SW & MW

[Original]

Well I finally got back to the parks after wayy too long! I have to say I am very impressed, I had a great time, yes not everything is perfect, nor will it always be, although its something I want to save for the end. In the meantime, just wanted to share, my experience.

MW:

Green Lantern:

Finally got on Green Lantern and I loved it! Starting with the entrance I was impressed with the first part of the queue, I thought it was presented really nice and really loved the entry with the GL logo.

The station, well was underwhelmed with that, just a roof with comics on the top, cobwebs growing in all the corners, I felt they maybe could have added a little more here. I'm not expecting a full on in-depth theme, I get what its going for and I like it, I think its finished off really well, but the station just left wanting something a little more.

The trains, some of them all the LED's were working, others not many were on, something I guess they're still trying to work on. The station now uses boxes to store your stuff, not just lockers like SE. Loading, again something that I still room for improvement, they were running 4 trains, but I just feel if they push it, they could run more, or at least get trains loaded faster. I noticed it seems pretty normal for the chain to stop, which the ride then has to cycle all the way through empty before guests get back on.

The ride it self, I got 3 rides, all 3 with audio, although one ride one of the speakers in my chair didn't work, loved how fast the lift hill is, really builds up suspense, the drop was amazing not seeing the tracking. sitting in the far right seat when it does the outward banked turn was crazy and I loved the hang time, the lap bar adds another thrill.

Arkham:

The new theming I thought was great, I get people's problem with thinking stuff was just stuck on, but I look at it as this is much better than what it used to be, breathe new life into an old attraction and suits the theme they were going for, this isn't a park with a Disney or Universal budget.

The ride is great, love the new uniforms, the loading announcement by the Joker and the look of the trains. Again my gripe is with loading, it could really be sped up, and this was winter with an attraction that is just over a year old and still had a long queue, faster loading and a second train wouldn't go astray for the busy summer period.

Did the ride twice and am yet to hear audio on here, the new ride experience was great, its a new enjoyable experience and that magnetic break run is magic!

The courtyard looks great, but a little quite, something there bring some life would be great, but ideas such as this, I want to touch on at the end.

SE:

I forgot how intense the launch was, but loved still! Still the greatest ride on the coast! I noticed however a lot of people were taking loose items into the loading area, before an attendant was bringing in a shopping basket and taking the items to the unloading area, which pissed me off since I hired a locker. I was going to ask was this now normal until a new attendant came on and was kicking at least one person each time with loose items and making them line up again and making numerous announcements over the PA and one time kicked 4 people off.

Something else I noticed in the lines of ALL VRTP ride lines was signs everywhere I turned asking people not to swing or sit on the queue rails... Is this something new?

Scooby:

Still a great ride, however things that needed fixing.

Also noticed some of the safety fences have raised with plastic installed in the middle and the exit now features a gate that the attendant closes before dispatching the cars to the load section

HSD:

Still really love the show, it keeps growing on me, I was watching at one point when the rally car went round the back of the building facades and heard a bang before the car came back out with a huge ding it, gave me a huge smile. Really like the idea of the Pit Pass and getting to ride in the cars, I'd definitely like to have a go in that.

WWF:

All the old TV's have been replaced by LCD's, the ops desk now seems to have more LCD panels just above his head to watch the cameras and still see the load area

China Town Alleyway:

Without this open now Main Street gets really clogged up during a show

Justice League:

Love this ride, only did it twice and regretted I didn't get to do it more, I think there's still 5 year old still somewhere still inside me. I got 69 and then 70 thousand and I just everything about this ride, the first 3D screen when I see it still gets me and the robots look great. I actually had to convince the younger relative I was with that Cyborg at the loading zone was actually a robot and not a person dressed up. Loading here was quick and the queue moved rather fast. I heard a lot of older people complaining about how boring it was, I say good, don't get back in line and give me more chances to ride it. Not everything can go fast or upside down, you need rides for the little ones and families and this ride hits that on the head perfectly. Great job MW and Sally Corp, this is a perfect replacement for Batman.

Overall not everything was perfect, but I had a blast and at the end of the day, that's what matters. As a side note, someone told me and don't even remember now that Ice Age was being replaced be The Great Gatsby, anyone else hear this?

