Re-ride question for Employees

Howdy gang... let me first commend you all on the incredible job you all do - you ALL totally rock!!

Anyways, my question for all of you is - is it CP policy or is it at the crew's discretion to allow someone to simply RERIDE a coaster if there is nobody waiting in line to get on... without having to go out the exit and run all the way around, through the queue line, and back up to the ride???

It's not that I'm lazy or anything, and maybe things are different now, but I remember being there a few years back and the crew would not let us stay on the ride - even though there was nobody anywhere around to go on the next train. So trains would just take off with hardly anybody in them!?!?

Thanks for any help and keep up the awesome work!!!!!!!!!

Pro Bob

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WOULD YOU "GET TO THE PO!NT" ALREADY!!!

That would be CP policy. I know it doesn't make sense sometimes, that's just the rules. Plus they want you to walk through the turnstiles again.

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Brent Haley
Gemini Crew '02 & '03

Hey Brent,

Thanks for the answer man... I figured it was probably their policy - but I was hoping otherwise! :-)

It makes sense for figuring out how many people are riding the rides, I guess --- though I think a few people make their way around the turnstiles sometimes anyways.

When I went to Dollywood last year, I was able to ride the Tennessee Tornado 5 times in a row without leaving my seat. It was really cool and I wish we could all do that at CP too. Of course, I would NEVER even dream of comparing DW with CP. I'd take the current policies at CP with what they have to offer 24/7/365!!!!

Take it easy... and I look forward to seeing you at the Gemini this year!!!

Pro Bob

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WOULD YOU "GET TO THE PO!NT" ALREADY!!!

At PKI capacity on Coasters are automatically counted by the computer, it adds however many seats are on a particular train,then hit the empty seat subtractor, and you get capacity.

I know that sometimes you can just hop back over to the load station on a certain Intamin coaster. Only becuase the turnstile is on the load platform;)

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Screamsters 2001
Millennium Force/Screamsters 2002
If I dont get out of here and find me a sweet bus station skank, I might do something disgusting that I might really regret!
*** This post was edited by 99er 1/29/2003 4:56:19 AM ***

I always thought it would be interesting if they did have a turnstyle at both the entrance and at the turnstyle to find out just how many people chicken out before boarding said Intamin coaster.

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2003 - Ride Operations

Ah, FoF, THAT'S why I always see ops clicking a handcounter as the train leaves the station. It seems like a much easier way of doing things than having a turnstyle, plus it can be a good incentive to make sure ALL the seats on a train are filled.

An automatic counter, hmm... Sounds like it would prevent the rumors at CP of certain coaster crews "faking" their turnstyle counts to get high numbers...

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Mike
Mantis 2001
Magnum 2002
Top Thrill Dragster 2003

There's still incentive to make sure all the seats are filled - the quicker you move the line, the shorter the line will be, and thus more people will enter the line and you'll get higher numbers. That's how we always looked at it. :)

We also used the handcounter for special access and parent swaps, and for a while (until we were told that we couldn't), we used the hand counter to count re-riders on Joe Cool Club mornings. I understand CP's no re-ride policy, but honestly, I don't think what we did by allowing re-rides during Joe Cool mornings the first couple times was all that bad. I mean the most riders we had in an hour, counting re-rides (one or two people got 15 rides each) was 91 riders meaning we dispatched about 1637 empty seats.

-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew

Matt-we used a handcounter for "Freeway" too-but shut the **** up anyway!! ;)
We were told NO rerides regardless, not only for counting purposes but I seem to recall one time (MM '01) guests having FITS over other guests reriding. So I am sure the act of a few killed it for all :(
Funny thing is I never had a problem with the Raptor crew letting me reride! ;)

Jo
2000/2002 Raptor Crew
Lifetime Raptor flights: 708 :)
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It's all about getting around the barrels, or over the fences, right leads, no faults, fastest time and looking pretty when done. What's so hard about that? :)

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MikeVT said:
Ah, FoF, THAT'S why I always see ops clicking a handcounter as the train leaves the station. It seems like a much easier way of doing things than having a turnstyle, plus it can be a good incentive to make sure ALL the seats on a train are filled.

An automatic counter, hmm... Sounds like it would prevent the rumors at CP of certain coaster crews "faking" their turnstyle counts to get high numbers...

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Actually what the hand counter is used for on Coasters are to count how many trains were actually dispatched every hour, because the Train counter isnt available on all coasters, but they do have a digital display of people rode.

I always notice on Face/Off at PKI that the controls person watches the train as it leaves the station, and clicks the hand clicker as an empty seat goes by. I guess I figured that that's how all the coasters did it. Although, to tell the truth, I don't think I saw any other coasters doing that. I don't really pay TOO close attention to the ops at other parks, so maybe I'm just missing it.

How does the computer give a digital display for how many people rode? How can the computer tell whether a seat is occupied or empty?

I'm sure that CP's coasters have a train counter in the computer system, also, but we don't really use it in ops. We record the amount of hours that each train in operated.

