andrewm

Off topic, but: This would be a welcome change to the TV ads we saw in Hawaii. They seemed to alternate between pharmaceutical companies selling prescription medication with a long list of known side effects, and lawyers advertising services to sue pharmaceutical companies for the side effects their medications cause. I couldn't believe it! Anyway, I have uploaded a couple of pics that didn't seem to already have pics in the gallery: the Tornado, the new tipping bucket in Water World, and the waterfall part of Hurricane Bay wave pool.

Yes, it is now owned by Village Roadshow theme parks. The Hawaiian Waters site links to the myFun site, but myFun doesn't link back to Hawaiian Waters in any way. I emailed myFun to ask if they had entry discounts to myFun members and they said they do not for Hawaiian Waters yet. It kind of seems like they own it, but aren't that interested in it yet. Yes, the Tornado is right at the top of the cliff. If you walk up the path to the multi rider slides, where it branches left and right, you go left, then climb another ramp up even higher, then grab a raft and head up the stairs. I didn't go all the way up there, but I imagine it would look pretty high once you got up there! If you are at the lockers and look up, the Tornado is right there. It is the first thing you see coming off the highway, especially being bright red. I can't believe they don't advertise it yet. I didn't realise you could ride the 2-person raft alone. I saw they were multi-rider slides and didn't bother going any further. If the park was busy I would have lined up and tried to jump in with another single rider, but there weren't that many people and there was no queue. I did ask if the halfpipe could be ridden alone, but they said no. Shame I didn't ask. The new tipping bucket is a bit of a laugh. I waited FOREVER for it to tip and it never did. I did hear it tip at one point though, but never saw it go. I think it might be off balance or something. Plus the area it dumps into doesn't look that big. I'd be worried about kids entering the pool and getting knocked back by the force of the water tipping. I guess it must be OK though. I was actually wondering if they'd do dive in movies, but there was no hint of a screen in the area like WnW has on top of the building at the back. The inflatable screen sounds interesting. I'd like to see how that works, and how big it is. I do have some photos. I'll try and get them organised soon and post them here for you. The only things I can say we could learn from their park are: the Flyin Hawaiian is cool, and is a nice small slide that WWW could easily fit in a corner somewhere. The big drop at the end is really fun. And the nice relaxing, protected lazy river was great. WnW might look at theming their one a bit better, blocking it in more from surrounding areas, or if WWW get the go-ahead on theirs they should take this into consideration, though it would be harder in a small park.

I'm just back from a holiday in Hawaii and while I was there I visited Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park. I booked a tour which took me by coach from my hotel in Honolulu to the park, included entry to the park (normally about $40 US) and all drinks, a barbecue lunch, and a boogie board lesson in the wavepool. The package was $79 US. I was disappointed that the bus left the park at 2:30pm, when the park didn't close until 4:00pm. The park is built into the side of a mountain, with the latest (and surprisingly unadvertised) attraction-- a bright red Tornado-- right at the top of the hill. The Tornado is surrounded by the multi-rider raft slides which I didn't get to use, since I went alone. There was a 4-lane racer slide built up the mountain as well, in red, orange and yellow, themed as lava flowing down a volcano. The path up to the racer is very slippery and steep, but the ride is great and the drops were nice and steep giving you lots of speed. The digital display showing the order each lane got to the bottom was on but not working. The path was also shared by the 2 speed slides, which I couldn't bring myself to do. The wavepool was probably the same size as wet n wild's, but also included a waterfall area in the shallow end which was nice. The wavepool didn't have any theme to it though. As it was "low season" (although every day we were there was pretty hot) the 3 solo body slides and the half pipe were open half an hour at a time, so it could be run by the same operators and lifeguards. The body slides were excellent. One dark tunnel slide, one very windy slide, and one that just did loops making you very dizzy when you got to the pool. The Flyin Hawaiian was a great attraction we don't have here-- a very short body slide with a 1.5m drop into the pool at the end. Very cool. There were 2 kids areas-- a toddler area and an older kid area. The tipping bucket was a bit out of order. It filled and overflowed mostly, and only very rarely actually tipped and dumped the water. They had an excellent lazy river. The scenery was nicer than WnW's. One area had a waterfall coming right down the side of the mountain (which also flowed into the adult spa pools-- more later). There were a few smaller waterfalls along the way, some nice quiet bits with high walls around the edges, a footbridge over the top. There were 2 entry points to the lazy river, fairly close to each other, but on opposite sides of the river. The only problem with this was that the lazy river was only open between 12pm and 3pm-- probably again because it was low season and they didn't have the staff for it. As I said above, on the island area surrounded by the lazy river, there is an adults only spa with the waterfall pouring into it. You must be over 21 to enter the spa. I had a quick wade in there but after the cooler water, it felt like it was boiling water so I stayed out. But here is a great idea that our water parks don't have-- a bar! Yes, you can order alcoholic drinks and take them into the adult spas! How cool. The other attraction was a flowrider, just like Dreamworld's. And just like Dreamworld's it cost extra to book time on the flowrider. As for the barbecue lunch that came with the tour, it was kind of an asian thing with rice, and meat, and a salad, and fruit. Not too bad. Overall, the attractions are pretty top notch. A few repairs are needed here and there, but nothing that stopped me enjoying it all. The attractions are very spread out around the park, so there is a lot of walking involved in getting around. It left me with very sore feet at the end of the day. The theming is pretty good-- most thing have a Hawaiian theme or name, though the wavepool could do with some prettying up. In number of attractions, it is somewhere between WnW and WWW. It is a good size and can keep you busy for a full day. It was not busy at all when I was there, though they do count this as low season because it is Autumn (Fall). I think the weather was just perfect though. Not too hot. So lines were very short which was great. You could get to the bottom of a slide and go straight back up the stairs and go again. It's a very good water park and if you are lucky enough to get to Hawaii, make sure you spend a day there.

