Amusement Ride Breakdown!

[cal1br3tto]

The longest I've been stuck was about 10 minutes or so right before the station on Medusa, which had to be pulled into proper position. Some people asked for free photos, but of course we didn't get any.

 

I've seen a tall drop tower stuck at the very top with passengers, and slowly lowered after a bit of a wait. I can imagine that seriously freaking people out, but I suspect I would've somewhat enjoyed being in the situation, myself.

 

This year I witnessed the somewhat lengthy, sketchy-looking ordeal of freeing people from an Inverter. Then I rode it.

[LoopLover]

Ok.....let's change weirdest to only breakdown!

 

I have only really experienced this one breakdown and it was on the Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios Hollywood. It was pretty weird and scary! It happened at the launch.....the ride had made its way through the slow section without trouble and entered the launch "chamber" normally. The usual effects took place with Imhotep shouting from above as the lights flicker on and off. Then the warrior mummies dropped down with a flash...then.....nothing. There was a second of pause with all lights on, but then everything reset itself. The mummies went back up and the lights dimmed....then....they went off completely. We sat for about three minutes in darkness. Then after a while the car catapulted into the darkness.....and then the ride continued as normal.....spooky! I rode later and the launch was normal!

 

P.S. Launches off guard in the darkness of a mummies tomb are quite creepy!

[Funky Cold Medina]

Earlier this year (this is my only breakdown) but in about April on my band trip to California we were on Revenge of the Mummy (our tenth reride as the park was empty). Right as we got to the point where the scarabs come out, we didn't move. Even after the effect, the ride didn't launch back as usual. So we sat there for 10 minutes not knowing what was going on. We were caught by surprise when the train suddenly launched backwards. Pretty creepy sitting there in semidarkness not knowing anything that's about to happen.

[B.A.B]

I went to King Dominion this summer,and my shoulder harness got stuck,and it took them 20 minutes to get it to come up.It also happen to my friend.

[ANJLOVER14]

I've only been stuck once, but on Revolution at SFMM, we stopped on the block section inside the station (but before the main load/unload area) for about 25 mins. Whenever we asked to be let off, (a walkway was right next to the area) the operators told us they couldn't do that, and had to pull us to the main load area. 25 minutes later, the ops were near us, manually releasing the restraints in the block area. What really sucked was that I had a headache, and sitting in a coaster car for 25 mins. without water does not improve headaches. At least I got a front-of-the-line pass out of it.

 

However, on our band trip to Disneyland, my friends got stuck on Splash Mt on the final lift before the main drop for 15-20 minutes. After being led off, they sprinted for Toontown, where our band was meeting, and made it with 3 minutes to spare.

[B-RadG]

On Anaconda this year we got stopped suddenly on the MCBR and just kinda sat there for 15 minutes. None of the employees noticed so we just sat there and waited. After 15 minutes the brakes released and we finished the ride. I'm not sure if that's a breakdown or a computer being weird or what.

[mudvayneimn]

Does it count if I wasn't on the ride, but operating? If it doesn't then I'll still saying it!

 

Ok, I was working at SFKK summer 2006 on Road Runner Express. It was a terribly hot day and it was actually packed. I seem to recall that the air compressor for GL and RR were either tied to the same power components or were the same. So I'm dispatching cars on Road Runner and the compressor goes as soon as Greezed Lightnin' launches. My ride automatically e-stops, and I'm fairly confident the same happened at GL. I've got a car close to the top of the lift on RR so they had prime views for what happened next. GL crawls through the loop and goes up the front spike, comes back down and spends a good second or two at the top of the loop (it vallied if you couldn't guess). The people on the my lift thought Final Destination 3 was happening right in front of their eyes so they went hysterical! I had to announce over my microphone that GL is fine and it'll come to a rest at the bottom in a few min. GL was down the rest of the day, and it took about 15-30 min for them to get everything back to where it needed to be with the air compressor. Since I melted on the platform that day, my sense of time might be a little off, could've been longer. I know that my team leaders brought water to the people stuck on RR

 

The next day, as I was walking to RR to start my shift the same thing happened again. Definitely a weird thing to experience, but two days in a row was crazy.

 

*edited since I suck at first drafts.

