joz

Or maybe they're going to instal Wizard's Fury :?: :bert:

Lethal Weapon for quite a few years has been an on/off sort of ride. I was quite interested to see last week that one of the trains was going through a re-hab, which hopefully will smooth the ride out a bit. Thing is, what you've got with Lethal is a 8 year old Vekoma SLC. I think Movieworld have done a good job maintaining it, but with a ride like that, there's only so much you can do without replacing entire sections of track (those two in-line twists are my vote to get replaced btw). The whole spring loaded wheels probably ain't ganna work for it, and the ride looks to already be using a softer wheel compound. Like I say though, LW can go through periods where a session with Mike Tyson would be preferable, and other times when your head won't once touch the restraint.

After visiting Wet 'n' Wild last week, I can confirm that operations of Whirlpool involve letting 30 people or so into the attraction, operating the whirlpool for a few mins and then slowing the water and letting the people out and start over again. The best way I can describe it is that its like loading a bumper cars, in that the tubes are scattered randomly throughout the attraction depending on when the people last in the tubes got out. Also like bumper cars, little kids scramble through and get all the good tubes. I didn't mind the ride itself, but as it is very popular with young children (the ones that are at the age where being irritating is a prerequisite), I don't think it'll be a regular attraction that I visit when I go to the park.

Interesting, looks like an early version of Wizard's Fury.

Whats Tumblebug?

My point about the Tomb Raider theme was that if Dreamworld were to add a permanent Tomb Raider attraction next year, that what ever Paramount do with the name could be coming over. Boomerang Bay replacing Blue Lagoon and a Tomb Raider themed Zamperla flyer? Sounds possible, just hope they go with a better flyer. Unless of course they put Boomerang bay on the thunderbolt site...?

Its been a while since I've been on Demon, so my view is probably wrong, but I'd go Cyclone any day. I didn't find going backwards through the inversions in the least bit enjoyable, and the braking system is a joke with how rough it is/was. Ok, Cyclone doesn't have as many inversions and it does have one of the worst cycle times on any ride I've seen anywhere, and it does have a poorly designed (thats as polite as I could put it) queue house, but the ride isn't that bad. It has a few fast spots, and for the space restraints it must have had, used the land very effectivly.

Personally, I think they are the most ugly rides ever conceived. It'd probably suit Dreamworld quite well.

Its a bit of a given that its going to another Paramount park (Carrowinds isn't it?). Just one point: Is anyone else interested to see that the new flyer at Canada's Wonderland is to be given a Tomb Raider theme? Don't forget that Rugrats & Nickeloden were well inserted into Dreamworld well before Nick Central, and Dreamworld and Paramount seem to be getting along quite well these days. I dare say if it wasn't for Dreamworld, Paramount wouldn't even know there was such place as the Gold Coast.

Tell ya something based on that point: Scooby Doo is one of my fav. rides, yet Mulholland Madness (MACK Wild Mouse) is one of my least favs. Go figure ay?

It seems a real shame that Wonderland have gone down the route of cut-backs. WVTPs experimented with a cutback in staff numbers this year, but were very quick to bring the levels back up again. By cutbacks, I mean one person operation on Corkscrew and 2 ops on Cartoon Beach (4 rides) and the 'more controversial then it should have been'; ride rotation at Movieworld. Also, to correct a point from earlier, genrally, staff on Bermuda work there all day. They change between Platform, Pre-show and queue control every half-hour, and every 15mins later on in the day. After 4, everyone stays where they are for an hour, although sometimes a person working Bermuda will close the Pirate Ship in full Bermuda clothing. It is my opinion then that Space Probe staff can work there all day, but its a bit difficult when there's only two jobs to do . >>Back onto topic<< I think that themeing does play a role, and indeed, if every effect was working as it should, then to me, space probe may be a contendor. As it stands, GD offers more thrill, and just as good themeing as what SP does. GD is after all themed to a Giant Oil... thingy. When I went on it, all I saw was a themed queue line, which I walked straight through and very little else. Based on the ride itself, GD to me (my opinion) in the better ride of the two, and the themeing to me is not enough to give Space Probe the edge. Even if all Space Probe's themeing was working, I dare say GD will still get the nod from me. Also, before anyone says I'm biased towards Dreamworld, read other most other posts to find I'm quite anit-Dreamworld

I think its good to see the park helping with the international breeding program (sounds corney doesn't it?). They've done some great work with Bengal Tigers, with the birth of 'Awsome Pawsome' some years back.

