djmcbell

Well, local news is getting people excited. Headline - "Australian Disneyland becoming a reality after city chosen". Article - Melbourne mayor says it should have it, guy who owns Avalon says there is an entertainment precinct planned, saying “There’s an entertainment precinct that we’ve defined. I wouldn’t say (for a) Disneyland at this moment in time, but anything is possible”. In other words, absolutely nothing.

Yes, a "premium subscription" advertising channel is a bit much. On another topic, would WoO be a bit of a push to retheming the back of the park eventually? I mean, the western area has a log flume, which must be costly to maintain and I don't think it seems much in the way of visitors back there. There's been a fair few times we've been to the park and not gone over there, and there's nothing else! Even the kids area has more western-themed rides. After WoO would they look at that next? Maybe remove the entire area and replace it with something else, or add a couple of other rides so it's not so empty?

The whole "ride interaction" part is interesting - or more rather that a big deal is being made of it (though doesn't Luna Park Melbourne count, as the entire park is within the coaster's footprint?). I'm not keen on parks where there is a clear degree of separation between all the rides. I did a road trip through America once, going to a few Six Flags parks, and it seemed (especially Six Flags America) like everything was separate and in different corners of the park. At least Movie World has theming, what little of it there is in some places, to the them together. Always amused after going to Cedar Point, and people on a forum were saying how I'd never come across a park like it again, where the rides were so densely packed. No, my regular park at the time was Blackpool Pleasure Beach, the very definition of rides interacting with each other - going through each other, over, under... it's like a regular coaster orgy. Rides interacting with other rides - and not even other rides, Blackpool Pleasure Beach used to have two rides that both went through the same restaurant! - is a good way to add a "cool" factor to a ride. Obviously depending on how many people are bothered by it. Whether it's something MW are going to be bothered continuing though, or whether this is just a happy coincidence based on where they had room for Flash...

I'm just surprised at MW fast passes. $150 for a day, and only once per ride? Ouch! We're going to the Gold Coast again in February. Chances are we'll just do a few days at Dreamworld - get passes for the year when we go, and go again before the year's used up. We last did Movie World and Sea World over a year ago, and found them way too busy. Driving School took over an hour to get on (just got to do that with kids), DC Rivals we were lucky and got a virtual queue. I think that, apart from Justice League and some of the kids rides, that's all we managed at MW. SW was worse - it was heaving. Spent 30 minutes just trying to get on the banana thing before sacking it off. DW, on the other hand, was great. 15 minute queues tops for ST, lots of variety in rides. Think we'd just also do E MW and SW too much on previous holidays by that point. But, if we go back to use the last of a 12 month pass (so late 2024 / early 2025) then we may do MW and SW too in order to do their new stuff (I think the Oz area will be open by then). Plus Rivertown.

This topic has randomly turned into a Disney vs everyone else topic, but sure, I'll put in my penny's worth. Disney does not have the biggest and most thrilling rides. They don't, and they won't. That's not what they're trying to market. They're trying to market their IP, whether that's Mickey, Star Wars, Marvel, or themselves. Yes, they've got all that market, but apart from the characters and the lightsabers, Disney is Disney. They're a prestige brand - hell, they're THE prestige brand. If you go to Disney, you expect it to be absolutely flawless, and that's what I've found whenever I've been (true, it has been a while though). Disney is about theming and atmosphere. Yes, you could say that those things are surface level only, but they do them extraordinarily well, leaving no detail untouched. Universal do well at this too, and have invested a lot - the Harry Potter stuff is nearly mind-blowing until you (quickly) realise you're walking around a snow-covered village in 30 degree heat with thousands of tourists. But Universal, and Islands of Adventure, is too uncoordinated, what with the quaint Port of Entry, modern Marvel city, downright strange cartoon land, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter land, the remains of the Mythic Continent thingy, and childish Seuss Landing. Their IPs don't really feel, whereas (at least mostly) Disney just says "oh here's a western area, and this is a fantasy area". Plus there's generally just a lot of nostalgia about Disney. My wife and I last went about ten years ago, with no kids. We were kinda gutted we couldn't get on the Peter Pan ride.

