Best First Drops

[AgentSoB]

1. Son of Beast front seat: This was especially true at night. It was truly to me an amazing experience that will be hard to beat.

2. Phantom's Revenge: Holy stuff that comes out your rear this ride is amazing! Love that curved first drop with no pre drop!

3. Apollo's Chariot: This is awesome for the opposite reason of the other. The little pre drop before the main drop catches you of guard. The back of the ride gets a nice little double pop of air.

4. Gatekeeper: Front right one of the best drops hands down! (Well up in my case)

5. Banshee: Front seat for many of the reasons listed on this very forum many times.

Have to give an honorable mention to Legend at HW love the drop with the sound effects! IMO best ride at HW as of right now! This was close to taking number 5

[thoe124]

1: Drop Tower - The Best first drop i've ever experienced.

2: Diamondback - seat 8-2. And if you can help it, dont pull the restraint down as far as it will go.

3: Vortex - Very back (7-3/7-4) Intense airtime!

4: Banshee - 8-4. Its almost a vertical twist in that seat!

5: Beast - The first drop after the second lift.

[The Interpreter]

8-2 of Diamondback is in the middle of the train.

Is that what you meant?

EDIT: See below. Staggered seats staggered Terp.

[JTW]

Although there are 16 lanes I think the offset seats make each car a row as far as seat numbering is concerned.

Back left of each car would be 1, front left would be 2, front right would be 3, back right would be 4

[The Interpreter]

The first number typically represents the car number.

The second, the seat: 2--furthest from load.

So Car 8, seat 2.

This is an industry wide convention.

EDIT: I see what is being done here and have

fixed the above. I had a brain spasm?

My comment about the middle of the train makes no sense. I'm sorry!

[TTD-120-420]

1. Maverick; any seat.
2. Raptor; very back on the right side.
3. El Toro; any seat.
4. Griffon; back row.
5. Top Thrill Dragster; any seat.

This concludes Zach's top 5.

[KIfan73]

I'm always jealous of all of you guys that can determine which is the best seat on a ride, and can name/analyze all of the different elements. After a few decades of visiting Kings Island, 99% of the time I still just get in the shortest line (but I do know not to sit on a wheel seat) to get ride as quick as possible. I will say that Banshee has completely blown me away, and I love its first drop, as well as the rest of it. I didn't think I could get so excited riding a ride again....it was just like when I first rode Vortex the first time well over 20 years ago.

[The Interpreter]

I'm one of those people who drive those who want to sit together nuts. I know exactly where I want to sit, and will wait to do it.

In line for the "magic seat" on Viper (1-3) at Six Flags Great America, I had numerous people try to move me to the second row. Nope.

Then, a Platinum The Flash Pass rider rode twice and the group of 26's plans were foiled again!

I'll wait for the seat I want.

[TombRaiderFTW]

1. El Toro at SFGAdv/NJFTP in the last row. (It's the only place I've ridden that ride in.)

2. Boss at SFStL in the last row. You can't beat, airtime, then crazy head-choppers, then surprise airtime.

3. Raven at Holiday World in the last row. The aspect of half the train starting down the first drop while you're still rounding the turn to the drop is one of my favorite "this is gonna be good" moments on any coaster.

4. Kentucky Rumber at Beech Bend in the last row. Kentucky Rumber is one of the few GCI's I prefer in the last row, and that drop is way more fun than POV's and photos make it look.

5. Thunderbolt at Kennywood in the last row. While it is big, it looks innocent until you actually go down it. It's really unusual to experience significant airtime within a few seconds of leaving the station on a coaster, which is why Thunderbolt is such a cool ride.

[Banshee Back VII]

Griffon front row.

[thekidd33]

My personal favorites in no particular order...

- Last row on Diamondback

- 5-1 or 7-1 on Vortex (probably my second favorite drop in the park).

