MW Closures & Lockers

[raymond265]

^ They COULD make lockers free, but there'd be so many issues around that one way or another because Scooby operates so many cars at once (16?) and they have a different exit to entrance. And if they made lockers like the Superman ones free, then anyone could use them, even if they weren't riding. The logistics behind free lockers on a ride like Scooby are just impossible. EDIT: And I agree on the noise thing. Maybe the parks could be really nice to all the residents close by? Hahaha.

they could sort out a system somehow on scooby doo and superman where you could store your belongings whilst on the ride and you can collect them at the end of the ride. It wouldn't be easy to sort out but it could be done. They could still have the lockers for people who are worried about there stuff going missing.

[Bmull19]

Superman lockers would be easy. They could do it like MDMC with the spinning storage thing. Scooby could always have like a storage compartment in the cart. I noticed in some of the Disney rides they have storage compartments. One (forgot what ride it was) had one that locked when the harnesses locked and unlocked when the harnesses unlocked. This could work for Scooby Doo. Only problem is it might take some space up on a car that is already small.

[raymond265]

If they were serious about building repeat business and a better experience for there guests they would do it. Instead they are chasing a quick buck and it will come back to hurt them in the long run.

[CruiseSF]

On scooby they could do what Universal did on the mummy. Putting a mesh bag where you put all belongings, including bags. It has a rubber lined top so objects can't be thrown out.

[aussienetman]

Well now batrides closed they can recomission the bags from those seats and put them in scooby

[rappa]

So many things here... Firstly the pouch thing won't work, because it's OPTIONAL, you can remove the items and also doesn't work for bags. Please go back to my precious comments about insurance... And also I've already said my bit about it being a revenue exercise. Then in regards to closures... Just because we don't see a sign of replacements doesn't mean they aren't in the works (and please don't any idiots say that I must know something because that's not what I mean). For all you know a new attraction could be signed off, designed and bought with construction starting immediately after green lantern. Maybe not, but we as enthusiats don't know. Then there's the ride choices and direction itself... Agree with it or disagree but it's US the customers that control this NOT park management. Enthusiasts are a ridiculously insignificant portion of the customer base for a theme park. The video game world has greatly changed the Australian tourist forever, immersive experiences are so common in the home and cinema it's no longer enough for a theme park. People want thrills, it's sad but it's true. And thrills combined with an immersive experience is REALLY expensive, an expense which I don't know the Australian economy can support for now at least. To say the park is going downhill is really just quite incorrect... The current management has delivered the most successful yearly results on record, and visitation isn't decreasing. Not too long ago there were a lot of complaints about entertainment in the park and look now, I think the entertainment department is going from success story to success story. As for Green Lantern, just from home but go take one look at the thing and I think you'll change your mind. Every day when I drive past I just keep getting more excited for how awesome this thing is gonna be. I recon it will give superman a run for it's money!

[aussienetman]

At the village parks, attendance increased by to 4.9million (up from 4.5) Village confirmed they sold 825,000 VIP Passes but reported a decrease in sales revenue of 7%. Net profit for VRTP dropped by 25% A 25% drop in profit means they are on the wrong track dj

[Gazza]

On scooby they could do what Universal did on the mummy. Putting a mesh bag where you put all belongings, including bags. It has a rubber lined top so objects can't be thrown out.

Hey what are those things under cover to the right of the entrance: Also, if you've been to the park you'd know they make you put bags in the lockers, just as they do on MiB. http://netdna.orland...florida-442.jpg Edited October 16, 2011 by Gazza

[rappa]

At the village parks, attendance increased by to 4.9million (up from 4.5) Village confirmed they sold 825,000 VIP Passes but reported a decrease in sales revenue of 7%. Net profit for VRTP dropped by 25% A 25% drop in profit means they are on the wrong track dj

With the 2nd best result ever... Given the diabolical weather of the peak period last year that's pretty darn good. To look at a single years result is pretty near sighted and doesn't give you a trend at all. But whether or not you which to have an objective discussion is of course up to you. Should I take by that logic that arranging enthusiast preview events for stuff like fright nights is the wrong track? Edited October 16, 2011 by djrappa

[pin142]

