Being 'warned' of a long queue when entering just before ride close

[AstroDan]

Re: Re: Being 'warned' of a long queue when entering just before ride close

And I know I'm pessimistic, but the claim that queue extensions are being closed to make the queue appear longer is questionable. If it isn't necessary for them to be open, maybe they have closed them simply so people don't have to walk as far

Disneyland Paris close the extensions on Crush's Coaster on all but the quietest days (when they're probably closed anyway) so it makes it look longer. They maintain 85 on the queue time display at the entrance, even though say more like 20-30.

Except on peak days they open the whole queue and the temporary rope queue outside...

It was a peak day. All queue plus roped extension was open. An hour before close they started closing off the two cattle pens.

The queue in the roped area would then barely move for 30-40 minutes. Five minutes before close, the lot would be let straight into the building.

The queue time would still 85 even though it was 20.

Crush is a joke!

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[thefatone]

The reason they do that, as I've witnessed at other parks and done so myself, is because then they can clean the majority of the queue rather than waiting and following the last guests around at the end of the day.

Queue boards are different though, depending on who manages them, who updates them. May be a central control at disney similar to thorpe/chessington so the staff could call through, but not get updated.

Anyway, does look bad on towers and rita staff. Out of interest, has anyone actually seen it happen on any other rides on park? Pretty sure most stay open, without lying about their queue times, til end of day.

 

[pluk]

Re: Re: Being 'warned' of a long queue when entering just before ride close

And I know I'm pessimistic, but the claim that queue extensions are being closed to make the queue appear longer is questionable. If it isn't necessary for them to be open, maybe they have closed them simply so people don't have to walk as far

Disneyland Paris close the extensions on Crush's Coaster on all but the quietest days (when they're probably closed anyway) so it makes it look longer. They maintain 85 on the queue time display at the entrance, even though say more like 20-30.

Except on peak days they open the whole queue and the temporary rope queue outside...

It was a peak day. All queue plus roped extension was open. An hour before close they started closing off the two cattle pens.

The queue in the roped area would then barely move for 30-40 minutes. Five minutes before close, the lot would be let straight into the building.

The queue time would still 85 even though it was 20.

Crush is a joke!

Last week the full queue line was open all day, then extensions closed off somewhere around an hour or two before park close, causing the queue line to spill into an unroped off area causing slight chaos. No cleaning of this queue took place while it was closed, it could only have been done to discourage people joining. They were keeping the queue line time updated fairly accurately though, it was consistently overstated by about 10 minutes which seems fair to account for occasional downtime.

The argument that things happen elsewhere is never justification for anything that's morally wrong. I'm not sure why people mention it? Particularly when it comes to American-owned examples, a country where society is financially fascist and elitist.

When this sort of attitude continues to trickle into Merlin (and will only escalate once the company is floated) we only have now to challenge it before it sets in permanently like wood rot.

Too many people give in too easily to stealth robbery in my opinion.

Think I was the first to bring up it happening in Disney and Asterix. I certainly didn't mention it to make any excuse for Alton doing the same, just to show it seems to be a relatively common practice. In fact these sort of operational things at Asterix made the place absolute hell to be at, it is a disgustingly badly run place. I would hate to see Alton heading that way and this sort of 'trickery' should be discouraged strongly.

 

[T]

I firmly believe this is down to the Ride Hosts actually wanting to get off early, rather than 'orders from above'. However, I don't know either way, obviously.

Whatever the reason, it's been noticed by people, members of the public, & enthusiasts alike, & nobody likes it!

 

[cotda]

This is wrong, and has really only gone wrong this year. 2012 Is the end of Towers. Last year, I got a last 3 rides on nemmy, and even though it was 10 mins after closing, they were still letting people through. This is completely wrong. Bring back the mirror before the staff go 'On Stage'. Bring back the magic.

 

[GAGrathea]

Cool it, Les Coogan! As we've said, this has gone on for years, now that's not an excuse in the slightest but it's no cause for heralding 2012 as the apocalypse!

And the park/hotels still have the mirrors and tackily painted staff areas they always had, no change there

 

[Benzin]

Cool it, Les Coogan! As we've said, this has gone on for years, now that's not an excuse in the slightest but it's no cause for heralding 2012 as the apocalypse!

That hasn't stopped this forum (and before then, TTF) yet...

 

[mark9]

This is wrong, and has really only gone wrong this year. 2012 Is the end of Towers. Last year, I got a last 3 rides on nemmy, and even though it was 10 mins after closing, they were still letting people through. This is completely wrong. Bring back the mirror before the staff go 'On Stage'. Bring back the magic.

Oh please. They are warning you from entering the queue, not stopping you from entering the queue.

 

[aru]

I think that perhaps this has been going on for ages, but due to all the talks of cuts at the moment many of us are looking for examples of where cuts might be happening.

I have experienced this done on Air a few years ago where the staff on the gate said the queue was 30 mins close to closing - it was actually 10mins.

I'm not saying that it is acceptable to deceive customers, but I think that the ride staff possibly do take it upon themselves to reduce the queues towards the end of the day. I will stand corrected if this is coming from management as it would be completely unacceptable to have this as official policy!

Edit: this isn't "the end of the magic" by the way. People are really short sighted if they think that the goings on this year are somehow the end of the park. AT has been through tough times in the past and will come out of the other side.

 

[cotda]

Oh please. They are warning you from entering the queue, not stopping you from entering the queue.

Yeah, it was a little exaggerated, however the general point still stands. Exaggerating the queue times is unacceptable, and is one of many examples of the woeful customer service at merlin parks.

 

[thefatone]

Better than other parks which will grossly misinform you of queue times, or even.. god forbid.. close the queue early so the last ride is at park close.. .