Ever find out a line was really short to late?

I always find myself coming to lines at all the wrong times.

My idea is to have some sort of handheld that can be rented at the gate. The system will show a list off all the coasters, with the current waiting time for each.

I get sick of coming up to a line and it being 2 hrs, when someone tells me it was half that earlier in the day when i was at the other end of the park. So i was thinking about this at CP the other day. The handhelds could cost around 10 bucks to rent for the day, and your hand would be stamped or somehting when you get them. That way, it would prevent people from stealing them.

That would probably be more trouble than its worth. However, anything is possible. I do notice alot of times after 6:00pm that the popular coasters tend to shrink in line waits do to all of the busses leaving at that time.

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Chitowns 6 year old daughter says "Daddy, Dippin Dots are nasty!!" I must say that I agree!!

Now there's an idea! Have Six Flags, Disney or some chain, have available a WAP-enables or Palm app that allows you to get updated wait times on attractions. Similar to wait time boards at Disney now, but wireless enabled, kewl.

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ULTIMATECOASTER.com - In Search of the "Ultimate"
http://www.ultimatecoaster.com/

That sounds like a good idea. Although they would have to be some sort of deposite in case the geust breaks it on the ride or leaves with it.

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I dance like a special ed. kid that was given a sparkler.

Why would these devices exist; or more importantly, why would you WANT them to exist? Think about it. If this device shows the current ride times for the coasters, it just gives other people, and the GP an idea as to what coaster to go to.

This would also create problems of people running to certain coasters. Plus the lines on the 'short coaster waits' would fill up fast.

Just use your Coaster Enthusiast knowledge. Know what coasters the herd of GP hits first, middle, and last.

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PCW needs something taller than a boomerang

When I go in lines, the rest of the line fills up right after I get in line for a ride.

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Don't Fight It: Ride It! Raging Bull

We talked about this in another thread. Parks need to place queue boards at the entrances to each ride, then have them updated on a regular basis so the wait time is accurate. Most of the time, the wait clock at the entrance to a ride is wrong. For example, near the end of the day at IOA, we walked up to Popeye and the clock said 1 hour, we almost turned around, then decided to go and it was a walkon.

Always get to the park when it opens and do the big rides first.
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Robin Fox - "I see Stars, Can You See Them Too?"

I think the wait time signs do an adequate job, for the most part. You never know when the ride is going to have a minor setup (which can add 5-10 minutes to the wait), or a larger mishap. If trains are going out with lots of empty seats, voila, longer wait. Yes, there have been plenty of instances when the signs are horribly innaccurate, but many times you can just look at the line for a particular ride and see that it isn't that long, or that it really is an hour, based on the size of the crowd. Personally, I'm not a big fan of planning out my day to the point of going to the attraction with the shortest wait and being updated on where the fastest line is every 5 minutes - you get a general feel for where longer lines are going to be, and as an enthusiast you know when to hit those to minimize your wait. It's all part of the fun.

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Po!nt of View: A different look at Roller Coasters.
http://www.crosswinds.net/~justmayntz/thrills/index.html

Actually, it's pretty strange for me to "act like an enthusiast" when I'm at a park. I'll either
a) Wait for the ride that I want to ride regardless of the line or
b) Just ride whatever I come to first.

It's rare that I will walk past a ride that I've either never ridden or havent ridden in the while. (start sarcasm)I guess I havent completely purged that "GP syndrome" from my body(end sarcasm).
lata,
jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

I think it's a fantastic idea.

Even better, you could purchase a GSPC satellite linkup for 10 dollars extra. That would tell you exactly how far you were from the attraction, how long the anticipated wait is, and approximately how many smelly people will be in your general vicinity.

Come on guys, do you think parks are gonna give cattle (general public) electronic devices to carry around? Ride operators freak about people having sunglasses and caps on. What's gonna happen with half the people are holding "beeper-like" devices? They're not gonna let you carry them. Some moron 13 year old (no offense) going 65 mph overhead is gonna chunk his at a innocent pedestrian walking beneath.

coo man chu said:
"Why would these devices exist; or more importantly, why would you WANT them to exist? Think about it. If this device shows the current ride times for the coasters, it just gives other people, and the GP an idea as to what coaster to go to... Just use your Coaster Enthusiast knowledge. Know what coasters the herd of GP hits first, middle, and last."

Homey G. said:
Come on guys, do you think parks are gonna give cattle (general public) electronic devices to carry around?

Yes... heaven forbid that enthusiasts have to associate with the peasants... the uneducated, uncothed general public...
end of sarcasm

What kind of elitist talk is that?!?

2Hostyl said:
Actually, it's pretty strange for me to "act like an enthusiast" when I'm at a park.

I guess I do not act like an "enthusiast" either when at a park. I too very seldom pass up a non coaster ride I have never ridden or not ridden in a long time or that is a favorite. For crying out loud, when I go to a park, I usually make it a point to even ride the carrousel (unless it is a kiddie one).

I also will move onto another ride if the ride for one looks too long. I don't have an agenda that is set in stone... that can not be devaited from. I go to parks to have fun, not ride a certain coaster 27 times in one visit.

