MickeyD

So true Richard. It has shocked and astounded me for years that DW Park management roam the place with tunnel vision, disregarding the things most in need of attention. It's a Paul Pressler style of management that surely cannot continue much longer without severely impacting the park's performance (and public image)

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Hey Original, replying to your question on the PA Show. I think you slightly misunderstood me - the plan I have heard is to not keep the Police Academy show, rather build an all new much larger venue somewhere on the southern side of the Park, away from the neighbours and with more space to make for a bigger/better show. The existing PA show crew would continue out the show's last performances next year whilst the new show is being readied. Dolphin Cove was built this way & it's something I have long suspected they would do I guess because it makes absolute sense, do you agree? I caught up with my long time MW buddy tonight and quizzed him again on the Park's plans for 2008. It seems they have been unusually coy this time around about their plans. He believes a brand new Large scale ride will commence construction around Easter in addition to the new Stunt show (which we already know about) I asked him about the idea of putting the new show over around Lethal/Scooby/Maverick and he said that whatever it is, there is definately something being planned for those areas. Management have been seen with contractors lurking around those areas for some time now and the recent rumours somewhat confirm this. I am still in doubt as to whether a brand new major ride is infact being planned for 2008 and I'm slightly concerned that everyone is getting their hopes up. I hope I'm wrong but the rumours really started flowing after recent press announcements which could be slightly misinterpreted. As Richard's recent column puts it: Amid strong competition from nearby Dreamworld, which a year ago upped the anti with its WhiteWater World water park, Warner Village Theme parks are set to continue investing in their theme parks to ensure that their offerings are kept fresh and relevant. Sea World will open its first new major attraction since Shark Bay's debut in 2004. Expected to be a hippopotamus exhibit, it will build on the park's strong wildlife heritage. Warner Bros. Movie World looks set to launch a new stunt show with the Police Academy Stunt Show slated to end its near two-decade run at the theme park. It is one of the few remaining attractions that opened with the park in 1991. Can you see anything about MW getting a new ride in here? Now my mate at the Park is pretty damn sure they are getting a new ride next year - and I want to believe him - but when I asked him if the supposed next BIG thing for MW 08 is just the new stunt show he could see where I was coming from, that they are in fact one in the same thing. Someone PLEEEEEEASE tell me I'm wrong!

Interesting this topic was set up on November 6 2006. OVER A YEAR AGO!! I was just flicking through the last 8 or so pages and we really haven't unearthed anything on the doubtful future of this once great little ride --Meanwhile DW has been slowly fading it off the map, seemingly hoping that everyone (including it's fans) will soon forget about it

The Motion bases in the Batride are actually some of the best you can get - They have a crown of 6 Hydrolic legs which allows them to perform movements outside of the range of say Star Tours which only have 4. Some useless information: Before the Batman ride first opened in it's original form in 93 (by far a better attraction than what it later became) the Motion was really intense. We had a preview night for staff as part of the Xmas Party and wow it was FULL ON! Such a shame that got toned down. When I went most recently I was shocked to see the motion seems to have been toned down again! In it's current form, the Batride is surely heading for the chopping block. If they don't redo it with a new Dark Knight Version, then they may as well free up the space for something new (like your idea)

Hey Gav, here's a cost cutting idea - pinch the Motion bases from the batman ride (there are 6) and use them as the base for custom made vehicles for the ride? This is the kind of recycling innovation WVTP's have been renowned for in the past. I agree the best place is over back of Lethal but I have a feeling that area is marked for the new Hotwheels show.

^ I agree! Gav, that is absolutely awesome!! Your designs just get more and more elaborate. This one represents a timeless Theme and would be an absolute smash hit across a wide market.. Question is.. How much? I'd be thinking this would be a hard one to pull off for less than 30 mil (if done right)

Well the neighbours would absolutely hate you if you were in charge of design!! The white area you have marked at the back of the Looney Tunes Ride where there is a fairly narrow service road and a moat that runs between MW and the nearby suburb. Future outdoor 'scream' rides would really have to go on the other side of the park where they would have minimal noise effect and also could be ran during functions and special events outside of hours

not really dude, it was always a pretty crappy ride. Honestly

Back on topic, I will be catching up with one of my old buddies who I worked with at the Park for years (he's still there) and see what goss I can fish out of him. Future expansion plans are often announced at Employee of the month functions and as they have just had their xmas party recently, hopefully there will be some new news to share. I'll be sure to post on this later in the week if I have any news

