WNW - GC upgrade ideas

[Naazon]

Transport at these VRTP parks isn't required until a hotel exists on site, assuming the hotel will be behind the existing carpark (and hopefully includes a parking structure so MW can reclaim some of the carpark for expansion).

I would love to see MW expand past WWF, which would require moving / working the water holding dam into the plans, but also I don't know how much the studio would like having the park and guests encroach on their open air set area...

[Gazza]

1 hour ago, Brad2912 said:

If VTP was really keen on a formal transport option to link the parks, they’d be better served campaigning the state and local govt, and contributing to extending the light rail north from helensvale station to the theme parks. 

And where's the return on that?

Such an extension would be $300-400m and probably not justified given the transport demand to the theme parks is quite tidal and the rest of the potential patronage in the area is low density suburbia in studio village.

Realistically, if there ever was inter park local transport, it would be this

or this

1 hour ago, Brad2912 said:

The biggest issue you have is that you cutting through land used primarily for the studios for production, and you’ve also cut straight through some of the storage areas and where some of the pre-fab work is done for sets. 

That said, if the park did a people mover, you'd run it closer to WWF to avoid cutting through the studios.

My take is that if the parks ever did get super duper big, with resorts and and an entertainment zone, you'd run the monorail along the front so it's front and center and kinetic.

Edited October 23, 2020 by Gazza

[themagician]

1 hour ago, Brad2912 said:

The biggest issue you have is that you cutting through land used primarily for the studios for production, and you’ve also cut straight through some of the storage areas and where some of the pre-fab work is done for sets. 
given the popularity of the studio, I don’t think they will be keep to be losing land to something I personally don’t see providing much of a return at all. 

Backlot tour?

[Brad2912]

28 minutes ago, Gazza said:

And where's the return on that?

There may not be - i haven't run a business case on it. I'm certainly not advocating VTP pay the $300m of whatever it is. There was some initial talk about later stages of the light rail extending further north than Helensvale, with spur lines out to harbourtown etc. There may be an appetite even without VTP money from GCCC to have a spur line over to the theme parks and AOS, especially if the hotel precinct ever ends up going ahead. 

Would having a direct transport link without need to change bus/train/tram etc with the GC airport bring more people or revenue to the precinct, i believe it may. 

[themagician]

Roof structure and most of the slide piece structure has been removed today 

[AheadMatthewawsome]

If everyone is all so worrisome about them doing a backlot tour to Wet N Wild. Maybe instead having a people-mover system like in Disney World? And having it stop at the entrance to Wet N Wild, Australian Outback Spectacular, Topgolf, and Movie World?

[Original]

On the tram I would love to see it run from the GC airport all the way to Coomera train station, linking to all the major tourist precincts. The airport, Harbour Town, The Spit, Sea World, Metricon Stadium, Bond University, C Bus Stadium, Robina Town Centre, Movie World, Wet'n'Wild, Dreamworld, finishing at Coomera Town Centre/Station. 

That way a tourist doesn't need to ever really need to get on the bus, the tram services everything, the buses can be used for more local routes, and we hopefully take more cars (hire cars) off the road and even some busses off the main arterials since the tram is there. I'd also like to see it more affordable, compared to the tram in Sydney, it's far too much to be a good alternative for a lot of people. 

[red dragin]

Heavy rail (trains) cover big distances with large stop spacing, carrying large numbers of passengers.

Light rail (trams) are used for the more local core/spine with moderate stop spacing. They can carry many more passengers than a bus, and if they aren't sharing road space are quicker than a bus. 

You then run regular feeder bus services to minor attractions from that spine.

Running the tram everywhere would be an inefficient use and would make it slower. Would also cost tens of billions of dollars, when the buses can achieve the same result for much less. 

Edited October 25, 2020 by red dragin

[Brad2912]

1 hour ago, red dragin said:

Heavy rail (trains) cover big distances with large stop spacing, carrying large numbers of passengers.

And? Their is not heavy rail near the coast where all the tourists stay. So they have to get on a tram, to helensvale, to get to heavy rail.

 

1 hour ago, red dragin said:

Running the tram everywhere would be an inefficient use and would make it slower. Would also cost tens of billions of dollars, when the buses can achieve the same result for much less. 

I feel like you’ve never tried to use the bus service to get around the Gold Coast. 

the light rail is already planned to the airport, so it’s running Coolangatta to Helensvale - so about 40km give or take. Adding an extra 8km to get you to coomera isn’t going to cost 10s of billions, nor would a spur line to the VTP properties. 

[red dragin]

@Brad2912 I was simply describing the main purpose of each mode.

Running multiple spurs everywhere is costly, and restricts the service through the core. A single central section like through Surfers can only handle so many LR vehicles. If you have multiple spurs, you then limit the number services on each spur because of the restriction in the core. But if you transfer from LR to bus, you can have good service levels on each 'spur' that the bus now serves. 

Bus routes need to be redesigned as each stage of the LR opens, which is something that the transport advocates (rail back on track for instance) push for. 

The next northern spur is towards Harbour Town (hence the stub at the top of the 'tunnel' at the GC University hospital). Then probably north to Hope Island and Coomera. That will likely be after the airport/Tweed stage. 

[Gazza]

9 hours ago, Brad2912 said:

And? Their is not heavy rail near the coast where all the tourists stay. So they have to get on a tram, to helensvale, to get to heavy rail.

 

I feel like you’ve never tried to use the bus service to get around the Gold Coast. 

the light rail is already planned to the airport, so it’s running Coolangatta to Helensvale - so about 40km give or take. Adding an extra 8km to get you to coomera isn’t going to cost 10s of billions, nor would a spur line to the VTP properties. 

