Tatsu in Valencia, Calif., is the fastest, tallest and longest flying roller coaster in the world. A flying coaster suspends riders in a prone position to simulate the sensation of flight. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Located in Gurnee, Ill., Goliath is the fastest wooden coaster in the world, traveling at a speed of 72 mph. (Geoff Scheerer / Associated Press)
People ride down from the highest point of the world’s longest roller coaster, the Steel Dragon 2000, at Nagashima Spa Land in Japan. (Toru Yamanaka / Agence France-Presse)
Six Flags Great Adventure’s roller coaster, Kingda Ka, sends people flying skywards. At 456 feet, the Jackson, N.J., coaster is billed as the tallest in the world. (Tim Larsen / Associated Press)
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Visitors get ready for the Formula Rossa roller coaster during the opening of Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Formula Rossa is the world’s fastest ride, reaching 149 mph. (Farhad Berahman / Associated Press)
Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom in Valencia, Calif., is currently the tallest drop tower in the world. Riders fall at a speed of 85 mph from a height of 400 feet. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
X2 is the fastest fouth-dimension roller coaster in the country. The seats on the Valencia, Calif., ride rotate independently of the direction of the track, making for a wild ride. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)
