Melbourne trip report

[jjuttup]

Last week i visited Melbourne from Sydney for Furiosa in IMAX reasons, and while i was down there, i went and did 3 experiences: Melbourne Zoo, Monopoly Dreams, and Harry Potter A Forbidden Forest Experience. So i figured i'd roll the 3 TR into 1 since much of my trip was picture light, but video heavy. I've only got 1 video up so far of this trip, and it's HP. For those curious about some of the things here im 10 second tours on everything where you can find much of the videos when they go up after my Vivid stuff.

 

Melbourne Zoo:

2 words- Holy fucking shit. Now, i havnt been to Disney, but i have spent a considerable amount of time in the parks thanks to VR, and i must say, 3 1/2 of the parks areas feel like they're up there, if not higher. Especially when compared to AK. I entered from the main gate and not the rail gate, and was advised by the clerk to go clockwise, so i did. First up is Gorilla Rainforest. You enter into these hatched gumnut style domes with airlocks into a fully free roam lemurs everywhere. And i mean free roam in every sense. They can go where they want, including over your toes. After you exit, the trail makes it's way around a Gorilla exhibit that you weave towards and away from. Theres several  "thematic education points" scattered around the trails that really bring the themes together. In here, i believe there was 1 and it was themed to a ranger station overlooking the exhibit. The other thing that really sells the theme is tree density and how well its used to obscure the sightlines, see below.

 

You can barely see the back of house areas, let alone the path thats right next to you. around half way through the trail, you'll find treetop apes and monkeys. This is an elevated viewing area that can be described as part Viet Nam, part Seal Harbour and part DW Nocturnal House. It's outside, but it still manages to sell the theme. Eventually you see the Gorilla/s and the trail ends.

Trail of the Elephants uses much of the same tree usage, but more and better building use. You pass through a wetlands aviary, and a rainforest aviary which arent really much to write home about unless long-legged waders and eclectus parrots get you really exited. Once you get past the tigers though, thats when shit gets good. There is a very heavy amount of Thailand theming here, and the whole back area is guest paths and elephant paths occupying the same space like a railroad crossing. You first come up to paddock 1, then go through the butterfly house with it's Nimbin looking entrance and Lord Howe Phasmid exit (no, it's not on display). After that you find yourself in an open area with an eatery, function centre and gift shop when youre only half way through the trail. I honestly think thats the best bit as it helps to sell the area more as being in the middle of the Asian jungle. The northern section of this space houses a pavillion with windows to watch the keepers feed and interact with all the Elephants, akin to tarongas space, but bigger and with glass. Next you dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge your way through 3 other elephant exhibits and eventually find yourself infront of the Siamangs and Orangutans. While their education space wasnt open, the building itself is impressive. 

 

After that is the Australian Bush. After circling around a Koala and Quokka, you find yourself infront of one of the coolest Aviary's ive ever seen. It's entrance is a giant dome like Rockhampton zoo's, and then has a long bit off the side like Jurassic Park. After that is where this area becomes the aforementioned 1/2. 

 

You pass by Echidna's and other staples like Lace Monitors and Potoroos and into a cave made to look like a wombat cave. Then you get all the flavours of the Coat Of Arms and a toilet themed play area thats weird enough to make the Rabbids happy.

 

The next area of note is Lion Gorge which is where you'll find most of the predators. An education room in this area will give you another angle of the Lions, aswell as a python and some Archer Fish. After passing the Binturong (the bearcats that smell like popcorn) you go through a tunnel and find yourself infront of the Snow Lepard exhibit which really looks like Canada and other alpine cold places. Now between here and the Tigers is a mostly themed suburban alleyway which i think is supposed to tell people to put their cats inside. The Tigers area looks like a bush outpost which gave me Ghost Recon Breakpoint vibes. The Devils are found here and have an interesting tunnel mural entry. It was around this area that i noticed the zoo doing something smart and playing with the areas density with sounds attached to laser sensors, as seen below. Throughout the place lies bush tracks you can take that go around a couple of trees and then back to the path you were on, and this one near the tigers had a tiger cutout on a speaker, angled to hide itself from the path provided you went the right way. I guess it's trying to tell you to always watch your back in these areas.

 

 

Time for the fish in Wild Seas. You travel down a path thats made to look like going under a degrading pier. After seeing some Shovel noses and Port Jacksons, you enter into a massive building with your underwater viewing for the Seals and Penguins. Making your way to the top you pass a number of small tanks with thing like Seahorses and whatnot before coming to the top where you have the above water areas for the Seals and Penguins.

