DaptoFunlandGuy

But while Sea World is a marine life park, it's strength is maintaining a balance of rides, shows, and attractions. Many people would defer a visit if the park was simply animals with an expression of 'we've seen sharks and dolphins and penguins before'. Sea World doesn't need a LOT of attractions - and lets face it, they don't have the room for them, but they do still need a core ride-base to keep those non-animal-interested people coming for those unique rides. It's also not 'a wildlife based park missing a ride'... it's missing 3 - Pirate Ship, Bermuda and the Train (they ARE all rides)... Sure, they've put in the battle boats etc, but those took over an already popular waterpark area, so it's hardly a replacement for the three that are missing. IMHO - SW needs to replace those that are gone with something else - and perhaps explore the options of attractions that extend out over the carpark, so save losing too much space inside the gates.

I am around 180cm, and last I checked, I have ears. I do not experience any headbanging, pain or discomfort whilst riding. Yes, the train does 'jolt' around the track, and there are sections with substantial vibrating, but I do not find it uncomfortable, let alone painful. However - there are some shorter members of my family \ extended family \ park-attendance group who are shorter... substantially shorter - as in 150-170cm, and all of those shorter members DO complain of headbanging, headache, pain in the ear etc. I think it's more 'height of torso' rather than 'height of body' (obviously - when you're sitting down) so a blanket 175-185cm height suggestion is kind of inaccurate.

It would be nice if the colour was changed... Whilst I realise that the grey is fantastic for hiding signs of wear and tear, the bright red & blue of superman (albeit faded red), and green of green lantern really stand out. If the coaster was to be relaunched, a 'standout' colour would help pull it back from obscurity. Hell - even corkscrew was hard to see across the inlet, but the bright orange, high contrast paint job really pulls it forward into the eye.

Yes - exactly HOW LONG after it closed did they disclose that? I reckon it would have been at least 12 months later... before then it was just marked as "closed for maintenance"

Unlikely Gazza - Anyone say needle in a haystack? I just figured an 'out of proportion' title fitted today's media sense... rather than the rather drab and boring "6 year old feeds inappropriate food to captive marine life" Perhaps, like the infamous caption contests, we could have 'headline' contests?

I doubt it was a barb sting. I'd say it was a bite - you must remember a 6 year old's fingers would be substantially smaller - probably easier to give a little nip.

But what about Eureka? That was a poor management decision, wasn't it? When are they ever going to bring it back? Or replace it? surely they must announce a replacement soon, it's been decades! I'm sure the guests who visited in 1993 would notice it was missing - especially when they go by on the skyway. A friend of mine rode the chairlift the last time he went, and he saw the bushranger show on the island from the chairlift!

Ok - so not quite, but a 6 year old boy was injured (on his finger) by a Stingray at Ray Reef this morning. More Here: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/boy-6-bitten-on-middle-finger-by-stingray-at-gold-coast-sea-worlds-ray-reef-exhibit/story-e6freoof-1226251065110

Cheat code for more money.

I'm sure they will in several months or years - by then, the replacements should be up and running...

Well, 12750 would be more accurate based on that example... VRTP aren't open on Christmas Day, so unlikely the 20 in-park guests and 5 phone calls would eventuate. Of course - there are those who have nothing better to do on christmas day than complain on facebook or write a strongly worded email - so that is still possible... Fractionally - that percentage just got smaller.

Retro area must have: TRON (subject to licensing!) I'll leave the ride type up to you - theres definitely plenty to choose from!

A while ago, photos of the old bush beat \ bestie panels were posted here. They are currently hosted on the wonderland history site as well. Different coasters have different controls, but as a general rule, you've got: open\close gates open\close restraints (sometimes multi stage where more than one restraint system is in use) With Beast, the button was a pulse control - it had to be held down for the guest to raise the lapbar - if the operator released it before the guest lifted it - it remained locked down. Once the button is released, the lapbar is locked in it's position (either open or closed). brake control (releases train from brakes\unload - enters station) park\brake control (brakes train in station, manual control to bring train in slowly to correct position). This button is held down (brakes open) to allow the train to exit the station under gravity. Obviously this is your standard, gravity coaster. Kicker wheels, block brakes, dropped floors (like lethal) would have separate controls. Many coaster panels also have a manual control switch or button to control every single controllable aspect of the coaster when placed in 'manual' mode. In 'auto mode' the restraints, station brakes, brake run brakes, and station gates are the controls open to the operator, with other systems like brakes, lift hill, kickers etc are all run by the PLCs. In short - every coaster is different - more modern (more automated) coasters would have a "dispatch" button, and the computer will advance all stacked trains forward as each block cleared.

