Yeah, humans are pretty simple when it comes to what's "fun" in a ride. You just have to look at the most bare bones no-theme iron rides and see what they do, and how they move people. That's the test lab for "fun ride." They spin you, zoom you, drop you, fly you...It was all figured out a century ago.
When Disney and Universal are spending $300 million on an "exciting" new attraction filled with animations and sets and giant screens and special effects...they just need to remember to stick in one or two moments that are plucked from iron rides. Because no matter how many million-dollar animatronics and effects and "story" in there, the guests are going to scream and laugh the most when you spin them, zoom them, drop them, or fly them because for just a moment everything seems out of control.