Empty Midways

The day after Labor Day is the most dreaded day to amusement park fans across the country.  Today is the day that seasonal amusement parks go dark.  Daily operations ended yesterday for a lot of places.  Some of them ended their season on Sunday due to poor Labor Day weather conditions.

The Carousel at Knoebels stands empty and waiting
for weekend visitors.

On the other side, today is the day that the staff has a chance to take a huge sigh of relief.  The summer of ensuring guests had a great and safe time is over.  There is a bit of relief while they ready the park for weekend operations before the parks are transformed for Halloween and Christmas events.

Allow me to say thanks on behalf of amusement park lovers everywhere for offering us a safe and fun filled summer.  As a former amusement park employee I know the struggles you met throughout the season.  The irate guests you had to handle, the staffing issues that come with pre and post season, the emergencies and all the other stressful situations you had to deal with. We give a big thank you to

The world famous bumper cars at Knoebels.  Parked on the
side ready for some weekend visitors.

everyone involved in giving a great summer of memories.  All of your hard work was very much appreciated and we hope you have some time to recuperate before we do it all again Memorial Day weekend.

I had a chance to visit a few new parks this summer as well as some parks that I make a regular or semi-regular trek to.  Overall the staff I encountered throughout the season was enthusiastic and friendly.  The way it should be.  If you are an amusement park employee that loves your job and worked hard to ensure we all had fun, go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back.

Looking for some great amusement park prints, including Knoebels.  Check out my Etsy shop by clicking here.

Last Ride

Announcements for new amusement park rides and attractions are heavy this time of year.  One thing that occasionally comes out with these announcements is rides that will not be around to see the 2014 season.  This year Six Flags announced that Rolling Thunder, a racing wooden coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure, would not be in the coaster line up next year.  The last day of operation is slated for September 8^th.  The removal of Rolling Thunder will drop Six Flag Great Adventure’s coaster count down to 12.

It was announced on 8/29 that Rolling
Thunder at  Six Flags Great Adventure
would give it's last ride on Sept. 8, 2013

Rolling Thunder has been operating at the park since 1979.  The announcement to remove this ride was met with the same cheers and jeers that come with any news of the removal of a ride.  Some people are happy to see the ride go, complaining that the ride had become rough or the ride was boring.  Others claim it was their favorite ride in the park or it was their first coaster and wish it was kept for nostalgic reasons.

The decision to remove a ride isn’t made lightly.  The following information may not be the exact way the company reached the decision to remove the ride.  It is merely a guess from me after working over 10 years in the amusement/resort industry.

Parks budget expenses for a ride at the beginning of the fiscal year.  They look at the amount of money spent on a specific ride from the previous years and calculate what they expect to pay.  Yearly expenses can include spare parts for the track, trains and sensors/computers as well as paint and queue repair.  They also include numbers for possible emergency repairs and parts like the lift chain that must be replaced periodically.  At the end of the season they calculate the actual cost of upkeep. Once you add the cost of labor to operate to the upkeep of the ride you arrive at the total cost for operating the ride.

The park uses turnstiles to calculate the number of riders a ride gives in a particular year.  If you divide maintenance and operational costs by the number of riders you get what it costs for each guest to ride a given attraction.  When the park is considering a new attraction these numbers can be used to analyze what attractions may have reached the end of their service life.  Once an attraction has reached this point it is possible for it to be sold and used elsewhere to breathe new life into it.  The attraction will be scrapped if the cost to relocate it is prohibitive.

Great American Scream Machine was Removed from Six Flags
Great Adventure near the end of the 2010 Season.

It has been stated on several sites that Rolling Thunder had been operating on only one side, indicating that the popularity of the attraction was down low enough that there was no need to open both sides.  It is sad to see an attraction go but this means that there can be new life with new attractions brought in.  For the 2014 Season Six Flags Great Adventures will see the addition of the world’s tallest drop tower, Zumanjaro: Drop of Doom, as well as a new animal exhibit.  You can read more about that here.

Three steel coasters have been removed from Six Flags Great Adventure over the past 10 years.  Viper (closed 2004) was replaced with El Toro in 2006.  Batman and Robin: Chiller was replaced by Dark Night for the 2008 season.  Great American Scream Machine was replaced with Green Lantern for the 2011 season.  What do you think of the removal of Rolling Thunder? Do you think we will see a new wooden coaster for the 2015 season at Great Adventure?





