DaptoFunlandGuy

Somewhere around the traps here someone uploaded a video of part of the ride - it's probably on YouTube if you have a hunt around...

Ok so short answer is it will be a bonafide addition, and not a replacement - the mouse is staying (for now)...? As for them 'already having a wave swinger'... they don't. They have chair-swings. A Wave Swinger is a vast improvement and a nice upgrade. I must admit it is a helluva thing to photograph at night - but i'll always come back to 'dragon's flight' at Wonderland and that for me is enough to love this new attraction. Regardless of the type of coaster, these expansions are coming thick and fast from AW and is sure to get them on the map as a less-popular, but still must-do trip to the south east QLD area. As with Jamberoo, AW is one of the few parks that survived after the 80's "park boom", and while it's taken a while for them to get traction, they're slowly climbing that hill... can't wait to see what's next.

There have been several threads over the years where those who see the value and quality in a wooden coaster vs. a steel one. Yes, steel is modern, but that doesn't mean wooden coasters are obsolete.... they're a different experience entirely. Do a little searching around the forums and you'll find some of the old threads which will save many from repeating themselves... On my recent trip through the west coast of the USA, I rode many different coasters - wood and steel, of almost every variety imaginable. The one that got closest to shitting myself on was Ghostrider at Knotts - A Custom Coasters International Woodie. It is by far the most out of control experience i've ever had on a coaster. (Colossus at SFMM, while rough, was still a big favourite for me). Ahhh... like Whitewater Mountain, something else that had gone unnoticed for a while. So what do they sell? last time they had mostly HP themed merch - what do they stock these days?

something to consider is - do they have the room to put one of these in with their existing layout? I mean - hopefully, the mouse isn't taken out to put this in...

Yes, I probably could have worded things a lot better. I guess more to my point was most children won't wait until they're ready to wet themselves to say 'i need to go'. I took your description of a 'screaming child' to be one that obviously reached a point of no-return, which in the distances involved, I just couldn't fathom. The distances between Bathrooms at Sea World aren't much different to those found in a normal westfield shopping centre. However, I totally get where you're coming from with the Dolphin show letting out making it difficult to make that distance in a reasonable time, but it wasn't how you put it forward - as you say - a one-liner "I'd say Movieword are best, and Sea World worst - they're a long way between, when you've got a toddler screaming they need to go NOW!" To me implied that only the distances were the problem, not the crowds. Again - acknowledge I could have put that forward better, and apologies - i didn't mean to call your parenting skills into question, moreover just that if the child escalates to screaming in the space of 'seal show to carousel' then the child either isn't toilet trained properly, or the parent was ignoring the earlier signs that the child needed to go. Perhaps your child wasn't 'screaming' as I interpreted it. Again, my sincerest apologies. Wyn - I take your point on board, however medical conditions are a different story. If a child has a bladder issue that results in zero-to-wee in 0:02 seconds, it's a known issue and other measures are generally in place. Although I infrequently take my nephews and nieces to the parks, I do spend time with them in other places more frequently. Sure - i'm not an everyday parent - but it doesn't make my experiences any less valid. If my niece says she needs to go (she's the youngest) we drop everything and head for the nearest bathroom no matter where we are at the time - but usually we don't get to that point, as the earlier warning signs (crotch grabbing, weird face-pulling etc) are generally spotted and acted upon. That said - I admit all kids are different - and no, it doesn't necessarily reflect on the parenting techniques. Sorry Liz. caught me at a weak and frustrated moment.

Not sure how much they could do with sound inside the show building without 'giving away the plot' for those waiting in line....

I know we still have the harry potter store in Main Street left over from some merchandising agreement or similar, but since Universal developed the wizarding world of harry potter, don't they now own the theme park rights? If that is the case, it's unlikely universal's contract would permit another licenseholder - even as remotely far away as we are.

I don't buy this 'sea world's bathrooms are too spaced out' whine. Yes there are a few long stretches - but none further than Arkham's exit to Stars Cafe's restrooms (i'm aware the scale is different in the two maps - fact is Sea World wouldn't fit on one screen at the same zoom) While the quality of Sea World's facilities are a little dated (and they may not be BIG enough), I think the spacing of locations, given what is in between them is quite satisfactory. Parents (and other adults who take small children to theme parks) learn very quickly to take every opportunity for a trip to the toilet - even if Miss 3 says she doesn't need to go - once on the seat she suddenly does. Apologies Lis.Wiz because you will take offence to this... but if your child gets to a point of screaming for a bathroom, you're not parenting very well. As an uncle who takes his nieces and nephews to the parks infrequently, I make it a point of knowing where each bathroom is, and if it's a long stretch to the next one, such as the stretch over the bridge and past the seal show at Sea World - we stop, and everyone goes.

