Jobe

Luna Park Sydney has released details of its new $15 million dollar imersive attraction, the Dream Circus. It has provided almost 90 years of fun but now Sydney's iconic Luna Park is entering the digital age with a new immersive attraction pegged to be the next chapter of the park's history. Luna Park opened in 1935 on Sydney Harbour during a time of economic and political turbulence during the Great Depression. The theme park offered "escapism, wonder and joy" for residents during that difficult time, CEO John Hughes said. The historical face of Luna Park and as it looks now. (Nine / Supplied) "Born in the midst of the great depression, Luna Park was built in Sydney out of this need for being social to escape through some of that frivolity," he told 9news.com.au. Eighty-eight years later, torrid times have hit again but Luna Park remains to offer a similar escape. "Now in 2023 with what is happening globally on the back of a pandemic, we think that there is this innate need again to escape, somewhere to go have fun and somewhere to go socialise." From December 22, Luna Park will have upgraded the Big Top to an immersive experience attraction, opening with a locally created experience called the Dream Circus. A render of inside the Big Top immersive experience. (Supplied)HERE The park has made the $15 million investment into redeveloping the Big Top to compete with the globally growing demand for immersive experiences. Luna Park will offer a 3000-square-metre fully accessible multi-purpose entertainment venue within the Big Top with "Barco projection technology, a spatially mapped audio system, hologram technology, motion-activated LED screens and the latest in lighting technology". It provides a 360-degree visual and audio experience in the Big Top that will initially be used to show the Dream Circus production and later for live music, product launches, fashion week and other corporate connections. The event space will open with the Dream Circus production. (Supplied) Sydney Luna Park CEO John Hughes. (Supplied) The move into the immersive and digital space is the future for the amusement park, the CEO added. "We know globally that Gen Z, Gen Alpha are craving these highly social and immersive experiences," he said. He acknowledged that simply relying on rollercoasters and rides at Luna Park isn't sustainable for the future of the theme park and moving into the digital space and creating an "Instagrammable" experience will attract a new wave of visitors. "Luna Park has historically pushed what is possible creatively it has always been a leader in the next best thing," Hughes said. "It is in our DNA. We are replicating it in a 2023 way to a 2023 audience who are largely digital natives," he said. The park already welcomes 1.1 million visitors per year - a return to pre-COVID-19 numbers, Hughes said - but with this new experience it hopes to attract 50,000 visitors this summer alone. Luna Park is sticking closely to its history honouring the best of the new technology while remaining a heritage Art Deco amusement park with classic rides and attractions. From the current to construction site to event space in seven weeks. (Supplied) The Dream Circus is a narrative journey to be premiered in the Big Top. (Supplied) But as the CEO noted, with Australia and the globe facing difficult economic times again in 2023 and the cost of living crisis squeezing budgets, the park believes it has hit the right balance on pricing with the new experience. Starting at $35 for kids and $45 for adults, the team said it is pricing "comparable to a movie". "When you look at the broad spectrum of going to the cinema, going to other attractions or going to shows that come to town we think that is priced quite low given the experience and quality," Hughes said. "Hopefully people can see the value proposition of coming to the park for a ride pass and an experience pass for the Dream Circus for a fairly affordable price." The link to the original article can be found HERE This seems like an excellent proposition for the park- at the same time it converts a function space that can be utilised into a permanent attraction but the attraction itself can also be used to enhance the features of the function space. It will be interesting to see just how and what this attraction actually looks like when it opens to the public. Either way, it certainly shows that Luna Park are still thinking out of the box and have followed up their recent significant investment of 9 new rides with this experience. The Luna park site has been updated to reflect the new attraction and has more info. It will be an upcharge and ticketed attraction and is not available if you are an existing annual pass holder. Info from the website is as per below:

