Every Manufacturer's BEST First Drop

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]People always say, "It's not how you start, it's how you finish." I may have even said that on my best finales by manufacturer episode, but today, let's ignore that and say, "Yes, it is how you start." And sometimes a coaster's first drop is everything. Straight, twisted, inverted, face first. These manufacturers find all kinds of ways to kick off a ride. And today, I want to celebrate the best ones. This is every manufacturer's best first drop, ranked from worst to best.

[00:00:42]First, I want to thank my Patreons and my new member, Joel Ecklund. If you want bonus access, bonus content, and have your name listed at the end of each video, check my links below and join. I was able to find a first drop for every manufacturer except one, Vegan. This company is known for making mountain coasters, rising up a mountain, and then winding your way down. So, by definition, they can't really have a real first drop. I'm going to have to leave them off this video. Number 31, Skyline Bravo at Mass Mocha. Skyline coasters don't really have first drops, per se, but this weird coaster that was built inside a museum qualifies, I guess. Bravo was built as an ode to the backyard coaster, having one rider cars, sending one rider per hour around its cycle, starting with a 12-oot drop out of the wall, and that was enough to complete its course. Not a great first drop by any means, but hey, it looks like it may have packed a small punch.

[00:01:34]Number 30, Penfari Tornado at M &D Scotland theme park. This RC70 model is now called Gotham at a park in France.

[00:01:41]Not going to try to pronounce that. It's been here for 5 years, but it all started at M ands in Scotland back in 1998, rising up 79 ft and twisting down to the right. This swooping turn isn't that exciting, but compared to other Pinfari drops, it's not hard to see why this one is the winner. Number 29, Hopkins Dragon at Adventureland. Hopkins doesn't have many coasters to their name, and none of their drops look that great. Dragon at Adventureland rose up 90 ft, hung a right, and then drop 85 ft straight down. Anytime you have a straight drop this size, you hope you might get some air time in the back row.

[00:02:15]But I never rode this, so I can't say.

[00:02:17]It closed down after the 2019 season.

[00:02:20]Number 28, Ianf Miller, Hurricane at Funspot CM. I was tempted to go with Prairie Screamer. That 80ft straight drop is a lot of fun, but there's something about the twisted jank of Hurricane that I like more. This is 52 ft tall and has a little speed coming out the lift, turning left, riding some straight track, then dropping while twisting left again. You can see the riders being yonked by this drop. And I mean, look, you ride ENF miners for the Jank. You have to celebrate it when the Jank is good. Number 27, SPF Visa Migfur at Wonderland Eurasia. The coaster that was once on the traveling circuit is cool and fresh. It found a permanent home at Wonderland Eurasia in 2019, only for it to be standing, but not operating for the long term. This had a vertical lift and a beyond vertical drop riding slowly down that tower. 75 ft 90° into a loop and that was it. A weird ride and not surprising, it's one of one. There's nothing else like it. Number 26, Ginma vertical roller coaster at Great Zing Dong Tourist World. Ginma has a lot of different models, but I felt like I had to go with a broken rail coaster or a vertical roller coaster. This one is their tallest, 197 ft and a 162 ft drop.

[00:03:30]the drop very steep but falls short at 90°. So that's disappointing, but it does act like a B&M dive coaster having a sidewinder after the drop and another steep drop after the break run. It would be better if it was at least 90°, but it's still the best one I found for Jinma. Number 25, the Den Corporation, Hercules at Dornney Park. Den only has 10 coasters, 11 if you count the beast, and that does have a nice drop into an underground tunnel. I never got to ride Hercules, but that drop over the lake has always fascinated me. going up the lift, turning left, and then plummeting down 151 ft. And when it hits the water level, it goes down into a drawn out U-turn. I'm sure it was rough as holy hell by the end of its life in 2003, but it still looks like a great drop. Number 24, the Roller Coaster Corporation of America: Son of Beast at King's Island.

