Superman queue possible storage box system

[REGIE]

This is a subject that gets talked about a lot . As many people hate not having access to phones and other items in the SE queue. I saw this on reddit the other day and wondered if a similar system could work for SE? It wouldn't have to go down hill as it's all the same height. You could cross the train to the other side of the station. Put your bags into storage. Then the boxes slide into the unloading station and when you jump off you go to the left. Grab your stuff then leave to the right again.  Not sure how this works with 2 train OP's but it's definitely interesting 

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Not sure why the image loaded like this

[Baconjack]

Something really similar already exists with Rivals (in its first couple of years) with the double sided bins in the station where riders boarding placed their stuff next to the train, which would rotate towards the station wall by the time guests went back into the station. Iirc with 2 train ops the bins would rotate after guests on one of the trains disembarked and got their stuff, with the bins emptied for the next train and the next train’s stuff towards the wall waiting for them.

There’s no reason something similar could be implemented into superman for a “next generation” revamp, however this would obviously necessitate a major re routing of the queue as those lockers would need to be placed on the wall next to where the fast track queue for the ride exists now. Don’t think this gets implemented until such a revamp occurs, if it ever does, because it requires massive works to not only the queue but the wall to fit such bins in.

[Tricoart]

2 hours ago, Baconjack said:

Something really similar already exists with Rivals (in its first couple of years) with the double sided bins in the station where riders boarding placed their stuff next to the train, which would rotate towards the station wall by the time guests went back into the station. Iirc with 2 train ops the bins would rotate after guests on one of the trains disembarked and got their stuff, with the bins emptied for the next train and the next train’s stuff towards the wall waiting for them.

There’s no reason something similar could be implemented into superman for a “next generation” revamp, however this would obviously necessitate a major re routing of the queue as those lockers would need to be placed on the wall next to where the fast track queue for the ride exists now. Don’t think this gets implemented until such a revamp occurs, if it ever does, because it requires massive works to not only the queue but the wall to fit such bins in.

Except, I can’t recall the last time I rode DCR when these weren’t shut off and used as nothing more than weirdly shaped cubbyholes. Which, IMO, would be the major issue with anything that’s mechanical & not necessary for the ride to operate, no matter how simple or complicated it may be, it’s upkeep will fall to the wayside & be replaced by (or used as) a system that doesn’t need any extra attention/care to operate.

In the event of a Superman overhaul, and under the mutual assumption that they weren’t to keep the separate load/unload station, I’d imagine the loose article system they’d opt for would be similar to Leviathan/Steel Taipan/Storm: A bin/wall with compartments for riders to store their loose articles, with a sliding door that covers at least half of these compartments at all times, which may or may not be slid across by a ride operator between dispatches.

In the scenario that they overhaul Superman, but keep it’s load & unload stations the way they are, I’d again imagine that they’d shy away from an overly complex system like on Yukon Striker, instead opting for the significantly simpler setups like what’s on Velocicoaster/Steel Vengeance/Jet Rescue/Motocoaster: Right before boarding, loose articles are placed into a double-sided cubbyhole or (free) locker, and are retrieved from the other side via the ride exit path.

Edited April 25 by Tricoart

[STRAWS]

7 hours ago, Tricoart said:

Except, I can’t recall the last time I rode DCR when these weren’t shut off and used as nothing more than weirdly shaped cubbyholes. Which, IMO, would be the major issue with anything that’s mechanical & not necessary for the ride to operate, no matter how simple or complicated it may be, it’s upkeep will fall to the wayside & be replaced by (or used as) a system that doesn’t need any extra attention/care to operate.

In the event of a Superman overhaul, and under the mutual assumption that they weren’t to keep the separate load/unload station, I’d imagine the loose article system they’d opt for would be similar to Leviathan/Steel Taipan/Storm: A bin/wall with compartments for riders to store their loose articles, with a sliding door that covers at least half of these compartments at all times, which may or may not be slid across by a ride operator between dispatches.

In the scenario that they overhaul Superman, but keep it’s load & unload stations the way they are, I’d again imagine that they’d shy away from an overly complex system like on Yukon Striker, instead opting for the significantly simpler setups like what’s on Velocicoaster/Steel Vengeance/Jet Rescue/Motocoaster: Right before boarding, loose articles are placed into a double-sided cubbyhole or (free) locker, and are retrieved from the other side via the ride exit path.

