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Aqualoop seems to have closed for good. The ride has been removed off Wet N Wild’s park map as well as attractions list

I just found this article from the Financial Review from November 2023, that hasn't been shared on Parkz yet. The article mainly talks about the history of the Kirby family's involvement in Village Roadshow and the ups and downs of it, but also talk about the parks near the end, which include some interesting details. Hidden behind Movie World on the Gold Coast is a low-rise office block painted in a shade of cream that gives a whiff of the 1990s. Inside the boardroom sit Robert and Clark Kirby, father and son, the third and fourth generations of a family who built the most successful entertainment company Australia has ever seen. Village Roadshow dominated the box office and the TV ratings for decades. Its hits included The Wiggles, Skippy, Mad Max, Bananas in Pyjamas, Brides of Christ, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert and Muriel’s Wedding. The company ran film studios, drives-ins, cinemas and theme parks. It produced VHS tapes, board games and CDs, and was early to bankroll FM radio. With cinemas and video distribution across Asia, Europe and the United States, Village snaked around the globe. It co-produced Hollywood blockbusters like The Matrix and bought theme parks from Hawaii to Hainan. Clark Kirby at Movie World: “We are by far the dominant force in the theme park industry here in Australia.“. Louie Douvis That dominance, which traces its origins back to the 1930s, is no more. A family fight turned into one of the nation’s most compelling boardroom battles as John Kirby carried out a sustained campaign against Robert – the company’s chairman and his brother. It sent the once publicly listed Village Roadshow private. Away from the spotlight, it shrugged off its gargantuan international ambitions to focus on Australian cinemas and theme parks such as Movie World on Queensland’s Gold Coast, a destination for ageing tour buses ambling off the Pacific Motorway. But this is not the Kirbys’ final act. Robert and Clark are speaking for the first time in depth about the family strain and the roller coaster ride that followed. They’re even talking about how the next generation might get involved, which would make the Kirbys unique in the upper echelons of Australian business – a family who’ve held on through five generations. “Wanna go see a theme park?” asks Clark. With tile-white teeth and voluminous black hair, the CEO of Village Roadshow is animated in real life. As we walk from the office behind film sets and into the park it’s a different world, heaving with school holiday traffic. Teens slurping snow cones dart in front of red-faced parents carrying inflatable carnival prizes. Tiny girls in tutus collapse in giggles after Superman throws a wave. Car revs fill the air from the Hollywood Stunt Driver 2 show running nearby. Clark Kirby on the cover of the December 2023 issue. Louie Douvis As Clark poses for The Australian Financial Review Magazine’s photographer, it’s clear this is not his first rodeo in front of a camera. Indeed, he seems disappointed at how tame the requested poses are. Not many CEOs want to appear in advertisements for their own company but Clark, 44, isn’t like most CEOs. He’s been made up as a zombie for Movie World’s “fright nights”, has been photographed on roller coasters and at one point was stopped by his own staff, for occupational health and safety reasons, from bungy-jumping for a photo op. His wife, Sara – a former Saturday Disney host and Seven News weather presenter – and three daughters fronted the company’s promos when the parks reopened following COVID. “He’s our Walt Disney,” says his father, Robert, who’s joined us on the Movie World tour, having just flown up from his Melbourne base. By now we’re standing next to the Looney Tunes Carousel, with Roadrunner, Marvin the Martian and a turban-wearing Bugs Bunny spinning round and round. With his cartoon-like Colgate shine, angular silver eyebrows and gregarious nature, Robert could almost blend in. Aged 72, he is training for his fifth marathon in two years. “He’ll take you through it in great detail, if you’d like,” says Clark, butting in as his dad explains he’s been measuring his heart rate since the mid-80s. He wears two smartwatches and listens to his arteries via a chest strap. Clark might not be in the same league as America’s most famous animator and entrepreneur, but he has reason to smile. Against the odds, a Kirby comeback is under way. They now own a smaller stake in the business – 22 per cent down from 42 per cent when it was publicly listed – but they say it has turned a corner. “We have evolved, shaped and steered the development of the entertainment industry in this country,” says the grandson of Village’s founder, Roc Kirby, and potentially the heir to the empire, depending on the next move by BGH, the private equity firm that owns 78 per cent. “[Now] as we come out of COVID, our focus is on the experiential component of entertainment, and it has never been more important.” Village’s Gold Coast theme parks – Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, Paradise Country and Wet’n’Wild – are benefiting from the wave of post-COVID revenge spending as tourists stream in. A day pass costs $105 and earnings are up 50 per cent on pre-COVID years, Clark says. Their resurgence comes as the stock of the company’s major competitor, Ardent Leisure, is down 25 per cent so far this year and shareholders are agitating for change. Globally, theme parks are enjoying quite the ride. Disneyland has pledged to spend $60 billion over the next 10 years to expand its parks – and so far there are no plans for an Australian park. “We are,” says Clark, “by far the dominant force in the theme park industry here in Australia.” And investors agree – Village Roadshow’s theme parks are in a league of their own. Says Christopher Mittleman, chief investment officer of former Village shareholder Mittleman, from New York: “Even though it’s not Disney World, it is probably the closest thing you’ve got to it over there. And Disney World itself is probably not a looming threat because the market’s a bit small for them to build one over there.” If there ever was a Walt Disney of Australia, it’s arguably Robert and John’s father, Roc. He didn’t start the family business – his father, George, had gotten into cinemas in the 1930s after a fire at their dairy farm – but he is central to the Village story. In the Second World War, he was tasked with becoming a radio operator in Papua New Guinea. Aged 23 at the time, his technical skills learnt from operating projectors in the cinema led him to dip behind enemy lines to report on the positions of the Japanese imperial army as well as intercept enemy transmissions as part of the secretive Australian special wireless group. “He worked behind the lines . . . and called in the air strikes,” Robert says. “He’d have five to 10 minutes to get out because they would just zero in on the radio contact points, and storm in, and they were never more than 100 to 200 yards away from the Japanese.” Encased in tropical heat and surrounded by malaria-carrying mosquitoes, the allied soldiers dreamed of the movies. Roc came back from New Guinea determined to set up a “drive in” just like his American soldier friends had described during their downtime. Once back in Melbourne, he set about convincing the local council as well as his father, who derided the plan as “pictures in a paddock”. But Village’s cinemas grew and grew. Robert and John joined the business when they were seven, selling lollies. “Everyone works in the cinema once you get to a certain age,” Robert says. Joining them in the business was Graham Burke, who began working at Village as a ticket collector and cleaner when he was 14. He became so close to the family he was known as the cinema mogul’s adopted son. In 1971, Village formed what would become one of the company’s most lucrative partnerships: a deal with Warner Brothers to distribute its movies in Australia. Burke, who was known for his frequent trips to Hollywood, was the driving force behind the move, according to Milt Barlow, a former Village executive who counts his time there as a career highlight. “Graham probably spoke to Warner Brothers four times a day,” he says. After Roc retired in 1988 – when the company listed on the ASX – the brothers and Burke, now CEO, expanded the business into a sprawling entertainment conglomerate, each man taking a different segment. “John was more heavily involved in the radio stations, and Rob more in home entertainment while Graham lived, ate and breathed movies,” says Barlow. They had uncanny luck in predicting shifts in technology. Roc always thought cinemas would remain king, but Robert was convinced that many would prefer to watch films at home. “The story goes that Robert was given $1 million to lose, sent to Sydney to do this silly thing called Roadshow Home Video and he very quickly made that very successful,” says Barlow. At times, it felt like Village’s executives had golden fingers. The company took a chance on a hybrid video board game called Nightmare. It was a cult success that went global, selling hundreds of thousands of units a year. Village also got lucky with Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones’ pop duo, Savage Garden. They were the only label to agree to the royalty deal demanded by notoriously tough agent John Woodruff; it was around double the rate record companies were paying at the time. But it paid off when the band pulled in millions of dollars. Robert Kirby: “My grandchildren would love to take over our jobs.” Louie Douvis “It was a decade where we grew the company into all sorts of areas – it was a glory time,” Barlow says. And everyone wanted a piece. Some of Australia’s wealthiest families bought Village stock; the Libermans and the Packers. Roc vaulted up the Rich List; Burke and his two sons became the highest-paid entertainment executives in Australia. They drove headlines with plans to buy Channel Seven and declarations that they would soon make as much money in Asia as Australia. Their dress matched the way they talked – Burke was fond of oversized glasses, John wore cowboy boots. They were a vertically integrated behemoth, with the ability to produce a film, shoot it in their part-owned studios and distribute it through their home video outlets and cinemas (and even get a cut of the