[ScottBrown]

I have a good operating one as well, one morning while running the Tidal Wave at PGA the counter weight decided it was no longer going to raise all the way up and for some reason the computer didn't catch it so the first launch of the day the train took off much slower than usual made it to the top of the loop and rolled back. It then stopped way short of the station on the way back, after pushing the train back it did the same thing again, I was sent to another ride but on my first brake a few hours later it was still doing the same thing, it never did end up opening that day. Then there was the day the cable snapped and the weight dropped ripping off a catwalk down the launch area . . . WOW what a noise that was.

[CoasterGuy06]

I wasn't on it, but lets just say it involved a Pirate ship that wouldn't stop, one girl getting sick to start a chain reaction, and ended with a big hose.

[DOCTOR DOOM!!!]

Does it count if I wasn't on the ride, but operating? If it doesn't then I'll still saying it!

 

Ok, I was working at SFKK summer 2006 on Road Runner Express. It was a terribly hot day and it was actually packed. I seem to recall that the air compressor for GL and RR were either tied to the same power components or were the same. So I'm dispatching cars on Road Runner and the compressor goes as soon as Greezed Lightnin' launches. My ride automatically e-stops, and I'm fairly confident the same happened at GL. I've got a car close to the top of the lift on RR so they had prime views for what happened next. GL crawls through the loop and goes up the front spike, comes back down and spends a good second or two at the top of the loop (it vallied if you couldn't guess). The people on the my lift thought Final Destination 3 was happening right in front of their eyes so they went hysterical! I had to announce over my microphone that GL is fine and it'll come to a rest at the bottom in a few min. GL was down the rest of the day, and it took about 15-30 min for them to get everything back to where it needed to be with the air compressor. Since I melted on the platform that day, my sense of time might be a little off, could've been longer. I know that my team leaders brought water to the people stuck on RR

 

The next day, as I was walking to RR to start my shift the same thing happened again. Definitely a weird thing to experience, but two days in a row was crazy.

 

*edited since I suck at first drafts.

 

I've been on GL when it valleyed in either 03, 04, or 05 I think!!! Is this why it happens?! That is GHETTO!!!

Then there was the day the cable snapped and the weight dropped ripping off a catwalk down the launch area . . . WOW what a noise that was.

That happened b4 too and cracked apart footers!

[Angry_Gumball]

I remember another one several years ago at SFDK when the Tasmanian Devil broke down. It was a nice triple digit day (112 degrees anyone?). The ride kept doing small swings, would not stop. Finally, the main power was shut off to the ride and the disc had to get pushed back into place to line up with the entrance/exit path of the ride. Was pretty amusing to watch. Fortunately the ride was back up and running a few minutes later.

 

[ScottBrown]

@ DOCTOR DOOM!!!

I don't know if that is always the cause of the rollbacks on GL she was an old lady with an attitude. I saw 3 cable snaps when I worked on her and none of them were pleasant fortunately it was a Schwarzkopf cable and there were never injuries as far as I know.

 

Scott "an Intamin cable might have done otherwise" Brown

[kidcoaster 2]

The weirdest I had was on Tig'rr at Indiana Beach.

 

I was on it with a friend of mine and when we were going up the lift we slowed down for a second before continuing up. We than crested the top of the lift and starting the turn around to the first drop when we heard a loud bang and a few snaps so we look at the lift to see the chain breaking apart and falling to the ground. Than we were stopped by the break at the top of the hill while we waited for maintenance to arrive to check the track before we could finish the ride so we can get off. Here is a few pics after the incident.

 

 

I also got stuck on Jokers Jinx to which according to the Op it was due to a guest leaning on the airgate.

[AirtimeAddict17]

Last April at SFGAdv my three friends and I got stuck on the lift of Nitro about 3/4 up. I got a real kick out of everyone's expressions whether they were terrified or laughing their heads off. We were stopped for about ten minutes then it started up. It was definitely one of the best breakdowns I ever experienced!

[coasterkyle]

On Anaconda this year we got stopped suddenly on the MCBR and just kinda sat there for 15 minutes. None of the employees noticed so we just sat there and waited. After 15 minutes the brakes released and we finished the ride. I'm not sure if that's a breakdown or a computer being weird or what.

 

 

I'm pretty sure the employees noticed or they would have sent a train and it would have blocked checked at the top of the lift. But most of the time and from the experience of being a ride host, If a train is stopped out in a MCBR or any other Block and has not advanced like it should the computer will not allow trains to be sent(the computer is probably the main reason the one train is not moving); and a warning light will come on in the control booth telling the ride host of the situation.

