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The Fright Nights 2016 precincts have been released onto the website...

Drilling is getting closer to GL now, and quite large holes have been dug with plenty of steal reinforcements in place. Drilling has also moved closer to AOS, along the main road, as well as diggers appearing on the other side of the lake, near the GL queue line (where footings were spotted)

I feel like this is something we should all get to see. Worst. Pick-up attempt. Ever.

After another day in Atlanta I took the drive about 3.5 north into Tennessee, through Knoxville and up into Pigeon Forge for Dollywood http://www.parkz.com.au/parks/US/Pigeon_Forge/Dollywood Theres heaps of photos beyond that link. Dont forget you can also search for specific phrases like "dollywood food" etc for specific photo filtering. This is the sort of park that speaks to me, it is a high quality park with a pleasant natural setting, good thrills, good theming and good secondary attractions (Much like places such as Alton Towers, Busch Gardens Williamsburg etc) It's basically mostly an old time 1880s theme, with lots of craftsman displays and old buildings, as you'd see in a historical park like sovereign hill, but there is a 50s themed area and a country fair zone at the bottom of the park too. Quite hilly and leafy, with lots of modern rides mixed in too. In the lead up to my trip their newest coaster, Lighting Rod had been having persistent reliability issues, with many enthusiasts who planned trips being spited by the ride and missing out. I’d resigned myself to the ride being closed, but looked at the upside of it being a good park with or without the ride, and one that had been on my hit list probably since they built Thunderhead. The ride had been closed for close to a month in the lead up to the start of my trip. However, upon checking the website on the morning of the drive it had gone into technical rehearsal again! OMG please don’t break, please don’t break! So things were looking up! The park has a great deal where if you have a one day ticket, you use it from 4pm on the day prior. I got there around 5pm and was able to stick around till 10pm. A thunderstorm had just blown through so most rides were shut, including lightning rod. But they had staff on, and were allowing guests to wait in the bottom of the queue. I stuck around for about 15 mins before deciding to seek alternative activities, starting with some food. First thing I tried were tater twists...Basically natural cut curly fries. They were ok, maybe could have had a bit more crunch. Continuing further up into the park I stopped off at the Grist Mill for some cinnamon bread. It basically tastes like the best churro ever...Fresh bread so a bit of stretch and very soft, the outside was crusty and covered in cinnamon and sugar. Very rich but very nice. I finished maybe 1/3 of it, so it’s better to share. Turns out Blazing Fury operates in all weather (well, it is indoors) so that was my first ride. Basically you leave a fire station themed loading area, and it’s a powered coaster at the start, going uphill at a steady speed through dark ride scenes of a burning mountain village (With the typical fire effects where they have sheer cloth with lights and air being blown in the windows) There’s the odd bit of amusing hillbilly dialogue (“put your damn pants back on Chester” etc). Towards the end there are three big dips, including one where the bottom falls out of a covered bridge, and another where a “train” is coming towards you at a crossing. It is an older ride, so I’m not allowed to be too harsh, but this really does seem like something the park could/should be plussing to bring up to the standard of the rest of the park. Basically, the burning village part was just way too quiet, apart from the occasional bit of dialogue so you’re riding in silence so there’s no atmosphere. Where’s the burning/crackling fire sounds? Dramatic music? Fire wagon sirens? Some of the scenics seemed a bit half hearted, e.g. the “train” you collide with is a single spotlight shined at you, with no train body. They should look at relaunching this with some better SFX (e.g. fire projection mapping, smoke, heat etc....maybe even pyro if the building is suitable for it?) Basically, it’s a cool concept for a theme, but misses the mark a bit. Just further up is Tennessee Tornado, an Arrow looper, which was the last one they ever built, so the track is different, and the supports look like what S&S build. It was just re-opening as I got up there. It was good, ran pretty smoothly and made good use of the terrain, with a lot of the ride back from the main park. The queue building is a big wooden structure with random bits of olden paraphernalia smashed into/ through the walls. Does the job. The lift hill runs up a hillside, and a u turn leads into a steep straight drop that goes through a tunnel through the hillside. When you reach the bottom there’s a large loop, which has had the entrance and exit stretched quite far apart (much more and you could probably call it a corkscrew) From there, it’s an overbanked turn, a loop, then a sidewinder (imagine the last bit of cyclone in reverse) You rise up into a high banked turn, and then hit the brakes. It’s a fairly short ride, but lots of action and does the job well. If only