Richard

I'd think that staffing costs would be the real saving -- I'm guessing experienced steam train operators and mechanics don't come cheap.

Checking that vehicles move along the track as intended is definitely the main goal with a pull-through. Safe clearance would be much more easily measured at the critical points without a heavy vehicle to slowly winch around the track. Clearance would be a consideration during this process but the construction crew would be much more interested in ensuring that the bits all fit together properly and things like brakes, conveyors, chain lifts, sensors etc. are functioning as needed.

Just a heads up that we're deleting posts that we see as a distraction from meaningful discussion. Have your say and call other posters out if you think what they're saying is untrue or misleading, but we don't need constant derailment of topics. It's been getting a bit ridiculous lately. If you can't resolve a dispute in one or two posts, take it to PM or use the ignore feature.

I do like the way that Ardent put it in their latest ASX release: To be fair, Village Roadshow aren't very different: Meawhile, here's what the annual report of another international operator who obviously don't know how to run a theme park business have to say about the topic:

None taken... it's a clunky system that'll be overhauled in the site's next incarnation. That said we're not really geared towards adding large amounts of photos... if you do want to upload a handful, even with the current system it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to upload/tag/describe a dozen photos.

The theory behind free virtual queue systems -- namely Disney's Fastpass -- is that if people spend less time queuing they'll spend more time buying. No doubt in my mind that a well-designed free virtual queue system, combined with the merchandise and F&B offerings that the majority actually want to buy (which I don't think our parks currently have), would be significantly more profitable than a paid virtual queue system. Disney would have turfed Fastpass long ago if it weren't having a positive impact on the bottom line.

The Parkz Update: The Parkz Update Click here to continue reading...

Great photos guys -- they'd be great on the main site if you want to upload them here: http://www.parkz.com.au/content.php?add=photo (or feel free to shoot me a PM and I can sort it out for you)

How did you come to that conclusion from my post? My point was that Sea World have had plans in the past for exhibits for two out of three of the animals shown on the billboard so it's pretty likely that this is exactly what's coming. And that they're boring animals to watch -- I say that as someone who enjoys zoos. Gazza's video aside, hippos are blobs that sit motionless underwater most of the time. Crocodiles the same unless a Steve Irwin type is taunting it with a raw chicken. Admittedly gorillas do at least move somewhat when they're not sleeping.

Sea World have had their eyes on a crocodile exhibit for a decade or so now. A hippo exhibit has been on the cards for almost as long. Both these are super-dangerous but super-boring-to-see-in-a-zoo. Why not complete the trifecta with another boring mankiller by way of gorillas?

A replacement/retheme/refurbishment of Tijuana Taxis would be a minor blip on the park's operating budget, not the kind of significant capital expenditure that warrants a mention in an ASX report.

The Parkz Update: Wet 'n' Wild February 2013 Click here to continue reading...

The Parkz Update: Sea World January 2013 Click here to continue reading...

The Parkz Update: Dreamworld December 2012 Click here to continue reading...

The Parkz Update: Sea World November 2012 Click here to continue reading...

The Parkz Update: Wet 'n' Wild October 2012 Click here to continue reading...

Aussie World takes the plunge! (Press Release) Click here to continue reading...

VRTP have built nothing but good rides for the past decade... the idea that paying customers should consider themselves blessed or lucky to be paying for a good product is a bit like saying that I should be thankful that David Jones have my pant size in stock. They've all been good attractions... the main issue is that they're consistently late. Working out bugs should happen before press releases announcing it open are sent out to the media. Before they invite news crews along to hype it. I don't see any mention of "technical rehearsals" on their website, nor were there any asterisks in the press release saying it's open but not really open. Soft openings are standard practice at major parks around the world... and with a September opening they should have been ramping this up throughout August. No, there's probably never been a ride -- certainly not as technical as Justice League -- that has opened glitch free with or without a soft opening, but at the opposite end of the spectrum when you're training staff less than 24 hours before it officially opens while paint dries then of course you're simply asking for issues.

The complaints do wear thin, but an attraction that was announced months and months ago for September, that was used extensively in annual pass renewal campaigns should not be in "technical rehearsals" still in October. That should have been happening in August.

The World's First Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D Ride Now Open at Warner Bros. Movie World (Press Release) Click here to continue reading...

Yep, that's pretty much the most logical solution. For one there's simply no way that they can just "undo" the $99 pass because they've conditioned the market to expect them now. The $99 pass deal was always fine to me -- the issue was when they removed the blackout dates. If they're going to give the gate away like that there absolutely needs to be restrictions. Maybe even going along the lines of what Wyncenuros suggested Australia Zoo do and have weekends blacked out for the cheapest. Probably not every weekend, but one weekend (or even just a day) a month where it's Gold/Platinums and day tickets only.

Yep nothing says fun family day out like security shaking guests down for $8 with threats of ejection and revoking of passes. The original poster already said that they embellished the story for effect and weren't actually rude so I think we're jumping to extremes for what seems to be an isolated incident... The fact remains that upon hiring a locker there is no binding agreement regarding penalty fees and as such no legal grounds to extract $8 from customers. It's a good scary threat to keep people from abusing the system, but not actually one that they have legal grounds for enforcing.

Trying to extract an $8 late fee that is buried in fine print somewhere is both bad customer service and probably not entirely legal. My phone is how I tell the time, as most probably do these days. If my phone is locked in a locker then so is my ability to reasonably judge how much time has passed -- particularly if in a slow moving queue listening to the audio loop again and again. As a customer I'd expect a good 30-60 minutes leeway on the locker hire. Hell, as someone that believes that theme parks are in the business of customer satisfaction I'd say pay-per-use rather than time limits makes much more sense if you really must charge at all.

kujotess, you're welcome to join in on the discussions here and post your thoughts, but I don't see what purpose it serves you to spend your own free time posting unnecessarily agressive posts without adding anything of value. No one here really cares if you agree or disagree with their views, but most would prefer to read coherent posts that actually add something and are worth responding to.

Removing the link to a development site at their request is one thing, but I don't think we should need to censor an entire topic because of their mistake. Enough people have said that the prices mentioned are likely not accurate.