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After quite some time without any updates, the project seems to have suddenly been approved with work on the waterpark hoping to go ahead within the next year or so! Here’s one of several articles talking about the move: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/property/huge-water-park-with-surf-waves-water-slide-rides-approved-for-dingley-village-in-melbourne/news-story/22f20f81c8464044b501b6dd0d6299c0?amp&nk=8e48dfe1ab68633a4ec6a0ea482d3b9a-1717445528#

So we're just about to head home from a trip to the UK to see family and, while we were there, do some theme parks - old and new. This will just be a relatively short summary of all the parks because, basically, I can't be arsed. In our party are me, my wife, and three sons (10, 6, and 3). So without further ado... Blackpool Pleasure Beach I used to live just down the road from here. Well, a few towns down the road, so about six miles. That's just down the road in Aussie terms. I always disliked the park growing up as the general consensus is that it was full of scrotes. My wife however quite enjoyed it and we went regularly, and I grew to quite enjoy it too. We quickly found that prices in the UK have become seriously shitty, especially in comparison to Australia. For a lot of things, just replace the $ sign with the £ sign and you've got UK prices, except with a crap exchange rate. Entry to BPB (or whatever they're calling it now) was in the region of £150 for the day for us all, and the park was only open 10-4. Annoyingly, as well as having bag checks and metal detectors when entering the park, every person has to "check in" to every ride, individually, using the Pleasure Beach app. Lots of people hated this, but we printed the QR codes out and used them. The rides - Icon was my favourite, a launched coaster that lasts a while, does a fair bit, and stays close to the ground. The Big One, the highest in the UK until very recently, is the best way to see the park as it winds over, under, and through a lot of attractions. Infusion is a suspended coaster which is full of elements, unfortunately not as smooth as it once was (my head was getting pinged about like nobody's business). Revolution is Revolution - a loop, which you go through forwards, and then backwards, but with excellent g-forces. I didn't get on Avalanche as I was taking smaller kids on rides, but I recall it as "good". And I daren't ride Steeplechase again as last time my legs were killing me. In terms of old wooden coasters, we did the Blue Flyer with all the kids - out youngest seemed to enjoy it but we're not sure as he didn't want to do any more coasters. Big Dipper was fun but one us aged folk definitely want to hang on for. Nickelodeon Streak - didn't get on that, and same with Grand National. But we've been on them before and know they're good fun, and towards the end EVERYONE makes a beeline for the Grand Nash. The park does have a lot of other rides - it puts a lot of other parks to shame in terms of amount and variety. There's a lot for the kids, and highlights were the carousel (not the huge one) where the attendant was very accommodating to the kids, the SpongeBob bus thing, and the old spaceships and the Eddie Stobart trucks. My wife and eldest son also went on Valhalla and said it was great but lacked the backwards bit which has just been replaced by a turntable, you get better than ever and was a bit overly dark rather than having as many effects as before. The park felt... worn. This was usually our favourite park but there was barely anybody about and most things were a short wait, if that. The park is actually in the middle of a bit of a rubbish housing estate with a road running under it, and the very grey sea just outside and biting winds. Lunch was handled by Burger King (which seemed to pale by comparison to HJs), and for tea we couldn't resist a proper chippy with gravy or curry sauce from a place outside. Blackpool was a bit of a letdown, which is odd as normally we come back and do the park at least twice - this time we only go into the park once, though we do come back to visit relatives and stop by the gift shop (we bought far too much). It's also a shame that Wild Mouse is gone, and the Grand Prix on its way out. Noah's Ark stands over the entrance, and River Caves was closed. We didn't have time to do Alice, and Ghost Train probably would have scared our middle child. In any case, on to... Alton Towers So we decided to get Merlin