My take is that Light Rail isnt really warranted until the equivalent bus corridor is carrying more than 2 million passengers per annum. At present on the coast that would be the bus routes to Coolangatta (Which is why its underway) and Broadbeach-Robina, which is not quite there, but will probably be over the threshold once the coastal stages are done. I actually think the northern part of the GC highway Southport through to Labrador is a strong candidate too given the bus usage through there.

A route to metricon I don't really think should be high on the list because the venue is used like 15 days per year and the Suns aren't even that popular, but it may be useful in the future if more housing gets built along it, (but that probably wont eventuate because of the sheer amount of flood plain and golf course occupying the vacant land)

I dont think anything beyond Helensvale is warranted for a couple of reasons.

-The  currentextension was a bit marginal at best. Like, they did it to make the connection, but the stops along the way  in parkwood are not popular, it was very much a case of just holding their nose and getting it cross country as quickly as possible

-If you wanted to improve transport in the northern GC, start running local shuttle trains between Ormeau and Varsity to reduce the wait times. It's very much McMansion country out there, which is not conducive to a successful light rail system (Compared to the current core section, which has shitloads of people and jobs and activity in the radius around each stop)....Lol it would be like Melbourne building a tram line in Narre Warren.

Edited October 25, 2020 by Gazza

[joz]

I think Broadbeach to Nerang Station/ Burleigh to Robina/Varsity makes sense, just purely in terms of how complete a network it'd be. If it stops at Metricon, so be it. Agreed on Southport to Labrador too. Southport is only going to get more and more desnly populated, and it's already pretty decent.

 

As for a theme park extension, to be honest I'd rather take a bus from Surfers, and I can't imagine too many people who go to the parks would use public transport. Normally people buy a car before they go theme parks 

[Levithian]

Everything you guys are talking about with the light rail has been proposed. They intend to branch it off and run inland from a number of locations, its not just going to follow the gold coast highway down south. 

Look up Gold Coast City Transport Strategy 2031. 

[themagician]

The tower is nearly completely gone 

[themagician]

And it’s gone 

[Rydah Hi]

I was there today, and the only thing that was standing, was the pipes of the tower.

And.. R.I.P Mach 5.

And also, there were alot of noise at the Black Hole ride. and yes, I do there is white netting around the ride, maybe to the repaint the ride.

Edited October 30, 2020 by Rydah Hi

[themagician]

The Surfrider track is all gone 

The entry shade sail I believe has been damaged from the recent storms, therefore removed entirely 

And here’s a look at Mach 5 completely gone and the works on Black Hole 

[Thrill Seeker]

Perhaps a bit of sandblasting for both blackhole and Surfrider on the metal work as it is wrapped in plastic?

[Jobe]

Seriously think that Surfrider's days at Wet and Wild should be done. It has been a troublesome child in its time there. Time to pick it up and move it to Seaworld where it will help round out the attraction offerings at that park. This will leave room for Wet and Wild to have more flexible use of space for new slide installations, IMHO.

Edited November 8, 2020 by Jobe

[Rabbit2014]

24 minutes ago, Jobe said:

Seriously think that Surfrider's days at Wet and Wild should be done. It has been a troublesome child in its time there. Time to pick it up and move it to Seaworld where it will help round out the attraction offerings at that park. This will leave room for Wet and Wild to have more flexible use of space for new slide installations, IMHO.

It was original meant to be installed at seaworld but I doubt they would spend money moving it to another park. 

[Jobe]

1 hour ago, Rabbit2014 said:

It was original meant to be installed at seaworld but I doubt they would spend money moving it to another park. 

I am aware of this fact. I also agree it’s doubtful but it does make a lot of sense. This ride has been nothing but problematic at its current location, it would be a far better fit at SeaWorld. It would be well received there and it would be going to a park that is still in need of attractions to balance it out. It also has a small footprint which would be ideal given that land  is something that SeaWorld does not have in abundance. It could also be well adapted to fit in well with SeaWorld as an overall theme. Having a roller coaster at a water park was an experiment and gamble that for mine, didn’t really pay off. Moving it to SeaWorld would be a positive change, and allow Surf Rider to also be open to greater ridership and stand as a attraction in its own right, rather than a lame duck at a park it has no real right to be placed in. Just my opinion. 

Edited November 8, 2020 by Jobe

[Naazon]

Surfrider is still listed for a 6th December return. They have a month to piece it back together, test it and open it, apparently...

[Slick]

I gotta say, if most of the track is gone off-site for work, just keep going and install it next to jet rescue. 

[Flynn_Smith]

Out of curiosity, what is everyone's thoughts on what theme it would be if it was moved to Seaworld?

[Slick]

9 minutes ago, Flynn_Smith said:

Out of curiosity, what is everyone's thoughts on what theme it would be if it was moved to Seaworld?

I realise it's fun and amazing to have a "cool coaster" at "the country's biggest waterpark" and for a time it was a real cool novelty to one-up WhiteWater World with... but I think those days are over. Wet 'n' Wild and WhiteWater World's story plays out in the opposite direction to Dreamworld & Movie World in that one was known for quantity and one was known for quality and now one does both while the other does neither. Inside of that equation, Surfrider does nothing to drive gate for Wet 'n' Wild but at Sea World it sure as hell would.

For the money they'd pay to move it, it seems like a no brainer. If you do that, combine it the other three new rides coming AND maybe even revived the log-ride somehow - that's a bloody great day out for anyone at any age. Combined with the animal offerings and the kids area, Sea World's offering line-up for families in particular would best Dreamworld.

Also could you imagine seeing that from the broadwater?

Edited November 8, 2020 by Slick