DaptoFunlandGuy

on the contrary, by all accounts this is one helluva soaking on this ride, so i'd definitely want a dry, safe place to put my stuff.

Well - you'd have to take out the 'coaster' part... but I guess it's doable. If the train had it's own propulsion drive wheels, it could drive slowly around the track, descend slowly etc, and on thrillseeker mode it could drive at high speed and let gravity take it's course on the downhills... kind of.... peoplemoverish. Yeah. Not going to happen.

I'm happy to admit if i'm wrong, but I call bullshit on this one. I just don't see how the laws of physics would work here - unless their can was too big to fit through the chute...

If we're keeping to their spending habits, ToT won't get a new car. If it were do-able, they could attach the original car onto the front of the other one with an X-car type linkage, but the problem is to get the speed up, the current propulsion system just won't cut it - therefore you're essentially requiring the entire ride drive system to be replaced - so you might as well buy a new ride... because that won't be in a reno budget. Both suggestions so far have identified two of the "newest" rides in dreamworld (with ToT2 only coming out of refurb a couple years ago). If anything needs a retheme in DW, right now it would have to be MDMC - throw in an extra set of kicker wheels halfway round the track (hell - install a NOS button or something for them to hit that kicks it up a notch) so the ride actually has some speed... then install an extra set of brakes to handle it. I know it isn't easy to retrofit a second launch in, but minor track modification would permit the installation of a 'kicker' piece. My other choice would be to install a second block and another train on Cyclone. I don't think anything more needs to be said on that. I realise it doesn't get the queues it used to, so there may not be much point to it now, but perhaps along with it they could revamp it somewhat - give it a tunnel or two to roar through. Maybe give people on the slide towers a water cannon to fire at people (while allowing for the inevitable corrosion that would result)... at least give people something different to make them re-ride it again...

I'm amazed how much construction went by here without being noticed - it seems like it was just last week the DA was identified...

That's fine. You've made it clear that your mind won't be influenced by anyone using logic and reason. Apparently that only works for 'dodgy sales guys' taking advantage of 'dumb tourists'. I just want to ensure theres a voice of reason out there. Your aim was to 'get the message out to everyone'. My aim was to ensure that message was balanced by logic and reason that any reasonable person would understand, and then take on both viewpoints to be assured that while some people obviously dislike how they do business, that there is a logical and legitimate explanation for a lot of the issues you raise, and that they aren't really deserving to be called parasites, liars, thieves or worse. So now that we've both said our piece - and apparently both achieved our aims - i'll do you a deal - agree to disagree? i'll stop if you do? Otherwise if you persist in pushing and belaboring a point you feel you've already made (and repeated several times without regard for the opposing argument) i'll have to likewise show the flaws in your arguments further.

Turbine? That's in the wrong park! Turbines are strictly Dreamworld affair! I must say I love these new quad copter cams that are popping up everywhere. It used to be aerial footage had to be shot by a chopper with the camera hanging out the side. THey'll be able to get some nice close up aerials with the quad copter! Inside the port hole looks interesting

I must disagree - excluding Sea World loses out on major attractions that far exceed that at Dreamworld - Jet Rescue vs. MDMC, Viper vs. Cyclone. If you're talking 'quantity' of rides, then fair enough, but Quality? You've skipped out on a handful of top quality attractions. Just my opinion, nothing more.

More rumor, but hard to be wrong... if Sea World have said 'Early December' - then the next two weeks would be a given - after that it wouldn't be 'early' december... it'd just be december.

