Which park has the best amenities?

[Reanimated35]

So, for those times you're at a park and need to dispatch the log ride, which park would you rate as having the best amenities on the Gold Coast, and why?

[Brad2912]

TBH I've always found them all to be pretty decent compared to your standard public attraction amenities (ie cinemas, shopping centres, public transport stations). I think all the parks realise that in a competitive environment, something as small (or big depending on your perspective) as clean toilets can be the difference between a good & bad experience, and therefore a return purchase/annual pass purchase

[joz]

need to dispatch the log ride,

Wow. Just wow. As for a real answer, honestly I think all the parks do really well in this area, with Movie World probably being the best, just for the sheer number of facilities available. Sea World would probably be the park that could most use some new facilities, as the current ones can sometimes be over crowded and for many guests, hard to find.

[Gazza]

I think the nicest ones are in the Dirty Harry Bar at MW, but Whitewater World has the best overall due to their newness and the fact they have drinking fountains out front.

[Reanimated35]

Having not been to dw in ages, do they still have the themed toilets? Or have they all changed to normal ones? I can't even remember where sea worlds toilets are come to think of it apart from the ones under the monorail station. The ones at mw are old but usually clean. I have always found wnw to smell too much like someone has just pissed all over the floor instead of in the toilet. Don't remember www toilets.

Wow. Just wow.

What's wrong with that? :-P Edited December 5, 2013 by reanimated35

[lolman123]

Having not been to dw in ages, do they still have the themed toilets? Or have they all changed to normal ones? I can't even remember where sea worlds toilets are come to think of it apart from the ones under the monorail station. The ones at mw are old but usually clean. I have always found wnw to smell too much like someone has just pissed all over the floor instead of in the toilet. Don't remember www toilets. What's wrong with that? :-P

i know right the toilets at wet and wild smell real bad.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I have to ask...

but if despatching the log ride is the number 2 attraction on the list...

what's number 1?

[bladex]

i know right the toilets at wet and wild smell real bad.

that's because people are constantly going in and out soaking wet most of the time and dripping water everywhere than it stands there and goes bad and mixed with sweat gives it that smell. you know there are other ways to GO without going in the toilets

Edited December 5, 2013 by bladex

[liz.wis]

I'd say Movieword are best, and Sea World worst - they're a long way between, when you've got a toddler screaming they need to go NOW!

[Reanimated35]

I have to ask...

but if despatching the log ride is the number 2 attraction on the list...

what's number 1?

Fill the wave pool?

[Spotty]

Was thinking of firing the torpedo... or filling the whirlpool

[Slick]

This thread is shit. I'd say movie world, although anywhere that has a dyson hand dryer wins out.

[MaxxTheMonster]

Will go with others and say MW, especially the Dirty Harry Bar.

Last would have to be WnWGC, not for the previously mentioned reasons, but as a parent of a under 18 month old, the parent room having one change table and little bench space is crazy.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I don't buy this 'sea world's bathrooms are too spaced out' whine.

Yes there are a few long stretches - but none further than Arkham's exit to Stars Cafe's restrooms (i'm aware the scale is different in the two maps - fact is Sea World wouldn't fit on one screen at the same zoom)

While the quality of Sea World's facilities are a little dated (and they may not be BIG enough), I think the spacing of locations, given what is in between them is quite satisfactory.

Parents (and other adults who take small children to theme parks) learn very quickly to take every opportunity for a trip to the toilet - even if Miss 3 says she doesn't need to go - once on the seat she suddenly does.

Apologies Lis.Wiz because you will take offence to this... but if your child gets to a point of screaming for a bathroom, you're not parenting very well.

As an uncle who takes his nieces and nephews to the parks infrequently, I make it a point of knowing where each bathroom is, and if it's a long stretch to the next one, such as the stretch over the bridge and past the seal show at Sea World - we stop, and everyone goes.

[MaxxTheMonster]

There are medical reasons as well though AlexB that can contribute to people not needing to use facilities and suddenly the incredible urge that if they don't go now that there will be an accident.

My brother has an overactive bladder (normally older people are affected, yet he has had this since his early teens) which makes life difficult for him and has greatly limited what he can and cannot do in normal life. We used to have to queue for rides and then call or msg him to come in because we were almost ready to load just to assist him.

