How would you rebuild Dreamworld?

[Vidgamer]

There has been a bit of discussion in another thread about Dreamworld and future plans and I thought considering we are spitballing ideas for Movieworld it would be a good idea to hypothesise about what Dreamworld could do with the significant amount of money they now have ($150 million) after selling the US assets which would bring the park back to fruition. I am a very keen believer that Dreamworld has essentially now refurbished most of their rides they are keeping and they are moving in a very positive trajectory but I think I would suggest the following (in this time frame)

October 2022 - Announce ABC World Refurbishment with bluey licensing, 2 new rides, full area redo. Opening December 2023. 
Feb 2023 - Announce new family thrill ride (water coaster of some kind, family heavy in the area near Giant Drop & Steel Taipan. Opening June 2024. 
March 2024 - Announce new White Water World Slide Tower of Some Kind. Opening September 2024. 
(All this would essentially 'beat' Wizard of Oz land at Movieworld)
March 2025 - Small further investment in wildlife area, (Not quite a future lab but smaller exhibits to then connect Wildlife closer in to the 'family thrill ride' I mentioned.
Jan 2026 - Announce new form of thrill ride for opening in December 2026.
Jan 2026 - Announce some new 'family splash pad' for White Water World to fill in the gap where the lazy river was going to go. Minor capex spend.

I think this would be a pretty fiscally responsible plan and would expand the park and add to the offering, while also trying to balance family and thrill.

[Guest 239]

I think Dreamworld would make for a great Legoland conversion. They did it pretty well with Cypress Gardens in Florida.

The problem would be that Legoland parks are heavily marketed to younger families, so Dreamworld's thrill rides might generate a problem in terms of imaging, but to solve this they could call this location 'Legoworld' to differentiate it from their other properties. It ties back to the parks history and plays into the fact that there are technically two parks with WWW next door. 

It'd be the fresh start that the park needs. 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

If public sentiment is the right thing to do, apparently 'build a koala research facility'. Job done. 

[Daedra]

Then no one goes to see it and we've wasted a lot of moneys. Leave the Animals to the Irwin's.

[Prequel]

6 hours ago, Guest 239 said:

I think Dreamworld would make for a great Legoland conversion. They did it pretty well with Cypress Gardens in Florida.

The problem would be that Legoland parks are heavily marketed to younger families, so Dreamworld's thrill rides might generate a problem in terms of imaging, but to solve this they could call this location 'Legoworld' to differentiate it from their other properties. It ties back to the parks history and plays into the fact that there are technically two parks with WWW next door. 

It'd be the fresh start that the park needs. 

I'd cry if I saw this happened, I really wouldn't want to see the park be converted to Legoland. 

I think there is a lot of attachment to the name and identity of Dreamworld, even if it was damaged by the accident in 2016. 

i don't know about year by year, but I'd get another roller-coaster (thrill ride) in the next 5-10 years. I do not think Steel Taipan is enough for the lack of roller-coasters the park has now. 

Obviously, the family side needs something. I don't know what, where and when. 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

5-10? that's a stretch. i'd suggest they'd need another in the next 5 years max, and only that long because they need to fill the family void in the next 2-3.

[Tricoart]

11 hours ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

5-10? that's a stretch. i'd suggest they'd need another in the next 5 years max, and only that long because they need to fill the family void in the next 2-3.

I mean, that'd be ideal, but before Steel Taipan the last thrill ride was Tailspin 7 years prior, with the last thrill coaster being Buzzsaw 10+ years prior. Obviously it'd be ideal for them to ramp up new projects again, but realistically I wouldn't be surprised if it took another 5-10 years.

[pin142]

They weren't trying to recover from a major incident so they really need a few quick succession investments now and can resume the staggered additions after.

[Tricoart]

2 hours ago, pin142 said:

They weren't trying to recover from a major incident so they really need a few quick succession investments now and can resume the staggered additions after.

That is true, but those quick-succession investments have already begun with Sky Voyager and Steel Taipan, both of which were riddled with their own financial problems. When they do more, it'd be safer to assume they'll be gradual, thought-out, perhaps cheaper investments catered towards kids and families than the extensive, aggressive, park-wide expansions we'd all hope for. I'd love to be wrong, but it just doesn't seem like a realistic expectation to me.

Edited August 5, 2022 by Tricoart

[Guest 239]

On 5/8/2022 at 11:18 PM, Tricoart said:

perhaps cheaper investments catered towards kids and families

I really hope they go down this route. Unfortunately they can't beat their competition when it comes to thrill coasters because they've got almost a decade head start, but the family market is essentially free for the taking at the moment. I still believe that Sky Voyager is the best family attraction on the Gold Coast thanks to the fact that everybody from grandchild to grandparent can experience and enjoy the attraction, and more additions along these lines would really help to sell Dreamworld as its own offering instead of an alternative to the competition. 

[Whombex]

This isn’t a “rebuild the park” post, but a “re theme an area” post.

While wandering around after riding Steel Taipan (catching my breath - dunno how people can’t say this is a top-notch ride?) today, I was thinking about the lack of cohesive theming in this part of the park.

Perhaps make this area, including ST, Giant Drop, whatever replaces RHLR, and whatever goes into Blue Lagoon’s area (assuming it stays dedicated to being part of the park) themed to Aussie fauna. 

Re-theme Giant Drop to Drop Bear or a diving bird of prey.

Then you could play on the “Dangerous Aussie Creatures” trope (real or fictitious). Bunyip, crocodiles, cassowaries, goanna, spiders, etc. allows plenty of room for various ride or attraction types. 