popcorn). In 2011, Village Roadshow decided to sell out of its radio assets, which it had owned since the early 1980s when it was an original investor in Sydney’s 2Day FM, one of Australia’s first FM radio stations. “We are just circus folks,” said Burke at the time. “Our focus is on pure entertainment businesses. We’re not interested in anything more high-falutin’ than that.” It was a sign of what was to come. It was Village Roadshow’s rocky road to privatisation that truly wrote the family into Australian corporate lore. In some ways, the pain started with the horrific accident that killed four people on the Thunder River Rapids Ride at Ardent Leisure’s Dreamworld in October 2016, just up the road from Movie World. The tragedy, and Ardent’s poor handling of the aftermath, became a national scandal, and attendances at theme parks everywhere, including those owned by Village, began to fall. In the next few years, Village’s share price spiralled, and eventually the company paused dividends. The year 2018 was an exceptionally bad one. The share price dropped to just $1.77 in July, after nudging above $8 four years earlier, and it struggled under a heavy debt load. Village sold Wet’n’Wild Sydney – which it had spent more than $100 million building up – for just $40 million, and conducted a controversial capital raise. John became fed up. Even though he was a co-founder and had a holding equal to both his brother and Burke, he was no longer a salaried executive, having stepped back after the sale of the radio assets. Since Burke and Robert were aligned on the company’s strategy, John had lost control. As the company shed hundreds of millions in market capitalisation, John launched an all-out offensive, pointing out high salaries and raising questions over related party transactions such as Village buying wine from Robert’s vineyard, and swimwear from a business owned by Burke’s daughter. John wanted his brother to step down as chair and Burke to step down as CEO, and hired a bevy of corporate advisers, including former Rothschild investment bank boss David Kingston and legal firm Arnold Bloch Leibler. The battle for Village exploded into the public arena. At the company’s 2018 annual general meeting, Kingston described Village as the “dunce of the class”. The internal feud came as the streaming revolution arrived, displacing Village. “I can remember Graham saying the internet is for email and accountants, people are never going to watch movies on the internet,” says Barlow, hurrying to add that he saw Burke as a “giant” in the industry. A line was drawn under the affair in 2020 when the business was sold. Several private equity firms were interested, but the disruption of COVID meant that BGH was the last bidder standing and took just over three quarters for $586 million. “I am bitterly disappointed,” Mittleman said at the time, adding that smaller shareholders felt “ripped off” at what he thought amounted to a fire sale in the midst of the pandemic. “[This was a] disgraceful affair for all who facilitated it.” The rest of the company was left for Burke, Robert and John. Clark, who had been working as an investment banker at UBS, was appointed as CEO. “I don’t think BGH particularly wanted the Kirbys’ involvement but I think it was probably what massaged the deal across the line,” says one person familiar with the events. John Kirby (left), Robert Kirby and Graham Burke at Movie World for an AGM in 1995. Robert Rough Reflecting on the deal, Robert says BGH was a natural choice, having known the firm’s founding partner, Ben Gray, for more than a decade. “We have a long family history over the years, a long friendly history,” he says. And the Kirbys were never going to sell out entirely from the business that’s their legacy. “The fact is BGH bought in because of our management, we pitched the concept to them, they bought in . . . not immodestly, because of us,” says Clark. “[But] I have hurdles I have to hit as part of my employment, it’s in my contract.” Robert still rankles at the suggestion that the company was run off the rails and denies Village’s privatisation was inevitable. Instead, he says, it was caused by “dark clouds” generated by the media. “We were never under the threat of banks,” he says. “We still and always did have the alternative to continue as a public company and for the family to have that totality [of control]. Now we share that control with BGH.” Clark concedes the episode put the family under enormous pressure. “I certainly felt it myself, in terms of what is the future direction for this business,” he says. John and Robert Kirby in 1998. Robert Rough Like his father, Clark is dismissive of claims the company was poorly run. “It was great newspaper fodder at that time because we’re an entertainment company,” he says. Adds Robert: “There was just a lot of misinformation and innuendo and headlines and sensationalism that, I think, was wildly inaccurate.” And what of relations with John, who – along with Burke –  declined to be interviewed for this story? Like an experienced improv performer, Robert weaves and dodges when he’s asked about his relationship with his brother. Eventually conceding to answer, he proclaims the dispute affected everyone else more than it ever affected him. “John