Guest 239

Sledgehammer was testing the other day (it does a full 360 rotation which is wild) but last night it seems that it was down. No official reason has been given as of yet, but considering it was down last night means that likely its not a glitch which is a shame cause it looks like a wild attraction.

I'd love to be able to attend but unfortunately I'm still unable to enter Sydney until November 1st. Be sure to get lots of pictures!

You can't deny that Leviathan ain't a fine looking coaster. Cheers for the update @Richard. Love the pictures. Agreed. If they're saying that things are closer to their final renditions then I think it'll look nice and well presented. From what I can gather based off the very limited concept we've gotten it seems that they're wanting to fill the gaps in the slab with greenery and that the queue will take you through some sort of rockwork tunnel into an outdoor area which gives you a view of the coaster. Where it goes from there I can't really tell. Beyond the attractions it seems that the majority of theming for the land will be greenery and the blue rib structures that we've seen constructed near Vortex. Also the existence of these renders means that somewhere, out there, is a 3D model of Sea World and I want it.

I agree. That sounds horrendous and really poor form. Can't argue that. A simple email saying 'Heads up!' would avoid a lot of problems.

Checking zoning maps it seems that anything beyond the entrance sign is outside of their control and would require the council stepping in. I can't imagine them doing anything if 90% of the time the roads are fine.

Legitimately I forget that it exists when thinking about the coasters at Dreamworld.

This literally just proves my point? Dreamworld having a carpark is just a bonus over stadiums, but it doesn't mean that is literally your only option to get there. Dreamworld has Coomera station which is 20ish minutes walk away but you can also grab an Uber/Taxi from here. Equally you've also the TX7 which leaves every 10-20 minutes. It's not like Dreamworld is the middle of nowhere. So what are Dreamworld's options? Cut the tickets so that people can have a comfortable experience in the carpark but more people have to miss out on the event? Also how do they plan for their carpark capacity? Do they do 1 person per car? 2 people per car? What if they plan for 5 people per car and then it averages out that only 2 people per car arrived so now the carpark is congested because there are more people arriving by car than they had planned. Can you see how that even with proper planning this can quickly spiral out of control from the human element? You mentioned in the Spooky Nights thread that you don't bother with Sea World's car park because its a hot mess and that you park in a park/down the street. Why is Dreamworld different here? Should Sea World equally take the flack for their poor car park management and only limit their event to what their carpark can contain? They're probably further away from anything than Dreamworld. Was that under COVID restrictions?

The same way we go to any event. Stadiums don't sell tickets based off their carpark capacity but how many seats they can fill. First in, best dressed. Similarly Dreamworld would be selling to what their event can take and it'd be silly to expect them to undermine their capacity to ensure that everybody can arrive by the luxury of a car. There are more ways to get to the park than just that. Even using your own examples it would be quicker to park at the Westfield and walk than wait in traffic. All of these are not Dreamworld's fault. If I get there late than I'm clearly not stressed about making the most of the event. What's another 30 minutes? When I was at WDW this happened all the time. We'd sleep in, head to a park and then be stuck in a huge crowd of people because it seems everybody else had the same idea. Even with dozens of security lanes it was like herding cats and you'd be stuck in the bag check area out the front of the Magic Kingdom for 45 minutes waiting to move. Is it the Magic Kingdom's fault that if I got there earlier then I would have avoided this? Nope. They can only do so much to control crowds and after that it's up to people to do the right thing and make sure they're being as efficient as possible.

Sorry @themagician I should have clarified that I thought it was about Spooky Nights which is why I was confused. Sorry! Looking at these though I don't know if I'm reading this wrong but it seems like most people's major criticism was regarding other people. It seems like everybody tried arriving at the park right on the event starting and it caused huge amounts of congestion. Then once that crowd sorted out their parking they all bomb rushed the front gate. The last complaint is because the family decided to go get Maccas and then got caught in traffic. Why would Dreamworld be so heartless and do this to them? Seems that once people got through the gates they had a lot of fun. I haven't been to the event (thanks COVID!) so I can't really judge it, but I certainly wouldn't be getting there right on start and expect to get through the gates easily. There's an element of personal responsibility here to make sure that you plan ahead and factor in that other people also attend these events.

