Project 2022: Tumbili, Reptilian, Arachnidia, & Jungle X-Pedition

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b.mac said:
The explanation I got as an operator was that they didn't want guests specifically asking for a certain side because it was *better* than the other. In reality as an operator, though. Guests are not as stupid as we like to think and they are a hell of a lot more observant than anyone gives them credit for.
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This wouldn’t seem much different than waiting for the front or back seat on other rides, or for a certain slide on a water slide tower. Obviously you don’t want the operator to manually manage this, but it seems queues could be set up to accommodate different preferences.
 
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b.mac said:
The explanation I got as an operator was that they didn't want guests specifically asking for a certain side because it was *better* than the other. In reality as an operator, though. Guests are not as stupid as we like to think and they are a hell of a lot more observant than anyone gives them credit for.
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Then.... oh, I don't know..... maybe not make them different at all? 😂
 
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They don't even need to say that one is more intense than the other honestly. I'd prefer they do, but if they're worried that the vast majority of people are going to want one side much more than the other due to an intensity difference, name them both something thematically relevant to encourage people to at least try both. In Tumbili's case, maybe name each after a different species of monkey?

It seems like conveying that both sides are the same ride but they each provide a unique experience should be trivial via queue signage.
 
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rswashdc said:
This wouldn’t seem much different than waiting for the front or back seat on other rides, or for a certain slide on a water slide tower. Obviously you don’t want the operator to manually manage this, but it seems queues could be set up to accommodate different preferences.
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They actually had someone stationed at the split point that told directing on which side to go to
 
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rswashdc said:
This wouldn’t seem much different than waiting for the front or back seat on other rides, or for a certain slide on a water slide tower. Obviously you don’t want the operator to manually manage this, but it seems queues could be set up to accommodate different preferences.
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THis is the problem. It took vanish point at WCUSA like 5 years to figure out how to manage the lines to where the speed slides weren't always blocked. I would have a hard time believing there wouldn't be a much longer line for the more intense side if advertised. Perhaps a smaller park doesnt have to worry about that.
 
Fur Dozy said:
THis is the problem. It took vanish point at WCUSA like 5 years to figure out how to manage the lines to where the speed slides weren't always blocked. I would have a hard time believing there wouldn't be a much longer line for the more intense side if advertised. Perhaps a smaller park doesnt have to worry about that.
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Like a few others have said, if this is true, it REALLY does beg the question why one side seems to be far more intense than the other at all.

I can see plenty of advantages for both sides having different spin locations to differentiate the experience from one another—but, on average, they should both generate a similar total result. The only reason I can see for having one side that often doesn't flip at all and another that almost always flips multiple times would be if there's a market for a less intense ride experience. Catering to that audience is only possible if it is expressly advertised as such though. If that theoretical market isn't actually large enough to justify the split operations they really should just make both sides align with what the vast majority want in the first place.

Basically, this compromise position of having a more intense and less intense side while also not conveying that to guests seems strictly worse than either of the other two full-measure choices.
 
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Some of the Six Flags free spins may be different each side but not in a predictable way -- for example same number of fins, just diff. spots. It does definitely keep rocking between the fins and it could be a hill that actually flips you. I seem to end up upside down right at the point of maximum G force at the end of a raven turn.

Didn't ride any of the new stuff yesterday though. Was going to circle back around but TT and Grizzly opened at or after 4 and then I saw I305 running. Timbers may have been my slowest ride ever and Grizzly seemed a bit smoother than late last year but also could have been just slower. They really could have moved yesterday an hour later, it was just getting right during the last hour. FoF and Tumbili were about the only things running when I arrived at 2, followed closely by Anaconda, with Dominator just starting to test. Woodstock, Backlot, Racer and Windseeker never opened.
 
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bill s said:
Some of the Six Flags free spins may be different each side but not in a predictable way -- for example same number of fins, just diff. spots. It does definitely keep rocking between the fins and it could be a hill that actually flips you. I seem to end up upside down right at the point of maximum G force at the end of a raven turn.

