Efficient Everest Lines

Rode Expedition Everest last week and it was the most efficiently run line I’ve ever seen. The line moved so fast it was hard to appricate all the Yeti memorabilia. Disney doesn’t seem like rookies the coaster business. I’m curious how many people they cranked through this ride in an hour. Single riders were given tickets at the gate to go straight to the front of the line to for single seats.

You are pretty much told where to sit unless you ask for the front, then you are told to step aside to wait for the next train. FastLane worked to perfection, offering everyone an opportunity for a short wait. Rode it three times in an hour. Once when the ride opened, once as a single rider and once with FastPass, all during a very crowded day at the park.

The reverse action of the coaster can’t be propelled by gravity alone, since a lot of it was uphill. Fantastic design and over the top theming. The strobe light doesn’t offer much opportunity to appreciate the Yeti towards the end. With all the work they put into that thing you’d think they’d want us to see it. All and all a great ride. I wish more rides could be run like Everest. I guess it’s more of a staffing issue. *** Edited 2/23/2006 4:29:51 PM UTC by rc-madness***

Does Everest have multiple loading & unloading platforms?

Have you ridden Hulk? Or Millennium Force? They are both 'loaded' in the same way. Minus the single's line on Force, obviously.

Hulk can't compare to a Disney coaster, sorry. Hulk block system is such that stacking when 3 trains are running is normal. Why? Simply cause the train in the station can't dispatch until the other train is in the block brake, which is near the end of the ride. So, that means the train before the station will have to wait a bit there.

MF? Not really. It doesn't have any block brakes during the ride. So capacity I heard is not much more than say 1100-1200 PPH.

I heard Everest capacity is around 1800-1900 PPH. Compared to that, each BTM can pump 2300-2400 PPH when 5 trains are running. Same for California Screamin at DCA.

If the strobe light was on when you saw the Yeti, the Yeti was broken when you rode it and the computer shifted that scene to the "B" show, which turns off all the show lighting, and turns on a strobe and a fan to blow his fur to make him look less dead.

Yes I have ridden Hulk and MF. MF is similar, though I thought I heard CP wasn't doing FastPass anymore. That would be a shame. 1,900 per hour is amazing, 2,400 even more so. But what do you mean by BTM Absimilliard? And yes, I do believe they had two loading stations, just as Rock-n-Rollercoaster did. This seems to be a Disney ride trademark.

I rode Gwazi the day before and it took about an hour for them to go through 100 people. Terrible! Of course they only had one train on the Lion track running. But what is the point of having a dueling coaster if you are only going to run one train? Dueling Dragons and Lightening Racer always runs both.

And SheiKra was great, no lines that day, the park was empty. I don't know why more people don't want to ride that thing. So smooth as glass, massive track, great fun to watch.

I had heard Disney World was supposed to hit maximum capacity this week, while other parks aren't even close to being full. Why does Disney have more efficient lines? Answer: Because they have to given the higher attendance at Disney Parks. *** Edited 2/23/2006 7:05:46 PM UTC by rc-madness***

Absimilliard, SFoGswim wasn't talking about the ride itself or the capacity. Only the loading patterns (i.e. the only seat you can wait for is the front. Every other row they make you fill in to fill the train. So, for example, if you wanted the 2nd row on MF and someone else was there, you have to move to a different row)

Oh, that's normal Disney seat assignment. I worked on Space Mountain at DLP and that's how we worked.

BTM: Big Thunder Mountain.

You're right the unload/load or dual station is a Disney trademark. Only the Vekoma rollerskater don't have some kind of double loading.

Themedesigner: Very interesting. Normally a broken animatronic makes a ride go "101" (Down). Looks like they still want the thing running when Mr. Yeti doesn't work! *** Edited 2/23/2006 8:18:03 PM UTC by Peabody***

Hulk has a separate unload station? I gotta start paying more attention! ;)

It's great when roller coasters are operated at or near capacity. Disney does it best, but I think CP and Knoebels could give them a run for their money. I have a lot of respect for any crew that can reliably load and launch a full train in less than 45 seconds.

