COVID-19 & Theme Park Closures

[westical]

12 minutes ago, Brad2912 said:

Oh I had mine from 2015 too, but in Oct 2018 they reissued them when they changed over their ticketing system, so I had still had the order number from that change over. 

Don’t remember that. 

[Park Addict 93]

The app has today been updated to allow you to store your tickets/pass and use Virtual Que simply by scanning the existing barcode with your phone camera.

 

 

[joz]

Here's the thing with Green Lantern, it's like the airbags in your car. It's happened a few times that cars have been packed with faulty airbags. They send their cars to the mechanics, who checks everything over exactly how they're meant to, but later on the airbags deploys, killing the driver, who is at fault, the car owner, the mechanic or the airbags maker? If you've been following the news, you'll know it's the airbag maker, it's their product, their engineering, their maintenance regime.

 

I honestly can't remember what I know from here, OH&S or talking to people involved, but the car in question had jist recently been worked on by S&S, and it was effectively new when the incident occurred. I can't remember if there was a report (I think there was?) But MW were in the clear. They also shut the ride down until the cars were reengineered.

 

 

TRRR is more like a car that you made that never looked after, never had a proper looked at, made modifications, and drove erratically. You had a bad accident on it but didn't fix the problem and said 'Shit lucky no one was on it at the time lol'. One day it kills 4 people. Who do you blame, the Owner, the manufacturer or whoever made the modifications? Well DW were all 3. Hence anyone wanting to air Village's dirty laundry would be advised not to bring it up as a comparison.

 

Why people are thinking that ripping into Village proves anything is anyone's guess too. Rappa made the point that it's pretty poor form for Ardent to have a dig at Village for safety, and the DW apologists come out in force to defend them and bash Village. You know what I hate about this thread? I don't even like Village, but here I am defending them. There are a lot of things to dislike them for, but they've got safety pretty tightly sewn up. If you don't believe me read the TRR report again. Nothing will ever be perfect and there's always room to improve, but the difference is night and day on this.

[rappa]

The problem is people aren’t even hating on Village. They are hating on one person (god knows why) who’s in leadership there, and then projecting that onto an entire company. 
 

What I find more baffling on this is the current COO of VRTP has more passion for the company and the industry than anyone who’s been in that roll for at least 12 years or more. Someone who’s the exact type of person who people say should be in that roll, someone who’s risen through the ranks of the company from entry level, rather than some outside non industry person out of touch with either the country or the industry or both. 

Ive just no idea why a group of people have taken so much reach to turn a Facebook comment they disagreed with into an entire hatred of an entire company. Yet the rose coloured glasses seem to be out in full force in regards to Ardent who just constantly fail and disappoint. 
 

Everyone is entitled to their own misguided opinion. But I take great issue when someone throws an allegation of unsafe practices around which is totally unfounded. 
 

As for talk of engineering personnel. Village were smart enough to have one of the most professional and respected people at the top of their maintenance department. He had enough oversight not to let the kind of unchecked ego driven people making decisions that affect guest safety. And that’s the difference between the management of the two companies. 

[Levithian]

Who is the most professional and respected person?

[Brad2912]

3 minutes ago, Levithian said:

Who is the most professional and respected person?

 

[rappa]

We have a no doxing rule here and I feel a bit weird about name dropping people who don’t choose to come on here. 
But anyone who knows the theme park circles will know the previous Maintenance Manager for VRTP who only finished up last year. 
You’d be hard pushed to find anyone who would say a bad word about them. 

[StingRay]

18 minutes ago, rappa said:

The problem is people aren’t even hating on Village. They are hating on one person (god knows why) who’s in leadership there, and then projecting that onto an entire company. 

Personally, that isn't the case. Maybe its a case of once being too close to the fire and being slightly burnt let us say. Sure. His story makes for a great one. Working up the ranks within a company is hard for anyone to do. He shows loyalty.

But I doubt a single person can influence everyone. Everyone is allowed to follow team A or team B. I think the massive issue is the "mudslinging" that occurs because people reckon DW is being "too slow" while others will say "VRTP are reckless".

