2 hours ago, TV15 said:

We have some 'concept art', new trains confirmed. From Dreamworld's Instagram

Said it for Jungle Rush and I’ll say it again: My god, can they stop using AI in their concepts? If they want to be seen as cheap and lazy, sure, but if they’re already spending $20m on ‘immersive theming’ for a ride that’s already built, the least they could do is hire some real artists & not suck up the Murrissippi for their low-effort marketing material. Especially when they’re already under fire for displacing more wildlife with the rezoning news, and the previous ‘Steel Taipan/Koala Research’ scenario, despite the questionable validity/impact of either of these, they should know better.

Edited August 19Aug 19 by Tricoart
Clarity

22 minutes ago, Tricoart said:

Especially when they’re already under fire for displacing more wildlife with the rezoning news, and the previous ‘Steel Taipan/Koala Research’ scenario, despite the questionable validity/impact of either of these, they should know better.

What relevance does that have to AI artwork?

I guarantee you any of the greenie whingers about koalas are were not going to change their tune because Dreamwork got real graphic artists to do the mock concept images

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Dreamworld has lifted the lid on its next multimillion-dollar attraction, revealing plans for Australia’s first “immersive” ATV-style ride as part of a major expansion of the theme park’s popular Rivertown precinct.

The near-$20m “family thrill experience”, dubbed Lost Mine Mayhem, will be built on the site of the now-closed Motocoaster and is slated to open in late 2027.

Construction will begin in the coming months.

Dreamworld chief executive Greg Yong said the stand-alone attraction, positioned on the fringe of Rivertown – which opened in late 2024 – was designed to bring generations of families together.

“It’s all about the story,” Mr Yong said.

“From the time you entered the ride – all the way through the queue until you get on the ATV itself, and even through the exit – you will hear bits of that story.”

Unlike Dreamworld’s more extreme offerings, Lost Mine Mayhem has been designed with accessibility in mind, catering to guests “just over a 100cm height right up to your grandparents”.

“It’s a doable ride,” Mr Yong said, as opposed to the more “challenging” attractions such as the Giant Drop and Tower of Terror. *cough cough*

The ride’s trains and control systems have been sourced from a European manufacturer, though Mr Yong confirmed the installation work would be carried out by local tradespeople.

He said the ATV – All Terrain Vehicle – format was a first for Australia and offered a distinctly different sensation to a traditional rollercoaster.

“As opposed to sitting inside a rollercoaster, you’re sitting on top of it,” he said.

“It’s a really unique ride type – really thrilling but also with a bigger range of people in mind,” he said.

The restraint system, with harnesses positioned at the back, allows for greater freedom of movement, Mr Yong said.

“It’s a much more comfortable ride for everyone.”
Two trains will operate, each seating 20 guests, with the “simple design” allowing for “faster loading” and “shorter queue times”.

“But while you are waiting – we have a few surprises in the queue,” Mr Yong said.

The attraction’s “story” centres on a rediscovered gold mine hidden deep beneath a valley, with guests recruited as a crew racing to beat treasure raiders to the find.

Riders will move through hidden passages and immersive theming before boarding the ATV vehicles.

Mr Yong said the new attraction – which has already been in development for more than a year – would be great “investment” into tourism and the local economy.

“Every time Dreamworld has a media call talking about a new investment, it’s a great story for the Gold Coast,” he said.

He hinted further expansion of Rivertown could still be on the cards and a whole new design to be announced soon.

“We’re constantly assessing what’s the next best thing for us,” he said.

“The next one is a whole new land which we are incredibly excited about.”

The announcement comes amid a near-$200 million wave of new investment at the Coomera theme park.
https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/dreamworld-unveils-20m-lost-mine-mayhem-as-australias-first-atv-thrill-ride/news-story/1d5fb8a05c27e537274e5737f365c371

Edited August 19Aug 19 by Brad2912

16 minutes ago, Brad2912 said:

He hinted further expansion of Rivertown could still be on the cards and a whole new design to be announced soon.

