jhunt2

Yep, back up and running, although don't be shocked and outraged if there are a few more stoppages if you visit in the coming days. It seems to be having a few little teething issues here and there. The good news is it's not completely down any more!

I mean, we'd all love a thrill ride for a thrill ride, but when was the last time MW added a new major family-friendly ride? Junior Driving School was 2014. That's a long time between drinks. Lately it's seemed like all of MW's big new investments have been thrill rides - and they weren't replacements for retiring rides, they were just straight up additions to the lineup. MW really doesn't have anything for the market of "too old to enjoy the carousel, too young to go on Scooby-Doo or WWF". A couple of family-friendly coasters could do the park a world of good. I just hope they bother making the precinct well-themed. EDIT: They don't have *much* for that market. No hate to Road Runner or JL intended.

Yes. Operators when I rode it said there was some sort of sensor issue, but take that with a grain of salt as they followed that up by saying they weren't really sure and were just being instructed to run it on half cycles. My best guess is that it's something that requires the manufacturer to get involved, either for parts or for reassessment, and that there's delays on that due to the ongoing complexities of COVID. No idea how long it'll be, but the park certainly seem to be suggesting it's a temporary measure due to issues with the ride. That's the only thing that makes sense to me. The other rumours I've heard swirling about SH breaking height and noise restrictions at 360 degrees seems unlikely given how much thought was put into meeting those requirements in the designing of Luna Land.

I agree, the tower has arguably become more iconic than the rides themselves. You can see it for miles, and it has a huge presence in the park and the skyline. I think it's inevitable that the cost of upkeep for GD will eventually become too much to justify, but I'd hope Dreamworld would see the benefit in a new tower-based ride to take its place, even if it means a rebuild of the tower. That being said, the recent gondola refurbishment suggests we're speculating on something that won't happen for at least a few years yet.

I hate to contribute when arguments are getting heated, and I want to be clear and say I think this is a matter of semantics and it really doesn't matter. But if we widen the lens to a global level, I'd say you'd have a hard time putting Steel Taipan in the same category of "multi-launch coaster" as Taron or Icon. Yes, it launches 3 times, but it's essentially the same launch just drawn out into three passes. It is still a roller coaster with a layout initiated by one launch at the beginning, not multiple throughout the layout. It doesn't really have multiple "separate launches" in the sense that Taron does, or in the sense that LPS seems to be attempting to imply with their record claim. But at the end of the day, it really comes down to the semantics of "multiple launches" versus "multiple passes", and when you draw that distinction, they're technically not wrong. It is taller and faster than any other coaster in Australia with multiple launch tracks. Whether you think multiple passes counts as multiple launches seems like it's an issue that will split people's opinion right down the middle. Personally, I have a hard time classifying SurfRider as a "multi-launch" coaster.

Eventually probably, it'll become like the Luna Park Ghost Train fire, more of a low moment in the park's history than a constant reason to attack their reputation. But for now, let's face it, DW were negligent and it resulted in the worst imaginable tragedy. Any park in a similar situation would face similar brutal media attacks while the tragedy is still fresh in recent memory, just like any celebrity is likely to live with reports on their crimes and misdemeanours even after they've grown and changed. You also can't really blame the general public for being cynical about the park being safer to visit, especially those who aren't really informed on what has changed over the last 5 years. It's DW's responsibility to mend their reputation, and hopefully in 10 years it will be looked back on as a transitional moment that led to them being a much safer and better-managed park.