This has been posted on the Facebook site , Lost Amusement Parks of Australia. Its not often you hear of a defunct coaster in Australia and New Zealand that you have never heard of but this is what this group is all about! Please see the below post regarding the Cloud 9/Runaway Mine Roller coaster on New Zealand's South Island. Thanks to 𝔻𝕖𝕗𝕦𝕟𝕔𝕥 𝕊𝕋𝔼𝔼𝕃 ℝ𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕠𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕤 and member Davd Mahan for this post. Cloud 9/Runaway Minecoaster at QEII Fun Park in Christchurch, New Zealand. After the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand concluded, the park that was built to accommodate them was left relatively empty, so throughout the 70s and 80s, many amusement facilities were built, The area would eventually be given the name "QEII Fun Park" (QEII is short for Queen Elizabeth II, whom the area was named after), and it was quite popular, the Cloud 9 roller coaster was a looping shuttle coaster where you would be lifted up a spike backward and then dropped down into the loop, and then roll backward and go through the loop again. It opened around September of 1985, making it the first roller coaster to go upside down in the country, beating out Corkscrew at Auckland's Rainbow's End by one year, The coaster was reportedly built and operated by the Paterson Brothers, Gavin, Neville & Lyndsay, who run a tire shop in Christchurch. Many locals stated the ride was very loud and shaky, and many did not believe the ride was safe. Residents in houses near the park called it an eyesore and were annoyed by the sounds of the ride running, and after much (apparent) discussion, the coaster's owners agreed to remove the loop, probably around 1988-1989, this also required part of the ride to be moved. With the loop being removed, the ride's main draw was lost, and ridership went down sharply, furthermore, the noise issues were not fixed, and the ride was still as noisy as ever. Due to these factors, the ride was scrapped near the end of 1989, this was the only permanent roller coaster operating on New Zealand's South Island, so after its closure, it was left without any coasters, and it remains that way to this day. The QEII Fun Park remained open until the early 2000s and the neighboring water park stayed open until 2012 when it was destroyed by an earthquake. (photo credit to Dick Smit, Kim Bartlett, Jo Zervos, Susanna Preston, the Christchurch Star, and Christchurch City Libraries) Has any members of the group actually ridden this? Who has even heard of it? Very interesting and apparently made in house!! Has anyone ever heard of this? Or even have the credit? Just thought that this was interesting and historic enough to share. I certainly have never heard of it!

Just to add to this here is the article. ( Thanks @Rabbit2014 for the link) It has some interesting info in it. THE BIG BANANA FUN PARK TO INTRODUCE BUMPER CAR ATTRACTION SEPTEMBER 13, 2023 ATTRACTIONS / ENTERTAINMENT / SAFETY / TOURISM Coffs Harbour landmark The Big Banana Fun Park has announced that its latest addition, an interactive Bumper Car attraction, will open before the end of the year. Featuring an infrared shooting system and a digital scoring display, the new attraction will provides a modern twist on the classic Dodgem Car ride, making it a more thrilling and competitive experience. Manufactured by the market leading Italian supplier Eurogames, the attraction’s original ‘shoot & spin’ function makes the Bumper Cars spin when shot while a digital scoreboard keeps track of the number of targets hit, to reward players and enhance their ride experience. Anticipating that the new Bumper Cars attraction will captivate both families and thrillseekers, The Big Banana Chief Executive, Michael Lockman advises "we are delighted to introduce an attraction that not only adds excitement for our customers, but also aligns with our strategic vision for the future.” Emphasising the importance of innovation for the fun park, Lockman adds “the Bumper Cars attraction is designed for customers as young as three years of age, making it an exciting experience for the entire family. “This facility has been designed to operate in all weather conditions and is expected to offer a competitive edge over other destinations, as it will be a unique attraction in Regional NSW.” Images courtesy of The Big Banana. Also opening by Christmas is the much delayed second tower in the waterpark. It will feature a duelling raft slide and will add some good capacity to the water park and beef up their offering. The Alpine Slide is apparently still in the planning and development stages still and is definitely going ahead. The delay may mean that there were some issues getting this approved through council. With this delay, this means that wilst the Big Banana Alpine coaster was the first to be announced in Australia, the new Alpine Coaster at Thredbo be built now will be the first to open in Australia. Good times though!! Thredbo Plan New Alpine Coaster Snowy Magazine Nov 21 2022Updated November 21, 2022 EXCITING: An image of the proposed Thredbo Alpine Coaster. PHOTO: Thredbo / digitally enhanced THREDBO Resort have submitted a development application for a new Alpine Coaster ride that will add another layer of adventure at the resort. When approved, this rollercoaster-like toboggan amusement attraction will wind 1,040m through alpine and subalpine vegetation zones, from the top of Lovers Leap to the Valley Terminal precinct. Running adjacent to the existing Snowgums chair for the uplink, the top station and start of the ride would commence just below the current first Snowgums unload. The rendered image (above) supplied by Thredbo shows proximity to the village and the base area around the Merritts Gondola and the current old tennis court area. The proposed line and location of the Alpine Coaster. Thredbo Resort General Manager, Stuart Diver has previously discussed the planned ride at stakeholder marketing presentations. “Subject to approvals we expect the Alpine Coaster to be open for winter 2024,” said Mr Diver. “The Alpine Coaster will be a really exciting addition to Thredbo’s year round adventure offering and will provide an experience that aligns with Thredbo’s focus is to provide premium experiences for our guests in addition to the great offerings we currently have.” This is all part of a new wave of upgrades at the resort that guests will see in the coming years. Following the construction of the Merritts Gondola launched for winter 2020 and the Easy Rider T-Bar replacement for winter 2022, Thredbo will roll out a comprehensive lift replacement plan over the next eight years – including replacing the Snowgums Chairlift and Gunbarrel Chairlift with high-speed six-seater chairlifts. This will increase lifting capacity by up to 40% at the resort. Development application (DA) Images and location of the proposed new Alpine Coaster.

