DaptoFunlandGuy

No, i don't work for them These people don't cost you anything, unless you choose to give them your time. They are a revenue source. Without them paying for the privilege of being in the park, either something becomes more expensive, or you lose something else to compensate. It's not naive - what do you think they're doing with the money they're making off these guys? Making a pile to swim in like scrooge mcduck? 'little ol sea world is a theme park. Disney is a theme park. The level of immersion and investment is the only difference. Both are tourism destinations, and both are therefore the optimal market for holiday clubs. to want to make money for your business isn't greedy - it's good business. They won't get any money out of you unless you want to give it to them, so your point is flawed. Is it the correct way to go about it? Apparently yes - because it's what they're doing. I'm not suggesting they AREN'T making memories or happiness - but this is their chosen way to MAKE MONEY. If what they're doing isn't making money, they won't be in business very long. Their aim is to fulfill a market want in the tourism industry. Aint nobody gunna operate a ride without getting paid - and the park won't either. Your last sentence doesn't even make sense, but at the very least - Sea World and Movie World don't HAVE tiger cubs. Of course that wasn't your point but i'm not sure what it was. If it's uninteresting, don't read it. I tried to bullet point my responses to keep things brief for you, since it was such an issue. There are a lot of things in the parks that aren't exactly a 'good thing'. I personally don't like the hawkers in the show arenas (at either park) walking up and down the aisles shouting "POPCORN! - GET YOUR HOT BUTTERY POPCORN!"... especially when I happen to be walking right in front of them and cop an earful - but the kid is just doing his job, and it's something the park wants him her to do. Some people in the arena will benefit from the offering, having not had anything to eat and decide to buy an overpriced cup of the stuff (I do like a cup every now and again but usually buy it before entering the arena). Point is - holiday club isn't for everyone... and their marketing tactics may not be to everyone's tastes, but I don't see ACA chasing them around with cameras, so the people they convince to sign up must be happy with their choices. Nobody is holding a gun to their head. I've acknowledged several times that these guys aren't the most pleasant part of a visit to the park, and that they can be annoying, but I take issue with someone who chooses to call them parasites or con men, accuses them of "pestering", or attempting to sell "time share junk", to claim that these people "assaulted" and "accosted" them is a gross misrepresentation of what these people are allowed to do within the parks... and given the response from Guest Relations it confirms that they were not 'pestered' 'assaulted' or 'accosted' because if in fact they were, the complaint would have definitely gone further.

... not far from my prediction... they were a little more upfront about the money than I thought.

Belinda Brown will probably say something like:

I'm betting the DW audience will be the smallest group out of the lot.

"Summer2013" Means "we dont know precisely when it will open due to possible setbacks or issues found during testing, so by saying 'summer' we can essentially open it anywhere between the beginning of December and the end of February, but considering it should have opened in September, and we've also put off 'Wild!' another year, you'd wanna hope whenever we open it, it'll be the best damn attraction in the country you've ever seen!!!"

they take the school trainees and orientate them? Seriously though - its a welcome, tell you about what you'll be doing, show you around, fill out the necessary paperwork, put you through the typical 'welcome to the company, here's how we work, and here's how we expect you to work...' etc etc... It's day one, and they want you to come back, so they'll be making things a bit 'fun'. Expect to see inside the dank corridors of the old great gremlins adventure, and into the training room. A bit of a back of house tour through old china town alley, and probably a ride or two if they have time. Reminds me of my first day at Wonderland.

of course, it doesn't help when the dispatch conveyor gets the tube stuck a little on the exit... the operator has to tell you to wriggle from side to side to get moving.

I believe when channel 10 ended the contract with Southern Star, they immediately entered discussions with other syndications. Dreamworld didn't do anything with the land because they were keen to sign on with whichever syndicate signed on. Had the deals fallen through, i'm sure we'd have seen the land used for other purposes, but for now, DW can't expand towards the house whilst it's still viable - and this year's season proved it still is. yes, that was a rumor I heard also. i'm still 50/50 on it, but it was unusual for them to drop the live feed for the weekend, and their explanations were a little weak. I'm sure the truth will come out eventually if anything did happen... long after everyone has forgotten who Ed and Justynn are, at which point noone will care except the magazines offering them money for the story.

I've never said they're a positive addition to our parks, but they are a fact of life in the parks - our parks profit from them being there (positive) we all find them vaguely annoying (negative). The things that escape most people's attention is that the parks are a business - and they're in business to make money, not memories or happiness. Disney included. As for the vacation club, you might think they belong outside the escalators at woolies, but the fact is they don't. You don't market bagged ice in Alaska, and you certain don't try and sell sand to a jamaican. A business selling shares in holiday apartments is best suited to be in a tourist attraction to have the best chance of selling to their target market. It's simple economics. These guys have identified their best chance of success lies in signing up holiday makers visiting the parks, so thats where they set up shop. Each organisation involved in the transaction profits from it, and while i'm sure the money made from these guys won't buy a new coaster, every little bit of revenue helps keep prices down elsewhere. Who wants to pay $25 for a burger meal and $15 for a bucket of popcorn?

