Freeway

Yes, that is the way it works at WDW. It hasn't changed. They also have single rider lines as well. The sign at Test Track said they take, on average, one single rider every 5 minutes. I suspect that is conservative.

Disney is well known for putting up a longer wait time than is actual to give the guest a perception that "things are going there way."

I've been in both WT and MF lines and have heard them ask for single riders. I rode WT yesterday as a single 3 times, and was paired up with someone each time.

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I'd rather die living than live like I'm dead

Usually on MF or WT if there is more than one single in the station, they'll pair those two up and get two more people from the line. If there is only one single, you just call for single riders. Sometimes you get one, sometimes you don't. From what I've seen the MF crew has always done a good job filling the trains in the past.

Heck, we paired single riders on Magnum when the people are willing to move. If they say no, then we just called for other singles to sit next to them. It won't be as easy for them to do that this year with the new airgates though. Many times someone like Jerry or Dan would come running up and claim the spot, but it isn't so easy when the gates are in the way. Pre-grouping will be about all they will be able to do.

-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew
*** This post was edited by MDOmnis 5/17/2002 12:50:36 PM ***

Well, if the gates are still open it won't be a problem...just a matter of holding the gates until just before 'readyready' instead of being in a big hurry to close them...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.
"Open 'em early; close 'em late"

Personnaly i think they should use the sigle rider system similar to the one in disney world where if there is a rider that is riding alone a single rider can go w/ him at disney they have this system it works great w/ a seperate line it minimized my wait for test track from 3 hours to about 15 min it usually hurries up the line and all trains are full

Now, if the stamps fade and bleed like you guys say they do, what is keeping people from re-using them? I think a ticket and a stamp could be a good idea. You get a ticket so you can't cheat and re-use it and you get a stamp so that you can only get one. This sounds like it could work, if they keep the number of tickets (or stamps out) low.
*** This post was edited by JT Coaster 5/22/2002 10:17:11 AM ***

...Or just a time card system like they use for Special Access boarding times...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

In regards to single riders on MF and WT, why do you think we only let one load of riders into the station at any given time? (with the exception of front seat and back seat waiters) Of course it's so that we can pair up single riders and bring in two more people. Unfortunately, sometimes you can't find another single rider, or someone is extremely belligerent about being taken away from their family to a different spot in the train (yeah, like you can really have a conversation at 93 mph anyway). The problem with the "single riders line" is that people who are in groups of 3 or 5 or 7, essentially one single rider in the group, do NOT see themselves as "single riders" but as parts of the group. So if you don't have any coaster enthusiasts or parent swappers or anything who are willing to move seats, it becomes a big mess and you just can't pair people up without making them unhappy and having to yell at them and such.

In short, it's the GUESTS who make pairing up single riders difficult, not the employees who don't try to do it, so don't start ragging on the crew because you saw an empty seat once.

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Natalie
Mine Ride '99
Thunder Canyon '00
Millennium Force '01

At Disney, some of the attractions have a separate single rider entrance. This eliminates the need for a ride op to find the single riders. They are their waiting for a seat to become available.

Well it is not feasible for Cedar Point to do that in the stations they already designed, so it's quite a moot point in this matter (ESPECIALLY MF). What I'm saying is that WITH the system we have in place now, it cannot be blamed on the ride operator when every few trains has a single rider somewhere.

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Natalie
Mine Ride '99
Thunder Canyon '00
Millennium Force '01

It may be a cheap man's version of WDW's fastpass, but it works beautifully and only costs CP some ink, a few carts, and the wages of a few employees. If CP keeps their cost to implement the system cheap, unlike SF--which uses those Q-bots--then they can justify making it free for their customers to use. Sometimes the simplest way is the best.

I used it yesterday both for MF and WT, and it worked great both times. Each time, we only had to wait 15-20 minutes (which granted, both MF and WT had about 30 minute waits, but still...) I love being able to choose my seat (unlike FastPass at SFWoA) and also love how it doesn't hurt capacity by sending out empty seats when Fastpassers are not using the system (also unlike SFWoA). CP has the virtual queueing figured out. I also love how they keep it on the DL so those who use it create no real noticeable problems with those waiting in line. And the name is just the perfect slap in the face to the competition!

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Signature Under Construction...

I went last weekend and after 2 days of not knowing what it was, we saw the cart and got our hands stamped for MF Sunday. Waited about 20 minutes when the line was about 2 hours. People around us were a little irked at people "cutting" especiialy when more people "cut" at the special access entrance.

I wish they would "let the cat out of the bag" so that everyone has a fair chance to use it and not so many people get PO'ed at you in line.

Again, if you want to know if it works beautifully, wait until a Saturday in mid-July. These systems always work really well when there's nobody waiting to ride...!

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

I suppose you're right but I still really don't forsee any problems with it. As long as they continue only to let 10 percent of the ride's hourly capacity in every hour, it will not make a significant difference in the regular line. Since they give you a whole hour block to get back to the ride, that should (ideally, I realize) create a gradual and unnoticeable flow of people merging with the regular queue. Since it's free, how mad can it make customers who don't use it? In the MF line, when we merged, the people behind us seemed a little tense, so the employee gave them a handout flyer that describes the system. They're reaction: "Cool, so this is free?"

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Signature Under Construction...

Hey, getting people in line "PO'ed" LEGALLY is part of the fun of Freeway! :)

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It's very hard to drink all day...
Unless you start first thing in the morning.

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Again, if you want to know if it works beautifully, wait until a Saturday in mid-July. These systems always work really well when there's nobody waiting to ride...!

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Exactly. When I went to USF/IOA for spring break their Universal Express system--which is very, very similar (reservations for a given time based on capacity)--worked great on Sunday when the park wasn't so crowded. Then when the crush came, it was horrible! There was a 10-minute line jsut to swipe your card and reservations were 3-5 hours in the future. People were yelling at employees, at each other...I just quit using it.

When people's heightened expectations aren't met, they become very, very unhappy with the park experience.

The only thing working in CP's favor is that it's limited to just a couple of rides and not all of them.

-'Playa

PS - BTW, IOA's queue time system is far from reliable on crowded days. I've seen DD's estimated times listed at 90 minutes from the re-entry shortcut, 30 minutes at the ride's entry gate and 120 minutes from the JP sign a couple hundred yards away all at the same time....to name just one of many occasions they were all in flux.

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Coming 6/6/02--the CoastaPlaya 100! See CBuzz Club Calendar for more...
*** This post was edited by CoastaPlaya 5/23/2002 10:47:30 AM ***

You better believe that in mid-July those Freeway stamps will be gone in an hour or less...

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*- CP Fan -*
Welcome to...Millennium Force...

Hmm, handstamps? To me I can see people messing with them, but I haven't seem them in action.

I do know that FastPass for Test Track at Disney went FAST. Last year around 11AM, they were allready handing out times for late afternoon/early evening.

Oh and IOA's system worked perfect for me. When you stay on site there, you use your room key to show the attendants in the Express Line. We got tons of walk-ons for Hulk.

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Back from lurking
New account, same name
KW 2002

Yes FastPasses for Test track "sold out fast. How much would it cost Cedar to give out pre-printed tickets instead of stamps? They could even recycle them.
*** This post was edited by Sansaarai 5/27/2002 9:50:22 PM ***

After experiencing it first hand on MF I think the stamp method works very well, except that the ink runs whenever you wash your hands.