Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Discussion Thread

[CaptainUnknown]

I don't think they ever test their rides before opening. I'm 100% sure our first train on Hades360 ERT was the first train of that day we visited. For those who wish to go there, Little Amerricka is better.

 

Hope that man will wake up from his coma.

 

I was on the first public train of Hades 360 last May and they sent the train out twice before calling the employees for five rides before calling the public in.

[AndrewRnR]

 

Despite never having stepped foot on the property, it appears that any of those three major woodies would be dramatically better in almost any other park.

 

Just to add on to what others said... I think the coasters are "interesting" (I can't bring myself to use the term good!) because they ARE at Mt Olympus. Cyclops is a boring figure-8 layout but what makes it crazy is the fact you literally are thrown out of your seat unlike anything else on all hills (...and then there is the final drop! holy crap!). There is no way any other park (in the US at least) would let guests ever ride that in its current form. Zeus is just your standard out and back.

 

As to why they don't care - because no one holds them responsible? Does the state inspect rides on a yearly basis? I'm no ride safety inspector but after 2 hours there I could've found 20+ things that probably were severe no-nos. Why doesn't the state catch that? I'm not sure how WI inspects rides but many no-nos I saw were have no fencing between rides and paths (you could literally walk right onto track of kiddie coaster) - things that are present (or in this case not present) when the state inspects the rides each year.

 

They also probably don't care because they are slowly controlling the town. Mt Olypmus is unique in that they are working to build a self-made monopoly by buying up what would be run-down motels charging next to nothing a night, re-branding them (keeping them run-down...) and charging top dollar - essentially creating a false price floor in the market.

[GayCoasterGuy]

Three trains? I would be happy with two trains.

 

I think everyone who went there would be happy with two... but I'm sure the ride could be rigged with 3. There certainly is enough track, and pre-lift section. The only problem would be the short brake at the end - but that could be modified. But yeah, 2 would be a HUGE improvement.

[coasterfreak101]

^There's no way at all to run three trains on Hades, even if you, for example, sloped the final brake run to save the room that dip into the station takes up. There's a reason why Leviathan and Banshee have super-long brake runs, and it's because each one can hold probably four train lengths minimum - that's three blocks worth right there.

 

Just imagine if a train got stuck on the final brake run of Hades and (knowing Mt. Olympus) the next train just went on down the first drop as usual. Lawsuits for everyone!

[GayCoasterGuy]

^There's no way at all to run three trains on Hades, even if you, for example, sloped the final brake run to save the room that dip into the station takes up.

 

Yup, that's why I added this

The only problem would be the short brake at the end - but that could be modified.

 

It would have to come in from a different angle (footprint wise, not vertically) than it does; something would have to be heavily modified. But it could be done. Point is, with such a long ride that contains a pre-lift section, it could lend itself to 3 trains.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

^There's no way at all to run three trains on Hades, even if you, for example, sloped the final brake run to save the room that dip into the station takes up.

 

Yup, that's why I added this

The only problem would be the short brake at the end - but that could be modified.

 

It would have to come in from a different angle (footprint wise, not vertically) than it does; something would have to be heavily modified. But it could be done. Point is, with such a long ride that contains a pre-lift section, it could lend itself to 3 trains.

 

 

Using RCT2 Terms (I know) The Station, Lift, and Brakes only allows 2 train operations.

[GigaG]

Still, 2 trains would be good. What if this park was bought out by Cedar Fair or Six Flags? As much as we criticize them, I would imagine they would do a better job of running the place. Of course, then where would Mt. Olympus go with their precious hotels?

[Dr. M]

^^^The difference between two and three trains is drastically smaller than the difference between one and two, it would definitely not be worth it to heavily modify the ride to run three.

 

I don't think they ever test their rides before opening. I'm 100% sure our first train on Hades360 ERT was the first train of that day we visited. For those who wish to go there, Little Amerricka is better.

 

Hope that man will wake up from his coma.

 

 

Bay Beach is better than Mt. Olympus. At least they know wooden coasters can run 2 trains on purpose. I hope that man sues the park and I hope Mt. Olympus realizes the error of their ways.

 

Um, the guy could be dead by now for all we know. The place doesn't need to be sued, it needs to be shut down.

