Noll_57

I’m pretty sure Rivals and Topgolf were already being planned well before the accident. But as others pointed out, I did misremember the timeframes of other attractions being announced/opening (particularly Atlantis and Dreamworld’s announcements), so I’ll gladly take the L on that one. While VRTP are definitely heading in the right direction in terms of refurbishing/upgrading attractions and general park presentation, I still fear they’re heading down the Six Flags “amusement park” path rather than offering immersive theme park experiences like they have previously (especially when Time Warner were involved). But yes, the exception to this of course is Atlantis, which is outstanding in terms of its theming and immersion. If this is the standard that Village will continue to push for, then I’m very excited for the future. I know a similar level of theming and immersion has been promised for WOZ, but recent missteps like ditching the themed uniforms still have me a little worried.

There used to be a massive industrial fan hanging from the ceiling, not sure if it’s still there now though.

We’ve already seen that happen. Remember after the TRR accident when VRTP announced they no longer saw Dreamworld as competition? That was when investment and upkeep of the Village parks took a nosedive and has been on a decline ever since. It’s only now that DW have started turning things around in a big way and regional parks have begun stepping up their game (combined with BGH Capital’s acquisition of Village) that VRTP have started reinvesting in their parks to a reasonable level again (though their overall presentation still leaves a lot to be desired IMHO). So yeah, a monopoly is never good.

Great news! I hope they only use the new TV’s to play the original queue line video and don’t try to run ads on them like 90% of screens on VRTP properties.

Even Gumbuya World in Melbourne have ride specific uniforms for TNT and Project Zero.

https://www.9news.com.au/videos/world/fire-breaks-out-at-disneyland/clgt4x6zj002d0jn3kf9kxy88

Dreamworld and Wonderland were both sold around the same time in 1997. That was when Ardent took over DW.

Plus the colour scheme matches Superman’s supports pretty well too.

Yeah, I’m pretty sure those TV’s were 2005 originals. I’m amazed they lasted as long as they did. All the mounting hardware they were attached to has been removed and the cabling seems to have been cut pretty crudely. So it seems unlikely the screens will return (at least in this location). I hope they can figure out a way to install new TV’s somewhere in the queue area as the video really helps to set up the story and is an iconic part of the attraction.

True, but there didn’t seem to be much “training” going on. The staff appeared to be cracking jokes and just casually chatting to each other.

I went on Superman yesterday and while all the on-ride effects seemed to be working, I was disappointed to see that the iconic queue line video has been removed. All the TV screens have been taken out.

I decided to swing by the park to check out what was happening with the new ride. It looks great and the lighting package compliments it really well (it’s effective even during the day). However, operations were abysmal. It no joke took over 10 mins to despatch one ride. The staff were too busy talking to each other in the op booth to worry about running the attraction. This was in front what appeared to be park officials and members of the VRTP social media team. It was so bad that many people in the queue line simply gave up and left. I really hope the park sorts this out. Here are some shots I took while I was there…

So… is the show dead again? They haven’t uploaded a new episode in ages and the interview with Funfields management they promised months ago still hasn’t been released.

Looks great, love the theming on the op booth.

I hope Village have another auction like they did a few years back. I’d love to potentially get my hands on some of their old gear.

This was in the GC Bulletin today….

100% agree. A new, well themed and immersive dark ride is exactly what Australian parks need more than anything else right now.

I’m honestly incredibly surprised a big IP like Bluey isn’t getting any representation in ABC Kids World. With the show being as popular as it is (both here and overseas) and with it being made and set in Southeast Queensland (heck, some of the show even takes place on the Gold Coast), I thought it would’ve been a slam dunk for Dreamworld. Considering there are many people of all ages who actively watch and enjoy Bluey, I reckon it would appeal to a much wider audience than you think. Then again, I guess all of Brisbane is truly the real Bluey theme park.

To get this thread (somewhat) back on topic, Coaster Studios have just landed in Australia: Also for those who didn’t see it, TPW recently hosted a live Q&A where our parks were discussed quite a bit:

It just would’ve been nice for them to experience both of these attractions and get their opinions of them. Plus Scooby wasn’t announced as being closed when CS first organized their trip. But yeah, I’m sure they were expecting some additional closures.

Coaster Studios are arriving next week. Sucks they’re not only going to miss out on Superman, but Scooby Doo too.

So something I’ve noticed lately on various theme park podcasts and discussion groups is talk about the difference between regional “action/amusement parks” and theme parks. One notable example is a recent podcast episode I listened to that spoke about Gumbuya World’s new coasters. The hosts claimed that “Gumbuya has transcended it’s action park status and is now a proper theme park” with the addition of these two new attractions. I disagree with this statement. In my view, Gumbuya has always been a well themed park with dedicated “lands” and areas just as any legitimate theme park would and I’ve always classified it as such. I don’t think simply adding one type of ride should suddenly change the entire category the park is labeled under. Meanwhile, I’ve also seen other people claim that Gumbuya needs at least 4 or 5 more major attractions before it can be classed as a true theme park. So that’s got me thinking, what truly makes a “theme park” a proper theme park and at what point does a park like Gumbuya cross-over to become universally regarded as a theme park instead of a simple action park? Is it when a certain level of theming is installed? When a certain amount of rides and attractions are brought in? Does it matter what kinds of attractions the park has? Does layout have anything to do with it? There are parks like Adventure World and Funfields which have fantastic theming and story telling in their rides and tick a lot of the “theme park” boxes for me, yet I’m sure many still see them as action/amusement parks. At the same time, there are other parks that have coasters and big attractions but are widely regarded as simple amusement parks. To give my opinion, I see parks like Adventure World, Adventure Park, Funfields, Gumbuya World, Aussie World, Magic Mountain and Jamberoo as a unique “Australian style” of theme park (similar to how Europe and the US have distinctive styles of theme parks) as let’s face it, it’s what the majority of our parks are like and isn’t really replicated the same way anywhere else (particularly the wide open spaces and mashup of dry rides and water rides sharing the same space). I’m interested to hear your thoughts and opinions on this matter.

I would say that early Movie World (early 90’s to the early 2000’s) was a lot closer to Universal’s standard then what we have today. I think the shift to focusing on adding thrill rides and less about theming and immersion has cheapened the experience (even though we have more attractions now than we did back them). Still, I wouldn’t call it a “regional park”, but I’d say it’s teetering on the edge of being one in its current state. It will be interesting to see what happens after WOO opens. If the area is finished off to the high standard they’ve been promising and is as well themed as the concept art, it could improve the overall image of the park and increase its international appeal. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Honestly, this is a great fit for the area IMHO. A solid upgrade from Pounce and Bounce and in a much better location too. With all these new additions and upgrades currently taking place, 2024 is shaping up to be a big year for Movie World (and GC parks in general)!

From what I’ve observed, the in-house AV team mostly just focus on shows and events.