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I took a corporate group to TopGolf last week. we anticipated crazy busy times and wanted to book, but it was a “pay your own share” kind of thing, not the corporate card. we needed two bays minimum, were prepared to play for two hours, and everyone would be ordering lunch, and likely drinks. couldn’t book single bays. Events team told us they could take us if we booked a package but it required prepaid food and bev - basically $1000, with $500 food and bev credit, making it nigh on impossible for everyone to only pay their “share”. We got bays allocated very quickly on the bottom floor as we arrived at 11:30. Despite it not being packed half our group’s food hadn’t arrived at the 45 minute mark (the point where the game stops to ask if you want to extend). so our group decided to end the game at an hour and go elsewhere. they could have easily made their $1000 off us if they’d let us book and pay our way but they’re just so Inflexible. what I WILL say though is the catering / finding a server issue is fixed: QR code in every bay, order whatever you like, pay on phone, brought direct to your bay in minutes. Need a refill? Delivered in two minutes flat. Amazing system and I’m quite happy to use it over the servers. I will say though that Evie and Will were awesome service team for our group - it was the kitchen and events team that convinced us not to stay longer.

For the love of god it’s called Movie World. Two words, neither of them with capital letters in the middle of them.

Change of management has definitely been positive for Dreamworld and a negative for Movie World

If you're an anti vaxxer, you're already the sort of moron that already wouldn't go to DW because it's too dangerous. This time of year is always quiet. WnW is pumping though, and White Christmas events have been well attended. I don't think the anti vax crowd is having much of an impact TBH. The real proof either way will be after boxing day.

Luna Park plans in the 80s with Schwarzkopf model. https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/news-photo/to-r-mr-colman-goldstein-with-his-plans-for-luna-park-the-news-photo/1078791324

It’s pretty easy to improve when you were at beyond rock bottom though.

Because the rides seem to constantly be having issues lately and half the seats on major attractions are unavailable. DWs ride operations have improved greatly and MWs have gotten worse. DWs staff (for the most part) are positive and engaged, while most of MWs look like they don’t want to be there.

My speculation is that in the 90s it was a dumb ratchet mechanism, and now its hydraulic harnesses and electronic monitoring, so more to break.

As far as what rides/attractions I rode the most at Dreamworld from the late 90's to the mid 00's when I lived on the Gold Coast and had a yearly pass it was the following. Rode every visit: River Rapids Log Ride Vintage Cars Chairlift Stingray Rode almost every visit: Paddlesteamer Enterprise Dreamworld Cinemas Rode every other visit: Train Gravitron Country Jamboree Only rode it a few times because I was either too young or too scared: Avalanche Thunderbolt Wipeout Tower of Terror Now that I've spent half an hour writing this list I wonder what the point of it was and maybe if it even deserves its own thread but whatever it is what it is...

The old luna ride ranger is in Perth it will be at Hillarys Boat Harbour from Boxing Day in Sorrento Quays new name top gun

It’s a bit like removing the warm and inviting couches and fire pits and replacing with Westfield food court style zero atmosphere tables.

Rode today a few times - 2 in the front, back, middle and then spinning. I was very underwhelmed. I give it a 5/10. Both of the forwards launches 🤮 so uneventful and boring, though the backwards launch felt a little exciting. The airtime hill was waaaaay more tame than I expected, considering rivals has a similar element that slaps hard ASF I was shocked i barely “left” my seat. Pacing was decent, forces were gentle and tame though I was seeing stars after my first ride which was odd for me (also my friends saw stars too) Next to rivals, obviously rivals wins. I’ve ridden hundreds of coasters Al over - and this is fantastic thrill for first time roller coaster riders, so dreamworld has definitely hit the nail on its head. For thrill seekers like myself it’s boring.

Regardless of where they came from, where they were, or how Long they’ve been there, take any random first-time visitor to both of those parks today, and dreamworld looks a fuck-tonne better. No bias, no rose coloured glasses. we’re 5 days away from their peak trading period - who looks more “ready”?

Euuuuuuuugh.

Aww man we almost had a looping star? Yeah we got Geronimo instead, but still, looping stars slap.

Why cant they use Village E-Serve to order? Personally re US style service I feel uncomfortable with it. You’ve got people that have to grit their teeth to an unreasonable extent because if they don’t simp for the customer they get no tips and starve, so then the overriding attitude over there is coming and interrupting your meal to “check if everything is ok”. Plus its pretty problematic how you have massive hospo businesses that literally make it the customers problem to pay their staff?