Surprised by this, I really enjoyed ST. Superman, on the other hand, has a fine ride experience that is over too quickly, and theming that is definitely showing its age.

Scooby. I mean, it's crap in terms of actually getting people on it, and the most recent effects were rubbish. But a few years ago, it was still rubbish in terms of getting people on, but the effects were good and it was a fun ride. Dingo Racer - done that loads of times at parks all over the world. Wild Mouse - barely remember it, but Wild Mouse at Blackpool Pleasure Beach was thoroughly, back-breakingly excellent (God rest its soul). So I would go with Scooby, or at least the Scooby from five or so years ago.

An app I've got lets me fake my GPS location. That'd probably do it, and there's loads of apps out there that do that.

However, I would still say both parks are worth spending a while at. We were lucky when we went with queues, plus it was just my wife and I (no kids), plus a few big rides were closed or hadn't opened yet. DLP is a great park so deserves a good visit, and if you plan only one day (or even less!) you may barely ride anything. Your mileage may vary.

When I went, it was possible to do both in a single day with careful planning, though that was in 2014 before Ratatouille opened, and with two coasters down. We arrived at 4pm, did two hours in Studios (which was all we needed, and it closed at 6), then two hours in Disney (closed at 8), then the next day at Disney from opening until 4.

So, mid-November we (by which I mean me, my wife, and three boys - 9, 4 and 2) went to the Sunshine Coast and decided while we were there to do Aussie World. Flying into the Gold Coast (as the flights and car hire were a pissload cheaper), we then drove to Caloundra (which took a good while, thanks Brisbane traffic) and did the nearby Aussie World on the first day. Aussie World is... small. This isn't your Movie World or Dreamworld, nosiree. This is "hey, we've got this area of land, let's cram in as many rides as we can. And of wildly varying quality". Okay, maybe that last bit is a bit mean. Look, rides are expensive to buy or build, let's say that first and foremost. There's no use anyone saying "oh they don't have anything like Steel Taipan so they suck" - I'm sure the park would love to have the kind of money for that, or the kind of space. But that's not going to happen anytime soon. So what you do have is a collection of rides that has something for everyone - and I mean everyone - to spend a good few hours on (I believe it was open 10-3 when we went), and barely a queue in sight. Rather than describe each ride, I'll just do what I remember being the highlights. The little train, when we got in, was a good little ride for the kids, and our middle child enjoyed the car race (he even managed to steer well enough) and the chair swings. At the top of the park, the SX360 or whatever it is was a hit with my wife and I, and got some great airtime. It's always good to go on those rides and just relax, let gravity do its thing. And the Dingo Racer (I think that was it's name) is alright. Our eldest loved it by default, being one of the only coasters in the park. I've done a few of these coasters before, and they're average. There's also a Caterpillar coaster which does two laps, which our middle child enjoyed. The Wasp however was the ride that got the better of me, as I just felt ill from the moment it started. Probably a great little ride, but I don't think I can stand up to much spinning any more. But nothing could prepare us for the tiny little roundabouts near the entrance, and how our two-year-old loved them. He'd cackle with glee every time they set off, waving to everyone as he went round. A (maybe overly) enthusiastic ride operator too. Again, at the time there were barely any queues and the place was nice and clean. However, there isn't anything that stands out - and I guess, considering cash and space, there can't be. Bottom line - it's an alright park to do once if you're in the area. Nothing special. Other things we did on this trip - Australia Zoo was good fun, and Noosa was pretty (and very tiring to push a pram around with two boys in it). The beach area in Brisbane's South Bank was good, if a little crowded. Caloundra is nice, the Sea Life Centre good, Bribie Island pretty peaceful. Good holiday - we wanted something more relaxing, ended up being one of our busiest holidays.

