DaptoFunlandGuy

Getting off-topic, Gazza, i'm surprised to not have any comment from you about the game on the weekend - it's been a while has it not? Although i suppose there aren't many AFL fans around these boards...

well - Ours did worse than blowing off, it got blown over itself (twice) so it was a quarter the size of the pool, and floating dead in the middle of it, with a mountain of dust piled into the middle of it.

But even if there was a rotating roster, that would be several hundred staff, and they would likely be the ones to do the busy weekend shifts on fri and saturday night.

Have been hit by the dust 4 times now - once earlier in the week in Brisbane, then hit on fri\sat at Coffs coast, then another on the way back north earlier today, and arrived home to a dust blanket on everything we had cleaned from earlier in the week. Our BLUE pool blanket is ORANGE (and it was a hell of a job lifting it off the pool without letting all the scungy water fall into the pool).

Yep, can't think of a WVTP property that has performers, technicians, chefs, ticketing staff, security, as well as food and beverage staff that can serve a meal in less than 5 minutes to several hundred (several thousand?) people...

Bring back the Ski Stars, let them create a new show while the lake is "closed" and open it up for christmas - let them come up with stuff other than just skiing, get the stunt guys in from the old PASS to come and work with them, and create something that involves the ship - does anyone remember the swashbuckling show done lakeside at wonderland? THAT is a worthwhile show (although some additional guys running around on jetskis and ski-boats would modernise it) We've all seen the news stories about modern pirates hijacking cruise ships etc... why not modernise it?

I know what you mean. I know what you mean. But for a personal pizza - IN A THEME PARK, and considering what the other stuff costs you, this is about the same pricing as any other meal combo in the park, so it's not unreasonable, nor overpriced. It's just another menu option. simple as that.

No, can't say that I have, but is there a real need to quote post the entire trip report just to reply? it's not like the bits you were responding to were 50 posts back and hard to find, and you didn't single out the individual parts you responded to either - it's just one big block of the exact same thing we saw moment earlier, above your own post... what a waste!

Sounds like the potential for a rehash of the Big Brother Studios and friday night live or similar. Bet you any money its channel 10.

I was aware that they don't have a store in Minchinbury, Bussy, however, their Sargents rd head office has been there since 2003. My sister works in their buying department, and I had presumed that Minchinbury was where they had started out. It turns out we are both mistaken, as the original registered place of business for Aldi was actually SHOP 206 661 GEORGE ST SYDNEY, followed shortly thereafter by 326 FOREST RD HURSTVILLE NSW 2220. I will stress that this is only the principal place of business, and there were likely other retail locations out there, but the addresses above are the first and principal places of registered business, in April 1999. But my original point, as far as the demographics that they go after, with the exception of the george st location, is that they primarily target that demographic. Substitute the word minchinbury up there with Bankstown, or Hurstville or fairfield (another principal location on a later application) and it still all fits with that demographic. Sure, they are in more affluent areas now, but that is because the affluent areas demanded the same offerings that were available in the less affluent areas.

Joz, with august gone, and september almost there, You're running out of time to come up with September's quote of the month....

I think DW security has been watching too much Law and Order..... And how many guys do they need anyway? Would have been a great time to go and rip off the merch stores - all the guards are in one place, and response time would be pretty pathetic.

I'm inclined, since the skate park is for the skate heads, the council may have allowed them to tag it as they wished. Our local council did the same thing a while back - Created a skate park that had walls around the outside, and the council opened it up to freely tag where it wasn't clearly visible from the outside. It doesn't stop all graffiti, but when you give taggers a place to do it, it does minimise the damage done elsewhere. Personally, I like the idea that some of the business owners back in Penrith had - on the railway lines, they had concrete walls facing out, with their business logo and contact details on it, but lower (head height or so) they got professional graffiti artists to come out, and do murals and such. FOr some stupid reason, while taggers will deface anything and everything, they won't spray over another person's graffiti... and those walls have stayed relatively pristine since the work was done...

I was just reading the fine print on the VIP ticket issued by MyFun.com.au. I've bolded the interesting bit: I'm curious, as nowhere on this ticket does it say "The standard terms and conditions of entry, as varied from time to time are available at the gate, and also apply to this ticket" or something to that effect. So essentially - I have purchased a ticket that says the conditions or purchase and entry prohibit commercial quantities, and commercially prepared food. Nowhere does it say that if they subsequently change their mind on their food policy, that it affects the ticket that I bought. Also, this ticket was purchased AFTER the announcement of the new food policy... So it's not my problem if they didn't amend the terms when they changed their policy... I will be bringing whatever I please in terms of "home made", and if they try to tell me I can't, their own terms and conditions are against them.

Oh geez Rappa, now you're past the halfway point, 26 is now just a mad rush blur downhill from here - You old SOB. Hope its a good one, and don't get too plastered (until after 9am anyway)

Broader entertainment experience at Dreamworld? what drugs are you on?