Kirby and I, well before any . . . dispute became public, we do live separate lives. And I have to say, that’s continued,” Robert says, eyebrows resettling. “But right now, John and Graham and I are very contented, happy shareholders in what is the new privatised Village Roadshow.” Three years on, the Kirbys are still in the process of lowering their heart rates. Before first light on the Gold Coast’s lush hinterland where he lives, Clark submerges daily in an ice bath, identical to the one he bought his father. The two sleep so well these days, they compete via their matching Oura rings. “I certainly have enjoyed being a private company a lot more than a public company,” Clark says. Talking to father and son, it’s almost as if in the Kirbys’ minds, BGH’s role as owner is one of backstage hands. “Murdoch does not even own 51 per cent of News Corp,” says Robert, who refers to his private equity backers as “partners”. BGH has three directors on the six-person board, one of which is Ben Gray, who sealed the deal and closely follows the company’s moves. Since the takeover, the company has a new head of its cinema division, a new finance director and a new company lawyer. “There’s been pretty significant changes to the management structure since BGH took over,” a person with knowledge of the company says. And yet still, there are vestiges of what was always a family business. “Whether it be a public company, whether it’s a private equity vehicle, we’re still seen at our heart as a family company,” Clark says. Village Roadshow is now doing a debt raise and restructure after it was left with an eclectic set of lenders, such as the Bank of India, in the lead-up to the privitisation. Clark tries to stop Robert discussing it, saying it’s confidential, but he’s brushed away. “We have the opportunity to find more debt facilities for both the opportunity to fund our future growth and secondly . . . potentially make a capital distribution to shareholders,” Robert says as Clark looks on, exasperated. Clark Kirby: “It was great newspaper fodder at that time because we’re an entertainment company.” Louie Douvis The parks have allowed the Kirbys to pull a rabbit out of a hat. Village has just finished a major renovation of Sea World to install The New Atlantis, an extensive precinct with a wooden roller coaster. Tens of millions are now being spent on a vast Wizard of Oz zone at Movie World, which Robert says will have a value of $100 million. It’s due to open in 2024. More hotels will follow, incorporating elements from the theme parks into the rooms and surrounds. They will offer, Clark says, “a truly immersive experience”. The cinema division, which operates in partnership with Alan Rydge’s Event Cinemas, comes up less in conversation. Rydge and the Kirbys have a long history; Rydge was a shareholder in the private vehicle, which in turn held a majority of the listed Village Roadshow. “There is some alignment between Melbourne people,” one person close to the families says. Clark says the premiumisation of their cinemas is “incredibly important” and argues streaming services have failed when only releasing movies via their own websites. “The pandemic proved once and for all that it’s far more valuable to release in cinemas than just on a streaming service,” he says. But post-COVID, cinemas are struggling outside of blockbusters such as Barbie. Wang Jianlin, the Chinese entertainment billionaire, has been trying to sell his Hoyts chain in Australia, but turned down a $700 million offer earlier this year and failed to get his $1 billion asking price, according to people familiar. The deal rumour mill is already swirling about whether BGH has a shorter timeline for hanging onto Village’s cinemas. “The general consensus is that theatres are ... in secular decline,” Mittleman says. Were there to be a sale, he says owners of Village may be thinking that they would have a “better chance of getting a fair value in the public markets when you’re not tainted by a lower-margin, lower-growth type of business” such as the cinemas. The Kirbys are aware the clock is ticking. “[BGH] want to continue to see growth in the [overall] business,” Clark says. “Yes, they will want to monetise their investment at some point. We expect that within the next three to five years.” When Packer’s Nine started building a stake in Village back in 1991, the company’s then-general manager, Ieuan Mapperson, moved to squash rumours the Kirby family’s hold over the company would loosen. “I can assure you that these are people who are thinking of their great-grandchildren’s equity in the business,” he says. Is there any sign of that changing? Robert is steadfast: “You should mention this. My five grandchildren would love to take over our jobs.” Clark, whose daughters are aged seven, 10 and 12, is clear-eyed. “They would all love my job. But their impression of my job is that I ride roller coasters and play with dolphins every day.” Some interesting notes there: Wizard of Oz land will reportedly have a value of $100m More hotels will be built that incorporate elements from the parks into them The wording sounds to me like there will be more hotels than just the one outside Movie World. The question is, where could they be and what style could they be?

