DaptoFunlandGuy

Headline reads: Giant Monster Terrorises Southport Best photo angle ever. Anyone have any idea what the large purple thing with a hole in it is? I can't see it in any of the other shots

Yeah I get that - but we've got all these e-tickets with capacity sub-par to a portaloo at soundwave, and all these old-school flats that just don't pull a crowd... its a shame that they're ripping out these big capacity rides because they've lost popularity, while at the same time installing all these 'big-wow poor-capacity' substitutes. Eventually, they'll get to a point where you won't get a ride on most things you want to ride without a Q4U... even on quiet days.

^The unfortunate reality of that, though - is that these low patronage flats have better capacity than some of the Big 47.

LOL. I'm sorry I didn't mean that to come off like an attack - it was meant to be a bit tongue in cheek. Yes you do make positive observations, and I don't mean to spin a negative into a positive - but it just seems to be a shit list most of the time. I'll be the first person to bag Dreamworld for poor operations - but when you're looking at staffing - of course you're going to have merch staff on board - thats where you increase your per cap - not on rides! And you've said people are queueing and complaining about queueing, but you're also saying rides are cycling half empty... it doesn't make sense that the two occur at the same time... Again, i'm sorry - re-reading it was worded a bit harshly - i wasn't on the attack, it just seems you always seem to have the worst bloody day at the parks (regardless of the positives) and I wanted to jokingly say that perhaps it would be better if you stopped going...

Yep thats where i got the text from in my post yesterday - but can't access facebook at work to link it!

Sounds like a 'premium member video'

Correct me if i'm wrong but I don't believe Claw can run with one operator, due to the safety system requiring both to press simultaneously to begin the cycle? Of course that can be re-wired, but last I checked, the opposite ops booth was still manned. Wyn - I don't think you should return to the parks anymore. It doesn't matter which park you go to, all you ever come back with is negative experiences, and nitpicky little flaws. You're saying it seems like Wonderland, but where all rides are dispatching half full or with no wait times, how many staff should they have on? How much money should they waste? Sure, i'm just as much an advocate for saying if the park is open, then everything should be open, but at the same time, smart business sense suggests you're not going to be in business long if you keep pouring money down a wages black hole, and having them all sit around waiting for someone who wants to ride. As for concessions like hair braids or sketches, whilst i'm not aware of the actual arrangements, I know from my experience at Wonderland that stalls like that are usually external contractors working within the park's boundaries, so the expenses for them aren't costed to the park, and they'll open every day to try and earn an income. This would ring true given only a couple of food outlets were open (which you usually have a much higher margin on and would want to make as much money as you can)

Nobody's interested in Wild anymore by the sounds of it.

TBH I always thought it was a HUSS and never bothered to look any closer. It will be interesting to see whether Dreamworld have plans for the StingrayReefDiver area already, or whether it's just another block of land inside the park's boundaries that will sit and rot - like Skylink and Eureka.

Each experience has it's pros and cons. I'm not sure which one I preferred to be honest - but i think ToTII has the edge as the reversed launch permits the lighting special effects that give it that little extra in the experience.

The billboard at the park never named it - just said: "DROP BY... <picture of screaming cartoon face> Everyone will hear you scream COMING SOON The world's most thrilling ride, the only one in the southern hemisphere" it was set on a tiny piece of grass all dressed up inside a brick garden bed near lakeside. It would have been a nicely placed attraction, and a great experience...

True, although most USA parks with seasonal operation do so because of the colder climates, and I daresay a lot of their staff might moonlight on the Ski-Fields in winter - that isn't as practical over here for Western Sydney employees... firstly because they're too far away from the ski fields, and secondly because it isn't as big of an industry over here.

Ok - i think we're done with Wild West Falls now. Can we go back to Wild?

Re: turbines, see: cyclone queue ToTII queue TOTII ride experience (in front of you before launch) TOTII exterior theming (tunnel exit near GD0 Shockwave exterior theming Any i missed?

I think the only reason we got onto WWF was because it was put forward that the land at MW being what it is would be better suited to multiple flats (puke). I don't think anyone really wants to see that go as almost every response to that suggestion was in the negative. I also don't think MW needs to expand through the ShowStage (but they do need to do something with it!!!) and there is plenty of room in the 'Wild West' for small footprint attractions to 'round out' the area.

