Steel Taipan Second Spinning Seat

[Narra]

Stopped by after work and had to sit at the roundabout for 25 minutes just to leave, but here's a photo where you can see both in one, hard to get a decent angle of both at once though

[Park Addict 93]

Interesting development, now just need offpeak or passholder discounts so it doesnt run empty the majority of the time.

[Ashley Jeffery]

I wonder if it was always the plan too have two spinning seats and Mack just couldn't fit in thier schedule at the time?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

On 05/07/2024 at 4:43 PM, Park Addict 93 said:

Interesting development, now just need offpeak or passholder discounts so it doesnt run empty the majority of the time.

I've been talking about this with some friends for a while. I'd like to see maybe off peak hit $15 for 1 and $20 or $25 for 2 - just use a different wristband for the second one, so that it has to be used together. 

[Levi]

51 minutes ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

I've been talking about this with some friends for a while. I'd like to see maybe off peak hit $15 for 1 and $20 or $25 for 2 - just use a different wristband for the second one, so that it has to be used together. 

from what i’ve heard, the $25 price is due to the cost of maintenance and overnight charging needed for the tailwhip seats. makes a lot more sense then $30 for a seat flipped around.

[themagician]

But surely it makes more sense to have it at a lower price point so more people use it and then see a higher return day to day. Otherwise, what’s the point in having them at all if only 5% (this is just a guess) of your daily guests use it.

It’s daylight robbery that Village charge $30 for the backwards seats. Especially when they don’t have the excuse of the costs to charge and maintain them.

[Tricoart]

If it were the case that a $25 price tag was/is a necessity to maintain one spinning seat, adding a second makes even less sense. It's not like doubling the seats doubles the demand, and even if it were to, the demand was barely there for the first anyway. They clearly want/expect more people to be using the spinning seat, and I don't see how they expect that to happen without making the gimmick seat both easier to purchase & more enticing to ride.

Edited July 7 by Tricoart

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

1 hour ago, Tricoart said:

without making the gimmick seat both easier to purchase

How much easier do you think they should make it to purchase?

[wikiverse]

They've made it available for purchase on the website, and there are 12 'spots' per hour.  This doesn't seem to change from weekday to weekend (when you'd expect 2 train ops), which would mean only 6 dispatches per hour have spinning seats available for purchase online, with the rest presumably available for in-park purchase.

Not sure how a second train changes this. There doesn't seem to be an increase in slots available online on any given day.

But I've been to DW a few times this year and I've never seen anyone riding it. I've also never ridden it because I think $25 is too expensive.  Seems like a lower price but higher volume of sales would generate more income than sending empty seats all day.

I'd be curious to know what other people's price limit is for an up-charge like this - for a one-off or to motivate you to buy each visit.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I think the online limit just prevents it from being oversold. The last thing you want is everyone buying up the 4:30 slot and being in the position of either cycling for 4 hours past closing (not going to happen) or having to process a lot of refunds. I have seen someone who purchased online right before closing get turned away by the ops team (but that was when they had fireworks on, and the ride had to be shut down prior to them starting)

You've still got wristband sales in the fairy shop, and ops team can take card payment at the front of the queue too. It quite frankly couldn't be easier to purchase if they had a paywave terminal mounted to the seat. /s

I think at $25pp its a great one off. I won't ride it every time but will fork out when i'm bringing someone to the park that has never done it. If it were discounted off peak. BOGO or similarly priced to sell more than one for a discounted total, i'd be all for it. I think $10 or $15 per person, or in a multi-buy (say, buy 4 for $100, get two free) would ultimately see more revenue and less empty seats.

[Park Addict 93]

6 hours ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

You've still got wristband sales in the fairy shop, and ops team can take card payment at the front of the queue too. It quite frankly couldn't be easier to purchase if they had a paywave terminal mounted to the seat. /s

I think at $25pp its a great one off. I won't ride it every time but will fork out when i'm bringing someone to the park that has never done it. If it were discounted off peak. BOGO or similarly priced to sell more than one for a discounted total, i'd be all for it. I think $10 or $15 per person, or in a multi-buy (say, buy 4 for $100, get two free) would ultimately see more revenue and less empty seats.

