Thrill seekers have traveled thousands of miles to ride thousands of roller coasters. Although amusement parks compete to build the tallest, fastest, and longest rides, those records rarely last long before another park builds a roller coaster that beats that record. Photo #1 by James Loesch

Do daredevils consider potential roller coaster accidents before boarding? No worries, as accidents are uncommon. This one was photoshopped. Amusement parks and resorts market their roller coasters so it stands out for thrill seekers, but sometimes those tactics cause disputes as to if the roller coaster is really the fastest, highest, or whatever its claim to fame. Without further ado, here come the world’s top record holders from the roller coasters rankings for 2015, followed by a virtual ride on each. Photo #2 by v i p e z

Kingda Ka is located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. It is the world’s tallest steel roller coaster at 456 ft (139 m), the world’s second fastest, and holds the world strata coaster record for the longest steel roller coaster drop of 418 ft (127 m). Each train holds 18 people, with an hourly rate of about 1,400 riders; the ride lasts only 28 seconds from the start of the launch, but riders experience a G-force of 5. The Kingda Ka “U-shaped track bolts up 45 stories in the sky!” Six Flags added, “You’ll leave the station going from 0 to 128 miles per hour in a jaw-dropping 3.5 seconds. You race 90 degrees straight up and then plummet from the top right back down in a 270-degree spiral. You’ll top it off with a 129-foot camel hump.” Photo #3 by Theme Park Review & #4 (Top Right before Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom) by Coasterman1234 & #5 by Theme Park Review

Virtual ride on Kingda Ka in 2014 after the addition of the world’s tallest and fastest drop ride, Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom! (It’s a separate ride). For all of these videos, we highly recommend that you change to settings to HD and then go full screen. Video #1 by Six Flags Great Adventure

At 197 ft (60 m), Colossos is the world’s tallest wooden roller coaster. It’s located at Heide Park in Germany. It opened in 2001 and held the record for steepest wooden roller coaster until 2003 when Balder in the Swedish amusement park Liseberg stole the steepest wooden coaster title. Riders experience 3.8 Gs during the 2:25 thrill ride. Colossos is 4,409 ft (1,344 m) long, goes 68.4 mph (110.1 km/h), and its two trains hold 30 people per train so it can handle 1,500 riders per hour. The park use to advertise that Colossos had a top speed of 120 km/h, but has since revised the speed. Besides being the tallest, this wooden coaster is ranked in 3rd place for fastest; it will drop another place when Wildfire in Kolmården Wildlife Park, Sweden, is completed. The drop of 159 ft (48 m) ranks Colossos as 4th for longest wooden roller coaster drop, but Wildfire will soon send it to 5th. The 1/3 scale Statue of Liberty replica used to stand tall in the lake, but it was dismantled and part of it was moved inside Colossos. Photo #6 by Michael Welsing & #7 by Stefan Scheer

Buckle up POV! GoPro Hero 3: “Onride on Colossos, a wooden roller coaster at Heide Park in Soltau, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the first wooden roller coaster to use prefabricated track…The ‘Plug and Play’ aspect of the coaster speeds construction, since track does not have to be completely manufactured on site. In addition, building costs are lowered due to fewer man-hours being required. The riders benefit from a coaster, that while being wooden, is nearly steel smooth.” Video #2 by PARALAX’s kunterbunte Videowelt

Since June 2014, Goliath at Six Flags Great America holds the record for the world’s longest wooden roller coaster drop of 180 ft (55 m) as well as the world’s fastest wooden roller coaster for it’s 72 mph (116 km/h) speed. Goliath ranks 4th for tallest wooden coasters, but will drop to 5th when the wooden roller coaster Wildfire is completed. The length is 3,100 ft (940 m), over which there are 2 inversions, a maximum vertical angel of 85 degrees, and the ride lasts for 1:45. There are 2 trains, each holding a total of 24 riders, for a capacity of 1,000 riders per hour. Photo #8 by Theme Park Review & Photo #9 by Theme Park Review & Photo #10 by Theme Park Review & Photo #11 by Theme Park Review

