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As you'll notice, there's some pretty major changes to the forums today. Importantly, login is now via your email address rather than username. Your password remains unchanged. If for whatever reason you are unsure of the email account you signed up with, then I'd recommend getting in touch and we can look into it for you. It was a bit of an abrupt transition today; it was meant to be a bit more gradual, but a few things behind the scenes pushed it forward and here we are. The first thing you'll probably notice is the site is a whole lot faster and we won't be prone to those periods of painfully slow loading, which had become more frequent in recent months. There's also lot of new features that I've barely gotten my head around with this latest version of the forum software, but for now it should at least feel a bit more vibrant and down the track we'll be implementing a few new features. For the time being, the main site is down. It's a slightly larger project to get up and running again but it will happen. Today's rather sudden upgrade for the forums meant that it just wasn't possible to get everything done at the same time. There's no immediate plans for me to resume editorial content, but the site will be back soon enough and we'll hopefully find a way to breathe new life into the site and give new voices and content creators an opportunity to share more freely with this community. If anyone encounters any bugs or issues with the new forum then I'd invite you to share them in the Community Feedback forum.

Funnily enough, just after Bermuda launched at Futuroscope, I played around with AI to envision a rocking boat attraction in the MC plot. Theming-wise, the Tasmans have established an expedition base on the river after discovering the temple. Basically, riders are on rugged jungle barges headed to the latest uncovered ruins. The start of the ride is made up of a calm journey through the jungle with various animal scenes and a large cavern scene. Midway through, a storm warning is issued by the base, resulting in floodwaters hitting. The boat is swept off course and encounters a number of rapids, heading straight for a large waterfall i.e lift and splash down which is located at the Wild end of the plot. After the splash down, the expedition to the ruins continues, before returning to the station.

Given how he was basically overlooked at village, and with bikash now gone, I really wonder if Greg goes home at the end of his day with a nice smile on his face, knowing the general public is now seeing the positive effects and influence he (and half his team that ended up following him) has had since taking over the company. Must be really satisfying to help turn around a company that was close to insolvency, have a plan for improvements (not just recovery) and start to see the positive feedback from guests following investments in things like this. It looks fantastic, when the other reality could have just been another relocation of old cars running around on a track. It's refreshing to see some care and attention given to the setting and themed elements of a ride again, especially when it isn't a big budget thrill ride. Yeah, limited budgets, limited space are always constraints in Australia, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least try to deliver something that improves the overall experience. To me, it really shows intention to build zones or lands back into theme parks, something that at least makes an attempt at something cohesive instead of just plonking something down on a bit of land and calling it done. Makes me wonder just how constrained he was working under the village shroud, when this is like the polar opposite of how things are going over there.

The MW layout has always been a shemozzle but today, it's a painful ball ache, at best. Right now, the s/western corner of the Park is lonely, sad as f*CK & boring (regardless if WWF is open or not) + if you're sans smaller kids in your group the n/eastern Looney side is another no-go zone! As a veteran Cast Member, It's hard not to be critical.. sorry I just can't help myself, as much as I try to ignore the little things on any given visit, some things are hard to look past (don't even get me started 🤦‍♂️ on the OZ land, seriously wtf??), but tell me I'm not the only 1 who finds the place has entrenched itself with pointless dead ends.and the worst crowd flow I've ever experienced in a Theme Park, globally. All criticism aside, I must say the majority of Cast Members are the best in years and deserve to be properly recognised for their hard work and efforts. Cast aside, being repeatedly funnelled up and down the same Main Street, Christ knows how many times on any given day, is the fundamental reason why most people leave the Park feeling dissatisfied. It's monotonous, mundane and repetitive. Simple solution* - Management just need to set foot in the Park, (during trading hours) & take a look through the eyes of all visitors - especially the Holidaying families. Take a seat with them, shout the kids a front seat ride pass, buy Mum & Dad a coffee & take the time to have a chat, engage, listen & learn about how to reconnect with what Movie World has struggled with for far too many years - an industry leading relationship between Guest and Cast. We all know there are simple & obvious fixes to improve circular crowd flows around MW, but tbh opinions of Theme park enthusiasts on sites like this, which to be frank, no-one knows about is entirely useless. That's why the only way to fix things is for them to go back to basics, get those precious executive's arses out of their casual clothes, put on a uniform like everyone else, get out of their cushy office (and that goes for you too, Clarke!) hit the pavement, get to know your employer (the customer).& open your hearts and minds! The rest will work itself out 👍

Dear God man, experience some whimsy. I can assure you with 100% certainty the cheeky little joke on the sign is not going to affect DW's ride construction timeline in any way, nor will it affect VRTP's bottom line. It's just creative people having a little bit of fun with their jobs instead of printing out a boring old sign with the theming equivalent of Lorem Ipsum text. 99% of people won't even notice or understand, and the other 1% might smirk a little. This isn't a first time thing. Walibi Rhone-Alpes have voodoo dolls of the Asterix characters in Mystic's theming. Universal have several jabs and references to Disney across their resorts. It's just a detail that's there for some people to notice if they have a keen eye and the right understanding of the context. No one's getting hurt. Judging by your response to the Claw tribute in the theming as well, I'm getting the sense that hidden details in theming are not your thing. That's fine, but "potshots" and acting like this is some major indicator of DW's progress on improving the park? Come now.

