Scooby Doo Lately

[S.W24]

In all honesty i have seen the results of these surveys before, and there not really going to do much about what you say about Scooby just to put it out there. Warner Village has hired this company to do the surveys very much like company's called Gap buster ect then once there time period is up the company there tally's the results into stats based on the multiple choice questions and the parks then use the stats to fix service help with marketing ect were it asks you on feed back on rides and stuff its never really taken into account all the parks want are numbers. Not to read though thousands of comments for days on end, By all means give it a shot but i doubt you will do anything if your goal is to get the ride fixed. just one thing i have said this so many times but everyone keeps saying it the music on Scooby Doo ISN'T off it is muffled and distorted it can still be heard but isn't in the best position so can we stop say it is off please for those who arn't able to visit the parks 3 times a week your creating a faulse impression on how bad the attraction is at the moment, and its really not that bad. little less fog and muffled music.

[rappa]

Wow, a lot of people are getting angry over something there most likely not going to change unless you actually get off your bums and send in a email with a few hundred signatures

I have a problem with this statement... Why should it have to come to this? Why should a petition need to be created in order to fix something that should be done as a result of you paying 70 bucks to get in the door? Secondly please stop saying that "the average guest wouldn't notice" because not only is that complete crap, but it's insulting to the guest. Guests DO notice the ride is not as good as it was before, they make comments when exiting the ride all the time, just walk behind and listen to them. I have non enthusiast friends that notice, and without any prompting from me. And Klassen of course someone that isn't an op can say what is working and what's not. I'm not a ride op but I know every single effect that should be working in the ride. And it's not about the odd bad ride, it's about consistent poor standard. You CAN have enough fog in that room all day and not affect the brakes, it was the positioning and volume of output from the old machines that was the problem. The low output is purely a cost saving measure, I know, I use 20L a week of the stuff and 1000kg of CO2, it's not cheap. The red laser being red has nothing to do with hiding the drop, it's all about not enough smoke there. You need smoke to produce the cone in mid air, too much smoke is setting off the smoke detectors and rather than solve that problem, less smoke is simply used. And finally as someone mentioned, yes most of the time exec management DON'T know about these problems. They don't have time to ride every attraction every day. They rely on reports, and checklists and the staff under them to keep them informed of what is going on. Usually you'll find those staff just sign off that the ride is working anyway, even when it's not. That's why they get so angry when someone comes on here and posts about it and their boss finds out. So all I can say is, KEEP DOING IT.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Happy to report I rode scooby this afternoon. THe music is louder. It isn't as loud as it has been, but its better than it was. Even the "scooby doo - where are you" voice at the bottom of the lift is juiced up and you can hear it in the lethal weapon store (which is now open again). A lot of the effects in the first part of the ride are back up and working, lights are on and the timing is fixed. The new coloured lasers, while great, don't have the insane impact that the green lasers and the mirrors did, but it's nice that they were installed. The final drop is better than i've seen it in a while - however, while there WAS enough smoke, to clearly see the cone, and you could see the swirls of smoke wafting through the laser beam, as I've already stated - the RED LASER doesn't hide the drop. The bright lighting behind isn't masked by the red light. it just isn't as bright as the green. I've also been thinking on that - because it was discussed that it had been swapped out to red from the old green one because of the risk to peoples eyes and what not - but happened to notice the green laser at the turntable hasn't been changed to red? Anyhow, it is about time that these things got noticed. I certainly happened to notice the fog machine beside that drop as nathan suggested we look for, and it is certainly quite a lot of fog juice. I am disappointed the main room isn't similarly fogged, but what can you do? While i'm in the posting mood and too lazy to find the right thread - HSD has again updated the show, now using shots from audience reaction into the mix-down scene in the middle of the show. Much better involvement than the old roving camera bit.

