Breakout year for SF

I know I might be in the minority here, but I'd rather they just close the ride down than to put up with waiting on a one train operation. Running one train, even on a day where the park is empty, is the most idiotic thing I've ever seen a park do. I mean seriously, what are these people on? It's a slow torture of your guests, and your literally *daring* them not to return.

I can put up with almost anything else (including rides being down for maintenance), but that to me feels like the ultimate middle finger. *** Edited 2/26/2007 10:35:11 PM UTC by DWeaver***

Actually, they run 5 trains because 6 shuts down the computer system... too many little green proxes.. :)

I'm not the biggest Cedar Point fan, but I can honestly say that after probably a couple hundred visits as a kid up to a few years ago, I have only *once* seen them run just one train, and that was Mean Streak, years ago. They have a spotless track record.

If you've got issues with the ride, then why is it open at all? And I don't buy the "we're open year round" or "the park is dead" excuse.

1) If your open year round, but you can't offer a satisfying experience year round, then you need to specify why you can't at the gate and on the website. There shouldn't be surprises after you've paid to enter the park.

2) If the park is dead, that's no reason not to respect those who did show up, and make them suffer through a longer wait to make up the difference. Most of those who show up on a slow day do so just to avoid long waits.

I can see a drop from 3 trains to 2. But I can't ever think of a legit reason to run one train.

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Ajrides said:
The point I'm trying to make is you have a choice to go to the park you want or to eat in the park so I just can't see complaining when you made the choice.

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Again I just find this painfully dumb. I get my internet service through Comcast and if I find they've done something that is unfair or incorrect, I expect them to either remedy the situation or I go to a different provider. Simple as that. It's not as if Comcast gets to screw me over all they want just because I made a choice to get my internet service through them. There's repercussions.

To put it simply

SF sucks = I don't give them my money
SF is fun = I do give them my money

I mean what happens if you go to Rollergator's House of Chicken and you find a rat in your bucket of chicken? It's your fault, right? You made the choice.

What happens when my Lord Gonchar branded tires blow out because of a manufacturing defect and my wife and 6 year old twins die in a fiery crash? Does Lord Gonchar get a free pass because I made a crappy choice?

I've only ever seen Talon @ Dorney run one train once.

And the front row was *STILL* a walk-on at that time. So obviously THAT was a good business move without sacrificing guest experience for those that did show up on an otherwise very slow day.

The key word you used was *once*. What if Dorney decided that hey, it worked once so let's do it every time attendance is projected to be slow and see how often we can get away with it?

I've seen SFMM make guests wait in 2 hour lines in the morning, only to add another perfectly operable train later that afternoon. I've also seen Knotts do this as well. I've even experienced Islands Of Adventure pulling the same crap.

There's no excuse for it. *** Edited 2/26/2007 11:23:40 PM UTC by DWeaver***

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matt. said:I mean what happens if you go to Rollergator's House of Chicken and you find a rat in your bucket of chicken?

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Always wanted to open "gator's house of chicken and offal"....but I figured Roscoe's would sue me. Californians are so litigious... ;)

Seriously though, why'd you ORDER the rat anyway.... :)

*** Edited 2/27/2007 12:23:32 AM UTC by rollergator***

Dont start this maintanance thing again. KK runs one train because they have problems running the full 4 trains.

KK has been a problem since it was built. Dont blame gadv's maintanance for that one.

Why does everybody right away blame the maintanance when a ride doesnt run? Unless you have specifically talked to the maintanance crew at the park like i have you have no proof that six flags maintanance doesnt do there job. I have been in the station twice while maintanance was doing there job. They were working pretty hard to get the rides up and running again.

Also last year at great adventure was a big improvement garbage wise.

Believe it or not, CP was in the process of rebuilding the third Mantis train last summer. Expect to see Mantis run 3 trains this year. They are going to tweek the chain lift speed and staff a few more people on the ride to achieve this. (I saw the partially rebuilt third train hiding behind the station many times a day as I drove my paddle wheel boat around the lagoon with my own 2 eyes)

The reason Mantis went down to 2 trains, as most of you already know, is because of the longer loading time as a result of the new seat belts.

And yes, TTD runs only 5 trains because of the stupid overly complicated computer system and too many proxy sensors.

And to make this on topic...

Here's an example of SF and one train operation. Last time I went to SFGadv (2 summers ago), Rotting Lumber was running 1 train on 1 side and no train on the other. I spoke with a well dressed park employee who was walking through the park, and he tried to get me to understand that this was done due to low staffing. The park was packed, and they could have easily ran 2 trains on the track that was opened, because after the train was released from the station, it was a few minutes until it came back. Those few minutes could have been used to load the second train.

