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2020: General Discussion

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Matt N said:
But I must ask; how come they’re still using it now, as I was under the impression that Wicker Man’s reliability had majorly improved since 2018?
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There are still going to be occasions where you need to manually release the lapbars, eg someone has something caught in it, someone has changed their mind and wants to leave, etc.
 
Islander said:
There are still going to be occasions where you need to manually release the lapbars, eg someone has something caught in it, someone has changed their mind and wants to leave, etc.
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Ah; I suppose that is true!
 
Islander said:
There are still going to be occasions where you need to manually release the lapbars, eg someone has something caught in it, someone has changed their mind and wants to leave, etc.
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Wouldn't the operator normally release the lapbar though? I don't know the process for Wicker Man but I know on Nemesis they'd get the operator to release the harnesses rather than use the manual release tool.
 
Alsty said:
Wouldn't the operator normally release the lapbar though? I don't know the process for Wicker Man but I know on Nemesis they'd get the operator to release the harnesses rather than use the manual release tool.
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Sometimes, but I think they figured out Its sometimes quicker to release just the one then recheck all.

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Matt N said:
Out of interest, what is “the spade of doom”? I saw them with a large pole on opening weekend when the train only moved about 3ft out of the station and then stopped, presumably in order to try and make it move (as a matter of fact, we were then evacuated and the ride shut), but I’ve never seen a spade?

If Wicker Man attains 1080pph when running flat out, I’m surprised at how Wodan at Europa Park allegedly manages to attain such a good throughput; RCDB lists it as 1330pph, and even off RCDB, I’ve heard people say that it can attain well over 1,200 riders per hour. Considering Wodan is a much longer ride than Wicker Man and has the same number of trains, shouldn’t it in theory attain a lower throughput? I know Europa’s infamously efficient operations may well increase throughput, but my point still stands.

Also, I was thinking; could the theoretical throughput listed by Gerstlauer for The Smiler be with 5 trains and a separate unload station like Saw? 1,200 riders per hour with trains seating 16 riders leads to approximately 75 trains per hour, which would be a train dispatched approximately every 48 seconds. If the ride didn’t have exiting guests to worry about, I think this could definitely be attained. Which does make you wonder; how come they didn’t go for a separate unload like Saw? Rita has one, and I think it would definitely increase throughputs if they added one!
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Europa Park's operations are the best. The ride at Alton which has the best operations is probably Th13teen as it's always now on 3 trains on peak days!
 
After reading those theoretical throughputs I realise how innacure they must be. So here's what I think they do:
Rita- 800
The smiler- 900
Th13teen- 950
Galactica and oblivion-1000
Wicker man-1048
Nemesis-1200
 
Ethan said:
After reading those theoretical throughputs I realise how innacure they must be. So here's what I think they do:
Rita- 800
The smiler- 900
Th13teen- 950
Galactica and oblivion-1000
Wicker man-1048
Nemesis-1200
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Any ride manufacturer throughput quote is totally theoretical. Just like the tests they do on evacuating aircraft with half of the exit doors unavailable. In these tests everyone is "ready for go", able-bodied, wearing tracksuits & trainers to make jumping the slide easy etc... i.e. 100% real-life (but it ticks a certification box).

As for Oblivion, any figure quoted by B&M will be based on having 7 shuttles running, which Towers have never been able to get to work properly. The most they ever run now is 6 (trying to add the 7th caused many of the reliability problems the ride suffered in it's first season).
 
Park closed until at least 3rd July (no great surprise). Update on what will happen to season passes too.

All Alton Towers 2020 Season Passes purchased before 18th May 2020 will now be extended for use until 30th June 2021. This includes both Standard and Premium passes. You don’t need to do anything, the expiry date of your pass will automatically be extended. All other Season Pass terms and conditions will remain the same.
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AT86 said:
Park closed until at least 3rd July (no great surprise). Update on what will happen to season passes too.
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System only updates to passes is going to be a nightmare for admissions when inevitably some passes get updated wrong or not at all.

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And taken from their FAQs

Does that mean you will be open from the 4th July then?

We still don’t know for sure whether the phased timing set out by the Government will change or be extended. We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you up to date with any changes – either from government or from our own plans. We want to get back to doing what we do best – delivering fantastical experiences for you, our guests. Please check our website or social media accounts for further updates.
 
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