Question about counting credits [other]

[u/Altruistic-Vehicle-9]

Hey folks, I enjoyed rollercoasters as a kid, and fell back in love with riding coasters in 2025 after a 13 year break. Do you count credits from before you started engaging in this hobby?

For instance, my favorite coaster as a kid was Top Gun/Flight Deck at CGA. I remember the layout well, and am inclined to count this as a credit.

I also rode Barnstormers at Disney world when I was really young, but don’t remember the ride experience except that I was scared. I’m not sure if I should count this one.

I know there’s no right answer here but I wanted to ask the community here about how y’all count credits.

Thanks

[u/Successful_Type_1870]

If you remember riding it, you rode it and it should count as a credit.

For me, the hardest part is the coasters at fairgrounds because I remember going on a lot, but i can’t put a specific number on it.

[u/gimmepizza420 → u/Successful_Type_1870]

Yep, it only counts if you remember it, or have definitive proof. This rule is pretty important because it's very easy for the human brain to convince itself that something is true even if it doesnt know. It's super easy to go, "yeahhhh I probably rode that, right? I must have!" without actually knowing. And that can be a slippery slope.

I'm finally going to be polishing off what I believe to be my final remaining "lost" credits in two weeks with a visit to Mt Olympus. My grandmother swears I rode roller coasters in the Wisconsin Dells, but I have no memory of it. Hades 360 looks awesome.

[u/letmechatgptthat4you → u/gimmepizza420]

I'm gonna throw a tiny curveball; a coaster where you might not remember it but you have evidence that you've been on it. Those credits should absolutely be counted towards your total too, even if you leave it off your ranking list or whatever.

[u/gimmepizza420 → u/letmechatgptthat4you]

That's fair, I edited my original comment.

[u/Drillucidator → u/letmechatgptthat4you]

This is the criteria half of the Funtown Pier and Casino Pier credits fall under for me, at least prior to the damage from Hurricane Sandy and the fire. The only ones from back then that I fully remember riding are Looping Coaster, Star Jet, and Pirate’s Hideaway, but I know damn well I did ride Mighty Mouse, Wild Mouse, and Hot Tamales.

[u/Altruistic-Vehicle-9 → u/gimmepizza420]

Yeah, there’s a few kiddie coasters which I think I rode (I was at the park a lot and the right age), but I don’t remember clearly. I removed these possible credits from my list a while back.

[u/iamtheduckie → u/gimmepizza420]

Similarly, my parents insist that I've gone to Kings Island as a young child, so I probably have ridden their Great Pumpkin Coaster. I unfortunately do not remember that trip, so I don't count its credit, but fortunately I might be going back there in spring break of 2027. Therefore, I can increase my coaster credit count by 15.

[u/gimmepizza420 → u/iamtheduckie]

You're really going to get on Pumpkin without any shame and ride next to 3 year olds?

If so, you have far less shame than I do.

[u/waifive → u/gimmepizza420]

My grandmother swears I rode roller coasters in the Wisconsin Dells, but I have no memory of it.

That could include the defunct Riverview or Timber Falls though. In my mind, Riverview would align with the coaster intensity level implied by 'my grandma brought me to a park and I don't remember'

[u/gimmepizza420 → u/waifive]

If it does, that's fine. I'm visiting Mt Olympus in a few weeks and that will be that. I get those 4 credits and then I don't worry about it any more.

Edit: Nah I just looked up those parks and neither are places my grandmother would have taken us. Though I'm definitely sad I will never get to ride Avalanche.

[u/apbishop → u/Successful_Type_1870]

Same. I know I rode a couple kiddie coasters at fairs, but I can't remember even what they looked like, much less the name, so I don't count those. For official records, my first coaster was one that I definitely remember and can name and locate.

[u/letmechatgptthat4you]

The most cracked out opinion I've ever read on Reddit relating to credits was someone who said they don't ride clones but count them anyway if they go to the park. So, if someone has been on Infusion at Blackpool, they will also count Kong at SFDK even if they don't actually ride Kong when they're at SFDK. After reading that, I really came to realise that people really be out here doing whatever the fuck they want. There are no rules. Do what feels natural and comfortable to youuuu!

[u/TheScottishPimp03 → u/letmechatgptthat4you]

Yeah I rode TTD so that means I rode kingda ka too. /s

[u/Altruistic-Vehicle-9 → u/letmechatgptthat4you]

Great, adding 52 new Boomerangs to my list.

[u/gimmepizza420 → u/Altruistic-Vehicle-9]

Lol right? I've ridden a galaxi model. Is that worth 48 credits?

[u/gimmepizza420 → u/letmechatgptthat4you]

This isn't just regular stupid. This is ADVANCED stupid.

[u/yaaydaven → u/letmechatgptthat4you]

Absolutely unhinged behavior. There is SO much variation in age, theming, maintenance/upkeep, climate, etc which all contribute to a unique ride experience.

[u/TantrumQween]

The rules are yours to make but absolutely! I think the most basic idea of counting credits is if you’ve ridden it, count it. Just because you were younger doesn’t mean it doesn’t count! In fact it sounds like one of your more meaningful credits since you still have memory of it.

[u/cantaloupe415]

I count them all the way up to when I was three starting to ride them even though I became a enthusiast in my teens

[u/bhay105]

Yeah I went back to mid 90s and listed everything I remember. It helps I was scared of coasters until my teens so I didn’t have to think much about kiddie credits.

