Brisbane Show Ride Prices

[dreamworld_rulz]

Crowds at 20-year high Stuart Sherwin August 14, 2006 12:00am Article from: The Courier-Mail Font size: + - Send this article: Print Email THIS year's Brisbane Ekka could be one of the biggest of the past two decades after huge crowds swamped the showground at the weekend. Organisers predict as many as 550,000 people will attend the show this year, up 50,000 on 2005. RNA president Vivian Edwards said new attractions and sunshine were bringing out the crowds. "Visitor numbers are significantly up on last year," he said. Queues hundreds-deep built up outside the showground's entry gates early yesterday and once inside they lined up at ATMs. But the show's busiest day is yet to come, with Brisbane enjoying its Ekka public holiday on Wednesday. This year many parents have winced at the cost of rides in Sideshow Alley, with several charging $15 a go and one even asking $30. But Showmen's Guild of Australia president Billy Davis said recent fuel hikes had forced many of his members to increase their prices. "Showmen have come directly to Brisbane from Darwin, Cairns and Mount Isa," he said. "That's a long way to come and requires a lot of diesel. I've got five vehicles to run and when you fill them all up there's not much change from $1000. The larger rides then need 200 litres of diesel a day to run. "Fuel price rises hit us hard unfortunately, but we've had a marvellous show so far. "If people didn't like the rides and didn't have fun they wouldn't pay us." There are 35 large rides in Sideshow Alley, plus 20 smaller rides for young children. Owners have also been hit by rises in the cost of public liability insurance. Tammy Durkin runs the Slingshot ride, which usually charges $30 for a ride, with her husband Phil. "We know things are expensive right now and we have been offering a lot of discount tickets for $20," she said. "Most of the rides here cost over $1 million and have to be imported from Europe. We don't own this ride – it was paid for with a loan." She said less than one customer in a thousand was disappointed with the ride – which catapults two people hundreds of feet into the air in an open capsule. Mark Dibacco, 23, of Nundah, didn't complain when he came off the ride yesterday. "It was awesome," he said. "I don't feel like I've been cheated. The insurance for this ride must be pretty big I'd guess." But Zac Saba, 40, of Calamvale, said he was dreading taking his two children around Sideshow Alley. "The cost of the rides is incredible ... and we haven't even bought any showbags for the kids yet." Dr Edwards said parents didn't have to pay out to have a good time at the Ekka. "There's free food and drink samples, free concerts and free entertainment everywhere you turn," he said. "I think the Ekka is phenomenal value." Geez i hope they don't charge that much @ the Melbourne show next month. Coz i won't be going if they do.

[joz]

$30 for the Slingshot isn't too crazy but which rides cost $15?

[mattcrombie]

$15 one is the one similar to the vomitron in surfers, there is a massive one and a smaller version. $10 you can reride it.

[dreamworld_rulz]

What about the carnival rides like the cha-cha or Turbo or even the hang over or the Claw?

[Spotty]

$10 For Bells No Limit. $30 For Slingshot. $15 For Paviers Speed and $10 Re-Rides. $7 For Russel Watkins Space Roller and Johnsons Hard Rock. $6 For Majority of the other thrill rides. $4 For all the Kiddie Rides. If you have any further questions, Dont hesitate to ask me.

[dreamworld_rulz]

Thanks spotty that's what i was after.

[Spotty]

Your Welcome.

[mattcrombie]

i went on the No limits ride. Its the most intense ride i have ever been on. I wouldnt do it again ever. Its way worst than the vomitron in Surfers Paradise. I had free rides all day so i went on it and it was the worst out of them all.

[Spotty]

No Limit is so intense, thats why i love it

[PattieBoi]

Why do some Carnival Rides have to be soo good but expensive

[ozshowkid]

because if a ride cost one million dollars to buy and it only has 8 seats how are you goin to pay back tha bank if you charge $5 a ride. How come fuel is nearly $2 a litre, how come insurance is so high, how come everything is so high. One answer if one goes up everything has to to compensate the increase in lost revenue. Cheers Tyrone

[scott]

A million bucks for a show ride? I doubt it. Especially looking at the Zipper....I'm never riding that thing. Shouldn't this be in General Thrills?