More likely, they were too cheap to have an artist draw a 'map for DW' a 'map for WWW' and a 'map for both' so they've just taken the two standalone images and placed them side by side... An uniced cake is likely to be a dry block of bread-like substance. Its edible, it has taste, but theres no 'wow'. Its subsistence, not extravagance... Hence the expression 'thats the icing on the cake' - it's what really 'makes' your day. I hear your point about not noticing the theme for Shockwave - part of that may be because it wasn't important to you, but part of that was because they did a piss-poor job at theming it (painted woodchips anyone?). Take a look at Aussie World's Redback (a similar model from the same manufacturer) and you'll see some great theming, with a full lighting-package included. All this from a third-rate park trying to improve itself. but compare shockwave to batwing (which I'll admit is one of MW's most poorly themed rides). We still have 'bat-vehicles' around, and in alignment with the justice league compound, it's not hard to visualise you're in 'superhero' area... green lantern, JL3d, Superman - even Arkham around the corner with Batman standing atop of it... Even though the area straddles main street and the fountain, it's still a clear 'superhero' zone. My only disappointment in MW's theming is that you exit 'Spooky Island's Spooky Coaster' in a western area. I would have loved if Boot Hill was made into more of a tropical island feel on one side (similar to the scenes on the Quad Bike in the movie), with the associated western area still reflected on the other side - maybe divided by a hedge or other thick bush. That said, on the topic of MW's theming - it is obvious effort has been put into the blank wall blocking chinatown off from Main Street, as the panels are aligned matching with the bank - but it's still just a blank wall - even Sea World's 'green bush' wraps on their construction fences had more effort put in. I realise the gates are in use and all - but can't they turn that blank wall into something more? Even just a perspective wall, like the Western Saloon or Perspective Alley - just a mural that fits with the rest of the area would have been nice...

This has got to be the smartest idea i've ever seen them come up with - get your money before you see the place.... sounds smart to me... once you see it, you're unlikely to spend money...

Make up your mind. I'll take your first unsolicited statement - that only SOME areas are themed. How is a zombie invasion suited to an Ocean themed area? How is an Oil Rig suited to... I don't even know what area it's supposed to be in now. ***********BREAKING NEWS****************** Even Dreamworld have given up - There is no 'Ocean Parade' anymore. The park map shows three categories - World of Thrill, World of Family and World of Kids (plus Tiger Island and Corroborree). Dreamworld Park Map And nobody can argue that those are 'themed areas' as Shockwave, Ogre-Go-Round, Thunder River and Vintage Cars are in the 'World of Family' section, despite being in 4 different sections of the park. It's official - Dreamworld is no longer a theme park. Based on these ' Worlds ' you could sell tickets based on whether you're riding 'thrill' 'family' or 'kids' and sell wristbands like Luna Park Sydney: Unlimited Rides Pass - Yellow (130cm+) Unlimited Rides Pass - Green (106-129cm) Unlimited Rides Pass - Red (85-105cm)

We've been over this many times - but on that basis - Luna Park Melbourne would be classed as a theme park. Dreamworld having 'some themed areas' does not make it a theme park. Having 'all themed areas' would.

It wouldn't be too difficult for a community like this to affect statistics like that very quickly though.

Yeah but adding it on to PC would require an associated uplift in cost. Right now PC is great for a 'touch of aussie farm life' for foreign tourists. PC would end up becoming the poor cousin to an entirely different experience, and would be lost quickly. No - theres plenty of land around there for them to do something spectacular without encroaching on the other parks. Draw a diagram and right now the VRTP land at Oxenford has WnW, AOS, the Studios and MW in a line along the highway - then theres a big land buffer between those three, and PC, only some of which is used for pastures for AOS. Rather than tack something onto an existing park - i think the 'Separate gate' suggestion by Joz is horrible in Sea World, but has real promise out the back at Oxenford. Whilst we've all said the GC wouldn't support another theme park that offers the same thing, Wild is something different to everything that is out there at the moment. For such a unique experience, wouldn't a separate gate be worth it (provided some provisions for passholders [even expensive ones] were made?) Think Disney's Animal Kingdom or Singapore Zoo??? This would also add yet another element to the Oxenford Studios offering to bring more film companies to our shores...

^ So that settles it. Amusement park it is!

I think part of their problem 'down under' with a seasonal theme park is that their staff don't have anywhere else to go in the off season, so you're likely to have itinerant workforce that aren't invested in the park, and don't care, because at the end of the season, they're out of a job.

I think his meaning is simply that, to be a 'theme' park, rather than an 'amusement' park, you need to have cohesive themes for each area - eg: not have Start of sarcasm high speed motorcycle roller coaster End of sarcasm next to an area themed to be a riverside backwater. V8 race cars on 'ocean parade' along with an alien>zombie skirmish The park once had cohesive themes with each ride in each area suited to that area. As things have progressed, new rides have been chosen, and then placed based on 'where they fit physically' rather than 'where they fit the theme'. For example - Tower of Terror doesn't really fit the theme of any part of the park it runs through, but it had to be placed there as it was really the only place in the park where a ride-track that length, along with all the associated infrastructure, and not be in a position that would upset animals... Many people are of the opinion that Dreamworld can no longer call themselves a theme park. That, is what he meant.

Wow Joz, You have an incredible imagination! Such wild and fanciful suggestions...