Zanstabar

An inverting flat ride on the Gold Coast being loosely themed towards a wave? What can I say except "Innovate, don't imitate"... How is everyone's expectations holding up? A lot like a story in one of Plato's works, mine have sunk significantly since the announcement. Maybe I had my expectations too high? Or maybe when they bill it as a well-themed and immersive land I expect them to actually deliver...

Anyone heard of this competition before? I think it looks quite interesting, especially given anyone studying worldwide is eligible. Any uni students wanna team up and go for it?

Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway opens in a few hours and we've already got a few POV's. While I'm sad to see the Great Movie Ride go, this looks like a remarkable family attraction. Spent a fair amount of time trying to debunk a lot of the effects... to not much success. What does everyone else think?

I don't hate the name Kickback Cove, but I do hate how it's being presented in the lineup. Sounds like Dreamworld are grasping at straws and trying to fluff up the attraction count.

My last visit to Wet 'n' Wild made me think that the current state of the park is the result of a bunch of quick/rushed decisions. Caribbean buildings and leafy green gardens sit at odds with plain concrete pathways and Generic Pool Fence™. A-Frames were put up advising guests to wear shoes, instead of actually providing a solution to the issue. The corpse of the Zip-Line, the Buggy, and the Mach 5 are all clearly visible. I remember growing up when Wet 'n' Wild was THE water park to visit. After my last visit, I am certain that is no longer the case. The park, like most on the GC, need a masterplan. The failures of the past aren't covered up but left for every paying guest to see. Don't know about you, but I don't think that's a good look for any business.

https://youtu.be/8bbTtPL1jRs

Hiss-Teria Vs Turbo Gwazi; what's the better name?

Cyclone 2: Electric Cowgaloo or 2 Side 2 Winder

Well... it's gone. Posted on the Dreamworld website that it will not reopen. So what's next for Rocky Hollow?

Fountain Reaccs Only

Dr @joz, I wasn't expecting you to come through with that dissertation on the fall on Sea World. When I visited last I started to wonder whether the park has always felt poorly executed and that my childhood memories clouded that view. Your post puts everything into perspective, especially things I didn't even consider. So I guess the next question is "What will bring the magic back to Sea World?" and "Does management want to bring the old Sea World back?"

Sea World used to be one of my favourite parks on the Gold Coast. It has a beautiful location and was home to many of my childhood favourite attractions. A recent trip to the park had me in disbelief as to what had happened to it. A janky carnival ride sits in the middle of the park, the shows just aren't as engaging and entertaining as they once were, and any form of atmosphere has gone. Has Sea World only recently become a mess? Or am I just blinded by nostalgia?

Immersion? On my Log Ride?

Isn't this a case where the middle way might be the answer? SDSCNG has received some attention since the relaunch which has been great to see. The Disco Room looks better than I have ever seen and small adjustments have been made to the first few scenes. Yet, there are still issues with the experience. Waiting in the hot sun isn't very pleasant, especially when you enter to realise that half the space is partially unused. The queue and station atmosphere are shadows of their former selves. The ride is improving and evolving, which is great to see, but there is still more to go. Call me the King of Kumbaya, but I think we should call it how it is and acknowledge that it's great to see change and what can still be improved. This is a cycle that will never end; There will always be a way to push it further. Should we all take a bite of the feedback sandwich?

It's more of a trend i've noticed on other rides around the park. When something gets fixed on WWF or SDSCNG, I normally find that it's at the expense of some other effects.

I noticed the updated Fog curtain the other day. It's great to see this long dormant effect finally operating, but it's a real shame that it's not executed a bit better. Having the projector right in the line of sight doesn't make for a great illusion. I've felt for a while that Justice League has been slipping. As much as I appreciate the park updating the ride, it does feel like "one step forward, two steps back". My prediction for the future of this ride is that more effects will come undone, only to be haphazardly replaced or left to rot.

It's a pleasant area to sit and relax, but I don't think this is the most suitable addition for a theme park. It's fairly generic and reminds me more of Pacific Fair or Westfield Chermside than any theme park. Personally, I don't think theme parks should be striving to be compared to a Westfield. A theme park should be its own being; something unique and unlike other offerings. The "Shaded Seating Area" just doesn't do it for me. Also, there's some shade but not enough to satisfy my pale needs. I think this was a flawed idea from the beginning.

Theme Parks Worldwide? On Youtube?

Many experiences at Walt Disney World require you to plan them out in advance. The best advice I can give is to book things as soon as possible. Fastpass+ can make your day a whole lot easier but you'll tend to find the most popular rides are completely booked well in advance. For your first couple of days when you'll want to get everything done, get the dates in your calendar and book the major E-Tickets for each park (i.e Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, Soarin' at Epcot). If you don't book things early, you might find your only FP+ option to be Magic Carpets of Aladdin. The same applies to restaurants, so if you really want to eat at "Be Our Guest" you'll need to book well in advance. If you're like me and leave things till the last minute, keep refreshing the Fastpass selection screen. People change their plans all the time, sometimes dropping their bookings for major attractions the day of. I would often do this when I would be waiting for my morning coffee.

While an improvement on previous years, Fright Nights is certainly not of the same calibre as HHN Orlando. This year suffers from some of the same issues you've mentioned here. Every night as far as I know has been a sellout, leading to some pretty large crowds. While daunting at first, they certainly don't seem as bad as in previous years. Wait times for some mazes seem to drop pretty dramatically by 9 pm. The atmosphere is pretty much non-existent this year. 'Precincts' swap anything that could build mood with electronic music and movie trailers. Dead West is the most atmospheric area of the park, but even that leaves something to be desired. If you loved HHN and didn't find previous iterations of FN to be all that enjoyable, then I doubt you'd enjoy this year. It's certainly improved but does not offer a comparable product.

Kung Po Chicken? Does that mean that Rick’s now serves up succulent Chinese meals?

Call me pessimistic all you want but I don't think that they can succeed in fitting 17 scenes within dodgems while making it a satisfying experience. My assumption is that many of these scenes will be smaller callbacks or references placed within a hallway or around a corner and not a full size room with unique scenic, characters and audio. That said, I really want to eat my words.

17 scenes in IT sounds obscene, especially given how lacking the recent mazes have felt. It makes me wonder whether they're referring to a fully fleshed out scene with unique characters, audio and scenic, or just a meagre reference that you pass on your way through. With such a large IP under their belt, I hope that they kick it up a notch and make me eat my words. Side Note: Does anyone know if they'll have Prince Albert in a can?

Turbines or bust!