I know that MF automatically records the turnstyle readings. That's really nice, because I hate getting readings, and you can sometimes get bad hourly readings because someone will forget, or will take the reading too early or too late.

TURNSTYLES ARE THE DEVIL!!!
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Mike
Mantis 2001
Magnum 2002
Top Thrill Dragster 2003

I remember the wonderful re-rides my husband and I had on Raptor at MM '00. We got 5 in a row in the front because there was absolutely no one waiting. On the 6th re-ride, there were people waiting for the front only, so we moved to the extreme back.

I went with my son for MM '01, but it was the last MM day, and by then re-rides were not allowed. Wasn't a problem for us considering the number of rides we got anyway. Just a LOT of walking

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

MikeVT, As I'm sure with CP, PKIs coasters have a digital dispaly screen next to the panels, that has all the information on it such as Time/ Capacity, cycle times, Current hour capacity total, last hour total, daily total, and some have year to date total, among other things.

It doesnt know how many seats are empty, but there is an empty seat counter on the side of teh control panel, each time you hit it it takes 1 off. Example, Lets say I'm in controls at Flight of Fear, I launch the train, the compluter automatically adds 20 passangers to the capacity total, Lets say 2 of the seats were empty, i will hit the button on the side twice, and it will subtract 2 passangers.

FoF, none of the rides are equiped w/ the technology that you are speaking of. The only way that we find out the # of riders is through the turnstile reading taken every hour. It then becomes the responsability of the crew working the ride to make sure that all seats are filled and that the ride is running on perfect intervul. At the end of the night we then have to calculate the amout of riders per hour and the total riders for the day at the ride. This information is then turned into park operations where the official records are kept.
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Mark-O-Polo
Magnum XL 200 Crew 2002
Mean Streak Crew 2003

While the train counting system is fine and dandy, it is just that - a train counting system. It is giving you an approximation and is probably only accurate to within 10% or so because of empty seats, but the good old turnstyle method (electronic or not) is still probably more accurate for counting riders. The only people that are missed with our system (well, counted unnecessarily) are the ones that cross through the train (don't ride) and that really doesn't happen very often. Maybe you guys are good at counting your empty seats and clicking the thing faithfully, but I know I wouldn't be if I was on a crew trying for high numbers! :)

Does PKI really have this on a lot of rides or is it just a few? If they already have this technology in place, why don't they implement the electronic wait time signs like we've talked about and make good use of the extra expense they've apparently endured?

-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew

*** This post was edited by MDOmnis 1/29/2003 4:38:52 PM ***

MDOmnis, your failing to see what im talking about, the comptuerized capacity counter can be 100% accurate, as long as the control operator hits the empty seat button. And I'm sure some people may not hit the button if there trying to get high numbers, but that doestn happen that often.

And yes PKI does have this installed on all of there coasters.

Doesnt CP already have digital displays in there control booths? It seems to me they should, so you know what is going on with the ride at all times. Sure you can have a light that will light up if you get a fault or something, but you still dont k ow specifiaclly what it is.

CP policy is in place for a reason:uniformity and objectivity. I may not like having to run around the que to reride the MS but thats the way the cookie crumbles, love it or leave it!

Like I said before, I don't have a problem running around and back to the queue lines all day - even if nobody is waiting behind me to ride. I was just curious if it was actually CP's policy or not - which Brent was nice enough to clarify for me.

Hey, I got an idea... how about if we exit the train on the wrong side - make the short trot over and swing the turnstile around once, then hope back in the ride??? lol
It'll especially come in handy during Joe Cool ERT!!

Still counting down the days... can't wait to see you guys in May!!!!!!!!!
Pro Bob

redbrigade - I don't HAVE to love it and I sure as heck ain't gonna leave it! I just have to endure it!!! ;)

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WOULD YOU "GET TO THE PO!NT" ALREADY!!!

I do see exactly what you are saying about the operator "subtracting" the empty seats, and I'm saying that I doubt it happens consistently and thus the system is no more accurate than the turnstyle. If you send a train with one person on it, do you click the thing 31 times? Both methods have SOME error to them so it's not really worth arguing over 5-10% of the final numbers. That's pretty impressive that PKI has this on all their coasters! It just seems kind of pointless to have all that extra technology and not really use if for anything other than the park's internal counting. They could easily implement electronic wait signs if they already have this in place.

As for digital displays in the control booth, many coasters (probably most) at CP do not have this. Magnum has an "alarm" light and buzzer on the control panel. When this goes off, someone has to go to the electrical room downstairs and get the code from a readout down there and call maintenance with the code. MF DOES have a digital readout that times the trains and stuff like that. WT probably does too. I'm sure someone who has worked these rides could tell you everything it does.

-Matt
2001 Magnum Crew

Pro Bob, I agree with you. I'd rather let someone re-ride than start a fight with a guest for having to walk around. People got particularly nasty in the evening when we'd have almost no line, and an empty platform, and we wouldn't let them ride again. Oh well, if we let one person do it, everyone should be able to, and that runs in to all sorts of problems. ;)

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Brent Haley
Gemini Crew '02 & '03