10 virtual roller coaster rides for at-home thrills

When it debuted back in 2003, this appropriately named coaster was the tallest one in the world, with a doozy of a 400-foot drop. 

What's the tallest roller coaster in the world right now? That’d be this dude, which opened in 2005 and reaches speeds up to 128 miles per hour (the second fastest globally). 

This one came with a $22-million price tag and was largely designed and constructed in-house, which is apparently very unusual in the roller-coaster biz. Also unusual? Its beyond-vertical drop—that is, a descent that’s more than 90 degrees—is the tallest in the world.   

This steel beauty has greeted guests as they make their ways into Carowinds amusement park since 2015. That could be a welcomed hello or a terrifying one, depending on your tastes for nearly-100-mile-per-hour speeds.

Why the owners didn’t name this favorite the Green Monster is beyond us, but that minor quibble aside, we have to give the first Infinity Coaster in the United States props.

It’s intimidating, for sure, with a first drop that’s at an 85-degree angle and a name that references NASCAR great Dale Earnhardt. 

This one kicks off with a nifty trick: After an initial start up the track, the train falls backwards through the station again and up more track, only to go through the station once more and embark on its journey. Got that? Good.

Meet the first 4th Dimension roller coaster on earth. What does that mean, you ask? That your seat can independently spin 360-degrees during your ride.

Another beloved coaster at Cedar Point, this one was the tallest and fasted on the planet when it unveiled in 2000.

This flying roller coaster (that’s industry speak for a ride that makes you feel like you’re, yes, flying) dips down towards a pool that sprays upwards as you pass. Pretty refreshing.