The fastest full-train crews I've witnessed were Phoenix at Knoebels (20-30 seconds) and Magnum at CP (~30 seconds). MF used to load efficiently too. Unfortunately, with the shorter seat belts not fitting medium-large riders, every second or third train is delayed.

Disney is clearly KING of capacity....then again, they NEED it. But hey, they put a LOT of time and effort in PLANNING the rides/queues to maximize throughput, then they back it up by STAFFING the rides appropriately....

Among non-Disney parks, I'll have to hand it to CP. They PUMP people thru their rides. May not have the theming, or the *Disney feel*, but if there's ONE thing that makes me a "CP fanboy", it's the capacity.

For those parks that don't staff rides, haven't planned for their mulitple-queue situations, etc., (esp. in the SF chain), please recognize that time IS, in fact, money, and that the more time guests spend in line, the less money they're spending in the gift shop...

Capacity RULES! :)

Rode Everest on 2-16, and I'll agree to the rides efficiency. I rode three times in an hour. One op told me they can run 4 trains at once, and I believe they were that morning. The fastpass was great, and the single line worked well, but the treat (at least once) was the walk thru the queue. The themeing is detailed, whimsical, as well as educational with many museum quality artifacts thrown in. (was that real Yeti pooh?)

On approach to the ride, they had employees out on the streets welcoming visitors to the area saying things like "you're almost there...have a great time on the new ride..." Upon exiting the ride into a retail area, each rider was greeted by a Disney suit asking how they enjoyed the ride, etc. Employees were eager to help anyone locate merchandise, and I was thrilled to find the Everest trading pin, the only place on Disney property to have them. I was told they had just come in that day.

A suit told me that, indeed, the Yeti was operating in "B" mode (see ThemeDesigner's post above), which I guess is why we only caught a hot-second glimpse of him. Wonder why for all the money reportedly spent on this animatronic they didn't position him at the reversing point where the projection is. Might have been more effective and a little scarier.

All in all a class act for Disney. I hope they continue to operate as efficiently. With this welcome addition, Animal Kingdom is going to have a verrrry busy summer....

As much as it pains me, I have to VOLUNTEER a consenting opinion to rollergator. Disney is 'by far' the industry leader when it comes to getting people on/off rides. It is particularly amazing when you stop and consider that many of Disney's patrons are younger and/or foreign. They make the loading as seamless as I think possible.

Additionally, CP would be the only other TEN-I-SEE when it comes to capacity. GAm and GAdv do it in spurts, but with the regularity of CP. Oh, I should mention that I think HersheyPark is generally very good about keeping lines moving. Heck, I *might* even say that they load their mouse even quicker than the one @ Animal Kingdom.

lata, jeremy (who wonders if RGW can work 'Wolverine' into his post as a 'get back' =])

Ouch, first JRS, now you?
http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forum.aspx?mode=thread&TopicID=44051&page=2

Tough day to be a gator! ;)

I'm just gonna have to switch loyalties....to football! ;)

The fact that you bring up about Disney's clientele DOES make it virtually unbelievable that they can get THOSE capacity numbers...makes IoA/USF look pretty pathetic in comparison (I use them since they also have the "Orlando International Guest Problem" - i.e., uneducated riders). CP does have guests that *may* have ridden a coaster once or twice before, LOL... :)

P.S. Nothing seems to rhyme with Wolverine... meh, go Big Blue? :)

*** Edited 2/23/2006 10:29:49 PM UTC by rollergator***

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the treat (at least once) was the walk thru the queue.

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I'm planning to be in AK on Sunday, and my first ride will be through the Standby queue.

Sounds nice, glad to hear one disney ride doesnt take hours to get on.

You apparently haven't experienced Mission: Space, California Screamin', or Tower of Terror, WhiteShadow.

You want fast loading times? The 4 years I have been to CP, the Raptor crew has been incredible. Props to anyone who's ever worked there.

I have noticed more than once that on Disney attractions (esp. EPCOT) the ride "loaders" not only use verbal messages but have a kind of universal sign language to go with it, i.e. holding up fingers as they say numbers, and using sweeping hand gestures as they direct riders into vehicles. And always with a smile. This keeps it speedy even if their customer is young, speaks no English, or is deaf. It really works.