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Temperature and wind


PkiJake13
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Well, I don`t know any exact numbers. But I do know that Drop Zone is one of the first rides to close due to high winds. Also, the wooden coasters can operate at lower temperatures than the steel coasters. When temperatures are low, chances are the park isn`t very crowded, so it is unlikely that they will stay open until their regularly scheduled closing time. I was up there on a Sunday in October when it was 49 and light drizzle. The park closed at 4 due to lack of crowds. There was no one there, and the park was loosing money just staying open.

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Well, I don`t know any exact numbers. But I do know that Drop Zone is one of the first rides to close due to high winds.

I do. laugh.gif

But yeah you are right. Any guest can pretty much observe that Drop Zone, Skyflyer and Slingshot close during high winds, and the steel coasters plus Son of Beast don't open when it is cold... So that is all that I can say. As far as Delirium goes - I rode it on April second - the day the park closed at noon because it was like 42 degrees and raining. Steel coasters were down from temperature, and the wind restriction rides were closed for wind. So the only rides open were Delirium, Racers, Flight of Fear, MSD, Beast and Tomb Raider. Everything else was closed due to weather, or was under construction.

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Also, the wooden coasters can operate at lower temperatures than the steel coasters.

I remember riding The Beast one Dry Run day when it was sleeting. The train actually stopped on the first hill and we sat there for about 15minutes before it started again.

interesting, I rode this year during premier weekend... and it was so cold... they closed at noon... and it snowed that night!

No steel is good in cold weather, unless quenched correctly, which is extremely tedious... and not feasible for a coaster... especialy a steel coaster, wood would be more feasible, but still, no way...

I know 35 mph might be a subtle sighn to start a shutdown process though, heard it in a park once...

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Well, at Coney we will shut down the Ferris Wheel if there are high winds. That ride can start to sway quite a bit in the wind. Not to mention the fact that if a storm pops up, it takes a while to unload everyone.

I could imagine, hey, dont you have to use good even balance on that too... man that would take way too long!!!

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Yep. It is one of the old school Eli cable driven wheels. You have to pay attention to what cars you load, and how many people are in each car. It is not fun try to start it up when the wheel is unbalanced. It will start to move backwards, and other bad things will happen. That is the one ride at Coney that is reserved for ride operators who have been at Coney for a while (I never ran it my first season there). But my second, third and fourth years there, I was at the wheel about 50% of the time. It was my favorite ride to run there. (You might even see me back there running it in the spring, depending on where I co-op at).

There is no magic wind speed number at which they shut it down. It is up to the manager on duty, as well as the VP or P of park operations on whether or not to shut it down.

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Many times I had guests ask me not to stop them at the top. Unfortunately, in order to keep the wheel balanced, that was almost inevitable. The best part was on dead days when there would be a pair of kids (12-18) who would ride in the same seat. One would be terrified of being stuck at the top, while the other was pleading for us to stop them at the top. Often times, I would stop them up there for about ten seconds. And in most cases, both kids would come back down with big grins on their faces. There are some people which Ferris Wheel`s are not there cup of tea as far as rides go.

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That's not a very high demand ride as far as the metal goes...there is little stress on the coaster and tom cat's taxi jam isn't really high demand either...or speed, i really wouldn't want to ride a coaster going like 50-60 mph or higher in the chilly winds we've got now and i really wouldn't trust any loops or e breaks in this kind of weather...also i think it depends on how the ride is run, Vortex for example is run off of air and pressure so if it's cold pressure won't be as good and the ride isn't as safe as it once was.

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No, Topcat`s Taxi Jam is not leaving. That ride will return next season rethemed to Little Bill. Yes, Scooby`s Ghoster Coaster is gone. Scooby Zoom is what Topcat`s Taxi Jam was callex from the year it opened in 1992 until the HB renovation in 1998, when they changed the name of the ride.

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The rides can run when it is below the magic temperature. They do not open if it is below though. Meaning if they have been resting - they do not start them up until it is above the magic temperature. Like it could be 72 in the morning and drop to 45 - and they would most likely stay open...

And of course FOF stays open - it is indoors.

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It has happened. Maybe not that much - but lets just say that it is warm enough to open in the morning - but by night time it is well below its no go temperature. It would stay open because the ride is warmed up.

And yeah there have been times where I will go to PKI with shorts on to start my shift and by the end of the night you can see your breath, and I am freezing.

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And yeah there have been times where I will go to PKI with shorts on to start my shift and by the end of the night you can see your breath, and I am freezing.

Ya'll are Pampered. LOL - In my day all the guys had to wear pants. (Except Oktoberfest & WAH)

And I had to Walk to School Barefoot! In The Snow! Uphill! Both Ways! <G>

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September 29th, Pride Night, driving Monster. I was wearing shorts, and it was really windy and I was just sitting up there, so I wasn't generating any heat or anything. Man that was freaking freezing. And that console was cold too! Everyone wanted to check pods to keep warm!

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