2023 KIC Off Season Poll Series Week III: Who Was Your Favorite Ride Crew in 2022?

[BB1]

Welcome back to another week in our Off Season Poll Series! Due to some time commitments, I wasn't able to do last week's poll but we are right back on track! 2022 has been an amazing year to get on some of your favorite coasters. Some of us were able to just get to some parks, others various parks around the US. With that being said, the rides are what we come for, but it's the ride crew who keeps the coasters/attractions we know and love operating. Many sadly forget this, in the midst of going to the park, getting on the ride, it's the people who check your restraint, who give the all clear who makes it all work. This week's poll is to highlight your favorite ride crew from 2022, share how they exceeded expectations and how they got to #1 status! 

I was able to get out to 20 parks this year, from big parks like Cedar Point and Islands of Adventure, to smaller parks like Holiday World and Fun Spot Kissimmee. I used to work in the themepark industry, meeting various friends and colleagues that I still talk to who are still in the field. I have always been one to really analyze my whole experience whenever I go to the parks, ride crew operations being a major factor. There is one crew that I can say without a doubt always met, or exceeded my expectations in my 10 visits alone this year (including last night): Velocicoaster. Velocicoaster's ride crew has always been engaging, helpful, and accommodating whenever I get to the park. I understand that preferred seating is never guaranteed, however every time that I went  to Velocicoaster they always got me in my favorite seat and were just generally helpful in trying to make a closer seat adjustment if need be. 

Who was your favorite ride crew for 2022?

[Orion742]

47 minutes ago, BB1 said:

Welcome back to another week in our Off Season Poll Series! Due to some time commitments, I wasn't able to do last week's poll but we are right back on track! 2022 has been an amazing year to get on some of your favorite coasters. Some of us were able to just get to some parks, others various parks around the US. With that being said, the rides are what we come for, but it's the ride crew who keeps the coasters/attractions we know and love operating. Many sadly forget this, in the midst of going to the park, getting on the ride, it's the people who check your restraint, who give the all clear who makes it all work. This week's poll is to highlight your favorite ride crew from 2022, share how they exceeded expectations and how they got to #1 status! 

I was able to get out to 20 parks this year, from big parks like Cedar Point and Islands of Adventure, to smaller parks like Holiday World and Fun Spot Kissimmee. I used to work in the themepark industry, meeting various friends and colleagues that I still talk to who are still in the field. I have always been one to really analyze my whole experience whenever I go to the parks, ride crew operations being a major factor. There is one crew that I can say without a doubt always met, or exceeded my expectations in my 10 visits alone this year (including last night): Velocicoaster. Velocicoaster's ride crew has always been engaging, helpful, and accommodating whenever I get to the park. I understand that preferred seating is never guaranteed, however every time that I went  to Velocicoaster they always got me in my favorite seat and were just generally helpful in trying to make a closer seat adjustment if need be. 

Who was your favorite ride crew for 2022?

I got to say hats off to the Orion crew!

Every time I asked to sit in the front they would always say yes and open it up just for me to sit there! So thank you Orion crew!

Also they did an amazing job on operations this year. They were sending a train up the lift when the previous train was on the final banked hill!

[BeeastFarmer]

KI and KK are the only parks I made it to this year.  

KK's operations are much different than KI, but I have to say that the Thunder Run crew never disappoints, except that one time a few years ago where they were trying to "sell" rerides.

At KI, I cannot say that one crew stood out above another because they all delivered a great experience each visit and each ride.  All the coasters I rode had ops who had a sense of humor but a sense of urgency.  They were very accommodating to my seat requests.  I would imagine that this physically demanding job, combined with the weather, and a sometimes entitled guest base would make for challenging days, but I never saw that implied or expressed.

[MDMC01]

I would have to say The Bat crew. The last time I rode (last Saturday of Haunt), the crew was really haulin' and had a good pace going. Not only that, but they are amusing on the mic when dispatching the train. That being said, the biggest reason was that they helped me retrieve my Gold Pass one night after the Berlin concert. It was really cool to be back in the woods after park close and they did a good job helping me. Also, I want to add that it's amazing that The Bat was back up so quickly (after a few weeks as opposed to the rest of the season) after the accident earlier this year; The Bat is one of my favorite coasters at the park and I was nervous about its future. And as we all know, it was up and running (eventually with both trains) within a month or two. 

