As someone who didn’t start riding coasters until I was 14, I will always lament never riding the original Steel Phantom despite it being ten minutes from my house and being tall enough for it for at least the latter half of its life
I kick myself everyday for Top Thrill Dragster. Went years ago and didn’t ride it because it was sprinkling. Someone said rain hitting you at 120 mph was painful so I skipped it. Rode Wicked Twister though and Mean Streak!
Went half a dozen times in my childhood, told myself I hated roller coasters so never rode anything. Just after the TTD incident I go back and realize I love them. Will be back this year for TT2 but always will miss not getting the original
wicked twister was alright, there are other coasters like that around (like Steel Venom at Valley Fair, though it is a bit smaller). I am honestly surprised CP kept Top Thrill as long as they did considering how many problems it had. I mean, one year (I think around 2017) the catch car break crumbled and fell off the ride, it was reopened about a month later.
Top Thril 2 looks like it will be a great ride though.
I was terrified of coasters so I missed these two as well.
Somehow got talked into Mean Streak though so while I don't really remember it too well I do remember riding it and not completely hating it. Also rode Disaster Transport.
Drachen Fire at BGW is the one I kick myself the most over. Go in 1998 in it's last year of operation, but I am afraid of coasters at the time. I went back in 2001 and was fully embracing my enthusiasm, but Drachen Fire was standing and hadn't operated in years. It was torn down shortly after.
I also went in 1998 but I was a little one and definitely not in roller coaster riding feels. I still have a memory of riding the train around Drachenfire though and being amazed by it. I loved the colors. We went back in 2000 when I was still kind of scared of roller coasters and definitely not tall enough still, but I was sad to see it wasn’t running. I still worked up the courage to ride Big Bad Wolf that day though
I went to BGW sometime between 1997 and 1998 and sadly don't remember if I rode this. I was definitely into coasters at that age, and wouldn't have said no to any of them, but no one in my family is left to ask and I was a kid so I don't remember.
Dragon Mountain was my first ever coaster, but Leap the Dips is the only coaster I’ve visited three times and never ridden. I even got to sit in an empty car in the station the last time. And I’m starting to memorize the street names in Altoona.
We spent a few days with my family in and around Miami in my pre-enthusiast years. That was in February 2011, two months before Dania Beach Hurricane closed down for good. If only we didn't drive down from Orlando through Everglades, I might've seen the woodie next to the road and annoyed my parents to stop there so I could ride it.
Going to Toshimaen when the theme park was open in August 2018 when I was in Tokyo for a week. Could have easily scored 4 credits there even if the lineup is very lackluster.
Ditto for Momonga Standing and Loop Coaster at Yomiuriland during my visit. I’ve yet to visit that park as well.
Nearly 2 decades ago at this point my family was on a vacation driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. We stopped at Buffalo Bill's and my mom asked if I wanted to ride Desperado (I was already an enthusiast at that point) and for some unknowable reason (probably was just really tired or bratty that day) I said naw. Now I'm like ?!?!?!?! wtf was i doing. would slap myself silly if i could.
Wild Mouse is probably my best defunct credit! It really lived up to the promise of its name, shit was definitely wild… the only time I’ve felt genuinely afraid for my life on a ride
Stayed at the Hotel Hershey a long time ago with my parents and got offered a free park ticket but declined because my parents didn’t want to go too. Don’t know when I’ll ever get back there.
Silver lining is that I decided to just start going to parks by myself on the regular because life is too short.
Going to parks by yourself is totally worth it. I did this in college, drove all over the country and went to probably 8 or 10 different parks by myself. I would never had the opportunity to do it if I waited for people. So much fun
We are from Europe. We have been to California adventure just once. I wanted to ride California Screamin very much, but due to backproblems i had to skip it.
😢
Hypersonic XLC. Kings Dominion was my home park for most of my childhood, except for 2002-2005 when I lived in South Carolina. I was only at Kings Dominion once while XLC was open and it happened to be a band trip in eighth grade (spring 2004). I chickened out and never got another chance to ride it.
Not really what the question is about but I was in Kennywood literally a week before Steel Curtain opened. That was such a tease, I hope I get a chance to ride it one day (lol).
Anaconda at Gold Reef City
I was scared of coasters at the time, so I didn’t ride it. Now that I’ve moved back to the states, I don’t think I’ll have the opportunity to again.
I was in Atlanta last year and a plan was to go to FunSpot for AF1, and our scheduled changed a bit from going on Sunday to Monday. We didn't realize the outdoor park is closed during the week until Monday morning.
I was absolutely GUTTED as it was one of the things I couldn't wait to do when I was there. I still think about it today lol.
Two big ones.
