Green Lantern Coaster

[GoGoBoy]

Whilst Buzzsaw looks great from the highway, that mantle is already faded in favour of the full circuit GL coaster at MW.

It will be interesting to see what the general public thinks. I know I personally have virtually no interest in BuzzSaw (although I like the theming concept) whereas I'd almost be willing to travel back up to the GC just to ride Green Lantern. A full circuit coaster with steep drops is going to win me over any day. A super loop just doesn't do it for me. But what will non theme park fans think? Will they be more impressed with the idea of Green Lantern as opposed to BuzzSaw? Interested to hear everyones opinions. I know that BuzzSaw seems to be getting lots of positive feedback on the DW facebook page. In regards to your question about how Dreamworld will respond to Green Lantern... my guess is they will do nothing. They will be relying on BuzzSaw and ShockWave to carry them through for years. Let's hope Village opens a raft of new attractions to show them up. At least Village are willing to invest and don't seem so tight with capital expenditure

[MaxxTheMonster]

Something I have found interesting over the last couple of weeks is the number of guests at the hotel referring to "Rollercoaster World." When I give them a puzzled look they say they believe MW should be changing its name due to the fact is is overun with coasters now and there is nothing for the family to do as a whole and very little for the non thrill seekers.

[POP]

^ I'm not complaining since I fall into the young thrill seeker demographic HOWEVER I do love family rides too and from a business perspective, it doesnt make sense to keep putting in thrill rides when they don't have barely any family rides.

[Gazza]

Something I have found interesting over the last couple of weeks is the number of guests at the hotel referring to "Rollercoaster World." When I give them a puzzled look they say they believe MW should be changing its name due to the fact is is overun with coasters now and there is nothing for the family to do as a whole and very little for the non thrill seekers.

They might have to build a few more to be truly worthy of that title. A park with 5 coasters still isn't that many in the scheme of things....Plus its still a tie with DW. Edited October 29, 2011 by Gazza

[MaxxTheMonster]

You have to remember though that a lot of people probably haven't gone to overseas parks. Looking at the myfun website and seeing that of the 8 currently listed rides under their rides page (including BATR2 and GL), 5 of them are coasters. I would say that "Rollercoaster World" is a fair comment.

[Gazza]

Well, at the very least the ride certainly is generating a lot of interest and positive feedback isn't it?

[MaxxTheMonster]

Feedback yes.. positive hardly... They complaining there is nothing they can do with their children there and that it is no longer what they would label a "family orientated" park. Again this is their comments not mine.

[Keegs]

Tell them to go to one of those indoor playlands. I'm perfectly happy with more coasters. In fact, Sea World could do with a nice addition.

[MaxxTheMonster]

Lovely to see the forums filling with people who cannot understand that the general public, not just us theme park regulars have an opinion which presents valid points. The park used to be one of the most family friendly parks where the whole family could do multiple rides and experiences together and they were aimed at the larger audience (Looney Tunes, Gremlins, Maverick, PASS to name a few). Now it is either large thrill rides for the older group or WB Kids Zone for the younger kids. I also just had a VIP Pass holder comment to me she is no longer going to the park as it has declined dramatically in the last few months. Again, their comments not mine.

[downunder]

The non-coaster enthusiast public are the ones who make up the majority of the market, from a commercial perspective their opinion is far more important than mine. I think Disney has shown how successful you can be if you can attract families, albeit they have always had the capital to build amazing attractions. I'm more impressed by Lantern than Buzzsaw personally, though I've got both parks down as "could do better" from my perspective. I'm going to the Gold Coast for the first time since 2007 just before Christmas, and I'm not that excited. I plan on going to Dreamworld and Seaworld, both of which I haven't been to since 2003. Movieworld I'll only go to if they soft open Green Lantern just before Christmas. I really feel for the amount of money thay spent on this attraction they could have got something much better. To be fair though I've been to parks all over the world so I'm seriously jaded, my last major coaster riding session was riding El Toro 20 or 30 times in a day (I've had a couple of odd rides since then, but nothing major).

[Gazza]

Tell them to go to one of those indoor playlands.

Better yet, try SW! They've had a couple of fantastic family attractions go in recently, with another to open in December

The park used to be one of the most family friendly parks where the whole family could do multiple rides and experiences together and they were aimed at the larger audience (Looney Tunes, Gremlins, Maverick, PASS to name a few). Now it is either large thrill rides for the older group or WB Kids Zone for the younger kids.

With respect to two of thos examples...PASS of course became HSD, and that would be no different in suitability for families than the old show (And possibly more relevant due to the younger generation of kids having not seen the Police Academy films). And Gremlins became Scooby, which too, is a family friendly ride (The Scooby theme alone aids in this).

Feedback yes.. positive hardly...

I think it is positive:

it doesnt make sense to keep putting in thrill rides when they don't have barely any family rides.

