Loonytunes Construction/Demolition

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

doesn't seem likely. that construction looks a little like a grandstand, although i doubt it could be made from wood, more likely they'd do concrete, so my next guess is thats a front building facade for something else... A store or shop? a small indoor attraction? an entry to something more substantial over in the matrix area? who knows... Good that they're upgrading Looney Tunes, Dreamworld really is trumping them with kiddie entertainment at the moment with Wiggles and Nick Central, so it was well overdue. I can't wait to find out what they're doing over in Wild West - another big attraction out that way sounds good...

[mattcrombie]

2 New rides for Looney Tunes Village 2 New Attractions where Matrix is and next door. Opening September Holidays. Work on Matrix has been going since it closed, so its something to look forward too. Will tell you more as it gets closer

[WalleyWorld]

This sounds really good! I mean when I went last year to Movieworld, Looney Tunes Village wasn't like it used to be and the only rides I went on were the Road Runner and the River Ride. These are the two rides which really stand out in the village but if they had another family ride like a merry-go-round or a thrill family flat ride. The rumored merry-go-round should be good cause most of the rides in Tunes Village are really uncomfortable to ride because the seats are small. This is compared to every ride in Nick Central that can be rode on by nearly everyone!! . Mabey the second ride could be a techno-jump (

) that hops and spins at the same time. However, it's good that MW have decided to do something about there kiddy area problem. Now, I'm not sure what is happening over by the matrix exhibit building, but if they have just started now with the construction, how are they possibly going to be finished before the holidays!? Matt, can you tell us if the attractions in the wild west area are rides OR an actual "attraction". Cause 4 rides in one year is pretty unlikely for Movieworld, unless the rides are very cheap OR have been bought from other parks. We'll just have to wait and see! CoAsTeRbOy8 Edited August 11, 2007 by Coaster Boy 8

[dreamworld_rulz]

The rumored merry-go-round should be good cause most of the rides in Tunes Village are really uncomfortable to ride because the seats are small. CoAsTeRbOy8

That's because Loony Tunes is designed for the kids whereas Nick Central was designed for everyone.

[Chaos-Maniac]

Now, I'm not sure what is happening over by the matrix exhibit building, but if they have just started now with the construction, how are they possibly going to be finished before the holidays!? Matt, can you tell us if the attractions in the wild west area are rides OR an actual "attraction". Cause 4 rides in one year is pretty unlikely for Movieworld, unless the rides are very cheap OR have been bought from other parks. We'll just have to wait and see! CoAsTeRbOy8

Maybe they could be extending the building and making a new Harry Potter exhibit for the new Harry Potter movie that has recently come out? Also, who has the licensing for the new Simpson's movie.. is it Warner Bros. or what?

[Gazza]

But since IOA is spending a bucket load on it's Wizarding World of Harry Potter I think the chances of a licence being granted for a cheaper Harry Potter attraction at MW are next to none.

[Psycho]

Happy Feet......how lame.

Perhaps to you, but I have no doubt it'd do well at dragging families into the park. I always thought Happy Feet could work well as an attraction similar to Crush's Turtle Talk at Disney World - except with Mumble in the zoo. Movieworld seems to be really reinvesting in the park of late - which is great. Probably just minor additions this year, but that's to be expected considering the capital expenditure that the park has invested in lately.

[Swanny]

Also, who has the licensing for the new Simpson's movie.. is it Warner Bros. or what?

20th Century Fox.

[Churros]

I would probably have to say that whatever they are doing could be two seperate attractions. The only reason I say this is because they can't really connect the two buildings up for one attraction because the parade vehicles have to pass through the gap between the two buildings. In the Western Area I mean.

[Jamberoo Fan]

I was flicking through the Movie World website but when i got to the employment page i found 1 of the attractions. It's called "Mid-Way Games", opens September and you can guess the rest. Can someone confirm if this is right and where it's going to be located. Not that exciting, isn't it?

[ads086]

I thought Mid-way Games already existed. Behind the bathrooms near the little mound with the graveyard outside of Scooby Doo. Perhaps they're relocating it?