 

The reason a ride host did not come talk to the train is probably, its a long walk out to the MCBR on Andaconda and its pretty high up. By the time a ride host could get to you guys, they most likely would of had to of come right back down. Since they probably knew problem would be fixed quickly it really wasn't worth sending a ride host out there.

[vaughanvt24]

In 2008 at BGW, Roman Rapids had to be shut down because a snake was on the wall snapping at passing boats.

[10ryansmith]

Back like a decade, I got stuck on It's A Small World for an hour and a half. I dont know how, I dont know why but what I do know is that I am NEVER going on that demonic ride again. Ever.

[mr. cockblock]

I remember back in 10th grade our high school class took a trip to KBF. When we were riding the dark ride they used to have (I think it was called Kingdom of the Dinosaurs) it would break down about 12 times during the course of one lap of the ride. I remember a voice recording telling everyone to remain seated everytime the ride would stop, but that didnt me from riding it over and over thanks to a lady friend sitting next to me. I miss being a stupid teenager on a dark ride

[COASTAH FREAK]

One of the most scarring experiences of my life:

 

So I was at Disneyland with all my friends on a school trip and I decided to go on Splash Mountain. Since the line was so long I went single-rider with a bunch of people I didn't know. The ride stopped towards the end right in the part where all the little animals sing "zippity-do-da" over, and over, and over, and over again. I was stuck in said room for 30 minutes or more with strangers listening to the most annoying song ever written. Oh and I didn't get a fast pass because "it was after the drop"

[ScottBrown]

Back like a decade, I got stuck on It's A Small World for an hour and a half. I dont know how, I dont know why but what I do know is that I am NEVER going on that demonic ride again. Ever.

 

Oh man I have been stuck on that one as well and I feel the same way

[jmicha]

My weirdest was on Jurassic Park River Adventure a few years back. We came into the raptor containment area and when we went around the turn with the compees heading to the lift there were already two boats backed up at the bottom of the lift. We bumped the boat and shortly after a boat bumped into us. After sitting there for about another 25 minutes the first boat headed up the lift. When we eventually made our way back to the station the ride ops apologized and told us a lizard had found its way into a sensor and the computer was losing track of vehicles (or something along those lines, not too up to date on the computer systems on this type of ride) every time the lizard walked in front of it. I'm pretty sure this is one of the funniest reasons I've ever heard of for a ride breaking down.

[MagnumUnlimited]

Mine would have been Flight of Fear at Kings Island. We were launched, but once we reached the end we slowed down. We coasted into the cobra roll and got about halfway through it. Then we returned expecting a relaunch, but we didn't get one.

[WFChris]

I was at SFMM for Goliath's press day, and we got stuck on the MCBR. It was raining, but started hailing while we were sitting there. Additionally, the MCBR is right next to the lift, so we had giant raindrops coming off of that on to us as well. The crew had trouble releasing the train, so the front half was hanging sideways off the turn following the brake. We would move about 6 inches then stop again. Finally after we were released, we felt a *thud* in the helix, followed by a consistent bumping for the remainder of the ride, and it turns out one of the wheels on our car 'melted' or something. They said they were phasing out the old wheels or something (it was 10 years ago, memories are blotchy!).

 

Other than being stuck on the first lift of Deja, which is more uncomfortable than weird, that is my most memorable weird breakdown situation!

[tiger01]

^ An 'uncomfortable' breakdown would probably be on a flying coaster. Even though there are soft pads you'll be just hanging there for a while.

 

As for me...I've never been on a breakdown. It would probably be quite fun on the right roller coaster at the right place. (If you know what I mean)

[ebl]

^^ I was also at Goliath's media day and rode it in the rain several times...kinda hurts your face.

 

Thankfully, I haven't experienced too many breakdowns---more or less the usual "lift chain stops momentarily" or "train stops on block brake and sits for a minute" kind of things. Perhaps the "weirdest" one was at last year's West Coast Bash. I hadn't ridden Deja Vu in awhile, so I got on it in the last row. We backed out of the station as usual and started up the first lift. When the back of the train got about a third of the way into the curve from horizontal to vertical, the whole ride just...stopped. We sat there for about ten minutes till they could get someone out to fix it.

 

Once fixed, we rolled forward back to the unloading point and they let us off. That was a bit strange. But I did go back and get a full ride on it later on.

 

Eric