What makes a ride repeatable?

[MickeyLuv'r]

Rode the Mummy once. Didn't see what the big deal was. Never rode again! Funny how that works.

I'd say the French expression je ne sais quoi somewhat applies here. It is a little hard to say what element of a ride makes it more appealing, in many ways, it varies from ride to ride. In some cases, nostalgia plays a role. In other cases, the ride has fun details/fun effects.

Main reason I liked 1900 Park Fare, was the step sisters. The meal was way overpriced, and the food was always just so-so, but the step sisters were always a just a hoot. It must be very tiresome to be a princess all day.

 

[Incomudro]

Fun!
I can analyse it, but the desire to get back on ride that I just rode for the first time is intangible at the moment.
It's a feeling.
For instance the two Potter rides while intricately themed and well done - left the family with no desire to go for another round at the time.
Whereas Everest, Tower of Terror, and Pirates did.

 

[JugglingFreak]

To me, it depends. Mostly, I prefer a good theme. Good details and setting, matching music, sounds etc. "Tower of Terror" is near perfect on this front (IMO). I don't even mind the line. The signs point to the bowling green and such that just add to the atmosphere. Love it.

I was also blown away by Oga's Cantina for the same reason. I had been wanting to go to a Star Wars cantina since I first saw it in 1977.

Same with Pirates and "El Rio de Tiempo/Three Caballeros".

But, just being an fun ride helps as well. But the overall atmosphere really sells it for me.

The change of the "Malestrom" to the Frozen theme really lost a lot for me. (I know the kids love it.. )

 

[LastoneOn]

I think that when I'm lapping something, the assumption is that it will be a walk-on. If I'm waiting time for a ride, I'll ride it once and move on. Maybe the question in the general needed to be more specific and focused with ceteris paribus variables set and assumptions given to make it more relevant and useful.

I see what you mean. I guess I wasn't thinking so much of the lapping? you mention, but just overall, uh, philosophically perhaps.

 

[LastoneOn]

Fun!
I can analyse it, but the desire to get back on ride that I just rode for the first time is intangible at the moment.
It's a feeling.

Yes Very much yes.

 

[LastoneOn]

The change of the "Malestrom" to the Frozen theme really lost a lot for me. (I know the kids love it.. )

Same here. Frozen was once and done for me.

 

[Sandersfeld]

How long the line is after you get off...

 

[Trackmaster]

I see what you mean. I guess I wasn't thinking so much of the lapping? you mention, but just overall, uh, philosophically perhaps.

Yeah, its remarkable how old Flight of Passage can get when you're lapping it. Its an amazing ride for sure, but its probably best if you just stick to it once per visit, otherwise it really does feel like you're just watching a video again and again, I have picked up some Easter Eggs though. You get to do that when a major hurricane has passed through, and during the earlier days of the Covid re-opening. And while not a marathon, a couple of times I timed it to wait in stand-by, get on, and have my Fast Pass time ready so I could get in back to back rides.

In contrast, great roller coasters (maybe not so much the ones at Disney) that really have little to no theming, I can ride with glee 5-10 times without getting off and not really feel like they're getting old.

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

Yeah, its remarkable how old Flight of Passage can get when you're lapping it. Its an amazing ride for sure, but its probably best if you just stick to it once per visit, otherwise it really does feel like you're just watching a video again and again, I have picked up some Easter Eggs though.

Good point, even if their was no line, I wouldn't care to ride FoP twice in a row.

In addition to the points you mention, re-riding would mean having to listen to the dumb pre-shows. If any part of an attraction is annoying, that definitely lowers the re-rideability for me.

On the other hand, I too have returned to an attraction or ride to hunt for hidden Mickeys. Rarely, my group have also re-ridden an attraction, I'm not sure how to say, but to settle some sort of discussion point or to share an observation or something. Like if one of us notices some interesting little detail we never noticed before, and there happens to be no line.

Once in a while, we've also re-ridden a ride because strangers were disruptive, like talking loudly, too many flash photos, kids screaming, that sort of thing.

On the flip, my group didn't re-ride Mummy for the rest of the day after I was splashed with a strangers' puke. While I'm sure staff made an effort to sterilize, that stuff splashed everywhere. Oh, that was definitely an experience from the before times!

 

[Sbk1234]

My answer to what makes a ride repeatable would be basically everything that everyone has already said.

It's different qualities for different attractions.
For some, like Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, and Star Tours it's being able to put myself into a story and really feel a part of it. For others, like Spaceship Earth, Pirates of the Caribbean, and It's a Small World, it's being able to escape into an amazing environment.
The carousel is one I enjoy because it creates a feeling of nostalgia that takes me back to when I was a carefree kid, or when my own children were young enough to get excited about it.
For most (if not all rides) it's a combination of all these elements to varying degrees.

 

[eliza61nyc]

their is really only one requirement for rerideability (not a real word). That requirement is that I enjoy it.

that boils it down for me. does not have to have thrills, I'm not an expedition everst fan at all but Buzz lightyear ride is crazy fun for me. If I'm not bored to tears that helps, I know The great movie ride gets much love here, I hated it. it was dull as dishwater and the poor cm's bad acting made me want to crawl out of the car and run.
everyone definitely has different opinions.
I want to be able to say wow, that was fun when I get off.

