Q-bot To Be Used For Rides at Dollywood

And how funny it will be when like everything else, 5 years from now it won't even be an issue, it will be the norm.

---

Lord Gonchar said:

---

The fact that so many ppl were against FastLane (SFI), but approved of FastPass (Disney), proved to me that the line cutting wasnt an issue.

---

Word on the street is that Disney is seriously considering adding an 'unlimited' FastPass option that you would pay for.

---

Let's please remember that NOONE is able to manage the queues the way Disney does. There's *almost never* that uncomfortable moment where Fastpass queue and regular queue merge together in the absence of an employee - when the first *inkling* of someone cutting in line comes into play. Plus, the overwhelming *capacity* of the rides means that the line never really STOPS, either.

It does take extra employees to run ANY queue-management system properly...

If parks want that extra Q-bot rental fee *and* happy customers at the end of the day (some do, some don't care as much, obviously) - then those parks that CARE are going to have to fork over some extra money for the extra staff. Of course, the benefit to that is *repeat visits* and increased Q-bot purchases from previously-satisfied customers. ;)

*** Edited 3/5/2007 4:27:37 PM UTC by rollergator***

Gator, I think you just explained why Six Flags doesn't run the system properly. Every Six Flags Park I have been to seems poorly staffed.

And in discussions with some employees at GAdv, I have even heard them state that staffing is the major problem at the park. If they staffed the park properly it would make the lines work properly. I bet if the parks weren't in such big debt, staffing would be less of an issue. Even in lines where they do have the employee at the merge point it then seems there are less of the loading platform to check restraint so it's still slowing the line down unless the people on the platform are running while checking restraints which I wouldn't want to see.

Dollywood and Disney are staffed well it seems so that would explain the difference.

Didn't Lo-Q have some sort of fincancial problem which prevented them from implementing the system in all of the SF parks which is why SFMM & SFA still use the fastlane ticket system instead?

Ok I read everyone elses thoughts on this very good topic, now put yourself in a dollywood employee's shoes, you start your day before the park opens, get prepared for the worst, (maybe by making food or testing the rides out before operating them) you already have a educated guess on how many people is going to be in the on that day,lets say for instence on a peak day your told that 2,750 people are going to be in the park that day but at the end of the day your told that an astonishing totol of 4,750 or more have visted the park, now tell me the park doesn't need Q2Q as the park calls it!

^Bump it closer to 6,000 and you have a typical Saturday at SDC during Old Time Christmas.

On a peak day, there will be at least 15-30 thousand people in the park, or more. Dollywood's annual attendance is around 2.5 million visitors. For arguments sake, divide 2.5m by the 230 operating days, and you get an Average of 10,900 people. So on a peak day, it would likely be greater.

And of those 15-30 thousand, I estimate that the majority of those are in Hovarounds, and are watching shows, and would benefit greatly from Q2Q. ;)

^LOL, I was thinking that 2,750-4,250 is how many Dollywood guests park in the handicapped lot alone!! ;)

Alright wise guy why don't you ah lets see add both of those etemates up tell me what they become? No wait I'll do it for you....7,500 people now you tell me i was just making up any old numder up, tell I don't know what I'm talikng about? and for inormation theres one intince that comes to mind, i'm not sure how many people there was on this day i'm about to tell you about but,... the park was so full that dollywoods own parking lot couldn't hold everybodys cars so they started to have every one park in the dollywoods splash contrys parking lot but then it got full, they then had to park every ones car in the overflow parking lot, but what do you know the parks guests kept on coming and they started to park everybodys cars at a park in town which is called Pigion Forge and still no room for the parks guest to park!!!!!!!

7,500 is STILL a very very low number. I'd wager that there's room for more than 7,500 CARS in the regular lots much less 7,500 in the park being "crowded." Apparently you really DON'T know what you're talking about if you think that's a lot for an amusement park the size of Dollywood.

Also, please educate me on what 'etemates', 'talikng', 'inormation', or 'intince' means? I've tried searching www.m-w.com and they're not coming up.

It's not to say that they don't need or can't make use of Q2Q if done in a manner differently than the way Six Flags does it, just that your (made up) numbers are quite low for a park like Dollywood.

Ok I understand where your coming from but, tell me if I said if the number was low or high, becouse to my knowledge I didn't say nothing other than the number it self. All I'm trying to say to you is DollyWood can get really busy Ok, Dollywood is trying to be more family friendly, so by having this Q2Q installed in the park they make it so the whole family can enjoy the rides and the shows, I went there one time and our group had eight people in it and we went to see a show well needless to say only two of us got to see the show while the rest of us sat outside the theater and waited until the show got over with, now do YOU understand where I'm coming from?

From a place without periods :). Either that or a place where everything is just one long sentence ;)

Ok, I'll give you the fact that you didn't say the number was high or low. But to answer the original question, if those numbers were true, then the answer would be NO! It doesn't need Q2Q - because those numbers are extremely low and make such a system un-necessary. You act in your post like it's a lot. It's not.

Relax, I'm joking around. My personal tip of advice would be to not take things personally, and perhaps use a period every once in a while. In case you're not aware, talking like you do on instant messenger is not looked upon very well on this forum.

Seriously though, getting back to your question, I understand where you're coming from: your point (if I understand it correctly) is that Q2Q will benefit Dollywood because it gets busy. We get that.