Want a years worth of roller coaster excitement?  Click here to check out the roller coaster calendar by William Supko Photography for sale on Etsy.

Why I don't advertise on Facebook.

If you look at the image on the left side you will see an ad that would lead me to Etsy as it appears on my personal Facebook page.  The problem?  The link is to one the many items in my store.  This would be ok if it was only a random occurrence.  All the tags on the prints for sale match a majority of the pages I have liked on Facebook.  The only problem with that is that I receive at two to three of these ads a day and the only items being shown to me are my own.  (These ads are paid for by Etsy, not buy me.)

It doesn't stop there however.  Lately I have also been getting bombarded with suggested pages.  Ones that say hey, so and so likes this page and so should you.  The thing is the page they are promoting is a page that I already like.  Sometimes they go so far as suggesting a page that I visit a few times a day.

If they are showing me this stuff then I'm going to assume the thing will happen if I pay to promote a post.

Do you use Facebook's pay to promote feature?  If so does it work for you at all?

Update: All of the sponsored Facebook posts on my wall in the past couple of days have been to pages I have already liked.  Every. Single. One.

What kind of enthusiast are you?

The Phoenix at Knoebels Amusement Resort

I've been a fan of roller coasters and amusement parks for as long as I could remember.  We lived 45 minutes from Hersheypark but only ever made it to their regular season once.  Maybe it was that denial that led me to want to learn more about them and eventually work at one.  My employment with Hersheypark allowed my love to grow and gave me eagerness to understand how everything worked on every ride.

Once the internet and Facebook entered the scene the obsession was complete.  I now have a season pass to the Six Flags franchise, the Cedar Fair franchise and to my home park, Hersheypark.  I've also joined two coaster clubs which brought me to the realization that there are so many types of fans.

The “No way, Jose” – These people won’t even venture near an amusement park, they will drive 2 miles out of the way if it means they can avoid seeing those roller coasters reaching into the sky.

The Casual Observer – These people like to people watch, whether it’s watching their kids or grand kids on a ride to watching people screaming on the latest crazy scream machines.  They may enjoy the monorail or giant wheel and meandering.

The “I’m Just Here for the ride crowd” – These people are just here to ride whatever strikes their fancy.  They don’t care much about statistics or even what the rides called, they just want to know where to get on.

The Screamer – these are the people that scream on almost everything, big rides, kiddie coasters, the Ferris Wheel and the carousel.  (That may have been an over exaggeration.)

The Safety Patrol – These people swear that every ride they are on is going to fall to pieces at any second.  They wish there was a seat belt on the carousel and monorail.  If anyone so much as blinks they are freaking out that someone is going to get hurt.

The Technical Geek – These people love statistics and they love to know how the ride works.  When you talk to one of these people in line you will probably have to repeat yourself because they are too busy figuring things out.  Chances are they have liked every manufacturer of theme park equipment on Facebook.

The Know-It-All – Sadly, these are the most annoying of the amusement park community.  They spend hours a day stating how the park should operate and what they should add.  Usually they are not pleasant with their opinions and if you try to disagree with them they will shut you down.  Sad little trolls of the internet, they just need a hug.  It should be noted that they act like they know everything but quite often don’t know anything of how a business is run.

This list is not a complete list and most people are probably a mixture of two or more.  I would say in my younger days I was a mix of “I’m just here for the ride” and technical geek.  Now a day I’m more of a casual observer mixed with technical geek.

What kind of amusement park person are you?




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Amusement park not so news

As I scrolled through the morning links on twitter I came across this article detailing the 14 most anticipated rides of 2014.  I am heavily involved in following what’s going on in the amusement industry considering that a majority of my photography work revolves around it.  My Facebook page and my Twitter account are full of amusement parks, manufacturers, vendors and enthusiast pages.  I also belong to two coaster clubs.  I’m left to wonder why such an article would come out before a majority of the amusement parks have made their announcements for 2014.

Amusement parks use to keep their projects top secret until the end of the summer.  This way kept people from postponing trips until the big attraction was installed.  It seems these days that theme parks take one of three approaches to announcing an attraction.

