VR coming to 9 Six Flags Coasters

[BeeastFarmer]

Not that I am in favor of this, but a brick phone comes before the latest Android/iPhone/Windows phone.  I'm not personally one to try it, but it may be the future, or it may be an experiment that may fail.  Only time will tell.

[The Interpreter]

As soon as you said brick phone, I thought of catching a HUUUUUGE brick sized "portable telephone" on my very first Magnum XL-200 ride. Had I gotten hit by that thing, brick is about right.

I can only imagine the abuse, vandalism, etc., these things are going to get. Especially...America.

Loose ones gonna hurt...and BADLY.

[IBEW_Sparky]

That park was by far the one I thought of first when I thought "In what Universe were the heads of those who thought this would be a good idea?"  Im sorry, but lets be honest, thats about as sound an idea as leaving a new Corvette in the parking lot of that same park, running.

[Creed Bratton]

I have a friend that visited SFoG today. He decided to try out "The New Revolution" on Dare Devil Dive. (BTW I hate that they're using "The New Revolution" on any coaster they have with VR technology). 

The friend said it is definitely worth a try. He said that he waited 2 hours to ride. When I asked him if that was 2 hrs just for the VR or for everyone....he said it was everyone. So, capacity definitely can be hindered by this new technology. When I visit next Sunday, I'm likely to head to DDD first, ride it without the VR and do the rest of the park. I so don't think standing in line 2 hours to put a VR headset on is worth it, especially if that is my one and only time to ride that coaster.

[jcgoble3]

I have a friend that visited SFoG today. He decided to try out "The New Revolution" on Dare Devil Dive. (BTW I hate that they're using "The New Revolution" on any coaster they have with VR technology). 

The friend said it is definitely worth a try. He said that he waited 2 hours to ride. When I asked him if that was 2 hrs just for the VR or for everyone....he said it was everyone. So, capacity definitely can be hindered by this new technology. When I visit next Sunday, I'm likely to head to DDD first, ride it without the VR and do the rest of the park. I so don't think standing in line 2 hours to put a VR headset on is worth it, especially if that is my one and only time to ride that coaster.

 

But how busy was the park in general today? Is two hours reasonable for the crowd size?

 

Also, consider that introducing something new on a coaster (e.g. seatbelts on Diamondback) is always going to slow things down and hinder capacity, at least in the short term while the ride operators adjust to a new way of doing things. The real test will be a few months from now, as to whether things are still significantly slower or if capacity has recovered to near previous levels.

[Creed Bratton]

From his pictures of his day at the park, not extremely busy. From what I understand DDD already has terrible capacity, adding on something else to check, definitely slows down the experience. They don't have one train for VR and then one for No VR either, which I think stinks. 

[jcgoble3]

They don't have one train for VR and then one for No VR either, which I think stinks. 

 

I can't even figure out how that idea would work. You'd have to reconfigure the station to have two queues for every row, for starters. Then what happens if Mom wants to ride with 14-year-old Mike and 8-year-old Johnny, and Mike wants VR, Mom doesn't, and Johnny is too young for it? Would they force the family to split up? Taking it to a bit more of an extreme, Dad and 9-year-old Jason want to ride together, but Dad wants VR and Jason's too young for it. Do they force Jason to ride alone, likely prompting loud protests from Dad, who doesn't want a 9-year-old waiting alone at the exit/in the queue, but doesn't have another parent with him that day (because it's just a father-son excursion) to leave Jason with so he can ride with VR?

 

Unless I'm missing something here, there's just no way that could ever work.

[Creed Bratton]

I'm not worried about those families,  

 

What I'd like to see is one train be primarily for those who want to use the VR. First train enters the station, primarily for VR.  Say "Jason" is too young, he wouldn't have to ride alone, he just wouldn't have a VR headset. They load, get checked and sent on their way, 2nd train enters the station, those who wish to ride without VR board. They go through normal safety checks and are sent on their way, repeat. Having an every other train with one less step, checking the VR, would be quicker it seems to get more people through. 

As far as lines, I'm not sure if DDD has/had a flashpass lane...use that for VR or non VR riders.

 

[The Interpreter]

Six Flags is not about to give up The Flash Pass revenue. And The Flash Pass users would not be amused.

And two hours is a LIGHT line for that ride. One can easily encounter far longer waits for that little ride.

It's a very violent little booger. If any VR ride is going to get somebody hurt...

[Creed Bratton]

I just hate that the one trip that I'm going to visit that specific park, unless I get in line, right as the park opens, I'm going to have a long wait due to the VR system additions on an already lower capacity ride. 

I imagine the final brakes may or may not be comfortable when you are unsure when they will actually hit.

[The Interpreter]

Brakes?

It's violent LONG before any brakes.

I actually think even Ninja would have been a better choice for this.

[Vortex]

Brakes?

It's violent LONG before any brakes.

I actually think even Ninja would have been a better choice for this.

Something new is coming to Ninja.

[Creed Bratton]

I'm taking that credit by default!  