What YOU don't seem to understand is OUR argument. What *WE* are saying (or at least *I* am) is that in your argument, you pulled numbers out of your a** which didn't make sense as support information. It would be akin to someone who has been to New York once, but mommy filled up the car, saying "Gas was so expensive when I was in New York we expected to pay 1.75 but when we went to fill up we paid 2.25 or more to fill up the entire tank! Now tell me the prices don't need to come down?" -- even if you combine this together to get $4.00, it's still ridiculously low for the cost of a full tank (my Lancer with a relatively small tank is about $18-$20 on a fillup)

Again, I agree with your argument that Q2Q will benefit Dollywood. What I'm saying is when you're debating something (especially here) make sure you do at least a smidgen of research and have a leg to stand on. Also make sure to type clearly, with punctuation, and don't make stuff up out of thin air, because it will likely come back to bite you and make you look uneducated at best, and make people ignore your points outright no matter how valid at worst.

Ok let me put this in a nutshell...

1. The numbers used above where used as an example.

2. I used to work at DollyWood, and therefor have seen the busy days.

3. The Q2Q Will make a family's day better at the park, (if they rent it). I hope it will make ride experience better.

4. I'm sorry for any confusion that may have been produced I was only trying to stress a point or an apionon. *** Edited 3/16/2007 7:56:14 AM UTC by CoasterCraze***

You STILL don't seem to get it.

1. It was a bad example. That's all we're saying. You don't seem to realize that. We're not saying you weren't using an example. We were saying it wasn't a very good one, and didn't help your argument. Your side of the argument is a good one, but your supporting information was not. In a climate full of debate such as coasterbuzz, you could have the best argument but if your supporting information is sketchy at best, you're not going to convince/sway anyone.

2. We're not doubting that

3. We're not doubting that (at least I'm not)

4. No worries - I'm just trying to help for "next time" to help prevent confusions in the future. Just a friendly nudge to do a little homework before pulling numbers out of thin air (or if you don't have numbers, then declare that outright.. for example: "I know these numbers aren't close for an amusement park the size of Dollywood, but let's say you're expecting 2750 people, and a total of 7500 show up. that's almost 3 times as many guests as you were prepared for! Q2Q will definitely help!")

Update:

I don't recall anyone posting this, but from lo-q's website:

Rides on the Q2Q System:
Mystery Mine
Timber Tower
Thunderhead
Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure
Rampage
Dollywood Express Train
Dizzy Disc
Sky Ride
Tennessee Tornado

Has it been confirmed anywhere how Dollywood is pricing their system? Is it possible it could be free?

Also, am I the only one who doesn't understand the virtual queue for shows? You still have to show up to wait for a good seat, right? I used FastPass for Lights, Action, Motorcars once and thought it was a huge waste. I could've gotten just as good of a seat by just showing up. And, the show was PACKED.

It will be interesting to see if the virtual queue at Dollywood makes their regular queues longer or not. Most people in here have said the queues are normally not that long. If they suddenly because quite lengthy, it would be a safe bet to blame the Q-bot for that.

I think parks should just assign schedules to everyone when they enter the park. That way you don't have to wait for anything because its all planned out for you. :rolleyes: Unfortunately, it looks like that's where its going.

---

Also, am I the only one who doesn't understand the virtual queue for shows? You still have to show up to wait for a good seat, right?

---

Never saw it in action, but I assume your Q-bot reserves a guaranteed seat. Thus the point of it - you don't have to stand in line. Show up at the last second and be guaranteed a seat without standing around for one. The Dollywood site says a seat is held until 15 minutes before showtime.

---

It will be interesting to see if the virtual queue at Dollywood makes their regular queues longer or not. Most people in here have said the queues are normally not that long. If they suddenly because quite lengthy, it would be a safe bet to blame the Q-bot for that.

---

Even more interesting will be the enthusiast reaction if it does. Dollywood is generally among the 'darling' parks of enthusiasts.

---

Has it been confirmed anywhere how Dollywood is pricing their system? Is it possible it could be free?

---

Not a chance. The Dollywood site doesn't seem to have been updated with the new info yet, but when the Q2Q was used for just three shows, it was $10 for the first person and $5 for each additional person. I'd expect that price to go up with the addition of rides to the system, but maybe Dollywood will surprise us.

---

I think parks should just assign schedules to everyone when they enter the park. That way you don't have to wait for anything because its all planned out for you. :rolleyes: Unfortunately, it looks like that's where its going.

---

I've been saying that's where it's going for years now. I don't think it will ever be a mandatory option, but it will become an option...and probably further into the future a widely used option. I like the idea and again, can see that while it's not for everyone, people would take advantage of something like this.

THanks for the imput Dannerman, and thankyou for helping stress my point...

---

dannerman said...

for example: "I know these numbers aren't close for an amusement park the size of Dollywood, but let's say you're expecting 2750 people, and a total of 7500 show up. that's almost 3 times as many guests as you were prepared for! Q2Q will definitely help!")

---

*** Edited 3/18/2007 6:36:39 AM UTC by CoasterCraze***

For the life of me I can't see a need for it. Then again I have only been to Dollywood in December and the early Spring.

I know the park gets packed but do the most popular rides EVER get lines over 20 minutes?

Just curious. ;)

-Tina

It's important to remember that the Queues for Rides and Shows are drastically different.

Ride Lines = Relatively Short. Exceptions: Mystery Mine, Thunderhead, Train, Rampage. All the other rides on the Q2Q list I am scratching my head at. (By short, I mean either walk on or a 5-10 wait.)

Show Lines = Always Long. The theatres using Q2Q are of course the largest theatres. I don't know the capacity of each, but I'd say each theatre probably holds at least 1,000 people....some definitely more than that. *** Edited 3/19/2007 12:54:53 PM UTC by coasterfreaky***