Spring Break

Mike's Sis · XLR-8 Rider Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 82

We went on Wednesday; you were right, Mike...it WAS crowded. I guess I've gotten spoiled going at off times. Even though I had two 8-year-olds with me, I ruled 45 minutes too long a wait to ride Scooby Doo Ghostbusters. We had a good day, anyway, except for the 20 minutes we had to sit in the train on trim brakes on Road Runner Express. One of the ride operators told my non-riding husband that it had been breaking down all day.

ANYway, I guess I'm an old fogey, but does anyone know why no employee goes out and stands with the waiting train?? I remember more than once having to run up the lift to stand with a train on Excalibur (fun times!); all they would've had to do on Road Runner was walk out of the station around the catwalk. I was extra grouchy about it 'cause the lap bar checker was one of those "jam the lap bar down as far as I can and see if I can make these people cry" kinda guys. I guess if you jam the lap bar down far enough, you don't have to worry about people trying to get out when the train has to sit on trim brakes. It does make for a pretty unpleasant experience, though (even for a little bitty skinny 8 year old!)

ThatTh*ngGirl · Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:54 pm Post subject: Re: Spring Break

Mike's Sis · XLR-8 Rider Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 82

I agree. But hanging out in the station with the train a few yards away is kinda lame. If there was an intercom, no one around me heard it, and we were in the middle of the train. ( Mike, I know, I know, but I had a less-brave-than-Zach kid with me! She wasn't interested in the front seat, and I had to show her that there was no way the train would come off the tracks!)

I don't know if staffing was low or not...there was one person dispatching/checking lap bars, one doing the back dispatch/checking lap bars, and then one standing at the turnstile (I guess keeping the station from getting too crowded?) and one standing at the flash pass entrance.

Oh well. At least it wasn't 105 degrees!

Mike Robinson · Site Admin Joined: 12 Mar 2002 Posts: 4184

This sure isn't the same Six Flags we used to work for. Unfortunately this kind of practice is what I have come to expect from Six Flags.

I think Fiesta is probably the best park of the chain, but stuff like sending a ride op to sit with a train has vanished. Certainly one of the ride ops could have come out there, but they just are not trained to do so.

I don't know what else to say, and the crazy thing is, I am hearing how much better things are now.

I don't even have a season pass for Six Flags parks anymore. This kind of stuff happens too often and I don't go to a park to get angry about operations policies that I think are crazy.

wiyoh20 · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:44 am Post subject:

I have not had the chance to expirience Fiesta Texas yet, but for new years a friend and I went to SFOT, we ended up getting stuck on Titan on the brake section at the end of the ride. At that point there was an employee that came out and chatted with us until the ride was up and running again, I want to say we were sitting there for about 20 minutes with him. Again it could be the difference between the two parks, or may be some new policy.
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Mike Robinson · Site Admin Joined: 12 Mar 2002 Posts: 4184

At SFOT, employees ALWAYS come out to "babysit" guests on all my visits. Titan, Wildcatter, Texas Giant....

At Fiesta, especially on Roadrunner express, I have had to sit on the brake run more times than I can remember, often in the hot sun. I think I can think of one time we had someone come out. Poltergeist, I have sat on the brake run for an eternity feeling very ignored.

No, there is not much consistency between parks. I do think that if you are sitting in a train for more than 5 or 10 minutes, the park owes you that courtesy visit from one of the ride ops. Its just good Customer Service.

I had expected a better trip report from my sister. As an ex ride op, and as a parent she has a pretty good perspective. (And she teaches so I think she knows a little about patience.)

I was very disappointed to hear about this. I do not want to pay a lot of money to visit a park and have that kind of experience. I will probably hold off on visiting SFFT until the Fiesta Fest event and skip the Goliath opening.

With the economy and gas prices, I have to pick and choose very carefully and this kind of report helps make that choice.

ThatTh*ngGirl · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 11:59 am Post subject:

It's particularly strange that the lack of a stranded train babysitter at one park doesn't add up to the policies of another park run by the same people. I can think of being stopped on RRE's brake run out there one Fiesta Fest and no one came out back then either.

