Often times we have to wait in long lines to ride that one coaster we've been waiting for all winter long.  One of the biggest decisions a person has to make when that rare chance comes along is what seat do they choose.  I'm sure that's pretty important to a lot of us as enthusiasts so we want to get a bit educated before we head out and arrive at that point when we have to make the decision, do I turn left and go to the back or do I turn right and hang ten at the pointy end.  

The questions start to arise as you draw nearer and nearer to the loading station.  Is there a best seat on this coaster?  What side is best on a wing coaster?  Should I choose the front or back on this type of coaster?  Is the view up front worth the extra wait on this one?  Are there any rougher seats to watch out for on a particular coaster?  Is the best seat the same seat at night.  Are there any cons to riding front seats at night.  Where on the train can I find the greatest air-time?  Is the front seat always the best one to choose for every type of coaster?  Why is that?  Does a specific element experienced in a certain seat feel accentuated over the other seats.  Does a particular style of coaster have a "hot seat" and if so, which one is it?  We want in inside scoop on this highly subjective but vitally important aspect of riding coasters and who better to write on this topic than us ACE-ers.  

Wouldn't it be great to have an article written all about the nuances of choosing that perfect seat for a particular coaster or type of coaster.  Of course the article would have to stay somewhat general in nature so as not to center out any one ride for having poor qualities but but I'm sure with all the coaster riding we've done over all the years, we could easily put our collective thoughts towards this task and come up with some solid pros and cons of riding coasters in the various seats.       

I think this is a cool idea. I just wouldn't want everyone to take the seat I like once they see the article. LOL

My general preference, if there is no wait, is the front. For me there is nothing like riding with just the track in front of you. Even more fun on a floorless or inverted. The back can be a lot of fun too when you get that whip effect going off the lift hill or over other hills.

For many rides though when there are long lines for the front or back, I have to weigh that extra time versus having say a third row ride 15-30 minutes sooner. Often the expediency wins out. For ERT with the generally shorter lines, I will often wait for the front or prime seats as well since I am not someone who can ride over and over and over again without getting off. So waiting for my "perfect" ride is better than getting motion sick. LOL

I'm probably not as nuanced as soon in the which seat, right or left, is better. For a wooden coaster car, I definite prefer the front of the car, regardless of location. For inverted, I prefer the outside often to not feel as closed in, though the forces can be stronger (and ride can be rougher) than the seats in the middle.

There certainly are a lot of choices for us, and that's what would make it a fun article.

Brad,

As most coasters are different, and personal preferences can vary widely between various people, there is no one right answer. While most who know me would say I am a definite front row rider (and I do prefer the front row on most coasters), there are many coasters I love where it is the back car and nothing else.

Mamba at Worlds of Fun is one of my very favorite steel coasters, and one of my back car only examples. My favorite seat is 13L, followed closely by 13R (Mamba's trains have 15 rows). For me, I get the most delightful sensation of elongated suspended animation while plunging down the second hill in row 13. While I typically do not like helices all that much, the helix on Mamba is one I love, and I prefer 13L over 13R only because I do not want to slam into the rider sitting next to me when we hit that glorious helix.

Thank you for the great topic!