MickeyD

Wow! that's news to me?!? I knew they were planning a Seal Rocks display but you said the papers mentioned it wasn't a display.. Interesting!! Well I hope they do get a new ride for Xmas because we will be seeing a truck load of new additions to the GC for themepark goers this year as it is.

Can't see it competing with DW at Xmas coz I believe it won't be open till mid next year and btw, I believe it's a Half pipe! Mind you, the Claw at DW is essentially the same ride experience, maybe a Half pipe is a little higher, it's def an unique idea though with what, 2 others currently operating in the world? It will fit perfectly next to Bermuda once they fill in that part of the lake. Next after that, I'm hoping for a water coaster.

As part of the planning for a new coaster, a sound test happens usually before the ground is broken to give them a feel for how it could potentially dissrupt the environment (if they think there is a possibility it would) I remember they did just this (hung several large speakers from a crane that resinated the roaring sounds of a ride together with the sounds of screaming rides) when they built Lethal and Wild West. Anyway, has anyone heard anymore?? I'm suprised there hasn't been more interest in this topic - if you ask me, Seaworld is grossly overdue for a new ride. I hope this is only part one of a revitilisation plan for SW - MW seems to have gotten the lion share of attention lately and whilst I don't want to see that stop any time soon, I think it's high time the Gold Coast's oldest Theme Park got a little TLC. Sure, the displays are great but they alone make for a VERY expensive zoo to visit.

It would be sad to see the Tune Ride go... Rather I would like to see the ride 'refreshed' and feature new suprises, new scenes, updated animatronics, removal of the preshows to incorporate a 'themed' queue and a bigger, more thrilling twist at the end. More than any other attraction in the Park, I reckon the Police Academy show needs to go, or again at least be strongly updated. Sure, it's one of the best (if not THE BEST) stunt show in the world but it's looking tired and today's audience is demanding more bang for their buck! There is now so much more to do at MW that so many ppl don't even bother with PA anymore. Been there. Done that. I'd like to see them re-think the old Maverick venue and come up with something decent (this time) that is both well written and amazingly visual. At this time, they could then go on to use the old PA show (and matrix) spaces to accommodate an all new Charlie and The Chocolate factory ride that, if done right, could be fantastic for the whole family as well as remain timelessly appealing for years to come.

The brochures were always pretty snazzy but I have to disagree that Warner /Village Theme Parks - specifically MW - EVER had a GREAT Marketing department - Infact whilst working there I used to often wonder what on earth most of the Marketing people did all day! (other than their nails and hair for the 32nd time before lunch:0) For that matter, you would only see most of them leave the office when there was a new attraction and even then they would be seen spending their time schmoozing with the media being a wealth of text book information! Come to think of it, that's their job - no wonder it's so hard to get into!! OK, onto my soap box I go... Seriously, if you think back to the Lethal Weapon promo (that is if U can remember it) it was advertised purely to attract the teenage market & had NOTHING, ZIP, NARDDA to do with the Lethal Weapon Theme (not that it was much of a theme to start with!) Again, the coaster featured in that ad was a similar one from overseas & the footage was from the media reel given by vekoma when they were trying to sell MW a coaster. Management were considering either a Neverending story rapids ride (later built in MW Germany & since rethemed), Looney Toon Village or a Superman suspended coaster! It appears to me the Superman marketing campaign is simply a re-hash of this old idea. Looking back, I have to say the WWW ride's campaign was dreadful too with it's sole focus on the huge mountain and drop - anyone who hasn't worked at the park would be amazed by the number of guests that thought that was all there was to the ride. Personally the Mountain is the most awe inspiring landscape in Aussie theme park's and basically promotes itself. Scooby is probably (even after superman opens next mth) the most spectacular of all Aussie Theme Park rides - on tv it seemed to be promoted as some dumbed down coaster for kids and a compliment to the rest of the Park's lineup. Come to think of it, the only really great advertising gimmick for a new ride was the Batride because it was so movie focused, well themed and well produced.. The teasers for the ride went for like 6 - 8 mths prior to opening day & the hype was so built up that the reality of it was bound to dissapoint people (however to this day survives as one of the few attractions that arguably lives up to the hype!) The advertising and marketing agency for Movieworld has changed to my knowledge only the once since opening day. The successor's first project was the "I've been to Movieworld" jingle and campaign. The budget for advertising MW still remains WAY above the other Parks in OZ and continues to enjoy the extra sensationalism provided at all Village & BC&C cinemas around the nation. The australian consumer market are pretty accepting when it comes to stuff they either don't know much about or are not used to. Sure, super 01002 is a pretty lousy promo but do you think anyone other than you guys have cared to notice that?!?!

