RideMan, just got my AB today. The jest of it is just another reservation system. I agree with you. They really need to take a hard look at queues and their operations procedures. If your equipment is not operating at maximum efficiency,all the electronic gizmos in the world are going to increase your capacity.
*** This post was edited by Dutchman on 3/8/2001. ***
4 hour qait for SROS at SFNE???
Longest i ever waited for it was about 2 hours, and it was over the stairs to the entrance of DC Comics.
Last time i was there in October, i rode SROS 17 times in one day. Along with the Scream Towers, SkyCoaster, Mind Eraser and Cyclone.
I hate to say it, but patrons also great contributors to line backups. Everytime someone tries to get on a coaster who's too big for the restraints, hasn't taken out earrings, plays around with placing of loose items on the platform, it causes backups. One thing I'll give major respect to Cedar Point about is that on MF you couldn't bring any loose items in the queue. They at first wouldn't even let me take my disposable camera in line (I had to hide it in my pocket!).
Who's to say this new plan won't include looking into train stacking and ride op issues?
My gripe is that they're trying to apply a technological solution to a structural problem. Jeff is right...it doesn't matter whether you queue people in a maze or with tickets or electronic gizmos or paid tour guides. If you can't handle as many people as want to ride the ride, you'll have long waits.
Parks need to take a systems approach. Start by maximizing ride capacity (hint: shuttle coasters are lousy at munching people except in RCT). Apply a bit of psychology. Examine traffic flow in the park. Remember that most people do not just camp out on a particular ride; they circulate through the park. Control that circulation so that everybody doesn't descend on the ride at once, and the problem solves itself. Long lines everywhere means the park doesn't have sufficient total capacity. Long lines on one ride means there isn't enough distribution.
The trouble is, reservation systems are a good way to make people angry. It prevents people from making any kind of natural progression through the park. In some cases it makes people who are waiting in a real queue someplace have to give up on that attraction to ride the one they had reservations for (hey; it happened to me at Cedar Point!). If the system is voluntary, it will also slow the progress of the normal queue, resulting in even longer waits and increased property damage in the queue. This isn't rocket science.
--Dave Althoff, Jr.
I do not speak a word of a lie, the line was winding up the wheelchair ramp past the entrance of DC, and not the stairs, it was on the second day of the 'bring a buddy for free' season ticket holders thing......
It is a VERY bad ride for people holding up the line with complaints though...
i saw this one woman refuse to move her child from his seat after he was told he was 4" too short to ride...the ride could not move for 20 mins....the crew were doing all they could, security seemed to take extra time finishing their donuts before they appeared on the scene...
*** This post was edited by cyclone_op on 3/9/2001. ***
cyclone_op - that stinks. luckily everytime ive went to SFNE, i havent really had to wait to long for SROS. The line seemed worse in the morning, but as the day progressed the wait become very short. October was the best month for me at SFNE. There was hardly anyline at all...about a 15 minute wait. I even have a picture of the empty line :)
This is why I love CF.....
I happened to show up @ VF when 30,000 folks descended on a (barely) 90-acre park. People were parking across the street, down the road, everywhere they possibly could. Nevertheless, you could still board 4 of the 5 adult coasters in 20 minutes or less all day. Queues were packed to overflowing.....but they just kept moving.
Mind you, lower capacity rides (PT, High roller as it only had one train refurbished) were still abysmal, but where they could avoid delays, they could and they did.
-CPlaya
*** This post was edited by CoastaPlaya on 3/9/2001. ***
Thanks Calvin, the only time I ever saw the line empty was when I was cleaning it!
