DaptoFunlandGuy

Yeah that's kinda what I meant. As I said - if they'd launched around the same time, the line works, it makes sense. 12 months later it's just sad, and nobody gets it (and most who do don't think it's "lol") The train itself looks pretty cool.

The train going through the middle could be a snag in those plans, if what we're seeing is a retheme on the cheap. Bluesky dreaming though - i'd love to see them merge both areas, have the train move through the middle of it, the whole area would really open up if they could rework it properly.

Fool me once, shame on you...

They need all that extra money to pay for blacklight tubes and AmericanDJ disco lights.

We've been calling for them to lift the prices for years, and while it isn't "Annual pass pricing circa 2006" ($399), I feel this one-pass price is probably closer to where I think it should be. They're probably going to be savaged on social media by the families that have had a sub-$500 worth of year round entertainment for almost a decade, but they need to hold the line on this and keep it at this level as those crying foul will be the reduction in daily attendance the park needs to better manage their current capacity. It's been a slow road but i'll give them kudos for having the bravery to raise the prices to this point. Edit: I do think the one-day ticket is a bit much. The best theme parks in the world don't break the $100/day barrier. I do feel as though the day-pricing is meant to encourage people to get an annual pass so they can get your marketing info but for people who will only ever visit on a single day, it leaves a bad taste, and the barrier to entry is too high.

Yeah, I thought that was pretty childish. If it had launched around the same time, the two marquees going head to head, sure, it's a jab and saying you're better. But to dredge it up 12 months later, referencing something only enthusiasts probably remember - dude the ship has sailed. No GP viewing that video today is going to make the connection.

typically they've planned a presser in the morning, and the GCB releases it at the stroke of midnight once the media embargo is released. I'm pretty sure we all had the concept art for Atlantis well and truly analysed by the time it came to the presser in Shark Bay. Maybe they've woken up to GCB and just want to release it themselves (as opposed to - you know - putting a time on the embargo?)

Memories aren't as reliable as they used to be. And, as was explained at the time: As for Steel Taipan, it also had a brief closure in March post-opening, which you yourself posted about:

Free bowling and arcade time? If only they owned AMF\Timezone...

Don't forget that ride premieres that open in peak periods usually see the ride close immediately following the peak period for it's first checkup.

I get the same issue on computer, but works on an iphone. is your phone android? I think it may have something to do with the file format perhaps... ETA: Thanks Luke - those links work on PC.

Honestly the practical effects seem to get more attention (when they're working) than the digital stuff. I'd rather they switched to practical however possible (though noting some don't translate well). Hanna Barbera Land used to have a bedrock style house, with doors and such with things that opened and shut - including a sabertoothed cat's tail that would growl (like a sabertooth cat) when kids would pull on it. The effects don't have to be stupendously amazing. And nothing that relies on consumables - like fog juice etc - water spray or sound effects triggers are just fine - heck even the madagascar statues in Dreamworks that spray water get the laughs every day from people caught out. Given Doomsday's literal high bar to entry, having things that amuse the kids in the surrounding areas should be a priority. And get rid of the RFID crap.

^what he said. I packed it on over COVID, and started having issues in the mid-130s. (It was a good kick in the ass to do something about it). Try the test seats if they have them. Don't be afraid to give it a go. Most operators will do everything they safely can to get you to ride and experience has taught them a few tricks to try to get you to fit. Understand though that if an operator says you can't ride - don't give them a hard time - they're keeping you safe. (Not saying you would but the number of people i've seen abuse ride ops because they don't meet rider requirements is ghastly). Also don't judge similar rides the same. At my worst, Rivals was a struggle but possible, and on the same day, Taipan was effortless.

The stage does look much better - i'm hoping that the tree survives being buried under an extra cube of dirt. (It does look like they adjusted the fairy lights when the garden went in, so that's a good sign).

It'd be on the opposite side of the pathway - which based on the markings we've seen, they're keeping the path intact. I would like to see them repurpose that space though - even if they park a coffee cart or something there for parents to chill.

READ. IT. AGAIN. However: Just no. See Also: Brogent's attempts at getting SkyVoyager approved under Australian requirements... "in the coming weeks" is famous here for a reason. Effectively a copy-paste rollercoaster with minimal changes, and it still cost $30Million. A flagship copy darkride is still going to smash that out of the park, and $30Million is about the limit of ride investments here in Aus. This isn't fantasyland. its. not. going. to. happen.

And I'd also like to reiterate: While history has shown that true creative australian theme park attractions are possible without blowing the bank (see Bermuda and LTRR as examples), simply copy pasting an attraction from overseas is generally not within the budget of our parks. The fact that both of those examples no longer stand is also a testament to the willingness and budgets of our parks being able to cope with the maintenance and upkeep requirements of those attractions long term too. I think the issue here is the studios are just too... used. USH can do it because their backlot is so vast that if shooting is occurring on one set, the tour simply diverts to another. Our studio tour is literally nothing but the sound stages, and with some of the bigger productions we've hosted here in AUS in recent years, you simply couldn't offer that experience anytime a big production is in town. (Hint: Theres a reason why they don't use the sound stages for fright nights anymore). A fixed stage show hand in hand with a purpose built showcase facility that can house sets and costumes is the ideal outcome.

Youtube's ThePoolGuy has suggested that waxing and polishing slides should be done twice a year.

