I hate to add to the broken record, but, yes, it is that rough. I can handle Body Wars and Star Tours with Bonine. There is no remedy, however, for banging you all over the friggin place.
Last time we went on, the only reason we rode was to take newbies we thought could handle it. I immediately headed to the front row, but everyone else in my group was heading towards the back row. I reluctantly joined them, even though I was totally ready to have the other party split up and sit with 3 of them in the front row and stick one of them with my party in the back row. Actually, I think I was doing that, when DH called me to the back row.
Unfortunately, I am not proud of any of the words I uttered while sitting in the back row, and if you are the party of a Mom and 3 kids that were in the front row while we were riding, please accept my most sincere apologies....
We were thrashed about so much that my hair kept getting caught in the back, and every time we lurched forward, a clump of it would get pulled out. That was a bonus just for me. The rest of my group had short hair and they weren't as bothered by hair pulling. Just general bruising and soreness after.