Dreamworld attendance up for September quarter

[brady]

I remember when the ride first opened it actually went above the R in TOWER or maybe not above it but equal to it. Then It went through a stage where it went to the F on OF, which was really boring. And in this recent year it can be seen challenging the R and making it above O. Well that what I think anyway. Oh yeah and I really hate it how dreamworld had massively huge queues. It would be cool if a theme park limited their people intake so that it can only take a maximum of ten minuted to get on a ride. I know this would be hard on the profits.

[scott]

And the people in the que who have droven a long way to get there and are told the park is full would be just a tad angry. Na,just get more attractions in to swallow up the crowds.Of course,they also make more crowds,but oh well.

[pandora440x]

I don't believe that the TOT reduced speed discussed in this thread had anything to do with economics of power comsumption. I have been told that the parks power bill is calculated on peak usage, not actual usage per day. If the TOT shoots, the Wipeout starts, and the Rapid ride pumps are running all at the same time, I think you'll get your peak power consumption. It is my understanding that the TOT has been operating under reduced launch power for reliability issues. Sure, up the power again, but then how many cycles would end up in the back of the tunnel? SLICK wouldn't have a clue what he is on about, and it's refreshing to see Richard once again bring some sense to a thread. One day SLICK will be old enough to work at Dreamworld, and then at least he would have a legitimate excuse for spending EVERY weekend there.

[Slick]

You know mate, you need to chill. In other words, back off. I honestly see that both of these are probable, but if I get told my engineers and ride-ops (experienced ride-ops), what am I supposed to say? Plus I don't spend every weekend there, but I do enjoy spending time there. Theme parks are for making people happy, and for that it is is why I enjoy giong there. Manufacturers are building rides to make people happy, and that's it. Isn't that our main goal in life, making people happy? Well if it isn't you probably work at Microsoft, but that's not what we're talking about is it?

[Gazza]

Why would you complain about someone coming to a perk every weekend, he would buy the food, and has paid for the season pass, so he is making the park money, and in turn paying the wages. And also, i belive the queue vandalism issue comes ahead of the launch speed issue, and vandalisim should be fixed up, there is no exuse for it. Maybe they should stick some dummy cameras in there, that should discourage people a bit.

[Slick]

From jaycar you can get dummy cameras for $20 that have motion sensors attached.... So when you move past the camera it follows you! Hey that would be a cool themeing idea if it was some kind of camera type ride, but its not, so flush goes that idea. They would actually be pretty cool in the Big Brother house though. Just a thought.

[Gazza]

No, the dummy cameras would discourage vandalism because people would know they were being filmed. It wasnt a themeing idea. However, for themeing, just continue the devistaed city idea, Beams bent and at odd angles above the queue, ambient sounds of sirens and sceams in the distance,random flashing strobes to look like sparks from snapped power cables. Abandonded geiger counters going crazy detecting radiation,fog being spurted from broken mains, Bent and ripped corugated iron on the roof that looks like its been wrecked. A soundtrack that builds atmospehre and just scares you. Prehasps some hidden equipment that makes sharp noises of things breaking and colapsing and of course, some damaged toxic waste drums with pools of painted toxic waste around them.

[coaster_crazee]

I know if i had a season pass and lived in QLD i would be there every weekend, or whenever i could. Honestly, NSW sux! if the blues didnt win the origin all the time, NSW would have nothin goin for it!

[pandora440x]

If I ever recieve bad service from a business I stop going there / using their services. If you find things so bad, why keep visiting? Slick seems to think that the original post by Richard is old news, but this is the way that things work in the business world. Fortunately for staff, the media coverage of Dreamworld's attendances and profitability came at the time park staff were voting on a proposed (new) enterprise agreement. The proposed agreement was rejected. Attendances are up now, profitability is looking good, and the share price is quite strong. At the same time, word around the water cooler is that Dreamworld is looking to spend $50 milion in two years on a new attraction. Spending that amount of money must tighten the purse strings on expenditure of theming, wouldn't you think? I, too, am sick of looking at the state of theming on the major rides. However, I do know that more is going on in the park (and behind the scenes) than most of our visitors would ever notice, even regulars like Slick. I also know that a great deal of effort is being put into improving capacities on rides - an issue which is raised on this website often. This was an issue spoken about again at the last attractions meetings just a week ago. Change takes time, both in the physical and mental sense. I have made posts in relation to capacities and theming on previous occasions. Slick has never spoken to me in regards to anything of any substance really. If you wanted to talk to "experienced" ride operators, you could do a lot worse than me. Don't fall into the trap of believing you know more about the park than me until you have walked in my shoes for 11 years. Slick doesn't even know who I am. I have a whole box full of information for you, petal.

[coaster_crazee]

lol... petal... 50 million hey... sound nice, im drooling already. what kinda ride can u buy for 50 million dollars? im not really that educated on ride costs tho so 50 million could be cheap...

[Richard]

It's good to hear that emphasis is being put on ride capacity at Dreamworld. Seeing is believing though, but I do hope Dreamworld figure something out. That second train on Cyclone wouldn't go astray - just spend $48 million on the next new attraction if that's what it takes.

[Slick]

Thanks Pandora for putting words in my mouth that I really didn't say. You just Implied that, even though I know that it is current news. I'm sure I wouldn't know as much as you with all the backastage stuff like what happens at front of house, but i have been to quarantine, and I have at least four sources that go way up in the food chain. But hey, I don't know that much, I'm just part of the General public (*cough*). As for themeing, there really needs a lot of work. I think that Gazza has hit the nail on the head so to speak with ideas for the Tower Of Terror, particularly the strobes and smoke machine up through the broken pipes. I think one thing aswell is with the miny city that you walk over. Make it much, much larger like in E.T. at Universal Studios, Florida. Okay, actually, not that big, but a nice size, and something that covers both sides of the walkway, not just one and a mirror on the other side. So do we have any idea yet on what type of attraction it is definitely or rumoured to be? I know coaster (apparently), but is there any other possibilities?

[Slick]

Okay, an update on the whole Tower Of Terror debate. I checked with a whole heap of engineers at W/out yesterday and basically we were both right, in a margin of 95/5 (95 being me....) Through age, some of the sensors up the last bit of the induction can't handle the speed and give off e-brakes because they don't relay fast enough, so they have brought back the speed so it would run more stable (even though it still gives numerous amounts of e-brakes, stoopid tower....)

[Richard]

First problem is Tower of Terror doesn't use induction. You never mentioned the sensors. You were going on about upgrading computer systems. What you've mentioned has nothing to do with the central systems that control the ride, it's to do with the individual sensors. If that's the real reason then good and fine. Don't go gloating about being right, especially seeing as you weren't. It still doesn't take into account that fact that the ride's been going to the same height for years now.

[Slick]

I was only kidding Richo. You know I'm too soft to start a fight. Technically yes, the Tower Of Terror is uses is a type of inductor. Induction means "to bring forward" as in "Linear Induction Motors" and while the type of ride isn't actually an LIM coaster, it still uses the term "induct" to bring the pod forward. I said, like with GD, is that by upgrading the tower's computer systems (sensory, server computers etc.) the magnets are able flux that energy much quicker and more efficently because the sensory system can detect the pod quicker and relay its position faster, making the magnet's "induction" more precise.

[scott]

Gazza you had some great ideas with T.O.T theming.Coaster Crazee 50 mill is a lot when it comes to rides.T.O.T cost 16 mill so you can imagine what 50 mill would bring us.......