By Height
Several height classifications have been used by parks and manufacturers for marketing their roller coasters. The classifications are not always agreed upon, defined consistently, or accepted throughout the industry.
A Kiddie coaster is a roller coaster specifically designed for families and younger riders.
A Hyper Coaster or Mega Coaster is a type of roller coaster with a height or drop that ranges from 200 feet (61 m) to 299 feet (91 m) and completes a full circuit. The first roller coaster to be classified as a hyper coaster is Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point designed by Arrow Dynamics. Since its debut, hyper coasters have become one of the most predominant types of roller coasters worldwide. Bolliger & Mabillard and Intamin are the leading manufacturers of this type.
A Giga Coaster is a type of roller coaster with a height or drop that ranges from 300 feet (91 m) to 399 feet (122 m) and completes a full circuit. The term was coined by a Cedar Point and Intamin partnership following the construction of Millennium Force. The only other giga coaster built by the same company is Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion. Although Morgan and Bolliger & Mabillard have not used the term giga, both have a roller coaster in this class.
| Name | Park | Manufacturer | Status | Opened | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Millennium Force | Cedar Point | Intamin | Operating | May 13, 2000 | 310 feet (94 m) |
| Steel Dragon 2000 | Nagashima Spa Land | Morgan | Operating | August 1, 2000 | 318 feet (97 m) |
| Intimidator 305 | Kings Dominion | Intamin | Operating | April 2, 2010 | 305 feet (93 m) |
| Leviathan | Canada's Wonderland | Bolliger & Mabillard | Operating | May 6, 2012 | 306 feet (93 m) |
A Strata Coaster is a type of roller coaster with a height or drop that is 400 feet (120 m) or more and completes a full circuit. Only two strata coasters have been built that utilize Intamin's hydraulically launched accelerator coaster design. The first was Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point, which opened in 2003 at a height of 420 feet (130 m). The second was Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure, which opened in 2005 at a height of 456 feet (139 m) - also making it the tallest roller coaster in the world. Superman: Escape From Krypton at Six Flags Magic Mountain was the first to break the 400-foot (120 m) barrier, but since it's a shuttle roller coaster that doesn't complete a full circuit and its drop is only 328 feet (100 m), most do not classify it as a strata roller coaster.
| Name | Park | Manufacturer | Status | Opened | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Thrill Dragster | Cedar Point | Intamin | Operating | May 4, 2003 | 420 feet (130 m) |
| Kingda Ka | Six Flags Great Adventure | Intamin | Operating | May 21, 2005 | 456 feet (139 m) |
Read more about this topic: Roller Coaster, Types of Roller Coasters
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