[S.W24]

Well im glad that someone has actually finally spoken about the positives thank you Alex B and im glad you kept a look out for the fogger. In my opinion the ride isn't as bad as people have been making it out to be it has been very good over the last month since progress work has gone on. We need to look at the fact that we are only looking at one section of the ride here the que is great no issues there is even colour changing lights on the fountain now and load section no issues hasn't changed the dark ride section little more light than before but still good as ever as my self and joz mention its not going to change its now that way for safety reasons that our parks must comply with in order to be in operation. The lift hasn't changed the main room little less fog you can still see the lasers and they are new and may i add they are pretty good, And the final drop is covered in fog we need to take into account in busy times, peak times fog is going to be moved around much more with more frequent cars going through and more on the track please take that into account. The music is now of a decent standard and of a good volume. Some staff incl myself on Friday afternoon took the time to visit management at office about the issues and copys of some of the posts from this thread (no names were shown on the documents) and we mentioned the concerns shown and you will all be happy to know that maintenance and park decorators took the time both this morning and sat morning to look at the issues and things are on the change and all those from the forum parkz, a big THANK YOU was on hand.

[V8 Sportwagon]

Well we went to ride Scooby on Saturday as I was curious to see how bad it really was after reading some of the posts on here. I was on around 11.30am and I must admit we were pleasantly surprised. All the effects were going, music was loud enough (but not as loud as it used to be) the only thing we were not so happy with was there still could have been a bit more smoke. There was only just enough to see the lasers but not enough to create a solid beam or laser sky effect. Dont know if it was just us or not, but it did feel as though it was running faster as it speeds up after the turntable? After that positive exerience I was ready to give Leathal weapon another go, as last time it was so rough I swore I would never ride it again. Even leathal was relatively smooth considering my past few rides and I only had partial earlobe damage The park had a nice atmosphere and am now looking forward to taking my family when they visit in a few weeks. PS any one notice how the discount for renewing your annual pass is now only 15%???? thats only 5% more then everyone gets on the Myfun site....not happy!!!!

[joz]

no issues hasn't changed the dark ride section little more light than before but still good as ever as my self and joz mention its not going to change its now that way for safety reasons that our parks must comply with in order to be in operation.

Not only did I not say that, I totally disagree with the idea that since something is done for safety reasons, it can't be re-visited down the track and improved. What I would also say is that if the music is muffled, then it is broken, no matter how you look at it. Not only was it muffled on my visit, it was barely audible. Daylight was also leaking in from everywhere, making the lasers even harder to see in the minimal fog. I really love the ride, but when the lasers and audio in that big room aren't working to their full effect, then its a roller coaster in a warehouse. Having said that, I did not notice the Dark Ride section being overly bright on my last visit a month or so back, and I don't think it being bright enough for people to not trip over at load and unload a bad thing. The red rope lights were working all around the laser room and lift, the mirrors had been cleaned (thats how long its been since I've been on the ride) and the dark ride section was working well enough. I can't say I'm a fan of the giant spider in the laser room (to me it seems tacky in there. IMHO it would fit in the dark ride section a mich better. Particularly the room which already friggin' has spiders!), but on the whole its looking a heap better then it was mid way through last year, but sounds a hell of allot worse.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Nathan - All i said was the music was a bit louder. A lot of the other issues are still there. - The fog - it doesn't matter about being "busy" it never got blown away when it was busy before - why now? And sorry, but absolutely NOTHING tackier in the country's best themed ride than a clear bottle of fog fluid and a fogger sitting on the ground in plain view beside the track.

[rival81]

Glad to hear scooby music is back etc. Looking forward to my next visit!

[kieron5379]

I'm sorry, but i fail to see how the fog or smoke machines can be affecting the brake system. I mean, a fog machine and a smoke machine use 2 completely different types of chemical and there is pretty much no residue in the air. If there is any at all, it would be around the nozzle of the machine, but whenever i've worked with a smoke machine i've had no problems, as well as the fact that it all raises rather quickly, so i can't see it falling on a track anywhere. So unless they're using some special kind of chemical, i don't see it being a problem, more as another excuse for management to cut costs and blame it on "safety measures". As with there being more light in the dark room, i think that's stupid. It ran for how long with its old setup, yet now its apparently a "safety concern" to have it so dark. Did the safety department at Movieworld just not know that Scooby Doo even existed? I mean come on, next we'll be seeing the projectors in the queue line turned off becuase it was too much of a distraction and people were walking into poles or something like that. If the ride had this many safety problems, why would Movieworld even bother having the ride? While I'm having a rant as well, if management for the parks are on these forums, then why did it take some of the staff from Movieworld taking quote's FROM this site to management before anything seems to be done. Movieworld is seriously trying to covering up they're distinct lack of effort and they're "near enough is good enough" attitude. Also, green lasers are much brighter than red due to them being a different frequency. So overall, there is no excuse other than they are being cheap. -Out

[Hendo]

I'm with you Klassen24. Being negative all the time isn't doing these forums or the parks any justice. I live 1000km's away from the Gold Coast and only visit once a year. I like to keep up to date as to what is happening there so I like to read this web site, but lately it's all negative. When my kids and I ride the rides we won't be looking for extra smoke or listening to how loud the music is. We are there to have fun. I do agree with some of the comments that skimping on effects is pretty unfair, but come on guys, smoke and music? Come on everybody, chill out and be happy again.

