Jobe

Surely if there are new trains and a new theme then there will be a colour change?? Makes sense, especially if they plan to make Lethal a part of the DC area.

Exactly. IF that was the case.We may never know the real reason! But a very valid and real point.

Its still more transparency than Movieworld have given for the closures for LTRR, Batman Adventure Ride or even Marvin's Rocket ride. Throw in Seaworlds dormant and still standing train ride ( a travesty in my mind), the closure of Bermuda, even the removal of the Pirate Ship and it appears that WVTP are quite prepared to close more rides in their parks than actually add them. If they came out with some statement or explanation relaying why they closed these rides beyond the usual "closed to make way for a new attraction" then this would at least give some public validity to the closures. At this time, on both sides of the fence, all we are doing is speculating on the reasons why. It would be nice to have some official angle to discuss.But thats what this forum is for and why we contribute to this board.To DISCUSS. I am like GoGoBoy and Joz, I find it puzzling that this point is hard to understand.

lol...Very tasty indeed!! In fact I see that they are now selling them as a take home pack!!! Awesome!! Apologies to any who find this old news, I havent seen this before... Brilliant idea Anyway....back to the discussion at hand!

Noted!! And supported 100%..... Basically we are all giving our views and opinions and expressing our thoughts on why these rides are closed. Most of us are not that naive to think that they would ever come back-in fact I do not want that!! I am sure the replacements will be excellent and we will soon be feverishly posting our excitement about them, when they are finally announced.This still does not stop us discussing WHY they have been shut, or the mechanics or reasoning behind the decision to cull the rides in this fashion. Its what this forum is designed for. It comes down to a matter of opinions really......and as we all know...Opinions are like arseholes. Everyone has one. Some are just larger and more obnoxious than others!! lol!! Loving the discussion though!!

Exactly.....they opted for the cheaper route. No matter how much you try and dress it up, or justify the closures, the fact remains that closing all 3 rides in similar timeframes was poor decision making. Closing them without any real replacement or plan (that we know of) is , in my mind, very poor management indeed. Its a fact that these closures could have been handled so much better and the problems faced by Movieworld today could have been somewhat tempered if there was a tiered plan in place.

Agree 100% with your thoughts here AlexB. My kids are 4 and 6 and they have been exposed to Theme Parks since birth. They love them and my son even has a collection of 5 dvd's with Rollercoaster and Theme park vids. We are heading up to Qld on Tuesday and will be visiting Dreamworld, Movieworld and Aussieworld. This will be our first visit to Aussieworld so it will be interesting to see how it rates. Looking forward to it. I also think that it is a bit much to be asking a 2 year old admission price of $29 just to enter the park. This is seemingly the only major criticism that I have heard of Aussieworld which, from all appearances, appears a very family friendly park in most other aspects.Will try and get as many pics as possible to share with the board.

I agree wholeheartedly with this post!!! The idea of Lethal Weapon being replaced at this point in time is just ridiculous IMHO!! As Linus has stated, a new theme and new trains will re-invigorate the ride and its perception in the public domain. To be honest, I have never, ever really found Lethal to be all that rough. Plus while it is a SLC and there are many versions of it around the world, it is made rarer for the fact of the addition of the bonus helix at the end.The fact that there is so many proves it is a very successful and popular design (much like the Vekoma Boomerang but that is another story!!) It is our only "Thrilling " Inverted coaster and it would be a huge loss to our coaster landscape if it disappeared. Long live Lethal!!!

You might want to re-think that statement....there are currently 3 closed dark rides at Seaworld and Movieworld.......my bet is that on at least ONE or more of these sites that a very expensive multi-million dark ride will rise from the ashes. And I think it will be before any new large coaster will be introduced to one of our parks. Just saying....

Ok POP. I am pretty sure that it was a lighthearted comment by Gazza. Seriously if we are talking a million dollars, what type of coaster (if indeed it is one) could be got for one million?? Second hand what would that buy you?

The irony is lost on some....lol Seriously though, a good second hand coaster would be the next logical attraction for Aussie World. This would then give them a very decent ride roster indeed, and one that would make people travel to visit.