I don't agree with the tactics VRTP used during the downtime with COVID-19. Sure it is just the flue but man. Like smaller parks around Australia (yes not just the GC) have almost gone under during this time bet I reckon no one will bat an eye about it. Sure not liking tactics a company uses seems childish etc but its a personal viewpoint that I stand by. 

Sometimes it's nice to also go for the underdog. Living in the ivory towers might be great and they might have a great view. But they honestly made the most noise during the whole debacle. It wasn't pretty noise either.

[rappa]

But let’s be honest this was going on before COVID. 
It’s this whole ‘Tactics’ business people keep saying. All VRTP did was the same as most every business in Australia, attempting to do business as long as they could and get open as soon as they can. 
The only difference between the two companies is one was better at it and more resourced. 
 

The underdog IMO is someone like Aussie World. Ardent are a giant company that was grossly mismanaged, allowed a tragic accident to happen and then incompetently handled the entire aftermath and continues to flounder. That doesn’t make them an underdog to me, that makes them unfit for duty. 
Ardent needs a huge money injection and leadership that actually knows what it’s doing. From the outside it appears like they have one seasoned industry professional that knows theme parks in management, and a bunch of incompetent fools above and around them.  
 

Not once in the whole pandemic has VRTP gone against government directives. Sure they have actively campaigned for assistance from the government and a way to open as quickly as possible. But show me one industry that hasn’t done that? Shrewd maybe, but evil, no IMO

[StingRay]

19 minutes ago, rappa said:

Not once in the whole pandemic has VRTP gone against government directives. Sure they have actively campaigned for assistance from the government and a way to open as quickly as possible. But show me one industry that hasn’t done that? Shrewd maybe, but evil, no IMO

Of course, they have not gone against the governments' directives. But they have pushed them rather aggressive it seems to ensure they could open their businesses. I get the whole employment aspect and keeping the business viable aspect also. But it also appears as if the sale price of the business is also really important. 

Comments have been made by particular individuals at VRTP who have said basically "come on let's get on with it. That's something that is upsetting. I do not hear of another company within this field in Australia trying to force the government to open theme parks.
 

We aren't getting international guest this year so it's only the locals who will visit mostly. Then the interstate people. That depends on restrictions within someone's home state also. Plus many have been affected and most likely cannot afford a holiday for a solid 1/2 years.

Dreamworld "holding back" as some would say is a good thing I see. A company who can get stuff sorted out, future proof it's self even a little more and still keep workers on the books thanks to Job Keeper. They could also be working on new technology like an app for queuing and we don't even know yet. I understand they look slow and unenthusiastic to most but its a smart move during the cooler months when many cant visit. Plus people with a DW pass will get the extension on a pass that will be slightly longer than a VRTP. So that can be a slight advantage.

[joz]

Like I said at the start, if you want to think they're holding back by design, you're welcome to think that. If part of you giving them a pass involes making up your own narrative for what they might be doing in secret, have at it. If you think extending passes so they are valid for the exact same amount of time a Village one is, but doing so later is somehow better, I won't invade your non reality bubble.

 

I'm afraid you are now too far from reality.

[Pyro]

They had to make the most noise. Its very simple. With out a major park up and running tourism has no confidence to move forward. VRTP parks will play a vital role in shaping the recovery now. Destination Gold Coast know this, the City Council knows this, State Government knows this and  federal government. It was not by coincidence that Amusement Parks were apart of the major restriction rollbacks flagged back in April. Same as major sports, its all about consumer confidence and cashflow. No consumer confidence, no cash flow, no parks, no tourism and that shit flows downhil to the rest of the economy. 

They have done the best job they can with the hand we all got dealt in the last 3 months and good on them!

 

[westical]

11 hours ago, Jordan M. said:

The app has today been updated to allow you to store your tickets/pass and use Virtual Que simply by scanning the existing barcode with your phone camera.

There was a problem adding your tickets. 

[Naazon]

10 hours ago, StingRay said:

I get the whole employment aspect and keeping the business viable aspect also. But it also appears as if the sale price of the business is also really important. 
 