I believe there was some extensive work done inside the show building as they undermined the existing floor - i can see that costing a pretty penny. Sure if you just built a water coaster on a flat block it'd be cheaper, but the location and the existing structures to work around (as well as previous demolition) I can understand why they're saying 20m.

Given thunder river rapids is also a 'river rapids'... not to mention that your avatar is Dreamworld's logo... its perfectly understandable that nobody would have any clue that you meant WetNWild... for one, last time i checked it was called 'Whitewater Mountain', (i know they re-did the slides quite a while back but I don't recall a name change) but at some point unbeknownst to me, they now call those slides 'river rapids' http://wetnwild.com.au/attractions/rides/river-rapids.aspx Last I checked, weren't those slides green and not blue??? It's been a while since I visited WnW so I am quite likely wrong.

I have to ask... but if despatching the log ride is the number 2 attraction on the list... what's number 1?

^...hence why the maximum weight limit of around 130kg (it varies between parks) was imposed. I'm still struggling to figure out how this is even believeable. Short of some 'simpsons-esque' type situation, nobody is getting stuck. For starters - the launch tube is around the same size as the rest of the slide. Secondly - they weigh you before you get on. The only way someone is getting stuck on it is if they are morbidly obese, and all operators are blind and not paying attention - and then maybe.. just MAYBE someone might jam up - but i still call bullshit. this is hypothetical, and not even feasible hypothetical.

on the contrary, by all accounts this is one helluva soaking on this ride, so i'd definitely want a dry, safe place to put my stuff.

Well - you'd have to take out the 'coaster' part... but I guess it's doable. If the train had it's own propulsion drive wheels, it could drive slowly around the track, descend slowly etc, and on thrillseeker mode it could drive at high speed and let gravity take it's course on the downhills... kind of.... peoplemoverish. Yeah. Not going to happen.

I'm happy to admit if i'm wrong, but I call bullshit on this one. I just don't see how the laws of physics would work here - unless their can was too big to fit through the chute...

If we're keeping to their spending habits, ToT won't get a new car. If it were do-able, they could attach the original car onto the front of the other one with an X-car type linkage, but the problem is to get the speed up, the current propulsion system just won't cut it - therefore you're essentially requiring the entire ride drive system to be replaced - so you might as well buy a new ride... because that won't be in a reno budget. Both suggestions so far have identified two of the "newest" rides in dreamworld (with ToT2 only coming out of refurb a couple years ago). If anything needs a retheme in DW, right now it would have to be MDMC - throw in an extra set of kicker wheels halfway round the track (hell - install a NOS button or something for them to hit that kicks it up a notch) so the ride actually has some speed... then install an extra set of brakes to handle it. I know it isn't easy to retrofit a second launch in, but minor track modification would permit the installation of a 'kicker' piece. My other choice would be to install a second block and another train on Cyclone. I don't think anything more needs to be said on that. I realise it doesn't get the queues it used to, so there may not be much point to it now, but perhaps along with it they could revamp it somewhat - give it a tunnel or two to roar through. Maybe give people on the slide towers a water cannon to fire at people (while allowing for the inevitable corrosion that would result)... at least give people something different to make them re-ride it again...

I'm amazed how much construction went by here without being noticed - it seems like it was just last week the DA was identified...

That's fine. You've made it clear that your mind won't be influenced by anyone using logic and reason. Apparently that only works for 'dodgy sales guys' taking advantage of 'dumb tourists'. I just want to ensure theres a voice of reason out there. Your aim was to 'get the message out to everyone'. My aim was to ensure that message was balanced by logic and reason that any reasonable person would understand, and then take on both viewpoints to be assured that while some people obviously dislike how they do business, that there is a logical and legitimate explanation for a lot of the issues you raise, and that they aren't really deserving to be called parasites, liars, thieves or worse. So now that we've both said our piece - and apparently both achieved our aims - i'll do you a deal - agree to disagree? i'll stop if you do? Otherwise if you persist in pushing and belaboring a point you feel you've already made (and repeated several times without regard for the opposing argument) i'll have to likewise show the flaws in your arguments further.

Turbine? That's in the wrong park! Turbines are strictly Dreamworld affair! I must say I love these new quad copter cams that are popping up everywhere. It used to be aerial footage had to be shot by a chopper with the camera hanging out the side. THey'll be able to get some nice close up aerials with the quad copter! Inside the port hole looks interesting

I must disagree - excluding Sea World loses out on major attractions that far exceed that at Dreamworld - Jet Rescue vs. MDMC, Viper vs. Cyclone. If you're talking 'quantity' of rides, then fair enough, but Quality? You've skipped out on a handful of top quality attractions. Just my opinion, nothing more.

More rumor, but hard to be wrong... if Sea World have said 'Early December' - then the next two weeks would be a given - after that it wouldn't be 'early' december... it'd just be december.

