Jobe

Agreed that the load/unload time is almost interminable at Dreamworld. If they speeded up the process then this would go quite a long way to negate the need for a 2nd train. Operations at Luna Park Sydney when Cyclone was Big Dipper were MUCH more efficient. As you can appreciate, Big Dipper was the drawcard at the time and drew huge lines. However, the crew used to pump through the crowds and the line seemed to constantly move. Wait times were not too bad. The same could not be said about operations at Dreamworld. I also agree with Joz. The ride itself is not that bad- I feel that it is actually better than a lot of people give it credit for. In its early days at Dreamworld its postioning seemed odd yet now with Whitewater World surrounding it and the helix diving through and around several slides and a tower it feels a much more "complete" ride. I still reckon it rode better at LPS the way it hugged the cliff and emerged to the helix from around Coney Island- it was a great ride then!! Of course it WAS designed to fit into LPS's footprint.........

The train possibly will never come back Aussie, this is true. But the real question is WHY?? As far as I can see, there is no real impediment for it NOT to re-open- not cost, not design , not due to public issues or popularity....no one (the Park included) has given anything that could be considered a valid reason....it really is a curious situation.

To be fair, LPM has never marketed itself as anything other than a funpark in all of its 100 year history. And in this list , it is probably the closest in being a true funpark more than any other mentioned. It must be noted that LPM was the original precursor to todays modern "Theme Parks" and for this fact alone , it is extremely important to Australia's themepark history and landscape.

From my memory that seems correct Wycenuros. The train did one loop per cycle and left at set times. As has been noted, it did not run at certain times when certain shows were in attendance. I wonder if one of the reasons that it has not been re-opened as of yet, is because it drew patronage away from the monorail?? I mean, Seaworld already has 3 exisiting people movers, with the Train included. Perhaps it was seen as being superfluous to requirements because of this?? Just thinking out loud...... For those who miss and lament the loss of the Seaworld train I give you the below pic.....

I actually find the Cyclone's/Big Dipper trains fairly comfortable. This uniqueness would make it extremely difficult for Dreamworld to attain a much needed second train for the ride, IF that were to occur. They would probably purchase 2 entirely new trains if this was the desire. Would a new set of trains improve Cyclone by any great degree?? Opinions??

All of which is pretty minor works to get an already existing attraction running again. Seriously, the tracks are still laid and importantly the railway corridor still exists-it would be extremely easy for this to re-open The train used to be berthed under the Sea Viper station- as far as I know this still exists!! The train could be in long term storage there. I am not sure why it is beyond the realms of possibility for the Seaworld train to re-open?? No one has given anything concrete other than speculation and opinion and I am sorry, but at this stage, I just do not buy it. The strongest indicator for its NOT returning is of course the time it has been SBNO, but this does not preclude that it COULD be quite easily re-opened.......

If those metal struts ARE indicative of the "shed" theming being finally put in place, this then will be a welcome addition to an already well received ride. This will certainly add a touch of distinctiveness to the ride, and one which will certainly set it apart from its travelling cousin on the show circuit. All in all good news!!

This seems to have been missed in the ether somewhere-would anyone care to elaborate further on these comments?? I think its a big call to say that it would be futile to re-introduce the Seaworld railway- but I would be happy to be proven wrong with a logical argument and/or further information. Any takers??

The Star Trek Themed "Borg " coaster was going to be The Big Dipper from Luna Park Sydney. They were heavily into negotiatiions at the time and it was a done deal if the park had gone ahead. Needless to say, once that avenue fell through, Dreamworld swooped and picked up a bargain for the price.

The Warner Brothers store used to be on the corner of The Chevron Renaisance building. Its been gone for quite a few years now.

Hehe..its funny that a throw-away line that definitively ended a stupid, pedantic argument has now become a Parkz comedy classic- its good to see that a sense of humour , though smalll and insignificant, flickers and burns with a small flame. As noted, good to see!!! We need it to burn brighter and far more often!!

