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Wicker Man - General Discussion - Part Two

I rode Wicker Man 4 times over the course of my recent 2 day visit. A few key thoughts of mine include:
  • Has something been changed in the pre-show? I swear you couldn’t always see the curtain move across, but I could be imagining that.
  • I remain torn on the reintroduction of the pre-show. I actually think the show itself is rather brilliant, but the practicality side of it (in terms of getting people in and out of the room and actually batching everyone into it), as well as the way you’re all squeezed up against each other in a disorderly rabble, are definite detractors from its overall appeal.
  • Is the ride having some sort of issues at the moment that are affecting the throughput? The operations remain stellar (I genuinely reckon they’re no worse than Wodan’s), but I noticed that the ride seems to be struggling to hit the consistent dispatch interval that it always used to maintain. My two readings from the weekend, which were both averages of 10 dispatches when the ride was running 3 trains, were 931pph on Sunday and 888pph today. In the past, I often used to get readings of somewhere in the ballpark of 1,050pph, or at very least 1,000pph. The ride can still hit that flat out dispatch interval that it used to (where a train changing angle on the lift hill passes over the train in front as it hits the brake run), and it did numerous times, but this is not consistent; there were numerous other dispatch intervals that comfortably exceeded 2 minutes, and on 3 of my 4 rides, I experienced double stacking. I had not previously experienced this since opening weekend back in 2018.
  • Possibly linking in with the point above, I noticed on Sunday evening that one train appeared to be broken; it was being sent empty every time.
  • The ride itself remains absolutely phenomenal, and easily my favourite on park. All 4 of my rides were relentlessly fast-paced, and absolutely crammed full of brilliant airtime!
 
Matt N said:
The operations remain stellar (I genuinely reckon they’re no worse than Wodan’s), but I noticed that the ride seems to be struggling to hit the consistent dispatch interval that it always used to maintain.
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In what way are the operations stellar if the only measure of those operations is failing? If it is double stacking the operations are a long way from stellar, or Europa.
 
Matt N said:
  • Has something been changed in the pre-show? I swear you couldn’t always see the curtain move across, but I could be imagining that.
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That's right, you never used to be able to see the curtain, but I too have noticed it on my last couple of visits. Unsure if it is a projector issue or lighting issue (or if they even see it as an issue).
 
Rob said:
That's right, you never used to be able to see the curtain, but I too have noticed it on my last couple of visits. Unsure if it is a projector issue or lighting issue (or if they even see it as an issue).
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They've replaced the main projector (there used to be 1 either side too but they've gone) and I think it is an LED one which is why the image is brighter and sharper. Trouble is, with it being brighter, the black bit to hide the curtain move is no longer black so the projector effectively is projecting a grey image onto it. I saw it the other day - you can still see the dull light being projected out of the projector on the black section. I think all it needs is the brightness to be turned down a few notches to compensate.

I don't think they do see it as an issue otherwise I'm sure it would've been fixed by now. For me it is an issue as it completely ruins the surprise reveal of the Wicker Man's head.
 
I'm glad the Wicker Man pre-show is back but I do think they should've thought about the practicalities more when they built it, it just doesn't work very well. The room is too squashed and there is no easy bypass; there is also not enough queue line after the pre-show to compensate. None of these are easy fixes though so I think we will have to settle for these being flaws in the design of the ride.
 
JAperson said:
I'm glad the Wicker Man pre-show is back but I do think they should've thought about the practicalities more when they built it, it just doesn't work very well. The room is too squashed and there is no easy bypass; there is also not enough queue line after the pre-show to compensate. None of these are easy fixes though so I think we will have to settle for these being flaws in the design of the ride.
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Wasn't the pre-show building originally going to be bigger, then was reduced on the plans?
 
Skyscraper said:
Yeah, on the site of the old Flume (RIP) station I think.
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Correct. I believe it was going to be a smokehouse style restaurant.

It would have great - flame grilled food whilst having the trains thundering around you!

I can see why it never went ahead though. They obviously stood back and thought, “we’ve really nailed F&B on park so we don’t need another restaurant”…
 
s_g_k said:
Correct. I believe it was going to be a smokehouse style restaurant.

It would have great - flame grilled food whilst having the trains thundering around you!

I can see why it never went ahead though. They obviously stood back and thought, “we’ve really nailed F&B on park so we don’t need another restaurant”…
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There was then a plan to have the smokehouse in the courtyard, as the flume station roof wasn't kept but again I assume they though they've nailed F&B so why bother.
 
Skyscraper said:
Wasn't the pre-show building originally going to be bigger, then was reduced on the plans?
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Not sure if it was going to be different, but originally I believe the shop building was all joint on to the station and maintenance building. Also there wouldn’t have been the little outdoor section out of the station, which I think would probably have been better, and kept the station much darker then it is now.
 
djtruefitt said:
Not sure if it was going to be different, but originally I believe the shop building was all joint on to the station and maintenance building. Also there wouldn’t have been the little outdoor section out of the station, which I think would probably have been better, and kept the station much darker then it is now.
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That first bit out of the station seriously needs to be a tunnel. First bit of daylight riders see is the turn at the bottom of the lift hill, would be fantastic
 
rob666 said:
She is a he.
The clue is in the name.
Loved a couple of pints listening to the Tartan Army in Blackpool on the Beach yesterday.
One day mate...
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I'm a train enthusiast, any steam locomotive with a male name still gets called a 'she', actually most machines I often refer to as female as they can be quite bad tempered to work with WM being out of action for the previous day, as was the case with Rita playing up on both days I've been here! :p

Tartan Army in Blackpool you say? You didn't see the Old Firm all over Alton Towers these past few days! :p
 
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