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Showing content with the highest reputation on 15/04/19 in all areas

  1. Sky Voyager Ride Express line now up - also PSA engineering are working on it. Locker Hire got a repaint and the tiles in the toilets were cleaned. Cosentino stand in the Dreamworld Emporium. Gates installed at the entrance of the park. The train is being worked on to the left of Buzzsaw. Crowds were good at Dreamworld today with even the rides being occupied. Sometimes people aren’t riding but are just there for Cosentino, but that wasn’t the case. The ride lines were good. Everything was running and I think they’ve really mastered peak and off peak periods. When the park is dead, a lot of things around Dreamworld are turned off. Today with good crowds, most rides were running, all the fountains were working and I couldn’t identify any cost cutting measurements. Only complaint is Buzzsaw is still unreliable and was shut for the day (while I was at the park). Other than that minor inconvenience and of course the train which comes out of maintenance next month, the park is running well.
    5 points
  2. Unless I’m mistaken, I believe several of MW’s hand driers are some of the last opening day attractions left.
    3 points
  3. Why would somebody in a queue care there hasn't been a queue for many months? That’s like saying people in a traffic jam shouldn’t complain or care because the road was empty at 1am.
    3 points
  4. I say it says my wife won't iron my shirts. As I sit here at work in a polo shirt.
    2 points
  5. Tony is a great man. A hard taskmaster but he taught me a lot. He has told amazing stories over the years I was privileged to work with him. He was operating the carousel in Darling Harbour for a while (before this article was originally published) but it is great to know he returned to LPS.
    1 point
  6. Of course, I was joking!
    1 point
  7. You know it's bad when we're praising them for just keeping their toilets clean
    1 point
  8. Is the floor still free?
    1 point
  9. ...sooo, when's the Orphan Rocker opening then?
    1 point
  10. I'll say it once and say it again - the red tape thing is utter garbage. If they weren't renting trashy rides as a stop-gap solution to avoiding spending much need capex they wouldn't have this problem in the first place.
    1 point
  11. If you did Shanghai you could also visit Happy Valley, which is on the Metro. They've got a Dive Machine, an Intamin Megalite, a B&M Family Coaster and a woodie, among other things.
    1 point
  12. Hahaha yeah I remember that guy!!! Obsessed isnt the word!!! It was unhealthy!! Yeah thanks @djrappa, you are absolutely right. I had meant to post originally that the actions of the guy in the video are not exactly legal- if you view the video there are several instances of trespass which cannot be ignored. Please dont take this as any way shape or form that anyone on these boards condones such actions- play it safe people!
    1 point
  13. Shanghai is inherently more challenging to visit with it being main land China and all that goes with that including language. Just something to think about.
    1 point
  14. Here is a great article on Tony Maloney ,from late last year. He is currently serving as the chief ride mechanic and Maloney's Corner was eponymously named after him. Luna Park mechanic who knows every nut and bolt still on the job JANET FIFE-YEOMANS, The Daily Telegraph November 17, 2018 12:00am Living in Sydney has been a merry-go-round for Tony Maloney. The 71-year-old started working at Luna Park as a wide-eyed 13-year-old and he is still there. He literally knows every nut and bolt of the heritage-listed fun park, having numbered, dismantled, removed, refurbished and then rebuilt every ride twice, in 1993 and 2000. After keeping the park safe for generations, the master mechanic tried to retire a few years ago but couldn’t leave the magic behind. Tony Maloney checks up on a merry-go-round. Picture: Justin Lloyd After a few weeks away from the fun park that has been his life, he was on the phone to the park’s managing director Peter Hearne. “I rang Peter, who said ‘why don’t you come back two or three days a week’,” Mr Maloney said. He has been on every ride in the park countless times but Mr Maloney remains a rollercoaster tragic and looks back with nostalgia on the days of Luna Park’s wooden rollercoaster, its original Big Dipper. “We used to have to walk the whole ride every hour because the rails would move,” he said yesterday. Tony Maloney is the longest-serving employee at the park. Picture: Justin Lloyd There was a narrow boardwalk the mechanics used while the trains were going — and for the record there were three carriages carrying up to 72 people at a time. Mr Maloney has since ridden some of the world’s biggest rollercoasters but nothing can scare him. “I love coasters, it’s the adrenaline rush,” he said. The 83-year-old park has had its own rollercoaster of a history. It closed after the fatal Ghost Train fire in 1979, opening again in 1982 only to close again and reopen in 2004. Mr Maloney wasn’t at work the night that a father, his two sons and six school students died when fire destroyed the wooden Ghost Train building, but he still felt the impact of the tragedy. Firemen battle the blaze at the Ghost Train ride on a tragic night in 1979. Luna Park’s Ghost Train building as it appeared in the 1940s. Inquests have since failed to determine a cause, ruling out an electrical fault and reports of arson and finding that, on that night, there was no attendant patrolling inside the building “in case of fire” as had been the practice. Mr Maloney grew up in Milsons Point, not far from Luna Park, and his grandfather drove the steam trains that dropped off passengers to catch ferries before the bridge was built. He remembers when huge queues waited to get into the park and the first 500 kids into the park got a bag of lollies and free tickets to four rides. “We used to go swimming in the morning and then to the park to spend Saturday afternoon and it was fantastic,” he said. The dance hall and bandstand from the 1940s at Sydney’s famous attraction. Sliding thrills at Luna Park in the 1950s. Luna Park Udrive and Coney Island kept them queueing in the 1960s. He was almost a “Luna Park baby”, following his parents Joan and Alan Maloney working on sideshows such as Hoopla and the Laughing Clowns from the age of 13. He started full-time as a fitter in 1961. Mr Maloney met his wife, Wendy, when she worked as secretary to Ted Hopkins, the showman who transported the original Luna Park rides from a failed amusement park in