Dreamworld "holding back" as some would say is a good thing I see. A company who can get stuff sorted out, future proof it's self even a little more and still keep workers on the books thanks to Job Keeper. They could also be working on new technology like an app for queuing and we don't even know yet. I understand they look slow and unenthusiastic to most but its a smart move during the cooler months when many cant visit. Plus people with a DW pass will get the extension on a pass that will be slightly longer than a VRTP. So that can be a slight advantage.

 

Quote

I do not hear of another company within this field in Australia trying to force the government to open theme parks.

VRTP are the biggest in Australia, of course they will have the largest voice.

Quote

Plus many have been affected and most likely cannot afford a holiday for a solid 1/2 years.

There are also many who have been affected in a positive way and come out the other side with more money ready for a holiday.

Quote

Dreamworld "holding back" as some would say is a good thing I see. A company who can get stuff sorted out, future proof it's self even a little more and still keep workers on the books thanks to Job Keeper. They could also be working on new technology like an app for queuing and we don't even know yet.

How is this an argument against VRTP? They have an app for queuing already, they are able to open up and still keep some of their unrequired or reduced hours staff on Job Keeper. If staying shut means they are getting stuff sorted out or future proofing, by your own argument, VRTP have got their stuff sorted and have future proofed.

 

Quote

Plus people with a DW pass will get the extension on a pass that will be slightly longer than a VRTP. So that can be a slight advantage.

VRTP pass holders are getting a 4 month extension, longer than the parks were closed. I would say the vast majority of holders are locals who will be able to use it again immediately, with the northern NSW tipped to be July 1st or July 10th. No real advantage to anyone there.

 

 

You're also banging on about VRTP being irresponsible for wanting the government to lighten restrictions but they are no where near the only company or industry doing so, or anywhere near the most vocal. 

[Jpw25111]

This thread.

 

 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

12 hours ago, rappa said:

The problem is people aren’t even hating on Village. They are hating on one person (god knows why) who’s in leadership there, and then projecting that onto an entire company. 

Look, I've been a leader on this particular issue, as the mod team well knows.

12 hours ago, rappa said:

Ive just no idea why a group of people have taken so much reach to turn a Facebook comment they disagreed with into an entire hatred of an entire company.

I assure you, it was more than 'a facebook comment I disagreed with'.

However - Bikash's involvement on these forums, as well as his recent admission that he got a few things wrong in the early stages of the pandemic, in many respects, has redeemed his prior actions. I don't agree with the sometimes brutish nature of his defence of his position and reputation, but his intent is generally in the right place, and i'll say no more on the subject - simple point being, he is not the reason, nor even the main reason for some of the criticism I have for Village.

I don't think its fair of you to discard any criticism of Village as being all because of Bikash. It isn't. I'm sure you and others (Like Joz) can agree Village is far from perfection. I have to tell you, my 'hating' on village isn't because of Bikash, and it never was.

As for Green Lantern, while this isn't my position on the issue, what i've heard is that Village pressured S&S to develop the 4-across el loco, S&S expressed concern it couldn't be done, and Village's response was 'make it work'. From what I had heard, S&S had expressed concern about the engineering of the bogies and Village was accepting of the risk. They knew about it at the very least, if this is the case.

Now, the engineering responsibility still lies with S&S, which is why I said it isn't my position on the issue, but if the above is true (and thats a huge if that few if not nobody here would be able to confirm or deny), then Village knew about the risk, could potentially have had more frequent NDT or monitoring on the parts at risk.

At the end of the day, they're just lucky that nobody was killed. The 'manufacturer fault' story sounds like it would wash, but likewise, the blame would shatter the public's confidence in the brand - even if they could say it wasn't engineered correctly and they've fixed it now - how many people would trust the new engineering? And wouldn't that then cast doubt on the manufacturer for future products? Isn't that why we don't see either park dealing with S&S on future attractions?

Deaths on GL could still have seen it removed - regardless of who was at fault. A derailed train is one thing - like the one that jumped the tracks at Cleveland a while back. Nobody remembers that. But a derailed train that killed people - AKA Granville - that people remember.

