March 11, 20187 yr comment_256486 Tbh the bag system is a shambles and holds up throughput at times on most rides. As good as the idea it is, It isnt cost effective with labour costs. I'm sure the park would be cheaper in the long run to add the mack storage systems. The new system seems worse as it will double the loading time and offers no security between trains unless they plan to add doors to the front like oblivion.
March 11, 20187 yr comment_256487 9 hours ago, Marc said: Is there not lockers at Obvlion? Or are they gone am not too sure. The lockers were there last year but never saw them working.
March 11, 20187 yr comment_256493 The entrance to the projector room looks so sad and knackered Thing is, that's what happens when budgets are cut and you make the exterior of an entrance from plywood.
March 12, 20187 yr comment_256516 16 hours ago, RobF said: The new system seems worse as it will double the loading time and offers no security between trains unless they plan to add doors to the front like oblivion. The doors were removed off Oblivion and Nemesis’ holds alike a few seasons back I believe. So I imagine this will be no different. As an ex-Ride Host the bag cupboards give endless headaches with doors (thinking Inferno) because people constantly crowd around them or pull the door etc etc. the only one that ever worked was AIR as we locked them into position. I believe Thirteen’s bag room has also been removed, and a fence has been extended around the batch area so fastrack (and maybe disabled?) will go up the right and main queue will queue through on the left. I’ve not seen what the platform set up is now though, but I imagine it’s going to make a three train operation pretty much a thing of the past / pointless moving forward. Universal’s locker system does work... I guess would work better as it isn’t as busy; Dragon’s for example had an awful locker system. Having said that Six Flags also utilise the system and it works well. To my memory X2 had the best set up, locker system at the station platform, but obviously that’s quite a slow loading ride with an entrance and exit together etc etc.
March 12, 20187 yr comment_256521 On 10/03/2018 at 11:36 PM, Matt Creek said: Great to see progress in our parks. Who needs bag holds anyway, when you can just cram them on a few B&Q shelving units and cut the costs of expensive staff. Clearly much quicker and easier for everyone. Merlin really are pushing and innovating our parks. I hate the bag rooms. Complete waste of money to man and causes silly bottle necks all around the entrances and exits to stations. It only ever really worked at Stealth. At the Smiler, it was my absolute dread as everyone just pushes past through you whilst you wait to put your bag in. My only thing is the awful look they've left it with. But I can deal with the death of the bag rooms.
March 12, 20187 yr comment_256526 Swarm's bag drop was one of the most awful park experiences ever...
March 13, 20187 yr comment_256552 Stealth’s works, but it’s pointless given Rita’s cupboard works absolutely fine. Swarm’s I agree with Benin is just painful and unnessecary considering the options implemented on both Raptor and Flug (bearing in mind Raptor’s was changed/updated). And SAW’s really was the only option without using lockers. Nemesis, AIR, Oblivion, Spinball, they’ve all proved that bag rooms aren’t required, so I agree with Mark - good riddance.
March 13, 20187 yr comment_256555 Can't help but to think Thirteen having storage boxes will slow down loading time quite a bit considering how fast it typically runs...
March 13, 20187 yr comment_256560 2 hours ago, Kerfuffle said: Can't help but to think Thirteen having storage boxes will slow down loading time quite a bit considering how fast it typically runs... Depends if they've got the third train running this year...
March 13, 20187 yr comment_256562 Is there not room on Thirteen to just take your bags with you? Put them under your feet or something. I agree baggage holds can be a bit of a pain, but for something like Thirteen which relies on quick dispatches, they’re pretty much nessecary...
March 13, 20187 yr comment_256563 1 hour ago, HermanTheGerman said: Is there not room on Thirteen to just take your bags with you? Put them under your feet or something. Probably not safe with the drop, it's rare you can take bags onto a roller coaster in the UK from my experience
March 13, 20187 yr comment_256566 A lot of the people saying they are glad to see the back of them. I am confused. It was already a challenge to achieve a throughput of even 950pph on The Smiler. With added faff of a bag storage area on the platform, this will plummet further.
March 13, 20187 yr comment_256567 I always saw the Baggage Holds as the 'least worst option'. Better than lockers outside the queue, more secure and quicker than cages on the platform. Safer than taking things on the rides.
March 13, 20187 yr comment_256572 In a perfect world, they’d have those Mack baggage holds, similar to Blue Fire and Silver Star. These enable a more safer and secure method than open shelving, yet don’t require the extra staff member stuck in a bag room handing out/handing back guest’s belongings. I think some bag holds work better than others. I think on rides like Thirteen and Stealth, they work rather well, but will say the one for Swarm leaves something to be desired.