[The Interpreter]

Brakes?

It's violent LONG before any brakes.

I actually think even Ninja would have been a better choice for this.

Something new is coming to Ninja.

Please don't be a move to a California Six Flags...

Please!

[Creed Bratton]

As of right now, it's opening again in Summer 2016.

Seems like SFoG is having a lot of things "open" later in the season, i.e Ninja, DCSuperKids and Bugs Bunny Boom Town.

[RailRider]

There are many arguments against these things and I agree with the majority, but I cannot get past the disinfecting of these things.  These things will be a disgusting mess during the hot and humid Summer at these parks.  Then the fear of Pink Eye, Lice, MRSA/Staph, or the various other Eye and Skin  infections that could be transmitted by these things.  Sorry this is disgusting.

 

A

[IBEW_Sparky]

And to continue the "this is the worst idea SIX has had in a very long time" thread..... a report just in from a Friend at SFOG states that in 20 minutes, 2 cars on DDD have loaded and dispatched, with the third still loading.  The first two cars are stacked, waiting to unload.

[The Interpreter]

Has anyone upchucked yet?

[IBEW_Sparky]

No clean up reports as of yet, I just posed the question to her Facebook post.

[The Interpreter]

And are the people who get off delighted or peeved? Is there an upcharge? If so, how much?

[Hoeter]

No upcharge according to the poster (mutual friends with IBEW_Sparky and me) and not required. Speaking to her in the group chat now.

[IBEW_Sparky]

In an hour and a half, four trains had completed the load/run/unload cycle.  Ludicrous. 

[Hoeter]

It took so long according to her that the ride itself shut down and had to be reset.

[malem]

Some riders have trouble figuring out a seat belt.

 

I can only imagine what must be happening on ride platforms with VR headgear.

[MDMC01]

I've been following this thread and it's interesting that VR is making slower load times for triple D. It sorta makes sense though because guests have to get used to it. Have we heard anything about how the other SIX VR experiences are faring?

[The Interpreter]

Ride ops MAY get used to it. Maybe. Probably by skipping cleaning, among other things.

The average guest goes once a year. How on earth can THEY get used to it?

[MDMC01]

True, I guess I was thinking in the mindset of those who go to park multiple times a season such as myself (or that it's the guests who will automatically understand over time, ultimately, it's up to the ride ops to disseminate and explain the process and make the transition smoother over time). And yes, it will take ride ops some getting used to; hopefully load times will decrease as staff adapts to the new procedures.

 

EDITed for clarity.

 

Another EDIT: I have a solution for the cleaning issue; rotate out pairs of VR goggles. Pair A could be with the riders one cycle while Pair B was being cleaned and vice versa. Or would this slow things down even more?

[jcgoble3]

Another EDIT: I have a solution for the cleaning issue; rotate out pairs of VR goggles. Pair A could be with the riders one cycle while Pair B was being cleaned and vice versa. Or would this slow things down even more?

 

Supposedly, they have several sets so they can rotate, getting cleaned, then returned to an early point in the queue, where guests can pick them up, get them fitted as they make their way through the line, and then ride with them, while other sets are at different points in that rotation.

[IBEW_Sparky]

And that still is dependent on A)the ride ops taking the time to properly clean them or B)the park staffing extra employees in the stations to clean them.  Both options are a pipe dream, at best.

[NoChickens]

  After seeing this in action, I maintain it is indeed the worst idea ever. 

  After a 1.5 hour delay, reportedly caused by someone failing to plug in the charger for the VR headsets over night, we entered the queue with an estimated 20-30 people ahead of us. About an hour later 2 of the 3 trains had dispatched, with the first stacked on the brake run, waiting to unload. Yes, those 6 poor souls were still on the ride. Dispatch was so slow the headsets that riders had on would shut off to conserve battery, and have to be replaced, adding to the wait. There was a little "bull pen" where riders were fitted for the headsets, then be told to remove them and be sent to queue for the ride. Once on board, the headsets would be placed back on, with each being invariably readjusted by the ride ops. And, as mentioned, by this time many had shut off and would have to be replaced due to the length of time it took. 

 

  As to IBEW_Sparky's concerns,

  A) a complete joke.  "Sanitizing" the headsets consisted of 1 ride op wiping the headband with an alcohol wipe, passing it to another ride op that wiped around the headsets edges that contacted the skin with another alcohol wipe. After these 2 gloved employees finished their duties, they passed them to a 3rd, ungloved employee, that promptly placed it over their face, to ensure it was functional. No, I AM, serious.

 

  B )This is why it is destined to fail, I believe. This little 6 passenger ride, had 13 ride ops in the station. 

 

  At no time as we passed by, was the Flash Pass line not 1/2 way down the ramp. We heard others mention a 4 hour wait time for the normal queue. 

 

  I've heard defense for the system, that it will get better with time. It would have to, it can't get much worse. 

 

 Of note, after wasting 2.5 hours on this queue, the ride malfunctioned as we were finally seated. And we were asked to return to the queue. We declined and left via the exit.