Board index Theme Park Discussions General Theme Park Discussions What's the worst station you've been in

What's the worst station you've been in

Discuss anything related to theme parks in general.

Post September 20th, 2011, 10:33 pm

Posts: 15
Points on hand: 99.00 Points
Location: USA
Basically what station has the worst layout. I can think of some...

Viper (SFGAm)- Viper's station is just too big. Add that to no grouper and the station can become a real mess.

V2 (SFGAm)- V2 is another mess. For V2 a station wait is 15-20 mins because of it's horrible capacity. Add that to the fact that it is really loud with the train going through makes it a bad experience.

Iron Wolf- IW's was probably the worst. Instead of most stations where the queue comes in at the center of the station, some bozo decided to cram the queue in right where the front row is. The station was also really small so trying to get past the people waiting for front row was very difficult

Gemini- Now i had to problem with Gemini besides for the fact that they had the entire 3rd and 4th cars sealed off to make it "easier" for the ride ops. But unlike say American Eagle You board in the center of the station. I bet it doesn't take much for the lines to interlock and again you can barely get thorough

Riddler's Revenge- I haven't been to SFMM but i've seen pictures and in the station the line basically forms a zigzag. Turned to the right about 45 degrees.

So what about you.....

Post September 20th, 2011, 10:37 pm
jayman Premium Member
Premium Member

Posts: 4811
Points on hand: 3,120.00 Points
Location: spring valley

ninja at magic mountain.. on the hottest day in valencia for 100 years..

Post September 20th, 2011, 10:55 pm
Coasterkidmwm User avatar
True Addicts
True Addicts

Posts: 12283
Points on hand: 8,049.10 Points
Bank: 15,000.00 Points
Location: Illinois, USA
I like how Boss' queue was wood painted black. The engineering department really thought that was one out well.
"Careful man, there's a beverage here!"

Post September 20th, 2011, 11:05 pm

Posts: 2252
Points on hand: 5,889.00 Points
Location: Illinois (SFGAm), USA
I don't know about the worst, but I can tell you the best:

The station layout seen on American Eagle and Shivering Timbers.

Entry in the middle of the station, no extended line for the front or back row, and only about 5 feet between the gates and the railing. This seems to work the best overall.....
American Eagle Lover

Post September 21st, 2011, 12:51 am

Posts: 6124
Points on hand: 10,012.00 Points
Location: Minnesota, USA
Oh here we go.


I don't know the worst but the BEST is obviously Hulk and the new entrance sequence to Dueling Dragons [but only because the first time you use it, it is a complete mystery and very entertaining to walk through all the cave- any times after that are a bother].

Post September 21st, 2011, 12:52 am
Metazoanhaddock User avatar
Moderator
Moderator

Posts: 1758
Points on hand: 3,382.00 Points
Bank: 52,337.00 Points
Location: Seattle, Washington
Originally posted by tribar
Riddler's Revenge- I haven't been to SFMM but i've seen pictures and in the station the line basically forms a zigzag. Turned to the right about 45 degrees.


. . .

please please please, don't say things you know nothing about. the queue for riddler's doesn't do that. the part of the queue you're referring to is actually the station platform itself, and the lines simply correspond with car#

in all reality, the layout of riddler's queue is one of the best in my opinion. the line for the back is always vastly shorter due to the nature of the line, enabling any knowledgeable park visitor many more rides than the average park-goer.
Head Moderator
Director, Structural Engineer - PEAK Amusements
Site Contest Judge (Supporting)
Chatroom Admin

Post September 21st, 2011, 8:30 am
gouldy User avatar
Premium Member
Premium Member

Posts: 7827
Points on hand: 3,639.00 Points
Bank: 25,088.00 Points
Location: WOLVERHAMPTON, England.

Rita and Stealth

http://www.rcdb.com/2787.htm?p=11993

http://www.rcdb.com/3081.htm?p=15437



Completely open stations and queuelines in a country where it rains most of the time? *slow clap*

Post September 21st, 2011, 8:48 am
Jer User avatar

Posts: 991
Points on hand: 1,089.00 Points
Location: New Jersey

If i'm to be honest El Toro's isn't too fantastic, the Q lets right into the station near the front, where everyone crowds, so while there are no waits at the end of the station, everyone is together near the front. Since this is NJ you cant just ask politely for them to let you through, because they wont, and you'll have to wait even longer for the front row lines to go down before you can even try to make a push to the back.