Goliath POV Six Flags Great America 2014 Wooden Roller Coaster Front Seat On-Ride HD 1080p. Video #3 by Theme Park Review / Six Flags Great America

The Smiler, located at Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire, United Kingdom, holds the world record for most inversions on a steel roller coaster. If upside-down is your thing, then The Smiler should thrill you as riders flip upside-down 14 times during a 2:45 ride! The roller coaster is 3,8340 ft (1,170 m) long, reaches a height of 72 ft (22 m) with the longest drop being 98.4 ft (30 m). Riders experience a G-Force of 4.5 and reach a top speed of 53 mph (85 km/h) through a Heartline Roll, Lift Hill, Corkscrew Dive, Loop Dive, Loop Dive, Loop Sidewinder, Corkscrew, Vertical Lift Hill, Corkscrew Roll, Over Cobra Roll, Corkscrew and another Corkscrew. After opening in May 2013, some people have waited in line over 4 hours to ride this record breaker. As if flipping that much isn’t enough, The Smiler has a “large spider-like structure serves as a center-point for the coaster track. Called ‘The Marmaliser,’ it has 5 legs, each with a distinct function to manipulate riders into ‘smiling.’ It is also equipped with a wraparound screen, which displays graphics and video relating to the theme of the ride. The roller coaster intertwines within the structure causing greater interaction with riders to enhance the experience.” Photo 12 by tijd is vluchtig & #13 by TowersStreet & #14 by Michael Garnet

The Smiler front seat on-ride HD POV Alton Towers. Video #4 by EastCoasterGeneral

Formula Rossa is crazy-fast at 149 mph (239 km/h), so it holds the world’s fastest steel roller coaster record with that top speed. It’s located in Ferrari World amusement park in in Abu Dhabi. Formula Rossa has been the fastest steel coaster since November 2010. The steel track is 6,790 ft (2,070 m) long, with a max height of 171 ft (50 m) and max drop of 169 ft (51.5 m). 16 riders per train launch from 0 to 149 mph (0 to 240 km/h) in 4.8 seconds. Photo #15 by Phil & Photo #16 by Stdragon04 & #17 by Phil

Formula Rossa POV, world’s fastest steel coaster described as “bloody hell its fast!” Video #5 by Ryan Cosgrove

Steel Dragon 2000 is the longest roller coaster in the world. Located in Nagashima Spa Land amusement park, in Japan, it required more steel than most since it had to include earthquake protection. During the 4 minute ride over its 8,133 ft (2,479 m) track, riders go through 2 tunnels, up 318 ft (97 m), experience a maximum vertical angle of 65 degrees, racing along at 95 mph (153km/h) — a top speed that ranks it as sixth fastest in the world. Although Steel Dragon, which opened in 2000 during “Year of the Dragon,” is the tallest coaster using a tradition chain lift, it will drop to 2nd as Fury 325 will beat its design height by 7 feet. Fury will also have the same speed as Steel Dragon 2000. Photo #18 by Holiday Point & #19 by Janma & #20 by David Morton

Steel Dragon 2000 New B&M Trains Roller Coaster POV Nagashima Spaland. Video #6 by Theme Park Review

Full Throttle, at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, holds the world record for having the tallest vertical loop, 160 feet (49 m) high, and ranks 2nd for tallest roller coaster inversion. There is 2,200 ft (670 m) of steel track for the 1:30 ride that launches to 70 mph (110 km/h). There are two inversions, and the riders go both forward and backward. Full Throttle’s claim to fame is its world’s tallest vertical loop which is used twice per ride. It opened in June 2013 and has a capacity of 800 riders per hour. Photo #21 by METRO96 & #22 by Matthew Nelson & #23 by Jeremy Thompson

