Wet'n'Wild Sydney Reaches Capacity

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I've spent the last 25-30 minutes trying to find the link but it's hard without knowing the licensee.

I saw a link posted on facebook yesterday in the response to this NYE disaster that showed WnWS had actually been granted their 'normal' operating liquor license. The closest i could get was the lodgment of the application 7 months ago - http://www.planningalerts.org.au/applications/318025

The licence check search function doesn't want to help me out though https://www.licence.nsw.gov.au/LicenceCheck/

SO short answer is i'm pretty sure WnWS have an active liquor licence, I think it was approved from 16 December from memory... my guess is (if liquor license is the problem) that they needed an event license to sellsupply at more stalls than the park had built approved originally.

Theres a lot of finger pointing going on at the moment about who screwed up, but the promoter organiser at the end of the day is the one that has the responsibility. If Wet n Wild were the ones who pulled the plug, with the bad publicity they've had already, it would have to have been a pretty serious issue.

[Flea]

I personally know the organiser (or one of them). He has put on plenty on successful events and is well respected within the industry. AFAIK all stages had been setup and the venue was 100% ready to go - what caused the plug to be pulled I'm not sure, but I have no doubt that he would've done everything in his power to avoid cancellation. He lived and breathed this event for the past few months which is why I'm leaning towards WnW being responsible.

[aussienetman]

Wnw stated that the organiser cancelled the event. Surely they couldn't say this if they had cancelled it instead?

[Flea]

Yes, from what I'm gathering of the whispers is that the organiser was forced to cancel as a result of WnW not being fully prepared. My guess is that WnW gave them a choice - go ahead with no alcohol or cancel, hence being the organiser's "decision" to cancel.

Edited January 1, 2014 by Flea

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

transparency from everyone is what is needed right now.

The park's reputation has been irreparably damaged by this disaster, and from what I understand, the park had their ordinary liquor licence, so if it was a liquor licence issue - it was an event license, not an on premises licence.

I've seen photos of the beach arena stage set up, but i've also heard people say that Chameleon Lighting guys were injured in set up due to poor OH&S. I've also heard Chameleon categorically state that they had no gear west of Glebe.

There are too many rumors, about too many things - right now both parties - the park and the organisers need to make a statement that explains what went wrong in detail and truth.

[Reanimated35]

The park's reputation has been irreparably damaged by this disaster,

Give it a week, no one who wasn't affected will give two shits.

[aussienetman]

Yea I dont care and never did.

[Alex Berriman]

I only care because as a fan of music festivals I hate seeing something like this go wrong, but other than that, until they release a full statement saying what happened and why, I won't judge WnWS or the event holder. Found this article about the event. They're now refunding over $1mill in tickets. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/promoters-of-a-cancelled-new-years-eve-festival-at-wetnwild-will-be-forced-to-refund-1-million-to-irate-customers/story-fni0cx12-1226793390448

Edited January 1, 2014 by Alex Berriman

[Bussy]

What I've heard through the grape vine is that the event was cancelled due to one of a couple of explanations:

1. The first being that the stage area wasn't going to pass or didn't pass an engineers examination.
2. The second was that the organisers had failed to notify all of the relevant authorities (local council, Fire & Rescue, Police etc) and gain approval for the event and provide them with relevant plans.
3. The organisers were a group of 4 guys from various countries who only formed the company in September and had little idea of what was required to organise and event of this size in Sydney.

"The Bus is now leaving for Vine Vale Rural School, South Australia"

[GoGoBoy]

I tend to agree with this comment on the article: 'How does Village Roadshow [a listed business] who owns Wet n Wild, do business with a "promoter" with no track record.'

I remember when I first saw this event advertised I was surprised WnW had partnered with a club-style promoter that didn't even appear to have major credentials. It all seemed dodgy, and I have to agree that it reflects poorly on WnW Sydney management. I hope Village is watching closely from Victoria to ensure WnW Sydney picks up their act.