Now I didn't want to make this just about a trip report for you to read, we've all had a say about DW and what we would like to fix if we could manage the park. MW doesn't need the same kind of work, but if we could, what would we do?

Improvements:

• [*]Train staff to load ALL rides at the parks faster, it can be done [*]Fix the Green Lantern, it doesn't need much and I can't out my finger on it, but it needs SOMETHING [*]Fix GL LED's and audio, some people still seem to have trouble on it [*]Digital boards outside of all rides with wait times [*]Second Batwing tower, help capacity in Summer and one can always be open while the other is in rehab [*]Return steam to SE and Batwing [*]Buy third train for SE that way when one is getting rebuilt in Winter they can still run 2 during the school holidays [*]Beautify the area outside SE, make it like a park in Metropolis, if it can be done fit another ride in the area, I'm thinking a Wind Seeker model by Mondial [*]A new ride over at Arkham in the old cinema, like a Vekoma Madhouse [*]A new eatery over in the LW gift shop with the courtyard as the dining area [*]Redo the bathrooms at MW, I noticed the ones at SW have been done, MW's are looking very tired and dirty [*]Spruce up some parts of SE queue, just make it little more like a Subway, most of it is fine, I'd just like to see a little more added and the entrance done up like a Subway entrance. [*]Whatever is happening/planned for the China Town alleyway to happen [*]Fix the fountain in Scooby [*]Fix the lightning window on Scooby in the loading zone and doors, weren't working [*]Fix the Scooby animatronics they are looking a little worse for wear and in need of some TLC [*]

Fix all the red lights in the Scooby cars, most weren't working

[*]

Lift the volume in the main room it sounded really turned down and lift the smoke

[*]

Fix the lasers and rope lights, most weren't working or appeared to be struggling

[*]

Fix the final drop, return the green laser, smoke and again Scooby, sometimes he worked, other times not so much

[*]

Return WWF lift hill to what it used to be

[*]

Clean the chewing gum off the bridge to the ride op room, some people are disgusting

[*]

Fix some animatronics in the Ghost Town, not all were working such as the tombstone and some of the screens, such as the one before the backwards drop was out

[*]

Reopen the Stars Cafe make it a full on eatery

[*]

Put a new full on show at the Stage Show

[*]

Don't leave the icicle lights over Main Street for the entire year

[*]

Replace the LTRR

[*]

Build a state of the art rapids ride

[*]

Build a Wooden coaster

[*]

Build Australia's B&M coaster, looking at either a flying, dive or wing coaster... Something Australia hasn't seen

[*]

Give a full on makeover to the LT area, maintaining the LT theme

[*]

Give some parts a refresh with a paint and replace some signs, i.e. the ones around Intencity they appear to have faded badly

[*]

Include drinks into the meal prices and not everyone wants a double burger, just make a simple single burger

[*]

High pressure clean some of the white sheds, some like the SE building have got some green stuff growing on them

[*]

Build a hotel and City Walk style attraction connecting MW and WnW together

I know there's a lot there, but its really just picky, and I realise some of this will never happen and logistically can't happen, but its my dream.

So share what you would like to fix at MW and I'll get around to my trip report of SW later, another great day! I think I've written enough for now though

[alex_1]

I totally agree on Arkham's loading, it's ridiculous. I remember it being bad when it first opened as Arkham so I was hoping it'd be better when I visited last month but it's still shockingly slow. They wait until everyone is unloaded off the platform before letting the next load of riders stand behind the airgates, then wait another few minutes to open the airgates! Slowest operations I've ever encountered on a ride. You know it can't be good when the sign 5m from the loading platform says "15 min wait from here"

[colliric_855]

Personally from my last trip in January 2012, I felt the Park needs the front expansion to go through. The original plan was to expand the park further into the Parking Lot area and add a Shopping precinct. I don't think a shopping area would be appropriate, but I agree with the park expansion. I would bring the famous "Arch" to the front of the Ticket office(which would stay where it is), have Green Lantern brought inside the walls. Add another attraction(a walkthrough Looney Tunes Museum and a WB giftshop) on the right side of the ticket office. Find space to put a DC themed smaller outdoor stunt arena somewhere in the DC Hub. Perhaps "Gotham Baseball Stadium" in accordance with The Dark Knight Rises. The Batman Main Street show could be expanded into a full-on Batman-Superman Stunt Show.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Personally from my last trip in January 2012, I felt the Park needs the front expansion to go through. The original plan was to expand the park further into the Parking Lot area and add a Shopping precinct.

