There has been much debate on this forum about the utility of the HOS Pumpkin Rating System (PRS). Specifically, many members have found the assessments to be wildly misleading, and have rejected the entire approach as hopelessly flawed. In an attempt to demonstrate that if used properly the PRS can convey valuable and succinct information, we decided to start rating attractions and events at BGW.
For anyone unfamiliar with the much-maligned PRS, the park graded HOS attractions on a scale of one to five pumpkins from least to most scary.
We will begin with Mach Tower... not because it is easy, but because today we came to the realization that through clever staging and theming, the park has turned a simple drop tower into a nightmare ride of epic proportions.
Mach Tower: Five Pumpkins
1. Staged Downtime. In an attempt to create fear, the park regularly closes MT, leading guests to question the mechanical reliability and structural integrity of the ride.
2. Maintenance Costumes. Actors dressed as maintenance workers spend hours each week, climbing on MT, pretending to investigate, remove, and fix critical elements of the ride.
3. Atmospheric Soundtrack. MT has been fitted with a state of the art sound system, which treats riders to rattling and squealing noises, designed to enhance concerns with the mechanical viability of the ride.
4. Delayed Opening. The marketing department implemented a brilliant plan to trick the media into believing that MT was so badly designed that its opening had to be delayed by four months to address "serious design flaws," generating free publicity for the park's new thrill ride.
5. Dodgy Restraints. To make sure riders feel the fear, even once they are "safely restrained" on MT, the over-the-shoulder harnesses were designed to lock silently and jiggle once attached to the seatbelt.
All of these clever thematic elements come together to create what may be BGW's most terrifying ride to date. Anything less than five Pumpkins would be an insult to the devious minds that created widespread fear of MT.
For anyone unfamiliar with the much-maligned PRS, the park graded HOS attractions on a scale of one to five pumpkins from least to most scary.
We will begin with Mach Tower... not because it is easy, but because today we came to the realization that through clever staging and theming, the park has turned a simple drop tower into a nightmare ride of epic proportions.
Mach Tower: Five Pumpkins
1. Staged Downtime. In an attempt to create fear, the park regularly closes MT, leading guests to question the mechanical reliability and structural integrity of the ride.
2. Maintenance Costumes. Actors dressed as maintenance workers spend hours each week, climbing on MT, pretending to investigate, remove, and fix critical elements of the ride.
3. Atmospheric Soundtrack. MT has been fitted with a state of the art sound system, which treats riders to rattling and squealing noises, designed to enhance concerns with the mechanical viability of the ride.
4. Delayed Opening. The marketing department implemented a brilliant plan to trick the media into believing that MT was so badly designed that its opening had to be delayed by four months to address "serious design flaws," generating free publicity for the park's new thrill ride.
5. Dodgy Restraints. To make sure riders feel the fear, even once they are "safely restrained" on MT, the over-the-shoulder harnesses were designed to lock silently and jiggle once attached to the seatbelt.
All of these clever thematic elements come together to create what may be BGW's most terrifying ride to date. Anything less than five Pumpkins would be an insult to the devious minds that created widespread fear of MT.