But Dreamworld is not even in the same ball park as Disney. Disney's various parks are all about the IPs. The reason you go to Disneyland is for the immersion with the characters and worlds that Disney as a brand represents. You wouldn't go to Disneyland if you wanted to ride a world-class thrill coaster, you'd go to Six Flags. As you may notice, the focus of Disney Parks (at least under good Disney management) is therefore on experiences rather than just rides, theming, and high-quality experiences that immerse guests with high attention to detail. On their surface, Disney rides are sometimes pretty unexciting machines, but their quality comes from their world-class immersion and detail. Dreamworld, even when it was inspired by Disney somewhat, has never been that. Even where they have used IPs such as DreamWorks, they have never been focused on such in-depth theming, but rather on having a variety of rides and experiences for the whole family, even where they are just that - rides or shows for the sake of having rides and shows. You'd never see anything like Tower of Terror at Disneyland, it would be considered one of their weakest attractions. But at Dreamworld, it was one of the strongest. Disneyland would also never install something like The Claw or Steel Taipan, where the theme is more of a vague aesthetic with some sort of implied theme, but at Dreamworld, they fit right in and are quite popular. The closest you could say Dreamworld have to a cohesive "theme" is the Australiana vibe which has long since died, since the removal of Gold Rush and arguably even earlier. And even then, that was more of an aesthetic than a theme in the Disney sense. Rides like RHLR and TRR, while some of the most "themed" rides in the park, all had implied stories and vague aesthetics designed to just be appealing to the eye, not to necessarily immerse guests. I think it's pretty clear Dreamworld have never been remotely similar to Disneyland, and post-2016 they seem to be headed in a new direction that deviates even further from that. Comparing Dreamworld to Disneyland, and RHLR to Mickey Mouse (?) is comparing apples and oranges.

Got my first rides on Boomerang and Sledgehammer yesterday. Boomerang was decent enough, a family-friendly ride that still packs some thrills for all ages. The backwards element is quite fun, and the first turn out of the station does pull a few forces. Sledgehammer was the major disappointment. I know they're not running 360 cycles at the moment and I'll take that, I can always come back when it's running properly again, but those restraints are just not nice at all. I'm a tall guy, but not abnormally tall (6'1"), and I'm cornstalk thin. But attendants had to come around and staple me to get the restraint low enough, and it KILLED my shoulders. It's something about the seat angle with not enough room under the shoulder restraints. I'm actually glad it didn't do a 360 cycle because that would have HURT. The bottom of the gap in the shoulder restraint is also not wide enough to accommodate a human head, so you have to sit back in the seat when the automatic restraints raise and lower or you'll end up with a nice concussion as a souvenir. I won't comment on the ride experience because I know I only got half the deal and it'll run longer cycles once these teething issues are worked out, but overall I did not feel compelled to go back. We went for second rides on Hair Raiser and Boomerang instead. Also, general note, I see what you all mean about the temporary fencing and general unfinished feel of Luna Land. That and the fact that Little Nipper was closed for the whole day (not sure on the reason why so no comment). I guess they'll find their groove with the place after a while. Good additions in terms of the rides themselves though!

It does seem like a lot, but keep in mind that it's only on one of the trains, meaning low capacity throughput per hour, and the technology probably requires extra maintenance from the crew in charge of maintaining the trains. It was always going to be pricier than DCR backwards. That being said, DCR's price has fluctuated frequently and then not operated at all at times, so it's hard to get a measure on what guests think is a reasonable price for that experience. Either way, Tailwhip (I keep almost calling it Tailspin) should rightfully be the more expensive of the two. It's more expensive to maintain and, in my opinion without having ridden it yet, an all-around more intense and unique experience.

I've had a mix of both every time since the first time I rode it. I think it's the same audio, just sometimes the launch jumps the gun before the "Superman fast" bit.

Surely even in the unlikely event that there's some serious issue with the ride, LPS wouldn't just give up running 360 cycles in response. The ride has been operating a matter of weeks. If it's something serious, they'll be chasing it up with the manufacturer and running full cycles again as soon as possible. To limit the capability of the ride permanently when you could probably get repairs or rebuilds for free on warranty would be ridiculous.

So at the peak of summer on a 35+ degree day with high humidity, you don't see the appeal of having a water ride to give you a cool, refreshing splash along with a little thrill in between rides on the northern side of the park like Steel Taipan or Giant Drop, and would rather walk the whole way across Dreamworld, change your clothes (or at least dry yourself off again later) and line up for a waterslide?

