Loose Articles

[Unagi]

My thoughts....

Overall I prefer KD over BG, let me explain:

Coasters
...For starters I HATE that BG has enacted a no bag policy on some of their coasters. For someone that carries a bag this is ridiculous because you have to remember to have cash available.

The park started this no-bag policy six years ago with the addition of Griffon and I'm absolutely ecstatic they did it. Time-motion studies for the ride found that it would not run efficiently if they let people bring bags into the queue. It would've been a clusterfuck of nonsense with people trying to walk across a 10-seat wide train just to put their bag in a bin by the exit and then walk back to their seat clashing with other riders trying to do the same thing.

Also, with the crowds the park gets (especially with school trips) the bags were a pain in the ass to deal with for the ride-ops and riders that don't carry a bag. There was nothing more annoying that sitting in a far right seat on Apollo's Chariot only to have some kid(s) pass their bag(s) over to you to hand to the ride-op so they could put it in a bin by the exit. The ride ops should be just that - "ride-ops" and not "baggage handlers."

 

[icedtea]

RE: The ever-burning question

My thoughts....

Overall I prefer KD over BG, let me explain:

Coasters
...For starters I HATE that BG has enacted a no bag policy on some of their coasters. For someone that carries a bag this is ridiculous because you have to remember to have cash available.

The park started this no-bag policy six years ago with the addition of Griffon and I'm absolutely ecstatic they did it. Time-motion studies for the ride found that it would not run efficiently if they let people bring bags into the queue. It would've been a clusterfuck of nonsense with people trying to walk across a 10-seat wide train just to put their bag in a bin by the exit and then walk back to their seat clashing with other riders trying to do the same thing.

Also, with the crowds the park gets (especially with school trips) the bags were a pain in the ass to deal with for the ride-ops and riders that don't carry a bag. There was nothing more annoying that sitting in a far right seat on Apollo's Chariot only to have some kid(s) pass their bag(s) over to you to hand to the ride-op so they could put it in a bin by the exit. The ride ops should be just that - "ride-ops" and not "baggage handlers."

They should think about before they build these kinds of rides.


Posted by Hoopla - 03-08-2013 07:28 PM
Water Park/Rides
KD has this one in the bag. Escape from Pompei was fun the first time I rode it but got very boring seeing the same scenes every time. The splash is not even all that big. I feel like the log flumes at both parks are on the same par - but keep in mind I LOVE all log flumes being a fanboy of them. KD has a decent water park - something that BG does not have. Even though I really don't like KD's I like knowing its there when its hot in the summer.
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You must also know that KD has a built in water park, while BG has a seperate one, WCUSA. You can't really compare a full size water park to three water rides. It does not seem fair.


Also what people do not seem to understand here is WCUSA is technically not part of BG. This is a separate fee park so its a completely separate thing. Yes, they are both close and are owned by the same company but that is really it. When I go to a park I do not want to have to travel between two separate parks just to get wet. I prefer parks with water parks because its easier especially when you are traveling with small children.

 

[Unagi]

RE: The ever-burning question

They should think about before they build these kinds of rides.

They thought it out perfectly with Griffon.

They designed and built it to maximize capacity for what it is and to have as many people board and depart the ride without any hold ups like people with bags.

 

[icedtea]

RE: The ever-burning question

^ I do see your point. I just wish the ride was more fun to me. I usually don't ride it when I go there.

I just think that they should have lockers outside the front entrance that are free. I would not mind that - its the fact you have to pay for them. This should be included into the entrance to the park.

 

[Unagi]

RE: The ever-burning question

^ I do see your point. I just wish the ride was more fun to me. I usually don't ride it when I go there.

I just think that they should have lockers outside the front entrance that are free. I would not mind that - its the fact you have to pay for them. This should be included into the entrance to the park.

Yeah they should do the lockers free for the first hour like they do at Universal Orlando.

 

[pandorazboxx]

RE: The ever-burning question

I agree! they should be free for however long the ride is +10-15 minutes.

 

[HAJiME]

RE: The ever-burning question

The bag thing is stupid. I'm sorry, but Busch doesn't have issues with queue times. Even on busy days they don't have wait times comparable to other parks, because their staff are decent and their rides high capacity. They could cope perfectly fine with bags on platform faff. Oblivion operates just fine with a bag on platform system.