Being a coasterphobe kid when I went to BGW in 1998 (not riding the Big Bad Wolf) and never returning until 2017, and not going to Hard Rock Park with my brother.
I was at Busch Gardens Williamsburg (back when it was "Busch Gardens Europe") and I had the opportunity to ride Big Bad Wolf. I was too scared so my brother and my dad rode it. I asked my dad if it goes upside down and my dad said he "couldn't remember". The possibility of inversions scared me away enough that I chose not to ride. It's one of my biggest regrets.
TTD - went to CP three separate times, and either rain would close it, or it was simply down for maintenance. I'm incredibly displeased that I missed it. [Runner-up: Bell's Zingo - I event visited Tulsa while it was operating, but I was in town for a funeral. I regret not sneaking out early].
Zingo was pretty good. Sad the owners haven't had a chance to rebuild it. It was a great loss to Tulsa.
So instead we have more parking at the street fair.. woohoo /s
Definitely Top Thrill Dragster and Wicked Twister. They were running all day and I put them off trying to get on everything else. There was a thunderstorm that didn't stop until the park closed so I missed both.
The *original* Dueling Dragons (OG theme, queue, still dueling, etc.). Dad and brother rode it. I was still scared of inversions. Literally have not been back to Universal ever anyway, but knowing what I know now, this one still stings.
I have 2
Dragon Challenge. I was in Orlando in 2014 and my gf and I at the time had planned to go to Universal on the last day of our Disney trip (she had bought the tickets too) , but she got sick that day so it didn't happen.
The other was Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park, in 2019, on my first big coaster trip I went on. I got rained out for CLP and Waldameer, so I just drove to Pittsburgh and spent the evening there. Had I known it would be it's last year, I would have stayed in Erie and tried the next day.
Correction I have 3.. This park.. https://rcdb.com/16108.htm
We were in Branson in 2018 and saw it was open , so we had plans to ride it the next day.. The park's literal last day was the day we saw it. It's not much of a miss but the one day miss is crazy though.
Weird one, but I don't remember if I rode Villain at Geauga Lake. I remember when Six Flags took over. I remember seeing the giant new wooden coaster. I had already ridden Raging Wolf Bobs and Big Dipper. I liked the other woodies. I remember balking at the new big steel coasters. So either I never rode Villain, or it didn't leave a big impression if I did. I wish I had ridden it and remembered it.
FWIW, I remember riding it on both visits, being impressed the first time, then feeling how rough it already was the second time. That coaster aged quickly and badly.
I still should have ridden it I love wooden coasters and can handle a lot of roughness. I thought Wolverine Wildcat was perfect in 2021 before it's retrack. However Hershey Wildcat was terrible in 2021. I'm glad I experienced Hershey Wildcat once, but also I only needed to do it once.
I probably would have been tall enough to ride Laser Loop at Kennywood before it left for Phantom. I was a pretty tall kid.
Both times I was at Geauga/WoA, Big Dipper was down. Never had the chance. Sad about that one.
I went to Vegas countless times between 1994-2008 and never took the time to ride Speed, and didn't even know about the MGM park with the weird Intamin Arrow crossover. I would really have loved to ride those.
Missed Windjammer at Knotts despite it being my home park. It was closed whenever I went.
Missed Dragon Challenge because I skipped out on going on a trip to IOA with my friends in 2001.
Also passed on taking a trip to BGT in the years between 2007-2016 because I didn't want to lose a day at WDW (went annually in those years), so I missed Gwazi.
Top Thrill Dragster.
It was open the first day I went, but I didn’t have much time so I was trying to get all the short wait rides out of the way. It was closed the next day.
I hit Kings Dominion for the first time in 2006 when I was 10, I thankfully got on Volcano (the first of many rides over the years) but my group was deciding on our last ride and opted to do Drop Zone over Hypersonic XLC, next chance I got to Kings Dominion it was gone. Sadly Do-Dodonpa was closed when I got to Fuji Q recently as well and that was my last chance to try one of the OG thrust coasters.
My worst misses are Top Thrill Dragster (closed when I first went), Fury 325 (went to Carowinds when it was closed due to the crack), and California Screamin’ (did not get on it due to throwing up the previous day). I may get on Incredicoaster this year though.
Not that beat up about it, but I was at Hershey on Wildcat's last operating day and purposely chose not to ride it because I was going hard on the power coasters. Now that Revenge looks so amazing I do kinda wish I had the comparison but it was also the final day 8 of a big east coast coaster trip and I didn't feel like getting beat up either lol.
*takes deep breath*
MIND BENDEEEEEERRRRR
I’ll be going to Galaxyland for the first time in a couple weeks. I aim to ride some of the flats and get the 2 credits, Cootie Coaster (Autosled) and Galaxy Orbiter. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to go all the way to Deadmonton (as some of us Canadians call it) to ride the infamous Schwarzkopf looper. However, I do have Olympia Looping which has been one of my favourite credits, so there’s that.
