Thoughts on my latest visit to the Gold Coast

[pushbutton]

Hi Guys. I've just returned from another brilliant trip to the Gold Coast. I was a little apprehensive about the weather but it turned out really great with the exception of the latter half of one afternoon when there was a severe storm. As it turned out that didn't spoil my holiday one bit though. While it's still fresh in my mind, and in no particular order, here are a few thoughts, ideas, and questions that occurred to me while I was there:

• [*]Sea World used to have a "Paradise room" buffet restaurant near the front of the park, but the stairs leading to this appear to have been blocked off and the area beneath it is now used as a VIP entry. Is the restaurant closed permanently, or is it still used at certain times? [*]If I were in charge of VRTP, I would seriously revamp the food outlets at all the Gold Coast parks. What's there currently is overpriced, unhealthy, and provides very limited choices. For these reasons I avoid it, and eat outside the parks, so VRTP loses potential income from me and I'm sure I'm not the only one. How about making the aforementioned Paradise room into a Sizzler. How about franchising food outlets to Nandos, Salsas, Oporto,Subway, and Boost (just to name a few) which can provide cheaper, healthier, tastier food options to guests. [*]Why are the spas at Wet & Wild closed off in the colder months? Isn't this the very time when more people would want to use them? [*]I am getting a bit concerned about the chairlifts at Sea World because every time I go there they seem to have several periods when they're closed. Is there something wrong with them? I certainly hope not because they and the monorail and two of the things I love most about the Gold Coast. However if the chairlifts ever did go I would definitely want them to be replaced with new chairlifts, as anything less would seriously detract from the value of going to Sea World for me. That said, they look like they're in very good condition and well maintained, so hopefully they'll be around for many years to come. I just worry when they're closed so often. [*]I'm not claiming to have all the details completely worked out for this, but I wonder if some sort of smartphone app could be developed to act in a similar way to how the Q4U system at Dreamworld works. With it being on smartphones, there would be no need to pay to hire a device and it could in theory mean that nobody need queue for more than say 10-15 minutes for any ride. That would certainly help guests pack much more into their visits to the parks, eliminate lots of wasted time queuing, and also potentially enable management to better manage the staffing and other operational needs of rides as they'd know how much demand there will be in the next hour, at least! [*]I'd really like to see better use made of the various buildings at Movie World, and especially the theatre where the Loony Tunes show is/was, and the area leading to Wild West Falls. It just seems like mostly wasted space!

Edited April 21, 2013 by pushbutton

[Reanimated35]

Hi Guys. I've just returned from another brilliant trip to the Gold Coast. I was a little apprehensive about the weather but it turned out really great with the exception of the latter half of one afternoon when there was a severe storm. As it turned out that didn't spoil my holiday one bit though. While it's still fresh in my mind, and in no particular order, here are a few thoughts, ideas, and questions that occurred to me while I was there:

• [*]Sea World used to have a "Paradise room" buffet restaurant near the front of the park, but the stairs leading to this appear to have been blocked off and the area beneath it is now used as a VIP entry. Is the restaurant closed permanently, or is it still used at certain times?

Only ever knew this as a conference room, not a buffet.

• [*]If I were in charge of VRTP, I would seriously revamp the food outlets at all the Gold Coast parks. What's there currently is overpriced, unhealthy, and provides very limited choices. For these reasons I avoid it, and eat outside the parks, so VRTP loses potential income from me and I'm sure I'm not the only one. How about making the aforementioned Paradise room into a Sizzler. How about franchising food outlets to Nandos, Salsas, Oporto, Boost (just to name a few) which can provide cheaper, healthier, tastier food options to guests.

Too many problems - same as Disney had - no competition - this IMO could be solved with a tender for the business.

• [*]Why are the spas at Wet & Wild closed off in the colder months? Isn't this the very time when more people would want to use them?

Because if it's cold and raining you might get wet. (most likely it's not popular enough to warrant it running year round)

• [*]I am getting a bit concerned about the chairlifts at Sea World because every time I go there they seem to have several periods when they're closed. Is there something wrong with them? I certainly hope not because they and the monorail and two of the things I love most about the Gold Coast. However if the chairlifts ever did go I would definitely want them to be replaced with new chairlifts, as anything less would seriously detract from the value of going to Sea World for me. That said, they look like they're in very good condition and well maintained, so hopefully they'll be around for many years to come. I just worry when they're closed so often.