Another station that is less than fantastic is Storm Runner, when you break it down, yeah it's a good idea, a train on each side for faster loading and dispatching, it only works in theory. The line moves until you reach the station then it slows, to well, nothing. I think it's more of the crew than the station itself, but having only one train on each side doesn't help.
Phoenix|Maverick|Skyrush|RFII|Leviathan|Bizzaro[SFNE]|Bdash|Griffon|El Toro|Verbolten
RIP Chiller: 1997-2008

Post September 21st, 2011, 11:11 am

Posts: 15
Points on hand: 1,428.00 Points
Location: United Kingdom
Probably the worst I've seen is Flight Deck at Canada's Wonderland. It was just disorganised with no-one directing you. There was just a big croud around the whole station.

Post September 21st, 2011, 12:25 pm
Tetsu Premium Member
Premium Member

Posts: 2244
Points on hand: 44.00 Points
Bank: 4,333.00 Points
Location: Winchester, VA
El Toro at Great Adventure is one of the worst I have seen. Jer explained it pretty well as to the reasons behind it.

Post September 21st, 2011, 12:56 pm

Posts: 4357
Points on hand: 5,766.00 Points
Location: Cannock, West Midlands, United Kingdom

the cattle pen that is rita is the worst que and station ever. the station is just a generic platform with a naff voice saying "go go go" and the que is just one big cattlepen of fenceing.

best que line is nemesis but not the best station. the best station is black mamba with the loud drums and the huge amount of themeing
Making screams come true

Post September 21st, 2011, 1:18 pm

Posts: 1928
Points on hand: 1,601.00 Points
Location: OH, USA
I agree; El Toro is probably the worst station I've been through. Thus far, that is really the only station that I've actually stopped and said, "wow, this is terribly designed..."

However, Raven at Holiday World isn't much better, but for a totally different reason: the stairs up to the actual loading platform are black wood with no ventilation. On a day when it's 90 degrees out, you can barely breathe there. Plus the capacity on that ride isn't outstanding, so it's slow moving, and you're in there for what seems like forever.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I would say that Big Thunder Mountain at WDW is just as bad as El Toro, but it doesn't seem so bad because of the way it's run. If that was a free-for-all like every other station in the world, you wouldn't be able to move. 3 feet between the end of the seat lines and the wall? Plus, the seat lines barely hold 4 people, so there's always someone in your way....yikes.

Post September 21st, 2011, 1:29 pm

Posts: 2317
Points on hand: 4,657.00 Points
Bank: 6,667.00 Points
Location: pennsylvania, USA
I agree with el toro when I was there it took 45 minutes on one of the hottest days with not sun covering at all, and then as mentioned before you enter the fron to a huge crowd and noone in the back.
What are these for?

Post September 21st, 2011, 1:33 pm

Posts: 3153
Points on hand: 2,837.21 Points
Bank: 6,969.69 Points
You guys do realize they reused Viper's station for El Toro right? There was only so much they could do with it, it's very long and thin since Viper used to have a load and unload station in there. That doesn't make it better, but it does show that they were working with limited space, which is a pretty good reason for the layout in there.

Post September 21st, 2011, 1:34 pm
hyyyper User avatar
True Addicts
True Addicts

Posts: 8705
Points on hand: 9,207.00 Points
Location: The Netherlands
I the station of Troy in Toverland. It has build in such a way that in encourages misbehaviour. And guess who has to ask all those guests to behave?
Image

Post September 21st, 2011, 3:06 pm

Posts: 1820
Points on hand: 5,394.00 Points
Bank: 1,660.00 Points
dcs, that doesn't excuse the fact that the station is poorly planned out to begin with. Everybody crowds the front row on El Toro, when the back car is probably the best car to ride in.
Oh, were you expecting something here?

Post September 21st, 2011, 3:13 pm

Posts: 1192
Points on hand: 2,652.00 Points
Bank: 2,739.00 Points
Location: Poway, CA, USA

Originally posted by jayman

ninja at magic mountain.. on the hottest day in valencia for 100 years..



Agreed, I never understood why there is no adequate ventilation in that station, even in winter it feels like its 80+ degrees. Not to mention the smell, it always smells like ass.

In addition:

X, not sure about X2, but X has such a large station platform, but, the gates were never filled to capacity, causing long waits on the stairs and on the ramps, which gets very tiring and uncomfortable on your feet. I know that due to the nature of the ride it will have long queue times, but, seriously, almost 1 and a half hours from the bottom of the steps to the ride gate, there has got to be a way to speed that up.