[Coasterteam]

I went to Kentucky Kingdom and Kings Island this past season a few times. 

At KK they rarely ever use a ride mic to give a spiel or announce anything. I only heard a mic at Kentucky Flyers but it was rather disappointing. It's crazy how much the baseline interaction over the microphone to guests can liven up a ride platform. 

For my favorite crew though, it'd be between Beast, Diamondback, and Racer. I love the fun "trash-talk" blue/red racer ops give to the other side sometimes and the overall hyping "We're too fast for blue that we gotta wait on them AGAIN!" etc. I found nearly all ops would make jokes about other rides "Enjoy your ride on Orion!" when on Diamondback or something. 

[MDMC01]

Speaking of Diamondback, I'd like to give them a shout-out as well. There was one visit where I went with a friend and we noticed the crew was doing a great job with only 2 people in the station checking restraints (one on each side- we were told there were usually 3-4 ride ops per side). 

[Kyle100991]

I was only able to visit Kings Island and Cedar Point this year and for me the two best crews were The Beast crew and Millennium Force crew. The hype is real in both of those stations and they can't be matched.

[IBEW_Sparky]

18 hours ago, Coasterteam said:

I went to Kentucky Kingdom and Kings Island this past season a few times. 

At KK they rarely ever use a ride mic to give a spiel or announce anything. I only heard a mic at Kentucky Flyers but it was rather disappointing. It's crazy how much the baseline interaction over the microphone to guests can liven up a ride platform. 

 

Really?  I would LOVE to see that everywhere, and my favorite ride crew at CP this year was that of GateKeeper for that very reason, all of the spieling was recorded and automated and it was wonderfully efficient.  In regards to my favorite KI ride crew of 22, it was Orion hands down.  I first took notice when I was watching the webcam on a day it was raining on and off, and it seriously looked like a KNEX set as there was always a train moving.  Seeing a train going up the lift hill just as train 2 was cresting the hill after the turnaround and train 3 was easing its way into the station was a thing of beauty!  I noticed on each trip I made to the park that it was no fluke, as the crew was consistently that good all season.  The only time it wasnt a constant, steady movement of trains was when there were special circumstances, so a big tip of the hat to them!  Notable mention must go to Millies crew at CP as mentioned above, they were on it big time as well!!

[johnjniehaus]

Best Amusement Park Employees of 2022 (during my travels)

#1. Six Flags Over TX Shockwave ride crew was crushing it! Hopefully they win employees of the year awards or something because they had 2 ops on a coaster that could have had twice that many easily and they were still getting the trains dispatched quickly and they also had great fun doing it. I know a lot of parks are short staffed and the employees probably have to work annoying shifts and cover for the lack of workers but the Shockwave crew was amazing! 

#2. Dori and Ethan on Busch Gardens Williamsburg coaster insiders tour. They were absolutely amazing and acted like they had known you for 20 years! So informative and just made that tour one of my top amusement park memories of the year! 

#3. Pheonix at Knobles has very good ops during my visit. Super fast, friendly, all of the above, and etc etc etc

#4. Magnum XL 200 ops Cedar Point also had timely dispatches and were alot of fun. Wore my six flags magic mountain shirt I bought on my trip to CA and got in a conversation with a younger op about SFMM. He said he really wants to go and was asking me all sorts of questions. (End of night when Magnum isn't very busy) much better than the annoying guest who yelled at me about being a long way from home and I wore the wrong shirt to the park. I was thinking yeah I'm actually about 4 hrs from my home in Cincy but think whatever you want lady....

#5 Lakemont Park ops gave me 2 free rides on Skyliner and Leap the Dips because I guess they are awesome! When does anyone at an amusement park give you anything for free?! Pretty good ops if you ask me!