Fahrenheit was one of the parks first teaser
campaigns.

The first is that they start a teaser campaign by social media, by physical mail or both.  They hype up the attraction and keep people focused on them and their brand.  Hersheypark developed to very elaborate marketing campaigns for recent coasters.  In 2007 the park announced that a company called Nantimi would be handling a part of their marketing.  The park went so far as to create a fake PR site that held clues to what the new attraction would be.  The park then released the news that Fahrenheit would be built and the company Nantimi was actually an anagram for Intamin, the design company for the new coaster.  In 2011 the park once again started a viral marketing campaign.  A website for the Ride Institute of Technology was created and featured clues.  Several fake websites were linked to the original website in this elaborate guessing game.

The second trend that has popped up recently is parks waiting until the off season to announce a new project.  Last year Hersheypark shocked the amusement community with an announcement of the removal of Roller Soaker and the addition of more water slides and a spray ground after the park had closed for the season.  Stratosfear, a drop tower at Knoebels, wasn’t announced until after they closed for the season.

Stratosfear added to the ride line up
at Knoebels with very little advanced
notice.

Of course there are parks that announce new attractions before the end of the season.  Some of these parks do it if a ride construction is going to take more than a year to complete.  Other parks make announcement because they may have to remove a ride or two to make room for the new attraction, requiring them to remove a ride in the middle of peak season.  Busch Gardens Tampa recently announced the removal of a ride to make way for a drop tower.

This article doesn't even make mention of the construction of a new roller coaster at Kings Island.  A mystery ride and a new park entrance made the list however.  When all is said and done this article felt like filler.  There was no reason to write it until a majority of the announcements were made.  It seems these days that they try to write the news before it happens.

/End Rant

Skyrush was added to the park line up in 2012.  In 2011 they used a viral campaign with clues from the made up
Ride Institute of Technology.

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Something's Missing at Hersheypark

Demolition work on the originals Hershey's Chocolate Factory

I walked around Hersheypark on Tuesday, July 2^nd and I noticed one of the star attractions of the park was missing.  It was that delicious smell of Hershey’s chocolate that no longer filled the air.  The insane humidity that has been plaguing the mid-state the past couple of weeks would have brought that wonderful intoxicating smell to the park.  The odor of chocolate in the air continues to disappear along with the original chocolate factory.

I’ve overheard people in the past asking how the park piped that sweet aroma into the park.  Not too many people realized that the overwhelming smell was caused by high humidity and was often a sign that rain was on the way.

The original chocolate factory ceased production after operations were moved to the updated Hershey West plant.  It was determined that renovations to update the facility would have been more costly than demolition.  There are currently no plans for the grounds the factory sits on.  There will be a few pieces of the factory that will remain including the smokestacks and a newer portion of the factory.  Plans for the silos that use to house the coco beans have not been released at this time.

Update:  According to a reliable source the silos have been bought by an independent developer.  Plans for the silos still have not been released but it is rumored that them may be developed into a hotel or condos.

The Original Hershey's Chocolate factory before demolition began

See more photos at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151504854615843.1073741856.85142180842

Coasting for the Kids

Riders in Red Shirts Ride Talon

It was a beautiful day for riders in red shirts to ride roller coasters and raise money for charity in Allentown, PA yesterday.  Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom was one of eleven Cedar Fair amusement parks that ran the fifth annual Coasting for Kids event.  Riders that paid a 25 dollar registration fee and raised 75 or more dollars in donations were able to come to the park and enjoy marathon rides on four of the parks roller coasters.

Webpages and additional tools were set up to help individuals and teams throughout the 11 parks in Cedar Fair’s chain collect money as well as accept offline donations.  Coaster clubs, including American Coaster Enthusiasts, The Coaster Crew and Great Ohio Coaster Club helped promoted the event.  Riders received a t-shirt and certificate for participating in the event.  They were also given other prizes if they reached a certain level of donations.

Riding for a cause on Hydra, The Revenge Coaster

One hundred percent of the registration fees and all donations went to Give Kids the World located in Orlando, Fl.  Give Kids the World is a non-profit organization that allows children with life threatening illnesses and their families to enjoy all that the destination has to offer, including Walt Disney World, free of charge.  The organization has a 70 acre resort with 140 villas for the families to enjoy when they need a break from the action.