Edited August 7, 2022 by Whombex

[joz]

I get what you mean trying to integrate GD and ST, but Giant Drop is scary, I think the themeing should be scary, not funny. A drop bear theme is a funny joke, but it's not right for the most intimidating ride in the park.

 

I think if you did a normal big boat shoot the chutes in Ocean Parade past Tail Spin, and a raptor on RHLR's site, get Bluey a proper presence in park, and a couple cute additions to the animal area (Quokkas anyone?) in the space of 2 years then the story of the park changes.

 

It's a case of get a bunch of things close together to build momentum and get that that critical mass of worthwhile things to visit for/fill a day out, and the key is to do it quickly. I totally get the thinking behind ST, and they had to do something, but as it turns out there isn't really any one thing that would turn things around, so a couple of good rides on the cheaper side with some slam dunk sides and all of a sudden you're talking.

[Chalky]

Dr. Gary Weiss From Laymans understanding may have been brought into Ardent Leisure with one aim in mind, that goal was to sell.  
 

The tragic fatalities at Dreamworld in my honest opinion and humbled opinion placed a screaming halt on any selling prospect swiftly followed by the Chinese virus which further placed a wedge in regards to offloading the Dreamworld and WhiteWater theme park(s) 

As part of the selling arrangement with Dave and Busters $5150,00 million has according to recent ASX announcement be set aside to be pumped back in to the dreamworld theme park.

contrary to beliefs $150 million does not stretch far when considering the amount of work and continuous investment in theme parks.

Ardent leisure have done well with current maintenance and have been innovative in attracting crowds to the park during winter period but it would seem that any maintenance works and completion works may be the first steps in offloading the business.

but the biggest question remaining should the above be correct in assumption is who the buyer would be.  Considering Disney would be out of the question that only leaves a head full of other options, the mind boggles as to who this may be. 

but seems clear to me that management don’t want to be left with a business that barely scrapes a profit together unless significant spending by way of expansion is undertaken. 

[Rivals]

If i was running the park here would be my plans for the next couple of years to follow up ST and continue growing the park;

2023: ABC Kids World Upgrade, with new dark ride and 1 - 2 kid flat rides.

2024: New Water Ride in Ocean Parade taking up the area (quick mock up to explain it better shown below) that occupies the old Trolls Village Area, Zombie Evolution and Flow Rider areas.

Red: Station

Green: Ride Envelope (can extend behind WWW and back stage if needed)

Blue: Queue Area 

Purple: Exit Pathway

2025: New Flat Ride & Coaster. Flat Ride located in the old Blue Lagoon area creating a connecting path with ST Courtyard and the Giant Drop Elevated pathways with the coaster located in the old RHLR area. Below are 2 options of each I could see happenint 

Flat Ride Options:

- Fun Time Star Flyer (drastically changes the sky line, eye catching, 120cm height requirement)

- Mondial Top Scan (eye catching, good capacity, 140cm height requirement)

Roller Coaster Options:

- GCI Wooden Coaster (provides airtime, traditional non-inversion focused coaster, gives the park solid airtime)

- Intamin Ultra / Mega Coaster (provides airtime, no inversions)

After these additions, the park could make other improvements to existing rides (full retrack for GC by vekoma if they aren’t planning on removing it, new gondola with lap bar restraints for The Claw - Same as Goliath at AW) but start to slow down a bit until their next big investments. 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by Rivals

[Whombex]

You leave Thunderbolt's station alone! 

[aussienetman]

Upgrade Giant Drop to a face first experience with chairs that tilt riders to face the ground. 

Bluey show in sheep shearing shed to reactivate that section of the park. 

Maybe an indoor suspended family 4d coaster for How to Train your Dragon. 

Rotating films in Sky Voyager. There are tons more they can licence. 

 

 

 

[Tricoart]

If I were operating the park, I'd do things much differently, but there's a reason why I'm not. I still can't shake the feeling that there'll be an ABC Kids World retheme sometime within the next few years, with a couple new flats and maybe a dark ride or kids coaster (in response to WoO), then not a lot else besides events and maybe a different Sky Voyager show til at least 2026. Thing is, at that point they may already be decommissioning one of their older rides, or perhaps decide towards updating it into it's own mini-section if they deem it the better option (cough cough Motocoaster).

[aussienetman]

This looks fun too!

[Rivals]

6 hours ago, aussienetman said:

This looks fun too!

This would work very well for Movie World potentially as a Justice League Replacement, but i think with Sky Voyager already at the park it may not work as well. 

[pin142]

1 hour ago, Rivals said:

This would work very well for Movie World potentially as a Justice League Replacement, but i think with Sky Voyager already at the park it may not work as well. 

Not sure how Sky Voyager plays a part in all of this.

[Rivals]

12 minutes ago, pin142 said:

Not sure how Sky Voyager plays a part in all of this.

I personally think (unless done right) the rides have too many similarities to be placed in the same park.

[Gazza]

Having multiple screen based attractions is more of a Universal thing.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

57 minutes ago, Gazza said:

Having multiple screen based attractions is more of a Universal thing.

Looking at Justice League’s maintenance period, it’s definitely not a Movie World thing…

[Slick]

What are the other IP's you'd use beyond anything ABC Kids, LEGO, Disney, Universal or Warner Bros.?

[jjuttp]

2 minutes ago, Slick said:

What are the other IP's you'd use beyond anything ABC Kids, LEGO, Disney, Universal or Warner Bros.?

Ty the tasmanian tiger. It's a cheap IP, has a significant amount of theme potential, Australian, and can be used as an excuse to get people into Corroboree.