DaptoFunlandGuy

I think we should be thankful that Sea World haven't just built a tin shed (Buzzsaw) or pop-up quickshades (MDMC) and left it at that. Considering we don't have the budgets that the big boys do, I think either way we should just appreciate the efforts they have put into this. We also don't know how much effort they've put in inside the shed either.

although expensive, and already with a large competitor, i'd like to see them branch out into Hong Kong and Singapore. Disney and Universal are already the big kids on the block there, but as has been seen, where Disney or Universal build, others are sure to follow to hinge off the already popular 'destination' that the brand brings.

Thats the most intelligent thing i've read from you so far. But that's your problem, isn't it? The print was there, you had every right to say "let me read this before i sign it" but you didn't - for whatever reason, that is your mistake - and doesn't make him a scammer - just makes him good at his job. Have harvey norman actually come back to you and said 'we are not in any way affiliated with this company' ? Frankly I don't see any proof that you've obtained that shows he lied... Do you think Harvey Norman staff don't visit the parks and see this? Don't you think they'd shut it down if there wasn't an agreement? Just because you can't find anyone shouting from the rooftops that they won a harvey norman voucher, does that mean none have? I've never met anyone who won the major prize in a boystown lottery, but I know they do exist. It's just like the 'lucky number' stall at the sideshow of your agricultural show - they have a big number board with all the winning numbers, but they only have to have ONE of those numbers mixed into all the other tickets to be legitimate. Legitimate Scratchies from NSW Lotteries and Golden Casket both say on the back 'some or all cash prizes may have been won before this ticket was purchased' or something like that. Liar? Scammer? I say show us PROOF that this is recognised as a scam... My assurances that it ISN'T is that they continue TO THIS DAY to remain inside our parks. A registered Australian business is only required to quote it's ABN during a business transaction... such as on an invoice. I think you'll find there is an ABN for the organisation - i'm not saying which one it is (because I don't know) but did you try "http://abr.business.gov.au/SearchByName.aspx?SearchText=holiday+club". Also - placing some reliance in an organisation having an ABN proving that they're legitimate is the most retarded thing i've ever heard - A person can go online, answer some questions and get an ABN from a computer in 5 minutes without ever having to prove that what they're doing is legal. I have an ABN and have had it since the year 2000 and i've never even RUN a business. You work in sales, your dad worked in sales, but still you fell for the 'writing things down and circling things to distract you from reading the fine print' ? Mustn't be very good salespeople. Especially if (as per 9) you got taken 'off guard'. I again ask whether you have any confirmation or proof that there is not some sort of commercial relationship or agreement with Harvey Norman. You haven't yet provided any evidence that they are not in some form of working relationship or sponsor. So you got caught off guard, and trusted them. I again reiterate your lacking as a salesperson. I've always believed these guys were clearly marked as not being 'part of WVTP'... and again you refer to these guys as not being legitimate - but make this statement without any proof or evidence, only your own sour grapes that you got convinced by a very good sales guy to part with your cash. In the absence of a gun to your head - these guys are legit, and you are an idiot.

could even be a fly coaster? I don't know why but my mind keeps coming back to the ride proposed to go inside Superman Escape's courtyard (name escapes me at the minute) - that would most likely give the kind of ride experience that the photo of the girl implied, whilst matching the 'fly' advertisement pretty well too....

I've had an e-brake on ToT2 - came back in way too fast, felt a shuddering of what I can only describe as friction tyre drives (but probably weren't) pushing back at the car that was still coming in hot. We overshot the station by about 5-7 metres and then sat there in the dark for 15 minutes before they finally winched us back to the station and unloaded. Best ride i've had on it.

Usually, midweek isn't the best time to get photos - mainly because those who are nice enough to visit the park and take photos aren't always able to do it on a weekday because of work, or study obligations. You can wait until the weekend when more members can get down there and if you ask nicely enough they'll get some, otherwise - you can always go down there and take some yourself and post them for everyone else...