Riders at Dorney Park were able to enjoy an hour and a half or more on Steel Force, Stinger, Talon and Hydra the Revenge at specific times.   Participants could stay on each ride and enjoy a marathon riding session but it was not a requirement.  There was at least a half hour break period between each ride session.

Dorney Park tweeted that the park raised over $20,000 in donations from this event.  A combined total from all 11 parks is said to be over $150k.

Riders were given the opportunity to enjoy Stinger,
Dorney Park's Newest Coaster

Dorney Park opened in 1860 as a fish hatchery and was slowly converted into the theme park it is today.  In 1992 the park was purchased by Cedar Fair.  Cedar Fair properties include Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia and Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.

The sun sets behind Steel Force at Dorney Park
Coasting for Kids participants enjoyed some ride time on
this earlier in the day.

For information on Give Kids the World and how you can help please visit http://www.gktw.org

Travel Channel Filming at Hersheypark

The camera crew prepares the helicopter cam for flight

The email and Facebook notification came Monday night.  Hersheypark was looking for riders for a Travel Channel Show.  They were looking for a few dozen people to ride Fahrenheit multiple times for their hit show, Insane Coaster Wars.  Insane Coaster Wars is a half hour show that pits 4 roller coasters from a catagory (height, speed or type of coaster for example) from different parks together and allows coaster lovers to vote on their favorite.  The ride that receives the most votes is revealed at the end of the show.

Indigo Films is the production company responsible for producing these episodes for the Travel Channel.  They have worked with other networks including National Geographic, A&E and The History Channel.  Shows they have produced include I Faked My Own Death, Wives With Knives and I Almost Got Away With It.

Coaster fans that signed up for the event were required to arrive at the employee gate by 7 AM.  We were greeted by Hersheypark public relations and the Indigo Films crew.  Once the releases were filled out we

The operations department watches over
the shoot to ensure safety

were directed to one of the parks catering areas to enjoy some coffee and breakfast pastries.

While we enjoyed our breakfast we watched them prep for filming.  Maintenance was preforming their morning check of the ride, including checking brakes and gears, stopping the train on the lift and reversing the train from mid lift.  While maintenance preformed their checks the camera crew attached GoPros to several points on one of the trains.

As the film crew finished up we were briefed by the director of ride operations, the public relations manager and by the field producer.  They informed us of what to expect and what was expected of us.  It was almost time to ride.

We headed into the station and watched as final preparations were made.  The ride was running with two trains.  One train was set up with cameras and one was not.  I much prefer to be behind the camera lens than in front of it so my co-rider and I opted for the front seat of the train without cameras.  We picked out our seats and then were instructed to return to the stairs so they could film us coming into the station.

The cameras on the train were put into final position and sent out on a test run to ensure they were at the
proper angle and height.  Microphones were placed on the two ladies riding in the front seat of the camera train and we were ready to go.  We loaded into the trains and it was time to enjoy our rides.

Ride time with cameras on the front and middle of the train

The station was loaded with video cameras and sound equipment to record the action of the operators checking our lap bars, the excited/nervous look on riders faces and the people anxiously waiting to ride in the queue.  The crew also captured the look of joy and/or relief on the faces of riders as the train returned to the station and the ride came to a stop.  A remote controlled helicopter, also known as an octocopter filmed off ride views of the ride and riders.

Filming lasted until about 10 AM and park guests began filtering into the park.  Once the riding was over we gathered to vote on our favorite coaster.  The voting booth remained in place throughout the day to allow regular park guests a chance to cast their votes.

Voting took place outside the exit of Fahrenheit

Indigo Films' Insane Coaster Wars second season will premiere this Sunday, June 9th, at 8:30 PM.  The portion of the episode filmed at Hersheypark's Fahrenheit is not expected to air until 2014.  A previous episode filmed last year at Hersheypark's Skyrush is expected to air some time in June.

See more photos from the day at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151455773190843.1073741847.85142180842

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Coaster Safety - the Block Sections

Did you ever see a roller coaster train stopped on the lift or held on a brake run in the middle of the course?  Do you ever wonder how a coaster trains can run for 12 or more hours a day and not run into each other? How about how they pull within inches of each other?  The answer is programmable logic controllers, also known as PLC's.  Systems similar to what are used in assembly lines and warehouse automation are used to watch over roller coasters and other rides.