Full Throttle Roller Coaster REAL POV Six Flags Magic Mountain. Video #7 by Theme Park Review

At 7,359 ft (2,243 m), The Beast is the longest wooden roller coaster in the world. It’s located at Kings Island, an amusement park northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. When the ride opened in 1979, it was the longest, tallest, and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. It’s still the longest, spread out over 35 acres, to deliver 4:10 of ride time. After more than 30 years, over 50 million people are believed to have ridden The Beast. View of Vortex (foreground) and The Beast (background) from Eiffel tower at Kings Island. In 2000, Son of Beast launched as another wooden coaster record breaker, the first to feature a loop (inversion), and the first wooden hypercoaster — having a 214 ft drop, but after two non-fatal accidents, the ride was closed in 2009 and demolished in 2012. Photo #24 by Warren County CVB & #25 by Eli Duke & #26 by mattdelsander

The Beast Tops 50 Million Rides! Video #8 by Kings Island via Front Seat Coasters

Son of Beast, mentioned when looking at Beast, was replaced by the steel roller coaster Banshee; it’s claim to fame is 4,124 feet (1,257 m) of track, which make it the longest inverted roller coaster in the world; it’s also tied for 1st for the most inversions for an inverted roller coaster design. Banshee goes 68 mph (109 km/h), is 167 ft (51 m) high and drops 150 ft (46 m); the ride lasts for 2:40, making a maximum capacity of 1,650 riders per hour; Banshee has a whopping 7 inversions! Photo #27 by Kings Island & #28 by Kings Island & #29 by Kings Island

Banshee Roller Coaster POV: Kings Island. Video #9 by Theme Park Point of Views

Takabisha, the world’s steepest steel roller coaster, is located at the Fuji-Q Highland theme park in Yamanashi, Japan. The 2:40 ride begins with a sudden drop into pitch black darkness, covers 3,330 feet (1,000 m) of steel track, has 7 inversions, goes 62 mph (100 km/h), is 141 ft (43 m) tall, and accelerates from 1 – 62 mph in 2 seconds. As for it’s claim to fame, at a height of 141 ft, Takabisha drops a record-breaking 121° — making it a ‘beyond-vertical’ drop. Steepness is not a ranking in the RCDB, which lists record holders based on speed, height, length, drop and inversions. Photo #30 by Alex Brogan & #31 by calltheambulance & #32 by Edmund

Takabisha, which opened in July 2011, at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan; it is the world’s steepest roller coaster with a 121 degree beyond vertical first drop! Video #10 by Theme Park Review

GateKeeper, at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, has the world’s tallest roller coaster inversion of 164-foot (50 m), meaning that is its maximum height above the ground while upside-down. This coaster opened in May 2013 as the fifth Wing Coaster in the world, but also broke Wing Coaster records for height, speed, track length, drop height and the number of inversions. RCDB ranks it 1st for Wing Coaster due to its 6 inversions, also listing its lift hill height as 170 ft (52 m) tall. GateKeeper has 4,164 ft (1,269 m) of track, placing it in 2nd for Wing Coaster length, and riders travel through two keyhole towers. At a top speed of about 67 mph (108 km/h), riders experience 4 Gs during the 2:40 ride. About 1,710 thrill seekers ride on GateKeeper per hour. Photo #33 by tracy the astonishing & #34 by Jeremy Thompson & #35 by Jeremy Thompson

GateKeeper Official POV. Video #11 by Cedar Point

Outlaw Run has 3 inversions, the most inversions on a wooden roller coaster. That record will be tied in 2016 by another extreme wooden coaster called Wildfire in Sweden. However, Silver Dollar City theme park at the Branson, Missouri, announced that Outlaw Run’s 81-degree steepest drop will be listed in the Guinness World Records 2015 for the first time as the record holder for Steepest Wooden Roller Coaster. Wikipedia lists Goliath at the top for steepest at 85 degrees, adding that Outlaw Run was the steepest when it debuted. Nevertheless Outlaw Run is currently the only wooden roller coaster to twist upside down three times over the length of its 2,937 ft (895 m) track; it also has a top speed of 68 mph (109 km/h), has a height of 107 ft (33 m) and a drop of 162 ft (49 m). 2 trains run, each with 24 people, for a ride time of 1:27. Photo #36 by Missouri Division of Tourism & #37 by Silver Dollar City & #38 by Silver Dollar City

