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themagician

Parkz Crew
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Everything posted by themagician

  1. The Wedgie also isn’t a looping slide, but that’s also closed now. My guess would be there are issue with getting parts for the GC models. They were also looking very tired and the parks probably didn’t see value in investment when they weren’t the most popular attractions due to their intensity. For WnW that does leave a relatively new slide tower available for use and there quite a large area of land in front of it for some decent slides.
  2. And after many many months, this exciting new pathway has finally opened… just in time for the off season
  3. Pico Play have also shared this article about the project Pico Play to deliver full theming solution for Dreamworld’s new Jungle Rush roller coaster An ancient temple, filled with twisting tunnels, mysterious chambers, mystical artefacts and exotic creatures is taking shape in a state-of-the-art fabrication facility in the Vietnamese city of Hai Duong. Pico Play, a global leader in the planning, design, development and construction of world-class themed attractions and entertainment, is busy working on an ancient temple, filled with twisting tunnels, mysterious chambers, mystical artefacts and exotic creatures in its state-of-the-art fabrication facility in the Vietnamese city of Hai Duong. More than 75 artists, sculptors, engineers and production workers are manufacturing the temple which will become the centrepiece of Jungle Rush, a brand-new rollercoaster coming to Australia’s theme park Dreamworld in 2024. Pico Play director Darren McLean says the company is delivering a fully integrated solution to the theme park that includes all theming, show sets and audio-visual effects: “We’ve taken the concept and developed detailed designs through to fabrication drawings and then, of course, the fabrication itself at our Vietnam facility. In addition to the physical theming and show sets, we’re also developing a custom soundtrack and developing lighting, storytelling and animatronics to deliver a seamless, integrated and exhilarating experience.” At $35M, Jungle Rush is Dreamworld’s largest investment in a single attraction and the crowning jewel of Rivertown, the park’s new immersive land. Billed as a family attraction, Jungle Rush is a switchback rollercoaster, featuring the world’s first inclined turntable, different track paths and the ability to travel forward or in reverse. Pico Play is manufacturing 520 pre-cast glass-reinforced concrete (GRC) panels in its Vietnam facility to build the centrepiece temple and has sourced an ex-military dual-engine propellor plane to ‘crash-land’ into the theming. “We’re working very closely with the local architect, engineer and builder and using detailed 3D modelling to ensure our pre-fabricated pieces sit perfectly into their major infrastructure works,” adds McLean. “We’re developing an immersive experience that will take guests on a mysterious journey from the moment they enter the temple to when they exit the rollercoaster. “We want to offer guests more than just a rollercoaster ride. The experience is more than the ride itself, there’s a story, there are characters, there’s excitement and there’s anticipation and entertainment leading up to the ride.” Jungle Rush marks the 10th collaboration between Pico Play and Dreamworld with past projects including the newly opened Ocean Parade expansion, Steel Taipan rollercoaster and the Sky Voyager “flying theatre”. Dreamworld CEO Greg Yong visited Pico Play’s Hai Duong facility in early 2024 and was impressed at the efficiency and skill of its workers, including a large team of experienced artists and sculptors. “They’ve got a super talented group of people doing the work and it was really great to see the artisans and thank them in person,” says Yong. “I walked out of that experience in Vietnam feeling 100 per cent confident and really comfortable in how Pico Play was handling the project.” Nominating Pico Play’s global reach as a competitive advantage, Yong adds that the firm’s Queensland presence also contributed to the enduring relationship between the two companies. “They know the site and understand our vision with this project and how important the stakes are – this is not just another attraction, this is a meaningful part of Dreamworld’s story and recovery.” Yong explains that Jungle Rush is located in one of the park’s foundation areas and fittingly offers a nostalgic nod to Dreamworld’s history: “Jungle Rush is all about the theming; we’re bringing back a lot of traditional effects that people may not have seen in a theme park for a long time. Technology is so pervasive now that we wanted something ‘analogue’, something that is so completely immersive that you put your phone away and just get caught up in the quality of the narrative and the scale of the theming.” The Rivertown project is the final piece in Dreamworld’s $55M capital investment, with approximately $35M invested in the immersive Rivertown land. The project’s construction and theming phase is set to create more than 1000 jobs with the precinct expected to open in late 2024. At the end of last year, Pico Play announced the appointment of Kate Rogers as senior art director. Rogers has worked on some of the most innovative and beloved theme park attractions on the planet, including Universal Orlando Resort, Shanghai Disney Resort, Universal Beijing Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Melbourne Zoo. https://www.pico-play.com/news-articles/pico-play-to-deliver-full-theming-solution-for-dreamworlds-new-jungle-rush-roller-coaster?fbclid=PAAaa72cG-6XAKEMstjUQ4fYQT39AFyuEo6YZRZsV6B_NC0Njqrd4i85NzZaI_aem_AfVrHVFLd2eQFxGicDVNWPcdcdovIoCHym6Vlf1s9SKKQClWxNnfUjRAdUd7VeqBveY
  4. The attraction has been completely removed from the website. It is still represented on the park map, but it isn’t labelled.