Rappa - my sentiments precisely. Westical - the sight may be poor for regular visitors - but holiday makers etc wouldn't know how long it had been closed. Would you rather they put up new, generic 'new attraction coming soon' signs if they haven't yet decided on a finalist to replace it? If they had to close it, suddenly, for safety \ financial reasons, and had no plans (or money) to replace it, then it's going to take time. Maybe their plans are to replace all three with a similar ride system (with a diverse experience) and they get a discount if they order all three at once? Again - sure - the appearance may not be the best - but the percentage of guests who would view it as a 'seriously poor management decision' would start with a '0.XXX' The majority of guests would just go "i wonder why its closed" or "maybe there's a new ride coming" and leave it at that. My only criticism of how they've handled ALL THREE closures is the unsightly construction fence surrounding bermuda. Sure it would have cost more to put up a themed fence - timber boards with a "themed" warning sign to keep out (plus the requisite 'official' warning signs strategically placed along the fence) would have been a better look. IMO the white, temporary fencing is an eyesore - but that is my only complaint. Had they built the fence as i've described, i'd have no problem with the ride sitting there as is since it was closed.

I'd say, if you want to take that argument: If closure was simply, purely, and ONLY because it was cheaper to do so - then in a financial climate that isn't very healthy, i'd say (in MY mind) that it is quite an apt decision by management, rather than being poor. Sure, from an operational standpoint it may appear poor - large crowds, busy periods, and closed rides doesn't seem like a sound decision. But what if the costs associated with maintaining it at a level required by law meant that they exhausted their available funding, and could only staff rides, shows and outlets for 2 hours a day? or only 3 days a week? That wouldn't be a very good management decision - they would lose revenue - digging the hole deeper. You must remember that VRTP didn't just up and decide one day to close all three. Sure - they did close within a short (18 month) timeframe - but could they help it? I'm not trying to 'dress anything up' - i'm just hypothesizing other 'just as likely' scenarios to those who would condemn the parks administrators. As I said - BT and LTRR are similar ride systems, with similar effect systems, of a similar age. Surely it isn't outside the realm of possibility that they both had similar catastrophic failures within an 18 month period rendering both attractions beyond repair? And whilst BA-TR is an entirely different ride\show system, it is also of similar age - and has seen many years of service - is it possible that faults were also discovered with the attraction that was beyond economical repair? 'In similar timeframes' should also be considered as 'completely outside of their control' (I don't have proof to back this up, but surely if it were within their control to keep it open, thereby alleviating complaints to guest services, as well as crowds and queues in busy periods, don't you think that they would have?) Throw back to Corkscrew - a safety fault was discovered during checks on the attraction after an incident which I shall not disclose here. Further investigations revealed major structural integrity issues which required immediate repair. Now without going into the finer details of what was \ could be wrong, and what was needed to repair \ fix \ replace the issue, the attraction was closed, with little notice, for a long period of time. At the end of this long period, the attraction reopened, and was subsequently rethemed. I guess what i'm trying to say is - don't condemn the management for your perception of what they are doing. Until you know the facts behind the decisions, you need to trust that management are doing the best job that they can to continue to deliver their product without compromising the integrity of the brand, and it's assets.

The ride systems of Bermuda and LTRR are relatively the same, and are relatively the same age. For them to both experience similar issues within 18 months isn't entirely unheard of. The effects in ALL THREE of those attractions were at best, ready for the garbage pile and at worst beyond salvage. Or maybe - they just decided that rather than pay the memory of the ride a disservice by showing it off at it's worst, they decided it was time to close the ride.