I think it does make sense, for the fact that Dreamworld put in Buzzsaw this year, so there is a need to remain competitive. I'd also dispute that the ride isn't family friendly: http://www.engineeringexcitement.com/rides/coasters/el-loco

El Loco pushes the limits of what can be accomplished in a small footprint. These family-friendly roller coasters offer the steepest first drop in the coaster world, barrel rolls, the smoothest track imaginable, a 45-degree outwardly banked turn, and a throughput of up to 720 riders per hour.

Designed to maximize space, El Loco coasters deliver family fun and excitement, combining well-known and unique coaster maneuvers for a hilariously delightful ride experience.

Intended for thrill seekers and families alike, El Loco appeals to riders from 6 to 76 and is guaranteed to bring them back again and again.

And that's two kids I can see riding it in this pic: And in the left hand seats in this pic: Joz might be able to say more on this, but I think height limit is actually the main determinant of "family friendliness".

[joz]

Indeed, the height requirement for these rides overseas is about 123cm (same as Batwing which is also an S&S product. In broad terms, this ride will be somewhere between Superman and Scooby as far as family appeal goes. Having said that, it is a big coaster, and when I think family rides, I think of rides that not only the family can go on together, but also appeal to the whole family. This ride won't appeal to the whole family, but it is more inclusive than the biggest thrill rides and has a good capacity, so does fit the park reasonably well. The problem with Movie World not being family friendly isn't to do with this coaster, but this ride won't help the situation either, a new dark ride will.

Edited October 30, 2011 by joz

[Flea]

Every other El Loco has a lap bar & OSTR... with GL only having a lap bar won't this increase the minimum height requirement?

[MaxxTheMonster]

and when I think family rides, I think of rides that not only the family can go on together, but also appeal to the whole family. This ride won't appeal to the whole family

Hear hear. Again... This is the comments of the guests not mine. Some I agree with, some I don't. I am simply presenting the facts as they have been told to me.

[qldtaw]

Movieworld responded to the audience of the Theme Park which is why it has evolved to the theme park we have today. Gone are the days of large Japanese audience who like shows over thrill rides, now that tourism in general in Australia is down they are creating attractions to serve the domestic audience. Australians and families want rides and the most popular choice of ride in any Theme Park is a roller coaster its the pillar attraction that all Theme Parks are based from, Disney and Universal of course leverage a lot from their highly thememed atractions but with the budgets that they have they can afford to be completely unique and not just rely solely on mega coasters like Six Flags. If the general public are dissappointed with the current Movieworld i can understand that, but the general public needs to learn patience. Movieworld wont let Batman, Bermuda Triangle and Looney Tunes sit unused forever. They are working on plans for new attractions for these areas that they have likely had in place for many years. Imagine if they are currently wrapping up contracts with suppliers as we speak on the largest capital expenditure Village has ever spent on the parks in a single year. Replacing all of those rides.... retheming Lethal Weapon with new trains... creating a DC Super Heros area and hey maybe something for WNW! This time next year we could have 3 theme parks full to the brim with attractions again! I have never been let down by Movieworld i think they have presented a quality product since the doors on the park opened and i have faith in the exciting plans for the future. I guess at the end of the day its just in peoples nature to complain especially when people have a unrealistic level of expectation. If you want a park full of family rides for a 6 year old.... save up your money and visit Disneyland!

[CruiseSF]

The parks need to learn that theming makes more money then thrills. Always has and always will. Even with a small budget you can still make a decent dark ride (especially when they already have half of it set up already). An example is Universal Studios Hollywood. The whole park, (not including the studio tour) is worth around the same as some of the Six Flags parks (due to the huge amount of large roller coasters) yet they still bring in more customers. Its all theming and its sets you from the rest. People will travel for Themes but not Thrills (few exclusions to this rule)

[westical]

If the general public are dissappointed with the current Movieworld i can understand that, but the general public needs to learn patience. Movieworld wont let Batman, Bermuda Triangle and Looney Tunes sit unused forever. They are working on plans for new attractions for these areas that they have likely had in place for many years.

It doesn't help when Bermuda and LTRR have been closed for over a year and they still haven't announced what they are doing with the sites. Edited October 30, 2011 by westical

[qldtaw]

I find it funny that people complained that Bermuda was 'falling apart' and was not maintained by Village at the end of its life..... Let alone the fact that its so old. Then it gets removed and all of a sudden its everyone's favourite ride and its the worst thing in the world thats its removed..... I fall back on people like complaining and also have no extended knowledge of the time and effort required to successfully pull off massive projects like fixxed attractions.... I can not disagree more that theme brings in more money then thrills.... Actually i dont really think those two things really can be compared. Isnt the thrill the end result and the theme an actual component of the experience? People go to theme parks for thrills... not standing around looking at themeing. Rides you speak of like at Universal cost more money to build then all of the thrill rides combined in Movieworld. We cant afford to build rides like this and thus we get Buzzsaw.

[Flea]

I find it funny that people complained that Bermuda was 'falling apart' and was not maintained by Village at the end of its life..... Let alone the fact that its so old. Then it gets removed and all of a sudden its everyone's favourite ride and its the worst thing in the world thats its removed.....