POV of Silver Dollar City’s Outlaw Run. Video #12 by Silver Dollar City Attractions

Fury 325 is set to be the tallest giga-coaster in the world when it opens this Spring at Carowinds amusement park located in both North and South Carolina. The roller coaster will operate with three 32-passenger trains, each containing eight cars that fit 4 riders in a row. Fury 325 is 6,602 feet (2,012 m) long and a record 325 feet (99 m) high. Approximately 1,470 riders per hour will experience 3:25 of ride time, reaching speeds of 95 mph (153 km/h) as it goes through high speed curves, and a pass over and under the park’s main entrance. Photo #39 by Carowinds & #40 by Carowinds via Theme Park Review & #41 by Carowinds

Virtual ride on Fury 325, the world’s tallest and fastest giga coaster opening at Carowinds amusment park in Spring 2015. Video #13 by Theme Park Review

Although the roller coaster database does not rank 4D roller coasters, Eejanaika, at the Fuji-Q Highland park in Japan, has a whopping 14 inversions. “There is considerable debate within the roller coaster community as to whether or not the spinning of these coasters qualifies as an inversion for the purpose of records. Guinness World Records gave Eejanaika the record with 14 inversions. However, other more coaster-specific record bodies such as the Roller Coaster Database do not recognize this claim and instead count only track inversions, which gives the record of 14 to The Smiler.” RCDB ranks Eejanaika as 1st for Wing Coaster maximum height of 249.3 ft. Photo #42 by FullyFunctnlPhil & #43 by Derek F. DiMatteo & #44 by Jordi Sanchez Teruel

4D roller coaster POV from riding on Eejanaika. So 14 inversions while the seats rotate forward or backward 360 degrees in a controlled spin. Video #14 by thrillridepark

Top speed for a Wing Coaster goes to Furius Baco located at PortAventura Park in Spain. It zooms along at 83.9 mph (135.0 km/h), going 0 – 83.9 mph in 3.5 seconds. During the 55 seconds of ride time, thrill seekers experience 4.7 Gs and 1 inversion over 2,788.8 ft (850.01 m) of track. Photo #45 by Salvador Canet & #46 by Lmbuga & #47 by Tim Collins

Furius Baco Intamin Launched Roller Coaster Front Seat POV Onride PortAvenutra Spain Port Adventura. Video #15 by Theme Park Review

Parrot Coaster at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in China is the Wing Coaster length record holder for its 4,193 ft (1,278 m) length. It’s been open since January 2014, but was previously called “Flying Over the Rainforest.” It has 3 inversions and reaches a top speed of 67.1 mph (108.0 km/h). Photo #48 by Ocean Kingdom & #49 by rubysparkles via Theme Park Review & #50 by Steven Edit

Parrot Coaster AKA Flying Over the Rainforest）Front Seat Onride Go Pro HD POV Ocean Kingdom. Video #16 by Brent Yin via MiyaPA Masane

Ranked 1st for its Wing Coaster drop of 215 ft (66 m) is X2 at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California. It has a length of 3,610 ft (1,100 m), height of 190 ft (58 m), goes 76 mph (122 km/h) with a max vertical angle of 88.5°. X2 is a revamped version of X, but the redesign made X2 the world’s first 4th Dimension roller coaster. The 2 minute ride has 2 inversions and up to 1,600 riders per hour experience 4 Gs. X2 opened in 2008 and included special effects from a pair of flame throwers. Photo #51 by Jeremy Thompson & #52 by Beaster725 & #53 by Jeremy Thompson