I know someone's going to have a lot more to say on the subject - but in short, it wasn't an expansion of the current park, that wasn't the original plan, and it wasn't going where the parking lot IS, it was going on the OTHER SIDE of it.

[downunder196]

Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't there plans for a motor sport kind of theme for an expansion around the parking lot?

[themeparkgc]

Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't there plans for a motor sport kind of theme for an expansion around the parking lot?

Yes,

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

It wasn't an 'expansion' of movie world though..., I don't believe the plan was for it to have a 'gate' at all - just an additional attraction built on the other side of the carpark, which from memory was very much a 'pay per play' type deal...

[lolman123]

when ya going to seaworld

[Gary86]

Train staff to load ALL rides at the parks faster, it can be done

I agree. At times they don't even get the next group ready behind the door / gate after the train left.

Fix GL LED's and audio, some people still seem to have trouble on it

Herd some audio for the first time today

Digital boards outside of all rides with wait times

Good idea

Second Batwing tower, help capacity in Summer and one can always be open while the other is in rehab

Bad idea. One is enough. 2 would look ugly.

Fix the Scooby animatronics they are looking a little worse for wear and in need of some TLC

The axes weren't working today

Lift the volume in the main room it sounded really turned down and lift the smoke

I agree.

Fix the lasers and rope lights, most weren't working or appeared to be struggling

Not many lasers today. Only about 1, 2 at the most. It was VERY dark.

Fix some animatronics in the Ghost Town, not all were working such as the tombstone and some of the screens, such as the one before the backwards drop was out

"Boot Hill" has been broken for a long time. It would be nice if it was back how it originally was.

Put a new full on show at the Stage Show

A new western show would be nice.

Don't leave the icicle lights over Main Street for the entire year

What icicle lights? I didn't see any.

Replace the LTRR

Replacement opening in September.

Build a state of the art rapids ride

Dreamworld has a rapids ride. I think it's best if the Gold Coast parks all have different rides.

Build a Wooden coaster

One would fit in the western area but Dreamworld's Gold Rush Country / Rocky Hollow area will be best for a woody. (They need better coasters anyway)

Include drinks into the meal prices and not everyone wants a double burger, just make a simple single burger

Too right. I don't like the "Prime Burger" range. When I go tho a themepark I only want a single patty burger.

Build a hotel and City Walk style attraction connecting MW and WnW together

They have "Sea World Resort". Maybe Dreamworld should build accommodation since they are Australia's largest theme park. It's best the Movie World and Wet n Wild stay apart. There are always bus transfers between the parks during the day.

[Gazza]

Include drinks into the meal prices and not everyone wants a double burger, just make a simple single burger

But it's only a small patty (Cheeseburger size rather than Whopper/Quarter Pounder sized), hence doubling up to give it an adequate amount of meat.

It's no different to the way Big Macs come with two patties as standard.

Don't leave the icicle lights over Main Street for the entire year

They've kinda fallen into use for night time events, so I guess that explains why they stay up all the time now.

• [*]

Second Batwing tower, help capacity in Summer and one can always be open while the other is in rehab

Dunno if it's warranted at this point in time though....It'd be a $5 Mil investment for something that only really has benefit a few weeks per year.

[*]

Could you spread the crowds spending $5 Mil on another ride, and have the bonus of something new to promote?

[Bmull19]

I understand they're just your opinions on things, but you sound VERY Dreamworld biased, Gary. "...since they are Australia's largest theme park."

And why would it be best for MW and WnW to stay apart? I think it'd be amazing if they were joined up with a CityWalk style attraction ("downtown-disney-esque") and would provide a bit of entertainment after the parks have shut (and hey, that means additional revenue for the parks).

[Original]

So finally onto my trip to SW, sorry it took so long I've been flat out lately!