I agree. It is a lasting shame that more of Wonderland's rides could not have stayed in Australia- Aussie World could have had a field day if they were in the market now!! Another smallish coaster would be a great addition to Aussie Worlds line up-maybe a model from Zamperla or Maurer Sohne perhaps?

Ahhh SBF Visa!! Thanks for that Spotty!! Makers of goodness such as Fear! The Tower coaster!!! Not!! Gazza here is a pic from the SBF Visa website of the model that comprises The Jurassic coaster. Cheers

I certainly did!!! Thats one of those annoying typos that can strike from nowhere!! Don't appear able to fix it either..can a moderator help?

Gazza, don't be too over concerned!! It is a travelling kiddie coaster with dinosaur figures liberally placed around the course and a dinosaur themed backdrop.Makes sense to include it in the ride line-up with the Dinosaur Alive exhibition I guess. My 6 year old and 4 year old loved it and in its defense it is fairly smooth-it is also a pretty new ride. Its a big hit with the younger ones and families, delivering mild thrills and prepares younger minds for bigger coasters when they are older. It is a good design and has 2 "lift hills" (tyre driven), although I am not certain of the manufacturer-anyone help out with that? All in all good fun.

For your information guys, Luna Park has announced its Xmas holiday line up and I have to say that it is looking like pretty good value. From Boxing Day, Jurassic Coaster, Rock'N Tug and The Disk'O will be appearing. Also from January the 7th, there will be located at The Big Top, the Dinosaurs Alive! Exhibition. The LPS site says "DINOSAURS ALIVE! is a $3.5 million educative and fun-filled exhibition featuring robotic dinosaurs. It takes visitors along the 165-million-year journey of the Age of Dinosaurs. At Luna Park 7th January to 12th February, don't miss these pre-historic giants. Visitors can marvel and learn about the seven dinosaurs on display as they walk through the exhibition. They will see Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor, Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, Huayangosaurus, Gasosaurus and Allosaurus in motion. By seeing the life-like dinosaurs move in front of them, guests can imagine how the magnificent creatures once roamed the Earth." If you have a young family or are young at heart, then this should provide some good summer fun. I know I will be taking my kids there after we get back from the Gold Coast and I will put up a trip report for all. I think that Luna Park should utilise The Big Top more for travelling attractions like this. A few years ago, they had "Prison Break LIVE" which was an interactive walkthrough maze with live actors. A evolving,changing , Xmas walkthrough attraction, be it a scarefest, or information driven like Dinosaurs Alive!, should be something that Luna Park should investigate further and could become a great future drawcard at this time of year. I think the Dinosaurs Alive! exhibition is going to be a winner. I mean, which young kid is not fascinated by Dinosaurs? Thoughts?

Hehehe.....knew it would not take me long... "the CAN move it". I assume you mean "they". Yep..we ARE all human......just some more human than others!!!!

I have no problem whatsoever in Movieworld removing both Batman and LTRR. The last time I was at Movieworld last year, both rides were walk-ons. By their very nature, both also, IMHO, didnt have a lot of re-rideability. This is reflected in their poor popularity in the latter stages of their life.What I do have problems with is the now well referred timing issue.Sure LTTR was gone but surely Movieworld could have kept Batman going until after the peak holiday period?? This may or may not be indicative of deeper plans that we are not privy to, but time will tell all.I think we all would have been much more comfortable if Movieworld had announced that Batman was closing at the end of February after the peak time had passed. Bermuda, on the other hand , I feel is a different story. This was a world class ride which was still popular, delivered decent family thrills and was something you desired to ride again and again. However, after the flames from the volcano were dowsed for good, the ride was let to fall into the slow decay that we saw it become. This ride, which fit perfectly for Seaworld's target demographic, should have been brought back up to spec and saved, in my opinion. It was world renowned, and has been stated many times on these boards, had world class theming. My hope now is that Bermuda will be replaced by an equally iconic and brilliant attraction. It is really what Seaworld deserves.

