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This is a spectacular ride to look at, probably the centerpiece of the very photogenic Paradise Pier at DCA. As far as the ride experience itself, this one is good, but definitely not the best the park has to offer. Let me begin with the negatives. The line moves extremely slowly, though I guess that is to be expected from a ferris wheel. The ride is also not incredibly long (probably necessary to keep the wait in line from becoming interminable). You get one full rotation around the wheel without stopping, and another rotation that stops and starts as people are loaded / unloaded. This loading / unloading procedure unfortunately accounts for the majority of the duration of the ride, so the great swinging sensation is constantly interrupted as you basically sit there and do nothing. There is of course the view, but the cabins are so enclosed that the view is somewhat impeded. However, let me turn to the positives. Though the view is slightly blocked, you do reach a reasonable height, so it is actually quite neat to not just be able to see the surrounding pier area, but all the way over into Disneyland as well. The highlight of the ride is without question the swinging of the cabins. During the full rotation without stopping and starting, the swinging does get going quite nicely (and actually quite thrillingly), probably making this a no-go for people with motion sickness or a fear of heights. I have never ridden in the stationary cabins, which take riders even higher, and though I keep saying I will give one a try someday, I always gravitate toward the swinging cabins, as that is in my opinion what this ride is all about. I am torn between a 7 and an 8 for the Sun Wheel, though I think I will give the ride the benefit of the doubt, mainly because it is such an icon for the park and because it gives the world a modern incarnation of the famous Coney Island Wonder Wheel. It sounds like the theming of this ride is going to flip-flop with that of the California Screamin coaster during the DCA make-over. While the coaster loop will lose its Mickey Mouse ears and instead get a sun emblem, the Sun Wheel will reportedly become the Fun Wheel, with a giant Mickey face instead of a sun. I hope they know what they are doing, as the Sun Wheel looks pretty good as it already is.
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