- Last row on Corkscrew at CP

- Last row on Wild Eagle

[TriumphBonneville]

Not one single mention for the first drop on Gemini. It may not be that tall, and it does only go 60mph, but the forces pushing you into your seat at the very bottom of that hill are pretty strong. Throw the racing thing, and the headchopper effect, and it is definitely in my top 10. Desperado at Buffalo Bill's Casino in Primm, Nevada is pretty good, too.

[TombRaiderFTW]

^ Gemini is super underrated and gets constantly overlooked for all the bigger rides at Cedar Point. It really is a great ride. It just doesn't make my list of favorite first drops.

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

Backwards Racer. Son of Beast.

[calakapepe]

I don't know that I could rank them in favoritism as they've already earned their way into being my favorite because of their weightlessness.

-Banshee (Back of train,, right most seat)
-Vortex (Back of train)

-Diamondback (back of train)

-Maverick

[medford]

Not a coaster, but since others have mentioned Drop Towers, I'm surprised no one has mentioned Congo Falls. Some say it offers the best air time in the park. Its a point I won't argue against (though I may not fully support either) Ton of fun packed into a short circuit, but well worth the usually non existent que.

[thedevariouseffect]

1. Maverick--Last Seat

2. Maverick--Front Seat (Me & you will keep this going all day )

2. Banshee 84, tied with Maverick, totally forgot, it has the same beautiful pull as Maverick rear, just with the curved drop, which reminds me of good old GCI's

3. Maggie 13

4. I305 front

5. Corkscrew 21

6. Appolos Chariot

7. Griffon edge seat

8. Bizarro SFNE

9. Gemini 21

10. Racer 52

Want to include Phantom's Revenge..however it's the 2nd drop that's fantastic

[homestar92]

Vortex in 7-1

Best airtime in Ohio. That is all.

*Note that these are my opinions and mine alone. Most of you will probably disagree with me. And that's OK, you're allowed to be wrong.

[faeriewench]

1.) Magnum XL 200

2.) Desperado (front car)

3.) Canyon Blaster (especially in the last car)

4.) The Bat (preferably in the back)

Others I like in no specific order include Tennessee Tornado, Millennium Force, Steel Eel, and shockingly Son of Beast (rest of the ride not so much)

[Vortex lover]

Here's my list

1. Banshee back row the tug

2. Lightning run back row tugs you and the drop feels like a

100 degrees 3.

Diamondback front row O'Crap moment

4. Vortex back row the airtime

5 Beast back row you guys should know why

[Gplez90]

1. Leviathan (front)

2. Millennium Force (front)

3. Diamondback (back)

4. Magnum (back)

5. Banshee (back)

6. Mr. Freeze (vertical spike, back)

7. Bizarro (back)

8. Intimidator 305 (front)

9. El Toro (back)

10. Nitro (front)

[gad198]

My list, in no particular order:

Skyrush - still the only first drop that truly terrifies me

El Toro - best first drop on a wooden coaster in the US

Leviathan - perhaps the best overall first drop on a steel coaster in the US/Canada

SheiKra/Griffon - just pure, smooth, unfiltered airtime...love these drops

Nitro - the best first drop of any of the B&M and Intamin megas, Leviathan excluded

Skull Mountain at SF Great Adventure - the drop in the back row is off the chain...literally and figuratively!

X2 - not the biggest fan of the rest of the ride, but going face first down the first drop is an unforgettable experience

Wild Eagle - the drop in the back row is surprisingly strong

[shark6495]

1. Beast any seat: topping the lift hill and seein nothing but woods and oh wait are we going under ground

2. Banshee/Bat front row: the idea of hanging below the track and going I the ground

3. Griffin front row: see above but now they hold you on the lift

4. Diamondback front row: anticipation

5: Son of Beast front row: nothing like looking out ad thinking well if I go out on a coaster

6: Top Thrill Dragster any seat: the slow crest an quick plummet

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was thinking and adding Firehawks drop to this list is exciting as well. The whole face first plummet thing works for me

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[The Interpreter]

I shall add:

SFGAm: Goliath: Phenomenal first drop. One of the best steel coaster drops anywhere.

[homestar92]

^ I see what you did there. And I approve.