Sea World lighthouse - Star Flyer replacement

[aaronm]

7 hours ago, Jamberoo Fan said:

If there is a new coaster coming in 2020 to Sea World, with no height restrictions for theme park rides at SW anymore, how high would this full-circuit rollercoaster go?

Something like Mystic Timbers perhaps? Delivers a great ride despite not being particularly tall, and wouldn't be too intimidating for your average guest. Alternatively, they could do worse than a Wooden Warrior clone, that one also packs a lot into a small package, and budget-wise is probably about right for Sea World.

Edited October 29, 2018 by aaronm

[New display name]

1 hour ago, AlexB said:

Whilst it's a bit early to board the hype train.

 

Don't fight it @AlexBI've saved you a seat.

Edited October 29, 2018 by Skeeta

[Jamberoo Fan]

15 hours ago, aaronm said:

Something like Mystic Timbers perhaps? Delivers a great ride despite not being particularly tall, and wouldn't be too intimidating for your average guest. Alternatively, they could do worse than a Wooden Warrior clone, that one also packs a lot into a small package, and budget-wise is probably about right for Sea World.

I'm thinking higher - Storm Coaster is a similar height (28 metres) to Mystic Timbers (30 metres) and already 'intimidates' a lot of guests with it's perceived height. A higher coaster would allow Storm Coaster to be seen as less 'intimidating' as it should have been when it first opened in 2013.

@Brad2912 referred to a "very large investment" in SW's next coaster so I'd doubt something of similar size to Wooden Warrior (14 metres high) will be built which, regardless of Wooden Warrior's quality, is the last thing SW needs coaster-wise: SW has 3 full-circuit rollercoasters currently - all below 30 metres in height. 2 of which are lower than 5 metres in height. SW ideally needs a coaster noticeably higher than 30 metres in height to bring SW, as a 'theme park', back to people's attention. If they can't do that, then a coaster 30 metres in height would be best but it needs to be designed to make Storm Coaster look less 'intimidating' (maybe by adding several airtime hills, inversions etc. just like with a 30+ metre high coaster). In any case, SW shouldn't install something "worse than a Wooden Warrior clone".

And lastly, like I initially said, there is no guarantee the coaster type, if any coaster is being built, will be wooden. It may have just been the personal preference of the 'manager'. At this stage, SW is more likely to get a steel coaster.

I do think though that if a 40+ metre coaster is being built at SW, that will be that "...1 new thrill ride..." that "...can fit in at SW..." that I referred to earlier this year. After all, a very tall (40+ metre) full-circuit rollercoaster is a drawcard in itself to a theme park.

17 hours ago, themagician said:

...the jellies themselves are illuminated well...

Well that's great to hear! Maybe the attraction does live up to it's name after all!

Edited October 30, 2018 by Jamberoo Fan

[pin142]

So a coaster higher than 30 metres but less than 60 metres? Who says it needs to be a full wooden coaster? The Fun Spot parks in Florida have wooden coasters with steel supports. Steel supports with wood track apparently still make for a wooden coaster.

[AllegroCrab]

I'll take whatever ounce of a rumour I can get. Coasters get people through the door and are a great addition to any park. A woodie would be another selling point, but I'll be happy with anything.

[pushbutton]

I won't be happy unless they bring back something as good as Bermuda Triangle. A mere rollercoaster just won't cut it for me.

[themagician]

I definitely don’t think a wooden coaster would be a selling. The majority of the general public have probably never even heard of that concept, so if we got one, it probably wouldn’t attract visitors, it would scare them off. A lot of people are already scared of the parks after what’s happened in recent times, so there is no need to scare them anymore. And honestly, most people on here say they want one, but I’d much rather a steel coaster over a wooden coaster.

[Brad2912]

4 hours ago, pushbutton said:

I won't be happy unless they bring back something as good as Bermuda Triangle. A mere rollercoaster just won't cut it for me.

I try, I really do, but comments like that make it hard...

a ‘mere’ coaster?? you mean the biggest drawcards at any park for their major target demographic? Unfortunately you don’t fit the major target demographic Push...

we will never get another Bermuda style ride at SW, the shed/studio is utilised by storm and they are not building another 

2 hours ago, themagician said:

I definitely don’t think a wooden coaster would be a selling. The majority of the general public have probably never even heard of that concept, so if we got one, it probably wouldn’t attract visitors, it would scare them off. A lot of people are already scared of the parks after what’s happened in recent times, so there is no need to scare them anymore. And honestly, most people on here say they want one, but I’d much rather a steel coaster over a wooden coaster.

You’ve totally lost me on that one... I don’t think I could disagree more. 