It's all good! I was half asleep when I wrote it:)

With all due respect, I never claimed I came up with the idea for the Wayne Manor - nor the Library - I was simply sharing my story & I guess the number of coincidences that lied within it. Thanks again but I NEVER claimed I gave them the idea - I said I sent in my designs after they announced they had plans for a new Attraction (the beginning of the year that the ride was built) I have made NO CLAIM for this idea & nor did I ever/ would I ever seek compensation regarding it - as I said, I was gratful for the oppurtunities the Park gave me over a 7 year career - I was simply sharing my story but it is very interesting how things can be taken out of context btw;) The simulator design came from a company that helped build qantas simulators as well as NASA ones - that came from the horses mouth. sorry I cannot remember any other details. Again, I never stated that I gave MW any ideas for Scooby whatsoever - I did say that my original design was for a Batman rollercoaster that had controlled speed elements like Scooby does. I do not doubt Scooby is based on that film & inspiration etc came from there. Finally, (referring to the top post) I have no idea who this person is or who they are referring too. I for one did not send an e-mail into MW - My experience, e-mail was not that widly used at the time!

WOAAAH!! OK, I'm just going to spill my guts here & believe me, it's VERY relevant to the matter that has been just brought up (not relevant to the Superman Or Scooby rides however) OK, here goes... When I was about 15 going on 16 (the first year of Movieworld operating) I was so inspired by the Park & what it stood for - you could clearly see the makings of Australias first TRUE Theme Park experience that was lending from a lot of the worlds leading Park's ideas. Living just up the road in Nerang, I thought it would be a fantastic holiday job whilst in school and maybe one day on a more career level. Anyway, my inspiration from my first visit set me to work on what had become a hobbie by that stage - new ride & Theme Park design. I felt that the Park was missing the essential Thrill component whilst all other aspects of the Park were spot on for their time (um, maybe young Einsteins house was an exception to this!) The ride proposal that I put forward to the Park was entitled "Batman Adventure - Beyond theScreen" sound familliar?!?? The purpose of me sending this to the Park was to A) Show them my lifetime interests in the field (& hopefully get some positive recognition, meeting people in the industry etc) As a foot in the door, to land a job in the place no matter what it was (I later started carrying box heavy popcorn trays around!!) When I discovered Movieworld had plans to get rolling with such a venture, I stopped my drawings & sent in a letter together with all of my incomplete work. Months rolled on by & I didn't hear a thing till finally I received a letter from the CEO, Mr John Menzies initially apologising for getting back to me late as an overseas trip got in the middle & that they would love me to come in, meet the designer Team (Mr K Spiller) & Mr Menzies, to go through the plans for development etc & that they were very eager in keeping me posted as construction went phase to phase. I guess the real suprise for me came when I saw the ride in it's schematic design, the similarities between mine & their's were nothing short of extraordinary! The name really just being the tip of the ice berg. My Batman ride idea however was an indoor rollercoaster and their's a simulator, The true ironey lied in the following * The indoor rollercoaster was the FIRST consideration - they settled on the simulator to keep the mode of the park at the more family demographic + simulators were huge at the time (Star Tours & Back to the Future o/seas) and a coaster would never work so well when you are zipping past scenes etc with so much going on you could not take it all in nor did they have technology at the time to control the pace through the scenes- but then Scooby came along further down the track when the technology became more feasable!! * Wayne Manor Entry & Facade - EXACTLY the same in fundamental appearance to what I drew up off the top of my head. No, mine was not exactly rich in detail being 15 yo but if I can still find the original sketches, I am very happy to pin them up, you will see what I mean.. You could also imagine the suprise on my face the first time I laid eyes on these renderings! Movieworld always referred to this as a series of uncanny Co-incidances. * 2nd, my ride lead into the Library that was ideally going to be a set recreation from the most recent Batman film - AND SHOCK HORROR!! IT WAS! At the end of the day, I got what I wanted out of the WHOLE thing - Insite, recognition, a Job in a place which I treasured for 7 years so I wasn't too put off. They appeared to demonstrate some Moral Obligation to how I was treated regarding the project & almost giving me a sense of involvement (or was this perhaps a guilty concience on their part??? hmmm...) In answer to your question, do MovieWorld / WB's / village actually steal ideas from the little man? Well the writing on the wall certainly suggests they AT LEAST STRONGLY PARAPHRASE AND LOOK EXTERNALLY FOR INSPIRATION (as was done in my case.) The designers even alllowed for enough time to give themselves to create proper schematics before getting in contact with me! This is not all PURE coincidence but as I said at the end of the day I was happy to get a job in a place I LOVE as well as gain contacts with the right people in the place to help me learn more about an area I wanted to do so much more with. to this day i have a number of contacts in the Park that know this story - I am not pulling anyone's leg - you're hearing it from the horses mouth & I have plenty of proof to back it up. For any park insiders, perhaps go up & speak to a senior manager that may have a knowledge of this matter. I have to wonder if I am the person Midge is referring too? If not, this seems like a case of history repeating itself...hmm

