Bonesville maintenance, or lack thereof

I went to Cedar Point yesterday and took the train after dark, from Frontier Town to the midway.

About 60% of Bonesville wasn't working. Either the animatronics weren't going at all, or they were moving but the scene wasn't lit so you could barely see them, or both. The only scenes that were 100% working seemed to be the elopement scene, and the railroad workers.

The attraction has been slowly breaking down over the course of the year (I think the fire stopped working in the firefighters scene in September) and at this point it's like nobody's even maintaining it anymore. I get it's the end of the year and they're short staffed but nobody has time to walk down the tracks and change a light bulb?

Is it a budget problem, or are the mechanics so old that nobody knows how to fix them anymore? It's such a great part of the ride that it's a shame CP has let it get so shabby.

I rode it yesterday, and I agree. It was a pretty bare bones attraction 😉

I mean, even the port-o-john was clogged!

Taking the quality of the Boneville Fire Department into consideration, I'm guessing their maintenance team isn't too good either 😏

They used to have technicians that did nothing but this kind of work, until the got rid of the Earthquake and Pirate Ride. Then the animation on the Western Cruise and the CP&LE were handed off to ride maintenance. This late in the season Boneville is at the bottom of their priority list.

So, I guess the maintenance department is down to a skeleton crew.

Buncha lazy bones up there, no bones about it.

Throw them a bone, fellas. I agree, the show is broken, but I don't think a new cast will fix it. Those guys have worked themselves to the bone to reset and perform the same show every 12 minutes all summer. I don't have a problem with them boning one in during the fall. They're bone tired by now! I tried to complain, called them up with a bone to pick, but nothing gets under their skin. No body will listen! To each their bone I guess!

The park had a team that took care of all of the animation in the park, aptly called The Animation Department, and they were still a team when I left the park in 2011. However, over the years I spent at Cedar Point, the team dwindled as more and more animation was removed from the park. When I left I think there were maybe 3 or 4 full time Techs to oversee the little they had. I imagine at least one or two have retired since then and I would not be surprised as the retirements come, the department is phased out and everything is handed over to Ride Maint. This could have already happened for all I know though, I am just going off of what was in place in 2011.

The citizens have had enough. We are taking in refugees down the road in Louisville, OH.

This type of neglect is further evidence of the disregard for the guests. If you pay full price for admission, you should demand and expect the full experience. Lights on coaster trains not working is another symptom.

What if you get a decent discount on tickets? How many Gatekeeper lightbulbs, broken Boneville guys or out of service SkyRide buckets are acceptable then?

I know the year after I left they got absorbed by the Tech Services department, and the final full time employee got let go.

But that was a bunch of years ago and since then they have greatly expanded the amount of animations throughout the park. I assume they are still part of Tech Services and that department is almost all seasonal, with a few full timers, so the time that you have to do maintence and repair is limited and you also end up with a lot of new people every year who may or may not know what or where things are.

CoasterHawk:

This type of neglect is further evidence of the disregard for the guests.

Yes, the demand for kitschy, second rate animated figures in amusement parks is greatly underestimated in 2023.

It’s true. I only like 3rd rate figures that are half broken.

And the light bulbs on a coaster train that carries more vibration than anyone bargained for go out sometimes. If it was me? I’d unscrew each and every one of them and forget about it forever.

This kind of stuff doesn't happen at the big theme parks like Disney. Can you imagine if a large animatronic that an entire coaster is themed around didn't work as it was intended? Man, the expedition people who have to go on to complain about it would be something else. If they can make things work, so can Cedar Point!

They complain so much they flash like a strobe light. One could say a strobe light found in a disco.

This lovely family in front of me sure appeared thrilled with all the props. Well, after all they were paid to look happy. I'm the bald guy in back and Mrs.jimmyburke is hiding from the camera.

The real issue is a family of four taking up two whole rows on the train. Get off my lawn.