Dragon Challenge Accidentally Dueling

[Capacity]

I saw two trains go out of the station at the same time today, but from my vantage point in line I was unable to see what happened on the lift to separate the two.

Even when trains are dispatched at the same time, one will creep up the lift while the other passes it.

I think some people may be under the impression that because the trains are out on the track at the same time, they are dueling. That's not dueling. Dueling is when they drop off the lift at the same time and go through the near miss elements at the same time. And it doesn't happen anymore.

 

[Cwoolboy]

I'm just happy I got to go on it several times while the ride was still dueling. I do agree that the ride has lost some of it's spark now, but I still think it's a pretty good coaster nonetheless, and I usually go on it twice in a row (one for red and one for blue). Plus, it almost never has a long wait time anymore.

 

[Teebin]

It is good news that they send the trains up the ramp at the same time... that is quite an anxiety builder... who is going first.

(sorry, I try to look on the bright side of major changes)

 

[Kevin38]

I had an idea since they can't duel and ride wait times are low why don't they rebuild it so you load once and ride both sides in one trip. Kings Island is about to build a ride they are saying has more inversions than any other.They could install a changeover track in one of the load bays .It would cut the number of riders per hour but that is low anyway.(unless they do this)

While it is down they update the theme elements also.

 

[Capacity]

That would be way too intense of a ride. It wouldn't make any sense.

Its sad the layout of the ride requires a team of unload and load team members. It costs a ton in labor.

 

[maxairmike]

They don't have to if they don't want to, but...capacity would take a major hit if they unloaded at load unless they created a crossover stair for the other side of the platform to connect to the exit hallways.

 

[TomTheRiddle]

It would be considered unsafe because of the amount of forces exterted with that gap in between.

Also it's technically unfeasible because of the layout of the track. Your change would require rebuilding the entire building.

Not to mention the capacity nightmare. They would never go for that.

 

[Kevin38]

It would be considered unsafe because of the amount of forces exterted with that gap in between.

Also it's technically unfeasible because of the layout of the track. Your change would require rebuilding the entire building.

Not to mention the capacity nightmare. They would never go for that.

A capacity nightmare on a ride the never get above 15 minute wait when FJ is over 100 minutes
My point is this ride is under utilized and a rebuild of it would make it a want to ride instead of a if the line is short I will ride it ride.

If you load from red side ,Ride red side,pull into red side unload let train go thru red load and have a diverter to put you on blue side track.(like the mummy load)They could even stagger it so you did not know what side you are riding first.

 

[Jwhee]

A capacity nightmare on a ride the never get above 15 minute wait when FJ is over 100 minutes
My point is this ride is under utilized and a rebuild of it would make it a want to ride instead of a if the line is short I will ride it ride.

It never has over a 15 minute wait because it has high capacity. If you made it into one track I think you would see around a 30 minute wait because that will cut the capacity in half. Also FJ has a 100 minute wait because its
Capacity isn't as high as DC

 

[Nitro_230]

I had an idea since they can't duel and ride wait times are low why don't they rebuild it so you load once and ride both sides in one trip. Kings Island is about to build a ride they are saying has more inversions than any other.They could install a changeover track in one of the load bays .It would cut the number of riders per hour but that is low anyway.(unless they do this)

While it is down they update the theme elements also.

It would be a lot of money for something that would reduce it's hourly capacity, create a thrill ride that's to long/intense for some, and fix a problem that's not really there. Right now if you wan't to ride the other side just go and do it. Express is even valid twice at that ride.

FYI, The number of riders is in now way low.

That would be way too intense of a ride. It wouldn't make any sense.

Its sad the layout of the ride requires a team of unload and load team members. It costs a ton in labor.

The load and unload separated keep the capacity up. Dealing with loading and unloading at the same time causes hangups at Hulk all the time.

A capacity nightmare on a ride the never get above 15 minute wait when FJ is over 100 minutes
My point is this ride is under utilized and a rebuild of it would make it a want to ride instead of a if the line is short I will ride it ride.

If you load from red side ,Ride red side,pull into red side unload let train go thru red load and have a diverter to put you on blue side track.(like the mummy load)They could even stagger it so you did not know what side you are riding first.

