Best Roller Coaster (2021)

Guests looking for thrills at SeaWorld Orlando will find them aboard one of the park's newest rollercoasters, Mako. Orlando's tallest, longest and fastest coaster gets its name from one of the world's fastest sharks – appropriate for a thrill ride reaching speeds of 73 miles per hour.
Photo courtesy of SeaWorld Orlando

The 3,365-foot track of Phantom’s Revenge in Kennywood brings visitors frighteningly close to another of the park's coasters, Thunderbolt. A hair-raising highlight is the second drop – a 230-foot thriller at 85 miles per hour.
Photo courtesy of Jantzen Simko / Kennywood

Phoenix, a classic wooden roller coaster inside Knoebels, proves that newer, taller and faster aren't always better. Consistently ranked as one of the best wooden coasters in the country, Phoenix offers panoramic views of the surrounding hills, as well as thrills in the form of a double out and back layout and speeds of 45 miles per hour.
Photo courtesy of Knoebels

Fury claims to be the world’s tallest and fastest “gigacoaster,” which means it specializes in speed and height. How high? Per the name: Expect a 325-foot drop. Fury 325 reaches extreme speeds of 95 miles per hour and will surprise riders with a dive underground beneath a bridge. 
Photo courtesy of Carowinds

Lightning Rod, the world's fastest wooden coaster, launches Dollywood thrill-seekers from zero to 45 miles per hour – a thrilling start to one of the park's most adrenaline-pumping attractions. Themed after a 1950s hot rod, the roller coaster tops out at speeds of more than 73 miles per hour.
Photo courtesy of Dollywood

The world record-breaking Steel Vengeance debuted at Cedar Point in May 2018 as the world's tallest and fastest hybrid coaster with the steepest drop (90 degrees), longest drop (200 feet), most inversions (four), and most airtime (27.2 seconds) on any hybrid coaster. At 5,740 feet, it's also the world's longest hybrid coaster and has quickly become a guest favorite.
Photo courtesy of Cedar Point

Prepare to be upside down. Montu is known for its inversions – seven of them, in fact, including a heart-shaped Batwing inversion. Montu made history as the first roller coaster to combine both a loop and a roll at the same time. It’s one of the tallest inverted coasters you can ride and reaches speeds of 60 miles per hour with a G-force of 3.85. The 104-foot-tall loop will leave your stomach in your throat. Find Montu in Busch Gardens.
Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens Tampa

Head to the Holiday World in the aptly named Santa Claus, Ind. for one of the nation’s most highly regarded wooden roller coasters. Highlights include one of the steepest drops on a wooden coaster, a world record of five underground tunnels and a whopping 24.3 seconds of weightlessness. This is no quick ride, either. The Voyage adventure is more than a mile long, earning it the honors of one of the world’s longest and fastest wooden roller coasters.
Photo courtesy of Holiday World

Cedar Point coined the term "giga-coaster" to capture the thrill level of Millennium Force, a steel coaster that tops out at speeds of up to 93 miles per hour and heights of up to 310 feet. The two-minute adrenaline pumper takes guests soaring over hills and lagoons and through tunnels along the way.
Photo courtesy of Cedar Point

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure takes guests on a thrilling flight through the Forbidden Forest on the grounds of Hogwarts Castle. Universal collaborated with the Harry Potter film production designer Stuart Craig and art director Alan Gilmore to bring iconic scenes to life. The coaster features seven launches, more than any other coaster in the world, as well as a free-fall vertical drop.
Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort