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Theme parks operator Village Roadshow has moved to settle its civil case against two trusted former executives it claims defrauded the company of more than $2.5m. Melbourne-headquartered Village, which operates Sea World, Movie World and Wet’n’Wild, is suing a former executive, whose name is protected by a court order, for more than $1.8m, including the return of an eye-watering redundancy payout. The company is also suing its former long-serving chief financial officer Dean Humphreys for around $859,009. Both men are accused of enjoying lavish parties, luxury home renos and high-end cars at the expense of their employer, with the unnamed man, referred to as “ABC’ in the redacted court documents, also alleged to have taken and sold a truck used in the 2018 film Aquaman. In a Supreme Court hearing on Wednesday morning, Village applied to cancel a seven-day trial which has been scheduled to begin on October 26. Barrister Dominic O’Sullivan KC, for Village, said the parties were attempting to settle in mediation and, if that was unsuccessful, the trial would be rescheduled for sometime after December 7. Orders protecting ABC’s name from being published remain in place. Justice Paul Smith approved the orders, which were drafted by Village and agreed by the other parties. Documents lodged in the case reveal how Humphreys, at the time earning $340,000 a year as the company’s long-serving chief financial officer, was called into a meeting packed with lawyers and investigators brought in after a tip-off from a whistleblower. The allegations include creating false invoices with misleading labels like “Sea World Administration Rectification” and “Fright Night Sheds” so the two executives could charge hundreds of thousands for renovations to their family homes. The move to settle the case comes after it was revealed Village had not filed a police report on the alleged embezzlement. No charges have been laid. This masthead does not suggest Mr Humphreys or the other respondents have acted criminally. Village is one of southeast Queensland’s larger non-government employers and was listed publicly on the ASX until a majority buyout by private equity firm BGH Capital in 2020. BGH’s investors include Australian Super as well as pension funds for government employees in Canada, Singapore, and the United States. https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/new-south-wales/village-roadshow-moves-to-settle-25m-civil-embezzlement-lawsuit-against-former-executives/news-story/d4a64ad522f36ac396773863eeadc45a

