The Analytics of Thrills

Kira Yamashita
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Science

Calling all roller coaster enthusiasts and theme-park goers alike! The Analytics of Thrills dives into the data behind your favorite rides and parks, revealing how the numbers power all the twists, turns, and endless fun!

Episodes

  1. Jun 22

    What if every park had to remove half of its coasters?

    In this episode, Kira discusses the fun "what if" scenario of getting rid of half of the coasters in a couple of theme parks. She compares and contrasts which coasters she personally would get rid of with the coasters that would lose in each stat category, for example the shortest coasters. https://rcdb.com/  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bad_Wolf:_The_Wolf%27s_Revenge  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYIYNvc-YM0  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BRGhKVoyQY  https://coasterpedia.net/wiki/DarKoaster  ​​https://kids.kiddle.co/Grover%27s_Alpine_Express https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwQTUJzHepY  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI9dMHKWb-A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozR2hWXKRnM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCKhkRPq8rI https://coasterpedia.net/wiki/Verbolten https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92M6cPJfRxs https://coasterpedia.net/wiki/Drachen_Fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumbo_Jet_(Morey%27s_Piers)

    18 min

  2. May 30

    Hershey Park Deep Dive

    In this episode, Kira presents a brief history of Hersheypark and then compares the coasters of Hersheypark and Hersheypark as a whole using data. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hersheypark https://rcdb.com/ https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-ThingsToDo-cAmusementWaterParks-g191

    11 min

  3. Apr 28

    Deep Dive into Six Flags

    Kira discusses the history of the Six Flags chain pre-merge (2024,) and highlights the differences between the statistically 'best' coasters/parks and those which are actually regarded as the best. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Flags  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_One_(roller_coaster)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bobcat_(roller_coaster)  https://rcdb.com/  https://scnstargazer.org/9111/opinion/ranking-the-top-5-thrill-coasters-at-six-flags/  https://thecoasterkings.com/six-flags-parks-ranked/  https://chatgpt.com/

    14 min

  4. Mar 22

    Safety by the Numbers

    Kira discusses the safety features of roller coasters, and how roller coaster safety has evolved over time. Kira also compares data regarding roller coaster accidents to those of everyday activities to show the chances of injury. https://bmwlawgroup.com/amusement-park-injury-statistics/#:~:text=How%20Many%20Roller%20Coaster%20Accidents,in%20Six%20Flags%20New%20England  https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS/SafetyProblem  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18520277/#:~:text=Results:%20Extrapolated%20numbers%20indicate%20that,to%20the%20elbow%20or%20knee  https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db466.htm  https://www.hsinjurylaw.com/virginia-beach-personal-injury-attorneys.cfm  https://www.denenapoints.com/death-roller-coaster-startling-united-states-statistics/#:~:text=Our%20roller%20coaster%20accident%20attorneys,One%20aortic%20laceration%2C%20and  https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-theme-park-accidents-20140103-dto-htmlstory.html#:~:text=The%20analysis%20also%20found%20that:%20*%20Older,such%20as%20asthma%20or%20high%20blood%20pressure  https://www.abc27.com/digital-originals/coaster-safety-the-mechanics-of-a-roller-coaster/  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_roller_coaster  https://webtribunal.net/blog/amusement-park-accident-statistics/#:~:text=3.,are%20caused%20by%20passengers%27%20misbehavior.&text=A%20theme%20park%20accident%20is,in%20case%20of%20a%20lawsuit

    11 min

  5. Feb 16

    B&M vs. Intamin

    Kira gives a brief overview of the manufacturers B&M and Intamin and uses data to compare them. https://www.intamin.com/company/about-us/  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolliger_%26_Mabillard#Notable_roller_coasters  https://grokipedia.com/page/Bolliger_%26_Mabillard#roller-coaster-types  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intamin#Roller_coasters  https://rcdb.com/

    10 min

  6. Jan 18

    Wood vs. Steel

    Kira compares wooden and steel roller coasters, discusses the struggle of the lack of data on roller coaster costs, and examines the varying intensities of wooden and steel coasters. https://rcdb.com/ https://grokipedia.com/page/Shivering_Timbers#history https://grokipedia.com/page/Wildfire_(Silver_Dollar_City)#trains-and-technical-specifications https://www.carneerides.com/wood-roller-coaster-maintenance/#maintenance-costs-wood-vs-steel

    14 min

  7. 12/19/2025

    What makes a "good" roller coaster?

    Kira discusses the different ride elements, both quantitative and qualitative, that have placed some roller coasters in highly ranked spots! https://rcdb.com/ https://coasterbot.com/votecoasters-fullresults2024 https://captaincoaster.com/en/ranking/?page=1

    11 min

  8. 12/06/2025

    Wait Times

    Kira discusses the concept of unoccupied versus occupied waiting, looks at what the data says about how effective occupied waiting is, and suggests ways to make wait times feel shorter using occupied waiting. In addition, she talks about causes of and solutions to long ride queues. Link to study mentioned: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296325000396#s0025

    8 min
  • 8 Episodes

About

Calling all roller coaster enthusiasts and theme-park goers alike! The Analytics of Thrills dives into the data behind your favorite rides and parks, revealing how the numbers power all the twists, turns, and endless fun!

Information

  • Creator
    Kira Yamashita
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Kira Yamashita
  • Show Website
    The Analytics of Thrills