Didn't they say that they would be closed frequently for the construction of the water coaster?

• [*]I'm not claiming to have all the details completely worked out for this, but I wonder if some sort of smartphone app could be developed to act in a similar way to how the Q4U system at Dreamworld works. With it being on smartphones, there would be no need to pay to hire a device and it could in theory mean that nobody need queue for more than say 10-15 minutes for any ride. That would certainly help guests pack much more into their visits to the parks, eliminate lots of wasted time queuing, and also potentially enable management to better manage the staffing and other operational needs of rides as they'd know how much demand there will be in the next hour, at least!

I'm sure they'll probably get around to it. Maybe they're waiting for NFC to take off a bit more and utilise that? But probably they just don't want to invest the money in it yet - plus believe it or not, not everyone has a smartphone.

• [*]I'd really like to see better use made of the various buildings at Movie World, and especially the theatre where the Loony Tunes show is/was, and the area leading to Wild West Falls. It just seems like mostly wasted space!

I'd really like to see better use made of the various buildings at Movie World, and especially the theatre where the Loony Tunes show is/was, and the area leading to Wild West Falls. It is just wasted space! *This post is for everyone else's benefit as I assume I'm still blocked for whatever reason I was blocked before

[Gazza]

How about franchising food outlets to Nandos, Salsas, Oporto, Boost (just to name a few) which can provide cheaper, healthier, tastier food options to guests.

Healthy food? Anyway...The Peri Peri Chicken Flatbread from the MW Bakery...Get on it. I wouldn't necessarily rely on food from a franchise being cheaper...Dominos at SW/WnW costs more than outside the park for example. Never been into the Boost at DW (Or Boost at all for that matter), but I bet they would cost more than outside too. PS, Comes up a lot, but Subway isn't "healthy"..Yeah they've got a few low fat items on the menu, but so does everyone these days... Would you call these subway items healthy? Mmmm, would you just look at all that processed meat in that last one!

but I wonder if some sort of smartphone app could be developed to act in a similar way to how the Q4U system at Dreamworld works.

See http://www.lo-q.com/...ons.html#Qsmart Edited April 21, 2013 by Gazza

[colliric_855]

I wish they'd bring back Jarod, what happened to that guy? He was totally their mascot... Man I miss the 90s alot sometimes.

Edited April 22, 2013 by colliric_855

[westical]

That's strange, given the campaign started in 2000.

[colliric_855]

That's strange, given the campaign started in 2000.

It started in 1999 and was immediately rolled out here as well, not in 2000... Originally they posted his story(newspaper articles) in their stores. You are correct in a way though because 2000 was the "formal beginning of the campaign" where they rolled out his famous cardboard cutout. But before that various Subway stores publicized his story by posting Newspaper clipping in their outlets in the same manner a Restaurant posts reviews and halal certs in their shopwindows. Might have been right at the end, but it was the nineties. Edited April 23, 2013 by colliric_855

[westical]

You have an incredible memory of instore fast food marketing from 14 years ago.

[colliric_855]

You have an incredible memory of instore fast food marketing from 14 years ago.

Spent alot of time in 'em.... Lol. I guess reminiscing on when Maccas actually closed at night is gonna be one of my "Abe Simpson" tales! Not to mention when "7-11" actually meant 7am to 11pm(They should change the name to "24-7"!) Remember when Burger King tried to kill it's own creation in Hungry Jacks? 1996 was one of the weirdest years in Australian fast food history... Burger King literally "invaded" Melbourne(plonked several American managed BK branded stores in Melbourne) and tried to destroy it's own Franchisee. Were it not for the Courts, Hungry Jack would have been put out to dry by it's own franchiser! Walking into Burger King on Flinders Street was a strange experience... Kinda liked it better, if HJ had of failed with it's you can't stab us in the back" court action, the Flinders Street HJ might still have been a Burger King... Clearly they thought the public was under the impression they owned Hungry Jacks anyway(they own the trademarks, etc) and would interpret it as being a rebranding so no one would realise they were trying to kill their actual Franchisee. HJ survived financially because their American counterpart was forced to give their Melbourne stores, effectively, to another part.... of themselves! "I once went into Burger King and ordered a Whopper... ON FLINDERS STREET! And the burger tasted alot better too!" Edited April 23, 2013 by colliric_855