Absolutely agree with this, they have also just placed a new a-frame promoting purchase at ride entry along with a QR Code sign on the side of the que.

When DCR backwards was $10/$15 I did it most visits, but at $20 it became a once every few months and at $30 its a special occasion/with a mate that hasn't done it before.

[Ash]

I use it all the time, saves waiting in line, and doing it by yourself is an arson experience but I do think they need someone at the front of the line where you could purchase tickets instead of being in the gift shop 

[Levi]

16 hours ago, wikiverse said:

They've made it available for purchase on the website, and there are 12 'spots' per hour.  This doesn't seem to change from weekday to weekend (when you'd expect 2 train ops), which would mean only 6 dispatches per hour have spinning seats available for purchase online, with the rest presumably available for in-park purchase.

Not sure how a second train changes this. There doesn't seem to be an increase in slots available online on any given day.

But I've been to DW a few times this year and I've never seen anyone riding it. I've also never ridden it because I think $25 is too expensive.  Seems like a lower price but higher volume of sales would generate more income than sending empty seats all day.

I'd be curious to know what other people's price limit is for an up-charge like this - for a one-off or to motivate you to buy each visit.

i believe they have it set as “12 spots left” to save some spots for guests in park, as with the barcodes in front of the ride you can purchase it and ride instantly, instead of picking a time. 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

3 hours ago, Ash said:

I use it all the time, saves waiting in line, and doing it by yourself is an arson experience but I do think they need someone at the front of the line where you could purchase tickets instead of being in the gift shop 

What part of "there's a QR code in the queue you can purchase it from, and the ops staff have an eftpos machine at the front of the queue" did you miss?

[Ash]

Obviously missed that part, I was only there on Friday and that wasn’t available so it must be new 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Can confirm the EFTPOS machine has been with the sorter for at least the past two years.

[Troy81]

10 hours ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

Can confirm the EFTPOS machine has been with the sorter for at least the past two years.

Photos or I don't believe it???

[STRAWS]

2 hours ago, Troy81 said:

Photos or I don't believe it???

I was their the other day it was with the sorter I dont have a photo but seeing as their is no reason to lie about it anyway if u still dont belive it your a lost cause.

[Brad2912]

EFT terminal has been with the sorter every visit I can recall since opening 

[New display name]

10 hours ago, Troy81 said:

Photos or I don't believe it???

I see what you did there.  Apparently, many didn't.

[Park Addict 93]

On 5/7/2024 at 4:43 PM, Park Addict 93 said:

Interesting development, now just need offpeak or passholder discounts so it doesnt run empty the majority of the time.

 

Dropped from $25 to $20 or $17.50 for 2 or more.

$15 for passholders, this will get me most visits for sure.

Appears the date booking selection has been removed although selecting a time/date is still mentioned in the terms and conditions.

[makour]

11 minutes ago, Park Addict 93 said:

 

Dropped from $25 to $20 or $17.50 for 2 or more.

$15 for passholders, this will get me most visits for sure.

Appears the date booking selection has been removed although selecting a time/date is still mentioned in the terms and conditions.

Good change, will definitely get me to ride it more often. It's either that or a pie and drink from Yatala on the way home 😛

 

[Vidgamer]

Great move, especially as it is basically a front of line pass too. 

[TV15]

2 hours ago, Park Addict 93 said:

I wonder if the place up the road will take notice or even give us an off peak price. I'd much rather 2 rides on this spinning than 1 ride backwards on DCRHC.

[wikiverse]

$15 is the price point at which I'm willing to give it a go, so that's on the list for my next visit.  If they have dynamic discount pricing for off-peak days (say $10 even just for pass holders), I'd likely make a regular thing.

And now that we know DW are reading these threads and implementing some of our suggestions, can we also get some better designed soft-drink sipper cups?  Something a bit more adult and easier to carry - or even something that has a seal so it can be put in bags and station lockers on rides without the risk of spilling.

Edited July 14 by wikiverse