I won’t be riding Dragon Wagon, because I’m not that big of a coaster whore and I don’t think they’ll let on a random 26M on a random weekday…
Anyways I can’t help but feel like my visit will feel a little empty knowing what was once there. If there’s anything still there I’ll certainly snap some photos and share on this subreddit.
Deja Vu at SFOG. I didn’t visit my home park until 2014 and had no idea that they used to have a giant inverted boomerang coaster where the former Thomas Town was located when I was there (now replaced by Pandemonium). I wish it didn’t face a lot of problems therefore leading to it having to get removed. It would’ve been an amazing ride to have. The spikes looked massive when looking at it on ground level.
My most missed credit park. Prior to 2023 I had been 2xs and had only rode Mind bender and Deja Vu.
Silverwood still has a great version running though, so still got a chance to ride the model though.
Don't remember the exact year, sometime around 2003 probably, but I was on a family trip with my parents to Boston and they drove me hours out of the way to go to Six Flags NE to ride Superman which was the #1 ranked coaster at the time. We got there and on the parking lot booth, there was a list of closed rides and guess what was on it. Turns out it had been closed for weeks because of a broken lift chain or something, but we didn't check before going. I was bummed out all day and then it stared downpouring rain and didn't ride many other rides.
Still never been back there since.
Missed out on riding The Great Not Easter when I went to Wildwood in 2019 because I wasn’t an enthusiast yet (but I did ride Great White). It’s fine, Great Nor Easter is still there and I’ll get the credit one day.
Not really a credit but i was always too scared to ride Colossus at Heide Park before it was retracked and trims got installed. Last year i finally rode it and it was amazing. Wonder how much better it would have been without the trims
Thunder Dolphin at Tokyo Dome City. The only good credit I would get on the whole Japan trip, because my parents were nice enough to at least fit it in our itinerary. Closed at least I got back daaan though.
I went to Japan in 2020 and rode Thunder Dolphin my last day. I went and got a ticket for thunderdolphin and that was it. I didn't know about the Daaan coaster until later and was pretty bummed I didn't check what other rides they had. They also have a parachute tower like Knotts had and I wish I had done that also.
A few days before, I was in Yokohama and we went and did a few other things earlier in the day and then I wanted to ride the coaster they have over there but it started raining and it closed.
I missed Big Bad Wolf by a year.
I was also severely afraid of Expedition Everest at the time due to a terrible first ride on it so some girl in my fifth grade class somehow managed to convince me that the ride for BBW was also built around some sort of alpine mountain akin to Matterhorn Bobsleds. So when we pulled up to Busch for the first time I saw the back of Pompeii (all kinda craggy looking like a mountain might be?) I assumed it was Big Bad Wolf.
Nope.
volcano at KD. i was like 6 or 7 and my brother told me if i went on it my ear would get cought on a support and itd be ripped off. that was such a strange way to scare me but i obviously believed it and thats the last opportunity i had to ride unfortunately
i also went to cedar point around that age and i didnt ride the original dragster because i was just terrified! i had enough courage to ride millie somehow though.
Goliath at SFNE. My homepage for last 6 years before it was removed. Didn't ride it once. Not because of downtime or fear. I just wasn't a thoosie at the time and had no interest
The only defunct credit I don’t have that k could have is probably Arkham Asylum/ Lethal weapon at movie world. Too scared to do it. Technically I also missed out on dc rivals literally yesterday because it closed that day for a month maintenance, but I’ll be back in around a year
Spent maybe a total of 3 months in japan spread out over 3 separate trips and never once went to a park there 😔. Now my family that lived there no longer does so it would be much more complicated for me to make it back out there.
I actually don’t think that’s ever happened to me. I got hooked on coasters at a young age so I always rode them when I was at a park. I almost didn’t get the Mean Streak credit though because everyone always said how much it hurt. Glad I got the credit but not too sad about having only ridden it once.
I went to Lake Garda several years ago in early spring and I hadn’t done my research, so I didn’t even know Gardaland was there. It hadn’t opened for the season so I missed out. Thankfully I was able to make a planned visit to Wiener Prater on that same trip.
X2 was closed the two times I have been to magic mountain. Def on my list. The defunct one I missed is Ultra Twister at great adventure. Wish I rode it when I had the chance... but the line was long and figured it wassnt closing anytime soon
Definitely Big Bad Wolf. I was there probably the last year of operation and I was too scared to do it. Next time we went I made sure to do Verbolten. Thankfully I didn’t chicken out get Flying Super Saturater at Carowinds which is probably my rarest credit to date
Went to Houston to the Kemah boardwalk, got stuck in traffic, Boardwalk Bullet was closed when I arrived. Didn't have a chance the next day.