I just assumed that since Cyclone goes in 1 car at a time maybe where it used to live only had a single lane exit and people were unloaded 1 car at a time? And now that it is at Dreamworld this is no longer necessary but just the way the ride operates. That was just my guess to explain the unexplainable. Am I wrong?

Well, my main idea was for them to just do some Transformers themed stuff in the park. I'd love to see replicas of the vehicles, and animatronic robots from the movie. They probably wouldn't get hold of any of the actual picture cars from the movie since they may still be being used for the new movie. I would be a little worried that a replica would look totally fake though, like the Back to the Future DeLorian that used to tour shopping centres here. That was BAD!

As far as I understand, Village buying Warner Bros' share of the park means they are no longer bound to WB movie themes. It really is time for Batman: The Ride to go as it is very dated, and I think it should be replaced with a Transformers themed ride, reusing the same areas and technology. The outside area would be themed with replicas of the vehicles from the TF movies, like they currently have some of the batman vehicles there now. The flow of the ride would remain the same. First you'd go into the room that is now the "library" of Wayne Manor, but it would be decked out like a TF lair. On the screen the story would start with some of the autobots explaining that the decepticons are attacking and "your help is needed!" Then you would go through to the "Batcave" area, but the area where Batman now sits would be replaced by a life-size replica of Optimus Prime's head. Optimus tells you the mission with the help of recorded stuff on monitors. The riders will then all go into the Bat-mobile motion simulators which they would be told is one of the Transformer vehicles, probably for best effect one of the flying ones, depending on new characters they introduce in the 2nd movie. The on-screen action would be driving/flying around city streets with the robots transforming and attacking all around you, and the motion simulators throwing you around accordingly. At the end the decepticons are defeated and the riders are told they are safe and all is well in the world again. Just my thoughts, but wouldnt it be a great new theme for the ride?!

I arrive in Brisbane (staying on the Gold Coast) on that day too, and we have our Night WWW tickets! We were hoping to coincide with a Screamworld night since we have always wanted to go to one but they don't announce them enough in advance. But this is even better. We have not been to WWW yet and have not been to a night theme park event, so we get to do both at once. I'm guessing though it might be busier than usual that night? Our busy long weekend schedule also includes Dracula's Haunted Castle, Saturday at Wet'n'Wild, staying for the dive in movie (Hairspray!), Sunday at Dreamworld (for the Motocoaster and annual BB house visit), and Monday in Brisbane.

The white room was in the back left (facing out from the house) corner of the backyard. In the first 2 weeks it was "hidden" from the housemates by covering over the doors into the room. A false wall was installed between the house and the white room and soundproofed in between. When the producers gave up on the white room idea before the contenstants did, they then removed the false wall and soundproofing, and uncovered the doors that led into the backyard. The room was re-painted with some green and became the BB shop where they did their grocery shopping each week. The room was used for other purposes, including the "Exit Room" for 2 evictions, the "News Studio" and a "Pamper Room" for different tasks. During the camping task, the white room/shop was the entry room into the Ice Cave where the housemates got changed into their cold weather gear, but the Ice Cave was actually a separate temporary room outisde the normal house walls. The housemates used a tunnel between the white room and ice cave to enter and exit. For some real history, the area where the white room was was used for similar purposes in BB2005 when one of the Logan twins lived in that same space while the other twin was in the house. The room was not used again in 2005. The interior of the room was rebuilt and joined onto the house in 2006 when it became the Rewards Room.

