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Windseeker closed yesterday due to....wind


nrage
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Why did almost everyone already posting on the forum ignore the fact that not one but two people mentioned that wind speeds even a hundred feet up from the ground is drastically different?

Going on the 2nd question, to back that up, Diamondback cannot operate if the winds at the top of the lift hill are above 65 mph. On the ground it could be very calm, but at the top of the hill it might not be. Being on top of the lift hill and in the station there is a difference of wind speed.

So for WindSeeker, 301 feet up in the air, compared to Diamondback's 230 feet in the air, would have more mph on wind speed than Diamondback. So yes, it could be unsafe to operate even if the wind on ground is almost calm.

Finally, remember that this is a prototype ride (as someone else mentioned) the ride isn't going to operate every single day and hour that the park is open. There are going to be times when WindSeeker is down due to weather and other issues, it's out of our control, so no need for anyone to get up in arms about it.

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All I am stating is that when on back to back days where winds on the ground are 10-15 MPH, and the ride is closed due to high wind, that does not bode well for the future of the ride.

The other part of me says that certainly this crossed someones mind before investing millions...

Hopefully the policy will change, and, maybe they are taking baby steps with it.

Time will tell.

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Winds had to be 20+ this afternoon and WindSeeker ran nonstop. It's interesting to stand outside Vortex and look up. When the turning cycle slows down on the decent, the seats do move forward and backwards coming close to the other seats.Physics....go figure.

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I know that from Cedar Point discussions Sky Ride can operate in winds up to 20 mph. Also, Dragster will not operate if there are sustained winds over 35 mph at 420 feet. I would say WindSeeker probably falls somewhere in between those to values. I can't imagine the wind is less than 10 mph at 300 feet very often.

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Next time WindSeeker is closed and it's calm on the ground...go up in the Eiffel Tower and see if there is a difference in the winds. If it's windy up top then you know it's closed because of the winds, if it's calm then it's closed for some other reason. :)

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Aaron, yes it was. It initially opened around 4:40pm and went down a few more times for wind. However, it was open pretty much nonstop after 8. I ended up getting 5 rides on it.

As far as the wind speed, one of the ops said they weren't running it if winds were above 30mph. It is rated for 40, but they're being extra careful since it's new.

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Guest rcfreak339

The ride op that was talking to us when it was down explained that WindSeeker is their "baby" and they're treating it extra carefully right now. They explained that once it "grows up" they'll be less strict and give it more freedom.

I like that metaphor, it's something nobody here is getting and understanding.

The ride is 4 days old, it's a prototype (a huge prototype), and they're trying to fix bugs mechanically. Good lord, give it TIME.

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Guest PizzaBaby027

I was at the park when the WS closed and the wind was not 10mph, it was well above, about 25-35, the wind was high, the chairs were swinging back and forth into each other and ect!

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I was on that first ride on Thursday June 23rd at 4:40 when the chairs started banging into each other. It was a little un- nerving, because this was my 3rd ride on it and that hadn't happened before. It didn't deter me from going again later that night. This may be a common occurrence, but being new, it was unexpected. I still enjoy riding it. Riding into the wind is a thrilling experience!

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there were workers crawling all over it yesterday early in the day. at about 13:00, we headed to boomerang bay. the wind on top of Tasmanian typhoon was quite strong.

i have been there several times this week for a few hours at a time and haven't caught it open yet.

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How many prototypes was Son of Beast?

Or Outer Limits: Flights of Fear?

Terp, who just HAD to

Ahh, prototype rides...while at one point in each of their lifetimes, both of those were "duds". Both have since their original debuts been modified. However, Flight of Fear managed to turn itself around, and actually became a great ride. And Premier Rides has since gone on to build a few more LIM launched coasters.

Son of Beast, however...do I have to say anything about what happened to it? And how many more 200+ foot looping wooden coasters have been built since? There is still a small chance for it, but...the odds would probably be against it.

At some point, everything was a prototype. What if everyone ALWAYS played it safe? No Hyper/Giga/Stratacoasters. No Inverted Coasters. No Launched Coasters. No Gyro Drops. No Giant Frisbees. Heck, perhaps even no roller coasters or thrill rides whatsoever! While many prototypes fail, some of them hit the jackpot. And then there are rides that failed at first, but upon return visits succeeded.

Oh, by the way, were there not TWO Flight of Fears opening in 1996? Kings Dominion's also opened in that year...

PS: I am sure Terpy already knew this, just pointing out the obvious...;)

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Just because it went down for high winds one time, doesn't mean that high winds are always the reason. It could have been down for mechanical reasons or otherwise.

I can see it now in future TRs: "WindSeeker was down today but there was no wind. I don't get it."

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And thus the plural Flights...

Then, there was Hypersonic XLC, Volcano: The Blast Coaster....

Did not see that s! Whoops.:P And you named 2 more rides where one "succeeded", but the other failed...and know that I think about it, for every Batman The Ride (successful prototype), there are failures...in fact, a lot of them. But you cannot give up if you are running a park. Kings Island has taken numerous risks with tons of prototype rides...here's a list for those curious:

1977: The Screamin' Demon, first launched shuttle loop coaster

I'd say it was successful, but it did eventually become outdated, thus its removal...

1979: The Beast, perhaps not a prototype but it was built on a never-before-seen scale and with more terrain use than any other coaster before

Success, Success, Success! How many coasters remain THIS popular 30 years after they debut? And get sequels!?!? VERY few...

