Theme Park Operations - 2010

[Mikey]

Every year since joining this site it has been tradition for me to open each operating season with some words of wisdom. To inspire the future generations who will be joining us in the finest tradition of park operations. This year our industry celebrates 115 years in the service of fun.


Before we get started I would like to take a moment to reflect upon those who gave their lives in the ultimate sacrifice of service. In a last ditch attempt to avoid a collision with a reversing monorail, Austin Wuennenberg remained at his engineering station and made valiant attempts to avert collision and keep the guest on board his monorail safe until such time he was crushed in a collision. If it was not for his actions, and his dedication to the guest in which he faithfully served. The force of the approaching monorail traveling at full speed would have pierced the passenger cabin and more then likely killed its occupants.

In 2009 153 operators and maintenance personnel were killed worldwide in accidents involving amusement rides. Similarly we failed to protect 331 guest, and over 10,000 suffered some sort of injury. While I am reminded that theme parks are statistically safer then airlines, there is always room for improvement.

For those of you whom this will be your first job, Welcome. You have signed up to operate heavy machinery in climates of varying extremes for extended periods of time with our breaks in a fast paced, exhaustive, repetitive, dangerous, unhealthy and sometimes hostile work environment. If this doesn't sound like your cup of tea it would be in your best interest to find another line of work.

In recent years the operators role has been down played by the reliance of automation. Guest think that operators are only button mashers, ticket takers, and rule enforcers. Frankly, I say that's bull poop. Now more the ever qualified and professional operators are needed to insure guest safety. Computers are only as smart as their creators, they simply cannot handle all of the external factors that come into play in the day to day operation of a ride.

Ultimately an operators job is to (1.) interface with the guest and to insure their safety. (2.) To monitor the automatic operation of the ride, and to be prepared at anytime to manually take control of the ride or quickly stop its operation. (3.) To object to the operation of the ride if at anytime the operator feels an unsafe condition exist.

1. Interfacing with the guest can be a difficult task at times. They say that when a guest enters into the gates of a park they become a sugared up tantrum prone three year old. The fact is that they payed a lot of money to visit the park, and rightfully so they expect world class service. At all times an operator should be courteous, professional, clam, and firm on matters of safety. Everyone is responsible for enforcing park policies and there must be a consistent level of enforcement throughout.

2. Guest enter ride perimeters, trains skip blocks, hydraulic lines break. What do all of these problems have in common? They are require operator interaction to correct and stop the operation of the ride in a safe and controlled manner. An operators duty is to the the ride at all times it is in operation or motion. A distracted operator is the equivalent of an intoxicated operator.

You have no business being on any phone at anytime the ride is in operation. If you find it necessary to chase ass, do it while the ride is not in motion. You can save time by ordering business cards with your booty call information already printed on them.

3. Who is at the ride more often, Maintenance, Electricians, or the Operators. After a week of operating you have probably cycled your ride more then 150 times. After that time you should understand how it works, how it responds under certain conditions, whats its quirks are, and what it sounds like under normal operating conditions.

More often then not it is an abnormal sound that triggers the concerns of the operator. Similarly as an operator moves about and observes the operation of the ride, it sometimes becomes apparent that components have failed, are operating improperly, or are missing entirely. You should never be afraid of raising objection or asking for assistance if you think something is out place. However you should use your knowledge of the ride to make a professional decision and plan a course of action.

In my time I have worked with many coworkers in the maintenance department who become annoyed when an operator calls upon them for a safety check. It is my opinion that these type of people are not worth the ground that they stand on. I have witnessed many of these same coworkers end up with mounds of paperwork because they ignored request to investigate problems with rides they were responsible for. Not to mention the fact that they had to rebuild and repair equipment that was involved in minor or major accidents.

Operators are the heart and soul of a park. They set the pace and the precedent in which all the other departments revolve around. Most guest do not come to parks for the food, for the shows, or for the games. They come for the rides and the chance to be scared shit-less on a subsonic three hundred foot plus multi-million dollar piece of hardware built and installed by the lowest bidder.