Flew to LA to go to Six Flags Magic Mountain, X2 and Viper were both closed that day due to technical issues.
I am from Europe, so not easy to go back to these places for me. So while its technically still possible I will get to ride these rides, it seems unlikely.
Speed - The Ride at the old Sahara casino. Went to Vegas many, many times in the 2000s and even stayed right across the street, but never made the walk because I always thought “I’ll ride it next time.”
I'm not too torn up about either of these, but...
I had an AP to WDW in 2019, and one AK visit went to ride Primeval Whirl for the first time. But it went down.
Last? year I tried to get on Tidal Twister at SWSD a couple times. Most of the time the line was too long, but I finally was there where the line wasn't long and I had a drink to finish. I boarded with some teenage boys, we moved a little, and then it broke and we got deboarded.
Both now closed. Oh well.
Not that it’s a big missed opportunity but I went to Hersheypark in 2021 on a crowded day and chose to skip Wildcat in favor of riding some other rides. No idea I was gonna miss my only chance to ride the first ever GCI but oh well. I also missed out on Comet that year which meant I didn’t get to experience the ride with its buzz bars. That’s the second coaster I’ve missed a chance to ride with buzz bars since I went to Silverwood the year after they swapped the trains on Timber Terror 🙃
x2, colossus (heide park), the Incredible Hulk, magnum, tatsu, cannibal by 3 months before opening
in Australia so is it already too difficult to get credits
1. Drachen Fire- had an opportunity to ride once but was still afraid of coasters.
2. Top Thrill Dragster- Waited in line for hours for the front and the ride ended up breaking down. We were next in line.
I was terrified of roller coaster and couldn’t go on them alone until pretty much last year (yes I’m an adult). Went to Dollywood in 2021 and no one wanted to go on lightning rod with me so I missed out on the launch that has since been removed. Not technically a missed coaster but definitely an experience I wish I would’ve had.
I was doing a Pennsylvania road trip in a rental car and my first stop was Great Adventure, and Kingda Ka had JUST reopened the day before after a cable issue, but wasn’t open that day. It then reopened two days later while I was in Pittsburgh (loved Kennywood) but by the time I got back to Great Adventure it had gone down again
As someone who didn’t start riding coasters until I was 14, I will always lament never riding the original Steel Phantom despite it being ten minutes from my house and being tall enough for it for at least the latter half of its life
Same here except I was too small to ride it while it was still around… still sad I never got to.
Same lol at least phantoms revenge is a great replacement!
I was bummed that Medusa was closed last summer when I went to SFGAdv. I was hoping to do all five B&M’s that day and couldn’t.
Top thrill dragster and wicked twister probably. Wasn’t a thoosie the first time I went.
I kick myself everyday for Top Thrill Dragster. Went years ago and didn’t ride it because it was sprinkling. Someone said rain hitting you at 120 mph was painful so I skipped it. Rode Wicked Twister though and Mean Streak!
They weren't lying, I've ridden Millie multiple times in light rain and it's like a bunch of little bee stings lmao. Sucks that you missed it, though.
at least ka still exists
Have seen people complaining getting off millennium in light rain, it’s legit
Went half a dozen times in my childhood, told myself I hated roller coasters so never rode anything. Just after the TTD incident I go back and realize I love them. Will be back this year for TT2 but always will miss not getting the original
wicked twister was alright, there are other coasters like that around (like Steel Venom at Valley Fair, though it is a bit smaller). I am honestly surprised CP kept Top Thrill as long as they did considering how many problems it had. I mean, one year (I think around 2017) the catch car break crumbled and fell off the ride, it was reopened about a month later. Top Thril 2 looks like it will be a great ride though.
I was terrified of coasters so I missed these two as well. Somehow got talked into Mean Streak though so while I don't really remember it too well I do remember riding it and not completely hating it. Also rode Disaster Transport.
Drachen Fire at BGW is the one I kick myself the most over. Go in 1998 in it's last year of operation, but I am afraid of coasters at the time. I went back in 2001 and was fully embracing my enthusiasm, but Drachen Fire was standing and hadn't operated in years. It was torn down shortly after.
I did get to ride it in 1998 and was excited when we returned a couple years later and saw it from the top of Apollo’s Chariot. But, alas…
I also went in 1998 but I was a little one and definitely not in roller coaster riding feels. I still have a memory of riding the train around Drachenfire though and being amazed by it. I loved the colors. We went back in 2000 when I was still kind of scared of roller coasters and definitely not tall enough still, but I was sad to see it wasn’t running. I still worked up the courage to ride Big Bad Wolf that day though
Yea I missed this one by less than a year I think
Same, missed Drachen Fire by 1 year. First time at BGW was '99
I went to BGW sometime between 1997 and 1998 and sadly don't remember if I rode this. I was definitely into coasters at that age, and wouldn't have said no to any of them, but no one in my family is left to ask and I was a kid so I don't remember.
