Jobe

Hey guys, Just stunbled across this little video on Youtube of Glenelg's former attraction Magic Mountain. I am pretty sure this has not been shared before so i thought i would proffer it here for anyone that is interested. Having not been to Adelaide before, this offers a fascinating insight into an obviously much loved former attraction. Interestingly, this was built on the same site that Luna Park Glenelg was situated on in 1930 before it was packed up and shipped to Milson's Point to become Luna Park Sydney. Nowadays it is home to a small attraction called The Beachouse. Here are some pics of when Luna Park was situated at Glenelg. For comparison, here is some images of the Beachouse, the attraction that currently resides in this spot. There were plans at some stage to expand The Beachouse with a larger water park facility but I am not sure what happened with that proposal. Seems like a great little attraction for the family by the sea. It would be great if it could be expanded in some way to increase its patronage and importance as an attraction for the town. Hopefully , one day I get to visit and have a look in person.

If we are naming Australian icons associated with amusement parks, is there anything more iconic that Luna Park’s Sydney and Melbourne’s unique face entrances? I don’t think anything else is more recognised nationally or internationally than these 2 landmarks from each city. They certainly would be up there , in my estimation.

Yeah they havent happened yet..they are SBNO........

Yeah Rodney was great. He is in great demand actually- after he finished up at Movieworld he shacked up with these lasses. If you can help out they are looking for him.......

Yeah this is true!!! Also not withstanding the small fact that the park is not currently operating either tends to dent ones plans for this......ah well one day!!

Just as an aside its interesting to note that LPS request for a DA for the placement of temporary amusements on the Lavender Green behind Coney Island has now been withdrawn. This application drew quite a lot of criticism and protest from surrounding residents so its no surprise that LPS has decided to voluntarily withdraw this request and alter their plans. What impact this has on their future plans is anyones guess but I always thought that this proposal was not a brilliant idea.

Yeah GoGoBoy that is the real tragedy of LPM. We know Lindsay Fox bought LPM for a good price in the early 2000's and at the time he made LOTS of promises about its future- promises that included bringing back the old favourites including the River Caves, The Giggle Palace and the Rotor. None of these have ever eventuated nor were they ever spoken of again. Interestingly, at the time , the Metropolis was due to be replaced with a new coaster and this was planned for and even spoken of in media releases. It was due to be imported from overseas but for reasons not overtly known, it never occurred. Metropolis at the time was refurbed and installed as the parks 2nd coaster ( albeit with a new name and even though it had existed there since the early 1990"s) Lindsay Fox 's fortune is collectively and conservatively valued at close to a billion dollars - he certainly has the funds and the clout to really give LPM the makeover it deserves. Really?? It was a generic and very bland "carnie" coaster. The model is common even in Australia- there are so many better options to be considered. I find that interesting and perplexing at the same time mate. LPM, like LPS, is one of our historical gems. It should be visited just for the Scenic Railway and the magnificent PTC carousel alone. Yeah as it is, it is certainly underwhelming but its historical value and its charm does make it worth a visit to check out. Not denying that it certainly needs decent investment and a decent 2nd coaster would be a boon. Would love to see a Review Tyme video on LPM discussing the good the bad and the future sometime soon......

Spot on here mate. The Big Dipper was a hugely enjoyable experience at Luna Park. The way it swooped over the Midway and then flew beside the cliff face before seemingly ejecting itself behind Coney Island for the helix and sidewinder maneuver made for an exciting and thrilling ride which ( at the time ) was one of the best coaster experiences in the state. I can attest also to its smoothness here as well- the transitions didnt seem harsh and the ride ran nicely through all its course. I was disappointed when I rode it as Cyclone when it made its way to Dreamworld in the early 2000's- it didnt seem to really fit in to where it was positioned ( over an old carpark) - it just seemed to be plonked there without much thought. It DID look visually impressive at the time from the highway especially with the twin mega loops of the Thunderbolt just behind it ( with which it operated simultaneously for a short period). Nowadays I feel with the integration with White Water World it works that much better- it feels far more organic as it blends in with the waterpark and the slide tower. I rode it last in January and yeah it was rough. This was the first time I have ridden it for a number of years and the first time I rode it with the newer trains. I found them to be an improvement over the old Arrow trains and the harnesses were certainly more comfortable than the previous clunky OTS Arrow restraints. The transitions were a bit bone jarring in a couple of places but overall I still enjoyed the ride and the experience. My son rode it with me for the first time ( it was his first Arrow looper and coaster) and he enjoyed it as well but of course it didnt stack up to the B&M's that we rode recently together in the States. I still have a lot of nostalgia for this ride though and I am grateful that it is still in existence to be ridden and enjoyed. As a coaster its far and away nowhere near the best on the Gold Coast but it is still an impressive and unique ride and I feel that it gets criticism that is extremely harsh without taking into account its positives as well. Looking forward to seeing the new name and refurb outcomes that are currently being enacted on the ride. I originally saw this article in another newspaper , presumably an affiliate Sydney paper, so i am guessing it was widely reported at the time. I do recall ( and It was a long time ago) that the article I saw had a different graphic and artist impression- I thought that I had saved this but if I did its looong gone. I am not to sure on this. I think that any resemblance from this ride the eventual Bid Dipper 2.0 became is just a function of the space they had to work with more than any real link to this coaster. Firstly at the time, Arrow was joined with Huss and the German manufacturer would have left their own stamp on the project. Secondly, given the considerable 11 year gap between this proposal and the steel Big Dipper I feel that they would have started from the ground up for the space that was provided. Any similarity I feel would be coincidence here.

