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Wicker Man - General Discussion - Part Two

Benzin said:
Wickerman can't have the wheelchair actually get to the train (because airgates), which is a weird design option (see also Smiler)...
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Isn't the wheelchair access via the shop and lift next to the photo counter, then the exit platform?

On the Smiler, the lift is in the shop which takes you directly to the loading platform in front of the air gates where the member of staff stands on dispatch. I know its there as I have used it.
 
Wickerman you use the disabled queue and go into the pre-show, you cannot use the exit platform as a wheelchair user because there are stairs...

They might do it the other way around on busier days (as in, via the shop, as it connects to the station's fire exit on the loading side, which is where the wheelchair escapes from)...

Either way, it confuses me greatly that the two newest attractions have simultaneously good and bad design for wheelchair access... Though I guess it depends how broken the wheelchair user is...
 
Benzin said:
Wickerman you use the disabled queue and go into the pre-show, you cannot use the exit platform as a wheelchair user because there are stairs...

They might do it the other way around on busier days (as in, via the shop, as it connects to the station's fire exit on the loading side, which is where the wheelchair escapes from)...

Either way, it confuses me greatly that the two newest attractions have simultaneously good and bad design for wheelchair access... Though I guess it depends how broken the wheelchair user is...
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Are you sure there isn't a lift on the exit side? That would be the logical place for me, although it would mean missing the pre-show. Or a wider airgate?
 
speedy said:
Are you sure there isn't a lift on the exit side? That would be the logical place for me, although it would mean missing the pre-show. Or a wider airgate?
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There is a lift that avoids the steps down to the photo counter. After @Benzin replied I remembered speaking with the ride host at the batching area on the station and he said the wheelchair guests wait at that point so they must come in through the fire exit there if they don't go through the pre-show. I'm assuming that the wheelchair would then be wheeled round to the exit platform while the guest is on the ride then if the guest wanted to go to the shop they can use the lift.
 
Wheelchair cannot be wheeled around to the exit platform as there are stairs, so the guests must exit on the loading side to go back to the fire exit/batch point... Then of course down the lift into the shop... Pretty much same as Smiler...

Perhaps when busier wheelchair users can go that way rather than wait in the disabled queue, but the pre-show can be viewed with a wheelchair guest as it is all flat ground straight into the station (tbh, that's a clever idea)...

Why they didn't install the consider the placement of wheelchair lifts to go on the exit platform is beyond me, likely to be the sort of thing that someone midway through the design suddenly went "OH BALLS" and hastily cobbled together a route...
 
Benzin said:
Wheelchair cannot be wheeled around to the exit platform as there are stairs, so the guests must exit on the loading side to go back to the fire exit/batch point... Then of course down the lift into the shop... Pretty much same as Smiler...

Perhaps when busier wheelchair users can go that way rather than wait in the disabled queue, but the pre-show can be viewed with a wheelchair guest as it is all flat ground straight into the station (tbh, that's a clever idea)...

Why they didn't install the consider the placement of wheelchair lifts to go on the exit platform is beyond me, likely to be the sort of thing that someone midway through the design suddenly went "OH BALLS" and hastily cobbled together a route...
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Oh of course yeah I forgot about the footbridge! :banghead:
 
The wheelchair access to the platform is the unmarked door to the left of the baggage drop, basically you are taken behind the baggage drop (to the left as you look at it from the entrance), bypassing the pre-show and straight to the platform, exit the same way, if you want to do the pre-show, you go in last then are taken back out the way you went in then use the secret door or you go the regular route, depends who is batching. (The secret door is directly in front of you as you exit the footbridge, where you double back on yourself the go to the shop, the grey door is the wheelchair entrance, it looks like a fire exit, may well double up as one tbh).

That's how it was Good Friday, might have changed since though knowing Towers.
 
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IanSR said:
The wheelchair access to the platform is the unmarked door to the left of the baggage drop, basically you are taken behind the baggage drop (to the left as you look at it from the entrance), bypassing the pre-show and straight to the platform, exit the same way, if you want to do the pre-show, you go in last then are taken back out the way you went in then use the secret door.
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Not so secret anymore, is it? ;):p
 
I think it depends who is batching (hence the edit), in the few days we were there we saw both setups being used and experienced the "secret door" ourselves, was very amusing as the ride op (long blonde hair, looks a bit like Elizabeth Mitchell) got really annoyed with it because it wouldn't open for her, the miserable batcher tried it and it opened first time for him.
 
IanSR said:
I think it depends who is batching (hence the edit), in the few days we were there we saw both setups being used and experienced the "secret door" ourselves, was very amusing as the ride op (long blonde hair, looks a bit like Elizabeth Mitchell) got really annoyed with it because it wouldn't open for her.
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Oh, is it automatic?
 
I’ve seen a wheelchair user in in the pre-show and follow us out into the station, also today in the morning just before we exit the tunnel after the photos taken it looks (the area of the ride we can see as we exit the tunnel) orange and it looks like for that split second like the aftermath of a fire if that makes sense.
 
Got the park early for the ert and bang on half 9 we're told it won't be opening on time.

How have they built such an unreliable wooden coaster!
 
Because it's Merlin and the "experience" is more important. If they were only interested in good reliable attractions, half of their portfolio wouldn't exist.
 
IanSR said:
Because it's Merlin and the "experience" is more important. If they were only interested in good reliable attractions, half of their portfolio wouldn't exist.
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But at least they've improved on the most criticised aspect of The Smiler, which was its experience/execution.
 
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