Flight Deck Possibly Broken? Your Opinion?

[smalls]

Sorry for bringing up an old post but im guessing you were riding the front car because that car will swing higher it feels like.

[WWC2003Amy]

Actually i tend to ride front on most rides so thanks

[NoChickens]

Well, after riding it Saturday, I'd say it's just fine . New restraints, and a fearsome, fast, exciting ride. The only thing broken about it is its location.

[XjoshhyX]

Happy to hear that it's running fine. Kind of weird that the seatbelt a were taken out, but I'm assuming some upgrade was made to the latching system.

[PKIVortex]

Uh that ride was never intended to have seat belts. Cedar Fair added seat belts to quite a few rides in 2008 that never had them. I'm glad they are gone, now if only Vortex's seat belts would go away.

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

I noticed Flight Deck isn't a part of Fast Lane Pass. Could this be a sign that it's days are numbered?

[coasterfanatic83]

Flight Deck isn't being removed. The ride celebrates its 20th annivesary season in 2013.

I would say that's probably a no, but I may be wrong. I think you may be looking into it a little bit too much.

[dare-to-fly]

I have heard Vortex is notorious for coming loose, not significantly but noticeably during the ride. Never truly experienced this myself, just a rumor I have heard.

It's people not realizing the obvious. If you'll ever notice, the restraints on Vortex are very stiff to open. Therefore often when you push up against them, you'll be able to push them up a smidge until it hits the lock mechanism. That's why everyone seems to think this is happening. It isn't.

I have, however, had a couple restraints that have come up one click, just not the style restraints found anywhere at Kings Island. It's the principle behind why Cedar Fair requires 2 clicks on the rides. The Beast and The Racer are most commonly noticed because they only have 4 clicks - you'll hear people griping about that. Funny, they never seem to complain about Adventure Express having to be down 2 clicks. (The lap bar is practically not down at all when it's 2 clicks.)

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

Flight Deck isn't being removed. The ride celebrates its 20th annivesary season in 2013.

I would say that's probably a no, but I may be wrong. I think you may be looking into it a little bit too much.

Well in that case, I would very much like for them to add a path for Fast Lane use.

[dare-to-fly]

Flight Deck isn't being removed. The ride celebrates its 20th annivesary season in 2013.

I would say that's probably a no, but I may be wrong. I think you may be looking into it a little bit too much.

Well in that case, I would very much like for them to add a path for Fast Lane use.

Most of the time Flight Deck is nearly a walk-on if not a walk-on anyway. Why would they add an extra queue?

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

Because on busy days (the only time I am going to purchase Fast Lane), Flight Deck is not a walk on from ~12-6pm.

[shark6495]

those that know dont talk... those that talk dont know...

so continue telling us all about which rides will be removed or which rides need the fast pass.... im interested

[PKIDelirium]

A FastLane path to Flight Deck would require moving sidewalks or a monorail, otherwise it would have to be called SlowLane.

[dare-to-fly]

So it might save you 5 minutes, but since it takes 10 minutes to walk back there......lol

If you want it, fine. I don't really see why they would redesign such a problematic queue though.

[shark6495]

I thought the fast pass was when they left the little walk way between the exit and entrance ques open....

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

those that know dont talk... those that talk dont know...

so continue telling us all about which rides will be removed or which rides need the fast pass.... im interested

Bro I'm talking about the only roller coaster not in Planet Snoopy that doesn't have FLP access. You make it sound like I'm saying some kind of outlandish statement. Candada's Wonderland added a new path for FL this offseason to one of their rides, so why not consider one for Flight Deck?

[dare-to-fly]

those that know dont talk... those that talk dont know...

so continue telling us all about which rides will be removed or which rides need the fast pass.... im interested

Bro I'm talking about the only roller coaster not in Planet Snoopy that doesn't have FLP access. You make it sound like I'm saying some kind of outlandish statement. Candada's Wonderland added a new path for FL this offseason to one of their rides, so why not consider one for Flight Deck?

I guess if they can do it for Racer, they can do it for Flight Deck.

[Jr for Birdy]

I know last season on when we got fastlane knowing it was going to be a very busy day,we made sure to get our flightdeck rides in ASAP,worked out really well that way.

[Hank]

Just wait - there will be more stuff added back there and then the long walk will not just be for one attraction.

[Guest Department47]

Flight Deck's station is 20+ feet off the ground with two guest pathways connected to it - entrance and exit. Neither are incredibly wide, meaning it'd be difficult to squeeze a FastLane into one. And adding a new bridge to the ride for FastLane would be very expensive, more so than the small "bridge" was for Vortex in 2012.

