Jobe

Interesting and factually very wrong. John Deere is an American firm not an Australian company either......this is a load of crap!!

I actually think that we will see a large scale attraction from Dreamworld soon. I have nothing to base this on except my own faith and intuition. They have to see that that Village simply have the better offer and will undoubtedly up the ante in order to win back the public's imagination. What will that look like?? Who knows but it needs to be a deal breaker. Its been a long time since Dreamworld has trumped any Village attraction and it needs to be well thought out and themed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShQBI36g1ck As an aside I saw this crazy concept for a coaster on Youtube!! Don't know if it could ever be built but the clip looks very professional!!! Would be an absolute cracker!!

Great clip Slick. Excellent but very sad at the same time. Its great that you documented this for all to see! Not a good look is it. Dreamworld would probably understand that this decision would upset quite a few people but woe betide anyone who dares to voice that disappointment!! Sad indictment of the level of service that Dreamworld are willing to give!! Not very user friendly !!

Any real reason as to why we have responded to an 8 year old thread?? Just asking.......

I too need to use this disclaimer! That's why I was posing the question in my earlier post. Surely it can be done.......

Good point. The whole Kids Looney Tunes area could do with a revamp- it is in definite need of re-organizing and a little re-imagining. The removal of Speedy's Taxi's could be the catalyst for installing some new kids rides plus a reinvigoration of the general area. Off Topic slightly, but last time I was at SeaWorld ( admittedly a couple of years) their Sesame Street kids area was also looking a little run down. Is there any plans to do a similar re-theme or install some new kids rides for this area?? I seem to remember that one of the rides had been removed but not replaced?

These locomotives are in very good condition. Any historical society would be doing very well if it were to attain these working locomotives. As you said T-Bone, it would be a shame to see these fine examples become static ornaments. A steam locomotive is a living breathing mechanical wonder and each unit have their own distinct personalities. To permanently extinguish their fires and prevent them from being a working locomotive would be a tragedy and a terrible loss to the history of rail in Queensland.

So does that mean that the surfable wave option has been lost or is it being incorporated into the larger wave pool?

Either way the tosser will be back. He will not be able to help himself!! I think the finished theming effect should be pretty good, judging from what we have seen already. Already the theming for this ride has surpassed Green Lantern's flimsy attempt. I understand that theming a coaster is not the easiest job to do, but I feel that Adventure World are doing an admirable job, given the budget they have to work with. As Renanimated says, hopefully the big boys will sit up and take notice on this effort.

I was thinking the same thing Jacob. I do agree strongly that the loss of a surfable wave pool is huge. This would have been an Australian first, and given our close affinity with surfing and beaches, is a massive missed opportunity, IMHO!

Don't let the door hit your arse on the way out!!! Fuckwit.................Good riddance!

I agree wholeheartedly AlexB. Please don't think that what I was posting is meant to be taken as canon/or confirmed truth. As I stated in the trip report, the information is gleaned from several Scenic World employees and is definitely nothing official. I am horrified to think that RWC would use it to back up his "jump to conclusion" ramblings!! The only thing I can say at this point that could lend credence to strengthen this speculation, however, is that now that every ride has had investment poured into it, Scenic World are now free to pursue the dream of working on Orphan Rocker. It appears that the stars COULD be aligning for this ride. Other than financial reasons, of which I touched on in my first post, the next few years could be the best chance for Orphan Rocker to be finally worked upon. This is true and a good point. Especially given the fact that since 2004, there has been a reason to WANT to travel to the valley floor. The 3km of Scenic Skywalk is very wheelchair and pram friendly so it makes sense that the Cableway is the preferred option for the transportation of these devices. In event of a breakdown of the Cableway, The Railway could be utilised for prams and strollers as a backup as it did before. What I didn't add is that when we went on our 3rd trip on the Railway, a wheelchair bound passenger was allowed to journey down on the train with his chair next to him, so there should be no trouble accommodating prams etc, if the park desired that. It would definitely affect the capacity of the ride, if this rule was relaxed. The Sceniscender name has been dropped and the ride is now on all official marketing material as the Scenic Cableway. Yep agree also. This is what I was alluding to in my initial trip report. Looking at my pic, it is really the only reason that makes sense, given the quality of the job.

I applaud this initiative and can only hope that something like this can be put into action. Seriously this tool is a plague on these boards and really needs to be appropriately dealt with. His constant hijacking of threads is becoming a depressingly regular occurrence and you only need to see the above postings for proof in the pudding!! The guy needs to be curtailed......