I emailed Dreamworld to find out if Nightmares had been given another extension, as i will be there on July 22. They informed me that the attraction actually closed a week EARLY at close of business on Sunday 8 Jul 2007. Missed out by 2 weeks!

Oh. That's a shame. Well, here's hoping it gets another extension!

The Dreamworld website says Nightmares has been extended for a limited time. Does anyone know how long this will be? I'll be there probably around July 22 and I'm hoping it'll still be around then. Is that too much to hope for? Thanks.

I recently uploaded a video I took of last year's Big Brother House and Studios to YouTube to post on a BB forum, and thought I would link it from here too if anyone is interested. I tried to take the video as a full walk-through from start to finish as you would if you were there, so I could show a friend who couldn't come with us exactly what it is like. Hope you enjoy. And I can't wait for BB07... starting April 22!!

Why didn't I think of that? http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=652671 See if that works. Don't see why it wouldn't.

I just clicked the survey link in my Village Movie Club newsletter. If it's the same survey you are talking about, it is quite amusing. Seems like Village just want to find out how many people know WhiteWater World exists! * Can you recall the latest tourist attraction to be built on the Gold Coast in the last 12 months? * For the theme parks, can you recall the latest new ride to be built on the Gold Coast in the last 12 months? * For the water parks, can you recall the latest attraction that you are aware of on the Gold Coast in the last 12 months? My answer to all 3 was "WhiteWater World"! LOL. Plus Batwing for #2 as well. There is also this one: * A new water-rollercoaster is being considered for a Theme Park on the Gold Coast. Riders are placed in one of two cars on the train which resembles a giant surfboard. Each car is a free-spinning circle that holds six people. The track is essentially a giant, upright U and the surfboard is loaded at the bottom of the U. The propulsion accelerates the surfboard up both sides of the track up to a height of 20 metres. A typical ride consists of approximately five to six cycles of the train travelling through the U. This ride will be a wet ride, with the surfboard/train plowing through water jets. Based on this description, how appealing is this experience to you personally? So the half-pipe will be a wet ride after all!! (Sorry if that's been posted here, I haven't kept up to date on that one for a few days.) Another question asks which name you find most appealing: Surfrider Halfpipe Barrel rider Tube rider Pipeline Other More questions were: * Of the following list of Theme Parks, which would you expect to find this ride at? * If this ride was located at Wet’n’Wild would this change the level of appeal of the ride to you personally? * Of the following list of attractions, select the one that you would most like to experience the next time you visited Sea World on the Gold Coast? Whales show Hippopotamus’ Underwater Exhibit A family high speed water ride Interactive kids education and TV themed play area Giant Ferris Wheel More interactive animal experiences * Of the following list of attractions, select the one that you would most like to experience the next time you visited Movie World on the Gold Coast? A new movie stunt show A family ride Interactive kids education and TV themed play area A thrill ride Quiz show Interactive gaming zone Live Music events so that gives us some ideas about what Village are thinking about doing in the future to its theme parks.

Does anyone know what the construction time for this ride is expected to be, or when we might see an opening? I will be on the Gold Coast around end of July or start of August to coincide with the end of Big Brother, and I'm hoping to get to all the theme parks and check out all these new rides I have not been on yet-- Batwing, H2O Zone, the whole of WWW, and the half pipe!

Oh! I won't be there again until July / August for Big Brother. Guess I won't get to see this then. I've never done one of these walk-through things. Wish I'd done Prison Break Live when I was at Luna Park waiting for the Rogue Traders concert last year.

LOL! This rumour has come up every year for at least the last 3 years! They definitely have a contract over the house site and amphitheatre until the 2009 season. They have the perfect location where they are now and no way Channel 10 is going to let them go since they win the ratings in 10's target audience (16-39s) every show!

Movie World definitely need to use some of their available space better to add new attractions! The Wild West town is way too big, and I think was only made so big to provide theming between where all the other attractions stop and where they built WWF way up the back of their lot. A large chunk of this could be re-themed to some other attraction. The Matrix exhibit is a waste of space and could be replaced. I liked Young Einstein's Homestead, but only saw it once. They can do away with the stage where the Maverick Magic show used to be. I don't think it's used for any permanent shows now is it? I have never been there the half-dozen times I've been to the park. And, why not expand into the car park a bit like DW did with Cyclone? During peak seasons they could run free shuttles between MW gates and the Outback Spectacular car park which is fairly empty during the day anyway, and only starts filling after MW closes. Heaps of room to take advantage of... and so many more movies they could base rides and attractions around!

