Giga What? Giga Who?

Roller Coaster Categories

There are four main roller coaster categories, five if you include the kiddie coasters with there jaw dropping height of 25 feet. I shouldn't poke fun as I avoided those kid coasters like the plaque until 8 years ago. As roller coaster manufactures continue to push the envelope at the behest of the amusement park industry, experts needed a way to distinguish between these modern day marvels. That's where the categorization of these mammoths comes into place. All roller coasters are categorized by a specific height range. Let's cover the four main roller coaster categories so next time you are out-and-about, you too can brag about what kind of roller coaster you went on.

Junior Coasters

Flight of the Hippogriff- Orlandoinformer.com

The junior coaster is what I like to call the "Ride for all ages". In order to be classified as a junior coaster, it must have a minimum height of 25 feet. These are going to be your Woody Wood Pecker and Shamu Express coasters. Some of these junior coasters are actually a lot of fun and a great choice for a first-time rider. A great junior coaster that I personally find enjoyable is the "Flight of the Hippogriff" coaster located at Islands of Adventure, Orlando, Florida.

Hyper Coasters

Magnum XL-200

Our next step-up is a hyper coaster which is classified as any roller coaster with a height or drop between 200-299 feet. These coasters are very common and continue to dominate the amusement park industry. These coasters began to touch the surface of how tall roller coasters could really be. One great example of a hyper coaster that I personally rode on is Magnum XL-200. Nestled in what some call the "greatest roller coaster park in the world", Cedar Point Park, Magnum XL was the first ever hyper coaster in the world. I must admit, from a far this ride is very intimidating, but it pales in comparison to our next roller coaster category.

Giga Coasters

I know, it sounds extremely intimidating and to be honest, it is. Classified between 300-399 feet, giga coasters up the ante on what a super roller coaster should be. If the height wasn't enough for you, giga coasters also require a drop between 300-399 feet. These coaster are not for the faint of heart. I went on my very first giga coaster a few years ago at Cedar Point Park. The name of this intimidating beast: Millennium Force. Not to be confused with the Millennium Falcon, although the gravitational force of the over 300 foot drop felt like I was in outer space. This monster of a ride employed a lift-chain system to slowly pull you up to the over 300 foot apex of the ride. "Clak, clak, clak..." is all I heard as I made my ascent into outer space.. I mean the top of the ride. This coaster was truly a work of art and fun at the same time. Could there be anything taller than a giga coaster?  

Strata Coasters

Meet the mother of all roller coaster- the strata coaster! In order to make this category, a roller coaster must have a drop and height classification between 400-499 feet. No, that is not a typo, strata coasters have changed the roller coaster game and have changed it for the better. There are only two strata coaster in the world (Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster) and I have had the ultimate pleasure of ridding one of them. Again, located at Cedar Point Park, Top Thrill Dragster pushes the envelope on what a roller coaster can do. Standing at a massive 420 feet tall with a drop over 400 feet, Top Thrill Dragster is the second tallest roller coaster in the world. In order to make that 420 feet journey to the top of Top Thrill Dragster, a hydrologic launch sends you from 0-120 MPH in three seconds. You can be the envy of all your roller coaster friends by riding on a strata coaster.

A Polar Opposite

I wonder what will be next? Engineers are constantly working on the next big thing. Orlando is actually brining in a new coaster that will scale the soon to be Skyplex shopping center at a record breaking 570 feet. An article in the New York Post reports the new category has been coined "polar coaster". Scheduled for completion in 2017, Skyscraper will twist and climb up more than 500 feet within four minutes. This will indeed become the tallest roller coaster in the world. The future of the roller coaster industry is looking up; pun intended. All I can say is "I-Cant-Wait". In the meantime, enjoy this video rendering of the soon-to-be "King of Coasters"- Skyscraper.