Ardent Leisure, owner of Dreamworld has dumped its $75m plans for a new hotel, tourist park Dreamworld has dumped its plans for a $75m resort project after a breakdown in negotiations with the developer. Parents company Ardent Leisure announced its plans for a new hotel and tourist park, Dreamworld Resort, in May. The project was to be funded and developed by Gold Coast Airport Hotel developer Evolution Group on part of the surplus land owned by Ardent next to the Dreamworld park. The accommodation offering was to include a 4-star 250 room resort-style hotel, 40 bungalows and a 5-star tourist park with 100 powered sites. In an announcement to the ASX on Tuesday, Ardent said those plans were off the table. “Since notifying the market earlier this year that a non-binding agreement had been entered into with developer Evolution Group to develop a resort style hotel and tourist park adjacent to Dreamworld the parties and their advisers have been engaged in negotiations, however they have been unable to reach agreement on key aspects of the proposal,” the statement said. “As a consequence, the Company has ceased these non-binding negotiations.” Ardent, which launched its $30m Steel Taipan roller coaster at Dreamworld just last week, said it remained committed “to exploring an on-site tourist accommodation offering at Dreamworld”. “(The board) will now focus its attention on progressing the other available options, as well as continuing to explore opportunities to maximise the Group’s total surplus land holdings adjacent to the park,” the statement said. “The company is optimistic that, with the Queensland border now re-open, the theme park business will benefit from increased visitation off the back of pent-up demand.” https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/business/gold-coast-business/ardent-leisure-owner-of-dreamworld-has-dumped-its-75m-plans-for-a-new-hotel-tourist-park/news-story/f1f07f6274dfea8245ceadaef9146073

Moderator. Such an impersonal name - can we call you Sven?

That’s definitely been one of the hardest parts for the park. In the past 5 years they have removed 7 rides. And so far we’ve only gained 2. Where some of those rides were, it’s very obvious something was there and has been left either untouched or as a pile of dirt. Out of the rides removed I don’t think we’ll ever see something replace TOT or BuzzSaw because of their locations, but there is definitely opportunities to replace the Log Ride, Big Red Car and refurbish the back corner of Ocean Parade where Kevin Hill and Flowrider were. In term of overall ride count, MW has 14 rides while DW still has 20. And while MWs overall are newer and some are better quality, I think if DW can get another couple really good attractions that match the quality of ST then their overall ride list will be a great competitor for MW. And if DW can fix the ABC Kids area and back of Ocean Parade and fill in the gap where the log ride was I think they could be on their way to becoming a better overall park.

They're publicly talking about building more Top Golfs again, so I don't think it's quite the failure that people are suggesting it is. The location is what it is, until there's a critical mass of bars and nightclubs in the area then it won't quite hit the full heights that it could, but it's not done too badly considering. The closing time thing is really irritating, like just have set closing times. Top Golf overseas have set closing times (Generally 11 or midnight), so there's no reason you couldn't just say 'closing time is 10pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends' (or whatever) and just leave it at that. This is part of the reason I have trust issues around places that don't advertise a closing time and just say 'Late'. I also agree with the general comments about having a theme park manager as opposed to a hospo manager. As a total aside, which I don't know where else to put, I've made a discovery about Top Golf; it is best enjoyed if you spend an hour drinking BEFORE you start playing. Otherwise the first half an hour is this weird sober energy trying to get into the spirit of it. If you're already 2 or 3 beers in when you start it's so much more relaxed and you can just enjoying the game straight away. Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk.

Where did sideshow amusements buy it from?

Plus, MW compared to DW won't be doing a summer event. As a passholder, MW gives me no reason for me to put up with the crowds.

100% the reasons why it’s not been a huge hit. Top Golf is meant to be a hospitality venue that also happens to have golf. That’s why it’s so successful in America. But they put a theme park operations person in charge of the thing and it never really found it’s feet. Should have had a top notch hospitality operator as GN from day one. Remember when it was going to be open till 1 or 3am?

you’d probably find that’s because Dreamworlds staff get around $10-$13 more an hour then MovieWorlds staff do and get treated a lot better tbh MovieWorld has declined rapidly in the past couple of years, a bit more then half of the effects on scooby doo work, half the rides break down all the time, Rivals has a lot of issues currently and the events like White Christmas have had a decline in what the event offers while still maintaining a high price point. Whereas Dreamworld’s seasonal events have gotten stronger, fast operations, friendly staff, more quantity of attractions and just overall a lot more stuff to do.

You don't have to worry about that now considering Doomsday is down and out again.

It’s not the ranger ride, it’s the travelling ride called “Top Gun” which is the same ride type. Which has been brought by sideshow amusements in perth. Recently done up and will debuts there

Looks like cranes are installing the Trident tower.

DW should change the name to the Great Drop. Put a beer tap on top of the tower and shower you in beer as you ride

i feel like the park needs to close for some sort of off season this year, even if it’s a one time thing, and just sort everything out, catch up on all maintenance and just to get the park back up to speed with everything, cause in its current state it’s falling apart as we speak (in some cases quiet literally, with the back of one Rivals seat covers popping out)

Rumour is, Village is currently going through a staff shortage. With White Christmas & mandated vaccines to keep your job maybe the staff are burning out. Carnivale being pushed back to the end of Jan says to me the rumour could be true and Village don't have the staff to run an event and deal with the Christmas crowds at once. Maybe the seats being out has nothing to do with getting the parts and has more to do with they don't have enough staff to fit the parts. (just thoughts)

Why would DW "move on" from it's OWN Highly Successful "Rocky Hollow Log Ride" theme? Would Disney suddenly bin Mickey Mouse to simply..."move on", what does "moving on" even actually mean? Enough theme park clueless silly speak and embrace the Hard FACTS of DW's Own creative skill sets!

I don't get the barrier reef theme tbh. Like a beach theme in Ocean Parade, sure! Theme it with surf/surf culture, cool. Pristine delicate eco system and shoot the chutes go fast big splash doesn't mix in my mind.

A New Rocky Hollow Log Ride!