[coasterfreak]

Overall, this is ridiculous! Rides break down. People usually get stuck on Drop Tower for that long at least once a season, right? I never see a big deal over that in the news. I don't know what they are trying to do, but they are really making Carowinds look like the "bad guys" when really it's nothing more than a safety cut out, designed to keep anything bad from happening. I think it's just a bunch of nonsense.

[Picklesthedrummer]

^Well said. I couldn't agree more.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

That is my point though. I would say we both agree that the media makes situations like these much bigger than they actually are, correct?

Of course,I mean look at the news this evening about the shooting in Colorado....there's nothing new to report about the situation & yet the news media keeps on talking about it simply to drum up ratings whilst they wait for the outcome of the investigation into the case.

I remember how the media really blew the last two face malfunction at SFA out of proportion back in 07...they kept recycling still photos of the train going through the loop making it appear to the more gullible folks in the audience as if the ride had stalled upside down in the loop rather than on the lift which is what really happened & al of that negative publicity is what led to the ride being removed just prior to the 2008 season.

[Picklesthedrummer]

^This is all very true. No matter what happens in this world, the media is there to cram it down your throat and make it seem worse than it actually is.

[coasterbruh]

Sounds like im reading Sarah Palin's facebook page with all this "blame it on the media" jive...

While I personally feel the ride is kinda pointless with the sky tower right there offering 80% of the same experience it seems like everyone likes the ride, especially wormy.

[davlow06]

Being stuck up on that ride for over 2 hours deserved some kind of kickback for those riders. A free meal ticket, free drinks for the day, a free parking pass...something! How many people were on the ride? How much would it have cost Carowinds to offer those riders something for the inconvenience? Sometimes, a business like Carowinds totally misses the chance to do the right thing and make something good out of a bad situation.

[Blue Moon]

Carowinds probably did something, but of course the negative press just wanted to put out there "No refunds." Decisions are made on a case by case basis.

There is a no refund policy by the way.

[cwgator]

No need for a new thread so...
Windseeker closed @ all CF Parks until further notice....

http://www.latimes.com/travel/deals/themeparks/la-trb-knotts-windseeker-riders-stuck-09201221,0,1284072.story

Problems at Knott's Berry Farm force ride closures nationwide

The parent company of Knott's Berry Farm has temporarily closed all the WindSeeker tower swings in the amusement park chain after the thrill rides stranded visitors hundreds of feet in the air for hours at a time this summer.

Cedar Fair, which operates a dozen amusement parks in North America, will conduct an internal review to determine why the safety systems have activated on the $5-million Windseeker rides at parks in California, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina and Canada.

"Safety is our No. 1 priority, and the company will not open a WindSeeker ride until an internal review has been completed," Cedar Fair announced in a statement.

At each of the parks, WindSeeker carries 64 riders in twin-seat gondolas to the top of a 301-foot-tall tower, where the ride’s metal arms extend out at a 45-degree angle and spin for one minute at 30 mph. The WindSeeker towers, built by Dutch-based Mondial Rides, opened in 2011 and 2012.

The Knott's ride has shut down unexpectedly twice in the last month, most recently on Wednesday when 20 riders were stuck 300 feet in the air for 3 1/2 hours when the brakes froze on the ride.

On Sept. 7, 15 riders were trapped on WindSeeker for three hours until Knott's workers could manually lower the swings after an inaccurate reading in an electrical safety switch shut down the ride.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has indefinitely closed the Knott's ride until the park and the manufacturer can resolve the braking issues and reduce the evacuation time.

Riders were stranded on WindSeeker rides at Ohio's Cedar Point in June and North Carolina's Carowinds in July, according to local media reports.

Visitors have reported similar incidents on WindSeeker rides at Virginia's Kings Dominion and Canada's Wonderland in Ontario that were not widely reported in the media. A Kings Island spokesman said the WindSeeker ride has not malfunctioned at the Ohio park.

No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.

[Wormy]

I hate to say I told you so, but this ride.. CF got what it paid for - a ride that strands people in the air for hours across the continent. It just isn't worth it. Can you remember a single scream coming from its riders? (I can't, which is usually a sign of a really good ride). It doesn't happen. Sure, you might want to get the credit, but it is worth re-riding? Nobody I know thinks so. The Skytower is right over there, yards away, safe as houses, camera access, and air conditioning.

(Don't get me started on the homogenization of CF parks with Dinosaurs Dead.)

Wow, I sound grumpy. It's because I care. I love our home park, and only want to see what's best for its patrons and employees.

And what's going on with the park PR these days? Who's the next victim?

[RollerBee]

Love and obsessed are two different things.

[Wormy]

Look who's talking man. LOL.

[RollerBee]

Look who's talking man. LOL.

Whats that mean? Skytower and Windseeker are two similar rides but not the same. I enjoy Carowinds possibly the word love could be used but I have more important things to love and/or be obessed with. We can't change what Carowinds does, so why care so much. As far as DA goes, my opinion is known and I have moved on to the next thing in my life.

[Wormy]

OK Nut.

[Picklesthedrummer]

Can you remember a single scream coming from its riders?

You don't have to have someone scream on a ride in order for it to be good.

Hopefully it will be open back up in mid-October when I go to Scarowinds. I want to actually get my night ride on Windseeker.

[Wormy]

Go for it guy. I'm sure you'll love it.