I can't help but wonder if this has to do with the change in ownership, because when Story and Burke took over, they made EVERYTHING--straight down to the park radio numbers--exactly the same chain-wide. All ride tests were in the exact same format, therefore so were the ride manuals which means that they should all have a breakdown policy regarding babysitters for stranded units. If that's not it and this has been going on since before the takeover, then I have no explanation.

Mike Robinson · Site Admin Joined: 12 Mar 2002 Posts: 4184

I don't know either. Thinking back on all my rides on RRE, there is always some delay on the trim brakes. Sometimes it's a pretty good delay. Maybe it happens so much it is just taken for granted by the park. I think I have taken it for granted. Think how many events we have had there where we sit on that brake run and joke around and use the time to talk. Not a big deal to us.

But my sister brings up a good point, if you have kids with you (that are NOT Zach), things like that can really freak them out. Since the Family visits are being emphasized, maybe it is something that SFFT should address.

ThatTh*ngGirl · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:04 pm Post subject:

Haha, yea. The time I brought up was when we were stuck out there (year before last), and Zach was in the seat behind us. That was the night they had to shut it down early. And it's really one thing for a bunch of ACEers with no GP around to entertain themselves while stuck, but still: These are also going to be the first people to wonder why no one came out to talk, even if you can count on ACEers to know better than to start climbing out of the seats.

We're having a similar discussion to this on the SFOT former employee forums, about litter at the front gate on the ground before opening, even taking into consideration that it was windy. No apparent action was seen taken to readily sweep it up by opening. And the people I know that are in charge of things like that--people I've worked with and under before--it's just unimaginable to me that they weren't on that like pink on pigs. It makes me wonder what else has taken a hit in the budget besides staffing cuts.

txnhrt · Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:46 pm Post subject:

I don't know what the specific park policies are with regard to sending someone out to a train when it sits longer than 'the norm' or gets stuck, but when Joshua and I came to a screeching halt after a takeoff on Polty New Year's Day (0-60 in 3.5 secs, 60-0 in .9 sec- lol), a Sup came out to the end of the catwalk within a minute or so after we stopped.

Course, even at the end of the catwalk she wasn't really near us; the furthest out she could go was where the back car was sitting. But she asked if we were okay and checked on us several times, and she stayed 'with us' until we were back in the station- even helping push the train back once the maintenance guys got us moving.

So although I don't know whether they're perhaps trained to go out only for specific types of circumstances or what, we did have someone come out to stay with us that day.
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Mike's Sis · XLR-8 Rider Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 82

[quote="Mike Robinson"]
I had expected a better trip report from my sister. As an ex ride op, and as a parent she has a pretty good perspective. (And she teaches so I think she knows a little about patience.)

Ha! I know a few kids that might argue the patience point, mine in particular.

The trip really wasn't that bad, considering the crowds (and the makeup of the crowds--but we'll leave that for stupidguesttricks.com!) The kids had a good time. We didn't ride a whole lot because of the lines and the kids' fear factor. The employees we talked to were pleasant (considering the crowds, I was impressed with that!) Things weren't particularly dirty or messy; I was surprised that some of the paint, etc. looked dingy so soon after opening. Food lines were glacially slow, but they have been most times I've been to SFFT. I tried really hard not to do the "In my day....." song. It was fun, though, to watch my kid impress his friend with "MY mom drove a roller coaster! And a log ride!" Who knew that my SFAW years would give me status years later with the recess crowd! (That alone was worth the trip!)

Parking-a bajillion dollars. Season pass-2 bajillion dollars. Helping your kid impress his friends-priceless!

Mike Robinson · Site Admin Joined: 12 Mar 2002 Posts: 4184

ThatTh*ngGirl · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:17 pm Post subject:

txnhrt · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:27 pm Post subject:

Mike Robinson · Site Admin Joined: 12 Mar 2002 Posts: 4184

Getting e-stopped, asking for lunch and then asking for them to do it again.....

The day of a true ACEr!!!!! Laughing