Things I dislike about village that have nothing to do with the current COO:

• Sea World train gate detour
• Failure to maintain, upkeep or upgrade transport attractions like the train, skyway and monorail
• 365 days of christmas lights down movie world main street - covered in cobwebs
• shuttering of stars cafe leaving a huge derelict facility right by the park entrance
• removal of marvin rocket, and leaving the entire ride theming in place
• the rotting of the thatched huts (now hut) in WB Kids
• Skill games taking up prime dining real estate in the SW plaza
• The 8 year ignorance of WNW while shuttering attractions (Mach 5)
• The haphazard operations schedule for Surfrider
• The abandoned zip line
• the sorry state of whirlpool springs (until the shutdown, when it was resurfaced)
• The closure of Chinatown Alley as a major thoroughfare for people to get between the front and back of the park without navigating the chokehold of mainstreet
• moving Carnivale to Sea World
• The loss of major family friendly attractions like Bermuda and LTRR, and shows like PASS, replaced with poor substitutes that don't appeal to the same broad market.
• On the subject of shows, the corny, unappealing show replacements for Seal and Dolphin versus the predecessors that were the pinnacle of the park
• the loss of show stage in MW to be replaced with showcase, leaving no seated, covered venue for character performances
• The pathetically slow operations, staff who really don't care or strive to achieve maximum capacity and efficiency (and the minimal rostering that forces less staff to operate rides previously operated by a larger, far more efficient crew)
• Running bare minimum cars on track to minimise wear and tear, resulting in large queue lines
• Then upcharging skip the line passes (and anything else you can come up with) to milk more cash from your guests.

I know some of these aren't unique to Village - and i'm by no means defending Dreamworld for their current state either - but these are just some of the complaints i've come up with off the top of my head based on prior experiences at the parks, little to none of which are directly a result of the COO.

• The overpriced food, that doesn't even include a drink, and is of poor quality
• The constant over-promise and under-deliver mentality
•  

[rappa]

You’re more than entitled to have your own opinions of the company and the way it’s properties are run. And you’ve listed a lot of reasonable points, which I have no desire to argue. 
 

My point was specifically about COVID-19 (this is the thread for that after all) and I stand by my position that the negativity originated from once place. 
I am only arguing in this thread the notion the criticism of their handling of corona, and then the statement in regards to safety.
And I’m yet to see anything credible posted to counter my argument. 
 

But yes, all of your above general thoughts on their parks I won’t dispute. I won’t agree with them all either, but they are valid opinions none the less.  

[Jdude95]

My main concern the whole time was the initial response from Village and it's management, to the pandemic, initially shrugging it off and even attacking people for suggesting that it's anything more than the common cold. They only took it seriously and changed their stance after the government stepped in and forced them to close. While Ardent parks did stay open until the forced closure of the country, they and their management weren't telling people it's not a big deal nor were they attacking people for having an opinion contrary to theirs. 

Yeah, I've has problems with Bikash in the past but like most, I'd love to sit down and have a beer with him and actually have a conversation instead of just passing comments. I also appreciate that he took the time to create an account here to be able to have a clearer line of dialog with the community. That and his now understanding of the pandemic shows that he can move forward and take steps to engage with people. 

[Greg]

Reason for Dreamworlds delayed opening?

[T-bone]

9 minutes ago, Greg said:

Reason for Dreamworlds delayed opening?

It seems unrelated to Covid. 
 

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSL4N2DV29H

[westical]

1 hour ago, Greg said:

Reason for Dreamworlds delayed opening?

No.

[Brad2912]

Why would shareholders who have been conned by money hungry law forms to join a class action with A very small chance of success be attributable to the park delaying reopening @Greg ?

[Jdude95]

4 minutes ago, Brad2912 said:

Why would shareholders who have been conned by money hungry law forms to join a class action with A very small chance of success be attributable to the park delaying reopening @Greg ?

Because it makes good click bait

[Brad2912]

31 minutes ago, Jdude95 said:

Because it makes good click bait

But the article makes no connotation between this lawsuit and the reopening date... 

[Jdude95]

No but @Greg seemed to which means many members of the GP will probably draw the same parallel. Especially if it's on the GCB as due to the paywall they will just read the headline and move on.