 

[NelleBelle]

I’m a music person—if there is good music to it, I’m likely going to reride! And if that ride has that “fun” element. As @eliza61nyc mentioned, I was not a big GMR fan either, but I’d ride if there was no line and we needed to kill time between FP times, ADRs,etc. Another ride that totally gets a lot of hate here is the GotG:MB at DCA and I went in with preconceived notions that the ride would totally suck (I was a ToT fan a d was being dragged on by my family)! But I came of that ride totally loving it! I loved the music, the characters made me laugh out loud and the drops were extremely well-timed to what was happening to the storyline. We absolutely were re-riding this again (not to mention there were a lot of things to see in the line)!

 

[thomas998]

Repeatability is based on how long I've been walking, how hot it is and then whether there is a short line, a reasonable amount of ride time sitting down and whether I'll be in a cool air conditioned ride or in something hot in the sun... So while I would have to be paid to sit through the Tiki Room early in the morning after just arriving... by say 2 or 3 in the afternoon in the Summer I would gladly pay for the Tiki Room and sit through it multiple times...

 

[Paper straw fan]

Engaging, things in the background that aren't immediately noticeable so you keep finding new things each time you ride.
Nostalgia, to an IP or to the ride, eg POTC
Thrill, we can't get enough of TOT, FOP or Everest.

Finally how long the ride lasts. We love 3 caballeros, as you can have a good sit down, in a place that is cool, rest your legs, but still enjoy the show.

I think you nailed it.

There are some that are just fun, I try not to be that person yelling out every line from the ride‘s story (It’s just an internal monologue)

Some I try to find new stuff on, even if I’ve rode it 1000 times before (Haunted Mansion, Splash) or just a couple times (M&M Railroad)

Something like Toy Story or Men in Black at US there’s the whole competitive game element, where you try to best your scores or find high value targets You haven’t seen before.

Some are just to relax, the PeopleMover, The Land, 3 Caballeros, Muppet Theatre..

As far as, what that one ride is at a park you almost always ride, that’s a personal combo of all of these i suppose. (And of course the wait time helps) I might find Aerosmith more exciting than Star Tours, but I guarantee I have rode the latter far more.

 

[Trackmaster]

Good point, even if their was no line, I wouldn't care to ride FoP twice in a row.

In addition to the points you mention, re-riding would mean having to listen to the dumb pre-shows. If any part of an attraction is annoying, that definitely lowers the re-rideability for me.

On the other hand, I too have returned to an attraction or ride to hunt for hidden Mickeys. Rarely, my group have also re-ridden an attraction, I'm not sure how to say, but to settle some sort of discussion point or to share an observation or something. Like if one of us notices some interesting little detail we never noticed before, and there happens to be no line.

Once in a while, we've also re-ridden a ride because strangers were disruptive, like talking loudly, too many flash photos, kids screaming, that sort of thing.

On the flip, my group didn't re-ride Mummy for the rest of the day after I was splashed with a strangers' puke. While I'm sure staff made an effort to sterilize, that stuff splashed everywhere. Oh, that was definitely an experience from the before times!

As somebody who goes to parks all other the country, I see how different the experience is. I think that the "regional amusement parks" are designed with locals in mind, and I'm not sure if this is intentional, but when it comes to a non-themed outdoor coaster, its just the kind of thing that you can ride a lot and never get sick of it. With Disney and Universal, its usually from the approach that a guest that's riding probably goes there once every few years, lines are long, and there's tons of things to do at the park, so they literally might ride a ride once every few years. So the ride is an experience from start to finish, but the curtain gets pulled back some when you marathon it or ride it too much. What seemed authentic and magical seems like a normal theme park ride when you start to see the projectors, the lights, the catwalks, etc. when you really see finite details. And if its heavy on the story line, you know the twists are coming, so re-rides don't add a lot of value.

 

[NelleBelle]

This is why I refuse to watch YouTube ride videos of any rides, especially the brand new ones that are released. It was a good year after Pandora opened so when we walked in and saw the concept art come to life with the floating islands...blew us away! We never watched the Navi'i river ride-thru and I tried not to listen to the complaints/details so that when we rode, we got to experience it for ourselves. Still kicking ourselves we missed the opening of TSL by 1 week and we still haven't seen it (although I have seen plenty of pictures of the rides and the land by this point). So I can see how going frequently could disrupt one's viewpoint of a ride/experience and details.

 

[KimAnnFran]

I like to repeat almost all of them.

 

[EngineerMom]

FOP and Soarin - take my breath away.
Toy Story Mania - family competing for high score.
Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion & Small World from my childhood.

 

[Paper straw fan]

Rode the Mummy once. Didn't see what the big deal was. Never rode again! Funny how that works.

We can’t be friends.

 

[LastoneOn]

Yeah, its remarkable how old Flight of Passage can get when you're lapping it. Its an amazing ride for sure, but its probably best if you just stick to it once per visit, otherwise it really does feel like you're just watching a video again and again, I have picked up some Easter Eggs though. You get to do that when a major hurricane has passed through, and during the earlier days of the Covid re-opening. And while not a marathon, a couple of times I timed it to wait in stand-by, get on, and have my Fast Pass time ready so I could get in back to back rides.

In contrast, great roller coasters (maybe not so much the ones at Disney) that really have little to no theming, I can ride with glee 5-10 times without getting off and not really feel like they're getting old.

Yes.

I think with Flight if it were quicker to repeat, I would look around more. Do that with many others. But its such a process, long pre show all that, just too much hassle.