Didn't ride any of the new stuff yesterday though. Was going to circle back around but TT and Grizzly opened at or after 4 and then I saw I305 running. Timbers may have been my slowest ride ever and Grizzly seemed a bit smoother than late last year but also could have been just slower. They really could have moved yesterday an hour later, it was just getting right during the last hour. FoF and Tumbili were about the only things running when I arrived at 2, followed closely by Anaconda, with Dominator just starting to test. Woodstock, Backlot, Racer and Windseeker never opened.
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To be fair- Windseeker more often than not is closed BECAUSE of winds… despite its name.
 
Zachary said:
So, question. Do we say Tumbili opened on March 12th or March 13th?
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I'm going with the 13th, since to my knowledge everyone who got to ride on the 12th were part of the media invitational event. The argument could be made that it 'opened' on the 12th as the line was technically open to the public, but I wouldn't count it since it closed before the public actually got an opportunity to ride.

Pic time

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Just noticed that the very large monkey emblem/Tumbili logo is present in just about all of the artwork, but isn't installed on the ride. Wonder if that's still in the cards or if it got cut. Feels a little odd (unless I missed it) that Tumbili has no real "sign" around the ride, but Reptilian and Arachnidia do. Very nitpicky, but I know they're still finishing stuff up.
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CoasterMac said:
Just noticed that the very large monkey emblem/Tumbili logo is present in just about all of the artwork, but isn't installed on the ride. Wonder if that's still in the cards or if it got cut. Feels a little odd (unless I missed it) that Tumbili has no real "sign" around the ride, but Reptilian and Arachnidia do. Very nitpicky, but I know they're still finishing stuff up.
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It seems VERY likely that it's still coming. There really is so much left incomplete right now. I feel like my photos really didn't capture just how much more work there is to do. The site was littered with temporary walls and fences, countless open (thus far unused) electrical boxes, placeholder signage, clearly incomplete theming and planting, etc.

It really does feel like Kings Dominion did a MASSIVE disservice to Jungle X-Pedition and Tumbili by opening it this last weekend. I'm already seeing YouTube content going out to the masses from people KD lured to the park last weekend. For many influencer-types, that will be the first and last they see of Jungle X and Tumbili for months or years. Worse yet, this thoroughly incomplete version of the final product is all many of the viewers of those influencers will be left with—potentially forever. The most popular, most viewed, farest reaching content about Jungle X and Tumbili was produced last weekend and it doesn't even feel halfway done.

More than anyone, marketing professionals should know the importance of first impressions. I know I railed on this in my article, but it is just straight-up marketing malpractice. If I were one of the brilliant creative minds behind this project, I'd be furious. Just as a fan of the work KD's creative folks have done, I'm terrified that KD marketing has doomed this project to commercial failure before it was even completed.

I guess it will give KDFans construction/progress to cover in the next couple weeks though...? Thanks to Kings Dominion for that I guess?
 
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Was also thinking based on the animations shouldn’t the Tumbili cars have the monkey temple panels on the back of the seats? They seem like they just haven’t been attached yet. But I guess KD just wanted to ensure there were 0 SBNO days of Tumbili at the park before opening.
 
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Zachary said:
Like a few others have said, if this is true, it REALLY does beg the question why one side seems to be far more intense than the other at all.

I can see plenty of advantages for both sides having different spin locations to differentiate the experience from one another—but, on average, they should both generate a similar total result. The only reason I can see for having one side that often doesn't flip at all and another that almost always flips multiple times would be if there's a market for a less intense ride experience. Catering to that audience is only possible if it is expressly advertised as such though. If that theoretical market isn't actually large enough to justify the split operations they really should just make both sides align with what the vast majority want in the first place.

Basically, this compromise position of having a more intense and less intense side while also not conveying that to guests seems strictly worse than either of the other two full-measure choices.
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Agreed. If anything, they could have done a soft open now and scheduled a media/influencer day for April once things were more fully completed.
 
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