Ride Op Tips

[Diamondbacker27]

I was thinking about applying for a job as a Ride Op at KK next year. Any idea on the age limit? What are some good tips? Is it hard to be one?

[CP&LERR Fan]

^ Please speak clearly into the Mic, when I was on flight deck I had no clue what the lady was saying. Age limit is probably 18.

[Diamondbacker27]

Haha. I've had that many times. I'm currently 16. I guess I have two years. :/ Six had ride ops at age 16. And hired for costume at I think 15.

[CP&LERR Fan]

Wait, here's one that might be related

Ride associate

Test equipment daily before opening the ride to guests

Enforce ride restrictions and recommendations

Restrict the number of guests on the loading platform to the number who can be seated on the ride

Ensure safe operation of the ride

Make certain that queue lines are safe and orderly

Assist with the loading and unloading of ride to include small children and guests with a disability

[fanofFirehawk]

They are the pretty much the same from what I understand.

[Diamondbacker27]

Actually sounds like a pretty cool job.

[YoungStud]

Say you will work hard & efficiently to prevent stacking.

[IBEW_Sparky]

And please, please, emphasize SAFE, and efficient throughput, without 10 minutes of spiels that 99.9% couldnt care less about hearing in the first place. If we didnt want to ride The Beast, we wouldnt be in the queue or on the train, so we DONT need to clap our hands.

[YoungStud]

When I say diamond you say back.

[The Interpreter]

Night row.

Helpful Terpy

[RollerNut]

Hard to be a ride op - no, hard to keep to your job - yes. You will Have to lose the coaster enthusiast mind set.

[thedevariouseffect]

Safety is number one...that's your job, that's all thats truly important

Before you raise that hand and clear the train there had better not be any doubts that the ride isn't safe for who is on it.

[Creed Bratton]

As thedevariouseffect has said, Safety is number one.

Aside from other tips...it really depends on the park. What would be a tip for Kings Island may not be a tip for KK.

[BeastForever]

Hard to be a ride op - no, hard to keep to your job - yes. You will Have to lose the coaster enthusiast mind set.

What do you mean by this?

[The Interpreter]

There are those who like to ride with less than tight restraints. Parks cannot encourage that conduct.

There are those who think capacity and speed are a ride ops prime concerns, or should be. Parks put safety first.

There are those who think a ride op's primary function is to entertain. Again, safety first. Safety always. Safety all ways.

[shawnofthedead]

When I say diamond you say back.

I am sick of hearing that too.

[elyk]

I have had a ride op ride sit across from me on Invertigo with a single rider.he told his fellow ride op it was "just for fun". im guessing they had extra people.

[The Interpreter]

From time to time, ride ops ride the ride to ensure there is nothing unusual.

[VortexBFForever]

Age limit is probably 18.

Actually, I've heard it's 16.

[Fire-Beast-OF FEAR]

-Age limit is 16

-BE SAFE!!! (Learned the hard way)

-always talk to guests, even when you are busy.

-Be FUN when you are at the mic.

-When in doubt, always double check

-Make Freinds!

-Work even when you're not being told.

-Work Hard.

-During your interview mention KIC (That got MAJOR points for me)

[Creed Bratton]

-During your interview mention KIC (That got MAJOR points for me)

Or not, it could open up a whole can of worms.

[thedevariouseffect]

Be fun on the mic...

KI employees need that this year...Only a few crews at a few random times have had epic spiels...The worst is still tied between DB and beast...They both use the exact same spiels....UGH!

[The Interpreter]

Any spiel is more than I want to hear. Operate the ride, give necessary safety instructions and be quiet already. Ride ops aren't supposed to be Live-E. And if they are, at KI, they should be doing musical revues.

[thedevariouseffect]

Oh yeah...If they don't do it at all, cool, I'd rather have spieling, but if it's half assed, then know. The ones that perform excellently, like Beast crew for last summer ride was VERY VERY good. Normally though they do a terrible job, so I'd rather see them just stay quiet.

At CP I used it for safety and a bit of fun to make it more exciting/lively on the platform, or entertained alot during one train op as that line DRUG because it only dispatched every 2 minutes

[BeastForever]

Cut the spiels, double up on saftey.

[markr]

I personally rather enjoy the pre-ride schtick as long as it is not overdone.

I think a lot of people have the mistaken notion that being a ride op is a glamorous job-no, I have never been I ride op but I can certainly see first hand what a hard job that they have. They are under a lot of pressure to keep the line moving on busy days while at the same time having to concentrate fully on safety. ( Not to mention having to deal with sometimes abusive customers all while keeping calm.)

That being said, I just would like to take a moment to say thank you to the ride attendants at both KI and CP who have waited on me over the many years that I have been going to those parks. Their hard work and dedication have made me a very happy customer.

[Gordon Bombay]

They are under a lot of pressure to keep the line moving on busy days while at the same time having to concentrate fully on safety. ( Not to mention having to deal with sometimes abusive customers all while keeping calm.)

And they're not particularly paid well either...

And despite the sometimes difficult customers, there's a lot of good ones and regulars who I can guarantee you the ride ops enjoy seeing. Markr is one of those fine folks.

[Tr0y]

The hardest part of being a ride op would be from boredom with repetitiveness and those awful spiels. That's when ops begin to lose focus and slack and mistakes begin to happen, safety is number one priority but you have to have fun.. Trust me you get a lot of those ops who are bored and don't care.

[thedevariouseffect]

The spiels aren't awful if you have fun with them...I only have a few recordings of me spieling on platform but I still know all of them. It was fun because like for my ride for instance...most adults don't find it...thrilling per say

But you bring up the energy and excitement and they'll be cheering, excited, and happy, then you feed off of that energy and it keeps you moving. Also for me I used to play with the audience at hand...for instance I would have them all quiet, the train would roll into the station and they'd start cheering, all excited, I'd tell them they were the 1 millionth rider or whatever, they get to go again and get their prize. They'd all flip and get excited, then the train stops and we unlock them, tell them they can reride by getting back in line...somewhat buzzkill for the riders but they realized the joke, but the audience...lulz

Power Tower was a ride you don't normally spiel to...but I did for giggles. I'd explain the procedure of what the tower was mechanically doing (which was correct btw), then once shot tank started filling, I'd tell them that and start a countdown from 13...then by about 7 usually for most launches...boom Total ownage

It can be fun, if you make it fun, and that's the whole point of why I say, if you're ganna do it, do it right, if you're not, don't do it. I sadly could spiel for the rides at KI that are terrible and I don't even work there or know every little fact of every little ride, but still..It's sad when an outsider can do 10X better than someone who has worked all season with the ride

[The Interpreter]

In the Paramount Parks days, and even more so with Taft\KECO, the park itself and its rides provided an immersive experience spiels would have broken, and jarred.

Now, we are to believe that with Cedar Fair and some of the most incredible rides the industry has to offer, without spiels the parks are boring and monotonous?

It's come to this? Really?