Currently the Aussie World Big Wheel is stated as closed on the website and from reports has been removed from the skyline of the park. Lets just hope that its down for a major refurb/maintenance. I feel that if it was not going to return then this would be reflected on the website and also the park map, which still shows it as being in place. From the ride list above, I would hope that the Aerobat is the ride being installed. This would be an Australian first for this type of ride and gives Aussie World another unique offering. I do agree with @DaptoFunlandGuy though the orientation of the slab that has been teased does not look like it will accommodate this type of ride. In that sense, it certaily doesnt look like a StarFlyer's orientation as well, so we may very well be seeing something completely unexepected. I echo the calls for a Zamperla Nebulaz - this ride would be an Australian first, a great family thrill ride and perfect for Aussie World with a small footprint- and one that would fit in that area extremely well! However, I would love for them ( or any Australian Park really ) to install a Zamperla Gryphon. These are now gaining popularity and have 2 installations currently with one at Kennywood and the other at Playland in the US. They certainly look fantastic , bringing lots of kinectic energy to any midway. They are reported to be not overly intense and would make another great option as a family thrill ride, which is this park's main demographic.

💯 agree to this. While I haven’t been on Overboard at all ( I think it looks great!) I would add to this list Dark Ride at Launceston’s Penny Royal. i experienced this attraction in January with the family and we were all impressed with the theming, visual effects and it’s overall aesthetic. Certainly an enjoyable dark ride with a history slant and it featured good practical effects, great use of sound effects and some animatronics. It’s all Australian with an Australian theme. If you are down that way it’s certainly worth a look and a ride.

Its because they like you to suffer..........

The timing of this announcement is the least of its problems. There is much more laughably wrong than worrying about that. Maybe its an announcement within an announcement??😏

Yeah i do not have an issue with this. The trackwork being done one Wild Mouse is extensive and it is not scheduled to reopen until Summer 2024. What better way to store the cars than make a static display of them? This then ensures that they are weather proofed whilst giving them a fucntion and turning them into a talking point for visitors and also hyping up the eventual return of the Wild Mouse. Its a shame that the heritage games and pinballs seem to have been removed from Coney Island though-they certainly do give some energy to the periphery of the site. However, its important to note that these were not owned by the park and perhaps the owner has decided to end their loan or they may be required for an exhibition elsewhere. Here is hoping that they make a return or the park sources soemthing else similar for the space.

