ArmChair Imagineering: Station Type

[Weekly-Visitor]

So I need to know the differences between a dual station (like Thunder, Indy, Small World) and a double length station (like Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Winnie the Pooh)

Primarily:
1) Does one method load/unload faster than the other?
2) Does one require more staff?
3) Is one technologically harder to construct?
4) Is one method more expensive?
5) Does one bring ride queuing headaches that the other doesn't?
6) Are there safety differences?

Primarily I'm guessing it's a space thing (like how much room they have construction purposes)

But any comparison would be awesome

I KNOW there are some CiviE's out there who can answer this.

Thanks for any help
-WV

[Datameister]

Very interesting question. I have very little input, at least for now, but I will definitely be eagerly awaiting some informed responses.

[The Disneylander]

My guess is that they both channel roughly the same amount of people, but of course I can't be sure. But the riders-per-hour figures are pretty telling.

[mycroft16]

I think the linear station design is much simpler from a ride control stand-point. There is no switch track to worry about, nor is there a timing issue with sending from both sides of the station at the same time (the ride control software doesn't have to schedule departures).

I don't think doing one or the other really alters the riders per hour that much. Doing Pirates side by side instead of linear probably wouldn't have that large of an effect. What affects the number of riders per hour is the capacity of the ride vehicle and the number of ride vehicles allowed in the ride at a time as well as the length of time it takes to dispatch a vehicle.

[Mojave]

You should start by generating a table of all attractions, what type they are and their capacity. That would be a very interesting data set.

[Uncle Bob]

That would be a really helpful tool to better understand these issues Mojave, great idea. I don't have a tremendous amount of knowledge about these issues either, but as Mycroft said the side by side method is going to be more complex and costly. Obviously if the ride vehicle is really long like Screamin' and BTMR the side by side layout is a must. I would also guess there's a slight increase in riders and the number of CM's to the side by side operation as they can alternate rather than loading at the same time.

[Uncle Bob]

It would have a lot to do with dispatch intervals to which is best too. At some point the side by side nature does nothing to help increase riders. If you can't dispatch your next vehicle, what's the point of a faster load time right?

[Alpoe001]

As an Ex-ride Operator I find that Side-by-side stations work better... they allow for more time to load vehicles... Linear stations depending on the attraction can actually hurt... they have to loaded at the exact same time so no to hold up the ride

also side-by-side station put less stress on the ride operators... each station gets a loader while linear only has one also with linear you have both vehicles unloading at the same time and if the exit isnt big enough it can cause hold ups

[mycroft16]

The dispatch time is mandated by the ride design itself. Indy could have been done with a linear and the dispatch times would be the same. On Splash, both logs leave the station at the same time, but the back log is stopped at the bottom of the first lift hill to wait until the 1st log is far enough ahead. If it were side by side, then they would simply launch the left side and wait a set time before the right side could be launched.

Screamin, as a recent photo (I forget who it was that took it) showed two trains for Screamin' right next to each other. The back one was being held out of the launch zone until the 1st train was far enough into the ride.

So linear vs. side-by-side doesn't really alter riders per hour in any significant way UNLESS it makes a significant difference to load/unload efficiency. And I don't see how it really could.

So now I'm wondering how they do pick one vs. they other.

[Uncle Bob]

I think it would make a difference in load times, but if you don't need to increase load times because it takes to long for track space to open up anyway, then yes, it wouldn't make a difference. Your point about the Screamin' train makes my point actually I think. If there was not side by side loading that wait would have to happen every time like on Splash, but the spit sides lets one train load while the next is moving. As Alpoe said, the big difference is that one slow guest can hold up two vehicles and thus the entire attraction.

My guess would be that generally they prefer the more simple linear system, but with certain rides, vehicles and layouts it just works better side by side. The length of the vehicle certainly comes into play.

[Weekly-Visitor]

A LOT of interesting replies. Thanks for the help insofar!

Ok so here we go, 1st thing I learned is that WIKI doesn't have hourly capacity numbers for all attractions. I didn't want to write down erroneous numbers so I avoided it all together

This list (I think) is entirely comprehensive. It does not take into account multi-track attractions (Autopia, Matterhorn) Omnimovers (Haunted, Buzz), or even-access attractions (Tea Cups, Dumbo, etc)

@DLR
Linear (5)
Subs
Indy
Splash
Pooh
GRR*
Side By Side (4)
Thunder
Indy
Small World
Screamin'

GRR counts because theoretically there are many ways to do that including a traditional single-vehicle loading station- even though I've never seen any

Hmm, so we're definitely not looking at a change over time. The only relatively good comparison here would be Pirates vs Small World. And I'm not 100% on either of those ride's hourly capacities so Im not going to state values- but I believe that they are relatively similar.

So that leaves me with aesthetics, space, and cost as for reasons for choosing one over the other... does anyone else think there is anything else that comes into that decision making process?

[Uncle Bob]

Well one difference between Pirates and Small World is the first hill which provides that chance to seperate the boats. That may be why they went with a different system at IASW. I also am not sure about I would count GRR as linear, I would actually group it more as a type of omnimover loading system, which really is its own category.

[Eric5675]

In your list, you missed Pirates and TSMM as a linear loader. Also, if I remember correctly, Space used to be a linear loader too, right? And Indy is a side-by-side, not a linear loader...

Would MM or rides like the Matterhorn that load/unload in that fashion be considered linear loaders?

[Mojave]

Originally Posted by Weekly-Visitor

This list (I think) is entirely comprehensive. It does not take into account multi-track attractions (Autopia, Matterhorn) Omnimovers (Haunted, Buzz), or even-access attractions (Tea Cups, Dumbo, etc)

@DLR
Linear (5)
Subs
Indy
Splash
Pooh
GRR*
Side By Side (4)
Thunder
Indy
Small World
Screamin'

What about Space Mountain and all the FL dark rides, Casey Jr., TSMM? And I would totally count Matterhorn and Autopia since they are linear per each track.

[dizzneeland]

Split track rides are two rides under the same name. I'd count them as two seperate linear/side-by-side stations.


EDIT: Has anyone noticed another ride besides Space that has the slide-to-the-side handicap station?