Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Front, Middle or Back?

[PolynesianLily]

I was watching a video of BTMRR on Youtube and it got me thinking. It seems like the front seat of Big Thunder is a little bit 'less intense' than let's say the back seats. Where the front of the train starts off slower down the hills in comparison to the back. Do any of you have a favorite spot to sit on BTMRR? We like the back because it gives off some whiplash .

 

[tzolkin]

The back is definitely the best.

This has been my favorite Disney attraction since I was a kid and I have always prefered the back. Now that I'm taking my own kids, I really only look forward to them hitting 40" to ride BTMRR with them. Every time one of my kids was tall enough to ride, we'd wind up sitting near/in the front the first time and then would ask to wait for the back car for the second ride. Each one had this excited look on his/her face when we got off and exclaimed how the back was so much better.

 

[blessedby3]

We love the back!! Its much more of a "ride"
It is also much faster feeling at night..a totally different ride

 

[Barnhill9586]

Definitely the back! The ride is wilder!

 

[fairestoneofall]

it's been a long time since i've ridden in the back. but DD and i were put in the front last June. while it does go slower over the top of the mountain, once the rest of the train catches up, it pushes you faster. so, the front is better than the middle.

 

[bgraham34]

I dont like the front at all. Its much slower but the back sure is a lot of fun.

 

[Agri]

We rode in all three places this past vacation - mom realized she really liked the ride.

The middle is pretty dull, but its pretty dull for most rides. In the middle, you can see what's coming and you don't have the jolt/thrash that can happen at the end of a ride.

I really don't find the front or the back to be 'better' than the other - they're just different. In the front, you can't always predict what is going to happen (unless you have the ride memorized) - the speed doesn't kick in until you're slightly past the start of drops, for example. In the back, you have all the speed and get thrown around a bit, but you don't really have the element of surprise that the front can have.

 

[TangaroaTiki]

The back is best

 

[CindyIsMyFave]

Back! Back! Back!

I always try to smile nicely and ask if I can go wait for the back of the next train. Usually it works out b/c people think they want the front. So you've got all these people trying to crowd the front and wait there. The CMs are usually only too happy to let me go "crowd" the last row far away from the line.

Tougher to do when it's busy, but most of the time I still ask.

DH and I even rode it in the pouring rain trip before last - only ones on the train, and we were in the last row. We got some applause when we got off.

 

[Reddog1134]

The back for all roller coasters. I never understood why everyone wants to ride in the front. In the back you get the full motion effect.

 

[JoshuaShaw]

Big Thunder, like any other "runaway train"-like coaster is most intense experienced from the back, because it offers a rougher ride. There are no steep/tall drops, just shallow drops and lots of turns, so the back will sling you around considerably more than the front. Of course, more delicate riders will prefer the front, so it's all about how much intensity you want to experience. Personally, I have a blast no matter where I sit, because like most Disney rides, it's less about the physical thrills and more about the theming.

 

[DARuss]

Definitely the back. DD and I rode it several times 2 weeks ago and hated the front seat. It seems half of the train is over the mountains before you get to go fast.

 

[ben1993]

I think it's funny how people wait in a longer line for fron row seating etc. I would never choose to sit at the front on any coaster. It's all about those back row G's!

 

[Nadjalu]

Wow can't believe this but I disagree with everyone.

Usually I love the back of coasters because you do get more of a "whipping" intense ride. However I have ridden in the back, middle and front of BTMRR and have to say the best ride is right in the front.

The little "tummy flipping" hills are much more intense when in the front. And I did get whipped around more there than in the back.
Infact I couldn't believe it was such a different ride that we rode it 5 times 2 weeks ago to make sure I felt was I was feeling....
And yep the front definitely gives you a better ride IMO.

Goes against all the rules to do so, not sure why it is this way on this coaster.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

We love the back!! Its much more of a "ride"
It is also much faster feeling at night..a totally different ride

To add to this.....at night while Wishes is going on! Magical!

BTW - Back

 

[goofy's_gurl]

Like the same with the school bus, the back is always better!

 

[Mary T in PA]

I agree with others that the back is where the ride seems more intense.

 

[DavidNYC]

Definitely back on this one! Someone above got it right - the key thing on BTMRR is that there are really no big drops so if you're in front, by the time the ride speeds up you're already down the hill.

(Of course, being in front has a fun view so we'll sometimes do the front on a 2nd or 3rd time if we do it - but always back on the first).

Of the other coasters - EE is great in front. You get some great views at the top of the broken track (you can even see the track flip on the 2nd stop).

I like both front and back for RnR - back is kind of cool on the loops since you can see the whole train in front of you.

SM almost doesn't matter to me - such short cars and in the dark so very little difference in my view.

 

[disneylovin24]

I agree that the front is slow! You always go slow down the begginning of hills waiting for the rest of the train to get there. The back is the best because you get to start going fast before you reach a hill or somewhere. The middle isn't too bad either.

 

[RivaLJ]

Back!!!