[New display name]

3 minutes ago, Brad2912 said:

You’ve totally lost me on that one... I

He said blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.  Only theme park enthusiast like to ride woodies.  blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.  I don’t know what I’m on about.  blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

[pushbutton]

9 minutes ago, Skeeta said:

He said blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.  Only theme park enthusiast like to ride woodies.  blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.  I don’t know what I’m on about.  blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

 

The thing is that theme parks are first and foremost about FUN experiences which are created around a theme. Such experiences can be all different types of rides, shows, and walk-throughs.

Since there are a lot of people,  most will like some of those experiences more than others, and most will not like a few of them.

That's absolutely ok!

What's absolutely NOT ok is for anyone to assume that their own preferences are the right ones, and others are wrong to like different experiences. That sort of attitude would make the person arrogant and rude.

[webslave]

24 minutes ago, pushbutton said:

What's absolutely NOT ok is for anyone to assume that their own preferences are the right ones, and others are wrong to like different experiences. That sort of attitude would make the person arrogant and rude.

Unless their own preferences ARE the right ones, of course.  The 'right ones' in this case are the ones that best reflect those of the most lucrative demographic(s) in the marketplace.  In which case that sort of attitude is called smart business.

[Jamberoo Fan]

17 hours ago, pin142 said:

So a coaster higher than 30 metres but less than 60 metres?

Well I'd doubt the Gold Coast would be lucky enough to get a full-circuit coaster higher than DC Rivals HyperCoaster so soon after it opened but one can hope. It might just be possible to get a full-circuit coaster of equal height though if they have the funds.

17 hours ago, pin142 said:

Steel supports with wood track apparently still make for a wooden coaster.

I'm pretty sure that the definition of a 'wooden coaster' is that it just has to have a mostly wooden track at a minimum.

11 hours ago, themagician said:

The majority of the general public have probably never even heard of that concept, so if we got one, it probably wouldn’t attract visitors, it would scare them off. A lot of people are already scared of the parks after what’s happened in recent times, so there is no need to scare them anymore.

I'm pretty sure that any attendance drop at the Gold Coast theme parks that occurred after the Thunder River Rapids incident is from the local Gold Coast-Tweed Heads market only as other theme parks in Australia are maintaining/increasing their attendance trends as they were prior to 2016:

Quote

Jamberoo Action Park, Wet'n'Wild Sydney's main competitor bucked industry trends and saw attendance grow in the 2016-17 season off the back of their $5 million investment in The Perfect Storm, further illustrating that Dreamworld's incident has little to do with Wet'n'Wild Sydney's problem.

The local Gold Coast-Tweed Heads market is the dominant market at the Gold Coast theme parks too. Given the Gold Coast-Tweed Heads market might be interested in theme parks in general due to the prominence of them in the city's culture, most of that market might already know what a wooden coaster is.

Edited October 31, 2018 by Jamberoo Fan

[Mc coaster]

18 hours ago, pin142 said:

Steel supports with wood track apparently still make for a wooden coaster.

 

1 hour ago, Jamberoo Fan said:

I'm pretty sure that the definition of a 'wooden coaster' is that it just has to have a mostly wooden track at a minimum.

I think @pin142you are referring to RMC hybrid coasters which are built with their ibox track, these rides are nither classified as wood or steel coasters, they are built with a wooden supports and steel track. With this track they have been able to make amazing roller coaster such as my favourite roller coaster and only RMC I have ridden twisted colossus another noticeable one being steel vengeance. If we got one of these it would be amazing as they are amazing ride with strong layouts and cool elements.

RMC also have a different type of track that from memory is called a topper track @Jamberoo Fan which is made of wood and is capable of doing different elements that the hybrids can do. This track enables wooden rollecoasters to be able to do things that have never been done before an example of this type of track is Outlaw run at silver dollar city or wildfire at Kolmården Wildlife Park. These rides are still classified as wooden roller coasters even though they may contain a little bit of steel.

All of RMC rides are silky smooth great intense rides, with cool elements and loads of both ejected and floater airtime I hope we do see one of these in Australia and I think it would be a very good addition to SeaWorld because no doubt it would be the amazing kick butt roller coaster they need. 

[Rivals]

If SeaWorld end up goong with RMC they should get a Raptor, Could easily fit in Sea vipers Plot of land with a nice compact layout.

[Mc coaster]

As much as a raptor would be great they are quite small and have a crappy captivity. I think SeaWorld needs something a little bit larger with better capacity maybe like a trex.

[pin142]

4 hours ago, Mc coaster said:

I think @pin142you are referring to RMC hybrid coasters which are built with their ibox track, these rides are nither classified as wood or steel coasters, they are built with a wooden supports and steel track. With this track they have been able to make amazing roller coaster such as my favourite roller coaster and only RMC I have ridden twisted colossus another noticeable one being steel vengeance. If we got one of these it would be amazing as they are amazing ride with strong layouts and cool elements.