One thing that took me by surprise was was how busy the carpark and entry was with it even being a non-peak period and wondered how long the lines would be. However, the greatest thing about this park is it is a people eater, from the Dolphin Cove Stadium, the Seal Stadium, Ski Lake with Nickelodeon and Jet Ski show, the playground, 3D theatre and monorail. That's not mentioning all the animal exhibits, makes lines for rides not all that long.

So starting with the entry, they take photos of people entering with their VIP Pass which in annoying because it makes the line to get in slower than it should, plus not everyone wants their photo. But I still love that whole entry building and for its age its still looking great, it could maybe do with some TLC here and there, but it looks pretty good to me and there's something about that view when you walk through the gate and look our over the park. The exit shop that has been done all up looks great as well, but they only 3 registers open when that many people are leaving all should be open, the line up was ridiculous and no doubt put some people buying not wanting to stand in that line, also made it difficult to get out due to the line stretching out in front of the exit door. Below I'll go through the observations I made and exhibits I didn't get to experience yet, then at the bottom what I'd do to change the park if I were in charge. Feel free to write down what you'd change at both SW and MW

Penguin Point:

I thought this place was great, really great learning area, and great viewing decks to watch the penguins. However, a plea to parents, if it says stay behind the barrier, make your kids stay behind the barrier, don't let them climb behind it and put your hands all over the glass.

Just on parents controlling your kids, I also witnessed at MW a kid climb up and sit in the circle on the GL logo and entrance, while another put his phone down his pants than got in line for SE!

Monorail:

I think its time the skins for Nickelodeon was torn down, and yes head to a company like Intamin and get some new trains and bring the count back up to 3, add some air-con to them would be a nice addition.

Flume:

I like the channel, its short, you only need so much slow travelling around nothing, and I love going underneath all that track of Storm Coaster. The ride got some new metal fans, but being near saltwater they've all rusted. I'd like to see them maybe install some nicer looking ceiling fans. Its hard to explain but the older fashion looking ones with the 5 blades. The ride op also has 2 new LCD panels above their control panel to watch the cameras and they no longer let you stand next to water while you wait for your boat, they only let you go to your boat once the ride has stopped.

VRTP's seem to have gone all out on safety, again signs everywhere, telling you not to sit or swing on queue rails, raising the fence and queue rails around some parts of the ride, keeping people away from loading platforms until your ride is there, extra LCD panels to see more security cameras.

Dino Island:

Didn't go into it, so can't really comment on it, but it looks like a nice new addition, and I saw lots of people over there, so its brought new life to that area, that had gone dead, and I'm all for that!

Skyway:

Great to see it operating back to full capacity! I love how relaxing it is to take a trip over SW. Again though they don't let you into the loading area and stand before the barrier and number like you use to, you know have to wait till the carriages arrive and everyone has exited.

Seal Harbour:

Another great new exhibit and place to take time out of your day to watch the seals do their thing, we saw them during feeding time so they were active.

Jet Rescue:

Still a great ride, it was only running with one train, which since the opening day that's all I've ever seen it run with, does anyone know if they still run 2 at any stage?

My problem again here is loading, staff should be working as efficiently as they can when there's a ride that has a load/unload station and only one ride on. Because then you have to wait for it to come in and stop, unlock harnesses, wait for everyone to exit that gate and go into the gift shop, dispatch it to the loading area, and then open the airgates to let people on!

However, what I witnessed and although they were quick at checking harnesses the people operating the ride wanted to always chat to each other when the ride was running. After dispatch they would frequently all jump on the phones and chat to each other, then eventually one of them would go to unload area while the other person walked up who was suppose to load the next lot of guests behind the air gates but would more frequently open the ride op's booth to talk to them, before finally coming up and loading everyone up, with the train generally already arriving in the load section. Alternatively they would load everyone up, then go into the ride op's booth to chat and would continue chatting after the train had turned up instead of opening the air gates. The noise from the seal in second launch tunnel also wasn't working.

Sea Viper:

Again walking over the track the fence has been raised. Still prefer this when the track was all white and it was called Corkscrew, I personally just thought it had more charm, I can't remember what it is like to ride in the old trains anymore, but I did enjoy my numerous rides. Loading was actually pretty good here, but what takes time is the second ride op having push all the harnesses to the top while the other ride op is pushing the unlock button. I'd much prefer it if they didn't have to do and as people are exiting letting the next train load in.