Magnificent post Thatlldo!! Absolutely made my day!!

No problems, happy to contribute where I can. Yeah that was the reason I took particular attention to that spot. I was exactly like you- I could not believe what I was seeing......it is seriously a wtf moment!! However there has to be a reason that they have taken this action. It is obvious that in order to get that footer in for the station, the original coaster track has been dismantled and then re-welded with what looks like smaller, inferior pieces. The only reason I can surmise at this stage is perhaps that they wish to maintain the integrity of the entire structure and that it was safer to have the track connected together at that particular point?? Anyone else have any ideas?

Just got back from a trip to the Blue Mountains and a day visit to Scenic World. I know that their recent addition of the new Scenic Railway train has been reported on Parkz earlier in the year but there hasn't been an update since so here is a short report and some pics on what is happening at the site. Firstly to the Scenic Railway. This is the 6th "Red Devil" train to grace the track. It has been custom built for Scenic World. I have to tell you that this new train looks fantastic. I did think that the fully enclosed doors would take away from the experience somewhat, especially considering that its predecessor only had chain barriers to hold you in, but to my surprise, it didn't. The much hyped "seat regulator" allows you to choose 3 settings-laidback, normal (52 degree angle), or cliffhanger (62 degree angle). Whilst it is great to be able to choose your seat setting, I did find this to be a tad gimmicky and really doesn't add much to an already awesome experience. The front of the train is also fully enclosed with steel mesh similar to what you would find in modern security doors. Whilst being enclosed, it still allowed you to feel the rush of air as it descends onto the Jamison Valley floor. One thing that has changed on my last visit, is that the Scenic Railway no longer accommodates prams or strollers. This was allowed on the previous train but now all prams have to utilise the cableway to reach the valley floor. The station at the top has been completely redone and has been elevated by around 2-3 metres from its original position. This has serious consequences for the Orphan Rocker track, but more on that later. The station on the valley floor has also had a very nice refurbishment. It has been extended from the original to allow for extra patrons and to seamlessly join to the adjacent Skywalk. The Skywalk, follows 3 km of elevated walking platforms in some of the prettiest scenery you will find in Australia. This makes for a fantastic overall experience as my family explored every inch. We had a nice picnic lunch as we traversed our way through the forest floor and we saw plenty of bird life along the way. The track meanders around to the cableway which you can then board for the trip back up to the top. The Scenic Skyway is also very popular and the current car, made in Switzerland, replaced the original car in 2004. The original served from 1958. The biggest difference between the current car and the old car, is that now there is a station on the other side where you can depart and take in the various walking trails to Echo Point and Katoomba Falls. Previously the trip was a one way journey. What has changed however, is that ( on this day at least) the car no longer stops half way. This was to allow the passengers plenty of photo opportunities of the nearby Katoomba Falls. However, this maybe because of the large amounts of tourists and also the fact that it was school holidays and in non peak time this practice may continue. The other biggest change for the park has been the introduction of a family pass that allows you to ride all 3 attractions all day. This gives you a wristband that utilises barcode technology to enter each attraction. It is very well presented and was a VERY popular choice amongst the multitudes of visitors on the day. Of course, as coaster enthusiasts, we all know about Orphan Rocker. I asked several attendants on the day general questions about the coaster and its possible fate. Whilst I do not have much to add to what has already been reported on this very site, there is some bad news but also hopeful news as well. Firstly, let me tell you that the material condition of the track does not appear to be very good. It is in need of a good paint but also in several areas the track has been completely overgrown by trees and bushes. This has been left to just sit and it is obvious that it has not received any attention for a long time. As you can see by the above pics, this coaster will need serious investment and serious work in order to open. That's just taking into account the clean up of the track perimeter. This was fairly typical of the condition along virtually every section of the track. From the vantage point of the cableway, where the coaster traverses the cliff and then comes back round to the hill lift, the track was engulfed by undergrowth. You just could not see it, it was virtually invisible. Secondly, in order to open, the track and coaster is going to need MAJOR structural modifications. As I stated above, the coaster track used to run parallel with the Scenic Railway loading/unloading area. However, with the refurbishment of the Railway and the new station being elevated above the original, this has meant that the track in its existing form , will need to be torn down and re- engineered in order to firstly, build a new load/unload station and secondly, be far enough from the present station for running clearance. The footers from the new station intersect where the current coaster track runs. The below pic illustrates my point fairly graphically. As I stated earlier in my post, I asked virtually every ride attendant/Scenic World employee about the future of the Orphan Rocker. Now I know that ride attendants are not the most reliable source of information but what I did glean was quite informative. Virtually EVERY person I talked to stated that there are definite plans to open the coaster in the near future. However, one supervisor/manager was much more forthcoming. He stated that every ride in the park had an operating life of just over 30 years. The oldest of these rides, The Scenic Cableway, is 12 years old. Now that all 3 attractions, culminating in the recent Scenic Railway refurbishment, have had investment spent on them, the Hammon family can now turn their attention to the opening of the Rocker. During the recent Railway refurbishment, they had the option to remove the Rocker but this was not done for 2 reasons. The first is, that the Katoomba Council will not allow a new construction coaster to be built but will ALLOW the refurbishment of the existing structure. The very fact that it is still standing means that the Hammon family have definite,slowly gestating plans for the structure. Of course, this is not going to happen quickly. There has been serious investment in the site in recent years, including millions spent on the refurbished railway. It is going to take at least 5 years for a return on investment, but the supervisor did say that this return is progressing quicker than originally planned because of the popularity of the attractions. It is not inconceivable that within 5 years, work and plans could begin on stirring the Orphan Rocker to life. Scenic World is a fantastic day out for the whole family. It is uniquely Australian in what it promises, and is a truly international attraction. The staff are fantastic, all local, and obviously love working there. It is a shinning example of what a humble family business can achieve over decades of hard work and dedication. You have to remember that this is a privately owned, family business who have spent MILLIONS bringing to life what Scenic World is today. The introduction and opening of The Orphan Rocker will only enhance a fantastic experience and firmly put this place on the international map. If you have never been, please take my advice and go and visit- it is a fantastic place to visit for the young and old and really utilises the beauty of the Blue Mountains and the Australian landscape to its fullest advantage. A great day!

