Dreamworld announces Wave Swinger, Dreamland (DreamWorks retheme) and new coasters

[New display name]

Just because Mickey said he was all ears, doesn't mean he wanted to know about your yeast infection.🤦‍♀️

 

3 hours ago, themagician said:

I don’t know, but I’d say they could potentially go on the old big brother stage/blue lagoon site. I don’t think they have enough roofs within the park for that many. 

 

1060sqm of solar panels.

[Gazza]

Surley you'd put them on the main street and event centre roof, and then after that maybe over the car park?

[themagician]

There are approximately 1000 solar panels on the roof of the Coomera sports centre next door. Which takes up 3500sqm.

11 minutes ago, New display name said:

1060sqm of solar panels.

I assume that number doesn’t allow for the spacing in between rows for maintenance access. 

But looking into further, there is actually quite a lot of roof realestate with the maintenance buildings as well

These four roofs alone backup 5000sqm, so there probably is more than enough roof realestate for 2000 panels. That amount of panels will cover about 30% of the parks annual usage.

[New display name]

12 minutes ago, themagician said:

These four roofs alone backup 5000sqm, so there probably is more than enough roof realestate for 2000 panels. That amount of panels will cover about 30% of the parks annual usage.

As long as it doesn't rain.

[GoGoBoy]

It got me thinking with the discussion about the potentially small space available for Jungle Rush, why do you guys think the park is intent on squashing so much activity into that area of the park? When you look at the park map, the massive void areas around Steel Taipan and Rocky Hollow etc. scream out for rebalancing. Do you think it's a cost thing? ie. easier and cheaper to add attractions to an area that is already somewhat built up?

Edited November 25, 2022 by GoGoBoy

[themagician]

I think the area they are focusing on is great and has been really badly needed for a long time. ABC kids world is without doubt the area that’s looked the worse for a long time. And there’s the old TOT building which could just be sitting there for many years without reworking this entire corner. Dreamworks has started to look a little sad too so it’s needed some love. And theirs the weird corner between tailspin and Gold Coaster that’s needed some attention for a long time too. 
 

The old log ride site definitely needs something, but I’d imagine that’ll be the next location of focus a couple years after this massive investment. The Reno of Giant Drop will hopefully help that corner for now. 

[Vidgamer]

I think they probably need to let the land settle at rocky hollow as well. 

[GoGoBoy]

24 minutes ago, themagician said:

I think the area they are focusing on is great and has been really badly needed for a long time. ABC kids world is without doubt the area that’s looked the worse for a long time. And there’s the old TOT building which could just be sitting there for many years without reworking this entire corner. Dreamworks has started to look a little sad too so it’s needed some love. And theirs the weird corner between tailspin and Gold Coaster that’s needed some attention for a long time too. 
 

The old log ride site definitely needs something, but I’d imagine that’ll be the next location of focus a couple years after this massive investment. The Reno of Giant Drop will hopefully help that corner for now. 

That seems like a fair explanation. I haven't been to the park in years, so hearing that these areas are in bad need of work puts it in better perspective 

[themagician]

6 minutes ago, GoGoBoy said:

That seems like a fair explanation. I haven't been to the park in years, so hearing that these areas are in bad need of work puts it in better perspective 

Before hearing these announcements but knowing there was an announcement on the way, my hope was they would do something in the abc, dreamworks and ocean Parade corner of the park as that’s what’s needing the most work. So the fact they are upgrading those 3 areas by the end of 2024 is fantastic news in my opinion. And then the Dreamworld flyer is a bonus on top of that. 

[New display name]

23 minutes ago, Vidgamer said:

I think they probably need to let the land settle at rocky hollow as well. 

That is not how reclaiming land works. You compact it as you fill it or you treat it as fill because it takes 100's if not 1000's of years for soil to naturally compact down to a Kpa you can build on.

 

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by New display name

[Rivals]

I will say only criticism with the announcement is that i wish there was a new ride being added where the Trolls Village / Kevil Hill building are. That area feels so empty and incomplete, adding a ride there (even something like a Splash-battle if you want to keep the family rides vibe) would’ve worked so well, while also giving the park a safe option for a water ride.

However, they have a plan for around the next 5 years so who knows, maybe something bigger that we aren’t expecting will be going in that area.

 

[themagician]

My understanding was the splash pad was going where trolls village was. They didn’t say that specifically in the presentation, but that’s how I perceived it.

[Rivals]

11 minutes ago, themagician said:

My understanding was the splash pad was going where trolls village was. They didn’t say that specifically in the presentation, but that’s how I perceived it.

Oh nevermind then, i was assuming it was going where the old Kung Fu Panda training area was right after you enter ted the Kung Fu Panda area.

[Park Addict 93]

12 minutes ago, themagician said:

My understanding was the splash pad was going where trolls village was. They didn’t say that specifically in the presentation, but that’s how I perceived it.