A tuk-tuk ride?

I really enjoyed DLP back when I went in 2014. We went from the UK, so had two full days - one day at the parks (plus the evening when we arrived), then a day in Paris. Unfortunately, Ratatouille wasn't there then, and Indy, Crush's Coaster, and Captain EO were down for maintenance. Big Thunder Mesa was brilliant, as was their version of Pirates. Not so struck on Paris's Space Mountain - I like the feeling of speed on the Florida one as opposed to all the inversions and twists of Paris. One thing I do like about DLP though is the amount of areas that exist for no reason at all, other than "they're kinda nice to explore". The fort in Frontierland, under the castle, the galleon and Adventure Isle, the Fantasyland maze, the "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" Aladdin's alleyway, the Nautilus. That and the whole steampunk aesthetic of Discoveryland. Also, the roads outside being named after various french cartoonists. Nearest I could get to visiting Parc Asterix (which I desperately want to do - alas, due to seasonal openings it was closed when we went).

Exactly. However, if anything goes wrong that won't stop CASA and whoever else coming down on you like a ton of bricks. If I really wanted to fly over Sea World, I would ask the park if I could fly when they're closed. Then, considering you should be able to see the drone at all times, ask if staff can be used as spotters. Then check the weather for any wind. And be prepared to land at a moment's notice, even if it's a hard landing (had to do them a few times). And then I would fully expect them to say "no", because unless I was doing it for them, why would they say yes?

Part of my job involves using drones. I would have expected Sea World to most definitely be a no-go zone. For starters, CASA guidelines are that you should not fly within 30 metres of a person, unless they've agreed and you've got all the required permissions etc. Try doing that anywhere near a theme park. That doesn't mean that I'd your drone is 100m up in the air you're fine, that's the circle around your drone. The heliport is another big factor, you're not allowed anywhere near that. The main factor though is if it goes down, you risk polluting the area with the battery. I've nearly lost drones due to wind and wildlife, and always keep an eye on it rather than just rely on the screen and GPS. As I say, if it goes down I would want to do a quick recovery in case the battery cracks and leaks. Even if it was outside the park, wind can blow it off course (happened to me more times than I'm comfortable with) and maybe down it a bit too close to the animal enclosures.

I really like this news - as a family with three small kids of varying ages, there's something here for all of us. We adults will love the new coaster, and alongside Steel Taipan means DW hopefully has two coasters we actively want to go on, compared to (at the moment) just DC Rivals at MW and (whenever it actually opens) Leviathan at SW. Eldest child will doubtless want to go on it too. Our middle and youngest kids will love the new kids area (heck, they love the existing kids area), and don't expect to get our youngest off the Big Red Plane anytime soon! As someone else said, much more impressed by this than WoO.

I don't know how I hadn't posted in here a while back. Probably because I seldom visit here, but anyway... We visited back in 2014, when we lived in the UK. At the time, since this was a few days trip, we just took hand luggage. Straight through CDG and then took a TGV to Disneyland Paris - drops you literally at the gates after a 15 minute (if that) journey. DLP has a luggage drop service you can use - did that, then hit the parks - two hours in Studios, two hours at DLP, got out stuff, Earl of Sandwich for late tea, then went to find out apartment. I can't remember the name of where we stayed, but there is a town a short walk to the south west which has a big shopping centre. I think it was Val d'Europe. Also it's on the metro service into Paris. Good apartment, pretty cheap, and free buses to the parks. We do another day at the parks. There was a lot down - make sure you check before you visit - and obviously this was 2014 so no Ratatouille yet. Crush's Coaster was down, as was Indiana Jones and Captain EO. Still, great park. Big Thunder Mesa was our favourite ride. Hyperspace Mountain was alright, but a bit too twisty-turny compared to Florida for me. Aerosmith was good fun. DLP - the park does look great and has a lot of elements to find that Florida doesn't. The little Aladdin alleyway, exploring Captain Nemo's sub, Adventure Isle and Hook's galleon, the dragon under the castle, the square trees just look cool, and a few other bits. Studios - I don't really remember much of it. In the two hours we were there we managed the four major rides we wanted (it was quiet) - Tower of Terror, Aerosmith, RC Racer, and the tram tour. Then we spent a day in Paris, with probably the Catacombes as the highlight. Went up the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Catacombes, and a bus tour. And the Notre Dame cathedral (obviously before the fire - unsure if you can go in there now). My only regret from the trip is that, as a boy, I loved Asterix and didn't manage to visit Parc Asterix which isn't that far away (it was closed when we went, having seasonal openings). If you can when you go, try and do it too - apparently it is pretty good.

