Things You Would Like To Add To Already Existing Australian Theme Park Rides

[Coaster Boy 6]

Since seeing there is not much going on in the Roller-Coaster.com.au Forums, I thought I might just add something that will spice things up a bit! Who has ever thought that they could off built a ride better or add better themeing to the ride? I know I have, and there are a lot of people out there who think the same thing. For Example: TOWER OF TERROR: The theming around the queue line is great and i think gives it a great eerie feel. However, they could improve the bit in the queue line that looks like your walking across a thin bridge between two skyscrapers. They could also improve the launch out of the tunnel. What they could do is install one of those new "Fogscreens" (I saw it on Beyond Tommorow). What it does is it acts like a temporary screen that images can be projected onto. They could have like a countdown from 10 to 0 and then you would blast through he fog. To make it even better they could even have smoke machines filling the tunnel with fog and lighting to make it look really good!! If people could please give there thoughts about the "ride you want to change" it would be greatly appreciated. CoasterBoy 6

[Dylaan]

Spare me from cyclone theming, it needs a complete makeover. I'd like to see something done to lots of rides but nothing significant I can think of right now.

[Richard]

I think it's about time Australia got a new wooden coaster. Intamin is building some absolutely amazing coasters these days, GCII seems to outdo themselves with their new rides and the Gravity Group have shown that they're just as good as CCI ever were. It's strange how in the past 5 or 10 years virtually every major park overseas has installed a wooden coaster, yet the epidemic seems to have skipped Australia.

[Gazza]

Cyclone - A warrant for demolition TOT- Decent theming Thunder River - Loads more water fountains, coin op water guns, water wheels, tipping mining buckets, all with a mining theme. SDSC - This ride is pretty much on the spot, but it would be cool if they added a few speakers with voice overs to push the story along (Like the whole ghost train section at the start looks nice, but has no real story) WWF - Replace the spark effect that was removed after the fire, and for the other parts of the ride i think some of the special effects could be a bit more energetic Superman escape - More theming in the queue line to make it feel more like a subway (eg ticket machines, signage, 24 hour clocks, TVs with departure times, snack vending machines), on the ride itself i would improve the theming at the start (in paticular i would get rid of the mural at metropolis square station as it looks crap, instead it should be a 3D set. Lethal Weapon - Rusted car bodies as leg choppers.

[goliath]

I agree we need a new woodie, but I'm not sure how the GP would look upon it; I mean, when they hear that DW or whatever is getting a new wooden coaster, they're instantly going to think of The Beast, and we all know how good that was. I think a B&M flyer would be perfect in terms of marketability for an Australian park, and one could fit in perfectly with the river area around the back of DW. I mean, am I the only one that thinks a flying coaster would just have so much appeal to the Australian public? Yeah, as for suggestions, put a match to Cyclone.

[Richard]

I'd think any doubts about the potential success of a wooden coaster are quickly changed when you see the perennial success of wooden coaster overseas. I don't think the Australian public would dismiss a wooden coaster based on Bush Beast. For one thing I don't think there was that much hate or dislike for Bush Beast out there. I wouldn't go all-out and remove Cyclone, but I'd do it differently - starting by not raising it off the ground like they did but excavate the terrain to fit it. Then there wouldn't be a need for such a ridiculous queue system and exit path.

[T-bone]

As much as I love Woodies, and as much as I loved The Bush Beast, you would be suprised about the complaints I got from fellow work mates regarding any sort of wooden roller-coaster.

[goliath]

^Thats interesting. Although it does seem that wooden coasters are making a comeback internationally, I dont think an Australian park would be interested in them becuase of the larger amount of work/maintenance involved compared to a steel coaster, and therefore larger cost in the long run. Look at Ghostrider; it used to be hailed as one of the best wooden coasters of all time, but now, due to poor maintenance/neglect, people are saying its even rougher than Psyclone at SFMM. Also, I dont think the public sees wooden coasters as safe as steel coasters, probably becuase of the roughness. But thats not to say I wouldnt welcome a woodie, I mean, just look at the success of The Voyage, people love it. I guess all I'm trying to say is I think steel coasters would be favoured over wood by Australian theme parks because of the perception that the public has that wood isnt as safe as steel. But maybe I'm way off, maybe the public would love a wooden coaster (especially one by the Gravity Group, I know I would).

[aidan]

I would like it if dreamworld cleared the island in the middle and put a woody there with a bridge going over. Would a woody fit on it?

[Richard]

The thing that puzzles me about the complaints about GhostRider and Psyclone in particular is that I found both these rides to be very smooth. Colossus at SFMM was also particularly smooth, but largely due to the fact that most of the track has been replaced with steel. They are also not nearly as expensive as you might think to maintain. Wooden coasters do require a more intensive maintenance programme, but you'll find that in the short-term (say, 5-10 years), this is easily outweighed by a much lower initial investment. In this period the ride pays itself off. The only reason I can see for this trepidation towards wooden coasters is that there is no precedent. Look at the amount of wariness around here that surrounds Dreamworld's new water park. Want to take bets on how many people are against the water park a year from now - or how much of a failure it will be? Once we've been shown that it can be done it all makes sense. Like Dreamworld installing a second sitdown looper (they can't have two of the same kind of ride!). It's a somewhat interesting trend that if you look back over how the Australian theme park community has progressed. There is always unsureness or negativity towards things that haven't been done here, regardless of their success internationally. Even if there are people with an extreme distaste for Bush Beast, do you really think this would ever cause less than expected attendance for a completely different ride at a different park with some exciting marketing? These rides wouldn't still being built in the numbers that they are overseas if the public's perception was based on their experience with vaguely similar rides at other parks. I'd go so far as to suggest that the average park-goer would not be able to tell the difference between a ride that we consider good and one we consider to be bad.