I am going to go against the trend and say the idea of no bringing stuff to the rides is a good one if it increases efficiency of the rides. Sure you might not have your phone to play around on during the wait but when you have rides built with the intention of handling a large number of guests in a hour any additional methods to help achieve maximum efficiency is welcomed. Sales revenue dropped? Guess that this would be one of the factors for the increase in price for VIP passes but they have gone and made offerings for pass holders to try and increase spending in parks (upgrades on purchases). As mentioned there was also the floods in January, generally "peak season" which would have drove a fair amount of people away. I was isolated for around a week due to flooding and I am a hour away from Brisbane and also the parks. Going by their June presentation they seemed to have tried to do the best with what they had. Queensland was given a large amount of attention with a somewhat negative light so it wouldn't just be the theme parks that reported a decrease in profit this year! I see this whole "wrong track" approach as invalid given it hasn't really been normal operating circumstances. Whilst I don't agree with the closure of two rides there would have been a good decision behind it to close them. Green Lantern is looking great and will say I am going to trust what Movie World are doing attraction wise for now. Looking forward to actually being able to get to the park to see what is done so far for myself as I don't believe the pictures are doing this ride any justice. Sure Buzzsaw looks towering from the carpark but I feel there will be a different buzz around this as it is more than a one trick pony!

[tolly1804]

To touch on the locker thing, when a locker is mandatory for a ride, it should be free, as in Universal Studios. They work on a time system based on the wait time, should it be 30 min wait, the locker hire is free for 40 min, should the wait be 60 min, the locker hire is free for 80 min. I enjoyed this and it made me feel like they cared for me a bit more then parks that charge for every last thing.

[CruiseSF]

Hey what are those things under cover to the right of the entrance: Also, if you've been to the park you'd know they make you put bags in the lockers, just as they do on MiB. http://netdna.orland...florida-442.jpg

They also have a bag that hangs from the restraints. You can chose to use a locker. I know this as I used it for my backpack when I went to hollywood earlier this year.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

The only problem with making the lockers free is the cost to buy them in the first place, although I seem to remember a discussion here a few years ago when vrtp actually bought the lockers off the company that was supplying them. A "free for the first xx minutes" concept would be great, but I think the lockers need to pay for themselves first. If scooby is going to need a locker station, then let the revenue from the lockers pay for it. As for where the items go on scooby I'm not sure... Because of the other closures, scoobys queuehouse was chock full and we decided to pass on it... Did however see people enter with a backpack so not sure how strict they're getting. Rappa, I realize the closures yesterday may have been due to the weather to a large extent, and I wasn't criticizing this fact. I guess my Point was due to the closure of some others (ba-tr and ltrr) anyone paying full price to enter would feel very cheated. I also realize the parks would have good reason to close those two when they did but no effort has been made to provide alternatives to ease capacity... Even a bungee tramp, kiddee travelling flat, or portable rock climbing wall would have been welcome! Lastly, GL is looking great. Work was being done yesterday on the station pieces and accompanying platforms, the first drop remained as per the last update, with the first downhill curve and brake fin. I share rappa's sentiments on this one and can't wait to see it finished.

[rappa]

The free locker system doesn't work. I've seen so many people get stuck when the time goes just over and their wallet is locked in the locker! And as for the comment on adding a rock wall or traveling ride... Could you imagine the outrage on this site if they DID do this! Just curious, how much did you pay to get through the gate that day Alex

Edited October 17, 2011 by djrappa

[Gazza]

The free locker system doesn't work. I've seen so many people get stuck when the time goes just over and their wallet is locked in the locker! And as for the comment on adding a rock wall or traveling ride... Could you imagine the outrage on this site if they DID do this! Just curious, how much did you pay to get through the gate that day Alex

Plus you couldn't organize a flat ride overnight to make up for a ride closure, and a rock climbing wall would not make up for the lost hourly capacity. Re free lockers, I found they did work, even in the mad crowds of the Potter ride. What difference does it make if you've paid to use them initially, or have used them for free? If you've overstayed the limit, you're equally stuffed under both situations aren't you?

[MickeyD]

The lockers for the coasters at Universal Singapore are free for the 1st hour and they charge for usage beyond that . An attendant assists in the locker area in case somebody goes over the hour and their wallet is in the locker, so they canover-ride it. The system works fine in a much busier park. I think having too many pay lockers in one day can leave a bad taste in people's mouths and the park should re-think their decision before adding another option like this where costs apply. Better still rethink such a decision all together. Scooby is hardly California Screamin and the ride has worked fine as is with people taking their bags etc on board for years

[Gazza]

^ They COULD make lockers free, but there'd be so many issues around that one way or another because Scooby operates so many cars at once (16?) and they have a different exit to entrance. And if they made lockers like the Superman ones free, then anyone could use them, even if they weren't riding. The logistics behind free lockers on a ride like Scooby are just impossible.