[GayCoasterGuy]

If they do close down... I will sorely miss Cyclops.

[Ccron10]

If they do close down... I will sorely miss Cyclops.

I'd cope as that hill was insane, but the rest of the ride was pretty rough IMO.

If this would cause the closure of Mount Olympus (which I doubt), I really wouldn't expect the wooden coasters to go anywhere since most of them are built to their terrain. Cyclops is on a hillside, Zeus is somewhat the same, Hades360 is a mixture of hillside, tunnel and flat land, but Pegasus might have potential, but I really don't know who could want it as it would probably need all new wood.

I would kind of miss the water park as the indoor slides and Poseidon's Revenge were fun.

As much as I hate people suing the parks over the stupidest crap, I think this situation would be justified considering it sounds like the park might be at fault for this.

[Dr. M]

If they do close down... I will sorely miss Cyclops.

I'd cope as that hill was insane, but the rest of the ride was pretty rough IMO.

If this would cause the closure of Mount Olympus (which I doubt), I really wouldn't expect the wooden coasters to go anywhere since most of them are built to their terrain. Cyclops is on a hillside, Zeus is somewhat the same, Hades360 is a mixture of hillside, tunnel and flat land, but Pegasus might have potential, but I really don't know who could want it as it would probably need all new wood.

I would kind of miss the water park as the indoor slides and Poseidon's Revenge were fun.

 

Wasn't Pegasus built high up in the air to fit over an existing ride that isn't even there anymore? I thought I remember reading that.

 

As much as I hate people suing the parks over the stupidest crap, I think this situation would be justified considering it sounds like the park might be at fault for this.

 

Might be? The locking mechanism was stripped, causing the restraint to fail. What more evidence do you need?

 

It doesn't sound like some people are really getting the full picture here. This is NTAG all over again except the park is unambiguously 100% responsible.

[CaptainUnknown]

Wasn't Pegasus built high up in the air to fit over an existing ride that isn't even there anymore? I thought I remember reading that.

 

Yes. It was a go-kart track I believe. I also know they also had a robocoaster.

[Ccron10]

Wasn't Pegasus built high up in the air to fit over an existing ride that isn't even there anymore? I thought I remember reading that.

 

As much as I hate people suing the parks over the stupidest crap, I think this situation would be justified considering it sounds like the park might be at fault for this.

 

Might be? The locking mechanism was stripped, causing the restraint to fail. What more evidence do you need?

 

I think it was, but if I remember correctly, that ride is built on some of the flattest land in the park.

 

I was being cautious with my statement considering that something could be released that could actually blamed on something else. Take the NTAG accident for example. No need to be defensive.

[Dr. M]

^I don't mean to come across as defensive. I'm just a little upset about this because to me, this is as big if not a bigger deal than NTAG, and yet it hasn't made headlines anywhere outside the local media, and isn't getting as much attention online. It doesn't seem right. Almost like some kind of conspiracy in the industry to avoid any more bad publicity, or something. Also, NTAG was more complicated because the restraint didn't fail. In this case it did, so the park maintenance staff is clearly responsible.

[YoshiFan]

It does seem strange it isn't getting more attention. Usually the media is all over any kind of ride accident. Maybe because it really isn't park season yet? (not that it should really matter).

[GoBears]

Opa will be permanently removed from the park. Also, Mt Olympus said that, "Guest safety is a paramount goal at Mt. Olympus." I'll let that sink in for a moment. Read more here- http://www.wiscnews.com/baraboonewsrepublic/news/local/article_e9745da3-a833-5f39-ac46-cf596f3708a9.html

[traincrossin]

Some article highlights worth mentioning.

TL;DR Mt. Olympus sucks at running their park.

 

The state’s Department of Safety and Professional Services found several violations and ordered Mt. Olympus to replace defective and worn parts and components on its Opa Roller Coaster and to change its maintenance and training procedure following a roller coaster accident March 6 that injured a 63-year-old man.

The DSPS ordered Mt. Olympus to do the following:

-Ensure that proper maintenance and inspection procedures are completed as required by the manufacturer. Ensure that all safety bulletins that have been issued for the ride have been reviewed and that any changes that are required have been made.

-Replace defective and/or worn components

-Ensure that ride is not operated with tubs exceeding capacity limits. The limit is 660 pounds

-Ensure that employee training is recorded.