Arrow had started building better engineered coasters a few years earlier, the company might have survived a bit longer. Night and day in terms of quality between this (1999) and say Big Dipper/Cyclone/Hot Wheels (Originally 1995) Next up I hit Wild Eagle, a B&M wing rider built on a hillside. Like a lot of Dollywoods coasters, it’s in a bugger of a location to get photos, which is great for creating surprise, but a bugger for the photographer. This was another reason to be happy with Dollywood had Lighting Rod not opened....I love wing riders, and Gatekeeper is one of my favourites. The theme is a bit looser, but the ride is very attractive, with an elaborate contemporary mountain building as the station, with detailed stonework at cut metal screens etc. There’s also an enormous eagle sculpture built of stainless and corten steel. Herschend is a Christian company, so there are a couple of bible verses on plaques in the queue too. The trains are of course themed like eagles in a sort of avian version of the human centipede. From the station you make a turn and head up the lift hill to the top of the mountain, part of which has to cut through the hillside. It’s great they have used the terrain, but unfortunately they’ve had to strip the mountain bare a bit to allow construction, and it hasn’t revegetated. I’d love to see some fast growing trees and plants on the hillside to get it back to how it was / to match the surrounding countryside. The first drop is straight, followed by a fun loop, and a zero g roll which generates all sorts of strange feelings due to hanging off the sides so far. There’s an immellman, but the best part IMO was the corkscrew, which came very close to some tree branches. The ride finishes off with a floater hill and a figure 8 helix. It’s a solid, and very enjoyable ride. I reckon every park should have an “enjoyable” thrill coaster like this (or a flyer or something) in conjunction with your extreme forceful rides (Like your RMCs, Intamins, Mack loopers etc) The only faults I could find were the aforementioned lack of trees, and the fact that the vest tightening cylinder seemed a bit overactive in its calibration, so it was pulling very tight on your collarbones by the end of the ride and stacked on the brake run. I also would have liked to have seen the trademark wing coaster “inline twist through obstacles” on this ride (maybe could have been in the middle of the figure 8)...Would have been cool to fly between two trees or something. The next ride up was the excellent FireChaser Express. Now while Disney probably wouldn't build a ride like this with standard track and exposed supports, the rest of the ride felt quite Disney to me in feel. You head into a wilderness fire station with lovely ornate Timber detailing and plenty of other fire fighting theming like hoses, smoky bear posters, an old fire truck etc. Checking the train is quick and you are on your way, launching out of the station around a few turns, before joining the lift hill and getting up quite high. You a few back to back turns in the air (one of which is unbanked, wild mouse style) A drop leads into a few more hills with a moderate amount of airtime (it is a family coaster after all) before you head back around through a fireworks testing range with random fireworks stuck in targets at odd angles. Eventually you reach a dead end in a sketchy looking "gas/propane station" which sells fireworks (a surprisingly common sight in some southern US states actually!) The place is burning, you feel the heat, and the flames spread along to the pride of the store, a huge "big Bertha" firework, which tips over and points towards the train. With sparks and smoke the cracker goes off and you are launched backwards through a shroud of smoke, and a few more turns and hills to around to the front of the station. A track switch allows the train to move onto the intital lauch track to reverse into the station (so you get the realism of driving out of, and backing back into the station)... didn't seem to harm capacity, because the trains seem easy to check quickly. Basically as a family coaster its difficult to fault. Of course you could always add more theming along the main track to make it feel less like an exposed coaster, but that would be unnecessary....its a great ride...more parks need high quality family coasters like this, beyond your standard rollerskaters. The one thing I think they should do is open up the old elevated ropes course starting platform....its there, and would make a great observation deck for the ride, and the top of the park in general. Checking the wait time app, Lightning Rod still wasn’t open, so i continued around the main loop of the park to Mystery mine. This is an indoor/outdoor/indoor/outdoor eurofighter with a spooky mine theme. The station seems set up for huge crowds, with about 4 load points from memory (So maybe a bit longer than GLs station) This is one of the older eurofighters. The older ones basically are like wild mouses with loops and odd turns, while the newer ones are basically scaled down versions of full sized looping coasters, so this had a very different feel to dare devil dive from a couple of days earlier. From the station its a small steep drop into the mine, with an odd outward banked turn past some equipment. A few more turns in the