You have admitted you did not attend the presentation, so your statement that it runs for 3-4 hours is second hand from someone else who did. For all you know, they didn't have a watch, and while it 'felt' like 3-4 hours, it was only 90 minutes. Or maybe at 90 minutes they told everyone that that was the end of the spiel, but if they wanted more info, to stick around, and that took another 90 minutes? WHo knows? Not you because you weren't there. You haven't offered up your experience, you've offered up your opinion. there is a big difference. And yet - you still show no evidence of anyone being FORCED to pay money for a product they don't want. You're in sales - have you ever taken someone's credit card out of their wallet and charged a whole bunch of stock to the card without the customer agreeing? No - because they would stop you. You seem to have it in your head that these guys exercise some sort of 'mind control' over these poor unsuspecting park guests, and somehow get them to do things they do not want to do. Several people around here know a guy named Tony Laffan (congrats on the bubba by the way). He's a hypnotist, who does both comedy hypnotism to promote his skills(gets you to walk around like a duck etc) as well as therapy hypnotism for things like quitting smoking. The first thing he will tell you is that he can't make anyone do anything they don't want to do. Even under hypnosis, your subconscious has to be willing to do the things he is suggesting. All contracts are required to have a cooling off clause - a period of time where either party can terminate the agreement without prejudice. I'd like you to point me to someone who: Is a member of holiday club, didn't want to be from the start, never actually wanted to be, doesn't want to continue; but, continues to pay them money. You don't like their sales tactics, and as a salesperson yourself you feel embarassed that a very good sales person convinced you to part with $20 of your own money, but the fact is, you did - and you're angry at yourself that you fell for the sales pitch... but thats all it is - it's a sales pitch. it's not a scam, it's not a lie. It's a legitimately registered business running a legitimate promotion. Theres a reason the nigerian scammers are in nigeria. Theres a reason the 'Windows support team' scammers aren't in Australia. Because anyone running anything from a base IN AUSTRALIA that does not conform with Australian Consumer Law will very quickly be shut down or brought up on charges - especially an organisation as prominent and bold as one that would stand waving fliers in your faces in a theme park, and holding weekly "information sessions" in hotel conference rooms... gee, they'd be hard to track down if they were doing something illegal wouldn't they??? You seem confused that we don't believe you, and can't understand why we're "against" your opinion. You're using inflammatory language to cast dispersions against this apparently legitimate company. You've done so with no proof. You've been asked for proof, and given none - just more stories and explanation. ....now we aren't a court of law, but all you've given me was a story with no backing. It's like me saying: You see? Theres no proof in me telling you that story. What would prove it was a photo of me accepting the keys from an employee of holiday club - this would be actual evidence of the transaction. I have worked in the Banquets Events division of a large hotel. I've seen how much room charges are to hire. I can tell you the hotel function rooms on the gold coast aren't exactly cheap, but more importantly - if you want to know how long they PLAN for these information things to run - look at the events board at the front of the hotel - where it says something like "ballroom 1 - 9am to 10:30am - Holiday Club information session". If they planned for it to run for four hours, then the info board would be displayed by the hotel as "9am to 1pm"... unless you're going to claim that the hotel chains involved in hosting these info sessions are 'in on it' in which case the conspiracy just gets far too big, and it's time for you to put your tin foil hat on because the government organisation knows where you are and what you're thinking and they're coming for you!!! *spooky noises* Conspiracy theorists unite! Dyslexics untie!

I think i'd prefer the Hair Raiser in Gazza's shot to the one presently being installed at LPS - but beggars can't be choosers!

Of course embellishment is the nature of PR people - however Dreamworld had a say in this advertisement too... you don't think the wording wouldn't have been haggled over and agreed to, so that one group didn't get an unfair advantage in the advertisements over the other? 7 December is a good target based on the 'early' or 'very early' statements. the weekend after that is 'mid december'. Of course, nothing says the opening day has to be a weekend, and it may be smart to soft open on a weekday so you have less crowds to manage the ride through it's paces as a rehearsal for the weekend rush - but for some reason, VRTP likes to open it's rides on the busiest day possible (boxing day for some rides in the past), so why not a saturday, rather than a thursday?

Sorry to harp - Brad the best way you can get a feel for 'who's who in the zoo' is to check out both their post count, and how long they've been a member. If they're at 1000 posts and they've been a member for a year - they have too much time on their hands. If they've got 1500 posts and they've been a member since 2003/4, chances are they aren't yanking your chain. If a 13 year old (now) has been a member since 2003... he learned to type very early on in life!!! Onto the model type - the pic of the tower with the ball on top does imply some great lighting opportunities. the ball at the top in itself lends itself to some wonderful 'lightshow' opportunities - searchlights anyone? This will really: make the park more noticeable from across the water other end of the harbour piss off the residents at the top of the cliff who have a court judgment saying LPS can do what LPS wants to do (pretty much) tie in with harbour-based nighttime events (like NYE) where they could use it as part of the show (justsayin)

I'm pretty sure, since Pandamonium doesn't 'free spin' like say - the old pirate ship - that the drive is a geared one - therefore if the drive failed stopped seized, it would hold in position, wouldn't it?

I think if the target demographic is locals, then December is the better late night trade - as most people don't go away until AFTER christmas. January is the time most families etc go away, and who wants to holiday in Eastern Creek? I think thats more the point of the January trading hours. That said they'll probably adjust as demand appears. I will say though - that Fred (like many other passholders) will be getting very upset right now, about a product they purchased in advance, sight unseen, after accepting all the terms and conditions. It's like buying an apartment in a high-rise 'off the plan' before ground has even been broken. You do so at your own risk - you've agreed to the terms and conditions, knowing full well that: a) the park was a seasonal park and would fluctuate it's operating schedule from year to year like ANY park, operating hours (and attraction operating hours inside the park) are subject to change without notice. Potentially, if you're unhappy with this Fred, you can seek a refund for item not as described, and at this stage, they'd probably give it to you. But no doubt, you will choose to accept these terms and hours, and continue to use the pass, in which case you probably aren't THAT unhappy about Western Sydney finally having a source of entertainment for 6 months of the year. Enjoy the park Fred.

It's not the first time a long-standing member on these boards has predicted the future well in advance of when the park would have even made a decision on it - good job Gazza.

