DaptoFunlandGuy

Patience has paid off.

... and like i said - that's fine, if its clearly explained to all riders in a format that is simple to grasp and easy to communicate to everyone. If its a secret knack, then its fucked. Is there clear signage in the load station telling riders this? So far nobody has offered that up by way of explanation, so I can only assume there isn't. On a ropes course, if its uncomfortable - you can stop and adjust or ask the staff to assist you in adjusting (good staff will know the tricks and will assist you to put it on correctly too - something load crews probably don't have time for on a coaster, so this isn't really a great comparison either. So, the best way to ride a standup coaster is to.... sit?

So i'd like to expand on my previous point and talk about another coaster that is really fun. Its a very enjoyable layout and a great ride, but lots of people complain about it being uncomfortable to ride and they're stupid! Those people just don't realise they need to hold their head against the restraint in a specific way and brace against it for the entire ride to avoid headbanging on the large oversized original restraints. If they do that, it's fine! - Vekoma SLC. If there's a special way to do up a restraint, that is not intuitive, and requires a secret club, then its shit. Period. in my opinion.

For me, if I need to know a special 'way' to hold the restraint, and it doesn't come with those instructions in a plain, clear way that everyone riding can get it right first time, then it's too complicated and shouldn't exist. I agree with some of the other sentiments. It's a cool gimmick when you see it, but it gets old real quick, and the ride experience isn't really anything to write home about.

Don't post that here! People are going to Facebook for this!

Bet none of it was up to modern fire codes though. I'm sure we'd all say much the same about the charm and strong memories we all have of SDSCV1 as opposed to the 'galvanised' version we have in SDSCNG:V2

Sorry for your loss.

I don't know. This subject isn't my forte - its why I asked. For me - the metal tunnel bridge prevents people from dropping objects onto the train or into it's path. I can't see them achieving anything similar in timber without it looking even worse. The only other 'bridge over a coaster track' I can think of in Australia is Storm - and that is a fully enclosed shipping container - which granted, does fit the 'theme' of that particular ride. A very fair statement. Not sure how much they can do with 'stainless tunnel number 1' but if the midway sightlines are done well, the backend is probably less critical. I am sometimes amused at the bipolar nature of this place. Vortex - "well, you could never have expected them to ACTUALLY build all that theming" LPS - "why aren't they making it look better?"

Transparent? No. Translucent? Quite possible. There's enough space in that front end to accommodate the rig. A little frosted perspex with an eye painted over the front, with an LED behind it would be a very simple effect that would have a really cool impact in the right environment.

Ok so it was a pin not a keychain - but yes, that's what I had seen. My bad.

Rival's train has a 'brake light' on the rear of the train, perfectly in fit with the 'batmobile' aesthetic they went for. Clearly its something that can be built in (and given a recent video I saw shows it still working several years on, i'd say the longevity isn't too bad) so its completely possible that they do - but perhaps haven't connected it yet while testing is ongoing?

Litigation timelines don't generally take into account 'reputational timing' - this was probably filed some time ago - and as mentioned - is probably being steered by the insurance company who couldn't give a shit about the timing either. While the investigation was damning of the park and processes, it was also damning of this engineer. The article you quoted doesn't mention it that I could see, but another article I read this morning did note that the engineer was specifically named by the Coroner and the Coroner recommended that the engineer be referred to the board of engineers to determine whether he acted within the board's guidelines. My guess is the board have completed that review. An engineer certifying any plant or machinery doesn't just take the owner's word for it that it was recently inspected - they check last inspection tags for appropriate, certified proof. If he failed to determine the last certified inspection, how could he have known what to review and what not to? The burden was on him to do a complete (not half assed) job. This doesn't absolve Ardent, but he is just as culpable if the information in the Inquest is true.

Is a wooden bridge even acceptable under WH&S to go over the ride envelope?

At best, they take the dolphin statues that are outside dolphin cove (and used to be outside the waterpark and i'm sure other places in the park) and paint them gold. I don't know about the walrus. Something tells me the person with the skills to restore the walrus back to its original paintjob was probably long ago made redundant in favour of a cheap digital signwriting machine, and we'll end up with some 'Behold the Monkey' style repaint once the birthday celebrations are done. Is it just me, or does it seem like this is being half arsed? In other related anniversary \ birthday news - I just heard Movie World just got in their gold 30th birthday keyrings. Better late than never I guess.

It's the nature of the design, and technically the same as rivals - the car base is the same as any other car, with the backwards seat \ spinning seat mounted on the top with sufficient clearances so as not to interfere with the car in front.

