MickeyD

Awesome find Jobe! I love this picture - it really shows off the impressive scale of the Big Dipper, fitting the park like a glove and looking so much larger against the comparably diminutive landscape than at DW

^ good point! I've always been a fan of the piped audio that MW has all throughout the park - a little annoying for staff but truly add to the atmosphere. DW needs an audio atmosphere - something that the park (sw too) have always lacked

Omg Jobe thanks for sharing those pics - I haven't seen those shots of Supernova before??? That and Centrifuge are they both still operating? Supernova was a terrific rollercoaster. Not Space Mountain by any stretch but a really fun ride that with just a million bucks spent on it, could have really enhanced the experience Still no reply back from the expo people on Alien Encounter but I think I may have found the ride's designer - a Melbourne based company named 'Camac Australia'. I would love to get my hands on the design and photos of the ride and will be sure to share them on Parkz once I do! - Maybe with Richard's consent and perhaps Jobe, you might be keen to help with a series of front page article's on Aussie Parks of yesteryear?

All sledging aside,I am absolutely thrilled with what DW has been doing and their plans to reinvigorate the Park. Food at DW has a reputation for being just plain revolting. I have no problem paying the extra $$$ for Theme park food but cannot abide paying big bucks for something absolutely below par. Improved food, refreshed classic rides,improving queues withentertainment on TV's and guest flow through child swap, single rider's and existing Q4U, coupled with the introduction of unique new 'Twirly' (-haha Twirly!!) are all signs that DW has finally woken up to the needs of their business by focusing on massively improving their product and image. If they keep this up, tomorrow is looking very bright indeed! I'm gunna even put my money where my mouth is and get a season pass.. Can't believe I just said that!!!

I'm interested to see how SW America plans to introduce their brand to foreign shores using our perhaps more 'ecologically aware and responsible' Australian brand. I'd say this is a very positive and intelligent move for them to work their brand toward improving face in the public eye, using a tried and true formula that has been embraced by Asian holiday makers to the GC for decades. - That in itself is the challenge. Our Sw is loved by our Eastern international visitors fundamentally for it's parkland feel and ambience that is not something that can easily be recreated on foreign shores, no doubt. Such a partnership is for the growth of Sw venues into Asia, with the creative influence of our VTP vision. It will have no connection to the GC Park's, which atleast for now will remain under the same VTP umbrella

Haha except expo88 didn't have a ferris wheel :-P

Awesome thanks man I have emailed them and appreciate your acknowledgement! I'll be sure to report back if and when I hear back

Im wondering if anyone can find some more details on this amazing Dark ride. Here is what I can remember of it: - the ride operated from the beginning of World Expo 88 in April and was destroyed by fire in June 1988. Rumour has it this was the 2nd fire - the first whilst being built before it even opened! - 4 people were taken to Hospital from smoke inhalation and hundreds more were evacuated safely at the time. - it was reportedly destroyed due to an electrical fire, however long rumored sabotaged for the insurance dollars - the ride was easily the most popular Attraction and easily attracted 2 hour+ waits. Being a dark ride, it was one of few attractions that families could ride together. So why was it never rebuilt? - If Alien encounters was not destroyed/ replaced, could this have been the magic bullet needed for the Fun Park to survive after Expo? It lasted little more than a year after the expo curtain fell in september. We will never know.. I was just 13 years old when I got to ride, one and only ever time. It was in fact the night before the ill faited fire that would forever make it forgotten. Ill tell you what I remembered. The front of the ride had a bare painted wall that had the ride's title shown in a bolt of lightning, above it's entrance. Once inside you would navigate narrow staircases and winding corridors that seemingly went forever. The walls were plain, dark with murals of alien faces displayed randomly. These murals wound up inside the queue for Supernova dark roller coaster, after the fire. The queue moved painfully slow and partly because of capacity, but mostly because there were continued estops due to fire effects inside the ride. Yup, fire effects! After probably 2 hours waiting I finally reached the station. The trains seated just 2, white painted cars with a single bar that would clamp down over the waist. Your feet and rest of your body left very exposed to what lay ahead. As you rounded a black lit landscape entering a cave, snakes hung from a slimy tunnel above and air effects insued. Suddenly and without warning a great big dinasoar like head shot out from the side blasting flames at you from its mouth. These types of jumps occurred over and over as you descended into the slimy dark caverns. I remembered then reaching a crashed space ship set which the train explored. The sounds of beating and steam as well as critters off in the distance together with the dim lighting really built the suspense. I was genuinely shitting my pants and as much as I loved it, really couldn't wait for it all to end. I felt so isolated and think that is what made this such a genuinely terrifying experience. The ride ended with a rather dull chain lift back to the station. I exited perhaps 2.5 hours after entering the building, and to my parents fury!! The very next day the ride was destroyed by fire I have such surprising memories of this ride, it truly made an impact with me. Now more than 25 years later I am keen to find out more about it. Who designed the ride. Was a similar model built elsewhere and of course I ask of any of you fellow Dinasoar parkz members like me have any memories of this? To my account, this is about as much as anyone has ever remembered of this iconic ride. I would dearly love to find out more information on it!!

Here you go Parkzpeeps :-D

Interesting Joz I wonder if it would be possible for a Kumbak train could operate alongside an original?