LPM would be stretched for space to install BuzzSaw, especially since it's a park model. Don't be fooled by its compact nature as a coaster, it does take up a decent footprint by LPM's standards, and a lot of their rides are transportable models so that they can reshuffle around the park when something new is installed and needs space. This would be a huge investment in terms of space and logistics, they'd probably have to axe a few attractions to fit it, and BuzzSaw isn't worth that. Aussie World, mayyyyybe, but their current new investments are still ongoing (somehow...) and it might be a bit out of the blue. I don't know if the hassle of reshuffling their new attraction plans would be worth the finished product. Adventure Park has nothing of this scale whatsoever. That's not to suggest they can't afford or don't want it, but it would be a surprise to see them take it, and it would be very out of place at the park. That said, expansion into the thrill ride market is something I'd love to see for APG, so I'd be happy to be wrong. Never been to any of the others, so no comment, but Adventure World seems most likely of the rest, and I still don't think it's probable. It doesn't seem worth the cost of international shipping to Rainbow's End, and the other two are also not quite at that scale in the thrill ride market yet. For parks investing in their first "big scary ride", I'd prefer to see them invest in a new ride that would not only be something new for the Australian market, but would be supported by the manufacturer and hopefully a much more sensible long-term investment. My bet is BuzzSaw is headed somewhere in Asia. A lot of Chinese parks out there expanding very rapidly, and South-East Asia seems to be a good market for it as well.

Those clouds really give those photos a dream-like quality. It's beautiful.

I like the touch of Big Dipper and Little Nipper. That's cute.

I agree there's no reason that WnWS shouldn't have been able to succeed where it is. I've never been, but Google Maps says it's a 30-minute drive from the CBD. Most visitors to the Gold Coast stay around Surfers Paradise/Southport/Broadbeach. From there, it can easily take 30 minutes to get to Dreamworld depending on where you are. That never detracted from its attendance at its peak. If people want to go to a park, they will go. Like I said, I haven't been to WnWS, so I can't comment like most people can on its operations, but it seems like a bit of a cheap cop-out to blame it on its location and a poor market. Wonderland was right across the road for quite a significant amount of time, and even if Sydneysiders didn't have the stomach for theme parks, it's one of the most visited cities in Australia and should pick up a decent number of tourists. Definitely stinks of poor management and marketing, not a park that was doomed to fail because of aspects out of their control.

I'm always conflicted by SBF. Something about their models feels very coin-operated-mall-ride-ish. Their spinning coasters feel like what you would get if you ordered a spinning coaster on Wish. That being said, some of their thrill models on their website look decent, so I'll withhold judgment until I ride Trident for myself.

Hey guys, long time since I've posted on this forum (not since I was a stupid kid in high school). But 2021 is shaping up so well that I was excited enough to dust off the old account again. Seems like I'm more excited for a different coaster every day I think about it. I think Steel Taipan might end up being the best coaster. Never ridden Blue Fire or any of its clones but it looks like a fantastic layout, and Mack Rides are fantastic. It's only Dreamworld's delivery that has me worried for it. I was too young to ever experience Wonderland so obviously I'm hyped for Leviathan. A proper wooden coaster has been on the list of things I think Australian parks needed for years now. That being said, Big Dipper is also a world first, and even forgetting the fact that it's launched and Intamin, RMC's Raptors are fairly new on the block as well, so it's quite a unique coaster that seems like it will fit in well with the new developments. I'm excited to see how it will go, and it's a bit of a wildcard since I don't have much to compare it to that I've already ridden. Overall, I think the only thing I'm sure on is that Aussie World's new coaster is a clear fourth, and that's no reflection on it, because it looks like it'll be a decent spinning coaster as well. Today I'll be hyped for Big Dipper, tomorrow it'll be Leviathan... it's just a great year to be an Aussie coaster enthusiast, really!