[00:04:18]RCCA has a lot of greatl lookinging drops given the size of some of their coasters, but I had to go with the biggest drop ever put on a wooden coaster, 214 ft straight down at a 56° angle. Not exactly steep, didn't really toss you out of your seat, but it's still fun to dive down 214 feet in a wooden coaster. No other Woody in the world even comes remotely close to that, and that's where you got up to your max speed of 78 mph. Number 23, Philadelphia Tobogen Coasters, Wild One at Six Flags America. I went through a bunch of options for PTC and I landed on one of their oldest coasters going up 98 ft and dropping down 88 ft incorporating a right-hand twist at the very top. So, you get a little airtime and a little bit of laterals coming down, getting up to 53 mph and starting a 4,000 ft course. It's just too bad this coaster is most likely dead after Six Flags America closed in 2025. Number 22, Great Coasters International, Wana at Europa Park. There are a lot of options here, but not a lot that stand out as great.

[00:05:18]Texas Stingray is the best one that I've ridden. Having a nice straight drop with a little speed behind it. But I think Wodon is the real winner here. Coming off its 131 ft lift and turning right, going into his structure and down to the ground, it probably gives some good whip and airtime in the back on top of being GCI's tallest coaster. Number 21, PAX Cobra at Connie Land. I feel like I didn't have a lot to choose from when it comes to packs. So, I went with a shuttle coaster that starts with a catch car liftill going into a beyond vertical angle 138 ft in the air. Back row definitely being the place to be here just being suspended there beyond 90° and then dropping into its course. Not the best, but one of the most unique drops. Number 20, Shorskoff Mind Bender at Galaxy Land. Once the world's tallest coaster, and yes, I know it's indoors.

[00:06:05]It was the world's tallest coaster when it opened in 1985. It goes up its booster wheel lift and maxes out 145 ft and then dives down 127 feet to its left, getting up to 60 mph and whipping into its three inversions. It looks like it really yunks you in the back row. And being inside, I'm sure it makes it feel even faster. Number 19, Chance Rides.

[00:06:26]Lightning Run at Kentucky Kingdom.

[00:06:28]Chance Rides doesn't have a lot to choose from, but Lightning Run is a very solid option. The drop may be very modest at just 100 ft, but you're dropping at an 80° angle. Unlike the older coasters on this list, Chance Rise takes advantage of steep angles to guarantee some injector air time in the back row. Just a nice prelude to what the rest of the course is going to bring. Number 18, Za Thunderbolt at Luna Park. I don't love this coaster, but the drop is pretty sweet. going up a vertical lift, getting up to 115 ft, flipping over and diving straight down 90° to the ground, maxing out at 56 mph.

[00:07:01]And that course is pretty shaky for my two rides, but it's quite a jarring moment when you're going up 90° one second and then down 90° the next.

[00:07:10]Number 17, zero Impulse at Canobyl.

[00:07:14]There are two tower coasters, and as much as I love Wicked, I don't think that really qualifies as a first drop.

[00:07:20]So, I'm going with Impulse. It looks the same. Vertical going up, vertical coming down, but this uses a chain, so that drop hits harder as an actual drop, not just the back end of a launch top hat.

[00:07:31]This is 98 ft tall, runs very smooth from the one time I rode it in 2018, and it's definitely the highlight of the ride. Number 16, Custom Coasters International, Boss at Six Flag St. Louis. CCI has some great drops. Fillain comes to mind. Who's your hurricane is very good, but Boss does something special. It goes up 122 ft, turns left, and dips down to its main 150 ft drop.

[00:07:54]And this is kind of crazy. It levels out at the bottom, and then dives down even more, using its train to its advantage, almost like a double down on the first drop. It's one of the most unique first drops out there and helps the ride get up to 66 mph and cover 4600 ft of track.