Why is low staffing a good reason to let your employees stand around while they could be loading a second train? The line was a good 30-45 minutes long.

I wish Shapiro would read this thread. Jeff, you should call him up and tell him...lol.

Running one train is a kind of torture, especially when your ride crews are completely inept (SFMM) or you make them do ridiculous things (BGA). Making your guests wait in a line that literally crawls is punishment, especially when there's another train sitting on the transfer table.

I don't buy that crap about being understaffed. Honestly, as dexter said, why can't the same crew that handles one train handle another one? It's not like the crew has to deal with two trains at once- they deal with one while the other is completing the circuit. Once the train leaves the station, all the crew does is stand there in the station and:

1. Tell people to not sit on the railings, and

2. Talk to each other.

Doesn't sound like a good reason to keep from adding a second train. And IF staffing is the reason for one-train operation, why not take one of two people out from the main entrance that take guests' pictures and train them to be ride ops? I guarantee a guest is more likely to come back if they got to ride each coaster more than once because of hideously long lines.

^^ Just because maintenance tells you something doesn't mean they're giving you the whole story. I'm sure maintenance isn't going to tell you that they have been directed by park operations to refrain from putting a second train on because they're worried about dealing with the added wear and tear. I've spoken with many maintenance people before and while they've all been very nice, they are also park employees and are going to tell you what they WANT you to know, not what you SHOULD know.

It comes down to this- the parks that care about creating a good experience for their guests are the ones that work to move the lines. The ones that don't add additional trains when there are additional trains to be added? Those are the ones that don't care... and those are the parks that the majority of us seem skeptical about visiting in '07.

I would just be happy if I could go to ONE SIXFLAGS PARK without having to see a gum wall of some kind. That is so gross and they seem to be in ever single SF Park. WHY IS THAT? I have yet to see a CF park with one.

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Rob Ascough said:

^^ Just because maintenance tells you something doesn't mean they're giving you the whole story.

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For the record it's my experience that maintenance lies about everything. Well, maybe not lie but there is a definite amount of mistruth spread by mantinenece workers, and that goes for most chains, not just SF.

Work at a park for a year, it's mind boggling the stuff that comes out of these guys' mouths. I have respect for these guys but they're essentially repairmen at the end of the day, so anything they say outside of that I usually take with a huge pinch of salt. *** Edited 2/27/2007 3:21:22 AM UTC by matt.***

But you guys arent park management so how do you know he was lying about staff regulations.

Great adventure is in the state of nj wich has very strict rules. for all we know the state of nj requires a seperate team for each track.

But of course all of you bash the management without taking into acount the states regulations.also Rolling thunders station I would think would be kinda dangerous with only one set of ride ops running both tracks.

Also I have seen many times when they stopped nitro to adda second and third train.

I hate how you guiys bash six flags and think you know better but you dont know all the facts.

If Nitro and Rolling Thunder were the only two coasters operating in the chain you might have a valid argument! lol

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Rob Ascough said:Running one train is a kind of torture, especially when your ride crews are completely inept (SFMM) or you make them do ridiculous things (BGA).

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New rule! When single-training, crews are required to do the Chicken Dance while waiting for trains to return to the station.

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matt. said:
What happens when my Lord Gonchar branded tires blow out because of a manufacturing defect and my wife and 6 year old twins die in a fiery crash? Does Lord Gonchar get a free pass because I made a crappy choice?

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Yes, I do...and my lawyers would make sure of it. ;)

Thats funny.

Every other park chain that I have been to does not have near as many problems as six flags does. I have not been to any other park chain or private owned park that has had as many rides down as six flags does.

Before you start praising six flags, go and travel to some other amusement parks. Than you be the judge.

LOL, sounds more like a marketing defect to me... :~P

YEah I have been to disney with the same amount of rides down. Last august the middle of my vacation half of epcots rides didnt open till 12 and then you had rides like living with the land wich was closed for refurb.

Also the problem with Six Flags is not how maitnanance does there job its the fact that Six Flags doesnt hire enough maintanance people.

IF you stick maintanance hogs like kk in your park and dont hire more maintanance workers of course rides will be down because there arent enough maintanance workers to go around because there all at kk.

I know the chain needs alot of work but if your going to compalin , complain about the real problems.

Like how poorly some people spell? ;)