Adventure World New Coaster - Abyss

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

sounds like they're struggling to get people through the door... opening until June not such a great idea?

[iwerks]

Yeah, it's great for us who want to go there without the crowds, but it's not so good for Steve Sicerich's bank balance. They have got a pared down operation going on, so hopefully it won't hurt too much. I'm not sure what kind of turn-out they got for Mother's Day, but the weather this weekend is looking pretty average. They could just be trying to get rid of food and drink stock. A mate of mine noticed that his cool drink was due to expire in a couple of weeks on our last visit. I also spotted that there wasn't a lot of stock in the fridges I took photos of.

I think a lot of Perth people just go to Adventure World when it's stinking hot (and don't really know that it's still open). I think if the park wants to stay open until June, they need to get more dry rides.

[iwerks]

Missed seeing these Santa pics before. Oh, and 7 days left in this water park's season..

http://multimedia.aapnewswire.com.au/Search.aspx?search=%22ROLLERCOASTER%22&viewtype=slideshow

[iwerks]

Apparently the weather in Perth is getting worse. Adventure World was closed yesterday and posted this an hour ago:

Good morning everyone. We are very sorry but due to today's weather forecast we have made a decision not to open again today. We hope this does not cause too much disappointment. Please check our Facebook page tomorrow for further updates.

It has been the wettest May in some time.

https://www.facebook.com/AdventureWorldOfficialPage

[AllegroCrab]

"Hello again, it's with regret that we have decided to close the park again tomorrow due to the weather forecast. We hope that any who have been making plans to come may be able to join us next weekend when the forecast is looking so much drier and sunnier! Sorry again for any disappointment caused."

About 20 minutes ago on facebook

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

And see thats annoying.

• park says 'we're open until june'
• spate of bad weather leads the park to close the gates on days they were previously planning to open.
• people who made travel decisions to visit the area based on the park being open are then disappointed.

I realise the park can do whatever they want, but if they've made a commitment to open the park for the next two weekends, they should follow through. Sure it might cost them a couple bucks if they don't get the crowds, but if you say you're going to open - you need to bloody open!

[Reanimated35]

And if they were to keep doing that and have a season of bad weather?

Would you then be on here complaining because they closed the park even more because they can't afford to keep it open?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

No - you learn from your mistakes. We're talking about 7 trading days lost here for them (from my recollection they were open Fri-Sun until the last weekend in may - so thats the weekend just gone that they were closed for, and this next weekend coming... 2 June is WA day, so they'd probably be open for that too). Sure if the weather is bad, thats a bit of a financial loss, but the commitment to their guests should count for a little more than that.

The lesson to be learned is to be careful with what promises they make to their visitors - "we're open until June" two months ago translates to "the few of you who had planned to make a visit can get stuffed because we think we'll lose money today"

So what i'm saying is -

• stay open (this time) for the period you've already advertised
• eat the loss as a lesson to the decision makers
• think more carefully next year about whether you'll open until June again
• Perhaps only announce the continued trading 1-2 weeks out

5 trading days isn't a disaster to the bottom line... but the loss to reputation can hurt... For example - next year if they say 'open until May 10', my thoughts will be "last year they closed earlier than they said they would... i'm not going to make any plans to visit the park after April 20" - so their last 4 weeks turn quieter... repeat that each year and eventually they only open for the summer holidays.

(this is an exaggerated example, but the possibilities still ring true)

Edited May 26, 2014 by AlexB

[iwerks]

The weather has been really dismal - rain and really high winds. Everyone I talked to said that they understood why Adventure World closed. There's not many places you can take cover in the park. Perhaps they should build a dry ride or attraction.

[jddc7]

it's just been announced that the rest of the season has been cancelled due to the wettest May in 10 years

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

^well, thats better than announcing it on the day.

[iwerks]

I would have prefered it if they had waited until the night before instead of just saying 'season cancelled'.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

^i'm sure their staff would appreciate much more notice before they go out and look for other work make other plans.

[Reckless Loony]

I'm not sure what kind of turn-out they got for Mother's Day, but the weather this weekend is looking pretty average.

It was dead in the morning. A little bit of rain in the morning mostly sunny later in the day with only a little cloud reasonably warm it was a rather nice day in the afternoon. Less than 200 through the gate. A lot of free Sunday Times newspapers were still left at the end of the day.

Abyss was down to two team members and one car being used. The usual bare number of team members in use policy was in effect namely one team member for two attractions/rides. Various kiosks closed including surf shack.

^i'm sure their staff would appreciate much more notice before they go out and look for other work make other plans.

Nah the staff affected are casuals. Can get sacked with an hour notice. Actually season starts off with a lot of casuals on the books and as the season progresses this number diminishes due to natural attrition.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I am aware that they CAN be sacked with an hours notice, but the ability to give their staff MORE than an hour would be APPRECIATED which was my statement.

[iwerks]

It was pretty cold today, not exactly water park weather, but no rain or storms. They're getting some flack on their Facebook page for closing the season early.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

but the NORMAL season WOULD have closed by now - it's only that they advertised 'open until June' earlier in the season because of an apparently 'bumper' season (because of Abyss) and now they've baulked at the possible losses of a bit of bad weather (which you have to eat when you're in the tourism industry) and make two bad calls - the first to close the park at a moment's notice because of the rain, and then to rescind their extended season because the rain continued...

My calendar is lying to me this morning, and i'm pretty sure Perth has a public holiday today, so this long weekend should have been a fitting end to their season.

As I said earlier - this is going to leave a lot of people with a bad taste in their mouth after what has been a fantastic season.

[iwerks]

Indeed it is a holiday. And yes, just a little bitter aftertaste. I made pretty good use of my season pass, but hadn't take up the 50% off option for up to 8 friends as I was saving that for Sunday. When I called my friends on Friday, none of them had heard that the season had been cancelled. I wonder what happened to those people who had bought tickets online and now they can't be used? But the person I really feel sorry for is the poor security guard who got posted outside the park having to tell families that the season was cancelled, because we all know what happens when the Wagon Queen Family Truckster pulls up..

Perhaps they could have tempered this bad news with some good news, like what's happening next at the park.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

^that's actually a fantastic idea - people would VERY quickly forget about the early-late-closure, and immediately begin discussion and speculation over the new addition.

That said - I don't think we're going to see another massive blockbuster for a while - next season i think we'll see some love to some existing attractions.

[joz]

Surely they could put a talking moose out the front of the park?

[iwerks]

An animatronic Yarli, perhaps? That could give them something to punch when Adventure World changes its mind.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

[iwerks]

AlexB

Posted Yesterday, 05:52 PM

^that's actually a fantastic idea - people would VERY quickly forget about the early-late-closure, and immediately begin discussion and speculation over the new addition.

That said - I don't think we're going to see another massive blockbuster for a while - next season i think we'll see some love to some existing attractions.

It doesn't have to be another attraction, but a little misdirection away from their misadventures would be a good move.

It could be a new level of season pass (something which they would announce soon anyway), or perhaps a new kids ride?

Oh wait.. someone's already doing that.

[iwerks]

Quite a heavy fog in Perth this morning.. only if their machines were this good.

[Tim Dasco]

I know it was very bad could not even see to our mail box in the morning. (Only 2 or so meters)