunderhead, I haven't ridden that coaster in years but I loved it and got several rides on it. Mystic Timbers is the only other GCI coaster I've been on so far and I agree it's the best. I'd love to ride some of the others though such as Invadr, Goldstriker, and Renegade.
Lightning Racer was running very fast in October, but only one side was going the day I was there.
@@CanobieCoaster Interesting, I've never seen them just run one track. I was mostly referring to the fact that the Thunder track seems to win 90% of the time due to running faster than the Lightning track. It's been that way for years now.
And did most people and enthusiasts like both the shaky rides and the smooth rides on those GCI wooden coasters? What do you think?
Smooth is preferred.
How many GCI wooden coasters did you get shaky rides on?
Depends on the year.
I would put Invadr at the top, but I haven’t ridden any higher than that on the list. I really liked Wildcat when I went on it within a few years of it opening, but it was so much rougher when I last rode it in the 2010s. It so rough that I never bothered riding it again, didn’t think it was worth it. I rode Gwazi not too long after it opened and don’t remember it being bad, but not great either.
I heard Gwazi was decent shortly after opening, but those old trains did a number on it.
My ranking:
5. Heidi the ride
4. Joris en de draak - vuur
3. Joris en de draak - water
2. Troy
1. Wodan
Though I have to say I enjoy every single one quite a bit
The top 4 are all great rides.
I don’t get why everyone loves Mystic so much. I found it more tame that Prowler, Goldstriker, and Renegade.
I love the setting and pacing.
does anyone else fall asleep to canobie coaster videos?
I hope that's a good thing.
I rode Roar in the back, and I honestly didn't find it very rough at ALL. Maybe it was just because I went into it nervous, since 30 minutes ago I tore my shoulder, trap, AND pec on Wild One, then was pleasantly surprised at how NOT janky it was...Ion know
Odd, I find Wild One way smoother than Roar.
@@CanobieCoaster Oh it was smooth for sure, it's just the profiling. I've heard it's great towards the front, though, so I plan on trying it again next time.
If GCI is building clones or mirror images of some of their coasters, I want someone to build a copy of Ozark Wildcat from Celebration City because that looked like a very fun ride. And I think the perfect park for one of those would be Lost Island in Iowa. They'll need some new rides to keep guests there all day and a copy of Ozark Wildcat would be perfect as its the perfect thrill ride for guests who aren't quite ready for the upside down action of their other two thrill coasters yet.
I'm bummed I never got to try Ozark Wildcat. Looked pretty good.
I’ve only done 11
11- roar
10- wildcat
9- American thunder
8- apocalypse
7-lightning racer
6- white lightening
5- prowler
4- renegade
3- Texas stingray
2- mystic timbers
1- thunderhead
Nice!
Here’s my GCI ranking:
1. Prowler
2. American Thunder
3. White Lightning
4. Thunderhead
5. Mystic Timbers (I’ve never gotten airtime even while holding up the lap bar)
6. InvadR
7. Apocalypse (I rode it in 2018 before it got that extensive track work done)
That's odd you haven't gotten much airtime on Mystic. That has never been a problem for me.
@@CanobieCoaster I’ve done it 12 rides on it across 2020, 2021 and 2022, and it’s always been disappointing. Prowler had the strong airtime that I wish Mystic had, and having done both Prowler and Mystic at night, I can safely say Prowler’s night ride crushes Mystic. Mystic’s night ride was lit up thanks to White Water Canyon, and Prowler had no light on the course
It funny because the only GCI I’ve been on is the only one that didn’t make the list 😂😂😂 at least I got to ride the best El toro
Oh wait I forgot about lighting racer! Oops
El toro the intamin prefab?
@@kamicoasts obviously 🙄 lol
True!
I love my GCIs. Overall, I would take a GCI over a B&M hyper. The quick, rapid fire elements are more my thing, which is why I rank many GCIs over GhostRider. However, GCIs are so inconsistent in how they run. Hershey's Wildcat ran fantastic for me, as did Lightning Racer. Kentucky Rumbler probably gave me some of the best rides of any GCI. InvadR ran like a kiddie coaster, no airtime anywhere. Apocalypse only gave very weak airtime a couple times. Texas Stingray has delivered all the way to the finish for me. American Thunder has ridden great and pathetic on different visits. I've even had a few rides on Mystic Timbers and Prowler that were weak.
I know what you mean. I got my best rides on Lightning Racer on a 40 degree day this year. I got airtime I had never gotten on 100 degree days. That's opposite what I'd expect.
I agree with your one and two, but I would rank Troy and Prowler higher and Renegade lower, but wood coasters are so subjective!
I really wish I got the great rides others have described on Prowler.
Renegade for me, and my experience on American Thunder was much better than most others’.
I've not done either of those! Also missing Prowler.
@@Marty_NZ Prowler is a hoot. Not terribly long but great for the out-of-control feeling.
Still can’t get over the fact that WoF is building another GCI. I seem to be more surprised by that than most people are.
@@StamfordBridge yeah interesting statistic. Who else had two GCI's in the same park except for HersheyPark?