Oh hey, I wondered where Neil from The Young Ones went. In any case, he's just cleaning the windscreen while it's at the lights.

I thought you meant "Sunny Beach" in Bulgaria, and started having flashbacks. God that place was awful.

Somewhere beginning with S. Could also be Scarborough.

Is there something people know that we don't? It really does seem, on paper, that a Disney park in Australia just wouldn't be worth it. And yet, here we have a businessman who seems to want to woo the mouse. He must have done his homework and decided that it has a good shot at being tenable, otherwise why bother? Also, let's not forget that Disney nearly did Australia a while back, but went to Singapore instead. That means that, Singapore aside, Australia would still be viable, somehow. The amount of visitors an Australian Disney would get - I can't see it being worthwhile. Unless you're in Australia or New Zealand, why bother? There are parks that are much easier to access (though when I lived in the UK I would go to Florida often, and only did Disneyland Paris once - still a great park). Guess it's partly about the destination, not just the park. What do they seem to know, to make a Disney park something worth considering, that we don't?

Okay, a bit late but never mind. We are a family of five (husband, wife, three boys - 8, 3 and 1). Gone to the GC for the fifth or sixth time, using our Village Roadshow year passes that were extended, as well as buying some for Dreamworld etc. Fly out from Tullamarine and get into the GC pretty late. Car hire company has left the car in long stay for us, with car seats already installed and also a portacot, which is great. We've booked a click and collect shop at Cole's at Pacific Fair, then staying at the Montana Palms resort which is great (and actually has decent amounts of space in the car park!). First day, Movie World, and it's... okay. We do spend most of the day in the kids area, including queueing with our middle one for the driving test for 45 minutes. The park doesn't seem too crowded though, but I want to go on Scooby (only been on once since the redo, and thought it's a definite step backwards) but I would miss my fastpass time in the driving test queue. Fortu ately some DC Rivals (great coaster) fastpasses become available, so we get one for my wife and eldest, and I can use the parent swap. Then Ben & Jerry's before we go. Thoughts - everything here has to try and be big. I've done MW a fair few times and enjoy the coasters (SE is alright, as is GL and AA when that was running. Roadrunner is a great coaster for kids, and DC is great. Scooby was great, now not sure). But it needs to do something to up its game more, and not in terms of rides - in terms of making it more pleasant for guests. We've still got time in the day, so head off to do a few hours at Dreamworld - which we loved. It's telling that we managed to do a fair few turns on Steel Taipan (and don't forget, that's taking it in turns with the parent swap) and let the kids on a few rides at ABC Kids land (middle child lost his mind and started singing his version of the Wiggles tune as we walked in). It was difficult to get him out of the Big Red Car (what happened to the ride?). More on Dreamworld later. The next day was Wet n Wild, which... it's a water park. I'm not a fan of them. It did have some great slides for middle child, and my wife and eldest went on plenty, but the kids area was too loud and overloading for the youngest. Next day was a washout so we did Coomera Westfield, and then Brisbane the day after (ferries not working due to the floods), Hard Rock and the tower. The day after was a full day at Dreamworld, which we really enjoyed! Got there for opening time. Sky Voyager was great (and easily our longest queue of the day at around 30 or 40ins - even Steel Taipan was 15 at most). Steel Taipan took a while to warm to for me, but I now think it's as good as DC Rivals but for different reasons. ST just goes nuts on the elements, whereas I like DC for speed and airtime. The range of rides is great, as well as the animals (especially the tiger area). Coasters aren't the best but there's stuff here for everyone. The street food was good (though took a while) - great selection, even for us veggies, and we purposely didn't take food with us so we could check it out. And definitely worth it, at least once, to do the Tailspin on Steel Taipan (we did backwards on DC back when it was $10). Next day we checked out Byron Bay, which was a bit of a flying visit, followed by more water parks on the day after (youngest preferred WnW to be honest), and then, to kill some time... Sea World. Okay, we got to Sea World mid-afternoon. Spent probably an hour and a half there, which consisted of going straight to the kids area and going on the bananas, then leaving. The crowds were horrendous, we couldn't move. We couldn't actually queue for anything, we didn't know where one queue ended and another began. One woman lost her baby (hopefully found again). Sea World is, again, a good park. And we were close to the Easter weekend now. I'd noticed passing MW that the car park was getting full earlier, and even before it opened cars were gradually parking on the grass. But yeah, not great. For the record, Storm and Jet Rescue are both okay. Second to last day, Dreamworld again (again, very little in the way of crowds or queues, kids loved it), and I honestly can't recall where we went on the last day before the flight back. Overall, Dreamworld really impressed us, and I'm glad we had the tickets for it as I think we'd have been really disappointed with the other parks alone, especially given how crowded they were. I get that it's not the ideal situation for Dreamworld, and the lack of people is more down to their lack of popularity than anything they may have done to help the situation, but it's a really good park and more people need to give them a chance (just not too many to fill it up).

