What might be news to assignment editors at TV stations shouldn't be news to theme park insiders — rides "break down" and get stuck all the time. And once in a not-too-rare while, riders get stuck for longer than an hour. That's what happened tonight in Orlando.
Yes, spending more than two and a half hours stuck on a roller coaster stinks. But no one on Rip, Ride, Rockit (or anyone on one of the other hundreds of rides that get stuck for an extended period every year) was in any real danger. The Orlando Fire Department responded and worked with Universal Orlando personnel to get everyone down safely, at around 9:45 pm Eastern time. (And Universal Orlando certainly will accommodate those riders with some compensation for their lost time and ordeal.)
Park insiders and visitors often talk about rides "breaking down." But when roller coasters trains stop on their track, it's almost never because they "broke." Instead, rides stop because that is what the ride's designers wanted. Coaster designers create mechanical and computer software systems to ensure the safety of riders and equipment. When these systems detect something not exactly correct about the ride's operation, they begin a procedure that shuts down the ride.
We wrote about this several years ago, in explaining why people have to be 40 inches tall to ride Disney's Thunder Mountain. Roller coasters are designed to operate on a precise cycle, and anything that disrupts the cycle prevents the coaster from operating properly. Whether it's a crying child in a station holding up a train, or a sensor somewhere on the track reporting something amiss, the ride's computer system will try to bring trains to a safe stop, as quickly as possible.
Ideally, the shut down brings riders to a place on the track where they can be easily and quickly exited from the train and led out of the attraction. Obviously, that didn't happen here. While the coaster stopped in a way that ensured riders' safety, it did not do so in a way that minimized their inconvenience. TV crews seem to love shots of people stuck on theme park rides, though heaven knows what they think might happen. People are stuck on rides because the ride worked. If it had actually failed, you'd be looking at a far different scene. Fortunately for visitors and the industry, that's a scene that rarely happens.
Even though Rip, Ride, Rockit did its ultimate job by keeping its riders safe, this Maurer Söhne coaster has endured sharp criticism from fans over the years for failing to deliver the entertainment that any ride should. Fans have complained about frequent shutdowns that back up lines and rough rides that have made them question why they even bothered to wait in those long lines. Many fans on Twitter and Facebook used tonight's shutdown to call again on Universal to give up on this ride. Sister park Universal Studios Japan also has a music-themed roller, but that coaster was built by Bolliger & Mabillard and has a much better reputation for uptime and rider comfort.
That said, when you see these scenes on TV, chill. No one's in danger. The moment of greatest risk actually has past. But enjoy the visuals of the park — there's a lot more depressing stuff you could be watching on TV, after all. And let's hope that someone among the 12 stuck on Rip, Ride, Rockit tonight got some fresh Harry Potter construction photos from up there that they'll share with the rest of us tomorrow.
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Either way, I think the bigger problem is that this attraction breaks down too much. I think it has to do with the restraints because when I went on it, it felt a little too open for my comfort. Perhaps the computer noticed that the bar started to (falsely) open and stopped the attraction.
If this ride keeps breaking down, they should probably go back to the drawing board. Six Flags Great America got burned by Deja Vu, a boomerang coaster that kept breaking down. It is gone now!
That is impossible. The sensors on the train can not be read out outside of the station, and the locking mechanism can't open (even a little bit) during the ride.
Edit: I should learn to read comments before posting my own.
Any chance that you could write about Disney's bringing the ride back into operation after the accident (I read the ride was closed at all four parks worldwide after the accident), and how safety including regular maintenance has been improved since 2003?
I find it interesting that in the discussion of the delay in re-opening the ride in California after its current refurbishment, people have been citing the 2003 accident and that the delay is justified to make sure the ride is completely safe before reopening it.
On a separate topic, The RipRideRocket was a mistake. It just doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the park. Also it is a lame coaster with terrible vibration problems. I had a headache for 3 days after riding it. They should just tear it down and use the space for something else. With all the $$$ they are raking in from Harry Potter, they can easily absorb the loss.
TH, your negativity and dry wit is charming as always, you should be a writer for British comedies on the Public Broadcasting Network.
Rip Ride Rockit' is a pretty mediocre ride. It's too bad that Universal at the time didn't go with Bolliger & Mabillard instead. However, this sort of publicity has zero impact on the park. If anything it's the type of publicity in the end that's favorable even though the incident is unfavorable.
This is what I expect from a Six Flags amusement park...not a world class theme park.
It's weird how silent the Universal fans get when something like this coaster stranding happens. Quiet as mute church mice they all become.
I love Universal Orlando to death and think that it is amazing resort and has two of the world's greatest theme parks, but not everything that they do is perfect, especially RockIt. I think it would be best that it would suffer a fate similar to Drachen Fire.
And by the way, these things happen at Disney too. The string of events associated with Mission: Space immediately come to mind.
It's so easy to hide a 200 foot lift hill.... (sigh).
I think she is transplanted from the Disney forums and is used to everyone patting each other on the back and agreeing how great Disney is while talking negatively about Universal.
Have you been there lately? Ever stayed on site and see what a difference there is between the two resorts? We spent $30K plus on our four Disney vacations and close to $50K on our Universal stays.
I think I have the right to judge both resorts objectively.
I don't think anyone ever said RRR is a 10 out 10 coaster. The last few years, the ride has been rough and it is definitely prone to breakdowns. That being said, it has a lot of one of a kind elements and is the best night time coaster of all time (in my opinion).
I have gone into great detail about all the ways we were disappointed with Disney, which is partly our fault for going during peak season every time. But the same peak season vacations at Universal are a joy by comparison, even with the hotel parking fees.
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