DC can't hold a wait because it's two B&M coasters side by side. Your talking an hourly capacity in the area of 3600. On top of that it's ridership is limited because of the height requirement and the thrill level. There are a significant number of guests who can't/don't want to ride it. If you get a look at their counts you'll see that at that 15 min wait they are putting through more people then FJ during the peak hours.

It never has over a 15 minute wait because it has high capacity. If you made it into one track I think you would see around a 30 minute wait because that will cut the capacity in half. Also FJ has a 100 minute wait because its
Capacity isn't as high as DC

FJ's capacity is a little over one side of DC.

 

[Hockeyman55]

Curious for those in the know, has the ridership decreased at all since they stopped dueling? Also curious if it has decreased since they opened Potter also?

 

[Nitro_230]

Curious for those in the know, has the ridership decreased at all since they stopped dueling? Also curious if it has decreased since they opened Potter also?

It's a little slower to pick up in the morning with FJ taking all the crowed. But by 11 it's running at full speed usually.

And no the dueling thing didn't really hit ridership.

 

[TylerDurden]

Curious for those in the know, has the ridership decreased at all since they stopped dueling? Also curious if it has decreased since they opened Potter also?

I feel like it must have...I remember DD averaging 45 minute waits back in the good ole days. Now with FJ stealing its thunder, I rarely see waits over 15 minutes unless one of the tracks is down.

 

[Hockeyman55]

I remember seeing the line outside the castle on a few of my visits years ago. We turned right around after seeing those I cant comment on how often that happens if at all, post Potter since the times ive gone havent been bad at all since.

 

[Nitro_230]

The important thing here is to not confuses wait time and ridership. If they run a line all day (filling the seats) ridership will stay the same.

 

[TylerDurden]

The important thing here is to not confuses wait time and ridership. If they run a line all day (filling the seats) ridership will stay the same.

Filling one train in a cycle versus filling out three trains is different ridership. I rarely see three trains on the tracks at the same time anymore, although it is possible with the separate entrance/exit platforms. Plus, a 15 minute line at the end of the day means just a couple rides after park closing, whereas back when it was busy itd be running well past park closing, hence another difference in ridership

 

[Nitro_230]

Filling one train in a cycle versus filling out three trains is different ridership. I rarely see three trains on the tracks at the same time anymore, although it is possible with the separate entrance/exit platforms. Plus, a 15 minute line at the end of the day means just a couple rides after park closing, whereas back when it was busy itd be running well past park closing, hence another difference in ridership

On most days they run two per side (which they did as dueling dragons) and on peak days they run three (which they did on Dueling Dragons). And if there's a line they should be filling every seat in all trains. Your correct about the end of the day, but after a 10-15 hour operating day that 30 minutes worth of people isn't that big of an effect.

I'm simply saying from a big picture standpoint ridership hasn't dropped there since the dueling issue, and it's only really ridership in the first few hours that is down overall.

 

[Clive]

All anecdotal observation... back when Wizarding World was under construction (I distinctly remember this was opening night of HHN 2008), Dueling Dragons was pulling a 40 minute wait. The line began right after the Ice room filled with all of the frozen knights. This was with them running 3 trains per track with no discernable downtimes during our wait (though there might've been one earlier in the day, I don't know). Just some food for thought.

When I was last there (last Thursday), it was a 5 minute wait - basically just to walk through the maze of queue and wait two trains or so to board. It appeared to be running 3 trains on each side. There were occasional empty seats, but most were nearly full.

 

[romo]

speaking of dueling dragons...does anybody have a good video of the queue line pre harry potter...memories are starting to fade of what anything looked like pre harry potter...just thought it be cool to see and relive again

 

[Jakemeister]

I've never waited longer than 25 minutes for Dueling Dragons. I've been peak times from 2006-2013 and the times I've seen it pulling longer than a 35 minute wait was the exact moment I knew nothing was going to be worth riding that day due to waits. It regularly carried 15 minute waits in the Dueling Dragons days too and I often saw the re-ride sign lit up and ready, as opposed to having to go up the stairs by the castle.

The ride might have pulled extremely long waits at some point, but it was either a time of the year I didn't want to be at the park or before my time. I've never seen Dueling Dragons or Dragons Challenge break a 45 minute wait.