Dreamworld, the Gold Coast theme park already reeling after the tragic deaths of four visitors on a family fun ride in 2016, was on its knees. The dark shadow following the deaths of Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett, Roozi Araghi and Cindy Low on the Thunder River Rapids Ride loomed large for years and when visitor numbers finally started to rebound, along came Covid. Governments helped to sustain big business during those days, but even when things returned to some semblance of normality, Dreamworld was leaking money hand over fist and the natives – or in this case the board members of parent company Ardent Leisure, were getting restless. There were some who wanted to demolish the theme park and sell off its valuable land for housing estates. Fast forward to today and Dreamworld has never been stronger – record revenue, soaring visitor numbers (including a new record single-day attendance), massive investment on state-of-the-art new rides and approval for a game-changing tourist development complete with onsite resorts. The stunning turnaround had been building quietly for some time before the recent annual report delivered an emphatic exclamation mark for the park’s parent company – now known as Coast Entertainment Holdings. The success is being widely celebrated on the Gold Coast, where theme parks are not only major employers for the local economy, but also barometers for the state’s tourism industry. But none of that success would have been possible if the board had not voted to keep the faith in the face of a tempting opportunity to turn the whole place into real estate. It’s a moment Dreamworld CEO Greg Yong knows well. Meeting with The Sunday Mail for a High Steaks lunch at Coomera’s Quarterdeck restaurant overlooking the river and the bustling Gold Coast City Marina, Yong speaks candidly of that time and the presentation dubbed FOD (Future of Dreamworld) which convinced board members to keep the Dreamworld dream alive. Yong, who has a photo of the Thunder River Rapids victims on his office desk, is a Gold Coast local who climbed the ranks during two stints across nearly 15 years at cross-town rival Village Roadshow, where he was working at the time of the disaster. He joined Dreamworld in 2019 and became CEO in 2021, going to the US to study business strategy at the prestigious Harvard University. It gave him a better understanding of the business side of theme parks and an appreciation of the financial ramifications and costs and benefits of big decisions. But coming to Dreamworld in the first place had been a risk for Yong, leaving the comparative comfort of the Village Roadshow family which runs Sea World, Movie World, Wet’n’Wild and other attractions. He knew full well the pain and heartache that had been caused by the Dreamworld tragedy but wanted to be part of the solution. “I looked at it and thought this could be one of the biggest turnarounds in a theme park business ever, and probably something you’d only do once in your whole career,” he says. “And it’s so much more than just “Hey, let’s get a business turned around” … but the whole emotional side of what happened, I thought this would be a big thing to be part of.” After arriving at the park to work under former CEO John Osborne, Yong was eventually elevated to CEO after Osborne’s departure and continued to believe in reinvestment rather than the easier option of selling off the park and its surrounding real estate. “To be honest with you, the numbers said the safest option – from a business risk perspective, was to just close it,” says Yong. “But I didn’t want to take that road.” Neither did plenty of others. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate caught wind of whispers over plans to bulldoze the park and was dismayed, mounting his own argument for the park’s future. “His view was very strongly that Dreamworld should be hanging in,” Yong recalls. And then there was Gary Weiss, the parent company’s unconventional chairman. Often – and perhaps unfairly, described as a “corporate raider”, Weiss’s arrival at Ardent Leisure fuelled fears for the future in some quarters, but the man himself was fiercely loyal to Dreamworld, especially when the park’s future hung precariously in the balance. “Gary said” ‘I’m just not going to be part of it (plans to sell it off),” says Yong. “He said: “I’m not going to be the guy who will be remembered as the one that came in and shut down Dreamworld”. “We’ve got people that have been there for 30 years, 40 years, and so what an ordinary way to end things for them that would have been to have all that time and then suddenly Dreamworld is a housing estate. “I think that’d be a terrible thing to have happened.” But the FOD pitch won the day, a call to think long-term and actually spend even more money in an era when the park was losing $20 million a year. It wasn’t an easy sell, but ultimately it worked. “It was really, really gutsy,” says Yong. “It took some big hard decisions like closing a lot of the favourite park rides … and we said: “We can’t do that unless we’re going to put a lot of money in and really invest in the park”. “So here’s one option which looks really safe, just sell the joint, put houses on it. “It’d be really sad for all of us to lose our jobs, but it’ll be good for the shareholders … or run with this plan saying: “Hey, let’s go and spend a lot more money – it might not work but let’s give it a shot”.” Yong clearly believed in Dreamworld’s future, but admits it wasn’t with unwavering certainty. “I believed in it, but I was still shit scared for sure,” he said. “Because these investments … the thing we do, which is high risk, is make big decisions about new attractions. “Because if you get it wrong, it’s like in that case, we have a $50 million decision … and you don’t really do my job and have those kind of things go badly and keep doing my job.” The success of those decisions are now paying dividends – quite literally in this case, with Dreamworld (along with sister park WhiteWater World and Q1’s SkyPoint) contributing to a $6.1 million profit in the last financial year for Coast Entertainment Holdings after years of going backwards or treading water at best. It’s undoubtedly a career highlight for Yong, the son of a Malaysian Borneo immigrant father and Aussie-born mum, who grew up as a rugby league-mad kid on the Gold Coast in the 1980s and 90s with dreams of becoming a professional pilot. He started taking flying lessons at 15 and by 17 was able to impress his young girlfriend (and now wife of more than 25 years Tanya) by whisking her off for romantic getaways down to northern NSW in a light plane. But as the commercial realities of the time and money involved in accumulating enough flight hours to meet the standards required for airline pilots began to sink in, he pivoted and took a job at Toys R Us. As a cute and quirky piece of Gold Coast trivia, Yong often suited up as the giant Geoffrey Giraffe mascot – including on game day for Gold Coast Chargers NRL matches where he ran up and down the sidelines beside his new bride who donned the Paddle Pop Lion outfit. That experience has given him an appreciation of what mascots at theme parks go through, often sweltering in summer heat surrounded by hordes of kids. He has even been known to don the park’s famous Kenny and Belinda Koala costumes from time to time. It’s not the only way he can relate to theme park staff – even now on busy days Yong will grab an apron to flip burgers at a fast food counter or a broom to clean up any rubbish lying around. “All of our executives and managers do the same thing,” he says. “I think it’s good because when we’re super busy, we’ve got to be shown to be out there and see what goes on. “So I like doing that kind of stuff just to show that we’re actually out there having a go.” It was certainly all hands on deck during this year’s summer and Easter school holidays as Dreamworld’s car park consistently overflowed with visitors. Yong is proud to have played his part in helping shape Dreamworld’s incredible redemption story, even if the sadness of the disaster will never entirely fade away. Which he accepts. “I think the biggest thing that we’ve really thought about with that (the 2016 tragedy) is that it is never going to not be part of who we are anymore,” he says. “If you think about the Luna Park tragedy that happened back in the 70s, it still comes up today. “I think people will think about what happened at Dreamworld in 10 and 20 and 30 years to come and that’s just part of what a significant thing like that has been. “We’ve got to remember the past and we’ve got to be able to use that as a good thing to motivate what we do in terms of how we think about safety and … to make sure that we do everything we can to make sure something like that doesn’t ever happen again. “But at the same time, we’ve got to look at people that are coming now and make sure they still have an incredible experience and make really good memories.”