I am surprised this has not been raised before. I just want to clarify your points here AlexB. I do not understand what is the major impediment to re-opening the Seaworld train. I have not seen what the park has done to the tracks near the crossing next to the flume as you have noted , but in my mind, surely it could be re-introduced as a far cheaper option than it is to rip up the entirety of the track. Having 90% of the attraction in place would only require minimal effort and expenditure to get it up and running again. I am positive this would NOT be an insurmountable problem for Seaworld , if they truly desired to re-open the Railway. I completely agree with Joz in this. The re-introduction of the Seaworld railway would be a great returning asset and would be a very popular move with the public at large. I just do not see how any "attempt to resurrect it would be futile"-in fact I believe that it would prove to be a very simple and relatively cheap operation to return a much loved and still existing park icon back to operating condition.

That much is quite obvious. Thanks for the post Original. I ENJOYED reading it and it added great value to the discussion at hand, which is far more than can be said for other posts in this forum.

Yeah that was mentioned by the ride staff as well to me. This could mean any number of rides but I am hoping for something that is unique. In all probability it could mean a Powersurge...or a similar ride from Zamperla's lineup. Aussie World seems to be cultivating a good relationship with the company after the installation of The Redback. Sounds very promising though! Oh I dont know. A well themed playground would fit in extremely well with their target demographic..families. I think it would be a hit and would be a well received attraction. It also shows to the public that the park is continually growing and expanding, which , in the scheme of things,is very important.

Yeah from all reports they are excellent. I would love to ride an example of one these soon and I hope that one of our parks (Seaworld I am looking at you!!! ) adds one in the very near future!! I think they are also perfect for either Luna Park but that would be way to much to hope for!!

Mate I respect your opinion.I truly do. However I just wanted to gently point out that it is in essence, wrong.The evidence is out there for all to see- its irrefutable! Seaworld is marketed as a "Theme Park" by its owners. Everywhere in the media, to marketing, to this very website, it is referred to as a "Theme Park" . Sure it has marine attractions but that is just one (albeit very important!!) aspect of the park. This is not opinion. Its fact. It is not quite as simplistic as that djrappa. My issue with Surfrider going to Wet and Wild is because it came at the expense of The Pirate Ship being deleted from the park, which is where Surfrider was originally intended to go. At the 11th hour this was changed but this has left Seaworld without a flat ride, one that it could ill afford to lose. Given the knowledge that this has still not been replaced in Seaworld several years after the fact is, in my mind, a serious issue. I love knowing that a Half Pipe coaster has been added to our parks lineup...think its great!! Its MY OPINION that it is wasted at Wet and Wild and would be better suited to Seaworld. I am not bemoaning the fact that the actual ride was introduced..just its location. The decision to do this and not replace Pirate Ship with anything else is symptomatic of several of WVTP recent decsions regarding rides in the parks that I do not support or feel was handled "in the best possible way". I love the Gold Coast parks and our theme park industry but that does not mean I blithely agree with everything they do. Its great to have these forums to discuss these aspects of our theme parks. I think most will agree with that. Hehehe..I think I inadvertently did.....sorry but the discussion revealed the crucial reason why Pirate Ship was removed. Its great to see everyones opinions though!!

Sorry. In this I believe you are wrong. Seaworld is a themepark in every sense of the word. Just because it also has animal attractions does not dilute its theme park genes. It has a collection of rides that are heavily themed , something that no pure "marine park" would have in great quantity. Dreamworld also has fairly extensive wild life exhibits, yet I am sure you do not question its status as a theme park?? Yeah I have to agree with you here GoGoboy. Surfrider is an uncomfortable fit in Wet and Wild IMHO. It would definitely have been better served to have been placed in Seaworld as was originally planned. Despite some heroic attempts at theming to try and integrate it better into WW ( water sprays as has been mentioned ), it just does not really work. A water park is the LAST place you would expect to find a dry coaster and I feel that the majority of the paying public goes to Wet and Wild for ONE thing -thrill slides!! If Surfrider was removed I am betting that this would hardly register on the public perception of the park, as it is mostly focused on the water slide offering, which is intrinsically what WW is famous for. To try and alter that offering is pointless, especially when you own 2 other thrill ride based parks in your portfolio. Surfrider would have sat very well next to Seaviper and Jet Rescue and would make a very nice addition to a park, with limited space to begin with. Of course, we are all ignoring the fact that the original plan to install Surfrider was the real reason Pirate Ship was deleted from the attraction list. Since that was changed with it going to WW, Seaworld was left high and dry with a perfectly good ride removed with NO replacement. Seems to me to be a very bad managment decision at the time- one that has yet to be rectified.....sorry AlexB , I feel that the issues currently facing MW and SW ARE directly linked and clearly show decisions that can be attributed to management at the time as being "poor" Also, surely Pirate Ship could have been considered to be moved to another position in the park at the time?? Just thinking......