I'm still waiting for a slide manufacturer to come up with some way for riders to board a tube at the bottom, and then be carried up the conveyor belt to the top. This would be more efficient loading, and in my opinion, the conveyor belt would never have to stop... only thing is moving parts and weight management - but i'm sure it could be done... maybe they could use the hydro coaster technology to propel riders up hill???

As an addition - the $20 deposit they take from you is because they put food on for these 90 minute information sessions. The $20 is always returned to you in cash or in kind (and this is always explained to you) once you attend the meeting. It saves them putting on catering for 400 people if only 10 show up. Its just to show you're serious about actually coming... nothing more. If you don't want to part with your $20 on the spot, then you're probably not their target market anyway, so it ensures those with mutual interests are brought together... Thanks Brad for the rest - you beat me to it. Can't say i've ever heard of 'luke from holiday club' - is he the owner? Sounds like he's just one of many of those guys out there that spruik this product. I'm not saying he didn't lie - They all get the same training, but some of them may overstep their boundaries and lie - it happens in many industries. The best you can do is provide feedback through whatever channels are open to you if you feel you were deceived or misled and have it investigated - such as through a consumer affairs channel. If they look into it and don't uphold your complaint, then they didn't lie or deceive, and you simply ignored or failed to exercise your right as a consumer correctly. If you didn't raise it with your consumer affairs body, chances are you obviously didn't feel strongly enough about the issue and your bitterness now is simply a case of sour grapes.

^^ What themeparkgc said. Batwing has the compressed air 'thump' at each change of direction - the low frequency sound can be heard a lot further away than a scream. The freefall attraction is more likely to be quieter operation, and whilst you will get screams, they're only for about 3-4 seconds on the way down, whereas a spaceshot bounces a few times, prolonging the noise...

Good idea - somebody call Schlitterbahn and tell them not to build the worlds tallest water slide, as it will make their other slides look small...

I'm thinking the 'black stripes' are similar to what we see on hydrocoaster, and act to aid propulsion. Naturally the tube will probably make it most of the way uphill, but water doesn't flow uphill so they'll need water injection also. And if the tube will make it up the hill on it's own, then perhaps the intention of these devices is to slow it down? - moreover to 'regulate' the speed to ensure it goes over the hill 'no faster than x speed' I've always wanted to visit Schlitterbahn... hopefully one of our resident WnW parks will install something similar so I don't have to...

I think this certainly does tell us more than the opening date - the picture implies what i believe has already been suggested around the traps as a significant drop tower style attraction. Naturally we'll have to wait and see what develops to work out what kind of tower (freefall space shot other), but i'm glad to see they're expanding their permanent repertoire.

Agree - the December -April (and next year probably October-April) season would be something to look forward to each year... people would count down the days until it opened. it'd allow a good solid 6 months for maintenance, and would allow them to reduce staffing to skeleton crews in winter for essential maintenance and admin. If they commit to opening in Winter - then they've just killed the pricepoint they started with for the season passes - offering the park for a longer period without charging more. They priced this thing based on 6 months of operation only - people whinged and complained about the price, so they cheapened it by offering buy 3 get one free - people still whinged about it, so, before they even open the park and see what kind of visitation they get - the outcry from the noisy minority has got them scared and they're slashing prices before they even start. Waterparks in California - the pinnacle of sunny theme-park going weather don't open all year round - Knott's Soak City didn't open until MAY (our November). The only thing that WnWS has going for it to run a winter season is the fact that it's the ONLY large-scale entertainment in the west of Sydney... it won't attract families, it'll attract teens who don't care about feeling cold... And they may choose to open for the demand, but they might have the demand there at the end of april because of easter holidays, so then they go "we're open in MAY!", so they staff everyone on, keep the pumps running - but everyone disappears because it's too cold - and there goes all that summer revenue you just made... but you can't close on May 7 because nobody's there - because you've just advertised 'OPEN IN MAY!'

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?