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Thorpe Park 2012 Updates

^ Yes, it's worth queueing if it means you get to ride with your group. But when you're alone, it is very useful.

Out of interest, has anyone spotted any other updates at the park for 2012? :/
 
^Or if you just want to get on the ride and avoid a massive queue and aren't bothered if you get split up while you do it.

It just seems like they wanted to get rid of the "hassle" of a single rider queue more than anything.
 
Flying Fish has also had it's SRQ removed (although WHY it had one in the first place, I'll never know)...

Annoying, as I was planning to abuse it when I go because I don't really wanna queue for it (should there be one)...
 
This might come across as melodramatic, but the removal of Stealth's SRQ will have a massive impact on my ride count during a trip to Thorpe. It was only a hassle if it was being batched by an inefficient host. If there was a decent one on duty, then it always worked really really well.

On the other hand, having all disabled band holders and their guests going up the exit did often create a bit of a bottleneck outside the cloakroom collection window. I think this also increased the likleyhood of someone accidentally leaning against the E-Stop button that's in that area.

In short, I can see why they've decided to move the disabled queue, but I'm not impressed that they've had to sacrifice the SRQ to do it.
 
It was only a hassle if it was being batched by an inefficient host. If there was a decent one on duty, then it always worked really really well.
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This is true.

I was never great at organising disabled guests and working the exit. There was too much to remember and too much that needed doing at once and too many criticisms and questions from guests and my head just felt like it was going to explode. Needing to fill out those little time cards... It's impossible for me to tell at an exit how long the queue is, impractical to keep asking the operator and no matter what I write down the guest will argue that they can see it's "not that long". Not to mention figuring out what the time is now + that time, which for my maths inefficient brain is just a nightmare when under pressure in a loud environment.

I was terribly inefficient as an exit host. But as an onloader, I was such a pro. I went out of my way to search for single riders ahead of time and prepare guests so they got onboard as quickly as possible.

There needs to be that flexibility that, if you aren't confident in a particular role or feel you are better suited elsewhere, you can. I guess the problem would be people would abuse it to do the "easiest" jobs...

It's difficult. You're always going to have some staff who dont give a damn, some who are extraordinary and the majority of which are meh and vary between delivery in different areas.

There is no REAL need for a single rider queue if you have an efficient onloader anyway. Certainly not on a ride like Stealth where guests are effectively counted onto the ride. With every train, you are aware of singles and can call out for any single riders to come forth. There's plenty of time if you're alert. If there was time to do it with Fury, there's certainly time with Stealth.
 
I agree with Nic. I think its a bit of a git that they have removed the SRQ but something did need to be done about how they dealt with Disabled rides too. It does seem that more parks are actually providing proper queue areas for those with disabilities rather than letting them jump the queues etc.
 
Oh dear lord! This is even stupider than the half a wheelchair width of a disabled queue for Storm Surge.

I know you're reading Thorpe. Sort your lives out!
 
Or it could be done to sell more fast pass things.

Family of 3 go but only one is riding the big coasters so they buy 1 pass for them.

They also know a lot of people just use it to jump the queue so why not charge for it.

Being cynical again I know but I had to do this in Orlando when I was single riding as I did not want to be in a queue by myself.
 
TP Rich said:
The Swarm
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Woo, B&M awesomeness.

TP Rich said:
No Canada Creek Railway, No Time Voyagers, SAW Alive is now open only on selected dates
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So fewer attractions to soak up the numbers this season. Great.

TP Rich said:
Loads of random little changes that have no real effect on the visit
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Meh

TP Rich said:
Detonator Fastrack
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That's going to slow the main queue down a fair bit given the ride's capacity. Bugger.

TP Rich said:
Stealth SRQ replaced with a disabled entrance
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This is the major one. As a solo visitor to the park, it's going to mean long waits for Stealth and far fewer rides if I visit. In fact, I'm now wondering whether I should just skip the park entirely this season as a result.

Working term time + busy park + living in North Yorkshire + no single rider = expensive trip with low ride count = just not worth it.

Even if I do succumb to going down to ride Swarm, I'll not be making a second visit this season now that they've done this.
 