[themeparkgc]

I'm not claiming to have all the details completely worked out for this, but I wonder if some sort of smartphone app could be developed to act in a similar way to how the Q4U system at Dreamworld works. With it being on smartphones, there would be no need to pay to hire a device and it could in theory mean that nobody need queue for more than say 10-15 minutes for any ride. That would certainly help guests pack much more into their visits to the parks, eliminate lots of wasted time queuing, and also potentially enable management to better manage the staffing and other operational needs of rides as they'd know how much demand there will be in the next hour, at least!

Lo-Q, the company that developed the Q-Bot (the devices used for Dreamworld's Q4U), offer a system called Q-Smart, so this sort of thing definitely is possible. The cost of getting such a system would probably prevent it from being free though.

[WCE87]

Hi Guys. I've just returned from another brilliant trip to the Gold Coast. I was a little apprehensive about the weather but it turned out really great with the exception of the latter half of one afternoon when there was a severe storm. As it turned out that didn't spoil my holiday one bit though. While it's still fresh in my mind, and in no particular order, here are a few thoughts, ideas, and questions that occurred to me while I was there:

• [*]Sea World used to have a "Paradise room" buffet restaurant near the front of the park, but the stairs leading to this appear to have been blocked off and the area beneath it is now used as a VIP entry. Is the restaurant closed permanently, or is it still used at certain times? [*]If I were in charge of VRTP, I would seriously revamp the food outlets at all the Gold Coast parks. What's there currently is overpriced, unhealthy, and provides very limited choices. For these reasons I avoid it, and eat outside the parks, so VRTP loses potential income from me and I'm sure I'm not the only one. How about making the aforementioned Paradise room into a Sizzler. How about franchising food outlets to Nandos, Salsas, Oporto,Subway, and Boost (just to name a few) which can provide cheaper, healthier, tastier food options to guests. [*]Why are the spas at Wet & Wild closed off in the colder months? Isn't this the very time when more people would want to use them? [*]I am getting a bit concerned about the chairlifts at Sea World because every time I go there they seem to have several periods when they're closed. Is there something wrong with them? I certainly hope not because they and the monorail and two of the things I love most about the Gold Coast. However if the chairlifts ever did go I would definitely want them to be replaced with new chairlifts, as anything less would seriously detract from the value of going to Sea World for me. That said, they look like they're in very good condition and well maintained, so hopefully they'll be around for many years to come. I just worry when they're closed so often. [*]I'm not claiming to have all the details completely worked out for this, but I wonder if some sort of smartphone app could be developed to act in a similar way to how the Q4U system at Dreamworld works. With it being on smartphones, there would be no need to pay to hire a device and it could in theory mean that nobody need queue for more than say 10-15 minutes for any ride. That would certainly help guests pack much more into their visits to the parks, eliminate lots of wasted time queuing, and also potentially enable management to better manage the staffing and other operational needs of rides as they'd know how much demand there will be in the next hour, at least! [*]I'd really like to see better use made of the various buildings at Movie World, and especially the theatre where the Loony Tunes show is/was, and the area leading to Wild West Falls. It just seems like mostly wasted space!

How long did you stay for and where did you stay?

[colliric_855]

Lo-Q, the company that developed the Q-Bot (the devices used for Dreamworld's Q4U), offer a system called Q-Smart, so this sort of thing definitely is possible. The cost of getting such a system would probably prevent it from being free though.

Yep.

[JacobSibbald]

Never knew Burger King came to Australia, probably because 1996 was the year I was born!

[colliric_855]

Never knew Burger King came to Australia, probably because 1996 was the year I was born!

It is best described as an attempted hostile takeover of itself.... lol. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burger_King_Corporation_v_Hungry_Jack%27s

[Spotty]

Also, the BOOST Juice bar at Dreamworld pricing is about the same as stores outside of the theme park. About $6.50 for an original (large) size juice.

[pushbutton]

I would expect franchised restaurants in theme parks to charge a bit more than outside the parks, but only a bit more which should still work out better value than what's available now.