[aussienetman]

Just because the company was new, does not mean that the organisers behind it didn't have the cred to pull it off, and going by flees comments it sounds like at least one of the organisers knew what he was doing.

[Bussy]

Just because the company was new, does not mean that the organisers behind it didn't have the cred to pull it off, and going by flees comments it sounds like at least one of the organisers knew what he was doing.

Obviously not or the event would have gone ahead.

"The Bus is now leaving for Goneaway National Park, Queensland"

[aussienetman]

ThIs is true bussy

[JulieLovis]

Unfortunately the park is copping a lot of flak from the media in Sydney. There was another article in the Sydney Herald today under the banner 'Fed up 'n' riled with Wet'n'Wild'.

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/wetnwilds-many-problems-have-councillors-fed-up-20140101-30643.html

Their FB site is also copping a beating from all angles. It also appears as though they are willing to offer refunds to season pass holders even when they're not specifically requesting one. It appears that any complaint regarding the inability to get in due to capacity is responded to with a generic "email this address to get a refund" reply, which is a bit strange?!

Why would you sell that many season passes only to actively invite people to request a refund when they complain about the park being full? Surely if you sell 155,000+ passes you anticipate there will be days when you reach capacity?

And all this after they have given out free ones to everyone who was willing to purchase 3?

When I visited the park I enjoyed it but I must say it was a complete shambles…. what is going on!?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

For one, I don't think VRTP learnt anything from their opening of WnW in Las Vegas. That said - all media rhetoric suggested that people were going to boycott the park because of the high prices - and i believe they panicked and gave away the gate.

I also think it's very easy for them to oversell their passes very easily - take a look at the QLD parks - with the number of passes for QLD parks - if everyone with a pass attended our parks - they'd be at capacity very quickly and still have many people turned away.

I renewed my pass in July. I've been to MW once, and SW once since then... and it would be this kind of behaviour they probably based their ticket sales tactics on. A mistake - but thats it... The refunding is probably their latest solution to dealing with the issue... chances are most people won't want a refund even though they are complaining - they will more likely be expecting something for free - and since the park has offered a refund and nothing else, my bet is most people will hold onto their passes and wait until things die down before going again.

[Slick]

To the park's credit, they've done a great job handling our sensationalist, over the top media, soccer mums and CUBS (cashed up bogans) alike. How many months has the park been opened for now? Cut the team there some slack. To be hit with capacity numbers in the first weeks of operation doesn't exactly give you time to hone down on the nuts and bolts of the operation.

The NYE thing sucks, and it'll unfortunately tarnish the launch of the park. Does it mean they should close the park? Shit no. Does them being at capacity mean they'll turn into Wonderland? Of course not.

This will all become a distant memory when school holidays are over. I think the bitterness will be well deserved come next summer and this crap still happens, but knowing VRTP,

[joz]

Why would you sell that many season passes only to actively invite people to request a refund when they complain about the park being full? Surely if you sell 155,000+ passes you anticipate there will be days when you reach capacity? And all this after they have given out free ones to everyone who was willing to purchase 3?

I get the impression watching from afar that the original plan was to 'Stay the course' with all the bad feedback. I mean sure it was busy straight away after opening, but things will calm down and work themselves out. After NYE however they've just had to go into total damage control, and do whatever it takes to stop the massive amounts of bad will which exists in the community, and it seems like there is a ton of bad blood out there for a bunch of different reasons. You could make a case about the NYE fiasco not being WnWs fault, but no one really knows who or what One Cube entertainment is, Wet 'n' Wild however has a name, and rightly or wrongly (jury's still out for me) the public backlash is WnW's problem. For me, I think there are a few proactive things they can do to stop the blood loss rather then just giving up: Start by having a bunch of pass holder exclusive days and nights in February which require pre booking with limited numbers as a show of 'good will' to pass holders. You can't piss off as many people as this park has and expect a long term successful future. The 'no outside food' rule needs to go. From all reports the outlets are running pretty much at capacity, with many guests going hungry, so letting guests bring they're own food in won't hurt anything. Also if it can't be done for this year, they really should also be adding BBQs to the park for next year. WnWGC never went broke with them so it won't hurt WnW Sydney. Expanding the street vending count to soak up extra crowds could also be a wise move. Finally, they obviously need to have learnt their lesson for next year with ticket prices. Lower one day prices and higher season pass prices to ease the pressure on the park but still encourage new visitors. Throw in a new high high capacity attraction for next year (along with a full calendar) and they'll be OK, but they can't totally ignore criticism of the park by locals forever. It's locals who have to support the park so they should keep doing their best to get them back onside.