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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..." *** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 7/18/2001. ***

We went to Florida this past week and I think this would be a great idea, but like 2Hostyl said, most likely I'm not going to pass up the ride if I wanted to ride it whether it was long or not. The big signs at Disney, Universal, and the Busch parks just made me feel better though. And I realized that I did not skip any of their rides because of the waits. But still, I would really like to see the big signs like Disney and Universal have. I DO NOT want the hand held things though. I think if you just happen to pass one of the big signs or go by a ride, you should know then. It also really helps people with tight scheldules(which happened to me trying to do both Universal and IOA in a single day). Oh well, I guess I'll have to wait until April to ride my Fire Dragon or Jurassic Park again. Never, I repeat, never try to save the best for last! Peace out!

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(if your offended easily, don't read this part)
Danny, who being the dumb *a* he is, took Ice Dragon over Fire("When it Rains, It Whores")

Homey G. said:
"Come on guys, do you think parks are gonna give cattle (general public) electronic devices to carry around?"

I'm not even going to comment on the 'cattle' reference (I think SL took care of that) but @ SFoG they DO rent out pagers as part of there "Lo Que" system. So put that in your pipe and smoke it!
lata,
jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

SLFAKE...

I'm not an elitist. There's a very fine line between an elitist and a facist. I'm neither.

However, I only questioned the feasability of the concept. I'm not trying to squash any "dreamers of new ideas" here, but think them out. No need to defend anyone from me, cause I'm not attacking.

SLFAKE said:
"I also will move onto another ride if the ride for one looks too long. I don't have an agenda that is set in stone... that can not be devaited from. I go to parks to have fun, not ride a certain coaster 27 times in one visit."

I'll definitely agree with you there. I'm just here because I can't find a good Amusement park Enthusiast site. ;) Luckily, we can talk about all of those subjects anyway though. I don't think I've ever specifically wanted to ride a coaster 20 or even 10 times in one visit. That kind of ruins how special it is and may be why I've never gotten tired of a coaster. I tend to like a variety of rides at a park ever if there are little or no coasters. I think a lot of you guys do too. Why else would IOA be one of the favorite parks? It has all of "3" big coasters. I was actually done with The Hulk after a single ride. But we did the Popeye ride, Spiderman, and Men in Black like 5 times. And I still had a great time and a week later still don't mind that I only rode The Hulk once.

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Danny, who on the other hand, had to get like 10 rides for his first time ever on Gwazi and Kraken, both of which he fell in love with(wondering why he's talking in the third person?)

Koaster King said:
"I was actually done with The Hulk after a single ride. But we did the Popeye ride, Spiderman, and Men in Black like 5 times. And I still had a great time and a week later still don't mind that I only rode The Hulk once.
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Danny, who on the other hand, had to get like 10 rides for his first time ever on Gwazi and Kraken, both of which he fell in love with(wondering why he's talking in the third person?)"

I too was done with Hulk after one (okay I rode it a second time this year). It right there with Raptor, in the 'eh...' catagory. Maybe I just dont like green B&Ms.

But KK, you are going to have to stop posting thoughts so close to mine. I loved MIB:AA. I think Kraken is the most perfectly designed steel coaster and I appreciated Gwazi (T more than L but only by about a sneeze). And if you rode Gwazi over and over, you would ride Lightning Racer and not want to get off. That coaster is addictive.
jeremy
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"Nobody writes about the planes that land." Steve Salerno Washington Times 7-10-01

Homey G. said:
"SLFAKE...
I'm not an elitist. There's a very fine line between an elitist and a facist. I'm neither... However, I only questioned the feasability of the concept. I'm not trying to squash any "dreamers of new ideas" here, but think them out. No need to defend anyone from me, cause I'm not attacking."

Ah, Homey, I didn't refer to "elitist talk" because you questioned giving pagers to "the general public", but rather the fact that you referred to the GP as "cattle".

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"I never said 'actors are cattle'... I said they should be treated like cattle." - Alfred Hitchcock
*** This post was edited by SLFAKE on 7/18/2001. ***

2Hostyl said:
"I too was done with Hulk after one (okay I rode it a second time this year). It right there with Raptor, in the 'eh...' catagory. Maybe I just dont like green B&Ms.

But KK, you are going to have to stop posting thoughts so close to mine. I loved MIB:AA. I think Kraken is the most perfectly designed steel coaster and I appreciated Gwazi (T more than L but only by about a sneeze). And if you rode Gwazi over and over, you would ride Lightning Racer and not want to get off. That coaster is addictive."

Jeremy, you bastard!

I completely agree and Lightning Racer just happened to be one of my most wanted coasters of 2000. Honestly, I went into Gwazi thinking it would be a so-so ride, but I came off with one of the biggest "wows" of any coaster of my life(possibly why I liked it more than would have). And Kraken knocked on the door of my Top 5 as well. Since I don't really "keep" one if you know what I mean, I still do know it's way up there. The only problem I had was I wish they would have lightened up the brakes just a little to get some airtime off that hill. Still one of my favorite coasters. I even agree that Tiger was a hint more airtime and intense than Lion. Oh well. I guess for the first time ever I can say "we can agree to agree". ;)

BTW, great TR on Hersheypark. Since I just got back a few days ago, I didnt get to reply to it, but excellent anyways. Glad you had fun and I'm looking forward to Hershey.

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Dannylicious, "I don't think they can handle this?" (just kidding about the bastard part ;)) *** This post was edited by Koaster King on 7/18/2001. ***

I think it's funny if you think of the general public as "cattle". They move in the same way.

Wasn't it in "Men in Black" where Tommy Lee Jones said, "A person is smart, people are dumb"... or something along those lines?

:o)

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