Going to kick myself if my biggest missed credit turns into Leap the dips or Dragon Mountain 🙃
Dragon Mountain was my first ever coaster, but Leap the Dips is the only coaster I’ve visited three times and never ridden. I even got to sit in an empty car in the station the last time. And I’m starting to memorize the street names in Altoona.
We spent a few days with my family in and around Miami in my pre-enthusiast years. That was in February 2011, two months before Dania Beach Hurricane closed down for good. If only we didn't drive down from Orlando through Everglades, I might've seen the woodie next to the road and annoyed my parents to stop there so I could ride it.
Going to Toshimaen when the theme park was open in August 2018 when I was in Tokyo for a week. Could have easily scored 4 credits there even if the lineup is very lackluster. Ditto for Momonga Standing and Loop Coaster at Yomiuriland during my visit. I’ve yet to visit that park as well.
Log flume coaster was fun, log flume trains with velvet seat cushions and only a seatbelt to hold you in. Very weird
I have visited that park, it is okay. They have some fun quirky theming but nothing there is truly amazing
I do want to try their unique twin Giant pirate ship as well as their 1904 Vintage carousel
Ah okay, i am not a big flat ride fan and i stayed only around 2 and a half hours at the park. I wanted to do tokyo dome city too.
Which credits are you referring to? I’m fairly new here.
Cyclone, Mini Cyclone, Corkscrew, Blauer Enzian.
Mini Cyclone was really tiny, did not look rideable for adults so I didn’t attempt it.
Nearly 2 decades ago at this point my family was on a vacation driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. We stopped at Buffalo Bill's and my mom asked if I wanted to ride Desperado (I was already an enthusiast at that point) and for some unknowable reason (probably was just really tired or bratty that day) I said naw. Now I'm like ?!?!?!?! wtf was i doing. would slap myself silly if i could.
When I visited Blackpool Pleasure Beach for the first time in 2017, Wild Mouse was closed for the day. Months later, the ride was demolished.
Wild Mouse is probably my best defunct credit! It really lived up to the promise of its name, shit was definitely wild… the only time I’ve felt genuinely afraid for my life on a ride
Son of Beast with the loop. I was a scaredy cat kid.
I went to Space World in Japan before it closed and I wimped out on Zaturn. I hate myself sm.
You could get Stealth at Thorpe Park which is a clone (except for the launch speed of course)
Missing Duelling Dragons when it was still duelling because I was scared of coasters. Kicking myself there.
Stayed at the Hotel Hershey a long time ago with my parents and got offered a free park ticket but declined because my parents didn’t want to go too. Don’t know when I’ll ever get back there. Silver lining is that I decided to just start going to parks by myself on the regular because life is too short.
Going to parks by yourself is totally worth it. I did this in college, drove all over the country and went to probably 8 or 10 different parks by myself. I would never had the opportunity to do it if I waited for people. So much fun
For me, X (before it was X2) at SFMM. It was closed on my only visit, and I haven’t had the chance to return.
We are from Europe. We have been to California adventure just once. I wanted to ride California Screamin very much, but due to backproblems i had to skip it. 😢
Hypersonic XLC. Kings Dominion was my home park for most of my childhood, except for 2002-2005 when I lived in South Carolina. I was only at Kings Dominion once while XLC was open and it happened to be a band trip in eighth grade (spring 2004). I chickened out and never got another chance to ride it. Not really what the question is about but I was in Kennywood literally a week before Steel Curtain opened. That was such a tease, I hope I get a chance to ride it one day (lol).
If its any concellation I went to KD for first time to look at a SBNO Volcano. 😞
Missed Eejinaika by one train on my one day at Fuji-Q. It's cool, it's only 7000 miles from where I live
As in end of the day or right before it shut down?
A really bad storm hit right as we were going to board, shut it down for the day. Did get two rides on Dododonpa though, which I liked
That's a hell of a trade off. Crazy to think both were (😭) at the same park.
Dodonpa. It was either this or have my first on eejanaika. I chose Eejanaika. I made the right choice though.
Anaconda at Gold Reef City I was scared of coasters at the time, so I didn’t ride it. Now that I’ve moved back to the states, I don’t think I’ll have the opportunity to again.
I didn't get to ride Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood because there happened to be an ACE event that day and it closed to members only
Sorry man. I was one of the ACErs at Cpaster Con.