[GoGoBoy]

In that article JulieLovis posted above, the Blacktown councillor is complaining about capacity issues but at the same time is calling for the ticket prices to be dropped! What a doofus. Meanwhile, here's another article questioning the whole NYE debacle: http://m.smh.com.au/nsw/wetnwild-new-years-eve-festival-questions-over-party-organisers-20140102-307y3.html

[Slick]

More love from fair fax - http://m.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/music/stressing-hard-wetnwild-nye-festival-organisers-feeling-the-strain-in-leadup-to-new-years-eve-20140103-308sw.html

[GoGoBoy]

I definitely don't see this doing any long term damage, as long as Village Roadshow kicks the butt of some of WnW's management team (sayanora Chris Warhurst?) and ensures it doesn't happen again. The park is no fly-by-night operation. It's $120 million worth of infrastructure that is there for the long haul. People will forget about it next year, as long as they pick up their act. I actually now think it would be a smart move to add one new slide for the next season. This would be an added distraction from the problems of this season, and add some extra capacity. Considering the park is landlocked, only one new decent slide at a time is necessary (as Gazza and I have suggested before) - and they can market the hell out of it.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

^Agreed

[Bussy]

For me, I think there are a few proactive things they can do to stop the blood loss rather then just giving up: Start by having a bunch of pass holder exclusive days and nights in February which require pre booking with limited numbers as a show of 'good will' to pass holders. You can't piss off as many people as this park has and expect a long term successful future.

I don't think that would do anything to help, they wouldn't be able to cover the 155,000 season pass holders so many would miss out and therefore the whinging would continue. I don't agree with them refunding any monies for season pass holders who wish to return their passes. If anyone thought they would by a pass and get in everyday and not have any queues on any of the attractions they need their heads read. The writing was on the wall long before the park opened that they would be at capacity on most days over the holiday period.

The 'no outside food' rule needs to go. From all reports the outlets are running pretty much at capacity, with many guests going hungry, so letting guests bring they're own food in won't hurt anything. Also if it can't be done for this year, they really should also be adding BBQs to the park for next year. WnWGC never went broke with them so it won't hurt WnW Sydney. Expanding the street vending count to soak up extra crowds could also be a wise move.

Whilst I understand parks do this to try to get people to buy food in house and therefore make more money ($15 for a crap burger, seriously?) I think that this is the kind of policy they should change to get some 'good will' back from the public. Yes they should be checking people aren't bringing glass and alcohol into the park but food should be a free for all. Does anyone who has been know how the 'no smoking' policy is working out for them?

Finally, they obviously need to have learnt their lesson for next year with ticket prices. Lower one day prices and higher season pass prices to ease the pressure on the park but still encourage new visitors. Throw in a new high high capacity attraction for next year (along with a full calendar) and they'll be OK, but they can't totally ignore criticism of the park by locals forever. It's locals who have to support the park so they should keep doing their best to get them back onside.

It will be interesting to see what they do in regards to ticket prices next year. Hopefully they will limit season passes to a reasonable number and therefore force more people to buy day tickets and therefore increase revenue.

"The Bus is now leaving for Foody, NSW"

[joz]

I don't think that would do anything to help, they wouldn't be able to cover the 155,000 season pass holders so many would miss out and therefore the whinging would continue. I don't agree with them refunding any monies for season pass holders who wish to return their passes. If anyone thought they would by a pass and get in everyday and not have any queues on any of the attractions they need their heads read. The writing was on the wall long before the park opened that they would be at capacity on most days over the holiday period.

