DaptoFunlandGuy

If Gold Coaster is shut down, there is a significant amount of free space underneath the coaster for production trucks and such. I do agree, but as we've concluded, this feels like it's very last minute. Getting a building approval to construct the house on that plot would have taken time. Constructing a set inside an existing structure requires no such approvals, while support buildings in demountable or truck trailers can roll in and plug in.. As has been suggested, perhaps this is the plan for this year while they formulate a longer term plan.

You believe what you like, I know what I know.

The conference centre does have access to the other side - underneath gold coaster. An outdoor space could exist there without encroaching on the theme park - but what you've outlined does make more sense. essentially cutting off that entire end of Ocean Parade. Ampitheatre in dreamland does not have the capacity for a wiggles show. more likely they'd take over mainstreet under the roof like they've done previously (although the Claw entrance is now in a different spot so that might not work either) I'd be strongly objecting to them closing ANOTHER 'included' attraction like Dodgems in order to facilitate an upcharge skating attraction. That is because ST was designed for it. You can't apply those rules to other rides with other manufacturer stipulations. The live shows need more head room than the Shell provides. They'd be better off using the Dreamland ampitheatre and just limiting the live audience.

You forgot the occasional magic show. It's a flexible space that they can and do use for many things over the course of the year. Look, it's certainly putting the venue to more use than it would normally get, but I wouldn't say that it's a better use. I've long criticised MW for giving guest-spaces over to BOH functions - From Intencity being turned into First Aid (in part) and ShowStage being used to store floats, LTRR showbuilding being used to store maintenance gear, Stars Cafe being used as a ghost kitchen... And Sea World too with their maintenance and storage yard smack bang in the middle of the park. So while I recognise that ultimately the show will bring Dreamworld revenue, and potentially visitation after the show has ended with house tours and the like, i'm not going to stand by and celebrate the loss of an in-park space. Let's assume that they've commenced construction on the house for a November filming schedule - so 2 months construction fit out, 4-6 week filming schedule, open house for the entirety of the summer holidays, with teardown and bump out potentially February. Six months offline, and assuming it is successful, a return next year with construction again commencing towards the end of august. I don't know if i'm keen on the park losing such a flexible event space for up to 6 months a year unless they have viable alternate options - which they don't currently. The new maintenance rules might make that difficult if this agreement has come together in a short time - though if the production returns next year they absolutely should realign the maintenance schedule to do that.

Yeah they don't say it. Show venues typically would include announced sponsorships before \ after the show, but attractions would just be branded. Think the Pepsi Big One at Blackpool. It can be done tastefully and very unobtrusively while still getting the brand some exposure and the park some funds... I skimmed around for a few examples from the big majors to show what I mean Bonus points if the sponsor can be integrated into the ride in a clever way - like a tea company sponsoring a teacup ride So some examples I can think of locally: Murrisippi Motors, presented by Ampol Gold Coaster, presented by City of Gold Coast \ Gold Coast Tourism board TailSpin, presented by Virgin Australia Jet Rescue, presented by Lifesavers Battle Boats, presented by SuperSoaker The Rip, presented by RipCurl Superman Escape, presented by Translink Roxy Theatre, presented by Event Cinemas (i'm aware village is part owner) Steel Taipan, presented by BHP Australia Wild West Falls, presented by Old El Paso While related sponsors are great, generic corporates with big pockets love to stick their brand on things too. Coca Cola, Samsung, Woolworths. As long as it's not a ridiculous branding, (please don't wrap the coaster trains) and it's mutually beneficial, I don't see any reason why we can't see sponsorship across the parks.

So we're losing Gold Coaster and an event venue. That's a bit disappointing.

Thanks for the (important!) correction! And agree - great fit.

If that is the reason, then it's stupid, and i'm siding with Dean Barnett. Seatbelts have been mandatory in Australia since 1972 so people shouldn't be having too many difficulties with them. Operators check seatbelts prior to dispatch, so an unsecured seatbelt would be identified, and the train quickly reset, and restraints re-checked. The amount of time this takes, on the rare occasion that someone is incapable of operating a seatbelt would be far less than the additional time it adds to every dispatch for an operator to do it up for each and every rider. Then again airlines still have to show people how to operate seatbelts, so maybe there are too many lowest common denominators at our parks these days.

I think the logic is that if a fault could befall one method of locking - if both methods are the same, the fault could theoretically befall both at the same time, whereas different methods can't fail in the same way so the likelihood that one cause could trigger both to fail is far less likely, even though the likelihood of either occurring is infinitesimally small. ie: if both hydraulic locking cylinders have a manufacturing defect, theoretically both cylinders could fail at the same time. Further - it's not technically possible to detect that one cylinder has failed during normal operation - so an operator wouldn't know one had failed until the other failed too. This is the main reason why we have coasters where they tell you not to do up your seatbelt, so the operator can perform a push-pull test on the cylinder before attaching the SRS seatbelt.