[colliric_855]

I would expect franchised restaurants in theme parks to charge a bit more than outside the parks, but only a bit more which should still work out better value than what's available now.

Depends if the full menu is available...

[MacPark]

The in park dinning is probably the worst thing about the GC parks. I never eat a meal there, just the odd churro or icecream. Im not sure they need to fill the parks up with heaps of well know brands. They just need to create some food that is decent and not totaly over priced to the point where its poor value. I havent had a burger at the parks in a while but last time I paid around $10 for something that was around the size of a mcdonalds cheese burger and half as good with a coke and bad chips. I think I remember they changed their supplier since then so im not sure how they are now. I have also tried seaworlds horrible pizza that I believe was dominos or eagle boys and Dream worlds even worse pizza with a cardboard base. Dont even start me on coffee. You only need to train staff to use a machine to get something decent. Just heating the milk with the steam wand pouring it in doesnt create a good coffee. It just seemed to be be fail after fail with the parks so I gave up. I am not a food snob by any means but its just always bad when I have tried so now I dont.

[Brad2912]

The new burgers at MW at the Gotham Cafe are good quality IMO. I also think these are available at WnW too, not sure about SW.

[rappa]

I actually long for a quality alacate restaurant in one of our parks. You know the type of restaurant people will go to the park just to eat at. I always thought the Broadwater cafe would be perfect for this if it had been stepped up a notch, even opened at night just for dinners. I'm clearly wrong because the parks are smart and if it would be profitable they would have done it, but always puzzled me why there is no demand for this in Australia it seems.

[Richard]

Lo-Q, the company that developed the Q-Bot (the devices used for Dreamworld's Q4U), offer a system called Q-Smart, so this sort of thing definitely is possible. The cost of getting such a system would probably prevent it from being free though.

The theory behind free virtual queue systems -- namely Disney's Fastpass -- is that if people spend less time queuing they'll spend more time buying. No doubt in my mind that a well-designed free virtual queue system, combined with the merchandise and F&B offerings that the majority actually want to buy (which I don't think our parks currently have), would be significantly more profitable than a paid virtual queue system. Disney would have turfed Fastpass long ago if it weren't having a positive impact on the bottom line.

[pushbutton]

Lockers $10 per day is a reasonable price. The thing is, I usually don't go for a whole day. I usually go for about 3 hours. $10 for 3 hours locker use is far too high in my opinion, and in fact I believe locker use should be free really (just with a refundable deposit of say $2 so that once someone leaves someone else can use the locker. Currently once I have hired a locker, I never press "end locker hire" when I leave purely on principle, because I have paid so much. This means the locker could be available for someone else to use but isn't. Yes, yes, I know that's my fault, but like I said when I have been ripped off $10 I feel like I should at least get to keep exclusive use of the locker for the whole day even if I'm not there! Give us the option to pay for just half a day for say $4, and I'll be reasonably happy.

[Reanimated35]

Currently once I have hired a locker, I never press "end locker hire" when I leave purely on principle, because I have paid so much.

So you'd rather potentially ruin someone else day just to be a big man and teach the parks a lesson? If you don't like the locker price, don't go to the park.

[Brad2912]

$10 for 3 hours locker use is far too high in my opinion, and in fact I believe locker use should be free really (just with a refundable deposit of say $2 so that once someone leaves someone else can use the locker. Currently once I have hired a locker, I never press "end locker hire" when I leave purely on principle, because I have paid so much. This means the locker could be available for someone else to use but isn't.

You sound like a massive douche-bag. And a tight ass.

[pushbutton]

Brad2912. What is the problem? All I have done is stated my opinion about some aspects of theme parks. May I remind you theme parks are all about FUN! Perhaps insulting people you don't even know might be you're idea of fun? Anyway I am not interested in hearing from people who are so disrespectful so I have reported your post and added you to my ignore list so I won't see any further comments you make.

[Reanimated35]

Anyway I am not interested in hearing from people who are so disrespectful so I have reported your post and added you to my ignore list so I won't see any further comments you make.

Ahahahahaha! Is there anyone on here who's posts he can actually see? Can a mod confirm how long his ignore list actually is now? (Assuming he's telling the truth about adding all these people)