Based on the concept art I had it replacing Po's Fountain.

[Miloja84]

I’m not if I missed it but are they keeping Motocoaster? 

[themagician]

Yeah I think you’re right and those dark blue columns would be the existing shade structure. 

[Whombex]

On 24/11/2022 at 11:41 PM, RobMac said:

Great to see the investment...but DW as clueless as ever, about theming and layout!

Could you please share the new park map showing this clueless layout and theming? 

[Whombex]

Geez you go on a holiday overseas, and look what happens! 

I'm impressed with what's going to happen at DW, especially with the return of an old river town style area where ABC has been occupying. 

The investment as a whole looks positive for the future of the park, while still keeping real estate for future growth (mainly thinking RHLR/Blue Lagoon). 

I'm curious to see if the Tower of Terror station footprint will go to Rivertown or Dreamland, considering that the train line acts as a natural border.

I'm struggling to come to terms with the Flyer at the fountain. For me, whenever I'd visit DW after years of not having been, seeing the fountain reminded me was back where Id had so much fun and adventure with family and friends. Not that it was at the Fountain that I had those experiences, but that entry always was our launching pad.

Many a family photo gets taken there as people first enter the park, seeing pics of people with their parents from the 80s or 90s, who are now parents themselves getting similar photos. If you don't connect with the park as you enter in this way, that's fine, but that was my magical moment, not entering the park through the turnstiles, not approaching from the carpark. 

If the Flyer was added with water fountains surrounding it (boarding platform obviously part of/built from ride base), as @Jobesuggested, that would be nice. 

[themagician]

I’m actually hoping part of the fountain stays because I like the globe sitting over the water. If they get rid of all the fountain it needs to be a green. I think a globe spinning with something below will look out of place from behind

[Slick]

1 hour ago, themagician said:

I’m actually hoping part of the fountain stays because I like the globe sitting over the water. If they get rid of all the fountain it needs to be a green. I think a globe spinning with something below will look out of place from behind

The large fundamental issue with this entire vision outlay is the lack of consideration to the greater area these ideas reside in, which has been an Ardent bug feature for the last two decades. Consider that whilst Rivertown will be absolutely solid if not great, it completely ignores any consideration for Motocoaster. As such, guests will literally see green modern theming juxtaposed against jungle. The same goes for this Ocean Parade splash pad stuff - guests will see, in essence, Tiger Island, ABC Kids & Ocean Parade all butting up against each other. This isn't being OCD about Disneyland sightlines, this is literally like having Troll's in Ocean Parade all over again.

Then there's the Dreamworld Flyer - take everything that makes what they're copying from Phantasialand good (the colouring, the fountains, the integration into the greater village space) and strip it down to a concrete pad that visually competes for kinetic and physical presence next to the landmark people see as they walk in. This is juxtaposed again by the Abu Dhabi Airport facade that calls Main Street home. From a revenue-raising perspective, they've got their last three new attractions all within a few seconds walking distance of the entrance, thereby creating multiple choke points early on in the experience and also greatly limiting the opportunity for pass holder revenue to be made during repeat visitation. And let's not talk about how much it'll impact private events, how it'll make any parade or any special show (think Fire Machine) beyond impossible... I could go on.

[themagician]

I agree with the majority of your argument. Along with the announcements would you say the expectations for the park is they should indeed retheme Motocoaster to align with the new Rivertown? Because I would agree with that. When it opened the theme was slapped in between the traditional Main Street and wiggles world, which never maid sense. But as we’ve seen with theme parks before, sometimes a rides theme doesn’t fit with its surrounds (someone’s thats an unfortunate outcome).

While I agree that extending Ocean Parade and creating another land that separates Dreamland and Tiger Island isn’t ideal, especially when there’s isn’t a large area between the two lands. However I think Pandamonium (as a thrill ride) is much better suited for a lane like Ocean Parade over Kenny & Belinda’s Dreamland. Pandamonium’s theme is being updated to be based around a sea monster, which I think suits the ride. What is a shame is they aren’t utilising the existing unused land of Ocean Parade to add to during this investment. I did think the splash zone was replacing the Troll’s Village area, but after it was identified earlier, this isn’t the case unfortunately.

With the Dreamworld Flyer, would you say the attraction would have worked much better in its location if they didn’t remove the Dreamworld Cinema facade and replaced it with an airport? Hopefully they do achieve a close aesthetic to how the ride has been executed in Phantasialand, and if they don’t that’ll be a shame/missed opportunity. However I still think the attraction is a good way to ‘activate’ the entrance area because currently you walk in and there’s nothing happening. Rides like the Wipeout and TOT always used to ‘active’ the kinetic energy though the park, but currently they don’t have that. 
 