And just to add, only four rides outside of Snoopy and the pay rides don't have FastLane - Flight Deck, Grand Carousel, the train, and White Water Canyon.

[dare-to-fly]

I wasn't going to go into this explanation, but I feel as though I should elaborate. I'm not saying that you are making an outlandish statement at all, nor even an unreasonable statement. You are, though, likely making a slightly unrealistic statement. The only real reason that Fast Lane was added was to make the park money - sorry, but that's the ultimate incentive behind everything a park does. What you have to think about is what it would gain the park to do something.

The trial run of Fast Lane started in 2011 and included ten rides. Some of them were family rides, and some were the park's star attractions. They had to make it valuable enough to make people want to spend the 50 bucks. Most of the rides they picked already had existing structures in place to serve as the Fast Lane queue. Diamondback had a former single rider line, Beast had its former emergency exit (part of it was the original exit to the ride way back in the day even), and many other rides had similar situations to make it fairly easy to organize a trial Fast Lane. Obviously the park was satisfied with the trial run, because they did a similar trial that October during Haunt and have continued to use Fast Lane ever since, and have expanded it to other parks.

Once satisfied, the park added as many other attractions as they could to Fast Lane to get as many people to buy as possible. Most were fairly simple processes. They re-did Adventure Express' queue slightly, poured a small concrete walkway for Racer, etc. At this point, we have most of the rides covered by Fast Lane.

Now...let's look at Flight Deck. It has a very elaborate queue line as it is. In order to merit the cost of re-designing it slightly - I can't come up with a good way without adding at least one bridge - an expensive process - they would have to have a really good reason to add it. In the first place, the line doesn't usually extend to the level to merit a Fast Lane. In the second place, I doubt there would be very many people that would intentionally buy a Fast Lane that wouldn't already have bought one, just because Flight Deck was included. There just isn't enough of a reason for it to merit doing so at this time.

Now...get a 2014 ride in there increasing activity into that area of the park, thereby increasing the line length, and that might be a different story.

[DontWantToWait42mar0]

"I wasn't going to go into this explanation, but I feel as though I should elaborate. I'm not saying that you are making an outlandish statement at all, nor even an unreasonable statement. You are, though, likely making a slightly unrealistic statement. The only real reason that Fast Lane was added was to make the park money - sorry, but that's the ultimate incentive behind everything a park does. What you have to think about is what it would gain the park to do something.

The trial run of Fast Lane started in 2011 and included ten rides. Some of them were family rides, and some were the park's star attractions. They had to make it valuable enough to make people want to spend the 50 bucks. Most of the rides they picked already had existing structures in place to serve as the Fast Lane queue. Diamondback had a former single rider line, Beast had its former emergency exit (part of it was the original exit to the ride way back in the day even), and many other rides had similar situations to make it fairly easy to organize a trial Fast Lane. Obviously the park was satisfied with the trial run, because they did a similar trial that October during Haunt and have continued to use Fast Lane ever since, and have expanded it to other parks.

Once satisfied, the park added as many other attractions as they could to Fast Lane to get as many people to buy as possible. Most were fairly simple processes. They re-did Adventure Express' queue slightly, poured a small concrete walkway for Racer, etc. At this point, we have most of the rides covered by Fast Lane.

Now...let's look at Flight Deck. It has a very elaborate queue line as it is. In order to merit the cost of re-designing it slightly - I can't come up with a good way without adding at least one bridge - an expensive process - they would have to have a really good reason to add it. In the first place, the line doesn't usually extend to the level to merit a Fast Lane. In the second place, I doubt there would be very many people that would intentionally buy a Fast Lane that wouldn't already have bought one, just because Flight Deck was included. There just isn't enough of a reason for it to merit doing so at this time.

Now...get a 2014 ride in there increasing activity into that area of the park, thereby increasing the line length, and that might be a different story."

I hear what you are saying about how the way station was built it would be kind of costly, and there likely isn't enough r.o.i. from it.

After consideration, I'll have Cedar Fair know that I will settle for a heavily-themed Indiana Jones bridge connecting to the station to be used for Fast Lane.

I'm thinking something like this:

[dare-to-fly]

That would be freaking awesome!!!!!! Doesn't quite fit the theme...but freaking awesome nonetheless.

[WWC2003Amy]

I would imagine that when or if they open up that area around Flight Deck with more rides and a new section that was rumored that fligh

[WWC2003Amy]

I would imagine that when or if they open up that area around Flight Deck with more rides and a new section that was rumored that flight deck will not only not be a walk on ride but its que line will change to go into the new path. Just a guess but that is what logic would tell me.