You wouldn’t think they’d purposely schedule that during the school holidays when pushing it a week would miss them entirely, sounds more unexpected

The former executive accused of stealing a truck used in a Hollywood movie, using company funds on luxury home renovations and using Sea World Resort as his personal function centre, has been shielded from public scrutiny in a scenario described in the court documents as “unusual”. Meanwhile, the names of more than 30 other individuals involved with the case – who are not accused of wrongdoing – remain visible and accessible in the public documents. The long-time Village Roadshow high-flyer is being sued by the theme park operator for more than $1.8m, including the return of an eye-watering $858,000 redundancy payout. Melbourne-headquartered Village, which operates Sea World, MovieWorld and Wet n Wild, is also suing its former long-serving chief financial officer Dean Humphreys and wife Tracey, who is not accused of wrongdoing. Village is claiming around $859,000 from Humphreys. Despite allegations he played a lead role in the scandalous embezzlement scheme, the man is only identified as “ABC” in the court documents, while his wife, who is not accused of wrongdoing, is dubbed “DEF”. Humphreys is among 27 current and former Village Roadshow staff members who are publicly named in the hefty court file, which spans more than 3000 pages of emails, texts, financial records and affidavits. The names of 11 other people, including business owners, contractors and tradies are also published in the files, which were initially blocked from listing and publication but partially released after an application by The Courier-Mail. ABC left the company before news of the alleged scandal broke. The ex-exec has been able to keep his name from public records because Village Roadshow wanted to “take steps to minimise the impact of any media attention upon innocent third parties, and to protect the privacy” of the people it was suing. In its application, Village said “it is accepted that the orders are unusual”. “It is submitted that in this particular case, the evidence to be read establishes a risk to the Applicants’ employees that goes beyond mere distress or embarrassment,” the submission said. Village used an affidavit from its legal counsel Jasmine Forde to support its application to make the file confidential. Ms Forde’s affidavit said she held “concerns for the wellbeing of an employee”, however that employee was not ABC nor any other party to the case. That employee is not accused of wrongdoing. ABC’s lawyers drafted orders protecting him and his wife from being identified, and they were approved by the court. According to the documents, co-accused Humphreys was “not averse to” but “slightly confused” by the confidentiality move, according to an email from his lawyers that was lodged with the court. “Our client’s view is that by their nature, court proceedings are public and there is always a risk that the media fraternity will either review court files, judgments or even attend open court, to report on matters before the court,” the email said. “This sits squarely with the principles of open justice.” Humphreys and his legal team ultimately consented to the orders, despite them giving him no such protection. The confidentiality orders were later altered after an application by the Courier-Mail to allow further details of the case to be published, however ABC and DEF’s names remained confidential. Documents from the case claim ABC and his wife were the main beneficiaries of the alleged embezzlement, with their family home receiving more than $440,000 of improvements that were allegedly billed to Village Roadshow via misleading invoices. He and Humphreys are also alleged to have exchanged 3000 Sea World tickets for two Audi Q3 vehicles, which they allegedly ultimately kept for themselves, the court claim said. The file also alleges ABC took, then sold, a Chevrolet Silverado truck, used in the 2018 film Aquaman, after Village paid more than $40,000 for restoration work on it. ABC and DEF allegedly posted about the allegedly stolen truck on Instagram, with a since-deleted post from his account saying: “‘Me a young kid always wanted this so adding to my collection, something old and new at the same time”, with the hashtags “#Chevy #c10trucks #silverado #musclecars #v8 #cars #classiccarspotting”. His wife captioned one photo of the vehicle: “Cruising in our new Chevy with ABC. #chevysilverado #cruising #carlover #classiccar #musclecar” and another with “Out cruising on this very hot Sunday”. The truck, which has been sold again since and is now owned by an unsuspecting car enthusiast in Adelaide, can still be seen in online photos and videos of Movie World’s Aquaman Exhibition in 2018. According to the court claim, ABC’s wife liaised directly with Village staff who were helping arrange the renovations at their family home, giving her approval for high-end appliances, finishes and fittings. ABC is defending the claims, Humphreys is yet to file a defence and Village Roadshow has requested a four-day trial.

