ERT

Has Millennium Force or Steel Vengeance been open yet for ERT? I know last weekened they weren't. Trying to plan which one to hit 1st tomorrow. Thanks all!

Usually, both are open for early entry, but weather and mechanical issues obviously cause a delay.

I think he's more interested in Extended/Exclusive Ride Time.

Here's the passholder ride nights

The next ride night for all of us is May 24th.

He said he was trying to figure out which one to hit first today, which says Early entry to me.

I’ve not dont an ert, but it seems like most days it’s quicker to just ride the ride during the day with the volume of passholders that attend ert.

Sorry all. Meant early ride time. We ended up hitting gatekeeper and millennium force! Both were up and running. By the time we got to SV it was down already. Next time!!

Yes, I was there for early entry on Steel Vengeance this morning and it was a bust. The ride opened 15 minutes late at around 9:15 due to "Who Knows", maybe someone didn't put the wheels on correctly.

Anyhow, I was in the station watching the ride ops take the water filled ride dummies off the of the ride, then finally open around 9:30, ran 3 trains then went down due to mechanical reasons.

When the first fully loaded train was arriving into the station it did not stop in the correct spot and everything stopped. It took another 5 to 10 minutes to unload that train and cycle.

Then they cycled 3 more trains to verify the issue was corrected, then Steel Vengeance reopened.

I was on the 6th train out for the day at 10:00 a.m., meeting the capacity of 144 riders per hour. Of course this no where meets the 1,200 riders per hour as previously touted by Cedar Point.

I guess they are getting better, because last Saturday they had 0 riders at 10:00, 0 riders at 11:00 a.m. …….. and 0 riders at 5:00 p.m., so I guess that is an improvement.

Being very serious now, isn't it time for Cedar Point to get their act together on their newest top ride?

Seriously, shouldn't they have the mindset of having this ride ready to open at 9:00 a.m. since it is their newest, hard core and record breaking brand new ride?

It is getting very old.....

You would think that Cedar Point would have wanted to make sure that this ride was tip top, super exceptional mechanically, but isn't even close yet.

We will see what happens next Saturday any guesses anyone???? Maybe 1,200 riders per hour, how about you Buehler what do you think, oh your too busy trying to play hooky.

Just Coasting said:

It is getting very old.....

i agree with you 100%. Your continued rants are getting old .

The comedy could use some work, too.

Here’s the T. Maybe it’s getting old, but strictly from an enthusiast’s point of view. One day last year I was just standing at the RR crossing (during a lengthy down-time session) watching trains cycle. The op at the crossing was turning guests away, reciting the usual script. There were a few disappointed faces, but no one threw a fit and no one pushed back stating that it was time for Cedar Point to get their act together. They just changed their plans to include other nearby rides. Maybe they came back later, maybe they didn’t. Not one person hung on the fence waiting for the ride to come back up.
Everyone on earth would agree that the ideal situation would be for an amusement park to have every ride and attraction available from opening bell to closing. But they also know, if they have any sense at all, that it’s not possible.

The thought that a park like Cedar Point, whose laurels rest on high-quality thrill rides, is intentionally ignoring problems in a lackadaisical way is ridiculous. Trust and believe that that they are painfully aware of chronic issues that impact the guest experience. Also know that there are things that we as enthusiasts will never know- mainly whatever current dealings the park may have with the manufacturer to eventually make things right. Maybe they have a dog on their hands, maybe not. Maybe their magic wand is at the cleaners. But I can assure you that whatever issues are at hand ain’t for lack of trying.
So rant all you want, your unreasonable expectations and demands only fall on these deaf ears. Perhaps you should walk into the office on a daily basis and make your opinions known and leave those of us who can’t help you alone.

I bet you're just a hoot to hang out with.

Who, me? Oh, absolutely.

Not you.. lol

Haven't made it to the park yet this year but a question for those that have. If I am reading the feedback this year correctly, Steel Vengeance is still operating 3 trains just like they were at the end of last year - i.e. waiting for the previous train to arrive before dispatching the next train. Is that correct? Any noticeable changes (not counting the seatback pouches) in terms of dispatch times or using the MCBR as a dispatch point? I know this isn't the right technical term, but weren't there thoughts of using the MCBR as a stopping/slow down point if the arrival station wasn't clear for the next train?

I love coasters but am not a coaster 'expert' by any means so was just wondering what things were like so far this year. Yes, I know the ride is still awesome and no, I'm not worried about the ride being diminished at all by whatever happens in the MCBR.

It's hard to make sense of all the complaining about down time, not meeting X amount of riders per hour, etc. Love the ride, love the park, etc. but wanted to see if there were any major operational changes that folks have noticed on the surface.

Thanks in advance.