I haven't actually seen that much regarding the event outside of Parkz. Where are people posting about the event? I wouldn't mind seeing the feedback.

They look different to mine as well but there a few variants and from what I can gather this is the 'Aussie Boomer'. It's all an assumption though based off the reddish stem and bright green, semi-transparent foliage. Quickly! We need somebody at Dreamworld stat for close ups of these plants!

With my extremely limited garden knowledge and a distant image these look like Lilly Pillys? I agree it looks bad and is unbelievably bland, but thankfully Lilly Pillys grow at an absurd rate of almost 1.5m every warm season. With proper care hopefully by mid next year it wont look as shoddy. All valid points but I think its just a cost thing. It's an inconsequential walkway that people will pass a few times a day but never stop. Fully grown shrubs and trees are expensive. A 2.5M Lilly Pilly will set you back between 500 - 700 each and you still need to train them so you're going to have gaps and other problems temporarily anyway. For the twelve plants this probably cost like $100 versus $7200 for the mature equivalent. I don't love that they took this route and I wish that would do something that matches the theming of the building in distance with a brick fence (see below), but I can see why they did it. also if they're not lilly pillys than just ignore this post haha.

Me dropping into this thread every day having never ridden a standup coaster.

I don't mean to be a stickler to your planning but is there any reason you aimed to get to the theme park right on the event start? I went to Hamilton in Sydney earlier in the year which was capped at about 1,500 people and got to the theatre almost an hour and a half before it started to ensure I was ready and seated in time for the show to start. I'd be interested to know whether they start processing guests right on 5:30 or whether they start letting people into the event. If they have problems with mixed crowds then I agree that a wristband system should be used and just keep people within a manageable area like Mainstreet and kick out anybody not wearing wristband. Want to generate hype for your new ride? Stuff people in the currently constructed Steel Taipan area to wait and cycle the ride a few times to generate some free hype.

I think it's fine for people to be critical because fair criticism progresses the medium. It's why I get frustrated when people tell me to lower my expectation and accept what were given regarding New Atlantis because it diminishes the capability for criticism. I know that any criticism offered now wont change the final product but it can influence future developments. That's why I've made a point of praising particular aspects that I like within Steel Taipan. They're simple changes and additions that all developers should aim to focus on in the future. I'm not saying that they're ground breaking, nothing close, but comfort, flow, ease and experience should be at the forefront of any future projects. If we point out these things that we enjoy than it hopefully all operators will listen and we will get better products in the future. As enthusiasts its really easy to talk about what we don't like and that negativity tends to permeate a lot of online discussions regarding theme parks which really brings down the mood. There are an unfathomable amount of theme parks out there (not a comprehensive list) which means plenty to compare to and on a global scale what we see can be considered as poor, but our parks aren't on a global scale. Not yet, anyway. Discussing what we don't like AND what we like helps developers set their sights in the future, but if we just focus on just the bad then we spiral into a hate hole and they look at us as entitled whingy brats who cant be sated. Honestly we've had some great discussion and I think it gives operators a good indication of what to aim for in the future. In just the last two pages they can see that guest experience should have more focus for projects, wider pathways are good, people enjoy views of coasters they're about to ride but there should be more focus on themed elements and thematic integration to both the queue, ride, precinct and load.

I think Village will be fine. They've got a solid brand that they can rest on these holidays, but I would be wary of Dreamworld if I was them. The Christmas holidays is their opportunity to show off their progress after their well broadcasted shortcomings. If Steel Taipan goes off without a hitch, the park is well-presented and the atmosphere is energetic then I reckon a lot more people will consider Dreamworld holidays in the future especially now that WWW is basically a land of the park. It's their opportunity to win back some market share and from what I'm seeing they'll hopefully knock it out of the park.

