[Dreamworks at Dreamworld]

In regards to the Lair being closed I wouldn't read into it too much it has been closed previously when it is quiet.

Lair is undergoing a little bit of a facelift, with all the rain recently it was turning into a bit of a mud pit. I'm sure it will be open again soon.

[Tiger "Bites Handler" at Dreamworld]

I wholly agree with Slicks's comments above. Knowing very well how much time, work, passion and energy the TI team put into everything they do, and seeing the outcomes of their work on a daily basis leaves room for nothing but the highest respect for them and the work that they do. Anyone who discredits them for their practices either has no idea how the majority of facilities around the world work, or is blissfully ignorant of the needs and requirements of Tigers in captivity. Each of those cages are 30m2, and contain large den boxes, which, considering the Tigers sleep 16-18 hours a day, and tend to sleep most of the night away is more than enough room for them. There are also a number of day yards and other enclosures which now include the lair which are available for the cats to be rotated in and out of throughout the day. Not many other facilities can provide this sort of enrichment for their animals. Hitting the Cat 6-7 times seems a little excessive but some of the younger cats require a lot of discipline at times. Its the consistent discipline from all members of the Tiger Island team that make all the difference, and mean that more events like this bite don't happen. Having the cats know that biting and scratching the handlers will recieve discipline is a really critical part of the hand-raising process, and with the exception of kato, no other adult cats have any real issues with handlers and are very aware of acceptable behaviours. Did you see the period of time before the cat was hit several times? Was it the first time he/she had attempted the behaviour in a period of time, or was it a repetitive display of bad behaviour? Different situations call for different levels of discipline, and I'm sorry if this sounds rude and it is by no means any form of personal comment to anyone, but unless you're an expert in hand-rearing large animals i'm going to run with the skills and knowledge of the experienced handlers to make the call on what is and what is not appropriate discipline. /twocents.

[2 new rides for Dreamworld in 2011]

Has been going most of the day today for various media bits and pieces. Seems to be a hit so far. It was open tonight only for the competition winners who were 'staying the night' as well as the various media groups. Also interesting to know that the ride cycle is capable of being extended to do one extra full loop after the first one, but must be extended by the operator in the first few seconds of the cycle. Will be interesting to see if and when this feature is used and how much it kills capacity.

[Fright Nights 2011]

I'm a bit worried that someone had a panic attack to be honest. A bunch of my friends who I'm taking have quite severe anxiety disorders and it would be absolutely paralysing for something like that to happen to them Hopefully the staff can identify those who look like they're having trouble and discretely take them to an exit? I know I'm dreaming big here and I know that the purpose of the mazes is to scare the pants off everyone (and personally I can't wait ) I just can't turn off my psychologist brain sometimes and am a bit worried about what would happen to those people, especially in zombie apocoalypse which seems to be really hard to escape.

Personally knowing some of the actors and their previous scare experience (which includes dealing with a lot of these situations) and taking into account the importance of guest safety and customer service to the park, I would think it's a pretty safe bet that if somebody was suffering from an anxiety attack inside the attraction, the staff would be able to provide adequate assistance. Seeing the amount of effort that's being put in to continually improving the evenings only makes me more excited, i'm looking forward to making it over to at least one.

[2 new rides for Dreamworld in 2011]

Not only that but I can't think of anything more boring than waiting for a ride to lose momentum. My guess is that they're having some teething issues trying to get the car to catch on the chain.

Im sure you'll be pleased to hear that as of this afternoon the ride was catching during testing.

[Wipeout ride sequence changed?]

Up until 2004 or 2005 the ride was running program 3, which is very similar to program number 2 which the ride was running until recently. The only major difference between the 2 is that after the twisting flips, the ride does around 25 seconds of non inverting twists before slowing down for the locked rotation at the end.

As in, just recently before it was toned down? I'd have to question this as I know for a fact that Wipeout has been run in program 4 pretty religiously for at least the last 3-4 years.

[Dreamworld's 30th]

Basically, what I want to know is why the ground is wet underneath?

Gazza, looking at where the water is on the ground it looks like the rain just came in on a slant. Given how wild the weather was last week that's not surprising.

That, or depending on how early this photo was taken, the ground may still have been wet from the high pressure water cleaners that are used every morning by the cleaners.

[Dreamworld Random Bulding]

That's the maintenance workshop as far as I know.

I do also believe it is the maintenance shed. :-)

Can confirm that this is definitely the Engineering Centre.

[Dreamworld's 30th]

Has anything been done with the Marketplace?

Re-floored, All new signage on the inside. Guest Services/Upgrade Counter is still being rebuilt. Looks much cleaner, and a little brighter.

[Tower of Terror Update]

Still seems to be a few people around, but the weather has definitely had an effect on the attendance so far. The truly busy period though doesnt really start until this weekend when NSW goes on holidays as well. Will be interesting to see if the weather gets any better, and how much of an impact it has had on attendance.

[Dreamworld's 30th]

My theory is the water pump has broken, as it was working fine a week ago.

Spot on. Also, The yellow fence has been there for quite some time. Its just a gate to prevent people heading into that area of the park while there's nothing happening down there. Looks a little bit nicer than the dodgy temporary fencing that was there before.

