DaptoFunlandGuy

The extra section of the train? I don't know - but at a guess I would say something to do with the stability of the rear end of the train, maybe to take the stress of the second last wheels (which are holding the row of seats) as it whips around the bends, maybe its weight distribution? Maybe it is for the chain lift - the train is usually a little way down hill before it actually releases - perhaps it is for this reason - to hold the train a little longer so it doesn't exceed a certain speed in its first drop? I'd be interested in hearing the actual answer, but I would be very surprised if it didn't have SOMETHING to do with what is above. As far as the clearance - think about it - Movie World installs a ride that could potentially result in injury if someone kept their arms out - I DON'T THINK SO. If there were any risk - there would be MUCH more prominent signage advising to keep your arms in. Essentially - with those harnesses, i'd be surprised if you were able to extend too far out, but as far as being able to touch the support, that section is after the brake run, so it isn't really too risky if your fingers can brush it, because there isn't high speed issues to worry about - but I still think it would be further than you perceive it to be. Roller coasters are designed with these sorts of elements - in the case of suspended\inverted, the elements are generally below you - to make you pull your feet up because you think you're going to hit them. In conventional roller coasters, they are above you - and these are commonly known as head choppers. Roller Coasters are extensively tested to ensure that no rider can touch any part of the structure at any time. I have tried to google an image for a pull through, but i can't find one, so suffice it to say that a pull through involves a large sheet of plywood attached to the front of the train. the train is winched through the entire course, sometimes more than once, with the plywood attached (the plywood is circular in shape, and would be the absolute extreme distance that a person could extend their arms or legs outside the carriage). If the plywood hits anything - it fails. if the plywood doesn't hit anything - you have yourself a safe ride - so put your arms out and scream!

Yes - once I could be bothered to actually look it up, it was SFKK. Original Story found on www.rideaccidents.com (by the way - I don't think Gazza linked to the SFKK story, I think it was linked when the Huss Rainbow accident happened, and I just kept reading - A quote from the Operator's Report for the SFKK cable snap: (absolute OH MY GOD moments in red) This is the sort of thing that should not happen - two female operators, both under the age of 18. The LAST thing she did of any import was hit e-stop. This should have been the first, and according to the report, she had more than 10 seconds to do it. I know this is very sexist, but a young female operator doesn't have a chance against an unruly or upset guest. Thinking about space probe, it was very isolated, and unless right next to the phone \ radio, very unlikely that help would be found quickly if a guest decided to get agressive - this in itself is unsafe. Working at Wonderland, I was a games attendant for a short period. At one point I worked speedpitch, which was halfway between bounty's and dodgems - no phone, no radio, and only a food outlet nearby, which would close by mid afternoon - One day I was hit up by a group of middle-eastern late teen\early 20's. One guy had me by the throat against the wall of the outlet, and had a fist up ready to punch me, to try and take my money belt. It was only that I had a microphone (and used it), and we had two plain clothes security guys walking by that resulted in him getting a cracked skull and an assault charge, and me not getting my lights knocked out. Theme parks prioritise their budgets - they employ the youngest staff they can legally get away with to do the job - and this results in some serious safety issues. At least at Wonderland ride-ops have to be 18 - those two girls *shudder* remind me not to go to SFKK anytime soon...

That wasn't what I was saying - if the cables snap, they won't have time to do anything except watch it happen, and react. You can't "train" them for that sort of thing. All you can do is prepare them for what might happen, and hope they're capable of keeping their head on straight while they respond. Hitting a button, making a phone call, and writing it down in a log book - please - you got people strapped into a ride who have just been slashed by a snapped cable, and the operator is writing in his log book? i'd smack the little bugger across the head with a crow bar. I want staff who are aware of what could happen, not squeamish or afraid of the sight of blood or anything like that, who will calmly respond appropriately to whatever situation presents itself. You can't train that, its something that for the most part comes down to the ability and maturity of the staff member. Reading the link on rideaccidents that gazza posted somewhere, there was a story about a drop tower that snapped a cable. Reading the report, the two girls who were operating it made their statements to the investigators. I can't be bothered picking up the story again, but there were two - young - female - operators running it on their own. When it happened, one girl screamed and ran out of the attraction building, and the other just called the emergency number, where the lady at the other end had to calm her down before she could get anything happening.

Primary Indicator: *Snap* *Whip - Whip - Whip* *SCREAMS* *numerous body parts flop to the ground, followed shortly by a gondola, catch car attached, riders missing legs, and screaming, cable falling down after the catch car* Trained Response: "Oh Crap - *press E-stop - Call Supervisor - Vomit and passout* While i'm sure that they're trained to handle this sort of thing, if it snaps, you don't really have much time to do anything more than look on in horror, and react.