Particularly if you pick up the Q4U at Dreamworld (obviously theres no need if it isn't busy). Nev is spot on though - DW has the bigger and the faster, but their capacity on a busy day sucks, and can drain away your whole day in queues if you don't plan well.

This is true, however, the whole thing behind a Disney experience was that the creativity behind it wasn't limited by budgets and shareholders when it was first established. This was the dream from the get-go, the way business was done, and so they're unlikely to change now, and if they do, they'll quickly change back. The same applies for these two groups in Aus. They didn't start out with the dream that Walt did. Like everything else, it was started as an ideal way to make money, and the Shareholders aren't about to sit on an investment that won't make money for 10 years while it gets it's dream realised. They'll dump the stock so fast that the banks will drop them too, and without money, they can't very well build the dream. Stagger it, you say? Sure, but in the meantime, you have to raise prices to compensate for your increased expenditure, and without a full-park offering of quality, people will vote with their wallets for the sake of one attraction, and again, you're back to square one. Most people would say that a higher gate price for a better attraction would be ok - but consider this for a moment: Hypothetically, MW contracts to build Australia's first B&M. It's going to be a world first, unique, one of a kind, never before seen in the world design that will blow your mind. It will be entirely disneyfied - themed to the enth degree with an immersive storyline. Cost is US$100M (So let's just arguably adjust for foreign exchange and say AU$150M for round figures. This is based on the cost of Everest, for example) With an average AU$10M cost per annual "Aussie E-ticket" attraction, thats 15 years at current gate prices before we'd need another. If we're going to make the whole park like that.......? Never happen - couldn't happen. Simple as that.

How Krispy Kremes are made Donut Wiki Interesting though that the american company Krispy Kreme spells it Doughnut though, don't you think? I think the issue here is in the description - Hatter describes what is typically called a cake donut - your typical bakery \ donut king cinnamon styled donut (whether it is actually cinnamon or not). Whereas I am describing a Yeast Donut, typically larger, utilising yeast to make it lighter and fluffier. KK also use Dough, as in Doughnut, as opposed to the Batter that hatter refers to. The problem is that the typical dutch doughnut WAS a yeast donut, and WAS proofed prior to frying (whether you call it a proofing oven, or a proofing box, or just a proofer it doesn't matter. Pie Warmers are also called Pie Ovens, and serve the same purpose - controlled heat and humidity. If we're going to fuss that they don't get as hot as an oven, then kilns shouldn't be called pottery ovens, and Skoda's shouldn't be called cars). Active yeasts don't require proofing, but you still get a better result if you do, as the dough - of any baked product - is less rubbery, more fluffy. Donuts are also not deep fried. The oil pans usually used to cook donuts are several inches deep, but this is only to maintain the oil temperature without the need for constant heating. Donuts can be fried in a frying pan with the same result, and a lot less oil. And FYI - most "bakers" can make what their franchisee tells them to make. And if they are family owned (are there still any out there?) then they've made it the same way their parents did before them, and will only accept their way as the right way regardless of what anyone else does. And FYI - i'm open to there being more than one way to make a donut. Are You? And FYI - depending on the reference that you cite, the origins of a donut aren't known, with several different historical references out there And FYI - these little FYI's are annoying, and condescending, aren't they?

I never said "the only way". I said very few business survive with that mentality. There is going to be an exception or two in any industry who do it differently, and make it work for them. One such company was one I used to work for, who advertised "XXXXXX won't be beaten on price" absolutely everywhere. But the minute an issue with the pricing came up (the major products did not have a price tag), the sales staff were trained to sell "the XXXXXX difference", which included many additional extras that the other guys couldn't offer. Having said that, if the customer walked because they were choosing the cheaper price, the salesperson would still knock the price down, sometimes keeping the extras thrown in, to get the sale and stop it walking out the door. Convenience is another issue as well. Gazza you said you bought an iPod - let's throw back to the days when Apple had price control across all their stockists - would you have bought from the same "fast food" style store? That isn't a straight yes or no - it depends - was there a closer store that stocked it? Easier to get to? Better staff service? Less popular therefore less busy, and therefore quicker to get served? Better returns policy in case something goes wrong? There are some exceptions to what I am saying, but the examples you used of cars, theme parks and hotels doesn't work - because they are industries that get quite competitive, and WILL fiddle the pricing, either on request, or each time their competitor does. No Gazza, I don't think i'm confusing anything. When I referred to the Disney experience, I wasn't talking just about the additional efforts on theming and special detailed touches, that makes the "setting" better, just that you pay a premium for Disney because Disney is a completely different product to Six Flags. It's as simple as the difference between a FUN park and a THEME park. Six Flags is a FUN park. Sure, they theme things reasonably, but nothing is cohesive throughout the park (except the local wildlife and trees). You can't confuse those two products because it's like having a roast chicken versus a roast turkey - there are similarities on first inspection, but very little as your carve further. As to MW and DW, at the moment, the product offering is similar. They both have things for kids, things for teens and adrenalin junkies, and things for adults, parents and the young at heart. There used to be an easy difference between the two parks, but that border is becoming less distinct, and this is why the price wars are going on with them - because people will go to whichever park is cheapest, to get relatively the same experience. Now some would say that since DW is offering something better (eg: no blackouts and 12 months from day of purchase rather than a set expiry), however the issue is that they have made this decision AFTER the consumers have made their purchases at the other guy's gate. And those consumers made that decision because MW was the cheapest offering. It was also a special offer which created an urgency about the purchase. Now that DW is making this offering, I can see some people purchasing both, others purchasing this one who for whatever reason do view DW over MW, but for the most part, a lot of VIP holders will say "we've already got the VIP pass, we don't need another one". Gazza, I think we may need to agree to disagree.

