There has been a lot of discussion about coaster/ride names recently as there seems to be a recent crop of poorly received names for 2020. It got me to think about what makes a good name and what makes a bad name and there are quite a few aspects to that question.
In my mind, what makes a good name is multi tiered. First thing that comes to mind is that any name should be short, marketable, and alliterated if possible. Hollywood: Rat Ribbon Raking and The Wubulous World of Hagrid's Motorbike Expedition 3D come to mind as ride names that feel like a chore to communicate and come off as a joke. I don't think it can make a good coaster bad (Hagrid), but it does make a bad coaster look more like a joke (H: RRR).
The next question is if the ride is in a heavily themed park or area of a park. If the answer is no, then it should focus on what the ride does. A good example of this, I feel, is Wildcat at Hersheypark. It's a classic coaster name that matches the speed and maneuverability of a cat. Another good example is Skyrush because, well, that's what you do. I feel that if you aren't trying to tie an area to a coaster thematically or vice versa, you have a lot more leeway to avoid being a bad name.
If they are trying to tie it to a theme, that's when things get more complicated. Not only do you have to intergrate the type of experience of the ride but the surrounding area as well. A great example of this done well is Manta at SWO. The ride has you in a position like a Manta Ray and you're performing moves similar to a Manta and it ties in with the overall theme of the area. I honestly can't think of any terrible examples of this off the top of my head if I'm totally honest.
I also think a good name should invoke feelings when you read it. Apollo's Chariot and Kumba invoke majesty and speed. Big Thunder Mountain and Expedition Everest invoke adventure. Cobras Curse and The Mummy invoke fear. Hulk and Kraken invoke strength. There are tons of examples of this and different people can get different things from the same name, but I think a good name should convey something that makes the ride experience desirable.
These are just some of the things I think make up whether a name good or bad. There is certainly more aspects that can be taken into account.
So, what do I think is the perfect name that perfectly fits the aspects I put above? Mako. The fastest shark is a perfect fit for the location next to the shark exhibit, the type of coaster. "Mako" is also simple, marketable, and invokes a feeling of speed and power.
I probably could have put all that info out better, so apologies for being a mess. It will probably be updated as Thomas sends me angry messages about it. But I'm interested to see what people think are good names.
In my mind, what makes a good name is multi tiered. First thing that comes to mind is that any name should be short, marketable, and alliterated if possible. Hollywood: Rat Ribbon Raking and The Wubulous World of Hagrid's Motorbike Expedition 3D come to mind as ride names that feel like a chore to communicate and come off as a joke. I don't think it can make a good coaster bad (Hagrid), but it does make a bad coaster look more like a joke (H: RRR).
The next question is if the ride is in a heavily themed park or area of a park. If the answer is no, then it should focus on what the ride does. A good example of this, I feel, is Wildcat at Hersheypark. It's a classic coaster name that matches the speed and maneuverability of a cat. Another good example is Skyrush because, well, that's what you do. I feel that if you aren't trying to tie an area to a coaster thematically or vice versa, you have a lot more leeway to avoid being a bad name.
If they are trying to tie it to a theme, that's when things get more complicated. Not only do you have to intergrate the type of experience of the ride but the surrounding area as well. A great example of this done well is Manta at SWO. The ride has you in a position like a Manta Ray and you're performing moves similar to a Manta and it ties in with the overall theme of the area. I honestly can't think of any terrible examples of this off the top of my head if I'm totally honest.
I also think a good name should invoke feelings when you read it. Apollo's Chariot and Kumba invoke majesty and speed. Big Thunder Mountain and Expedition Everest invoke adventure. Cobras Curse and The Mummy invoke fear. Hulk and Kraken invoke strength. There are tons of examples of this and different people can get different things from the same name, but I think a good name should convey something that makes the ride experience desirable.
These are just some of the things I think make up whether a name good or bad. There is certainly more aspects that can be taken into account.
So, what do I think is the perfect name that perfectly fits the aspects I put above? Mako. The fastest shark is a perfect fit for the location next to the shark exhibit, the type of coaster. "Mako" is also simple, marketable, and invokes a feeling of speed and power.
I probably could have put all that info out better, so apologies for being a mess. It will probably be updated as Thomas sends me angry messages about it. But I'm interested to see what people think are good names.
Last edited:
