I think what's going to make it difficult for a new comer to the Aus theme park market is that there are now well established parks to compare it to.

If you were to open a theme park with only 1 coaster (and nothing else to complement it, like a wildlife park or a garden etc) then you're going to have a hard time staying afloat when everyone will be continuously comparing you to the gold coast parks in terms of value.

Seaworld/Movieworld existing with only 1 coaster was fine at the time, because every other park was only small and newly established.

My mind is open and hopeful though!

 

1 hour ago, franky said:

I think what's going to make it difficult for a new comer to the Aus theme park market is that there are now well established parks to compare it to.

If you were to open a theme park with only 1 coaster (and nothing else to complement it, like a wildlife park or a garden etc) then you're going to have a hard time staying afloat when everyone will be continuously comparing you to the gold coast parks in terms of value.

Seaworld/Movieworld existing with only 1 coaster was fine at the time, because every other park was only small and newly established.

My mind is open and hopeful though!

 

I'd agree if the park was being built around Brisbane and the Gold Coast. But I think 1 coaster, a few flats and other non-ride attractions would be sustainable for a short period of time. The target audience wouldn't be people who have easy access to the parks on the coast. 

The people who the park attracts at first would be people who's only real experience in a park would be their Queensland holiday they took five years ago. 

I'm always wrong though, so I'm interested to hear others thoughts.

It's hard for me to judge specifics about what location in NSW would suit a theme park, or what coasters would be in a park's price-range. I don't get out of Brisbane much, and my coaster knowledge isn't that developed.

I was about to say a ride like Steel Curtain would fit the park in my first message, but then I realised it was around 20 million dollars. So maybe a smaller scale Steel Curtain, one that isn't 200ft, would be a good fit. 

I don't think it depends on the number of coasters, but more about 'is it a full day?'

 

SW and DW when they had 1 or 2 coasters were still full days out with all the other things they had. MW was kind of an all day thing if you went on everything twice. I mean neck WnW does quite well for itself with one coaster.

35 minutes ago, joz said:

I don't think it depends on the number of coasters, but more about 'is it a full day?'

Agreed. In my head, it’s all about that “full package”. Something with charm, and not just amusement park rides. Maybe something like a Busch Gardens here, Australian animals and such. I know… we have zoos lmao, but It would be so awesome to have a Cheetah hunt-style ride going through Australian greenery. Dreamworld has this sort of thing going with it’s Tiger Island and such, have no idea if that’s still a thing. I just feel like something that embraces the unique natural beauty of Australian land is a must. A good dark ride or two, awesome shows, this is something I believe Sydney needs, seeing as though the tourism market before covid was through the roof for Sydney and Australia as a whole. 

I would even be happy if “Disney Down Under” made another attempt to formulate here, and hopefully Hong Kong doesn’t steal it away again! 😆

On 25/09/2021 at 8:43 PM, pazzap said:

I just don't have time for internet forums.

Please prove it.

 

On 25/09/2021 at 11:35 PM, Brad2912 said:

I’m not a moderator.

Its ok, he thought I was too, for the same reason.

 

On 26/09/2021 at 1:43 AM, pazzap said:

I could literally spend an hour replying to every thing you said line by line

Thought you didn't have time?

 

On 26/09/2021 at 10:28 AM, Prequel said:

I'm sorry if my historical recounting is inaccurate, I was only born in 03. 

I'd say you have the maturity at least of an almost 50 year old or better!

21 hours ago, joz said:

'is it a full day?'

This is the biggest thing overlooked here. You're only going to notice if it is missing attractions if you're not busy. If you're looking at your family over lunch and saying 'is there anything left?' then its failed. 

However - the clever thing in this proposal is that HVG is already an attraction. People are already visiting and spending a couple hours there. Adding even 1 coaster and a couple flats, and padding out a few experiences, shows, or time-soaking attractions is instantly going to fill up the vast majority of your day.

On 27/09/2021 at 11:48 AM, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

This is the biggest thing overlooked here. You're only going to notice if it is missing attractions if you're not busy. If you're looking at your family over lunch and saying 'is there anything left?' then its failed. 

However - the clever thing in this proposal is that HVG is already an attraction. People are already visiting and spending a couple hours there. Adding even 1 coaster and a couple flats, and padding out a few experiences, shows, or time-soaking attractions is instantly going to fill up the vast majority of your day.

This is exactly the idea and vibe I was going for when thinking this proposal through. The HVG is already a succesful attraction in its own right- it attracts families and tourists alike. Now my scenario as a hypothetical is unrealistic and they would never install that many coasters and attractions all at once. However, HVG already has a small ride element and have dipped their toe in the water for this type of attraction. Its not inconceivable that this could grow organically , with the park adding 2 or three attractions every 18 months as it grows and expands. The aesthetic I was thinking of is definitely Efteling , Tivli Gardens or even Alton Towers, which are all succesful amusement parks that grew out of an existing attraction. I have also given thought to the pricing structure as well. I feel that since the Gardens are already on a gated pricing structure, once more attractions are added then a wristband fee for the rides would be the best option. This way you can still have people pay to enjoy the Gardens without having a price increase to enjoy rides that they may or may not want to particpate in.