passes, they're pretty good value. Alton Towers was always a park we never thought much of - the rides seemed short, the place is big, the queues long, and the park just seemed a bit "up themselves". But no, we have the passed and we're determined to do AT twice to get round everything, and we're very glad we did. Hidden in the countryside, AT is both a theme park (with water park, hotel etc) and an old stately home. Since it is set in the grounds of the old home it can be a distance to get from ride to ride, and there's lots of things that you can find and hidden areas. I'm pretty certain we didn't go everywhere in the park on our two visits. Starting off, for both days we went shortly before half term and on a weekday, meaning queues shouldn't be big. And they weren't, with most rides a short wait or a walk-on. Parent swap was used quite often, and we got on just about every coaster on our first day, as well as a few things for the kids. Our second day was just Galactica (which was closed on our first day) and stuff for the kids. So, in any case, coasters first. Wicker Man was the main one I wanted to go on, this being the only coaster there I hadn't done before. Really enjoyed it, some great airtime and it wasn't too short - though wasn't too long either. Smiler was our favourite, for both my wife and I and our 10 year old. As well as all the inversions, it actually managed to space them out so it's not just "element after element after element". Unfortunately the song will haunt your dreams. Galactica is an alright flying coaster, but too short, while Nemesis - or Nemesis Reborn - is probably the most famous coaster in the UK, and a nice tight little SLC famously built under ground level due to local planning laws. I found it alright, but nothing special. Others - Oblivion I didn't go on, but from memory it's "alright", and the same can be said for Rita (though in the rain the launch feels like hail) and Thirteen with its track drop, and that's it. The Mine Train though was good fun, a powered family-friendly coaster which did a fair number of laps, and intersects the river rapids course - so passengers of both rides would wave at each other. In terms of kids stuff, our youngest loves Hey Duggee, so he was well at home in the giant Hey Duggee playpark. There was plenty more there for them, and he seemed to want to just go round the Night Garden boat ride. Our eldest enjoyed the David Walliams bit and our middle the driving school. I'm not sure whether AT is my favourite on the trip or not. Smiler is definitely my favourite coaster (though Wicker Man could be second). Our first day was pretty wet throughout, and our second fortunately a lot nicer. The park, at that time (I remember queues there on previous visits for Air being 45 minutes or more in the pouring rain) was very pleasant, and I'm actually a bit sad we didn't have time to go round the house and gardens much. It was the only park we went back to fir a second day, but also the only park we felt we needed to - it, and all the other parks (apart from BPB) were open 10-5. Forgot to mention, the Rollercoaster Restaurant was pretty good. Food prices were okay and the portions good, but it comes to you on a rollercoaster track which was pretty fun to watch. I will get round to summaries of the other parks soon.

Last week i visited Melbourne from Sydney for Furiosa in IMAX reasons, and while i was down there, i went and did 3 experiences: Melbourne Zoo, Monopoly Dreams, and Harry Potter A Forbidden Forest Experience. So i figured i'd roll the 3 TR into 1 since much of my trip was picture light, but video heavy. I've only got 1 video up so far of this trip, and it's HP. For those curious about some of the things here im 10 second tours on everything where you can find much of the videos when they go up after my Vivid stuff. Melbourne Zoo: 2 words- Holy fucking shit. Now, i havnt been to Disney, but i have spent a considerable amount of time in the parks thanks to VR, and i must say, 3 1/2 of the parks areas feel like they're up there, if not higher. Especially when compared to AK. I entered from the main gate and not the rail gate, and was advised by the clerk to go clockwise, so i did. First up is Gorilla Rainforest. You enter into these hatched gumnut style domes with airlocks into a fully free roam lemurs everywhere. And i mean free roam in every sense. They can go where they want, including over your toes. After you exit, the trail makes it's way around a Gorilla exhibit that you weave