The Off Topic Topic

[Brad2912]

In news that seemed to slip thru the cracks... 2 tiger cubs were born at DW last week. Which is great news... They’ll be on public show in a few weeks when they find a way to encase them in Perspex in a way that doesn’t inhibit their walking.. 

[Jay Jay The Jet Plane]

Courier Mail was given to exclusive access to see the new cubs (following information taken from Courier Mail) 

- Another litter of twin girls 

- Both weigh 1.50kg atm, expected to fully reach 150kg

- Will be on public display in a fortnight’s time (I’m gonna guess you will be able to see them in the Up Close enclosure as TCK is gone) 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

1 hour ago, Adventures With JWorld said:

(I’m gonna guess you will be able to see them in the Up Close enclosure as TCK is gone)

Nah - instead, they're going to shutter wipeout for a few months, and build a new TCK there...

[T-bone]

Good find, but they won't be on display in the up close enclosure, its not really a quarantined environment. Expect to see them in the demountable nursery they had for the last litter, only this time it will be near the area formerly known as the Lair. 

[WalleyWorld]

I wonder why Premier Rides didn't make more of these shuttle launch coasters. The layout is awesome, especially the inverted top-hat and LIM's on the vertical spike to push the train higher. It would be really cool to see them bring this layout back with the new sky rocket trains and track.

[New display name]

I don't know what I prefer with this ride.  When it launched forward or the way it launches now.

[Johnny]

I know personally know one of the former lead designers from Premier. He used to push for shuttle launch coasters and was the person who mostly looked after that side of things. As I mentioned, former lead designer, he was poached by another popular company in recently years *cough* Intamin *cough* so Premier don't work as much with the shuttle coasters anymore.

[Slick]

1 hour ago, Luke said:

I wonder why Premier Rides didn't make more of these shuttle launch coasters. The layout is awesome, especially the inverted top-hat and LIM's on the vertical spike to push the train higher. It would be really cool to see them bring this layout back with the new sky rocket trains and track.

I can think of a few reasons:

• i'd imagine a lot of buyers were scared off after the two in Great Adventure were scrapped
• this was at the tail end of the "faster, taller, longer" rush for parks, and Intamin's hydraulic launch system was favoured as it was able to deliver those marketable metrics
• this is very speculative, but after Intamin ejected a few folk with their lap-bars, all the parks went through a phase where everything needed an OTSR (ala Superman Escape) and so parks would've shied away from their lap-bar train designs.

It's not all bad though, Premier have made a comfortable comeback by delivering a really solid few post-GFC products that leverage their LIM tech for smaller, lower capacity and yet visually impressive roller-coasters (Tempesto at Busch Gardens, Williamsburg.)

[Rollercoaster_Lover]

Went down to movieworld today and there was no lines, just wondering since when has there been mist on greenlauntern??

[themagician]

If you are referring to the mist in the queue area ... I’m pretty sure, forever. It isn’t always turned on, but it does add the mood as you walk through the queue 

[themagician]

Well done WnW

[themagician]

Just a quick SW update

After vanishing for a few months, the Whale Shark has returned

And renovations are being made on one of the pools in the Dolphin Nursery, which has meant the majority of Creatures of the Deep is closed

 

[Brad2912]

Can’t believe you’re not at DW getting photos of Gold Rush bring torn down.

as resident photographer, you’re letting the ball slip @themagician

[themagician]

Oh I would @Brad2912, but I don’t have a pass, so can’t.

But it is good to see they are finally able to begin removing the river rapids. But an surprised they are removing more facades from gold rush 

[New display name]

22 minutes ago, themagician said:

don’t have a pass, so can’t.

@themagician is that by choice?.

I liked the area many years ago but bulldozing it and starting with a clean canvas is the way to go.

If this is to be a new themed world within DW what do people want?

 

I hope DW have a masterplan for the use of this land and we don’t end up with 2 Ocean Parades.

[themagician]

@Skeeta Yes. I love Dreamworld, but I am just waiting until these new attractions are opened before I get a pass again. Mine expired towards the end of last year (At the time didnt have the spare money to buy one), but now just waiting a few months.

[New display name]

I once loved DW but I'm not willing to put my daughter on a ride till Ardent is gone.  I have no confidence in DW. 

[themagician]

Just out of curiosity then. You don’t want your daughter to ride anything at the park (which I respect your decision) because of the owners of the park, and simply by changing the owners you think that their safety will improve? Or is purely just because of what the company has done to the park and you don’t want your daughter to experience that?

Im personally not a fan of Ardent, and what the park had become to just a few years ago was disappointing. I think over the last couple of years and the improvements they’ve made (refurbishing rides, repainting facades, etc) has been great and has improved the park, but still some of the decisions made don’t make sense. I’m very glad they reopened the log ride, and if the only way they were going to reopen it was with the canopies, then sure, still don’t agree that was a good idea, but it’s operating, and one day they may come up with a better solution. Saying that, refurbishing Tiger Island, awesome. Adding the LEGO store and getting rid of the old dark exit area, awesome. A soon to be added flying theatre, awesome. Getting rid of SBNO attractions, awesome. Whether it was Ardent directly that made these decisions, or the parks head staff having to fight for money to get these things to happen .... I’m glad they’ve made these changes and do look forward to seeing what the park will become, with more money being invested into it. It’s just going to take a couple of years.

