Wet'n'Wild: New 2007 Attraction

[GoGoBoy]

Oh by the way I forgot to add my opinion on WnW's decision to add the Halfpipe - I think it's a shocker! It's so obvious Village have simply thought "hmm, where can we plonk another one of these second hand attractions we have lying around?". And as has been suggested, plonking it down is exactly what they'll do with it with little thought for presentation. It's just another random hand-me-down attraction really

[Gazza]

How? Its the first installation of this type of ride. But IMO, the presentation will probably be "acceptable", but nothing really impressive. I think the days of places like Calypso Beach are behind us sadly.

Edited February 13, 2007 by Gazza

[lisalila]

I think WWW is struggling with attendance, which is why they gave MAP members the 50% off annual passes pass but you know I like lining up for up to 20 minutes for a ride and then re riding it and not spending half the day walking to the slide like you do at wnw. WNW is just too big for my liking and www might be smaller and wnw might have more rides but I'd rather ride the green room then the tornado, the bro then the aqua racer and I would definitely take the hydro coaster over any of the mach 5 slides. You also have to remember that many of the public aren't on rollercoaster forums; they might just see www as the better park because of the technology of the slides like the hydro coaster. The line up's are not that bad either. When I went to wnw we waited for 45 minutes for the tornado, we barely waited 20 minutes for the green room on all three days I went to www and the green room is better, longer and bigger then the tornado

Edited February 13, 2007 by lisalila

[Bussy]

I can understand why WnW would choose this coaster as it has a small footprint and will be unique in Australia. What I don't understand is why they didn't go with, I can't remember what it is called, but they are inverted like Lethal Weapon and have several points around the track where riders are hit with water cannons. From memory the one that I saw on a website sometime ago allowed people on the gound to aim and shoot the water cannons as the train came past. "The Bus is now leaving for Sixty Foot Falls, NSW"

[Churros]

Yeah, it seems kind of out of place in my opinion. You never know though, if they make the concious decision to do this now, you never know what they might have planned for the future. There is every chance that they may introduce several other water coasters later down the track, including the models where you get wet, or have the ability to wet others.

[Spotty]

Bussy, The ride you are talking about would be a Roller-Soaker as seen at Hershey Park, or the Vekoma Splash Battle. I feel these rides would be a good addition to the park, as you don't have to ride it to join in the fun!

[GoGoBoy]

How? Its the first installation of this type of ride. But IMO, the presentation will probably be "acceptable", but nothing really impressive. I think the days of places like Calypso Beach are behind us sadly.

My understanding is that the ride is 2nd hand. This would explain why they have gone with a type of ride that is not entirely appropriate for WnW. I think it's more a case of they got a cheap deal on a ride so they just have to find somewhere to put it. If they were going to buy a new coaster for WnW then surely they'd go for something water based as has been discussed such as a roller soaker. By the way Gazza in regards to your Calypso Beach comment I agree entirely. I was so impressed when the park originally added this attraction with all that great theming and landscaping. At the same time they re-themed some other areas of the park to give it a more carribean/tropical feel. But in the last few years this level of presentation has been completely dropped and they are now simply plonking new slides down on patches of grass and asphalt. Unfortunately though it would appear the Australian public does not give a crap about presentation and as long as the place could be considered 'big' that's all that matters

[Richard]

I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with presenting rides in a minimalistic way. My opinion has always been that there's only one kind of acceptable theming - fully immersive theming. This is theming that takes the rider in from the moment they step into the area or queue. Token efforts really don't impress me, and haven't for a while. A clever or attractive sign and some fibreglass sculptures don't really do anything to serve the concept of a ride or further the ride experience. Does a fibreglass octopus statue and a matching shade cloth actually make you feel like you're somehow fighting or within said octopus? Wet'n'Wild however has in my view unfailingly provided attractive landscaping and neat presentation of all attractions throughout the years. I have always had quite a bit of concern for the general upkeep of WnW and I'd most definitely concur with the idea of spending a period of time significantly overhauling aging elements of the park's attractions and infrastructure. This isn't however to say that their new additions have ever been done in such a way that they're ever unattractive or lack presentation. I can't think of a single new attraction in WnW's 20 year history which hasn't been presented properly. Furthermore, the ride has been purchased directly from Intamin and will be a brand new model. Even if it were second-hand I'm not sure what the problem would be as it's a proven ride concept and unique to Australia. WVTP purchased a ride which they saw could be an asset to any of their parks. I totally agree that it's a ride style that's not entirely appropriate for Wet'n'Wild - at least the Wet'n'Wild we see today. The Wet'n'Wild we see today is also one that hasn't had to compete with a directly competitive cloned park. What if, hypothetically, Wet'n'Wild changed its entire image. Bumped prices up to midway between water and theme park prices and included a blend of each concept to create, as I mentioned earlier, more of an activity park. Akin to say a big-budget Jamberoo. Then they're not stuck in a rut to compete to see who can build the biggest slide every two years, and they're actually contributing something positive to the Gold Coast tourism industry, not diluting another park's efforts. Water-based attractions will always dominate WnW, but that's not to say there's not room for other styles of attractions to complement them, allowing the park to offer a more diverse and varied product. Sea World, with its strictly limited land, should ideally head down the path it has been for the past decade with largely animal and family-oriented attractions. Warner Bros. Movie World dominates the Gold Coast as a "theme" park but with a constant need to create immersive movie-based experiences, it's not financially viable to add major attractions more than every 3-4 years. I believe there is room for one more major park in the VRTP camp in the near future, but with the buyout of WB and Nara and the associated debt, for the next few years it will most likely be all about consolidating their existing parks before developing anything new.