Guests feasted on bug tail and baby lobster, Tasmanian jumbo oysters and a selection of spicy curries before retiring to hotel suites during a lavish three-day wedding weekend hosted by a former Village Roadshow executive who allegedly never paid a cent, according to newly-released court documents. Claims of parties, resort stays and luxury home renovations have been revealed in blockbuster embezzlement allegations at Australia’s biggest theme park operator by two of its most trusted former executives. Village Roadshow is suing former chief financial officer Dean Humphreys and another ex senior executive, whose name has been suppressed, claiming they ripped off the company to the tune of $2.5m or more between them. Their wives are also parties in the lawsuit, but are not accused of wrongdoing. The unnamed former executive, dubbed “ABC” in the redacted court documents, hosted a post-wedding celebration for a family member at beachside SeaWorld Resort, where guests allegedly stayed for up to nine nights free of charge. Documents unearthed during Village’s investigations and submitted to the court include booking records, which showed 63 nights’ accommodation with a retail value of almost $14,000 was booked under ABC’s name using the rate code “COMP”, meaning complimentary. The celebratory splurge, in May last year, also included food and drink with a retail value of more than $20,000. ABC’s guests enjoyed four days of buffet breakfasts – but the feasting began in earnest the night before the wedding, where 30 people enjoyed appetisers of king fish ceviche and oysters as tasty prequel to a hot canape dinner. Waiting in their rooms, VIP guests could expect beer, wine and a “small but classy sweet and savoury hamper”, the documents say. The guest list swelled to 75 for a grand lunch the day after the wedding, which was held off-site, according to court submissions, with the room decorated in white and green for the happy couple – at an alleged set up cost of $7000. More oysters, lollipop chicken, whole baked snapper and chargrilled skewers were on the menu for the post-wedding lunch – followed by French-style chocolate bonbons, house-made fruit tartlets with lemon curd and red berries, and “chef-crafted” saffron panna cotta. Behind the scenes, the executive chef emailed his manager: “checking if there will be charges for the event for ABC fam last night and on Sunday and for breakfast?”. According to court submissions, the manager replied “let’s just keep a tally for our own knowledge. There is no revenue associated with this one.” Fast forward to December last year, according to the court submissions, Humphreys and around 60 people enjoyed SeaWorld Resort catering for a Christmas dinner of “roast meats and salads”. Under questioning from investigators, Humphreys said he had “no idea” what the meal had cost. “Sometimes I pay, sometimes I do not,” he replied when asked about the catering process. He told investigators he’d also approved a similar Christmas catering arrangement for ABC, according to the court submissions. Humphreys allegedly followed up his Christmas spread with a New Year’s Eve bash at SeaWorld, where he arranged six free rooms for 12 friends, including dinner and breakfast. As well as enjoying the hospitality of SeaWorld Resort, Humphreys and ABC were using the company’s funds to improve their own family homes, Village alleges. Invoices from contractor DNA Builders for work on the properties were allegedly coded as improvements to the theme parks, with labels like “SeaWorld administration rectification works”, “Site assessment and repairs – OX Yard” and Fright Night Sheds”. One contractor, Paradise Plumbing, allegedly agreed to create 57 different invoices that suggested the charges were for routine theme parks maintenance when they were for work at ABC’s Gold Coast home. Another contractor, ICP Electrical, allegedly agreed to split invoices for ABC’s kitchen reno into invoices that suggested the work was done in SeaWorld Resort’s Presidential Suite. At Humphreys’ place, a custom pool table was supplied, along with custom cabinetry and a stone bar benchtop – with around $61,000 in work allegedly billed to Village, according to the court submissions. But that spend paled in comparison to ABC’s alleged kitchen and “pool bar” makeover, which Village claims cost them as much as $440,000. Tree removal, demolition and a new pool deck with glass fencing, a flyover awning and built-in BBQ, dishwasher and Teppanyaki grill were just the beginning, court documents allege. Emails unearthed in the investigation show ABC had Village employees help him source and purchase a shopping list of high-end appliances from Harvey Norman for full inside and outside kitchen renos. Two Smeg ovens, an induction cooktop, fridge, rangehood, dishwasher and microwave were allegedly purchased to complement ABC’s new kitchen, which opened onto his refurbished backyard via $15,845 custom bi-fold doors. The plumbing in the butler’s pantry alone cost more than $18,000, according to invoices submitted to the court, with one contractor noting in an email the quote been more expensive than expected because “they have lashed out with the stone selection”. ABC and his wife are defending the claims, Humphreys is yet to file a defence and Village Roadshow has requested a four-day trial. https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/business/new-south-wales/vip-parties-440k-kitchen-inside-lavish-lives-of-alleged-theme-park-exec-embezzlers/news-story/59ca48c3b99af18ee7edb350a98a8aad

With as much respect as possible for those who have had injuries etc - I would think a handful of reported injuries out of millions of riders over its lifetime would most likely point to the injured person having an underlying or undiagnosed health concern that was impacted by the rides forces. Correlation and causation are very different things

SE is down indefinitely for unscheduled maintenance awaiting parts from Intamin. last time this took months, hopefully not this time…

Didn’t realise they had also netted the internal theming in the queue. It’s a real shame as it takes away from the theming so badly. The outside isn’t too bad because unless up close it’s not noticeable but yeah, inside not good

Care of The Adventures of Theme Park Girl / @gcthemeparkgirl on insta ⛏️ LOST MINE MAYHEM: SO, IS IT *REALLY* JUST A MOTOCOASTER REFURB? 👀 There’s been a LOT of discussion since this morning’s announcement by Dreamworld Australia about whether Lost Mine Mayhem is simply a refurbishment of the former Motocoaster. And yes, it's true... the existing Motocoaster track layout IS being reused. HOWEVER... read on, my friends! After being invited along to today’s announcement and hearing directly from Dreamworld CEO Greg Yong, I can tell you there’s a LOT more to this project than simply giving the old ride a new name and a coat of paint! 👀 In fact, Greg was very clear: "This is not a refresh. This is not like a lick of paint.” Lost Mine Mayhem represents a near-$20 million investment, and while the track layout will remain, the entire track will actually be taken down, remediated, completely repainted and rebuilt. And that's just the beginning... A BRAND-NEW LAUNCH SYSTEM ⚡ The old hydraulic launch is being replaced with a new electric tyre-driven launch system, bringing a more modern launch technology to the attraction. NEW ELEMENTS ON THE TRACK 🎢 While Dreamworld isn't revealing everything just yet, Greg confirmed that there will be new elements on the launch and out on the track, including additional experiences and near misses designed to make the ride more exciting. BRAND-NEW ATV TRAINS 🛺 The old motorcycle trains are gone. Instead, riders will climb aboard ATV-style vehicles, sitting on top rather than inside a traditional coaster train. The new trains also feature a completely different restraint design, with a waist-level harness providing greater freedom of movement, better visibility and a much more comfortable experience for a broader range of guests. There will be two 20-seat trains, with the new design also allowing for faster loading and dispatches. A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE ✨ The attraction will feature a new station/load experience, new theming and a completely new queue experience. And the queue won't simply be somewhere to stand around waiting! There'll be interactive elements, story details and little discoveries throughout, with the narrative continuing from the moment you enter until you leave the attraction. AND THEN THERE'S THE STORY... ⛏️🪙🌿 On the fringe of Rivertown, an undiscovered gold store has been found deep beneath the valley. But treasure raiders are moving in... Guests will become part of the expedition, climbing aboard their ATV and heading into the mine to uncover its secrets and beat the raiders to the treasure 🪎 The story will flow through the entrance, queue, station, launch, ride and exit, with details for those who want to stop and explore, while still allowing those who simply want to jump on and ride to enjoy the experience. A NEW CHAPTER FOR RIVERTOWN 🌄 🌿 Lost Mine Mayhem is being designed as an extension of the Rivertown story, rather than simply an attraction sitting alongside it. So, is it the Motocoaster track? Yes. But is it just a refurbished Motocoaster? Definitely not! The track layout is indeed being retained, but we're getting the following: _____ NEW LOST MINE MAYHEM RIDE ELEMENTS IN A NUTSHELL: ⚡The launch system: completely new and electric tyre-driven. 🎛️ The control system: brand new! 🛺 The trains: gone are the motorcycles, replaced by brand-new ATV-style vehicles. 🔒 The restraints: a new waist-level design aimed at making the ride much more comfortable and accessible. 🎢 The track experience: new elements, experiences and near misses are being added. 🕍 The station: a completely new load experience. 🚶 The queue: a whole new immersive environment with interactive elements and storytelling. ⛏️ The theming: completely reimagined around the Lost Mine story. 📖 The storyline: entirely new and woven through the attraction from entrance to exit. 🌄 The setting: a much stronger connection to Rivertown. _______ And all of that is part of a near $20 MILLION investment.... that's definitely NOT a figure to poke a stick at! 😱 So rather than thinking of it as “Motocoaster with a new theme”, I think a better way of looking at it is this... Dreamworld is giving the Motocoaster track a second life, and building an entirely new attraction around it 💖 Personally, after everything I learnt at today's announcement, I'm absolutely thrilled for what's in store for Rivertown with this latest addition 🥳🥳 There are still plenty of details we don't know, and Dreamworld has already hinted that more information will be revealed as construction progresses. But one thing is certain... the story is only just beginning! 👀