Hmmm....I wonder........

Here is some great vision of the park . This is found on YouTube.

I would actually contend that the park needs 2 or 3 flat rides before another coaster. With the removal of Rampage, this is even more urgent. Having 3 new signature flats is what is needed to balance this park out IMHO. Think a Zamperla Nebulaz, or a Zamperla Endeavour or a Zamperla Gryphon. Any of these would fit the bill. Then they can look towards their coaster options. Shame about Rampage ( she was fairly unique and this type of ride is getting rarer ) but a package deal with Zamperla for 3 of their best new additions would be the best annoucement the park could make to dull the disappointment of losing the Rampage. Just do not take too long to make the replacement's announcement!

There was obviously an issue or a reason with Aussie World's Wild Mouse that made keeping the ride untenable and unviable. They didnt sell it, they scrapped it. Given that the other 2 Hopkins Pearce Mice were sold to overseas parks, I was merely lamenting its loss and proposing a scenario where they could have obtained a working mouse. Plenty of parks scrap rides and then replace them with exactly the same ride to provide continuity. LPS did it with Tango Train. Attaining a Hopkins Pearce Mouse for Aussie World when their current Mouse was retired for what ever reason would have been far preferable than the installation of the Dingo Racer. However, it appears that would be one of the reasons that Dingo Racer was chosen- as an update on what was there before.

Yeah ok it’s a distinction I guess.

How do you separate the 2?? They are exactly the same ride. I guess it comes down to factors like location and operations if we really have to split hairs.......

Hmm a colloquial term for a group of coasters doesn’t make that name an officially sanctioned model. RCDB get things right 99.9% of the time and I am inclined to believe them here. They are all custom looping jobs.

💯. Those Larson Drop towers pack quite the proverbial punch!! I reckon it feels more forceful than Giant Drop whose only saving grace is it’s great height.

Yeah in retrospect you are probably right. I think Australia can handle another Flying theatre attraction but probaly not another on the Gold Coast. Lets substitute that for a heavily themed Vekoma Mad House inside the castle. Something unique and would be a great family attraction. The Halfpipe at LPS - yeah I chose that more for the available room and that could actually fit in the space presented in the above plan. Maybe we could stretch the Intamin relationship even further for LPS with a clone of Sandy's Blasting Bronco. I am rather attached to bringing a dark ride back to LPS and have it well themed to a Ghost train style atttraction. I know that might be a little controversial for some but it would be a great nod to the past and I know that there was serious thought in bring a Ghost train style attraction back to LPS previously. Nah the Galaxi is old hat. As are the other old flats. Enterprise is due for replacement Twin Dragon and Pharoah's Curse are both junk to be honest. Better off without them. The Spider I would entertain in keeping as it certainly has some historical value. Really though, some modern versions of these rides would be better for LPM moving forward. Older rides are harder to maintain, harder to find parts and more expensive to run. Given that they have the Scenic Railway and Carousel as already vintage and costly and VERY maintainence heavy rides, a roster of new ,reliable rides would do wonders for LPM. I would however, redo all the effects in the Ghost Train- make them much more effective with new lighting, sound and jumpscares with lots of blasts of air whilst still retaining the charm of the original ride.