@@Marty_NZ Don’t know. Holiday World built two similar CCIs, though. And then another woodie. Those were bizarre choices.
I recently rode apocalypse. It can be dropped from this list. It’s time to close that ride.
I just rerode Apocalypse a few days ago after making this list. It definitely moved down a few spots.
Hey, wait a minute, Mike. Didn't you say your top 50(or 100) favorite roller coasters as of 2022 video was gonna come out late January? I recall you saying that! Now, January is about to end! So what do you have to say?
That video will be pushed to mid February. Wanted to get the manufacturer rankings out first and there were more than expected.
The big thing with Wodan and Troy is, that when Troy runs as smooth as possible, and you ride it in the evening/night, it can completely outrun wodan in force, airtime and pacing. In 2018 a majority of Troy was re-tracked and Oh boy, it delivered. This summer was particulairy hot so all the re-tracked sections and older sections took quite a beating cause they used a type of wood more common for the European weather systems. With Joris en de Draak, most visitors are saying it is the most intense coaster at Efteling.
For me, the airtime seemed better on Wodan, but Troy was the more intense ride.
@@CanobieCoaster That is on Wodan also a hit and miss. The one ride you get loads of airtime and sometimes there is practically none. So that means you were lucky.💪
It’s worrying thinking what will happen with Gold Striker
I hope it's saved, but it would be a bear to move.
What Cedar Fair park is going to get Gold Striker when CGA closes?
I hope it gets relocated, but I'm skeptical.
@@CanobieCoaster yeah I get that. Wooden coasters aren’t usually relocated. I hope cedar fair give Dorney Park some love.
YOU CANT FUCKING TEASE ME LIKE THIS JUST GIVE ME AN APOCALYPSE REVIEW
I need to get back on it to give it a proper in-depth review.
Am I the only here who doesn’t like gold striker as much as most other people? I rode it after the retrack even and it was not very good. Gold striker is the only gci I have ridden, so if it’s apparently one of the best, I don’t have high hopes for the rest of their line up.
I love Gold Striker's pacing and intensity.
@@CanobieCoaster that’s fair, it definitely has both of those. Anyone can like any ride, I was sharing my opinion. I ride gold striker every time I’m at cga so I can’t say I hate it I just don’t think its that hype.
I honestly prefer Prowler over Mystic because the older trains provide more room with my build. Heck Prowler even got the retractable seatbelts for 2022 and I was still getting launched out of my seat in the front row.
Didn't realize Prowler got those belts too.
@@CanobieCoaster It sure did, but didn't affect the ride experience for me. Prowler ran amazing in 2022.
What means "failed to make the cut"?
Missed the list.
I Need Re-Ride Dollywood Thunderhead Again To Review
I heard it's running super smooth right now.
@@CanobieCoaster I Think Thunderhead super smooth
I haven't ridden anything from either company (6FGA is my home park and I rarely get anywhere else. I'm counting down the ten or so weeks until I get to Hershey for the first time since the 90s), but all of the info I have points to Gravity Group being way better than GCI. Well, at least the best coasters from Gravity seem to be clearly better than the best GCI's.
Both are good manufacturers.
Ozark wild cat was a fun ride
Looked it.
Unfortunately, I have been on 4 if the best GCIs and they all in so.e way disappointed me, maybe I went on with high expectations but it happened all 4 times. GCIs just aren't my thig overall, they have fantastic pacing but lack in the forces. Overall Mystic Timbers and Thundhead are 2 fantastic rides if you don't want something super intense but you like something that feels like it has fast pacing. GCIs are cool in that way, they feel fast but don't give the forces you would expect.
That stinks you don't like them too much.
Invadr ahead of Prowler is a hot take
I know, but I have gotten good rides on InvadR.
@@CanobieCoaster yeah it's amazing how much the ride experience on wooden coasters changes from year to year, day to day, and even hour to hour!
After the top 5 GCis (prowler renegade thunder head metric timbers and gold striker) I think their lineup drops off far
Mystc*
I really want to get on the ones in China to compare.
Thunderhead is the best head.
Lol
Wildcat looked much faster with the PTC Trains
It was.
As a coaster enthusiast in China, I’d say whether one would enjoy the woodies in China is highly dependent on the roughness tolerance, all the woodies here are extremely rough, and those ruined a lot of the good layouts
That stinks they've gotten rough.
hi
Hi
No wood coaster
Have not been on it. That ride looks incredible.
I really hope titan track doesn't take over... did joris and de draak with it and before it was better, it felt to smooth, forceless and took away the crazy laterals that turn had... and the track looks cheap and poorly made imo :/
That's a bummer it hurt the forces. I liked it on Predator since the turn that got it was brutal before.
“one of the best wooden coaster manufacturers”, there are basically only 2 left and one of them is way better than GCI. lol
There’s three, GCI , Gravity Group, and RMC
They're one of the big ones left, but a few others can do woodies too.
@@stephenboshears4832 RMC doesn’t make woodies anymore
@@CanobieCoaster Intamin *can* build woodies, RMC *did* build woodies.
Vekoma won’t anymore, S&S won’t, i literally only know of 2 real extant wooden coaster manufacturers