Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit
- Thread starter Brian G.
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Didn't end up going to the park today, ended up getting called in for work. I can say that things did go better than some expected, but that was with the ride cooperating (very few issues, less than usual) and the crew on their absolute best. Bill Davis and several other managers/leads/supervisors were there observing during the day, so this was definitely a major thing. As far as I know this is "for good," although I hardly think they can count on the ride to be as cooperative as I'm told it was today. It should be interesting going forward, and I don't know how much they're "pushing" Rockit now being a part of Express.
- Feb 21, 2013
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I almost feel as they don't have a choice. Once HP opens they can't be like: "BUY EXPRESS PASS; BUYPASS ALL THE LINES; EXCEPT FORBIDDEN JOURNEY, GRINGOTTS, HOGWARTS EXPRESS, AND THE 5 YEAR OLD HOLLYWOOD RIP RIDE ROCKIT!!!! SO BASICALLY THIS $50 PASS HAS NO VALUE!!!"
Eventually they can open up to FJ. Its a high capacity ride. Transformers will include express easily. And the Hogwarts Express Im sure will include express as well. But you're right the ride is getting old now and its time to commit. Rockit got up to around a 60 today which is kind of sad. Its all new for the team. They have to learn how to estimate their waits and manage ratios between the regular line and the express line.
Good to hear that it went well. They had to be working on all on tech issues after hours in order to put on Express.
- Oct 14, 2012
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Utilizing Express won't necessarily make the capacity that bad. Half the priority doesn't have to go to Express...it is naturally a shorter line because people have to pay for the service and less people are using it. A naturally shorter line means that you don't have to let half of the Express line go as half of the standby line goes because no matter how often you send through Express users, it will always be a shorter wait considering the nature of it.
Basically, it won't get reduced down to 600 riders per hour...the Express line is already shorter no matter what.
You would think... but that is not true at Universal. It isn't controlled in any way like Disneys Fastpass. When guests show up with their unlimited express passes, they have to work them through faster than the regular line because those guests paid to get through faster and its expected. It isn't uncommon to see the rides loading 75% or more of the ride with express. You'll hear the term 2 to 1's or 3 to 1's. That's 2 or 3 ride vehicles of express for every 1 vehicle of regular line. So if they are doing 3 to 1's at Rockit, for every 10 trains that get dispatched, 2 of them will have regular line guests. Best case scenario mid day, they are doing one vehicle of express to one vehicle of regular which is half its capacity which about 600 riders per hour for each line.
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What ride does 3 express to 1 regular? There's a lot of days where Mummy does 2 regular for every 1 express. I don't know of any ride that loads 75% or more w/ express. Most rides that I can think of do 50/50 and even then a lot of times the regular line is filling up spots due to the express line emptying out.
Has to in part be due to the express queue being so short though... One or two big groups with express and they have clutter at the entrance.
It's most certainly controlled in a way like Disney's Fastpass. They're trying to limit the wait of the Express queue at the expense of the standby line. Over at Disney, you'll get somewhere that loads 16 Fastpass guests to every one standby guest when the Fastpass line backs up. It's the exact same concept.
Fastpass/Express destroy standby efficiency.
I wouldn't say its the exact same concept. Disney limits how many people come into their fastpass line per hour. At Universal its a free for all.
And trust me, Universal rides do 3 to 1's when they need to. They will try not to do it for very long, but they will do it.
And trust me, Universal rides do 3 to 1's when they need to. They will try not to do it for very long, but they will do it.
Ehhh, that's not completely true either though. Disney does, but from my understanding the amount of Assistance Cards floating around is astonishing and people definitely use those as unlimited Fast Pass. Universal also limits Express to once per ride except for hotel guest. At Disney there is nothing stopping someone from going to RNR at 9am, getting an express for 10am, getting their 2nd express at 10:30, returning at 1 for their next redemption, and so on until the distribution is over.
- Oct 14, 2012
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My original point accounts for the fact that this generally doesn't happen at Universal, considering less people have access to Express when compared to Fastpass because it costs money, and also the fact that an Express pass can only be used once by a majority of its users. Not saying it doesn't happen, but it is incomparable to Fastpass which is free and flexible.