I remember seeing this article in the paper when i was just 10 years old and reading it with fascination and wonder. Of course the plans did not eventuate but I do remember that the coaster plans were by Arrow Huss. I just wanted to share this with all of you as this article has been in my brain for 30 + years and to finally see a digital copy is great. Given that there was fierce resident opposition even then this did not progress beyond pre planning stages but it certainly does present a huge "Oh what might have been" moment. The link to the article is HERE

Interesting- I have never heard this. What was the nature of the poor support from Maurer? Whilst I do not disagree that Buzzsaw was an odd decision for Dreamworld to install ( it was totally opposite to their need at the time) for mine, I think its fairly inaccurate to label Maurer as a "second tier manufacturer" or "terrible manufacturer" on the basis of just ONE coaster. To date Maurer have installed 63 coasters in various locations in virtually every market in the world. Their spinning coasters are well regarded, and with 21 installations across the world, are their most succesful design to date. They have been installed in major theme park players such as Alton Towers, Phantasialand, Disneyland Studios Paris, Six Flags and Hersheypark, to name a few. They also have installations of other custom coasters at Universal Orlando in the form of Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket ( which I have ridden and really enjoyed ) and Fiorano GT Challenge at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Even the Skyloop model (XT 150) of which Buzzsaw belongs to, has met with success around the world with 9 installations. I certainly agree that they are limited in their scope, however, and there were certainly other options that would have been far superior that Dreamworld could have explored ( Premier Rides Skyrocket II comes to mind). In fact Dreamworld would have been far better off going with the Skyloop XT 450 extended model- of which there is currently only one installation at Parque de Atracciones de Madrid, called Abismo. By all accounts , this gives a much more satisfactory ride experience and is far from the one trick pony that the normal Skyloop model is. They still remain as players in the world market and with several installations across the market as late as last year and they are concentrating on their latest product the Spike Coaster, of which 2 units have alerady been installed and several are being planned for Cruise Ship installation in the future. Combined with their Wild Mouse models ( over 15 installations) they have certainly made an impact on the world wide market. I get that they are not on the same level as Intamin or B & M but to completely debase their whole attractions listing as inferior is a bit of a stretch. I have not heard anything majorly wrong with the company in regards to their operations or after sales service so to label them thusly as a terrible manufacturer is also a tad erroneous for mine. Just my 2 cents worth

Mate you are somewhat inconsistent. You call for a Eurofighter at LPS but in another post say that one will not fit at LPM. The fact as I have stated is that there is far less usable space for a 2nd coaster at LPS compared to LPM. A custom Eurofighter at LPS WOULD be fantastic and utilising the Tumblebug spot could fit with some custom design. However, moving the Dodgems to the Crystal Palace , whilst a good idea ( and historically where they used to reside ) will not happen. The Crystal Palace is too important to LPS as a function venue and to cut that in half to accomodate the Dodgems would just not happen. The Dodgems in the 1995 incarnation were located under the Wild Mouse and whilst also a great location, at the current time , this space is occupied by the Hungry Horse eatery. The space left by the Dodgems would not be big enough to fit in a River Caves style attraction - to do so they would have to encroach on the Big Top , which of course they will not do. The River Caves would be a great attraction to return to LPS but the problem is- where would it go? The fact is that a 2nd coaster is far easier to fit into the attraction lineup than the return of the River Caves, and one that I DO see actually occuring in the future. Would love to see the River Caves return, but unfortunately, too much real estate has been taken up with the Big Top and the front Function venue for that to ever become a reality, IMHO. To fit in the River Caves , one of these has to go and we have already talked about how important the Function Centre's are to LPS's survival. I just cannot see it happening.

