Leaderboard

Checked it out yesterday. No trains on yet. Saw a piece of the old track in the boneyard to the side of Big Dipper. Red train for Bog Dipper is in a highly dismantled state at the moment.

From friendly staff service to lush landscaping to shiny new attractions, there is an atmosphere of pride and excitement at this Gold Coast icon. Maybe it’s the impending opening of a new $55 million precinct at the theme park, now just weeks away, with crews busily working behind the scenes to bring the new state-of-the-art rollercoaster and vintage car ride to completion. Or maybe it’s actual Magic. On this weekday morning, the Coomera park is playing host to Disney guru Randy Garfield, as he brings his Magic Kingdom touch to our own Dreamworld. The former president of the Walt Disney Travel Company and executive vice president for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products played a significant role in creating the largest period of expansion in the history of the Disney Theme Parks and Resorts segment, which grew from $4.5B to $14.1B during his 20-year tenure. Mr Garfield helped launch the Disney Cruise Line, opened five Disney theme parks and 27 new resorts, as well as spending seven years as a top executive with Universal Studios where he opened theme parks and resort destinations in California and Florida. And now he’s on the board of directors for Dreamworld’s parent company Coast Entertainment Holdings (formerly Ardent Leisure). Back on the Gold Coast for his first visit in almost five years, Mr Garfield is thrilled with what he’s seen. But then, the 72-year-old has always believed in the promise of Dreamworld. “I retired from Disney in 2014 and I joined the Ardent board in 2017,” said Mr Garfield, who was born and raised in the Bronx, New York and is based between the US and Canada. “I’ve been asked to be on plenty of boards since my retirement but I’m very selective about what I do these days. I’m here because I believe in it. I believe in (CEO) Greg Yong and (Coast Entertainment chairman) Gary Weiss and their teams. They are passionate about this. “Not only are they creating great guest experiences but they’re really doing it for their employees as well, they are creating an incredible company culture, which means they deliver an incredible guest experience. “No matter how well something is built or how great something looks, at the end of the day it’s delivered by people “Rides and shows are a major element but if it’s not being delivered by caring cast members engaging with great guest service orientation, you don’t optimise the product.” Mr Garfield said he was well aware of Dreamworld’s tragic history, when four guests were killed after a malfunction of the Thunder River Rapids ride in 2016. However, he said the challenge of overcoming that tragedy, while still paying respect to the victims, family and community, was part of what attracted him to work with the theme park. “When I was asked whether I would like to be considered as a board member, I knew this awful event had occurred that emotionally touched the heartstrings of the community because this is a product that people grew up with, this has been their kids’ playground. “But I like a challenge, so I came down here (to Australia) to take a look and I thought, my God, what a great portfolio. “Dreamworld is not the only holding but it is the heart and soul, but it needed what I would call a spit and polish. Still, the bones were great. “I looked at the source markets and thought, hey, I can add some value. “I came into this position with the mindset to restore Dreamworld to its greatness, to invest, to build new product, to make sure it’s timeless and recapture the heart and soul that people love, but that was interrupted and injured by tragedy.” Based in North America, where he is also on the board of directors for Destination Canada, the US Travel Association and the Rocky Mountaineer luxury rail line, Mr Garfield said he had not been back at Dreamworld since the pandemic. He said what had been achieved in those years exceeded his expectations. “The new product here is incredible, and I can feel it with the vibe of the staff – people are energised and excited. This is the restoration of the company they love,” he said. “The issue has been, without diminishing the emotional trauma of staff and residents, it takes a long time to move beyond that but the progress made has been outstanding and each achievement creates a little more distance and healing. “Now we have a new product opening in the next month or so and it is just unbelievable. With the quality of the theming, the attention to detail, the physical site and the ride itself, it’s different from anything Disney has but just as good. And I mean that. “Nothing in this country comes close to what you’re about to see.” In fact, navigating obstacles is part of Mr Garfield’s skillset, something he proved resoundingly during his career. He said one of the greatest challenges he faced was during his time working for Universal Studio as it launched its Florida theme park. “When we launched Universal in Orlando, that was operating in enemy territory because Disney World was everything, no one wanted to hear about you,” he said. “But I’m pretty adept at guerrilla warfare. “I knew we couldn’t compete with Disney’s source markets because they had hotels and resorts, all I had was one theme park. So I decided instead of trying to generate demand to the market, I would let Disney and the Florida tourism boards do that, and I’d try to carve a day out from those markets for Universal. “Disney was the host, I was the parasite. “I bought up all the outdoor ads, giant billboards, which Disney never touched so that the tourists coming into town would see what we had to offer. “Then I went to the publisher of the in-flight magazine for Delta Airlines, which was Disney’s official airline, to buy an ad – but I knew I couldn’t go to a representative in Florida or California, they wouldn’t take Universal dollars, so I found one in Arizona who had no idea and I bought three years’ worth of ads. “When I joined Disney later, I found out that when their executives first got on a Delta flight and saw that inside cover double-page ad for Universal they almost had a heart attack. But there was nothing they could do because I had a contract. “I have a philosophy when it comes to business – get comfortable with change. Either get comfortable with being uncomfortable, or get comfortable with being irrelevant.” Mr Garfield said the last 25 years have seen plenty of ‘uncomfortable’ moments for tourism operators, from the 9/11 terrorist attacks to the pandemic, and those who could change were the survivors. However, he said a thriving industry was incredibly important, not just for businesses, but the world itself. “We’ve seen a remarkable bounce back from events like 9/11 and the pandemic, and part of that was those events have been a reminder it’s reminded us to take the time to make memories with family,” he said. “I’ve always believed that tourism is a force for world peace. I’ve felt that way ever since, as a young man, I went to Tijuana, Mexico. It had been described to me as a place of poverty and debauchery, but I got there and realised people there were just like me – they want a better life for their kids, safety and security. Then I went to China in 1980s and it was the same thing. “Tourism teaches you to base your perceptions on reality, not the media and politics, and it can change the world. Look at South Africa before and after apartheid, tourism changed the face of that country positively and it helps create a push for change. “Tourism is what can unite us all.” For Randy Garfield, it really is a dream world.