2021: General Discussion

[s_g_k]

Exactly what I got told, by numerous staff members across numbers rides and visits.
Not that I got the feeling most of them believed the line.

I agree. Imagine the field day The Sun would have if anything happened due to an honest re-ride. “Rider BLACKS OUT after being stuck on Nemesis unable to get off”

Reality: enthusiast has a re-ride and falls over because they’re a bit dizzy

 

[Rick]

Don't they still run events like they used to? I don't really go to enthusiast events anymore but we used to sit on Nemesis for 1 hour plus without getting off.

 

[imanautie]

Don't they still run events like they used to? I don't really go to enthusiast events anymore but we used to sit on Nemesis for 1 hour plus without getting off.

During the VIP nemssis half hour I was there for we got told we couldn't get did and get in the next cycle.

 

[AT86]

Random one, but anyone know what the reasons are behind the total lack of EV charging at Alton Towers?

This question gets asked on social media most days by guests and a copy and paste reply of ‘we will pass on your feedback’ is given, but this has been literally going on for years.

Is this just a case of poor planning or lack of interest by the park? Or is there more to it? Power issues due to the rural location or something?

Both Thorpe Park and Chessington have had EV charging for a while now, so it’s not Merlin wide. Seems very odd they haven’t made some attempt to sort this.

 

[Kraken27]

A re-ride means riding on the same train that you were on before. If you get off the train, wait for the next train, and go on that then it's not a re-ride and is permitted.

Well I worked on it back in the 2000s. I still have a copy of the safe working practice here which explicitly says no re-rides even if there's no queue. When I was examined on the ride, a question asked if anybody could re-ride? What about with team leader permission? The answer was no, not under any circumstance.

Spot on. No re-rides allowed. This does bring into question the abuse of RAP. RAP holders can exit one train, miss the next, then get onto the following one if the ride staff are off the ball. So this allows a RAP-holding guest to ride twice in under the time it would take another guest to even walk the queueline.

 

[Skyscraper]

Spot on. No re-rides allowed. This does bring into question the abuse of RAP. RAP holders can exit one train, miss the next, then get onto the following one if the ride staff are off the ball. So this allows a RAP-holding guest to ride twice in under the time it would take another guest to even walk the queueline.

Being am RAP user, I've never done that and never would.

 

[Ethan]

Being am RAP user, I've never done that and never would.

You just need to ride the smiler! Trust me you're missing out and won't regret it. Get yourself on it

 

[John]

To be fair, it used to be possible to get straight back on Nemesis via SRQ if you were fast enough - all above board as long as you left the station. I don't see why RAP should be any different now, providing there's no queue.

 

[Ethan]

I pray they bring back single rider after covid. Even if its just on the smiler. I'd rather wait 10 mins than an hour and right now if I want to go on it I have no choice but to queue that long

 

[Skyscraper]

You just need to ride the smiler! Trust me you're missing out and won't regret it. Get yourself on it

Funnily enough, I'm going with someone who's never been to towers before a week on Sunday, so I might brave the back row as I won't be the only first time rider.

 

[tayspru]

Random one, but anyone know what the reasons are behind the total lack of EV charging at Alton Towers?

This question gets asked on social media most days by guests and a copy and paste reply of ‘we will pass on your feedback’ is given, but this has been literally going on for years.

Is this just a case of poor planning or lack of interest by the park? Or is there more to it? Power issues due to the rural location or something?

Both Thorpe Park and Chessington have had EV charging for a while now, so it’s not Merlin wide. Seems very odd they haven’t made some attempt to sort this.

It seems like a huge oversight ! My family have an Audi E-Tron and don’t live especially far away , we get back to Cheshire from the park with about 10 miles range to spare, thanks to the rural route to the park really hammering the consumption ! Anyone living much further away with an EV literally wouldn’t be able to visit

 

[Ethan]

Funnily enough, I'm going with someone who's never been to towers before a week on Sunday, so I might brave the back row as I won't be the only first time rider.