[E-Stops]

Ive never seen it used, but my understanding of the Claw E-stop is that it works pretty rapidly, much so in the fashion that Alex described above. Using the E-stop locks everything out though (floors wont rise and harnesses wont release on stop etc. as the ride hasnt referenced back to its Point of Origin). Autostop is the other stop, which is a much better option for those general stops (Loose items on ride etc.) Just finishes the cycle early and brings the ride to a normal stop.

[What's Dreamworld doing to the old Log Ride?]

I may be mistaken, but wasn't the hill replaced last year?

The belt was replaced last year from memory but not the whole conveyor. And the drop will be exactly the same, no steeper. It's using the same supports as the old drop so it had to stay the same.

[What's Dreamworld doing to the old Log Ride?]

The old lift was in desperate need of replacement, and was the cause of most of the rides operational issues. So that's what's happening now, it is being replaced with a brand new conveyor and drop.

[SE Question]

A lot of weather sensing systems are completely seperate to ride systems, and require the operator to periodically check them, immeadiately ceasing operation if things such as wind speed breach an acceptable limit. Personally, Ive never really seen a weather monitoring system actually affect the ride systems operation, except for Giant Drop at Dreamworld with it's wind alarm.

[Dreamworlds Direction]

Dreamworld has had that segway for quite some time. Might even be more than one. Very seldom used though. It's currently being used by entertainment staff to promote MTV in park.

[WVTP Changes]

Does WWW get a lot of school groups too or is it mostly WnW? How busy is WWW during the week?

Dreamworld gets a large amount of school groups compared to www, especially this time of year. In saying that though www is not completely free of school/sporting groups.

[Tower of Terror Breakdown]

Ive probably posted in one of those other topics but nonetheless: What happened was a common trip. Basically, in the launching of the pod, if the ride loses track of where the pod is it any point close to the station end of the track, the ride stops the launch, and alerts the main operator of the fault. When this happens, the second operator has to duck down a flight of stairs and reset the ride. If this doesnt happen within the correct time frame, the ride is unable to automatically bring the pod back. This is when it is necessary to go out and manually winch the ride back. If the operator does manage to reset in time, and the ride brings itself back, there is no need to send a test run in between. If the ride is manually brought back, a test run has to be sent to ensure the ride will then operate correctly.

[Dreamworlds Direction]

I'm with the updated safety regulations in regards to eureka, more so than what the public wanted. Sure the public wants new rides, but not if it is going to have to be a sacrifice every time. But yeah, it was old, and I'm sure there were some changes to safety legislation, that when the ride was built, manufacturers couldn't have planned for. They have actors in AVPX every now and then for events, but from what I hear the suit isn't incredibly light or comfortable, so I don't blame the staff or management for not having it in use all the time.

[Blackout At LPS]

it'd be useless at the time but i imagine its policy to prevent some kind of whacky re-start or something

I think it's a pretty standard procedure across the board, especially if the ride was mid cycle. I sure as hell wouldn't be attempting to unload guests in that situation unless the e-stop was in. Nobody likes a freak accident.

[giant drop]

If you're looking for the hint of knowing when it will drop, then sit on the outside of the gondola. When you think you've stopped going upwards, look up and back at the tower rigging. You will see you're still edging up the side. Keep watching it - and when it looks like you've stopped going up, you've got about half a second before you drop.

Or if you cant get on the end seats, listen carefully on the way up, there is a very distinct hum that the winch makes, its particularly audible right near the top, and more so on the west side (facing the highway) than on the east (facing the coast). When you get near the top, You will hear the hum of the motor stop, and youve got about 1 second before you drop. Even if you miss that, theres a very clear 'click' as the catch car releases the gondola, just as it starts to drop. Probably the best warnings. And if worst comes to worst, remember its only 3.7 seconds down. It will be over before you know it.

[Old Dreamworld queues/theming]

4. Not entirley sure on this one. There are a bunch of tools in the tunnel before you hit the station though, so anything is possible. Can anyone confirm?

As far as I'm aware, that's where most of the work is carried out on the train, it is winched back from the station toward the beginning of the tunnel at the end of each day so it's a pretty solid assumption.

[TOT Stuck]

Hmm, it is normal for the Tower of Terror to do what it did. It would have been a drive trip. Normally the ride pulls itself back into the station using the magnets, but not by the steel cable. Which leads me to believe that it was a epic fail. At least you can put AVPX on Q4U now

Or the 2nd op wasnt quick enough getting downstairs to reset it. More than likely though, the ride tripped and the trip meter just didnt catch it, which means they have to manually winch it back. Happens every now and then.

[WVTP New Food Policy]

Dreamworlds policy used to be the same as that of WWW's, hence I said not too old policy.

[WVTP New Food Policy]

I think DW's not so old policy of no comercially pre-packaged food, reffering to things like subway or maccas from across the road was fair, and it's something that used to be enforced to a certain degree. Nobody really seems to have a problem with people bringing in a few sandwiches or some fruit etc, and I highly doubt, that even now you would be pulled up on it. Even the people who are the most likely to bring their own food into the park (annual passholders, larger families etc) will still quite often buy the optional extras like an ice-cream or a churro or some fairy floss, so there is still money coming in.