You are correct AlexB. Your position would have been made far clearer if you had stated the above in your original post, however. In saying that, though, there are limitations on where, how and what can be moved, if it is on the Heritage Register. As long as the building still complies with the Register's requirements and that the nature of the building is not overtly changed and it is agreed by the Heritage Council, then there are no large impediments to something being moved for further precint development. This is far easier when it comes moving something like the Rotor. I would think that LPS would have a very hard time indeed if they nominated to move, say Coney Island or The Crystal Palace. There are many factors to take into consideration when applying to change or move Heritage Listed buildings-the list is long and horrendous!!. This should not be a barrier for ride development to NOT happen at LPS though, rather , it can show that there are ways to make things work whilst still retaining the original buildings. There are many examples around the world where the old and the new can quite happily co-exist in perfect harmony-it just takes willingness and money!!

GoGoBoy I absolutely agree with your comments here. At the risk of being branded as anti Movieworld (which I am most certainly NOT) , I too cannot for the life of me, fathom the timing of the removal of these rides. In my mind, it is an absolute error and until they are replaced, weakens their offer significantly, despite the introduction of Green Lantern (which I am very excited to see). Like you, I pray, hope and still have faith that their demise will hearken decent replacements in the near future. However, I do feel that this timing issue has been largely ignored on the board, except for a select few, which to me, is somewhat surprising. I AM looking forward to visiting the park in January to ride Green Lantern. If it is as good as it looks in the track testing video, then it should be a sweet ride indeed!

I only half agree with you on this Gazza. I don't think the historical angle is a cop out-its a very relevant feature of both parks that needs to be highlighted and exploited. Given their history, these attractions within Luna Park ARE their highlight-mainly due to their uniqueness and rarity in the amusement world. However, does this excuse the condition of other features and amusements within the parks?? Absolutely not!! Both parks are a pale imitation of their former glory and both, given the right investment and willingness, could be restored and enhanced to bring them back to their golden years. I will watch the restoration project at Dreamland , Margate , England with much interest!! Actually the Rotor in residence at LPS at present is a replica built for the '95 park incarnation. Of the original, 3 were built but none survive. The current Rotor was built from the original blueprints. There are plans to re-build one for LPM as well. As far as being on the NSW Heritage register , only the Face, Towers, Crystal Palace, Coney Island,Cliff Face and Fig Trees have that distinction. Under the banner of the Luna Park precint, it is noted that there are several items/buildings of significance and these include The Wild Mouse,The Rotor and the Cliff tunnel. As to the Rotor being moved several times whats your point? Something can be on the NSW Heritage Listing and not in its original position, as long as the building meets the registers requirements. For all who are interested, here is a rare photo from LPS showing the Cliff Face Tunnel. The Cliff Tunnel is described on the register as being" Tunnelled into the base of the sandstone cliff on the eastern edge of the Luna Park Site, adjacent to the location of the former Ghost Train, is a flattened horse shoe shaped tunnel, with two entrances, approximately 20m in length, and almost 2m high and slightly less in width. At the 'top' of the horse shoe is a round chamber of the same height, about 3m in diameter. Used for storing gardening equipment since August 1990." This pic shows one of these entrances.

You cannot really compare the Luna Parks to a large theme park like the GC ones.Both Luna Parks are a fun park with very little theming as such and both draw heavily on their historical significance and historical rides (LPS Wild Mouse, Coney Island and Rotor,LPM Scenic Railway,Carousel and Ghost Train) to attract people. I think that Victoria and NSW could each have a theme park built which would have little impact on their operation. This would largely be due also to their respective locations right in the middle of Sydney and Melbourne- the infrastructure and people are right there. Any new prospective theme park in VIC or NSW will be mostly outside of metro areas and will have to rely on new infrastructure and allow travel time for their prospective patrons. Wonderland , to some extent in its early life, was hampered by this.

Oh!! Ok then no probs!! Sorry if I mistook your meaning........

Hmm Gazza if you are referreing to me as a "nostalgiafag??" then I take offence. For my mind, Spencer's posting was tongue in cheek and I followed that up with my own reply. Surely anyone with a hint of humour about them can see that those posts were not meant to be taken seriously!! If you thought that,(and going by your the tone of your post you did) then you need to have a long hard look at yourself indeed!!! That sort of personal attack really isnt needed,especially in this case, as what we posted didnt deserve any sort of vitriol at all!!! Please have a little more respect for when genuine posters contribute-its not all about you or a select few opinions!! Thankyou

Hehe...Dont forget the Young Einstein Homestead house........