I understand what people mean when they say it's good that the disabled queue will no longer cause congestion, but... it's a claustraphobically narrow pathway with a steep flight of stairs at the end... in other words, not a way I'd be happy to see disabled guests access the ride. Obviously, wheelchairs will still need to use the lift, as well as people with any other disabilities that mean they cannot walk up steep flights of stairs. It might ease conjestion a little bit in the photo sales unit, but I don't think it's going to be noticeable enough for it to pay off.

To be honest with you, I agree with the theory that this is a scheme to try and sell more Fastrack tickets. As guest numbers will presumably grow with the additions of major coasters every three years, the queues will gradually rise, and the park will ultimately sell more Fastrack tickets, making them more moeny. And just to really boost their profits, Merlin will set up little schemes like these.

You'll often notice that rides, particularly at Thorpe, have queue times advertised as much longer than they actually are, and while I am sceptical about this, and entertain the possibility that it could simply be mistake, I do believe that this could possibly be another subtle way of encouraging people to purchase Fastrack.
 
TP Rich said:
You'll often notice that rides, particularly at Thorpe, have queue times advertised as much longer than they actually are, and while I am sceptical about this, and entertain the possibility that it could simply be mistake, I do believe that this could possibly be another subtle way of encouraging people to purchase Fastrack.
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Perhaps, but I think the main reason they do it is to keep the majority happy.

If it said the queue was 90mins but it ended up being 60mins, you'd be in a better mood.

However, if the board said 30mins and it was actually 60mins, people would be angry and start complaining. See the difference in guest satisfaction in two scenerios with the same actual queue time?

From a park's perspective it's always better to overestimate.

They probably do sell more fast track tickets though... so it's win-win for the park really.



I still haven't done the Saw maze, haha.

Meh.
 
^ That's where my term "Thorpe Park Half Hour" came from. The queue board for Collosus said 30mins, It was 2hrs!

Don't see why their getting rid of the Single Rider for Stealth. Most Disabled will still use the exit anyway.
 
The other thing to look at is that a lot of people get really wound up and fed up of their waiting time being extended because anyone and everyone with a disabled badge gets to skip the line with all their friends and jump straight on. Some could say that is a little unfair perhaps? I think it has been touched upon on here before too when they reduced the number of people permitted with a disabled guest.

Likewise, a single ride queue just helped people beat the queues but, as Joey pointed out, if the Ride Op is doing their job well there is no need for a SRQ anyways. Meaning again, that everyone queues together etc.

I know that Disney were finding that the sheer numbers of people with passes and wheelchairs meant that an 'exit' pass was no longer viable and that is why all new attractions have wide queue lines, lifts and so on to ensure that everyone could use the same queue.
 
Mark said:
The other thing to look at is that a lot of people get really wound up and fed up of their waiting time being extended because anyone and everyone with a disabled badge gets to skip the line with all their friends and jump straight on. Some could say that is a little unfair perhaps? I think it has been touched upon on here before too when they reduced the number of people permitted with a disabled guest.
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Last season (and the one before that), Thorpe's disabled policy has been fairer.

When somebody with a spacker band goes on a ride, a card is marked with the time of ride and the estimated queue time for the ride. The spacker must then wait for the duration of the queue before going on another ride with a disabled entrance.

Bit miffed about the SRQ for Stealth. I used to abuse that!
 
I used to abuse that!
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Same here, and I think I blame the SRQ for making me fall in love with Stealth. I never really like it that much before, but on my last few visits I whored the SRQ and it just grew on me so, so much.
 
I noticed at Thorpe Park today that Flying Fish's SRQ has been replaced with a 'First Plaice Riders' queue. Does anybody know what on earth this means? :?
 
^ That sounds likely, but somehow, I don't think many people will understand what it means just from that. :/

I also noticed, today, that the little blue tower above the Calypso Quay Burger King (visible from Nemesis Inferno's queue) appears to be fire damaged. I've no idea if this is to promote The Swarm or what, but it seems odd...
 
The whole park is promoting The Swarm did you not notice The Swarm sound from time to time over the parks sound system?
 
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