What relevance does that have to AI artwork? I guarantee you any of the greenie whingers about koalas are were not going to change their tune because Dreamwork got real graphic artists to do the mock concept images Dreamworld has lifted the lid on its next multimillion-dollar attraction, revealing plans for Australia’s first “immersive” ATV-style ride as part of a major expansion of the theme park’s popular Rivertown precinct. The near-$20m “family thrill experience”, dubbed Lost Mine Mayhem, will be built on the site of the now-closed Motocoaster and is slated to open in late 2027. Construction will begin in the coming months. Dreamworld chief executive Greg Yong said the stand-alone attraction, positioned on the fringe of Rivertown – which opened in late 2024 – was designed to bring generations of families together. “It’s all about the story,” Mr Yong said. “From the time you entered the ride – all the way through the queue until you get on the ATV itself, and even through the exit – you will hear bits of that story.” Unlike Dreamworld’s more extreme offerings, Lost Mine Mayhem has been designed with accessibility in mind, catering to guests “just over a 100cm height right up to your grandparents”. “It’s a doable ride,” Mr Yong said, as opposed to the more “challenging” attractions such as the Giant Drop and Tower of Terror. *cough cough* The ride’s trains and control systems have been sourced from a European manufacturer, though Mr Yong confirmed the installation work would be carried out by local tradespeople. He said the ATV – All Terrain Vehicle – format was a first for Australia and offered a distinctly different sensation to a traditional rollercoaster. “As opposed to sitting inside a rollercoaster, you’re sitting on top of it,” he said. “It’s a really unique ride type – really thrilling but also with a bigger range of people in mind,” he said. The restraint system, with harnesses positioned at the back, allows for greater freedom of movement, Mr Yong said. “It’s a much more comfortable ride for everyone.” Two trains will operate, each seating 20 guests, with the “simple design” allowing for “faster loading” and “shorter queue times”. “But while you are waiting – we have a few surprises in the queue,” Mr Yong said. The attraction’s “story” centres on a rediscovered gold mine hidden deep beneath a valley, with guests recruited as a crew racing to beat treasure raiders to the find. Riders will move through hidden passages and immersive theming before boarding the ATV vehicles. Mr Yong said the new attraction – which has already been in development for more than a year – would be great “investment” into tourism and the local economy. “Every time Dreamworld has a media call talking about a new investment, it’s a great story for the Gold Coast,” he said. He hinted further expansion of Rivertown could still be on the cards and a whole new design to be announced soon. “We’re constantly assessing what’s the next best thing for us,” he said. “The next one is a whole new land which we are incredibly excited about.” The announcement comes amid a near-$200 million wave of new investment at the Coomera theme park. https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/dreamworld-unveils-20m-lost-mine-mayhem-as-australias-first-atv-thrill-ride/news-story/1d5fb8a05c27e537274e5737f365c371

DW going from strength to strength new passholders benefits kids eat free at Jane’s But 1 slice get 1 free Merch discounts https://www.dreamworld.com.au/plus/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=dreamworldplus-2608&utm_content=brandasset&fbclid=IwdGRjcATqX91wZG9mBWZkaWQWUMYhCFdc1l7c9B__tjkH1g2cWxPaYmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR77bY3rP3LgIlW8rtY1bqvxVbeicsAMLPF77Ugovts5drFaCYGMBC4LU59D2Q_aem_IireWUFtRI0--lATkiLcKA

Hahaha they are literally take the piss. not a single new maze? Event was going stale as it was, now it’s dead.

Seaworld now offering a $169 single park annual pass. No night events included

Went about 3 months ago and was very happy with everything service and food wise

Not surprised Head of entertainment leaves the business and shortly after entertainment starts being cut…

Nice little competitive rival to VTP who are sponsors of the titans yet do nothing to this extent to solidify the relationship between fans/members and the park

Mike was VTP thru and thru. No-one was more about the magic and guest experience than Mike. He was also a wonderland man prior to being a VTP man. this isn’t a retirement, he’s been pushed out in a restructure, and VTP invariably will be worse for it.