[GoGoBoy]

I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with presenting rides in a minimalistic way. My opinion has always been that there's only one kind of acceptable theming - fully immersive theming. This is theming that takes the rider in from the moment they step into the area or queue. Token efforts really don't impress me, and haven't for a while. Wet'n'Wild however has in my view unfailingly provided attractive landscaping and neat presentation of all attractions throughout the years.

This is where I disagree but I guess it's more of a personal thing. I think clever/effective signage and basic theming elements are a must at any facility that could be referred to as a theme park. I personally really appreciate these efforts when I visit a park. I understand that parks like Dreamworld are not going for the full immersive theming experience but I think they can still create an atmosphere with smaller theming elements. Examples are Gold Rush Country and Ocean Parade which I feel carry this off nicely. Without this stuff the place wouldn't look any different to a travelling carnival or a Luna Park (Sydney especially). I think the presentation at WWW even though it's not considered immersive theming, really helps create a good atmosphere at the park. There is evidence of this from all the users on the site who have visited the park and have commented on this particular aspect. As I said WnW went through a stage where their attractions had some nice theming and presentation elements to them such as White Water Mountain, Calypso Beach etc. However from what I saw in April last year their latest attempt, H20 Zone, falls short of the mark. It is obvious that it was a rushed addition with as little funds as possible injected into it. Just some slides shoved into the back corner of the park with nothing more than turf for landscaping and a few temporary shade tents. Even the signage is beyond basic

[Gazza]

I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with presenting rides in a minimalistic way. My opinion has always been that there's only one kind of acceptable theming - fully immersive theming. This is theming that takes the rider in from the moment they step into the area or queue. Token efforts really don't impress me, and haven't for a while. A clever or attractive sign and some fibreglass sculptures don't really do anything to serve the concept of a ride or further the ride experience. Does a fibreglass octopus statue and a matching shade cloth actually make you feel like you're somehow fighting or within said octopus?

Thats a fair point there, and to be honest I'd agree in saying that calling many of the attractions at WWW 'themed' would be a bit of a stretch since as you said the landscaping doesnt add to the rides concept. I'm sort of coining a phrase here, but I'd say WWW has an australian beach flavour, but not really a theme. (It was also for this reason i felt Batwing wasn't really "themed" since a couple of bat vehicles on display and graphics on the ride vehicle dont really give that immersive feeling) BUT, I do feel that for ordinary ride presentation then there are different degrees of effort that can be used. Using WnW as an example, the dense plantings and extensive rockwork around the Whitewater mountain attractions, or the numerous carribean style structures and tropical gardens in calypso beach look quite a bit better than the fairly bland extreme H20 zone with sparse plantings. In both these cases they are both properly presented (Eg all finished and tidy) and neither have immersive theming, , but clearly the first two areas I mentioned are a bit more inviting and enjoyable to be in. I guess its a bit like your garden at home, your garden could be a neatly trimmed lawn with a couple of trees with timber borders around them...or you could go for a timber deck, with a water feature running past, dense tropical plantings, a nice outdoor setting, perhaps with one of those thatched gazebos in the corner. Clearly in both these cases your garden is nicely presented with no ugly bits, however the later option is a lot better.

[qldtaw]

I guess its a bit like your garden at home, your garden could be a neatly trimmed lawn with a couple of trees with timber borders around them...or you could go for a timber deck, with a water feature running past, dense tropical plantings, a nice outdoor setting, perhaps with one of those thatched gazebos in the corner. Clearly in both these cases your garden is nicely presented with no ugly bits, however the later option is a lot better.

In a Waterpark especially i would rather less themeing and more rides. i would believe this would have been the case with the H20 expansion. everyone needs to remember that our parks do not have the same budgets to spend on capital expansion like the US parks do. Since the competition has heated up between Dreamworld and WVTP i am not surprised that some aspects of the new expansions have gone by the way side - it makes sense to cull elaborate themeing to keep costs down. Besides attendance has been quite strong at all theme parks over the past year with all the new attractions being added with the outback spectacular now doing two shows on selected nights. For me it appears that the theme parks are giving the general public that visits their parks what they want. Who are we to argue with their success? The major US parks, Six Flags being the major contributor, have all stated that they do not intend on continuing to buy and build massive US$30 million plus attractions.

