Same. I actually heard that last year during Haunt when it opened back up and again on opening day.
Pantherian
- Thread starter redsoxfan787
- Start date
That's not new. It makes that sound a lot when it's rainy in particular. No idea what it is but I remember it as far back as ~2017.
FYI- I believe this has happened before, but yesterday was my first time encountering a grouper on this ride. If you are not riding in the front row then you will be assigned a row. I was however able to get the back upon request, though I’m sure that would depend on who the grouper is and how full the station is.
As long as groupers are instructed to honor row requests, I'm fairly indifferent to their existence.
Speaking broadly though, I do think it's a pretty awful use of a staff member in a staff-starved park. That said, I also know that staff members aren't infinitely fluid resources—movement requires cross-training, shortfalls in the right areas, etc.
Desperately hope this doesn't become standard though—particularly if they aren't specifically tasked with honoring requests. Keep that Carowinds nonsense far away from Kings Dominion.
Speaking broadly though, I do think it's a pretty awful use of a staff member in a staff-starved park. That said, I also know that staff members aren't infinitely fluid resources—movement requires cross-training, shortfalls in the right areas, etc.
Desperately hope this doesn't become standard though—particularly if they aren't specifically tasked with honoring requests. Keep that Carowinds nonsense far away from Kings Dominion.
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It’s not totally new for Pantherian either. I’ve encountered groupers at Pantherian, FOF, TT, Reptilian, and Dominator at various times over the years. (A grouper is pretty much always at Reptilian because the Fast Lane queue merges with the regular queue right at the station entrance.)
Given the new emphasis on Fast Lane this year, I wonder if a grouper is partially there to keep the station waits from getting too long. Especially if ops are slow, a station wait can easily be 10+ minutes if the station has a lot of people in it. Not a good experience if you paid money to avoid waiting.
Given the new emphasis on Fast Lane this year, I wonder if a grouper is partially there to keep the station waits from getting too long. Especially if ops are slow, a station wait can easily be 10+ minutes if the station has a lot of people in it. Not a good experience if you paid money to avoid waiting.
From my experience, Reptilian’s grouper doesn’t assign rows, but rather keeps the station somewhat empty. I’ve never been told to go to a certain row on it, even with the grouper being there.
Grouper was totally cool with me waiting for the back last year, he just kept me aside for the next train.
Got on the 2nd public train since it reopened. Wasn't the first time it went down today from what I heard.
Is it new that they're clearing out the entire plaza when the ride shuts down, but allow guests to remain in the station? On Sunday, the entrance operator made everyone not already in line move up to the tunnel.
Makes sense given the ride is going through wheels like candy. Don't need guests seeing/videoing it every day.
They cleared the plaza when I got stuck on Pantherian on Saturday too. To bystanders, it seemed like there was something seriously wrong, like a medical emergency, when in reality they just couldn't unlock the restraints.
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If the goal is to prevent pictures or video.... allowing people in the station doesnt help.
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How long do you think it'll take pantherian to chew through the paint? Will it fix itself with a summer of full operations? It's a pretty intense ride.
Not 100% sure on the validity of this information but my understanding is it an issue with both the paint being and harder more robust form then previous creating more friction in the process and it also being less breathable causing the track it's self to hold more heat. If both items are true then it's a really hard question to answer as the surfaces not in direct contact with the wheels are not going to wear which will mean there is still less heat shedding and the track as a whole is still going to be building and retaining more heat then previously. Again I am not an engineer an an just relaying what other more knowledgeable people have told me and possibly butchering that explanation in the process.
It already seems to be improving. While I was there yesterday, it didn't go down at all, and I was talking to a guy who said that it had been up most of the time since he'd arrived there on Wednesday. You can see that a lot of paint has already been worn off the rails even on the lift hill right out of the station.
With the trees cut down around the ride, you get some cool views from the station.
Yeah when i went Wensday it opened later then the rest of the park. But was up the entire rest of the day unless it went down during the last hour after i left.