Adam

Facts: Steven Gregg is just saying what the tourism industry and public want to hear. Movie World and Dreamworld are in direct competition.

I don't think the park would ever have the intention of paying back the $2 billion dollar principal while the company is a going concern. If the park is debt funded then the park's management would meet with the bank every decade or so to discuss the terms of the loan and obviously make regular interest payments through the decade. If the park is equity funded then there would be no interest payments or bank meetings. Unlikely though, where would the $2 billion dollars worth of investors come from (unless they got a bank to underwrite the investment)? I'm confident the park would be able to meet their interest repayments. It does sound bad (the $2 billion dollar debt) but many companies have massive outstanding debts that they will NEVER pay back until the company has ceased operating. These loans are interest-only and the principal is paid back in full when the loan expires. As mentioned previously though, banks will allow you to renew these loans if they think you're able to keep up payments and will eventually pay it back. In Universal's case, I believe the principal would be repaid when the park is eventually sold (eventually being never). Again, I'm just assuming this is how they've set it up. There are hundreds of ways to fund a company and I haven't bothered doing any research into Universal's financial position.

Damn. I was under the impression you didn't know what happened on Scooby-Doo. The Wild West Falls backwards drop is 'way tame' compared to Scooby-Doo's heart-pounding plummet. It's not the tallest drop but the way it's designed makes it pretty fun.

The backwards drop on Wild West Falls sure is the scariest backwards drop at the park. Hope you enjoy your first time on Scooby-Doo.

You're absolutely right Gazza. A Simtech system would be much better. They have a variety of on-board pneumatic effects and have all the electronic scoring sorted. If they could get the license issues with Harry Potter sorted then it'd be fantastic. I just can't see J.K. Rowling approving it on Movie World's budget (she is very demanding). Walt Disney Imagineering have recently been having some very interesting discussions with her. I'd say it's more likely Disney will get the gig. Who could say no to the most creative, enthusiastic, and successful theme park brand in the world? I'm a pretty huge Harry Potter fan myself. I know I'd rather Disney make something truly impressive on a massive budget than see something smaller at Movie World. The Disney possibilities are endless. I'd still love to see an interactive dark ride at Movie World though.

The Claw is easily the best and funnest ride at Dreamworld. It probably looks scarier than it actually is. There's no rush to ride it early though because the queue is never longer than ten minutes.

That's actually a really good idea Mickey. There is so much possibility with the Matrix. The themeing could be somewhat cost effective with a range of projectors (projecting those green letters) with a mixture of smoke and then obviously some props to shoot. It would be the perfect addition to Movie World because it would appeal to the family and teenage demographic. These sorts of rides can also, if they are designed by the right company, have reasonable capacity. The re-rideability too is a massive draw card for any theme park. Perhaps they could even add in a bit of thrill. Maybe an Intamin 'Multi Motion Dark Ride' system; similar to Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure where a motion base sits on a moving vehicle. The only problem I can see is the cost of putting it all together. The building plus ride system plus themeing could easily top Superman's budget and would it draw in the same number of visitors?

Sounds alright. It's better than a carnival ride. I really enjoyed Van Helsing at Universal Hollywood. It'll be interesting to see how much thought is put into it. Will the exterior themeing simply consist of some army camouflage being dumped over the building?

The information is from Macquarie Leisure (the company that owns Dreamworld and WhiteWater World) so it is very reliable. The company has said mid-December is the expected opening date.

Does anyone else dislike the 'dog people' on the WhiteWater World website? They're tacky and I hate them.

An often-used measure of guest satisfaction at Disney parks around the globe is the 'Ridership Per Capita' figure. Basically, it is calculated by adding up all the turnstile counts and dividing it by the number of guests in the park to give the number of rides the average person went on. I think recently this figure has been up very high for Disneyland (past 10.0) which is why they've cut back their operating times in the peak season. According to guest behaviour theory this shouldn't reduce guest satisfaction (based on statistical analysis of past rider trends and customer feedback). It would be interesting to find out how many rides an average person goes on in our parks. Obviously during November this figure will drop for Dreamworld but would it be below Movie World? Superman Escape and Scooby-Doo certainly would've had a dramatic effect on this figure for Movie World. Andrew, visit Movie World. Seriously. It's the new thrill park.