it's not just the hours either. I've seen two separate unrelated instances of their absolute contempt for the guest experience in recent months: An annual pass, sold with a '12 month' photo pass. T&Cs said if the annual pass wasn't activated within 3 months it would start at the end of the 3 month period. The photo pass which was included with the annual pass stated it had to be activated within 3 months or it was void. An error on the passholder's part, but it's not an unreasonable assumption that inclusions sold with an annual pass would have similar validity rules. Guest services in park and over the phone had zero interest or empathy for the situation and were not empowered by the organisation to do anything to try to salvage the guest experience when they visited for the first time after the 3 month cut off. Both In-park guest services and the call centre provided an email address (but not the SAME email address) and one email address responded pretty much 'rules are rules' and closed the ticket. The other, after over a month, eventually came to the party and provided the guest with a photo pass that would last the remainder of the annual pass validity. A family holidaying on the GC purchased 3-day tickets to Village (which requires the 3 days to be consecutive visits) and after visiting on day 1, two of the kids tested positive for Influenza-A. The mum tried reaching out to guest services to see if there was anything they could do with the tickets so that they could use them once the kids were feeling better \ not contagious and just got a flat out no. Again this came across as guest services were just not given any flexibility to try to plus the guest experience, and 'rules are rules' was the general vibe. This has only just happened so i'm not sure of the outcome of any email escalation the family may have done, but I did see this morning that Dreamworld has actually commented on the mum's social media post offering them two-day tickets to Dreamworld when the kids are feeling better. Like i'm all for the park reducing hours if it isn't profitable to operate - especially in the off season. Dreamworld as been doing this for a while and almost nobody has had a problem with it. But you have to care about the guest experience, and that's the main difference here. At this stage they're just making it so easy for Dreamworld to ride in like the white knight and save the day. Cutting back on events, removing entertainment, reducing hours and reducing the ability for guest services to... provide services to guests... - it's clear VR are slashing everything they can to save a buck. The tables have absolutely turned on the GC, and Dreamworld is fast becoming the new top dog.

MC Refurbishment Name LOST MINE MAYHEM

Maybe we should just take a moment on all this breathe in, out, etc.. Seriously, calm the fuck down everyone! Has Dreamworld management given you many reasons for concern over their creative direction of late? NO??? no. Let's not go jumping the gun here pp!? Hold your fire, maybe, can we just take our time, wait & see before unloading judgement....? Yuh?!😁

Said it for Jungle Rush and I’ll say it again: My god, can they stop using AI in their concepts? If they want to be seen as cheap and lazy, sure, but if they’re already spending $20m on ‘immersive theming’ for a ride that’s already built, the least they could do is hire some real artists & not suck up the Murrissippi for their low-effort marketing material. Especially when they’re already under fire for displacing more wildlife with the rezoning news, and the previous ‘Steel Taipan/Koala Research’ scenario, despite the questionable validity/impact of either of these, they should know better.

In the short timeframe MW has turned out an ok show but now MW needs to polish it into a great show. (I do agree with @MickeyD leaving the set was a mistake as the show doesn't make much use of it) Skeet's top tips to make the show sing. Stop fist pumping the guest, the show isn't a FMX event. Barry's introduction to the show requires a rewrite. The second I laid eyes on Barry (before the attention was drawn towards him), I already knew he was part of the show. Barry, nobody is walking around MW on a hot day wearing protective clothing (not even Barry). Barry you put the gloves & helmet on like you're a professional stunt rider. Barry choose a motorbike, (aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) it's not the 80's anymore MW, we see the the small motorbike we know he is going to pick it. The fix. a. Loose the protective flannel to needed. b. Have cast member dress Barry. ACT like Barry doesn't know what he is doing. c. Let the cast member choose the bike for Barry to ride. d. Give Barry either a pushbike or a motorbike with training wheels. The choreography requires work for the chases. It feels like everybody is doing there own thing. You miss moments like Barry got the case over there because I was watching the bike on the jump over here. Build scaffold to the front of the building (blue) and have the fight scene on it. Tucked away in the corner is weird. I see you. Stage crew shouldn't be seen and it gives it away that Barry is about to fall. Remind me again, who is chasing who, you already have the case. . Add effects to the gun. (It looks like they are trying to shake the last bit of sauce out of the bottle). I can't even work out how spraying the aeroguard, won the day. The fire effects need a rethink to tie them into better with the show. The show is still overly centered on cars and bikes which gets old quickly. I want to see less cars and more STUNTS. Throw Barry off buildings. Set Barry on fire. Let Barry take a bullet or 2. Why all of a sudden is Barry is in this car? The story works MW, so with a few changes, you can make it a must see show.

Raging Waters Sydney has been sold to Jamberoo Action Park, with the park to now become ‘Sydney Action Park. https://sydneyactionpark.com.au/index-new.html

