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Ok. Hopefully they're not giving up on the concept, but just fine tuning it. Now I just need to look up Annerley on Google maps (what's different about the CYT breakfast?)! Back to the parks........

Shame if McDonalds are already downgrading their Create Your Taste menu (and it certainly looks like they are from my observations). I don't want to fill this thread with details because it's nothing to do with theme parks, but it's just disppointing that McDonalds Australia came up with something which led the company throughout the rest of the world, and revolutionised the way they do business, and then after just a few months they have: - Stopped having waiters and now just use general crew to serve the meals. They're untrained and it really shows! - Stopped prioritising Create Your Taste to the point where it can take up to 20 minutes to be served. - Stopped using the pager style "locators" and even the clipboard menus on the tables - and now no longer serving fries in baskets I could go on but I won't. It was good while it lasted!

All that proves is that there is lots of demand for fun things to do in Sydney. Should be a catalyst for more theme parks to open there.

You have a point there lol! I'm converted. Dreamworld. We want plates! You too McDonald's!

I like the chips in a metal basket thing. I think it's quite cool. It also results in noticeably better quality chips compared to when they're served in a disposable cardboard container.

Why should Dirty Harrys be darker?

I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread dedicated to food and drink options in the parks. It would be great to see what people think of the current offerings at various parks, and also to hear peoples ideas on how this could be improved. To start it off, I visited the Dirty Harry bar at Movie World today and, whilst I do think $22 is very expensive for lunch (and that didn't include my drink) the "make your own" burritos did look tempting so I thought I'd treat myself and try the beef ones. It was great to be able to order a beer with my meal, as I never drink soft drinks and the only other option in most theme parks is water. I don't mind drinking water if it's free, but I do if it's $4 or even more! My mistake, I suppose, was ordering the beer at the same time as I ordered the food. I just thought it would be slightly more convenient to pay for both at once. I was given a pager which went off when my food was ready, so there is no reason why staff couldn't have served my drink to me at the same time. However they served it as soon as I had paid, leaving me (in their intention) to carry a drink around until my food was ready. I didn't. I left it on the bar. One woman behind the bar kept telling me "that's your drink", and seemed quite surly about it. Poor woman seemed to hate her job! Anyway, the pager went off and I collected a very nicely presented meal, and the beer which was still sitting on the bar for me. The first thing I noticed is the steak looked very undercooked. Granted this is a matter of opinion, and everyone has their preference on how well done steak should be. Not to be put off so easily, I sat down at a table and proceeded to make my own burrito! The portion size was pretty much just right. The inclusions were all very good, and it was a welcome change from the usual burgers or fish that until recently seemed to be about the only thing for lunch at any Gold Coast theme park! So my opinion: - Idea = Great - Steak = Probably would have been very good, but was just TOO undercooked for my liking. - Burritos = Felt and tasted stale, which detracted from the overall enjoyability of the meal. - Price / value for money = Mediocre at best in my opinion, especially as the $22 didn't include my drink. Sea World does a similar priced meal at Dockside Tavern which DOES include a beer. I am sure the same could apply here, even with steak burritos. Whilst I'd love to say I've found a new food addiction and will be having this new lunch offering regularly from now on, I don't feel I got a quality meal or good value for money, so sadly I won't be back to Dirty Harrys any time soon. Again though, great to see them trying new things, and hopefully it will continue to improve. Perhaps I'll give it another go when they've had more time to iron out the "teething issues"!

High ropes was an upcharge attraction for a while when it first opened, but is now free (YIPPEE)!

It was awesome. I find it hard to enjoy going on Storm due to the fact I know what was there before.

I was just about to say that I don't think it's worth having a water park at Sea World given Wet & Wild and Whitewater World are just down the road. I was going to say the land would be better used for a new attraction. Lo and behold! Wonder what it will be.

The indoor part of BT (which was the vast majority of it) was much longer than the little loop you do in Storm. Same building. They just used to make much better use of it.

Based on that video the pre show is definitely much better in the Batman ride than the BT pre show. A good pre show isn't just a distraction from the queue. It's part of the experience.

Thanks. That confirms for me that it was a lot better than Justice League. I don't mind if rides are replaced with something better, or even different but just as good. However this just seems a big downgrade to me. Same goes for LTRR and BT.

I'm afraid I never got to experience the Batman ride, but from what I've read it sounds like it was probably a lot better than what's replaced it. As were Bermuda Triangle and LTRR, which I have experienced.

But it was part of Sea World until a few years ago! The high ropes was an extra charge at first, but is now free!

I thought the pre show in Roxy theatre used to be quite good when they had the screens in each corner of the room and the little puppets that popped out. Now it's a waste of time and you may as well just go straight through to the cinema. Best pre show I've seen in the Gold Coast was on Bermuda Triangle though. Really wasan important part of the whole experience.

This one is in Florida, but I'd imagine the one in Japan is similar? WOW! Well, this is the standard now Movie World. For me to agree that the upcoming new attraction is "Worlds best" it will need to be at least as good as this (and not necessarily Harry Potter themed, but that would be awesome)!

I would guess that the clearance store, and possibly the toilets next to it will be demolished. As I've said before, that would open up a path to create a large new area of the park where part of the car park is. Then they'd need to create a new car park using part of the grassed area at the very front of the park, to replace the lost parking spaces. I believe they already have approval to alter the car park.

Wet & Wild actually has something quite similar to a zip line, but for some reason I've only seen it in use once!

The ride described below at Thorpe Park sounds like what I would call "world best". http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/thorpe-park-derren-brown-to-create-world-s-first-psychological-theme-park-ride-a6708326.html

Well, they are about to build a big expansion so that should help.

Movie World or Dreamworld would be very wise to open a centre of that type within their park before the other does! It would suit either, but especially Dreamworld!

In the early 1990s I went in a special cinema in a theme park in LA. It was in a dome shaped tent like structure. The video wasn't on a flat screen, it was all over the interior of the dome. You had to stand while watching it, but that did mean you could easily turn around to see the parts of the video behind you. With recent VR developments,you can now get a similar experience in your own home. However, I'm imagining something similar to that dome, but the video would be in 3d, and in todays super high image and surround sound quality (like Dolby Atmos). Put a ride in that which combines the movement of a small coaster with the 360° movement of the vehicle and the seats, and add some effects like water, snow, lasers, heat, cold, fire, smoke etc, maybe use a few animatronics and holograms too, and I'd say you could have an absolutely awesome ride. It would also have the big advantage that the theme and content could be changed every year or two. That would effectively give the park a virtual new ride on a regular basis at fairly low cost after the initial investment! What could make the above ride even more incredible is if the "movie" story had several different endings, and they were selected at random so each time you rode you had a different experience.

In todays Courier Mail

I'm jealous now. The most I've experienced is 9d. 7d is better though! But for a theme park ride, I'd expect the seats to be capable of much further movement, and you wouldn't just be looking at a screen. The movie would be all around you. It's still an extension of the same principle though.