 

I think you nailed it. Either way I only ever go on SE when its quiet cause standing in a 1-hour que with no phone is annoying. Me like most people hate ques but when you can't even carry your phone with you just drives me insane. I don't use my phone that much unless I have nothing else to do.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

DCR's boxes don't rotate when they're only running one train. And they almost never run 2.

On 25/04/2024 at 9:31 PM, REGIE said:

You could cross the train to the other side of the station. Put your bags into storage. Then the boxes slide into the unloading station and when you jump off you go to the left. Grab your stuff then leave to the right again.  

Exiting people to the wrong side just to collect loose items delays the advancement of the train into the load station. it would only serve to cripple cycle times even further. Trains can't launch until the unload station is clear and this would massively inflate the amount of time the train would spend in Unload.

SE is coming up on its 20 year anniversary, and they have changed the TVs in the queue recently. I feel as though they haven't forgotten about the ride, and given its proximity to Oz, the queue systems of 2005 are a little antiquated. SE was built in a time when most people didn't live on their phones - Smart phones were virtually non existent or stupidly expensive. It wouldn't be until 2007 that the first iphone was released... 

The park has been sprucing up a lot of things of late (no doubt BGH wants to go to market once Oz is at the top of the Hype lift hill), maybe SE does have something in the wings to improve and modernise this? 

[Dean Barnett]

Seaworld in San Diego on their Sky Rocket II have a tray that they run down the train before securing it - for people to put phones, unstrapped glasses etc in. They put it at the exit and retrieve it once everyone has grabbed their stuff - rinse and repeat.  

That's all superman needs - it's free (bar the cost of the tray) - won't reduce load times (MW are good enough at doing that already) and you have a happier GP.

 

[Tricoart]

14 minutes ago, Dean Barnett said:

Seaworld in San Diego on their Sky Rocket II have a tray that they run down the train before securing it - for people to put phones, unstrapped glasses etc in. They put it at the exit and retrieve it once everyone has grabbed their stuff - rinse and repeat.  

That's all superman needs - it's free (bar the cost of the tray) - won't reduce load times (MW are good enough at doing that already) and you have a happier GP.

 

I’ve seen Superman do this, but only rarely & out of necessity, likely ‘cause it’s more for the ride ops to do.

Edited April 30 by Tricoart

[Dean Barnett]

Oh too hard for them to do their jobs? 

🎻

[Tricoart]

8 minutes ago, Dean Barnett said:

Oh too hard for them to do their jobs? 

🎻

More like, complicates the system with the existing lockers, adds an extra thing to train workers on, could make dispatches slower than their already glacial pace, and gives another reason to roster more than the bare minimum amount of staff.

Edited April 30 by Tricoart

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

4 minutes ago, Dean Barnett said:

Oh too hard for them to do their jobs? 

🎻

oh fuck off.

You're the first one to come on here and complain about how slow operations are, and how much faster they could be if they just copied *insert overseas park \ ride example here* with complete disregard for whatever possible regional differences in law and compliance they may be impacted by, and then in the next breath make suggestions that would demonstrably slow down operations even further.

I've been on Electric Eel and that station is PACKED with staff. The park has more than double the annual attendance and a comparable ticket price, and lower wages make it easier to staff operations positions. 

 

Go back to spinning your little turnstile.

[Dean Barnett]

They clearly don't care about dispatch times - so that's not a reason for them not to do it. 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

So, they do it - and then you come back here complaining about how inefficient it is?

Might as well put in some turnstiles while they're at it, yeah?

[red dragin]

When I've seen the basket out for Superman, it was for people with vision poor enough that they needed their glasses to negotiate their way to their seat. 

[Dean Barnett]

Heck they could even have the basket thing at the door you walk through - then the only extra thing the attendant needs to do is take it to the unload station... hope they can handle that. 

[red dragin]

You're more trusting of your fellow humans than most. Theft would be a major problem if everything went into one basket. 

We've started taking a small bag. Everything goes in that. Much quicker than dealing with all the odds and ends, great for hot lapping rides. 

[Dean Barnett]

I haven't had any issues with platform buckets during my travels 😕

 

[Prequel]

I've only ever had the staff members use the tray for my glasses, which was something I didn't expect them to do. (But I very much appreciated still being allowed to wear them in the queue.)

I don't like the current locker system, but I don't see how they could fix it without a complete redesign of the stations.

