Battle for Eire

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Basically these polls are skewed because they allow people to vote multiple times over the course. Basically it all depends on how much the park or other location actively campaigns. Often you see places campaign on social media asking people to vote and reminding them to vote. It's really more of an award that shows who cares the most about winning than anything else.
 
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In an attempt to keep the other thread on topic, I am replying to @Lord Robert post here.

Opening seasons inherently mean long lines for "e-ticket" rides. Check out the waits this year. virtually nothing. Every time I have gotten in line for BfE (this was over the Williamsburg area Spring Break btw, so the park was pretty crowded) it was a walk on, when other rides were pulling hour wait times.

I see BfE diminishing ridership happening way faster than it did with EITA, and that was back when there were 2 indoor A.C. rides in the park. In theory, BfE should have huge lines this summer since it isn't sharing its rider-base with anything, and if it doesn't, I think that marks it as a failure. Though BfE may be the better ride, sheer numbers are starting to make me think EITA was somehow more successful.

There is a simple test. Look at people after they get off BfE. Nobody was smiling, nor joyous, nothing. Just neutral. That shouldn't be your expression after a good ride. Show me one person with a soul that could get off Apollo's or DK or CSH completely expressionless. I actually hear a lot of people saying they didn't enjoy BfE when I am exiting the ride.

It is a shame, but it really is starting to hit the numbers and public reaction that marks a failed attraction.
 
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Interesting, I had different experiences with the ride where people were actually enjoying themselves. I guess it is interesting that there are people not enjoying it as well leaving this as a pretty mixed bag.

As much as I really like Battle for Eire, I wouldn't mind a Irish-themed replacement where they take what the park has learned and improve the VR/motion simulator concept even further.
 
Here's my take on Eire.

The technology is... Not really that impressive.

At the end of the day, you have a consumer grade VR headset (HTC Vive) and seats on a platform that doesn't have as large as range of motion as might be hoped for.

People go to theme parks for experiences they can't get at home. I could theoretically sit at home, strap on an HTC Vive loaded with the BfE program and get roughly the same experience as visiting the attraction. Someone could tilt the chair I'm sitting in and basically replicate the added effects of the platform at the attraction.

Even if the ride had a non-commercial VR headset and a better ride platform, the pace at which tech advances would make it cost prohibitive to keep the ride up feeling like an experience that can't be had elsewhere.
 
As I accidently posted in another thread, let's see how it goes this season after FF opens. I don't see BfE as a destination attraction. Maybe increased traffic in Ireland will be a true test of it's worthiness.
 
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I enjoy walking through the cave queue and the preshow rooms for the theming, but if I could do those then skip the actual ride I would. All previous versions we would do once or twice a season, BfE however if it was a choice of riding or sitting in a corner I would choose the corner. It just has no appeal to me and my family feels the same.
 
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I understand some love it some hate it. I'm not trying to discuss whether we like it or not. I simply am thinking about the future of this ride, and one question sticks in my brain:


Why does nobody ride it?


After all, that is all BGW cares about; numbers. If the ridership isn't there, they could give two hoots about what people like and dislike about the ride. To me the best indicator of what the general consensus of the visitors of BGW think of the ride is how many people ride it. And it is a shockingly low number of people for just the second season of BfE's life. We can all agree on that, regardless of what we like or dislike about the ride. Of course we don't have hard numbers to look at, but can anyone tell me the last time it was more than a walk-on?

From what I have heard through my many times riding it and what people around me say, more often than not I hear negative things, and kids saying "that was lame". Really little kids range from "I loved it" to shaking their head no when their parent asked them if they enjoyed. It isn't a BAD ride, I just think it isn't a GOOD ride. It is very meh, and not the least bit memorable to me and some others I have spoken to, but that is personal opinion. I would love to hear what others think about why nobody rides the damn thing.

Just for some personal perspective as well; I have brought a total of 7 people who had never been to BGW (much less anything better than a Six Flags park) over the course of the past two years. None of them liked BfE. Granted they weren't toddlers so they were already at a disadvantage, these people who had never even been to BGW before thought it felt silly and weird. No desire to ride it again, even when it was raining out, they took some convincing to ride it over sitting in Grogan's. So I don't see the problems with this ride being "not to BGW standards", since people who don't even know those standards would rather go ride the Dark Knight at SFGAdv.
 
RollyCoaster said:
Just to be clear, you and your family find the idea of sitting in a corner more appealing than BfE?
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Yes, makes wife feel bad, son who plays a ton of video games says "it sucks" and I think my thoughts on it are clear. If given the choice we would just sit in Grogans back corner and look at our phones for 15 minutes over riding.
 
As a bit of a tech nerd I thought the vr headsets were pretty disappointing. The resolution was pretty poor and tracking pretty bad. I think they'd be better with some outward tracking headsets like the new Oculus Quest which is also wire-free. Heck, incorporate the controllers and make it interactive and you've got a world class simulator right there.

I think I have a new idea for the concepts page...
 
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Sitting in a corner vs riding BFE seems a little harsh. I don't think it is a great ride by any means but neither is Tradewinds. I'd still rather ride Tradewinds than sit on the bench and stare at people.
 
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I actually rather enjoy my moments of relaxation in the pub.
Nothing will ever get me on that piece of headache inducing-poorly-animated-plotless-force-less piece of shit ever again.
When I have friends with me who insist on riding, I take a coke zero and a quiet spot and catch up on the news.
 
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And that’s the only way I would ride is if I was there with first timers who wanted to ride.....other than that i’m good checking the weather or deleting email.
 
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WDWRLD said:
I enjoy tradewinds and would ride it anytime over BfE.
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Fair enough and I get it. i don't think it is a great ride by any means and it's not something you can do more than once. But I still think I'd rather do BFE than sit in a corner on my phone. I can do that anywhere. I think you'd be better off just walking to another ride.
 
Yes, I wouldnt just sit there to sit there. I was just saying if those were my only two choices I would pick the corner.
 
I don't think there's anything wrong with disliking a ride and saying so out loud. At Knoebels over the weekend I sat out a few rides that would obviously make me physically uncomfortable because these "attractions" were thinly disguised torture devices. And at almost any park there are rides I just don't like - some of them loved and revered and I'm like, "meh." That being said, I don't see the reason to harp on a ride over and over... unless its Anaconda because that coaster is complete trash.
 
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