Interesting thread. For what its worth here are my 2 cents worth: Movieworld-A new dark ride for mine is an absolute priority however I would also change the specs for the Wizard of Oz precinct from a Vekoma SFC to the Vekoma STC. Think this makes more sense and whilst the new STC's are thrilling and a step up from the SFC model, they are not as extreme as the previous Arkam Asylum. Would make a better progression for younger thrill seekers to aspire to ride. Dreamworld- Beyond what is coming with Jungle Rush coaster and the Wave Swinger, once these are installed the obvious choice is either a dark ride or a water ride. I would combine these to have an indoor water attraction in the same veins as the much lamented Bermuda Triangle. It will have some outdoor sections of course but having that indoor element would be the clincher for mine and also give it some point of difference to the mainly outdoor offering down the road. Seaworld- They desperately need a new flume ride that can encircle the old Vikings footprint. Give it some dark ride features. I would also look at the possibility of using the castle site in some way for a Flying theatre attraction. I would also replace the Sky rider gondola ride with a new example but run it the full length of the park if possible and reinstate the Monorail- an iconic feature of Seaworld that needs to remain. AussieWorld - They have plans for future flat rides but they also need a signature coaster. Dingo Racers is a good support coaster but some smaller offering from the Vekoma line up would be ideal- such as a Vekoma Blitz like Lech Coaster or the Launched Space Warp. This would be an absolute gamechanger for Aussie World. The Big Banana Fun Park- This smaller regional park has just recieved a new tower for its water park and will also recieve a Alpine coaster. The investment needs to continue with more offerings for the water park with another tower complex with at least 3 new slides. This will lift this smaller park into a must do pass through destination. Luna Park Sydney- There is not much room left in this park so I will be a little left of field here and probably pie in the sky. I would move all kids rides to the top of the car park roof which is currently a grassy space. This may need to be strengthed to take the load and will need a ramp and access to connect to the midway below. This will create an excellent kid safe space for the younger park goers and will free up space for other attractions. I would move Hair rasier into the footprint currently occupied by Loopy LightHouse. Where Samba Balloons currently is I would install a Zamperla Nebulaz and where Little Nippers and The Bug resided I would place a Intamin Half Pipe coaster. Where Hair Raiser currently operates I would install a Fabbri Aladdin's Fly carpet ride. As a follow up to these changes at a later date, I would also investigate the possibility of removing the Dodgems to a purpose built site where Silly Sub resides now and then look at installing a Dark ride in the former Dodgems footprint- perhaps a Ghost train return? Wouldnt that be something! Jamberoo Action Park- I think this park would benefit from 2 new attractions- one water and one dry. The installation of a Alpine Coaster here is a no brainer and would easily utilise the current footprint of the dual Toboggan and infrastructure of the Chairlift. For the water attraction, they certainly had plans to install an action river near the Funnel Web/Perfect Storm section. This would be a lazy river on steriods and woud be an Australian first- think the Action River at Volcano Bay for inspiration. ( which is hands down bloody unreal!) Luna Park Melbourne- This park needs so much to happen to it its not funny. Basically it needs virtually gutting with the exception of the heritage rides and starting again. I echo the need for another coaster and a Premier Rides Skyrocket II or a Zamperla Double Heart Coaster would fit the bill nicely here and also within the footprint allowed. Funfields-This one is a little difficult to judge. I think that they certainly need to expand their dry attractions offering since they have just expanded their water offerings. Something like a Gerstlauer Sky Roller would be a good addition with perhaps a Alpine Coaster added to their lineup on their Toboggan footprint. Adventure Park Geelong- I think one or two quality family thrill flats would be an excellent choice here to round out their offering- Think Gerstlauer Polyp or Chance Freestyle. Wet'N Wild Gold Coast- The addition of a Slide Wheel here would turn the Gold Coast and Australia on its head. Make it happen already!! Whitewater World- A well themed action or Lazy river is the order of the day here. Gumbuya World- This park needs to continue to round out its attractions. I would say that it needs 2 quality flat rides to round out its dry offerings and then another tower complex to add to the water offerings. Would love to see a Zamperla Gryphon and Endeavour call this place home. A Space Bowl slide here would be a great addition Raging Waters Sydney- A Polin Space Race tower would be a great family attraction to add to this park. I would also add theming and effects to the rather sparse lazy River offering , making it much more immersive and enticing. Adventure World Perth- The only park on this list that I have not visited yet. After looking at their attraction offerings I think they are fairly well served in the water attractions department for now. I would go for something a little different. Certainly they need another one or 2 quality family thrill flats. Either a Zamperla Disko Coaster , or a Zamperla Twist and Bounce or a Zamperla Super Air Race would fit the bill quite nicely. Adventure World used to have a train in the past and I would look at bring this back in some shape or form. It would need to have a footprint around most of the park and woudl be a great family inclusion. I would also look at installing a modern chairlift to replace the one they have recently decomissioned.