This photo was shared in Gold Coast Nostalgia group on FB of Wet n Wild from 2000

it's been like 3 or 4 Years since the Sky Coaster at Wet and Wild has been open yet on the website it says its temporarily closed. does anyone know if its ever going to reopen cause from what I have seen no visible maintenance has happened on it.

Premier Steven Miles today launched a boost for Gold Coast tourism operators in the wake of severe weather. The GC Summer FUNds initiative is backed by a government investment of $2.5 million which will see 50,000 $50 vouchers up for grabs. DW annualy passes if you use the code (GCSUMMERFUNDS) at - https://gcsummerfunds.experienceoz.com.au/en/gold-coast/dreamworld-locals-annual-pass?fbclid=IwAR1zBte_Roe2ZNXJ06XbKnhBu5GHvZg5kd0KhfrYRhM_DAy77W0I6cMqwog (note Experience OZ is currently having overload issues) Village passes can be purchased from their websites. South East QLD residents, claim your GC Summer FUNds and SAVE $50* off selected Theme Park Passes and experiences including the Village Roadshow Locals One Pass (now only $169), Village Roadshow Locals One Pass Lite (now only $129), Australian Outback Spectacular’s Heartland (now from $59.99) and more! Be quick, limited time only!

Didn’t know where to put this so started a new topic. Looks like SurfRider has been taken off the Wet n Wild website, can’t find it at all! SkyCoaster still listed as “currently closed” and FlowRider as “under maintenance” so I rlly don’t think this is an accident. Any ideas as to what could happen to SurfRider? https://wetnwild.com.au/attractions

Seeing as this is the closest we’ve got to an in-use Movie World update thread… Best pics of Superman’s work I could get: Marvin the Martian Construction: Couldn’t see for sure if there’s any footer work for SurfRider, partly because of all the work walls, and also because of the inability to view it from Batwing, because it too is surrounded by work walls now. Pics: Maybe they’re relocating Trident next (joking, kind of). And, saving the best for last, it seems the Joker has run out of Frozen Coke to steal.

Hello everyone! I am planning to go to the Gold Coast in 2023. I come from Bendigo, Victoria so cannot go often. This is my third time going to the GC parks, me going before in March 2015 and August 2022. However, I am planning to go again in 2023. The question is, when? I don't want to go before June (dont want to risk SE/DD/BS/DCR/WWF being closed) and will be willing to drop Scooby as it is closed. I also cannot go during September because I am going to Thailand. I am also going with another person who doesn't want to go during November and December due to the heat. So it leaves July, August and October. I am hoping to go in the latter as most rides are open as well as Fright Nights. Could you give me some suggestions? Thanks.

Imagine you woke up with $100 million and you had to spend the money to change an Aussie theme park of your choice. Which park would it be and what would you do? Please try and be somewhat realistic

Hi all! Travelling to Gold Coast from 25th-28th December and wanted to go to Wet'N'Wild for the first time in about 5 years. However, recent TripAdvisor reviews regarding the queues there are shocking, and I do remember them being quite bad. Considering that it might be raining during the period, is it still worth paying all that money for a day pass? Many thanks!!