Glenelg in South Australia to the former bridge work yards. The couple’s three children worked at the park and there is even one site, Maloney’s Corner, named after Tony. The original face was painted by artist Rupert Brown around 1935. The park’s fifth face, designed by artist Arthur Barton, circa 1950. The face of Luna Park catches a ride during a 2001 re-fit. Children ride the Wild Mouse after the 2004 re-opening. NSW / Amusement Centre Lefties make about as much sense as a goose’s Mr Maloney knows all the tricks and secrets that make the rides a thrill but his “baby” is the Wild Mouse rollercoaster, which arrived the year before he did. For years he took it to pieces and rebuilt it at the Easter Show, when the show was held at Moore Park to the background of singing by three brothers better known as the Bee Gees. Mr Maloney has overseen all types of dismantling, such as this one in 2003. Picture: Scott Hornby Jordan Stenmark and Dancing With The Stars partner Jessica Prince went on Luna Park rides for Jordan to overcome dizziness. Katy Perry tries a Luna Park dodgem. Night-time magic at the timeless fun park. Mr Maloney loves hearing customers come back and reminisce. Picture: Justin Lloyd He even took the Wild Mouse up to Brisbane and on a train over the Nullarbor to Perth. Mr Maloney is unashamed about his love of the whimsical amusement park and even its old daggy rides such as the River Caves and Noah’s Ark. “I love seeing people coming back. They go on the slippery dips and swear the slides were much higher and longer when they were kids,” he said. Now required to get development approval for new rides, the park is lining up some Christmas specials including the Power Surge and the Wave Swinger, which have a perfect spot in Maloney’s Corner." What a great article on such a living treasure as Tony. His memories and experiences for the park are priceless and I am sure he could tell some great stories!! Characters like these are now found few and far between- its great to see LPS still utilise his experience and expertise in operations. What a great poster child for the older generation still working and contributing significantly to society. Here is another very interesting article that shows the worth of the amusement park to the local economy. Dating from late last year, it was published in the height of the DA application standoff with the state government that has since been resolved in the parks favour. Luna Park worth $683m to economy over five years NEW data has revealed the massive worth of Luna Park to Sydney’s economy as the iconic harbourside attraction faces as uncertain future. Independent research estimates Luna Park will contribute $120.6 million to the Harbour City’s economy this year and $683.4 million over the next five years. Sydney Business Chamber executive director Patricia Forsythe said the embattled park was more than just a place for fun rides and fairy floss. Sydney Business Chamber’s executive director Patricia Forsythe. “It also employs about 1000 people a year in a wide range of positions including in the amusement park, catering staff functions and events roles,” Ms Forsythe said. “It actually plays a big role around business events. From a business point of view, we’d be lost without the sort of space it has to host the large corporate events for thousands of delegates.” The latest data on the park’s economic impact follows a recent Land and Environment Court ruling which threatens the long-term viability of the attraction. Luna Park, a harbourside institution since 1935 which attracts a million thrillseekers each year, will now have to seek lengthy planning approvals for every new and moved ride and attraction as local residents gain a greater say in the process. Luna Park is a big money spinner for Sydney’s economy. Ms Forsythe this week reinforced the concerns of the park’s operators where it could get caught up in red tape. “Luna Park plays a really important role in the overall Sydney visitor economy,” he said. “It has been there, dare I say it, longer than almost any local resident. Too many people take it for granted. “It already conforms to standards that have been developed with the neighbourhood in mind (since it reopened in 2004). This was a way to respond to residents’ concerns. “The park is too important, and the NSW government has got to resolve this issue as soon as possible.”
    1 point
  15. The uniqueness of it is what makes it popular. It’s every second weekend it loses its appeal, especially during winter. It also can’t happen at the expense of day trade. Summer holidays, sure stay open until 10 every week, but many of us have been calling for late trade during summer at all the parks for years
    1 point
  16. Couple of quick updates- today marks 15 years that Luna Park Sydney reopened in 2004 after having Big Dipper removed and a very doubtful future. 15 years is a great achievement and has gone very quickly. Now we are in 2019 and we have seen the start of a ride reinvestment program that should see the park grow and update to be bigger and better than ever! With the success of Volare, we are all excited to see what the next 5 years brings for LPS. Its great to see a historical amusement park like LPS not only survive but now begin to thrive! From all of us here at Parkz, we all share in the celebration of this achievement and hope for continued success for the park! The next update is a little older in scope but it has not been mentioned before on the boards. Belated congratulations to LPS for winning an award at the Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia for Best New Initiative Large Scale Venue. This award celebrates the hard work and excellence that LPS brings to their functions and venues and it remains a highly sought after venue location. It also highlights the importance that the Big Top, Crystal Palace and Lavender Green outdoor event space is to the overall continuing successful operations at Luna Park Sydney. Its this successful reinvention to a historical amusement park and mixed multi purpose function/venue centre that has been integral to LPS firstly weathering the storm of resident and noise disputes and now thriving over the last 15 years!! Great job!
    1 point
  17. I find it very odd how people behave. For many months there's rarely been any significant queue for any rides at Dreamworld, obviously because a lot of people chose not to visit the park. Now there's a night event, it's popular, so there's queues, and people complain! I just don't get it! (Yes, AlexB, I am aware that explains a lot to you).
    0 points
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