[Gazza]

Well considering the Claw at DW cost 6 million i can see a carnie ride that is much smaller being that amount

[joz]

Not all rides are $1million, but its a bit naive to say that none are. Rides aren't cheap, neither are the things Ozshowkid mentioned, and the thing is its not just about making a return on the investments, but also running them at a decent profit, and on a ride like Vomitron (or whatever the traveling version is called) or any other low capacity ride you simply aren't going to to that at $5 a pop.

[varekai]

well im planning to go on no linits! *yay* but why is it soooo intense please explain thanx

[Bubco]

Lol the EKKA, I actually went this year. The funniest/stupidest/"lesson of the day" thing happened when my sister and I rode the Zipper (a ride where your inside a cage and it gets flipped and spun over and over until you think you're gonna hurl). Anyway, I went on and removed everything from my pockets except my keys and a bit of cash I had, about halfway through the ride I felt this thing moving slowly up my leg, it was my keys, and they wanted a ride too. So they shot out of my pocket and started rattling around the cage, I was scared for 2 reasons, 1, I didn't want to loose my keys outside the small gaps in the cage, coz we needed them to get home coz we drove. Reason number 2 was that they were bouncing round so much I thought many times they were gonna hit me in the head or something. I found out the hard way that it's really hard trying to catch an object such as a bunch of keys when you're spinning, one second they would be near your hand and just when you're about to catch them and hold onto them tightly gravity would kick in and then they shoot down to your feet and you have to try and stomp on them with your foot. Luckily, my sister and her quick thinking stood on the keys when they landed at the bottom of the cage so they weren't able to get away again. I even asked her before we got on the ride what I should do with my keys, she replied "Just leave them in your pocket, they will be safer there." So next time when I see a sign that says "Please remove all loose objects" I should probably obey it.

[dreamworld_rulz]

Thanks for the laugh. I'm glad you didn't lose anything. Lisa and i are going in an hr. BTW the thread is about the show ride prices? How much are the rides?

[ozshowkid]

The big rides range from $6 to $30 for the sling shot, i'm here at the moment opperating the Spac Roller come and say G'Day. Cheers OZhowkid

[ILUV SUPERMAN ESCAPE]

$10 For Bells No Limit.

What is Bells no limit?

[ozshowkid]

$10 i think but don't quote me Space Roller-mega drop-$8, Hard Rock-Ali Baba-break dance-power surge- hangover-$7, Speed- Insanity-$15, Sling shot$30

[dreamworld_rulz]

Got back an hour and a half ago. Only went on 1 ride which was the skymaster ferris wheel which was $7.00. Grabbed a hot dog and a 600ml coke for $9. A bucket of fairy floss for $7, all the places we looked at for fairy floss wanted either $8 or $10 but the stall down towards the womens toilets where the flash dance ride is; was cheapest. Had tea at reddy which cost $10.80 but it was rather good. Got a few showbags then left around 6pm. It's my first time at the Ekka and although it wasn't as packed as Melb usually is I found it to be a little too squashed in as Melbourne is more spread out but it was good you didn't have to walk far to get from one place to another and all the rides were pretty much put together. Crowd was a good size..had to push a few times at various parts of the ground but the showbag hall was practically empty and we only waited a mere 5 minutes for the ferris wheel. In total I spent around $75-$80. Here's some pics I took..

[studiodekadent]

I thought that the 2007 Ekka was pretty good, mainly because no one was there! Really, it was great. I thought the Space Roller was utterly awesome. I had 2 rides, one in the very outside seat... I must say its the most demented ride in that seat. The only flat ride that is as good as the Space Roller in the outside seat is Dreamworld's Wipeout. Also managed to get 2 rides on the Power Surge as well. I think its great... The footprint is very size-efficient but its a great ride to go on. The only problem is that the shoulder harness is a little uncomfortable, certainly compared to the Space Roller. But the ride was more than worth it. Also, I think that the Space Roller's restraints need to be praised. I am a larger rider, yet the OTSR's were totally comfortable, even though they did 'squeeze' me a little. Since Sideshow Alley is awfully small I think in the future rides with smaller footprints will be popular. Hopefully this means more Zamperla's, Mondials and KMG's and the like.