Originally Posted By: Wolf359
The greatest velocity is going to be in the last car, the least will be in the first car. So perversely those that hate them end up sitting in the last car and those that love them sit in the first one. The first car will be going slower going down and the last car will be at the faster speed going down.
While the terminology may not be accurate, the concept is dead-on. Of course, no one car of the train is ever traveling any faster or slower than any other car of the train. But the motions of the ride are absolutely "numbed" a little bit if you sit in the front. In the front car, you don't seem to pick up speed as fast when cresting a hill before a drop because you have to wait for at least half of the train to crest the hill before the whole lot starts to accelerate.
We were at Disneyworld a few months ago and my wife and I rode Big Thunder Mountain twice in a row. The line was short and we had a Fast Pass, so we stood in line for about 15 minutes for the first ride and Fast Passed the second ride. We rode near the back on the first run and happened to get the very first seat on the second run. Being in the first car was a real downer!
That said, I have no use for roller coasters that climb you half a mile into the air for an 80 degree first drop. I like fast coasters that switch you back and forth, like Big Thunder Mountain, but have no use for ones like the new one at Carowinds in Charlotte.