[Churros]

Wasn't that blazing saddles arcade? But yeah, I am pretty sure they are moving them. Probably explains where all of the stuff from the Five and Dyme went as well. Could be putting them all in the one place? I think you would expect them to go in the corner either in or next to Matrix. If this is the case, I hope they make them a little more appealing then they are currently. It could also free up a lot of space around the park for other attractions in the future.

[Chaos-Maniac]

I really [personally] dont like the idea of putting arcades in amusement parks, just wastes space which could be used for new rides, shows etc. Especially at Dreamworld [off topic, but eh], they just plunk those remote control boats anywhere... it looks dodgey how they have them in the main fountain of Main street. However, I guess they'll do anything to get more profit.. meaning more attractions/rides. So its a debatable topic from my side. lol

[Gazza]

I really [personally] dont like the idea of putting arcades in amusement parks, just wastes space which could be used for new rides, shows etc.

I suppose this would be true if there was no other space for ride/shows, but MW is not at that point yet since there are plenty of other spots for rides so there is no reason arcades and new rides cant co-exist. The profit thing is true, I have been told that the arcade at DW rakes in seven figures annually.

[dreamworld_rulz]

Without revenue raising the parks wouldn't be able to buy the rides they want. I don't mind it as long as it benefits the user. The only revenue raising i hate is the SE lockers. They sat it's costs money to run 2 trains, Which is fair enough. But they should use the money so they can run the 2 trains when the wait is over 30mins.

[Richard]

The only revenue raising i hate is the SE lockers. They sat it's costs money to run 2 trains, Which is fair enough. But they should use the money so they can run the 2 trains when the wait is over 30mins.

If that's something someone at Movie World had told you, then that's among the stupidest things I've heard in a while. Yes, it does cost more to run two trains, but you've just paid $64 (or used a costly annual pass) to enter the park to get this service and should expect nothing but top notch service for your money, including appropriate wait times on rides. Any profits from locker hire etc. are going straight to the bottom line. I also struggle to see a place for arcades in a theme park. Granted, they are cash cows for the parks, but I'm sure long-term using the same space to install an attraction will see much better revenue in the long run by improving the overall product offering of the park. I dislike the notion that their success means more big rides in the future. Their goal is to create better profit margins for the park and nothing else. Parks look at the addition of new major attractions from the perspective of what they will do for the park in the future, not based on how much they can afford to spend. If a park does exceptionally well for several years, that doesn't translate to new rides more frequently. I don't mind midway games (probably not in a park like Movie World though) as well as theme-appropriate skill games etc. (shooting galleries etc.), but the idea of an arcade inside a theme park is so tacky. Parks everywhere in the world have them, so it's hardly confined to our parks, though I think if you look at parks that do have them versus parks that don't, more often than not the better parks stick clear of them, more as a reflection of their management's desire for a cohesive and singular vision for the park and the atmosphere and image they want to create for the place than anything else. Can you imagine how out-of-place and unnecessary they'd be at Sea World for instance?

[dreamworld_rulz]

A MW worker told me earlier in the year. Anyway i agree about the wait times. People have paid a lot of money to enter the park, So they shouldn't have to wait for an hour or so for a ride espcially in off peak periods. I can understand in peak periods.

[ILUV SUPERMAN ESCAPE]

I know this is off subject but it's regarding movieworlds service. I went to Movieworld on Wednesday and we were going on SE for the second time and we put our money in for the lockers and they wouldn't open, They also wouldn't open for about 3 other people and the lady running the ride called guest services and they took about 30 mins and then when we finally got inline the ride stopped running for about another 25 mins so we had to wait in line for ages.

Edited August 18, 2007 by ILUV SUPERMAN ESCAPE

[dreamworld_rulz]

It happended to my sister and i 3 weeks ago (not the locker) We were next to ride and it broke down. This happended twice.

