Toughtest Ride To Run (coaster / flat / skyride)

Was thinking the same thing but I am guessing its a rather old model since he worked at Conneaut (assuming thats where the ride was). I'm sure it had not been touched by any kind of Engineer or had a control system replacement.

That is the reason Cedar Point rides are all easy to run. The Controls Department does anything and everything to configure a control system that an ape could run. If CP were to obtain a Skydiver, Im sure it would have a simple operating system installed. Just move the joystick right or left until you want it to stop. Then just park it and press E-Stop, Park, Hold or whatever kind of button you want. Just like how Sky Scraper is ran.

Well I'm a former RipCord site controller, and I now operate SkyRide...with that said, they're equal.

With ripcord, you do manually land people which can be tough with larger guests (also makes work exciting too!), but you also might not do this job in long periods of time. The other positions at RipCord tend to be easy and less physical, just more hands-on than other rides. Also, you may not have guests at all times. There are periods of time that you might not have any riders.

At Skyride, you're constantly moving. There's always something to do. Catch is the most physical position, catching atleast 800 pounds ever 10-25 seconds. The other positions aren't as physical, but you still work your arms a lot just by pushing and pulling cabins. SkyRide does go down a lot for the wind, so you will be sweeping. Sweeping could be considered an easy job, but not when you're carrying a dustban over your shoulder for long periods throughout the day.

I hope this helps.

Maybe I'm bias, but, I would have to say that the Go-Karts in Challenge Park are the toughest ride to operate and here's why.

Riders don't come to the ride wanting to hear 2 minutes worth of rules. They're excited that they're finally on a ride that they have full control of. They can go as fast as they want and there's no way for the ride host to stop them. Unless, they hold down the yellow stall button,(which doesn't work half the time). I say it's the hardest ride to control, because that's just it, there's very little control over the ride, yet you have the safety of the rider as your highest responsibility. And you get in trouble if something goes wrong for something you had little control over in the first place.

That seems easy more like Bumper Cars when kids don't know what they are doing and you have people slamming them while the Parents yell at you. But people not knowing can add some entertainment to your day lol

After spending a summer listening to what the race park crew puts up with, entertaining is not what I would call it.

Ok it is time for me to defend my ride. Monster really is not bad as 99er stated, the only tough part is learning how to park the ride, and the cotter pins can hurt your hand at first but then you get used to it. I have worked that ride for two years now and I like it.

Well, I operated a go-kart track before they had the radio controlled device to shut off the cars. THAT was a lot of work. It is also a lot of physical work (and a bit dangerous) getting cars turned around and going the right direction when they spin out.

Working the kiddie dodgem at Geauga Lake was tough because the parents expected you to help the kids figure out how to work the thing. I would be called in 20 different directions.

The old ferris wheel (manual) at Geauga Lake was a lot of work too.

Any type of spieling ride (Jungle Cruise at Disney for instance) requires a lot of stamina and one can expect their voice to come and go throughout the season.

campfreak06 said:
Maybe I'm bias, but, I would have to say that the Go-Karts in Challenge Park are the toughest ride to operate and here's why.

Riders don't come to the ride wanting to hear 2 minutes worth of rules. They're excited that they're finally on a ride that they have full control of. They can go as fast as they want and there's no way for the ride host to stop them. Unless, they hold down the yellow stall button,(which doesn't work half the time). I say it's the hardest ride to control, because that's just it, there's very little control over the ride, yet you have the safety of the rider as your highest responsibility. And you get in trouble if something goes wrong for something you had little control over in the first place.

Thats not tough. Thats just stressful. You deal with guests who want to do stupid things that put themselves and others in huge safety risks at any and all job locations. At raptor several times this year we had people run into moving trains from the exit side of the platform. And at the go karts you dont deal with the the volume of people that you deal with at a coaster or at sky ride. At Cadillac cars where guests get to control there rides as well I had many friends get there feet ran over. some could no longer work that ride because it broke or sprained there feet/ankles. Go karts are not much different or unique than other rides in the park.

You can get your foot ran over by a gocart to. Go karts look hard to operate. Kings islands has to be the worst to control because yu have to sprint to close off the track when it is time for the cars to come backe in. It might be 150 ft of track.

coolkid2345 said:
You can get your foot ran over by a gocart to.

I was not infering that you cant get your foot run over by a go kart. However, it is far more unlikely that it would happen. And I was just trying to disprove that the go karts are THE hardest ride to operate. They maybe hard but they are not the hardest.

Chief Wahoo said:
Well, I operated a go-kart track before they had the radio controlled device to shut off the cars.

They still don't have the power to stop/shut the cars off, at least not at CP. They have a device that can slow them down, although the cars are prone to stalling when that happens. Then you have the issue of running around trying to restart stalled cars.

I do think Skyride or Thunder Canyon can be one of the hardest rides to run. I have worked both rides and I think Sky Ride is the toughest. With Sky Ride you have cabins coming at you every 9 seconds when you are running with 38. If you are working the "Trip" position where you have to lock the cabin and send it into the cable, you have to deal with phone calls and making sure you have the cabin locked.

With TC you have to make sure everyones seatbelt is fastened by the time it engages with the lift, and you have to make sure every one gets out without falling in the water.

The easiest ride in the Park to run I would say is Power Tower, I was trained on their in about a half hour, all you need to is check seats and press a button that is (just to Operate it).

Liftops, I think you will find the Sky Ride very interesting. I don't think anyone mentioned it, but it is a classic Von Roll type 101 lift. Not too many of those around anymore. No tire banks or chains in the terminals to transport the carriers around. It is all done manually by pushing though they do have an automatic dispatch release.

Never worked at CP but I do love lifts, especially the classic ones. Grew up riding a lot of fixed grip Halls in the east.

Disaster Transport can honestly be a bitch. it's not too hard to run. but the safety systems give us trouble a lot. It likes to not attach to the life. Plus block checks in the morning are a pain. Plus troughwalks at night

nicole you have been everywhere

And to think, they use to keep you at the ride you were contracted to work.

you guys are forgetting about dragster !

Haha. yes I got thrown around a lot. But it was super fun getting to know lots of rides. I would have been miserable if I would have stayed at my contracted "ride"....that and ridiculously sunburned.

HAHA and I totally just noticed i typed that DT doesn't like to attach to the "life" instead of "lift"

Well for easiest ride I vote Wicked Twister...if you know how to press two buttons, you WIN! The hardest part is getting the guests to understand basic concepts such as how seatbelts buckle. Other than that, hardest ride idk from what I've heard I think SkyRide. Heavy cabins (filled with heavy people) are coming at you very quickly (assuming all cabins are running). It's a physical job to say the least, and if it goes down you get to sweep...YAY!