2010 Best Theme Park Attraction: The Beast vs. Maverick

March 19, 2010 at 4:51 PM · This is the first time I've voted for something I haven't ridden, and I'm doing it out of spite. Thanks to strong fanboy presence, Maverick knocked out far too many great attractions last year.

It's payback time, b*tch.

March 19, 2010 at 4:51 PM · this matchup is unfair. they're both very different rides, both are spectacular rides for very different reasons. I'm gonna guess most people will go with The Beast since they know it and are sentimental about it - though technically Maverick is a more interesting ride but many have not ridden it yet.

March 19, 2010 at 5:12 PM · I have ridden both of these rides, and I do enjoy Maverick a lot more than the Beast. They actually both kind of beat you around, but I enjoy the overall ride of Maverick a lot more than The Beast! I agree, though, that The Beast may pull ahead because of sentimental value.

March 19, 2010 at 5:15 PM · Vote Maverick! Incredible ride. Such fun surprises. My all time fave.

My boy and I are getting married at Cedar Point in the fall, and Maverick is going to be our "First Ride" (instead of a First Dance)!

March 19, 2010 at 5:27 PM · Well as someone who has been on both rides many times, this should not even be close. I respect The Beast as a great wooden roller coaster, one of my favorites, but Maverick is on a different level. Maverick reminds me a lot of the incredible Hulk roller coaster, with the fast first hill. However, unlike Hulk, Maverick launches you twice.

Also, I cannot believe someone would vote on a ride based on the "fanboy" factor. There are "fanboys" at EVERY amusement park. The fact that someone would discriminate on a ride based on its fans is ridiculous. If someone is trully unhappy with the voting, get out and promote who you want to win to the respectable people (ei another fan website).

Overall, I just want to see the best ride win, and, in my opinion, that ride is Maverick.

March 19, 2010 at 5:40 PM · I think that Maverick would be the better coaster if it didn't put so much stress on my neck. Sure, they're both rough coasters, but you're more free in The Beast, so you can absorb the impact with your arms more. With Maverick, you're strapped in tight, and your head goes bouncing around.

Also when I hear Maverick, I think of Sarah Palin.

*shudders*

March 19, 2010 at 6:13 PM · The Beast is one of my favorite coasters. I can't vote against it.

March 19, 2010 at 6:50 PM · Oh here we go...at least Disney boy admits it.

I'm voting for The Beast. Maverick is an absolute top notch ride...one of the best in the country. It's a blast to ride, and I completely understand if you vote for it. I on the other hand, have been going to Kings Island since I could walk. Riding The Beast at least a few times per visit is a tradition, including the one of a kind ride in the dark. After 30+ years, it still delivers from the first drop to the best helix in the world at the end.

If I could only ride one of these two the rest of my life, I'd have no problem making the choice. The Beast all the way.

March 19, 2010 at 7:01 PM · I was trying to get a laugh out of people, but instead I got a rise.

And Derek - I'm shocked that you'd call me "Disney boy". I had a blast at Cedar Point, but Maverick just isn't my bag.

March 19, 2010 at 7:22 PM · Aww. I'll be teaching at 10 AM EST. Guess my re-vote won't count! :(

Joshua, you have a point about the voting last year, but as pointed out in the past, if it hadn't been like that, I'd never have found this site, so.... Take the good (I hope!) with the bad!

March 19, 2010 at 7:28 PM · I'll be at my computer-based job then, so I can vote that time around! I really, really enjoyed The Beast this past summer & I can't wait to get back to KI to ride again. But while I loved The Beast, Maverick is one of my top coasters. I love the speed & airtime packed into this unassuming looking ride. I'd like to see Maverick continue on in the tournament.

March 19, 2010 at 7:55 PM · A TIE!!!!! I hope more people come out to the polls tomorrow.

March 19, 2010 at 9:10 PM · See I thought that you said earlier that you weren't voting for Maverick out of spite...not because it wasn't your bag. You said something about strong fanboy presence (like Disney doesn't have that here) and that Maverick knocked out far too many "great attractions"..aka Disney attractions...out of the tournament. Are you backtracking your previous statement?

BTW, it's not a rise with me, just a little friendly trash talk. What would the tournament be without it.

The tie is fitting, it's pretty hard to decide between the two.

March 19, 2010 at 9:35 PM · I missed the vote. However, I will be here on Monday to vote for the Beast. I will take the 30 year old Beast over Maverick any day. Still have not ridden it since the first time due to the pain involved. Maverick is pleasing to the eye, but not to the body!

The Beast is a record holder and its landscape should make it #1 :)

March 19, 2010 at 11:12 PM · Ah - I get to cast a vote on Monday since I didn't get a chance to vote today. And it's going to Maverick. I've ridden both and adore both (Beast is my #2 woodie). But Maverick is so inventive and I could easily sit strapped into that ride for 2 hours. After about 3 rides on Beast I'd need a break. Really - both deserve top honors in their category. Perhaps next year Robert can separate wooden and steel.

March 20, 2010 at 3:18 AM · I'm not backtracking anything. I was trying to stir up the comments, since all of the competitions thus far have had relatively low-key arguments. I thought my "payback" statement made it evident I was having a laugh, but I guess my inflection wasn't noticeable.

Well, that's Internet commenting for ya.

March 21, 2010 at 7:00 PM · I haven't ridden on either of these, so I couldn't break the tie LOL. Sorry Robert.

March 22, 2010 at 7:35 AM · The Beast has been one of my favorite coasters for years. Because of its size. One of the best Helix's in the world a great tunnel an a terrific ride at night. Maverick is a great new ride and has some great manovers. But I still favor the Beast.

March 22, 2010 at 7:38 AM · Had it been 2007, I would have chosen The Beast. However, with the way The Beast ran last year (anyone who dares say it DIDNT run ridiculously slow from the brake shed through the next tunnel didnt ride it pre 2009) I am picking Maverick with no question or hesitation. To me, The Beast is now a coaster to be ridden only after dark, in very cool weather.