A former Village Roadshow staffer allegedly stole and sold a truck used in the movie Aquaman, while he and a colleague colluded with a contractor to funnel company funds into private mansion renovations and traded thousands of Sea World tickets for personal luxury cars, according to blockbuster embezzlement accusations detailed in Supreme Court documents. One of the former staff members hosted a lavish event at Sea World Resort, according to the court filing, giving away more than 50 nights’ accommodation as well as catering. Village claims one of the workers told a colleague “we can do anything we like”, when working out how to cover up their alleged fraud. Details of the $1m-plus embezzlement allegations by the theme parks and film studio operator against its former CFO and another ex staff member have been revealed in a statement of claim, obtained by News Corp Australia late on Thursday. Village alleges a long-running fraud scheme worth upwards of $1m by the group’s trusted former chief financial officer Dean Humphreys, 56, and a second man, whose name has been suppressed by the court. Hundreds of thousands in company funds were allegedly used by both men to renovate their private mansions and $337,000 in Sea World tickets were traded for luxury cars, according to the 104-page claim. The company alleges the unnamed man stole 1983 Chevy Silverado truck used in the Aquaman movie and later sold it. Village is seeking the return of a substantial redundancy payout received by the unnamed ex-staffer. Mr Humphreys, who the claim said was on a salary of $432,600 plus super, had his assets frozen earlier this month, with his wife Tracey also named on the freezing orders. Ms Humphreys is not accused of wrongdoing. The second man and a woman are also subject to the orders, but successfully argued to have their identities suppressed and are identified on the redacted statement of claim as “ABC” and “DEF”. Village Roadshow operates Movie World, Sea World, Wet’n’Wild, Top Golf, Australian Outback Spectacular and Paradise Country on the Gold Coast as well as its national cinema chains, marketing consultancy Opia and its film and TV production and distribution businesses. The court heard Ms Humphrey, unlike her husband, was not accused of “deceit or dishonesty”. No charges have been laid in relation to the court action, which Justice Morrison described during the initial hearing as “in an embryonic state”. According to the claim, Mr Humphreys and the other man had building and plumbing companies complete work on their private homes and had invoices for the work made out to Village. According to Village’s claim, the unnamed man took possession of a 1983 Chevrolet Silverado, used during filming of Aquaman on the Gold Coast, “without authorisation” in 2019. He allegedly sold it for “at least $15,000” in November 2021 – but Village alleges it was insured for $44,000. The unnamed former staffer allegedly hosted a lavish Sea World party, with resort catering and the equivalent of more than 50 nights’ accommodation being paid for by his employer. The man also arranged for his guests to have breakfast and lunch at the resort – which was allegedly never reimbursed. The claim said a $120,000 kitchen reno at the unnamed man’s home was ultimately paid for by Village, including an oven, dishwasher, microwave, fridge and $15,845 set of bi-fold doors. According to the claim, a former regular contractor to Village paid the supplier invoices and in turn claimed $133,000 from Village using “false invoices”. The contractor allegedly received a $10,000 kickback from the scheme, which was “paid for directly by (the unnamed man)”. Almost $300,000 of work was then completed on the second man’s outdoor entertainment area – with Village footing the bill for that too. According to the claim, Village was invoiced and paid for more than $60,000 in work on Mr Humphreys’ home, including an outdoor entertainment area, bar and pool table. According to the document, Mr Humphreys emailed another colleague telling them he’d had lunch with the builder who worked on the second man’s house and that he’d complained they were “owed a shit load for private work done for some senior execs (you know who)”. He later emailed them saying Village would cover the payments and he’d “prefer this remaining confidential so thinking we could cover some of this ($140k) through P & L (profit and loss) over seven months and hide some of it (160k) through variations in capex (capital expenditure)”. He then emailed again saying he could as the builder to invoice the work under a Sea World Admin fund to further cover his tracks. In January this year, according to the claim, the builder sent Village an invoice for $359,831 that was marked “SeaWorld administration rectification works”. The company alleges the invoice was actually for work done on the homes of the two former employees. According to the claim, Mr Humphreys and the second man brokered a deal with unrelated tourism company Sea World Cruises to supply 3000 Sea World tickets, worth $337,00 over three years, in exchange for two new Audis, each worth more than $60,000. Under the agreement, the cars were supposed to be “pool” vehicles for the use of Village staff, but were allegedly instead taken and exclusively used by Mr Humphreys, the second man and their families. Under the same deal, Mr Humphreys subsequently obtained a Tesla Model Y, which Village claims was exclusively used by him and his family. Ownership of one of the Audi was later transferred to the unnamed man, while the other Audi and the Tesla were transferred to Mr Humphreys and his wife, according to the court filing. Village is seeking ownership of a BMW allegedly held by Humphreys, which was purchased for $75,536 with Village funds in 2023. According to the claim, Village had unsuccessfully asked for the vehicle to be returned earlier this month. Both Humphreys and the second man are also alleged to have retained ownership of vehicles purchased via novated leases by Village. Company fuel cards are also alleged to have been misused by both men -who allegedly racked up more than $30,000 in charges for cars being used by family members. Confidentiality orders made for the case, that restrict its public listing, mean it is not known if any of those defendants have filed a defence. Village Roadshow has requested a four-day trial later this year. https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/business/village-roadshow-exec-allegedly-took-aquaman-truck-traded-tickets-for-cars-in-alleged-fraud-scheme/news-story/619505afd0be4efda110b8d70c608d0f?fbclid=IwdGRjcASrBxtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeNIM4KuWetYYo-bfyhtlLZLL9tFIidRE9MCvbm7ISJAIblT7d0sIM0BspmKU_aem_qBjI02CYc7l7YS65Pn35CA

