Six Flags Over Texas to install Lo-Q system

Instead of Fastlane or Lo-Q, here's a concept:

How about building rides with high capacity to begin with? All these new designs for rides are cool, but somewhere along the way parks (and manufactures) seem to have forgotten about capacity.

Here's another concept that seems to escape a lot of parks these days: Once you have a ride built, how about running it efficently with well trained employees. SFMM's Deja Vu isn't a high capacity attraction, but it sure could be run better to give more throughput.

I think that the Lo-Q idea is a great one.  so what if you have to pay.  you still have to wait the same, if not more, time as everyone else.  you get to go do other things which may or may not include riding other large attractions.  if I got a Q Bot, I'd use it and then go ride a few small rides and then come back.  those small rides have small to no lines anyway so you're expanding your guests' experience and filling the seats.

capicaty isn't an issue.  Lo-Q isn't going to increase or decrease capicaty if its used properly.  as for SF's current capicaty, I think its all right.  sure it isn't perfect and they could learn a few things, but the lines move.  only rarely do I stop and just stand in line.  I'm almost always slowly moving through the line.  the stacking that everyone sees must be some sort of illusion 'cause I rarely see it.  sure, rides like Batman and Iron Wolf (keep in mind I'm most familiar with SFGA so I'll be using that as an example) or other rides running two trains on short courses will stack for a few seconds, but you sit in the brakes only for a short period of time.  capicaty is a non-issue and those of you who stand in line timing the dispatches with your watches should reach up your bums and pull out whatever got stuck up there 'cause you need to relax and enjoy your day.

Fast Lane was obviously a failure.  that system I didn't like, but SF learned from their mistakes.  that's what all of us do.  if we don't explore options we'll never know what's all out there.  at least SF is trying something new.

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Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park

Ride_Op, imo, limited availability is a plus for fastlane because I hardly noticed people "cutting" me at SFWOA, and that was when the passes were all sold out. The passes that are free and open to everyone are a joke. The lines at the slap-happy capital of the world(Disney) move much slower, because there are a lot more people cutting using fastpass. Next time I go to SFWOA, I'll be sure to shell out an extra ten bucks. If they're sold out, then no biggie.

I think it sounds pretty cool to me. CP needs to get something like this!!

The problem with the small supply of fastlanes is what if it's a really busy day and you got stuck in traffic and got there at 11?  You didn't get a chance to get a fastlane because they sold out.  Everyone should have an equal shot to use the system, even those that arrive a little after lunch time on a busy saturday. 

Of course higher capacity rides would help out a lot.

-Ride_Op

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NoLimits Tournament of Champions now underway at Ride_Op Coaster Productions! http://rideop.twistedrails.com

Also Lo-Q can give the location of a missing person within 30ft.  Another good feature on Lo-Q is if the ride breaks down it will notify you and you are given a new time to come back. Click here for Lo-Q official website

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Bobby
DOT crew 2000
Flight of Fear/Wave Swinger crew 2001-2002

Oh, nice.  More plusses for the Lo-Q system.  Now if they would just do away with forcing certain seats it would be the best one.  Just park them in line about 10 minutes from the front and it would be great, and the charge is more forgivable for the technology involved.

-Ride_Op

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NoLimits Tournament of Champions now underway at Ride_Op Coaster Productions! http://rideop.twistedrails.com

How about this idea... half of the pain of waiting in line... is in your feet... after stainding for 2 hours in line... my worst complaint was not the waiting, it was the staining. put benches in the lines and i will be a happy camper :)

Nerven- good idea, but that'd require a lot of changing benches when the line moves. How 'bout people movers with chairs attached to them? :)

fast lanes were bad with how much they were limited.  although the Lo-Q's are limited also, they said that there would be like 1000-1500 available which sounds more than resonable to me.  now I'm not completly familiar with it, but are they forcing a certain row of a train to be for Lo-Q customers only?  if so, its not going to be much of an improvement.  just let Lo-Q's pick seats and if there aren't any Lo-Q's then let everyone else ride.  also, don't let the Lo-Q's overtake the lines.  put Lo-Q's on one train and then let the next train be for those who waited in line.
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Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park

People are forgetting that there are like 3 different "versions" of FastLane.. not all work the same and not all of htem have an extra fee.... it varies throughout the SF chain.

No, CP does NOT need to get something like this. The capacity of that park is absolutely gigantic, and if you wait longer than an hour, that's your own fault for entering a long line, because there will be another one that's shorter. I certainly realize there are exceptions, but on average with dozens of visits every summer, I think I'm qualified to judge.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com, Sillynonsense.com
"As far as I can tell it doesn't matter who you are. If you can believe, there's something worth fighting for..." - Garbage, "Parade"

YES this is a way for SIX FLAGS to get more money out of you. DUH! And if it works like it should, then you wont have that much more of a wait in front of you than you normally would (so quit complaining). It schedules the times at 2 minute intervals. And dont try to tell me that its another 2 minutes you have to wait, cause I won't listen. I work there, I know how it works. And for those of you who like to wait in line, FINE! DO IT. No one cares of you use the lo-Q or not.  Hey, more money= better coasters, and more of em'! Dont like that lo-Q has certain seats you cant sit in? THEN WAIT IN LINE! This isn't rocket science.