“We’re constantly assessing what’s the next best thing for us,” he said.

“The next one is a whole new land which we are incredibly excited about.”

Nice to hear of the new land up next. Expecting that one to be taking over Rocky Hollow and hopefully Blue Lagoon which would amount to a good amount of space for some killer rides, shops and food locations.

Edited August 19Aug 19 by Smol bean

1 hour ago, Tricoart said:

Said it for Jungle Rush and I’ll say it again: My god, can they stop using AI in their concepts? If they want to be seen as cheap and lazy, sure, but if they’re already spending $20m on ‘immersive theming’ for a ride that’s already built, the least they could do is hire some real artists & not suck up the Murrissippi for their low-effort marketing material. Especially when they’re already under fire for displacing more wildlife with the rezoning news, and the previous ‘Steel Taipan/Koala Research’ scenario, despite the questionable validity/impact of either of these, they should know better.

They’re not spending $20m on immersive theming. The $20m is the total investment for the entire attraction, including the ride, construction, theming and everything else. The actual spend on theming is a lot less than $20m.

50 minutes ago, Brad2912 said:

He said the ATV – All Terrain Vehicle – format was a first for Australia and offered a distinctly different sensation to a traditional rollercoaster.

“As opposed to sitting inside a rollercoaster, you’re sitting on top of it,” he said.

Did he every visit SW when he was working at MW?

At the end of the day, unless they actually change the track layout, riding the Big Red Coaster is still going to be a more thrilling experience. MC had two flaws: 1. the trains sucked, and 2. the track layout sucked. You could probably get a bigger thrill being pushed around in a trolley through a Woolies car park than you got from riding MC.

3 minutes ago, New display name said:

Did he every visit SW when he was working at MW?

Clearly not, we've already got a straddle coaster on the coast thats far superior!

1 hour ago, Brad2912 said:

“The next one is a whole new land which we are incredibly excited about.”

This is very interesting

1 hour ago, Tricoart said:

Said it for Jungle Rush and I’ll say it again: My god, can they stop using AI in their concepts? If they want to be seen as cheap and lazy, sure, but if they’re already spending $20m on ‘immersive theming’ for a ride that’s already built, the least they could do is hire some real artists & not suck up the Murrissippi for their low-effort marketing material. Especially when they’re already under fire for displacing more wildlife with the rezoning news, and the previous ‘Steel Taipan/Koala Research’ scenario, despite the questionable validity/impact of either of these, they should know better.

blah blah blah nobody cares.

The thing about water is, it literally falls from the sky.

17 minutes ago, DaptoFunlandGuy said:

blah blah blah nobody cares.

The thing about water is, it literally falls from the sky.

Just because you and people you know don't care about the effect of AI doesn't mean that a lot of others don't. Considering the top liked comments on DW Instagram post on the announcement are disappointment at the use of AI, it would seem a good majority do actually care about them using AI and how that reflects on them as a business.

It's the same conversation we've had previously. there are merits to using it. In some situations there are certainly hard working artists being taken advantage of and I'm not agreeable to that, but the water argument gets thrown around so much without regard to third grade water cycle lessons, and this was what I was referencing above.

If Tricoart is going to spend the next page arguing AI BAD DREAMWORLD BAD then yes, I don't care. Start your own thread on AI if you want to discuss it, sure - but we did this for Rivertown \ Jungle Rush and I'd really rather not take this next big announcement and derail into AI whining again.

Speaking of, this isn't a discussion about motocoaster permanent closure - it's now an announcement \ discussion thread on Lost Mine Mayhem - hopefully a helpful mod is about somewhere that can split this off (preferably without the AI crap)

Theory time:

Paradise Fall in Vietnam's Sun World Danang permanently closed last year. Perhaps Dreamworld bought the trains?

