Movie World speculation and dreaming - 2015 edition

[Levithian]

Yes, and my point was, the second train doesn't sit ready to go on the transfer, it would be returned the maintenance area. Running the second train would normally be planned before the day can begin so checks on the train could be completed. If it wasn't being scheduled for running two trains that day, it might not have had the checks completed and/or it could be sitting in the maintenance area in various states of repair/service as it wasn't required to complete the checks.

So it probably isn't just a case of send it across the transfer and on to the track straight away, it might require some service/time before it's sent out. A bit of an inconvenience at best and it could probably be added within 20-30 minutes if the checks need to be completed, but may also be impossible sometimes if it simply isn't ready to be run.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Levithian

[Tim Dasco]

Just putting my 10 cents in at AW they have 4 trains for the Abyss (I think). But they don't always run all 4 trains depending on how busy it is. Sometimes they have started with 2 trains and added a 3rd if need. When they are not in use they sit in the maintenance bay. So can't Movie World do the same thing?

[Levithian]

Where does it say they can't? It's just not always a key turn, a couple of button presses and a few minutes of down time. They get, what? maybe 4,4.5hrs time to complete checks, any repairs and get everything open? If the train isn't expected to run, it might not have had time spent on it in the morning and not be a simple process, that's all.

[Tim Dasco]

Ok thanks Levithian for that.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Tim Dasco

[Spotty]

Not to mention the ride requires extra staff as well to run a 2nd train... not something that can be added at the drop of a hat. Superman requires an extra 2 staff to run a 2nd train compared to 1 train.

1 train requires: Load 1, Load 2 - Unload, Entry, Supervisor
2 trains requires: Load 1, Load 2, Sorter, Unload, Entry, Supervisor.

It's not as easy as just deciding to add on the 2nd train. It's determined on previous years attendance, weather forecasts and other things as well and rosters are often done 2 - 3 weeks in advance for a ride.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

damn second page worth of unread content.

 

nevermind...

Edited January 8, 2016 by AlexB
damn second pages

[Levithian]

8 hours ago, Spotty said:

Not to mention the ride requires extra staff as well to run a 2nd train... not something that can be added at the drop of a hat. Superman requires an extra 2 staff to run a 2nd train compared to 1 train.

1 train requires: Load 1, Load 2 - Unload, Entry, Supervisor
2 trains requires: Load 1, Load 2, Sorter, Unload, Entry, Supervisor.

It's not as easy as just deciding to add on the 2nd train. It's determined on previous years attendance, weather forecasts and other things as well and rosters are often done 2 - 3 weeks in advance for a ride.

Yeah, lots of little things go into the operation of a park that might seem trivial (or people don't realise), but sometimes get in the way of doing things efficiently or quickly.

I reckon queue times would have a lot to do with it too. If queue times are blowing out on most of the bigger rides, they would add another train to help lessen the wait even if it means a bit of moving staff around. In this day and age, I reckon a lot of workforce planning goes into each day to try and limit staff (see, costs) to the minimum needed for operation on that day/week. There are usually staff that are just shift coverage and not assigned a ride, so if they couldn't use them or move a super/cover from shows or the kids area, they'd probably call someone in pretty quickly I guess.

[rappa]

Superman's maintenance area pretty much is the transfer track so that's the easy part.

 

The problem is every train has extensive daily safety checks. There is no point doing those if you're not going to use the train. So if you decide to use the train in the middle of the day, you first have to get those checks done. It might take an hour, so not worth it if the ride just gets busy for a while. 

Thats if the train even exists. Every 2 years all trains/cars are stripped down and fully re-built which takes months so there will be parts of the year a second train is not available. 

[lifeofsamage]

20 hours ago, Spotty said:

Not to mention the ride requires extra staff as well to run a 2nd train... not something that can be added at the drop of a hat. Superman requires an extra 2 staff to run a 2nd train compared to 1 train.

1 train requires: Load 1, Load 2 - Unload, Entry, Supervisor
2 trains requires: Load 1, Load 2, Sorter, Unload, Entry, Supervisor.