Actually Gravitykraft Corporation and Great Coasters International both do "wooden" coasters that have a hybrid steel structure. As long as the running rails are wood it is technically classed as wooden. I severely doubt we will see something as great as Steel Vengance here especially given it is over 200 feet and would steal the thunder from DC Rivals. If the park was to get something RMC then the obvious choice is raptor. For those worried about capacity running two trains the queue isn't as bad as you would fear plus it would offer a perfect Fast Track upsell opportunity.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

13 hours ago, Jamberoo Fan said:

Given the Gold Coast-Tweed Heads market might be interested in theme parks in general due to the prominence of them in the city's culture, most of that market might already know what a wooden coaster is.

Do you think so? How many Wooden coasters have there been on the gold coast?

I'd suggest to you that most of those that know of wooden coasters would be from television shows such as step-by-step (SFMM Colossus) and similar, and many would think that woodies are old technology, replaced by steel, hence why we only have steel coasters in our GC market. Few would think woodies are somehow still 'today's' technology, and most would be confused if a park started to build one.

[pushbutton]

51 minutes ago, AlexB said:

Do you think so? How many Wooden coasters have there been on the gold coast?

I'd suggest to you that most of those that know of wooden coasters would be from television shows such as step-by-step (SFMM Colossus) and similar, and many would think that woodies are old technology, replaced by steel, hence why we only have steel coasters in our GC market. Few would think woodies are somehow still 'today's' technology, and most would be confused if a park started to build one.

Are most people incredibly thick, or have most people just never been anywhere other than the Gold Coast?

[XxMrYoshixX]

A woodie would be an excellent fit for Sea World but it is just a case of 'wait and see',  as already mentioned SW has advertised attractions that were never built. Building such a ride would be unique to Australia and a Gold Coast first.

Because Sea World is a family oriented park I could see them building a Kentucky Flyer or Oscar's Wacky Taxi style woodie. Something which is in between Spongebob and Storm. However we'll have to see the scale of the Star Flyer first before I make further comment on where the park might go with a new coaster.

Edited October 31, 2018 by XxMrYoshixX

[DJKostya]

11 hours ago, Mc coaster said:

As much as a raptor would be great they are quite small and have a crappy captivity. I think SeaWorld needs something a little bit larger with better capacity maybe like a trex.

I've ridden TrailBlazer at CGA and I actually think a Raptor would be an awesome fit for SeaWorld. TrailBlazer was compact but super fast and intense. Load and unload was very very quick and could easily be done by a single staff member, plus ride operator.

[pin142]

4 hours ago, DJKostya said:

Load and unload was very very quick

Can confirm the same for Wonder Woman Golden Lasso although it uses a non-stop station and would require more staff than the California option for that reason.

[Jdude95]

If a new coaster goes in at SW, it wont be anything hugely exciting. I'm expecting a small non full circuit coaster... something like Surfrider. Small, easy and a perfect fit for a park like SW

[Jamberoo Fan]

11 hours ago, AlexB said:

Do you think so? How many Wooden coasters have there been on the gold coast?

Yes & none.

9 hours ago, XxMrYoshixX said:

Building such a ride would be unique to Australia...

Australia technically has 2 wooden coasters still. One is Luna Park Sydney's Wild Mouse though that isn't a 'traditional' wooden coaster as most people know them due to it's track layout. The other is the Scenic Railway of Luna Park Melbourne. However, that also isn't like the 'traditional' wooden coasters as most people know them as it requires a brakeman. After all, it is the oldest continually operating rollercoaster in the world but it is still a very good contender to be considered as Australia's only remaining 'true' wooden coaster. 

However, there is nothing stopping Sea World from building the biggest wooden coaster in Australia since Wonderland Sydney's Bush Beast, which closed in 2004 - only 14 years ago. In any case, if they did build a wooden coaster, it would be the first to be built in Australia since 1985.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Jamberoo Fan

[Jobe]

10 hours ago, Jdude95 said:

If a new coaster goes in at SW, it wont be anything hugely exciting. I'm expecting a small non full circuit coaster... something like Surfrider. Small, easy and a perfect fit for a park like SW

Surfrider should have been put in Seaworld in the first place IMHO. I still think it would be a good option to move it. A you say, small compact ride , small footprint but provides a good thrill. It wold be a good move and could help alleviate SeaWorld's lack of ride issue.....

[themagician]

But considering the ride just had a repaint, I don’t think it will be moving unfortunately. Because I would assume they would paint it after it was moved, otherwise the paintwork could get scratched off and need redoing