Front Seat

[emileeee]

Are there any rides that you just have to be in the front seat, every time, or it feels weird to ride it? Maybe I'm the weird one. I first rode The Beast when I was 8, in the middle car. Ever since then, however, I've been riding in the front seat, every time. Ten years later, I just go to the front. When my friends are "too scared" to ride in the front, I force them to, because it would be too weird to ride anywhere else. My little brother's first ride was in the front seat too, because it was with me.

For some coasters, I just go to the shortest line, no matter where it is. But with rides like Beast, I have to ride the front.

Which coasters do you have to ride the front every time for?

[The Interpreter]

Maverick. Otherwise, it isn't worth my time.

Oddly, on The Georgia Cyclone, I only ride the very back, preferably the right side. And the forces on The New Texas Giant are much, much stronger in the back.

On Vortex and other Arrow steel loopers, I ride in 5-1, the seat that Ron Toomer designed to be the optimal one.

[standbyme]

Which coasters do you have to ride the front every time for?

Scooby's Ghoster Coaster.

[BB1]

I also ride The Beast in the front seat, all the rest of the seats can really joggle your noggin shlogin! Top Gun, Italian SJ, Racers, and the old but never new KIRR

[The Interpreter]

If smoothness is your goal, the middle seat in a CAR in a 3 bench wooden coaster train is smoother than the front, which is partially over a wheel. The second row or next to last row are both smoother than the front seat on Beast. The most airtime is typically found in the back row of the front car. See Magnum or Racer, for example.

[BB1]

BB1 who really just likes the front for too many reasons!

[The Interpreter]

The wind. The view. But sometimes not the best ride. The New Texas Giant is a meh ride in the front, in my opinion. But the back, WOW.

And the best seat on Ninja at Six Flags Over Georgia is in the front....of the ride....on a park bench!

[emileeee]

It's not really a smoothness thing for me; it's more a matter of the open air and nobody in front of me.

[The Interpreter]

I also ride Flight Deck in the front. For years, I let well meaning friends drag me to 7-1. No more.

[emileeee]

I try to ride FoF in the front every time as well. It's great, minus the awkward hanging feeling at the MCBR.

[Joncars05]

And the best seat on Ninja at Six Flags Over Georgia is in the front....of the ride....on a park bench!

I heard Ninja was rough but is it really that bad? I always have wanted to ride it whenever I go back to SFOG. But its merely because I was an inch short to ride it when I was younger and haven't had a chance to ride it since I'm rarely in the area.

[The Interpreter]

It is a head-banger extraordinaire. Second only to The Rollercoaster at New York, New York Casino and the Zamperla Flying Coasters.

My head hurts just thinking about any of them. The old Steel Phantom was in this league, too.

[Joncars05]

Well shoot... After my experience on Gwazi this spring, my Ninja experience sounds like a one and done deal for a credit haha.

[thekidd33]

Mantis, Mean Streak and Blue Streak at CP, though Mean Streak is the only one I refuse to ride in any other row. I also prefer the front on Backlot and Diamondback but don't go out of my way to ride there.

[Joncars05]

Sheikra.But Idk if that really counts because there are only 3 rows...

[LongliveKingsCobra]

Flight Deck, Flight of Fear, The Beast, Diamondback....actually...any roller coaster in my opinion should be ridden in the front!

[jcgoble3]

Flight Deck. I refuse to ride it anywhere other than the front seat. Flight of Fear and Backlot Stunt Coaster are also great up front, and I'll try to get the front whenever possible, but it's not mandatory. Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster are awesome in the front, but the long waits for that seat mean I may go elsewhere (more likely on Millie, which has other good seats, than TTD, where there's the front and then there's the rest). Mantis, Raptor, the Raven, the Voyage, and Invertigo are good in the front, but not so much that I'm willing to wait more than two or three extra trains for it. Otherwise, I mostly prefer the back.

[stashua123]

in my opinion the back is the best because you can actually get airtime back there(see my trip report for more details)and it has that rough/smoothness that i love this is my 50th post on KIC

[DiamondBuckeye]

Last night was my first night trip on The Beast and it was also my first time sitting in the first row. It was awesome! I can't wait to try it again!