Either way I find NONE of the names inspired. From what they had to choose from this is a fairly pedestrian name list IMHO.

You are absolutely right T-Bone, I am just not sure RWC will see it that way!!

Yep, given that reaction I would say that what you posted is definitely not a good response AlexB. Especially as he doesnt want to read it. Lol!!

Dare I say it but for once you are actually making sense!! I agree that the "current" name to me is lame sounding and could do with tweaking. Giving it a branded name is a better idea ,especially given its location in the park.

Yeah I was wondering that to GoGoBoy.The coaster element of the ride really isnt all that big and considering that Bermuda Triangle's entire course was contained in the show building, is it possible we may see an extended custom dark ride experience? Perhaps the coaster element is the only thing thats off the shelf? Would this be a possibility??

Hanna Barbera is no longer really relevant in today's environment. There are other more higher profile entities that Movieworld could use.

And what was it about mine or AlexB's post that you did not understand?? Our post's all came to the same conclusion. For someone who purports to be incredibly savvy and knowledgable about all things to do with the amusement park industry, not being able to grasp the simple concept of what constitutes a theme park versus an amusement park,especially when it is eloquently pointed out to you ,really highlights how insipid you can be. At times, your posts can be a blight on this board. I am fairly certain that in some of instances, the stupidity of your posts are deliberate,IMHO.

This isn't the first nor the last time that a journalist has got it wrong. LPM can be most accurately described as a fun park and definitely an amusement park but a "theme park"? Not in the classic sense of Disneyland or even our own Dreamworld/Movieworld does LPM or LPS even come remotely close. LPM has no "overall" theme. It is a collection of rides and amusements brought together in one place-in essence what makes it an amusement park. However the rides are NOT themed, there are no themed lands, there is just the park. Dismissing the other rides in the park by not being themed as not affecting the "theme" of the park is just idiotic. I am sure that other learned board members such as Gazza ,AlexB or Joz would be able to expound further on the virtues of an amusement park versus a theme park- in my mind they are 2 different entities, albeit with some commonalities. I cannot believe you are equating LPM as being the same as Disneyland-they are both amusement parks but Disneyland offers themed experiences. What themed experience does LPM offer????? It is a 100 year old seaside park that houses a collection of rides- some old and some new. It has its own unique atmosphere but that is brought about from its location, its originality and its historical features. These do not make an overall "theme" as the newer rides would contradict that. For a complete example of a "heritage" amusement park- please look at the proposal for Dreamland Margate. Every aspect of this park, every ride is aimed at being for historical and heritage value- and this type of heritage proposal and park is a world first. It is a conscious decision to be engineered this way. LPM is vastly different from what this proposal promises