Press play on epic summer nights when Dive’n’Movies returns 27th December! As the sun sets, enjoy nightly blockbuster films on the big screen from 5:30pm in the Giant Wave Pool. Hire a tube or watch the movie from a surrounding deck chair and tuck into some summery treats. Plus, slide into the night until 7:30pm on selected attractions! For full movie list: https://wetnwild.com.au/attractions/dive-n-movies

Hi Parkz community, hope you're all well, went to both Wet n Wild, and Movieworld today. So, here is an update of WNW, I'll start another topic for my MW update. Alright, well on my visit everything was pretty good, staff were friendly, park was clean and tidy, gardens well kept. They have also done a few improvements since my last visit. Unfortunately, this remains, do the world a favour VRTP, and get rid of it. Now for the good things. Kamikaze has been given a new sign. And the old buddy site has been turfed, it looks great. I'm not sure, but I think this building and the toilets in H20 zone have been repainted. Some excavation is happening in front of Blackhole, which is currently under maintenance. The kids play structure has received some flags, and looks like it has also received a coat of paint. Constrictor's paint job is finished, and it looks great. AquaLoop is also down for maintenance, and is getting a buff. I spoke with the supervision manager in charge of the work at the loop, and he said that they do this annually, it's to not only bring out the colour, but also to clean it. He said 1 year's worth of sunscreen, sweat, dirt etc. needs to be cleaned off. The company he works for, does business with all the theme parks, and they done some repainting at WNW in the past, they didn't repaint constrictor, but they did repaint, River rapids last year, and mammoth falls 2 years ago. Hopefully tornado is next on the list. Fun fact: to completely polish and wax super 8 racer takes 6 weeks. Now with regards to Surfrider, they didn't tell me where it's going, but I can confirm that it is being moved to another park. I also have some information about Skycoaster, the reason it is closed is because you need special training to operate it, the company that they used has gone bust, and they haven't found another company in Queensland yet.

Hi everyone. I was just curious to know if anyone knows the max capacity’s of the Gold Coast parks in a given day. Thanks

Figured this one might need it's own topic. Double Barrel and Kaboom were scheduled to reopen on the 17th of September, both of their respective reopening dates have been removed. Not to mention Double Barrel has been closed for a few months. Kaboom and Super Ripper are scheduled to go down again next month. The slides a brand new, anyone know what's going on?

Operating Hours at Wet'n'Wild Gold Coast Monday - Wednesday the park will be closed. Thursday operating as it has normally during off-peak (10-3) Friday-Sunday normal operating hours. I will be surprised if they keep Wet n Wild open through Winter this year. It struggles through winter on a normal year, and during those years there's always plenty of debate on why it's open, I'm sure there's plenty more support for that debate this year. All I'll say on that debate is that you're extremely lucky if you get close to 1000 people (a day) through the gates, there are many days where 10% of that is hard to reach. Good weather days during the holidays are exceptions to the 1000 people rule, but they don't justify months of operation. --- Opening Hours - Plan your day at Sea World Gold Coast Warner Bros. Movie World Gold Coast operating hours I'm expecting that both Sea World and Movie World will reduce weekday operating hours through winter as well. Especially noting the conservative date ranges currently shown. (and once this happens, Dreamworld will obviously follow suit; if they don't announce it first) --- Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if COVID sees our parks completely adapt their operating schedules. Weekend operation of our main parks, Seasonal operation of the water parks. There are plenty of logistical issues with that, especially with contracted and salaried workforces. So it's not super likely to happen, but I can't say I don't see them moving closer to it. I know most of you are going to jump to "That doesn't make any sense, plenty of people still go to the parks during this time." As enthusiasts we have to understand that what we THINK makes sense, and what actually makes sense, are in many cases very different. Reducing hours means that you're increasing density of guests on the hours/days you're actually open, which means you're far better justifying the minimum number of staff you're required to have there anyway. Doesn't mean it'll feel any busier, especially without international tourists being here, and it goes without saying that a large majority of locals spend far less than interstate and international tourists, which is the part everyone seems to forget when talking about operating hours. this is all talking about off-peak, I'm not suggesting they'll change anything during the peak September-January season.

This is a Topic where we talking about what's next for the Future of Wet 'n' Wild Gold Coast

Why are the three speed slides getting removed? Yet the side winders are remaining???

An interesting article from The Sydney Morning Herald: The article which brought this "feud" to light 5 days ago only refers to the selling of Village Roadshow Pictures, "Village Roadshow's British marketing business, its stake in the American iPic Theatres premium cinema outfit, and its Hollywood holdings" as the closest thing to John Kirby's proposed 'break up' of Village Roadshow which is referred to in the above article. Is that what is meant by "break up"? Or is it the 1st stage of the "break up"? Or would the company split in 1 go forming a new theme park-cinema-studios-only company? Or will nothing happen? Regardless, the above article is interesting enough because of it's theme park-related content.