I think people are forgetting that Luna Park Melbourne used to be home to a 2nd coaster in the form of the Big Dipper. This was added to the park in the 1920's and the Sydney example was a clone of this coaster. There is certainly more than enough room for a 2nd coaster within LPM- especially within the footprint left by the former Metropolis coaster, which in itself is in the footprint of the former Big Dipper. At one stage , the Big Dipper was slated to be replaced with the Titan Vekoma Bomerang coaster from Expo Park before the deal fell through and it went to Wonderland instead. There are plenty of coasters that would be a perfect fit for the park within that footprint including the aforementioned Zamperla Motocoaster, Maurer SC 2000 Spinner, a custom Gerstlauer Eurofighter would be ideal , a Premier Rides Skyrocket II, a Custom Mack Big Dipper coaster, S & S El Loco , Maurer Skywheel, Skyline attractions Skywarp, Zamperla Tunderbolt , S&S 4D Freespin could all concevievably fit into the park with some vision and planning. There is actually more usuable and flexible space to fit in another coaster at LPM than there is at LPS. Another coaster that has moderate thrills would be just the ticket for the park to add to its list of attractions. Some of its current ride roster such as Enterprise and Twin Dragon are getting older so some thoughts as to replacements would definitely be on the horizon. Obtaining another coaster at this time seems more than sensible and a coaster such as a compact Eurofighter would certainly catch the public's imagination. The Eurofighter model would be for mine, the best option , but a Sky Rocket II would also be an excellent addition. Have a look at the coasters below that could all fit into the space required at LPM - any of these would be great addition to LPM's lineup and should be well within their reach both financially and physically to obtain and fit into the park.

Have to say I see both sides of the coin here in regards to this argument. In the one corner , I am greatful that LPS has survived the many rigours and challenges that has befallen it over the years. The fact that it survives so well to this day is due to the diversification of its revenue streams. As much as I dont like it, it had to do so in order to survive. However there is a balance to these things. The place is still an amusement park and it certainly needs to up its game in these stakes. The rides it currently has are at the end of life and the whle park is in need of a renewal of its attraction base. When they annouced a couple of years ago that they had a 5 year plan of $20 millio dollar renewal, it was music to my ears. Here was an opportunity for the park to get rid of the old and usher in new , quality attractions. So far from these plans, we have only seen Volare surface but we can all agree that it is a well presented and excellent appointed ride. The coaster question is another matter. Many know on these boards that i firmly believe that LPS needs a 2nd coaster- nothing in the realms of the 2nd Big Dipper- those days are long gone and so is the space for it- but there are definitly a number of options that the park could and should look at. The Maurer SC2000 has long been rumoured to have been looked at and as we know, Pitt and Sherry had stated on their website in having done works on one for the park. What has happened to these plans is anyone's guess. As Slick has pointed out, a coaster similar to Iron Shark at Galveston Pier or even Rage at Adventure Island in the UK would also be ideal. Neither of these options would be out of place for LPS and would certainly satisfy the public's hunger for new attractions and another coaster. LPS themselves recognise the need for a signature coaster as the rumours of the Maurer spinner show. Room of course is the issue but here is where they need to get creative. Grona Lund in Sweden has shown that they can have a serious boardwalk park with numerous attractions whilst fitting many into small footprints. LPS needs a unified plan that uses its available space to the utmost- something that the park currently does not do. This is why the park feels disjointed and with minimal visble effort. A well thought out , new attraction scheme that makes use of every available space well with some attempt at theming is what the park desperately needs. Playing on nostalgia and its wonderful history is what LPS does best. Updating its attractions to reflect this history is certainly the way to go. New rides should hearken back to what was before , so therefore any new attraction must be chosen carefully. What is ideal is something that is new, unique or even rare in Australia and then theme it to one of the old loved rides from the past. Keep the names of Spider, Tumblebug, Wild Cat, Whirler, Big Dipper, Flying Saucer. New ones like Volare and Hair Raiser have been presented well and fit into the overall "feeling" of the park. Whatever the park does- it is certainly in the best shape legally to do so. They now have the strong backing of legislation that allows them to make these additions as long as they conform to the parameters set out in said legislation. This would include any new coaster of the size that we have speculated about. If they wanted to , then they certainly could move ahead with these plans. There may be some opposition and grumbling, but as long as it is by the book, thats all that it will remain- grumbling. Absolutely agree with Ray here. The old theming like this can and SHOULD be reinstated. This would not be beyond the realms of what can be achieved to put into place- either financially or realistically. I am just glad that LPS is still standing so that I can take my kids to the place. A trip to LPS for them happens every year without fail and they love the place as much as I do. They certainly know the difference between what LPS stands for and parks on the Gold Coast. There is nothing better than looking down the Midway of LPS on a Saturday night looking at the rides and attractions all lit up. The GC parks just cant compete with this atmosphere or aesthetic- nor should they. They are entirely different in range and scope. LPS , for mine is at a crossroads. The need for renewal is urgent and they have the opportunity to make long lasting improvements to the park that will last for decades. Management need to recognise the importance of the amusement side of the park and act accordingly to enhance the experience. Unfortunately COVID has hit the park plans pretty hard, like throughout the theme park industry. We will just have to wait a little longer to see these plans come to fruition. Fingers crossed that they are desrving of the history that they intend to represent.

