Rumor Pteranodon Flyers Replacement?

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Python_Survivor

Feb 14, 2023
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I'm under the impression that a replacement is in the works for Pteranodon Flyers in Islands of Adventure, which has remained SBNO with no maintenance progress at all. Given it's low capacity, it's no surprise they'd not be in a rush to reopen it- and it certainly seems as though it will not return for guests in the near future.

I'm not sure of a ton of specifics yet, or where this fits into the resort's plan for the next few years with Epic and the Studios Overhaul, but something's happening here. Keep your eyes out.
 
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b.mac said:
I think that basically anything that permits anyone to be able to ride would be a massive improvement over the existing ride. Be it S&S, B&M, Vekoma, or hell even Mack, I don't care just get rid of the damn thing already.
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Agreed, as much of a downgrade as losing swinging is, losing a child requirement is the biggest upgrade.
 
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Yeah, those have always been there.

Not expecting a replacement anytime soon, they have many bigger and more important projects to focus on.

Rumor is they are waiting on parts which have to be manufactured custom since the company that built it is out of business.
 
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GAcoaster said:
Yeah, those have always been there.
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That's fair, I just hadn't noticed it yet.

GAcoaster said:
Rumor is they are waiting on parts which have to be manufactured custom since the company that built it is out of business.
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I'm under the impression that the ride was designed by Caripro, who Premier has the design rights to, and installed by Setpoint, who is actively working on the Donkey Kong coaster at the moment. I keep hearing rumor-wise about an S&S package coming to Universal Orlando, including with regards to Pokemon- and this could be one of the spots for it. With that being said, unless they can do it for very cheap, I also don't see it right away.
 
GAcoaster said:
Pokémon is slated to replace the Simpsons. Jurassic park isn’t going anywhere.
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Yes, I'm referring to the rumor I've heard going around internally that Universal has purchased several S&S rides- one of which is Pokemon going to Studios. If the package rumor is true, it might make it cheap enough to see some cheap replacement for Pteranodon Flyers, but I'll believe it when I see it.
 
One thing about Camp Jurassic - it's very small and land-locked. They could build a layout that goes over the pathway and into the splashdown area for River Adventure - but there's not a lot of room to work with there. A standard Vekoma SFC isn't going to get much space to work with, even going beyond the boundaries of the current playground.

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What I think would be a better move - go smaller. Do a Jeep-themed kiddie coaster that's more like Daddy Pig, but with a custom layout. Maybe even incorporate a switch track for multiple laps/2-train ops. Then add a Pteranodon Flyer flat ride for kids, something like a Zamperla Sky Chaser at the front. Now you have two new rides and a revamped playground, and they'd do much better capacity than P-Flyers ever did (THRC around 120/hr).
 
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My biggest preference is to have a zip line company come out and basically rebuild Pteranodon Flyers. It's such a cool unique ride for kids that would e a shame if they lost it.
 
warfelg said:
My biggest preference is to have a zip line company come out and basically rebuild Pteranodon Flyers. It's such a cool unique ride for kids that would e a shame if they lost it.
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Fair enough, it's very unique but the issues stem from:
1. Poor capacity (120/hr max) - not ideal for the theme park it's in; also means no Express passes are accepted
2. Weight limits - two adults cannot ride in the same RV, and could swing the car too far from side to side, so it's restricted to one adult per child (or two children) per cycle
3. Less ADA accommodations than other rides - guest must transfer usually involving lifting the guest, which slows capacity (also slows kids who are short given the height for the seats the station)
4. Very quick ride time - A little over a minute from dispatch to brakes, and there's a trim brake that can hit hard towards the end of the ride
5. Due to all the issues above, the Greeter for this ride gets swamped with questions from people trying to get on the thing. Also the amount of people who get in line, decide it's not moving fast enough, then leave should be a warning
6. It takes four TMs or so to run the thing (Greeter, Load, CBO, and Unload) - which is a lot for how low capacity that is. For comparison, the other flat rides in the park can be run with 1-2 TMs and the old Fievel Waterslide needed two and no permanent Greeter.

When I worked at River Adventure, I was lucky enough to be cross-trained to Camp/P-Flyers (which is the only way I got the credit). But it can be brutal - one of the slowest/longest waits in the park, even on a day with light attendance. I've worked plenty of kiddie rides, and this is one that just is not popular with parents due to the long wait with not much to see in the queue.

I also go to work the old Fievel Waterslide over in USF (RIP), which also had a 120/hr capacity, but was much less popular because it was not as visible. That was replaced with a new Shrek playground with added effects and more up-to-date ADA-friendly slides and playground equipment. It's looking like they're doing Berk over at Epic Universe with the same kind of playground - I could easily see that come to Camp Jurassic, which seems ready for an overhaul.
 
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