“We observed and noted that the lap bar on the far left side of yellow tub #6 (looking at the tub from the front) would not lock in place. While inspecting the components of the far left lap bar we noted that the locking teeth and pawls were not locking properly and that the mechanisms and components appeared to have wear.”

 

Hammond and Noltemeyer returned to the theme park on March 11 when a representative of the coaster manufacturer, Zamperla, was on site. The tub was not disassembled then, but the Zamperla representative told the inspectors of a “bulletin specific to lap bar maintenance and inspection.”

The report from Hammond concludes, “With cooperation and assistance from the owner and the manufacturer, our investigation determined that components of the lap bar system were defective and/or worn, which resulted in the lap bar malfunction. The manufacturer confirmed that the lap bar and components were properly installed and assembled. Inspection and analysis was completed by the manufacturer representatives on the 12 lap bars in the venue area. It was noted that 11 out of 24 pawls skipped, resulting in four total lap bar failures. It should be noted that the weight restriction for passengers is a total of 660 lbs. The estimated weight of passengers at the time of the incident was a total of 720 lbs.”

[Dr. M]

Still nothing about criminal charges. You can't tell me the park is a-ok as long as it doesn't happen again, that makes no sense. I'm assuming there will be more to this story.

 

DSPS does not have the power to assess fines, but can only order compliance

 

These are the only people we've heard from so far. I guess fines and possible charges will come later.

[SFOGdude25]

I WAS planning on visiting the Dells for the first time this summer, but now I think I'll just stay at Six Flags Great America.

Seriously, though, the fact that it was the park's fault is really scary. Whoever is on maintenance management should be fired. Heck, the WHOLE PARK probably needs new management! At least Mt. Olympus has the sense to take Opa out.

[Looty]

They're probably removing Opa because it occupies prime real estate for a new hotel. When I say 'new,' I really mean an existing 35 year old Red Roof Inn down the road being relocated.

[Ccron10]

I guess it is now officially confirmed and it seems more tidbits have been added. The fact that the park trained, but didn't sign off the operators is against state law. Also, if these operators would've done a morning inspection, they likely would've caught that the lapbars weren't locking.

Next, does Mount Olympus have its own public relations department? If they do, why in the world did they hire an external company to handle this? I know this is a common practice for large companies such as Cocoa Cola etc, but just about every park I know of has their own department and has had to do crisis management on much worse circumstances. If they do have one and they need to hire an outside company to do it, especially for the size of their resort including a club, a countless number of hotels, a water park and "theme" park, that is kind of poor. Then again, they probably have no experience on how to react to a situation like this.

When it is not just one lapbar, but four, that just makes it worse and shows that there is a lack of attention to safety.

The park must obviously be embarrassed by this now that they have said that they plan on removing Opa. I'm sure that they could easily replace the lapbars and re-open it, but it seems like they are going a different route.

 

Along with going over the weight limit for the cars, with all these points I really don't see how the park would be able to avoid being charged by this. Good to hear the man has come out of his coma and I hope he recovers to the best of his abilities.

 

This resort company seems so sleazy and it sounds like my comparison about the owner being like a cheap car salesman is possible.

 

EDIT: Looking at the park's Facebook page reviews section is pretty interesting. Many 1-star reviews, a few 2 and 3-stars, and just about no 5-star reviews.

Edited April 3, 2014 by Ccron10

[Dr. M]

Good to hear the man has come out of his coma and I hope he recovers to the best of his abilities.

 

Where did you read that? The article which was posted Tuesday states:

Theisen remains at UW Hospital in a coma and on a respirator, according to the family’s attorney Todd Korb of the Milwaukee Law Firm of Hupy and Abraham.

 

I'm no doctor (no real doctor anyway) but I'd say given his age and how long he's been in a coma, his chances are "not great". At best he faces months, possibly years of painful recovery. It's not like the movies where you just wake up and suddenly you're back to normal.

Edited April 3, 2014 by Dr. M

[traincrossin]

I'm no doctor

But your username says differently.

