downunder

FYI Icons of Darkness is only $20 and they take you on a tour that takes about a half an hour, hopefully it's open when you're there. It's some Hollywood director's private collection that he put on public display.

I concur on Knott's, it's fun and near Disney, and Magic Mountain if you love coasters (might work well if you are staying in the Universal area) - you probably haven't allocated time, but if you have time to spare I recommend. I did a park trip after Christmas in 2017 in the LA area, and the parks were packed, but I see you've given yourself plenty of time to do them. In Hollywood, a local mate took to this exhibition on Hollywood Blvd just down from the Chinese theatre called Icons of Darkness in September, if you love actual props from movies (incl full sized Dino animatronics from Jurassic Park), your mind will be blown. Also, Runyon Canyon accessible from the Hollywood strip is a cool hike to get some great views of LA, and a lot of stars walk their dogs there too lol.

I think I'll give it a 2 or 3 months before contemplating a visit lol.

^I hear you, but they're really putting all their eggs in one basket, and they don't have an asset to sell like Main Event in the future to keep afloat. Sometimes simple theming works really well. I always loved the way Top Thrill Dragster made every launch seem like an event with the announcements, Christmas lights, revving engine and the screeching tyre sounds, and the bleachers at the side.

I was probably more trying to reflect the thinking of a reasonable number of voters rather than my own opinion. On those polls, personally I'll always rate a punisher lower than a passive coaster. Arkham did offer an okay ride experience, the new restraints made it much better and you didn't get cauliflower ears from the jerky transitions. I haven't ridden Gold Coaster in so long, not even the hot wheels incarnation. Didn't bother when I was there in Oct. Jungle Love Coaster should be fun, but oh my gosh $35 million is a lot for a family coaster. Personally, I would have got multiple really solid less expensive drawcard attractions for the money, but we'll see how it goes.

^I would characterise MDMC as mediocre rather than straight out bad. But maybe boredom is even worse than the pounding you get from Vekoma, or a Volare or Gouderix (glad I had a fast pass, was a 3 hour line on a scorching day). I keep seeing Jungle coaster and think Jungle Love by Morris Day and the Time, an 80's funk led revival for Dreamworld lol.

Probably the most important measure in the Gold Coast theme park market is: how iconic will this ride be? All these new coasters, damn it's going to attract a lot of foreign undesirables, I mean coaster enthusiasts lol.

It looks like it will be a really great family ride in the Jet Rescue range of thrill level. Seeing mentioned above that Taipan hasn't been pulling them in, what went wrong? Is the DW brand still so tarnished people are staying away? I know I went on the last Saturday of NSW school holidays and DW was very quiet, and ST was mostly 15 mins (they were loading super slow).

Just checking, it was opening December 2 this year right lol. I might have to go to Carnevale to get some night views on the precinct.

Why do they remove coasters: to spite overseas credit whores who haven't been to Australia yet lol.

If your parents jumped on the Orphan Rocker now, you'd definitely be an orphan. VRTP have been way too frothy on the hyperbole, but the theming does look fantastic.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/language-and-cognition/article/abs/iconicity-toolbox-empirical-approaches-to-measuring-iconicity/36E46F0E20D7EE7020730B9CE91E0D60

Lol if you go to Mt Olympus at Wisconsin Dells, you can ride a bunch of them. All very iconic.

iconic adjective 1. relating to or of the nature of an icon. "he became an iconic figure for directors around the world" 2. (of a classical Greek statue) depicting a victorious athlete in a conventional style. Might have scraped through really stretching semantics, but even then, "world's most" suggests a level of delusion that probably requires treatment.

@New display nameI have noticed that, and perhaps it might be a competitive tipping point, time will tell.

I am kicking myself for not getting the non-local Annual Pass while it was $250 (a bit cheaper through NRMA). The price hikes certainly are ambitious, I guess if revenue increases they achieved their objective, even if at the expense of goodwill among some customers. I imagine the potential to increase admission and pass prices based on an increased product value proposition form part of the business case when evaluating whether to go ahead with a major new attraction.

