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WTF Merlin?

rob666

Hyper Poster
And they have closed the flipping single rider queue for Nemesis...
no more quick ten rides in a line.
Curse curse curse Merlin.
 

cjbrandy

Hyper Poster
^Did they justify this? I reckon they did it to force people into buying fasttracks when it's queue is long. It also means you have to walk all the **** way up to the main entrance for re rides :/
 

Nemesis Inferno

Strata Poster
Joey said:
I bet single rider needs extra staff or causes problems.

Pretty much...

I would say in the grand scheme of things, losing Single Rider on Nemmie is nothing in comparison to the staggered openings...
 

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
Eh, I dunno.

I have never seen the issue with staggered openings, I just wish parks would actually have clear signage that explained it put out in the middle of paths that lead to rides that wont be open for another hour.

I often wonder how much something like a single rider line potentially slows down operations, though. Or like, how often does calling "any groups of two?" down the main line and waiting for them to eventually get to the front actually outweigh just sending it. Most staff lack the common sense to think, we don't have enough time this round, just send it. Or foresee early enough to fill the gaps. I remember Nic telling me about a member of staff at Nemesis' single rider who was exceptionally on the ball - but noticing that only highlights how most are not. And even the best staff occasionally get distracted or just plain **** up their counting. Humans are fallible. For all we know, maybe people complained about single rider?
 

Smithy

Strata Poster
Yeah staggered openings make sense as long as they're clearly signposted.

It's been extremely annoying when I've gone to BPB and headed straight for PMBO, or at Terra Mitica and headed straight for that wooden deathtrap and both of them weren't open with the only signs being right outside their queue line entrances.

Obviously most park guests work round the park in order, but there's got to be some people like me who head straight for the biggest/best ride to get it done first?
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Joey said:
I often wonder how much something like a single rider line potentially slows down operations, though. Or like, how often does calling "any groups of two?" down the main line and waiting for them to eventually get to the front actually outweigh just sending it.

As you said, it depends on staff and whether or not they're working efficiently. It really has to be implicit in the training and the general expectation. It does work. It works brilliantly, but only when it's a "normal" part of operations and the staff are working a couple of steps ahead and not focusing on a train that's already sitting in the station.

It's almost redundant to say it now, but look at Disney and Universal; they've got it spot on. The ride ops are thinking a train or two ahead and seats get filled without holding stuff up. I've seen them send empty trains on Space Mountain in Hong Kong because riders have spent too much time faffing when they get off and it's better to just send an empty train then let them start stacking.
 

jj23w

Hyper Poster
I'm a Celeb, it has great theming inside just the effects such as the wobbly bridge and celebrity cyclone were really lacklustre.
 

SaiyanHajime

CF Legend
gavin said:
Joey said:
I often wonder how much something like a single rider line potentially slows down operations, though. Or like, how often does calling "any groups of two?" down the main line and waiting for them to eventually get to the front actually outweigh just sending it.

As you said, it depends on staff and whether or not they're working efficiently. It really has to be implicit in the training and the general expectation. It does work. It works brilliantly, but only when it's a "normal" part of operations and the staff are working a couple of steps ahead and not focusing on a train that's already sitting in the station.

It's almost redundant to say it now, but look at Disney and Universal; they've got it spot on. The ride ops are thinking a train or two ahead and seats get filled without holding stuff up. I've seen them send empty trains on Space Mountain in Hong Kong because riders have spent too much time faffing when they get off and it's better to just send an empty train then let them start stacking.
Making the judgement call is harder than you think. Trust me.

At Disney, they aren't sending that train empty just for efficiency, but so they don't have guests waiting on the ride who could mistake it as having broken down. That perception matters to them.

Training something like how to tell when you have enough extra time to search for people to fill seats with new staff, who already have a lot to remember, is not that easy. You'd much rather they've got h&s down to a tee than be stressing over something like that. IMO, there should be secondary training once they are comfortable to improve performance, but this all costs money.

At Disney, there's also way more staff and better designed attractions in operational terms to begin with. Working on quiet days with minimal staff is more hard work than it is working a busy day with extra staff to help things run more smoothly.

Oh, and let's not forget that Disney staff don't check restraints or have to sorry about guests with bags or other such concerns that slow dispatch considerably.
 

cjbrandy

Hyper Poster
My observant eyes found this on the latest Alton Towers map:

c5AsCJY.jpg
 

cjbrandy

Hyper Poster
caffeine_demon said:
what's the part that's cut off? - I can't quite see the wtf in it!!

Its the unbelievably stupid mistake of them writing "piece of mind" instead of "peace of mind". I believe they made a similar mistake on last years TP map by writing that Nemesis Inferno has higher G force than a "rocket lunch". They should proof read these things!
 

JoshC.

Strata Poster
And to add to that, there's no dedicated Fastrack queue, with people having to the use the exit instead.
 
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