You have admitted you did not attend the presentation, so your statement that it runs for 3-4 hours is second hand from someone else who did. For all you know, they didn't have a watch, and while it 'felt' like 3-4 hours, it was only 90 minutes. Or maybe at 90 minutes they told everyone that that was the end of the spiel, but if they wanted more info, to stick around, and that took another 90 minutes? WHo knows? Not you because you weren't there. You haven't offered up your experience, you've offered up your opinion. there is a big difference. And yet - you still show no evidence of anyone being FORCED to pay money for a product they don't want. You're in sales - have you ever taken someone's credit card out of their wallet and charged a whole bunch of stock to the card without the customer agreeing? No - because they would stop you. You seem to have it in your head that these guys exercise some sort of 'mind control' over these poor unsuspecting park guests, and somehow get them to do things they do not want to do. Several people around here know a guy named Tony Laffan (congrats on the bubba by the way). He's a hypnotist, who does both comedy hypnotism to promote his skills(gets you to walk around like a duck etc) as well as therapy hypnotism for things like quitting smoking. The first thing he will tell you is that he can't make anyone do anything they don't want to do. Even under hypnosis, your subconscious has to be willing to do the things he is suggesting. All contracts are required to have a cooling off clause - a period of time where either party can terminate the agreement without prejudice. I'd like you to point me to someone who: Is a member of holiday club, didn't want to be from the start, never actually wanted to be, doesn't want to continue; but, continues to pay them money. You don't like their sales tactics, and as a salesperson yourself you feel embarassed that a very good sales person convinced you to part with $20 of your own money, but the fact is, you did - and you're angry at yourself that you fell for the sales pitch... but thats all it is - it's a sales pitch. it's not a scam, it's not a lie. It's a legitimately registered business running a legitimate promotion. Theres a reason the nigerian scammers are in nigeria. Theres a reason the 'Windows support team' scammers aren't in Australia. Because anyone running anything from a base IN AUSTRALIA that does not conform with Australian Consumer Law will very quickly be shut down or brought up on charges - especially an organisation as prominent and bold as one that would stand waving fliers in your faces in a theme park, and holding weekly "information sessions" in hotel conference rooms... gee, they'd be hard to track down if they were doing something illegal wouldn't they??? You seem confused that we don't believe you, and can't understand why we're "against" your opinion. You're using inflammatory language to cast dispersions against this apparently legitimate company. You've done so with no proof. You've been asked for proof, and given none - just more stories and explanation. ....now we aren't a court of law, but all you've given me was a story with no backing. It's like me saying: You see? Theres no proof in me telling you that story. What would prove it was a photo of me accepting the keys from an employee of holiday club - this would be actual evidence of the transaction. I have worked in the Banquets Events division of a large hotel. I've seen how much room charges are to hire. I can tell you the hotel function rooms on the gold coast aren't exactly cheap, but more importantly - if you want to know how long they PLAN for these information things to run - look at the events board at the front of the hotel - where it says something like "ballroom 1 - 9am to 10:30am - Holiday Club information session". If they planned for it to run for four hours, then the info board would be displayed by the hotel as "9am to 1pm"... unless you're going to claim that the hotel chains involved in hosting these info sessions are 'in on it' in which case the conspiracy just gets far too big, and it's time for you to put your tin foil hat on because the government organisation knows where you are and what you're thinking and they're coming for you!!! *spooky noises* Conspiracy theorists unite! Dyslexics untie!

I think i'd prefer the Hair Raiser in Gazza's shot to the one presently being installed at LPS - but beggars can't be choosers!

Of course embellishment is the nature of PR people - however Dreamworld had a say in this advertisement too... you don't think the wording wouldn't have been haggled over and agreed to, so that one group didn't get an unfair advantage in the advertisements over the other? 7 December is a good target based on the 'early' or 'very early' statements. the weekend after that is 'mid december'. Of course, nothing says the opening day has to be a weekend, and it may be smart to soft open on a weekday so you have less crowds to manage the ride through it's paces as a rehearsal for the weekend rush - but for some reason, VRTP likes to open it's rides on the busiest day possible (boxing day for some rides in the past), so why not a saturday, rather than a thursday?

Sorry to harp - Brad the best way you can get a feel for 'who's who in the zoo' is to check out both their post count, and how long they've been a member. If they're at 1000 posts and they've been a member for a year - they have too much time on their hands. If they've got 1500 posts and they've been a member since 2003/4, chances are they aren't yanking your chain. If a 13 year old (now) has been a member since 2003... he learned to type very early on in life!!! Onto the model type - the pic of the tower with the ball on top does imply some great lighting opportunities. the ball at the top in itself lends itself to some wonderful 'lightshow' opportunities - searchlights anyone? This will really: make the park more noticeable from across the water other end of the harbour piss off the residents at the top of the cliff who have a court judgment saying LPS can do what LPS wants to do (pretty much) tie in with harbour-based nighttime events (like NYE) where they could use it as part of the show (justsayin)