A pair of sensors on the Maverick roller Coaster at
Cedar Point that report a trains location to the PLC.

On most coasters you will see little green sensors around the track.  These sensors watch over the ride and create block sections.  For safety's sake the ride prevents two trains from entering the same block.  When sensors indicate a train has entered or is about to enter a block occupied by another train the ride shuts down.  All emergency brakes close and the lift stops.

When it comes to block violations; shutdowns are sometimes caused by something other than two trains in the same block.  This can include spiders or other insects blocking the eye or sunlight directly hitting the eye.  For safety purposes the ride will shut down until the cause is found.

In addition to sensing a train's location these sensors may also time how long a train takes to get from point A to point B.  Roller coaster designers determine the temperature at which the ride can operate at.  Colder temperatures cause trains to move slower mostly due to cold track grease.  They also determine at what wind speed the coasters can operate at.  In the event that a train doesn't clear a sensor in the time allotted the ride will shut down.

When you notice the track sensors you may notice that they are in pairs.  This is because two different PLC's watch the ride.  In the event that one sensor picks up a trains motion and the other does not the ride will shut down.  This is known as a PLC mismatch.

These amazing little sensors tell the ride when to apply or open brakes and when to pull trains forward in the station.  This is how they can pull a train within inches of another train.  They also watch when the air gates at a ride are open as well as when the trains restraints are unlocked to prevent trains from being dispatched in these situations.  Newer roller coaster such even have sensors in the seats to determine when a lap bar is locked and ready to go. 

Photoshopped image of Skyrush at Hersheypark
If a train would have entered the lift while another train
was on the track the ride would shut down.
The ride only operates a maximum of two trains.

The Gatekeeper at Cedar Point does operate 3 trains but
if they were this close it would be a block violation.

The Skyrush at Hersheypark print can be purchased at www.etsy.com/listing/152982055/multiplicity-on-skyrush-11x14-print

The Gatekeeper at Cedar Point print can be purchased at www.etsy.com/listing/152978614/multiplicity-on-gatekeeper-11x14-print

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Don't Forget the Fluids

Fahrenheit at Hersheypark seemed the appropriate
 coaster for this discussion on heat.

Memorial day marks the unofficial start of summer at many amusement parks.  As the season started out temperatures began to soar into the high 80's and 90's.  Something many visitors don't take into account is what the sun and heat do to one's body.  The warm summer heat can radiate from the blacktop and concrete walkways. Couple that with walking a mile or more on the midway and one's body can quickly become dehydrated.  Remember to keep you and your family and friends hydrated while visiting your favorite place to ride rides.  Help to prevent people from suffering from the effects of dehydration.

There are quite a few ways to keep cool and remain well hydrated.  Almost every park out there has water fountains located at their restrooms.  Most parks also offer free or low cost tap water at their food stands.  As temperatures soar during the afternoon hours stop and take in a show at an air conditioned theater or dine at an air conditioned food location.  Avoid alcoholic and caffeinated beverages.  While these may quench your thirst they will decrease your hydration.  If you are feeling thirsty and sweaty and water isn't quite cutting it, find a sports beverage that will replace your electrolytes.  Also, spending some time in a parks water attractions will help keep your body cool.

Signs you may have become dehydrated include:

1. Sweat production slow down or stops
2. Lack of tears when crying
3. Fatigue
4. Irritability
5. Dizziness
6. Muscle cramping and spasms
7. Abnormal heart beat
8. Concentrated urine with a strong odor
9. Dry lips and mouth and swollen tongue

If you notice minor symptoms of dehydration take a rest and drink plenty of fluids.  If your symptoms become more severe find the first aid station or find a park employee to contact first aid.

Of course I'll put a disclaimer in here.  I'm in no way a medical professional, just a former amusement park employee that had to call first aid on occasion to come help someone who has fainted or was about to faint.  Don't let an awesome day of fun come to a premature end.  The best advice I've heard and will share over and over is drink until you pee.

Stay cool my friends!