One observation - the article talks about Sea World narrowly avoiding the worst of the timber shortage, but in the next breath: Timber was onsite in April 2020. We had vertical construction in August 2020. I've zero knowledge of the delays they've experienced or the reasons for them, but on face value (and with the advantage of "Forum Hindsight") it seems a bit rich to blame shipping delays and material shortages when materials were already on site, and global shipping had about the same impact on Taipan as it did on Leviathan. It's fair to say that as at April 2020 (a mere two months into the pandemic) the park was still slating a December (2020) opening, and so all of the needed components would have undoubtedly been in transit or ordered to arrive prior to Christmas. There is no ship out there now that's taken a 14 month voyage still struggling to make it to the Gold Coast. As for quarantine requirements by technical personnel - that's a fair point, but that isn't really any different for Vortex or Taipan is it? (Not to mention they've had more than 18 months of awareness about the need for quarantine and could easily have planned for it). I think the rest of the article potentially has it though - is this a calculated 'non-compete' move by Village to avoid direct competition? Probably. Was it beyond their control due to global shipping delays and shortages? From what I can see, probably not. Just my opinion based on zero insider knowledge.

it takes a lot of talent (and ice cubes) to get a shot like that right.

Sounds like you have close associations to the pilot. Not sure how old the pilot was then or is now, but i'm respectfully wondering how they got on long term if that is something you're comfortable discussing...?

they never had mandatory 12 month legally obligated inspections before. in the past, they could shift things a few weeks back or forth to compensate for things, but now, 12 months expiry is set in stone

I am absolutely devastated by this news. I have memories of this attraction from 1996-2013 visits and i'm sad it's future is clouded. Made use of Disney's free fastpass system although the new system looks neutered. Didn't need it at Universal or Knotts. As for SFMM, I'm gonna disagree with Gazza on this one and say we felt SFMM definitely needed one - but theres a few things to take into account - Gazza has hustle - you can tell from his trip reports that his stamina is up there. I've always gone with family who've had no interest in racing from one exit to the next entrance, so it depends wildly based on your group dynamic (as well as the day you go - we stupidly went on a weekend in May). You can buy on the day but we pre-booked ours as it was cheaper, and at the time the platinum had a limited number available each day. It may have changed. We would not have gotten to ride X2 without it, and given the big distances between some areas, using it meant by the time we got to the ride entrance our reservation was ready and we walked straight up. (Unfortunately, not every flash pass entrance puts you to the front of the line however, so this isn't necessarily a walk-on pass). Another tip for SFMM - many parks have security checkpoints \ metal detectors \ bag checks before you get to the gate, but SFMM's security check i've always found to be really slow - to make the most out of your day, make sure you get there early to get security check out of the way well before rope drop.

I feel similarly about USH and DLR - Knott's is literally up the road from Disneyland, and its a gorgeous park that can leisurely be done in a day without feeling like you've missed anything major (outside of peak operation days). Go and eat a chicken dinner. watch mystery lodge. stroll through the ghosttown and take a look at some of the best themed areas outside of a disney park you'll ever see. Honestly - Knott's will not disappoint, no matter what pace you decide to take. On the flip side, SFMM is absolutely a hectic day - and whether or not everything is open, it's a workout to get it done in a day, even with the Flash Pass. The park is such a sprawling mess, and don't even think about going on a weekend as the local youth will pack it out. Its definitely a 'don't miss' park, but for me its always been balls-to-the-wall crazy trying to tick everything off in a single day.

I don't think we've had anything official from the park to state that, but it is my guess, and I think a lot of others too - it's not a massive area for park crowds, and there's no other draw here. its quiet, and picturesque - definitely a place for reflection and the like - its so very outside of everything else at Dreamworld its about the only thing it could be. 25th October this year is the 5 year anniversary, so the timing for this (it looks practically complete minus a few benches around the garden) seems right too. A small memorial and dedication of the area seems fitting before they launch the brand new thrill ride on the old site too...

I guess it depends on how much of their marketing campaign focussed on 'buy this to ride this'. I'm sure a lot of social media comments talked about this very question, but i'm sure a lot of folks would have bought regardless. I don't think this should be an automatic blanket extension (although if someone wants a refund, and hasn't \ has barely used it because they were waiting for the new big ride maybe). But if Village's primary one pass marketing was 'buy this to ride this' I think they probably should be considering some good faith gestures since they haven't delivered anything in Atlantis on time, and more than one isn't even going to hit its second revised opening date.