Wicker Man - General Discussion

[JAperson]

Speaking of tall people: I am surprised that the height measurement sticks (e.g. for The Swarm) don’t also include the ‘maximum height’.

They'd be very long sticks!

Oblivion is in desperate need of some love. For me it’s one of those rides you just can’t scrap and should be refurbished accordingly

I don't think they'll scrap it, like nemesis it's brand is well known and worth it for the merch sales alone I would imagine. I reckon it could get a refurbishment though probably not on the same level to that of Nemesis Reborn.

 

[Bowser]

Speaking of tall people: I am surprised that the height measurement sticks (e.g. for The Swarm) don’t also include the ‘maximum height’.

Mandrill Mayhem at Chessington does. I’ve seen a few people refused boarding from it.

 

[Matt N]

The ones on The Swarm do as well, I’m fairly sure. I think all of the ones with maximum height restrictions do.

I know my dad has been measured on Swarm, Stealth and Spinball, for sure. He somehow gets by on Thirteen and has for 16 years, but I’m fairly sure that stick goes all the way up to the maximum as well.

 

[George W]

Speaking of tall people: I am surprised that the height measurement sticks (e.g. for The Swarm) don’t also include the ‘maximum height’.

They do have maximum height measurement sticks unfortunately.
At the entrance and merge point they can check maximum height on a board and in the station they have a 1.95m metal stick.

Mandrill Mayhem at Chessington does. I’ve seen a few people refused boarding from it.

Mandrill is the one where for the first couple months of opening I could ride it but ever since they check everytime.

He somehow gets by on Thirteen and has for 16 years, but I’m fairly sure that stick goes all the way up to the maximum as well.

Shhhhh

 

[Poisson]

Merge is an absolute mess today. They'd be better off combining Fastrack and RAP into one queue instead of trying to balance 3

 

[Matt N]

Everything between the merge point and seat assignment has always been a mess on Wicker Man.

As much as I love the actual ride, it’s one aspect of the experience that makes riding it more frustrating than it needs to be at times. The pre-show in particular needs reorganising to stop it from being such a scrum, and that’s honestly why part of me almost found it a relief when the pre-show didn’t run during COVID… the actual content is good, but the lack of organisation ruins it.

 

[BarryZola]

I went on it yesterday and when we got into the pre-show room the curtain was pulled fully to the side so everyone could see the blank unlit face. Then the curtain came across and the actual pre-show started, kind of ruining it for the 10% of people who hadn't seen it before. On another note, when on Hex there was a girl and it was her 6th birthday and the ride op in the picture gallery bit got everyone to sing happy birthday to her which everyone complied with totally and it was actually a lovely moment (which the parents filmed). So yeah, well done to the ride op for going above and beyond there

 

[Poisson]

The curtain can be open if the show hasn't reset yet.

 

[Islander]

On another note, when on Hex there was a girl and it was her 6th birthday and the ride op in the picture gallery bit got everyone to sing happy birthday to her which everyone complied with totally and it was actually a lovely moment (which the parents filmed). So yeah, well done to the ride op for going above and beyond there

I am a grumpy old man, so I expect the majority to disagree with me… but I 100% hate this kinda thing. Completely destroys the atmosphere, the mood, the theme. I also have no interest in celebrating some random kid’s birthday.

A nice moment for the kid and her family, an awkward as hell moment for the rest..

 

[Poisson]

It's like them now all of a sudden shouting at you for arms up and then try and pull on your restraints. There's a themed announcement for arms up and didn't need to rag the bars before

 

[BarryZola]

I am a grumpy old man, so I expect the majority to disagree with me… but I 100% hate this kinda thing. Completely destroys the atmosphere, the mood, the theme. I also have no interest in celebrating some random kid’s birthday.

A nice moment for the kid and her family, an awkward as hell moment for the rest..

I can understand that. In mitigation, it was after people had been waiting quite a while having watched the queueline small screen vids a few times and we'd moved through. Most people were still in that bored half-asleep mode in the dark. She purposely did it before the main video played on the big screen. In this case I was actually slightly surprised how enthusiastically everyone got on board though. Even the 'bad man' looking types were into haha. I personally wouldn't begrudge a ride-op doing it again. But yeah, I can see where you're coming from in terms of the pure ride experience. It might be because I've been on Hex a million times so it was a bit of different entertainment. Anyway, I slightly led this discussion away from Wicker Man so I'll try not to keep it steered away too much more.

 

[JAperson]

Everything between the merge point and seat assignment has always been a mess on Wicker Man.

As much as I love the actual ride, it’s one aspect of the experience that makes riding it more frustrating than it needs to be at times. The pre-show in particular needs reorganising to stop it from being such a scrum, and that’s honestly why part of me almost found it a relief when the pre-show didn’t run during COVID… the actual content is good, but the lack of organisation ruins it.

I agree with all of this. That merge point has always been a battle, and personally I always extend by elbows! If I have queued for an hour and some fasttrack people are determined to get in front of me, that is not happening!
Being serious I do think its the main drawback of what I think is a brilliant ride and a great overall experience.

 

[Benzin]

Whats the point in having merge when the staff member is just gonna go down queues scanning stuff and letting everyone in at once?

Yay stuffed in the pre-pre-show again.

 

[Poisson]

Wonder if they could cattlepen inside the pre merge?

 

[Secret Weapon]

that’s honestly why part of me almost found it a relief when the pre-show didn’t run during COVID

This has probably been answered before, but what happened during COVID? Did people still walk through the pre-show building (with no video playing), or did they somehow walk around it instead?

I remember hearing that it's possible to bypass the pre-show entirely (even before and after COVID), but I'm not sure how this is possible (presumably, there must be a side entrance to the loading bay that bypasses it?).

 

[Skyscraper]

This has probably been answered before, but what happened during COVID? Did people still walk through the pre-show building (with no video playing), or did they somehow walk around it instead?

I remember hearing that it's possible to bypass the pre-show entirely (even before and after COVID), but I'm not sure how this is possible (presumably, there must be a side entrance to the loading bay that bypasses it?).

If you ask to bypass the pre show they just let you through the room once it has emptied. There is a bypass door that's used as a wheelchair exit.

 

[Matt N]

This has probably been answered before, but what happened during COVID? Did people still walk through the pre-show building (with no video playing), or did they somehow walk around it instead?

You queued through the building with the ending flickering wicker man face projected, but no pre-show running. I think that worked quite well in its own right myself!

 

[Poisson]

Think the preshow has had a new projector over closed season, it seems much sharper in there now.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Think the preshow has had a new projector over closed season, it seems much sharper in there now.

BUDGET CUTS!

 

[rctneil]

I like the preshow but feel like the merge area, the baggage room and preshow room need switchbacks.

The preshow room and baggage rooms are easy to switch back. Added a diagram below. The merge area needs something so there's not a scrum of people. It can still be a merge but it needs much narrower paths so it's sort of single file. then people know where they are merging, the queue enters the baggage room past the bag window, down to the end, turns back and then again, then into the preshow where you sort of zig zag closer and closer to the front.

Still works the same way but stops all the scrums of people so it's one long conga line. I guess you could describe it as a.. ermm whats the word?... .. oh a queue!