Or, ya know, they could provide free lockers?

The bag system is a money making system, simple as. And at a park like Busch, I don't expect money grabbing. That's Six Flags territory, and the fact that neighbouring Kings Dominion isn't a dick about bags makes Busch look terrible for doing it.

 

[pandorazboxx]

RE: The ever-burning question

Well, it is a localized problem. don't have this problem at BGT. Cheetah Hunt and Shiekra have places to put your bags on the platform.

 

[HAJiME]

RE: The ever-burning question

Well, it is a localized problem. don't have this problem at BGT. Cheetah Hunt and Shiekra have places to put your bags on the platform.

Prob because the British visitors wouldn't stand for it.

I'm joking, we just moan about things and don't ever actually complain, but the huge differences between the parks is likely audience based. Hard to say exactly why, though.

Have any of you made complaints about it?

 

[I305Evan]

RE: The ever-burning question

I would love to see little bags on the back or side of the seats or something that's a zip up to hold little items as big as a water bottle. Just have a note saying the park isn't responsible for the item(s) if they fall out or get damaged. Heck there's higher risk keeping it in your pocket. The only issue is the front row if there isn't a guide car in the front, but it could always be placed on the side or on the bottom beam that's holding the seat up.

 

[Unagi]

RE: The ever-burning question

The bag thing is stupid. I'm sorry, but Busch doesn't have issues with queue times.

It's not stupid on Griffon. Like I said earlier it would be a complete cluster**** of nonsense with riders trying to walk their bags over to the exit area to put in bins and walk back to their seats. There simply isn't enough space for that many riders in one row to do so. This is one reason the park doesn't have a problem with queue time on this coaster.

 

[HAJiME]

RE: The ever-burning question

The bag thing is stupid. I'm sorry, but Busch doesn't have issues with queue times.

It's not stupid on Griffon. Like I said earlier it would be a complete clusterfuck of nonsense with riders trying to walk their bags over to the exit area to put in bins and walk back to their seats. There simply isn't enough space for that many riders in one row to do so. This is one reason the park doesn't have a problem with queue time on this coaster.

Like I said, works fine on Oblivion and someone else said it works fine on Sheikra. Whilst Oblivion has 2 less people per row, it has less room for people to walk to and throw because it's got a floor. And with only 16 people per car, it should, by your definition, have atrocious capacity. But it deals with queues better than any other ride on park. So, I don't buy it.

That exit platform on Griffon isn't very big, granted, but it should have been designed to be wider to account for bags if that's the case. Perhaps they overlooked it and then had to use lockers, and because they provide extra revenue, they stuck with it for Verbolten.

People still have to take off flip flops to leave at the side, so the "bags at the side slow loading" is just bollocks, frankly. It really is a negligible difference, and it's worth tolerating because of the implications of not doing so.

 

[Unagi]

RE: The ever-burning question

That exit platform on Griffon isn't very big, granted, but it should have been designed to be wider to account for bags if that's the case. Perhaps they overlooked it and then had to use lockers, and because they provide extra revenue, they stuck with it for Verbolten.

No overlooking. It was designed to not have extra space for bags.

People still have to take off flip flops to leave at the side, so the "bags at the side slow loading" is just bollocks, frankly. It really is a negligible difference, and it's worth tolerating because of the implications of not doing so.

Riders are suppose to sit on their flip flips. Sadly not everyone that wears them follow that rule.

 

[Zachary]

RE: The ever-burning question

Riders are suppose to sit on their flip flips. Sadly not everyone that wears them follow that rule.

As someone with size 14 feet, this is something I refuse to ever do.

 

[HAJiME]

RE: The ever-burning question

That exit platform on Griffon isn't very big, granted, but it should have been designed to be wider to account for bags if that's the case. Perhaps they overlooked it and then had to use lockers, and because they provide extra revenue, they stuck with it for Verbolten.

No overlooking. It was designed to not have extra space for bags.

To make money? No other good reason.

People still have to take off flip flops to leave at the side, so the "bags at the side slow loading" is just bollocks, frankly. It really is a negligible difference, and it's worth tolerating because of the implications of not doing so.

