The ultimate guide to record-breaking rollercoasters: Fastest, tallest and most expensive
Whether it’s the tallest, fastest, most expensive or has the most loops, there are plenty of record-breaking rollercoasters around the world to keep thrill seekers entertained.
We’ve delved deep into the Guinness World Records archive to bring you the ultimate guide to record-breaking rollercoasters.
How many have you ridden?
Fastest rollercoaster
Name: Formula Rossa
Location: Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Formula Rossa can accelerate up to 240 km/h (149.1 mph) in just 4.9 seconds.
It travels 52 m (170.6 ft) upwards at the same time.
It officially opened to the public on 4 November 2010, but at the time of writing is closed until further notice.
Tallest rollercoaster
Name: Kingda Ka
Location: Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, USA
Kingda Ka is not only the tallest rollercoaster made from steel but also the overall tallest rollercoaster in the world.
It reaches a maximum height of 139 m (456 ft) above ground level.
It’s a strata coaster, and the second of its kind ever built. The name refers to a type of coaster with a height or drop of at least 120 m (400 ft).
It was also the fastest rollercoaster when it opened on 21 May 2005 with a speed of 206 km/h (128 mph) before losing that title to Formula Rossa.
First strata rollercoaster
Name: Top Thrill 2 (Formerly Top Thrill Dragster)
Location: Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, USA
Top Thrill 2, originally opened under the name Top Thrill Dragster on 4 May 2003, was the world’s first strata rollercoaster.
It has a top height of 128 m (420 ft).
At the time of writing, Top Thrill 2 is experiencing an extended closure.
Tallest single-rail rollercoaster
Name: Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage
Location: Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, USA
Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage is 39.92 m (131 ft) tall.
It opened to the public on 16 July 2022 and became the 20th active coaster in the park, meaning the park also earned the record for most rollercoasters in a theme park.
The park has a total of four record-breaking coasters within its walls right now.
It’s also home to Tatsu (tallest flying), Riddler’s Revenge (tallest stand-up), and…
Tallest shuttle rollercoaster
Name: Superman: Escape from Krypton
Location: Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, USA
Superman: Escape from Krypton, which opened in 1997, measures in at 126.5 m (415 ft) tall.
Fastest vertical launch rollercoaster
Name: The Storm Coaster
Location: Dubai Hills Mall in Dubai, UAE
The Storm Coaster, opened inside the Dubai Hills Mall on 17 February 2022, has a vertical launch speed of 41 km/h (25.48mph).
Tallest and fastest inverted rollercoaster
Name: Legendary Twin Dragon
Location: Chongqing Sunac Land in Shapingba, Chongqing, China
Legendary Twin Dragon, opened on 3 February 2021, stands at 69.9 m (229 ft 7 in) at its highest point.
It’s also the fastest rollercoaster of its kind with a top speed of 118.9 km/h (73.9 mph).
First giga rollercoaster
Name: Millennium Force
Location: Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, USA
Millennium Force was the first rollercoaster of its kind when it opened to the public on 13 May 2000.
A giga rollercoaster has to have a complete circuit with no stops in the track from the start of the ride to the finish and it has to reach in the range of 91.4-121.6 m (300-399 ft) in height.
Millennium Force is 94.4 m (310 ft) tall.
Most track inversions in a rollercoaster
Name: The Smiler
Location: Alton Towers in Staffordshire, UK
The Smiler has a total of 14 track inversions.
It opened to the public on 31 May 2013.
Most expensive rollercoaster
Name: Expedition Everest
Location: Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA
Expedition Everest was opened for $100 million (£51 million) at Disney World in 2006.
It took six years of research and construction before it was finally unveiled to the public.
The concept is a train journey through the Himalayas that takes a shortcut by Forbidden Mountain – home to a fearsome 6.7-m-tall Yeti.
The 22-ft beast is an audio-animatronic that’s controlled by 19 actuators and covered in 93 m² (1,000 ft²) of fur.
Steepest rollercoaster made from steel
Name: TMNT Shellraiser
Location: Nickelodeon Universe in Rutherford, New Jersey, USA
TMNT Shellraiser, opened on 25 October 2019, features a 43 m (141 ft) vertical lift hill that descends on a slope that curves at an angle of 121.5 degrees.
Largest rollercoaster loop
Name: Flash
Location: Lewa Adventure in Shaanxi, China
AND
Name: Hyper Coaster
Location: Land of Legends in Antalya, Türkiye
Flash and Hyper Coaster each have a 42.52-m-diameter (139-ft 6-in) loop that wraps around a chain-lift hill.
Flash opened in 2016 and Hyper Coaster in 2018.
Longest rollercoaster made of wood
Name: The Beast
Location: Kings Island in Ohio, USA
The Beast, opened on 14 April 1979, is the longest of all the traditional wooden laminated rollercoaster tracks.
It spans 2,286 m (7,400 ft).