The Off Topic Topic

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I'm pretty sure the park would take issue with that sort of footwear...

Wear a thick heeled walking shoe or jogger, and get her some lifts to put inside it...

[Spotty]

Would just like to clarify Batwing's height restriction is 123cm not 140cm

[Zanstabar]

Would've edited this into my previous post but I just came across it: A first look at the new Yeti on the Matterhorn at Disneyland

[Zanstabar]

I'm sure that some of us here have already seen this, but I found this to be quite interesting. For those that don't know, Sanderson Group have worked on many classic Aussie rides, such as the Bermuda Triangle and original set-up for Warner Bros Movie World. This page is basically a portfolio of some of their work, such as concept sketches for the Cyclone, theming for the Giant Drop, and the iconic Skull from the Tower of Terror.

(https://web.archive.org/web/20070528145908/http://www.sandersongroup.com.au/asandframes.htm)

I honestly find it quite weird to see that the Cyclone and Giant Drop were actually going to have some pretty nice and cohesive theming. What happened Dreamworld?

[joz]

In the case of the Giant Drop themeing guests picked at it and destroyed it until getting rid of it was the better option, in the case of Cyclone, well it's all still there, and it's crap.

Truthfully they were never well designed queues. This was back when Dreamworld was going through a phase of having the queue finish 50meters away from the ride. I suspect someone at Dreamworld was like 'Hey it works with Wipeout, let's do it with everything!' Sanderson can make good stuff, but for whatever reason the work they did for Dreamworlf was never their finest.

Did you know that one of the windows on Main Street at Movie World which says 'Sanderson - Maker of fine buildings'

[Zanstabar]

Truthfully they were never well designed queues. This was back when Dreamworld was going through a phase of having the queue finish 50meters away from the ride. I suspect someone at Dreamworld was like 'Hey it works with Wipeout, let's do it with everything!' Sanderson can make good stuff, but for whatever reason the work they did for Dreamworlf was never their finest.

That's sad that they were never all that good in the first place but in comparison to what we have now, I think it would be a welcomed improvement.

The section about the Giant Drop also mentions a 3D Mammoth and Tar Pit. Anyone know that fate of those?

Did you know that one of the windows on Main Street at Movie World which says 'Sanderson - Maker of fine buildings'

I knew that they dedicate windows to various people that helped create and shape the park but I never know Sanderson Group had one dedicated to them. I'll have to check out all the windows next time I go and see just how many other people I can spot.

[joz]

I would suspect it's somewhere between the Boutique and Emporium, but that's a bit of a guess. I can tell you John Menzies is on the Emporium, Village Roadshow Directors 'the Kirbys are across from Guest Servies, Steve Peet (former COO) is on guest services, CV Wood ('designer' of the park) is honoured on the bank. That's all the ones I remember off the top of my head, apart from that it's mostly employee of the year winners from years back. Also the graves in Boot Hill have the names of many past (and I think a few present) employees on them.

Edited May 22, 2015 by joz

[Theme Park Girl]

I'm sure that some of us here have already seen this, but I found this to be quite interesting. For those that don't know, Sanderson Group have worked on many classic Aussie rides, such as the Bermuda Triangle and original set-up for Warner Bros Movie World. This page is basically a portfolio of some of their work, such as concept sketches for the Cyclone, theming for the Giant Drop, and the iconic Skull from the Tower of Terror.

(https://web.archive.org/web/20070528145908/http://www.sandersongroup.com.au/asandframes.htm)

I honestly find it quite weird to see that the Cyclone and Giant Drop were actually going to have some pretty nice and cohesive theming. What happened Dreamworld?

Wtf. The Cyclone actually had a COW on the turbine when it opened??? ???

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Yep - miss that one eh? Pretty trippy (crappy) theming... but essentially the cow was meant to be caught up in the 'wind'. eventually it got replaced by crappy streamers and that was that.

[Slick]

Back in 2004-2005 the wire snapped and the cow fell into the turbine. AlexB is correct, streamers were added in later, and my guess is the fan eventually died a few years after that. The theming was not half bad, if anything they needed more budget to fulfil on the vision and to then maintain it. Anyone else remember the vibrating floor when you reached the end of the queue, the water misters and the new segments on the LCD screens up the queue?

[Richard]

Cyclone was pretty much the quintessential example of Dreamworld theming... ridiculously overthought plot and built to a budget with no thought as to how (or if) it'll last.

