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If you going to call someone an Intellectual heavy hitter, spell your comical response correctly... *Government* When it comes to our knowing politicians and how bad they are at creating Tourism opportunities and treating the industry with contempt... I will run rings around you all day! Instead of trying to be funny, why not do something with your time and let us know your thoughts on the subject?

Hey everyone, Im a firm believer that our theme parks, both Village Roadshow and Ardent will lead the way in the recovery of our Gold Coast tourism and event trade. The sheer fact they they are reopening will push consumer confidence that our Gold Coast is back open and running. The flow on effect from just the announcement last week has already had a positive impact, as seen by the avalanche of reopening announced for smaller tourism operators, hotels and traders in the last week. However, the Federal Government who seems to be on a hate campaign of the Performing Arts, Leisure and Amusement industry has taken off the table a loan that that parks needed to start to move forward. 3 months of negotiations pulled from the table just days before Seaworld is due to open. The parks employ over 7000 direct jobs across the major parks and indirectly contribute to another 50000 across South East Queensland, from Accommodation, Tourism and Trades. I don't normally do this but please, contact Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham on the below email and let him know that the federal government needs to step up and do everything they can to not only help our parks but save our Tourism, Hospitality and Events industry on the Gold Coast. The only way these muppets start to listen is to bombard there office with emails and calls. Im sure that the State Government, Parks and Destination Gold Coast are already doing the same, so the parks you all love/ love to hate, need our help. Let the muppets know your thoughts on the contacts below. Email: minister.trade@dfat.gov.au Phone: 02 6277 7420 Post: Office of Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham Parliament House Canberra ACT 2600

On Friday Erlebnispar Tripsdrill in germany opens the very first Vekoma Suspended Thrill Coaster "Hals-über-Kopf". Check out here the first onrides of this worldpremier from the pressevent yesterday. Front Row Onirde Back Row Onride Also a the new Family Boomerang "Volldampf" opens in Tripsdrill too Volldampf Onride

Bad news for the parks... QUEENSLAND’S ailing theme parks have been dealt another massive blow after the sudden collapse of a deal that would have delivered millions of dollars in funding support from the Federal Government. Just days ahead of Sea World’s planned reopening following a three-month coronavirus shutdown, the Bulletin can reveal that eight-figure loans earmarked for Village Roadshow and Ardent Leisure’s Dreamworld have been taken off the table. The blow comes with theme parks bleeding millions of dollars a month during the forced closures. Theme park bosses yesterday expressed their shock and disappointment at the decision, which Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones described as a “kick in the guts”. However, Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham rejected suggestions the Morrison Government had turned its back on Gold Coast theme parks, pointing to the millions of dollars in JobKeeper payments to help employees during the enforced closures. He also took a swipe at the Queensland Government’s ongoing border blockades. Theme park officials had been in talks for several months with Export Finance Australia about securing loans to help battle through the coronavirus crisis and as recently as last week were under the impression the money would be forthcoming. However, those talks have now collapsed, leaving theme parks, among the Queensland tourism industry’s biggest ­employers, without access to millions of dollars. Village Roadshow CEO Clark Kirby said the decision had blindsided the park. “For months we’ve been negotiating with Export Finance Australia to contribute funding to Village’s reopening plans (and) without warning, we were told last week that those negotiations were over,” he said. “It’s disappointing to say the least. “But the State Government has been great. “We continue to make positive progress with the State Government regarding their funding support to help us get back to business.” His comments were echoed by Dreamworld CEO John Osborne. “We were extremely disappointed,” he said. “We had been working with them for three months and had every indication it was going to be successful.” He would not be drawn on the impact of the decision on Dreamworld’s future but would continue to seek other forms of assistance throughout the most difficult period in the park’s 38-year history. “We’re grateful that our staff are receiving JobKeeper and we’re still working with the Queensland Government on various funding options,” he said. Ms Jones said the decision made a mockery of the months-long negotiations, but Mr Birmingham defended the Federal Government’s support of the theme park industry. “The Federal Government is providing these two ­companies with more than $80 million in support via JobKeeper and other programs,” he said. “With these attractions starting to reopen, the best way to support them would be to see some interstate visitors flowing through their gates.” He also said the Federal Government’s $1 billion recovery fund to help industries “disproportionably affected” by the coronavirus pandemic had directly helped Queensland tourism businesses. Sea World and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary will reopen to the public on Friday, with Movie World and Wet’n’Wild to follow next month. Dreamworld is expected to announce a return date in the coming weeks. https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast-theme-parks-rocked-by-collapse-of-federal-government-loan-deal/news-story/d9dba37cb703e9291f171813bca0e76a

An update came out this week, for COVID and the parks reopening, but now that we can add passes into the app, we can finally see when the pass expires, rather than needing to go into the park and asking guest services. The expiry date is also updated to include the extension they are providing

They’ve said that if you don’t have a smart phone, you just need to see a team member so they can take your details. But been it comes to queuing, no idea Maybe you just go to the start of a queue, ask for a return time, they give you a piece of paper, then you return to the rides entrance show them it and then let you in

Do we know how ride queues will work? They’ve said to download the app and you can use the virtual queuing system. Most major rides have VQ available, except for Batwing, Constrictor and River Rapids, so will all the other rides only allow for VQ, and then there will be a smaller physical queue for those waiting to board? If you can only VQ, won’t that make the park feel a lot busier because there will be people floating around, instead of being inside buildings/queue areas?

no