19Michael96

Yeah as the person who originally asked the question, I was pretty satisfied with Warwick's answer. Limited finance also explains the minimalist stance on theming and bridges for the new rides, which is a shame but hopefully these extras can be added in the future among other bits and bobs. But the park firstly needs to be allowed to reopen and regain much needed revenue, whether it be rides or events. So I would encourage those who can to visit the park so they can prosper well into the future and the recent investment in rides pays off for them. BTW Warwick answered this on the Facebook group "History of Luna Park Sydney". I would encourage everyone who's a fan of the park to subscribe. It's admin is the woman who won Hard Quiz two years ago.

That is what I would like to see; it makes the back of the park more connected with the front. Not to mention it's a flat surface so it's easier for prams and wheelchair users.

Well that's annoying. Do you have any idea if this proposed theming or "bridges" can be added in further down the track when the park earns more money (obviously cash is tight for every business thanks to COVID but I would hope the park can gain revenue back from both ride operations and Big Top events etc. very soon)

I don't think anything in the Big Dipper simulation video is meant to be accurate except for the track layout itself.

The park owns 1 carriage at least from the original Big Dipper. It's currently under tarps out the back but used to be on display. SUCK IT NEIGHBOURS!!!!!!!!

Dammmmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

It's for the best.

I knew you'd be one of the guys up there. Why else would you all be up on the balcony looking down at the rides?

Managed to check out LPS progress today. Glen St stairs have gone and ride testing progresses out back.

Oh the envy for you still having access to nearmap...

9 News Sydney has done a news report on the revamp as we get closer and closer to opening: https://fb.watch/5SABbJ4mse/

Last night the NSW Police Minister was giving grief to the ABC because they're apparently holding back information. Here's the follow up: https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/05/abc-extension-to-deliver-ghost-train-fire-files.html

LPS has posted a video to their Facebook featuring a first person view of the Boomerang ride experience: https://fb.watch/5BKhgQOYRR/

@Jobe I understand you were being hypothetical, I just still maintain a large degree of scepticism about these locations apart from the amphitheatre steps, which I am 100% in support with you on that front. The Green space above the carpark I can POSSIBLY see something happening maybe, but it's the access below I'm having trouble envisioning, no matter how many times I've thought about it. If it wasn't an issue I would be in total agreement with you. And I personally don't think anything should be built next to the Rotor, even if the loading dock was relocated. I feel it would make the park look too cramped; I'd like to see some space between all the attractions. Only way I can see change happening here is if they move the Rotor to where the Hair Raiser is, the Hair raiser on the green space above the car park, relocate the loading dock and use the expanded space to put in that modern day equivalent of the Tumblebug you brought up; giant bug bridge and all. And don't get me wrong, I never thought for a second you had issue with the rides were currently getting; I was speaking more in general broad terms in their defence. Sure I would absolutely love another family ride to balance things out, but the kids rides that older people can ride on too are a pretty good selection as well. I wish they could've gone with more creative names but that's a whole other matter. To be honest, it really sucks how that my ride range is very limited. I've thought a few times about trying out the Wild Mouse or Volare but my anxiety is just too strong and I hate it. I love this park and yet I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of stuff because of stupid goddamn issues I find hard to control. It's probably why I want the River Caves back, apart from being one of the iconic rides of old Luna Park, it's a very slow moving dark boat ride which fits the park perfectly. And having been on dark boat rides elsewhere, I have loved them and want to see one here again. I hate the fact that I missed out on the fun of that ride! The closest we've got at the moment is the Penguin Expedition ride at Sydney Aquarium, which is great but it's VERY short. And look I know my solutions for bringing back the River Caves are pretty much impossible, even if they just took a tiny section of the sidings and put greenery on top to make it blend in with the Lavender Green surroundings better, but I'll be damned this is one dream I'm not gonna give up on! Put it somewhere, anywhere; the dodgem space, hell even underground, I just want them back. And clearly Metro Edgely did too when they reopened the park. I would hope that sentiment is still the same. I did point that out in another post of mine as well. I was just a bit more uncertain about it in my tone: But at least we both agree it needs to be moved and redone if it's gonna be a permanent ride. Otherwise, the only way I see this ride remaining in its current state is if it's a seasonal ride LPS brings out every school holidays. And then keep it in storage during off-peak periods. IDK, I love what the park is doing right now, but by good I hope this isn't the end of it. I'd love the rest of the place to be refreshed with consistent theming, more rides and a smart use of space that adds up to satisfying my OCD.

