It's not a problem at The Flash? Only difference is the train speed and spinning vehicle aspect on this one, and going over the ride rather than under.
I'm more concerned about making The Boardwalk a huge dead end. If they connected back to Golden Kingdom, maybe that pushes up the priority on redeveloping that space sooner?
Unlike Ka, there's no catch car/cable launch to worry about here. Loose objects may also be less of an issue if they do double-sided lockers and use metal detection?
They could do something like this (this photo is from Wing Gliders testing before they added nets around the log sections next to the bridge for the ride's safety envelope). This even kinda looks like what I was picturing with a "Boardwalk" look, even if it's probably made out of concrete with a themeing treatment added on. It would just be at the end of the straight launch track on Project Purple.
Similar to The Flash's pathway under the ride, this would provide another way in and out of the land. Only difference is, the walkway would be elevated under the ride?
It could be completely covered like this too. That may impact the visual but still have a safety envelope to make NJ ride inspectors happy if it comes to that.
I feel like a lot of different things are getting tossed around right now and now it’s all jumbled together:
Bridge over the ride - I put as very highly unlikely. Unless they completely net in the bridge, I don’t feel that they would.
Observation area near launch - I’m just saying I think there would be some hesitation to have an official “stand here to watch launch” area. As safe as it might be without catch car, cable, etc; there’s always potential for issues. I would say inviting people to stand in certain areas to see a launch almost invited trouble because you are saying it’s safe.
Path under - I said at the start that if they did one there would likely be some sort of netting (I haven’t seen Flash in person but it looks like there’s sun shades between the track and path, there’s netting between El Toro and the path) but the feedback was with two way lockers it wouldn’t be necessary.
My take isn’t that these won’t happen, but rather there will likely be some high level precautions in place for safety given higher speeds of this project, spinning cars, and the inversion.
Isn't Rapterra a great comp here? Wing trains with riders hung out to the side so maximum risk of loose articles flying off the train in almost any direction, zero metal detectors and no fancy lockers so maximum chance that people will have loose articles on the ride, and yet, despite all of that, the thing flyes all over guest plazas with very, very, VERY little netting anywhere.
I don't think there's any reason to think Cedar Fair/Six Flags would be more bashful about crossing guest areas with Phantom Spire than they are at Rapterra.
Path under - I said at the start that if they did one there would likely be some sort of netting (I haven’t seen Flash in person but it looks like there’s sun shades between the track and path, there’s netting between El Toro and the path) but the feedback was with two way lockers it wouldn’t be necessary.
Just to clarify, netting would still be required under or over the ride track for type of path crossing, or any close guest areas like a launch viewing area.
Just that with mandatory lockers for all loose articles (like Jersey Devil or Flash), that means there's much lower risk of cell phones, keys, wallets, or other items flying off the train. (See also: the SkyRush wig still stuck in a tree from last season). Also for onlookers who feel the need to throw things at a moving train or who may drop something off a bridge, intentionally or otherwise, etc.
Isn't Rapterra a great comp here? Wing trains with riders hung out to the side so maximum risk of loose articles flying off the train in almost any direction, zero metal detectors and no fancy lockers so maximum chance that people will have loose articles on the ride, and yet, despite all of that, the thing flyes all over guest plazas with very, very, VERY little netting anywhere.
I don't think there's any reason to think Cedar Fair/Six Flags would be more bashful about crossing guest areas with Phantom Spire than they are at Rapterra.
I’ll be honest I was a little shocked during PHP at how there was literally near-zero netting with the ride flying all around. One phone hitting a guest and it’s all over
^^-- A phone hit the ground 10 feet in front of me at Rapterra. Being my helpful self I thought about getting it back to them etc., should have jumped on it and ground it into the pavement.
It's all just hypotheticals right now. I know people talked about a pathway under the Stall but seeing this built out, I think this is much less likely due to how far away it is (would need a lot of extra pathing to get people around that point). If they did this, it could look like the path under The Flash, but again without anything back there, that may be a long walk and cut into back of house roads, etc.
My "bridge over the launch" concept solves a problem of access into and out of the Boardwalk from other areas of the park,. For example, if you're standing near El Toro, that's a long walk over to the new flat rides, and not a very direct path between those points without going towards the Four Tents area, if that stays the same for next season.
Or also during Fright Fest, a new pathway towards the Boardwalk can help with crowds, for example. Views would be a bonus but I'm more concerned about path layouts. I do think access through the Boardwalk to the Golden Kingdom hinges on something like Jungle-X style development (I do think the kiddie area is on deck next, however, but it's always good to have a long-term plan). It's possible they could move the Off-Road Adventure over there too and give it a larger queue area, if they want to redevelop the Arena/area behind the log flume for some other use.
I could just as easily see them wanting everyone to walk past the midway games, Basketball game, and Slingshot. Trying to maximize the number of times you cross in front of any given game, food stand, or upcharge ride makes sense too; it wouldn't be the first time a park has done this.
^^-- A phone hit the ground 10 feet in front of me at Rapterra. Being my helpful self I thought about getting it back to them etc., should have jumped on it and ground it into the pavement.
if they built a path underneath phantom spire, due to golden kingdom being kept for possibly 2028, they have a teaser on the wall for the bridge saying: letters from legends who visited the golden kingdom and a phone number if you want to go to golden kingdom (hinting at the golden kingdom makeover for 2028)
Yea, since new angles came out I stopped believing in the path under the stall, it’s just too far of a path with nothing revenue-generating on it and would have to pretty awkwardly path around Spire’s station to get to that GK/Plaza path.
A bridge is an amazing idea, but something I’d expect more out of a Disney or Universal than Six Flags park. Maybe someday down the line when GK is up for redevelopment, but definitely not for a while. And regardless if there’s a dedicated viewing area, this thing is going to have insane presence in the pier regardless.
I think the bridge is going to be a no. Maxx Force has it because of the terrain around it and this ride (just like basically every other ride at great adv) is on EXTREMELY flat land (not to mention the risk of people being jerks and throwing things at riders). That being said I don't think some sort of viewing area is that crazy to imagine. The more the ride interacts with the area the better.
Aren’t there plenty of coasters with bridges over the ride that already do this no problem? Hulk, Griffon, and the Backlot Stunt Coasters come to mind.
None are in New Jersey though, the same state that wouldn’t let zumanjaro and ka operate together until bigger overhead shields were added to zumanjaro
None are in New Jersey though, the same state that wouldn’t let zumanjaro and ka operate together until bigger overhead shields were added to zumanjaro
I can't assume that NJ has lightened up, but at least fewer moving parts with the Project Purple launch (no cable/catch car or hydraulic motor) and hopefully improved locker use would help quiet some fears versus Ka. And again, they let people walk under Flash with a net between the path and the ride envelope, so I don't see why it couldn't be done here as well.
(Also maybe, new management may want to work with NJ ride inspectors/guidelines first rather than the way older things used to be handled, where it sounded like they... just built whatever and then were told "No" once they tried to get it inspected).