The visual match is pretty dang close that it'd be a reasonable guess including the concept art depiction of the harnessing which is the same style as Jet Rescue.

Which has me confused because of Greg's comments quoted earlier

3 hours ago, Brad2912 said:

The restraint system, with harnesses positioned at the back, allows for greater freedom of movement, Mr Yong said.

I'm guessing Greg was confused given the previous MDMC harness was quite overly complicated.

I also don’t want this thread to become another big AI argument. But I will just say this, based on the comments on Dreamworld’s Instagram post and other feedback I’ve seen about the park in general recently, I think it would be very wise for them to step away from their heavy use of AI, at least in public-facing situations. There’s definitely great uses for it and I don’t mind them using it internally for certain applications, but despite how some people may feel about it personally, I think it’s pretty clear that the general consensus amongst the public is that AI art is generally looked down upon and I really do think its consistent use at the park is starting to damage their image and reputation. Just my two cents.

Getting back on topic, I’m glad the park has finally made an official announcement and I’m really looking forward to seeing how this turns out. The line about a further expansion of Rivertown and a new land definitely sounds exciting!

3 hours ago, Smol bean said:

Nice to hear of the new land up next. Expecting that one to be taking over Rocky Hollow and hopefully Blue Lagoon which would amount to a good amount of space for some killer rides, shops and food locations.

I would absolutely love to see something done with Blue Lagoon and I think it’s pretty likely a new land would utilize that area of the park. Though I do wonder if a development on the island adjacent to Rivertown could also be on the cards (at least for the Rivertown expansion), possibly even incorporating the return of The Captain Sturt Paddle Wheeler? I’m not sure how else they could really expand Rivertown, but that seems like an obvious way to do it.

1 hour ago, Ogre said:

Theory time:

Paradise Fall in Vietnam's Sun World Danang permanently closed last year. Perhaps Dreamworld bought the trains?

ReservingTheme Park Tickets

Dude, you were there. Clearly you weren’t paying attention. There are 20 riders per train.

@Noll_57 We are pleased to present these 3 AI pictures, which we have been working on for the past year. We are exhausted now, so we must retire to our beds.

A lot of things have been confirmed in @Mr. YumYum video with Dreamworld CEO, Greg Yong.

Most notably

• The ride will have a brand new Control and Launch System

• The original hydraulic launch will be removed, and replaced with an electric tire driven launch (not LSMs).

• The ride will be taken apart, remediate it and repainted

• The ride experience will be enhanced and 'can't be spoken about just yet.. to make it much more exciting'

• 'So much of the budget is dedicated to theming... and is about a really great story'

Bit weird imo that INTAMIN hasn't been mentioned as supplying the new trains, and ride components, instead being referred to as 'a European manufacturer'.

3 hours ago, New display name said:

The $20m is the total investment for the entire attraction, including the ride, construction, theming and everything else.

And the expensive cost of taking the ride apart, piece by piece.

Intamin make these trains new I'd suspect dreamworld would have bought straight from them as opposed to salvaging from another ride.

Also pretty sure that Blue Lagoon's area is being used for the citywalk/hotel/housing expansion (as per the plans) and not the park itself

Edited August 19Aug 19 by Baconjack

10 minutes ago, TV15 said:

And the expensive cost of taking the ride apart, piece by piece.

Still much cheaper than buying a new coaster because they are getting very expensive

13 minutes ago, New display name said:

Dude, you were there. Clearly you weren’t paying attention. There are 20 riders per train.

To be fair it was ruddy hard to hear him during the reveal haha. But yes, I checked my footage and he did state it's "a new control system and new trains" from Europe, later clarifying that it's three trains (!). I'll upload the whole thing online after they send me usable audio.

13 minutes ago, Baconjack said:

Intamin make these trains new I'd suspect dreamworld would have bought straight from them as opposed to salvaging from another ride.

Usually yes, but Paradise Fall was still relatively new with presumably not a huge amount of usage. Cheaper, too!

