Is there any way of checking attendance on a given day?

I know it doesn't show the attendance but I wish they'd go electronic with their line predicting machines and then have signs around the park saying the length of the lines so you can figure out the best ride to go to.

Somewhere I read a response from the park regarding why they didn't have signs like that. It basically said they were aware of such operations, and while they are good for guest service, they're highly expensive.

That's a load of crap. I've been campaigning for signs like that for years. They have them near the entrances of Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure, so the first place people go is not the most busy ride. They've already purchased similar signs to sell the resorts outside of the main gate and in front of the mainland hotels. Put one at the front of the park, one at the middle, and one in Frontier Town, and you'd see, "Hey, Wicked Twister is only 20 minutes. Let's go there and come back to Maverick later because it's an hour wait."

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What a great idea!...I would love to see such a use of technology at CP. *** Edited 7/7/2007 11:18:11 PM UTC by Jeff***

Those signs would be great. It's always so hard to predict how the lines will be. There's been times that I head to certain rides predicting short waits-i.e. Raptor mid-afternoon and end up with longer waits than where I just was, like MF) I'd save alot of walking, time, and get more rides in if there was a system like that. It would help balance out the crowds really well too.

I think it's pretty useless technology. People just want to show up and ride. They don't want to look at a sign in Frontiertown and walk a mile back to Wicked Twister because its line is half an hour less than Maverick. I'm so glad CP has not done something as boneheaded as this!

Are you done stroking your buddy now?

Jeff, the only thing I can think of is if they mean going as in depth as some sort of system the relays accurate times, based on how long a guest waited, to the sign, like at Disney. That I could see being a bit more expensive. As for the regular digital boards though... look at those random signs they just installed all over the park further advertising their shows. Were they really needed?

People do want to "show up and ride",but why not spend more time riding,not waiting.I vote for technology.Anything to help us navigate CP on those extra busy or even average busy days.

I'm not stroking anyone, Jeff. I'm not a typical enthusiast. I honestly don't see the point of installing the signs. Most people just show up to eat hot dogs and have a good time, not try to ride as much as possible in the least amount of time. They walk around in a certain direction and ride whatever is there, depending on the wait. If a line is too long, they just move on to the next one, not go looking for a sign so they can backtrack a mile to ride a ride with a smaller line.

I think signs like that would help keep crowds spread more evenly though the park. Although I think from an operational stand point, CP probably likes knowing where and when they can expect heavier or lighter crowds.

These signs have been around for years and CP has obviously chosen to not install them, despite installing many new signs around the park. There is a reason I'm sure, and I suspect it's because the signs have little impact on crowd distribution. IOA has the signs all over the place and I've honestly never seen anyone use them. The crowds there don't seem to be distributed any more evenly than CP.

Those electric signs that tell the wait times for rides isnt a good idea. This is why, They have to dig up the blacktop which is hard to do and its ugly when they replace it cause its new stuff and it dont look right with the old. Some signs depending on them are over $75,000 not counting installing them. You also have to do new electric boxes and lines underground due to them using alot of volts and amps. And the wait on the rids are either 10 mins. faster then the signs or 30 mins. slower due to downtime or people getting sick. IOA also charges $72.00 to get in so its easy to afford them at the park. Cedar Point to me likes to spend more time on rides then signs that work right or dont work at all. Plus you have to get a new computer system to work them. Maintance would rather work keeping us safe working on rides then to worry about something else to fix. They aready have a sign at the front of the rides telling you what the wait is anyway. So why spend like a million or more dollars installing new electric signs for the few who complain to the PR people about it? Besides would you rather have a area of the park where a ride you like is at be more packed cause one area has a electric sign at a certin place that shows a ride has a 3hr wait for it and the one ride you are wanting to ride have a 30 min wait? Trust me they would go to the 30 min. one real quick which means all rides in the area will be more packed and have a longer wait. Its better to span the people out all over then keep them in one area.

Actually its not 72 its 86 but that gets you into both IOA and universal studios and the city walk for a whole week which is a great deal. i went not to long ago and bought the express pass and they forgot to mark it off so i got to ride the hulk 6 times in a half hour.

Existentialist said:
IOA has the signs all over the place and I've honestly never seen anyone use them. The crowds there don't seem to be distributed any more evenly than CP.

Have you been to IOA? They have exactly one such sign. It's at the end of Port-of-Entry across from the Cinnabon stand. And in the opening hours of operation, lo and behold, the times indicated are pretty even throughout the park. Furthermore, it says when the next shows are. Its counterpart in the studio park is even more useful, so you know what to expect for Animal Actors, Terminator or Beetlejuice before you head in any of those directions.

If Universal didn't see value in the signs, they wouldn't have them.

I live an hour away. There is at least one more sign, and that is by Ripsaw Falls. I honestly don't understand how you can attribute an evenly distributed crowd to what you say is ONE sign at the front of the park. IOA and CP are different animals...it's just something CP doesn't need to mess with.

I've never noticed the other sign, but I'll take your word for it. From a friend of mine who works in park op there:

Those wait times boards they have are so simple they're stupid. Park op gets phoned with updates from each attraction on a regular short interval, and they just update the sign with the new times. There's no huge network linking every ride's wait time sign with the main one, though they're considering such an upgrade. The signs help ease the build up on Hulk and Spiderman.

So while you may not understand how the signs have an effect, the park obviously does.

IOA has their two star attractions right at the front of the park. Ask any regular person in Florida what they know about IOA, and the Hulk and Spiderman are about the extent of their memories. Throw in the fact that IOA has less attractions and more crowds than CP, and you get a major bottleneck through there. I'd say the signs are more of a necessity than a useful tool for guests to use. CP doesn't have this problem really, and it just isn't necessary.

Well what do you expect..its july people..

Isn't necessary? Is that why people pack into Raptor every morning, leaving significantly shorter waits every dinner time? I'd say that's a perfect example of how the crowds don't move on to other rides when the queue is long.