Jobe

Yeah I have ridden Escape from Gringotts and whilst the theming on that is unebelievable and far superior, I feel that this coaster is far more thrilling and it is utilsed far more "effectively" as a coaster with its 2 launches. I thought that the theming on Objectif Mars was excellent on the indoor section. It would be a great addition to any of our parks- would love to see one of them interested in one! Hahah yeah it certainly was a bit jarring!! Didnt miss an angle did he? Yeah it does but you have to remember that this is Vekoma essentially copying Intamin here- as Gazza has already pointed out, they have been doing spinners like this since 1995. I am sure the Vekoma coaster here will be excellent- anything they do for Disney is always a great installation and I am sure that this one will be no exception and will be very well recieved.

Just saw this video of this new Intamin Family Spinning Coaster , Objectif Mars at a French park called Futurescope and I must say- it looks impressive!! The level of theming and effects look top notch to me and it would be brilliant if one of our parks could introduce a new coaster to this level! Futuroscope, or Parc du Futuroscope is a French theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic futuroscope and audio-visual techniques. It has several 3D cinemas and a few 4D cinemas along with other attractions and shows, some of which are the only examples in the world. It is located in the department of Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Poitiers, in the communes of Chasseneuil-du-Poitou and Jaunay-Clan. Objectif Mars is their first fully fledged coaster and it certainly is a cracker to open their coaster count. They have several other attractions such listed below: I have never heard of this park before but if they keep getting attractions of the quality and execution of Objecif Mars, then the park has a bright future indeed! Enjoy and I would like to hear your thoughts on the coaster!

Just find yourself a kid Gazza...or alternatively you can borrow mine!!

You mean LPM of course. No Galaxi or Pinfari coaster has ever been at LPS.

Hmm is this a function of COVID processes or will this be only a temporary change do we think?

Whilst the license deal for the Theme park business remains intact, Village Roadshow and Warner Brothers have split after 40+ years together. On the Dark Horizons website , Garth is reporting : "After numerous decades together, Warner Bros. Pictures and Roadshow Films are severing ties – at least on the film front according to Variety. The Australian distributor, which basically has handled almost all Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line releases in Australia and New Zealand for over four decades, was notified that its current contract to handle the theatrical releases of Warner titles will not be renewed beyond its expiry at the end of December. Roadshow Films’ parent company Village Roadshow Limited announced the shift in a Monday filing to the Australian Stock Exchange. Theatrical distribution of Warner’s films in the region are instead expected to be handled by Universal Pictures from the beginning of 2021, including titles such as Matt Reeves’ “The Batman”. The end of this partnership is part of a much larger reshuffle and realignment going on within WarnerMedia group as it streamlines its various divisions, eliminates production capacity and puts greater emphasis on its HBO Max service. The separate home entertainment distribution contract also expires in December, but Roadshow hasn’t indicated if they’ve received notice of that cancellation as well. The license deal between Roadshow and Warner Bros. in the theme parks business, which includes the Warner Bros. Movie World theme park on the Gold Coast, remains intact. In its filing, Roadshow’s owner Village Roadshow Ltd. went to great lengths to indicate Warners theatrical releases had little impact of Village’s bottom line this past year and they do “not anticipate that any material impairment or write down of assets will arise as a result of the expiry”. Roadshow Films currently has other supply arrangements with STX, FilmNation and Village Roadshow Picture" This does beg the question just how long does this licensing deal have left between the them park division and Warner Brothers? It is reasonable to assume that given the split in the distribution deal, it is highly probable that after the licensing deal for the them park divsion expires it potentially may not be renewed. In this case , a rebranding and a rename will definitely be on the cards. I guess there will be more to come of this - stay tuned for the further details.

Didnt want to start an entirely new thread as this on will suffice, but it does bump 12 year old thread !! Just found a couple of videos on Magic Mountain Miami which I am pretty sure have not been featured on these pages! Great vision and certainly worth a look!! The first one is from somewhere between 1983 and 1987 and there are great shots of the Waveswinger and the Parachute Drop The second video is from a few days in 1987 just before the park closed for good. It was taken by a resident magician who worked there and it provides a fascinating insight into a park in its final days and of the people who worked there. Enjoy!!

Whoa- back right up there big boy!! I was not saying that I agreed with Flyn_Smith's assessment of you , rather I was just simply correcting his Americanism to a much more palatable ( for me anyway) Australian colloquialism. I never said whether I agreed or even found the assessment acceptable. Dont put words in my mouth thanks- that was not the intention. Cheers.

Coaster Studios has just released a quick video of the soft opening of F.L.Y, the brand new Vekoma Launched flying coaster, the first of its type in the world. There is also a quick preview of the new land Rookburgh as well. Check it out. From first impressions, the launch looks very forceless which the reviewer acknowledges , but he then goes on to state that the ride is excellent- very different from B & M flyers insofar there are no on your back moments. The new area and general theming of F.L.Y looks absolutely awesome and the Steampunk theme is very well exceuted indeed! Looking forward to a POV and closer look as this progresses to an offical opening.

Thats true. Thats the biggest parallel that can be drawn onto this. When they closed Hanna Barbera Land ( or Little Wonders as it was then know) it didnt make any sense or logic or reason. You had The Beastie sitting there tantalisingly close and all that land that should have been filled with families having fun. It was the beginning of the end for Wonderland. I am not suggetsing that this is what is going to occur to Dreamworld but i strongly oppose the idea of the park reducing in size for any reason. Its a big step back in my opinion and the memories of the history that occured at Wonderland are still very fresh and perplexing in my mind. Fixed that for you..."arse" is much more Aussie friendly and preferred for mine!!

Yes this was basically my conclusion as well. Having never visited either attraction, I can only go on what i can see in the pictures and info I have resarched. For mine The Beachouse is nearly exactly the same as the former Magic Mountain with updated equipment and a slightly larger attraction offering. In terms of size, are they roughly equal to each other though? Or is The Beachhouse slightly bigger?

Whatever you do...........

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.