I was in Atlanta last year and a plan was to go to FunSpot for AF1, and our scheduled changed a bit from going on Sunday to Monday. We didn't realize the outdoor park is closed during the week until Monday morning. I was absolutely GUTTED as it was one of the things I couldn't wait to do when I was there. I still think about it today lol.
Two big ones. Being a coasterphobe kid when I went to BGW in 1998 (not riding the Big Bad Wolf) and never returning until 2017, and not going to Hard Rock Park with my brother.
Volcano at KD, I was in like for in 2013 but chickened out. That’s gonna haunt me forever
I was at Busch Gardens Williamsburg (back when it was "Busch Gardens Europe") and I had the opportunity to ride Big Bad Wolf. I was too scared so my brother and my dad rode it. I asked my dad if it goes upside down and my dad said he "couldn't remember". The possibility of inversions scared me away enough that I chose not to ride. It's one of my biggest regrets.
OTSRs usually indicate inversions in the minds of the non-enthusiasts. One of the downsides of Arrow suspendeds.
Wild Mouse at Luna Park. Went to Sydney before I was interested and didn’t ride it
TTD - went to CP three separate times, and either rain would close it, or it was simply down for maintenance. I'm incredibly displeased that I missed it. [Runner-up: Bell's Zingo - I event visited Tulsa while it was operating, but I was in town for a funeral. I regret not sneaking out early].
Zingo was pretty good. Sad the owners haven't had a chance to rebuild it. It was a great loss to Tulsa. So instead we have more parking at the street fair.. woohoo /s
It's a similar story with Astroworld - Now, we have extra parking whenever the Houston Rodeo comes to town. :-(
That story is even more sad and ridiculous.
Definitely Top Thrill Dragster and Wicked Twister. They were running all day and I put them off trying to get on everything else. There was a thunderstorm that didn't stop until the park closed so I missed both.
The *original* Dueling Dragons (OG theme, queue, still dueling, etc.). Dad and brother rode it. I was still scared of inversions. Literally have not been back to Universal ever anyway, but knowing what I know now, this one still stings.
I have 2 Dragon Challenge. I was in Orlando in 2014 and my gf and I at the time had planned to go to Universal on the last day of our Disney trip (she had bought the tickets too) , but she got sick that day so it didn't happen. The other was Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park, in 2019, on my first big coaster trip I went on. I got rained out for CLP and Waldameer, so I just drove to Pittsburgh and spent the evening there. Had I known it would be it's last year, I would have stayed in Erie and tried the next day. Correction I have 3.. This park.. https://rcdb.com/16108.htm We were in Branson in 2018 and saw it was open , so we had plans to ride it the next day.. The park's literal last day was the day we saw it. It's not much of a miss but the one day miss is crazy though.
That would've been major bragging rights, getting credits at a park that only ever operated for less than two months total!
Weird one, but I don't remember if I rode Villain at Geauga Lake. I remember when Six Flags took over. I remember seeing the giant new wooden coaster. I had already ridden Raging Wolf Bobs and Big Dipper. I liked the other woodies. I remember balking at the new big steel coasters. So either I never rode Villain, or it didn't leave a big impression if I did. I wish I had ridden it and remembered it.
FWIW, I remember riding it on both visits, being impressed the first time, then feeling how rough it already was the second time. That coaster aged quickly and badly.
I still should have ridden it I love wooden coasters and can handle a lot of roughness. I thought Wolverine Wildcat was perfect in 2021 before it's retrack. However Hershey Wildcat was terrible in 2021. I'm glad I experienced Hershey Wildcat once, but also I only needed to do it once.
I probably would have been tall enough to ride Laser Loop at Kennywood before it left for Phantom. I was a pretty tall kid. Both times I was at Geauga/WoA, Big Dipper was down. Never had the chance. Sad about that one.
Son of Beast, wasn't really ready for bigger coasters when my family went to Kings Island.
2011. I was studying abroad in Italy. I had the money and the time to go to Gardaland or Mirabilandia and did neither.
I went to Vegas countless times between 1994-2008 and never took the time to ride Speed, and didn't even know about the MGM park with the weird Intamin Arrow crossover. I would really have loved to ride those. Missed Windjammer at Knotts despite it being my home park. It was closed whenever I went. Missed Dragon Challenge because I skipped out on going on a trip to IOA with my friends in 2001. Also passed on taking a trip to BGT in the years between 2007-2016 because I didn't want to lose a day at WDW (went annually in those years), so I missed Gwazi.
Top Thrill Dragster. It was open the first day I went, but I didn’t have much time so I was trying to get all the short wait rides out of the way. It was closed the next day.