[dare-to-fly]

I would imagine that when or if they open up that area around Flight Deck with more rides and a new section that was rumored that flight deck will not only not be a walk on ride but its que line will change to go into the new path. Just a guess but that is what logic would tell me.

The terrain around Flight Deck would be hard to do much with anyway. That's the reason its there at all. The ride was patterned after Vortex at Canada's Wonderland, and that was the only place in the park with terrain that would work with that layout. Hence why it feels like it's out of place and has a very long queue. (Though a very peaceful one IMO.) As for FD being a walk-on, it is an Arrow people eater, so it has that in its favor, but I'd really be surprised if new rides being around it would lower its ridership. Typically when a new ride is installed, the lines for those around it increase too. For example, X-Base. Flight of Fear was usually not that long of a wait before Firehawk was put in. Now it has a ridiculously long line since people go to Firehawk and ride Flight of Fear while they are there...or see Firehawk's line and go to FOF instead.

My advice - enjoy Flight Deck as a walk-on while you have it. I've noticed that its line has gotten much shorter even now since SoB is no longer in that area.

[raptor]

I would imagine that when or if they open up that area around Flight Deck with more rides and a new section that was rumored that flight deck will not only not be a walk on ride but its que line will change to go into the new path. Just a guess but that is what logic would tell me.

The terrain around Flight Deck would be hard to do much with anyway. That's the reason its there at all. The ride was patterned after Vortex at Canada's Wonderland, and that was the only place in the park with terrain that would work with that layout. Hence why it feels like it's out of place and has a very long queue. (Though a very peaceful one IMO.) As for FD being a walk-on, it is an Arrow people eater, so it has that in its favor, but I'd really be surprised if new rides being around it would lower its ridership. Typically when a new ride is installed, the lines for those around it increase too. For example, X-Base. Flight of Fear was usually not that long of a wait before Firehawk was put in. Now it has a ridiculously long line since people go to Firehawk and ride Flight of Fear while they are there...or see Firehawk's line and go to FOF instead.

My advice - enjoy Flight Deck as a walk-on while you have it. I've noticed that its line has gotten much shorter even now since SoB is no longer in that area.

I can remember when I was in highschool in the mid 90's the line queue being packed. Seems funny to think of waiting that long for this type of ride now.

[dare-to-fly]

I would imagine that when or if they open up that area around Flight Deck with more rides and a new section that was rumored that flight deck will not only not be a walk on ride but its que line will change to go into the new path. Just a guess but that is what logic would tell me.

The terrain around Flight Deck would be hard to do much with anyway. That's the reason its there at all. The ride was patterned after Vortex at Canada's Wonderland, and that was the only place in the park with terrain that would work with that layout. Hence why it feels like it's out of place and has a very long queue. (Though a very peaceful one IMO.) As for FD being a walk-on, it is an Arrow people eater, so it has that in its favor, but I'd really be surprised if new rides being around it would lower its ridership. Typically when a new ride is installed, the lines for those around it increase too. For example, X-Base. Flight of Fear was usually not that long of a wait before Firehawk was put in. Now it has a ridiculously long line since people go to Firehawk and ride Flight of Fear while they are there...or see Firehawk's line and go to FOF instead.

My advice - enjoy Flight Deck as a walk-on while you have it. I've noticed that its line has gotten much shorter even now since SoB is no longer in that area.

I can remember when I was in highschool in the mid 90's the line queue being packed. Seems funny to think of waiting that long for this type of ride now.

There are a couple forum members on here that I'm sure waited in a long line over and over for The Racer...as the tallest and fastest coaster. Seems like distant echos now.

[TTD-120-420]

Flight Deck's line was all the way to the entrance today. I think it is doing just fine.

[Creed Bratton]

The whole argument about Flight Deck being so far out of the way makes me laugh a bit. Especially when SOB was SBNO, I'd hear: "there's nothing back here but Flight Deck, the walk seems so much longer since Son of Beast isn't operating anymore!" "They should move the ride over so we don't have to walk back that far."

Now tell me this, when the ride opened in 1993, other than the Lion County Safari, there wasn't anything else back there correct? So when LCS was removed, there still wasn't anything back there right? So from 1994-1999, the walk to Flight Deck was still the same as it is today, essentially (minus themeing/trees/bushes/etc.) but the distance is the same. So what's the difference between then and now? I know that Flight Deck isn't the biggest thrill in the park, but it's still a good coaster. So the fact that the coaster isn't worth the walk back there anymore kind of makes me curious...is it the ride...or is it the walk?

/Random Ponderings.