dark and theres another drop under a rock crusher. You are brought around to the base of a mine shaft, where some untrustworthy crows sit on one of the levers and send you up a 90 degree lift. When you get to the top I was semi expecting a beyond vertical drop, but it’s just a small dip and turn, and a couple of humps as you go through a wooden bridge structure. On the other side the wild mouse feels continue, with what i called in my head a “skateboard u turn” and a couple of tiny helices. The big 8 person car takes these quite slowly. You then cross back over the bridge with a couple of weird mini Stengel dive type thingys and re enter the mine. From there the music becomes dramatic as you are hauled up another 90 degree lift. There appeared there should have been a projection at the top, but all there was, was a blue screen. At the top theres a ledge with boxes of explosives. As you can predict it all goes up in flames right in front of you, with heat on your forehead, you start to drop, but rather than going straight down into it, it’s like the one on Takabisha with a short 45 degree section with mag brakes, but then you finally drop and at the bottom emerge from the building. For the end of the ride you go all green lantern, with a fast barrel roll, and a dive loop before you hit the brakes. Overall, quite good. I found the back seats smoother than the front, and you get thrown around a bit in the outside seats. Euro fighters are definitely more comfortable with lap bars! It’s a strange one, with lots of time at low speed doing odd manoeuvres, and only really is fast for a few seconds right at the end where the drop and inversions are. They need that projector working too, was broken both days I was there. Heading back down hill was Thunderhead, the parks GCI with an utterly confusing layout that looks like it was designed by a drunk. It’s a typical GCI, so fast pacing and nonstop turning, and deafeningly loud, but for this reason they all feel quite similar once you’ve done a few. They’re also best ridden in their first or 2nd season, beyond that they settle into a certain level of roughness that never seems to be shaken despite the efforts of the various parks maintenance crews. So solid, and I did about 2 or 3 laps during my total stay. Passing back around to the front of the park Lighting Rod was still not up, so it must’ve broken down during the rain. So I ambled back up the hill to do some more rides on Wild Eagle and Firechaser Express. Heading back downhill I paused to take this photo, but saw a train run, so instantaneously stopped what I was doing and headed for the entrance of Lightning Rod, the worlds fastest woodie, and the only one with a launch. This is the world’s best coaster. I mean that. It gets everything perfect. The initial 30 minute queue wound through a glass garage door fronted mechanics workshop, with a hot rod on a hoist, before heading out back into a four storey factory built of brick. The queue loops up and back along each floor, past typical workshop theming like oil drums, tool chests, workbenches with car parts etc etc. Anticipation grew because out the windows you have a clear view of the launch, and the final quad down and turnaround. Lots of excited faces as each train hit the brakes, and the whole time I was just hoping it wouldn’t break down! Finally I was in the station and was allocated 2nd back row. RMCs are great, and the trains are very comfortable, but they have that issue of the hydraulic harnesses being difficult to open and close (Like how GL was when it first opened), so a lot of station time is chewed up with staff and guests straining to get the harnesses open at the end of the ride. From the station you turn, and accelerate quite briskly uphill , with the forces amplified because you are on an incline. Strong airtime on the first hump, which makes you realise what you are in for, and the another strong dose at the top of the huge first drop. In RMC style its stupidly steep, and holds you out of your seat, triggering that real primal “I’m gonna die” reflex as you drop off the steep hillside. From here on, you are in a valley hidden from the rest of the park. You turn and bank up into this giant sideways hill that bulges out, so you are being thrown out sideways and upwards. Train then drops down and into a reverse banking stall turn (like on the Twisted colossus high 5), where you bank right-left-right...really powerful twisting! A couple more crazy airtime hills follow that are much smaller than the proceeding elements, so heaps of negative gs, before you turn to head up hill again through a double up. Heaps of air at the apex before things get even more crazy on the quad down. Basically it’s like one of those humpy playground slippery dips or those wavy slides you see at shows/aussie world. So as you can imagine with each progressive dip it gets faster and with stronger air, almost to that point where it’s hurting your thighs! You’re blazing along at this point, as you pass the station building, bank up through a climbing u turn and drop again into the brake run with heaps of speed...No sense of slowing down at any point of the ride! Back seats are best for sure. Basically, it’s got all the thrills, power and intensity of something like Skyrush, but in a far more comfortable package. Couple that with a