[Brad2912]

1 hour ago, Skeeta said:

I once loved DW but I'm not willing to put my daughter on a ride till Ardent is gone.  I have no confidence in DW. 

 

Interesting comment Skeet. I take it therefore that you believe the TRR incident was as a result of a “reasonably” avoidable failure on their behalf? 

By reasonably I mean something that was known, acknowledged or ignored that could have prevented the accident but wasn’t done through choice 

[Jay Jay The Jet Plane]

Passing DW now 

TRR queue line building seems to be completely gone from what I saw, 

Won’t be able to go into the park till Sunday so that will be someone’s job if they want to take it, to update with us with what’s going on

[New display name]

17 hours ago, themagician said:

Just out of curiosity then. You don’t want your daughter to ride anything at the park (which I respect your decision) because of the owners of the park, and simply by changing the owners you think that their safety will improve?

I believe Ardent put their own interests ahead of guest and this includes ride safety.

16 hours ago, Brad2912 said:

Interesting comment Skeet. I take it therefore that you believe the TRR incident was as a result of a “reasonably” avoidable failure on their behalf? 

By reasonably I mean something that was known, acknowledged or ignored that could have prevented the accident but wasn’t done through choice 

100%, I don't believe Ardent have the right people/companies in place to make the decisions they are making.  

Clearly it didn’t work with TRR but Ardent continue with this practise.    Ardent go against what everyone else in the world is doing.  No other theme park has a roof over their flume ride and no other Disk-O in the world ties you to the seat.

When the wheel assembly failed on the GL, MW went back to SS for them to fix the problem.  If DW’s Disk-O has a problem than the solution is not to tie the guest to the seat but to fix the original problem. 

Ardents practise of going out on their own and going the cheapest option (RHLR roof) gives me no confidence they are doing it for the right reasons.  The roof didn’t go on the RHLR to stop me falling out, it went up to stop me suing Ardent.

 

 

[Brad2912]

Fair call, you are more than entitled to your opinion. I can see and understand your points, I guess I am probably not as steadfast as you in putting unconditional blame on them for TRR (whether I should or not I guess is another thing). I won’t boycott them as at the end of the day they employ close to 1000 people from the community and, in my opinion, it would be to the gold coast’s detriment to lose DW from the landscape. I certainly do understand however why others, such as yourself, feel differently. 

[rappa]

I'm with Skeeta. 

Knowing what occurred to allow Rapids to happen and seeing no measurable change in culture since then coupled with one or two other incidents I've observed you won't get me on any Dreamworld rides until there's some major changes made to the way they do things. 

Happy to visit the park, have a couple drinks and see the Tigers, and I have a pass. But not getting on anything that could injure me or worse. 

[New display name]

16 minutes ago, Brad2912 said:

I won’t boycott them as at the end of the day they employ close to 1000 people from the community and, in my opinion, it would be to the gold coast’s detriment to lose DW from the landscape.

My opinion wasn't formed overnight and I too also wanted to show support to DW.  Within weeks of DW reopening I purchased passes for my family.  What’s your opinion on TRR?

[Brad2912]

My opinion on TRR is that it was a tragic accident that COULD have been prevented, but COULD NOT have been predicted to have occurred. 

Im also not privy to all the facts however. 

I’ve read that a pump had broken down which lowered the water level - could this have been fixed quicker? I’ve heard of the ride operating sans 1 pump numerous times with no issues.

ive heard that a girl on her first day was at the control panel. Would a more experienced attendant noticed the queuing and e-stopped prior. 

I’ve heard a sensor that stopped the conveyer failed. Would this have mattered had a more experienced attendant been working, or if the water level was higher. 

From my understanding (which could be wrong) there was numerous contributing factors that all played a part in the tragedy, and if all hadn’t occurred simultaneously it wouldn’t have happened. 

Pump & sensor issue with an experienced attendant - crisis averted 

New attendant & pump issue with no sensor failure - crisis averted 

Ultimately its DW’s job to provide a safe ride no matter what (excusing for morons deliberately circumventing safety producers). So yes, in that regard it’s their fault.

I’d argue though that unless the sensor failure was known about and ignored, then I don’t believe there was a malicious ignoring of safety precautions. 

Freak accidents can occur. They are still avoidable (“what if we didn’t even open the ride today”) but they are freak. 

I believe that QLD investigators and the coroners office were unable to replicate the incident despite days of trying to during the investigation - for me that represents a freak event 

Need to add to that though that I don’t begrudge or judge anyone who won’t step on their rides. It’s an entirely personal decision. Have 2 completely differing opinions in my own household! 

 

Edited February 28, 2018 by Brad2912