No single riders during peak hours!

[A Mickeyfan]

Just came back from Universal yesterday. While there we went to do single riders when the park became crowded & many of the rides were not doing them. The cast member at Spiderman told me that they were not doing it during peak hours to prevent the lines from getting longer That made no sence to me I asked him if he knew that everyone on the regular line would fill up one car or would there be an empty seat on some. He refused to answer. I know I could be way off base here by saying this, but I think it is to sell the FOTL express book. They did still have singles early in the morning & later in the day, just not during mid-day (peak hours). That ruined my plan. I had (and alway do it this way) gone to the Studios frist, really early... get everything I want to do done. Then I head to IOA mid-day to do singles on those rides. My younger dd isn't a coaster rider so with just me & her friend doing the rides, singles work out great.. so much for that idea anymore.. Just thought I would pass this info on to anyone that incorporates single rider lines into thier plans for the day.. don't!

 

[themepark]

That doesn't make any sense at all. The single rider line is supposed to be used to fill in the empty seats. So this means they will be sending out cars with empty seats?? What harm could the single rider line possibly do unless the employees were putting single riders on together?

 

[phamton]

The single rider line has always been hit and miss for me at IOA. It always seems to be open at MIB and Mummy but Spiderman and the other single rider lines at other rides at IOA are seldom open. I think it was probably the lack of staffing that day. Sometimes it is easier and faster to send cars with a few empty seats rather than having to pull people out of the single rider line. they can dispatch cars faster if they aren't trying to fill every empty seat.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

staffing should be at it's fullest, it's spring break. attractions like ROTM, MIB, and Spiderman are designed to make full use of single riders by having them queue up at the load point and fill the gaps before the next car hits the gate. it's never been a problem before. I agree with the OP, it's another tactic to sell EP's.

 

[phamton]

staffing should be at it's fullest, it's spring break.

Of course it should but realistically it is not always feasible. Most of us are working 60 plus hours and have been for the last 4 weeks. When you work that many hours, you get more call-ins for illness. You can't hire hundreds to work for only a month and then fire them. Plus they would have to be trained during a busy time which would take trainers away from working the rides. Disney is also understaffed right now also. It's a difficult line to walk---having enough workers during a busy time. It's not a ploy to sell express. You can dispatch cars faster without using single rider lines---this info comes from my son who worked at the Mummy.

I think Universal is doing a great job of getting the crowds through quickly on these busy weeks of spring break.

 

[tmt martins]

You can dispatch cars faster without using single rider lines---this info comes from my son who worked at the Mummy.

I think Universal is doing a great job of getting the crowds through quickly on these busy weeks of spring break.

Well I don't think it's that you can Dispatch cars faster as the people lined up before the car arrives .I think the problem is the explaining that you are in a single rider line and no you can't ride with your friend.Or the you need to come back here I didn't say you.This is where the delays are not at the getting on the car it's self.

And Yes they both do a great job but when I pay my money to enter a park I don't want to here we don't have enough people to staff that ride ( get this a lot at Six Flags).They should plan for this however possible and not put additional stress on current employes for that long of a period.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

Of course it should but realistically it is not always feasible. Most of us are working 60 plus hours and have been for the last 4 weeks. When you work that many hours, you get more call-ins for illness. You can't hire hundreds to work for only a month and then fire them. Plus they would have to be trained during a busy time which would take trainers away from working the rides. Disney is also understaffed right now also. It's a difficult line to walk---having enough workers during a busy time. It's not a ploy to sell express. You can dispatch cars faster without using single rider lines---this info comes from my son who worked at the Mummy.

I think Universal is doing a great job of getting the crowds through quickly on these busy weeks of spring break.

I understand B, and I'm on your side. I'll always defer in favor of the ride ops. but I've also seen many of them working the standby and the single rider lines at the same time.

 

[pathubia]

In the past Universal hired temp workers for peak seasons, did they stop doing that?

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Just to let you all know, when I went to go onto the singles for Spidey, there were two cast members there telling guests that it was closed for the time being. I do not think the lack of cast did it to Spidey that day. I do understand the lack of cast during peak times.. but if there were 2 there, why couldn't one be there to let you in & the other at the opposite end to allow you on?
I have always done this, even the week before Christmas day... the single rider lines were open. That was also when they already had done away with the free express pass...
I just hope they aren't doing away with singles next...
Bev I know you have the inside info & I do not want you to think I am saying you are incorrect about the shortage of cm's.. but there really were 2 of them telling guests it was closed

PS...as per another guest who inquired about the price of the express pass for Monday the 10th, they were $40. He was telling me that they day before they were $15 & when he went to purchase for that day (Monday) they went up to $40. I know the price goes with the demand, the more you need them, the higher they will be....
which is why I really think that they did away with single rider lines on that day during peak time....