The thing is that it never appeared to be in a state (at least from a guest's point of view) where it's removal was needed. Sure there were a few broken effects but it still was a high quality attraction. I was expecting 1-2 months of downtime for some things to be fixed up, or even a retheme, but never would I have imagined it to be removed entirely. The same goes for LTRR. It's a shame to lose such immersive attractions.

People go to theme parks for thrills... not standing around looking at themeing.

This paragraph is confusing... you disagree that theming plays a role in the success of an attraction but then go on to say that it's a component of the experience? So wouldn't theming then add to the "thrill"? There's a reason why Disney spends tens of millions on an attraction. Expedition Everest wouldn't be much without the mountain and accompanying theming.

[rappa]

I actually just flat out don't believe that multiple people are calling the park "Roller coaster world" and before anyone comments suggesting I'm calling someone a liar I just want to clarify and say that IS exactly what I'm saying. I don't believe multiple people are saying that without any provocation at all flat out. All I hear from families looking at the new ride is positive, and I'm talking about overhearing them talking amongst themselves, and not to me. The kids all want to ride it, the parents are all talking about how great it looks and I've seen no negativity AT ALL. I also don't remember a time every when families have said how great movieworld is to spend a day as a family, all I EVER remember hearing is how the park needed more rides and DW was better, now it's doing that apparently people aren't happy... hmmmm The park opened with little rides and mostly shows and experiences, people weren't happy and wanted more rides, something makes me think that people are never happy and just want to winge... oh yes actually that's exactly what they do. Look at other comments and see complaints about fright nights that you can't get on enough rides and it's just about theming and atmosphere, seriously, no one is ever happy.

[MaxxTheMonster]

I actually just flat out don't believe that multiple people are calling the park "Roller coaster world" and before anyone comments suggesting I'm calling someone a liar I just want to clarify and say that IS exactly what I'm saying. I don't believe multiple people are saying that without any provocation at all flat out. All I hear from families looking at the new ride is positive, and I'm talking about overhearing them talking amongst themselves, and not to me. The kids all want to ride it, the parents are all talking about how great it looks and I've seen no negativity AT ALL. I also don't remember a time every when families have said how great movieworld is to spend a day as a family, all I EVER remember hearing is how the park needed more rides and DW was better, now it's doing that apparently people aren't happy... hmmmm The park opened with little rides and mostly shows and experiences, people weren't happy and wanted more rides, something makes me think that people are never happy and just want to winge... oh yes actually that's exactly what they do. Look at other comments and see complaints about fright nights that you can't get on enough rides and it's just about theming and atmosphere, seriously, no one is ever happy.

Again, I am only stating what I am told by guests to the hotel at which I work. I still recommend all parkz to guests and let them make the decision of where to go as my opinion is mine alone and let them make the choice themselves. If you choose not to believe that people I have spoken to when I ask about their day are making these remarks that is your choice. I figure this is a forum about parkz, this thread is about the GL coaster going in at MW, and the comments made to me by these guests are a relevant point brought up by members of the community in regards to this topic. I have since day dot said I prefered the old MW (shows and experiences) over the new MW (rides and lack of decent shows). Just because I seem to be in the minority in these forums does not mean I am the only person in the wider public that feels this way. It would be like taking a group of 100 people from the city and saying their opinions are the same and therefore can be a good reflection of the approximately 20 million Australians spread throughout the continent. While it gives you a very loose and general idea it will more likely than not miss a great deal of issues that people from the outback and coastline areas. Edited October 30, 2011 by Wyncenuros

[rappa]

I'm not saying its the majority of people on these forums who prefer the 'new' movieworld, I'm saying it's the majority of the public, the ones buying the tickets at the front gate. Personally I'd prefer to see a park full of high quality immersive dark rides over coasters any day (give me 1 space mountain over 4 supermans) but the parks aren't for me, they are for the 'majority' and from what I see, the population at large just doesn't want that sort of park any more. Theme park management aren't stupid, they build what the market wants, not what they want.

[CruiseSF]

It doesn't mean the industry can't be shaped. Many Australian's have never been overseas and have never seen how much theming can change a ride. With WV parks having themeing that has not really been looked after too its best, causes people to be shaped to the state of mind where they believe that is the norm. If they did something like the Transformers Ride or many of the Universal or Disney ride I am sure they could really get back into themeing. They really need to look more towards universal who build there ride for a faction of the cost of disney by doing things in house. Plus it provides a balance between thrills and theme.

[westical]

People go to theme parks for thrills... not standing around looking at themeing.

I'm guessing you haven't been to Disneyland. There are countless annual pass holders (and tourists) who do just that. Rides like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean aren't exactly "thrilling", but there's an obvious reason why they're so popular - theming.

[Original]

I'm pretty sure VRTP have done a lot of things in house... didn't I read somewhere that when Disney management came out and experienced BT they commented they could have never built it so cheap in the U.S and wasn't that done in house here??