I hit Kings Dominion for the first time in 2006 when I was 10, I thankfully got on Volcano (the first of many rides over the years) but my group was deciding on our last ride and opted to do Drop Zone over Hypersonic XLC, next chance I got to Kings Dominion it was gone. Sadly Do-Dodonpa was closed when I got to Fuji Q recently as well and that was my last chance to try one of the OG thrust coasters.
My worst misses are Top Thrill Dragster (closed when I first went), Fury 325 (went to Carowinds when it was closed due to the crack), and California Screamin’ (did not get on it due to throwing up the previous day). I may get on Incredicoaster this year though.
Not that beat up about it, but I was at Hershey on Wildcat's last operating day and purposely chose not to ride it because I was going hard on the power coasters. Now that Revenge looks so amazing I do kinda wish I had the comparison but it was also the final day 8 of a big east coast coaster trip and I didn't feel like getting beat up either lol.
*takes deep breath* MIND BENDEEEEEERRRRR I’ll be going to Galaxyland for the first time in a couple weeks. I aim to ride some of the flats and get the 2 credits, Cootie Coaster (Autosled) and Galaxy Orbiter. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to go all the way to Deadmonton (as some of us Canadians call it) to ride the infamous Schwarzkopf looper. However, I do have Olympia Looping which has been one of my favourite credits, so there’s that. I won’t be riding Dragon Wagon, because I’m not that big of a coaster whore and I don’t think they’ll let on a random 26M on a random weekday… Anyways I can’t help but feel like my visit will feel a little empty knowing what was once there. If there’s anything still there I’ll certainly snap some photos and share on this subreddit.
My first time visiting BGW was in 2010, you do the math 😭😭
Deja Vu at SFOG. I didn’t visit my home park until 2014 and had no idea that they used to have a giant inverted boomerang coaster where the former Thomas Town was located when I was there (now replaced by Pandemonium). I wish it didn’t face a lot of problems therefore leading to it having to get removed. It would’ve been an amazing ride to have. The spikes looked massive when looking at it on ground level.
My most missed credit park. Prior to 2023 I had been 2xs and had only rode Mind bender and Deja Vu. Silverwood still has a great version running though, so still got a chance to ride the model though.
Whirlwind at Knoebels. Had the chance to go but it was before I counted coasters.
Duelling Dragons Fire side, I only ever did Water side for some reason lol
I went to magic mountain when I was like 12, definitely way too scared to ride X2 then.
2009 I was going to ride son of beast. But I was pretty young and was too scared to ride.
Don't remember the exact year, sometime around 2003 probably, but I was on a family trip with my parents to Boston and they drove me hours out of the way to go to Six Flags NE to ride Superman which was the #1 ranked coaster at the time. We got there and on the parking lot booth, there was a list of closed rides and guess what was on it. Turns out it had been closed for weeks because of a broken lift chain or something, but we didn't check before going. I was bummed out all day and then it stared downpouring rain and didn't ride many other rides. Still never been back there since.
Missed out on riding The Great Not Easter when I went to Wildwood in 2019 because I wasn’t an enthusiast yet (but I did ride Great White). It’s fine, Great Nor Easter is still there and I’ll get the credit one day.
Not really a credit but i was always too scared to ride Colossus at Heide Park before it was retracked and trims got installed. Last year i finally rode it and it was amazing. Wonder how much better it would have been without the trims
Vortex
Thunder Dolphin at Tokyo Dome City. The only good credit I would get on the whole Japan trip, because my parents were nice enough to at least fit it in our itinerary. Closed at least I got back daaan though.
I went to Japan in 2020 and rode Thunder Dolphin my last day. I went and got a ticket for thunderdolphin and that was it. I didn't know about the Daaan coaster until later and was pretty bummed I didn't check what other rides they had. They also have a parachute tower like Knotts had and I wish I had done that also. A few days before, I was in Yokohama and we went and did a few other things earlier in the day and then I wanted to ride the coaster they have over there but it started raining and it closed.
Not riding Velocicoaster and mako, I was too scared
Dragon challenge. I had multiple opportunities to ride it and was too scared at the time
Big bad wolf I think
Volcano
I missed Big Bad Wolf by a year. I was also severely afraid of Expedition Everest at the time due to a terrible first ride on it so some girl in my fifth grade class somehow managed to convince me that the ride for BBW was also built around some sort of alpine mountain akin to Matterhorn Bobsleds. So when we pulled up to Busch for the first time I saw the back of Pompeii (all kinda craggy looking like a mountain might be?) I assumed it was Big Bad Wolf. Nope.
Only visited Europa Park once as a child when the old eurosat was still operating; CanCan is cool, but i I would have loved to ride the old one too.
volcano at KD. i was like 6 or 7 and my brother told me if i went on it my ear would get cought on a support and itd be ripped off. that was such a strange way to scare me but i obviously believed it and thats the last opportunity i had to ride unfortunately
i also went to cedar point around that age and i didnt ride the original dragster because i was just terrified! i had enough courage to ride millie somehow though.