Movie world today

As @Theme Park said... does anyone know why Zipline never operated (or if it did, for such a short period) And why is it still there VRTP? And the Frozen Coke stand is getting a refurb And I think they should really just remove this now pointless shelter to open up the area a little

Some interesting points from the results presentation: This was written in the 'Cost Reduction' section of the 'FY19 Outlook'. Could this mean less operational time of the rides in financial year 2018/2019? Also, TopGolf's attendance is stated as 25,000 people in the last financial year. TopGolf was only open for 19 days last financial year so it's average attendance is 1316 people per day so far. Based on the current attendance and revenue, each TopGolf visitor spends $36 per visit. TopGolf's maximum capacity is 540 (90 bays of 6 people) and since bays are booked hourly (over, assuming, a 10 hour period - 9am to 7pm), that means it's maximum daily capacity is 5400. Minimum capacities are 90 (hourly) & 900 (10 hours). People are very likely to be attending as groups as based on the capacities and attendance statistics, if everyone occupied the bays by themselves, TopGolf would be operating over capacity! The larger the groups, the more bays available. It's most likely people attend TopGolf with just 1 other person - in this situation, they are more likely to spend on food and beverage/souvenirs on weekdays, whilst extremely unlikely on Friday/weekends (This is because 1 hour of TopGolf costs more than the $36 cost of an average visit for each person). The larger the group, the more likely you are to spend on food and beverage/souvenirs. If the group is at least 3 people in size, purchasing food & beverage/souvenirs will very likely happen but decreases in likelihood on Fridays/weekends particularly after 2pm (This is, again, because TopGolf's hourly rate increases). In their results presentation, for TopGolf, they mentioned their desire to: Wet 'n' Wild Sydney made it's first loss ever - $1,000,000 - whilst attendance drops again by 21,000 people to 463,000 people per season (approximately 4000 people per day on average). People on average spend 30 cents more at Wet 'n' Wild Sydney than at TopGolf Gold Coast. Let's hope the new owners can fix that park! Gold Coast theme parks' attendance dropped by 378,000 people to 4,582,000 people per year (approximately 12,600 people per day on average). VRTP spent and earned more than last financial year on these theme parks but their profit decreased by $10.1 million. On average, people spent $59.25 per visit to the VRTPs on average. I'm expecting VRTP to be financially recovered around the same time DW also is. This graph is also interesting: However, this is concerning (especially in regards to next year's Viking's Revenge Flume Ride replacement) (from the 'Theme Parks - Outlook' section): In short, don't expect anything extravagant in the next 12 months. Australian Outback Spectacular's "New exciting low capital expenditure..." show to open this financial year: Also, in their preliminary annual report (mainly the media release section): Just my opinion but if your most important ticket category is the season pass, I'd expect the theme park's quality to decline. Another "new low cost" attraction, HyperCoast Walk, is mentioned & is hoped it will increase season pass sales. In the 'Theme Parks Performance Summary' section, TopGolf Gold Coast is mentioned again: It also mentions TopGolf had $2.2 million in one-off pre-opening expenses, which could mean it theoretically only made a profit so far of $100,000 but I wouldn't read too much into that figure yet as it only was open for 19 days last financial year. This may please regular visitors to the parks (from the 'Theme Parks - Outlook' section): Also, this, in how they choose new attractions: Page 29 mentions Village Roadshow's ownership in the Australian TopGolf sites has increased from 66.67% to 96.3% since the 13th of August 2018. The penultimate page mentions the final annual report is released on the 22nd of October 2018 with the annual meeting held on the 23rd of November 2018.