Just spent the first half of the week up on the Gold Coast, post-Schoolies and pre-Christmas. I've got some interesting developments from Sea World, Wet'n'Wild and Dreamworld, and I'll be headed to WhiteWater World and Movie World tomorrow and Saturday. Pics are coming, my phone is glitching at the moment. Sea World was seemingly running on half-capacity to try to make everything perfect for peak season. The SpongeBob Coaster spent the first half of the day closed. New Kids' World is pretty awesome, and includes the Zamperla Demolition Derby that for some reason, Parkz lists as "announced". Storm Coaster suffered a moderate technical glitch which saw the ride closed for most of the day, and mechanics climbing the lift hill on foot. When I rode later, the lift hill had decreased in speed dramatically. Further, Ray Reef was closed for maintenance, which appeared to be some sort of bird-proofing. Wet'n'Wild had the Constrictor closed for some unseen form of maintenance or renovation. The entire area was surrounded in worksite fencing, complete with "DANGER: CONSTRUCTION SITE" signs. Any ideas? SurfRider broke down around midday, but I was assured by a staff member that it was a minor glitch, and they just wanted to make sure, what with peak season around the corner and all. There were a LOT of primary school pool parties on... So much for going a week early to avoid the lines... Contrary to the other two, Dreamworld was running full-pelt, with every ride, bar the Cyclone for obvious reasons, operating for the whole day. However, all of the special effects, notably in the Tower of Terror and BuzzSaw, had been replaced by annoyingly out-of-context music videos. Rather than your average bone-chilling wait for the Tower of Terror, I was put through Magic's "Rude" and some other cheery songs that really ruined the pre-ride feel. Construction on the Motorsport Area is going ahead nicely it would seem. The "Grid Burger Bar" is looking fairly complete, and there's a lot of promising construction going on. I couldn't catch a glimpse of any activity around the dormant Cyclone tracks, though. I'll update from the other two parks on Saturday night. Cheerio.

Storm Coaster had moderate technical difficulties on Monday afternoon. We noticed that multiple empty cars completed the circuit early in the day, and were asked to leave the line for the ride shortly after lunch due to a "technical glitch". They ran several more empty runs, and a few mechanics climbed the lift hill and inspected. One car was stationary about halfway up the lift hill for almost half an hour. The ride reopened before the end of the day, but there was a dramatic decrease in lift hill speed, particularly right at the very top. Hopefully, this was just a minor glitch, especially going into peak season. I don't think a lift hill going at less than half full speed is going to be convenient when the tourists roll around. Also, Ray Reef is apparently getting "Bird-Proofed". The whole exhibit was closed, and some sort of piping was evident inside the fenced-off zone. Just though y'all would be interested, since this is a topic on Sea World maintenance.

Planning to go on a road trip around the US some time soon. Visit a few Six Flags and Cedar Point. Maybe Disney World if I'm feeling in a lets-spend-all-of-my-money mood.

OK, so Dreamworld said that there would be 2 BIG new attractions opening in 2015. I wanna know if the revamp of Zombie Evilution counts as big. I think ABC area is obviously one of the new attractions, but is there still possibility that something else is coming? (Was kinda hoping for 10th thrill ride) Also, I hope that if they do a V8s thing, it will be something better than RedLine (possibly even a ride rather than a simulator).

He has seen a doctor. He's only had one seizure, so the doctor cannot be certain what kind it is. That's what I meant to say.

For those making the comment... We actually don't know what kind of epilepsy he has. He had a seizure one morning before even waking up, and that's the only case he's ever had. I know for a fact that he's not particularly sensitive (he's a stage actor, so he isn't too bad with lights).

Hey guys. So I'm bringing a friend to the Gold Coast next year, however, he was recently cautioned by his doctor that he may have epilepsy. So which rides should he not ride? I've thought of: NO: - Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster MAYBE: - Tower of Terror II Any others? It's important to me that we have fun, but his safety is most important.