When it first opened I recall it being mildly more thrilling but it never operated the cool manouveres the ride type was renowned for - I believe it was toned down a few years before it was moved from the wipeout site when it later became stingray. I often thought the main reason why this was never such a wild ride was because the design was potentially too unsafe to operate it in such a way

The roulette wheel opened originally at the same time as the Reef Diver (then Enterprise) - The Enterprise ride has since been completely replaced but the stingray was just remodelled. It was always a slow ride, but I know what you mean, I have ridden versions of this ride at Carnivals (there was one doing the rounds years ago called "UFO") and these rides can be quite thrilling - there are several modes that the ride can function including, rotate with rotating angle, no rotating angle with fast rotation and no rotation with fast rotating angle - all of which can operate in forwards and backwards modes.

^ I'll believe it when I see it reopen.. Until then I really wouldn't be getting my hopes up. Sorry but I think Eureka has gone the way of the Thunderbolt

This is a real shame. The Park has possibly lost one of it's signature attractions. We can only hope it will be replaced with something similar only much better. Dollywood's Mystery Mine came at a US$17.5million price tag. I very much doubt DW would do anything quite so extravagant but they could pull off something similar for less. http://www.rcdb.com/ig3609.htm?picture=37 This coaster has a good capacity too (around 1000 per hour) which DW most certainly needs

- Yeah and how in Dreams, nothing really makes sense - just like DW's themeing :-/

well we already know that PA is on the way out - with plenty of coasters up their sleeve at the moment, I'm hoping for something great (and indoors) to be built in it's a place and for the new Hotwheels show to go in over somewhere near Scooby/Lethal way

Well as far fetched as it seems, the reason for the elephants and other african animals is they supposedly escaped from a travelling circus (or so the story went back then) I cannot explain the 8 foot tall T-Rex though.... SHEEESH!!

^ as predicted! It's gotta make you wonder if they will keep searching or just get rid of it all together. What I don't understand is the ride is not the original design anyway. From my recollection the track has been changed three times - Initially there were some major changes involving a complete rebuild when it when from two seat cars to four and lastly when they took out the nasty bend at the end, straightening out the track. If DW really valued the future of the Mine ride, they would consider buying a new Mack design or something similar. I guess the way they see it is that would be a substantial investment for something that could not be promoted as a new attraction

^your thoughts are not suprising - DW has had more than it's fair share of avoidable accidents in the past involving the Thunderbolt, Chair lift, Cannonball Express & Blue Lagoon amongst them. I have to admit the incidents of the past still haunt me for a split second when I board the Giant drop today. This is an interesting topic because I think it is fueled by peoples dreams for Dreamworld to be so much better than it actually is. Let's hope the place holds a brighter future. I still have faith it somehow will.. Oneday By the way I agree with MYK about WWW. -Drove past the place the other day and it's looking suprisingly faded & worn. Not a very good first impression

That's a pretty impressive expansion.. Where did you hear this news? Or is it just a rumur?

Why do so many people continue to defend the SW product? I'm willing to bet that I have visited the place more than most people on this board and whilst I can appreciate it's landscape, ambience & balance, I have to agree that in reality, it lacks the fondness that people want it to have. I think WVTP's have been riding the nostalgic wave of Seaworld for too long now. Maybe it's time for them to step the pace up - perhaps shut down John's old "ski show" (heaven forbid) and open the place up for the development opportunities that the Park deserves..

I'm sure the average family of four are spending loads more than $1100 a year on entertainment - a PS3 costs about that much and I know which present I'd prefer to give my kids.

Are U serious? Without comparing our Parks to others that are clearly not available for us to visit often, this is GREAT value - particularly for teens on weekends and holidays. It's also a fantastic idea for families. No more boring weekends of "what shall we do" etc - just visit a park once a month and you have MORE than got back your money's worth

I don't think the next Major attraction will be a coaster at all - There are a lot of other cool types of rides out there for the Park to explore. Most likely I would suggest a family orientated mildly thrilling ride (like a water or dark ride) will be next on the cards

That's great to hear you didn't have to wait long but really no suprises there - you went on a Tuesday & well outside school Holidays (16th) The Motocoaster has missed the mark. Let's hope DW doesn't make such a mistake again!