Ah!! Cheers, thanks for that themeparkgc. Aussie World is really moving from strength to strength and it looks like over the next 2 years it will really be a park to observe!!!! Excellent!!

At the risk of flogging a dead horse , I agree with these sentiments 100%, as they only build on the long held view shared by myself, GoGoBoy and others on the board. I am actually a little surprised that you share this view AlexB, as this situation is similar to the one currently afflicting Movieworld (ie attractions being removed without replacement and pesky Parkz posters having the temerity to question and discuss managements decision on why ). Seaworld is a park that requires a fine balance between animal attractions and rides. In recent years, starting with the removal of the Thrillseeker rollercoaster, Seaworld has steadily added animal based attractions (and don't get me wrong, these have been world class such as Polar Bear Shores and Shark Bay) at the expense of ride based attractions.Their ride line up has dwindled until it is what it is today. Seaworld desperately needs at least 2 decent family flat rides, the eventual replacement of Bermuda and the reopening and re-invigoration of the Seaworld railway before they consider expanding up and over the carpark. I say lets fix what lies within the parks boundaries before pushing them. The imbalance needs to be addressed. This brings me to another point. Does anybody have any explanation for the removal of The Pirate Ship? It obviously was not mechanical in nature, as it has now been successfully relocated to a park in Victoria (Funfields) So...why?? Does not really make sense to remove a perfectly working ride and NOT replace it?

Interesting..POP where did you hear this info?? A playground type attraction would be ideal for Aussie World. I seriously doubt the February open date but it COULD still be possible I suppose for an end of Feb launch. More likely if its going to go ahead it will be added sometime later this year. Somewhere close to the Giant slide would be ideal- Aussie World owns most of the surrounding land and has plenty of room for future expansion.

Agreed 100%!! A Big Fun coaster by GCI would be absolutely ideal the- only stumbling block it would appear, would be the price!! I think an example of one of these awesome coasters would be out of reach of Aussie World to install and I think they would rather spread out their budget over a period of time, adding in several attractions rather than just one. Remember this is a park that WANTS to grow and understands that to do this they must enhance and ADD to their overall ride line up. A philosophy that the Luna Parks and certain Gold Coast theme parks should try adopting eh? Interesting. I doubt the validity of the first statement however. When i was there in early January, there was no signs of any work or activity in the park on this "Australian Themed playground" whatsoever. Moreover, after questioning several ride ops throughout the day, not one mentioned a playground as a new attraction at any time. Now I know that ride ops are not the most reliable source of information, but given the time frames, it would be reasonable to assume that if this was going into the park by February, then it would be fairly common knowledge. Of course thats not saying it is not going to happen at some stage , but by next month?? Extremely doubtful. The second statement appears to be in line with what several ride ops relayed to me - the next attraction willl be another thrill ride and the $1 million budget should accomodate this.

Excellent to hear!! But going on close to 14 months of SBNO you would think that SOMETHING by now would be happening!!! Cheers!!

I have been on Lethal many times as well and I have not experienced the roughness that most are commenting on. Sure, I have had smoother rides on other coasters, but I wouldnt say that Lethal is overtly bone jarring IMHO. As for Seaviper/Corkscrew, I found that the new trains were not as smooth as the old ones, were not as comfortable as the old trains, and for the money that was spent on them, really did not add anything to the ride. It was still an "ok" experience and I would re-ride in an instant but after the hype of the coaster getting the new trains, I felt "underwhelmed". I certainly hope this does not occur with Lethal's new theme and trains. In unrelated news, I e-mailed Adventure World the other week regarding a possible replacment for the much missed "Turbo Mountain" The reply stated that they are indeed looking at their options and mentioned manufacturers Zamperla, Maurer Sohne and Gerstlauter. No time frames were mentioned but if they were to get a decent coaster in the next couple of years then a trip to Perth would certainly be in mind. Adventure World needs a good coaster to put it back on the map as a park of note. Fingers crossed it happens.