rugged terrain setting, hidden from view, plenty of trees, and a nicely themed queue and cool looking train, and you have a recipe for the perfect coaster. Things become even better at night, because the back part of the ride is very very dark...no bloody spot lights spoiling it like the beast at Kings Island, so this ride takes the crown for the best night time coaster too I reckon. My strategy for Lighting rod was to keep riding it till it broke down (though this meant foregoing night rides on the other coasters), since there was no guarantee for its reliability for the length of my stay, so I stuck on it till closing time, with the queue progressively getting shorter and shorter with each lap, till it was a walk on and I was on the last train of the night. Wandering out of the park you can appreciate the nice lighting on the buildings. It was 10pm, but I wasn't done yet. About 15 minutes away are two alpine coasters. There are four all up in the Pigeon Forge area, but I stuck with these two given the time I had, Goat Coaster and the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster are literally 1.5km apart, on the same road on the same hillside. Goat Coaster shut at 11, And the Smoky Mountain one at 12. A Wiegand alpine coaster is like those sled runs at Jamberoo, Magic Mountain, Thredbo, Big Banana etc, except its locked on a stainless steel track, and the carts have a backrest, and there is a control handle for each hand. (goat coaster) Both rides were fairly similar, the goat one a bit faster, and the smoky one much longer. These rides were in darkness too, other than a bit of LED strip lighting at points. (Smoky mountain alpine coaster) They are pretty fun, but the backrest does actually dig into your back a bit (especially on the turns) because its just a U shaped pipe with shadecloth on it, with no padding. Also,the cars have a centrifugal brake, so once you hit top speed the car feels like its catching on something, and brakes slightly. Hitting top speed is no effort, especially because I gave the cars in front a bit of extra time so I could do an unrestricted run. The rides are lengthy, with a lift hill that takes several minutes. On the way down you do multiple helices, little bumps and lots of turns. On the balance, I prefer the normal Weigand bobsleds...more control, a bit more fear of crashing, and more comfortable. So that was day 1. Day 2 had the park open till 7, but I started off with brekky at DreamMore resorts buffet, where the best feature was an ommelette bar where you could pick various veges and bits of ham, cheeses etc to mix in. So I took the day at quite a relaxed pace, doing all the coasters a few times again, and picking up a lap on the diminutive Sideshow Spin Coaster (whose claim to fame is that it used to be themed to the religious cartoon VeggieTales) I tried Daredevil Falls...same boats as wild west falls, but fairly conventional, with none of the backwards drops or turntables or airtime hills etc that MWs has. The top bit had a giant moving buzzsaw however, but otherwhise the theming was more just nice stuff to look at rather than story driven. Mountain slidewinder was awesome...Basically a water slide, but you ride in your street clothes in this 5 person inline boat that is made out of moulded foam rubber rather than the typical inflatables you might see. This allows it to twist and flex a bit, and pick up a fair bit of speed, so you bank high on the walls, and cop some decent splashes, and fear the whole time that you are going to tip over. A great gem. The Dollywood Express takes you up to the back end of the park, but there's not a lot to see in terms of unique views of the rides, other than the back of Thunderhead. They do some fun stuff like make jokes about the various bits of scenery and theming on the way out, like the "lemonade stand they made us shut down" (spoiler: it's a moonshine still) Some more from the rest of the park. This rapids looked a bit too wet for my mood at the time. Likewise, splash battles are cool, but very wet so nobody seems to ride them at any theme park. I had one of the fried chicken sandwiches. It's just a fillet like in a KFC burger, and bread, nothing else. Would have liked pickles at least, like the chicken sandwiches you get at Chick-Fil-A in the US. The skillet steak sandwich was nice too, but southern food is very heavy going considering how hot it is...While I'm here, and interesting fact about the park is the average staff age is over 60, and you see plenty of seniors working away dilligently...a contrast to the teenagers that staff most theme parks. I was two minds about this, on one hand its great they aren't discriminatory in their hiring. On the other hand its a bit of a reflection on the US that many older people cannot enjoy a relaxed retirement after a lifetime of working. The park is very pretty. I rounded out my 2nd day at the park with one last lap each on Wild Eagle, Mystery Mine, and closed out in the front row of Thunderhead. Overall, its an excellent park all around, with great theming, great rides, immaculate upkeep and a pleasant atmosphere. The coaster collection is pretty well rounded, and they have built a few in recent years....I'd love to see a major dark ride as their next addition. Everyone should try to visit this place if doing a US theme park trip!

