Obstructure

Discuss....... Who went? What are your thoughts? What rides did you manage to get on? I'm surprised no one has posted anything about it as of yet.

Yeah, a little. Some things were announced at the meetings shareholders are invited to. I think a few of the things are just 'pencilled in' seeing they are long term ideas, though some are worth thinking about in the near future. Theres a few things but the basic idea is that Dreamworld is up for quite a few more developments and I am going to head to bed now but I will post what I have heard when I've got some more time. I will stress it is not first hand knowledge, but it has come from reliable sources. They are all pretty big developments as well, which when I heard the other day I was really excited at just the thought.

Not sure if it was sent in a mailout, but I can only presume they announced their future plans in a mailout, as well as at their shareholder meeting. They talked about future plans for the thunderbolt area, the new ride going in later this year, other expansions of the park/upgrades and the area at the back that the council has zoned now.

Anybody here Macquarie Leisure Shareholders? Their recent meeting and mailout outlined future developments/plans for Dreamworld. It does not look like the option winning the poll is in any future plans.

I think it would all be too expensive. To develop something of that proportion, as well as promote it, actually buy the rights to the film and run it, would not be worth the appeal. I dare say the IMAX movies are ordinary ones so they don't cost so much. People don't go to Dreamworld to see a quality movie afterall...

The Farmyard Friends is part of "Gum Tree Gully." The map has it called something like "Gum Tree Gully's Farmyard" or close to that. I forgot exactly but I'm sure you will all see it in time when you go next.

Yep, got to agree. Something brand new that will not only challenge roller coasters in Australia, but the world. Lets face it, beating what we've got here in Australia is no big feat, so I think something huge that'll raise the bar enormously. If they were to redevelop that area into something with a huge roller coaster it wouldn't happen for a few years, seeing the gyro swing is next on the attractions list and building another major attraction so quickly after would take the effect away.

Yes, but I guess I should have named it something about park upgrades, because it didn't have much to do with TOT at all. It did make you look though didn't it?

What would you prefer?

So it is fairly common knowledge now that the elephant doesn't squirt water, but how come the part at the start where you first go into the tunnel it doesn't have water running down anymore either? Anyone know?

Well not really, but I see they have been spending some time upgrading a few things at DW. In Gold Rush the other day it looks like they are going to resurface some of the road there as it was roped off and looked like they'd ripped a bit up. Hopefully it is all OK for the Easter break because its going to be so busy this extra long weekend. TOT was also closed the other day, more then likely for its annual maintenance, but theres no way it would still be closed now seeing its Good Friday public holiday and all.

I will be attending Fright Night.

It's a pretty big ride, and needs a lot of space because it swings. I'd say that all sounds about right. The que line could be around that area but I think the ride itself would have to be a bit further back because it would hit the buildings, or at least swing too close to them.

Yeah, I think the positives for it are that it will appeal to the families (again), but also the Gum Tree Gully area, it is like a ghost town. The Tomb Raider livened up the area and got people going through there again but besides that theres a restaurant and a few shops. I think its a wise move because that has just become wasted space. As for updating rides more frequently, if Dreamworld were to put in a new top notch thrill ride each year, they would be making hardly any profit in the process. These cost millions to put in (as you all know) and are big projects which take time to research and have installed. Then there's all the marketing etc involved. Plus, if over the next 10 years they put in 10 thrill rides, the park's size would grow so big that the ticket price would have to rise alot higher (making it less affordable and appealing to the younger generation and families, who are the target crowd), and it would be moving too far too quick. If they put in a new one, it is good for a few years, take rides like the Wipeout, TOT and GD - still 'fairly' new, and are drawing huge crowds to the very day. The appeal is still there for them. Every few years something major is good enough.

Yeah I believe you, I just found it interesting because it was something I didn't know. Anyway, in short all of our babbling do we agree the giant drop could not get stuck in the breaks (besides something extreme happening)? I've only had the GD explained to me in simple terms, but I thought I had an OK understanding of how it works

Ah yes, but then again it makes you wonder what is going on behind closed doors. Admittedly the Gold Coast is due for a new attraction, but somewhere that is more in need of that type of attraction is Brisbane, so perhaps the Boondall idea would be more beneficial for Crikey, rather than competing with the other Gold Coast attractions that are animal themed like Dreamworld, Sea World and Currumbin.