A Chinese tourist is suing theme park giant Village Roadshow for more than $2m after she was allegedly trapped in a water slide at Wet ‘n’ Wild on the Gold Coast and slammed by another rider, fracturing her spine. Yanfei Xu, 32, has launched a Supreme Court lawsuit over the accident on the AquaLoop slide at the Oxenford water park in September 2023 which saw her taken away by ambulance. The AquaLoop, a famed trapdoor slide where riders dropped 18m at up to 60km/h down four separate intertwined chutes, was dismantled in 2024 to make way for new slides. In her claim, which Village Roadshow Theme Parks is defending, lawyers for Ms Xu said she was at the theme park with her partner Leon Zhou when the accident happened. The claim says both intended to ride the slide, with Ms Xu going first. However, she did not clear the tube and instead slid backwards into the slide near the “escape hatch”, the claim states. It alleges that two slide operators failed to identify that Ms Xu was still “trapped”, with one dismissing Mr Zhou’s concerns that his partner had not exited the slide. That operator then launched another rider onto the slide, who hit Ms Xu at “high velocity”, the claim alleges. The claim alleges the AquaLoop had “an inherent design fault” because riders became stuck, creating the risk of collision. It alleges both water slide operators acted contrary to the park’s written policy and clearing process by failing to identify that Ms Xu was stuck in the slide and by releasing another rider when she was still inside the tube. Optical sensors on the slide also failed or were overridden, the claim alleges. It also alleges that Village Roadshow misled Ms Xu via an audio message and evacuation procedure sign that represented the slide would stop automatically in the event a rider was not ejected. The claim alleges riders not being “catapulted through the loop” was a common occurrence on the AquaLoop, with about 728 such incidents in the month leading up to the accident. There had also been a number of similar incidents or “near misses” on the slide, including one in 2017 when two riders collided. The claim alleges that following the incident involving Ms Xu, one water slide operator was sacked and Village Roadshow was issued with an improvement notice by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland over inadequate risk management for the AquaLoop. It states that following the accident, Ms Xu was taken by ambulance to Gold Coast University Hospital where a CT scan revealed fractured vertebrae and other injuries. According to the claim, Ms Xu developed “escalating psychological symptoms” and endured “pain, suffering, inconvenience and loss of amenities of life”. The claim states she worked as a reactive marketing manager for games developer giant FunPlus but lost her job in March 2024 after being bedridden for weeks and taking sick leave. She had since moved to Australia and found work in a duty free outlet at Melbourne Airport. Ms Xu is seeking a total of $2,341,551.78 in damages. In its defence, Village Roadshow admits Ms Xu suffered injuries in the incident but says their nature and extent are disputed and must be determined based on medical evidence at a trial. Village denies the AquaLoop had an inherent design defect because any water slide designed to propel riders upwards “carries with it an inherent risk”. The theme park operator says it had mitigated the risk of collision by ensuring the slide had an escape hatch and implementing and training staff in a written policy and clearing process. It says the incident was solely caused by the two water slide operators’ “momentary inattention and inadvertent noncompliance” with procedures and this did not breach the company’s care guarantee to patrons. Court filings reveal mediation between the two parties has failed. https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/queensland/village-roadshow-sued-for-2m-after-tourist-allegedly-trapped-hit-on-slide/news-story/a70764519c2b6082afd395fd223dc714

Only an hour into Christmas in July and it’s the best night program DW has put on. The park is alive, buzzing, immersive, festive. TBH I prefer this to the last few white Christmas’s and I’ll prefer a fireworks finale than a repeat of the same parade for the 5th year in a row. If they build on this is will overtake WC and the best Christmas program, and won’t even be at Xmas…

