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Why does he need to be attacked? If there's such an issue with his post (which there isn't), then just ignore it and move on. You don't need to bully him about it.

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I managed to get a visit in yesterday and finally got to ride this after the re-fit. To be honest, I didn't think it was great, but I also don't think it is quite as bad as some here have made it out to be. MickeyD's review was fairly accurate, although for my ride everything seemed to be timed and synchronised as intended. The green-screen effect was technically working well, but it just missed the mark for immersion that I think they were hoping for. There was also smoke in the Disco Room with some lighting effects that put beams of light directly in front of us on the track. It looked like there was a white pole in the middle of the track we were about to hit, so that was kinda fun. (To be fair, I think it was a mis-aligned light, but I hope they keep it this way). Generally though, the ride is far too bright - both the projection and the lighting. All of the hidden dips and turns in the track are now clearly visible, so there are no surprises in the physical sensation of the ride. This means that the ride relies 100% on the effects and projections to create surprise and suspense, and for this reason the ride largely fails to deliver. One thing I will say though, is that I rode with a first-time rider. While he wasn't that impressed with the TV screens in the elevator, they did succeed in preventing him from realising that it was an elevator, which made the backward drop more of a surprise. So, there's a small consolation. The final room with the projections seemed kind of pointless, and you can see the frozen image waiting to animate before you enter. To be honest, I don't think anyone is going to understand the scrappy-doo/monsters/spooky island story enough to know what the hell this is supposed to be. I've seen the film and I don't even get it. Why introduce new story elements in the elevator with Scrappy that never get paid off at the end of the ride? Did I miss something? The queue is also kind of disappointing. The fountain was working, but the removal of the walls and gargoyle statues means there isn't much to look at. The knights no longer turn their heads (although it's been that way for a while), but it is those kinds of spooky surprises that should make this ride great. Keeping the castle walls and using projection mapping to introduce ghosts/monsters scratching at windows or climbing across the stones would have been a great addition here. Projectors work well in JL because the ride is interactive and respond to you shooting at them. The 3D glasses also dim the brightness and saturation. They don't really work well on SDSC though, and some well crafted, basic animatronics with strobe lighting would have probably been more fitting. This ride was definitely better suited to low-tech, rather than high-tech effects. I think there is room for improvement, but I'm not really convinced that VRTP will make any additional changes. Everything seemed like it was working exactly as they intended during my ride yesterday. Maybe with time, the brightness of the lights and projector bulbs will naturally dim to better level. Generally everything is just so heavy-handed and trying too hard to impress with high-tech effects. Hopefully as the current effects start to wear out, they will just replace them with some good old-fashioned practical props and mirrors. While the ride isn't a complete disaster, I do agree with the general consensus here that the ride has lost most of it's charm and mystery. Sometimes, less is more.

Operating hours have been changed again, many rides have reverted back to 10-5 for weekends, weekdays however are still a mess.

Finally got to ride and HOLY SHITBALLS what an absolute Doggy's breakfast!! Wow seriously MW, way to go with this one! A pile of cash successfully wasted in taking the Park's best themed 'experience' ride and turned into a very poorly constructed joke. Was this Political Revenge of an outgoing Employee left in charge before being shown the door? After all the time closed and the loading area still hasnt been cleaned up. That Jester character has been sitting up there since the ride opened decades ago and shoulders are blackenned from dust. Same with the Chandeliers which are filthy - not "themeing" filthy, there is a difference. The "yikes! Monsters" Scooby at the first turn is back and as terrible animatronic as ever and automatic door into the ride still remains broken. Next, the two screens ahead right corner, other than rubbish animation, contrast is far too bright. The shape of the screens themselves being basic square shape with no attempt to blend with the environment. Seriously, what were they thinking? Lighting around the swinging blade scene (and all throughout the ride) is just too bright which shows everyrhing off too much. The ride should be dark and spooky. Animations throughout the Ghost train part of the ride moving too slowly and generally out of sync from the ride cars. Green screen effect is a good idea but as soon as the monsters appeared, we disappeared, turning into blackened shadows. It was probably too hard to do the Scrappy-doo scene in the lift with projection mapping so monitors were the choice. I get what they are trying to do here but again it was just so poorly done. A 4 year old riding would recognise them as TV screens. Not the case on the Hogwarts Express ride at Universal in Florida, so if executed properly it can be effective. Not sure what my expectations were for the mirror turntable room but my reaction (and all others around me) was... huh? No lights or smoke in the disco room as others have reported - just the runway lights along the 2 drops, which must have been expensive despite offering nothing to enhance the ride's experience! I like how the car stops for the mirror ball finale. Again, 2 square screens and shithouse animation, the ride is left finishing with a whimper rather than a bang. Just before pulling up at unload, howsabout putting the rider's photo up rather than more shithouse animation on a home TV sized monitor? I just don't understand the mess that has been made with this ride. No projection mapping anywhere (As promised) and a senseless over use of TV screens and ineffective lighting throughout. A complete waste of money given the same ride filled with little more than fog and pretty flashing lights would've be Infinitely better.

Weekend update: Went to LPS again to check on the Volare, thinking not much progress had been made. But, low and behold...

But it'll already be open so those who have got time off or travel interstate will be going up regardless...

@Gold Coast Amusement Force My sincere apologies. My comment was misguided and rude. Tbh I actually had you confused with someone else which is entirely my fault for not paying enough attention, and you didn’t deserve my comment or reaction. I’ve retracted & deleted my comment, it remains in your quote box which is fine, I own the error and will be more careful & considerate moving forward.

Yeah but everyone young or old likes rides that are operating. Dreamworld can't provide that st the moment, they have a better kids area than the other parks but for a family the park is obsolete.

The pathetic replacement ride sign and turned off fountain as you enter the ride queue really sets the tone for what they have done.

That's kinda the point of soft opens though.

Well I wouldn’t open it now. I’d wait until April holidays. If they soft opened today, the queue wouldn’t even be half an hour.

Why are you apologising? I'm only asking what makes the silt fence interesting to you. It's no different from me saying @Jdude95 hairstyle is interesting and you saying, why do you find a perm interesting?

There’s a different between the source of a photo and the source of where an amphitheater is going at Dreamworld. I’ve said no bullshit on this forum thanks brad. If you’d like to start quoting bs I’ve said in the past that’s isnt true go ahead. I’ve got no history of writing bs. Got to love the ‘friendly and helpful attitude that is expect at all times’. Seriously, this forum is ridiculous at this point. Never seen a forum so hostile and it’s about bloody theme parks.

retracted. Rude and unnecessary, and misguided

I’d like to formerly apologise for expressing my viewpoint towards this photo.

Probably because an experienced theme park CEO wouldn’t want to go near Ardent/DW knowing the lack of investment/resources, the negative public perception and the mountain in front in terms of timeframe to begin to move forwards. They’d rather keep their rep in tact that be associated with a disfunction parent company who invariable control his/her ability to do the job right.

I finally got a ride on SDSC over the weekend and I'm lost for words. It makes one think MW purchased some tv's from JB, went to Tafe Queensland and employed the first pimple face kid doing a certificate in Graphic Design.

I would rather get a delay than something like sdsc next gen.

You guys think it's thriving? I have both passes and can assure you Dreamworld is a ghost town. My 4 year old son would rather go to Movie world than there. I live 5 mins away and pass it 3-4 times a day. I personally believe it's the end for the park, SV can't bring it back, a decent coaster maybe, but I believe this ride was the wrong move.

Yes it would but it would be smarter to open it during the holidays because that’s when people have got time off and can pay more attention to things like sv rather than work comitmements e.t.c.