I think this is the best way to look at it though - This is Australia's first 'WaterCoaster'. We've all seen flumes, we've all seen Roller-Coasters, but this is the first time Australia has seen a Roller Coaster that is also a Flume! As an Australian First, it's justifiably Australia's Greatest Coaster yet. As has already been said in this very thread, the title is subjective, so different people will have a different view, but it's not unreasonable to apply the title to the ride. It's not like they took a slow-ass totally yawn worthy family coaster and tried to call it a 'big thrill' ride now, is it? Nobody is claiming Storm to be 'most thrilling' or 'highest' or 'fastest' - just 'greatest' and the very nature of the title means you can't say they're wrong. You can disagree with them, but its just opinion, so nobody is right. I guarantee you all of these parks have collaborated on the content of the advertisement. They all chipped in money, they all support it. the wording would have been very carefully chosen and agreed to by all parties, so let's not blame 'the government' for everything. If they weren't all in agreeance with the finished product, it wouldn't be promoted and on-air right now.

RENEW! RENEW!

If you're visiting during either NSW or QLD school holidays, it is likely all the majors will be open, barring unforseen problems that cannot be avoided. Outside those times, it's useful to know what the history of the attractions are - I recall someone pointing out a while ago that VRTP (movie world, sea world and wet n wild) usually have a set calendar for maintainence where the same attraction goes down at the same time every year (again, barring unforseen circumstances)... so maybe if you look at the 2013 calendar, it might help figure out whats likely to be down at that time next year? (Of course, Storm cannot be relied upon yet - new openings may have unforseen problems which take them down almost immediately. In some cases these types of issues can be ongoing for months - ala Universal Singapore's duelling coaster whose name escapes me right now.)

i'd say there was a 'potentially' classified part of the post in that he confirmed it is staying permanently. Thats the only thing I could see being 'restricted' in that everything else is blatantly obvious to the entire bloody harbour... And even then - permanent or temporary, it's good to see LPS is putting in something new, so who cares either way it's something they're actually promoting... which has been a long time coming. Nothing makes Bussy special over anyone else on the site - however he is quite a long standing member of this site, and rarely comes on with 'OMG YOU GUYZ WUNT BLEAV DIS! kinda stuff. Certain people - especially those who are new or have a poor reputation for posting crap1 will always be challenged or questioned. Bussy has always been a wealth of information, and has always observed any relevant 'secrecy' requirements imposed by the parks he has associated with. If Bussy says it, i'm inclined to give his statement the respect and attention he has earned on these boards as I find it extremely unlikely that he would ever steer us wrong. 1(Those who remember 'shifty' or 'nightshifter' would know what i'm talking about. These days it would be the RWC equivalent.)

It is never a ride-op's decision in that regard. The manufacturer imposes restrictions and requirements on 'launch-enable' that are programmed into the ride's computer system. If these restrictions are exceeded or requirements not met, the op doesn't get the correct 'light' on their panel, and any attempt to dispatch the ride whilst not meeting those requirements just simply won't work. I took trip to Sea World in San Diego recently (I also saw some in SFMM) where there were TV screens in the station house facing the loaders, giving a visual Red Green light for EACH and EVERY harness. If one wasn't locked in to the required degree, the loaders knew exactly who needed fitting. Ops will try their very best to fit you in, which may sometimes result in some discomfort as they give your harness a little shove. BuzzSaw is very forgiving in that area. I have family members that carry most weight in the stomach and behind, and are able to load fairly easily. I've ridden BuzzSaw at 120KG and i'm 6 foot, so I don't imagine size wise theres much difference in the extra 10kg. If you're fairly 'moveable' in the stomach, try lifting it a little. The harness needs to lock over your hips so if your stomach comes over the top of that it won't matter. I should add, i've never had a problem loading into BuzzSaw (as a matter of fact never had a problem loading into anything except Eureka Mine Ride), so BuzzSaw should be fine.

For starters, your continued implication that organisations such as Holiday Club are 'scammers' or 'liars' without offering up any evidence or proof that this is true. I can easily go onto a website associated or affiliated with your employer business social group and start saying things that you have said, calling key members of the organisation liars or thieves or scammers and not offering up a shred of proof. And if these claims or statements were found to be untrue, that organisation would be well within their rights to lay charges against me for slander. I'm only holding you to the same civil standard of proof as your 'crusade' to make sure people are 'aware' should contain facts, rather than opinions. One mans scam is another man's opportunity. And for the final time, I re-state to you - i am not affiliated with them in any way. I work for a government organisation that cannot take action without facts to back them up.

I guess the trick with HK is to engage the local authorities and get them to pave the way for you - as Disney did (the HK authorities own around half the park from memory)...

^That's a very RWC'ish thing to say... It's a big assumption to make. It'd be nice if it were a good quality drop tower rather than a traveller - hopefully its a long lasting addition to a park that sorely needs it.

I don't really think so - consider this - a single day ticket is an anonymous purchase, and you're only in the park for the day. Where the parks make their real money is in repeat visit and marketing. If you buy a VIP pass (which you will, because it's better value than a single day ticket), the park gets your name, address, email address etc - which they can then use to add to their marketing base. On top of that, the pass means you can re-enter more than once - and buy more food, merchandise, lockers... etc. It's not weird, it's smart.