"Hey guys, can I have the plans for the new roller coaster please?"

Me!! The 15th is my birthday aswell!

Just been a checked out some of the figures and the interaction with them is great and plenty of people were trying it out. They were having a couple of issues with the Joker and Harley Quinn set, but they were trying to fix it. The detailing for the characters is amazing. Great to see that they also painted all the side of the sound stage blue, and I hope they cover up the back of the bank with something that blends into the western area.

This is whats replacing dodgems area:

If you happen to have flashbacks or frequent wet dreams you will be happy to know Theme Parks a Go-Go now offers one-on-one counselling.

@Theme Park Ninja Are you ok? Reading his shit is worse than sticking needles in your eyes.

As DD becomes old news and more attention will be placed on the new coaster, I thought I would add this to the mix. I’ve linked the approvals together that have been confirmed. Red link is the new camping area. Blue link is DD but I did add a question mark to the early works of Ent precinct. I’m 99.999987 sure that this was part of DD. Toilet facility I believe is in the kid’s area. There is still no TopGolf approval shown but if you go to village web site you can see a contract has been signed and work is going to start next year. I don’t believe any of the approvals are for TopGolf also because all applications where lodged before contract signed. Hotel have no idea what is going on here or where it’s going. This leaves 2- “Roller Coaster” & “New attraction & lakeside precinct”. I think we have come to terms that the lakeside precinct is the swamp. (unless this is just me). Roller coaster has its own approval. This just leaves one. “New attraction” Considering roller coaster already had its own approval you wouldn’t lodge an 2nd approval 13 days’ latter for the same thing. This leaves me with 3 outcomes. 1. New attraction is TopGolf and MW where testing the water before signing any contract. 2. With all the excitement there is 1 more attractions that we have missed or do not know about yet. 3. I should go to bed earlier so when I wake up my mind does not think of crazy things.

Hey - don't short change the park map! As a kid I was obsessed with them. I remember when the internet first became a thing in the late 90's and the only thing I used it for was looking up overseas theme park websites and pouring over the park maps!

my contribution well done on hitting 900 points in reputation @Theme Park Girl

So whats the deal? I pay once and get a wristy for life or do I need to pay every time I want a wristy? Slightly regretting not accepting my invite, but it's a long drive and a short duration.

To further confuse things, I replied to the wrong thread. Wasn't agreeing with reanimated as I only received a text message, no call.

^ yep

Hahaha yeah, we all sat awkwardly there as we turned on the turntable.

Well there clearly is no land, they have admitted as much themselves. There were also rumbling a few months ago, albeit unconfirmed, that some of their major backers had cooled significantly on the project

Don't panic too hard just yet. When I went on my tour I received my text message a little later into the evening (around 8:30pm).

Did the VR again today, this time made sure the headset was tight. Maybe a bit too tight even, as it left slight imprints under my eyes after I took it off ? But I didn't want to experience any issues with it this time round. Definitely a mind blowing experience ?

Happy birthday for then, random citizen! I'm doing the star tour in the morning, then the terror tour in the afternoon on the 1st ? can't wait.

Haha.. That post on TPSN was stupid. It is still there, land is not the issue at all

Went on WWF this morning and was pretty impressed with all the extra detailing up into the ride. Some of the effects weren't working, and it felt like some of the timing was out. All the extra signage and TNT throughout the ride really added to it, and making the storyline make more sense. Old faithful has been pressure hosed too, looking much better now. The train scene was really good, but I feel like the trains whistle should be heard earlier, and the explosion sound should go off just as soon as you see the train, because the explosion sound went as we went past the scene. And the population of the town has increased to 167 now (if I remember correctly). Besides those couple of thing, well done to MW

Oh I'm fine, Ninjas can deal with any shit

I feel like this is something we should all get to see.

I had the same problem. It kind of ruined the second half of the ride for me as I was more focused on keeping the damn thing on my head! ? I thought I did it up pretty tight.. but obviously not haha so I definitely recommend putting it extra tight!