There is still some speculation surrounding that...fingers crossed that something positive on that front occurs..

Yeah the Mystery Manor has been confirmed as being permanently removed for a while now. Its removal is what started the speculation about a new attraction to replace it- couple that with the markings that were spotted in Maloney's Corner at the start of March and we can hopefully see some more expansion plans come to fruition!!!

Interesting. Moon Ranger has been up for sale now for a number of years. The wording of that is interesting though. Will not return in its current form.....what does that mean? Is your source accurate and in the know or is this just speculation on behalf of the source?

Cheers mate. The only way forward is to have civil discussion like this. We can all have differing views as long as we are all respectful of each other. Its called being human and using innate intelligence to move forward. At the end of the day we are all themepark enthusiasts here and thats why we all come together. The fact that we can include sensitive discussions such as this in a civil and respectful way I think speaks volumes about every member in this community and the way that Richard and the mods have carefully crafted and maintained these boards. Kudos to all I think.

Yeah I reckon you are right here it just comes down to the timing of the announcement I guess.

Ah that makes much more sense. Just to be clear I am not calling the Black Lives Matter movement a trend- i fully support that 100%. I was referring to the trends that have come as a result of that worthy movement which has been linked to cancel culture. Some I agree with and some i definitely do not. I am just saying that I do not believe that in this instance, this ride represents racism and which is why I have namechecked Cancel Culture. The retheme is interesting- the Princess and the Frog hit 267 million worldwide and Tangled a year later hit 592 million.....not sure they have gone with the right IP to retheme to be honest. All good thanks for the discussion mate.

Was Tower of Terror rethemed though? It was changed to Tower of Terror II and the car reversed but that is not on the same level as a total retheme on this scale. Potentially you are right and this re-theme has been on the cards for quite a while. But the point of my post is HOW does this ride propagate racsim , other than its links to the film?. If you didnt know the movie , you would not find this ride racist ( and as we have both already agreed-that is a very tenous link indeed). Once you realise that, then you have to turn to the view that a) if this ride was on the cards to be re-themed, then Disney are now using current events and cancel culture views as a reason for expediting this retheme or b) they are REALLY reacting to the current trends and have acknowledged accordingly with announcing the retheme. So either way its a reaction to the current sensitive view on cancel culture. Thats not extreme to say that.

Just to be clear here and for clarity's sake- is this your opinion?

Probably true but to use this as the reason for the re-theme is exactly that- making a political statement and pandering to opinions of the day. The link to racism and this ride is tenuous at best despite what the propaganda will have you think. This is a knee jerk reaction from a company that doesnt want to be seen to be tarnished with anything negative at all - especially if its not wholesome and family orientated. The problem is, the target audience for this ride would not have a clue what "alleged" racial issues are with the theming on this ride. Hell, the majority of adults would see any linking this ride to racism as a massive stretch. Yes the original film had racial stereotypes and it was always a tender point for Disney in their history ( to the point where this movie is largely ignored in Disneys film canon) but the only link to anything racist is that this ride is themed to the characters of the film? Where is the racist undertones other that the linkage? Its sadly for mine another example of the extreme cancel culture that is inhabiting the world right now. That view may not be popular and others may disagree but it certainly bears further discussion.

They need to install the Alpine Coaster that they have had plans for and filed a DA for. This would be an Australian first and would be a very welcome addtion to Jamberoo's lineup!! The park's future is well assured - we have been visiting every year for the past 7 years and have never had a bad experience. Great park!!

Yeah it looks good. Its very similar to the one at Volcano Bay. I would say that the the Fearless River at Volcano Bay seems to flow a bit faster? Not sure but thats how it looked to me. The lift hill at the end is interesting- and it a bit of a let down in some ways. I thought it was going to lead to a downward slide of some decsription that would splash back down into the river but it seemed a bit anti-climatic. Nice example though.