How does Vekoma stay in business?
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Getting a B&M will always beat out having to take a BM.
XFlight is really fun! Ive ridden it too many times to count! lol..
Well, its still not close to my fav, but an overall fun ride! :)
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Six Flags Worlds of Adventure Online
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If you want expensive rides, you're going to pay for them, in one way or another.
As Laurence said, it was the park's decision to only buy one train for Jubilee Odyssey, not Vekoma's.
Second, the problems with the Vampire are almost completely the park's, not Vekoma's. There's a slight issue with engaging the second lift (guide wheels bang really hard in the front seat, apparantly) but, if it's not fixed yet, they're working on it.
Finally, the only real problems Air and S:UF had were quite normal to new coasters. All new coasters have bugs to work out (usually with censors and loading issues), no matter who the manufacturer. However, they both opened on time and have run consistently since. You can't say that for many other manufacturers.
-Nate (who thought X-Flight was awful, liked Stealth, and loves Deja Vu)
There's no real mystery as to how Vekoma stays in business. Here are four words for you: Roller Skater, Invertigo, Boomerang. No matter how much Vekoma may falter when it comes ot building large, full circuit rides (or large Invertigos, for that matter), they wil always have these three rides to fall back on. They're cheap, but the sheer number of tem tey are able to sell guarantees their survival. As for why parks keep turning to them for large rides... Well, I'm sure Stunt Fall was ordered before the Deja Vu fiasco. I highly doubt we'll see any more GIB's for a long time. where full-circuit coasters a re concerned, I think everyone sees that Vekoma can, occasionally, get it right (Rovk'N'Roller Coaster. Sweet ride!), and everyone thinks that they'll be the lucky one to get a good Vekoma this time around. I'm thinking that we might not see for a few years, after all that's happened recently... But the Roller Skaters, Boomerangs, and Invertigos will keep Vekoma alive in the meantime.
*** This post was edited by laurence on 10/17/2002. ***
But Vekomas are not *bad* per se. The boomerang series (from original to GIB) has proven to be *very* popular with people. The so-called "GP" has eaten up the originals. Boderline enthusiasts adore the Invertigos. And even some of the hard heart hardcore "enthusiasts" appreciate the ride quality of the GIBs. However, the entire series has had problems engineering wise and I need not discuss the Flying Dutchman incarnations.
But we shall see if "Kumbak" works out those reliability issues :)
lata,
jeremy
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"To get inside this head of mine, would take a monkey-wrench, and a lot of wine" Res How I Do
Heck, I don't even agree with the hang and bang B.S.
Wild Adventures ran flawlessly smooth as dose SFWOA's for the most part.
Yeah, i've been banged around on some Vekomas namely T2 and that one at SFNE but they are not all bad and I think maintence may have a little to do with it.
Chuck
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Charles Nungester.
Is it about coasters or friends? I say both!
2Hostyl said:
However, the entire series has had problems engineering wise and I need not discuss the Flying Dutchman in carnations.
While the "prone position" may not be the MOST comfy for riding, I do like the layout and execution of the Vekoma FDs. However, even I don't use "flowery language" to describe them....;)
BATWING FAN SFA said:
Some of the parks are buying Vekoma's products simply because they are affordable and with the economy being what it is not evry park can afford an intamin or B&M.
Every ride manufacturer has their own share of design flaws which do need to be sorted out before a new prototype can & should be marketed,as we've seen with AIR & even with S:UF even the supposedly allmighty B&M are not without flaws in their designs either so please don't go blaming Vekoma all together for this one.
If you don't like the ride because of the designer's reputation then don't ride it,it's as simple as that.
Affordable?! Ok, where have you gotten your sources on prices of Vekoma coasters? Looking at the prices on www.rcdb.com It says that both SFEG and SFNE payed $10,000,000 for their slc's in 1997! Where's the affordability in that?
Secondly, I have posted several times about my dislike in how American parks have been purchasing big and expensive thrill rides in this economy only to get bashed about parks paying for reliability. It's a no win situation! When did B&M and Intamin come into the conversation, I said absolutely NOTHING about either of them, nor did I mention anything about their flyers.
Finally I stated in the beginning that of my post "Don't get me wrong, I do know that some of their coasters are good, I'm a big fan of their boomerang coasters and Deja Vu." and here you go telling me how not to ride if I don't like them.
Not once in that post did you answer my question which was "Now my question is, why do parks continue to sucker into buying Vekoma rides. I do think they found their niche in wood but I could be wrong there too seeing as I haven't ridden one. But how do they continue to sell their rides to all these parks with a reputation like that? Are the European parks really happy with their investment in Vekoma or does Vekoma just have outstanding sales people?"
Onto the person who made comments disagreeing with me but I can understand what he's saying.
RavenGuy98
My comments about train and station were solely out of frustration is trying to figure out where all that cost came from, yes laurence they had deep wells but drilling some deeper holes doesn't sound like a $45 million dollar job for me, it's not like Millenium Force's are a foot deep.
Second, yes I agree that the attendance has been greatly helped by the revamp of Vampire at Chessington, however with the front two seats eliminated and reported Vekoma roughness trademark, I as an enthusiast feel the decision had a bad outcome.
Finally, the two times I've been to PCW I've seen Top Gun down plenty a times, combine that with Deja Vu and you see where I drew my conclusions. Along with that, I think the going rate of a Boomerang these days is $4,000,000 which still seems like an awfully big investment for a small park, there are plenty of attractions that could have the same effect for the same amount of money but I guess that could be a way to go.
