Theme Parks: Top Coasters At California’s Great America
Cedar Fair has a wonderful selection of coasters at their parks. Many will claim Cedar Point can’t be touched. That’s not necessarily true. California’s Great America, situated in Santa Clara, California, has a great collection of coasters. While it’s not on the level of Cedar Point, Kings Island, Carowinds, or Canada’s Wonderland, the park might be the premier roller coaster park for Cedar Fair in California (sorry, Knotts).
CGA has 6 major roller coasters. I say, major, because, for the sake of this ranking, Psycho Mouse, Woodstock Express, and Lucy’s Crabbie Cabbies aren’t going to be listed. They don’t stack up to the others and simply don’t belong on the list. Of those 6 major coasters, what is considered the best at California Great America?
Grizzly
This might get the award for the most boring wooden coaster of all time. This is a very simple layout. It doesn’t offer much in terms of speed or airtime. The ride wasn’t necessarily rough or shaky. My main gripe is it’s just flat-out dull. The train design and logo do look very similar to The Beast at Kings Island. That’s about all the acclaim I will give this. Grizzly is perfect for a beginner who’s not ready to tackle Gold Striker.
Patriot
Uh-oh, time for some controversy. Patriot is a good coaster. For the average person going to CGA, they’ll think this is one of the best rides they’ve ever experienced. I feel it’s just too much of a letdown. I’m not a fan of stand-up to floorless conversions. I can stand Rougarou at Cedar Point (originally Mantis) because it’s a large coaster with a huge vertical loop and it feels extreme. Patriot, I just don’t get. It feels way too low to the ground. The coaster doesn’t fee fast and it is not extreme. If you need your floorless coaster fix, drive the 50 minutes to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and take a spin on Medusa. Again, if you’re the average coaster or theme park fan, this will do the job.
More Theme Parks: Top Coasters At Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Demon
The classic Arrow coaster gets the edge at four. The ride isn’t particularly smooth and can be a bit of a headbanger. The nostalgic feel is just too great to dismiss. The classic Demon music, the audio around the track, and the lights inside the tunnel ( or Demon’s mouth) just make this a fun coaster. It can be a bit disorienting for sure. If you know how to avoid the rough parts of the ride, you’ll be fine.
Flight Deck
I’ve done many B&M inverts. Here’s my top 7 for reference
• Raptor
• Banshee
• Batman (Six Flags Great America)
• Dueling Dragons (RIP)
• Afterburn
• Great Bear
• Flight Deck
Of the 7 I’ve done, Flight Deck is last, and there’s no debate. I don’t hate it. I can’t say I hate any B&M invert. I just feel it’s a lot more boring than all the others. You do go over a small lake, so it does give more of a sense of flight. (Given the theme, that’s good) The views you get going up the lift hill are sensational if you’re a football fan. Flight Deck is the closest coaster to Levis Stadium ( the park and stadium share a parking lot). I don’t think the views are enough to make it that much better than any other invert I’ve done. Like Patriot, if you haven’t done one of these coasters before, you’ll love it.
RailBlazer
The first single-rail RMC ( F off, Six Flags) is arguably one of the most intense rides you’ll ever go on. It’s sharp, snappy, fast, and you will not have a clue what’s going to happen. The key to this ride, sit in the back. On a normal coaster, the back row whips you around. This isn’t a normal coaster (that’s a good thing). There is a good amount of theming to this coaster. This is probably a ride you want to avoid if you’re looking for something tame.
Gold Striker
This isn’t a coaster you’ll love on your first ride. I actually was very disappointed by this in my initial passage. Then, I rode it a few more times. I love the music and the monologue from the prospector as you enter the train. The covered first drop adds a sense of mystery and excitement. There’s a good amount of airtime ( not as much as Mystic Timbers) and it’s a smooth ride as well. I think what it comes down to with Gold Striker, it’s just a fun ride. In all honesty, RailBlazer and Gold Striker are 1A and 1B. I’ll go with the wooden coaster because we all love a good woodie!
Image Source: Reddit
Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