Do any of you work at a SF park? Most of us that do really dont give a rats*****what system they use. This one sounds a hell of a lot easier than Fast Lane. We really dont care if you use it or not. We really don't care if the have one or not.  If you want to be a sucker and rent one, FINE! If you want to be a wussie and not rent one, FINE! We do not care. As long as we get our paycheck, we could stand there and take all of the stupid ideas that pop up all day long.

OK I beat this to death. Have a nice day!

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Your village called. They're missing their idiot.

Look at it this way... How many of use go to the parks strictly for thrill rides, or even if we like other rides, only ride the coasters because that's all we have time for ?

Probably most of us.

Ok, now, with Lo-Q, we can ride all the coaster that we normally would ride, and then, while the Lo-Q is holding out place in line, we can go and ride the Scrambler, or the Enterprise, and all the other rides that we may normally skip, or miss out on.

I loved Fast Lane. I had a season pass, and spending $10 at the park to nearly double my riding time was not an issue for me. It was great. Now with Lo-Q, it's only going to get better.

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Current favorite coasters:
Wooden: 1) Beast 2) Raven 3) Son of Beast 4) The Boss 5) Timber Wolf
Steel: 1) Raging Bull 2) Millennium Force 3) V2 4) Wild Thing 5) Mr. Freeze
Visit: http://www.dynamicgroove.com

They are due to install the Lo-Q system in 8 other Six Flags parks,

1. Six Flags Great Adventure,

2. Six Flags New England,

3. Six Flags over Texas,

4. Six Flags AstroWorld,

5. Six Flags Fiesta Texas,

6. Six Flags Worlds of Adventure,
7. Six Flags Marine World

and finally

8. Six Flags St Louis.

uhh... that doesn't add up.  eight more parks plus two that already have it equals a grand total of ten parks.  the article specifically said that eleven parks would get the system.  there must either be a typo in the article or you missed a park.
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Knott's Berry Farm Cuba ~South Park

this is a good reason to frequent the traditional parks in your area. for me it will be canobie lake,lake compounce, funtown and hopefully whalom.

I'm going to address several statements:

Everyone's favorite Floridian RGW said: "Having several "classes" of guests just seems downright UN-American"
Umm...which 'America' do *you* live in? *may* America seems to always resort to a class system; most of the time *talking* about a so-called 'middle class' but never *really* doing anything to help them. If you're not poor or rich, you're on your own :) (BTW: What's up with the FL Bush daughter?)

The veritable Ride_Op said: "Everyone should have an equal shot to use the system, even those that arrive a little after lunch time on a busy saturday."
But that's like saying that anyone who arrives later in the day should also be able to take advantage of the short morning lines. No! You snooze, you lose.

And finally, the head "bastard" ;) Jeff said: "The capacity of that park is absolutely gigantic, and if you wait longer than an hour, that's your own fault for entering a long line, because there will be another one that's shorter."
And how am I supposed to know that? If I enter the park and see Raptor, Blue Streak and Corscrew with long lines I'd likely say "screw it" and get in a line, not knowing that Mean Streak and Gemini were walk ons. Furthermore, you know how much time you'd waste *walking* in search of "the shortest lines"? CP is a *HUGE* park. It would easily take 30-45 minutes to walk the park (key word "walk"). But dont fret, one day CP will have a program too. It's only a matter of time...
lata,
Jeremy: BIT (bastard in training)
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Besides, if we were really shutting down people we disagreed with, would Jeremy (2Hostyl) still be around? :) I think not. - Jeff 1/24/02

On the topic of CP, has anyone been asked a market research survey there before?  And more speciffically, did they ask you a question that had to do with a Fastlane/Fastpass/Lo-Q system? 
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Is it the roar of Kumba or the kumba of Roar? Discuss!

I'm really everyone's FAV Floridian, now I have a REALLY hard time believing THAT load of BS...LMOA.  Anyhow, the Bush daughter apparently tried to forge a Xanax prescription and got caught when the pharmacy knew the physician whose signature she tried to copy...when questioned, she came up with some lame as S___ story about having a scrip called in about a month prior that she hadn't picked up YET.  Needless to say, the cops had heard this kind of story before...and off she went.  The Bush family's response is that they need their privacy to deal with this "family matter".  'Nuff said! 

As for Jeff's comments about CP's (acknowedged as overwhelming) capacity, I only see one change I'd like to make...other than the obvious MS re-tracking.  Anyone who's visited IOA probably noticed the COOL signs everywhere telling you how long the waits were for the other attractions.  Now, I know I've made my point before, but all these FastPass/FastLane/Lo-Q "systems" that are supposed to spread the crowds out around the park is worthless in comparison to some nice informative signs.  Shoot, if Blue Streak is a walk-on, and Maggie is a half-hour wait, I can spread myself out around the park.  Now THAT is what I would call "crowd control"...and "queue management", all rolled into one - BTW, those signs are FREE to view, and don't cost the park SQUAT, except that hourly wage of an employee with a walkie-talkie to update them every so often...

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