Giant Drop or Space Probe

[joz]

I'm quite inspired by the conversation going on in another theard, and I think it deserves its own one. So I put it to you guys, which is better? Space Probe with its Dome at the top and themed queue, or Giant Drop, with its height and extensive views? Personally, I'm voting for Giant Drop. The wait at the top is one of the best expereinces I've had on a theme park attraction.

[Slick]

Bar none, Giant Drop gets my thumbs up without doubt! Only thing i don't enjoy about the GD is the lack of theming PS: thanks must go to me for that beautfiul GD photo, bigger size soon!

[Jaggie]

Space Probe hands down, who needs height when you get a better experience on Space Probe, GO SPACE PROBE

[Richard]

I put my vote in for Giant Drop. I can see a lot of bias or fanboyism coming into play here. Hey, Giant Drop's double the height and otherwise the same basic ride. It mightn't be as well themed. I remember the first time I rode Space Probe. I rode it and was freaked, then rode it again and again and it lost its ability to really thrill. Meanwhile, Giant Drop took dozens upon dozens of rides to get used to. Needless to say, riding Giant Drop one day, then two days later being at Wonderland and riding Space Probe, it just didn't exactly do it for me. It's more of a fun and enjoyable ride than an intense ride like Giant Drop.

[GoGoBoy]

Hmm I have been slightly persuaded by Richards post as I wasn't aware that GD was double the height of SP. That's quite a difference. However I have always thoroughly enjoyed the SP experience. Everything from the landscaping around it (love that huge waterfall), the fact that it's on a hill, the great queue and station theming and the dome. I think having the Dome is a great feature (only when the tv monitors are working though!). It creates an intense sensation being in a semi enclosed room and then all of a sudden dropping out into the open again.

[Richard]

Just in case my figure earlier causes any trouble, it's actually only 1.83 times taller than Space Probe. It's 119m (390ft) to 65m (213ft). So yes, we are talking significantly higher. They all look the same when they're in a photograph with a bright blue sky backdrop, and it's really quite difficult to realise actually how big Giant Drop is. I assure you if you've not ridden Giant Drop, that it is high, and you most certainly do sense the difference when you're up there. -Richard, looking forward to riding Disney-MGM's Tower of Terror. Awesome theming, multiple drops and seatbelt seats!

[rappa]

Yup I've said it before and I'll say it again Giant Drop for sure! ...for all the reasons I said in the other thread. The whole height factor and added sensation just maked for such a much more worthwhile ride. I'd never want to line up for space probe for an hour and have the ride over and not doing much in a little over a heartbeat. The viewes with the open top crap all over the dodgy SP dome...plus the dome is such a fixed stop point for the ride (once you get there you know thats it and your about to drop) where as on GD its a bit of a mystery as you slow down so much your not quite sure if your still going or stopped at the top. Oh and SP doesn't get any credit for that waterfall, its been there since day one!

[joz]

Nice and even, 3 votes a peice 8) Question, is theming on an outdoor free-fall ride a bit of a waste of time, since no matter how well themed it is, all you can see around you is the rest of the park?

[Shaun]

Well I must admit I have only ridden the one aswell but all i know is that the Giant Drop is bloody tall! You wouldn't belive the view from the top. On the DW web site there are pictures of riders at the top of the tower showing the view and that picture is no exaduration of the view! It goes a good deal higher than the TOT aswell if I rember right. I was reading an american board once and they were talking about how high their Intamin drop rides are and that they would never ride them again (I asume they are around the same hight as the SP) and when I told them how high our GD is they couldn't belive it! They just couldn't imagine the hight. Yes it would be nice to have a bit of a story, some special afects and a cool loading station but I think I will have to vote for the height. Shaun

[Slick]

4500 tonnes of concrete says GD has a good chance of winning! (That's implying how much concrete they used for the tower )

[Jaggie]

The waterfall was not there from day one it was built as part of the ride theming.

[Slick]

errrr.... there was a waterfall, any pics?

[Psycho]

The waterfall was not there from day one it was built as part of the ride theming.

