Eureka Mountain Mine Ride Maintenance

[Lotl_90]

No its not still an eating area. The 'Fried Frogs/Pot a Chook' Carnival game has been moved from Nick Central up to that area so that they can still maintain operations in poor weather. They put in a fence and stuff and it actually looks like they intend to keep it there for a while. As for developments on the ride itself, nothing.

[www worker]

all i can say is that this morning was my day off but i needed to see my manger about something(classified) and as i was exiting through dw i thought i'll go have a look around (it was at like 7 am no one was around) and i saw a guy walking through the mine then 5 minutes later i saw a cart run once then waited about 10 minutes nothing happened so i left i'm just saying it stil runs and maybe its a sign of it opening soon.

[T-bone]

I have in recent times contacted the Attractions manager at Dreamworld, and he basically said the ride has been de-commissioned, and won't be returning.

[Lotl_90]

all i can say is that this morning was my day off but i needed to see my manger about something(classified) and as i was exiting through dw i thought i'll go have a look around (it was at like 7 am no one was around) and i saw a guy walking through the mine then 5 minutes later i saw a cart run once then waited about 10 minutes nothing happened so i left i'm just saying it stil runs and maybe its a sign of it opening soon.

All I can say is that that is a load of garbage. The whole queue line area of that ride has been enclosed and turned into storage space. I was there this morning, very early and I guarentee that there were NO launches of the mine ride. Also, no department managers/admin were in today, its a Sunday, and the only people that you would find close would be the supervisors of the operating departments. And the final flaw to that story, if you were seeing your manager, why the heck would you exit through DW and not security gatehouse? Not to mention the staff areas are nowhere near Gold Rush Country.

[Spotty]

The Mine Ride will not be coming back anytime soon. You don't need to be "In the Know" as such to figure it out. It's been closed for nearly 2 years now and as Lotl_90 has stated, it's fully boarded up for almost a year and the stuff there is looking rather permanent. I'm really sorry to dissapoint you WWW_worker but your stories just don't add up. You can't expect people to believe what you say without proof. And i'm really REALLY doubting that Eureka will be opening any time soon if at all.

[stardust]

Nearly 2 years That's so sad I still remember it, it's still my favorite ride!!

[dodge53]

I think what dreamworld needs is a mass protest to bring the ride back to life.

Edited March 24, 2008 by dodge53

[bikeman]

People - the Mine Ride has closed permanently. Power to the control panel and electrics have been disconnected (except for the fire detection systems which remain active). It will not be rebuilt or resurrected in any way. I'm not sure if this can be expressed any clearer.

[mickey_079]

Well what happens to the track work and such? Is it just going to sit in the mountain?

[Spotty]

Weather or not what Bikerman says is true, It doesn't seem too far fetched now. Considering the ride has been down for so long... all I can say is R.I.P eureka

[Guest jake-train]

i recon it will be back because my mum said she could here some stuff going on in there when she said she sat down in the old line area. She said she could here drilling and a lot of talking so i'm takeing it that,that somthing is happering right now with it....

[0mah]

That may have been them taking it apart who knows. but the thing i really hate is they closed it a little while before i went there so i never got to ride it.

[Guest jake-train]

i don't no but we'll just have to wait it was the best mine ride that i have ever riden well it was the onley mine ride that i had riden....

[Lotl_90]

Guys, (and gals?) To put it simply.. The mine ride will not be re-opening anytime soon, if at all. There were undoubtedly problems with the ride that led to it being closed, a lot of which im sure Dreamworld is not willing to have released to the public. Also, as Bikerman has already said, the ride system has been disconnected, not saying it couldnt be reconnected in the future, but its unlikely. The 'construction noises' that have been heard are probably just the noises of workers enclosing the ride queue area which, as I have previously said, is now storage.

[MickeyD]

^ that and the fact that the area at the base of the 'mountain' is a maintenance bay where fitters and turners do alot of general work for all areas of the park

[jjuttp]

i like what www_worker is saying but the thing is though i dont think that much more will b happenning but i hope that they do reopen it though but also when this web was also roller-coaster.com.au they had said that it had closed down though

[mickey_079]

^^^^^^ WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE NONE OF YOUR POST'S MAKING SENSE! OH MY ITS GETTING TO ME! sorry

[billyb67]

I am glad I rode it not long before it did close down, and that was about 2 years ago, it was the first time I had ridden it in 10+ years so I am very glad I went on it a bunch of times then because looks like there won't be another chance "There were undoubtedly problems with the ride that led to it being closed, a lot of which im sure Dreamworld is not willing to have released to the public." Any clues on what these things were ? Anything we already know about ?

[ThemeParksAustralia]