China’s richest man Wang Jianlin talks up Gold Coast and meets with Mayor Kathleen Skene, Gold Coast Bulletin an hour ago PLANS by China’s richest man to build a multi billion-dollar Gold Coast theme park have advanced, with the Wanda Group talking up the city at a major investment forum. Wang Jianlin, 61, worth an estimated $39 billion, gave a glowing endorsement of the Coast, citing it as his only example of a city which had prospered from tourism outside of China. “Its value was discovered more than 50 years ago, and investment began,” he told the forum in Xiamen this month. “A city gradually took shape and a booming new city emerged purely as a result of investment in tourism ... it is ranked among the ‘top 10 tourism destinations in the world’ for almost a decade, and has prospered a state.” Chairman of China's Wanda Group Wang Jianlin. Mayor Tom Tate, with wife Ruth, met with the billionaire this week for the third time but would not comment on specific projects discussed, saying it was “commercial in confidence for now”. “My role is to ensure he knows our city is open-for-business so this group chooses to invest in the Gold Coast, before considering anywhere else in Australia,” he said. “Mr Wang Jianlin is incredibly impressed about our hospitality and open-for-business approach. “He loves the Gold Coast and I am confident our partnership with this company will be for the long-term.” Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate meeting with China's richest man Wang Jianlin, chairman of Wanda Group The mayor is in China with his deputy Donna Gates and a host of business people, including high-end commercial property agent Roland Evans, who is negotiating the possible billion-dollar sale of a 6000ha property at Norwell where a masterplanned city and theme parks have been mooted. Mr Wang, whose Wanda Group is a partner of the billion-dollar Jewel project at Broadbeach, met with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last October to discuss plans for a major development on the Coast. Palaszczuk meeting with Wang Jianlin, Wanda Group Chairman, in Beijing Wanda Group general manager Xie Hong said at the time “it is Wanda’s intention to set a theme park up on the Gold Coast”. “This major project is still under negotiation with the State Government,” he said. A spokesman for Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the government was looking forward to working with Wanda towards new investments for the state. Wanda is the world’s largest owners of cinemas, sporting organisations, hotels, shopping centres and residential properties — but it has heavily invested in building theme parks in China in the past 12 months — including one in the country’s east worth $9.5 billion. http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/chinas-richest-man-wang-jianlin-talks-up-gold-coast-and-meets-with-mayor/news-story/c5c8126b4281bc5d3d57290a8ddfa2bb

Haha, sure did! You should have come and said hello! I don't bite ?? I also absolutely loved the VR experience, it blew my mind. I totally agree with the other comments about it. The experience is extremely immersive, the headsets block out all light from the outside, so all you see is what's happening inside. It also reacts to your movements, for example in the VR program you start off as a prisoner bound in an Asylum room, and if you turn your head to look in different directions, the same happens in the program. So you can look around at goings on around you at any time. If it weren't for recognising the routine of my favourite Coaster throughout the program (keeping in mind I have ridden it quite literally over 100x lol) then I would have forgotten I was on it. The program is very absorbing. My one and only issue is that after the first Corkscrew, the turbulence of AA made my headset feel like it had become a bit loose, so that distracted me away from the experience whilst I impulsively reached up to fix and tighten it. Whilst filling out the feedback forms afterwards, I heard a couple of other people mention they had the same issue. So next time I will have to make sure my headset is on extra tight, so it doesn't distract me away from the experience at all. Other than that, I absolutely loved it. It's a totally new experience, and I definitely think it's worth the $5 upcost it's rumoured to have soon. Cant recommend it enough ??

I thought it was about time I added a photo too. Yea maybe I should leave it to the professionals. Great photos guys and girls.

Some unedited phone shots from the other day just because. The wall doesn't look too bad either now.

You've got it round the wrong way - airtime is pretty much the result of negative G-force, ie being flung upwards out of your seat, as well as braking. Positive G-force is when you're being pushed into your seat, found mostly where the ride dips down and comes back up (or the opposite with regards to loops), as well as in launches. Another image for anyone who's interested/doesn't understand (the last two are to do with flying coasters so don't really matter in this scenario, but it's cool stuff to know): Absolutely amazing pics @Theme Park Girl, the poison ivy model is so detailed! Doomsday with lit-up eyes also looks superb.

I paid MW a brief visit today, too.

