Platinum Early Entry... Sloppy?

DJ, if they don't fix the problem I probably won't pay for the perk next year. I already said that, why do you keep repeating it? That said, I would MUCH rather they address the problem. If it routinely takes 20-30 mins after 9:00 a.m. to get the ride up and running either get workers going 20-30 minutes earlier in the morning or change the advertised ERT from 9:00-10:00 to 9:30-10:00.

Juggs, my sample is actually quite large. Especially when you consider that the bulk of my visits land on Saturdays (the day you would anticipate they would have the highest success rate). So if the park is open 23 saturdays a year, I am there for around 30% of them. Not to mention others have echoed the issue.

Why do you keep repeating how terrible your lack of ERT is? :)

I've seen many times MF still testing one track with water dummies. Raptor has always been open with three train op. Back in '08 Maverick had been down on Thursday along with Friday, and to much surprise entering the resort gate seeing TTD launching with people in it, then seeing the ride was open. Only waited 15 min's and got a front seat ride, very lucky! :)

Rode TTD and MF before 10am that morning.

I bet everything will be ready for ERT tomorrow. Atleast I hope. :)

Just for reference, last year I went to CP every single weekend except two. I went on Saturday's and Sunday's only... Most of the time, the rides were not ready. This year, it is even worse (going half the amount of time due to heat and GL).

You can say whatever you want about complexity of these machines and yada yada, but that is not the case here. It is simply due to timing of the employees and maintenance. If the ride opens at 9:20 and 9:30 regularly, that is not due to the rides "complexity", which really is not complex from an operational standpoint. To start up most rides? A simple visual check, a turn of a key and a few button pushes. That is all it takes. I know this from first hand experience. Sure, if something goes wrong it can get more complex, not saying it can't be, but regularly is just routine.

And the whole thing with the platinum perk and me paying for it has nothing to do with this rant. What about all the resort guests that you hear do nothing but complain about in line? I could care less really, I expect it. But what about all those other people are not happy? That is not a good start to a day for most. They are excited to get that hour and load up on the rides, not wait to ride something once and the park be open.

It is just an EASY fix that they do not care about no longer. The first few years, they were spot on. Now? Ha.

If they did it then, they could damn well do it now.

Jugga, your justification is just silly and has very little rationality to it. Who cares if we are complaining enthusiasts? We are PAYING for a SERVICE regardless. They should be giving this service as advertised. Simple as that.

Invertalon said:
What about all the resort guests that you hear do nothing but complain about in line?

Well then that's their own fault for not speaking up and saying something. Whining about it line without saying something to the park about it just puts you in the "looking for something to bitch about" group.

Jugga, your justification is just silly and has very little rationality to it. Who cares if we are complaining enthusiasts? We are PAYING for a SERVICE regardless. They should be giving this service as advertised. Simple as that.

What "justification" did I make that has "very little rationality to it"? I've made 2 posts in this thread and neither one is making excuses for the park.

Jugga,

I accidentally mistook your comments with somebody else (honest!). Sorry about that. It was not directed towards you. :)

No problem.

I can remember Raptor being open, and it not being on the board for ERT that morning. :)

I like how Disney does the "ERT".

It's a differant park every day, and it's not just in the morning. They have ERT at night after the parks clear out all the normal guests.

To tell you the truth, but this is my assumption-it do not think it is the ride op's fault for this I think it might be the Track walkers taking forever to get there and/or do there job cause you know-if you guys do not already know this but they have to climb the MF first hill and go over it through that squirrel cage and hit a button for the ride to operate,so my guess is that the guy and or people who do this stuff are just being slow about the situation.
So you really cannot blame the OP's if it is not there fault if it is late opening cause they can only do what they need to do after maintenance dose there thing!

So then maintenance should get to the ride earlier and push the button sooner! :)

Exactly.

Job X takes Y amount of time.

Whatever the "long end" of Y is, the projection should be to be done with Y and the ride ready to go at 8:55 am every morning.

If you have a job that starts at 9:00 am, you don't get there at 9:00, you are ready to actually start the job at 8:55 or earlier.

I'm not trying to be picky, and personally, MF being up at 9 or 9:15 makes little difference to me about buying another Platinum Pass (early ERT is not a main reason why I get it)....that said, the #1 steel coaster in the world at the #1 park in the world should open at 9:00 if that is what is advertised every single day, with zero exceptions.

If it is a regular problem, then they should advertise that "some rides will open around 9ish, or whenever we get around to it. Thanks for understanding."

I'm inclined to agree with Kevinj. Granted, modern coasters are technological marvels that require intense inspections and maintenance, and are often finnicky as cats about when they want to run. But nevertheless, if early ERT is advertised by a park as a perk to sell season passes, it should do what is required to get those rides running by advertised times, on a reasonable operating basis.

Okay, I've read everything so far in this thread, and one thing that has really not been addressed is the fact that the park is operating with 2/3 fewer ride maintenace personel than there was on payroll in 1974. Who ever came up with this plan obviously didn't involve maintenance in decision making process, or if they did they were over ridden. Don't blame the people walking the tracks for "being late" or not fast enough. They're doing the job properly, which is to insure that the ride operates they way it's supposed to before releasing to the operating staff.

When my mom and I left the Park around 9pm last Friday; we got our P. Passes Renewed for 2011. I have no problem with the Coasters that opens early and isn't ready to go at 9:00am or 5:00pm. I can wait, but last yr I rode the RAPTOR #3 Times in a Row in 15 minutes. This past Friday I got to the Park at 5:30, and I waited a second on the Raptor, 10mins on the MF, and 5mins on the MAVERICK. I didn't have to wait long on the Magnum. I walked right on the Train; that wasn't bad at all. The only Ride was the TTD, because it wasn't working till 7pm. I only waited 30mins.

Dutchman said:
Okay, I've read everything so far in this thread, and one thing that has really not been addressed is the fact that the park is operating with 2/3 fewer ride maintenace personel than there was on payroll in 1974. Who ever came up with this plan obviously didn't involve maintenance in decision making process, or if they did they were over ridden. Don't blame the people walking the tracks for "being late" or not fast enough. They're doing the job properly, which is to insure that the ride operates they way it's supposed to before releasing to the operating staff.

We are not complaining about how long at all but......... if you are late or do not have enough on staff then ERT is gonna be delayed.
And when you advertise about ERT such as CP dose then well some people get a little disappointed about the situation and 15 min can make a big difference when it come to ERT cause that could be 2-3 times around before thelines get thick!so.......Who knows they could be short on staff right now or all season for that fact!

Once again this sounds like one hand not knowing what the other one is doing. I wholeheartedly agree that anyone trying to utilize this advertised perk and not being able to utilze it to it's fullest has a legitimate beef. Either they should step it up , or discontinue it.

Dutchman said:
Okay, I've read everything so far in this thread, and one thing that has really not been addressed is the fact that the park is operating with 2/3 fewer ride maintenace personel than there was on payroll in 1974. Who ever came up with this plan obviously didn't involve maintenance in decision making process, or if they did they were over ridden. Don't blame the people walking the tracks for "being late" or not fast enough. They're doing the job properly, which is to insure that the ride operates they way it's supposed to before releasing to the operating staff.

Ok, if that's the case(and there is no solid proof of that), than it does not make me feel very safe on the rides.

At the end of the day, all the blame can be pointed at one man, and we all know who he is.

Even if you have the same number of people from 1974, just check the ERT rides first. That gets them out of the way, and can be ready for ERT.