So remember,

1. Your duty is to the ride and the safety of your guest.
2. No matter what happens remain calm and be professional.
3. When things look out of place, stop, evaluate, respond.
4. Be prepared for anything at anytime.
5. Know your ride, Know your guest.
6. Humor fix's everything. When things look dark - Smile, Tomorrow will be worse.


In closing, I hope everyone has a safe season. Hopefully Tconwell will be along to give the seasonal prayer and blessing.

"You have no business being on any phone at anytime the ride is in operation."

I just want to put some emphasis on this sentence right here. If a phone call is more important to you then running the ride, be prepared to get fired on the spot. As Mikey said, you are one of the people who is controlling said ride and your not working the ride if your on a cell phone. For your job's sake and for the guests whom put their LIVES in your hands, put the phone in your pocket and keep it off and in that pocket until your out of the operational area of the park.

Well said, let us all have a safe, fun, and very happy season!

I know a lot of people on this site will disagree but I would like to add...

Enjoy your ride. Don't take cameras or phones onto the ride with the purpose to record, call or even just to hold onto during the ride. I am working at Cedar Point for my 3rd year, I'm the Team Leader for Blue Streak. I see this thing ALL THE TIME. It hurts me to see guests who feel they need to take a camera on the ride and an accident happens to where the object flies out of the riders reach and hits someone. Please, I know it sounds "dumb" or "stupid" or "pointless" but it literally has come to the point of a huge problem. With that all out of the way... I hope all have a fun and safe time riding!

[slosprint]

I was @ dorney once and they E-stoped SF because some stupid old lady had pulled out a dinosaur of acamera that looked like it was from the 18th century.

*prints out and sticks on bulitin board*

with credit given to mike of-corse and the blessing bit deleated off

Originally posted by coasterdave

I know a lot of people on this site will disagree but I would like to add...

Enjoy your ride. Don't take cameras or phones onto the ride with the purpose to record, call or even just to hold onto during the ride. I am working at Cedar Point for my 3rd year, I'm the Team Leader for Blue Streak. I see this thing ALL THE TIME. It hurts me to see guests who feel they need to take a camera on the ride and an accident happens to where the object flies out of the riders reach and hits someone. Please, I know it sounds "dumb" or "stupid" or "pointless" but it literally has come to the point of a huge problem. With that all out of the way... I hope all have a fun and safe time riding!

I completely agree 100%. People aren't aware of poop that happens, and they ALWAYS think "Oh, it won't happen to me!" when in reality, yes, it can asshole. You can't do whatever you want and get away with it. It seems to me that most parks let people get away with this crap way too often, which i can consider once, but it is way beyond that. I understand that it is tough to notice sometimes, or you don't have the chance to get them, which some people won't consider an excuse.

Anyway Mikey, great job. Keep it up.

This is a great post Mikey. As a few of you may know, this will be my first season operating Apollos Chariot at Busch Gardens Europe, and to be honest, it's quite intimidating. The guests, ride, and environment will all play a part of how the day goes. I assume there will be ups and downs, but I'll make the best of whatever happens in order to provide 'world class service'. I am soooo brainwashed with that phrase now. Thanks Busch... [:D]

[Mikey]

Do you know how much damage a cellphone does to eones teeth and facial complexion when it collides at 70 MPH. It's not pretty.

how about to one's anything on their bodies?

Not that you specified, but in general the cell phone would only collide with someone at that speed if they're off the ride...fairly certain trains aren't long enough and don't accelerate fast enough, and small objects don't decelerate fast enough for even a back row rider to get hit by an object at 70 mph when released by a front row rider. Consider the object still has the momentum from the motion so it will continue along a similar curve most of the time. I can think of a few cases where that can happen to a rider, but I think the danger's more apparent for those offride than onride. Of course that doesn't change much about the dangers, but I thought it might be worth saying.

