joz

Exactly, everyone knows you acheive more by hacking the coperate website. Seriously, comparing Sunway to a group of terrerists is pretty inappropriote. I also tend not to hold Steve accountable for all this. The Sunway philosiphy of not allowing the park the capital to add new attractions was the problem. I think in the interviews he seems to blame everything except this (and the weather strangly enough)

The Gold Coast parks today announced that they are not interested in buying any of Wonderland's rides. This includes Dreamworld, who said even though they've bought a second hand ride from Sydney before, they don't intend to to that this time.

Well, at least someone's happy.

Count me in, just make it before the holidays.

Well, reporting season is upon us, and Dreamworld have released a huge amount of information on www.asx.com.au. It's been a good 6 months for Dreamworld, which proves what you can do when you ignore 'economic downturns'. Dreamworld has been heavily targeting the local market, and with great success. 40% of the parks visitors are now from Queensland (up from 35% 4 years ago) and 39% are interstate (up from 32% 4 years back. Four years ago, 33% of the parks guests were from overseas, while today that figure is at 21%. On the whole this year, attendance is up a huge 13.2%, however per capita spending is up 1.5%, which isn't as promising as it sounds. In perspective, this means that last year, guests were spending $50.68 on a day, and this year, the average guest spends $51.44. This is at a time when the price to enter the park rose $2. Add food and Bev and retail increases and you can see what I mean. I suspect this may be due to increased 'Max Action Pass' sales, and increased numbers of kids in the park (see below) Also interestingly listed are the groups success (so far this year), which include an increase in 20% of the number of kids in the park (may also explain the low-ish per capita spending), and higher show & entertainment content. Apparently, these include the Tomb Raider exhibit, Big Brother House Parties and the petting zoo (what the...?) Sadly, among the success, minimal Capital expenditure for the financial year 2004. In other words, don't count on Thunderbolt's shinny new replacement anytime soon.

There is one benefit to getting crap staff though: We went out one week and we were getting 4 free drinks on these little cards. What they'd do is they'd either mark the card with a pen of rip the card a little when you use it. My mate went to the bar for his first two drinks and the girl marked the card with a pen, and next he got a couple of drinks someone else tore the card in the same spot and the prick got 6 drinks. We demand more incompetent bar staff! One last thing, a good way to confuse the bouncers is too get someone too come out early morning (after midnight) on their 18th birthday. Its fun just to watch as the bouncer spend about 20 seconds straining both his brain cells trying to work it out.

That brings me to one of my pet peeves, too much red stuff (Rase berry isn’t it?) in Tequila Sunrises. I struggle to find a club on Monday that can do them well. I’m pretty sure that the Sugar Shack uses concentrate too instead of just juice too. Glad I’ve got that off my chest.

6am? Thats not too bad, I start work at around that time. Monday is a pretty good night to go out, there's $2 basic drinks at the Suger Shack until midnight, plus its industry night so I get 6 free drinks in town anyway and its never too busy that you have to line up at the bar. Suncity, great choice for a hotel too. I myself have stayed their three times now, part due to the more then 50% discount I get working in hospitality (instead of paying $370 for one of the 2 bedroom plus family I got it for $168 - bargin!) and part because its just such a nice darn place, and everyone at work seems to like it.

See now Richard, that is why we need photos of EVERYTHING in the park that has the potential to cause harm, including trees, rides, benches, bins, souvenirs windows, buildings animals and management staff.

Just on that Richard, I just thought I'd contribute this old shot from behind the waterfall looking at the Paddleswheeler. The Petting zoo is going to the right of that

The holidays are over, and the tourists have gone home. You'd be pretty unlucky to find a queue anywhere (exceptions noted above). Have a good time up here, hows Monday night sound for a few drinks mate?

I missed that thing about Nick Central... I agree, that is a bit odd. Maybe they can have something like a dog and a cat stuck together. Most likely the whole plan is to add a new attraction while not taking away the public's attention from Nick Central. I don't know about Dreamworld's setup, but I can tell you how it goes across the Warner Village Theme Parks (Seaworld, Movieworld and Paradise Country) with respect to the tour groups: They generally pay a certain amount to the tour company, and around $40 of that is paid to the park. With that they get (more or less) a show or two and lunch at one of the park's restaurants. The reason they pay less is because mostly the deals are made with tour companies (We'll charge this much per person and you bring us this many tourists). Also because the parks are competing to have the tour groups eat at the parks rather then say, for example staying for a morning then going to a restaurant in Surfers. I can imagine at Dreamworld its a similar setup with lunch at the Billabong restaurant.

