Extended hours at Australian theme parks

[Gold Coast Amusement Force]

This was brought up in another thread but to directly correlate it with a new thread we can discuss it here. If a mod could transfer the chats from the previous thread here, it would be much appreciated. I think if they did extend park hours until let’s say 8, it would have to be a summer thing. December 15 - January 15 would seem reasonable. I think if they did it all season, it would take away from what makes white christmas, fight nights and carnivalle special. Not saying that’s the only thing that makes it special, but visiting the parks at night is defiently an experience people find more unique than visiting during the day, hence the popularity of night events. Proof lies at Dreamworld, despite the dead crowds, a park after dark event I was planning to go to SOLD OUT. This alone shows the popularity of night events which is only so predominant because the parks are rarely open at night. (Also consider noise restrictions.)

[iwerks]

Yeah, @Tim Dasco and I had a great time at AW Nights on Saturday(it’s on every Saturday night in January). The operating hours for AW in January are from 10am to 7pm Sun-Fri, but 10-6pm on Saturdays. AW Nights is held between 6.30pm and 11pm. 

Yeah, it’d be nice if our parks stepped up and offered more extra hours events. Nothing better than spending 12 hours in one day in a Disney park.

[Gold Coast Amusement Force]

Dreamworld seem to have stopped night events as well. 

[T-bone]

Extended trading hours may make events like white christmas and carnivale less valuable, but let me ask you this, if having the park open later more often takes away from those events, what does it make those events? Maybe they need to make the events better so people go for the event and content rather than just to ride the rides at night. 

There is nothing better in the theme park world (especially in a warm climate) to visit as the sun is setting, the lights turn on, and the cooler weather just makes it a much better and more enjoyable environment. I don't think they should run into the evening every day of the year, but in the peak holiday seasons? yeah go for it I say.

[Levithian]

In the case of movieworld, they ran white christmas wednesday-sunday. So you'd run into that roadblock until basically after christmas. 

Someone has done the math and probably worked out the turnover generated isnt worth the added wages. Yeah, parks have big work forces and can roster people to avoid overtime, etc, but people in specialised positions with small workforces like maintenance, managers and park supers would probably generate a lot of overtime. You would think if the frw extra hours generated extra income outweighing the hassle, they would be doing it. 

Wet n wild used to have movie nights every night of the summer school holidays. Attendance dropped and it went to every friday, sat, then it stopped completely. Park used to be open to roughly 9-930 those nights, but it was apparently canned because the cost vs attendance didnt weigh up.

Edited January 8, 2019 by Levithian

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Parks the world over trade until late during summer.

Perhaps if our parks were actually offering something special at night, it'd bring people in. I know Wonderland used to be packed out during it's late trading hours - $5 after 5, fireworks, light and laser shows... there's plenty of things they can do (some of which wouldn't cost the earth) which would actually give people a reason to go at night. Instead of it being a special event, just keep the park open, offer something extra special, and do things that make people WANT to spend money.

the separately ticketed night events obviously make money - and since in the past, many tickets to those events were included for free in annual passes, there had to be something that made money - does it have to be a special event? I mean - clearly AW does it regularly, so don't tell me MW can't afford some overtime, or some strategic rostering of the necessary staff to make it work... I've seen it work from a rostering perspective at a theme park so i'm sorry @Levithian - I don't buy it.

[themagician]

VRTP parks are all extending their trading hours, with WNWs being extended the most because of the movies. DW are slightly adjusting theirs and WWW remains the same.

[Dean Barnett]

6pm is a joke. Every park in the states in summer is open to at least 9pm .. sometimes even midnight. 

[Jobe]

Yeah nobody does extended trading hours in Australia like either of our Luna Parks.

Friday and Saturday’s to 10pm at both parks is such and awesome way to experience both parks. There is something dazzling about visiting the park on a hot balmy summer night with the sea breeze wafting in over Sydney Harbour or Port Phillip Bay and St Kilda Beach. The atmosphere is electric with a good suite of lights on all the rides really accentuating the spirit of both parks! And let’s not forget the ability for night rides!! Awesome experience and I for one cannot wait to do a new Big Dipper Night ride. Looks brilliant!! 

[Tim Dasco]

Adventure world has its annual AW nights events which is great in those summer events being open till 11pm, with fairy lights, flamingos, bands, food trucks etc. great event to chill and enjoy the warm hot Perth summer.

[Whombex]

On 25/12/2021 at 9:24 AM, Dean Barnett said:

6pm is a joke. Every park in the states in summer is open to at least 9pm .. sometimes even midnight. 

Remember that most of the US parks are at a higher latitude than the Goldie is south.
If DW was in Victoria, there'd be the daylight to allow trading that late.

[Rivals]

dreamworld did use to be open 9am-9pm in the summer holidays, besides that i think that’s the latest any of the gc parks have stayed open (excluding night events like fright nights) 

[Dean Barnett]

3 hours ago, Whombex said:

Remember that most of the US parks are at a higher latitude than the Goldie is south.
If DW was in Victoria, there'd be the daylight to allow trading that late.

Florida or Cedar Point - all open really late during their seasons. 

It's not about daylight - night rides are sublime. 

[TaipanLover]

Six Flags Magic Mountain is open 10am-1am around their halloween events and a regular entry ticket gives you access to the full 15 hours of the park. MW can't close late too often as they have residents nearby that complain at the drop of a hat. DW as far as I'm aware have the ability to run up until 9pm but choose not to and generally they aren't busy enough for it to be feasible anyway.

[Levithian]

Don't forget movieworld and wet n wild have limits on when they can open due to the housing behind. Not just operating times, but I think there is a cap on the number of night time events per year too. 

[rappa]

Standard residents are jerks situation 

[New display name]

20 hours ago, Levithian said:

Don't forget movieworld and wet n wild have limits on when they can open due to the housing behind. Not just operating times, but I think there is a cap on the number of night time events per year too. 

I can't remember there being a cap on nights and from what I have been told when MW hold a special event they send residents a courtesy letters which isn't a requirement.

[themagician]

You can book the park out for events and they sometimes operate rides for these events. And my understanding is they don’t have a cap on private events either.

[Levithian]

I'm talking about running later. There is a restriction on the outdoor rides and the operating hours of events.

Years ago there was something posted about the agreement with the council for operating times, my google skills have failed me, but it was spelled out pretty clearly. It's why rides close when they do at these events even if it's still busy with guests. Have to remember It's not just the rides that make noise at night, it's the coming and going of cars of people too. 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Levithian

[Gazza]

Wonder if they could leverage longer hours under the guise of Covid recovery?

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

honestly (and especially because it would take that long through council \ state gov) that was an argument to make in July 2020. I think the ship has sailed on that as an excuse.

[Gazza]

Not really, now is the critical time when tourism is 'reopening'.

Clearly extended hours wouldn't have done much when a lot of visitors couldn't even get in the state or when event sizes were limited in 2020.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I know. 

But the wheels of government move slowly. Mentioning this when everyone was visibly under strain, as a 'when we can open again, we'd like to do this' to get those wheels turning... is what I meant.

Trading hours are governed by councils and state governments. There needs to be an act of government to change them. Acts of government are usually slow to reach their conclusion...

[rappa]

Never underestimate the power of The Tate! 
 

😜

[Levithian]

The other side of it is will the parks think they can make more money if they stay open late given they probably have to put on a whole new shift of staff members to stay open later. Might think the labour spend is not worth the return. 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Levithian