[goliath]

It's interesting that you found Psyclone to be smooth, I rode it in January, and while it wasn’t quite as rough as I expected, it was pretty bad. But now it’s been retracked, and its apparently much better.

Even if there are people with an extreme distaste for Bush Beast, do you really think this would ever cause less than expected attendance for a completely different ride at a different park with some exciting marketing?

Probably not, but while a wooden coaster has been done before in Australia, there’s so many other, more exciting coasters that a park could opt for, that I think would grab the publics attention much more than a wooden coaster. I mean, hypothetically, lets say Dreamworld runs a TV ad marketing their new wooden coaster. Someone might see the ad and think ‘oh, a new wooden coaster, they had one at Wonderland’, whereas when someone sees an ad for something completely new, like a flying coaster, they might think: ‘wow, a flying roller coaster, I’ve never seen or heard of this before, how exciting!’ The point being; everyone knows what a wooden coaster is, and a large portion of people who are potential customers of Dreamworld will have been on one before, at Wonderland. So a wooden coaster wouldn’t be as exciting to the public as something that’s unheard of in this country, like a flyer. That’s why I think a wooden coaster wouldn’t be favoured by Australian parks, because there are just so many more options that would be more appealing to the public.

[Gazza]

LOL, i dont mean to rain on anyones parade here, but this probably the most i have ever seen a post go off topic, it started out as suggestions for improvements to existing rides, but somehow became a debate about woodies.

[page06]

All the times that I have been on the Cyclone I have never seen that fan working. Can anyone tell me if that thing works? I think that the whole ride should be replaced. as for the exit for the ride I have found that the best way to get out is to use the Emeg Exit, its as lot faster.

[Gold Coaster]

It used to spin around and there was a cow hanging at the top.

[joz]

See, for me the themeing of Cyclone even when it was still "good" to me seemed kinda crap. Spending money to restore that themeing to me would be a waste of money. With Cyclone, talk to S&S arrow, and see if they'll throw another train together for them, and get that queue wait down, as well as a redesign of the exit area. As for themeing the queue, well, I'd just like to seem make it pleasant. None of this loud noises and flashing lights and fog and what ever else people dream up occasionally, since that stuff gets annoying quick (Space Probe queue anyone?). I don't think the whole ride should be replaced, the water park going in around it make it a prime candidate to stay exactly where it is IMHO. Also since I'm on a wish list topic with Cyclone, can we do anything about the roughness?

[T-bone]

I was only on this ride last year, and I was suprised, as the ride's queue line and the overall roughness had been totally bagged out on sites like this, so I was preparing for the worst, however I did not have a problem with the roughness of the ride, or the queue line structure apart from this little issue. Something needs to be done about those ventalation pipes blowing out fast hot air on a reasonably hot day. Something should be done about that, maybe some sort of cold air during the warmer months, and warm air during the colder periods. However apart from that, I have no issues with the queue line for the ride. One other thing I would do as mentioned by Joz is add another train to the ride, as 1 just simply isn't enough. So all in all, I don't agree with anyone when they say the Cyclone is a crap ride, I quite enjoy it.

Edited June 18, 2006 by T-bone

[Gazza]

Yeah, ill agree on the roughness, it wasnt too bad the only part where it was a problem was the helix. As for the pipes blowing out air, in summer they have misters in front of them to keep it cooler. But still comparing the ride to some of the others here you can see how it is pretty poor. Like from the entrance you can see how the theming people had no clue, i mean, sitcking the back panel of a van on a wall: is that supposed to make us think it is parked in there? bits of random stuff put on the walls, as supposed "spare parts" (we all know it was just a whipper snipper), a turbine with streamers: what is this, an air con salesroom? they could at least turn it on. As you move through there is a bouncy floor (Oh i get it, cyclones<->bouncy floors), and then you get to the station doors where you are subjected to those flashing lights while you wait. On the way out things get no better, its an endless maze of catwalks etc with some nice views of DWs back of house area and plenty of weedy gravel. And finally after passing an ill maintained garden bed you wind up in a bogan shop, specialising in the latest palyboy and bundaberg rum products.

[GoGoBoy]

Cyclone was themed by a company called the Sanderson Group who also themed the Giant Drop (which has some of the dodgiest queue line theming I have ever seen). The Sanderson Group also created the theming for the 'future zone' at Sega World in Sydney and then the re-theme of the Magic Motion Theatre ride (both quite poorly done). Thankfully it appears Dreamworld is now using a company called Atomiq. This firm created the new entry facades for Gold Rush Country and Ocean Parade, full theming on the Claw and also Wiggles World. They have also been commisioned to work on the new waterpark. They seem to produce some good stuff

Edited June 18, 2006 by GoGoBoy

[joz]

I wouldn't be to harsh on Sanderson. A look here details the work they've done, and really, its quite impressive. A quick look through reveals: Bermuda Triangle (Volcano, props, caverns, UFO sequence, dump scene) Surpent Slayers (Pryo, Surpent, FX) Gremlins (load/unload, "disaster themes" Batman (Inside and Out) Police Acedemy / Western Action show (set) Looney Tunes Village (Whole heap of stuff) White Water Mountain at Wet 'n' Wild So really, they have done a heap of good stuff, just it would seem, not at DW. But in their defense, ToT's queue and GD's queue were quite decent when they were new, its just that they got trashed over time. As for Cyclone itself, well I personally think its a bit rough, but I can still ride it and enjoy it, its not at the thunderbolt stage yet. However, I know a few others who won't ride it again for the roughness.