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Last year this week changed my life forever. Please remember suicide is not a solution!
Regarding SLC's and B&M inverters- Everyone is not an enthusiast. I'd bet that some couldn't tell the difference between a Batman compared to an SLC. They are both coasters, both have loops, and they hang.
Vekoma is a great company. Maybe it's just me having a lucky streak, but I haven't had a "knock-out" ride on either an SLC or Boomerang. Were they smooth as glass? No. Even my local Batman isn't glass smooth all the time. Intamin has had troubles with their coasters, Arrow too, even S&S. Another interesting fact that was pointed out- The only real troubles Vekoma had involved Six Flags, and look, they aren't the only firm that's had trouble with SF. Now, I'm in no way bashing SF- I affectionately call SFGAm my homepark, and usually enjoy my SF experiance, but look at it this way.
Vekoma- GIB, Flying Dutchman
Arrow- 4D
Intamin- Impulse, Hyper
B&M- nothing
That was a small list I typed up consisting of the four major steel firms, and the coasters they sold to Six Flags that had trouble, got off to a bad start, etc.
B&M has the cleanest record, and that is IMO what gets people to think that if a coaster isn't 100% reliable, the company has terrible quality rides. Most B&M coasters open on time, and have very little downtime.
Arrow has also had a clean record with Six Flags- up until the 4D came along. Six Flags rushed them, and the 4D just wasn't the project to be rushed with. Very new, and very different. The Bat had big problems too, but Arrow took that one back, and came right back with an improved suspended coaster product. OK, Disregard X for a second. Now, think back to the last time that your homepark's Arrow made coaster was down with significant problems was... See? :)
Intamin sold three Impulse coasters to Six Flags. This year, two out of the three SF owned Impulses had significant periods of downtime. Last year, the other Impulse had a LIM-less back spike. Cedar Point's very own impulse had it's own set of troubles. The Superman megacoasters also weren't flawless, in fact, when they first opened, all three had problems, and that led to downtime.
Which brings us to Vekoma. Like Arrow, they were unveiling a new product in both the Dutchman and GIB. Both were delayed, and now Vekoma has a bad reputation. The GIB isn't the best engineered coaster, and I believe Vekoma should have done a better job, but you can't change that now. The Dutchmans had their problems, but those are resolved, and we're all a big,happy bunch.
Don't hate Vekoma just because of last season's Six Flags drama. If B&M were to unveil a new product and it had a kink or two that needed t be worked on, would you lose all respect for them? Up until last summer, Vekoma coasters had an above average track record. Lots of things could have gone wrong with the Dutchman, and some did- but all three are working now, no? Vekoma is just the company everyone loves to pick on, look past the enthusiASSt complaints, and you have another great coaster firm.
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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.
*** This post was edited by BullGuy on 10/17/2002. ***
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Umm, I was under the impression that the Flying Dutchman wasn't a Six Flags problem. As I understand it, Paramount (which built the very first one- Project: Stealth, in 2000) had some sort of exclusive contract with Vekoma for the Flying Dutchman. They ended up being so displeased with the final product, due to delays, down-time, and low capacity, that they released Vekoma from the agreement, and failed to build any more in their parks. Vekoma then went on to build more Six Flags, without learning much from Stealth, as these rdes suffered virtually the same problems (at least at first). If this isn't true, please let me know.
SFGAMDieHard; Read my post a little more carefully, and you'll see a reason why parks keep ordering large rides from Vekoma. They all see a few good rides, such as the Rock'N'Roller Coaster, and they think "Well, if they can create something like that, they surely can't be that bad of a company. I'm sure whatever they put in my park will fine, whatever happens somewhere else."
As for what happens when they run out of places to but Invertigos and Boomerangs- Convince every park with an Invertigo that it's gotten stale, and they need to replace it with a Boomerang. Do same thing, but vice-versa, for all parks with Boomerangs. Repeat as necessary.
Oh, who am I kidding... when that happens, they're screwed! ;-)
No, you're right, and I would have mentioned Stealth, but I was focusing on SF and Vekoma in my post, not Paramount and Vekoma. If you want to add Stealth to that little list I compiled, then we can add a few Intamin coasters to that list, put S&S into the equation, well, you get the point. The list would be massive, and in the end, there would still be no problem-ladden B&M coasters.
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Never Has Gravity Been So Uplifting.
*** This post was edited by BullGuy on 10/17/2002. ***
Disney got lucky with Vekoma. Vekoma delivered on the 1996 WDW Rollerskater (Barnstormer). WDW even got 3 trains to use on that ride! (but run 2 at a time).
1992 bought Big Thunder Mountain at DLP... Perfect trains, perfect ride, perfect capacity. Add in that the ride still runs like on opening day!
1995: Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon. Walt Disney Imagineering asked Vekoma the impossible. Yet, Vekoma delivered and the ride opened on the precise date. Complete prototype, from the ride system to the trains.
1999&2002: Vekoma sells the RnRC to WDW and DLP. Both runs without a flaw and even got out of this world capacity.
2Hostyl said:
Boderline enthusiasts adore the Invertigos.
Yo, yo! Even us hard core enthusiasts like 'em, too!
C'mon, what's there not to love? :)
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If the shoe fits, find another one.
I still want to be on "Valley Vu" when it valleys. I can imagine that has to be the coolest feeling! But, *sniff* from the way they've been running lately, that may not happen. Oh well!
-d - who has come to the realization that all good things must come to an end!
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"Getting on Iron Wolf is kind of like going in a blender and pressing PUREE"
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