Spotty

#Triggered I still have PTSD from the abuse from my days of being a Superman entry host (Not really PTSD... but some of the crap you copped... honestly, one of the easiest and hardest roles in the park for a ride operator was that. It's probably a lot better now the lockers are free though...)

I also put down the 15th Looking forward to riding, sadly I'll be at work that day

One of my sources (who has always been very reliable for the last 15 years) has confirmed to me that the Ride will be going to Gumbaya world, and will be undergoing an extensive refurb before a xmas 2022 debut. An official announcement will likely be made soon by the park though.

I'm going with the 15th as well, to tie in with the 40th Birthday

I have heard from a few sources that have stated that the ride was actually built by Meshio (same as the Thunderbolt) but this is not 100% confirmed

Least it's not Comic Sans or Papyrus

Because our parks have learnt to not buy rides that are mechanical nightmares. The capacity was garbage too, and the ride experience was incredibly uncomfortable. I'm glad that it's going TBH

Reminds me of the one that used to sit in the Superman top hat. Every time the brake fins lowered on the launch it would fly away... and once the train finished the ride it would fly back. Was there for at least 2 years... used to be entertaining when working batwing to watch it (Something had to entertain you... Batwing was honestly one of the most boring rides to operate. I actually preferred to work the kids area as it was variety!)

I wonder if Steel Taipan is going to have the awesome control panel chair like Blue Fire and Helix or not? I want one!

You were saying Scooby got a new control system, I have on very high regard that Scooby didn't get a new ride control system. It did receive an upgrade to the show control though. I am aware that West got a new control system in 2017 and is rumoured to be getting new boats as well. I never said that Road Runner didn't get a new system either. As far as I am aware the brakes on Road Runner have been replaced with magnetic brakes (not confirmed) which would have required an update to the control system. In regards to the 10 year overhaul, I've had a look into it on QLD Worksafe it doesn't require an upgrade of the control system. " Under AS 3533.3-2003 – Amusement rides and devices Part 3: In-service inspection, a major inspection includes attention to the following: structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control and operational anomalies non-destructive testing (NDT) to an appropriate standard controls and emergency stops braking systems manufacturer’s safety upgrades and advice adequacy of safety instructions and manuals the viability of upgrading to the requirements of the latest standard [AS 3533.3-2003 Clause 11.5]. And Under AS 3533.3-2003, a major inspection involves: the disassembly of critical components of the amusement device and removal of paint, grease and corrosion to allow a complete and thorough inspection detailed visual inspection and tolerance checking of all wear components thickness testing as required to check for wear and corrosion non-destructive testing of all critical areas for signs of cracking or spalling due to fatigue or excessive stress a review of power, control, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, as applicable to the device [AS 3533.3-2003 Clause 11.5]. So unless there was a major fault with the control system or critical issues there was / is no need to replace the entire system after the 10 year mark as implied.

Scooby didn't get a whole new control system added to the ride, it was a cosmetic overhaul and some theming changes to ensure that it met the new fire standards. Road runner got new trains because the ride was 20 years old, and a common complaint was that adults didn't feel that their children were secure due to the 1 lap bar. Hence the seatbelts were added as a temp measure until the new trains were ordered. At this point in time, they decided they may as well update the entire ride. I know many rides that have fallen victim to this new 10 year thing that has been implemented across the industry and it has NOT required a re-build of the entire control system, if you are able to show where it states that I am happy to be proven wrong. As far as cost cutting goes, I'm talking about recently by deciding not to do the work on Arkham. The parks have lost a lot of money due to COVID. They were looking at keeping Arkham going, but with the uncertainty still with the pandemic they have decided not to spend the extra money which is a fair decision given the rides age. It's not the choice I would have personally made, but it's the choice they have made to save money which is a given with the economic climate right now. As far as damage goes, towards the end of it's run there were certain areas that were being looked at more than others for stress in the track. I'm not at liberty to go into extensive details into the maintenance side of things, but those Kumbak trains did more damage than they did good. Several other parks have actually removed their Kumbak trains for similar reasons (Efteling did the same with Python, and replaced it with the much better Vekoma trains seen on Gold Coaster). Those cars ripped the crap out of the track on the Corkscrew at Sea World too.

As someone who worked on the ride fairly often, I can tell you that the new seats were actually heavier than the original LW rolling stock. The ratcheting system of the old harnesses is actually very lightweight compared to a hydraulic system that the new harnesses used. The 10 year requirement also does not apply to the control system as it was fully working and didn't need work. The ride has been closed due to cost cutting mostly, it does need some quite heavy work (as most rides approaching 25-30 years do) especially as it's very forceful compared to say the Gold Coaster who's track would be in much better condition given it hasn't operated as much as Arkham and isn't as forceful. Basically the government requires a full strip down of all moving parts on the ride, and high stress parts of the track (The entrance to the Sidewinder in particular) would possibly need replacing after 25 years. Movie World have decided that it's not worth doing, which is a shame because the SLC has a damn great layout, and with the work done to it and better rolling stock the ride still could easily have another 10+ years in it. Although in the last 2 years of operation it was certainly running very infrequently, I don't think for what they spent on the overhaul they got the best value for their money at all.

