Superman escape review thread

[kennykoala]

just a general comment: I have been on superman many times now since it has been open. My comment is, why dose superman go over the top hat at such a slow speed, its like it barley makes it over sometimes, the back of the train crawls over the top. now i know xcellarator has a faster top speed, but it is also higer too, and it pops itself over the top hat at quite a quick pace with lots of force. Maybe they should have made the launch finish right within a meter of the actual incline, thats the only reason i can see why that it dosent fly over the top hat. (i just think the accelaration cuts to short b4 the incline....any thoughts??

[Gazza]

I think its just the way the launch is set up, Accelerators can have their speed modified (like those tests on Xcel where they put it at 160km/h). The distance it finishes away from the launch has nothing to do with it because it would slow down only minimaly on the last straight bit. Also it cant go too fast because the radius is tight so the Gs can get too high if it goes too fast. IMO it should just 'cruise' over the top, just so you get enough time to admire the view but dont feel like you are going at a boring pace and not getting a big shock of negative Gs. IMO its still a good tophat though. Maybe the reason could be to keep it at 100km/h in line with the rides advertising, maybe 110kph doesnt sound like such a clean number so they dont want to run it any faster.

[joz]

Plus you've seen how small a footprint Superman has, making it faster would take up more room, which is there really isn't much of in that little area. The layout of Superman is really quite clever, hopefully just how clever will become more apparent in later years. **Public service announcement: Rant coming** As for the whole staffing thing, well, Superman's station is about as a poor efficiency station as you can have (even Cyclone makes up for its station by doing everything from the same station). It takes 4 people to run the ride (which is a great number as far as doing breaks is concerned, as with 5 people you need someone extra to do a break) with one train, and for most of the time, the unloader and loader on the far side of the platform do nothing. Now one thing I just want to make clear; you really shouldn't get rid of the person out the front of a ride like Superman, since the minimum height requirement is so high, and people have problems with the lockers. A person out the front is a must, so people don't line up (for 5 mins or 45mins), get to the front of the line and become disappointed that they can't ride. One thing about 2 train operation is you need an extra 2 people, one for loading, and one for the front. I'm not convinced that you NEED the extras. One person can operate Cyclone, Corkscrew, and effectively Lethal Weapon, so I think 4 would be pretty able to cover two-train op. Its purely a matter of how much it costs to check each train in the morning and keep up with normal wear and tear, and while more expensive then one would think, it doesn't cost that much. During peak times, go nuts put an extra 4 people around on the ride, sure you could justify it pretty easy, but for non-peak times it doesn’t need that many staff even with 2 trains. If a train needs to go down for maintenance, well that’s fair enough, its the nature of a year round park that you'll have to close off rides from the public so you can check them out and make sure they're all running as they should be. Though consider that Corkscrew and Cyclone's trains each have about a week or two of downtime a year, so unless Intamin have some really dodgy trains you would expect Superman's trains to be available for 11 out of 12 months. Ok, its cheaper to not have to replace parts on the ride constantly rather then having it sitting there, but why spend so much money on a train that your hardly going to use? Maybe in a year or three when the crowds have dropped down and the park isn't so packed drop it to one train, but for a brand spanking new ride like Superman one would think the higher capacity the better.

[Gazza]

Now one thing I just want to make clear; you really shouldn't get rid of the person out the front of a ride like Superman, since the minimum height requirement is so high, and people have problems with the lockers. A person out the front is a must, so people don't line up (for 5 mins or 45mins), get to the front of the line and become disappointed that they can't ride.

Stop me if im wrong, but dont rides have a height meter out the front? Couldnt people just go and stand by it, and if they are not tall enough then they would simply not join the queue. Anyone who is stupid enough to join the line without checking properly deserves to waste 45 minutes. Also, obviously if they have not taken the time to check their height then the would have also not read the safety rules (since they are both on the same sign) All they need to do is have the height meter in a really prominent place like right by the queue rails at the very entrance so there is no excuse for complaining that you arent tall enough. Prehaps they could even go the extra mile by having an infa red beam detector which you walk through and it tells you if you are tall enough. But basically if its signed well enough there is no need for staff.

[Richard]

Staff who load the trains aren't in a position to accurately nor efficiently guage the height of riders who are entering. It's something that does need to be checked and enforced by someone. A key benefit of doing it here rather than at the end of the queue before boarding is it gives the park the ability to inform people they can't ride before they queue, which will reflect well on the park and at the end of the day act as good customer service. With the speed over the top hat, as joz mentioned the ride was faced with a very tight footprint and fitting in as much as they can. The amount of G-forces and the amount of time they are experienced for is identical to that of Xcelerator and other Intamin rocket coasters. Quite simply, they opted for a slower, tighter top hat, versus a faster and bigger one. Personally I like the way it creeps over and into the drop.