towards and away from. Theres several "thematic education points" scattered around the trails that really bring the themes together. In here, i believe there was 1 and it was themed to a ranger station overlooking the exhibit. The other thing that really sells the theme is tree density and how well its used to obscure the sightlines, see below. You can barely see the back of house areas, let alone the path thats right next to you. around half way through the trail, you'll find treetop apes and monkeys. This is an elevated viewing area that can be described as part Viet Nam, part Seal Harbour and part DW Nocturnal House. It's outside, but it still manages to sell the theme. Eventually you see the Gorilla/s and the trail ends. Trail of the Elephants uses much of the same tree usage, but more and better building use. You pass through a wetlands aviary, and a rainforest aviary which arent really much to write home about unless long-legged waders and eclectus parrots get you really exited. Once you get past the tigers though, thats when shit gets good. There is a very heavy amount of Thailand theming here, and the whole back area is guest paths and elephant paths occupying the same space like a railroad crossing. You first come up to paddock 1, then go through the butterfly house with it's Nimbin looking entrance and Lord Howe Phasmid exit (no, it's not on display). After that you find yourself in an open area with an eatery, function centre and gift shop when youre only half way through the trail. I honestly think thats the best bit as it helps to sell the area more as being in the middle of the Asian jungle. The northern section of this space houses a pavillion with windows to watch the keepers feed and interact with all the Elephants, akin to tarongas space, but bigger and with glass. Next you dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge your way through 3 other elephant exhibits and eventually find yourself infront of the Siamangs and Orangutans. While their education space wasnt open, the building itself is impressive. After that is the Australian Bush. After circling around a Koala and Quokka, you find yourself infront of one of the coolest Aviary's ive ever seen. It's entrance is a giant dome like Rockhampton zoo's, and then has a long bit off the side like Jurassic Park. After that is where this area becomes the aforementioned 1/2. You pass by Echidna's and other staples like Lace Monitors and Potoroos and into a cave made to look like a wombat cave. Then you get all the flavours of the Coat Of Arms and a toilet themed play area thats weird enough to make the Rabbids happy. The next area of note is Lion Gorge which is where you'll find most of the predators. An education room in this area will give you another angle of the Lions, aswell as a python and some Archer Fish. After passing the Binturong (the bearcats that smell like popcorn) you go through a tunnel and find yourself infront of the Snow Lepard exhibit which really looks like Canada and other alpine cold places. Now between here and the Tigers is a mostly themed suburban alleyway which i think is supposed to tell people to put their cats inside. The Tigers area looks like a bush outpost which gave me Ghost Recon Breakpoint vibes. The Devils are found here and have an interesting tunnel mural entry. It was around this area that i noticed the zoo doing something smart and playing with the areas density with sounds attached to laser sensors, as seen below. Throughout the place lies bush tracks you can take that go around a couple of trees and then back to the path you were on, and this one near the tigers had a tiger cutout on a speaker, angled to hide itself from the path provided you went the right way. I guess it's trying to tell you to always watch your back in these areas. Time for the fish in Wild Seas. You travel down a path thats made to look like going under a degrading pier. After seeing some Shovel noses and Port Jacksons, you enter into a massive building with your underwater viewing for the Seals and Penguins. Making your way to the top you pass a number of small tanks with thing like Seahorses and whatnot before coming to the top where you have the above water areas for the Seals and Penguins. The places i'd suggest the zoo fix is the eatery (too many seagulls) and to put in a nocturnal house. Any chance to stare at a Ghost Bat, Owl or Glider i will take. This is where the pictures run out Monopoly Dreams: So i was curious how this would be done and had even