Hear! Hear!! well, I'm glad it would seem that these are show scenes of the actual ride itself & not a long winding pre show as Batman turned out.. I'm so glad MW moved away from that style years ago.

Do we know for sure yet if Superman will or will not have Inversions? The one in RCDB does? Anyway, I don't think it's all that important anyway. The Launch sounds like it will come as quite the suprise given the Dark ride show that's rumoured to preceed it. I guess they will save a tonne of $$ utilising the existing Movie magic Show buildings as well and maybe that's shaved some off the ride's budget? Wasn't 12 mil the price tag for Scooby? Look how good that turned out! Sorry to the synics out there but personally, I'm banking on this being MW's best addition yet. And sorry to DW fans out there too but it would appear that MW is set to become the Rollercoaster Capital of Australian Theme Parks once Superman opens. Woo-hoo, can't wait:)

^ Point noted. I think infrastructure is important to the area. I am not familiar with it but I can assume that trains etc run close by? & before everyone gets too excited by all of this, bare in mind it has all been heard before several times over. I don't want to sound synical because I want a DL down under as much as anyone! Another thing too - Disney will scout numourous countries and locations before finally deciding. I believe Euro Disney was short listed out of something like 12 locations? Australia has apparently been on their list of destinations for sometime now. Disney Sea was once considered for the Gold Coast as well as HKDL. Maybe this will be a case of 3rd time lucky? Population wise, I don't think Australia can sustain the attendances that a DL would need. Even so, I am convinced that if they do indeed build one, PEOPLE WILL COME! Heck, I'll even go work there:)

This is a great value added service for the business!! MW & SW do very very well out of their functions so I guess they pose less of a need to run these sorts of events. Personally, I think 3.5 hrs will be more than enough considering the number of rides open and relative few number of tickets sold should ensure shorter waits.

when I last visited DW over Xmas, we went on the Log ride & I couldn't believe that after an extensive rehab, they had failed to properley clean the tunnel areas.. The scariest part of the ride was the possibility of REAL SPIDERS jumping into the boat!

Wicked!! Can't wait!! WBMW will have yet another winner on their hands with this one

Ah well.. Thanx for the thought's anyways guys.. guess we just have to wait a bit longer then huh?

^ I wouldn't count on it! as far as soft opening's go, expect they will run the usual media launches & radio comp give aways within a week before opeing.. No Doubt the staff will have the opp to ride during the Xmas Party as well. Mind you, as one of the original crew that opened Lethal Weapon & Wild West, we were never given the opp to ride early on. Infact I do recall seating radio prize winners on Lethal first before we had our turn.. NOT FAIR!! BTW, has anyone leaked out anymore on exactly what type of ride this will be?? I'm starting to think it'll be something similar to Hulk at IOA. Hmm..