In the video at about 3:10 you can see that the awnings on the right hand side start to give way to allow more of a view of the ride. You don't get a good view of the launch (it seems to be purposefully blocked) but you can see the coaster travelling through the loop and other elements. Plus you'll get to see people coming into the brake run where you get their reactions which is always fun. Its also easier to get a sense of scale because when looking at that image it makes the area seem incredibly tight. The reason I say it's comfortable is that the majority of the queue is undercover and has fans. It doesn't seem like much on paper but adds a lot for the guests compared to a lot of other open air queues. I feel our standards are pretty low. Honestly the best queue in Australia was Tower because of its uniqueness but now it is Storm: Coaster but even that is pretty generous. Almost all other major coaster queues on the GC I have significant criticisms towards. Steel Taipan isn't the best, far from it, it's just comfortable and shows it considered the guest especially compared to other recent additions. I don't know why giving something praise where its due is the second coming. I see this criticism a lot and I don't really get it. If you gave an urban design mod VS a themed design company the same brief and budget, what changes would you expect to be made? If it's not intending to be themed or tell a story then it seems like a waste of expertise. I'm sure that when it comes to the bigger picture things like crowd management, flow and direction then the conventions used to manage that would provide pretty similar end products.

I finished watching this I have to say that the area is looking pretty great. A couple of thoughts: The lead up to the coaster will be fantastic. It's well presented and considering the queue and load are 'within' the ride itself it'll be a pretty neat feeling to hype you up with the sights and sounds of the coaster itself. Shade and fans. Kudos to Dreamworld for considering the guest experience by making the queue as comfortable as possible. Sure it's not very exciting, but even Disney struggles to engage guests in their queues now because 90% of the time guests are on their phone in the queue. Also having a spot for loose articles within the load means that people can actually use their phones (I'm looking at you Superman!) Chill spot. The area they're working on where you can chill out underneath the coaster is a nice touch. There aren't many spots where you can chill out underneath a coaster or within the ride footprint in Australia so this will be a neat spot to drink a coffee or devour a pie. The coaster and its precinct are really well presented. It's a bit generic, sure, but it's not out of place. I also like the snake accents against the more generic architecture, but I do get Planet Zoo vibes from it. I know this may seem strange but it feels very Australian. The earthy colors, choice of plants and scenery make it look exactly like what I'd expect from a premier Australian roller coaster based around Australia. I honestly wouldn't be upset if other parts of the park requiring attention went down this route in the future. Sydney Zoo is a good example of this. T H E M E D B I N S My biggest takeaway is that it seems Dreamworld really considered the guest experience with this attraction. It's spacious, comfortable, pleasing to look at and has a good sense of flow. Could it be better? Sure. But considering that Dreamworld has managed to pull this off this well after not being able to afford it earlier this year is pretty crazy. I'd be interested to see whether my opinions change in person and with crowds, but I think they've done a great job with this attraction and I'm getting really excited to ride it.

I don't mean to alarm anybody but Steel Taipan has themed bins. THEMED BINS.

I come back after a day being away and there is currently a thread celebrating Sea World for once again delaying their $50 million dollar precinct and attractions as a good business decision, and another berating Luna Park Sydney for sticking to budget, schedule and concepts as bad business decisions. People told us not to get our expectation too high for something with 6 less rides and $20 million dollars more to work with? What did you except? Yeah it's not crash hot and could do better but I doubt anybody is going to get off Big Dipper and complain that it was a bad ride cause they had to step on metal for a bit. Luna Park Sydney has one of the best on-site art teams in the industry. Give them a year or two with this and I reckon it'll be a lot different.

It's a mix kids, family and thrill rides. Sledgehammer and Boomerang are the most thrilling out of those and Big Dipper will add to that in the future. The rest are great for families.

