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DW sucked before ST. Now DW sucks less now but there is still more suckness removal required. ST was never going to fix all of DW's problems.

I know it's not a priority for DW right now, but god damn that Sky Voyager building is an abomination. It was a mistake endlessly complained about on parkz at the time, and the concept art absolutely did not translate into reality. That building wouldn't be out of place at the industrial park across the highway. Here's hoping that the Main St facades (particularly Sky Voyager) get re-done with a consistent, classic and timeless theme after the new attractions are built.

I actually think it's important to look at the impact of Steel Taipan beyond just driving gate sales. Dreamworld has had a clear focus on 'guest satisfaction' over the last couple of years and the 'guest metric' scores have increased. I've been on Taipan a lot and the first time guests are always really impressed by the coaster. The addition of Taipan seems to have improved staff morale, given Dreamworld the confidence to forge forward and very quickly filled in the Rapids area, I actually think it's been a very big success, the kinetic energy it has delivered for the park, the road side appeal. It certainly isn't Hypercoaster, but Dreamworld isn't Village, nor is it trying to be.

Other parks weren't coming from a space as poorly managed as Dreamworld had been prior to covid. The entire 4 years between TRRR and Covid were entirely botched, and the park had made some tough decisions to remove some core attractions as end of life with nothing in the wings to replace them (due to the ongoing botching). I've heard both park operators speak about the symbiotic relationship the gold coast has - village and dreamworld rely on each other to support the industry and the tourism. The park returning to any semblance of profitable reporting after so long is a positive step for the coast and the industry as a whole. Remember, Steel Taipan was a last minute opening. Mack had a cancellation, and an open build slot well advanced in the queue. What we've seen across the industry suggests that wait times for coasters have blown out, and with Dreamworld closing attractions everywhere, they needed something to act as an anchor. A reliable clone, a few modifications, they may not have had many options to do much more than that. Sure, ST doesn't appear to have been the big draw card it could have been, but I wouldn't consider it a failed investment - it alone won't bring people to the park, but as time goes on, and as these other investments are built and open, it will bring balance to the park between basic and big thrill, and is future proofing the park against the loss of their only other full size full circuit coaster - gold coaster - when it eventually reaches end of life.

Media Preview Day - 19/12/22 Was very lucky to attend a media preview and TV commercial filming day of both coasters yesterday. A big thankyou to the Gumbuya World team for giving Parkz an early access look at both coasters! It is greatly appreciated. Got to ride TNT, but Project Zero was still undergoing testing and commissioning. My initial thoughts on TNT: Pacing and 'flow' of elements are fantastic. The beginning is surprisingly intense (for a family coaster), and ends with a tamer section that is twisty and just plain fun. This is definitely a back row ride for the extra thrills. The coaster is smoooth....even more than I was expecting. No vibrations, no jolting, no headbanging. Vekoma's next gen bucket seats and minimal lap bar harnesses are very comfortable. Theming and area presentation is looking great, but was still being worked on - especially the internal queue space. So I'll wait for opening day to give more thoughts on that. We got to see Project Zero test, and go inside the queue building. The station and queue space has got a premium office/facility feel - and really sets up the whole space test area theme. There is a viewing window from the queue that allows you to appreciate the speed and intensity of this coaster even before the air gate platform. Really interested to see how the old buzzsaw tracks since the rebuild, repaint and refurb. Overall it was 'sounding' a lot more smoother, quieter and less 'clunky' - especially the lift chain and vertical brakes. You can tell the whole team at Gumbuya World are very excited, and proud, about the 2 new attractions. And so they should be. Can't wait for the opening on the 23rd!

When the additions are completed in 2024, I would LOVE to see a remake of this ad. Some rides would be changed to fit the modern era, for example instead of the Eureka Mountain Mine Ride they could use Jungle Rush, and Steel Taipan instead of Thunderbolt. Greg Yong has changed things for the better IMO and is bringing Dreamworld back to its roots.

given the land size, I think it would struggle to match DCRs track length

I think this obsession with shortterm unplanned downtime has become unhealthy.

I don’t think it needs confirming.. it’s GL and DD that basically confirms it

especially if during maintenance they already dismantle the whole ride, wouldn't they just re-build with new coverings?

Yes... Not sure whats happening with the forums but it didn't show me the updated replies until this morning. At any rate, even if the additional changes are as a result of it being highlighted here, I think that should be applauded, not scorned. Enthusiasts are just general public with a hyperfocus for details. If they notice it, it's possible a non-enthusiast would notice it eventually, and for things like this where we've already got people joking about blackface, it isn't hard to see it all over 60 minutes and the front page of the courier fail on a slow news day. Enthusiasts are canaries for theme parks, and only a foolish park operator wouldn't at least take note of what their most devoted fans \ critics are saying.

Pics today of the front of the park for posterity..