@Ogre Thanks for the photos. I like the one where the workman is standing next to the statue, it gives a sense of how huge it is. Lol kind of looks like Iron Man at a fancy dress party, and no wonder he looks angry with that Sea World logo on his cod piece - probably not a look to draw the ladies (disclaimer: I am joking).

Can't comment on overweight experience with rides, but congratulations on pulling air on the slides. I managed that on Saturday and I was shocked, never done that before. And how good was Coney Island? I hope you have better experiences with Big Dip[per in the future.

Some photos:

Sorry to double post. Halloscream was excellent, the street performers knocked it out of the park. The sets in the 3 mazes were pretty good, but the scare actors were amazing. Coney Island has been plussed to being a large walk through. Starting with a Shining themed walk through the mirror maze with the Grady twins. Pennywise is hanging around the barrel. You are directed to the slides where the Girl from the Ring is waiting for you at the exit. Then a cyclone fence maze before turkey trot where Freddy and Jason are waiting. Then Scream ghostfaces are after that. RIP tour was ok, but not worth the money. The canapes were great and plentiful, also champagne. You get a bag with a drink bottle and vouchers for games, face painting and a green screen photo. Then an unobstructed spot to watch the opening ceremony. Later a tour where you get a look above the mazes in the big top. No fast track, though they did take us to the front for one maze. Though it wasn't really necessary as the lines were short all night, unlike previous years where the lines have been big. Big dipper's red train is in pieces, so one train ops for the night. Jaggs Journeys was there, so video should be out soon.

I'm going tonight and will be doing the new R.I.P. tour product, so we'll see how it goes. Even after going to Fright Nights, Knott's Scary Farm, Busch Tampa Howl o Scream, Orlando and Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights this year I still look forward to Halloscream.

Given this event is starting tonight and running from 21 to 30 October (more nights than previous I believe). I'd love to know what people's thoughts are on Halloscream? I've been going the last five years, and only went the first time because a friend was working in Mystery Manor, but I found it was a lot of fun. In 2019, they went 14 years + and took things up another level with 3 mazes in the big top (along with Mystery Manor and scare actors in the mirror maze). It's not Movie World level, but a lot of fun; and the only Halloween event I was able to do in 2020 and 2021.

Interesting, I got some great rides on IG (I haven't been on Steel Vengeance as a comparison point). I rode it morning, afternoon and late night (at howl o scream) - front row, back row and a few in-between. Back row was best in my opinion, and I got lucky with lines, by 10pm at howl o scream we had circled back to the front of the park and I had to rub my eyes at the 5 mins on the wait sign. Got some bonkers no-wait night rides in the back. The drop was great, the air time was very forceful (and creative at times), the speed it hit the barrel roll was crazy, and a very nice zero G roll. Back to topic, I think Sea World could do better. Also being in Orlando last month and then our Sea World this month - I much prefer our Shark Bay as a shark exhibit. The greatest compliment I can pay it is that my partner is a very experienced scuba diver and was visiting for the first time and she loved it (and she wasn't sure she would like it, having seen tons of wild sea life in the open ocean). She kept bobbing up during our tropical reef snorkel and saying : I love this.

I hear you, Ice Breaker was one and done for us. We had a great run on Mako - the ops let us keep riding as there was no one there in the morning. Though as far as I'm concerned, all bow to the Iron Gwazi (highlight of the trip). It will be interesting to see what attractions pop up in Sea World in the next few years, and possibly what attractions disappear.

Not a fan of stand up coasters personally. I've been on Riddler's Revenge which I consider best in breed (and other B & Ms), Intamin, and even Togo (scary stuff). I guess it's a slightly new spin on an old concept; and I'm certainly not the demographic they're aiming for - I was there last month and everyone in our group was not impressed by Ice Breaker either, but we clocked up over 20 laps on Mako (also got to see the scary sight of an evac on Manta flying coaster's lift hill). Like Joz said, it's not a statement coaster; and with Epic Universe coming soon, Sea World will have some serious competition to be that extra day park when not at Disney or the two other Universal parks.