Care of The Adventures of Theme Park Girl / @gcthemeparkgirl on insta

⛏️ LOST MINE MAYHEM: SO, IS IT *REALLY* JUST A MOTOCOASTER REFURB? 👀

There’s been a LOT of discussion since this morning’s announcement by Dreamworld Australia about whether Lost Mine Mayhem is simply a refurbishment of the former Motocoaster.

And yes, it's true... the existing Motocoaster track layout IS being reused.

HOWEVER... read on, my friends!

After being invited along to today’s announcement and hearing directly from Dreamworld CEO Greg Yong, I can tell you there’s a LOT more to this project than simply giving the old ride a new name and a coat of paint! 👀

In fact, Greg was very clear:

"This is not a refresh. This is not like a lick of paint.”

Lost Mine Mayhem represents a near-$20 million investment, and while the track layout will remain, the entire track will actually be taken down, remediated, completely repainted and rebuilt.

And that's just the beginning...

A BRAND-NEW LAUNCH SYSTEM ⚡

The old hydraulic launch is being replaced with a new electric tyre-driven launch system, bringing a more modern launch technology to the attraction.

NEW ELEMENTS ON THE TRACK 🎢

While Dreamworld isn't revealing everything just yet, Greg confirmed that there will be new elements on the launch and out on the track, including additional experiences and near misses designed to make the ride more exciting.

BRAND-NEW ATV TRAINS 🛺

The old motorcycle trains are gone. Instead, riders will climb aboard ATV-style vehicles, sitting on top rather than inside a traditional coaster train.

The new trains also feature a completely different restraint design, with a waist-level harness providing greater freedom of movement, better visibility and a much more comfortable experience for a broader range of guests.

There will be two 20-seat trains, with the new design also allowing for faster loading and dispatches.

A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE ✨

The attraction will feature a new station/load experience, new theming and a completely new queue experience. And the queue won't simply be somewhere to stand around waiting!

There'll be interactive elements, story details and little discoveries throughout, with the narrative continuing from the moment you enter until you leave the attraction.

AND THEN THERE'S THE STORY... ⛏️🪙🌿

On the fringe of Rivertown, an undiscovered gold store has been found deep beneath the valley.

But treasure raiders are moving in...

Guests will become part of the expedition, climbing aboard their ATV and heading into the mine to uncover its secrets and beat the raiders to the treasure 🪎

The story will flow through the entrance, queue, station, launch, ride and exit, with details for those who want to stop and explore, while still allowing those who simply want to jump on and ride to enjoy the experience.

A NEW CHAPTER FOR RIVERTOWN 🌄 🌿

Lost Mine Mayhem is being designed as an extension of the Rivertown story, rather than simply an attraction sitting alongside it.

So, is it the Motocoaster track?

Yes.

But is it just a refurbished Motocoaster?

Definitely not!

The track layout is indeed being retained, but we're getting the following:

_____

NEW LOST MINE MAYHEM RIDE ELEMENTS IN A NUTSHELL:

⚡The launch system: completely new and electric tyre-driven.

🎛️ The control system: brand new!

🛺 The trains: gone are the motorcycles, replaced by brand-new ATV-style vehicles.

🔒 The restraints: a new waist-level design aimed at making the ride much more comfortable and accessible.

🎢 The track experience: new elements, experiences and near misses are being added.

🕍 The station: a completely new load experience.

🚶 The queue: a whole new immersive environment with interactive elements and storytelling.

⛏️ The theming: completely reimagined around the Lost Mine story.

📖 The storyline: entirely new and woven through the attraction from entrance to exit.

🌄 The setting: a much stronger connection to Rivertown.

_______

And all of that is part of a near $20 MILLION investment.... that's definitely NOT a figure to poke a stick at! 😱

So rather than thinking of it as “Motocoaster with a new theme”, I think a better way of looking at it is this...