A good chunk of the ideas were simply swiped from Universal Studios Orlando's Twister attraction, to the point where the gift shop was a 100% knockoff...

[Zanstabar]

Cyclone was pretty much the quintessential example of Dreamworld theming... ridiculously overthought plot and built to a budget with no thought as to how (or if) it'll last.

A good chunk of the ideas were simply swiped from Universal Studios Orlando's Twister attraction, to the point where the gift shop was a 100% knockoff...

When I saw the pictures of the Cyclone with the cow in the turbine, that's all I thought off.

Back in 2004-2005 the wire snapped and the cow fell into the turbine. AlexB is correct, streamers were added in later, and my guess is the fan eventually died a few years after that. The theming was not half bad, if anything they needed more budget to fulfil on the vision and to then maintain it. Anyone else remember the vibrating floor when you reached the end of the queue, the water misters and the new segments on the LCD screens up the queue?

I don't remember the vibrating floors or misters, but I do have vague memories of LCD screens playing what looked to be a news report. Could be wrong though.

[Gazza]

Would've edited this into my previous post but I just came across it: A first look at the new Yeti on the Matterhorn at Disneyland

So, have they fixed the one on Everest?

[westical]

Six Flags Adds Sleeper Cars To Its Roller Coasters For Passengers Who Prefer More Restful Ride

[Reanimated35]

.....and goodbye neck on the loops

[strop]

^^ Would still load faster than Cyclone.

[Theme Park Girl]

Yep - miss that one eh? Pretty trippy (crappy) theming... but essentially the cow was meant to be caught up in the 'wind'. eventually it got replaced by crappy streamers and that was that.

LOL yeah, downside to living out of town at the time, we didn't always get to some of the new rides straight away In this case we were a bit late with the Cyclone and yeah, it was the streamers and the turbine spinning that we saw when we rode it for the first time. Never knew there was a cow before that, let alone that it had news reports and stuff ?

That has always been one thing that has disappointed me about the parks, they put so much effort into full theming when they first open and then let it all gradually slide into the "don't give an f anymore" stage, despite leaving all the evidence around of what USED to be ie. TV screens and broken lighting etc.

I hate that I missed the original Buzzsaw theming, I heard all about it having a story and there's TVs everywhere inside the ride barn, but they all are just left switched off now. Same with the Giant Drop which has a TV in the queue line, although I did see/ride that not long after it opened, just don't remember what was on it at the time.

[XxMrYoshixX]

Honestly DW is terrible at maintaining rides and their theming. I mean look at Cyclone. It's only 20 years old and it's rougher than Loch Ness Monster at BGW, which is almost double it's age. TOT2 is struggling to get up the tower. Meanwhile in California, Superman's running great. Cyclone, GD and BuzzSaw's queues are rotting away. The latter ride is less than 4 years old. Cyclone and TOT2 are in rubbish condition, especially the case of Cyclone.

Also not to mention the cobwebs in Cyclone's queue and station.

Could be an early death for Cyclone, too bad cuz LPS would have maintained it better.

Edited May 24, 2015 by XxMrYoshixX

[Theme Park Girl]

Anyone else notice that the Spongebob movie at Sea World is advertised by the park as being 3D, yet the actual title of the movie on the big screen states 4D?

I'm guessing Sea World couldn't be bothered putting in the extra effort with theatre effects to make it 4D the way the movie was originally intended to be :/

 

[Brad2912]

Never bothered watching it, but the orecious show in the theatre had 4D effects 

[pushbutton]

For it to have 4d effects it would have to be in a specially designed cinema with the necessary equipment (like the Roxy theatre at Movie World).

The cinema at Sea World is just a basic cinema and cannot provide these. 

Personally I'd really like the one at Sea World to be upgraded into a 7d cinema like the one in Surfers Paradise. 

 

[Gazza]

The cinema at SW is kitted out for some 3D effects. The seats buzz, ticklers run across the room on wires, there's water drippers.

More to the point though, the film seems more designed for use in a motion simulator, hence it only going for a few minutes and having big drops etc.

[pushbutton]

Oh.  I've never experienced any of those effects at Sea World. I suppose it's not as basic as I thought!

[themagician]

^They haven't been used since the Planet SOS 4D show

[iwerks]

The 2014 Global Attractions Attendance Report is out.

Congrats to the water parks on the Gold Coast.

http://www.aecom.com/deployedfiles/Internet/Capabilities/Economics/_documents/Theme Index_2014_v1_1a.PDF