The places i'd suggest the zoo fix is the eatery (too many seagulls) and to put in a nocturnal house. Any chance to stare at a Ghost Bat, Owl or Glider i will take.

 

 

This is where the pictures run out

Monopoly Dreams:

So i was curious how this would be done and had even forgot about it until i saw the flier in my hotels lobby. But basically, you go for a trip around a Monopoly board in a walkthrough attraction. Entering the foyer, everything is deep red. Walls, floors roof and carpet. Everything. After spending 5 minutes getting given a buch of barcodes to maximise your journey around Monopoly City, you leave the foyer and take an elevator up to Mr Monopoly's (MM) office where you get to meet him (via screen). It's a nice abeit small area. Place is littered with pictures of Scottie (the dog game piece), some nice pepers ghost boxes of things like MM stepping out of his mansion. Theres also a large TV looping security footage of the building. Once you're done there, you come into a small museum space with heaps of old sets from aound the world and other Monopoly propaganda. Theres also screens with a quiz to tell you which game piece you are. After this is MM's vault. Take pictures with his gold, or play some games to earn discounts in the gift shop. This is also where you can queue and watch the 4DX experience. Honestly, the screen here isn't big enough to mentally sell the idea that you're taking a city circle tram around Monopoly City. From here, you have absolute free roam of MC where you can work for more discounts, take pictures, try to win a plush bank note, or do the only thing that wont get you a discount. You can see MM, Scottie and even his Helicopter. Play minigames in the electric and water companies, take pictures behind bars, and play carnival games with a weird play system. One thing i really admire about the carnival games though, is the storage area for the extra stock is themed to a shop front complete with interior. The only other part of the experience left is to get a randomly generated mortgage card. I got the Queen Victoria Market. you can choose whether you want it to be a house or hotel i think, then you punch in your name, and it prints onto a 5x7. Then right next to it is a stamping thing so you can make the printed wax seal look raised. Then you have the gift shop. The experience has its own set.

 

Harry Potter A Forbidden Forest Experience:

It's Bush Vivid. Down in Mornington youll find this activation. Esentially you pay a stupid amount of money, and enter a small village with your food and drink venues like Butterbeer and Turkey Legs. Then you enter a preliminary gift shop with fuck all in it, then exit and walk to the bottom of the hill you just spent $30 to park at the top of. it's at the bottom your presented with this marvel

 

It's huge. And you enter it to Hedwig's Theme. You start walking up the hill a bit to the sounds of clips from a few of the movies, with lights to match (ie umbridge is pink). Eventually you'll come across a 1:1 Fang and Hagrid, although Hagrids looking away from you. Up the path a bit more is your first interactive element where you can bow to Buckbeak. Bit further you can see some Unicorns (screen), Nagini and/or the Basilisk (vinyl wrap on a tree) or Harry himself scaring off a Death Eater with his Patronus (practical effect). Rounding the corner is the first spell you can cast. I must say they pulled it off quite well, but it doesnt show in camera as well. You point a wand into the bushland, yell some words, and a random patronus appears via the magic of a clear screen and laser projector. Anyone whose done Pottermore, no you cant cast your own one. So instead of getting my Boar, i did get to cast a Panther, complete with the cheesy sound effect. Just past here is a Butterbeer stand, a soundbite of Luna saying shes not absolutely batshit crazy (she is), and signs saying to watch out for Nifflers. Theres an animatronic Troll that opens its eyes when you press the Idiot Proof BUTTON to ring the bell. It does not ring how you think it does. Trust me, im a Ravenclaw. You even get to come face to face with Aragog (not Aragon. wrong franchise) and his kids, aswell as the weasleys enchanted shitbox. After a few more spells, you emerge at the other gift shop. Prices are as high as expected. If you fit into Slythern or Ravenclaw, i suggest not getting your Potterganda from here as it's the wrong shade of green and blue. The highlight of the gift shop though other than the plush nifflers, is the $85 (i think) snowglobe of the thing above. My only other grievances are things closing early, and the Voldemort sounds every 30 or so minutes. It's cool that every light goes white and every single speaker plays in unison, but it just drags on for longer than it should.

[Brad2912]

Great review @jjuttup!

we did a Melbourne trip 3 weeks ago on Mother’s Day weekend, also taking in Melbourne Zoo & HP: Forbidden Forest (the main reason for our visit as our son is obsessed). 
 

Don’t think I could really add too much to your review which nails it all! 
 

I think it’s the best zoo in the country. Taronga has the world-class backdrop, but that aside Melbourne wins. 
 

