You have to spend $100 million to change one Australian theme park. Which park would it be and how would you do it?

[QueenieTheThoosie]

I'd build a whole new theme park in Sydney, a la Cedar Point. Main centerpiece would be a 400 foot tall LSM launched coaster, a la Top Thrill Dragster.

[TBoy]

32 minutes ago, QueenieTheThoosie said:

I'd build a whole new theme park in Sydney, a la Cedar Point.

If Paramount Parks never sold Wonderland, then we could've had our own Cedar Fair Park. Unfortunately it was Paramount's least priority (not being named Paramount's Wonderland in 1994 like the other parks in the chain and remaining under same management) it was sold to new owners in 1997 who made silly excuses to close areas (the kids area was apparently closed for being "too big") and the park was closed in 2004.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

9 minutes ago, TBoy said:

If Paramount Parks never sold Wonderland, then we could've had our own Cedar Fair Park. Unfortunately it was Paramount's least priority (not being named Paramount's Wonderland in 1994 like the other parks in the chain and remaining under same management) it was sold to new owners in 1997 who made silly excuses to close areas (the kids area was apparently closed for being "too big") and the park was closed in 2004.

Paramount never owned Australia's \ Wonderland Sydney.

Paramount purchased 5 parks from TAFT Broadcasting \ Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) in 1992 including Canada's Wonderland and Kings Island. KECO didn't own the controlling stake in Australia's Wonderland, and Paramount (who was looking to establish their own brand of parks) had no interest in a minority stake in a park halfway around the world. The Paramount name was applied to all 5 parks purchased in 1993.

KECO ended up selling their share to Australian based investor groups, making the park wholly Australian owned until the 1997 buyout by Sunway Malaysia.

[REGIE]

3 hours ago, QueenieTheThoosie said:

I'd build a whole new theme park in Sydney, a la Cedar Point. Main centerpiece would be a 400 foot tall LSM launched coaster, a la Top Thrill Dragster.

Not sure that would be the best investment theses days. We are not really in the coaster wars anymore and a shorter height coaster with a amazing layout would be better received imo. Something like fury 325 but even that I can’t see happening. Maybe a RMC or intamin hyper that’s 250ft? 

Edited January 12, 2023 by REGIE

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

an intamin hyper would only be compared to DC Rivals, and most GP wouldn't see the difference between the two. 

If you want to make a splash in Aus, you need a type that is way different to what's already here. That means Flyer is probably your best bet.

[joz]

Pfft if you could get a Cedar Point scale park in Sydney for $100million it'd be one of the most spectacular investments of all time.

 

A month out from opening announce that you've changed your mind and sell the lot. Walk away with half a billion profit.

[Baconjack]

5 hours ago, QueenieTheThoosie said:

I'd build a whole new theme park in Sydney, a la Cedar Point. Main centerpiece would be a 400 foot tall LSM launched coaster, a la Top Thrill Dragster.

100 million would get you a dry ride expansion at raging waters. Big coaster, big family ride, and about 10 or so flats. Not a fully fledged theme park

Next big thrill ride frontier should be a flying coaster. Crowd pleaser, quality ride, highly reliable. Certainly not cheap though 

Edited January 12, 2023 by Baconjack

[Tricoart]

1 hour ago, Baconjack said:

Next big thrill ride frontier should be a flying coaster. Crowd pleaser, quality ride, highly reliable. Certainly not cheap though 

Hard agree. That, a wing coaster, or a thrilling invert would bring great diversity to AUS, though sadly I doubt that B&M'll come down under anytime soon, which practically rules out a wing coaster. But, with Vekoma coming guns-blazing into Australia recently with 5 new/future additions (duelling family boomerangs, 2 SFC's, and a custom FLC), and their similarly rapid expansion into the US in both the family and thrill market, I'd love to see somewhere here buy into their more thrilling options and perhaps get a new-gen flying coaster/STC from them.

Edited January 12, 2023 by Tricoart

[REGIE]

I feel like now more then ever B&M have a chance of coming to Australia. They are slowly dropping off in the US as newer better coasters and manufacturers pop up. Most US parks already have a load of B&Ms. eventually they are going to have to branch out to stay a thing. I mean it must be bad. look what they are doing at seaworld in the US . 2 per row launch coaster.. not at all what B&M are known for. That means they are starting to feel the switch. They can’t stay the traditional coaster company they are in US anymore. They are running out of options. That’s why I think Australia getting a B&M is not to far fetched. Think about the publicity they would get from enthusiasts. Vs if they made another dive coaster in the US. The question is, who has got the money? 
 

(In no way is this indicating that if  Australia get a B&M they will get a dive coaster. That just seems to be the only thing left US parks are buying from them)

Edited January 12, 2023 by REGIE

[TBoy]

1 minute ago, REGIE said:

I feel like now more then ever B&M have a chance of coming to Australia.

A B&M coaster at the GC wont open until 2025 earliest. Movie World and Dreamworld have plans for 2023-2024 and White Water/Wet N Wild will not be getting one for obvious reasons. Sea World doesn't have enough room. 

[REGIE]

Movieworld are also tight on room I can’t see where it would fit. I think it will either be dreamworld or a new park

[Tricoart]

55 minutes ago, REGIE said:

Most US parks already have a load of B&Ms. eventually they are going to have to branch out to stay a thing. I mean it must be bad.

For sure, and that's why they've switched into more family-focused models in Europe (wing @ Chessington, wing @ Legoland), released a (relatively) cheaper, tamer, LSM-centric ride model, expanded into Asia, and haven't been making any hypers/gigas. But, despite all that, as much as I'd like for it to happen, I just can't see a B&M coming here anytime soon. Even if a park here were to reach out to B&M for a project, out of; the cost of manufacturing & shipping to a new continent, the different laws we've got in place, the space our parks have, the demographics a given park are wanting the ride to be for, and the minimal amount of parks here that'd be interested in B&M's relatively lacking portfolio of ride models, one of them would likely deter either the park or the manufacturer from going ahead with the project. I'm not saying it's the entire reason that B&M wouldn't come here, nor that it's existence rules out B&M coming here entirely, but there's got to be a reason why manufacturers who construct rides here, soon become the only manufacturer making rides for the next 3-5 years (odd-one-out being Levi/Gravity Group, but that was both SBNO for years & opened poorly, partially due to GG being a new manufacturer in Australia and not handling it greatly, and is a woodie, which is a different ballpark).

Edited January 12, 2023 by Tricoart

[REGIE]

This is true. The only park rn I can think of with the space and who would want a crowd pleasing reliable B&M is dreamworld but they gotta start making good profit first and I think there are heaps of better coasters they need before a B&M unfortunately. The only other option would be if Sydney got a theme park again. There are plenty of concepts but nothing happening yet… so your probably right. Our parks just can’t support a B&M at the moment. Maybe 20 years ago if they didn’t get caught up with other things 

Edited January 12, 2023 by REGIE