And while removing the fountain does remove this event/show opportunities (they are even using it this Summer for their Circus event), it was only used maybe once a year. I think this ride is a much better use of this area. 

[New display name]

5 year rebuilding plan after 20 years of neglect people.  DW aren't looking at fixing everything year 1 & 2.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

1 hour ago, themagician said:

And while removing the fountain does remove this event/show opportunities (they are even using it this Summer for their Circus event), it was only used maybe once a year. I think this ride is a much better use of this area. 

100% this. Arguing the loss of the fountain over things like temporary seasonal activations for fire machine and the like, over the permanent introduction of a new, year-round attraction is weak at best.

Main street needs a kinetic energy. We need to give up the 'preservation' of Longhurst's Disneyland Main Street - Because even Disneyland has kinetics down main street with trolleys, carriages and the like. DL's Main Street also has the castle weenie to draw people in. The current arrangement does none of this. 

Why can't a parade happen? Does it need to cut off the ride like an island? 

I absolutely applaud the installation of this attraction, and i'm intelligent enough to recognise its the first step in a very long journey - Just because they haven't mentioned plans for MDMC, it doesn't mean it isn't on the whiteboard for stage 3\4 once this initial $50-60M is done and dusted. 

There's only so much money - you can't expect them to completely renew the entire park in one foul swoop. Get the new rides in to take the pressures off the current ones so you can shut them down for a rework without leaving the park desolate. 

the next 5 years are going to be an exciting time on the gold coast.

[New display name]

1 hour ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

 the next 5 years are going to be an exciting time on the gold coast.

It has never been a better time to be a theme park enthusiast in Australia, then now. Everywhere you look, new attractions recently opened, new attractions under construction & new attractions planned.

[Slick]

26 minutes ago, New display name said:

It has never been a better time to be a theme park enthusiast in Australia, then now. Everywhere you look, new attractions recently opened, new attractions under construction & new attractions planned.

I'd agree with this - for the first time we've got really interesting stuff happening all over the country which is historically unprecedented, it's a really good time to be an Aussie enthusiast for sure.

1 hour ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

Just because they haven't mentioned plans for MDMC, it doesn't mean it isn't on the whiteboard for stage 3\4 once this initial $50-60M is done and dusted. 

I'm sure management have got plenty of ideas that weren't in the announcement, and that still doesn't change the fundamental reality that when these projects are done, we'll still have the same haphazard Dreamworld master-planning that's been at play for the last two decades. This isn't about creating some unrealistic Disney-level of park because right now even industry substitutes (casinos, shopping centres, smaller play centres, local council parks etc.) are nipping at Dreamworld's feet in regards to immersion, and so the bar of "she'll be right, they're trying as hard as they can, give 'em a break" is not conducive to Dreamworld actually being profitable in the long term. Simply put - I don't think I'm being unreasonable in expecting Dreamworld to be more considered in their master-planning - if they can do it for Tiger Island (which is easily one of the best themed areas in the country) and if they could do it in the 80's, and if their competitors can do it, they can too.

 

Speaking of the 80's, you're right, John's park is long dead and that horse continues to be beaten. For me I acknowledged that when they got rid of the facades for Sky Voyager John's park died (and died again when they knocked over Hollywood Cottage for Steel Taipan) - realistically if any management doesn't understand the significance or doesn't ask why the way things are before gutting them, then the hope for clinging to any other aspect of John's original park and what made it so great compared to now should be well and truly abandoned. And yet, the double-speak is at play, because the whole reason it's called Rivertown is because of its adjacency to the Murrissippi River. Both it and Rivertown are nods to John's Dreamworld. So which is it? We want to acknowledge the history and heritage whilst simultaneously not respecting it?

I'll try and speak to this briefly because I acknowledge this isn't everyone's cup of tea. But, the tricky thing with theme park leadership is that unlike other businesses, any capital expenditure decisions, even at the sub-million mark, are going to have wild impact on other projects/amenities/facilities/attractions/etc. for two to three decades. So if you're not insanely considered in thinking about how your decision is going to look in three decades' time in the most holistic way possible, it's super easy to end up having V8 Redline in Ocean Parade, or worse yet Troll's, especially when there's a mountain of other stakeholders involved who don't respect or get how theme parks (and theme park design and its impact on revenue) work. Worse yet, if those stakeholders don't understand the rationale behind retheming something for the sake of it, why would any board approve major capex spend when it doesn't move the needle during a time when the business is still skating on thin ice? By extension, if you can't roll in a few million to include the park's most popular ride into the new precinct that's happening metres away, will it ever happen? I could go on about this forever but it'd probably bore 99% of enthusiasts here because it's not about the fun stuff we all enjoy talking about - point is, measure twice cut once, and I don't personally see a lot of that in some of these new announcements.

Edited November 29, 2022 by Slick