A former Village Roadshow staffer allegedly stole and sold a truck used in the movie Aquaman, while he and a colleague colluded with a contractor to funnel company funds into private mansion renovations and traded thousands of Sea World tickets for personal luxury cars, according to blockbuster embezzlement accusations detailed in Supreme Court documents. One of the former staff members hosted a lavish event at Sea World Resort, according to the court filing, giving away more than 50 nights’ accommodation as well as catering. Village claims one of the workers told a colleague “we can do anything we like”, when working out how to cover up their alleged fraud. Details of the $1m-plus embezzlement allegations by the theme parks and film studio operator against its former CFO and another ex staff member have been revealed in a statement of claim, obtained by News Corp Australia late on Thursday. Village alleges a long-running fraud scheme worth upwards of $1m by the group’s trusted former chief financial officer Dean Humphreys, 56, and a second man, whose name has been suppressed by the court. Hundreds of thousands in company funds were allegedly used by both men to renovate their private mansions and $337,000 in Sea World tickets were traded for luxury cars, according to the 104-page claim. The company alleges the unnamed man stole 1983 Chevy Silverado truck used in the Aquaman movie and later sold it. Village is seeking the return of a substantial redundancy payout received by the unnamed ex-staffer. Mr Humphreys, who the claim said was on a salary of $432,600 plus super, had his assets frozen earlier this month, with his wife Tracey also named on the freezing orders. Ms Humphreys is not accused of wrongdoing. The second man and a woman are also subject to the orders, but successfully argued to have their identities suppressed and are identified on the redacted statement of claim as “ABC” and “DEF”. Village Roadshow operates Movie World, Sea World, Wet’n’Wild, Top Golf, Australian Outback Spectacular and Paradise Country on the Gold Coast as well as its national cinema chains, marketing consultancy Opia and its film and TV production and distribution businesses. The court heard Ms Humphrey, unlike her husband, was not accused of “deceit or dishonesty”. No charges have been laid in relation to the court action, which Justice Morrison described during the initial hearing as “in an embryonic state”. According to the claim, Mr Humphreys and the other man had building and plumbing companies complete work on their private homes and had invoices for the work made out to Village. According to Village’s claim, the unnamed man took possession of a 1983 Chevrolet Silverado, used during filming of Aquaman on the Gold Coast, “without authorisation” in 2019. He allegedly sold it for “at least $15,000” in November 2021 – but Village alleges it was insured for $44,000. The unnamed former staffer allegedly hosted a lavish Sea World party, with resort catering and the equivalent of more than 50 nights’ accommodation being paid for by his employer. The man also arranged for his guests to have breakfast and lunch at the resort – which was allegedly never reimbursed. The claim said a $120,000 kitchen reno at the unnamed man’s home was ultimately paid for by Village, including an oven, dishwasher, microwave, fridge and $15,845 set of bi-fold doors. According to the claim, a former regular contractor to Village paid the supplier invoices and in turn claimed $133,000 from Village using “false invoices”. The contractor allegedly received a $10,000 kickback from the scheme, which was “paid for directly by (the unnamed man)”. Almost $300,000 of work was then completed on the second man’s outdoor entertainment area – with Village footing the bill for that too. According to the claim, Village was invoiced and paid for more than $60,000 in work on Mr Humphreys’ home, including an outdoor entertainment area, bar and pool table. According to the document, Mr Humphreys emailed another colleague telling them he’d had lunch with the builder who worked on the second man’s house and that he’d complained they were “owed a shit load for private work done for some senior execs (you know who)”. He later emailed them saying Village would cover the payments and he’d “prefer this remaining confidential so thinking we could cover some of this ($140k) through P & L (profit and loss) over seven months and hide some of it (160k) through variations in capex (capital expenditure)”. He then emailed again saying he could as the builder to invoice the work under a Sea World Admin fund to further cover his tracks. In January this year, according to the claim, the builder sent Village an invoice for $359,831 that was marked “SeaWorld administration rectification works”. The company alleges the invoice was actually for work done on the homes of the two former employees. According to the claim, Mr Humphreys and the second man brokered a deal with unrelated tourism company Sea World Cruises to supply 3000 Sea World tickets, worth $337,00 over three years, in exchange for two new Audis, each worth more than $60,000. Under the agreement, the cars were supposed to be “pool” vehicles for the use of Village staff, but were allegedly instead taken and exclusively used by Mr Humphreys, the second man and their families. Under the same deal, Mr Humphreys subsequently obtained a Tesla Model Y, which Village claims was exclusively used by him and his family. Ownership of one of the Audi was later transferred to the unnamed man, while the other Audi and the Tesla were transferred to Mr Humphreys and his wife, according to the court filing. Village is seeking ownership of a BMW allegedly held by Humphreys, which was purchased for $75,536 with Village funds in 2023. According to the claim, Village had unsuccessfully asked for the vehicle to be returned earlier this month. Both Humphreys and the second man are also alleged to have retained ownership of vehicles purchased via novated leases by Village. Company fuel cards are also alleged to have been misused by both men -who allegedly racked up more than $30,000 in charges for cars being used by family members. Confidentiality orders made for the case, that restrict its public listing, mean it is not known if any of those defendants have filed a defence. Village Roadshow has requested a four-day trial later this year. https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/business/village-roadshow-exec-allegedly-took-aquaman-truck-traded-tickets-for-cars-in-alleged-fraud-scheme/news-story/619505afd0be4efda110b8d70c608d0f?fbclid=IwdGRjcASrBxtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeNIM4KuWetYYo-bfyhtlLZLL9tFIidRE9MCvbm7ISJAIblT7d0sIM0BspmKU_aem_qBjI02CYc7l7YS65Pn35CA

Appears GL opened up yesterday long enough to need to be evacuated…

Courtesy of Theme Park Girl https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HPy1BRcYw/ It appears all nearly all DC references have been stripped from the supervillians area, aside from the remaining Joker and Harley statues. Statues and all branding/logos gone

Group CFO Dean Humphries named and has had assets frozen. 2 other people allegedly involved have argued to have their names suppressed. https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/business/gold-coast/assets-of-exvillage-roadshow-executive-and-his-wife-frozen-in-embezzlement-probe/news-story/bd6f2d8696b5abf2db5aa80682847355?utm_source=GoldCoastBulletin&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Editorial&utm_content=GCB_PREM_BREAKING_02&net_sub_id=285371427&type=curated_collection&position=1

Think this is a fantastic offering and great value!

Park is open today, Mary is still missing. Overnight search party and heat sensing cameras could find her. At least theft as been ruled out, as their is cctv of her running around the main park at 4am yesterday.