I agree 100% Joz!! I also think it would have been a real shame if WVTP had turned it into a "Wet'N'Wild!! This park has so much atmosphere and I actually commented to my wife that it had a " Luna Park" feel to it, which to me, is quite positive!! Agree wholeheartedly about another coaster too. I think that an example of a Maurer Sohne or a Zamperla model would be ideal for this park-a good steel compact would really set this park on the map!! Especially if their expansion plans come to fruition!! They certainly have the space for it!! It really depends on how tall your daughter is. If she is 100cm or more (which my daughter just cleared) then she was able to go on all the kids rides ( there are 4 in the park) plus The Swinging Ship, The Mozzie Muster (Tilt-A -Whirl) The Boomer Zoomer ( Flying Chairs) , The Plunge ( accompanied by an adult), The Giant slide ( accompanied by an adult) , The Dodgems (accompanied by an adult ) plus the Voyager Simulator and The Bizzy Buggies. And also with the price of admission comes a game of Putt Putt Golf which is nice little course!! Great value in my opinion!! Hope this helps!!

I thought i would take the opportunity to post a brief trip report of our recent visit to Aussie World. Having never been there before, I was not sure what to expect!! Let me say I was quite surprised by what we found. Here was a small yet very neat and compact park!! The new additions have really fleshed out the offering and are great!! We visited on a Saturday and I expected the park to be busier than what it was-about 1100 people visited the park that day, according to one ride operator. This meant that queues were very short indeed and this was bliss for the kids after the madness of Movieworld 2 days previously. The Plunge is a fairly well themed and presented ride and was very popular during the course of the day. I think someone on the forums said it was second hand? -if so then Aussie World have really surpassed themselves with how good the ride was looking!! Plenty of re-rides on this erased the horror of an hour and half wait for Wild West Falls from the kids minds!! The Redback is also a extremely good looking ride. This is how a Disk 'O" should appear!! ( Dreamworld I am looking at YOU!) The ride program was excellent and it was not suprising to learn that these 2 rides were amongst the best patroned all day. THe Wild Mouse at Aussie World is an exact copy of the one at Luna Park Sydney. It was running ok but there is one vital difference between the 2. LPS Wild Mouse cars are configured for 2 people to ride whereas Aussie World's only a single person may ride. The cars themselves are not in as good condition as LPS's either and on the whole, I prefer LPS model over Aussie Worlds. Still an enjoyable ride though!! The Octopus was an interesting ride. This originally had its genesis in the early 80"s incarnation of LPS and was retained by the park until the removal of The BIg Dipper in 2001, whereby it was inexplicably sold to Aussie World. Here it has found a new lease of life and is a very enjoyable ride. I originally thought that this was a Schawrzchkopf Polyp but it was actually made by an Italian company. The Swinging Ship found in Aussie World originally came from Myer in Brisbane and whilst smaller than other similar models I have been on, was quite fun. The height restrictions are quite good on this ride and allowed both my 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter to both ride. . The rest of the rides , The Mozzie Muster ( Tilt - A- Whirl), Booma Zooma (Flying Chairs) , Rock "n Roll Rebel (Tango ride in the dark) are all extremely well appointed and very well maintained rides. The large Ferris Wheel dominates the skyline and provides great views all the way to Caloundra It was also heartwarming to see the Giant Slide from the Royal Easter show having found a home. Simple fun but one many families on the day were quick to enjoy!! All in all, Aussie World was a great day out and really gave excellent value. We arrived at 10:30am and entance to the park cost us $99 for a family pass of 4. We stayed for the entirety of the day and then had dinner at the nearby Ettamogah Pub, where the food was excellent!! All the ride attendants were fairly young and were mostly Uni students working their way through school holidays. Overall, though, they were some of the nicest ride attendants that I have ever experienced in any park. Helpful,cheerful and nothing was too much trouble for them. They are a tremendous asset to Aussie World. In an interesting side note, I questioned several ride attendants on the parks future plans. Apparently the owners of the park wish to add a new attraction every year for five years. They have plans to put in another major ride this year, although they could not say what it was. Things are looking rosy for the park in the next couple of years,it appears!! Aussie World was a refreshing change from the Gold Coast majors. It has the capacity with some more investment in attractions to become a major player. It really is the park that Luna Park Sydney should be.