Riders are suppose to sit on their flip flips. Sadly not everyone that wears them follow that rule.

Well, the staff don't enforce it, because they never made me do it. So that's their problem, not the guests.


And today I learnt that Zach has giant feet... I'm an 8, haha. EXTREMES.

 

[Party Rocker]

I hate people who think bags can go with theme everywhere. What do you do at a water park when you ride rides? Do you carry your bag with you all the way to the top set it down and comeback for it later?
I feel like BGW has made the right decision to implement the no bags or other loose articles rule. As for the enforcement, they need to work on that more. If I were a guest, and I saw flip flops and all sorta of things on the platform I would immediately file a complaint with the nearest supervisor. Ride Op TMs are supposed to be disciplined for allowing guests to keep loose articles in the lines and in the station.
I hated when I was waiting for my friend to get off Apollo's Chariot once, because I had to hold their loose items and the ride ops just let people throw their stuff to the exit side of the station. So bad I wanted to tell them no and throw their stuff back at them.
I think the park needs to do more with the enforcement of this rule; however what they could do to make the rule enforced better is to offer free lockers, or have free lockers with a timer on them, the locker is free for so long and then it remains locked until the guest pays like a quater or two based on ride wait times and ride times for the day. That way, let's say the wait time is 15 minutes and ride time is 3; have the lockers set so that a person can put their stuff in them, lock it with a key, and then 20 minutes later when they should already be off the ride it stays locked until they place a quater in a slot and then their key will unlock it. Or if they get there sooner, no need to pay and the key just unlocks it without a fee.
But seriously, BGW has a great rule with poor enforcement, and we see decent wait times and such, imagine how much better things would be if the rule was enforced to the strictest. Wait times could be reduced by like 2-3 minutes per train loading/unloading.

 

[I305Evan]

I wouldn't mind the no loose articles thing in the stations if it wasn't a forced someone can't ride or a forced fee. It's like the games that require a membership to get a certain feature. So yes I agree with the free lockers with a timer on them. But they're forcing someone to be left out of being able to have fun or to they pay them even more money. Or just add bins to the rides that are 2 or 4 across seating.

They could also have a system like Volcano where someone comes with a cart and people place their stuff in the cart and the attendant rolls it to the other side. This would work better with Alpengiest because it can go through the train as I special platform/ elevator would be needed to be added.

 

[Zachary]

If I were a guest, and I saw flip flops and all sorta of things on the platform I would immediately file a complaint with the nearest supervisor. Ride Op TMs are supposed to be disciplined for allowing guests to keep loose articles in the lines and in the station.

Why? Spoiler: Because it's a rule isn't a good reason. How do some flip flops and bags sitting on the exit platform effect you?

 

[HAJiME]

I'm actually a little shocked that people really think bags on the platform is an issue and think guests, who pay good money to be there, should be penalised for their shoe choice or the fact they may have needed to bring a bag with them.

That's just ludicrous.

You know what does slow down operations? Enforcing bullshit rules like no flip flops left on the platform. To be fair, "shoes must be worn" rules are there in case of a breakdown, but on the rides I've platformed, we simply take people their shoes in boxes. It's not like Busch's B&Ms are prone to requiring evacuation. There is no problem here.

Merlin parks have a bag system on their newer rides which would remove the apparently massive issue of platform bags. Before you're batched into station areas, you hand over your bag and it gets put in a cubby and you get a wristband with a number on it. You collect the bag once you're off.

I think they are overcomplicated and kinda unnecessary, and require the parks to hire extra staff, but they are an alternative for rides which have different loading platforms or other complications. That's why Merlin introduced them, because all their recent coasters have had unconventional separate on-load and offload. Wild Eagle at Dollywood had a huge wide station, but Swarm's is tiny and there really is no room for bags. I consider that stupid because SHOES, but hey.

There are ways around the bag "problem". The fact that they didn't employ a cost free alternative shows the real reason why there was a problem to begin with. Money.

And, you just don't expect that from a park like Busch, when you're paying over the odds for entry in the first place.

 

[Pretzel Kaiser]

Agreed, this shouldn't be a debate.