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General Queue Times Discussion

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John said:
Well if it had a separate offload platform it would have to have a bag store, which would bring throughput back to what it used to be anyway. The limiting factor at the moment is waiting for people to put bags away before taking their seats.
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If the ride had a separate offload as well as 5 trains running, do you think it would be able to get closer to Gerstlauer’s figure of 1,200pph?
 
I am not sure why a separate offload would improve throughput by any meaningful amount? Literally as guests are getting off a train the next lot are getting on right behind them?

As has been mentioned, separate offloads help when guests have to exit the train the same side they enter - so the likes of Saw, Rita and Stealth. Without the offload you couldn’t open the air gates to load new passengers until the platform had been cleared of departing ones.

On the Smiler they open the air gates as soon as the train stops in the station and the restraints release.
 
AT86 said:
Without the offload you couldn’t open the air gates to load new passengers until the platform had been cleared of departing ones.
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Zufari at Chessington is an example of when this works really badly.
Takes ages for guests to exit ready for those to board, even if they unload separately the exiting guests still need to pass across the loading guests as the way out is past all the air gates.
 
jon81uk said:
Zufari at Chessington is an example of when this works really badly.
Takes ages for guests to exit ready for those to board, even if they unload separately the exiting guests still need to pass across the loading guests as the way out is past all the air gates.
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The fact that the pre-show is no longer used doesn't help either.
 
Out of interest, would a baggage hold make a big difference if it were to be applied to any of the rides that never had one to begin with, such as the B&Ms? Or is it only the coasters with “tighter” trains so to speak where baggage really makes a difference?
 
Matt N said:
Out of interest, would a baggage hold make a big difference if it were to be applied to any of the rides that never had one to begin with, such as the B&Ms? Or is it only the coasters with “tighter” trains so to speak where baggage really makes a difference?
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Would definitely make a big difference to Oblivion, given how wide the trains are. Is a right pain getting to the cages if you're the last into the air gates, plus it takes the staff longer to move bags as well.

A couple of years ago I was a single rider and the last person on, so couldn't be bothered to go past everyone all the way to the cages, so I waited for the host to come and check my restraint. She took my rucksack from me and gave it to a colleague who took it to the cages, then she checked my restraint.

Not sure the queue line has space for a hold though, unless there were free lockers near the queue entrance?
 
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Matt N said:
So, my estimates for the coasters at Alton Towers I’ve timed are as follows:
  • Nemesis: Theoretical throughput 1,400pph, actual throughput 899pph, load factor of 64%. As I say, however, this was when the airgates were broken back in April, so I need a new reading for Nemesis.
  • Oblivion (High): I’ve got multiple estimates for this, so I’ll do High and Low. Theoretical throughput 1,900pph, actual throughput 1,156pph, load factor of 61%.
  • Oblivion (Low): Theoretical throughput 1,900pph, actual throughput 891pph, load factor of 47%.
  • Rita: Theoretical throughput 1,150pph, actual throughput 713pph, load factor of 62%.
  • Runaway Mine Train: Theoretical throughput 1,061pph, actual throughput 613pph, load factor of 58%.
  • Smiler: Theoretical throughput 1,000pph (Gerst says 1,200, but that’s based on 5 trains running with an unload station, so I’ll go with TS’ listing of 1,000), actual throughput 765pph, load factor of 77%.
  • Spinball Whizzer: Theoretical throughput 950pph, actual throughput 642pph, load factor of 68%.
  • Thirteen: Theoretical throughput 1,100pph, actual throughput 957pph, load factor of 87%.
  • Wicker Man: Theoretical throughput of 952pph, actual throughput 1,048pph, load factor of 110%.
What are you guys’ thoughts on my data? Do you think I have it right, or do you think I’ve got it completely wrong?
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I don't understand the maths behind it, 'load factor' means A-level maths electricity scenarios to me !

Are you doing ... theoretical throughput / % of train load = actual throughput? That feels flawed.
 
Rick said:
I don't understand the maths behind it, 'load factor' means A-level maths electricity scenarios to me !

Are you doing ... theoretical throughput / % of train load = actual throughput? That feels flawed.
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No. What I was doing was;
  • Load factor = (attained throughput/theoretical throughput)*100
  • Attained throughputs of rides were throughput values that I myself have gained when at Alton Towers in the queue for said ride.
  • The reason I call it “load factor” is because that’s what Coaster Bot called it in his recent operations video. I’m not sure why it’s called load factor, actually; maybe just simply calling it the percentage of theoretical throughput being attained would be easier?
 
I'm not sure that having seperate offload and onload helps on Rita.

It has to stop once, for all the guests to get out and get their bags, then inches forward, and has to do it all again for the new riders to drop off their bags and get into the awkwar trains and double restraints.
 
If they'd had space, Rita could have been designed to run more efficiently if it had a regular station behind a launch zone, providing bag storage was provided prior to boarding.
 
Rita in particular was a massive problem yesterday queue wise compared to other rides in the park. Train dispatches were decent enough, but the ratio of main queue to RAP & fastrack was appalling. An advertised wait of 25 minutes (which would’ve been fairly accurate normally) turned out to be an 80 minute wait. It took 20 minutes from the front row queue separation point to the station alone.

Oblivion, Wicker Man and Nemesis operations were excellent though. All on full capacity, fast dispatches and well moving queues.
 
MakoMania said:
Rita in particular was a massive problem yesterday queue wise compared to other rides in the park. Train dispatches were decent enough, but the ratio of main queue to RAP & fastrack was appalling. An advertised wait of 25 minutes (which would’ve been fairly accurate normally) turned out to be an 80 minute wait. It took 20 minutes from the front row queue separation point to the station alone.

Oblivion, Wicker Man and Nemesis operations were excellent though. All on full capacity, fast dispatches and well moving queues.
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Isn't Rita on 1 tain at the moment I heard? Or is that wrong
 
Is social distancing still impacting any rides or are all rides filling to capacity without leaving gaps? Noticed some very very low wait times, The Smiler, Thirteen, Rita and Gangsta Granny still being the only rides which have gotten 60 minutes or more today, Galactica and Oblivion are on 10, Wicker Man was 10 not long ago, Nemesis has peaked about 30 minutes. Do we also know if Thirteen still has 2 rows of dummies or if that's been reduced further?
EDIT: Judging by Hex actually I assume the answer is no, as it wouldn't be 40 minutes if it was filling to capacity.
 
Indoor rides will remain at reduced capacity until July 19th at the earliest.

Outdoor coasters still vary. Thirteen has the dummies in the back and Oblivion is leaving a seat between groups. Not sure if Spinball is letting groups share yet either.
 
It sounds like most of the big coasters are back at full capacity then - 6/7 anyway with Thirteen as the exception. It could possibly be assumed that single riders are allowed back on Spinball Whizzer then?
 
Even Thirteen is filling all rows bar the dummy rows, apparently; a Thirteen train can allegedly hold 16 riders at the moment.

A vast improvement on the 6 riders that were allowed when I rode last in April!
 
Yeah Thirteen was filling rows 1-8 in late June when I was there, all coasters are 20 minutes or less apart from The Smiler on 40 and Rita on 70 at the minute but you’d certainly be able to get lots of rides in today!
 
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