TTD Closed Again??

I noticed that yesterday, 6/27, Dragster didn't open until maybe noon or after. According to the webcams, the line outside the entrance seemed to be record length for this season, going almost all the way back to Corkscrew. Then it was running for a while, but then closed around 9 or 9:30. They had taken off the trains by 10 I guess. This morning, they still haven't put the trains back on for testing or anything, and it's 9:15 am. Does anyone know what happened, if it's a long-term problem?

Also, there are only 5 trains on the transfer tracks this morning. Is it always five because it's relatively early in the season? Something said that it would start the season by running 5, but when it gets warmer capacity would increase by adding a sixth train. I wasn't sure because I've never looked at the cam early enough to see them there. *** Edited 6/28/2004 1:18:24 PM UTC by Erikjc***

Having been there, it was closed until about 2. Then they started to fire them off, the second try being a rollback. The lines were just so far back since the actual queue wasn't filled. I was lucky enough to happen to want to check on its status when they were about to launch the first train.

Yesterday, TTD was only open from 3-4:30, but I did leave the park at 8:30, but I know that the chances of it opening were slim, because I looked at the CP cam when we got home, and there was no one on the platform.

I have the all great ERT thanks to being a JCC member, it wasn'y open at 9am when we got in the park, so they gave out Freeway stamps from 3-4 at 9-9:30.

We got back in line, the maintenince workers were on the track near the platform, and we asked them if the problem was major or minor. He said that it was minor and should be up and running shortly. A few minutes later we saw that they were putting the trains back on the tracks, so we got in line at about 9:20, which was very short, I can only assume because everyone seen that it wasn't even testing so they ran to MF.

9:50--They shot off a train and it made it over....of course, everyone applaused. Then nothing. At 10:30 they announced that TTD was closed due to maintinence problems, and that they anticipated a lengthly wait, and advised everyone in line that they should go ride other rides. So we waited an hour and a half against the black gait, but we were lucky to have our FW stamps from 3-4 in case it was running then.

GREAT! It opened at 3:05!!!! The line was...well, can't really lell you bacause I stood on a bench and I couldn't see the end of it. Could have been backed up to the enterance gate, but I'll never know.

Back to my point...We ran right to the enterance gate, showed the security /police/whatever he is....our FW stamps, and he said we couldn't use them because all of "these people" have been waiting for a long time. We told him thet we waited for an hour and a half this morning until they announced that it was going to be a lengthly deley. He said "sorry, go to the end of the line and wait like everyone else" Of course, they were only letting handfulls of people in the queue at 10 minute intervals, so heck no, we weren't going to the end of the line! A few weeks ago, someone cut in front someone who was waiting along the black fence (which I think that they need to add queue lines to!) and she told the Security guard/police/ ...and he said that there was nothing he could do because it was NOT a queue line until after the enterance. So we walked in line anyway and didn't get stopped. But for him to tell us that we couldn't use our FW stamps???? I thought that was major BS because we waited 90 minutes too, just not then. Not to mention that there was a guy sitting at the FW enterance with a stamp! Anyone else there yesterday and experience this nonsence yesterday??

Even though I got to ride, I am still Po'ed. I would NOT have walked in line if I had not had a FW stamp. I guess that it was a split second desision of hostility that I got in line anyway, after all, The same guy said that it technically was NOT a line and he couldn't do anything. Sorry for the fuming..it just doesn't make any sence at all. Just imagine how I would be if I hadn't gotten a ride in that hour and a half that it was open yesterday! *** Edited 6/28/2004 1:51:59 PM UTC by CurrentlyDownDueTo FillInTheBlank***

Yeah I thought that was a little bit weird. Once you actually got into the queues the wait was only about 10 minutes anyway. They definently should do something different about that whole system. They take way to long letting people in so you should be able to cut in front of them. That's what the Freeway passes are for.

Thanks for backing me up! I am still felling a little guilty!

Why do they only let handfulls of people into the queue at a time? That to me just seems to clog the area along the black fence, and it causes line-cutting problems as mentioned. And back to the point, does anyone have any idea what's wrong? I've never seen the trains not on the track this late in the day, maybe I missed it the last time it happened, but it seems it might be major. Usually they're at least trying to test, so...

Well, I just E-mailed CP, A very nice letter hoping to get a responce, but I doubt that I will.