The new Vekoma trains were available from at least 2008 onwards (Possibly earlier) The Great Nor' Easter at Moreys Piers got them installed that year. So before the Sea Viper trains were even installed onto the Corkscrew, however the plans may have already been in the works. @DaptoFunlandGuy As far as I am aware the new Vekoma trains are a whole new unit, designed to be much lighter. https://www.thecoasterkings.com/the-secret-of-freedom-seats/ Has a bit more of an in depth read on the seats. One of the plusses with these new seats is they don't require the floor to be raised / lowered which will slightly increase dispatch time too. I also am fairly sure they worked with the old control system (which works more than fine, and didn't need upgrading but it was when the magnetic brakes and the very sensitive individual harness control came into play) Village did look into them, but for whatever silly reason they went with Kumbak...

Arkham / LW was basically ruined the moment that Kumbak came in and did the overhaul on the ride. I would have thought they would have learnt with Sea Viper's horrible transformation and the amount of issues they had with the ride. Basically, Kumbak came in and patched over the original control system that Vekoma installed with the ride. This enabled individual seat unlocking instead of the whole train at once. This alone caused so many issues in the first 6 months or so of operation where it wouldn't be uncommon to see half the train out of action due to faults in the computer system. After a year or so, the faults became less common but it was still no where near as reliable as it should have been. Village should have gone with Vekoma for the upgrade from the start, but fairly sure they got a deal with Kumbak after the Sea Viper disaster. The trains were heavier with all the new running gear, and also caused extra wear and tear on the ride. Also being the 4th SLC to open to the public, it was not built as well as some of the newer ones. I would love to see the ride reopen with Vekoma trains, as honestly it was one of my favourite rides in the park not just to operate but to ride.

I hope we don't get another launched coaster for a while... and I think it would be kind of silly. The next coaster that Dreamworld needs in the next few years is something unique to Australia. As expensive as it is, something like a flying coaster or a 4D (FreeSpin or Axis) would really stand out. Best bang for your buck would be a FreeSpin by far, anything like a Skyrocket I think would be too similar to Buzzsaw.

16 weeks is a very long time for testing... maybe because it's a prototype. Normally most new rides only take 4-5 weeks of constant testing. If I'm not mistaken DC Rivals started testing late July, early August and opened mid September? I'd say if they are ahead of schedule, and providing COVID doesn't cause any issues we would be aiming for a late November, early December soft opening with maybe an official opening for Boxing Day.

Unless your pass comes with a fright nights entry (some of the early memberships do) you will have to buy the terror tour ticket and the fright nights ticket separately.

I think another week at least, just to really make sure we are ontop of things. At least all the cases in the last 2 days have been linked and in quarantine. As much as I'd love restrictions to ease off a bit, I'd rather another week now than end up with a potential situation like Sydney.

As an ex ride operator for VRTP I very much doubt that the operations team (front line) would know what rides are coming to the park more than a year before they are built. For example, Green Lantern opened December 2011, staff were not told what ride was coming until about 5 months before it opened. Lethal's retheme to Arkham, staff were not told about it until AFTER lethal had closed and the work was already beginning. Justice League opened September 2012, operations staff were not told what the ride was until around June 2012 what it was, and that was after construction had commenced and opening crew's for the ride were chosen. Sorry, but based on my knowledge of how the park does things (and many people on these forums can vouch for me) I very much doubt what your friend is telling you is accurate.

Just look at Twist Coaster Robin... that one had a very bad time!

So no more tooth chipper?

If you speak to the entry host at the attractions they are normally happy to take you through the exit to test the seat before queuing up to make sure that you fit. Alternatively if you speak to Guest Services they will be able to assist you fairly easily

Seems that Roadrunner is getting new trains...would explain the extra downtime. Taken from Vekoma’s Facebook page.

Probably some manufacturer from the Czech Republic most likely... pity it's not a Funtime one, but keen to see the travelling one when it arrives

Let's just say there was a reason it was nicknamed the "Green Lemon" by the opening crew of the ride... for the first several months of operation it spent more time closed than open. When it first opened they even tried (unsuccessfully) to run 6 cars on the track at any given time. Let's just say this caused lots of stacking due to loading procedures and the ride being way too short to need more than 4 cars on the track. This would often cause the ride to have a heart attack and shut down (much like Scooby does if it backs up too much) After about 6 months of them tweaking things they got the ride running reasonably well for a few years until it decided to yeet a wheel, closing it for a while. Once that was fixed from what I hear the ride ran pretty reliable until this year when it needed a part to be replaced. Which after nearly 10 years of operation is to be expected, it was just closed for much longer due to delays in shipment and manufacturing overseas. Having the ride not running for nearly 12 months it's likely to have teething issues for a few weeks. Although, I wouldn't personally say S+S (well their coasters, Batwing is pretty dang reliable) are the most reliable rides as far as far as most manufacturers go. I lost count of how many times in the first few months of it running, I heard the breakdown spiel played.