Impressions of Movieworld Trip (16th January/24th January)

[ferret79]

I’ve been lurking on this forum for a while, and having read some of the wonderful reviews posted up by some other forum members, I’ve decided to also make a contribution to what is a very informative forum. I should begin with a little background info: I recently returned from a 11 day trip to the Gold Coast with four other travel companions. We managed to cram nearly all of the theme parks into our trip (White-water world being the exception) and had a great time at all of them. I was fortunate enough to visit MW twice during my trip and thoroughly enjoyed the experience both times. What follows are my impressions of the whole experience: I had never been to MW before but had been told quite a bit about it by my best mate who had visited MW before. My expectations therefore were quite high, and I have to say that, for the most part, they were not misplaced. We visited on a Tuesday and were armed with Superpasses, so we didn’t have to endure a particularly long wait. On entering the park I was quite impressed by the layout and the theming – obviously the designers had gone to great lengths to portray an American folksy feel to the whole place. We were able to locate all the necessary facilities (lockers at $7 a pop) and went straight to business – the rides!! Wild West Falls – was quite fun and entertaining. The carriage’s occasional jolts and sudden stops caused some discomfort to the ribs but it was still a hoot. Plunging down the mountains and getting soaked was a great experience, especially on a nice sunny day. The queues weren’t particularly long which made the experience all the more enjoyable. Lethal Weapon – It’s always kind of melancholic when you go on a ride which was once popular, but which no longer attracts the masses. For the most park the theming of the ride has been rendered redundant for the simple reason that very few actually visit the ride. It’s a pity because LW really is a treat to ride, fun thrilling and exciting to boot. Your head does get thrust from one side to the next and your ears get a good going over – but WHO CARES!! Its just such a fun ride that I couldn’t resist going on it again and again…. Superman Escapes – The queues for this ride weren’t nearly as long as I had envisioned (30 minutes). The prelude to the huge WHOOSH is also quite good, as you snake through the subway. The initial acceleration is awesome and first climb and drop is a WOW experience. It really a great adrenaline rush as you go hurtling, up down, left right and so on. Batwing – Again the queues weren’t particularly long, and we managed to get on with no extreme delay. I must admit the initial thrill that you receive as you get thrust upwards is quite good, but its slightly anti-climactic after that. I went on the Batwing four times (over two days) and found it progressively less thrilling every time. Scooby Doo – We endured a relatively long wait for this ride (50 minutes), but I would say it was worth it. Its not a particularly thrilling ride, but what it lacks in thrills it make up for in fun. I just loved those sharp turns, and the steep reverse was also quite fun. The theming also added to the overall enjoyment of the ride. Police Academy Stunt show – Was fairly entertaining, even though the jokes are fairly well worn and the American accents positively dreadful. The car and motorcycle stunts are impressive and stuntmen obviously well drilled. It was unfortunate the show I saw didn’t have the helicopter blowing up. It was slightly deflating to hear the sound effects of a chopper blowing up and the stuntmen proceed with the whole routine even though the helicopter didn’t materialise. Matrix Exhibit – I’m sure matrix fans would find the exhibit quite interesting, but I’m not a huge Matrix fan and I found myself wanting to get back to riding LW during my visit to the exhibit. Shrek 4D – Obviously aimed towards the kiddies, its still a fun experience nonetheless and a good way to kill 15 or so minutes. Overall The word that prominently feature in this review is ‘fun’. And that what I had it spades at MW. The theme park is well maintained, the workers courteous and helpful. The food is, as expected, ludicrously overpriced, but that’s to be expected at most theme parks of this kind. 90/100

[Swanny]

Good report, thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

[kieran]

Nice t/r man.

[bern1992]

No explosion on Police Academy? That would have been terrible and it would hardly make any sense. Did the stuntman still come out of the building on fire?

[lisalila]

Everytime I've gone to LW there is either a line up at the gate (first one) or at the entrance gates before you board so I wouldn't say it doesn't get it's visitors and that's no excuse to let the theming lack. Unfortunately the themeing at MW on some rides have been lacking over the years.

[ferret79]

Yes the stuntman came out on fire