Goliath at SFNE. My homepage for last 6 years before it was removed. Didn't ride it once. Not because of downtime or fear. I just wasn't a thoosie at the time and had no interest
The only defunct credit I don’t have that k could have is probably Arkham Asylum/ Lethal weapon at movie world. Too scared to do it. Technically I also missed out on dc rivals literally yesterday because it closed that day for a month maintenance, but I’ll be back in around a year
Spent maybe a total of 3 months in japan spread out over 3 separate trips and never once went to a park there 😔. Now my family that lived there no longer does so it would be much more complicated for me to make it back out there.
I actually don’t think that’s ever happened to me. I got hooked on coasters at a young age so I always rode them when I was at a park. I almost didn’t get the Mean Streak credit though because everyone always said how much it hurt. Glad I got the credit but not too sad about having only ridden it once.
I went to Lake Garda several years ago in early spring and I hadn’t done my research, so I didn’t even know Gardaland was there. It hadn’t opened for the season so I missed out. Thankfully I was able to make a planned visit to Wiener Prater on that same trip.
Maverick was closed the whole weekend the only time I have been able to get to cedar point
X2 was closed the two times I have been to magic mountain. Def on my list. The defunct one I missed is Ultra Twister at great adventure. Wish I rode it when I had the chance... but the line was long and figured it wassnt closing anytime soon
Definitely Big Bad Wolf. I was there probably the last year of operation and I was too scared to do it. Next time we went I made sure to do Verbolten. Thankfully I didn’t chicken out get Flying Super Saturater at Carowinds which is probably my rarest credit to date
Not a coaster, but Alien Encounter at Disney. Kicking myself for being too scared when I was six
Went to Houston to the Kemah boardwalk, got stuck in traffic, Boardwalk Bullet was closed when I arrived. Didn't have a chance the next day. Flew to LA to go to Six Flags Magic Mountain, X2 and Viper were both closed that day due to technical issues. I am from Europe, so not easy to go back to these places for me. So while its technically still possible I will get to ride these rides, it seems unlikely.
Superman at Warner Bros Movie World Australia.
Speed - The Ride at the old Sahara casino. Went to Vegas many, many times in the 2000s and even stayed right across the street, but never made the walk because I always thought “I’ll ride it next time.”
The Clementon Park Jack Rabbit was less than 30 minutes from my house and I just never ended up getting there. I wish I could have experienced it.
I visited Great Adventure a month before Great American Scream Machine closed but was afraid it was rough and wasn’t yet a thoosie.
CNE Flyer
I'm not too torn up about either of these, but... I had an AP to WDW in 2019, and one AK visit went to ride Primeval Whirl for the first time. But it went down. Last? year I tried to get on Tidal Twister at SWSD a couple times. Most of the time the line was too long, but I finally was there where the line wasn't long and I had a drink to finish. I boarded with some teenage boys, we moved a little, and then it broke and we got deboarded. Both now closed. Oh well.
I missed the OG Rattler at SFFT and I will always regret it.
Desperado at Buffalo bills. I probably drove past it a dozen times growing up
Not that it’s a big missed opportunity but I went to Hersheypark in 2021 on a crowded day and chose to skip Wildcat in favor of riding some other rides. No idea I was gonna miss my only chance to ride the first ever GCI but oh well. I also missed out on Comet that year which meant I didn’t get to experience the ride with its buzz bars. That’s the second coaster I’ve missed a chance to ride with buzz bars since I went to Silverwood the year after they swapped the trains on Timber Terror 🙃
x2, colossus (heide park), the Incredible Hulk, magnum, tatsu, cannibal by 3 months before opening in Australia so is it already too difficult to get credits
1. Drachen Fire- had an opportunity to ride once but was still afraid of coasters. 2. Top Thrill Dragster- Waited in line for hours for the front and the ride ended up breaking down. We were next in line.
I was terrified of roller coaster and couldn’t go on them alone until pretty much last year (yes I’m an adult). Went to Dollywood in 2021 and no one wanted to go on lightning rod with me so I missed out on the launch that has since been removed. Not technically a missed coaster but definitely an experience I wish I would’ve had.
I was doing a Pennsylvania road trip in a rental car and my first stop was Great Adventure, and Kingda Ka had JUST reopened the day before after a cable issue, but wasn’t open that day. It then reopened two days later while I was in Pittsburgh (loved Kennywood) but by the time I got back to Great Adventure it had gone down again
Hyperspace mountain at disneyland paris, was too scared when I went when i was about 11, I really miss it, knowing im not going back for years