HP:FF was literally amazing. Having recently returned from Japan and having done USJ and the WB HP studio tour (not to be missed if you are every visiting Tokyo) I felt there was no way I’d possibly be impressed with this - boy was I wrong! 

figured i’d chuck a couple of photos in to supplement what you’ve shared too 

We also spent a day at Luna Park -our first time there, which was also a heap of fun! 

[themagician]

9 hours ago, jjuttup said:

2 words- Holy fucking shit

3 words 😉

But seriously, good reviews overall. Do you think all three are good value for money and what would you rate them out of 10.

[jjuttup]

9 hours ago, Brad2912 said:

I think it’s the best zoo in the country. Taronga has the world-class backdrop, but that aside Melbourne wins.

I was at Taronga on Tuesday prior to Vivid trying to work out where it compares to Melbourne. Tiger Trek is probably the best they have on offer because Africa has too much dead space. Atleast MZ theme their dead space with something cool, like the alleyway i mentioned. Backyard to bush also achieves its goal really well, and the Bilby exhibit is the star of the nocturnal house. But Melbourne has to win here.

 

Also HP:FF i forgot to mention, has a great amount of subtle detail. The werewolf scene? The lights also have ears. Did you notice the 2 rats? 1 is missing a finger. The troll bell? the idiot proof button looks like a bike bell and is attached to handlebars (thats what tripped me up).

 

3 hours ago, themagician said:

Do you think all three are good value for money and what would you rate them out of 10.

I got into the zoo for free thanks to my taronga annual pass, but id say yes. 9/10

Monopoly, for what it is, is great even if it is a weird sell. But i would do it again. 8/10

HP. value? absolutlely not. I went after 915 when its cheaper and i still say it's too much. $60 tops is what it should be.  I paid $110 or something for the "deluxe" ticket which got me a tote bag, magnet, letter, and Butterbeer cup.  The tote is your generic size that you can get from printful in bulk with the tiny arm strap, but with Potterganda on it. The magnet is small, but has a unicorn in a rectangle frame that looks a bit like the frogs packaging. The letter is bad. it does not spark joy. The cup, does spark joy. 8.5/10

 

For context on my scale, a 6 means i would not willingly do it again for a long time unless i had a valid reason to (madame tussauds, most Merlin properties as of late). Meanwhile a 10 means i will throw you over my shoulder kicking and screaming if it gets us there (screenworlds at ACMI which has closed)

[Cactus_Matt]

I've lived in Melbourne for 14 years now and I've yet to visit any of these places. This trip report didn't change anything.

[Brad2912]

9 hours ago, Cactus_Matt said:

I've lived in Melbourne for 14 years now and I've yet to visit any of these places. This trip report didn't change anything.

Cool story. 

[Ksn]

For anyone planning a trip. In summer adventure world in geelong is pretty good for waterslides. It’s not wet n wild but it’s still a solid day out. and gumbuya world is great now and more coming there as well. 

[ThrillsThrillseeker]

Thanks so much for the detailed reviews! It really helps when trip planning to get such thorough insights from people who've recently visited these spots. The zoo especially sounds like an incredible experience - I'll have to make sure to allocate a full day there when I finally get down to Melbourne.

[Mark Shaw]

Luna Park Melbourne has two issues.  

 

1. It's a very small footprint that limits its possibilities. Nothing can be done about that.

2. The ownership/leadership is a combination of a trucking magnate and a labor trade union-based superfund (from memory, I think I have that right). 

 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Welcome back after your >4.5year absence!

[Gazza]

Quote

1. It's a very small footprint that limits its possibilities. Nothing can be done about that.

I've thought about that, but a couple of options:

Close Cavell St to traffic, and potentially expand onto that. You could do a few more flats, and potentially a coaster with a fairly linear layout

But the visionary option would be to consolidate around the Palais theatre and the surrounding car parks, and turn it into a proper destination, the next Grona Lund basically.

A comparison:

[Mark Shaw]

On 28/06/2024 at 10:51 AM, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

Welcome back after your >4.5year absence!

Thank you. I never really went anywhere.

[Levram__]

I noticed on a visit to Luna Park at the end of the school holidays they seem to be doing a lot of refurbishment works to the park. The entrance has been covered in scaffold for a complete refresh the staff said, there is a huge build happening in the centre of the park, which I believe used to be their arcade and Dodgems. The Enterprise and the Ferris Wheel looked like they just had complete repaints, new colour scheme with the cars on the Enterprise and a new ride booth. Despite all the works there were quite a few nice little refreshed parts to the park.