[00:08:09]Number 15, Gravity Group. Hades 360 at Mount Olympus. Gravity Group has a bunch of very good drops. Voyage, Ravine Flyer 2, Kuchalin, Leviathan, but I don't think it gets any better than Hades. Not only is it one of the biggest gravity groups, but it rides that 65 degree drop down 140 ft and under the parking lot.

[00:08:28]It's wild how they dug out those tunnels under where people park their cars, making Hades one of the most unique wooden coasters in the world. And anytime you get a steep straight drop into a tunnel, that's going to be a winner. Number 14, Mau Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket at Universal Studios Florida. Speaking of unique coasters, this X-car had a 167 foot vertical lift to start and a very steep drop after.

[00:08:50]For a ride all about tossing you out of your seat coming off break runs, one of the best airtime moments was in the back row coming off that lift. I was floating all the way down heading to the non-inverting loop. Another elite airtime moment. So that drop is just another great reason to miss Rup Ride Rocket closing down last August. Number 13, Togo, Fujiyama Fujik Highland. Togo really doesn't like steep angles. Unless you're talking about the Ultra Twister model, then yeah, but when you ride massive coasters like Bandit, you wish it was a little bit steeper. Fujiyama has some things going for it. For one, it's got some drive tires at the top of its 259 ft lift. So, even in the middle of the train, I got a little air time coming down a 65° drop. And for two, it's just a massive drop, 230 ft until it bottoms out, hitting 81 mph. I wish I could have ridden the back row and felt all the air time, but in Japan, you're stuck with the row you're assigned.

[00:09:43]Number 12, Giovanola Goliath at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Kind of a similar ride to Fujama. I think the Japanese Toko has a little more force to it, but Goliath's drop is longer and you end up in a tunnel. Say what you want about the 61° 255 ft drop. If you watch my channel, you know I think Giovanel could have done so much better with this ride, but that first drop lasts forever. And when you're at the top, it's hard to believe you're going to fit into that tiny hole at the bottom. But somehow you do every time going 85 miles an hour by the time you're 20 ft underground.

[00:10:15]Number 11, Premier Rides Electric Eel at SeaWorld San Diego. This one is kind of controversial. Premier Rides not having any coasters with a real first drop. And on Skyrocket 2's, this is the first drop on the ride going into a swing launch, rising up 150 ft into his inline twist and twisting down over 100 ft into a non-inverting loop. In the back row, you get some elite ejector air time with a heaping dose of laterals. It's a violent drop, and because you're taking it so slow, I do qualify this as a first drop.

[00:10:43]Number 10, Morgan Steel Eel at SeaWorld San Antonio. Morgan is all about their hypers. So, by definition, the drop is going to figure into the ride, but I don't love many of their drops. This includes Steel Dragon 2000. That drop is 307 ft, but it feels like it levels out so far off the ground. You don't get that stomach dropping feeling even though you're picking up a ton of speed.

[00:11:04]This getting up to 95 mph. Steel Eel is the one Morgan drop that tosses me out of my seat. Despite being half the size of Steel Dragon, Steel Eel is angled just right to make me fly up and then land violently back in my seat at the bottom. That's the hallmark of this ride. Violent, painful airtime and it starts in that 150 ft first drop. Number nine, Pakoma Iron Rattler at Six Flags Kadilla. Not really known for their drops, I think Le Coaster has an awesome looking one. I think the same about Phonx, but there's something freaky about a tilt coaster. And why not pick the tallest one, Iron Rattler. 208 ft tall, dangling you above the ground and then dropping you straight down into it, getting up to 73 mph in a 4,000 ft course. Number eight, Gerslower Schwar Descarnate at Hansa Park. This massive infinity coaster has a lift hill and a drop all inside a tower, so you get the added thrill of being in the dark. This rises up 240 ft, and that's no normal liftill. You can do your own research if you want to know more about that. And then it dives down 220 ft, twisting on your way down, exploding out of the tower at 79 mph into a 4,000 ft course.