[thekidd33]

...Mantis, Raptor, the Raven, the Voyage, and Invertigo are good in the front, but not so much that I'm willing to wait more than two or three extra trains for it. Otherwise, I mostly prefer the back.

Raven is a thousand times better in the back imo. The ejector air on 'the woods drop' is one of the highlights of the ride!

I guess I am missing something in regards to Flight Deck. It seems a lot of people here enjoy it in the front but I have always thought of it as a back of the train ride.

[Jr for Birdy]

Front row,after dark,on The Beast,is the best ride i have ever experienced anywhere,period. I cant believe i just experienced it for the first time this year ,but as a youth i would always hit Vortex and King Cobra for night rides. I would guess i have ridden The Beast 50 times in my life and it was so much more thrilling at night.I was laughing and a bit scared at the same time and loved every second of it. Front row at midnight on top thrill dragster was pretty fun too,it was also my first time riding it. The third row on DB,my wife and i both agree is the best seats for airtime.Kids like the back row.

[TTD-120-420]

The only "must have" seat for me is on Raptor. Back row on the very right side. It is the only seat on any roller coaster that still gets my stomach on the first drop.

[coasterfanatic83]

I like the front on any steel coaster of 200+ feet because of the in your face thing with the speed and drops. The only must-have front seat for me is on Mean Streak at CP.

[westcoaster]

Any time the line is not to bad for the front, is a definite for me.

Love The Beast in the front.

Have to have front on Flight Deck.

[Wooo_Z_wynX]

I like the walk on or 2 to 3 train waits for 1-3, 1-4 way more than I like the 15-30 min. waits for 1-1, 1-2 once in the station. The "must do" front of the train coaster for me are B&M hypers made after 2006, the ones pre '06 are all back seat rides (i.e. Nitro, Apollo, etc.). Goliath at SFOG is great for air in rows 1 through 16. I use to always ride GCI's in the back, but after getting some serious air on Prowler and Thunderhead this season, I'm gradually starting to lean toward the front, but it's not like you can go wrong with the back seat. CCI's are iffy at best. Shivering Timbers is basically a standup coaster if you ride in the first car. But to me the only place to ride on Raven (and all HW coasters) is the back. There is no such thing as a good ride on an Arrow multi-looper with the exception of Lockeness (BGW) and Tenn. Tornado (Dollywood). I like the back on both those. I like the sway on Arrow suspended coasters in the front. B&M inverts are always better in the back, the only time I think they are as good in the front are at Busch Gardens, just because the theming is so great. Mine Trains, Boomerangs, SLCs and junior coasters.....who cares they're mine trains, boomerangs, slc's and junior coasters, they're a get the credit and go rides to me. I like Intimin hypers and gigas much better in the front, the air is just so much better to me in the front. Standup and Voltaire coasters aren't really worth mentioning unless you're looking for a law suit against a park. While spinning mouses and coaster don't really have a front seat, you always want to out balance the ride to get the best experience. A balance ride = a 6/10 at best, while an unbalance ride = 8/10.

[KI FANATIC 37]

Have to ride DB in either the front or back, or otherwise its not nearly as enjoyable.

[Titan]

I've always liked riding in the back better on any coaster, unless the coaster's first drop is 90 degrees or beyond. Then I'll take the front seat.

[A.S.Coasters]

I perfer the front seat on any Inverted coaster simply because I can't see a thing with seats hanging in front of me on any other row, the back seats on Raptor are really good though. As for the front on any other coaster, most of the time I don't care but for rides like Backlot it seems pretty essential so you can get full veiw of the scenery.

[Maverick00]

^I agree. I much prefer riding inverted coasters in the front seat, it makes it so much better. I must ride in the back row on rides like Wicked Twister so you are facing the ground at the very top of the back tower.

[MDMC01]

I like riding Vortex in the very back seat as there is a ton of airtime on the first drop. I tried 5-1 when I went the other day, but I prefer the back.