MickeyD

Dig a 100 foot hole on the site? ....Then watch it fill in with water when it floods. When this whole thing was first announced I am sorry to say now how I initially jumped on the hype train and take it all back! As the Application unfolds the Project is folding and now it's just a joke. Nerang could really do with a Kmart, just saying.

It's fantastic to see all possible funding being poured into this project. The Wave is also getting freshed up. We will have a shiny new looking Wipeout to ride again soon! Hopefully it'll last a bit longer this time around.

^ Creepy! Is your name Andrew? Seriously though @Minions! Whoever filmed this doesn't seem to be invited, a pretty stupid thing to do really. Trespassing is a big no no and not to mention unsafe. Was the person by themselves? What if you got hurt and were unable to call for help?

I think your date choice os ideal @Jobe For one reason or another us Aussies love to venture to the US in September, however in my years of experience in Travel I can advise that whilst crowds at the Parks will be lower on international/interstateTourist numbers, annual passes are completely unblocked (not so much of an issue in Orlando mind you), weekends tend to be loads busier, off season trading hours apply so reduced Monday-Friday and certain major attractions may be closed. (Annual Maintenance or being overlayed for Halloween in October). May I ask where in Orlando are you staying and are you renting a car or do you plan to take courtesy transport to Parks etc? Just in my experience, WDW make it rather difficult for People staying on their properties to enjoy Orlando's other attractions. All aside the best advice I can offer is arrive early every day and if you like a drink, try not to go too hard in the evenings.. save that for Hawaii😆 All aside sounds like a tonne of fun @Jobe! You are certainly going to be grateful for that week in Paradise at the end!

The area of bushland passed the Blue Lagoon and before the Amphitheatre would be an ideal spot for a brand new 'Ned Kelly Heist' - a set could also be easily built to bring back a 'Bush Ranger Show' that could take place around the same spot. It's a really dull part of the journey as it currently stands with the Staff member rattling on about attractions in the Park that everyone knows about while the train covers a lot of mothballed attractions. If they brought back the Baldwin for weekends and Holidays then make the whole thing an experience with an all new exciting Show that is uniquely DW and one that People will definitely be drawn to.

Thanks @Brad2912 that's a real shame to hear. I rode the 'toy' train last time I was there. Nothing memorable. DW should think about bringing back a 'Ned Kelly' style heist that happened aboard the train back during the Park's early days. Definitely an 'experience' and easy/affordable to do, no doubt.

@T-bone I feel a bit bad in that for a moment I had forgotten about that beautiful Steam Train the Park still has. It's a wonderful asset and has the Power to add some classic energy. When did it last run?

With my best hopes for DW's future, I prefer to remain optimistic about all of these 'minor experiences'. While not earth shattering by any means they will at least all add up to improving the overall Customer Experience. This is something that's vitally important when they have no new Major attraction to promote.. again. Some of us choose to sit in armchairs and criticise current DW Management and it's Owners over the way things are ran. Fact is DW should be investing mega bucks right now on Capital but sadly the REALITY of things are they simply don't have the funds to spend and Ardent won't give the Park what it needs. It's been a tired old scenario playing out for too many years. Right now all DW can do is make the glass at least look half full by making the most of everything they have. For that, I think they are doing an excellent job.

It's great to see that DW continue reaffirming the 'experience' in everything they are doing. I get the feeling that some high profile business Analyst and successful Author has recently been roped in to help DW identify it's Core Values and a business Mission Statement to centre everything around. Could 'whole new experience' just be referring to the fact that they will once again soon be operating and therefore offering new experiences to Guests simply by being open?

Enjoyed read @Jobe I truly admire your passion for the smaller/"fun" Park arena.. On topic, who's not excited about a full sized Wave Swinger coming to LPS? Possibly my all time favourite Flat ride, the addition of the elevated (former U.F.O.) platform will no doubt offer some amazing views and extra thrills as Riders feel the forces beneath their seats as it dips high over the Crowd below. A PERFECT fit for LPS. It's delightfully good to see the direction of the "Classic Amusement Park" being fostered.

Looks like the same project. 450 million seems ridiculous for what is essentially a water/active park. Or is this figure part of a Hotel/retail/dining development?

Many years ago ch7 commentator Simon Reeve rode OR on an episode of Beyond 2000. It's about the best pov footage of the ride I have ever seen. Does anyone else know anywhere some footage might be archived? It would be great to see it in action again.

Completely agree @joz. You would be one of the few here that would recall SW being divided into coloured 'zones'. There was at least a Blue, Green and Orange zone from memory with said coloured banners throughout the Park to show People where things were on the map. Themeing at it's absolute worst!!!