 

[chainsawwolf]

It's possible that the single rider line was closed due to the fact that there were already too many people in the single riders line. About the only time we close the SR at Mummy is for that reason. There were times during the first summer that ROTM was open that the wait time for SR was the same, or longer than the regular line. It's really no fun being at pre-board when a SR notices that the group you just loaded on the last car was one that they had seen getting in the regular line when they got in the SR line.

 

[Sylvester McBean]

PS...as per another guest who inquired about the price of the express pass for Monday the 10th, they were $40. He was telling me that they day before they were $15 & when he went to purchase for that day (Monday) they went up to $40. I know the price goes with the demand, the more you need them, the higher they will be....
which is why I really think that they did away with single rider lines on that day during peak time....

TM's work the queue at DD looking for single riders to fill every train. the loading platform of Spiderman is actually too efficient because 3/4 of the people stay to the right and don't use the left gate. we're about 6 months into the removal of the free EP's and the standby lines still remain choked.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

TM's work the queue at DD looking for single riders to fill every train. the loading platform of Spiderman is actually too efficient because 3/4 of the people stay to the right and don't use the left gate. we're about 6 months into the removal of the free EP's and the standby lines still remain choked.

We stopped at DD and asked about the singles and were told No there as well.... only place that I saw singles was Dr Doom..they only had a 25 minute wait for the regular line while the others had 60+ minutes & no singles.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

It's possible that the single rider line was closed due to the fact that there were already too many people in the single riders line. About the only time we close the SR at Mummy is for that reason. There were times during the first summer that ROTM was open that the wait time for SR was the same, or longer than the regular line. It's really no fun being at pre-board when a SR notices that the group you just loaded on the last car was one that they had seen getting in the regular line when they got in the SR line.

That I can't answer because I didn't see a singles line. That could have been the reason..I do not know. I know when they finally opened the singles at Spidey, the regular line had only a 30 minute wait. In fact, the singles was longer than the regular at that point .. that was towards 7pm.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Ummm--wouldn't the single riders just be queueing in the regular line anyway?

 

[ChisJo]

As a solo traveller and one who was depending on the solo rider lines, this really bothers me. I can see my day at universal not working out if I couldn't use these. It can be intimidating at times for a solo traveller and I really liked the solo lines for this purpose. I did see it get abused the last time I went, but if I truly am a solo traveller, and there will most likely be empty seats available, what is the harm?

 

[Slacking]

This is fairly normal for me. If the sign isn't out and the Singles Rider sign is flipped, it means the line is closed for the time being. I've seen it quite often, and I'm ok with it, they can do what they want. I'll just come back later when its back open.

Was Doom's Single Rider Line Open? That seems to be one of the more consistently opened S.R. line over at IOA.

 

[phamton]

In the past Universal hired temp workers for peak seasons, did they stop doing that?

They do have temps (red shirts) but they aren't trained to run the rides.

 

[phamton]

Bev I know you have the inside info & I do not want you to think I am saying you are incorrect about the shortage of cm's.. but there really were 2 of them telling guests it was closed

Of course I believe you. I don't know why it was closed. To tell you the truth I've never seen single rider open at Spiderman as many times as I have gone. I know they have it but it is never open when I go.

.as per another guest who inquired about the price of the express pass for Monday the 10th, they were $40. He was telling me that they day before they were $15 & when he went to purchase for that day (Monday) they went up to $40.

He was either lying or mistaken.

Check the website: http://secure.universalstudios.com/...goryGroup=UOMain&SalesCategory=UO1ParkUEPLive

On the 9th they were $35 not $15.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Of course I believe you. I don't know why it was closed. To tell you the truth I've never seen single rider open at Spiderman as many times as I have gone. I know they have it but it is never open when I go.



He was either lying or mistaken.

Check the website: http://secure.universalstudios.com/...goryGroup=UOMain&SalesCategory=UO1ParkUEPLive

On the 9th they were $35 not $15.

$15 did sound sort of low when he said it, especially since it is spring break.. so they were $35 both days then right? Not $15 & $40... not that it matters to me.
As far as Spidey.. I always do it single riders.. never not once saw it that way except for this past Monday. In fact, that was the first I had ever seen that for any of the rides... I guess I am spoiled At least now I know how to plan my day, not counting on it open but be happy if it is

 

[A Mickeyfan]

This is fairly normal for me. If the sign isn't out and the Singles Rider sign is flipped, it means the line is closed for the time being. I've seen it quite often, and I'm ok with it, they can do what they want. I'll just come back later when its back open.

Was Doom's Single Rider Line Open? That seems to be one of the more consistently opened S.R. line over at IOA.

Yes, they were the only ones that were open during peak hours...they had a wait of 25 minutes for the regular standyby line