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The Zen Ride

A non-zen ride on the Talon at Dorney Park

I'm a huge amusement park fan if you couldn't tell.  Toss words like Intamin, chain dog, ratchet device and the likes around I know what's going on.  One term that really intrigues me is the zen ride.  A zen ride is when you have the opportunity to ride on a coaster train by yourself.

I've never had the opportunity to take a zen ride.  The closest I've ever gotten was riding with only 2 or 3 other passengers on the Great Bear at Hersheypark.  Have you ever had the opportunity to take a zen ride?  If so, when, where and what ride?

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No Cameras Please

The lift on Phantom's Revenge at Kennywood is stopped
so a camera can be taken from a rider.

When I make a journey to a new amusement park I always check out the info page to find out what the photography policy is at that specific park.  I have found that most parks don’t mind you using the exit and queue areas to get a great shot as long as you stay out of the way.  As a general rule amusement parks do not allow cameras on rides.  This is as safety policy for the riders.  A camera can easily fall from your hands and smack you or someone else in the face.  It also has the potential to fall from a riders hand and damage the sensors that keep riders safe.

More and more parks are making a policy of stopping a ride and confiscating cameras until the ride is over.  Kennywood, located in the Pittsburgh area of PA, has signs posted in the stations and outside the lines of many rides that states no cameras and violators will be ejected from the park without a refund.

Some parks will hold trains in brake areas until security arrives to either issue warnings or remove the offender from the park without refund.  For the safety and enjoyment of yourself and all other riders keep your camera or phone in your backpack, pocket or in a locker.

Most coaster clubs have a code of conduct that states violating a parks camera policy can result in being removed from said club.  Chances are pretty good that there are professional on ride videos made by the park or with the parks permission somewhere on the web you can watch.  There’s no reason for you to make yet another poor quality, shaky video to post.

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Insane Coaster Wars filming takes place at Kennywood

Patiently waiting to ride.

Almost two weeks ago I saw the note on the ACE western PA Facebook page.  They were working with the travel channel to do a shoot for the Insane Coaster Wars at Kennywood and they were looking for riders.  I had never been to Kennywood but I had participated in the Insane Coaster Wars shoot for Magnum and Maverick at Cedar Point last year so I decided it would be a fun way to see the park.

I arrived shortly before the mandatory 7:30 a.m. arrival time and stood at the front gates of Kennywood with a group of about 40 other coaster enthusiasts.  We were briefed on what to expect with the shoot.  There would be delays between dispatches to setup up and adjust the cameras and to do rider interviews.  Once we passed through the security checkpoint we filled out photo release papers, had our picture taken with the release form and headed back to Phantom’s Revenge.

Cameras were adjusted and moved throughout the day.

Once we walked through the queue line we arrived in the station to see Kennywood employees giving the trains a good cleaning and the camera crew from Indigo Films setting cameras up on the train and elsewhere.  While we patiently waited for someone to give us a signal to hop on board one of the cameramen grabbed footage of us waiting and cheering, amping us up for our early morning ride.

Everything was in place, the lift was started and the lap bars were checked.  The ride was ready for its first run.  The film crew checked the camera setup after the train completed its first lap which meant more waiting; luckily maintenance was doing a morning check on Thunderbolt so we had something to entertain us.

The Copter Cam taking off.

The process continued like this for the remainder of the filming.  The film crew kept checking cameras and adding more cameras or moving them from location to location.  In addition to the on board and off ride cameras they had a helicopter cam.  This remote controlled camera had eight arms with propeller blades and a camera mounted underneath.  The camera could be seen hovering over much of the ride.

Kennywood offered us a few extra rides after the film crew wrapped up an intense morning of shooting.  This was when I had the chance to get an amazing ride in the front seat.  They had a voting booth placed at the end of the exit ramp for people to vote for their favorite coasters.

Phantom's Revenge is a steel roller coaster located at Kennywood.  The ride has been at the park since 1991.  It was originally called Steel Phantom but was renamed to Phantom's Revenge in 2001 when the ride was modified and the inversions were removed.  The ride is unique in the fact that the largest drop is on the second hill.  There was no date given as to when the Insane Coaster Wars episode that will feature Phantom's Revenge will be aired.

Enjoying early morning rides on Phantom's Revenge.

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