Be aware that just because you get the job, doesn't mean your standards can slip. Most parks have fairly standard dress code policies, and if you don't comply with them, you can be terminated for not fitting the description.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a fact of being in the tourism industry that you're going to partner up with other tourism style operations for mutual benefit. The parks will most definitely profit handsomely for allowing this group a very restricted floorspace within the park - probably moreso than dogtag machines which might bring in money, but only if they're used. Disney does the same thing in their parks - pushing the Disney Vacation Club. Some of the other chains like SeaWorldBusch also have these kinds of folk in them. Point is - nothing they're doing is illegal, and the park has given their blessing on the matter. If you disagree with it - fine, but you can't change it, and so long as the relationship is profitable for both parties, it will continue... Richard you say they are one rung above pyramid schemes in terms of legitimacy - fact is pyramid schemes aren't legal, and these guys are. As for 'implying they've won great prizes', Reader's Digest (a long standing and legitimate publication) frequently posts me a cheque for several million dollars, with fine print attached. If people are dumb enough to think they're getting something for nothing, fine. So they turn up for their free hotel room and then get told they have to spend 90 minutes listening to a sales pitch? Small price to pay. All the terms and conditions are there for people to read - if they don't read them - tough shit. As I said - if you don't wish to interact with them - ignore them - or give them a simple no thanks. My personal favourite is when they say "hey guys, can I talk to you for a second?" - I go "sure", wait for 'a second', then say "times up!" and walk off. These guys get rejected a thousand times a day. They aren't going to cry in their cornflakes if you ignore them... Next people will say the parks should get rid of 'win a prize' games which are just as much of a scam as the holiday club is (which is to say, they aren't.)

Yes - what is Ja'mie?

Really? Quindon Tarver from 14 years ago was enjoyable?

Queensland doesn't currently have 'water restrictions' as such (we've been flooded the past few years) but overall water saving is a wise thing to do. Since they're spraying it in people's faces, and it's being breathed in, I would suggest the water isn't recycled, and is fresh from the town supply. Cyclone was never thunderbolt - they are two very different coasters that just happen to occupy a similar chunk of land. The flowrider shop is actually where the old Thunderbolt station used to be. DW have certainly made headway into improving the look and navigation of the park, but it is still sorely lacking. The opening hours have long been lamented, especially the later open earlier close hours. Not much you can do about it - its a cost cutting measure, especially out of peak periods, and it does make commercial sense. Queue wise you're always going to hit a queue in dreamworld due to inefficiencies and poor capacity on their attractions... by the sounds of things you got through a fair whack of rides though so it musn't have been too bad. Believe me if you went on Buzzsaw three times in a short space of time, Pandamonium and Wipeout aren't really much of a bother. With hydrocoaster, i'm pretty sure the safety system won't allow a dispatch until the tube in front clears the block in front - just like a coaster it does use a block monitoring system (i think?) and won't allow an operator to dispatch in case a tube valleys (which is why there are escape hatches at the bottom). Overall it sounds just about what Dreamworld should be.

But that's just it, isn't it? Everything at the park comes with a price - and these guys holding prime position in a tourist hot spot would be paying handsomely for the privilege. It's either a revenue stream (like the dog-tag machines and skill games), or VRTP is getting 'in kind benefits' from the company promoting it. Make them go away and something else has gotta give - less money in the pot, or (in the case of in kind benefits) more money spent from the pot to pay for the things they got for free. I've seen these Jokers at MW and SW. I would hazard a guess at SW's location (apart from it being convenient) being the bottleneck everyone hates so much forcing patrons to walk past them. In MW it's less prominent out near Wild West - however both locations have an assortment of barrels or benches, with the staff spruiking the product behind or beside. As far as i've ever seen, these guys don't leave their bench, or if they do, they're only allowed perhaps a metre away from it. I'm sure someone with a little more knowledge of VRTP could shed more light on it, but I don't take people seriously if they claim to have been 'accosted' by these staff... especially 3 times in one park in one day. Fact of the matter is that if you don't wish to be troubled by them, you stay on the opposite side of the path, and simply ignore their attempts to engage you. It seems rough to ignore them, but if you engage with them, they'll rope you in - they're trained to do it. I spent part of my honeymoon in a time-share type accommodation provided by a family member who has shares in the program. They specifically warned me about 'free breakfasts' offered at the resort, and simply advised us to 'politely refuse'. We stayed there for a week, and were asked on check-in, again 2 days later when we requested local info at the reception desk, and a further 2 times by telephone (the phone always rang within 60 seconds of us returning to our room so they were able to tell when we were there). It's important to realise that it isn't a scam. Sure, the sales pitch isn't as upfront, but they invest a lot of money into those seminars. They usually provide a night's free accommodation, food, and sometimes credit at a local restaurant, venue or event. The cost price of that reward may not be much, but it depends on how highly you value it. 90 minutes of your time for a free night in surfer's paradise? If you had nothing better to do - why not? It's a bit like entering a competition to win a car, and then receiving spam for six months - you don't get something for nothing - theres always a catch. The program has it's benefits - but yes, those sales people are as annoying as hell. I can't speak personally for the guys in our parks, but others i've seen work on a commission basis purely of how many people they can sign up to attend.