[00:12:12]There's no wonder this is near the top of my bucket list. Number seven, Rocky Mountain Construction, Iron Guazia, Bush Gardens, Tampa. I keep going through different first drops when it comes to RMC. Is it Lightning Rod? Is it Steel Vengeance? Is it Iron Rattler? Those are all amazing, but Iron Guazi has emerged as a top dog, and it's not hard to see why. It's one of the tallest RMCs. Only Zadra is at its level, and it's got a 91° drop. That one degree giving it an extra kick as you dive all the way down 206 ft. It was made to be the best RMC drop, and I think it achieved its goal.

[00:12:46]Number six, Art Engineering, Cannibal at Lagoon. Yes, Cannibal is credited to Art Engineering Now, the company that makes family launch coasters and interactive dark ride coasters. And then you have this mega coaster, definitely one of one, going up a 197 ft elevator lift inside a tower, emerging from it, and then dangling you over the edge. The track wrapping around under you, an astounding 116° with just a lap bar into a tunnel that maxes out at 28 ft, 72 mph. A great course to follow, but that first drop defines this coaster and it's great. Number five, Ballager and Nabiard Raging Bull at Six Flags Great America.

[00:13:23]So many hypers, so many gigas, so many dive coasters for that matter. But as of right now, I still think B&M's best drop is Raging Bull, one of their first hypers back when they would put a dip off the liftill. Apparently, that helped take stress off the lift chain. And a nice side effect is the ejector air time you get in the back row coming down that drop. It's one of my favorite elements on any coaster. It's got to be in row 9 to get the full effect, but you're ejected at the top and you're out of your seat all the way down this 28 ft drop. Number four, mock rides. Time traveler at Silver Dollar City. Spinning vertical 100 ft. No coaster in the world starts quite like Time Traveler defined by its spinning and launches and inversions. But no coaster gets a party started quite like Time Traveler. There are four cars. Each car takes the drop at a different angle. Some forward, some backward. And if you're a psycho like me, ride the back car and you get to go down sideways. That's a gut punch that's impossible to prep for. Number three, aerodynamics X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. When this was announced in 2000, it was hard to imagine what this would be like. We had never seen a coaster with wing seating before, let alone having seats rotate on their own axis and sending you plunging down 215 ft face first and backwards. To this day, a quarter century later, it's hard to believe it's real. And after riding X2 dozens of times over the years, it's still hard to prep for, especially in the back row. You just have to hold your breath and you can finally exhale when you hit the bottom and the ride flips you on your back. Number two, SNS Worldwide Ainika Fujikq Highland. If X2 is crazy, then Ajanika is certifiably insane. The concept is the same. Wing seating taken backwards down a near vertical angle. The only difference is this one is much taller about 35 ft or so. So you get every bit of insanity that you get on X2 and then some.

[00:15:11]Ajunika is the most aggressive ride I've ever been on and it all starts with that demented first drop. Number one, Intimin El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure.

[00:15:20]After all the gimmicks over the last three drops, we finally get some pure airtime with El Toro. Not the tallest or steepest coaster out there, but my number one favorite drop. And here's why. First, the train is super long. 18 rows, 36 riders per train. So, if you're parked in the back row, you get some serious whip. Also, this has some speed coming off this cable lift. 181 ft in the air, making a left turn while gaining momentum. So, by the time it's your turn to go down that 76°, 176 ft drop, El Toro lives up to its namesake. It tries to buck you into outer space. This is backed up by two of the most elite airtime hills of all time. And just like that, El Toro is a top 10 coaster. Those three elements alone are enough. But it's got 4,400 feet of track in total. If you don't believe me on this, write it in the back row and find out for yourself. That's a wrap on every manufacturer's best first drop. Rank from worst to best. Let me know what you think of my list. What you would change around, what drop you would have replaced on here, and if you have anything else to add, sound off in the comments below. If you enjoyed this video, please drop a like, and if you're new here and love coasters, please give me a sub. Also, check out my second channel where I post copyright free off-ride footage. Thank you all for watching and I'll see you all next time.