I know you did, i wasn't trying to ignore that - i was paraphrasing an actual quote I had heard, but the same logic applies - if you can pay-to-ride a dreamworld ride at night, why bother going during the day for much more money? ... I'd love for the rides to be open at night but the logic as explained to me I completely understand. I mean, I think thats possibly why they seem to be going with a "K&B Dreamland". If I take a step back here, we're doing that enthusiast thing where we're judging the finished product before we've even seen the artist's impression. We don't know what they plan to do, and everything is based on assumptions. If they can recycle theming elements while applying a non-ip-based theme to the rides and lands with minimal, mainly cosmetic alterations, i'm all for it. Little Wonders Land sucked because there was no 'face' of the kids rides. They were all "SmartBuy" or "No Frills" versions of the original, with little effort to tie in. Kenny and Belinda have always been the face of Dreamworld, and the brand push for the park has been using K&B with increasing regularity in the last couple of years. Tying this into the dreamworks area, and perhaps linking KFP-land's asian theme to tiger island as you suggest is also a really good idea to reuse, connect, and keep themes cohesive without sucking the soul out of the area like Wonderland did.

A little birdie explained this to me a while back, the source is very reliable, and it makes a lot of sense. When Moonlight first surfaced, lots of folk asked "why aren't you opening the rides, riding ST would be awesome" - and the logic from Dreamworld was "Who is going to visit the park for $xx day ticket \ annual pass, if you can come to a night market and ride a $30Million attraction for $2. Ok, sure you suggested an upcharge alternative, but even with the upcharge, you're still cheapening the attractions by doing so. Why visit Dreamworld when it's packed during the day if you can come after hours and get dinner too? Dreamworld has been very particular about moonlight having its own brand - staff don't wear their uniforms (or they have a moonlight themed shirt) and the only thing that identifies them is their DW staff card. This also allows them to separate the markets brand down the track and relocating it without necessarily losing something unique to the park in the process. I fear that it may be the end of Dreamworks, and a generic theme is a negative for sure (Little Wonders Land anyone?) but they did this once before when they released the Nickelodeon brand before Dreamworks was signed on. The rebranding expense should stay minimal (removing any IP related icons, while using existing themed elements to guide the new theme - aka Jungle Rush for example) and the actual IP is of minimal interest to the target demographic. Not to mention the cost of the rebrand is probably cheaper than the licence renewal. so saved them some money most likely.

Absolutely agree with you on every point - the thing is they can cater to both. I know I keep banging on, but it's my most recent experience and it feels relevant (and I'm about halfway through my TR draft so it'll get there eventually) - Far East Hospitality have one of their Village Hotels right opposite Universal in Singapore. The hotel doesn't give off any specific 'kids hotel' or 'theme park hotel' vibes in any of their facilities (except that they have many family \ adjoining rooms) - but the hotel itself catered VERY well to kids and the pool spaces reflected both of these - the sophistication of an adult's only pool with swim up bar, to a lazy river and shallow paddle pool with kiddie slides for the little guys. I'll talk more about it when I get around to posting it, but just felt it relevant to mention that you can do one hotel that can cater (well) to both crowds without excluding the others.

It is still very much a factor - one only has to read comments from regular folk on socials about where to visit. However the main reason it's still a factor is because they absolutely botched their recovery - for several years - with plans of ampitheatres, adventure rivers, return of the mine ride, rebuild of wipeout, et al. I think much of the time Osborne was CEO should be written off, just my opinion. I'm not suggesting they are now, but they did. Boiled frog syndrome at play. The thing is - people ARE starting to notice the higher prices, and the lack of ongoing investment. Thats all we've heard on social this year. Losing rides and attractions like bermuda, LTRR, PASS, studio tour - the loss of experiences has been replaced with rides that simply cannot physically offer the same capacity. That's the dichotomy at play here though - people are still paying to visit village, based on their last trip being better at village. It isn't any longer - and that's why the socials are what they are at present. The tide is turning in my opinion, and the efforts village are taking now to try to correct capacity and overselling issues are evidence that they've noticed - its a question of whether it may be too late for the folks whose annual trip in 2022 left them with a bad taste. Next years plans are based on this years trip, so we may see the tide swing over the next 6-12 months unless Village can rejig things a bit quicker (and to be perfectly honest, losing some of the attendance (at least at Movie World) would be a boon for village as it would be the easiest correction to many of their current issues - the fight will be whether those losses are diverted to Sea World or Dreamworld.... and only time will tell.

It's a chicken and egg situation, but hopefully keeping people on property past 5pm will encourage more nightlife development. A big factor in holiday planning for families can be the dreaded end of day travel. When you consider this end of the gold coast can keep a family busy for a solid 3 days and two nights, it has potential - Movie World Day Dream World Day Wet n Wild \ Paradise Country Day (season dependent) Top Golf Night AOS Night it won't take much to really make an onsite hotel attractive.

I'm all for showcase, but I think it's current position taking over showstage is an issue. Give it a spot purpose built. use intencity like they used to (especially since they don't offer the dodgem cars anymore) and return the showstage to actually host a show - shows can absorb WAY more guests than the current ride lineup. Make it something repeatable (dancing costumed characters doing corny storylines doesn't cut it) - stunt show, magic show, animal actors, special effects.... with enough audience interaction to make every show different. IMO, this is what MW needs far more than any ride. Unless they do a continuous load dark ride, not much else is going to give MW the kind of capacity boost it needs.