Yes, the waterfall has been there prior to Space Probe. It used to be a nice feature to fill up the empty plot of land on the walk to Hanna Barbera. It used to have an outdoor bench seat (either at the top or bottom, I can't recall which) which had a pair of skeletons sitting on it with their arms around each other (to tie in with the opening Transylvania and The Demon)....It was removed just prior to construction of Space Probe begining...

[rappa]

Thanks Psycho I was about to say I remember all the years of lining up for Deamon and seeing the waterfall and was pretty sure I wasn't imagining it :-)

[nezzur]

I have a park map from 1994 (pre Space Probe) and the waterfall is clearly marked.

[Slick]

so judging from the map there was actually 2 waterfalls?

[Jaggie]

Well they musta filled in that waterfall up the back to put space probe in?

[joz]

Thanks for the map Nezzur! Pretty effective way of ending that argument. Still even, 6 votes all. Relativly even voting

[Andy_q69]

7-6.. SP's way now. The waterfall is a great site. You hear frogs croaking, water splashing, and the addition of meeting a 1ft long lizard on the bank of the river.

[Flea]

and the addition of meeting a 1ft long lizard on the bank of the river.

Oh puh-lease don't remind me of that thing! I think everybody knows my vote.. it's just basically a better atmosphere. Sure, Giant Drop has the huge drop, but what else does it really offer? One minute at the top of Giant Drop surprisingly got boring.. I'd rather see it spend 10 or so seconds at the top so the 90 minute lines disappear. If Giant Drop had the theming of Space Probe (with the addition of the waterfall), then Giant Drop would get my vote. "This is an emergency. Please prepare to evacuate. Alien life form is attacking Sydney", ~Liam

[Daniel]

Don't forget the snakes and ofcourse the rats Oh and the eels that are in the water. Can't forget them.

[rappa]

Lets look at that theming shall we... I don't think it really rates the credit you give it considering the disgusting state wonderland allowed it to get into. I wouldn't say SP has any theming over GD simply by the fact they both really have effectively the same level of theming given that all of SP's is stuffed. Second the whole theme is stupid anyway, your suposed to be evacuating right? The ride sends you up and brings you back to exactly the same place you were being evacuated from??? YEAH THAT WORKS :-) I mean SP was a great ride when it opened, and still is a good ride but the fact it GD is better, theres nothing wrong with that. For everything in life there is always going to be another thing better, lets just accepyt that and move on HEHEHE LONG LIVE GD

[Jaggie]

Damn everyone is teasing wonderland theming. The only thing that the giant drop offers more is the height, now whats the big deal with extra height isn't it all the same all the way down? Once you drop for 2 seconds it's all the same right? I cant see the point of it being higher excpet to get a place in the guiness world records. Long live Space Probe!

[Richard]

In that case, my vote goes for Shock Drop at Luna Park in Melbourne. It provides the exact same thrill as the other two. The height adds two things. Firstly, you've got the added exhiliration of floating 120m above the ground (nearly twice as high as Space Probe). There's no such thing as not being afraid of heights - it's a hard-coded human instinct. It's just that some people are more able than others to cope with the inevitable fear. It's only after you become incredibly familiar with the environment (as many of our Wonderlanders are on Space Probe) that it becomes so familiar that it doesn't affect you. Then you've got the fact that you're falling for considerably longer, so there's more float time. You actually have a chance to soak in what's happening, which I don't believe happens on Space Probe. As far as I'm concerned, theming doesn't come into play here. If that's your reasoning, then I'd say that you'd be at home on a ride like Looney Tunes River Ride. The theming's about the quality of Space Probe's, so you've definitely got a better ride.

[Jaggie]

But that's what theme parks are for 'theming', if you ride space probe you will remember all the theming and ride build up where as giant drop all you'll remember is the drop. After you day at the theme park when you go home are you really going to remember how high the drop was, or are you going to remember the whole ride including theming as a big package. Wonderland has everything over Dreamworld in the experience/memories factor. I remember times when i goto the park and dont ride space Probe and see the tony laffan magic show, i go home feeling empty because i haven't taken an experience away from the park. The people on these forums are regulars to their repective parks Wonderland and Dreamworld, are they really ride after ride going to care how tall it is? No! They're trips will get awfully boring riding the same tower up and down and then leaving. Whereas Space Probe offers the before ride entertainment which will provide and experience therefore the park regulars will not get bored as fast.