My friends visited the backlot when it was a gated attraction and you could go through attractions repeatedly if you wanted, but I didn't get there until after they took the gates away and made it a public area, but you needed to get a card stamped at each attraction so you could only enter once, meaning you could not do both journeys through the Titanic "ride". I loved the Titanic ride. I also got my photo taken on the forced-perspective replica they had of the bow of the ship in the exit shop. It looks really good. Was not low budget at all. I also got chosen for the makeup show. I got a big wig and collar thing put on me. Unfortunately I went after the Simpsons exhibit was forced to close due to licencing issues. They also had a really big hall full of movie props from Alien, Something About Mary, X Files, Titanic, and heaps more. The replica sets were pretty bad. The X Files office looked like it could have been the office of one of the admin staff at the backlot (LOL), but it had perspex covers over the desk and blocking off access to most of the set which made it look so phony. I'm trying to remember what other stuff they had there. Was there a 3D movie of some kind or something?

As in the rotating of the seats? That does not make you dizzy at all. All that does is give you a different experience on each swing. It is great when you are facing directly up as you feel like you lift out of the seat but then the harness pulls you back down. When you face directly down it is a great rush seeing the ground rushing towards you. I wouldn't say the ride made me feel dizzy at all.

I have just gotten back from the Gold Coast. It was probably my 7th time at Dreamworld, and my FIRST time on Giant Drop. I am usually afraid sick of heights-- but here's the thing... Standing on the 11th floor balcony of the hotel my head was spinning from the height. But up the top of GD on the windiest day I have ever spent at a theme park, I was absolutely fine! In fact I was loving it, looking at all the rides in the park from up there, checking out the BB studios and Whitewater World. I think because you're harnessed in, it just feels perfectly safe. And the feeling of the drop is something that you have to experience. It's like you know it's dropping and you feel yourself getting pushed up into the harness, but it looks as if you're not moving at all until you hit the brakes.

I'm back from Gold Coast now and indeed Giant Drop and Rocky Hollow were both open! Thank goodness too, because even with these rides open, the queues for major rides were about half an hour each. I went on GD as my first ride for the day, and for my first time ever. I am usually afraid of heights, but for some reason I just didn't feel it on GD. Got to go on the park side of the ride which was fantastic and gave great views of Whitewater World and BB Studios from above. Had to give RH a miss unfortunately, as well as Cyclone which I'm a bit over after doing the much smoother Superman Escape. But managed to get a ride on The Claw, Thunder River Rapids, and ToT. Since I took my mother this time (she wanted to see BB house and Outback Spectacular) I took some time out from the thrill rides to catch another look at the Tiger Island show and watched Flow Rider for a while, and drove the little remote control boats with the alligators in them! Eureka was not only closed, but was surrounded by temporary fencing and black shadecloth, so who knows what is going on in there!

Unfortunately the purpose of the trip up north is the annual BB house visit, so pretty much have to go to DW. Didn't know all those rides would be closed when we booked the dates, and we have bought the theme park tickets already. And since we will only be there 3 days and also have to fit in Outback Spectacular, Australia Zoo, and SeaWorld, there's not much room to move things around. I don't understand why they schedule maintenance on more that one ride at a time! I would love to go to MW again-- it is such a good day there--but was there only in July when I went up for a BB eviction show. Haven't been to Sea World since 2004, so it was next in line. My friend's parents went to Dreamworld in August and apparently all the family-friendly rides (River Rapids, Rocky Hollow, etc) were closed that day, and none were listed as closed on the website or the front gate. It's a bit poor for them to do this to guests.

I rode Eureka the first time I went to Dreamworld in 2000 and me and my friend who I rode it with still laugh histerically about that experience to this day. Firstly it took us about 5 minutes to assume sitting positions in that tiny little cart with a huge backpack on our laps, and then the attendant asked if we had our seatbelts on, and we just lost it! We both had to stand up again, find the seatbelts and wriggle back down into the seats again. The guys in the front of the cart were getting very annoyed at this stage but we were laughing so hard. Then the ride starts, and we are both very tall, so we spent the whole ride with our heads in our laps with our eyes closed for fear of decapitation! Oh the memories. Anyway, now I am heading up to Dreamworld next week and there will be THREE rides closed! I was actually going to do the drop for the first time ever this trip, but now I won't get the chance. I'm very concerned with 3 closures the lines of everything else are going to be huge. If the BB house is closed my trip is ruined!

(Hi everyone. Long-time reader, first-time poster!) An interesting thing I noticed is the World Pass conditions say it allows a one-day entry to DW and a separate one-day entry to WWW. What happened to the gate between the parks? I thought a World Pass would allow park-hopping. Maybe it's too difficult to keep track of the number of people at WWW with 2 gates open and people coming and going all day. Hopefully it will be an option in future-- either when the hype dies down, or when the park expands its capacity. Can't wait to go after seeing the videos, etc on the site. I'm off to Gold Coast in 2 weeks, so no hope this time.