Personally? Rumours suggest that something has happened behind the scenes causing an additional delay but considering its on the backbone of several other delays they're dressing it up to be a simple business decision. I think if they could open, they would open. Also @Jobe brings up a really good point that I feel is ignored. Luna Park Sydney is still on-track to open 9 new rides by the end of the year. Their project was announced during the pandemic, has been at the epicentre of one of Australia's worst outbreaks and is still chugging along despite the NSW situation. If anybody has a good excuse, it's them. But come next week they're expected to open their 8 new rides and the single rail is still on-track for December. I'm fine with delays. They are a part of the industry and there is nothing you can do about them. But I hate being treated like an idiot by businesses that think we can't think for themselves. From what I can gather your conclusion is derived from talks within VRTP that suggest this is a business decision, so I'm placing this on you. But the suggestion that delaying a landmark attraction for 'business reasons' before one of the most critical periods in the industry seems almost as daft as Apple coming out and saying removing the headphone port was 'courage'. They hope that people wont look any deeper, but when you do it ultimately makes sense.

Very valid points Richard and I promise that I'm not trying to attack or tear apart your article, merely provide my side of things to promote healthy discussion. I want to reiterate that I think you've made some excellent points, but there are still things I don't agree with. Fair point, I misinterpreted a part of the article directly after "The ultimate reasons for Leviathan's delays seem to be about as predictable and humdrum as you'd expect." That's my bad! That's a bold stance to take when mentioning that most of the article educated speculation. Staff and guests a like were privy to the information since last week. There is nothing that indicates the decision was made weeks or months ago, and speculating such a thing places a lot of faith that is all part of their business decisions. I honestly missed that first paragraph. From my experience with blogs I usually just go straight to whatever is under the main image and author information which is my bad. I think my main disagreement with the article is that its not written as conjecture, but insinuates that these are the current play of events which is what made me assume that there was a third party involved regarding insider information. There is a lot of faith placed in the conclusions that are made within the article, and whilst that would be fine with evidence to back it up, it does bring up questionable neutrality considering we don't know if there is something further at play here. Personally speaking to others in the industry they believe the decision is considerably suspicious, and whilst its safe to assume that it's solely a business decision, it could also be giving credit where it's not due. It paints the situation very positively, whilst also taking the opportunity to highlight some of Dreamworld's historic downfalls, but we don't know whether positivity is earned yet. VRTP has been very open with their launch dates and have so far missed almost all of them. Vortex was originally slated for late 2019, a time pre-pandemic, but missed the mark and then got muddled in with COVID. Trident was for April 2021, a ride whose pieces seem to have only arrived on-site in the last couple of weeks, and Leviathan has been covered extensively. First late 2020, then June 2021, then late 2021, and now Easter 2022. I really don't see how this inspires any faith. I think it's a good opportunity to showcase why Dreamworld, a theme park which has fumbled its way along in the last decade, has managed to have such a smooth opening despite the same hurdles which face Sea World and I also don't think it touches on the mess that is Trident anywhere near enough.

I noticed this on second read as well. It mentions that Sea World avoided the timber problem, then says it's one of the primary reasons why it got delayed. A lot of the excuses seem very convenient, especially as you mentioned the ride was meant to be opened pre-pandemic. It's easy to point the finger at external influences but I think the real reason is exactly what you said - a calculated 'non-compete' move. It allows them to halt construction around the holiday season, recoup some dosh from the parks over this same period, and then start fresh come the new year. I don't think people would blame the company for doing this. Ever since Wonderland swung their arms around like a helicopter trying to point the blame at anybody but themselves, the whole situation just comes off as disingenuous. I feel like Richard probably didn't write this article alone and had some insider information, but I wouldn't exactly trust the source to be providing the right information, just the best information that reflects positively on the business.

I did actually love this brief diversion in the article because it was so out of nowhere. "So look, coaster ain't on it's way... BUT MEERKATS ARE" My wallet leapt out of my pants and straight into a One Pass.