shuttle coasters: Are they essential for a park?

Most major amusement parks have or are getting a shuttle coaster(i.e CP), I think they really complement a parks coaster collection and give the park a nice variety of thrills. While I hope amusement parks to continue to build more full circuit coasters (more quality woodies and hypers), I think it is a necessity for them to provide a shuttle coaster.
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Shuttles are evil they all have terrible capacity and really long lines.

Shuttles= long lines even on a slow day... I'd perfer not to see em' but parks are buying em', so something must be right.. :)
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It's conflict that shows who a person really is!

I think one of the reasons they are so attractive to parks is because they offer something that a full circuit coaster really can't do, which is go both forwards and backwards. Also on shuttles like impulses and reverse freefalls, you have that unique sense of weightlessness. Remember, theme parks not only want guests to experience as much as they can in a visit, but have a wide variety of experiences as well.

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Ride the New England Bush!

I agree with Spacecase8310! Even though they may offer longer lines, they also offer thrills a full circuit can't.
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So...you can't handle a rollercoaster huh? Well...you ARE the Weakest Link! Goodbye!
Number 1 Batwing Fan!

Parks don't care about your experiences. They care about $. If you paid them money to ride a skateboard, they'd have them lying around.

Parks use shuttles because they're small and cheap.

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The legend lives!

Apolloandy, you are a little too cynical but you are mostly right. the thing is parks have to care about your experiences since it affects how much money the park will make.
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I love shuttles! But they belongs at places like Americana, Wyandot, or Fun Spot. They don't belong at a major theme park that relies on high turnover. They aren't as bad at smaller parks because the crowds aren't as large. If they would put in two (imagine two Face/Offs facing each other) that would make more sense. Granted, big parks will take a chance with a new concept where smaller ones usually don't. And they'll have the money to do it (or should have it). I just don't want to see Tidal Wave return to a major park (even if it IS close to me!). Shuttles seem to be down as much as they are up, so having two at a big park would help if they are so bound and determined to add one. My favs are the Schwarzkopfs and Arrows, but I do give a thumbs up to the Intamin Impulses.
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Don't.....look.....back! The Headless Horseman awaits you in 2002!
Model coasters and rides

I don't think it's necessarily fair to classify all shuttles together in terms of being "cheap", since these Intamin jobs are a bit pricey. But they can give an enormous ride experience in a small time and a small space. When you're gonna have 12-15 coasters at a park (sometimes in limited space), and to maintain a variety of rides, shuttles will need to be in the mix. Antons, Premiers (WITH laps), and the Invertigos are all really good rides, yet to ride an Arrow shuttle. Robin before the retrofit was a bit tough of the noggin.

Turnover, pph, wait times, long lines, low capacity...phrase it however you want, this is THE problem facing every shuttle (except Mr. Freeze apparently, which I sadly have also yet to ride). Part of the problem is the one-train gig, but this seems to almost always be exacerbated by excessive dispatch times in most single-train operations. Greanted there are your HW's and such, but this is pretty rare stuff...I think single-training TENDS to make ride-ops a lot slower (no stacking to worry about). Also consider that most patrons have a little problem with the whole enter train, ride ride, unfasten restraints, exit train procedure...some restraints have been trickier than others, haven't they...haven't they...haven't they

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PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

Are they essential? Obviously not.
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Jes
Webmaster, Jes's Roller Coasters
"Thank You Jeff Putz" "My Fellow Americans, Lets Roll!"

But they are Zero-G. If a park wants a well rounded mark-up of coasters, they'll need one that goes backwards, and even better, one that goes backwards and forwards and ISN'T A FOURTH DIMENSION in this situation. And the only way to provide that is with a shuttle roller coaster. Cedar Point hit that missing hole with the coming of debut of Wicked Twister. They're more rounded out now.

KRaX..."They're more rounded out now"...here's someone with good business sense, cause that means appealing to the widest demographic possible....shuttles provide another option, and often it's a good one! hmmm. how's about 2 trains on Blue Streak, one forwards, one backwards....just thinking...

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PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

Well I guess it all depends on how you define "Essential."

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Jes
Webmaster, Jes's Roller Coasters
"Thank You Jeff Putz" "My Fellow Americans, Lets Roll!"

rollergator said:
"how's about 2 trains on Blue Streak, one forwards, one backwards....just thinking..."

How about Gemini?? a friend from maintenance said it could be done with only minor mods to the trains...
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Dustin -Cedar Point ride host
2000 - Cedar Downs crew, WildCat crew
2001 - Cedar Downs crew, WildCat crew, Magnum crew, Gemini crew
2002 - Wave Swinger/Swan Boats Team Leader

Oh my God, I would go nuts to ride my first baby Gemini backwards!!!

PLEASE!! PLEASE!! PLEASE!! PLEASE!!

Later,
EV
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"Just remember, wherever you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Banzai

I wouldn't say they are essential, but they do help to round out a park's line up. They're also an alternative to not adding anything at all on an off year revenue wise. You build a coaster that's cheaper to add than a full circuit coaster, and at the same time offer something unique to your customers. They're low capacity, but so what? MF is a high capacity coaster, and I *still* wind up waiting 2 hours for it.
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"Conviction is a luxury for those who sit on the sidelines"-A Beautiful Mind(best film of 2001)

*** This post was edited by DWeaver on 1/25/2002. ***

I'm thinking that adding two shuttles in the same year is a better move...SFGAm added two together, as did SFoG (counting Acro) and it helps to keep the crowd spread out. Everyone wants to ride the "new" ride. If the only new attraction is a shuttle coaster, I think long lines are inevitable, esp. at a larger park. Look out for those lines on WT, they could be incredible...the flip-side argument is that MF is just on the other side of the Point, and shorter lines for the Force...I'm all about that! (Of course, CP has gone to the "destination park" theory of having lots of times when the park is open only to certain groups, like passholders and on-site hotel guests...like it or not, I see this as the wave of the future in the amusement biz)....

But yes, maintaining a variety of rides is what's really "essential", and shuttles can be an important piece of the puzzle...

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PoTP acolyte - remove fear to reply
Son of Drop Zone - PKI CoasterCamp I Champions!!!

Parks like Kings Island try and have something for eveeryone, so that they`re not just attracting thrill seekers. Which is the reason that they added Nickelodeon Central. Parks have to recieve money from all different age groups to stay profitable. Face Off offers a unique thrill to the park, as its only inverted coaster, even though it is slow due to one train operation.
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I`ve ridden Son of Beast 67 times!

Some of you guys just forget sometimes...it's all about fun.
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Ride the New England Bush!

Let me see....

Some of the parks that I have been to with out a shuttle: Knoebels, Kennywood, IOA, Dorney, BGT, Sea World Florida.

Some of the best parks in the country as far as coasters: Knoebels, Kennywood, IOA, Dorney, BGT, Sea World Florida.

I'd have to say then that the answer is "No".

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"I wasn't always this cynical, but then I started kindergarden..."