It's not as easy as just deciding to add on the 2nd train. It's determined on previous years attendance, weather forecasts and other things as well and rosters are often done 2 - 3 weeks in advance for a ride.

Im pretty sure they have the same amount of staff for 2 train "mode" unless they put more on because generally the sorter is also load 2 and unload so generally there is 4 staff but there may be a dedicated unload in peak times. 

[Santa07]

@lifeofsamage Spotty is a MW ex-employee so I'm pretty sure he knows what he's talking about. So yes 6 staff a needed for 2 trains.

[Original]

When I went just before Christmas, which I've been meaning to post a trip report of for ages now, SE was running with 5 staff for 2 train operation.

1. loader, 2. Loader & Sorter, 3. Unloader, 4. Entry, 5. Supervisor. 

[lifeofsamage]

8 hours ago, Santa07 said:

@lifeofsamage Spotty is a MW ex-employee so I'm pretty sure he knows what he's talking about. So yes 6 staff a needed for 2 trains.

My apologies. Was just stating what i've observed in park 

[Guest]

Minimum needed amount of staff to max amount:

ONE TRAIN (min 4, max 6) - Entry Host, Load One, Load Two, Supervisor (OPTIONAL Unloader, Sort. (The Load Two takes over Unload and Sort - There is an Unloader always at the start in the morning.)

TWO TRAINS (min 5, max 6) - Entry Host, Load One, Load Two, Supervisor, Unloader (OPTIONAL Sort.)

Good eye @lifeofsamage 

[mba2012]

Just wondering, would they also increase the number of people in the store when they're running more people through the ride?

[Zanstabar]

29 minutes ago, mba2012 said:

Just wondering, would they also increase the number of people in the store when they're running more people through the ride?

I don't think they would, considering almost all of the people that pass through that gift shop don't have any form of payment on them. 

[pin142]

Last visit for me they were running two trains with the five staff setup. Might as well have only one on the track as it sure wasn't any quicker!

[Spotty]

The 5 staff setup would normally only be used if they have had sick calls and have had to move the 6th staff member to another attraction to cover breaks or something else. Generally it's not done but sometimes it's required. Just hope you never see them cut the unloader with 1 train operation... you will maybe see them dispatch 8 trains a hour, 9 if your really lucky. 

[Noxegon]

On 10 January 2016 at 10:29, Zanstabar said:

I don't think they would, considering almost all of the people that pass through that gift shop don't have any form of payment on them. 

Yeah, that's really bloody stupid.

I mean seriously. You insist that I put everything in a locker, then make me exit through a gift shop? Who thinks up these genius ideas?

[westical]

Because it's still more foot traffic than not leading guests through it. Not that hard to go back to the shop after returning to your locker right next door.

[Guest]

Quote

Just hope you never see them cut the unloader with 1 train operation... you will maybe see them dispatch 8 trains a hour, 9 if your really lucky. 

8 or a lucky 9th dispatch every hour.

By that logic thats pretty much 4 dispatches every half hour ignoring the lucky 9th. (Perspective: 7.5 minutes for basically every dispatch.)

Hoping you meant to say every half hour @Spotty 

 

[Spotty]

No... I didn't mean every half hour sadly. With 1 train and full staff they will dispatch approx 6 - 7 trains every 30 minutes. When they cut the unloader it drops down to about 4 maybe 5 every 30 minutes.

This is because the 2nd loader has to wait until the train has gone around the first corner into the dark ride before leaving the load dock, then has to go straight to unload (if they are on the ball they CAN sort the groups in the line before moving to unload, but needs to be done quickly - 30 seconds or so). Then they have to go to unload, wait for the train to come back in and wait for everyone to leave the train. Send it through to the load dock, then wait for the doors at the shop to fully close before heading back to sort the next group.

It's a painful process and trust me, the staff hated it as much as the guests did. Loading would take approx 2 minutes including sorting, unloading about the same depending on guests. Waiting for the train to run the ride is another 2 minutes so it's very easy to see how it can take 7 - 10 minutes to do a full cycle. Horrible, horrible procedures that I hope never see the light of day again.