[slosprint]

^ I don't think speed matters. a cell phone or camera colliding with a persons face no matter what the speed is sure to leave a mark. Also, what if you were riding Gwazi and you dropped something and it hit somebody on the other train? that would hit the persons face at nearly 100 mph!

lol, you'd probably have to throw it for that to happen, but yes that can be one of the exceptions I noted.

And speed does matter. I doubt you'd mind getting hit at 10 mph (unless it was in the eye or something) but I think you (and your face) would feel differently about 70.

[hyyyper]

I've been working as a ride-op at Toverland for about 3,5 years now. And I hope it'll be my weekend-job for a long time.
Thanks for preach, I hope some kids learn from it.

^What do you operate?

[Mikey]

I have had to cut operators out from underneath trains because they were playing around and fell in the track before an E-Stop could be pressed. It's really not good for morale when for weeks after, your ride is covered in dry blood and skin. Not to mention the smell.


One time an operator on a boomerang wasn't paying attention and the cable to the crawler broke loose and let the train go early. He was on his cell phone and failed to notice it, the trains momentum was just enough to get it stuck in the "saddle" in between the cobra roll. As the catch car came crashing down one of the springs broke loose and struck the operator in the head knocking him out cold. It took the help of the fire department to evacuate the ride, and it made the local news. Not to mention we had to winch the dam train out for 9 hours. If he was paying attention he could have E-Stoped and the train would have stoped half way out the station with a few pissed off guest.

Another set of employees decided it would be fun to play musical chairs on an empty train during safety check. The train left the lift when they were in between cars, and the occupants fell 75 FT to the ground, bounced of some rocks, and landed on the foundation of the ride.

A good friend of mine was sending a train, and the main operator panel was close to the train. A guest got scared and grabbed on to him after the train was dispatched. They almost dragged him passed the transfer table before his foot triggered a block error on one of the photo eyes resulting in an E-stop.

Dangerous job it be.

[slosprint]

What kind of idiots play musical chairs on a moving ride? that is just stupidity beyond belief!

So, how many of those people are completely retarded and have absolutely no common sense at all? These people need to be under 24/7 supervision.

Originally posted by Mikey

I have had to cut operators out from underneath trains because they were playing around and fell in the track before an E-Stop could be pressed. It's really not good for morale when for weeks after, your ride is covered in dry blood and skin. Not to mention the smell.

I don't even want to think about this idea...

[slosprint]

Excited about your new job, Griffon?

Originally posted by slosprint

Excited about your new job, Griffon?

Hell yes! But now I'm a bit frightened. [xx(]

Unless you're a complete dumbass, don't worry. And knowing you, you're not.

*smiles at kind words*

[nutznboltz]

my opinion on this matter stands as such...

I spend a lot of time at amusement parks over the summer months, I never look at the ride ops in a casual way, I watch them every time a train comes into the station, I watch to make sure that they are doing their jobs, making sure they are checking those lap bars and such, if I see one talking to another worker when they are supposed to be making sure we are safe, I will let you know in no uncertain terms that you need to do your job and pay attention, thankfully I haven't seen it too often...

on the other hand I have a big problem with people who feel the ride op is here to do everything, including holding that item you aren't supposed to bring on.

A big stink was made when Six Flags incorporated the ride lockers in some of their parks ( if not all) I personally was thrilled to death to see this happen, too many people feel the need to carry everything they own with them on these rides, leave the camera's in your pocket, let the professionals take care of the ride recordings. and leave the cellphones in your pockets as well, there is no reason whatsoever to make a phone call and/or text from the roller coaster, and by the way, those sport bottles you can buy in the park, hurt when they hit you on a coaster at 60 mph...
Seriously, let the ride ops do their jobs, they aren't here to babysit your stuff, leave it on the ground or in a locker, if you don't have that option, then please don't ride, I want to enjoy my ride and live to tell about it..

[hyyyper]

Originally posted by griffonluv

^What do you operate?

I can operate every ride at the park, what ride I operate depends on that day's schedule. However, during the summer, I am usually operating the survival course.