Dreamworld is giving the Motocoaster track a second life, and building an entirely new attraction around it 💖

Personally, after everything I learnt at today's announcement, I'm absolutely thrilled for what's in store for Rivertown with this latest addition 🥳🥳

There are still plenty of details we don't know, and Dreamworld has already hinted that more information will be revealed as construction progresses.

But one thing is certain... the story is only just beginning! 👀

Jesus more AI was used in that post than the park did in any concept art

Prob safe to say we wont be seeing pico near this thing and hopefully not a heap of netting required after

Hoping to see an av component a little more scooby 3.0 or wild west at night and a little less wizard oz

11 hours ago, Noll_57 said:

I also don’t want this thread to become another big AI argument. But I will just say this, based on the comments on Dreamworld’s Instagram post and other feedback I’ve seen about the park in general recently, I think it would be very wise for them to step away from their heavy use of AI, at least in public-facing situations. There’s definitely great uses for it and I don’t mind them using it internally for certain applications, but despite how some people may feel about it personally, I think it’s pretty clear that the general consensus amongst the public is that AI art is generally looked down upon and I really do think its consistent use at the park is starting to damage their image and reputation. Just my two cents.

Legitimately this. I don't care about the environment but AI art is incredibly lazy and with a trained eye its not very hard to pick out

When Rivals was built Village plucked a random guy who posted his Nl2 pre creation based on the footings onto Parkz to do the animation for them for the ride's marketing. Something like that wouldn't happen now. Plenty of australia based creators who'd do something like this for free

Edited August 19Aug 19 by Baconjack

10 hours ago, Gobbledok said:

Jesus more AI was used in that post than the park did in any concept art

After the amount of time & effort I spent writing that post for my FB blog last night, I felt the need to clarify that this was actually my own work. I used to articles for an online website, and anyone who has followed me online since the beginning (10 years ago) would know I've always used a lot of emojis in my work. That's always been my style of writing, I like to make my posts as interesting as possible to attract attention.

Run it though as many AI detectors as you like, if you need some kind of proof. But please, don't baselessly slander my efforts on a public forum.

Cheers ✌️

Edited August 19Aug 19 by Theme Park Girl
double up quote

Looks like it's getting backlash on social media

39 minutes ago, Theme Park Girl said:

After the amount of time & effort I spent writing that post for my FB blog last night, I felt the need to clarify that this was actually my own work. I used to articles for an online website, and anyone who has followed me online since the beginning (10 years ago) would know I've always used a lot of emojis in my work. That's always been my style of writing, I like to make my posts as interesting as possible to attract attention.

Run it though as many AI detectors as you like, if you need some kind of proof. But please, don't baselessly slander my efforts on a public forum.

Cheers ✌️

ThemeParks

I asked Chat, and Chat is on the fence about whether it's written by AI. Chat said it's more like a marketing piece written to promote the attraction rarthan than a personal blog.

I guess the important thing is will be considered a new credit lol.

Here's hoping there'll be new elements, however small or large, that spice it up a bit, and maybe they'll jazz up the pacing. A bit of a surprise, $20 million could buy a decent attraction new (of course nothing massive), but the park is in good hands and I'm sure this will impress.

25 minutes ago, New display name said:

I asked Chat, and Chat is on the fence about whether it's written by AI. Chat said it's more like a marketing piece written to promote the attraction rarthan than a personal blog.

Ahuh. Both yourself and the chat can interpret it how you like, I totally get that my positive writing style isn't for everyone 😊 I'm not here to cause any drama. I'm simply protecting countless hours of personal time & effort by personally clarifying that my work is not AI generated.

Have a lovely day, people! And remember to be kind, there's way too much toxicity in today's world.

Peace out ✌️

@Theme Park Girl I'm not interpreting it, I'm just telling you I can see why @Gobbledok thought you where using AI because even chat thinks your post sounds AI. You just have to look at the response to DW's reveal, AI is a dirty word, so if you post come off as created in AI, people will comment on it.