RCMAC said:

...One day last year I was just standing at the RR crossing (during a lengthy down-time session) watching trains cycle. The op at the crossing was turning guests away, reciting the usual script. There were a few disappointed faces, but no one threw a fit and no one pushed back stating that it was time for Cedar Point to get their act together. They just changed their plans to include other nearby rides. Maybe they came back later, maybe they didn’t. Not one person hung on the fence waiting for the ride to come back up.

I agree with you for the most part but what we don't know is how many people reacted negatively while on Facebook, Twitter, etc or even the old fashioned way of talking to people about how that stupid ride was down all day. It may be that those "silent" fits do hurt the park in ways that really cannot be measured.

There are 4 other coasters open for early entry. I'm sure the park is disappointed with Steel Vengeance also, but there are plenty of other alternatives.

1,200 riders per hour was a number before the issues last year with the trains/blocks/etc. and before the ride was tossing 30 phones per day. Everyone would like it to be higher than it is, but this is no longer reality.

ILS 0523, in response to your question about SV, all of the blocks are in working order. I watched them do their block tests while waiting for it to open last Saturday. The one train stopped in the block brake block (MCBR) while the other stopped at the top of the lift. The one that was stopped in the MCBR finished the course with ease, but continued noticeably slower than it does during normal operation because it was finishing the cycle from a dead stop.

Technically with all coasters, the train in the station can usually be dispatched once the train in front of it has dropped off of the lift. But for efficiency and the sake of having to restart the lift every time a train is stopped in a block, all coasters do have a certain time when the trains can be dispatched.

For example: Raptor’s train in the station (let’s call it train 2) should be dispatched once the train in front of it (let’s call it train 1) is at the bottom of the loop. Reason? Because that will allow enough time for train 1 to clear the block brake block (MCBR) without setting up train 2 at the top of the lift. Each time the ride’s safety system stops trains in the blocks, the ride must be reset, control panel locked out, and the lift hill must be turned back on via a ride host running down to the base of the lift to turn it back on while the ride op in controls simultaneously presses the lift motor on button. It’s a process.

Now with the addition of the pouches on the Steel Vengeance trains, it is dang near impossible for the crew to dispatch the trains at interval. The trains aren’t dispatched from the station until the very last train is on the brake run. It doesn’t have anything to do with the blocks and how they’re set up, it has to do with the lack of efficiency the pouches create. This is why I’m on board with them either providing free lockers a la universal, or thinking of another configuration for guests to put their belongings in a bin on the load side that will be available for pick up on the unload side a la Yukon Striker.

Personally, instead of staffing all of these rides hosts at the metal detectors, maybe have a position on the unload side of the platform with a cart that acts as bins. But the bin comes to the guests rather than the guests going to the bins like at Raptor.

Thanks TwistedWicker77 for the reply. That makes a lot of sense. I appreciate the education on how the coasters operate and some of the details behind blocks and dispatch intervals. I've always just hopped on the rides, had a great time, and then moved along. If a ride is down, no biggie - just move on to the next one. I had no idea the complexity involved when a train is stopped in the blocks.

As for the pouches, I haven't been there yet to experience it, but I will agree that the extra work on the ride crew staff has to be a PITA. Just another extra thing they have to deal with/check before dispatch.

Just Coasting said:

We will see what happens next Saturday any guesses anyone???? Maybe 1,200 riders per hour, how about you Buehler what do you think, oh your too busy trying to play hooky.

Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

We know right now Steel Vengeance is experiencing some hiccups and hasn't been opening on time. Perhaps you should go to a different ride at 9am and check with Steel Vengeance later in the day.

And for someone who is so knowledgeable on everything Cedar Point is doing wrong, I question why you keep visiting on Saturdays.

TwistedWicker77 said:

Now with the addition of the pouches on the Steel Vengeance trains, it is dang near impossible for the crew to dispatch the trains at interval.

In your estimation, how much time do you think the pouches have added to a typical loading time?

TwistedWicker77 said:

The trains aren’t dispatched from the station until the very last train is on the brake run. It doesn’t have anything to do with the blocks and how they’re set up, it has to do with the lack of efficiency the pouches create.

That didn't appear to be the case yesterday. After our train was fully checked, we waited a good 15 seconds until the 3rd train completed the course before we launched. I only rode it once though so maybe it was just a fluke.

They definitely need to get all the staff on board with the same instructions, though. There were 2 red shirts and 1 green shirt working the metal detector; one said that only phones and keys were to go in the pouch, and anything else had to go in a zippered cargo pocket, and a hat could go down your shirt. Then the guy stamping our hands said ALL items had to go in the pouch and you couldn't have anything in your pockets. I mean, he was literally standing a metal detector's width away from the previous guy, with a supervisor right there, and they had different spiels. Considering how small the pouches are, we took the risk of leaving our wallets in our (buttoned) cargo pockets. Gasp.