Well, since this topic has been brought to the surface again, I'll do my best to drag it back on topic by saying Nemesis is my number 1, followed closley by Scooby Doo. AIR and Oblivion, despite being excellent rides, they didn't have the same affect as what going on Scooby for the first time did. The whole lazer show and loud rock music really worked with me

I'm sorry, which Luna Park are we talking about here? Fact is, Luna Park Melbourne could do with a new coaster (Where you'd put it is beyond me) but Luna Park Sydney, probably wouldn't work with a new coaster. Just want to see what I'm dealing with first...

Thanks for the map Nezzur! Pretty effective way of ending that argument. Still even, 6 votes all. Relativly even voting

Croc hunter theme park ay? Interesting move, best of luck to the guy. Agreed about the need to do up Australia Zoo. I haven't been there for many years. It was still the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park when I went. Even so, judging by what I see on the telly, I think it would benefit from a bit of doing up. Steve's got a real passion for animals, and it shows. All the people I know who've met him reckon he's as mad as a cut snake even when the cameras aren't on him, so its not really a selling point. It’s just him. He really loves animals, so he'll be big on making all the exhibits as good as they can be. I do however get the impression that he's still learning about animal Husbandry, Management, and exhibit design, and hasn't got it quite down yet. I do have one piece of information, which may be of interest here. He's very keen to surround himself with the best animal people around. He wants the best in terms of Animal care, Exhibit designers, veterinarians and the like to work for him. Here's the interesting bit, he's supposedly interested in getting people to work who don't necessarily work with Australian animals or any of the animals he has at the zoo. I get the feeling (as the article mentioned, wish I'd said all this first :| ) that he is going to be expanding Aussie Zoo in some big ways soon.

Indeed, coasters are the most 'sexy' to market. However, they do require vast amounts more capital then a new water park would. Judging from history (this goes back to 1982), the biggest spikes in attendance at SW came from Flume Ride, Corkscrew, Monorail and Polar Bear Shores, which as you'll see, are 4 rather different types of attractions. The only thing they had in common, is that are among the better marketed additions. I think Dreamworld could add anything they want and it'd generate huge attendance boost if marketed strongly. Something which Dreamworld is very good at and have just about perfected since the introduction of Big Brother and the 'Xtreme World' promotions. I'll tell you one thing about this, no matter which way you look at it, its not a smart move doing nothing to the water park while potential guests go to Wet 'n' Wild. Dreamworld would not be thinking that having that is a satisfactory situation. With around 600,000 guests going to Wet 'n' Wild (admittedly this has allot to do with the 3PSPs) each year, there is defiantly a market for a better water park at Dreamworld. I don't think its a coincidence that the Tiger Cubs were introduced the same year as the Polar Bear cubs, nor do I think its purely chance that a Movie themed walk through is being built the same year as Matrix.

I can imagine that it'll work similar to Calypso Beach, in that the tubes for Whirlpool will not only be noticeably different from those which are hired, but staff will also monitor the area to make sure none are taken into the wave pool. I agree, it does suck that you have to pay for the tubes, but I equally think that you don't really need them to have a good time. Just seeing everyone else with a tube makes me want one