Jet Ski:

Thought this new show was awesome and it got a big crowd to watch it, but there is still something missing when I don't see that Pyramid of skiers at the end of the show holding the SW flag, it also looks really weird to see the lake slowly becoming smaller and smaller. One other thing when the park closed they deflated the Spongebob scene, I really would keep this going until everyone has left the park, to see something like that being packed up at the end of the day just didn't really look professional to me.

Overall, again a really fun day, yes again not everything was perfect, but hey nothing can always be and most of the stuff I pointed out I didn't like was really just nit picking.

What I would change: (remember most of this will never and can never happen... But I can dream if I was in charge and could do whatever)

• [*]Go over the entrance building with a fine tooth comb to get it looking 100% [*]Put entertainment out the front to get guests excited, maybe some sort of tropical band [*]Get 3 brand new monorails with all the mod cons, including air-con [*]Enclose the top part of the flume ride (around the castle, with animatronics) [*]Return SeaViper back to Corkscrew [*]Return the Seal's voice to Jet Rescue [*]Spruce up the JetRescue queue and loading/unloading area, some netting, utensils, maybe a boat hanging from the rood, photos hanging of the animals they have saved... Just make it look a little more like an animal research and rescue base. [*]Put new loading proceeders in place to get more guests through per hour [*]All the fans they have placed on rides, remove them and put ceiling fans in that fit the theme of the ride [*]Put a family spinning roller coaster in, similar to Gazza's design many years back [*]An S&S Screamin' Swing, one the really big versions like seen at Cedar Point [*]A drop ride, but change it up so its not like GD or BW. Something like what we are seeing at Busch Gardens, one that drops face first. Have it rotating so people can a view of Surfers Paradise, the Broadwater and out to the ocean, then when it gets to the top it tilts facing down and then drops, the view and facing first will give a whole new experience IMO [*]A Ferris Wheel or some sort of observation tower, The park has great views and it should really capitalise on it [*]If the train line is gone forever, then rip up all the track the public can see, like on the bridge and open up more walkways making easier for guests to access parts of the park [*]Spruce up the games area, I have no problem with it being there, I do have a problem with faded signs and building that looks like it was thrown up overnight. Theme it to a seaside town like the rest of the building in the area [*]Replace the 3D theatre with a Soarin' Over California type attraction, if it won't fit, put a simulator ride in that space and find somewhere where that type of attraction would fit, going over the Gold Coast and the ocean I think would really fit SW [*]All that land across from SW become SW allowing them to expand [*]A suspended shuttle launch coaster, similar to Wicked Twister at Cedar Point, even put right next to the beach or water [*]Give the kids area new theme [*]Put a kids Vekoma water coaster over the splash battle area, just to add to people getting a little more wet there [*]Mini Hyper Intamin coaster [*]Children's coaster [*]Whatever B&M coaster MW goes for, put different one in SW that Australia hasn't before [*]Get rid of these people at Ray Reef trying to sell people things [*]Of course keep adding the great animal attractions while keeping the others up to scratch [*]Make sure all buildings look their best and staff go out of their way to help guests

I think that's everything, so what would you like to change if you could manage SW and MW, I realise I probably should have split the thread in 2 SW changes for one and MW changes in another, but I've put them in both now, so go crazy!

Build a state of the art rapids ride

Dreamworld has a rapids ride. I think it's best if the Gold Coast parks all have different rides.

Yes but since then technology has come a long way and you can do all sorts of different things with rapids that IMO would make them both completely separate rides, plus they would have different themes. Its like saying MW shouldn't have built WWF because SW and DW already have flume rides.

Build a Wooden coaster

One would fit in the western area but Dreamworld's Gold Rush Country / Rocky Hollow area will be best for a woody. (They need better coasters anyway)

Both parks have areas that both perfectly suit the addition of a wooden coaster, and the way the parks are going, I think your far more likely to see one of these pop up at MW before DW, but hey prove me wrong DW!

Build a hotel and City Walk style attraction connecting MW and WnW together

They have "Sea World Resort". Maybe Dreamworld should build accommodation since they are Australia's largest theme park. It's best the Movie World and Wet n Wild stay apart. There are always bus transfers between the parks during the day.