Edited April 30 by Prequel

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

14 hours ago, Dean Barnett said:

Heck they could even have the basket thing at the door you walk through - then the only extra thing the attendant needs to do is take it to the unload station... hope they can handle that. 

You still have no idea how much work ops crew have to do, and think they should get more tasks to do than they already have. The person who would need to do that is also regularly the grouper \ fast track checker. Go back and read the TRRR coronial inquest and see the criticism laid at the feet of the park for giving the operators so many other tasks to do that they couldn't concentrate on safety factors. 

14 hours ago, red dragin said:

You're more trusting of your fellow humans than most. Theft would be a major problem if everything went into one basket. 

Amusingly - Electric Eel is the one ride I had major anxiety over my items. I saw the operator leave the tray of our belongings at the ride exit, fully accessible by guests still waiting at the exit for their friends to get off the ride. I bee-lined it for that tray to make sure I got my phone back, and I remember thinking what a stupid system it was at the time.

12 hours ago, Dean Barnett said:

I haven't had any issues with platform buckets during my travels 😕

There it is. Things are fine for you, therefore it must never cause issues or be a problem for anyone else. 

11 hours ago, Prequel said:

I don't like the current locker system, but I don't see how they could fix it without a complete redesign of the stations.

As i've already said, times have changed, and SE is coming up on its 20 year anniversary. The locker system is outdated, and honestly - it costs them an extra staff member at the front to ensure loose items don't enter the queue (with a second staff member manning the lockers in busy periods too).

A complete redesign wouldn't be that expensive, and would save on staffing costs. Maybe once Oz opens up, they'll do something about it ?

[Gazza]

Personally I like the trolley system where they come down the train, but for it to work there has to be extra dedicated position or two just for it:

https://www.parkz.com.au/photo/31186-OzIris/gallery/sort/newest/location/oziris/offset/18

In my view, if you want to deal with loose items as fast as possible, there's no avoiding extra staff.

You either need lockers or double sided lockers, with staff chaperoning guests.

Or you need staff working the platform, actively collecting items.

*******

The automatic cubby holes Mack and Intamin make are a good compromise, no extra staff, but not as fast. 

 

 

Edited April 30 by Gazza

[STRAWS]

 

15 hours ago, Dean Barnett said:

I haven't had any issues with platform buckets during my travels 😕

 

Just because you haven't had any issues with platform buckets doesn't mean anyone else wont. The storage boxes at all the parks say you leave your items at your own risk they wouldn't put that there if people haven't stolen before. 

[Dean Barnett]

3 hours ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

You still have no idea how much work ops crew have to do, and think they should get more tasks to do than they already have. The person who would need to do that is also regularly the grouper \ fast track checker.

Oh don't worry - I've seen it. One day the grouper for rivals was also the only one checking that side of the train. 

You don't need a grouper for dead days.. someone could probably work out some sort of way to automate this job - can't think of anything off the top of my head though. 

I would love for MV to adopt at least one of the ride practices that any of the parks in europe / states adopt. Maybe a comms system for attendants? Maybe a PA system being used?  etc etc None of these things inhibit safety - they improve safety

 

Friendly reminder:

 

 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

The gates are already open and the grouped guests are already inside the airgates, on the other side dealing with loose articles. that doesn't show the train being unloaded, or where the last trainload of other guests are. It doesn't show how many staff are working the ride, or what conditions they are working under. The seats do not have a redundant failsafe (seatbelt) nor are they RFID confirmed by the operator either. 

There are so many things in this video that just cannot be achieved here. Could our operations be faster? Of course they could. But pointing to foreign parks as a standard is not the way of it and

HOW DO YOU STILL NOT UNDERSTAND THIS?

 

[Dean Barnett]

How does RFID make anything safer? The only use outside of Australia is for rolling platforms - which we could never cope with. 

[Narra]

9 minutes ago, Dean Barnett said:

How does RFID make anything safer? The only use outside of Australia is for rolling platforms - which we could never cope with. 

Do you think the parks would have implemented it if they didn't have to? You act like the parks install these redundancies purely to slow things down instead of you know, because the regulators enforce it

[Dean Barnett]

Yes I believe someone visited Universal Studios and saw either HRRR or Hagride attendants use RFID wristbands to clear rows - what they didn't see is there's another sensor location which unlocks the row, independently to the operator in the booth (super cool). If they did that I wouldn't mind so much.