I agree you can't replace the in-person handlers - especially when they get mauled by a wild animal. I think the handler interactions, and especially the presentations, with leaps off high structures, climbing a pole, launching into water, drinking from a milk carton - all were spectacular to watch. And while the guff in the script talks about mimicking natural behaviours, in the wild, their natural behaviours would see those handlers killed. I am disappointed that they have ended the handler interactions, but in our risk elimination focussed world, there really isn't another option.

I mean series one housemates could see and hear the tower of terror. I get that it's not ideal but deliberately shutting down a very visible coaster for the sake of filming the show is very poor form. The ride is old however - it's entirely plausible that they've got a major maintenance issue to deal with and all that is just a coincidence... at least I hope so. They've been making a lot of good decisions recently so I'd hate for them to be taking such a backwards step.

I assume NatGeo is in sponsorship for the exhibits. its a good partnership and makes sense. Might even contribute a little more to the park's bottom line and opex. TBH i'm surprised more attractions don't carry sponsorship - many overseas parks do. "Presented by Pepsi" and so on.

2020.

I think there's a middle ground. Let's take stock: It is clear from what is happening elsewhere that long-term viability for hydraulic launches just isn't there as more of them have long-downtimes or close altogether It is unlikely they would engage with a third party company for retrofit after TTD We know intamin's retrofit is expensive It may not be in the short term budget there may not be a build slot they can't afford to have another 'scooby' situation where it's down for multiple years. Scoob is out of sight, but Superman smacks you in the front gate. Cobble together a fix that buys you time - keep it running until the build slot is reached So I think an intamin-provided LSM retro is on the cards, but won't be ready for a while. Superman is on an unplanned downtime - so they just need to keep it going a little longer and the parts they've ordered are intended to do just that - buy time - rather than signify any commitment from the park to maintain the hydraulic launch on an ongoing basis.

On the one hand, the calibre of some of the shows they list in their projects is high, and therefore promising, but on the other, the website is absolute dogshit and there's very little information about the work they actually did on those shows. Yeah they also produced shows for Sunway lagoon. Many of their productions are middle east and asia. Looking closely, the 'lion king' show they feature doesn't look like it's Disney... I think there's a balance to be had here - PASS did the audience participation very well. It introduced the show slowly, allowing stragglers to take their seats while some of the character building was done. For those selected, it was a special experience (I was picked in 1994), but additionally it gave the illusion of the audience plant 'Rodney' being 'just another guy'. Once chosen though, the 'recruits' were briefed by 'Proctor' quietly while 'Harris' continued to play to the crowd with further exposition. HWSD lets this down because it drags on too long. The 'director' first has to choose everyone, and then the crowd sits around while those people make their way to the filming spots and react for the camera, all happening live. it's too slow, especially after the show already kicked off with high energy vehicle action. It's the innovator vs. the imitator. ETA: This is one of their shows out of China - and it's very HWSD-esque. Still donuts, still drifting, but promising with the inclusion of other stunts too.

Looks like the minister has finally deigned to get involved... apparently at the request of King Tom himself...

I mean credit where it's due - they've lost an attraction unexpectedly and they've stood up another in it's place. I had assumed that they weren't opening west due to the noise issues they have at night, but if they're opening it as a sub for superman, this doesn't wash - which does make me think they should have had it open from the beginning then...

I'm leaning towards a new show in the stunt arena, but with the overblown puffery we've had from the park in the past 'new entertainment offering' could easily just be a new character appearance with a new background...

With all the other accelerators around the world going down or getting retrofitted, I'm wondering how long Superman has left.

Yeah thats the spot. pretty sure the old buildings were HWSD service facilities as the EVOs were stored out there a lot of the time. Pretty sure the new building was intended for float storage or something - it's got a pretty high clearance. I had thought they'd build that next to the service facility on the grass (I haven't been to the park in a while) but Skeets image shows they replaced one with the other so the effects \ pyro area looks like it's still intact for now.

Is it still possible though? Didn't they build a big shelter \ workshop right out behind the arena where the effect systems were?

it was - as a fully electric and disability accessible attraction.

Wasn't that on the book last year?

No, people are getting excited that the care and attention the current management have given the park is having a positive effect on the bottom line which in turn will encourage them to show more care and attention to the park.

Another example of using an effect ' because it was there ' - pretty certain the fireball effect was the same effect used when the helicopter crashed in PASS. Yeah it was the lower door being referenced here - As Shack said - in later iterations, the brick wall was replaced by what looked like a vinyl sheet with an image printed on it. Which would still be fine except the sheet wasn't attached to anything (not even velcro) at the bottom so it would blow back and forth in the breeze, ruining the finale effect (and also providing a view backstage where one could see the car staging into position before the end)