From the Daily Telegraph: Dreamworld is in its renaissance with the operator of the popular Gold Coast theme park posting record visitor numbers, up 44 per cent and breaking decade-old records. Visitor numbers have surged by 44 per cent for the operator of Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld in the first half of the 2026 financial year, driven by strong annual pass sales, supported by targeted promotional activities. The increase in visitors saw ticket sales increase by 46.6 per cent for Coast Entertainment Holdings’ Dreamworld, WhiteWater World, and SkyPoint attractions in the first 27 weeks of FY26. In a statement to the ASX, Coast Entertainment – which was rebranded in 2023 from Ardent Leisure Group – said operating revenue jumped to $62.2m, up 30.2 per cent, compared to the same six-month period last year. It also exceeded the previous record of almost a decade ago. Actual visitor number were not released but the Group said ticket sales for the six months to December 30 also broke 2016 records. In the latest period, Dreamworld recorded is highest ever daily attendance with new attractions like Kenny & Belinda’s Dreamland and the Dreamworld Flyer, drawing visitors. The six months also saw increased annual pass sales, supported by targeted promotional activities during the period including successful ‘End-of-Financial-Year’, ‘Kings Birthday’ and ‘Black Friday’ campaigns. The international market continued its gradual recovery during the period, although it remains below historical levels but is expected to continue to recover. “On 12 December 2025, the Group successfully opened its new King Claw attraction, the fastest Gyro Swing ride in the Southern Hemisphere.” Coast Entertainment said. “The new attraction significantly improves on its predecessor The Claw in scale and experience and is proving to be another strong drawcard for Dreamworld following the opening of Rivertown just over one year ago. “With this addition, Dreamworld’s ride and attraction portfolio is well positioned to support continued visitation growth and engagement across a broad audience, from families to thrill seekers.” Coast Entertainment said SkyPoint also delivered a robust performance during the period, once again achieving record revenues, notwithstanding low international visitation. The company said ticket sales and visitation to its attractions in the first three weeks of January 2026 continued to show growth. The Group said the state government was still assessing the Dreamworld masterplan which potentially will transform the theme park’s excess land into a mixed-use hub including a resort/hotel, residential areas, dining/retail (Gateway Precinct), and nature-based tourism zones. As at 30 December 2025, the Group had a cash balance of $37.6m, an increase of $3.7m compared to 24 June 2025. https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/new-south-wales/coast-entertainment-reports-record-revenue-as-new-rides-drive-dreamworld-visitor-boom/news-story/3f37c11c62b11ba401b6878bc68b0f57

I think that's a short-sighted and narrow-minded view. The ride has always been lambasted as unsuitable. Ride experience, ridiculous dispatch times and uncomfortable and restrictive harnesses, themeing and location, none of it worked and it was a poor decision from management whom we now know should never have operated a theme park. Current leadership have shown that they are willing to go the extra mile to deliver an immersive and cohesive experience, albeit within budgetary constraints. MDMC stuck out like a sore thumb against the backdrop of their flagship Rivertown, and management made it very clear that while they couldn't fix it during the construction of Rivertown, they would move to change that as soon as they were able. The retheme will fix the issues of theme and location, the new trains will fix the harnessing issues, while simultaneously improving the ride experience - which - based on what the park has said - will also be enhanced by additional themeing elements too. While we don't yet have information on whether this will speed up operations, I feel confident that anything has to be better than those trains, so thats a plus also. Everything they've announced goes directly to fixing the inherent issues with the ride since day 1 while focussing on improving the park as a whole, bit by bit. There's very little in terms of direction and capex at Dreamworld in recent times that I could complain about. I was never really a fan of MDMC - but i'm keen to see what they can do with it - rather than shit on it before it's even started.

@TV15 It really comes down to this: unless you live in a cave and leave the smallest possible footprint on the planet, it's hypocritical to demand that DW never develop any of its land because it contains bushland. Every suburb, shopping centre and industrial estate exists because bushland was cleared at some point. Funny how everyone wants more koala habitat, as long as it's someone else's land. If they're that worried, bulldoze their own house and plant a gum tree. Some of the same people will also constantly tell you coal is evil and happily fill their homes with cheap stuff made in China, much of it manufactured using Australian coal. Apparently coal is only a problem when it's here. The outrage is selective, the logic is inconsistent, and the hypocrisy is hard to miss.

Not naming names, but I can definitely say that some local creators do play it way too safe by focusing on positive aspects and skirting over the negatives. I found it particularly noticeable when Wizard of Oz land came out. As for my own content, I personally try to maintain my honest opinions, good or bad, saying things as I see them, even if it does potentially put me on the naughty list. I'd like to think my content hold the balance well, pointing out both sides of the coin, especially the side that stands out most on the day. This may seem contrary to the removal of my coverage of the Dreamworld trademark yesterday, I know. But that's more just being respectful and understanding to the request, and less due to the censoring of my opinions so I can keep the door open. You could say that I'm no longer inheritenty an independent voice due to this, and I guess that's true from some perspectives. One can have a fostered bias without being conscious of it. At least in my mind though, it won't stop me from critiquing the parks when they mess up!

The only thing I have to say is to this Haven't we learned from TRRR that placing sole reliance on operator compliance with procedures is a recipe for disaster? Staff should not have been able to override the sensors without a manual \ visual inspection first, or attendance by a supervisor \ maintenance with an override key. This is an absolute cop-out from Village as far as i'm concerned.

We should frame this! Village began ruining their image around 2023 when they could get on top of maintenance, would have almost half the rides closed some days and people were getting very frustrated with it. Even guests with annual passes were annoyed because every time they went several things would be closed, unless they went in the school holidays (which some pass holders avoid). Then they started charging more for less, the quality of product was poor and even if everything was open, guests were still getting frustrated because queues were slow, staff service was poor and the lack of seating and shade was minimal (looking at you Oz). They had such a strong reputation, they were riding on those morals, but they started digging themselves a large hole and once DW started getting their act together, everyone realised that was the place to be because everyone was having a better day out (and it was cheaper).