Great news for DW. No suprises but I'm expecting another Thrill ride (ie, big Coaster??). Personally, I think the place could do with a new Family Ride.. Teenagers don't bring in Big Bucks. Families do.. It's good to have a balance

^ Good Point KK:) With the addition of Superman, I would like to see them run thoroughfare connecting basically LW to Main street from the front gate to the big double gates beside the LW queue. It would give the park a "bigger" feel and improve access and traffic flow.. Anyway, I wonder if that's on the cards? Another thought: as we will have two "SuperHero" Theme rides in the one area, wouldn't it be great if they added a new SuperHero themed land right at the front entrance?!? Just a thought..

^ The steel manufacture for the new coaster will be done in OZ but expect the train(s), PLC & other equipment to come from the manufacturer. Lethal Weapon's track was buit by a VIC based company called ABL Leisure

Hey all, has been a while since I posted, anywho, Happy New Year everyone. As for the new Superman Coaster.. hmm, If I know the big wigs (John, Ken & Jeff) right I'd put my money on a Top Hat style ride but I'll ask my buddies in the know at the Park & spill my guts as soon as I find anything else out.. Contrary to belief, MW likes it when word leaks out on the next big thing - it generates excitement & keeps the turnstiles turning. Besides, their only competition really is DW & they have never wanted to - nor have they tried to compete with the high budget standard that MW sets with it's rides. anyway, if I find out anymore before any further press release, will let ya'll know:)

Hey, interesting you guys mentioned A Superman themed coaster - the original plan for LW was in fact to be themed to Superman - Years ago, a survey was put out to park guests (with artwork) to suggest what kind of attractions they'd like to see in the place next - Options were *Neverending Story Rapid Ride" (based off the success of Germany's) *Looney Tune Village & *Superman Inverted Coaster - Instead we got Lethal Weapon, Looney Tune Village & WWW! Interesting how the original ideas have not really changed their future plans. Expect that the Park's next big thing WILL be a thrill ride to keep it in competition with DW. A Coaster is most likely but a new Flat ride is not entirely out of the question either I'm sure!

^For sure, if you look at some aerial shots of SW, the Waterpark actually takes up a huge space so there's plenty of room there for new rides including a decent sized coaster if desired. the SW WaterPark is usually closed thru winter anyways + WnW is really the place to go for that kinda thing. It seems strange to me that at this stage they're only doing away with the tower & keeping the pools & 2 slides down the back? Incidently, those two slides used to be directly behind the castle, where you enter the queue for the 3-D. I really hope they do go ahead with a new ride for the site & if I know John Menzie's Manager buddys better, I expect it would be Adventurous and fully themed - not just some out of the box midway

There are some very interesting & cool ideas brought up here. Going with what Richard said, don't expect a Rollercoaster design that wraps around pedestrian areas of the park. For one, Public Liability won't allow it. Picture this; your strolling down the park when suddenly an overhead B&M coaster whips above you and with it, someone's camera fly's out of nowhere and scones you on the back of the head, knocking you out & forcing you to sue for damages!! I really like the scenic tower idea - perhaps a tower like the one found in Vegas that serves multiple attractions?? As for the height restrictions, I wouldn't buy into that one - remember it wasn't so long ago that the Gold Coast City Council almost approved construction of a gigantic "Bronzed Aussie" lifesaver statue about the size of the statue of Liberty for the Broadwater?? Thank god that one never happened!! By the way, the Corkscrew is more than 3 stories - I believe the highest point is just under 90 feet

Hey, don't get me wrong -seriously, I have probably visited the place more than the average CM and watched it grow over the last 3 decades;) So for that point, I guess I can be a little more critical than those having been only once or twice. The thing is Theme Parks need to have Broad appeal to maintain success. I like the fact that SW is going down a path of promoting it's zoological Themes but let's face it, great displays don't warrent a $60+admission price tag. The place needs to become more immersive and feature good thrills that compliment the atmosphere of the place.

dear or dear.. I feel this to be the beginning of the end for "Movie Park" ha! The new logo looks crappy. Thankfully, our MW still has WB ownership