Top hat

A top hat (sometimes called a top cap) is an element most often used on launched roller coasters. It consists of an ascent at a 90 degree angle immediately followed by a 90-degree descent in the opposite direction from which the train enters. Often, vertical twists precede and follow the top hat element.

Both Kingda Ka and Top Thrill Dragster feature a giant top hat.

The inside top hat (also known as a top hat inversion or inverted top hat) is a different type of top hat that is inverted. When the train approaches the top of the "hat", it makes a 90 degree lateral twist so that it is on the inside of the element (hence the name). Once the train reaches the top, passengers are briefly suspended upside down before dropping in the opposite direction from which they enter.

Examples

Below is a list of all the roller coasters with a top hat element. All of them are steel sit-down roller coasters.

Outside top hat

Name	Amusement park	Manufacturer	Opened	Status
Anubis The Ride	Plopsaland De Panne	Gerstlauer	2009	Operating
Euro Express	Romon U-Park	Intamin	2015	Operating
Fury	Bobbejaanland	Gerstlauer	2019	Operating
Gold Rush	Attractiepark Slagharen	Gerstlauer	2017	Operating
Ice Breaker	SeaWorld Orlando	Premier Rides	2021	Under construction
iSpeed	Mirabilandia	Intamin	2009	Operating
Junker	PowerLand	Gerstlauer	2015	Operating
Karacho	Erlebnispark Tripsdrill	Gerstlauer	2013	Operating
Kingda Ka	Six Flags Great Adventure	Intamin	2005	Operating
Lynet	Fårup Sommerland	Gerstlauer	2008	Operating
Nefeskesen	Vialand	Intamin	2013	Operating
Pantheon	Busch Gardans Williamsburg	Intamin	2021	Under construction
Red Fire	ViaSea	Intamin	2015	Operating
Red Force	Ferrari Land	Intamin	2017	Operating
Skycar	Mysterious Island	Intamin	2005	Operating
Sky Rocket	Kennywood	Premier Rides	2010	Operating
Star Trek: Operation Enterprise	Movie Park Germany	Mack Rides	2017	Operating
Stealth	Thorpe Park	Intamin	2006	Operating
Storm Runner	Hersheypark	Intamin	2004	Operating
Superman Escape	Warner Bros. Movie World	Intamin	2005	Operating
Taiga	Linnanmäki	Intamin	2019	Operating
Top Thrill Dragster	Cedar Point	Intamin	2003	Operating
Toutatis	Parc Astérix	Intamin	2023	Under construction
VelociCoaster	Universal's Islands of Adventure	Intamin	2021	Operating
Wrath of Zeus	VinWonders	Vekoma	2020	Operating
Xcelerator	Knott's Berry Farm	Intamin	2002	Operating
Zaturn	Space World	Intamin	2006	Closed 2017
unknown	Vinpearl Land	Vekoma	2018	Under construction
unknown	World Fairytale Land	Vekoma	2020	Under construction
unknown	Chengdu Wanda City	Intamin	2018	Under construction
unknown Formerly Kanonen	Lost Island Theme Park Liseberg	Intamin	2022 2005	In Storage Closed 2016

Inside top hat

Name	Amusement park	Manufacturer	Opened	Status
Dragon Legend	Romon U-Park	Maurer AG	2015	Operating
Freischütz	Bayern Park	Maurer AG	2011	Operating
Helix	Liseberg	Mack Rides	2014	Operating
Junker	PowerLand	Gerstlauer	2015	Operating
Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast	Six Flags Over Texas	Premier Rides	1998	Operating
Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast	Six Flags St. Louis	Premier Rides	1998	Operating
Soaring with Dragon	Hefei Wanda Theme Park	Intamin	2016	Operating
Takabisha	Fuji-Q Highland	Gerstlauer	2011	Operating
TMNT Shellraiser	Nickelodeon Universe	Gerstlauer	2019	Operating
Yamaha Racing Coaster	Trans Studio Indoor Theme Park	Premier Rides	2011	Operating
unknown Formerly Batman and Robin: The Chiller	Beto Carrero World Six Flags Great Adventure	Premier Rides	Unknown 1998	In storage Closed 2007

This box: view edit Thrill elements
Inverting	Banana roll Barrel roll downdrop Batwing Bowtie Butterfly Cobra loop Cobra roll Corkscrew Cutback Demonic knot Dive drop Dive loop Diving turn Dog tongue Double inverting dive loop Double inverting stall Drachen fire dive drop Finnish loop Fly to lie / Lie to fly Flying snake dive Heartline roll Immelmann Inclined dive loop Inclined loop In-line twist Interlocking corkscrews Interlocking loops Lagoon roll Negative-g stall loop Norwegian loop Over-banked inversion Pretzel knot Pretzel loop Raven turn Reverse cobra roll Reverse sidewinder Roll out Roll over Rollover camelback Saxophone Scorpion tail Sea serpent Sidewinder SkyLoop Step-up under flip Tongue Top-Gun stall Twisted horseshoe roll Twisted in-line rollback Vertical loop Wraparound corkscrew Zero-g roll Zero-g stall Zero-g winder
Non-inverting	Dark/Show section Double down Hairpin dive Hairpin turn Hammerhead turn Helix High five Hill Horseshoe Jr. Scorpion tail Kickflip Non inverting cobra roll Non inverting loop Octopus arm Outward banked airtime hill Over-banked curve Over-banked pretzel knot Pretzel curve Splashdown Splash effect Splash track Stengel dive Switch track Tilt section Trick track Triple dip Tunnel Turntable Twisted dive Twisted top hat Vertical drop track Vertical rollback Vertical spiral Wagon wheel Water brakes Wave turn Windcatcher tower
Variable	Jr. Immelmann Top hat