[Ccron10]

Sorry about that, I really should've posted the article first.

http://www.wkow.com/story/25132689/2014/04/01/mt-olympus-cited-with-4-code-violations-in-roller-coaster-accident

UPDATE: LAKE DELTON (WKOW)—Mount Olympus, a Lake Delton resort, is getting rid of the roller coaster a man fell from last month. This comes after state inspectors issued four code violations against Mount Olympus.

 

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and professional services conducted an investigation in to the Mount Olympus Opa! roller coaster, after a man fell from the ride on March 6. The state report says the park didn't follow all manufacturer-recommended maintenance on the roller coaster and that a lap bar malfunction is to blame for the accident in which a 63-year-old man was thrown and fell 15 feet.

 

The report states, "Our investigation determined that components of the lap bar system were defective and/or worn, which resulted in the lap bar malfunction."

 

State inspectors used dummies and weights to recreate the accident.

 

"It should be noted that the weight restriction for passengers is a total of 660 lbs,” the report states. “The estimated weight of passengers at the time of the incident was a total of 720 lbs."

 

The victim, 63-year-old Anthony Theisen, sustained a fractured skull and brain injury in addition to fractured vertebrae and other bones, according to his attorney, Todd Korb.

 

"He came out of a coma yesterday,” Korb said. “He still has respiratory issues and we don't' know the full extent of his brain injury but at least he is showing some good signs."

 

Shortly after the report's release, Mount Olympus issued a statement saying in part:

 

“The important fact is the ride is permanently closed and will be removed from the park. No fines have been issued…However, other findings regarding weight limitations, bulletins and the inspection of lap bars are inconsistent with what our internal investigators found.”

 

State inspectors did issue four code violations to Mount Olympus for the maintenance failures, those would need to be corrected if the ride were to reopen.

 

"They should have been doing the things to maintain the ride,” Korb said. “This is not just one part that was malfunctioning...four of the 12 bars were failing."

 

Korb did say he believes Theisen and his family will be pleased to hear the ride is closed for good. Korb says it's too soon to determine if they will file a civil suit. He says first they need to know the extent of Theisen's injuries and his prognosis and that could take months.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

WISCONSIN DELLS (WKOW) --- The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services has issued 4 code violations against Mt Olympus Theme Park after a roller coaster accident in March sent a man to the hospital.

 

A copy of the report filed by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services(DSPS) was provided to 27 News. It shows Mt. Olympus was not following all manufacturer-recommended maintenance on the ride and the group on the coaster at the time of the accident exceeded the ride's weight limit.

 

Police reports show Anthony Theisen fell more than 15 feet from the Opa Roller Coaster on March 6, injuring his head. Theisen's attorney told 27 News Tuesday his client is now out of a coma, but is still hospitalized.

 

State investigators found the theme park did complete daily inspections of the Opa Roller Coaster, but was unaware of a bulletin issued by the manufacturer in October 2010 requiring additional daily maintenance for the ride's lap bars. That service bulletin recommended daily, careful checking of all individual bars to see if they close correctly. DSPS ordered Mt. Olympus to implement that maintenance.

 

Another code violation found that the lap bar malfunction was caused by defective or worn parts and that Mt Olympus must replace those part.

 

Weight capacity was another violation, with the report stating the total passenger weight limit is 660 pounds. At the time of Theisen's fall, the coaster was operating with a total of 720 pounds on the ride.

 

The last violation was no documentation of training for ride operators. DSPS found the operator had received training but there was documentation of the training recorded by the business.

 

The findings of the state investigators matched those of police investigators, with both noting the lap bar in the seat where Theisen was sitting had failed and would not lock into place. The DSPS report says, "the locking teeth and pawls were not locking properly and that the mechanisms and components appeared to have wear."

 

The report notes "total lap bar failure" on seats 1 and 4 of Car 6, which Theisen was in when he fell.

 

The park also has stopped posting on their Facebook page since the incident as well since the last post was made March 4th. Compared to Six Flags, which was public about their incident, I really don't think silence is the best choice in something like this.

[Dr. M]

Very glad to hear he's out of the coma. Here's hoping he makes a full recovery. Four bad lap bars... christ.

 

I'm certainly not making excuses for Mt. O, but I do find the weight violation a little odd. How are the operators supposed to know if the cars are overweight? It's not like they have giant scales like on Flying Turns. I assume standard procedure would be if all the riders fit, they're good to go.