Replacing the current ice themed frozen coke stand

After saying "the Gold Coast theme parks should take note of" Jamberoo's online park map upgrade, it seems it was the other way around but just for one aspect of it - the virtual tour. VRTP since September 2017 have allowed Google to add Street View of their parks. However, integration of this into their online park maps hasn't happened...yet (nor a live chat feature to their websites ). A list of links to access all the main attractions are below, which can be convenient for future reference. Note: If you can't move in a certain direction, refer to Google's map as they do not have Street View everywhere. However, the map's detailed routes can be conflicting with where you actually can go in Street View. Paradise Country Production Drive Parking Farmstay* Entrance Former Warner Brothers. Movie World Studio Tour Trams Homestead Clancy's Opal Mine Lorikeets Dingoes** Wildlife Photo Centre/Walk Koalas Animal Nursery & Walkthrough Stockman & Sheep Dog Arena*** Billy Tea Campfire, Stockhorse Arena & Wagon Rides**** Gold & Gemstone Panning Shearing Shed Farmhouse Restaurant *This is the entrance to Farmstay. Follow the road/signs to reach the actual Farmstay reception/accommodation. If you turn right at the 1st intersection of sealed road (which you can't in Google Street View), it takes you to the Native American Camp scene in Wild West Falls, which is around 100 metres away. **The Dingoes exhibit can be seen in the distance behind some trees. ***This view is from the road between the entrance & the Homestead. The entrance to the Stockman & Sheep Dog Arena is behind the bins on the left, which is located next to Wagon Rides. ****Billy Tea Campfire is the undercover area to the left behind the water tank while Wagon Rides is the undercover area to the right. Stockhorse Arena is in the centre. Australian Outback Spectacular Parking Building Entrance Ticket Gates Shop Bar Waiting Area Unfortunately, there is no Street View of the show arena. Wet 'n' Wild Gold Coast Parking Entrance Entry Plaza & Wet 'n' Wild Junior Super 8 Aqua Racer & AquaLoop River Rapids & Constrictor Calypso Beach Whirlpool Springs SurfRider & Extreme H20 Zone Giant Wave Pool, FlowRider & SkyCoaster Mammoth Falls Sea World Theme Park/Cruises/Helicopters Parking Cruises & Helicopters (Out Of Theme Park) Theme Park Entrance Guest Services & Animal Adventures Check-In Centre Jet Stunt Extreme Penguin Encounter (External) Penguin Encounter (Internal) Monorail System Main Station & Creatures Of The Deep: Deep Discoveries Helicopters (In Theme Park) Creatures Of The Deep (Outdoor Section) Our World Of The Dolphin Dolphin Nursery Fish Detectives Nickelodeon Land The Plaza Jet Rescue Polar Bear Shores Ray Reef Shark Bay Storm Coaster Spongebob Squarepants 3D: The Great Jelly Rescue Monorail System Mid-Station Penguin Point Seal Harbour Affinity & Dolphin Beach Castaway Bay Resort Entrance (Theme Park) & Monorail System Resort Station Resort Entrance (Parking) Resort Parking It's a pretty sad sight seeing Sea World resort to cheap ways to make revenue such as Long Shot. Throwing a basketball at a hoop? It's something people can do at home. It's also in such an open space, making it look tacky. And the advertising is odd - "$5 for 3 balls. Everyone wins a prize". "Everyone"? So essentially it is 'Prize for $5'? Having not visited the Gold Coast theme parks in over 5 years, using Street View really shows how much the parks have changed with the now-targeting towards locals & an over-reliance on carnival games etc. to make revenue in most parks through repeat-visit locals. Warner Brothers. Movie World Parking Entrance Grand Archway Fountain Of Fame Green Lantern Coaster Batwing Spaceshot Justice League: Alien Invasion 3D DC Rivals HyperCoaster Superman Escape Arkham Asylum: Shock Thearpy Guest Services Looney Tunes 4D Starring Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster DC Super Villians Unleashed Wild West Falls County Fair Fun 'n' Games, Bumper Cars & Intencity Hollywood Stunt Driver Kids' WB! Fun Zone

I hadn't been to WnW since April and thought it was time to head into the park and see if anything major had changed. And in summary, no. But here is a quick update of some things I noticed around the park. Surferrider has finally reopened after being closed for the majority of the year The bar that what next to the wave pool has been removed The spas are closed for maintenance. I personally think this is a wasted area for the park, where a good slide, or something a bit more exciting could go Apparently the Kamikaze is still new. Despite never operating, the ZipLine is still in place and used as a shelter for the staff working in the food carts The bridge/waterfall in Calypso Beach has been completely removed, with only the framework remaining.

Is this normal for Surfrider to be closed without a re-opening date?