Precisely. You can't let your friend down and let them ride on their own! You can be first time riders together

 

[RoyJess]

On the subject of re-rides

Back in the good old days, I was allowed to do re-rides when quiet. It been in the last decade or two that this was stopped for the big rides. The explanation given for not allowing re-rides, that is to give our body time to rest due to the G forces. Whether this was a genuine H&S requirement or just to boost the queue lines to sell fast track.

I remember a number of times in the past with the last ride of the day on the rollercoaster, being sent around twice before letting us off.

Before the Flume was shut down for good (not that long ago), if there were no one or not many people waiting in the queue for the flume or rapids, they would always ask if you wanted a re-ride or if you ask nicely they usually allow you to stay on the boat to the call of "One Boat"

Chessington world of Adventures would always allow re-rides on quiet days.

 

[Skyscraper]

Precisely. You can't let your friend down and let them ride on their own! You can be first time riders together

Plus I'll feel more comfortable knowing that we both are riding for the first time.

 

[Matt.GC]

I

I'm assuming rules are more strict at towers as its the flagship prestige attraction

Sorry, but your choice of words there did make me chuckle somewhat.

Rules are different at Towers as they're scared of bad press. But I note, the accident rate on Rumba where the waterfalls are still on, remains at zero. There is no good reason why CRR cannot operate with its waterfall's on. There never has been. It's insane

Sent from my VOG-L29 using Tapatalk

 

[Ethan]

Rules are different at Towers as they're scared of bad pres

Yes because they are the uks biggest and most famous theme park, they don't want to damage that reputation

 

[pluk]

On the subject of re-rides

Back in the good old days, I was allowed to do re-rides when quiet. It been in the last decade or two that this was stopped for the big rides. The explanation given for not allowing re-rides, that is to give our body time to rest due to the G forces. Whether this was a genuine H&S requirement or just to boost the queue lines to sell fast track.

I remember a number of times in the past with the last ride of the day on the rollercoaster, being sent around twice before letting us off.

Before the Flume was shut down for good (not that long ago), if there were no one or not many people waiting in the queue for the flume or rapids, they would always ask if you wanted a re-ride or if you ask nicely they usually allow you to stay on the boat to the call of "One Boat"

Chessington world of Adventures would always allow re-rides on quiet days.

It's all a bit bizarre. Last ride of the day going twice was an absolute certainty at one point. Going round and round on Nemesis without getting off was standard in the 90s. I did three straight Dragons Furies without leaving my seat on Monday, the group in front stayed on for their fourth. Staff were practically begging riders to stay on Vampire so they had enough seats filled to dispatch the next train.

There's no way there can be a legitimate reason for the disparity across the estate, so it must be a mistake. I imagine somewhere along the line something has been misinterpreted at Towers and written in to the rulebook.

 

[Alsty]

I wonder if perhaps something happened at Alton Towers that resulted in this policy. Maybe somebody collapsed after getting off and when it was found they'd been reriding, the policy came into force (even if it had nothing to do with the incident). That's the only thing I can think of which would explain why the policy was introduced at Alton Towers but not anywhere else.

 

[RicketyCricket]

To be fair, it used to be possible to get straight back on Nemesis via SRQ if you were fast enough - all above board as long as you left the station. I don't see why RAP should be any different now, providing there's no queue.

Those were the days. One Scarefest many years ago done exactly this on Nemesis in the rain must've had at least 10 rides on the same train.

 

[RoyJess]

Staff were practically begging riders to stay on Vampire so they had enough seats filled to dispatch the next train.

I always visit Chessington on quiet days and this has always been the case on all their rides and was still allowing re-rides on my last visit before covid hit the world. Were told to wait on the exit platform to allow those waiting to get their seats, and then to sit in any free seat.

There's no way there can be a legitimate reason for the disparity across the estate, so it must be a mistake. I imagine somewhere along the line something has been misinterpreted at Towers and written in to the rulebook.

In addition to the Government H&S, each park has it own internal H&S team where they conduct their own risk assessments and advise the park accordingly, hence why you have different disparity's between the parks