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I'll have to disagree here. There's a good amount of effort that's been put into the theming on Storm. The junk cars, vans and boats really do mix well with the story. Don't forget that the theming in the ride station really helps with atmosphere. It's better than most of the Dulux Jacuzzi blue that they painted the Vortex area with, to me at least.

I know right? it's a good thing Arrow is still in business!

Because if you step on a snake you get bitten and die, so no one will walk on the path and the ride will never be ridden….

Storm is themed, and it's themed well. More than most rides in Australia it does create a sense of 'place'. The problem is it's themed to somewhere that's unpleasant to be. It does feel like being in a port after a disaster has hit, but who wants to visit a port after a disaster has hit? Most rides in Australia don't really create that feeling of place, it's decoration with a loose theme or a themed style. Steel Taipan and New Atlantis both seem to have that same thing going on. I think 'Story' as a concept is over rated, but when a ride is done well, you feel like you've visiting another place. For bonus points, it should also be a place you want to visit.

I agree 100% here. Something does not quite add up. If the ride is the absolute maintenance nightmare that it is purported to be then it should not be advertised as being in perfect working condition. Interestingly, there were 10 models of this type installed around the world with all still being in operation. The last one was installed in China in 2015. The earliest and prototype is still operating in Germany at Skyline Park. All of this does not speak of a ride type that is a maintenance nightmare. Methinks that this could be Dreamworld's spin factory giving a major reason for its demise from the park. I am sure that the ride DID have its issues- they have been well documented- but this is coming from the park that added extra restraints not signed off by a manufacturer on a ride that literally has hundreds of installs- worldwide- I am looking at you Shockwave.....how much of the "so called maintainence issues" have been brought about by Dreamworld themselves and their running of the ride? Remember its not even 10 years old........and every other model install in the world is still operating in its original location. There are 8 X-Car coaster installs and the only one that has been scrapped and removed is the G-Force at Drayton Manor. Not a hugely popular model type but other than that one example, all are still operating. There are 3 operating in China, one in the Netherlands, one in Germany, one in Italy and one in the United States. The biggest profile is of course Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket at Universal Studios in Florida. I have had the opportunity to ride this and I thought it was a decent ride. The harnesses seemed fine but of course being Universal , it is certainly well looked after. Just because the manufacturer Maurer are not actively marketing the line does not mean they will not support the ride installs that have already been built. This seems a bit harsh for mine especially as the last X-Car and Skyloop installs were both in 2015- just 6 years ago. I find it hard to imagine that a manufacturer would refuse to support a park with a ride type that was still being installed such a short time ago. I think also that the fact that there 10 models of the Skyloop installed and 8 X-Car types installed would mean that parts for these models would still be in existence and in good quantities. This isnt a Tower of Terror issue where we are seeing a ride model type that consisted of one prototype and one other install...surely given the number of installs Maurer can conceivably support this model type for the existing coasters for quite some time.

BUT ITS TOTAL SHIT WITHOUT THE FIRE EFFECTS! /s

Most underrated comment of the day.

Not the one I posted before, but this Coastal Taipan might: Photo: Australian Museum

I see it as, taipans are in the desert, the concrete has a desert tone to it, so i think it works very well as is.

Well it's Steel Taipan, not Concrete Taipan. I think if you were just decorating it, it's fine, but if you're themeing it, it makes no sense to have a path that looks like a snake. To have a path look like the Steel Taipan has slithered across it would be theming though. TBH I'm kind of OK with the idea of a path that looks like a snake. It makes no sense, but it's not like it's traditionally themed anyway so who cares? I always imagined Steel Taipan having more of an 'Aussie Outback' meets 'Steampunk' vibe about it rather than 'Abstract snakey things' decoration, but since they've gone that direction, abstract snake path makes sense.

👍 Now we know why DW went for the snake floating over your head in the queue and not on the ground where Taipans belong.

I'll ride the Steel Taipan when it comes out but after that I don't think I'll have any reason to visit the park. Most of the thrill rides are gone and most of the ones left are very average (the Claw and Pandamonium are exceptions). Unless they get more decent thrill rides in the future outside of only three of them being above average, I won't be visiting the park when I can go to MovieWorld instead since it offers much more in terms of thrill rides.

This phrase 'maintenance nightmare' keeps getting bandied about. Yes we've seen it yo-yo into 'maintenance' periods for quite some time now, but has it truly been maintenance or has it been Thunder River related - first for the incident, then sky voyager construction, then demolition of Thunder River and Gold Rush entirely, then ampitheatre "construction" and finally ST construction. While I recognise it did have some 'harness' issues which required additional redundancy above the existing system a ways back, and I believe this didn't do Maurer any favours with their Dreamworld Relationship... but beyond this, can anyone point to anything being such a major issue here to warrant the moniker 'maintenance nightmare' or is this just what people are saying because it's been closed so much for reasons other than its own maintenance needs? The park is advertising the ride for sale as in perfect working condition, with loads of spare parts. If the maintenance record for the ride is so woeful, surely they wouldn't get away with advertising it in that way, right? C'mon - who's got the inside scoop?

Bizarre comment for mine. Storm is well themed, internally and externally compared to the standard we have in Australia

How is ST theming better than SC theming.

i saw it more as why would they keep spending money on a ride that’s not popular, a maintenance nightmare and is now not supported by the manufacturer, causing more of a costly fix when it needs new parts. even though it’s not great to see another ride getting removed, no one is going to miss it and it didn’t really do anything for the park, so i don’t see it as that much of a loss tbh.

They added extra days last year as a result of huge demand but if lockdowns are still in place there won’t be weekday nights added this year.

Can't really remember well but booking leave anytime from the 5th to the 20th should be safe enough. I forgot from last year, but could anyone remember if it was on during weekdays too?

I found this for sale

By 2032 VRTP might have finally made that big announcement that's coming "soon"!

Maybe we will finally get an Australian Legoland. We know Merlin has long been interested in both the Australian market as well as growing the legoland brand. If there ever was gonna be a time to open an Australian Legoland it would be in the lead up to the Olympics.

I’ve booked from the 4th to the 21st so should be sweet by then hopefully majority of the population will be vaccinated and getting somewhat back to normal 😁