These were shared during the Today Shows report this morning about the change of ownership

Are you guys really dying on the hill of passionate and hardworking people who’ve spent so much of their time on something they love doing losing their well earned jobs to AI that just steals from the hard work of these individuals?

An awful lot of arms length knowledge on how atmospheric effects work in this thread. 1) Dry Ice machines can never produce atmospheric haze type effects for use with lasers. They are inherently expensive and hazardous to operate (you are putting pellets of solid CO2 into boiling water) and all your get is low hanging vapour that sits on the ground and then vanishes - totally impractical for something like Scooby. 2) Most all water based ‘hazers’ are neither of those two things. They use glycol and water mixture, so when they say ‘water based’ they mean not oil basically. They then use a traditional smoke machine style pressure pump and heating block to produce smoke and then combine it with a fan to make the ‘haze’. The cons are more cloud like haze that will set off any sort of detection system based on particles, and they tend to use a lot of fluid which is expensive (think $400+ for one 25L bottle). 3) People have a a misinformed idea that Oil Based Hazers = mess and CO2 powered hazers = expensive to operate. They are both inaccurate. The indisputable best haze system on the market is from a Canadian company and uses both Mineral Oil based fluid, and CO2. It uses their proprietary tech to break down the mineral oil under heat and pressure into tiny micro controls particles which result in an extremely fine, dry haze that leaves no residue, lasts for hours and uses very very little fluid. Rather than a pump it uses pressurized CO2 to push the fluid through the system, and tiny amounts of that to. Its both cheap to operate, works great, is reliable and in many cases won’t even set off particle detectors it’s so fine. So you then probably ask, “why doesn’t everyone use it?” Most simply because of scare opinion that Oil = Bad so they don’t even try. But in fact Village themselves use the same system at the Outback Spectacular show, uses so little consumables it uses maybe 2.5L of fluid a fortnight and runs off the waste CO2 gas from their low fog system. So it’s not about amazing detectors, or being too cheap or any of that. It’s about perception by the powers that allow these things or not. And if the risk analysis won’t allow something then no amount of ‘passion’ or ‘attitude’ is going to change anything. It’s perception at that level that requires altering and that’s much harder than buying a fancy purple haze machine

His point still stands though. Compare the reactions for KC to SDSC and it's exactly as Michelangelo described. But it would also be true for Rivertown vs. WoZ, Jane's vs. Star Cafe, Dreamworld Flyer vs. Flash. There's a clear pattern that has emerged for both Village and Dreamworld over the last few years. One is consistently getting 'meh' and the other is consistently getting 'wow'. Comparisons between the parks are going to be made and are valid. People will choose where to spend their time and their money. Given that SDSC closed early and they had to wait for Mack, that should have given them more time to plan the guest experience, source props/lights at the best prices and spread their cost out across multiple financial years to ensure that the ride wasn't just restored to the original standard, but exceeded people's rose-tinted, nostalgic expectations in a way that genuinely surprised and delighted them. While the upgrades might have been technically difficult to achieve, the general public will never see them and don't care. The complaints people are making (here and on Socials) aren't dumping on MW for the sake of it. It's because they have seen the quality of what MW can be and they have a deep desire to see it restored to it's former magic and glory. They want MW to succeed and they want to have a great experience at the park. DW is working toward that goal and successfully executing it because the management cares as much as the people on this forum do.

Because they didn't just replace brake sections. People don't realise but scooby doo was originally designed to be able to be transported. Many parts of the high zone exist on turrets, not fixed to multiple columns like you would expect of an in built track. It's very fluid and moves a staggering amount, as attested to by anyone who has ever worked the high zone with the lights on (especially with the ride in operation!), There are witness marks in many places showing how far it actually moves if you only know where to look. It's like a living, breathing thing every time a car comes through. And thats before you get started on the lift system, not just the cab and track itself, but the winch control and braking systems utilised by it. The braking system is so much a part of the run environment, each one represents a block after all, that simply removing them requires a complete change to the ride control systems as there is a lot going on within each brake zone. Speed monitoring, brake over/under runs, distance monitoring, plus obviously the block system and safety brakes. The ride is so sensitive to car timing not only through the brake block, but between blocks too that changes in speed monitoring registering in milliseconds can send the ride into safety faults. Think of how different friction brakes perform vs mag brakes, think of the hours upon days, upon weeks of testing you'd have to perform to just account for how the brakes will perform once installed, not to mention when jammed inside a hot tin shed. It was always due for a ride control system upgrade as part of the safety case put forward after the dreamworld accident. It was one of those rides that was identified as falling within the new 10 year MAJOR inspection and safety upgrades were put forward as part of the upgrade. You saw the first round of similar upgrades at road runner with new trains, new brakes, new ride control, basically, all that was left was the track. How long was the shutdown for it? and thats a system with only 2 trains and 3 block zones! It was a similar story at wild west falls and I don't think people understand just how much of an investment this was by village. Not just in immense cost, but the man hours that went into even getting to the point of rolling out the upgrades, the testing, the changes made, modifications. It's probably easier to roll out a new ride than it is to try and integrate more functionality and different control systems into an existing PLC based ride control system. It essentially meant the death of arkham asylum, it nearly took down road runner too. It shows you how determined village were to see the ride reopened and not replaced. So, not only were sections of a very unique track design replaced, new cars designed taking them away from the manual, ratchet operation of the restraints, new frictionless brakes installed, along with complete upgrades of the ride control system to actually have all this function, including actually pushing all these upgrades through to the qld government for certification, you go and throw unscheduled downtime into the mix and a ride manufacturer that wasn't expecting to have to develop new sections of track until a later planned shutdown; what do you get? Chaos. You get chaos. You can be disappointed at the results, but I don't think its fair to downplay the amount of work that went into just keeping this ride open for future generations. I can guarantee you there were discussions surrounding its closure, it could have been a vastly different outcome. People talking about possibility of injuries riding in the darkness, this was a very real thing when they opened after gutting the ride. Greater levels of darkness experienced then, but it really makes a difference when your body can't brace for intended changes of direction. Certainly saw a rise in complaints for not only things like neck and back pain, but just overall perception of how rough the ride experience was too.

