2019 Most Anticipated Coasters

Another year, another list of coasters I'm just gagging to ride! There's something really satisfying to me about lists like these, it's like I'm watching in real time as my plans come together to tick things off of my bucket list.

Let's face it, 2018 is going to be a pretty hard year to beat. Not only because the trips I went on last year took me to some slightly more 'exotic' places than your standard coaster trip with China and the UAE, but also because here in the UK the coaster scene was the most thriving and exciting it's been in year's and there were also a bunch of fabulous European coasters to throw into the mix too.

2019...well...not so much. It feels like parks have gone a little more 'experiential' with the coasters this year and whilst there are definitely some interesting additions there's not a whole bunch of newness that's had me going OH MY GOD MUST RIDE IMMEDIATELY. It makes sense - not every year can be as fruitful as the last otherwise things just wouldn't be sustainable.

Also from a personal POV (and by that I mean my bank account) it's kind of nice to have a bit of a break. It also gives me a chance to catch up a little on places I've neglected in years previous and allows me to finally tick some big boys off of my must visit list (no idea what my park bucket list is going to look like after this year!)

So yh, the following list is a fine blend of new for 2019 bits that I am actually interested in riding (it doesn't necessarily include all of the new for 2019 coasters I'll be riding this year come to think of it) and some coasters that have been open a while that I've just not gotten round to yet. Here we go!

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This is going to sound like such a first world problem but sigh, yes, I am returning to Orlando this year. My sister is getting married in the Keys so we're heading over in July. It's going to be putridly hot and sweaty, the crowds are going to be heaving, everything is going to cost twice as much because it's peak period but to take the edge off, it should mean that I get to ride the new Potter thing!

This thing looks right up my alley. First off, it's got launches yay. Secondly, it's built by Intamin, fuck yh. Thirdly, it's more than likely going to be the best themed rollercoaster in the world when it opens and I am all about that life. I'm not a die hard Potter fan by any means, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't entirely buzzing to finally get on this thing. Universal have done an absolutely stellar job at keeping the full details of the ride under wraps, to the point where when I think about it, I really have no clue what to expect. And I LOVE that. In this day and age that never really happens anymore so I'm sooo ready to ride this thing going in completely blind. Will the queue be grotesque? Undoubtedly. Will it be worth it? Time will obviously tell but going by what Universal have created before I am 100% faithful that this thing is going to be an absolute game changer.

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Because last year was so manic I unfortunately had to sacrifice my spot on the Poland hype-train, so I'm a little behind in visit the parks over there. It's kind of bizarre when you look at the coaster line up at Energylandia that something like Hyperion even lives there. I'm very intrigued to get on this coaster - it's like Intamin looked at the magic B&M were creating with their hyper coasters and decided to relook at their design. There's clearly some inspiration from B&M when you look at the layout of Hyperion but I'm hoping it's going some of that Intamin intensity that I love in the like of SkyRush and Taron.

The one thing I am slightly concerned about with Hyperion is its potential similarity with i305. I HATE i305. I mean I loathe it, it's one of my least favourite coasters in the world. It's too intense, and takes all the height and speed and uses it to basically crush your brain into a horrible ball of blackout horrendousness. Vile coaster. From the looks of Hyperion it seems they've gone for a slightly different approach with the big swooping airtime hills and SkyRush style restraints, so here's hoping it delivers!

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It even feels weird to be writing this coaster down on my list. For years I've looked longingly at pictures of this beautiful machine on the screen of my laptop and wondered when the day would finally come for me to ride it for myself. Every single time I'd planned to go to Cedar Point things came up that meant that it didn't end up happening. But not this year. 2019 is finally the year, fifteen years after starting this stupid hobby that I finally make it to the coaster Mecca that is Cedar Point. And more importantly, I finally get to take my seat in pole position for the launched Intamin gloriousness that is Top Thrill Dragster.

The speed! The acceleration! The LAPBARS! I'm salivating just thinking about it. Y'all know how I feel about my precious Stealth, and I can only imagine that Top Thrill Dragster is like that on crack. I am so bloody ready.