forgot about it until i saw the flier in my hotels lobby. But basically, you go for a trip around a Monopoly board in a walkthrough attraction. Entering the foyer, everything is deep red. Walls, floors roof and carpet. Everything. After spending 5 minutes getting given a buch of barcodes to maximise your journey around Monopoly City, you leave the foyer and take an elevator up to Mr Monopoly's (MM) office where you get to meet him (via screen). It's a nice abeit small area. Place is littered with pictures of Scottie (the dog game piece), some nice pepers ghost boxes of things like MM stepping out of his mansion. Theres also a large TV looping security footage of the building. Once you're done there, you come into a small museum space with heaps of old sets from aound the world and other Monopoly propaganda. Theres also screens with a quiz to tell you which game piece you are. After this is MM's vault. Take pictures with his gold, or play some games to earn discounts in the gift shop. This is also where you can queue and watch the 4DX experience. Honestly, the screen here isn't big enough to mentally sell the idea that you're taking a city circle tram around Monopoly City. From here, you have absolute free roam of MC where you can work for more discounts, take pictures, try to win a plush bank note, or do the only thing that wont get you a discount. You can see MM, Scottie and even his Helicopter. Play minigames in the electric and water companies, take pictures behind bars, and play carnival games with a weird play system. One thing i really admire about the carnival games though, is the storage area for the extra stock is themed to a shop front complete with interior. The only other part of the experience left is to get a randomly generated mortgage card. I got the Queen Victoria Market. you can choose whether you want it to be a house or hotel i think, then you punch in your name, and it prints onto a 5x7. Then right next to it is a stamping thing so you can make the printed wax seal look raised. Then you have the gift shop. The experience has its own set. Harry Potter A Forbidden Forest Experience: It's Bush Vivid. Down in Mornington youll find this activation. Esentially you pay a stupid amount of money, and enter a small village with your food and drink venues like Butterbeer and Turkey Legs. Then you enter a preliminary gift shop with fuck all in it, then exit and walk to the bottom of the hill you just spent $30 to park at the top of. it's at the bottom your presented with this marvel It's huge. And you enter it to Hedwig's Theme. You start walking up the hill a bit to the sounds of clips from a few of the movies, with lights to match (ie umbridge is pink). Eventually you'll come across a 1:1 Fang and Hagrid, although Hagrids looking away from you. Up the path a bit more is your first interactive element where you can bow to Buckbeak. Bit further you can see some Unicorns (screen), Nagini and/or the Basilisk (vinyl wrap on a tree) or Harry himself scaring off a Death Eater with his Patronus (practical effect). Rounding the corner is the first spell you can cast. I must say they pulled it off quite well, but it doesnt show in camera as well. You point a wand into the bushland, yell some words, and a random patronus appears via the magic of a clear screen and laser projector. Anyone whose done Pottermore, no you cant cast your own one. So instead of getting my Boar, i did get to cast a Panther, complete with the cheesy sound effect. Just past here is a Butterbeer stand, a soundbite of Luna saying shes not absolutely batshit crazy (she is), and signs saying to watch out for Nifflers. Theres an animatronic Troll that opens its eyes when you press the Idiot Proof BUTTON to ring the bell. It does not ring how you think it does. Trust me, im a Ravenclaw. You even get to come face to face with Aragog (not Aragon. wrong franchise) and his kids, aswell as the weasleys enchanted shitbox. After a few more spells, you emerge at the other gift shop. Prices are as high as expected. If you fit into Slythern or Ravenclaw, i suggest not getting your Potterganda from here as it's the wrong shade of green and blue. The highlight of the gift shop though other than the plush nifflers, is the $85 (i think) snowglobe of the thing above. My only other grievances are things closing early, and the Voldemort sounds every 30 or so minutes. It's cool that every light goes white and every single speaker plays in unison, but it just drags on for longer than it should.