If they're utilising the Showtime FMX guys, it won't last anywhere near 6 months. They have standing gigs with every major 'town show' in the country - from the Sydney RES to the Ekka and everything in between. No - if Showtime are involved, this is strictly a summer holiday thing and will be gone by February.

I think at this stage it may actually help them. By this stage in the game, they'd have to be done with most of the attractions - or at least the footings etc. They'd be turning to fit-out and polishing, landscaping and painting by now I would presume - most of that sort of thing can be done in the wet, and in particular - landscaping is a little easier with some dampened soil, as opposed to dried out cracked clay...

if the show was so terrible, it wouldn't rate so well and the networks would axe it. bottom line is if the house burnt down, Dreamworld would lose some capacity and revenue over summer by not being able to promote the house as a venue and an attraction, but at the end of the day, if 2014 will see another season, they have to rebuild it anyway. Channel 10 would totally revamp the house every year, whereas this year's house was very similar to last year's house, with many mostly cosmetic changes. They'd lose some equipment, and take a hit on their insurance, but the house would have been gutted and rebuilt for next year anyway.

As has been said - don't write off the golden arches. Family take-away stores don't get a favourable look-in as they can be 'friend of a friend' type references and are unreliable - but if you can last a year with the big red clown, it shows you've got commitment and determination to the task (or you really need to eat while studying at uni). I was lucky not to work at McD's, but I found my resume in early life was devoid of certain skills that employers wanted to see later. I had them, but I couldn't demonstrate them unless I got called for interview. As (i think it was) Brad said - the Maccas guys went to the top of the pile. My first five forays into the world of employment were (in order): Newspaper delivery (great exercise but lousy pay) Video Store (lasted a week but couldn't work the hours required) Bunnings (first store in NSW, with long hours and well away from public transport, but rewarding experience) IT support in local government (first office exposure) Wonderland Sydney (to this day, probably one of the best jobs I ever had). I will say my personality had a lot to do with my getting into Wonderland, but my customer interaction skills were fine-tuned by my work at Bunnings, and is what got me the interview in the first place.

No, it was about the same size it is now.

Sea World is going to get themselves in trouble with the GCCC - the third picture of the fencing shows a panel tipped sideways to block what appears to be a gateway - thereby turning the panel into a ladder to climb over the fence and into the 'pool'. I hope they have gotten their 'pool safety certificate' already - otherwise that won't pass inspection!!! Aside: yes, i know it isn't a pool. yes I know the panel is temporary, and i'm assuming will be replaced with a proper gate once it arrives. I'm just taking the piss, no need for flaming.

I personally think the drop freefall tower is a great idea. Perfectly suited to capitalise on the views of the harbour. If they get one not too high, it shouldn't impact on the residents in that area as the cliffs are still pretty high at that point, not to mention the parking structure backs most of it behind there...

It would be great if they can integrate this into the existing show a bit (they use bikes already, after all) without having to take up too much space on the skid pan with cumbersome landing ramps and such. I get that they need that kind of thing to be very specific for takeoff and landing, but the trailer and truck are fine in the middle of a showground during cracker night - they are ill suited to 'little italy' in HSD.

I did try to warn you on the 'umm' situation. Good on you for getting a new shirt, and practising some questions beforehand. I must admit, i'm with Brad - those questions (or that type of question) is pretty standard for a customer service position - they're so basic I don't use them anymore when i'm involved in recruitment. That said - it's pretty clear that this was your first interview, and nobody could have prepared you for every possible question you'd get your first time. Interviews are as much about experience as they are about getting the job. You say 'next year', but why not 'next week' ? Apply for jobs elsewhere. If you're entering the workforce for the first time you aren't going to land that glamorous job you've always wanted on your first attempt - go out, work hard and get dirty. Despite never working there myself, I've always had a lot of respect for Maccas staff who lasted a year or more... Most places hiring juniors aren't interested in experience - thats where you get it - so make enquiries at those 'youth employment' employers like McD's (and other fast food)... but don't go past other big-box places like Bunnings. If this kind of work is beneath you, then you will probably be unemployed for a while... but if you can get into a job that isn't glamorous, exposes you to customers (and customer service) then the next time someone asks you what a customer would expect from you when they complained, you'll know the answer because you'll probably have dealt with it previously. Above all though, as a few have stated to you already - you need to exude confidence as best as you can. At that target age group, they know they're going to get a few nervous people that fluff the interview (and if you haven't had a rejection from them yet, i wouldn't write your interview off just yet... you never know what they might have seen in you), but those who come across as confident (not cocky) are more likely to impress them.

Ah, but when calm, the water is equalised. When waves are in operation, it doesn't go from a 1m calm height to 3 metres high. Theory of relativity - every action has an equal and opposite reaction - so it is possible that the ebb could go as low as 1 foot, and as high as 6 foot(ish), which means you aren't far off the "2 metre" mark. Yes the figures aren't quite right, but you get the idea. *Where 'D' is still water height, and (as Bussy said) the 'height' of the wave is measured at 'H'