BNErider

This is off topic, but does anyone else think the portable toilets used during Fright Nights are a huge mood killer? I have seen some much nicer toilet "blocks" that could even probably be themed to the occasion.

For MW's budget, any "big" ride they did similar to Spiderman would probably be something more like what we've seen Six Flags do with Justice League. It'd basically be JL:3D with a motion base (which I wish they could have done in the first place...).

They're not $2B developments though. Jupiters is the most comparable, but still far off what I'm assuming a $2B integrated resort would look like. Heck, check out the pictures of Wavebreak Island and it's HUGE. Don't know why the site is so small.

Off topic, but how big is the casino site meant to be? The area of land looks TINY.

Keep in mind, the company would probably want quite a bit of $$$ just to design the facade/s. Plus other fees. I would say construction alone (no design, legal fees etc) would be upwards of $20,000-30,000.

I don't know how much $10,000 would build - but probably not a lot. Paint, a bit of carpentry and some other works for our media room was about $3,000... I'd say $30,000 (roughly speaking) would build a few smaller facades and some nice tress and pathways. (I actually have no idea about costings though, except for my limited experience of late)

Upgraded in park today. I definitely think the slightly higher fee in 12 months time might catch a few off guard. The card design is very simple - it's only printed on one side with no artwork on the back. I love the idea of in-park discounts, but shame there wasn't a discount on F&B and retail as a whole. The "external" discounts are interesting. I don't know how much use I'll get out of them if I have to keep buying gift cards in advance. The 10% DJs voucher is probably the best value (the rest seem to be 5%). The $10 upgrade is too cheap, but will probably be worthwhile in 12 months time when everyone is suddenly paying an extra $3 a month for the privilege.

I certainly hope they are able to use the sound stages. Or do what USF does and put a few tents out there for the mazes. They did it for the Saw maze in 2010(?) so I don't see why they wouldn't be able to do it again. While I don't see it happening, I do hope they increase the maze count to 5 OR do a proper Halloween-themed show somewhere (not in Main Street).

I like the idea of it. I just wish it cost more, and that the cheaper passes had school holiday blackouts. Maybe next year...

​I was thinking the same thing. Without the mist, there's no way this would look even half as good.

The ride looks great! I've always been a big fan of JL @ MW but everyone I visit with feels it's just average because it doesn't have a moving base. I know it'd be a greater cost, but I definitely think it would have been worthwhile expanding the ride area and using cars with a simulated platform. JL @ SF definitely has a really cool Superman/Transformers vibe at a fraction (I'm assuming) of the budget!

Good points Alex, but I was actually kidding! There are tons of sponsors - including an actual car rental hire "shop" featured in one of the updated facades.

I've seen a few pictures of the new building designs and I definitely think they missed a great opportunity to do some commercial brand tie-ins during the re-theme. Surely there'd be heaps of brands willing to pay to put their logos up on the buildings! Oh well, maybe next time...

It says: all new VIP pass holders. If you downgrade from Gold when renewing, are you "new"?

^ That's a good point. At the end of the day, I see a lot of room for improvement at all of the parks. I'm an avid believer in 'you get what you pay for'. That's why I believe it's a good move to start charing MORE for entry, not less. I think the parks' "buy 3, get 1 free" promotion helps families a lot, too.

I'm really excited for the expansion. After what they've done with Ocean Parade, I am looking forward to seeing the new section!

^ Oh yes! We're very lucky. Too lucky. Park enthusiasts are happy to pay good money for quality. A lot of people (locals) though would prefer a cheap Sunday out instead (and their benchmark is currently $79 per year for 3 parks).

^^ Problem is, people are short-sighted. Plus they're probably getting sick of the parks as well. It's a lot easier to spend *only* $45 x 2 than buy a pass worth $300. Plus, they're currently getting sub-$100 yearly passes. $300 is too big of a jump. The only way to justify higher yearly passes is to keep the day entry prices inflated for the time being. Just my 2c. EDIT: I remember paying $160 for *just* a Movie World pass when I was at school. Those days are gone, people won't spend that much for *one* park anymore. It's a shame. I'd prefer quality over price any day.

Everytime they implement new revenue streams that affect everybody - be it paid parking, peak lockouts etc. - there is going to be a certain amount of time it takes for the public's perception to change. No matter how well they explain it, the first ones to offer a "worse value" product will always look like the bad guys.

Was the park busy?

I definitely liked the idea of a normal and "premium" pass. But perhaps people got sick of the "free upgrade" promotions? Either way - the parks shouldn't get their numbers by competing on price. It leads to a race to the bottom, common in the airline industry (although perhaps not Virgin vs Qantas of late). Instead, build the parks up to become something people will pay good money to visit.

I went on Friday and they were running 2 trains! It was amazing. There were basically NO lines. And yes, the water was not working (don't know why).

I think each to their own. I personally hate the riding wooden coasters, so don't really want to see one here. I don't know whether the overall general public in Australia would get used to (and enjoy) the experience, either. They'd probably see it as old or outdated, helped form that opinion by certain media outlets.

Did you manage to get any photos of the new Sandwich Bar? I'm absolutely loving the new food focus on at Dreamworld, plus they seem to be trying hard to improve the visuals of the park.

I wouldn't mind seeing MW and DW areas which have been refreshed/painted? Perhaps also the Coffee Shop at Dreamworld (I never saw photos of it finished from the outside). Thanks!