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The Future of Skyride

Steve74 said:
Good idea, but If they're not prepared to do this, then the very least they can do is enforce a policy to allow waiting guests at FV to join a gondola with people already in (unless full of course). They do it for the rapids and coasters, so no reason why this can't be a policy on the Skyride.
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Or they leave every other gondola empty at TS and DF so that there is space for those at FV.
 
Last time it ran there was always a queue at Dark Forest end. So I don't think it's a lack of alighting that's the issue.

Just happens that the most popular section is between FV and DF.

Just make people share pods. No need to add more issue by forcing people to get off (and if they have mobility issues, potentially having to stop the system anyway).
 
WillPS said:
The quote is to this board, not anyone official. Specifically @Dave 's reply to @Matt.GC upthread.


...then close Dark Forest for a few days. It's not impossible if something legitimately is a top priority.

It isn't though, that's my whole point here. Even we treat the timescales this is all being done in as 'fastest possible' (and it isn't) this is still evidenced by the fact the attraction was closed with not a great deal going on last year.

It's a symptom of how degraded the place is that any of this has been allowed to happen in the first place, and while it's great that it isn't just being consigned to the bin the fact people seem to see 2 full seasons out for an overhaul as an acceptable timescale kind of says it all about the low expectations the management cultivate nowadays.

They reap what they sow. Please help us Comcast...
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Yeah no one is arguing Merlin haven’t reaped what they sowed. The point is some folk immediately go to the “cost saving closure” angle straight away (and I’m not saying without precedent) but the Skyride closure this year isn’t that (last year it wasn’t either but that was because it went kaput because of the years of neglect).

I have massive concerns about operations and operating budget but since O’Neil and Bianca have started there seems to be a better strategy for big refurbishments of old rides (Hex, Nemesis, HH, Skyride). It might not have been their call, maybe Varney splashed the cash before he left but it’s easier to look at pre and post Varney as a marker (I would have said pre and post Kirkby but the pandemic makes that boundary a bit squiffy).

So yes happy to moan about the last neglect but I think we have to be cautious about jumping to conclusions on the work been done here as based on pictures it seems substantial.
 
Benzin said:
Last time it ran there was always a queue at Dark Forest end. So I don't think it's a lack of alighting that's the issue.

Just happens that the most popular section is between FV and DF.

Just make people share pods. No need to add more issue by forcing people to get off (and if they have mobility issues, potentially having to stop the system anyway).
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Not sure it'll matter next season anyway, there will probably be nothing open in DF until 1pm, at which point they'll probably shut down the skyride for lunch or something. If they had more than two attractions in each area it would relieve the need to travel so much between them all. I clocked up ten miles walking last Wednesday, that included lapping Nemesis for the last hour of the day
 
Craig said:
One could argue a bit reductionist to summarise that my post is aimed solely at accessibility/legality issues too. That’s only part of my reason for stepping in.

In addition, across the 17 pages of this topic we have already discussed and speculated multiple times about the potential reasoning behind the ride being closed for a further season, along with discussion about what should and shouldn’t be a priority for the park. I’m not banning any form of debate, merely just pointing out that a lot of the points being made have already been done repeatedly. It’s of value to no one reading or participating in this topic to just go round in circles reading the same thing again and again.

So for all those wanting to contribute, please just have a quick scan through the topic (and for some even your own posts!) to check your point hasn’t been made already. In my post I didn’t state “updates only“, I also asked that any discussion points being made are new ones.
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With respect, I think there's a difference between a circular conversation and somebody saying something should be a priority (in their opinion), another saying it evidently is and another saying it evidently hasn't been. That final point is difficult to make if we can only use entirely new grounds to substantiate it - and accessibility was just one part that another member raised.

Anyway, I'll get back in line now I've made my point :)

I'm sorry for appearing reductionist by way of reply, I was just trying to seek what is and isn't permitted moving forwards.
 
Steve74 said:
Good idea, but If they're not prepared to do this, then the very least they can do is enforce a policy to allow waiting guests at FV to join a gondola with people already in (unless full of course). They do it for the rapids and coasters, so no reason why this can't be a policy on the Skyride.
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Every time I have been on in a small group, we have had to share if going the full length of the circuit. That only went due to 'Rona
 
I had a look at the Middle and top station.
The Middle station looks like it’s getting the most work done to it at the moment.
IMG_4872.jpeg
The top station looks like it’s had a lot of welding done around the supports. Sorry forgot to take a picture but I did of the information board outside.

IMG_4864.jpeg
Like they say they do want it back open but there no listings of a 2025 opening.
 
valley station is the main drive so where most of the mechanical action takes place so you would expect it to have the most obvious work I suppose.
 
Themeparksandy1981 said:
I had a look at the Middle and top station.
The Middle station looks like it’s getting the most work done to it at the moment.
IMG_4872.jpeg
The top station looks like it’s had a lot of welding done around the supports. Sorry forgot to take a picture but I did of the information board outside.
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I like how the perspective of the photo makes it look like the whole thing is being supported by a stack of pallets. Very Merlin-esque, even if it would get them in trouble with Chep...
 
Have they actually done any structural work yet? Or have they just closed the ride for 2 years to give the stations a facelift?

I only ask because surely revamping the stations would come at a later date in the refurb, after all the structural work is done, but I don’t remember ever seeing any mention of this being done
 
Dhev123 said:
Have they actually done any structural work yet? Or have they just closed the ride for 2 years to give the stations a facelift?

I only ask because surely revamping the stations would come at a later date in the refurb, after all the structural work is done, but I don’t remember ever seeing any mention of this being done
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I think the accepted narrative around here is that going back a few years it started to get used less and less for whatever reason until it stopped running completely. Then an effort was made to spruce up the stations and open it again properly for the start of this season, but then they found an actual major problem with the ride so have had to spend this season actually fixing it. In other words, they didn't know it was actually as broken as it was until after they'd painted the stations etc. That's why the sprucing up of the stations came before the structural work. I think...
 
BarryZola said:
I think the accepted narrative around here is that going back a few years it started to get used less and less for whatever reason until it stopped running completely. Then an effort was made to spruce up the stations and open it again properly for the start of this season, but then they found an actual major problem with the ride so have had to spend this season actually fixing it. In other words, they didn't know it was actually as broken as it was until after they'd painted the stations etc. That's why the sprucing up of the stations came before the structural work. I think...
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ahhh I see.

However, surely both SkyRides cannot BOTH be broken... right? Like surely lets say the DF to FV one has structural issues, surely they could keep the TS to FV one open? Unless they are planning on updating the ride system or something while they're at it
 
Dhev123 said:
ahhh I see.

However, surely both SkyRides cannot BOTH be broken... right? Like surely lets say the DF to FV one has structural issues, surely they could keep the TS to FV one open? Unless they are planning on updating the ride system or something while they're at it
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The system can only run as a whole. It cannot be split down and only one side used. The ride would need major modifications if that were the case to allow the gondolas to turn around in the FV station.

They have been doing pretty major looking work to towers on both sides of the attraction, so I would guess it was the whole lot that needs major structural work, which makes sense as it is all the same age.
 
DistortAMG said:
The system can only run as a whole. It cannot be split down and only one side used. The ride would need major modifications if that were the case to allow the gondolas to turn around in the FV station.

They have been doing pretty major looking work to towers on both sides of the attraction, so I would guess it was the whole lot that needs major structural work, which makes sense as it is all the same age.
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Oh yeah I completely forgot that the FV stations were combined lol
 
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