I rode every roller coaster at Six Flags Great America for my birthday -- Here’s my top 5

GURNEE, ILL – Turning 37 on July 29, 2025, had me reminiscing about my younger self and how much I’ve grown, both literally and figuratively.

When I was a kid, my big sister Joy Fails gathered the Vaughan Street neighborhood alongside her family, and we all took a trip to Six Flags Great America back in the early 2000s.

Speaking of Joy, her neice spit on my brother Brandon J. Fails’ Funnel Cake, which got the party started back then.

That moment is cherished by all of us who were able to attend, which was something that I wanted to recreate for myself, as I barely remember riding all of the rides inside the amusement park in Gurnee, Illinois.

While getting creative, I reached out on a whim and was granted access to relive my childhood for my birthday, and as a result, here are my top five roller coasters:

No. 1 was Superman Ultimate Flight, as it literally gives you the ultimate flight experience.

Riders lie face down on a track that features a pretzel loop, complete with the legendary blue and red color scheme.

The theme song, while walking up, plays, giving you the ultimate Clark Kent experience before ultimately turning into the Man of Steel for a few seconds.

All of the specs were cool, but the reason I ranked it No. 1 was due to a memorable moment when one of our adult friends was unable to take flight.

While standing in line for the coaster back in the early 2000s, my brother, Eldridge Carr, Jr., weighed around 320 pounds, and his friend, Moses Hill, was close to 350 pounds.

Both men were trying to get seated for takeoff, but due to the weight capacity, the ride staff had to come over and assist.

As we all watched and waited to see if they could get on the ride, my brother sucked in his stomach and was able to get strapped in for safety.

Moe Hill tried to do the same thing as my brother, but the workers couldn’t secure his safety, and he was asked to get off the ride.

Although embarrassed, Moe Hill started to talk trash to everyone in a joking manner as my cousin Lincoln Cortez Ford came in with the knockout blow, saying, “Moe Hill is the first guy to ever ride the Superman attraction sideways.”

No. 2 is the Wrath of Rakshasa, which opened on May 31, 2025.

The record-breaking dive coaster features a steep drop with a 96-degree vertical drop, which caught us by surprise.

The line wasn’t crazy as we entered the mythical beast as soon as the park opened on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, but the most memorable moment was the climbing and sudden pause before dropping at a rapid rate.

No. 3 is Batman: The Ride, due to its authenticity and the feel of Gotham City.

The inverted roller coaster, based on the DC Comics character Batman, was very popular amongst riders as the wait time was around an hour and some change.

But the atmosphere, especially at night when I rode the coaster, placed you in the DC Universe.

Walking up to the ride, you can see a police car riddled with bullet holes, but the underground entrance pumped out with the white mist literally smelled like garbage truck juice.

No. 4 is Goliath, which is a wooden roller coaster.

The ride initially set three world records among wooden coasters, boasting the longest drop at 180 feet, the steepest angle of 85 degrees, and the fastest speed of 72 miles per hour.

The line was brutal as they were only running one coaster, but when we hit the first drop, all was forgiven.

Goliath is said to still hold the record for the longest drop and fastest wooden coaster, and from my experience, it still holds true.

No. 5 is Raging Bull, which was also running with one coaster, so the wait was not pleasant.

The line stretched out into the walkway of the amusement park as we waited for two hours.

But that first drop, especially in the front row, had me about to lose my Nike bucket hat.

As an honorable mention, The Flash: Vertical Velocity, as the line was short, but the ride lived up to its name, as we were gone in the blink of an eye.

We were told to come back another time to ride Maxx Force, but it, along with Aquaman Splashdown, was closed.