Second the thoughts on the new animal exhibits being only a good thing for the park. I do get the feeling though that this one will be aimed more at the domestic market and School groups than at the international market (although most of the tour groups will probably see it). Wilsy, what did you ask Dreamworld? Did you ask what their new attraction is or what is being built up the back of the park? Depending on how you asked the question could explain the bizarre answer... unless their calling the Gyro Swing Tomb Raider - which is such a bad idea I'm surprised no ones done it yet. Also on a final note www.dreamworld.com.au doesn't capitalise the 'w', so I think you better e-mail them quick and point out their mistake

Hasn't Wonderland been doing a few extensive rehabs recently? Demon Train a year or two back, Snowy River, Zodiac, Bush Beast's trains and the Beach last year. Plus I'd guess that most of the rides relocated from HBL were overhauled. Now Dragon's Flight? Sounds like more of the same.

During its first year, the queue for GD closed at 5 while the rest of the park closed at 6.30.

Having only had the pleasure of riding B&M's version (AIR at Alton Towers), I can honestly say that the trains are comfortable, forces when your on your back are strong and the ride is smooth. Some complain that you are too restrained, but I would sugest that these people would prefer to have no restraint and just hang on - despite what the stories say, you can put your arms out in front of you like Superman

Try looking up some of the old articles on miceage.com (Al Lutz's column is one of the better Disney related ones I've seen out there) which deal with the changes, certainly worth the read. For those who are not that bright (or sarcastic, I can't really tell) my sigs are satire / sarcasm. The point of that last news flash was to make the point that the Industrial area around Wonderland is one of the least appropriate things to be placed near a theme park.

Just too add to the pissed off drink guy - I gave him a straw, he was just really, really pissed about not getting a lid. SW here used to have paper straws until the only maker of them in Australia went out of business. Because everyone wants straws (and demand refunds on the park admission price if they don't get one) we try and limit the number of straws we give out around the park, which seems to work..

Just on the subject of taking credit (and I hate dragging things out from the past like this for all its worth), but I was the first person to post thunderbolt's closure on this site. I said in my original post that I read the information on AAF, and provided a link, as seen here(notice the lack of edit times - the post is exactly as it appeared when it was first posted). Now what I want to draw people's attention to is here, where the following two comments are made: What?? No one takes credit for Thunderbolt's demise. The closest we got was Richard mentioning Tomb Raider for Xmas, and a 'Teen Market Thrill Ride' for this year and the petting Zoo. I know this is really petty (not like me.... Honest!) but if we're going to be a community where first person to mention something has to keep a track of it forever (make oneself feel important) then I'd just like to add the following: Back on coasterforums, (now thrillnetwork), I was first to mention the closure of thrillseeker and of the upcoming Shark Bay (mid 2001, literally years before anyone else heard of it). Impressed? No? Well don't forget to tell everyone else who feels entitled to receive their slice of the accolades.

You'd be surprised how many people complain about stuff that's completely unfounded. I once was told by an elderly Gentleman that 'Its disgusting that SW doesn't have anyway for old people to get around the park." I pointed out to this guy that there was not only a Monorail, Railway and Chairlift, there was also a place where people could hire wheelchairs if there's still too much walking. The response I got to these suggestions was that it wasn't good enough to expect old people to walk around, and that something should be built exclusively for old people. I also once told a customer the reason for SW not having Plastic lids for the drinks (because they blow into the pools and can harm the animals), to which I got the answer "SCREW THE DOLPHINS, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DRINK MY DRINK!" (the guy was actually pissed off that we care for the environment. Some people just don't know what their asking for.

I don't think you could fit a faller model in there, never mind a Gyro Swing. You could probably fit one across from Wipeout, but would you really want that one part of the park so cluttered?

That's funny Richard, because on the day I went it was the first day of not only that robot, but also the Jungle Cruse skipper, the ops on Maliboomer, Pirates of the Caribbean, Innoventions and I'm pretty sure Haunted Mansion as well.

Most of those sound like annual maintenance (except Cyclone - what's going on with all those closed dates? - and Rocky Hollow, which sounds like it might be getting some TLC, which hopefully doesn't involve painting the ride hideous bright colours and hopefully does involve putting some effects into the tunnels). Just one point as well about the Big '5' Thrill rides: Thunderbolt was one of them, so its now the big 4 thrill rides (not that you'd tell with the advertising slogans still all over the Coast).

You can tell its not a real Airport (certantly not an American one) though because all the staff are nice and there's no Mcdonald's.

Hang on, I thought the story for Star Tours was it was like an intergalactic airline or something? One of the few rides I queued for when I was at DL (probably about 10 mins) and for most of that time, there was animatronics in the queue entertaining the crowd, and the queue was pretty entertaining in its own right. Good ride over all, it was tragically 80's (just like Star Wars) which somehow suited the ride.