  5. Vekoma has confirmed the coaster type is a ‘switchback coaster’
  6. DW Flyer's reopening has been pushed back a week to Feb 17
  7. This photo was shared in Gold Coast Nostalgia group on FB of Wet n Wild from 2000
  8. I actually think they should have tiered single day visit ticketing. It’s currently $105 for an adult when bought online. They could charge $90 on general weekdays, $105 on weekends and then charge $120 during holidays/public holidays Surely that variation would work in there favour and entice more people to go on weekdays
  9. If they can pull this off, WOW WOW WOW. This render actually gives me Disney/Universal vibes in their concept artworks. The detail in it is amazing and I truly hope they can pull this off because this will revolutionise theme parks in Australia and I honestly never thought it was going to be Dreamworld that did that. In my mind, Movie World (and maybe even Sea World) has always been the park to do that. In recent years MW hasn’t leant into that immersion and I hope with Wizard of Oz that changes. Sea World did a good job at it over ten years ago with Castaway Bay (when it opened) and Leviathans queue and station has also stepped things up a notch (it’s a shame that Atlantis as a whole didn’t). And to give Dreamworld some credit, when Dreamworks first opened, they did a good job with it. And I think Tiger Island is still the most well themed area of any Australian theme park, but based off what we’ve seen, if Dreamworld go all out with the story and detailing of the whole land that is Rivertown, this could be unlike anything we’ve seen. We already knew this from the lands plan, but it’s great to see (in a concept artwork) the two attractions interacting with each other. It will be such a joyful moment to be driving on of the cars and having the coaster travel past you. And having massive set pieces like this plane will be spectacular. The last concept artwork of the Jungle Rush entry was impressive, but looking at it again a few times, I definitely think it’s underselling what it will actually be (which could be a good thing). Hopefully they aren’t overselling with this concept artwork, and maybe it is if the budget begins to get blown, but I truly hope they go all out because this land will become the flagship attraction for Dreamworld, maybe even for the Gold Coast theme parks.
  10. That's the back of the former TOT building
  11. It's 'reopening' has been pushed back to the end of April, so I think it's safe to say it won't be operating this season.
  12. But that doesn’t necessarily mean because it’s good or people enjoy it. Other than the parade, it’s the only real main show the park has, so it just adds to the list of things to do during your day, but I don’t think it’s a must see. While I’d argue the first HSD was a must see, and obviously Police Academy was too.
  13. It amazes me that 10 years later, this version of the show is still going. The first HSD was really good, but only last 5 years and it was replaced by something that has just never hit the mark. They have had 2 or 3 versions of HSD2 in the past decade, but the fact it’s still going and the park haven’t invested in a whole new (and better) show amazes me.
  14. The new Topgolf nets are currently being installed and they expect to reopen late Feb
  15. @aaronm it did unexpectedly close at the start of last week, and then it’s reopening got pushed back to Friday and now a couple more weeks so my guess is they’re waiting on a part. They are usually reliable, but unexpected downtime is always expected for new attractions within its first few months
  16. Vintage Cars reopening has been delayed to the end of February
  17. I was thinking the same because when you go onto the Sea World website, the screen fills with a banner altering you to buy tickets to Carnivale
  18. @DaptoFunlandGuy that’s the downside to getting attractions that will (hopefully) have immersive theming. I’d imagine the costs saved from production being overseas allows for much more elaborate theming overall. Which is the case for most things in Australia
  19. Green Lantern reopened two days ago after being closed for a few months. Today it closed again.
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