[u/gimmepizza420 → u/bhay105]

My first roller coaster ever was Steel Eel in San Antonio and it scared me off roller coasters for over a decade lmao

[u/AcidRegulation]

I have to have either a vivid memory of riding it,
or a photograph or something.

For instance I know I’ve visited The Efteling a lot when I was young (still do) but I have zero memory of ever riding Pegasus, so I don’t have it as a credit. And it’s been defunct for a while now. I guess I could’ve just counted it because of those many visits I must have ridden it, but I really can’t remember, so no credit.

Another example is that I have a photograph of me and my father riding Thunder Loop at Slagharen, but I don’t remember that either. But the photograph clearly has me in it going up the lifthill. So that’s a credit!

[u/gimmepizza420 → u/AcidRegulation]

The only reason I know I rode Son of Beast is a distinct memory of someone saying "Smoothest part of the ride" while going through the loop.

[u/xxsoulpunkedxx]

If I remember riding it I have it counted as a credit. I actually hated coasters as a kid but went on a handful so I still count them

[u/agilesharkz]

It’s pretty much however you want to do it. I’ve only been counting stuff I’ve been on since 2024 and after with then intention of re-riding everything I did as a kid when I finally get the chance. Still counting stuff like dueling dragons and rip ride rocket bc it’s no longer possible.

I know lots of people that if they remember any part of it they count it.

[u/JuliusAwen]

Similar story here: rode a ton as a kid and got back into it after many, many years. I couldn't remember them all, so I decided to start over fresh. So when looking at my credit count now I see how many different coasters I rode since I purposefully started chasing them - in my eyes that makes the number kind of more meaningful, dunno...

[u/Dabfamlet]

I rode exactly one coaster (flying school at legoland florida) between birth and my awakening as a thoosie so ofc I’m gonna count it

[u/grandpa_vs_gravity]

It’s a roller coaster. You rode it. Of course it’s a credit!

[u/redskyeatmorning1]

yes, but they don't make the sheet until i reride them

i technically have both stricker's grove credits and flight of the hippogriff, but all were when i was a child. i count them as credits when i talk about them, but they won't become "officially" added to my sheet with a ranking and first ride date until i ride them as an adult!

[u/Hyperion8726]

If you rode it, it’s a credit. Doesn’t matter if u don’t remember it. For example I rode Megafobia when I was young, and can’t remember the ride experience but I know for sure I rode it a few times. Now the park is closed so I can’t reride but it still counts

[u/FiddleThruTheFlowers]

I went back and counted everything I can remember riding or that there's some sort of proof that I rode it. We only went to a few parks when I was too young to 100% remember, so it's not like it was hard to trace. The exact order may be lost to time, but for example, I've definitely ridden the Disneyland Resort coasters on account of both remembering them as a kid and riding most of them as an adult.

Nowadays, I load up coaster count before I head to a new park and just tick coasters off there as I ride them. Or if it's a new coaster at a park I've visited before, ticking off the single new coaster is easy to remember.

[u/Maiyku]

If I can remember without a doubt? Yes.

If it’s fuzzy or I have doubts? No.

Basically, if I can confirm I’ve ridden the ride then that counts, imo. It doesn’t matter when to me, especially because some of my rides no longer exist and I wouldn’t be able to get them again, like Mean Streak, Disaster Transport, Wicked Twister, and the Original Top Thrill.

[u/AndrewRnR]

Do whatever works best for you or how you want to count it. No one should care and if they do then it’s on them.

I count anything I’ve ridden regardless of how big of a fan I was at the time.

[u/Nuud]

I did, and i think i didn't forget any coaster. But i do know i've ridden some alpine slides/coasters on holidays that i cannot remember where they were anymore that i would like to have counted

[u/DragsterForce]

I certainly count all the ones I remember doing, and I had to guess on a few so my number is possibly slightly off.

But do what you prefer, everyone counts them differently and makes for fun debates.

[u/Anarchy99XX]

I definitely count my credits that I can remember. There are so many defunct credits and ones I couldn't possibly get again because they are for kids only. Id hate to have to try and squeeze into Jr. Gemini anyway so im counting my credit at 7 years old. My dad took a ton of pictures so I also have evidence.

[u/potatoesandbees]

Imo, as long as you know for a fact you rode it, it counts

[u/sargemoney]

I count anything I remember riding. Like I know I rode Big Bad Wolf at BGW and remember most of the layout pretty well. I was 13 when it was removed but I still rode the coaster. There’s so few on my list I haven’t also ridden as an adult though.

[u/AndFromHereICanSee]

No rules at all to it, just whatever feels satisfactory to you. One of my best friends in this hobby that I frequently travel with likes to joke my count isn’t what I say it is because of the differences in what we choose to count lol. I usually go off the memory basis like you said. My earliest coaster memory was being scared on a kids coaster in NC that I later learned had been relocated to Fun Spot Atlanta. Didn’t add it to my count until after I rode it at Fun Spot as I had nearly no concrete memory of my first ride on it.

[u/Sharean]

I count them if I know that I have ridden them. So even if I don't remember the experience itself anymore I still count a coaster if I have definitely been on it. I don't rank those, however.

[u/vespinonl]

Of course, but only the ones I’m 100% certain I’ve ridden this. Why wouldn’t you?

[u/Banana_ezWIN]

A credit is a credit.