Despite that, people cannot always go on cue. I worked in childcare for more than 10 years (ages 2 - 5) and no matter how much you say to a child to go they will not if they don't need to. But guarantee that the moment they need to they will scream and carry on if you don't let them.

Not to generate any anger or hatred (as that leads to the dark side) "As an uncle who takes his nieces and nephews to the parks infrequently" does not put in the same stead and experience as a full time parent who deals with it everyday.

Meanwhile... Apologies Lis.Wiz because you will take offence to this... but if your child gets to a point of screaming for a bathroom, you're not parenting very well... might offend Lis.Wiz, however it also offends me and it is downright disrespectful to criticise the parenting techniques of anyone as there is no one guide, or correct way to parent a child.

[liz.wis]

Yeah, it takes a lot to offend me online, and that doesn't do it, though I'm obviously going to disagree with you. I'm not going to comment on the fact you took one fairly tongue-in-cheek line from me, and could take that as a call to question my parenting abilities. I've managed to get the child in question to school age without killing them yet, so rest assured I'm not doing too badly

FWIW, if my kids were at a park with pretty much anyone other than myself or my husband, they'd quite happily go to the bathroom when asked.

Back to the main point - you mentioned similar distances to MW - there's a bit of a difference in flow of the crowd between MW and SW as well, so while the distances themselves may be similar, be in SW at a time, for example, when the dolphin show has finished, and a mass of people surge out, it's a lot slower thoroughfare than MW, which in some areas you can navigate and barely see another person (viewing area of Arkham, or coming back from Wild West on a quiet day).

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Yes, I probably could have worded things a lot better.

I guess more to my point was most children won't wait until they're ready to wet themselves to say 'i need to go'. I took your description of a 'screaming child' to be one that obviously reached a point of no-return, which in the distances involved, I just couldn't fathom.

The distances between Bathrooms at Sea World aren't much different to those found in a normal westfield shopping centre. However, I totally get where you're coming from with the Dolphin show letting out making it difficult to make that distance in a reasonable time, but it wasn't how you put it forward - as you say - a one-liner "I'd say Movieword are best, and Sea World worst - they're a long way between, when you've got a toddler screaming they need to go NOW!" To me implied that only the distances were the problem, not the crowds.

Again - acknowledge I could have put that forward better, and apologies - i didn't mean to call your parenting skills into question, moreover just that if the child escalates to screaming in the space of 'seal show to carousel' then the child either isn't toilet trained properly, or the parent was ignoring the earlier signs that the child needed to go. Perhaps your child wasn't 'screaming' as I interpreted it. Again, my sincerest apologies.

Wyn - I take your point on board, however medical conditions are a different story. If a child has a bladder issue that results in zero-to-wee in 0:02 seconds, it's a known issue and other measures are generally in place.

Although I infrequently take my nephews and nieces to the parks, I do spend time with them in other places more frequently. Sure - i'm not an everyday parent - but it doesn't make my experiences any less valid. If my niece says she needs to go (she's the youngest) we drop everything and head for the nearest bathroom no matter where we are at the time - but usually we don't get to that point, as the earlier warning signs (crotch grabbing, weird face-pulling etc) are generally spotted and acted upon.

That said - I admit all kids are different - and no, it doesn't necessarily reflect on the parenting techniques. Sorry Liz. caught me at a weak and frustrated moment.

[Reanimated35]

I'm just going to bring this up again, because I feel it's the 2 million dollar question that will be relevant again soon. 

[liz.wis]

This bump gave me a laugh regarding my comments of nearly 3 years ago.  Thankfully we're past the bathroom urgency issues now haha.

I haven't been to any parks in a few months, but as far as I can remember, not much has changed as far as bathrooms go in the last few years.

 

 

[Santa07]

Wow this is a relic isn't it.

Actually, not really seeing what else I could necrobump if I wanted to

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Yeah given this isn't even three years ago, and this site has (in some form or other) been going since 2003- theres a decade behind this topic to wade through...

[Reanimated35]

Probably should have posted this here

 

 

[Slick]

TLDR, avoid the bathrooms at the front of Movie World, especially in the afternoon.

Vote 1 for Dirty Harry Bathrooms. (I'm sure there's a joke there somewhere but i'm going to let someone else have it).