[Gazza]

I was feeling bored so I decided to sketch up an idea for the theming/landscaping of this ride. I decided to go for this idea that basically you are a beach bum heading out of your shack and down for a surf. The entrance for the ride is through a small, rundown single room beach shack made to look like it was built in the 50s. A couple of surfboards would lean up against the front wall. Inside the run down look would continue and the interior would be designed to look like it was inhabited by a stereotypical surfer. A brown berber couch would sit in the middle of the room forming a sort of switchback people have to walk around. Other things in the shack would be one of those old rounded fridges you have to lock shut, surfing posters/charts and a bench adorned by things such as a cheese encrusted sandwich toaster, tins of baked beans, centerlink letters etc. The good thing is any damage to the theming would enhance the image being portrayed. 2nd hand goods would be used. You would then head out the back door onto a verandah. A hammock would hang between the posts and a dreamcatcher would hang from the roof. You would then head out into a grassed backyard. and in it there would be things such as a barbeque and a washing line with a wetsuit drying on it. From the backyard the main bit of the queue would follow, it would be like one of those fenced boardwalks that takes you over the dunes to the beach. Signs such as "No Dogs" and "Beach Access" would be at the start of this section. Surrounding the boardwalk would be actual hills of sand with native grasses growing on them. At the end of the boarwalk you would find yourself on a beach, with coastal scrub growing on one side and the actual ride on the other. You walk past things such as surfboards stuck in the sand, and deck chairs with eskys between them. The rides loading platform would be reached by a set of stairs, and it would sort of have artifical rock forming the sides (like on whitewater mountain) The loading area would be covered by a wave shaped shade struture. The track and supports of the ride would be blue and beneath the ride there would be a shallow rockpool to sort of convey that you are in the water at that point (Well, the best you can considering it is a roller coaster you are on :/ ) One other little thing I thought of (but it was too late to add it) was a refreshment stand inside a Kombi Van as there arent really enough food outlets in that part of the park. And hey I know Im dreaming here, but I think it would be cool if they made the effort to do something like this.

[D.C.]

Man! What an incredible sketch. You've got skills. I loved your Batwing one too.

[Gold Coaster]

Wow, Gazza, you've done it again. Outstanding concept.

[BNErider]

WOW, That's a great drawing! What's the links to your other theme park one(s)?

[WalleyWorld]

Seeing that sketch makes me want Surfrider back in Seaworld. The theme just suits Sea World SOOOO well. Anyway, That design is really, really good. It blows my mind how you can draw the track so close to the real thing!! And it's probably the best concept drawing yet, *High Five* (say in Borat accent). Just a question, What are you going to do for a living when you get out of Uni Gazza? You should be an architecture or a designer of some sort. If you have a very imaginative mind, you can go places. Take Walt Disney for example !! Thanx for sharing your drawings with us Gazza. I'm looking forward to your next one aready!! CoasterBoy6

[myk]

As with the Batwing one Gazza, it is an amazing idea and I am not doubting your skills in any shape or form. The area is simply too small. Maybe if they got rid of the whirlpool and moved some of the pumps etc out the back this MIGHT fit. But this is just too big of an idea. But besides that, you said it was just a dream. Oh well, reality sucks :] Excellent drawing and concept.

[Gazza]

Oh, I thought it was behind Whirpool and hence it would just be empty space like in the extreme H20 zone. You could always rejig it to make it fit though. Could someone post something from google aerial photos or the park map with the location on it so we know what we are dealing with here?

Just a question, What are you going to do for a living when you get out of Uni Gazza? You should be an architecture or a designer of some sort.

Yeah, I got into Archi at UQ but im taking a year off at the moment. Edited February 17, 2007 by Gazza

[GoGoBoy]

I love it - your illustrations just keep getting better and better Gazza. I really hope you send it in to the park... just to at least show them what they COULD be doing (but we all know they won't!). If you were working for a theming consultancy hired by a park and you sent something like that to them as a proposal I can bet you they would accept it on the spot

[rappa]

Lots of shiney blue twisty metal stuff started appearing in the WnW car park today...

[saberon]

that is exciting it must have passed the noise pollution survey. full steam ahead it seems!!

[Dylaan]

Lots of shiney blue twisty metal stuff started appearing in the WnW car park today...

OMG! Really? This is starting earlier than I expected. When you say twisty, I didn't know half-pipes had twisty bits... Maybe it's gonna be a cross between say Wicked Twister @ CP and a regular half-pipe! Seriously though, if that ever happened, how awesome would it be?

[Churros]

You serious? You've seen track? I went the other day and just saw some huge containers, which I figured would be related in some way. It sounds good if it will be blue. That horrible puke colour that was on the ones from other places in the world looked horrible. And yeah, you say it looks twisty? In what way champ? I might have to head on down in the next few days and have a look! Cheerio...

[dreamworld_rulz]

Instead of looking how about someone takes some pics? (Please)

[WalleyWorld]

Instead of looking how about someone takes some pics? (Please)

Amen to that!! I think when djrappa said there was alot of twisted metal track, he was putting more emphasis on that the track is already arrived and adding that word to the sentence adds more excitement. E.G: The track is not actually twisted. Anyway, I hope this gets put up quickly, I'll get to ride it in September!!!YAY CoasterBoy6 Edited February 21, 2007 by Coaster Boy 8