[GoGoBoy]

It seems to be a trend with Warner Village lately unfortunately. Other examples where they have replaced once very decent theming effects with well below standard effects include the final splashdown room in the mountain on Wild West Falls and the volcano fire on Bermuda. I understand there may have been reasons these had to be replaced (the fire on WWF as an example) but by substituting them for effects or theming which are so far below the former standard they essentially destroy a large part of the overall ride experience

[rappa]

Kieron I'm sorry but I'm going to put my somewhat of an expect hat on here in regards to smoke. For starters a fog machine and a smoke machine are exactly the same thing, they are just different names people give to the same thing. There is such a thing as a Low Fog machine but it's just a smoke machine all the same with a chiller built into it. Fog/smoke does not leave NO residue, it actually leaves A LOT. Water based machines are not in fact running on water, they are running on glycol, which is a sticky messy substance that doesn't evaporate quickly. Most time you use a smoke machine it's in a venue for a week, a month or a day, and you use it for probably couple hours absolute MAX. With Scooby you're talking about 364 days a year, 8 hours a day CONSTANT use. Over time that tiny bit of residue builds up and builds up leaving a decent layer. As for 'residue in the air' that's all a smoke machine is doing. Its atomizing liquid particles and getting them air born in order to refract light and give you the effect. Eventually those particles fall on any object or structure around them, condense, and leave residue. The way you avoid this is to use fluid with long hang time, such is being used in the main room on scooby, so you put out a lot less fog to keep the room full. The system can use a lot more than it does now and be safe, but it's still a lot of fluid. And my guess is right now it's a balance between seeing the lasers and saving money. The smoke machine on the drop at the end is a $5 special. A cheap little machine that probably spits and spews crap everywhere, it also can't keep up with the demand needed there. They would be much better with a small 'water' based hazer in that room to just keep a constant mist on that cone. It would actually be the perfect place to use a fog screen kind of product and just project the cone onto it. And Alex I'm with you, you should never be able to see something obvious like a fogger, it ruins the 'magic.' It's not different to speaker enclosures on superman or blaring white exit signs. Klassen I respect you guys for going to talk to management. As I said, you will usually find management are very happy to listen to those kinds of comments and put change into action. They just have to be made aware of the problems first, which sadly most staff won't take the time to do.

[cadboy]

And Alex I'm with you, you should never be able to see something obvious like a fogger, it ruins the 'magic.' It's not different to speaker enclosures on superman or blaring white exit signs.

Yep agreed, having the smoke machine visible makes the last room look tacky. It is also quite obvious sitting right next to the final drop. BTW where was the previous machine located and why did they switch to the new one?

[S.W24]

Thank you DJ for helping me get across my point here, you guys really don't know how much work actually goes on you all just assume from your own observation. There are reasons for the moves and decisions made by our parks, All businesses main focus is customer service and there product, and WVTP is the same as any other business they focus on there product they are not going to let there product fall half ass, things may change in time due to, changes in public systems and laws, like OHS, legal requirements. Our parks are gambling with lives every single day and have huge legal suits if something goes wrong in the case of fog it has been tuned down because of the brake issues, but someone every time seems to argue the point you all need to realize that these things happen for a reason and the parks try as hard as possible to maintain standard and you cant say they don't when the fog issue occurred machines were removed and they looked at other options the mist after the trial it didn't work so they have gone back to fog but less. these is going to be a never ending debate because someone will always have something to say against the fact until you work for the park with the issue and know what happens maybe listen to those who are taking there time to provide you with the information, the right information and know from on hand experience note from a similar job but those who are actively involved in the actual issue its self. This wont be the end because i know someone is bound to bit back at what i have said.