I really need to write up a trip report, but we went to the parks last week (and a bit of the week before). Movie World (7th Apr) still busy, but not unbearably so. Bear in mind we have kids. Road Runner was more or less a walk-on, as was most of the stuff in the kids section. Driving School was 40 minute wait. DC Rivals advertised as 70 minute, managed to get a virtual queue when they released more after lunch. Scooby was 40 mins - we didn't go on that. Lots of stuff closed and we just couldn't be bothered much after DC Rivals. Dreamworld (several times through the holiday) - very good. Steel Taipan only advertised a max of 30 mins, normally 15 or less. Sky Voyager was about 45 mins. Lots of stuff were walk-ons, including Gold Coaster. Madagascar had a bit of a queue. Vintage Cars 20 mins as soon as it opened. Sea World (13th Apr) - not a chance. Crowded like hell. Went to kids area, took 20 minutes to get on the bananas - shortest queue there. When we got off the queue for that had easily doubled, as had others in the area. Kids area difficult to navigate, especially with kids. Only wanted to stop in for the kids area but left immediately after banana ride.

Okay, after probably 7 or 8 rides on Steel Taipan on the trip (will probably do a trip report at some point), I'm definitely a fan. Second favourite coaster in the GC, just behind DC Rivals - and that's only really because they're different types of coaster. DC Rivals is all about speed and airtime whereas Steel Taipan is about the elements. We did also try the tailwhip which was damn good fun, a lot better than DC Rivals backwards. The barrel roll at the end, while spinning, and hanging on the first incline the coaster goes over, are pretty damn good. Queues are very low - through the trip we never waited more than 15 minutes, compared to DC Rivals posting 70+ minutes.

Rode it the other day. Barely any queue, which is a pity as it's a great coaster and deserves the custom. Not sure it's my cup of tea though - it does bombard you a bit with elements. I'll go on it again and form a better opinion, but it's definitely very accomplished. If you want a roller coaster that tries to do everything under the sun, this is for you.