GoGoBoy

The article mentions that the 600,000 figure does not include event and function patrons, just the amusement park. Not bad for a small park, and new rides should only increase that number!

Thanks Gazza, sounds good. Is the water dump working again?

Something seriously dodgy going on at WnW. Heads need to roll. Latest story: http://m.smh.com.au/nsw/security-alarm-went-off-before-wetnwild-nye-party-20140111-30nmh.html

I suppose it's similar to the actual certification of new rides. They can get approval to install it, but then once built (and just prior to opening) it must be certified to ensure all safety requirements are met and the ride is functioning correctly.

She certainly makes it sound like the fire might never be implemented - but that assumes she has accurate information. If that's the case, they definitely need to bring back the proper water drench scene at the end with the boats actually stopping (incl. the lights and SFX etc.), otherwise there just aren't enough features in the dark ride section

YES! That danger sign drives me crazy. The rest of the theming is pretty good though. Just wish they'd get the fire and proper splash dump scene working properly (I say with authority, even though i haven't been there ).

I'm not sure I agree with your statement of fact that forcing more people to buy single day tickets will increase revenue. There's a reason why parks and various other businesses offer season passes (or discounted multi-visit passes etc.), and it's not to lower revenue! The reality is it locks a lot more people in to paying a higher price than they might have otherwise. The GC parks might have ridiculously low price season passes - but revenue went up significantly when they first introduced the VIP passes, and they've kept them 'cause they're a winner in terms of revenue.

I definitely don't see this doing any long term damage, as long as Village Roadshow kicks the butt of some of WnW's management team (sayanora Chris Warhurst?) and ensures it doesn't happen again. The park is no fly-by-night operation. It's $120 million worth of infrastructure that is there for the long haul. People will forget about it next year, as long as they pick up their act. I actually now think it would be a smart move to add one new slide for the next season. This would be an added distraction from the problems of this season, and add some extra capacity. Considering the park is landlocked, only one new decent slide at a time is necessary (as Gazza and I have suggested before) - and they can market the hell out of it.

A run of accolades for Dreamworld? Why???????

Nothing. I think we've all just given up on that park.

In that article JulieLovis posted above, the Blacktown councillor is complaining about capacity issues but at the same time is calling for the ticket prices to be dropped! What a doofus. Meanwhile, here's another article questioning the whole NYE debacle: http://m.smh.com.au/nsw/wetnwild-new-years-eve-festival-questions-over-party-organisers-20140102-307y3.html

I tend to agree with this comment on the article: 'How does Village Roadshow [a listed business] who owns Wet n Wild, do business with a "promoter" with no track record.' I remember when I first saw this event advertised I was surprised WnW had partnered with a club-style promoter that didn't even appear to have major credentials. It all seemed dodgy, and I have to agree that it reflects poorly on WnW Sydney management. I hope Village is watching closely from Victoria to ensure WnW Sydney picks up their act.

Excuse my pointless post that adds nothing, but that is awesome ^

I wasn't talking about the 'buy 3 get one free' offer, I was talking about the Silver Pass. I agree that the buy 3 offer could well have been a change of strategy. In regard to the 2-year-old, the 7 news report said she did not need resuscitation and is now fine.

Great post joz. Although I'm not sure if you are right about the silver pass being a change in strategy. I got the sense from the outset that the Gold Pass was the 'premium' pass and there were always going to be more options to come - WnW alluded to as much. I remember saying to my flatmate that there will probably be cheaper tickets and it might be worth waiting to see.

Great move!

AlexB - I had a pretty intimate involvement with Wonderland towards the end. The park was still pulling just under a million visitors per year WITHOUT any capital expenditure for almost 10 years (which is something you just can't do in the theme park industry). Sunway had zero interest in the park. They saw the $$$ when it came to the land - it was all about the land and the shift to industrial uses in the area. If Sunway were interested in keeping the theme park, a little capital expenditure would have easily seen the visitation levels crack the million mark again, thereby coming close to the success of the GC parks.

Completely correct. I've always said that about Sunway. From the moment Village announced this park I knew it would be a success.

They've also just announced that they aren't selling any more season passes - they've sold out. Only single day admissions now. Pretty amazing.

. That's stupid. Why doesn't the boat stop for the water dump anymore? Anything that makes the ride slightly longer is helpful and it also helped make the water dump more of a feature I'd imagine

Indeed. There was never any doubt. Those people whinging were just using a sad tactic to try and get the park to reduce the price. They'll all still go anyway

And now this: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/wetnwild-and-completely-full-20131221-2zroj.html

That's a good point. The buddy I visited the park with kept commenting how annoying it was carrying the rafts on the WhiteWater tower as the stairs & queuing were so tight and there wasn't enough room. On another note - WnW made an an announcement on their FB page that due to technical probs (currently being worked on) all slides on the family raft tower, and WnW Junior, are closed. They are offering 50% on one-day admission tickets

Posters? That's never good. I hate it when parks stick up homemade laminated signage - so unprofessional! They really, really need proper signs... and soon. I'm also wondering whether it was just a stupid idea to stick so many slides onto each tower. I saw a video of the WnW Syd CEO discussing the fact that they had decided to incorporate lots of slides onto each tower rather than having multiple towers, thereby helping with staffing efficiencies etc. He seemed pretty pleased with himself. But when you see how it's working you gotta wonder whether it was worth it. Surely having an extra tower isn't that much more expensive. Plus it would help make the park look larger too; Wnw Syd looks surprisingly small when you see it in person, despite the reasonable number of rides. It also seems pointless having rides not being used because they aren't as popular (which in the case of Aqua Tube is not justified; it's great). If people know there is a slide not being used, and the park is packed, they will more than likely want to ride - but they need to be able to get to it!

Yeah you are right S.Willie - I had a look at a video of Adventure Cove's river and there are lifeguards everywhere, just like WnW Syd. I suppose that's one thing they have to take into consideration when deciding whether or not to build a large river: cost of all the extra staff.