This is exactly what I brought up in a previous post of mine complaining about the location of the ride. If the Tug is going to be a permanent LPS ride now, then it needs to be placed in a more suitable spot that has good space surrounding it; not cramped in next to another ride who's queue fencing needed to be partially removed so people could walk past. And of course the ride should be refurbished to look permanent and fit in with the current park scenery. I'll be quite frank here, how many times have we had this conversation about space come up repeatedly on this forum in the past decade? Yes there are very nice potential rides out there the park could get in the future, and yes space could be made to fit them somewhere, but I'll be honest: the location suggestions you have brought up many times here, I don't think are feasible aside from the amphitheatre steps, which is where I agree a future ride could be placed. But I don't think the grassed area above the car park entrance is strong enough to hold a ride, it would be a major hassle trying to install a proper entrance to the midway below so it's connected with the main park, and as I said a few years ago and this belief still stands, the Hair Raiser would not be a good fit next to the Rotor as it blocks the entrance to the loading dock and side gate and it would be too cramped. The only way you're gonna fit in more rides at the front of the park is if they get rid of the car park altogether and return the midway to how it used to be. And that's not gonna happen in a million years. And honestly I don't see much issue with the new rides we're getting anyway. It's not like the kids rides we're getting are exclusively for kids like the old ones were; all ages can rides these ones too. I feel there's a real stigma going on; just because they're marketed as kids rides doesn't mean they should be held in lesser value than rides marketed towards higher age groups. And speaking as a 25 year old, some of these look to be rides that even I can enjoy. I have very low tolerance for thrill rides and high speeds and the only rides I can really enjoy atm are the carousel, ferris wheel, dodgems and the Coney Island attractions. So I'm pleased there's more stuff coming that looks to be in my wheelhouse, even if I'm not exactly the perfect demographic for them. Really, beyond this current expansion for me, is if they level the amphitheatre steps, put in a walk through ride/attraction there ala Davy Jones Locker but make it scary cause I believe the park needs a good haunted attraction, and then find someway to bring the River caves back. I'd tell you how but this is one fantasy I do not wish to have ruined with logic and practicalities.

Senior state minister Matt Kean has come forward calling for a Royal Commision style inquiry into the fire, as reported in 9 News tonight: https://fb.watch/5q4G6epcS6/ Also his Private Member's statement in parliament: https://fb.watch/5q4SHdise2/

I hope they would. And put it in a more suitable location.

Well here are some of my photos of the progress taken this afternoon: Steel beams sit on the future Big Dipper loading station: Overview of Maloney’s Corner and the construction going on: Foundations for the Big Dipper supports are preparing to be concreted: Good view of the construction of the revamped entry to Maloney’s Corner (though I reckon the other side of Coney Island should be opened up to the public as well which would make the back of the park more connected and feel truly permanent): Close up views of the (Whirly) Bug, Cloud 9 (which I also find to be a weird name for a ride), and the Freaky Frogs. Plus foundations for the Silly Subs and the Sledgehammer platform: Now this is something I’ve brought up before but I would really like to see the surrounding theming on the Tango Train, Volare and Wild Mouse to be actually finished during these renovations. There’s still minor touches that need to be done and it’s driving me nuts that it’s not completed yet. This is stuff I’ve enquired with the park about before and it’s still not done. So the question is when?

Well the Luna Park social media team has unveiled the "Boomerang" to the public: https://fb.watch/58rhT-5RFu/ There's even a nice video to go with it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoe3kOIWhQ4&t=55s

The arrangement I was told by the senior management director is that the guy will purchase new ones of similar vintage and lease them to the park with the rest that were retained once restrictions are eased.

Yeah those aren’t the arcade games I was talking about. I know the old Penny Arcade games such as Fly-a-Plane and Green Ray etc. were owned by Luna Park and restored some years ago (though the Horse Racing game seen in the article is still in limbo cause the guy wrapped up his business in 2018 and LPS has been trying to get in contact with him to check its status); I was talking about the vintage pinball machines that are owned by this guy: https://dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/southern-courier/greg-terranova-of-malabar-collects-more-than-80-vintage-pinball-machines/news-story/116c9a666600bd52edfc1b2b61699275 It was these machines where some had to be sold off and I hope none of the ones that were LPS originals were affected. Cause some of the pinball games were listed as being in the park in the 60’s/70’s; I would hope these would have stayed.

I hope this would also mean that they can get more vintage pinball arcade machines back in Coney Island. Because of COVID, the guy who leased them to the park had to sell some of them off and on top of that, they couldn't be used anyway because constant cleaning requirements and all that. But there are plans to purchase more once restrictions are eased I am told, which will be a great relief. I just hope the pinball games that were sold off weren't significant to Luna Park; I.E. they were LPS originals that were then sold off at the 1981 auction before being returned in 2016 when the pinball games were acquired. Hope those games are still there.

In the meantime here are my latest pics of the progress taken this evening: One thing of I noted is this scaffold setup against the Northcliff St stairs:

Ugh. That is still such a stupid name. Not even "Whirly Bug" or "THE Bug"; just BUG. Sounds so underwhelming! I can't get over it!

So Rockin' Tug is definitely a permanent ride at Luna Park now, which I have no objection to; it's the perfect kind of family carnival ride suited for such a park. What I do have objections to, is it's current location. Right now the ride is right in between the Hair Raiser and Crystal Palace, which is a very tight area. I do not think the ride suits this spot; it looks very ill fitting, it looks cramped - they even took out some fencing on the Hair Raiser queue just so people have a clear space to walk past - and the "hire ride" nature of it just doesn't fit. On top of that, I'm pretty sure having the ride in this spot is in violation of the park's very own conservation management plan. There's one section in the plan that determines where rides can be placed in the park; the spot I've circled is where Rockin' Tug approximately sits: It appears the ride sits just outside of the permissible zone. Now there can be interpretations in regards to how "permanent" the Rockin' Tug is but in my view, with the ride now a permanent feature of the park, on top of blocking off open access, I don't think it fits this area at all and it should be relocated to a more suitable spot. Whether they have any room left within Maloney's Corner after the renovations, or they fill in and level the amphitheatre steps next to the Ferris Wheel (which is listed as a ride permissible zone), I feel the ride needs to be moved. And once it is, I think work should be done on it to make it look permanent, to keep consistent with the theming and direction of the park. So, bit of a long rant, but TL;DR - nice Luna Park has a Rockin' Tug, but it needs to be moved to a better spot and redone.