March 13, 20187 yr comment_256577 3 hours ago, AstroDan said: It was already a challenge to achieve a throughput of even 950pph on The Smiler. With added faff of a bag storage area on the platform, this will plummet further. I kind of find that hard to believe simply on the basis as an ex-Ride Host of various parks and rides including SAW I can safely say SAW in my time easily hit its 900 expected throughout, so for Smiler to hit only 950 surprises me considering it’s theoretical throughputs were higher. Equally I can’t see it making that much of a difference overall if it’s managed correctly. It would be like saying Nemesis and such could achieve an extra 200+ an hour by having a bag room, it’s doubtful and you’re probably only talking the difference of a couple of trains so even if you’re generous it’s 60 people or so an hour? It’s not worth the hassle of a bag room.
March 14, 20187 yr comment_256582 Most Towers platform staff (well, Blivvy mostly) seem to at least assist with grabbing bags in order to speed things up a bit, I'd be surprised if Smiler wasn't the same...
March 14, 20187 yr comment_256586 13 hours ago, AstroDan said: A lot of the people saying they are glad to see the back of them. I am confused. It was already a challenge to achieve a throughput of even 950pph on The Smiler. With added faff of a bag storage area on the platform, this will plummet further. I agree. Though I get what people mean about other guests pushing past you at the baggage hold, that couple of people getting ahead is surely better than the whole queue moving slower because every single dispatch is delayed? Baggage holds seemed like the best of a bad bunch of options to me.
March 14, 20187 yr comment_256587 Putting bags in the station works on some rides, and others it doesn't. Rides where there's plenty of space (both getting through seats and at the exit area of the station) don't see major issues with placing bags in the station as there's enough room. B&M inverts are a great example, but also GCIs and Macks too. Colossus, and presumably Smiler, will be examples where tabt doesn't work so well, simply because it's difficult squeezing through seats. There's no one size fits all approach to storing bags. But the best way to ensure bag storage doesn't negatively affect operations and guests is to think about it when designing the station / queue and working through it like, rather than retrofitting ideas which definitely won't work years down the line...
March 15, 20187 yr comment_256606 18 hours ago, HermanTheGerman said: I agree. Though I get what people mean about other guests pushing past you at the baggage hold, that couple of people getting ahead is surely better than the whole queue moving slower because every single dispatch is delayed? Baggage holds seemed like the best of a bad bunch of options to me. It wasn't just a couple of people though was it, it could have been up to two trains worth of people when there was issues in the bag hold room. 18 hours ago, BaronC. said: Putting bags in the station works on some rides, and others it doesn't. Rides where there's plenty of space (both getting through seats and at the exit area of the station) don't see major issues with placing bags in the station as there's enough room. B&M inverts are a great example, but also GCIs and Macks too. Colossus, and presumably Smiler, will be examples where tabt doesn't work so well, simply because it's difficult squeezing through seats. There's no one size fits all approach to storing bags. But the best way to ensure bag storage doesn't negatively affect operations and guests is to think about it when designing the station / queue and working through it like, rather than retrofitting ideas which definitely won't work years down the line... I don't remember the Smiler carriages being particularly labour-some to walk through and I don't recall the Smiler exit platform being that narrow either. In theory Oblivion is even worse then Smiler but the staff take bags from you there. There's no reason that this couldn't happen on Smiler (although I concede it probably won't).
March 15, 20187 yr comment_256608 Smiler's exit platform is large, but I seem to remember the space between rows is pretty tight. It'd be especially tight if someone decided to sit down and you tried to get past. At least with Oblivion there's enough room to get through, albeit a bit awkwardly, when people are sat down. Hopefully staff do assist with bags on Smiler, it'd make sense and solve the problem quite easily. If not though..
July 5, 20205 yr comment_270652 Noticed in the new TPWW vlog - state of the Marmaliser screen nowadays, I count 7 square panels out/corrupted.
August 12, 20205 yr comment_271006 Went today. Overall I wouldn't say the ride is too bad in shape. The effects on the marmaliser (the lights, and the water needle) were both in full force. Sound effects also louder than ever. Though the TV screens before the vertical lift chain seemed to not work (it was so hot I didn't event want to look at it tbh).
November 23, 20204 yr comment_271920 My Dad is CEO of The Smiler shop and managed to leak some exclusive new merch for the 2021 season. He also managed to tell me that they are adding on ride DVD's! This will be a thrilling addition to the ride imo and something I would really very much enjoy watching at home with a nice big cup of Tetley Tea (who sponser the tea cup ride at the Thorpe Park Resort in Stains accsed by the 446 bus from the train station) and a few caramel hobnobs.
November 23, 20204 yr comment_271921 Fascinating, I never knew that the 446 bus could take you to thorpe park. I always nag my wife for caramel hob nobs but we're trying to save for the new merlin pass so we can play unlimited extra-ordinary golf. Lovely t-shirt, DMT is a personal favourite of mine. Stay safe! Lots of love, -wegloo
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