There are a number of significant differences between the places we call amusement parks and the ones we call theme parks. Both places have fun rides and shows, but because theme parks are strongly focused on creating worlds and stories, they don’t usually have as many of the fast-paced thrill rides that we associate with amusement parks. But there is one significant exception: Silver Dollar City is a theme park by any definition of the word, but it’s one with several more roller coasters than your average theme park.
Silver Dollar City certainly doesn’t have as many roller coasters as Cedar Point or Magic Mountain, but it has quite a few more than most theme parks, and the ones that it has are quite impressive. Silver Dollar City is a destination for any coaster enthusiast, but just which one is the best? I’ve ridden them all, so here’s my ranking of every roller coaster at Silver Dollar City.
7. Thunderation
Thunderation is only 30 years old which isn’t that old in the world of roller coasters, but it feels a lot older. It’s a pretty straightforward coaster, set up as a runaway mine train. Originally a couple of the ride cars faced backward, which at least would have added some variety to the coaster, but that only lasted a few years.
Simple doesn’t mean bad when it comes to roller coasters. If you go fast enough or have some exciting curves, even a simple coaster can be a lot of fun. The problem is that the ride on Thunderation is far from smooth. I came away from it wondering if I should see a chiropractor because I had been vibrating in my seat so much. Although, if you are currently in need of a chiropractor, then a ride on the Thunderation may fix whatever ails you.
6. Grand Exposition Coaster
The Grand Exposition area of Silver Dollar City is where you’ll find the various family attractions in the park. It’s mostly simple carnival-type rides, but the sort that the whole family can enjoy together. The Grand Exposition Coaster is specifically designed to be the introductory coaster that younger kids can try to see if they like it before trying the bigger, more thrilling rides.
Grand Exposition Coaster certainly isn’t the fastest ride in Silver Dollar City. It doesn’t have inversions and it's not the ride that a “coaster enthusiast” is going to pay much attention to, but it does its job. It will blow the wind in your face, give you a couple of exciting moments, and probably will do its job in getting a lot of kids interested in trying other roller coasters.
5. Fire In The Hole
It’s difficult to figure out if Fire in the Hole even belongs on a list of roller coasters at Silver Dollar City. When looking at its physical construction, it certainly is one. The ride vehicle looks like a roller coaster carriage and the track looks exactly what you would expect. However, the ride never goes particularly fast, as its main focus is actually on telling a story, not unlike a traditional dark ride, which is about as far from a roller coaster as you can get.
In the end, I’m going to go ahead and put it on the list and give it credit for, at the very least, being a unique take on the roller coaster concept, even if it never becomes super thrilling. The ride is in its last season at Silver Dollar City, and while I'm not going to miss Fire in the Hole, that doesn't mean it's not worth a ride. Perhaps it will be replaced by a more traditional coaster, or a more traditional dark ride, or a newer hybrid system that will, at the very least, continue to be unique among coasters.
4. Powder Keg
Powder Keg is an interesting coaster that rose from the ashes of an entirely different attraction. Buzzsaw Falls was a combination of a roller coaster and a log flume, but maintenance issues plagued that ride, and it was transformed into Powder Keg. While Powder Keg may be an otherwise traditional coaster, it’s one that does everything right.
The best part of Powder Keg is how it starts. First, you have the transfer track, which pulls the ride vehicle at an upward diagonal until it meets the launch track. It's just something you don't experience very often. Powder Keg uses an air-powered launch, so riders zip off from zero to 53 miles per hour in less than three seconds. It’s a great start, and the fun lasts for the rest of the ride.
3. Outlaw Run
Outlaw Run is actually one of the newer roller coasters at Silver Dollar City, despite the fact that at first glance it might look to be a lot older. Its wooden construction harkens back to an earlier era of coasters, but Outlaw Run was actually cutting-edge when it was built, and is still one of the more thrilling coasters I’ve ever been on.
Outlaw Run includes multiple inversions, including a double barrel roll. What’s more, it does it all without any sort of shoulder harness. The restraint system keeps you in by locking your waist and calves in place before tossing you upside down. If you’re used to inverted coasters including shoulder restraints, then not having that adds an extra thrilling element.
2. Wildfire
Wildfire is, quite simply, everything that you’re looking for in a thrilling roller coaster. It goes high. It goes fast, it goes upside down five different times. And while all that goes a long way to making Wildfire one of the best coasters in Silver Dollar City, what really sets it apart is where you are when all this happens.
Silver Dollar City is a unique theme park since it’s located in the Ozarks, and the park is surrounded by an incredibly impressive wilderness. Wildfire is located at the edge of the park, and when it hits its pinnacles of height, it gives you an incredible view of the natural world that you simply don’t get at other parks.
1. Time Traveler
When you’ve ridden a lot of different roller coasters, then what you start looking for are things that make the experience unique. Considering that when Time Traveler opened it was a record-breaking first of its kind, you can’t get much more different than that. Time Traveler was the tallest and fastest spinning coaster in the world upon its debut, and it’s still the only coaster of its kind to be found in the Western hemisphere.
There is, quite simply, nothing like it. If you love roller coasters, then Time Traveler is one you need to add to your ride list. The spinning ride vehicle almost guarantees that no two rides are ever quite the same. You may or may not even see those inversions coming. It’s a ride not to be missed.
Silver Dollar City is a great theme park even if you’re not a roller coaster fan. The food is delicious, the shows are fun and the elements of real history that inform the theme of this theme park are truly something special. But Silver Dollar City has all that and some epic roller coasters. All of them are worth riding at least once. With Silver Dollar City expansion on the horizon, we can only hope they will find room to add another amazing coaster, or maybe more than one.