Alton Towers - Day 2 After experiencing Corkscrew (grand total of one ride), we made our way over to X-Sector, on a path which took us past the 17th century castle that gives the park its name. The towers its fair to say, weren't in the best state they've been in over the past 300 years. Really, they were no worse then most other places, and I was happy to see restoration work going on. After around a 5min walk, we came across X-Sector. Home to Oblivion, the world's first blah blah blah. We watched it a couple of times; each was greeted with a laugh, and the words "I think I'll sit this one out". I was having none of that, after little more then 10 secs of trying to persuade him (I can persuade people pretty quickly), we were queuing up. Two or three re-rides later, we were ready to move on to the parks Space Mountain rip off, Black Hole. Ok, Black Hole wasn't nearly as bad on the second day. The queue wasn't 40 min as it had been the day before, but was now only 2 or 3 min, which did allot for my enjoyment of the ride. Alan was quite shocked by the ride, which probably had something to do with the 'don't know what to expect' nature of the ride. Probably the best way to describe it, is thunderbolt like transitions taken with a lap bar in total darkness with someone between your legs. Having someone between your legs is not a bad thing if its your girl or boy friend (which ever is appropriate), but when its a friend, and someone you don't want to get to know in that sort of way, then its a near unbearable situation. It also leaves you walking funny. After Black Hole, we decided to grab a bite to eat around in the gardens. I filled myself with McDonald's. I'm dead against fast food chains in theme parks, but couldn’t resist the lure of a double quarter pounder, which priced the same as everywhere outside the park. After lunch, we tried out the parks more mundane rides, starting with HEX - The legend of the towers. A fun ride, which does its job of disorientating its riders very well. Its a bit of a cliché to say that you loose track of which ways up and which ways down, but its true, you really do feel like your going upside down. It’s definitely an experience I'd recommend, even if the ride is a bit weak. 7/10 We decided to try out the other end of the park, seeing what was there, and finding a rather nice, if not very old and decrypted, 3D Cinema. Ok, so there weren't any chairs, and only the smallest portion of the screen was used. Fair enough that the film was worse then Honey I shrunk the Audience (I didn't think such a thing was possible), and I would have been tempted to pay £5 for a re-run of Pirates instead. Through all the adversity though, Alan enjoyed it, so it must get a couple of extra points for that 3/10 Next was the parks Log Flume. Its very similar to most log rides of this era, in that it was old and just a wee bit tacky. I remember thinking as a 7-year-old that the whole ride felt as if it could collapse under its own weight. Still it does have a few redeeming features. One of them being that it is a fairly long ride (around 5 min I think). Another being that it makes a drop in pitch black darkness, something which I've been a fan of since going on Pirates of the Caribbean not long before. Even the final drop on the ride was relatively big. Granted it was an old ride, but I'll give it a 6. The rest of the day was made up with no-wait re-rides on Nemesis and AIR (nearly 2 hours worth). Probably the best day out I've had at a park, not too busy, basically fine weather, and the park gave me no reason to start nick picking and just allowed me to enjoy my day.

Well, after seeing what I've seen over here, I'd love to see Movieworld build a swiss coaster like everyone else, but rather then building a hyper, I think they should go down the 'well themed' route. They are after all, a movie themed park, I think it would be a shame if they let themselves turn into Six Flags style thrill park. Besides all that, I've found that the best rides I've been on are the well themed ones. Nemesis, Oblivion, Big Thunder, all excellent. Cali. Screaming, despite being a really good coaster, it was nothing compared to the well themed rides. Scooby Doo proved that a ride doesn't have to be "The tallest or the fastest" to be a good ride. But if you can put in a major ride (B&M, Intamin or whatever) and theme it well, like has been done with Nemesis, then you've got a champion ride. Behind Scooby (and dare I say taking up some of the Mavarick building?)would be a nice place to put it, although they'd have to be careful not to let that make the park even more congested. Maybe they could have the entrance next to Lethal Weapon and a path way around the back to Wild West? Also, now that Movieworld Studios have a bit of history, I'd like to see the park re-start the studio tour, but perhaps with some kind of door on the trains to stop people getting out and wandering around the studios (which is apparently why they were canceled). Or instead of that, how about replacing Looney Tunes Musical Reveue with a wild west themed railway (yes, you heard me!) to take guests from the front of the park to around near the Wild West section? Biggest draw back with this is does create a bit of a block between the stuidos and the park, but who says that has to be a bad thing? After all, the park and the studios each has their own entrance, and it probably wouldn't be that hard to make it go through a tunnel at some point (or even for a substansial lenght) to allow access between the two. Just an idea anyway.

Nice and even, 3 votes a peice 8) Question, is theming on an outdoor free-fall ride a bit of a waste of time, since no matter how well themed it is, all you can see around you is the rest of the park?

Never is that more apperent then when you first walk into Disneyland. I was fully expecting to see an Imax theater somewhere after I entered it was that much alike. Although, to be fair, this idea about a playground at Dreamworld does sound much like Adventure Island at Seaworld, which was also succesfully pinched from Disneyland. The only reason I can not agree with the above posts about a new playground, is because I can't see Dreamworld doing a tasteful job that doesn't destroy the theming of that area of the park. You can just see a Giant Drop walkway inspired bridge, built high enough to allow the paddlewheeler to pass (Read it slowly and it makes a bit more sense :? )

Amen to that!

I must say, it does seem an interesting stratagy to put in a Tomb Raider-themed walk through attraction, to go up against a Matrix-themed walk through attraction. Be interesting to see which comes out on top

I'm quite inspired by the conversation going on in another theard, and I think it deserves its own one. So I put it to you guys, which is better? Space Probe with its Dome at the top and themed queue, or Giant Drop, with its height and extensive views? Personally, I'm voting for Giant Drop. The wait at the top is one of the best expereinces I've had on a theme park attraction.