There have been a few lies and a few truths stated in these posts. In the defence of www_worker, I'm going to make it clear here and now that the Mine Ride was operating, without people, for a very short time (I think it was just over a span of two days). The carts would do the cycle and there would then be absolute silence. I'm not going to jump to any conclusions and say 'yes, it's reopening' or 'no, it's not reopening'. But www_worker is not at fault when he stated that the carts have done cycles since its closure. What this means, whether it's a positive or negative thing, is now irrelevant. The area has been locked down for that long that surely anyone with half a brain would realise it's not just a temporary 'closure'. I think it's safe to assume, not make it fact, that Eureka is down for good. "There were undoubtedly problems with the ride that led to it being closed, a lot of which I'm sure Dreamworld is not willing to have released to the public." The ride was suffering from wear and tear well before it closed, and I guess the only legitimate reason for actually closing the ride would have been something going wrong etc. Because these details haven't been released, and no-one in here is in a position to state the reasons (because no-one really knows), I think that statement was true. Dreamworld staff and management probably were hesitant to release information on the closure. If they weren't, I'm guessing someone would know. Since no-one does, let's just assume that it's just at Dreamworld's discretion as to why the ride closed. Bikeman, I don't know where you get your information, but it has to be a good source. Problem is, this source is probably lying to you. Like a lot of people, I have been in touch with Dreamworld as well and posed a simple question - what is it with the Mine Ride and is it reopening? Let's make it perfectly clear that the control panel to the ride and the electronics systems have NOT been disconnected (as yet). This could be for many reasons, but the most obvious is Dreamworld policy. Unless a ride is deemed closed permanently, the electronic systems and control panel will remain functional; even if, in the case of the Mine Ride, it's highly unlikely they will be needed again. Secondly, if the control features of the ride HAD been disconnected, it would be official then that the ride had closed. Dreamworld would no longer be keeping anyone in the dark. And we, all being intelligent humans, would know that since the ride's control functions have been disconnected, it would be a no-brainer that the ride has closed. I think this is one issue that isn't going to be solved with rumour, rather with time and patience. And, of course, official word from Dreamworld.

[TheMightyBoosh]

yawn... I guess that perhaps the foam used in the mountain could be a fire hazard and the toxic fumes could kill people before they could get out of the mountain. A fire retardant coating would just be too expensive and very labor intensive. So the ride sits in the 'expensive to fix' and 'too hard basket' right now. I'm probably not too far from the truth as I believe the foam used in the construction of the mountain has come under intense industrial and commercial scrutiny as of late.. wish I could remember the foams exact name so i could include a reference to the article I saw.. A little bit embarrassing to close a popular ride without any proposed outcome or solution for such a LONG TIME. Couldn't imagine Disney doing it! Pity there aren't any MLE board members who are die hard Eureka fans because I'm sure that a fraction of the MILLIONS of dollars that they secured in revenue last financial year could be used to revamp/restore and reopen the ride. I mean Gold Rush country is kind of lacking at the moment and bringing the ride back would boost the theming and attraction to the area. So much time has passed that you could almost open and rebrand the mine ride as a 'brand new attraction'! Hmm... pop quiz - How many people would of preferred $10 Million to go on restoring the Eureka ride rather than building the Motocoaster? Personally (and I'm drawing a long bow here) the Eureka ride provided more thrills and would be a better fit than the motocoaster in the Big 6. And without missing out on that lucrative brand association with famous Australians (i.e. Mick Doohan) you could call it: "Edward Hargraves Eureka Mine Ride" (heheh google him!). Don't forget to revamp the exit so people have to walk through a merchandise shop and check out their photo and all the other t-shirts/cups/hats etc. You could even have small bottles of 'real' gold for sale ala 'Sovereign Hill' (Vic.). There is a potential Gold Mine to be had for Dreamworld if they reopen this ride! (Pardon the pun but it had to be done ;-) ) Overall the solution is simple: Fix, reopen or redevelop the ride. How long does a safety assessment, a few brainstorming sessions and some filled out capital expenditure forms need to be completed? As a max action pass holder I feel that the integrity and value of the brand I'm supporting (Dreamworld) is a little diminished every time I gaze upon that foam mountain and wonder how such an investment can just sit there and gather dust! But I guess this has all been said before.. the saga continues... TMB

Edited April 11, 2008 by TheMightyBoosh

[Lotl_90]

yawn... I guess that perhaps the foam used in the mountain could be a fire hazard and the toxic fumes could kill people before they could get out of the mountain. A fire retardant coating would just be too expensive and very labor intensive. So the ride sits in the 'expensive to fix' and 'too hard basket' right now.

Someones Getting warmer. Also.. @ ThemeParksAustralia When were these two days that it was running? Im just wondering considering I am in that general area quite regularly, have been for some time and havent seen/heard a thing. Edited April 11, 2008 by Lotl_90

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

A little bit embarrassing to close a popular ride without any proposed outcome or solution for such a LONG TIME. Couldn't imagine Disney doing it!

Now it was a while ago now, so correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Disney do pretty much that exact thing with the Submarine Voyage prior to it's reopening as finding nemo? I'm looking to the other Disneyphiles, and frequent mousers on the boards for this one...

[ThemeParksAustralia]

Yep, the Submarine Voyage was down and out without anybody knowing what was going on for a long time before it's reopening as Finding Nemo. I think as far as the Eureka Mountain Mine Ride is concerned, though, 'left in the lurch' is an understatement. There has been NO news, either official or rumour, within the last year or so, and there's a whole heap of juggling reports of "carts running" and "drilling" and "refurbishing" etc., it's just not making a very clear cut discussion. Dreamworld is partly at fault here. They have given no leads, no clues..nothing as to what is happening on the site of the ride or future development. Contacting staff or management there is just as helpful as asking a telephone call centre operator about the mechanics of a car. They give us nothing. It seems to me as if this ride is getting a lot of the spotlight only because no-one's sure what's going on with it. I say let the subject be until we actually have some information or news to work with.

Edited April 12, 2008 by ThemeParksAustralia

[TOT]

I say save their pennies, bulldoze the lot and build a Eurofighter inside a non-flammable mountain. Wayyyyyy more fun. Innovation all the way.

[TheMightyBoosh]

Ah Yes Disney has done it - I stand corrected! I wonder if Disney left their theme park goers in the lurch also? Thanks guys TMB