Do you even think before posting? What has the number of cars a ride runs got to do with being able to use lockers? Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey sends out a 4 person bench every 5 seconds, and has free lockers. Revenge of the mummy has cars rather than trains, with a double sided load station, and sends out cars very frequently, and has free lockers. Men in Black has two sides/tracks, with multiple 6 person shooter pods running along each track, and has free lockers. All of these rides have you exiting separate to where you board. Why is Scooby significantly different operationally? The point is, you store your items before joining the main queue, just like Superman. The free rental period is adjusted by the attendant to reflect queue times...On Dragon Challenge for instance, you had 25 mins when it had a 5 min queue (So long enough even for people wanting to use the front row queue and wait longer to get through in time) When Potter had an hour queue, they pushed the rental time out to 80 mins. People don’t use them as all day storage because of the cut off time (You get charged for staying longer), and because sometimes there is a short queue for the lockers anyway, so who can be bothered.

[Bmull19]

^ In regards to the cars having anything to do with free lockers, I meant the rotational locker/holding bay like on MDMC. Notice how later in my post I changed to say 'lockers like the Superman ones'... As in ones that actually lock.

[MaxxTheMonster]

Or you could just do what we do and hire all day lockers for $8 it was last we were there... That fixes all issues or gear when going to rides and free or not at each ride.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

As you would well know Rappa, I didn't pay a one-day price, but I do hold a VIP gold. I did have others with me who bought a VIP pass to go yesterday, and may or may not go again before it expires. Regardless of how much I've spent at vrtp (and this debate has been done to death) it's those one-day ticket holders getting screwed. Besides - regardless of what the t&c's are on the VIP pass, you'd have absolute outrage if the park only offered 2 shows and 3 rides on any given day. Now before anyone gets defensive about their employer I wasn't whining about the temporary closures. I also understand the reasoning behind the permanent closures. I'm just disappointed that more hasn't been done to compensate. Now, sure - you can't organise a traveling flat within 24 hours (unless previously arranged with local operators) but ba-tr and lt-rr closures were planned well in advance. Most people can see the risk here if you've closed two major indoor all-weather attractions, and have only 5 other majors, 3 of which are seriously affected by storms, in the middle of the SE QLD storm season! Rappa, you know that I am, and always will be an advocate of the vrtp parks. I have friends who work there, I was merely voicing an opinion and lamenting the sorry state the park found itself in because of the weather and their previous decisions. And regardless of the uproar from fanboys on this board who think anything less than a b&m is unacceptable, yes, a rockwall, kiddie flat or bungee tramp would have been welcome, just for something else to see and do...

[Gazza]

^ In regards to the cars having anything to do with free lockers, I meant the rotational locker/holding bay like on MDMC. Notice how later in my post I changed to say 'lockers like the Superman ones'... As in ones that actually lock.

Mate, you clearly said that free lockers, like Superman, wouldn't work because people would use them all day. And I proved you wrong.

[Bmull19]

How did you prove me wrong?? My argument still stands. If Superman had a, let's say, 1 hour line, why wouldn't people just get the locker and come back in 80 minutes to renew it, 'mate'?

And I proved you wrong.

That's all you seem to do on this forum - try to prove people wrong. You're all too joyous.

[Hendo]

Just like Wyncenuros, we get a locker each time we go. Pile all our junk in there and there's no problems on anything we want to do. At MW the lockers are virtually in the middle of the park so it's easy to duck back and get stuff out of it. Problem solved.

[Gazza]

How did you prove me wrong?? My argument still stands. If Superman had a, let's say, 1 hour line, why wouldn't people just get the locker and come back in 80 minutes to renew it, 'mate'?

Do people behave like this at Universal? No. -For starters, when busy there is often a line to use the lockers in the first place, so that is a disincentive against people doing that versus having your own personal one in a central location. -It wastes peoples time to have to keep running back to the front of the park every 80 mins, and fast becomes unviable when the queue is short, and you'd have to be running back every 30 minutes as the rental period is adjusted down by the operator.

That's all you seem to do on this forum - try to prove people wrong

And you were trying to prove people wrong to say it wouldn't work, even though it works on multiple attractions overseas. PS, my favourite item storage method is the one seen at Merlin parks...Having a cloakroom just before the boarding area. Your stuff gets handed over and put in a numbered bay, and you get a wristband with a number. At the end of the ride you return to the other side of the cloakroom and get your stuff back. Simple! Edited October 17, 2011 by Gazza

[Richard]

Logical solution would be free locker hire park-wide for all VIP Gold passholders and anyone with an all-day locker. Still limited to one hour for ride lockers. Activated by swiping your pass barcode (giving those stupid lanyards a meaningful purpose!), or a locker wristband. Might actually make those passes worth upgrading to...