Yes SW have a resort and it works a treat for them, so why not replicate this at MW and WnW, unlike SW you have 2 parks to connect to, a third for international guests and a night time show. DW only have the 2 parks, so IMO VRTP are already ahead if they ever did decide to go through with a plan like this! Again, between the 2 companies I can see VRTP doing this type of attraction before Ardent do, unless something dramatically changes.

They've kinda fallen into use for night time events, so I guess that explains why they stay up all the time now.

Well this would explain it, thanks for clearing it up, I just thought they were leaving them up because it was too hard to take down, noticed what looked like some the Christmas lights still up around some buildings, or my eyes are just deceiving me.

• [*]

Dunno if it's warranted at this point in time though....It'd be a $5 Mil investment for something that only really has benefit a few weeks per year.

[*]

Could you spread the crowds spending $5 Mil on another ride, and have the bonus of something new to promote?

Yea, I get that, and your right, hence why I don't see management ever doing it, money can be spent better elsewhere, but if I could run the park with unlimited money and do whatever I wanted, sure why not, maybe give it a slight re-theme with a backstory as to why you're getting on the Spaceshot!

Edited July 31, 2013 by Original

[colliric_855]

No comments about Storm?

[AllegroCrab]

• [*]Return SeaViper back to Corkscrew

I wouldn't mind this happening (though keeping the new trains) but the Sea Viper will never go back to the Corkscrew. All of the new kids already know it as the Sea Viper, and even though I like the aesthetics of the original corkscrew more, it still seems like taking a step back.

It may have been better without the re-theme, though I think the new trains are good, now it has changed, it is better for it to stay that way.

Edited July 31, 2013 by AllegroCrab

[westical]

No comments about Storm?

It's not open.

[JacobSibbald]

Whilst I really wish Sea World could get all the rides, where in the world are they going to find space to put them? I know they are your wishes and I'm not going to stop you, I have some of theme parks that get pretty detailed I just think it's a little unrealistic

[themeparkgc]

Whilst I really wish Sea World could get all the rides, where in the world are they going to find space to put them?

I think you might have missed this point Jacob:

• [*]All that land across from SW become SW allowing them to expand

Still unrealistic though.

[colliric_855]

I hope Sea Viper stays at the park for at least another 5-10 years before getting dismantled and sold like Thrillseeker and the Pirate Ship were. We demolish too much in this country... Is it possible though with that ride?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

If revolution can survive 37 years (in two days time), then surely we'll see Sea Viper around a bit longer, considering it's only 21...

Revolution has had 3 different 'launches'... and Viper is only in it's second incarnation...

Having said that, viper is in a slightly more corrosive location and as the tallest structure on the spit for a while it also made it quite a target for bad weather as well....

I sincerely doubt they will dismantle and sell it - they'll keep it running - on life support if necessary, until it is no longer salvageable - at which time it'll be scrapped.

[colliric_855]

I sincerely doubt they will dismantle and sell it - they'll keep it running - on life support if necessary, until it is no longer salvageable - at which time it'll be scrapped.

Cool... I agree with that too.

[Original]

Whilst I really wish Sea World could get all the rides, where in the world are they going to find space to put them? I know they are your wishes and I'm not going to stop you, I have some of theme parks that get pretty detailed I just think it's a little unrealistic

Still unrealistic though.

Yep, completely unrealistic.... But it would be cool to see it happen

If revolution can survive 37 years (in two days time), then surely we'll see Sea Viper around a bit longer, considering it's only 21...

Revolution has had 3 different 'launches'... and Viper is only in it's second incarnation...

Having said that, viper is in a slightly more corrosive location and as the tallest structure on the spit for a while it also made it quite a target for bad weather as well....

I sincerely doubt they will dismantle and sell it - they'll keep it running - on life support if necessary, until it is no longer salvageable - at which time it'll be scrapped.

Just adding to that, considering it just went through a major rehab in which people on here in the know said maintenance told management it would be more cost effective to scrap the ride than fix it, yet they went ahead to make sure it could live on... So unless something major happened to it that was unfixable I think it will live on for some time yet. As a side note, this is the difference between VRTP and Ardent.