[Spotty]

I like the way it creeps over too. And you can tell by the area avalible that it had to be VERY tight, If they had skiped the subway, there could have been more rollercoaster, but I like the way how it has the subway first, This rocket is a few world firsts, the FIRST superman Rocket Coaster, the only rocket to feature a pre launch section, and quite possibly the best themed, And there is GREAT headchoppers on it. SO I say leave the layout and speed the way it is, and just work on more themeing.

[dreamworld_rulz]

Stop me if im wrong, but dont rides have a height meter out the front? Couldnt people just go and stand by it, and if they are not tall enough then they would simply not join the queue. Anyone who is stupid enough to join the line without checking properly deserves to waste 45 minutes. Also, obviously if they have not taken the time to check their height then the would have also not read the safety rules (since they are both on the same sign) All they need to do is have the height meter in a really prominent place like right by the queue rails at the very entrance so there is no excuse for complaining that you arent tall enough. Prehaps they could even go the extra mile by having an infa red beam detector which you walk through and it tells you if you are tall enough. But basically if its signed well enough there is no need for staff.

At DW on the Eureka Mine Ride the height bar is just before you board the ride not at the start of the que. So to see if your tall enough you have to push past ppl then climb up the stairs just to check your height.

[tom]

At DW on the Eureka Mine Ride the height bar is just before you board the ride not at the start of the que. So to see if your tall enough you have to push past ppl then climb up the stairs just to check your height.

Isnt there one at the start of the line aswell?

[dreamworld_rulz]

I've never seen it tom.

[tom]

If you look at the photos on this website of it, look closely next to the guy standing in the que you can see a sign, isnt that the height limit sign? Its got a thick white line at the bottom of the sign. Correct me if im wrong... because im bound to be wrong! LOL!

[Spotty]

No, you are right tom there is a height bar there too.

[Gazza]

So why cant people just check the height themselves?

[joz]

Stop me if im wrong, but dont rides have a height meter out the front? Couldnt people just go and stand by it, and if they are not tall enough then they would simply not join the queue. Anyone who is stupid enough to join the line without checking properly deserves to waste 45 minutes.

In theory I agree, however the reality is quite different. Basiclly, people are stupid, and need to be protected from their own stupidity. I can't tell you the number I've rejected a child from a ride with the parent knowing full well that the kid was under height, but they were just giving it a go. Same goes for people not being able to spot a prominant sign saying the height requirements and taking their stupidity out on staff. The bottom line, is people hold it against the park that they were unable/willing to read the signs. Add to that the lockers on SM, and you see why the front person is important, and thats not even getting into injuries or anything like that.

[tom]

Total off thread topic, but anyway.... I was at Movie World yesterday (10th March) and rode Superman heaps. They had the doors between the stations working, and they hide Superman which adds alittle extra to the ride. I thought that the smoke accross the tunnels wasnt working aswell, and that it was out of time with the ride, the smoke, or steam should I say, was stopping before the train reached it and you didnt pass through anything on the way out. Maybe this was just me but the ride was getting abit rough, like not Lethal Weapon rough, but the harrnesses arent as tight fitting and are able to be moved alittle bit, I dont know, check it out when you guys go up on the 18th. They were still only running one train, which sucked because I was waiting like 20min (approx) between rides. The last locker in the 'earthquake' section didnt seem to be moving... Thats another one for you guys to check out. If anyone has been recently add more to this because I want to know if im just imaging things, or that my rides were... I dont know... CURSED or something.. LOL!

[Dylaan]

Lol, maybe that locker isn't meant to?! It took them a while to realise that superman needed hiding. Trust MW to try fix things up but I'm sure it will all be going smoothly again soon!

[Gazza]

The doors have been there all along, they just werent working, so how do they hide him? do they just have a gap that closes around it. If so it would look a little wierd from the unload side, seeing a supermans legs poking out the other side, but its good to know they thought of it.

[tom]

The doors have been there all along, they just werent working, so how do they hide him? do they just have a gap that closes around it. If so it would look a little wierd from the unload side, seeing a supermans legs poking out the other side, but its good to know they thought of it.

Yeah I know the doors have always been there. There are two doors. They both are closed when the train is in the load station, and there is a square cut out on the load station door which shapes around superman, and the unload station door is closed also so you cant see his legs. So Superman is completely inclosed between the two doors while there is a train in the load station. Did that make sense...? LOL! Well, they are really curtains, its just black plastic i think. Edited March 11, 2006 by tom

[Gazza]

I get it, but Curtains? They must have read Richos review. Too bad nobody can get a pic of what they have done (Except maybe for a shot taken through the exit door in the shop.

[tom]

Lol, well... They arent solid walls, so its a curtain, or divider LOL! Its just black plastic hanging and they are retracted into the walls.

[Spotty]

The last locker wasn't working today, And it is NOT just you about the smoke, it isn't as good as it used to be, alot of the effects are dying off, I can see it becoming Dreamworld lol, And it is becoming a bit more rough, and the darn OTSR's keep digging into your arms, giving you a nice bruise On another note today was PACKED!!! 40 min waits for Lethal and Superman anyone???