I wouldn't say superman is being forgotten - one only has to look at it's queue's to realise this. For a lot of the public - at this point, Green Lantern is the best - and mainly because it's the new kid on the block. I draw the analogy of the family with a dog, that buys a new puppy... For some, the novelty will wear off, and they will still decide SE is their favourite. My partner has now ridden almost everything at every park, and her favourite is sea viper (I don't know why). At the end of the day - as you say - it's all subject to opinion - so for the same reason that you still think superman is great and fantastic and better than a 'fancy' el loco, so to do others think that SE is just another 'fancy' accelerator, and that GL is the best thing since wonderbread.

^ in relation to TRR, possibly just a very slow load for the group. Possibly a mobility impaired person, or an upset child. Could be any number of reasons, but thats why there is a really long calm channel before the lift.

I think it's a bit unfair to lump GL into a 'cloned' El Loco category, and then class Superman Escape as a one-of-a-kind accelerator. Does Superman have unique elements? Of course it does - the dark ride section was commented on by the TPR crew on their recent visit. But - from launch to brake run, is it that different, other than the specific layout of this one? In the same vein - Green Lantern also has unique elements - 4 across seating, on board audio and pulsing LED lights, an apparently 'steeper' first drop, and a reduction on trimming compared to previous el locos. I'm not 100% and i'm at work so can't do too much in the way of fact-checking, but aren't the restraints a little different to previous models also? You also need to consider the 'old vs. new' argument. Look at GL - all bright green, and glossy black, shiny in the sunlight... and compare to superman - a rather tired drab and faded red track... Superman is old news - Green Lantern is something new, and different. From the general public's point of view: * 4 across seating that isn't mounted directly over the track * nothing over the shoulder to keep you in - oh my god, i'm going to fall out! * on board audio (if you can hear it) * a 'drop' steeper than 90 degrees... not an inversion - but a drop... * cars that light up, whilst ON TRACK! These are all unique, australian first points about an el loco - that whilst the rest of the world might consider it to be a few small minor changes to an already plentiful coaster type, the majority of the domestic market are going 'WOW - SOMETHING NEW that we've NEVER SEEN BEFORE! *Disclaimer - i've written most of this from memory. I can't say all the facts are correct. I don't really have time to research and fact check at work, so if i'm wrong, apologies, but to the best of my knowledge - all of the above is true.

Actually - when we went last weekend, the gates opened at 9am - to everyone. Gold VIP's get onto the 'early open' ride at 9:15am, and the rest of the public at 9:30... We got 4 rides in on GL in that 15 minutes, and only got off the train once. The early entry ride is for everyone from 9:30, and i can see sense (especially in the summer holidays) of opening the main gates at 9am - if everything opens at 10 - including the front gate - then WWF, RRRC, and even scooby won't see people for at least 10 minutes as people sort out lockers etc. At least this way, your staff are being paid to work, not wait.

Seriously - Ipecac Syrup? A poison.... that makes you vomit? And... in a 6 year old thread.... geezus - at least post in something more regularly used!

I thought you were leaving?

Mac - agree with your sentiments on RRRC. Theres nothing wrong with it. I think you'll find if you get around some of the other threads, that the bigger issue here isn't the spelling, grammar and punctuation, but moreso the pointless threads started over trivial matters that go nowhere. Joz wrote it best above, and before you critique the 'hijacking' of the thread, re-read Joz's post... and again - before you consider this thread 'hijacked' - consider how much discussion it has generated outside the 'punctuation police' in relation to the topic matter (that isn't in itself repetitive in terms of "it's fine" "there are bigger fish to fry" etc... (which is essentially the entire content of your own post as well).

Disagree with you there Gazza. Admittedly, the tick-tock outside the attraction does get on your nerves (although I asked a cast member at one point who said after an hour or so you just don't hear it anymore), and the song inside the attraction is very much "the song that never ends", but it was an attraction built under Walt, with all the small touches sometimes overlooked by modern themed attractions, and for me, annoying as it may be, It is still an attraction I 'love'.

i'd have the same loop, but have a beam across a doorway or section of the path that triggers playback as the beam is broken, but restrict the loop from replaying within a certain timeframe - this way - if noone walks through the queue (such as that with the 'give in to your fear' loop), it wouldn't play. To be honest, if this playback was set to such a trigger - in that it didn't just continuously replay over and over - it might actually scare some people when it does trigger just as they walk by.