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Ride Availability/Operations 2022-24

NuttySquirrel said:
I agree, with pre booking the park have a good idea of gate numbers before opening so it should be possible to make a decision (1 or 2 stations) for the day and stick with it. Chopping and changing like this is totally unnecessary, and likely doesn't save much money anyway.
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Well in theory at weekends it won’t save any money because staff will be in for the day to be able to operate it during certain hours on 2 stations anyway
 
dave___ said:
Even if it's an quiet day, what's the issue with sticking a tensa barrier up to block station 2 and just sending the carts around empty? If it is quiet enough to only need one station then spending 30 seconds securing an empty train isn't going to cause much of a delay is it. It's not like they are completely separate platforms like GalacticAir
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Few thoughts:
  • I don't think it would be a good look to be sending 50% of your shuttles out empty.
  • Dual station load can cause more delays if you have odd numbers of shuttles, e.g. 3 shuttles. The shuttle advanced into the station will not unlock until another shuttle is parked behind it.
  • With even numbers of shuttles, Technical Services would need to sign off on all shuttles added to the circuit, even the ones you are running empty. On single station they would only need to sign off half of them.
  • You would still need at least one additional host compared to single station load for the enable position at the rear of the station.
 
dave___ said:
Even if it's an quiet day, what's the issue with sticking a tensa barrier up to block station 2 and just sending the carts around empty? If it is quiet enough to only need one station then spending 30 seconds securing an empty train isn't going to cause much of a delay is it. It's not like they are completely separate platforms like GalacticAir
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You'd still need a member of staff operating the second station panel. Also a fair bit of wasted wear and tare sending trains around empty unneccessarily all day.

The solution is likely to operate it as intended, in either single station or (preferably) dual station mode. I can't recall a period in it's life when it's ever been operated in the way described; but someone else who's been more frequently will be better placed to say whether or not that's been the case.
 
On peak days where they're now where they're only operating dual stations 12 - 4, are they also having to add/remove shuttles to accommodate this? Or are they running the same amount all day?
 
I can get why they'd close a water attraction in the colder months - but if that was the reason rather than staffing, wouldn't it make more sense to shut Battle Galleons instead?

I've ridden it a good number of times in Octobers gone so it is a shame to see it go so soon - especially when the reliability of everything else is shocking.
 
mo237 said:
I can get why they'd close a water attraction in the colder months - but if that was the reason rather than staffing, wouldn't it make more sense to shut Battle Galleons instead?

I've ridden it a good number of times in Octobers gone so it is a shame to see it go so soon - especially when the reliability of everything else is shocking.
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Yeah I have as well, it's a shame as I'm going on the 14th.
 
From an operational stance, how can a ride be operated as poorly as Galactica? I’m in the queue line now and we’ve been at the merge point for the last 15 minutes. Terrible operations compared to the capacity beast next door, great operations on there today
 
So in all my years following Towers’ and having worked there this year has baffled me.

Maybe the grass wasn’t always greener on the other side (operations wise)

I’ve never known them to close Congo early I remember the days it used to be open during Scarefest and Fireworks!

Is this another cost cutting exercise? I also appreciate rides need to go down for maintenance but it just seems abit silly now compared to previous years? Why can’t all the ‘winter’ maintenance be done I dunno when they are closed? Closed season?

They seem to be going for an American approach like Disney and Universal taking rides out to refresh them, well maintenance at least but with a UK attitude.

I still haven’t visited the park this year but the operations seem abysmal quite frankly.

I really don’t understand this level of cost cutting!
 
Due to budget cuts the rapids would have been open for less than 4hrs during fireworks if they'd stuck with the midday opening. Seems they've decided that's pointless so rather than open it earlier they're just pulling the plug completely.

Grim times at Towers this season.
 
GooseOnTheLoose said:
I take it that you're yet to ride The Wave at Drayton Manor Park and Zoo?
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Haha I haven’t, should’ve clarified I meant at Alton, all other coasters have been operated really well today but Galactica was terrible. I didn’t actually get on because riders were stuck in the flying position in the station for ages, so I left the queue. Galactica must’ve been down at least 6 times today
 
Presumably Battle Galleons isn't closing since it only needs 2/3 (if that?) to operate.

Much like at Thorpe, Congo needs far more staff these days.
 
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