[Gazza]

With arcades, I was actually surprised to see one in Tommorowland at DL, the fact people would bother with it amazes me, to me the idea is to get the best value out of your ticket as possible by seeing lots of unique rides and shows, not waste time with arcade games you could just play at your local shopping center. I personally dont have a problem with Arcades or Midway games, just as long as they aren't obtrusive and fit in wit the area. I hate the ones in Goldrush at DW because they use brightly coloured balloons and prizes...it should be something like a shooting gallery, or a ball toss with themed rusty buckets etc. Arcades are OK if they theme the interior and entrance and use some other means to draw people in other than the sight of machines or else it destroys the ambience of the area.

[Gold Coaster]

The number of arcade games/midway games in the US theme parks I visited on my trip were ridiculous. Most of the time you would have really decent theming, even in thrill parks like Six Flags ones, but then you'd come across a glut of these 'distraction attractions'. Knott's Berry Farm felt like one of the worse ones as it seemed to have an old-fashioned feel to it which was ruined by these very commercial inclusions. Like midway versions of 3-point shootouts, the prizes of which were basketballs so the park would then be filled with obnoxious teenagers dribbling them about the place.

[Churros]

It is interesting how a couple of people have mentioned that you should attempt to get as much out of your ticket as possible. I took a couple of friends to Dreamworld in the month of my birthday to make use of that half price deal with the platinum pass. For one of my friends, it cost her $32 to enter and she went and spent somewhere in excess of $150 on absolute garbage. I think you would be surprised how much people are willing to pay on top of their entrance fee. After all, with all the special offers, etc, entrance to most of our parks is rarely the advertised price in any case, so they thrive on gaining income through all of these revenue raisers. As for them including an arcade in Movieworld. They have had the gaming machines, etc there for some time, so it really isn't anything new. They could do with adding a couple of new arcade type things though. I would like to see some kind of laser battle game thing thrown in, but I don't think there is enough room. And I agree with Gazza, it should be visually appealing. I think with Movieworld (and while theming of late *may* not have been as good as it has been), the park has never made an installation that looks untidy. The major advantages I can see are these: 1: If they build them indoors and air condition them, many people will find refuge in this area on the particularly hot days. 2: Creating it into a full blown arcade could provide oppurtunities for people to spend more time in the park, and 3: Moving all of the gaming machines into one location could free up space for further attractions, namely in the blazing saddles area.

[Richard]

the park has never made an installation that looks untidy.