You're probably right about the extra nights for pass holders. If they did evening sessions for an entire month it would still mean around 5000 potential guests a night. Not sure if that's high attendance or not but that's a ton of operational hours that would need to be added, so unless the park that works at a profit without charging admission it is unfeasible.

I probably also agree about that they shouldn't have to be refunding money, but at the same time it's not the pass holder's fault that the passes were way oversold and that there was a lack of planning. The tickets weren't sold as "COME TO WET 'N' WILD WHENEVER YOU WANT UNLESS THE PARK IS FULL WHICH IT OFTEN WILL BE!" They were sold "UNLIMITED ENTRY!" so people (rightly or wrongly) feel entitled. I totally understand the people who have had enough. When you've done all the things required to get a family to a theme park only to be refused entry I can easily see why people would say "Stuff, it, I've had enough crap from this park, I can't be bothered with it anymore and want my money back". It's also not as if the park has been busy but everything else has been super amazing as well: Many Mybands weren't delivered, the photo website didn't work for a long time, the park has many polices that almost seem designed to piss people off, parking is a ripoff, people have complained about the food (price and quality), the queues are not just long, they're unorganized, and the calender is short (though I suspect likely to change). Added with NYE, (which I'm aware didn't affect pass holders but adds to the perception of the park being the park being a disaster zone) I totally understand people wanting refunds, and think on balance, I think they should probably get them.

Whilst I understand parks do this to try to get people to buy food in house and therefore make more money ($15 for a crap burger, seriously?) I think that this is the kind of policy they should change to get some 'good will' back from the public. Yes they should be checking people aren't bringing glass and alcohol into the park but food should be a free for all. Does anyone who has been know how the 'no smoking' policy is working out for them?

100% spot on. Agree with everything here. I read on the WnWS Facebook page that they recommend guests with food allergies bring a note from a doctor so they can get their food in the park. How a park can have such a disregard for it's customers is almost a thing of beauty. They sound like the sort of joyless people running airport security, not a fun park. It's easily the 'Lowest hanging fruit' of things to do to improve the public's opinion of the park.

Also surely there is a smoking area in the park? I mean has anyone in the park met a smoker? I think we've all known smokers who don't take being separated from cigarettes for more than an hour very well.

It will be interesting to see what they do in regards to ticket prices next year. Hopefully they will limit season passes to a reasonable number and therefore force more people to buy day tickets and therefore increase revenue.

Again, totally agree. I think why I'm being harsh on the park is because I want it to be massively successful, and I worry that by doing the things that they're doing, they're condemning the park to a future of mediocrity. Remember, Jazzland had a very successful first season, but they did a great job of pissing off all of the local population, and in it's second season had a 40% drop off in attendance. Jazzland was declared bankrupt less than 2 years later. I don't think WnW is in danger of failing, but I think they are in danger of turning off so many people that attendance drops off fairly dramatically in the coming years, unless they can act proactively to become part of the community, rather than merely a soulless corporate money focused machine.

[Alex Berriman]

WnWS just posted on their Facebook page that they've opened up more applications for job positions. I'd think it would be a bit late for that, unless staff numbers had dropped.

[GoGoBoy]

It will be interesting to see what they do in regards to ticket prices next year. Hopefully they will limit season passes to a reasonable number and therefore force more people to buy day tickets and therefore increase revenue.

I'm not sure I agree with your statement of fact that forcing more people to buy single day tickets will increase revenue. There's a reason why parks and various other businesses offer season passes (or discounted multi-visit passes etc.), and it's not to lower revenue! The reality is it locks a lot more people in to paying a higher price than they might have otherwise. The GC parks might have ridiculously low price season passes - but revenue went up significantly when they first introduced the VIP passes, and they've kept them 'cause they're a winner in terms of revenue.