Well, as for remoing MDMC - I wouldn't care about the costs - as I said that was what I would do if money were no object. No Eureka, No Flowrider, No Claw, Constant issues with GD one sidedness, Constant rollbacks with ToT, Cyclone's pure inefficiency, Wipeouts worrying noises, Is Stingray back yet? Holy Crap Dreamworld really will become that - because you'll walk in the gate, and you'll have to DREAM about riding something - because everything will be closed...

Great Report Gazza, after hearing all that, I definitely need to stop by Brunswick street station some time...... As for the Ekka..... *Yawn*

I did think that same thing spotty, the other thing I was thinking is maybe we're considering a similar effect in one of the effects used on the new jet rescue... but most likely it would be bermuda, hence the "funnily enough" comment. Clint is Bermuda getting some TLC???? Only reason I am asking the question straight out is because its not like its a new attraction that needs to be kept under wraps - so i can't see any reason for it to be secret.... If they're specifically looking at repairing a lot of the special effects, can I put in two cents? The spaceship - the one that disappears behind the mirror - last time I rode bermuda I noticed that the strobes on the spaceship continued to fire once the effect had morphed - so while you can't see the spaceship, the strobes firing off kept lighting it up afterwards - too much charge in the capacitors? or just plain screwed?.... it would be great if that got fixed up because the effect is a classic disney effect, and the only example of it in Aus.

Good Find Gazza! I do remember reading that post a long time ago. Mnemo is still aroudn the boards every now and again - hopefully he lists his email address on his profile so it shouldn't be too hard for clint to get in contact with him... on that note Clint, what exactly have you got in mind at the moment? I can't imagine Crackle Neon would have a use for AOS - unless..... Lightning maybe? Come on clint - spill the beans - whats in the works?

I think I should clarify - since I did say that I would also replace MDMC. When I said replace wipeout, I simply meant to purchase another of the same attraction brand new, and install it to give another 10 years life without the moaning and groaning it is subjected to - ....it's kind of already been said somewhere as far as replacing it with a new one, rather than just overhauling the motors all the time. That was all I meant.

I'd say that this is a little sadder:

Because, as we all well know, the American culture is severely under-represented in all aspects of society and pop culture here in australia.

I heard 1.... i'm still waiting for 2... Thanks Rev, I think I can handle him though. What i'd do would depend on how much money was at my disposal. If I owned or managed dreamworld, AND had unlimited resources, my main focus would be to not make the mistakes of the current management. Maintenance would be done - well - and on everything, not just the stuff that makes money like Rides. Buildings would be restored and themed - appropriately - no bright colours in gold rush country. No faded colours in Ocean Parade. That is one thing Wonderland did well - most of what they painted was done in very lastable colours - all these bright "ice cream" colours just don't last. I'd redesign the cyclone queueing and station system - and make the land fit the ride, not the other way around. Replace wipeout Apologise for MDMC - and Replace it bring the word THEME back to THEME PARK and overall to concentrate more on the visitor experience, rather than the bottom dollar. like almost everything, once the entrepreneur who started it all disappears, things change - To quote from one of the mailing lists I receive: When companies grow beyond the loving attention of the entrepreneur, words like efficiency start to creep in. We saw it with Disney, and we have seen it with Dreamworld.

Shhhhhhhh! nobody tell him it got cancelled.

The COO position (or Chief Operating Officer) is in essence a redundant position - don't get me wrong - obviously WVTP's COO is valuable, but not every company requires one. The CEO can function as the COO also, but it depends on what roles are needed and utilised in each business. I used to work for a company owned by a husband and wife team. He was the CEO, and handled all of the financial and "business" related matters, while the COO handled all the staff and "people" related matters. They functioned very well as each had their own strengths which were complimented by the others strengths, and the tasks they performed were well suited to them. as the name implies, the Chief Operating Officer typically functions as a day-to-day operating style position - managing the daily jobs and tasks at hand, while the CEO steers the business, financial planning, forward thinking and planning etc. The CEO is typically the visionary and directional, whereas the COO finds out what the CEO's vision is, and then does the daily chores required to make the vision happen. In a large company, while a COO might do a lot, there isn't a whole lot that they do that cannot be done by the more minor and middle management. At the end of the day, it really is a position that isn't always necessary... but it certainly does help a business to have one.

I guess that would be the whole point, both of their action, and my post. You are thinking of the hollywood walk of fame, which from memory runs down hollywood boulevarde http://www.seeing-stars.com/Immortalized/WalkOfFame.shtml Here is some info from their site, on the more famous people to have received (or will receive) stars on the hollywood walk of fame:

You could try really annoying him by not taking any pause for breath when you speak to him and ending everything you say to him with four different facial expressions!!!