Two very blatant examples of 'untidy' in recent years comes to mind: Both have been permanent (at least at the time of their installation) additions to Main Street, the first was part of the parade and stood for a year or so. I'm sure it would still be there today, but I believe it was starting to damage the building. Unfortunately I don't have any shots of the other end of the cable, down at the Commissary building, which looked even worse. The screen ruined the impact of the entire Main Street. You've got to wonder if it'd have been so hard in the scheme of things to rebuild the Daily Planet facade down near Superman Escape and enclose the screen properly in a new building front, covering it up when it's not in use, say with a vintage Coca-Cola billboard or similar. Movie World's without a doubt our top park in terms of theming, but that said they're no knight in shining armor; they've made their share of questionable choices over the years.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I suppose the fact is that parks do need to raise money wherever they can. How many people here would be happy, if movie world removed all of the arcades and vending machines, reduced their food and beverage prices in line with a local shopping centre food court, priced their souvenirs similar to the same type of item in Kmart, and elaborately themed every single ride, attraction, stall and shop? Ok good - announcing a ticket price rise effective immediately.... adults only $354 and kids $297 for a one day pass - or buy a 3 park super pass for only $898 and save! There is a time and a place for it. Personally I think the parks are losing a lot in the way of quality and theming that they used to have. The dream for Dreamworld and Wonderland was not originally as a money maker - but more as a good family park to cater to an expanding population in the area. I got a rude shock a couple years back when I saw dreamworld with midway style games plonked around the place, this was about the time the claw opened, but, walking through wonderland it was as natural as it could be. Wonderland themed their skill games reasonably, at least until the last few years. Wonderland was as true to its theme as it could be until the closure of HannaBarbera Land. (not counting the theme music that is). Movie world have done a lot to keep the original theme going, while installing new attractions and shows etc. But Richard is correct in regards to the cable and the screen. Parks are starting to lose the magic they once had. I understand the need to make a dollar, but they're letting things slip - this is happening everywhere too. Walt Disney used to insist that the souvenirs available in the park not be available anywhere else, and that nothing available anywhere else would be sold as a souvenir inside the park. Even Disney has abandoned the magic - somewhat at least. Disneyland now sells the same souvenirs and apparel in every shop, in every land in the park... Not much we can do about this problem, unless we all run for positions on the boards of every major theme park in the world... and even then you have shareholders to contend with most of the time too. If Movie world is installing an arcade - then fine - they need to make some money, and it doesnt cost much to run - so be it. I would have preferred them to do something in the skill game genre - before I was a park photographer, I was a games attendant at wonderland. I know some of them were hard, but they were not rigged or impossible, and I guarantee that one attendant with a good mind and a good voice, a microphone and some good prizes would make triple that of any stupid arcade. In the games dept, they'd have competitions on who could get the biggest take, and the lowest cost of sales (prize giveaways), and this cast would really make a go of it. I don't know if anyone remembers Snowy River Outfitters - otherwise known as Gold Rush Cup - the horse race and the water guns just before snowy? In peak season, gold rush cup was the last to open, and the first to close - because it needed quite a number of people before it could begin, but the one thing it did offer was a guaranteed winner - and ANY prize was up for grabs, not just the crappy little stuff... because you could trade your prizes up - small, medium, large, extra large. Now, sure, the extra large prizes were generally in the $15-$45 range, but for a single player, they could have it in $12 if they won each game. By the time this had happened, with a minimum 5 players to start, and $3 per player, thats $60 in the park's pocket minimum. One race every 4-5 minutes from 11am-5pm, and thats quite a nice profit. You've paid your staff and cost of sales in just over an hour, the other 6 hours is profit! Ok - now the arcade games sell themselves. Kids will mindlessly pump $2 or $4 for a go on Daytona, which they could arguably play in timezone or something for the same or less, but there is nothing that makes people want to part with their money faster than if they see others doing something deceptively easy, and think they can do it too. Another game at Wonderland was a simple one - Royal Courts and Sports - otherwise known as coin toss. Right outside Bounty's revenge it was the last game people saw on their way out of the park. On a busy day, that one game alone could make an easy $2000 in the last THIRTY MINUTES, and this is all mostly with 20cent pieces, and dollar coins. Most of you will have seen this one - a simple, glass, circular tabletop, about two metres away from you, and you have to get a 20 cent piece to land on it. For most people, it sounds easy, and tied on with the price of only 20 cents per play, you'd have the 20 metres worth of bench around the game packed with people trying to win. Odds on winning were near impossible, unless you got lucky, and managed to catch the split second where your coin hits someone else's and drops dead. I remember being on that one school holidays, a microphone, a water bottle, and a crap load of 20 cent pieces, and we pulled in over $10,000 that day. We went through so many 20 cent pieces, security had to rob the cash boxes 4 times before the park closed. Food and Beverage, and the shops all had to trade in their 20 cent pieces for 10s so we could have enough for everyone who wanted to play. Security would normally carry the bag off stage - that day the flintstone car had to come out because the bag was too heavy. $10,000... in 20 cent pieces. Thats 50,000 coins (if you don't count the dollar coins also used). Show me any arcade that can do that much in a day.... (ramble over)

[djsupersleuth]

I know some of them were hard, but they were not rigged or impossible,

Except for good ol Bucket Ball, I remember when the buckets were replaced from the cane type to the well themed blue plastic ones, I walked through the Carpenters shop and saw the "secret" there were about 10 of those super bounce balls and 1 tennis ball glued on the board directly under the bucket giving the thrown softball 10 times the energy when it hit the bottom of the bucket. This was the reason the ball would come out of the bucket with lethal force!