To be fair the continued degradation of WWF and JL point strongly to exactly what he is ranting out being largely correct

Yeah, I’ve been through it 4 times now. The first time it growled at me because of my belt. But strangely, all the other times it let me through without an issue. It seems to be very hit and miss in that regard from what I’ve observed. As for the ride itself, wow, what an upgrade from the original Claw! The new restraints are a huge improvement over the original ones, super comfortable and they allow for quite a bit of movement. You feel so free in them. Pretty much everything that was great about The Claw has been retained and improved upon dramatically. The ride is ultra smooth, while still being extremely forceful with fantastic airtime.

The performer who played Mad Mike in Police Academy for 15 years, Michael Bennett, has been confirmed to be returning to the park this Summer to be part of the new stunt show as the warm-up artist. Hopefully this news means the arena show is going back to its roots and is closer to the style of Police Academy than of what HSD2 became.

I've been working on this for a while and this topic seems like the best time to share it. I've put together a bit of a wish list mock-up masterplan for Ocean Parade and the Thunderbolt plot. Ocean Parade: Bring the water back to Ocean Parade, start with running the bulldozer through Trolls Village and Thunderbolt's station. The space could be opened up to make room for a new battle boat attraction, theming it around fishing trawlers with a twist of fantasy - Imagine Kind Claw's tentacles rising from the depths, interacting with the boats. One of the trawlers could be suspended mid-air by a tentacle. The ride station is the newly advertised "K&B Brown Ocean Parade Boatworks" teased on the wall beside King Claw. This attraction would set itself apart from the Battle Boats at SW by incorporating themed rockwork tunnels, show scenes and a unique immersive experience. While we're at it, put some tentacles breaking out of the ground down near SS and the dodgems, I think this would be a great way to finally give Ocean parade a cohesive tie from one end to the other. King Claw has arrived and is wreaking havoc through throughout the area. The area would also get a wharf theme (think the original Pacific Wharf at Disneyland or Mooloolaba Wharf for something more basic), with an accessible kids dry boat-themed playground (similar to the former SS Feathersword in Wiggles World) between the battle boat harbour and Gold Coaster's entry. The Kevil facade would be retained and repainted to resemble a fishmonger's loading dock, acting as the entry to a new hero attraction: a dark ride themed to the ocean depths. I'd love to see a river ride return to the coast or a trackless dark ride here with show scenes that bring guests on a journey through the underwater world, potentially with inspiration from Jora Vision's concept work for VinWonder: Various facades that suit the wharf village theme line the park border and create a backdrop for the battle boat attraction. The boardwalk leads to the dark ride exit store which also acts as the internal gate between DW and WWW. WWW: Adjacent to the new internal gate, a sorely needed F&B outlet overlooks the new WWW expansion. This is themed as a tiki bar that draws on old-school Australiana (Tangaroa Terrace meets Banana Bender Pub). A purpose-built BB house on the southern side of the property returns the DEC to dreamworld for year-round use. The mock-up shows the original BB house to scale complete with internal yard. Direct entry to the house from both parks for production as well as post-season tours. The DEC will become the live show auditorium for subsequent seasons. BB Production facilities are all back-of-house. The Shell is to be relocated to the Eastern side of the Thunderbolt site to allow for a new slide tower featuring a Boomerango, Tailspin+Rattler Fusion as well as a family raft slide. The mock-up features the Boomerango/Tailspin+Rattler compact layout to scale from Aqualantis and Gumbuya World. The main expansion to WWW will see the long-awaited lazy river. The mock-up uses a scaled replica of the lazy river from Four Seasons Orlando Resort which features lush greenery and theming. This will be WWW's answer to Murrisippi Motors - rockwork, animals, lighting for night events, waterfalls and bridges across the river to secluded grassed areas and seating throughout the area. I believe if the theming is well done, this will blow Calypso Beach out of the water (pun intended). The area is a huge people eater and once gardens have grown in it will provide a great chill-out area to get out of the sun. Back of house: The shed located to the east of the Thunderbolt plot will need to be relocated behind Kevil and some realignment of the BOH roads is required; however the majority of the back of house facilities will remain unchanged.

