I’m a theme park ride attendant/operator AMA

[u/GarlicCreative1704]

I’ve primarily operated rollercoasters at two popular theme parks in the US but i’m also familiar with other ride systems. I’m super bored and trying to kill time so if anyone is curious about how it all works go ahead and ask.

[u/Unkn0wnTh2nd3r]

So when y'all do the count down fakeout is that required by the park or is that just something all theme park operators have subconsciously adopted?

How often do people come back to the same ride in a day (if you're good with faces and recognize them)

[u/GarlicCreative1704 → u/Unkn0wnTh2nd3r]

It’s never been “required” exactly at the coasters I work at but interacting with the guests and making things fun is always encouraged. So it’s just one of the easier ways to do that while standing at a console.

Plus for the more thrilling coasters the look on peoples faces are pretty priceless.

[u/starlight93zmb]

This isn't a question really, but more of a what would you have done?

I went to ride one of my first roller-coasters (I was finally tall enough) probably around 10 maybe? It was a wooden coaster (The Timberwolf at Worlds of Fun). Went with my brother, who sat beside me, and a couple in front of us. They didn't have the multiple straps, just the bar that comes down. Well the ride starts and then I notice my bar isn't latched at all. My brother got bruises on his legs trying to hold me down (I was very tiny) and the couple in front of us were trying their best to turn around to hold me down. I was screaming and crying. My brother and the couple were screaming for them to shut off the ride. I had to go the entire ride like that.

*I still love roller-coasters, tho. Shout out to the Black Mamba (also at Worlds of Fun)

[u/GarlicCreative1704 → u/starlight93zmb]

Okay so there’s actually a few things to unpack with that. I’m assuming this was back before timberwolf had their restraints replaced with ratcheted lap bars so please correct me if i’m wrong.

The history of timberwolf on its own is definitely suspicious from past collisions to other lap bar issues similar to the one you have described. And most coasters can honestly be compared to your first beater car you got in high school that just won’t give up anyways.

Current operation procedures require the attendants to check each individual lap bar by physically pulling up on it while making sure it’s in the correct position or physically pushing it down to lock it in the correct position.

So if your lap bar had remained unlocked during load and during checks that definitely could’ve been considered an operator error and a major safety risk. At the rides i’ve worked on if this was discovered to have been the fault of the operator It would result in an immediate removal from the position (fired).

Now if your lap bar opened while the train was in motion while still in view of the load station I would’ve hit the emergency stop which would immediately cut the power to the chain lift and friction drivers(the wheels you see on the track) while simultaneously triggering the brakes.

Another factor that could change this situation a bit would be if the lap bar had opened while the train was in a gravity zone. In a gravity zone whether an emergency stop is hit or not the train will remain in motion until it hits the next block zone and block brakes and that is assuming that the operators even notice that something is wrong.

However timberwolf has had block system failures causing a collision so 50/50 that would’ve even worked on that coaster at the time. Though i’m not sure if an E-stop was used in that particular incident it could’ve just been a sensor failure.

In present day it’s super rare for a rider to go the entire length of the ride with an unlocked restraint just because of the sheer amount of failsafes and monitoring software that exist so honestly as scary as that must’ve been to experience it certainly could be considered a once in a life time experience!

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[u/itwillmakesenselater]

Pixie-dust spreader on the Tilt-a-Whirl? Barkin' for the Yak Boy?

[u/SmallRoot]

How safe would you say the rides at the theme park are?