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Coaster "Magic Seats"

JSM

Mega Poster
It seems almost every coaster out there has a so-called magic seat. With the limited amount of coasters I've personally been on, I'd love to hear and see what the magic seats are on coasters in Europe, Asia, and basically everywhere outside California. For example, Medusa SFDK's best seat is easily back left. A bit rougher than other seats on the train but some of the inversions are better in that seat.
 

Jarrett

Most Obnoxious Member 2016
To me a "magic seat" is when the best seat on the ride isn't the front or back row but somewhere in the middle, just because it's so rare and almost seems to intuitively defy the laws of physics, with most of the optimal places on rides coming from the maximum amount of speed in/out of an element as it lags into it slower or is pulled out of it faster. Magic seats I know of include...

The Beast- Second to back, you get all the speed that comes with a back seat ride but without it being a wheel seat.
Magnum XL-200- Row 3 of the first car on the black train is known as the vomit seat or the ejector seat because the ejector there feels like it could almost kill a man, much more than you'd get in the front or back rows.
Ravine Flyer II- Front row of the second car, in a ride that involves both a lot of charging into elements and dropping off of them this is kind of a "sweet spot."
Wild Thing- Row 3, this isn't an "official" one but my friend Connor and I kind of found it back in July, you actually get some decent freaky darkened floater in the tunnel coming back to the station and it's a bit disorienting. Not nearly as nuts as the others I've listed though.
Blue Streak- Second row of the first car, it's glass smooth not being on a wheel but you're still in the front and it's still a mess of airtime.
Wild One- See Above
Phoenix- Row 3, the back row of the front car is notorious for taking possibly the best buzz bar airtime to the next level

Think there are a few more but these are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
 

Zek_Teh_Kek

Hyper Poster
Here are a few for me.
Maverick: Back Row, last car. You get whipped so fast it's crazy!
Blue Streak:
Second row of the first car, it's glass smooth not being on a wheel but you're still in the front and it's still a mess of airtime.
Rougarou: Front Row, the car everybody cheers on when it comes into the station. The front row has always been my favorite on Rougarou, but sometimes you can get the bad train.
Mystic Timbers: Back row. The first drop just whips you over the drop, and then to add on to that, the airtime is fantastic!

I might come back with more. I'm going to CP today.
 
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MestnyiGeroi

Giga Poster
Row 7 on Nitro is the sweet spot for the most extended floater air.

I have a lot of front row/back row preferences for various coasters, but I don't know if that qualifies as magic seat or if it's just obvious stuff.
 

toofpikk

Mega Poster
This^

All my favourite seats seem to be on the front or back rows, most noticeably/looked over being th13teens back row which will murder you over the first drop whereas anywhere else on the ride, the whole thing just feels dull.
 

JSM

Mega Poster
Thanks, everyone, great to know!
To me a "magic seat" is when the best seat on the ride isn't the front or back row but somewhere in the middle, just because it's so rare and almost seems to intuitively defy the laws of physics, with most of the optimal places on rides coming from the maximum amount of speed in/out of an element as it lags into it slower or is pulled out of it faster.

Very much agree. On V2 at SFDK I don't remember the exact row but in the middle of the train, you get some great hangtime in the forward spike and amazing airtime/zero-Gs on the back spike. Better than anywhere else on the train.
 

Antinos

Slut for Spinners
Although they were already mentioned, the only two that I'm particular about are Magnum's ejector row in car 1, row 3 and The Beast in the 2nd to last row.
 

Will

Strata Poster
The front row of OzIris is SO much better than anywhere else, for reasons I'll never fully understand
 
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Edward M

Strata Poster
For me:
  • El Toro, Nitro, Outlaw Run, Rampage, Kawasemi and Voyage in the second to back
  • Mine Blower and BTMR in the 2nd row
  • Cyclone Coney Island, Phoenix and Comet in first car third row.
  • Gringotts and RotM in the third row
  • “Magic seat” front row: X2, Boulder Dash, Goliath SFOG, Space Mountain WDW, TTD/Kingda Ka/Xcelerator
  • “Magic seat” back row: Kumba, Skyrush left wing, Superman: The Ride, Lightning Rod
 

MestnyiGeroi

Giga Poster
For me:
  • El Toro, Nitro, Outlaw Run, Rampage, Kawasemi and Voyage in the second to back
  • Mine Blower and BTMR in the 2nd row
  • Cyclone Coney Island, Phoenix and Comet in first car third row.
  • Gringotts and RotM in the third row
  • “Magic seat” front row: X2, Boulder Dash, Goliath SFOG, Space Mountain WDW, TTD/Kingda Ka/Xcelerator
  • “Magic seat” back row: Kumba, Skyrush left wing, Superman: The Ride, Lightning Rod
I have ridden most but not all of these, but for all the ones I have ridden I agree with this (except for the Phoenix and Cyclone — I like the front row for those, not third to front). Yet no one told me these things in advance, so it’s kind of amazing to me how precisely I reinvented the wheel each time.
 

Mack

Mega Poster
IMO X2 is better in the back row, especially when the flamethrowers are on (sorry if that's a spoiler).
 

Howie

Donkey in a hat
^Definitely back row for X2.
Funny story - on my first go I actually thought I'd got on the front row, I didn't realise the train left the station backwards until it started!

Nemesis - front row, right hand seat for some awesome arm choppers and 'ground skimming'.
 
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Mysterious Sue

Strata Poster
Error made me sit in a particular row on Maverick (I forget which, 3 or 4 maybe - above the wheel) and that definitely hit the spot.
Front seat on launches and on Phoenix for its incredible airtime.
Back row on hypers and GCIs.
Middle row of SLCs and boomerangs and not above a wheel for the least offensive ride.
Front of Big One for the view and less pummelling.
 

jayjay

Giga Poster
I've been lead to believe that the only reason I enjoy The Smiler is because I sat in the front row, second from the left. Will have to reride and make sure.
 
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DelPiero

Strata Poster
I make sure to note my fave seat for all of my top 10 and some others;
Lightning Rod - Back right seat (W)
Skyrush - Back left, barely, Back right is nearly as good (W)
El Toro - 2nd from back (W)
Taron - Back left, obscene (W)
Helix - Front at night
Goliath - Front(I only rode 2nd, but front will be the best)
Fury 325 - 2nd from back, left seat (W)
Wildfire - Back left (W)
Renegade - Back row
Wicked Cyclone - Back row (W)
Boulder Dash - Front at night (W)
Phoenix - Front or 3rd
Expedition GeForce - Back left (W)
Nitro - 2nd row, right side (W)
Colossos - Front row, left seat (W)
Kingda Ka - Front, any other row sucks
Millennium Force - Front at night
Nemesis - Back right seat at night (W)

Those with a (W) I'm pretty confident in as I whored them so bad, the others only had 3 or so rides but the opinion above stands.
 
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ThomVD

Giga Poster
Looking at my top 10:

Helix - Front
Taron - Front, left side
Wildfire - Back
Piraten - Second from back
Nemesis - Love both front and back, but back gets the edge
EGF - Love both but front gets the edge, left side
Shambhala - Front
Silver Star - Front, inside seats
Black Mamba - Front, left side
Junker - Front, side seats
 
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