- Or maybe purchasing a such train for Cyclone could help offer the same magic fatal bullet to bring the ride down too? I know it was hardly the main reason for seaviper's demise, most here will agree that the ride was never as good after the Kumbak changeover. Hardly an improvement, more the opposite

"don't say oneday - that day will never come"

Looks great but I was hoping to see water running down the wave? From previous updates it looked like the outlet pipes are still up there? The water level in the pool looks too low and the row of jets at the back? That's different! They used to be at the front, maybe about 3 of them? I remember the riders on either end would get absolutely drenched from those. These new ones seem to be the same kind as is featured on the main splash down at WWF and provide more of a spray than a soak Overall I'm thrilled to see the effort DW is putting in and really chuffed how they are turning their attention to revitalising the favourite parts of the park! I noticed in the Sunday Mail article it was mentioned that the new ride and slide were a part of the Park's current 2.5 million dollar investment program.. Wtf? Is this a typo? So a new ride, new slide and 2 basically rebuilt classics? - all for 2.5 mil?

I for one loved it! For me it was the most intense ride in the park, but yeah it can leave you feeling pretty wooozie

Tbh I never saw an ad actually showing Pandemonium off. Last time I visited DW it was new and I was there for a business planning day, Noone in my group of 20 new it existed up until that point, except me. The ride had a rather negative effect on quite a few in the group, who chose to make it their last ride for the day.

There have actually been a number of accidents at DW over the years. As far as I can think of all of them could have been avoided with the proper training and better systems in place. Despite the Park's age and numerous owners over the years, they have always maintained their 'private' and in-house ways of doing things their own way. The 'competition' on the other hand have always very much learned and educated themselves following the success of overseas parks, ensuring they are ahead of the game. I believe it's something to do with core values of how they run their park. They have always maintained their beliefs that their park is the best and they are the market leaders, so never saw the need for help or guidance from others.. Hmmmmm. ?

Yes Mista Reanimated35?

Regarding the chairlift accident, I can tell you step by step what happened but I won't bore you. Surfice it to say the accident involved 2 people (attendant & female guest from Singapore) which were not killed, but both hospitalised. They fell a fair height onto a rather hard surface - the kangaroo enclosure after an alarmed tourist alerted a nearby shop keeper who ran up and pressed the estop. The ride attendant, sighting the passenger trying to get off barely two metres before the end of the platform, left her post, ran to the chair and grabbed her from behind, attempting to restrain her by grappling her arms around the riders chest. They both fell shortly after the estop was pressed and the attendant lost her grip. The Attendant broke her wrist I believe while the passenger had a few broken ribs and shoulder. I am sure she has vivid memories of her Dreamworld one day holiday experience as no doubt does the injured staff member Now Class, would somebody like to tell me how this whole messy accident could have been avoided?

^ interesting point of view however please tell us how/why you came to such a dire fait for Sw? Personally I can't see anything but the opposite? Remember SW is hardly some stand alone park that isn't part of a major multinational corporation and market leaders for Australian Theme Parks?? Best you back your pov up with facts dude otherwise prepare to cop a roasting

Very excited to see what big and exciting things are to come to sw in it's place I never liked the kumback trains. So uncomfortable and unnecessarily restrictive for a ride that barely even needed restraints (a simple lap restraint would have been ample) anyway, rip corkscrew (always to me) after literally hundreds of rides over the years I look forward to an exciting future for sw more than I do mourn the loss of a hasbin ride. No offence but let's move on

^ as a fellow DL nut Alexb, when it comes to expansion locations, there are just a few valuable pockets of real estate left: - Old motor boat cruise site (perhaps ideal for a new dark ride style) adventure, 'Frozen' - a favourite theme - big thunder ranch area and going beyond the berm to the stables (WDI rumoured to have an awesome Oz concept designed for the area, alas the film was terrible) - Perhaps a better configuration of Tl (been an issue for years) and NO,I don't believe Star Wars land is the answer for the area either

Algae generally doesn't grow too well in the colder months. Anyone with a swimming pool can attest to that. I guess it has somewhat died back a little, come summer expect that to change grossly unless of course something is done about it

I would love to see them address capacity this year. I have been to fright nights with groups the last few years and it was challenging to enjoy all the mazes whilst stopping to enjoy the shows and other attractions. Last year we did no rides (what's the point when you can anytime at a fraction of the wait!) If a scare zone was added to the line up down the alley and perhaps leading into a short Maze of its own, wrapping around superman, that could take the heat off things. I get that they want the opportunity to sell more front of line tickets, truth is most ppl (including me) won't buy them and after waiting for 1hour+ for two mazes, most ppl get sick of waiting in lines.. I wonder if they have any knowledge of what the average FN guest is getting to see on a typical night? An attendance of 10000+ on a typical event warrants more entertainment Imo. I absolutely love what is done with fright nights at MW, it juat gets better every year. The event is exceedingly popular, perhaps if more mazes/zones could be added then more nights could also be added to the calendar to make it more viable?

Are there disc shaped covers to go over them? Thanks for the ongoing updates WipeoutDreamworldFan and Downunder196 for your continued updates, i am thrilled at the level of effort dw are putting into this.

Not at all however that perhaps is/was a concept. Taken seriously you bet. Are there other concepts under consideration? Guaranteed. And most will never see the light of day. I don't think this doomsday tower idea is a good fit for MW.. Something like this would work better at SW to take advantage of the spectacular views.. MW looks better at ground level and IMO at its best from indoors. Half the gag of the place is it's feature facades that help create immersion when viewed from the desired angle. From 300 metres up, the far less aesthetically pleasing back of house areas are revealed. Just not a good show choice and I'm quietly confident that notion may have already helped put a stopper on this such a project happening here