I asked them if they were going to be posting the daily status, if they anticipated severe problems like last year, why I couldn't use my FW stamp, if outside the entrance gate was considered a line and if cutting was permitted, and a few other q's. In the odd event I actually get a responce, I will be sure to post it.

I can't even begin to guess what's going on to keep Dragster down, though any number of reasons wouldn't surprise me.

As a guess, I'd say that they do limit the number of people in line during spots of sporadic operation, simply to keep the number of "potential problems" in check. By potential problems, I'm thinking people who get hungry, thirsty, or need to use the restroom, then get upset because they are told that if they leave the queue they can't get back in. I am also thinking that it would help them limit the number of people in the queue who will be upset because they close Dragster down for good that day for mechanical reasons. (Not that people will like Dragster closing whether or not they are inside the queue.)

As far as the sixth train, my guess would be that if CP feels they can run six trains effectively, they'll add the sixth train back on. I can't begin to believe that the sixth train will help matters, since they quickly abandoned the idea last year, but I'm not an engineer. (I'd love to be one, though.)

Just my uneducated guesses.

Laura

edited for grammar correction *** Edited 6/28/2004 3:15:30 PM UTC by raptorgrl***

I liked the mist I got when I rode it yesterday. Anyone know how long they've been doing that?

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CurrentlyDownDueTo FillInTheBlank said:
I asked them if they were going to be posting the daily status, if they anticipated severe problems like last year

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There is no way to predict sevre problems.

As for the whole FW thing...
Same thing happened to me, a few weeks ago. It is a bunch of B.S. The reason you get the FW is to skip the long line, and pass in front of the people with "normal" entry.

Lucky for me, when I was turned down from entering at the FW entry, I found a friend at that was in line about 50 feet away from the entrance. :) It might have been me that you were talking about that line jumped a few weeks ago, but I think I had a justified reason too.

I would say that they should make 2 lines before entering the queue lines- "regular" entry, and FW. If they don't, the FW is totally pointless...

Looking at the webcam right now, the trains are on the transfer tracks and the station is empty. I did see the line outside the actual entry way the other day and it was LONG! I've gone 3 times to CP this year and TTD ran just fine when I was there. Anyways, hope we see TTD up soon! *** Edited 6/28/2004 3:54:05 PM UTC by Helochinkgoal***

Does anyone think/know if TTD will be up again by 6/30? My uncle and i are going together and this would be hes first time on TTD and my 6th time. I want to ride again and he mostly wants to go just to ride TTD.

Yeah, I'm going 7/10, and I'm getting a little nervous. I've only been to CP one other time, and that was last August. I had a very unforunate and frustrating experience then, because it was open for weeks before I went, then broke down the night before. It was closed the entire time I was there, and as I was leaving I heard rumors they were going to open it. They never did until the next day when i got home, and that was pretty much the end of all major problems last season I believe! The only good thing about that was that I get to go again this year!

TTD will definitely be up and running by the 30th. In fact, if you leave your name I will pass it on to the Manager of TTD and when you get there, walk up the exit and the ride ops will let you ride any seat you want as long as you want. No problem.

John

My name is allen ok i will be sure to ask them if we can have the front seats...HAHAHA

I hope it's up by wednesday..my cousin is in town and wants to ride it!

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Lucky for me, when I was turned down from entering at the FW entry, I found a friend at that was in line about 50 feet away from the entrance. It might have been me that you were talking about that line jumped a few weeks ago, but I think I had a justified reason too.

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So I guess it is one of their "rules"! I didn't know that they had turned away people with FW stamps before. I assume that you had the hour that it was running stamped on your hand?

I doubt it was you though. It was around 9:15 in the morning. ;)

About the freeway thing, I was in that long line yesterday and these people who had freeway stamps got in line behind me and were complaining that they had to wait to enter the queue. A silver of park ops was walking by and they complained to him about it and he walked them up to the enterance and let them in. I heard him tell those folks that the ops are supposed to let you right in with a freeway stamp. I'm guessing after that the problem was solved.

What do you mean "Silver"?

I hope you got to ride it! If so, how long was your total wait? Could you see how far the line was? Because I sure couldn't! I just know that it was total chaos!

It it running today 6/28? I can't see anything moving on the stupid watercovered webcam.