On a positive for SFMM, I feel Viper has one of the best planned stations/queues of almost every ride out of every major theme park, sure it does not have intricate scenery and themeing, but, it has got to be one of the most organized queues I have ever seen.

Dragon at legoland in Carlsbad CA is probably the worst ever for me, it is small and cramped and because of that everything seems 100x louder, and it never fails, there is always some screaming kid inside that building. Not to mention the heat, because everyone is so cramped the temperature is always 20-30 degrees hotter in the station than the rest of the park, with all the money they spent building this place, you would think they would have added some sort of AC unit or something.
"if you found your laughin' place, how come you ain't laughin'."https://www.facebook.com/calicoaster1/

Post September 21st, 2011, 4:02 pm

Posts: 3153
Points on hand: 2,837.21 Points
Bank: 6,969.69 Points
rc, within reason, what do you propose they should have done? Of course a lot of people will be waiting for the front row. Whether or not you think the back is the best is irrelevant. I personally like the front and the back about the same, but as a general rule, people go for the front rows. I can't think of too many solution to that issue without making a new door on the side of the station, or completely reversing the direction of travel. Maybe they could have had people enter from the back side?

I think it is a valid excuse given that they spent a ton of money on the coaster, and keeping the old Viper station was good for saving money while having a station that looks to be of high quality. Basically, I think they did around the best they could with the given constraints. The line on that ride still flies, and because of the congestion in the front, you seem to get on right when you enter the station. It's never bothered me.

Post September 21st, 2011, 7:43 pm

Posts: 2317
Points on hand: 4,657.00 Points
Bank: 6,667.00 Points
Location: pennsylvania, USA
I understand the limited space thing, but they could atleast put a pavillion over the outside part or some kind of shade, especially when it was like 97 degrees out the day I was there and that was like the begining of june.
What are these for?

Post September 22nd, 2011, 7:53 am
mkingy User avatar
Moderator
Moderator

Posts: 5462
Points on hand: 28,111.00 Points
Bank: 0.00 Points
Location: United Kingdom
Agree with Rita being the worst station. The queue line is depressing because its nigh on impossible to work out where the queue actually goes, then as mentioned before, open top station in a wet country. Genius.
Coaster Count - 198
France 2019 Mini Trip Report

Post September 22nd, 2011, 5:42 pm

Posts: 126
Points on hand: 76.00 Points
Location: Eindhoven, Netherlands

Originally posted by hyyyper

I the station of Troy in Toverland. It has build in such a way that in encourages misbehaviour. And guess who has to ask all those guests to behave?


I don't know about the misbehaviour, but I do know about slow working ride ops there(maybe you are an exception) and also the unconfortably loud fly-trough.

Post September 22nd, 2011, 8:10 pm

Posts: 529
Points on hand: 1,101.00 Points
Location: West Virginia, USA
Roller Soaker at Hershey- takes about forty minutes to get 10 feet in the station.
Plot Twist: I'm still alive

Post September 22nd, 2011, 8:38 pm

Posts: 249
Points on hand: 1,034.00 Points
Location: USA
For me, personally, I'd say Mr. Freeze. Sure, the dual-loading station speeds up the rest of the line, but once you get to the station, it takes what seems to be forever and a half to actually get on the ride. After the restraints are checked, there's still a bit of time to wait as the other train completes its circuit* and transfers back to the loading position.

*EDIT: Not circuit. Ride. It's a shuttle and I poorly worded it. Oops.

Post September 22nd, 2011, 9:51 pm

Posts: 1241
Points on hand: 95.00 Points
Bank: 2,503.00 Points
Location: Kentucky
^How can that be a bad station? It's a great station, considering you don't have to wait for the train to come back and unload. As for the train making it's circuit and coming back, it's the operators' fault. But there are still a lot of rides that go like that on a normal day where they only run two trains and the second one is usually waiting, even if it's a coaster that can run 3 or 4 trains. The ops just don't have the need to operate it at "full speed".

Post September 22nd, 2011, 10:03 pm

Posts: 249
Points on hand: 1,034.00 Points
Location: USA
Well I was simply comparing it to the other stations I've been in. Full circuit rides usually have a faster station, and Mr. Freeze just isn't one. It's definitely efficient for what it is, but I dunno. I guess I just dislike shuttles' capacity (naturally). I would say Wicked Twister or Flashback (Vekoma boomerang), but the few times I've been on those rides, the stations were empty. I can just imagine what those would be like on a crowded day.

Next

Return to General Theme Park Discussions

 


  • Related topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post