X2 : Official POV in [HD] Extreme 4th Dimensional Roller Coaster Six Flags Magic Mountain. Video #17 by TheCoasterViews

RCDB ranked Vortex at Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario as 1st place for a suspended roller coaster drop of 85 ft (26 m) and 1st for height, which is 91 ft (28 m). With a top speed of 55 mph (89 km/h), the 1:36 Vortex ride opened in 1991 and is currently tied with Ninja at Six Flags Magic Mountain for fastest suspended coaster. Photo #54 by Jeremy Thompson & #55 by Mathew Ingram & #56 by wykah

Vortex (On-Ride) Canada’s Wonderland. Video #18 by Sharp Productions

Iron Dragon, which opened in 1987 at Cedar Point, is ranked 1st in suspended coasters for its length of 2,800 ft (850 m). The 2 minute ride, going 40 mph (64 km/h), can handle 2,000 riders per hour. Photo #57 by RobotHeart & #58 by Michelle & #59 by buschap

Official Iron Dragon POV. Video #19 by Cedar Point

Riddler’s Revenge at California’s Six Flags Magic Mountain is ranked as the fastest, 65 mph (105 km/h), and the tallest, 156 ft (48 m), for Stand Up roller coaster. It is also the world’s longest for its track length of 4,370 ft (1,330 m), has the longest drop of 146 ft (45 m) and even the most inversions, 6, of Stand Up roller coasters. That’s sure a lot of records for a roller coaster that opened in 1998. 1,610 riders per hour experience a 3 minute ride. Photo #60 by Jeremy Thompson & #61 by Michael Kazarnowicz & #62 by Jeremy Thompson

Riddler’s Revenge Front Row on-ride HD POV Six Flags Magic Mountain. Video #20 by CoasterForce

The newest edition to flying roller coaster record holders for inversions is Sky Scrapper at Joyland amusement park in Jiangsu, China. It may be the newest addition, but its 5 inversions make it tied for 1st rank with Batwing at Six Flags America in Maryland, Firehawk at Kings Island in Ohio and Nighthawk at Carowinds in North Carolina. Photo #63 by Jeremy Thompson & #64 by Jeremy Thompson & #65 by Jeremy Thompson

Sky Scrapper – World Joyland (Including POV). On Ride POV starts at about 2:20, if you wish to skip the off ride views of Sky Scrapper. Video #21 by davidjellis

Manta at SeaWorld Orlando is ranked 1st in flying coasters for its 113 ft drop. Photo #66 by wbeem & #67 by Jeremy Thompson & #68 by Robyn Lee

Manta (HD POV) SeaWorld Orlando. Video #22 by Sharp Productions

Looking down the road at roller coasters that will be built, you can bet that many will try to find a marketing angle to make their coaster stand out to thrill seekers, even if it doesn’t unseat the highest ranked record-breakers. That’s not the case with Skyscraper roller coaster, which will be the world’s tallest Polercoaster; it’s set for a 2017 opening at the $250 million Skyplex indoor entertainment complex in Orlando. “Skyscraper’s observation deck will offer views 535 feet from the ground and will be accessible by the region’s tallest glass elevators.” 850 – 1,600 passengers per hour will go up to 570 feet, while the roller coaster is executing loops, dives, spirals and inversions all on the exterior of the tower during a four-minute ride that will deliver a maximum g-force 4 Gs. Photo #69 by US Thrill Rides & #70 by US Thrill Rides & #71 by Skyplex

Track layout and point of view for Skyscraper, which will be the world’s tallest roller coaster in 2017. “Skyscraper will not only take riders higher than ever before, but also introduce one thrill right after the next – there’s no ‘down time’ on this four minute coaster experience,” said Michael Kitchen, President of US Thrill Rides. “It is an absolute cutting-edge engineering marvel that will deliver pure adrenaline unlike any roller coaster in the world today.” Video #23 by Theme Park Review