Maybe this could be the start of our own Australian Chinese Theatre - the hollywood location of the biggest blockbuster premieres. Let's dig up mainstreet so we can have the movie stars feet embedded in concrete... Or we could always have the bronzed stars - I wonder if MW will hire the QLD equivalent of the hollywood hooker - where's Richard Gere when you need him eh?

Perhaps MDMC was the flop we all thought it was. Then again if its MLE, and not specifically DW, it might not be theme park related, as MLE covers a whole lot more than that...

Gazza, I honestly don't know what we did for construction updates before you moved to QLD... thank god for uni eh? the updated photos look really good. Some excellent work being made there, and definitely something to count on for christmas. By the sound of the myfun email, and the looks of the construction the theming on this is going to be to bermuda's once wonderful standard. Rocky outcrops and so on... sounds good. Some of the Reo near the viking flume looks like it might be more for the theming than the footers. All the footers have regular hexagonal support structures (as you pointed out in one of the captions) so I am thinking all the additional rebar is for theming construction etc. Just with the amount of Rebar, that points towards some good theming additions. You also mentioned in one of your captions about the animal pool at the back end. I think its safe to say that the necessity of protecting the animals could also do well towards the theming aspect, and we might well see a nice overhanging rock wall at the back bend there - similar to the style we see in the promo photo on myfun also - roaring around that back bend with a sandstone rockwall hanging over us like a standing wave.... I can't wait to see what sea world do with this. Good work on the photos Gazza, keep us posted.

wow that surfing comment really came out at random now didn't it? I would certainly hope that you are intending on paying royalties for any photos you take of the galleries of this site. The photos are provided for viewing purposes on the Parkz.com.au gallery only by Parkz staff, and member contributions. The copyright remains held by the photographer, and the use of another persons copyrighted works without payment of royalty or usage fee would constitute a copyright infringement that would most certainly hold up in Australian copyright law. As a photographer, I am aggressively protective of my work which is one reason why very few of my photos grace this site - not because i do not wish to share them with the other members - but simply because every man and his Windows movie maker would rip them off for their own fame and fortune. TO keep in line with the spirit of your posts, including entirely random garbage in the middle of the post for no reason - (see "surfing" above) i'd like to take a moment in the middle of the post to share the following: we're woolworths, the fresh food people. Beijing 08 08 08, Everybody celebrate, Mickey's diamond jubilee When you wish upon a star... ...for whats in the box with the dots... Now let me ask what kind of theme this video will have? Flea used to do awesome montages of one or two rides, or overall clips of certain parks. Your proposal seems to be a matter of "anything theme park related" done to a backing of what would seem to be dusty relics from the 80's, one can only presume appearances by Cindi Lauper, Europe, Dave Dobbyn (w. Herbs) and Marky Mark (and the funky bunch)... Sounds like a boredom project to me, and one that doesn't really seem worthwhile the effort, let alone the contributions.

My thoughts on the razor blades - they weren't necessarily planted during the day, but moreso by vandals overnight, when the slides are dry, and easy to walk up\ down. It would be simple in a dry tube to slicea gap into a join between two slide pieces, insert a razor blade, and then silicone it in, with enough time for it to dry before it opened. This is why most slides have a "walk down" by the operators before they are started for the day. Tis is actually a word in olde english, and used by some of the greatest english writers of all time, however I see you point. I must say the quality of his posts is slightly higher than the last time, but i certainly hope this is watched carefully, and an IP ban considered next time something goes astray. You would think people would learn... apparently they don't.

took me about five seconds to work out HNFT. nice one gazza. You'd think they'd have learnt the paint thing from bermuda.

When is someone going to do something about this guy?

here we go again..... a quick youtube search shows: YouTube Search Results A google search shows: BTTF Internal shot Dude, we've had this discussion before. When asking for photos, particularly of theme parks, you have to remember that there are literally MILLIONS of people who pass through the gates of every theme park in the world. Now if just 1000 of those have cameras (and thats pretty low, considering more than 90% would take a camera). And if just 100 of those use facebook, youtube, flickr, or visit this or other park style fan sites, then there would be hundreds of photos of every park, ride, attraction, shop, statue and sign in every theme park in every country across the world. For future reference, before you start an entire thread, asking for photos of batman adventure, back to the future, or any other ride, just try the following: Step 1: GOOGLE IT Step 2: YOUTUBE IT Step 3: Search FACEBOOK for groups dedicated to that particular ride or attraction. Chances are there'll be some Step 4: If steps 1 through 3 don't work, see step 5. Step 5: go to step 1 hope that helps.

i'm liking Manta Ray. the look of the twin panels look a bit like a manta... give it the right paint job and it'd be pretty realistic.