I am a front seat rider.
For me, a ride on a coaster is more than just the forces the ride provides. It is an entire sensory experience that includes touch (airtime or the lack thereof), smell (the fresh wood of a new woodie or the aroma from the cheaply made theme park food), sound (the screams from participants on other rides or the conversations going on in the train I'm in), the taste (a bug flying in my mouth going down Millennium Force Hill) and finally the sights one sees whether it be the ocean on an old seaside woodie like the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz or Belmont or the Swamp Fox at Myrtle Beach or even the drop toward the lake coming out of the woods on Boulder Dash. Visuals are important to me, so after reading so many online reviews stating the intensity and insanity of the back seat oc the Cyclone and comparing them with my desire to ride the front seat when I entered an empty station after paying my 8 dollars in cash ("No Credit Cards", stated the ticket taker with a look of disgust as I handed him my Visa. "Cash only....Cash only!!!) I went with my instincts and chose the seat I desired....I picked the ________ seat. (Answer later in the review.)
Despite many comments to the contrary, the Cyclone is NOT rough. It contains no jackhammering, is kept meticulously clean, and is adored by the workers and riders alike. While without a doubt it offered me the most insanely violent ride I have ever taken, it is an experience I would not trade for anything in the world.
After exiting my ride, my girlfriend expected me to run down, buy the wristband, and begin to go into marathon mode as I have done in the past. But amazingly, I couldn't. Or rather simply didn't. Here is why.
No, I was not sore from the beating or afraid of a violent death being tossed onto the Coney Island Beach. This grand old ride had just delivered the ride of my life and I was sentimentally afraid (laugh if you want, call me scared, whatever) that another ride would somehow lessen the experience. My intentions were to get in one ride, eat a hotdog at Nathan's (highly recommended), then decide whether to pay for a re-ride or purchase the wristband. My GF only wanted 1 ride as this was her 200th coaster (it actually became my 301st...just missed a landmark there). Amazingly, I chose neither of those options choosing instead to take away with me a memory of the greatest coaster ride I had ever had. I bought the onride photo proving that despite my bravado I could NOT keep my hands up the entire ride...my left arm went down to grab hold on the FIRST drop. I was not scared or felt in danger, it simply went down on its own and grabbed the seat in front. No other coaster has ever done that to me before. I bought a key chain, a magnet for my fridge at home and a t-shirt commemorating my experience. I did my part to help keep this grand old ride in existence.
Following this last trip, I have now ridden 322 coasters with close to 70 of them woodies. Millenium Force ranks # 1 based on what it did for me a little over 2 years ago. The Cyclone ranks # 2. It delivered an experience better than any of my 12 rides on the Voyage, my back seat ride on El Toro, my first ever ride on Dragster, and my 50 consecutive rides on Goliath on Opening Day at SFOG. Heck, it was better than any other ride I'.ve ever had. I was virtually standing up in the well-padded train on every single hill. On every turnaround, I knew what was coming but it was still shocking nonetheless. This coaster is totally insane, out of control, and impossible to explain unless you have ridden it. Words, videos, ratings, reviews, or pictures do not do this ride justice. I recognize that by leaving with only one ride, I may never get another on this legendary coaster but I'm ok with that...........because I chose the back seat.
Thanks Cyclone. You will never be forgotten.
Final Score: 10 (Virtually Perfect)
Take a ride on the Cyclone below.
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