1981: The Bat, first Arrow Suspended Coaster

Failure, Failure, Failure...too many design flaws. But the concept survived and lives on in coasters like Flight Deck, which have become somewhat successful.

1984: King Cobra, first looping Stand-Up Coaster

Success, it was only removed because the steel they used to built it was inferior, not design flaws and it lead to more stand-up coasters.

1996: Flight of Fear, first LIM launched coaster

Success, but only AFTER it was modified with lapbars.

2000: Son of Beast, first wooden hypercoaster, first looping wooden coaster in modern era

Failure in both of its initial forms, could still bounce back but...

2001: Flying Ace, first kiddie inverted coaster

Success...it now has a few clones to show for it.

2002: The Crypt, first Giant TopSpin

Failure thus far...the ride tears itself apart if they try to make it even mildy intense. Just an idea but, perhaps the best move here would to be...Stop promoting it as a thrill ride? (Say WHA?)

2003: Delirium, first Giant Frisbee

Success, in spite of the semi-annual breakdowns. It is a popular line-munching ride.

2011: WindSeeker, one of the first Mondial Star Flyer Rides

Success/Failure way too early to be decided thus far...

And those are just the ones I could think of...

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2002: The Crypt, first Giant TopSpin

Failure thus far...the ride tears itself apart if they try to make it even mildy intense. Just an idea but, perhaps the best move here would to be...Stop promoting it as a thrill ride? (Say WHA?)

Though as tomb raider it did rather well till they "cryptified" it

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^ Errr... define "rather well". As I understand it, the ride went through quite a bit of downtime as TR:TR, especially during Haunt '06 or '07, when the ride never opened due to waiting to parts from HUSS in Germany. I'll give you that the ride experience went downhill after Tomb Raider, but the downtime seems to have been minimized with this two-flip cycle the ride currently does. I actually don't know that I've seen The Crypt down once this year, though I'm sure it has been.

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People seem to think Tomb Raider: The Ride went from what it looked like in 2002, then to The Crypt theme. It was falling apart and neglected in it's last years of Tomb Raider as well. Half the lights didn't work, the music system was off, or messed up half the time in it's last year as Tomb Raider the lava didn't shoot up as high, the fog didn't work anymore....

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Much of what happened to TR:TR mid last decade was symptomatic of what CBS was doing to/ allowing to happen to the entire park. As an asset for sale, little active care was being taken of anything not life/safety essential. Given just a bit more time, CBS could have/ would have surpassed the Lindner years. And TR:TR, along with Train, is among the most visible evidence thereof. As the Kinzel Fair years end and ebb into the past, twill be interesting to see where on the thrill park/show park/theme park/family park continuum Kings Island gyrates next.

And rides like The Crypt, Train, Adventure Express, WindSeeker's lighting and music, FOF's queue, along with the park's entertainment package and the quality and variety of food offerings may provide the best early evidence of the future. Along with the future of "the son," which will likely show what winds will drive the future of Kings Island, and even, if not more so, of Maple Grove (who will live in the parking lot and for how long? And how will the laundry get paid for? So many Q's....oops, another)

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Much of what happened to TR:TR mid last decade was symptomatic of what CBS was doing to/ allowing to happen to the entire park. As an asset for sale, little active care was being taken of anything not life/safety essential. Given just a bit more time, CBS could have/ would have surpassed the Lindner years. And TR:TR, along with Train, is among the most visible evidence thereof. As the Kinzel Fair years end and ebb into the past, twill be interesting to see where on the thrill park/show park/theme park/family park continuum Kings Island gyrates next.

And rides like The Crypt, Train, Adventure Express, WindSeeker's lighting and music, FOF's queue, along with the park's entertainment package and the quality and variety of food offerings may provide the best early evidence of the future. Along with the future of "the son," which will likely show what winds will drive the future of Kings Island, and even, if not more so, of Maple Grove (who will live in the parking lot and for how long? And how will the laundry get paid for? So many Q's....oops, another)

I'm happy to see that you speculate that The Crypt, FOF, WindSeeker, etc. will become early evidence of the future... While the idea of the new CEO excites me, I will absolutely hate myself if I convince myself that all of the themed rides are going to be rehabbed and rejuvinated just because of his former ties with Disney. While I'd hope that's the case, I know I shouldn't expect it, especially since his position is so softy in this microcosm and he may be far removed from individual rides in need of help. And I know that when you say early evidence of the future, you don't necessarily mean that the rides will be rehabbed either...

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Ok so I went to KI on Friday and rode WindSeeker for the first time. The line may look long because it's out into the midway but the actual queue line doesn't hold many people, and it moves fairly fast. The average time per ride cycle was 7:35-7:40 (time from the start of one cycle to the next).

Friday was definitely a windy day!! On the ground, it was consistently breezy wiith frequent gusts. Once up on the ride, it was MUCH windier. That for me was the scariest part....suddenly having a wind gust blowing on you! However, I didn't experience my seat moving forwards and backwards towards other seats, and didn't see that while watching the ride run. So I think WindSeeker was closed down for some other reason that one day last week. I do NOT think winds will be as big of an issue as you guys think :)

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Once up on the ride, it was MUCH windier. That for me was the scariest part....suddenly having a wind gust blowing on you!

No kidding, it felt like the thing would blow over at any second, lol.

I know that wouldn't happen but by nervous brain didn't want to hear any part of it.

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