More delusion. https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/open-for-business-victorian-mp-david-limbricks-call-to-tourism-minister-as-plans-for-aussie-disneyland-revealed/news-story/0f2f2c7f0d8ec97916b1e66f24e48081

Oh noooo, it's so disappointing! I was really looking forward to this as I love Splash Mountain and I felt like the bayou theme and all the critters could work well. But I agree with most of the comments from the OP. The 'story' is clearly far too weak and has too few elements to be able to stretch throughout a ride of this length. And it really does feel like it's designed for 5-year-olds with the way Tianna talks to the riders and keeps repeating the same stuff over and over. The animatronics in splash were always so well done and there were so many of them. Now it looks like all of the money has been spent on a few AAA+ animatronics, to the detriment of everything else. The critters have less movement/animation than the original splash characters. The whole overlay just feels like it doesn't suit the exisiting mountain and ride layout at all. Super disappointing from the imagineers this time. Probably a budget issue but also a big miss on the story and creative front. Damn

I was at Taronga on Tuesday prior to Vivid trying to work out where it compares to Melbourne. Tiger Trek is probably the best they have on offer because Africa has too much dead space. Atleast MZ theme their dead space with something cool, like the alleyway i mentioned. Backyard to bush also achieves its goal really well, and the Bilby exhibit is the star of the nocturnal house. But Melbourne has to win here. Also HP:FF i forgot to mention, has a great amount of subtle detail. The werewolf scene? The lights also have ears. Did you notice the 2 rats? 1 is missing a finger. The troll bell? the idiot proof button looks like a bike bell and is attached to handlebars (thats what tripped me up). I got into the zoo for free thanks to my taronga annual pass, but id say yes. 9/10 Monopoly, for what it is, is great even if it is a weird sell. But i would do it again. 8/10 HP. value? absolutlely not. I went after 915 when its cheaper and i still say it's too much. $60 tops is what it should be. I paid $110 or something for the "deluxe" ticket which got me a tote bag, magnet, letter, and Butterbeer cup. The tote is your generic size that you can get from printful in bulk with the tiny arm strap, but with Potterganda on it. The magnet is small, but has a unicorn in a rectangle frame that looks a bit like the frogs packaging. The letter is bad. it does not spark joy. The cup, does spark joy. 8.5/10 For context on my scale, a 6 means i would not willingly do it again for a long time unless i had a valid reason to (madame tussauds, most Merlin properties as of late). Meanwhile a 10 means i will throw you over my shoulder kicking and screaming if it gets us there (screenworlds at ACMI which has closed)

You can do way, way better. Firstly it'd be a good idea to let us know how many days total you've got up your sleeve, how big your group is, what the mix is (all enthusiasts etc.) and where you're travelling. If you go to Japan just for theme parks you're doing yourself a disservice - it's one of the most gorgeous places in the world in terms of landscapes, people, culture etc. and if you were to go to Hirakata Park over spending a day in Kyoto you'd be doing Japan dead wrong. Secondly, it's not all about coasters. Don't be a credit-whore, it'll become a disservice to your trip because stats don't matter, experiences DO, and Tokyo Disney Resort is one of the best experiences you'll ever have in your life. DisneySea in particular is the best theme park in the world and I'll happily die on that hill. If you're an enthusiast and you don't go to DisneySea, you're not an enthusiast, it's that simple. You can do one day at each Disney park and be very satisfied. Again, take the "there needs to be credits" hat off and put the "I love great experiences, especially at theme parks hat on" and I promise you your trip will get a ton better as a whole. If you can't take the credit hat off and you need to do something that's not USJ/TDS/TDL, the two heavy hitters are Nagashima Spa Land and Fuji-Q Highlands. The beauty about the former is that it's on the way between Tokyo and Osaka, so if you're committed or on a tight schedule you can make it work as you travel from port to port. With the latter, it's next to some sublime natural beauty (Mount Fuji, Fujiyoshida, Fuji five lakes etc.) and is also home to Eejanaika, which should be the #1 coaster to get whenever you visit Japan. Not doing Eejanaika and going to Hirakata Park would be a crime. Again, this is all depends on how long you've got, but think of the above as your "first time must-do's". If you have more time, or come back again on a second trip, Parque Espana (beautiful place in the world, Pyrenees is there too), Tobu Zoo (Intamin Megalite with t-bars, 10/10), Studio Ghibil Park (stunning and gorgeous), Yomiuiriland (near Tokyo and filled with classics) and Yokohama Cosmoworld (good vibes) are probably all parks I'd consider visiting before Hirakata Park. You've also got Thunder Dolphin at Tokyo Dome and Gekion Live Coaster at Joypolis to checkout whilst in Tokyo too.

Might need traffic lights for opposing wheelchair traffic. /s I'm still holding onto hope, MW will reinstate the alleyway.