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Storm Chaser always seems like the RMC that nobody really talks about, but the people I know who have ridden this coaster absolutely rave about it. I haven't ridden a ton of RMCs in the wider context of things, but I do really adore Outlaw Run so I'm hoping that the compact layout of that beauty says something about what to expect from Storm Chaser. The layout looks like it was essentially designed to deliver airtime and buttloads of it whilst simultaneously trying to fling you out of your seat. I guess it kind of looks like RMC does Phoenix - a compact layout with mad, insane airtime and not a ton more. Short, sweet, to the point but all the more awesome for it and I'm gagged to try it for myself!

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Right, disclaimer time. I am fully aware of the fact that Phantasialand run on their own damn timeline because well, fuck everyone else right? For ages it was assumed that F.L.Y. would open 2019, then it was late 2019, now as I'm writing this I've gone on the coaster's RCDB page and it's been downgraded to 2020. But I mean, nobody truly knows what the deal is and I'm planning on visiting the park a couple of times towards the end of the year so to hell with it, it's on the list.

And god, where do I even start with this. An entirely new coaster concept never before seen from my beloved Vekoma that combines slower dark-ride type section with a flying coaster position including a launch?! On paper it sounds like the stuff of dreams, which thinking about it is probably why Phantasialand are doing it in the first place because they like to keep things freaky and weird. Honestly, with F.L.Y. I'm not even that excited for the coaster portion, I'm excited for the way the theming is going to be integrated with the coaster and the whole narrative of the thing. Rookburgh itself looks like it's going to be one of the most immersive non-IP themed lands in existance and if that's not exciting then I don't know what to tell ya. It's going to be obscene, in 2019, or 2020, or whenever the park decide to open the thing.

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When Cedar Point build an RMC you know they're going to mean business and I'll be honest, I'm shitting myself about riding this coaster. It's MASSIVE and from the tales I've heard of the airtime this coaster delivers I'm full prepared to be fearing for my life the entire time I'm whipping around the track. And I know I'm going to love every minute of it - it's the reason I adore coasters like SkyRush and Taron, nothing like a little sprinkling of impending death to really spice up a ride!

But urgh, that first drop. Genuinely think I'm going to need a change of underwear, it's too much to even comprehend. From the giant swooping drops, insane RMC inversions where you're engulfed by wooden structure to the tiny little bunny hills at the end, this coaster looks like pure insanity from start to finish and I feel like I'm going to need a good hour post-ride to recover.

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Still kind of insane that Heide Park have retracked this entire Intamin wooden coaster over the past couple of seasons. Although they're slightly formulaic in the current coaster climate of mad RMC layouts and the insane intensity of the Mack multi-launchers, there really is nothing that guarantees a healthy dose of airtime like an Intamin woodie. I'm so glad this coaster is receiving the TLC it needed and is getting a new lease of life for a brand new generation. I'll never forget my first ride on this coaster - it was one of my first real experience of sustained ejector airtime and I never looked back!

Plus, from the looks of things the new theming is only going to serve to heighten the experience and make the whole coaster even more epic and badass than before. Plus it's going to serve some excellent Instagram content.

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This coaster is legendary and has been on my must-ride list for a while now. I know everyone who's ridden it reading this list probably thinks I'm mad, but hear me out. As much as I love to travel the world riding the best of the best, I also love to ride coasters that I've heard people talking about for years and years, and it feels like everybody has something to say about Beast (apparently I need to ride it at night?)

I also secretly love coasters that beat you up a little. There's nothing I love more than spending a coaster absolutely wetting myself laughing and it's often something I find myself doing when I ride the legendarily brutal The Ultimate here in the UK. That thing pretty much does its damnedest to break your kneecaps by the time you get back to the station and from the looks of things it kind of feels like Beast might be The Ultimate's Mid-Western American cousin. Prepared for a bruise or two and excited for the experience that will accompany it.

And that only scratches the surface of the awesomeness we'll be riding in 2019! The American road trip alone will be 108 new coasters including 3 RMCs and 13 B&Ms! I'm itching for the season to begin now so I can start chipping away at this list - I really hope they all live up to my expectations and I'm also praying for some hidden gems along the way too. Bring it on!

Talk later xoxo,

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