Go back to the original KK store opening in Penrith, NSW, where people camped for weeks waiting for the store to open. Where the hot light did not turn off for 3 MONTHS straight (except for cleaning and oil change). Where the Country express trains leaving Penrith for the City was packed with commuters who had bought SHOPPING TROLLEYS FULL of boxed Dozen original glazed or krispy assorted (and these were people who wouldn't even look sideways at an ordinary donut shop). Where the queues ran round the block, round the clock, and the last 200 metres before the doors were enclosed in those big marquee tents (and still damn cold in the winter) Krispy Kreme - the first donut store with a drive through. And KK are "doughy" - "fluffy on the inside" and "crisp on the outside" umm... hello? KRISPY KREME, not to mention, that you are obviously referring only to the original glazed. Krispy Kreme aren't JUST the original glazed, although, obviously, it is one of their signature products. Try getting a boxed assorted dozen, and i'll bet you find one you like. Devil's Food is my personal favourite, although they did a mint chip one a while back that was Kreme filled, and it came a close second. Also, if you read carefully - I did actually say that the krispy Kreme are fried in oil. THey're just proofed in an oven first to let the dough rise, rather than baking the raw dough. Most bakers will proof a dough before they bake it - or didn't your FYI friends tell you?

Sorry Gazza, but you're still wrong there. Luxury hotels advertise their specials, standby rates, and leftover rooms on wotif.com or readyrooms etc. Luxury cars still have price reductions and sales blitzes. I didn't say there weren't some such examples - and your point about the quality theme parks is one such example that came to mind when I wrote that. However no consumer is going to spend more on something if they can get it someplace else for less. You cannot get the disney experience at Six Flags. It's not just the quality, it's the overall experience. Much as I hate to say it, DW and MW are very similar in experience, that it really does come down to bang for your buck. I once had a client that wanted me to match a price advertised on a product in PERTH (this was in Sydney). The difference? $40. The reason? it was manufactured in Perth. Like I was going to discount it hoping that they wouldn't shell out $200 on an airline ticket to buy something $40 cheaper... but that is the mentality out there, and the consumer rules in the end. If the consumers don't pay, then the supplier either drops the price, or goes bust. Eventually, a low price will sell anything, hence why ebay has so many $1 NR auctions. Consumer rule isn't the only rule, but it's one of the bigguns.

Same reason why McDonalds and Subway charge the same for a Juice as a softdrink, because people will still take the cheaper option. If it is the same price, then the "healthy conscience" will win and buy the healthy option. Better than getting smacked for not offering a healthy option, or charging more for a healthy option altogether.

And so they should. They can't offer an inferior product at twice the price, and expect people to keep pouring through the gates when the competitor is doing it better or cheaper or both! Warner Village starts a price war? Maybe so, but one could draw the line to say DW started it by constructing WWW? They established an offering in direct competition with another of WV's parks, and WV fought back with cost cutting? Focussing on the quality of offerings - rather than slashing prices? There are very few businesses that survive with that mentality. The problem is - it is the consumer that has driven down the pricing, and therefore the quality of the product suffers as well. Don't believe me? How many people do you know that say to a salesperson - in any retail store "is that your best price?" Every business out there now has a price matching policy - from bunnings to officeworks, "if you find a cheaper advertised price elsewhere, we'll beat it by XX% . It is the consumer's fault, nobody else's. As to being temporary - the problem is, if it works, it will stay. so unless these pricing discounts result in poor attendance, poor feedback etc, it will continue. And it won't change straight away either - there will always be a hesitation - should we change it now, or wait a bit more and see if it gets better? - no, this kind of thing is going to go on long after the economy turns around. (and thats only if it isn't already pointing in the right direction, because as I have said before, GFC isn't the all consuming financial monster that the media would have us believe.

And thats because you've been corrupted by the Donut Kings and the local bakeries in Aus who all cook their Donuts by dropping a scoop of raw dough directly into boiling oil. Krispy Kreme have been around a lot longer than that, and they do it the right way - the dough is prepared fresh, and proofed in a moderate proofing oven until the dough has risen. THe dough is then slid into the oil pan, flipped, and then slid out of the oil pan, through the glazer, and voila. If you've ever had a Krispy Kreme fresh out of the oven, THEN and only then, would you know what a real donut tastes like.