Dreamworld is still lacking a dark ride, a water ride, a second major thrill coaster, a second inverting thrill ride and an adults-only space like a bar. They're also lacking shows - especially shows that aren't for little kids. Most importantly a second themed land. Rivertown is it. Goldrush, Rocky Hollow and Ocean parade used to be themed lands (even if they got a bit crap toward the end), and Ocean Parade is currently a dead end with a Big Brother set. Dreamworld needs to replace Rocky Hollow with a new water ride. They need to fix ocean parade from the Wipeout plot around to Kevil Hill and completely remove Gold Coaster - which is a janky painful experience - and tightly integrate a new internal entrance to WWW - maybe using the land to weave coasters and slides together. DW doesn't need to 'replace what was lost' because they also lost the chair-lift, the paddle steamer, the Tiger Island presentation, Thunderbolt, and ToT. They need to build out new themed lands and have a good balance of attractions for kids, families and thrill seekers. They also need to remove Motocoaster and Gold Coaster - which is honestly more of an opportunity than a loss - They don't need direct replacements, but a second family coaster, and a second thrill coaster are definitely things they'll need.

Noticed tonight that the direct in-park link between Dreamworld and WWW has finally reopened!

Is that right? And yet out of the 17.3k public views my original post above has had so far on FB, where comments have been ripe over a theme park's use of AI, there has not been a SINGLE comment made yet which has accuses me of the same practice! Only the 1 comment on here... good ol' Parkz. And I think I've only ever had 1 similar accusation in the past. So that's 2 in total? Go figure 🤷‍♀️ Thanks for the reality check, I actually needed that! Dunno why I was worried on the first place over the one petty remark on here. I'm glad everyone else still recognises my content as a worthwhile human effort 💖 Apologies to forum members here for unintentionally railroading the topic being discussed. Take care all. Be nice, be kind 🫶 Thank you! I appreciate you 🫶

Just because you and people you know don't care about the effect of AI doesn't mean that a lot of others don't. Considering the top liked comments on DW Instagram post on the announcement are disappointment at the use of AI, it would seem a good majority do actually care about them using AI and how that reflects on them as a business.

Another example of DW actively listening to Guest Feedback 👏👏👏 Other noticeable improvements from the latest refurb; repainted ceiling/walls in common areas & that awful dead rat smell is (mostly) gone.🙏 Best of all, I'm thoroughly impressed with how they are constantly improving the "flight experience" with noticeable adjustments to the side Gondola-to-screen alignment and the projection quality overall has never looked better, infact I would say it's now at Disney standard! I'm sure they will address the shows Audio and physical effects in the future, as they continue to improve the overall experience, but it's just so good to enjoy the experience more every time I ride👍

Oh, where do I start? AI companies have taken advantage of the fact that there is no legal precedent for whether it's acceptable to use artists' intellectual property to train an AI model. What the AI is generating is not original - it's a response to a prompt generated based upon the work of real artists who did not consent to their work being used. Secondly, the environmental and economic impact is huge. AI uses an unbelievable amount of water and emits greenhouse gases quite heavily as well. And economically, the big players in AI are making huge grabs for large percentages of the storage and RAM capacity in the entire world right now to meet the demands of their users. The price of RAM for the everyday user is going up drastically, all so that someone can generate a slop video. But perhaps most frightening is the ramifications for misinformation and the death of truth in the world. When AI gets good enough, what's stopping someone from generating a video of an election candidate committing an awful crime to ruin their campaign? What's stopping someone generating fake news stories to stoke hatred and unrest? It's already happening, and our only hope is the fact that AI still has recognizable traits that make it usually easy to flag. The law needs to catch up fast before AI becomes a threat. But on a personal note, as someone who works in content creation both as a side hustle and in my day job, why would we want this? You can pay someone for a decent-looking result that has real human character and took real work, and support local artists, or you can create some slop for free, put your local artists out of work, and dilute the market with soulless garbage. AI has its applications. But shouldn't the purpose of new technology be to make the mundane tasks easier so that humanity can spend more time on fulfilling pursuits? So why aren't we using AI to streamline things like data entry and admin so that people can spend more time on arts, instead of the other way around? Driving actual human creators out of creative spaces is a very sad pursuit no matter how you look at it, and yes, I do hold it against Dreamworld for doing that. They may not be the richest park in the world, but they're not so broke they can't afford to give a local with a passion for graphic design a job. I mean, they were doing their socials just fine before AI came along. Can you name many people who have a passion for being a supermarket checkout operator? Many who spend their lives dedicated to learning the art? Graphic design is something people do for fun. As with video creation, writing and many other pursuits AI is seeking to replace. This is something many will dedicate hours to without the expectation of a single cent in return. These are the kind of pursuits we should allow people to dream of making a career out of, because culture is an inherently human trait. Everything that made every movie, every story, every piece of art that you've ever seen special was the human aspects. The emotion, the subtext, the culture, the comedic value. What is the value in driving humans out of those pursuits? We mock teenagers and kids for staring at soulless colorful brain rot on their phones, and here we are advocating for that to literally become worse - have a robot create some flashy soulless entertainment to distract us all while we get back to our mind-numbing 9-to-5s.

Yeah, this will be a huge source of contention for a long time. But to state that an AI generated image will be on the same level of properly made and commissioned work is ludicrous.

I think they need something that continues the rivertown theme, interacts in some way with the river, and has a large capacity.

Here are a few photos from when I rode Bounty’s Revenge II, the other day. From the website: World First new feature: “Flying Passage - The Thrill of Free Flight” Just as the Pirate Ship has reached its peak 19.5 metre arc, the propulsion system disengages and drops away, sending the gondola flying freely through the dock with no contact, no resistance and no slowing down!

