Robert Niles
Editor
Robert Niles

The 2014 Theme Park Insider Tournament: Behemoth vs. Leviathan

March 5, 2014, 11:09 AM · Based on the thousands of reader ratings that Theme Park Insider readers have submitted over the past couple years, it's clear that our readers love Bolliger & Mabillard roller coasters — especially B&M's hyper models. Tall, fast, smooth and offering plenty of airtime, the B&M hyper appeals to fans who want a thrilling physical ride experience without head-banging restraints or stomach-churning inversions.

A theme park pretty much guarantees itself a hit when it installs a B&M hyper. But, so far, there's only one theme park in the world that's gone for a sequel, offering its fans two B&M hypers.

That's Canada's Wonderland, in Toronto, and its two B&M hypers face off today to determine which will be North America's sole quarterfinalist in this year's Theme Park Insider Tournament, which features top theme park rides in parks outside the United States.

Behemoth

Our vote today features Behemoth, a 2008 hyper that reaches 230 feet with a top speed of 77 mph.

And the opponent?

Leviathan

It's Leviathan, opened in 2012, with a height of 306 feet and a top speed of 92 mph.

Time to vote! The winner advances to the semifinal round of the roller coaster bracket.


The poll will be open for 48 hours. Please use the social media buttons below to get out the vote for your favorite. And let's talk roller coasters today in the comments.

Tomorrow: Back to the dark ride bracket for Mystic Manor versus Pooh's Hunny Hunt.

Replies (10)

anonymous
72.15.63.78
March 5, 2014 at 11:31 AM · Isn't Leviathan considered a Giga as it's over 300ft? Anyway two different experiences - one gives airtime and the another is all about the height and speed.
robert
Editor
Robert Niles
March 5, 2014 at 11:46 AM · FWIW, on roller coaster data/classifications, I typically defer to RCDB, which lists them both as hypers.
CalvinEggnog
Gabriel Schroll
March 5, 2014 at 2:09 PM · May just be the camera, but Leviathan sure seemed smoother. Behemoth made me feel like it'd be knocking my brain around inside of my head.

Leviathan looked blazing fast, and I voted for it.

Rock-Blazer12
James Trexen
March 5, 2014 at 2:28 PM · I voted for Behemoth because I absolutely love bunny hops on coasters with good airtime.
Bigwig30
Writer
James Rao
March 5, 2014 at 3:58 PM · Leviathan is probably the more intense coaster, but that parking lot view is just awful. Behemoth's view is nothing to brag about, but at least that nasty brown water is better than a parking lot. Plus Behemoth reminds me of Apollo's Chariot and Leviathan reminds me of Intimidator 305, and between those two, AC is the better coaster. IMHO, of course.

So, Behemoth it is.

rcdude
AJ Hummel
March 5, 2014 at 10:32 PM · I've actually been on both these coasters as I visited Canada's Wonderland in 2012. While both are excellent rides, I have to give the slight edge to Leviathan. Thanks to ERT and Fast Lane, I managed a lot of rides on Leviathan) and it is one of my top ten coasters. The ride is fast, smooth, and long (it may look short in the video, but the ride is definitely long enough. Behemoth was pretty good too, definitely a top tier coaster (I did ride it several times), but there was little to set it apart from any other B&M hyper and it had quite a bit of rattle.

In regards to the hyper coaster vs. giga coaster debate, B&M does not differentiate between the two and honestly Leviathan didn't feel significantly different from any of the other B&M hyper coasters (unlike with Intamin rides...Millennium Force and Intimidator 305 are very different from Ride of Steel and Bizarro). It was just bigger, faster, and with a more interesting layout. Also, for the record, here is my ranking of the B&M hyper coasters I've been on (six total, with two new ones (Raging Bull and Diamondback) planned for this year):

Nitro (Six Flags Great Adventure)
Leviathan (Canada's Wonderland)
Intimidator (Carowinds)
Apollo's Chariot (Busch Gardens Williamsburg)
Behemoth (Canada's Wonderland)
Goliath (La Ronde)

Keep in mind all of these are still top tier coasters. The top four all make my top ten list, and even Goliath is in my top 30 (out of over 250 coasters).

Oh, and James, Leviathan is nothing like Intimidator 305 (which is a very overrated ride in my opinion). It is somewhat like Millennium Force (not sure if you've ridden that), but still feels like a B&M hyper.

Bigwig30
Writer
James Rao
March 6, 2014 at 5:03 AM · ^Thanks for setting me straight, AJ. Rewatching Levithan, I guess you're right. It does not have the same overly intense, not fun layout as I305 - it is a bit more like MF. Too late to change my vote now, though. At least I picked a coaster that is in your B&M top 5!
DallasRob
Robert Clay
March 6, 2014 at 9:45 PM · Behemoth because it has more variety. It is a combo of hyper coaster and twister. And it's longer than Leviathan. I'm sure most people will vote for Leviathan because it is taller and faster. However, I've been on Kingda Ka (world's tallest and former fastest) and that does not make a ride all that impressive. Behemoth gets my final vote.
eltoro1951
Writer
Bobbie Butterfield
March 7, 2014 at 1:05 PM · I didn't vote because not having ridden either of them, I didn't feel qualified to do so. Based on the videos, I'd go for Leviathan because my top 2 steel coasters (Millennium Force and I-305) are 300-footers although I like the fact that Behemoth goes over the water. Apollo's Chariot is a better coaster than I-305, James??? I respectfully disagree. I-305 is just about the best thing I've ever ridden, and so intense that it's the only coaster on which I came close to greying out. Anyway, I'll be able to judge for myself as to how Leviathan compares with Behemoth, as I've decided to use what remains of my frequent flyer miles for a trip to Canada's Wonderland. (Can't find a flight from Philly to Toronto for less than $683 so might as well use the miles.) I don't expect to like either of them as much as I like some other coasters simply because the ones that gave me the most pleasure (with the exception of Nitro) were mostly manufactured by Intamin.
anonymous
173.230.1.194
March 7, 2014 at 1:33 PM · Never been there before but I always liked Behemoth more than Leviathan. Just a preference I have.

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