I can honestly say I rarely get wet on Rocky Hollow... And it might have a second drop, but Vikings Revenge has a Castle, and interesting stuff to look at throughout the ride... I mean you get to go under another roller coaster! We've discussed here ad nauseum about what each park has, does, and is about to do. The problem here is that regardless of how many flat rides Dreamworld installs, they will still be regarded poorly against ANY competitor who opens a roller coaster - regardless of how many flats were installed and how many rides weren't installed by either of them. We all know a coaster brings all the boys to the yard. It may not be what everyone wants, but go onto any park facebook page and ask the question of their followers and the majority will ask for a new coaster every. single. time. By not doing so, Dreamworld has chosen to play second fiddle. Whatever their reasons - whether it be because they're trying to refurbish other attractions (MW has done so whilst still almost concurrently building two new ones), reinvigorate the parks shops and facades (shit, MW has done that too - still while building two new rides back to back), or just holding out on spending more capital when you seriously just want someone else to buy the park from you so you can focus on your arcade business in another country because it delivers quicker returns for the investors (...THAT definitely does not sound like the strategy of a company operated by a bank...yeah got nothin here /sarcasm) What efforts they have done in the past few years are now about to be obliterated by a left-right hook combination delivered by the twin forces of Intamin and Mack. So long Dreamworld...

I don't see why people are trying to make other people change their opinion on which park is better. It's an opinion, everyone is entitled to their own, doesn't make it right or wrong.

I can only assume so! Either way I'm sure it's definitely something to look forward to ??

