Just thinking

I was just thinking that Cedar point should update there wait time things make them digital and so they can be more accurate also add some screens to display wait times of popular rides so you don't have to walk all the way to Maverick and find it has a nine hour wait lol.

I already suggested a "phone method". Dial a 1-800 number or even a local 419 number and you can press 1 for say Maverick, 2 for Millennium Force...etc.

Yes it costs money, but the software and hardware could be made for around $15,000.

I personally think CP needs CAT6 or fiber ran through the park and we need to get this park on a high speed network to allow many different network services to be running to "upgrade the park". An upgrade for example would be digital wait times broadcasted on LED screen's throughout the park, or a telephone number you could dial, and everything else you need to run a theme park.

It will come...maybe not my idea. But CP is evolving, and they do everything they can to make consumers happy. My only thought on the back of my mind is that the park is so "small"...aka 10 minute walk from Raptor to Millennium Force that many people get by just fine without digital LCD or LED signs.

I don't think the digital wait time would be a very good idea, because they are just estimates anyway... But I do agree with wanting to know the wait times for the coasters before you walk all the way over there. Or how about letting us know which coasters are closed, and again letting us know when they re-open. It was save a lot of wasted time on very busy days.

jesz, cell phone yo. Cheapest option available., Rebuild the signs sothey wirelessly transmit the wait time to a system that allows us tocall in and check the wait time.

Make it free of charge or nickle and dime us and make it like $1.00 per call.

Pluswho wants to look for one of the LED signs anyways? Even if you had onein front of the park, back by Maverick and 1-2 in between....

Or how about this. At all of the maps across the park they could have a digital screen there that tells the wait times, and which coasters are closed down. When I'm at CP, I try to leave as much in the car as possible. So cell phone wouldn't always be the best option for me.

It's been discussed here before. It would really be a nice addition to the park honestly.

factory81 said:
Pluswho wants to look for one of the LED signs anyways? Even if you had onein front of the park, back by Maverick and 1-2 in between....

Um, everyone? Universal does this at Islands of Adventure and at the studios. It appears they can plug them in pretty much anywhere, as they're on wheels. They're extremely helpful. If looking for the signs is more inconvenient than dialing a phone number you won't know about unless you look it up before you go to the park, you have a strange definition of convenience.

And yes, I've been suggesting this for years.

Ever since I visited Universal, I've always thought they were a good idea for Cedar Point to invest in. I was glad to hear someone suggest it at the Coastermania Q&A. I believe it was John H (don't quote me on it) who said it was something they were looking into.

But then again, they look into a lot of things.:)

I have to agree with Jeff. I think signs with wait times would be much more convenient than phone numbers that you have to look up. Most people wouldn't be able to use the phone numbers for the wait times of each roller coaster because you would have to look them up and you would have to dial a different number for each ride. That would not be convenient.

If they do add a digital display of the Ride Times at places in the park, then its gonna be harder to guess the movement of people.

Lets say you see Maverick having a 45 min line and MF, TTD, Raptor and others have 1-2 hours, you know people will go to Maverick so that will go up in line time, but which of the other coasters will have a sudden decrease in line time due to the movement?

Right now its just start at the back and move to the front while most of the crowd starts of with the front then to the back.

^That's not even remotely close to being any sort of an issue...most people probably don't even give any thought to how the crowds move..unless you've been going for years or are a season pass holder. That wouldn't even be a factor when installing the signs.

The digital signs are a much needed addition for the park...but so long as Kinzel keeps CF running on a horse and buggy, we'll never see it.

In the age of text messages I have a better idea...that could even make them a buck. When you enter the park you pay X dollars and during the course of the day you will be alerted when certain wait times dip below a pre-determined lenghth...say 15 minutes.

So, you are walking over to Wild Cat but get a text stating the Dragster line is short and boom...you change direction. Individual attention is where the park business is heading and there is enough technology to make this a pretty ease thing to do.

I'm not so sure that park fans not being able to guess the movement of the people is really their biggest concern when looking into a system like this.

Also, while I agree with the statement that signs would be more convenient, I think it would be pretty neat to see a system implemented, somewhere, that allows you to check ride times via text message, or web browser on your PDA phone. I know that a certain park in Indiana has started doing updates via Twitter for things like ride closures and whatever, which is pretty neat.

Think about this - you know those ringtone/joke/horoscope/hot chicks in binkins who really aren't hot/chat line services you see advertisements for on late night TV? The ones where you text to a number and you're enrolled in a service?

What if, CP or wherever had set up a system where you can text to a number, that signs you up in the system for a short period of time, and purges out the subscriptions after park closing? Once in the system, you will get periodic updates with wait times, show times and any updates such as weather or ride breakdowns that seem necessary. With a little bit of planning, it'd be easy to pull off. It could run on a database that stores the numbers for a short period of time, and every hour it can send out an SMS text message broadcast.

It's the same technology that text message spammers user, only for a good purpose, and not a Viagra one. :)
Edit: Wahoo... after all the time I put into elaborating.. You had to go and beat me to the punch. :)

Well, when I want a sports score, I fire off the team name to 44636 (4-INFO) and I get a response within a minute or two. It even sends me automated final scores for the Tigers and Wings.

It shouldn't be hard to have a system set up that will respond with the wait time for a ride when prompted with a text message.

I dont like the text message thing its a good idea but .....
1. People who don't have texting
2. people who are on a budget
3. people who don't know how to text
4. people who leave thing in the car
5. an other "loose" object for you to carry
6. lots more potential for problems (cedar point always brings out something with kinks)

Oh and what I meant for the digital wait times was something like Bush Gardens Sheakra (I know I spelled that wrong)

Anyway I'm really for the LED screens

AND one more thing don't you think all the rides should have nice sines like Milli

What's a sine? Are we talking mathematical terms?

sorry typo

^^^I never really had a problem with people using incorrect grammer and such on the internet, but this guy is starting to tick me off. You do know there are such things as capitals, commas, periods, quotation marks, etc. right? There is also a difference between "an" and "and"...
And I do think that all the rides should have nice signs like Millennium Force.

As for the texting thing, I think it is good if you have a cell phone and are willing to spend the money, but don't you think it would get confusing with a different number for every ride? We go to Cedar Point to have fun, not to spend twenty minutes figuring out what line is shortest and waste precious ride time.

-Ashley

^ - why a different number for each ride?

Text "ride name" to 743366, and it will respond with a text message listing the wait time. It's not that hard.

I'm not sure. I just said that because someone above had said it and I thought it was a little ludicrous so I was responding to them. Just stating my opinion.

EDIT: It was the first post, factory81, who said it.