With less than two months to go (if they open it on the 26th of December) this attraction is looking less and less cool. Whatever goes onto that concrete slab is going to look ridiculously out of place . There is still rock work and slides left over from Blue Lagoon. If the Blue Lagoon attraction has closed why not remove everything? Argh. They're such a frustrating park. Unless disappointment is your thing I doubt there's much of a reason to get excited over this.

You're saying an interactive dark ride is "deffinatly not a re-rider"? I cannot see your reasoning for this. Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters was one of the highlights at Disneyland for our family. There was a massive competition between who could get the highest score. Not to mention the fact that every, single, ride, is, different. They are designed to be re-ridden, just like a computer game. You'd have a hard time convincing Disney officials that these rides aren't insanely popular. They're currently in the process of developing and installing another interactive dark ride in Disney's California Adventure. Thrills and interactivity are what define re-rideability. I cannot believe you have just posted something that goes against everything that is good and true in this world.

From the 'MACQUARIE LEISURE REPORTS SEPTEMBER QUARTER UPDATE': As many of us originally speculated, the park is well ahead of their construction schedule and is planning on opening earlier than originally conceived.

It's kind of gone full circle now. If you visit Disneyland or Walt Disney World today you'll actually find Captain Barbosa and Captain Jack Sparrows (Johnny Depp)—two fictitious characters from the film's story—in the attraction. Johnny Depp recently met his audio-animatronic self. Very impressive engineering.

Dracula's Haunted House will be a stand-alone attraction located on Surfers Paradise Boulevard in Surfers Paradise. I'd say the opening would depend on how construction goes. The company has already purchased many of the effects and props that will make up the attraction but obviously there is a significant amount of interior work that must be completed.

Perhaps they might be seen as offensive to some people on the forums? Perhaps it doesn't really relate to the important topic of whether or not Dreamworld will finally replace Eureka's ride system with something more efficient and thrilling? I'd say it's most likely some sort of unexpected technical failure.

An exclusive look at Dracula's Haunted House In another unprecedented Roller-Coaster.com.au exclusive, we take you into the heart of the Gold Coast's newest attraction. I absolutely agree GoGoBoy. Some of the stuff they have planned is damn pretty cool.

It's definitely happening. The only thing I'm skeptical about is the quality of the attraction. It won't be anything major.

I've finally taken the time to research this project and I have some new details to report. Expect a full article on Roller-Coaster.com.au to be published in the coming days with a complete overview of the attraction (including the technologies and effects being used) with concept art and details on when it will be opening. It was reported here that the attraction will feature an indoor coaster. This isn't actually true. The attraction will be a five storey 'walk-thru' experience (which I think makes it far scarier and more exciting). It was also reported here that they have produced everything in Queensland, this isn't true either. Many effects are being imported from the big players in Florida that attended the latest IAAPA convention. The attraction will utilise state-of-the-art technology in both safety (visitor tracking) and special effects. More to follow soon.

Youtube is like the best site ever as well. Who wouldn't want to spend more time on that site?

Thanks for the question AlexB. The first and second paragraphs are conveying completely separate ideas (hence why they are both separate paragraphs). In the second paragraph I'm referring to the "high-tech" nature of such an attraction. Disney has themed the ride to look like an amusement style ride to fit in with Paradise Pier's themeing (which might I add is super) yet they have adopted a high-tech ride system in true Disney style. Let's not forget that Disney pioneered the steel coaster. If wood wasn't good enough for them back then, it certainly won't be good enough for them now.

Surely Superman Escape would've been a better example to use than Road Runner? I don't think there's any doubt that Superman Escape is a proper, big, major coaster. I prefer coasters that have inversions as opposed to traditional loops.

Aesthetically, I think wooden roller coasters are the ugliest thing out. If they're going to add one, it'd have to be well hidden with trees. I'd much prefer a high-tech ride though (indoors, well-themed). There's a reason why Disney would never get a wooden roller coaster.

Well it seems like it's going to be the 26th of December. My bet is off. I don't think there is any financial loss from selling annual passes at a discounted price. The real value with passholders is in-park spending and the referrals they bring into the park. Most local residents are only going to visit a park like Movie World once a year anyway (when paying full admission). One day only $62 on admission $15 on food purchases Total: $75 Cheap annual pass deal$79 on annual pass $60 on food over 4 visits Total: $139 The evidence is clear.