Will this do? Direct from my blog this morning.... OK sorry for being a bit delayed in posting up my Star Tour review! It's been a couple of hectic days for me to say the least... by the end of last night I was barely functioning after 4 hours' sleep, and had somewhat wrecked legs from the Arkham climb (still recovering!) ? Warning, this is going to be LONG!!! I've done my best to break down exactly what one can expect from doing the MW Star Tour, so peeps can weigh up if they wish to do it, and if it's something they would enjoy. It's a thorough review. I hope you guys enjoy reading it ?? *WB MOVIE WORLD VIP STAR TOUR REVIEW* OK, so to put it bluntly, the Star Tour is Amazing. Every little effort is made on Movie World's part to make you feel special, and you will get to experience many aspects of the park that no guest has previously done before. You start off your morning at 7.20am, where you drive into your VIP parking spot at the front of the park (you'll be contacted the evening before via SMS/email with directions on how to find this) and then meet up with other participants at the front gate. Here you will be met by your two bubbly and appropriately dressed Movie World tour guides, one of them being the "Director" who will be doing running commentary throughout the day. Everyone is checked in, personalised name badges are handed out, choices for morning tea and lunch are collected, and all participants are given small devices with earphones - an extra option which allows you to directly hear the Director's commentary at all times from anywhere in the group without loss of sound. I found this particularly useful during the Scooby Coaster area, but more about that soon ? Your tour immediately kicks off with your first of many back of house experiences- a strenuous climb up to the top of Arkham Asylum's lift hill, which was definitely the highlight of my day. Be warned, if you are not usually used to this sort of physical activity, you WILL have very sore legs by the end of the day! This is 178 stairs each way, and approximately 33 metres high. So it may not be suitable for those who have a fear of heights either, but don't stress if this is the case, as you will have the option to sit this part of the tour out if you don't feel comfortable doing it. I highly recommend it if you can do it though, because needless to say, the view from up there is absolutely breathtaking! You'll get a big talk about the backlot studios and other attractions in view, before a group photo is taken (no personal cameras allowed to be taken up) ☺️ After navigating back down, which is naturally a lot easier lol, you'll be whisked off to the Village Cafe to recover from your climb with a delicious morning tea, plus a private visit and photo opportunity with the Dark Knight & his Batmobile. We enjoyed fresh fruit & baked pastry/muffin platters with our hot drinks ordered earlier on, which were personally labelled and delivered to us ☺️ Next up, the Justice League track walk. Not only will you get to experience a full walk through of this ride in maintenance/lockout mode (ie. turned off but with house lights on) but you'll be allowed to photograph all the amazing dummies, props and technology used throughout the ride. If you're anything like me, you'll develop a new level of appreciation for the amount of work that has gone into this ride, given so much of its detail is hidden away in the dark and fog whilst it's in action. You'll also get to check out a couple of the ride's back of house areas, such as the storage garage, and 3D glasses sanitising area (but strictly no photos allowed here!) ? Back out into the park again, and it's a short walk over to the rear entrance of the Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster building, where inside you'll be able to witness (no photos allowed here either, just memories being created) the wild mouse coaster in action during its morning test run and learn more about its functionality. Seeing the ride's elevator in action from an outside perspective is quite a treat! You'll even be shown remnants of the classic Gremlins ride that once stood in its footprint. By this time the park will be beginning to open to the public, so you can expect to see regular park guests wandering around outside as you continue your special VIP Tour morning ☺️ Now usually the Star Tour features a visit to the Superman Escape rollercoaster at this stage. However with this particular ride being currently down for track painting, we were instead treated to a sit through of the Green Lantern rollercoaster going through its morning safety check procedures. This was followed by a visit down underneath into its maintenance bay to learn more about its trains, and more interesting ride and park facts. You'll also get to enjoy the very first ride of the day, once the safety checks are completed and she's good to go! This will conclude the back of house ride visits for the morning, however there is still a couple more places of interest to visit before lunch. Your tour group will be taken into the STARS building kitchen to be introduced to some of the busy kitchen staff, and taste test some of the lovely treats being cooked up. Get your sweet tooth on! Refreshments are also provided at this stop, and you'll be offered a treat or two to take home with you. Next, you'll be whisked down to the track of Stunt Driver 2, to check out the back of house areas and meet some of the talented drivers of the show. When the first Stunt Driver show of the morning begins shortly afterwards, a roped off VIP section of seating will be waiting for you and your tour buddies in the audience seating area, complete with cushy padded seats and a prompt visit from a mobiles attendant to deliver you a fresh cup of popcorn. Now this is watching the show in style ? After the show and just before heading off to lunch, the tour Director will take you up to the control room to meet the SFX staff and see the technology used during the Stunt Driver show. Now it's time for lunch at the Dirty Harry bar! A formally set table will be awaiting your arrival, and jugs of water and soft drinks delivered whilst your lunch of choice is freshly prepared. Expect a couple more exclusive special character visits in the meanwhile (in our case, it was Superman and Bugs Bunny!) and more photo opportunities. This concludes the tour part of the program, so memorabilia bags are handed out, and wristbands for both fast track rides and unlimited ride photos individually handed out. After lunch, you'll be briefly escorted to lockers to store your belongings whilst you enjoy these benefits at your own leisure for the rest of the afternoon, along with a VIP section reserved for the tour group at the 3.30pm parade. So that pretty much wraps up what to expect with the Star Tour! What made this experience so special for me was, as mentioned, how much trouble the park staff go to in order to make you feel special. You'll receive ongoing pampering thoughout the morning with lots of food & treats, and exclusive visits from park characters which will leave you genuinely feeling like a rock star. Picture this... walking down Movie World main street, nobody else around because the park is still closed to the public. It's just you, your tour group of 8, your two tour guides and private photographer. Then, as you're being led toward your morning tea table filled with delicious treats, a Cafe attendant comes out and personally delivers your custom ordered coffee with your name and a smiley on it. Whilst taking a sip of your yummy warm drink, you suddenly spot the Dark Knight rolling down the street in his Batmobile, purely to pay you and your group an exclusive visit. The wow factor here is 11/10... I kid you not ??? Being able to access restricted areas, being marched straight past the general public whilst they patiently wait in queues, well you can't help but feel special doing that as well ? The other highlight of the tour was the amount of information provided throughout. The Director will be giving ongoing talks about each ride and attraction, the ins and outs of everything, fun facts and even point out a few easter eggs around the park that you may have not noticed before! Any questions you have will be enthusiastically addressed and answered in the best way possible. They say you learn something new everyday, well you'll walk out of the park with a huge wad of new information after this experience. So much food is included, photos taken on the day are included, fast tracks & locker hire is included. You literally will not have to pay a cent for this tour other than the initial booking cost, so leave your wallet at home for the day. Overall, I thought this tour was nothing short speculacular, and worth every cent. The added bonus of attending the first ever one for us was that we had the park manager, Mr. Greg Yong himself, tag along for much of our journey, which was a lovely surprise! And he was happy to chat and answer any and all questions as well. So, overall, to wrap things up, I highly recommend this experience. The only downside now is that the bar has been set high for future park visits, it's not going to feel the same again having to visit as a regular guest! ? But in my opinion, it's totally worth it and a dream come true experience for any park enthusiasts or Movie World fans out there. Trust me, you'll bloody love it. A massive thumbs up from me, well done to the MW team for coming up with such an amazing new guest experience ????❤️

Yea I am we can go together and we can jerk each other off on the way there.