Given the Jellyfish attraction is heading toward the front of the Park, SW now has a good sized pocket of land down the back to play with. The back area/former water park desperately needs something of a feature attraction that beckons the Crowd. The Park feels dull once you walk passed the Castle. Pretty much been that way for decades now. My guess is the big ride for 2019 will be somehow occupying both the existing Castle (internal section/queue/station) and the adjacent former Water Park area for the ride itself. A Coaster of some sort seems logical.

Looks fun! A similar thrill to the Hurricane rides at travelling shows only with Riders getting to control the thrill level. Another great little addition for AW 😃

I am visiting SW tomorrow and have recently lost two beloved fur babies of my own in a very short time. 1 that has been a big part of my life for 15+ years. I feel offended by SW's move in recent times to photograph my entry to the Park. Can I just not go inside and enjoy it for what I see?

I am visiting SW tomorrow and have recently lost two beloved fur babies of my own in a very short time. 1 that has been a big part of my life for 15+ years. I feel offended by SW's move in recent times to photograph my entry to the Park. Can I just not go inside and enjoy it for what I see?

Umm don't you think that would sound just a tinsy bit desperate Skeet? Trying to pitch an aging ToT against this would be a low road for DW to take imo. Showcasing the Park as an overall more complete experience with plenty of everything for everyone will help keep them in the game - and pretty soon with an exciting blindfold upcharge for rides like ToT, what better way to compete... right? 😆

Omg I actually thought you were joking?? WTF DW.. SERIOUSLY W. T. F.

Yeah I'm aware of it and those are things that some of our Parks already do, there is room for improvement across all areas. Not least ease and convenience

The newer Drink Stations do have cold water options. I can't remember if it's fizzy/flat or both, either way on a hot day it's a very welcome improvement. Soft drinks aside, visiting a Theme Park has long been considered a 'treat'. A special day for family, friends and individuals to enjoy themselves to play, indulge and generally spoil one another. Eating 'Healthy' and enjoying a 'treat' are not exactly mutually exclusive. How many People chow down a bowl of Lettuce for Christmas Day Lunch? The VIP Pass has made a visit to the Park feel less special because people can visit whenever they feel like it. The average Guest is far less likely to spend a full day on any visit, far less likely to spend much (if any) money while there. So I guess the challenge is to get more $$ out of average Joe right? For one give the Punters a reason to spend their money on site by offering Products that are Unique and cannot be bought across the road for half the Price. Disney and Universal are the masters of this with their Butterbeers and Baby Groot Pretzels etc.. Unfortunately we simply don't get close to the visitation which you obviously need to produce as much on site as they do but we definitely have room in ours to improve. See DW Parkway for example. VALUE Offer generous servings that People can overlook when they see what they are getting for their dollar. Provide excellant service with a smile. Make it easier for People to order with phone aps etc. Offer (and more importantly promote) Park dining Packages that have variety and include tasty food options that also happen to be healthier ones. How about a Street Food Festival like ones overseas where People buy tickets to exchange for sample sized portions available at various locations around the Park? Being Portion sized, the price should be reasonable, yet sold in coupon lots, say 5/10/20 tickets offering better value for higher multiples. Make them valid for the Season so People can use their remaining tickets on another visit. Or Park. Such an event could be a huge cash spinner and drawcard for every type of Visitor. It's all about thinking outside of the square..

At DW now.. Wipeout is looking as sad as ever. I hope a plan is approved for repainting the entire ride and wave because it sure needs it. ToT is sort of 'jumping' and sort of surges into top speed about half way up the tube. It's also slow and rumbling as it reaches the station. Definitely feels like a patch job to get operational. The ride system is in obvious need of some love in the way of new tech and upgrades. The enhancements to Tiger Island are purely that. Enhancements. I am unsure why this final section took so long but as a whole the area looks great and worthy of a good amount of time spent on any visit.

Or the work could be carried out on the Tower itself, ie resurfacing the stairway?

Haha @SHOOKETH your wild enthusiasm takes me back to a certain crazed fan that immerged when Superman opened😂 Good for you! It will certainly be the pride of the Park, significantly expanding the footprint and adding some always appreciated extra capacity of a few thousand happy riders every day. I can't wait to be among the first to ride -Traditional forward facing first and backwards as soon as possibly after!!

Wow, where have I been all day?!? 5 pages in just a few short hours? GREAT NEWS!! I was super excited to watch the footage and love the backwards feature on the train. Honestly, I can't see this being much more popular than the front row. It certainly will add a new perspective to an already shit hot ride.. CAN'T WAIT