Yeah, that sounds correct. It uses a combination of the magnet on the tower, and something on the back of the Drop car? or vice versa I can't remember. So in other words, yes the speed can alter in the breaks (ie. it drops from half way, which I have seen before), however it won't just stop in the breaks because of the power involved? Because that is what I have been told and when I did see it drop from halfway, it went as per usual through the breaks, and for the GD to actually get caught in the breaking system just could not happen because the attraction between the mechanisms (both on the back of the car and the tower) would continue as per normal once it is released. Think of it this way, if there isn't enough force to hold it there when the winch is going to the top, then why would there be enough force to stop it when its falling. The winch has to compete against gravity to pull it through the magnets, whereas a free fall doesn't. Is that right Richard? Or did I misunderstand. Finally, the reason why I was curious about the TOT speed is I have heard these days it is functioning at a slower speed, slower then the 157. Could be true, could be false, but we can't be completely sure unless we have a radar. I also never knew that the decelleration up a 90 degree angle was the same as the curve.

Not sure how true this is but I heard a rumour (or should i say read) that crikey has bought himself some land in Coomera, just down the road from Dreamworld, and is looking in the future to build another Australia Zoo there. Anyone else heard this?

Is it just me, or are Dreamworld now trying to offer more attractions to children? In the past there really wasn't anything specificly built for children, but more family orientated.

If it was something that wasn't confirmed or was to be a big surprise then you wouldn't hear people openly talking about it. It sounds pretty definite to me too. I'm a bit lost - what do you mean the roundabout near the sandwich bar? I thought it was pretty obvious where it was going, if it was going to be near the wipeout the only area is at the back of Nick Central.

I am sure someone posted somewhere that momentarily when the TOT is launched, the power in the park available to other rides is reduced. You seem to think you know a lot, but I'm not sure you really do. I never questioned Richard either, I was just curious if he included those variables. I would not have been able to work that out, I wouldn't know where to start. I didn't question him at all, why don't you put your attitude towards me aside for a minute and just read what was being said. It wasn't said out of rudeness or arrogance, you just see it that way because you've never liked me from the start. So if the power of one ride doesn't effect the rest of the park then please explain to me why the Wipeout never starts when the Reef Diver has started? I've heard them so many times say over the microphone "we just have to wait until the Reef Diver is coming back down before we can start." I guess you will find this one easy seeing you are the electricity guru. How about when you are at Dreamworld next, you ASK someone. I will give you the exact question, so write it down: Q: "Hey I was just wondering what happens to the power on other rides when the TOT operates? Does it effect the power allocated to other rides?" If you get someone who is experienced, and is nice/in a good mood, they will answer the question. But if they don't help you out, feel free to come back here and ask me to give you something concrete you can see that proves that when the TOT launches, that the power on other rides decrease, because I will gladly do that for you. I have been going to Dreamworld pretty much at least a few times a month for the last 5-6 years, whether it be for 1hour or a whole day, and after doing that you start to become curious and observe how things work, and some things you see are more then coincidental things, I assure you. When you are a regular face, they recognise you and will chat to you about all sorts of things there. My age and where I come from doesn't make a difference does it? Or do you take less notice of something someone young says? Because they are young? Just for arguments sake, I will say that I am older then you think I am, because I can tell that from the way you talk down to me, and at times others, that you think they are 'young' and you know more then them. I know a lot more of Dreamworld then you give me credit for, and have seen things and been told things at Dreamworld you could not imagine, so take a step back and be more accepting of others. Anything else Mr Rappa?

"All I'm saying is no matter what they crank the power up to it won't effect the rest of the park or Coomera for that matter." That's incorrect. I'm sure someone said earlier that for the time TOT takes off, that the power on the other rides cuts out for that amount of time, or their power is significantly reduced. I think it was Richard? Just wanting to clarify with you Richard, are you basing your equations on the height all the way to the very top of the track? From observation, the TOT is generally reaching the "O" in OF on the pole, and in test runs it goes up to about the "R" in TOWER. Then just throw into the equation that it doesn't go up the tower at point 0m, more then likely about 10m up the pole (which probably doesn't make a huge difference), and some of the climb is up a curve, which is at a certain steepness. I don't know how good at physics you are but doesn't all of this effect the results or have you considered them in working it out? Because you said there was all stuff we wouldn't understand djrappa do you know how the breaks on the GD work? They are of course a magnet system and the way they work means that it would continue to move through the breaks. Just use the example of sticking a magnet to a fridge, it doesn't matter how quickly or slowly you put the magnet on the fridge, it still works at the same rate, and holds the same, going through the same process.

That's what I just said. I didn't say I wasn't coming here to make enemies, I said I wasn't coming to cause trouble. It sounds like a few people here are knowitalls, who don't take nicely to the opinions and information of others, eg. some information someone gave about the gyroswing in the first place. Take it easy, they've got no obligation to share this information with you. Just because you don't agree, doesn't mean it is wrong.

I was being sarcastic

Ok, how about for arguments sake, we decrease the speed to something along the lines of 130km/hr or 140km/hr. How would that effect the usage? When it first opened, it was going right up near the top, much higher then it does now and a mere 4km/hour or thereabouts wouldn't cause it to drop as much as it has.