Movie World gets ready to soar?
Rumours are flying about an all-new attraction for Warner Bros. Movie World. Let's go over one of the chief candidates: a ride similar to Disney's Soarin' Over California.
Australian Amusement Fanatics reported that Movie World will build a new attraction at a cost $13 million - the same pricetag put on their last attraction, Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster. They've also suggested that it will be situated in the area of the long-unused Maverick stage. The plan? A take on the popular Soarin' Over California ride at Disney's California Adventure.
The park is often the target for criticism for its lack of worthwhile, or "Disney" attractions. One exception to this is Soarin' Over California, a ride so successful that a clone is currently being built at Epcot, one of the parks that makes up Walt Disney World.
It's not clear how a budget of $13 million will go, compared to the colossal budgets Disney's Imagineering department works with, but it's still a hefty sum, and just look at what they did with Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster or Wild West Falls ($18 million) with similar budgets.
Disney's park is themed to California, so the ride is themed to everything Californian - from the Golden Gate Bridge to Yosemite Falls to swooping over an orange orchard, where the olfactory system is given a good workout with the aroma of oranges.
As for themes for Movie World's version, there is a forthcoming Superman film, but that's not until 2006 – and that's if this version actually gets off the ground unlike many other Superman reboots in recent years.
Will we be soaring over the Gold Coast instead? Will Movie World taking an uncharacteristic un-movie approach to a new attraction? There's no denying the fantastic scenery to be found at the Gold Coast. You can already picture a nice swoop over Surfers Paradise then zipping over into the hinterland for the natural beauty of the rainforests.
This attraction is still in development and Warner Bros. Movie World are yet to release any official information.