They really have a terrible track record for restoring theme elements after a massive shut down. That west shutdown with the new station and boats was the same. Same goes for years upon years worth of justice league closures. It's literally like, somewhere along the line, someone gives absolutely no f*cks for any of it and any planned repairs are canned. I just can't work out if it's apathy or if its budgetary. It's honestly pathetic that everyone seems comfortable with the results they keep producing. At some point I would have thought someone with an opinion that mattered would have had a word and a focus would have shifted to actually doing something about it parks wide, but, nope. Still seems the same as usual. I can't for the life of me think its because nobody in their maintenance teams either cares enough or has the skill to make these repairs, so it only leaves me to think it has to be a management decision. Village MO would tend to suggest they don't allocate the funds and the labour to not only fixing the issues, but to keep them maintained/working. I remember a time when they wouldn't want to open with things broken/out of service. They would actively hold up openings while repairs were attempted, and if the ride supe made a note of it in their diary because it wasn't fixed, it would get passed on to maintenance teams and you would normally see something done about it within a week.

He was looking on with pride at King Claw yesterday and taking some photos on his phone. he seems like a fantastic leader. Happy to jump in and help as Ash said serving in Jane’s (saw this many times), or helping ride ops in busy periods.

After the amount of time & effort I spent writing that post for my FB blog last night, I felt the need to clarify that this was actually my own work. I used to articles for an online website, and anyone who has followed me online since the beginning (10 years ago) would know I've always used a lot of emojis in my work. That's always been my style of writing, I like to make my posts as interesting as possible to attract attention. Run it though as many AI detectors as you like, if you need some kind of proof. But please, don't baselessly slander my efforts on a public forum. Cheers ✌️

No arguments there. But how do you bring about mindset changes? For the first time in the company's history, a Kirby (or Burke) family member isn't in the executive chairman position. And this same person is overseeing day-to-day operations of the theme parks, with a presumed mandate to clean things up. If that's not an opportunity for sweeping changes then I don't know what is. I'd always advocate for industry veteran appointments to positions like these, but at best Village have been treading water since covid (or since Rivals?), and any competent fresh blood at the top is welcome.

Think this is a fantastic offering and great value!

The new lights have now been installed. It looks like they’ll shine on the river and island. Also, while in the park today, I was surprised to hear that the old Tiger Island preshow music from the original 1995 version of TI is now playing on a loop inside the Tiger Island toilets. I never thought I’d hear that music in-park again after all these years! Yet another cool way of Dreamworld honouring their past.

While I think DW are ahead of MW in many ways, I think they are just one major thrill coaster and either a water based attraction or dark ride away from being ahead of MW in their attraction line up

Anyone else having massive issues with load times/no loading?

It seems closing a waterpark during quiet periods doesn't really impact your attendance much after all...

It's a false equivalence because it's an entirely different park. The park in 2016 was a bigger park with more attractions. It also didn't have to overcome years of mismanagement an an accident that shattered the public's trust. It is unreasonable to expect DW to be charging the same prices when it doesn't provide the same experience. Clearly $99 passes on sale is the sweet-spot where people find DW to be excellent value. Over time, they will increase their prices when the number of attractions goes up, but first they need to prove their value and sustain the trust and good will that they've built up. Nothing in their document says 'ok, we've finished fixing the park, it's completely back to where it was now'. They're just making comparisons to their previous record revenue year to show how much better they're doing than the previous 10 years since the accident. Extending trading hours doesn't always mean more revenue, it usually just means increased expenses from staff and ride cycles/maintenance - expenses that eat into profits and reduce the money that can be invested in new rides and attractions. Plus, shorter trading hours encourage pass holders to return, generating more days of in-park spend. In addition, the business model has moved from day passes to annual passes. Retaining customers, building loyalty and generating year-round revenue is the new business model. If DW only offered day passes, I would visit once every 1-2 years and they'd get about $150 out of me. With an annual pass I can pay $99 for a full year of access, but I'll visit once a month. I'll spend money at Jane's, on drinks, coffee, snacks, maybe a Tail Whip ride a few times a year. On average I might spend $50 a month at DW, which means across a year DW are getting $700 out of me. Plus it's very easy to convince my friends that it's great value to buy a pass and do the same. I would otherwise spend that money on a day out at the beach or at Southbank, but DW offering low-cost passes redirects that money toward them instead. I have a great day with my friends, DW has a vibrant active park that makes money, and I'm happy to spend money knowing it's going to be reinvested on future attractions and park improvements. Everybody wins.

DW are doing everything right. Raising prices right now would be a mistake. Locals see DW as a high quality, good value entertainment option. A lot of people, myself included, have not bothered renewing Village passes and are now more likely to spend those visits (and money) at DW. Continued re-investment into the park will only help to sustain the visitor numbers and revenue, and modest price increases will help to maintain the perceived value. I know I've convinced 5 people to buy passes, and they'll occasionally drop into DW just to eat at Jane's. Great attractions, high quality theming, pleasant staff and reasonable prices. They've got the basics right and they're seeing the benefits.

DW is doing something right… I’ve NEVER seen the carpark this full, not a single free park, the bus bay is full of cars, the mid-carpark road that lets you drive between rows is completed blocked by parked cars, and at 2:30pm there is a line up to get in the park.

If they're still showing the The MRT video explicitly tells you to pull down your harness, and shows people doing it. If MW don't want that to happen, they should stop showing the video. Possibly make a new video that explains the new procedures and ensure that the speakers are fixed so people can hear it.