I find that very interesting. You would have thought that having a double cycle would improve guest satisfaction for the ride not deacrease it! Giving people a longer ride normally means that customers see batter bang for buck and perhaps an improved perception of Buzzsaw. I wonder if they enacted 2 cycle operations at Gumbuya would the satsifaction ratings and perceptions stay the same?

A fume ride?? Surely that's just smoke and mirrors!!!!!! Sorry mate could'nt resist!! 😆

Its a railway. Not a coaster. Its descent is controlled not by gravity but by mechanical means.It does not have side friction nor up stop wheels.

Out of the Wave Swinger type rides that are currently operating in Australian parks these are the major ones that I could find. Volare at Luna Park Sydney- Preston and Barbieri 64 seat model. This unit has been met with mostly positive reveiws and it certainly is well presented and of this list probaby has the best location of any Waveswinger in the country- above the eatery at LPS and flying out into the harbour. Of note is that Volare is heavily promoted still on the Preston and Barbieri website under their Waveswinger's category. Ballroom Blitz at Aussie World. This is a Zierer ride and one of their 48 seat capacity models. It must be noted that Zierer only offer 40 seat or 56 seat models currently, having discontinued the 48 seat and 64 seat models some years back Ballroom Blitz was added to the park in 2014 but has suffered some downtime in recent years. It was involved in an incident which saw 4 people injured in 2017 and as a result was shut for a lengthy complete overhaul. Happy to say that it is now open and operating normally at the park. Tree Swing at Gumbuya World is a SBF Visa Unit with 24 seat capacity. It was added it 2017 with the revamp of the park. Its probably not as exciting as the other Waveswingers on this list as it does not have the "wave motion" that marks the classic swinger but it is notable for how far the chairs swing out, giving a fairly enjoyable family ride sensation. Tree Swing is currently down for major refurb and will reopen later in the year. Wave Swinger at Adventure Park Geelong is a Zierer unit and was added to the park in 2012. Capacity is unknown at this but it certainly is not one of the larger models and i would surmise that its at least a 40 or 48 seat model. There is also a permanent Wave Swinger at The Hunter Valley Gardens near Newcastle. Try as i could, I was unable to get any information as to the manufactuer of this unit or specifications. If I was to hazard a guess it looks like either a smaller Preston and Barbieri or SBF Visa model. If anyone knows anything more then please feel free to update the info. This unit was added to the Gardens in 2018. I think that this lists all the permanent Wave Swinger rides that are located in Australian parks, this of course does not take into account the travelling versions of these rides on the show circuit of which there are more than a few. It also does not take into account the Sky Flyer rides such as Trident at Seaworld and Supernova at Luna Park Melbourne as I consider them different rides. If thats the case then I would predict that the ride manufacturer will either be a Preston and Barbieri or a Zamperla unit- since either of these manufactuers still produce 64 seat units. I would lean towards Zamperla especially given Dreamworld's relationship with them and the fact that they are already getting a new junior coaster from them. This could be part of a package deal.

Yep, keep it simple is always the best motto....

Hahaha Shawn didn’t rate it very well unfortunately. When I visited Busch Gardens Tampa a few years ago, I went on their Looping Starship and the nostalgia certainly flowed!! This unit has also since been removed and retired and further examples of Intamin’s Looping Starship are getting rarer and rarer. As an aside , I enjoyed watching the Sunway Vlog but was wondering when the Dragons Flight Waveswinger from Wonderland was removed? I knew it was set up and operated there for quite a while. Are there any other rides other than Bounty still operating at Sunway or anywhere else?

Could have been? It WAS the wooden Wild Mouse capital for a long big time when we actually had FOUR units available with Aussie World’s unit. Again I reiterate the Hopkins Wild Mouse that went to Indonesia should never have been allowed. What is such a rare model could only have resided in Australia. That’s why LPS’s unit is so important and historically significant and why enthusiasts will travel to add this rate coaster credit.