[tipsy_bella]

It's interesting to read your posts in regard to WVTP compared to Dreamworld. Perhaps you should take or read some of your advice before you post in regard to Dreamworld mate.

[Richard]

The focus of most businesses isn't customer service, it's profits. If an organisation can achieve maximum profits by disregarding customer service, they will -- including WVTP. There's no gambling of lives at a theme park. Safety comes down to very black and white procedures that are in place. With the specific fog issue, I doubt very much that an altered maintenance schedule for the track and trains wouldn't easily see the ride return to its original fog levels and maximum safety. The likely reason they have done what they have comes back to profits, not safety. Adding cost by adding to the ride's maintenance versus cutting costs by reducing the use of fog? Pretty simple choice, especially for an organisation that has shown again and again in recent months that the little things no longer matter. This likely will be a never-ending debate, because most people here seem to be arguing for an improvement in the overall treatment of guests (and issues like deliberate degradation of theming absolutely does fall into this category). Then there's individuals like you klassen24, who despite being largely on the same side as the majority, seem to be arguing from a perspective that it's impossible for any change to occur for a seemingly endless number of reasons. Obviously change can occur at WVTP. Just read the overwhelming opinions about WVTP parks a year ago versus today. If the corporate culture in place can allow things to go this way, it can go back the other way as well. At the end of the day I just find it disappointing that a visitor to Movie World today won't be getting the same quality of experience that they would have on a visit prior -- even on the same attractions -- yet they're paying significantly more to visit, even when you factor in inflation. (I agree, too much use of "change"... you'd think I were running for president.)

[Lotl_90]

I wonder if they have looked into better/more ventilation, and im not talking like gaping holes with fans attached or anything, but if they just had some ducted air vents or something to help remove more of the smoke/fog from the room to avoid having it settle on the track/brakes/whatever else as much as it has been. Surely there has to be a solution that would allow them to keep running the attraction at its former standard, without compromising safety/brake systems. Although if it comes down to nothing but saving money wherever possible, then I doubt we'll see a change, and Movie World is getting itself onto a long dark path. My last few visits to MW in the last little while have left me quite dissapointed. Especially the more recently obvious attempts to scrape every cent out of guests. Its becoming worse than i've ever seen. Personally, I wont be visiting again in a hurry if recent trends continue.

[rival81]

Went on Scooby over the weekend and it was much improved, everything seems to be working again! Music was on, lights were all working and i either i've never noticed it before or they've actually added a few new lights... the eyes on the rat-looking monster now glow and the grim reaper guys have glowing red eyes. Final drop was great, lots of smoke and laser working nicely. Everyone was loving the ride and the line up was huge! Well done MW in getting Scooby Doo back to it's former glory!

Edited May 19, 2009 by rival81

[Spotty]

Was the music loud or still muffled? All I can say is WELL done to Movie World, I am glad that they got off there butts and did something about it.

[rappa]

See thats great to hear, its nice when something gets done like that which really raises no direct revenue. Whether it was as a result of comments on this forum or not doesn't really matter to me, just happy to hear positive feedback.

[BNErider]

Didn't I read somewhere that effects were being cutback on weekdays? Couldn't some of reports of no effects be associated with those cutbacks?

[S.W24]

There was no cutbacks on weekends if anything they would have been cuting back during the week with lower attendance and lowers sales rather than weekend with higher attendance and higher projected sales. But things are on the change and have been fixed also as mention a few other things have been added and will be in operation with in the next month, which may result in some late openings instead of closing the attraction completely to do the work.

[BNErider]

Thanks... What I was trying to say is that person A could have visited the park on Friday and reports that the ride is crap, while person B can say it's all fixed up on Saturday. I think there may be some of that going on, but of course, it's still the park's fault for not offering the same standards all week long. After all, the prices are the same. Re the fixing up of effects/theming and adding new bits, what more can you tell us?

[cadboy]

I can't wait to ride soon and experience the ride in a better state. Wouldn't it be great if it got back to looking like the pictures below. Check out this video as well it really shows the ride from every aspect. http://www.laservision.com.au/page.asp?lid...sec=Movie+World

Edited May 20, 2009 by cadboy

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Did anyone else do a double take or just me? Theres something not quite right.....

Didn't I read somewhere that effects were being cutback on weekdays?

There was no cutbacks on weekends if anything they would have been cuting back during the week

Yep, thought so.