Wicker Man - General Discussion

[AltonOperator]

I noticed no fire or mist on Friday which was a real shame because the mist was one of the highlights on Thursday

Also does anyone know if Wickerman merch is planned for the online shop?

[lewis97]

Also does anyone know if Wickerman merch is planned for the online shop?

I believe some is set to be added to the online store. I think they were saying it would be available in a few weeks to people on social media.

[Jcoaster]

Was on park today and decided to do Wicker Man first. We entered the queue at 10:40, and after a three and a half hour wait and three breakdowns, we were at the air gates next to do front row when they completely evacuated the queue! We spoke to a member of ride staff on the platform and he said it’s been the worst operation since opening.

Bagged two fast passes though and will be using them soon hopefully.

[MakoMania]

Opened 40 minutes late this morning, 3 trains and now it's closed again!

[PhNx Survivor]

Think it’s gonna be a bumpy year ahead for Wicker Man.. I’m sure this is normal for most new rides though? Maybe not to this extent mind.. I do remember how Th13teen had a few bad years when it opened, but now whenever I go, usually 10+ times a year, it’s always open, and never breaks down.. I think this will be a similar path for Wicker Man.. although, I could be wrong..

[Dan]

Both of Towers’ most recent SW’s before Wicker Man, Th13teen and The Smiler, had very unreliable first seasons before settling down during their second season.

Considering this is a fairly standard installation for GCI, it is slightly surprising that it’s having as much downtime as it is.

That being said, once the overshooting issue is resolved, we should hopefully see it settle into daily operation without too many problems, although it’s obvious that the tech services department at the park is stretched more than ever before, which is naturally going to have a knock-on effect on the reliability of not only Wicker Man, but the rest of the attractions at the resort.

[Robert.W]

I'm just hoping they can get the issues with Wicker Man sorted sooner rather than later, but then there is the fact that even when Wicker Man is properly running, Merlin's inability to run a theme park properly will still have an impact on reliability, and on the time it takes to fix it if it does break down, and that's not just for Wicker Man, but every ride. 

After this season, my only hope is that Merlin will have learned that more flat rides are needed, or at bare minimum, that they simply can't treat the park and their guests in this way.

[ATI]

I'd happily let them remove one of the trains permanently, if it means resolving the technical issues. I think three trains is unnecessary on a layout of that size anyway. 

[AltonOperator]

Three trains is completely unnecessary and just leads to a confusing experience for guests left on the transfer track. This means that guests come back in the station looking bored instead of in awe at the incredible experience

[Dan]

Three trains is completely unnecessary and just leads to a confusing experience for guests left on the transfer track. This means that guests come back in the station looking bored instead of in awe at the incredible experience

Three trains wouldn’t be unnecessary if the ride was working to its full potential.

The issue with the restraints, coupled with the overshooting, is severely reducing throughput. Once these are fixed, everything should work as intended.

[Mikw]

Some worker on the park today apparently said the major issue is with the restraints, and not with the overshooting.

[Dan]

Some worker on the park today apparently said the major issue is with the restraints, and not with the overshooting.

The overshooting may not be the major issue, but it is still an issue I’m sure they want resolving

[Robert.W]

Some worker on the park today apparently said the major issue is with the restraints, and not with the overshooting.

The overshooting may not be the major issue, but it is still an issue I’m sure they want resolving

Yes, that's what I've been hearing from other forum's members... something possibly to do with the ride not recognising when the restrained are locked properly, or something along those lines.

[Bexa]

Is there any sort of time when Wicker Man is likely to be quietest?
It's currently on 120 mins queue at the moment and was wondering if its likely to get less

[Dan]

Is there any sort of time when Wicker Man is likely to be quietest?
It's currently on 120 mins queue at the moment and was wondering if its likely to get less

The next few weeks should be pretty quiet.

Saying that, with Wicker Man being the brand new attraction, and getting positive reviews from those who have ridden it, I’d expect it to still attract queues of 60+ minutes even on off peak days.

[Bexa]

I was actually referring to times of the day, apologies for not being specific.
I'm at the park as we speak and would like to ride it while I'm here.

[Dan]

I was actually referring to times of the day, apologies for not being specific
I'm at the park as we speak and would like to ride it while I'm here

Ah, no worries

It may get a little quieter as the day goes on, as the majority of people will head straight to it.

You could always do the rest of the park and then join the queue for Wicker Man just before ride close.

[Bexa]

I was actually referring to times of the day, apologies for not being specific
I'm at the park as we speak and would like to ride it while I'm here

Ah, no worries

It may get a little quieter as the day goes on, as the majority of people will head straight to it.

You could always do the rest of the park and then join the queue for Wicker Man just before ride close.

Ah the person I'm here with (my ride home) doesn't want to stay to the very end of the day as he's got to be up early tomorrow so that might not be an option. I'll wait a bit and see if it dies down then.

[Justin]

It is worth checking out ridetimes.co.uk for the latest queue times. At the time of writing, Wicker Man id showing 60 minutes, which is about right as some people break off for lunch!

[Bexa]

Yeah I've had the website open in my phone browser all day. Went straight to it when I saw the 60mins and am queuing now!