Guest 239
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Posts posted by Guest 239
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I've seen these plans floating around for a while and every time they appear they always seem to be a few months away. Honestly it looks like they're just ticking boxes to try and generate interest with third-parties to get some funding considering that they want the project to include:
- Artificial Surf Wave Attraction.
- Local agricultural-based food and beverage outlets.
- Artist workshops and studios.
- Short-stay accommodation.
- An Aboriginal Cultural Centre recognising the Indigenous caretakers of the Central Coast.
- Extended car parking facilities for the Australian Reptile Park.
- Performing arts area.
- Entertainment and attractions.
- Retail and exhibition facilities.
- Further food and beverage outlets.
- Water-based activities.
- A Hotel.
- Residential development.
That's a hell of a lot to put on this plot of land.
I think the fact that they mention plans to do a residential development is a bit suspicious. I worry that they'll put all of this forward and request to rezone the land for some small residential opportunities and then sell the land once it's rezoned to a property developer.
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6 hours ago, Cactus_Matt said:
While there seems to be a few decently themed options in the park, they're almost at the point of worth going the Six Flags route and just investing in high capacity, expensive roller coasters to compliment Superman Escape, Green Lantern and DC Rivals rather than catering to families and expansive themed rides since they clearly don't care that much about them anymore.
I respectfully disagree because it's all about balance. Historically roller coasters are excellent when they're complimentary to a well-rounded theme park experience, but if you just focus on them then you risk isolating certain groups whilst attracting demographics that just aren't willing to pay what is required to operate a modern large-scale theme park. The numbers are heavily in the family-park model's favour considering out of the twenty-five most visited theme parks in the world in 2019, I'd consider three of them to be thrill parks and that's being generous with the label.
Families just make bank for theme parks. Kids put a lot of pressure on parents, and then the extended family often tags along to enjoy the experience as well. Thrill rides are good for teenagers and young adults but generally they have less income to buy additional goods inside the park and are more tolerant to pushing through hunger so you just get very little out of them.
In saying that, @Baconjack makes a great point that the balance is well achieved across the entire company with Sea World filling in the family role and Movie World being the more 'grown up' park but I still think that balance is necessary when treating the parks as individual entities otherwise you risk relying on a something that is completely separated from you to pick up the slack of your shortcomings. Walt Disney World has four theme parks and they could have easily seperated them all out into a kids park, thrill park, entertainment park, etc. but each park easily stands on it's own as a full package and has a great balance of family and thrill rides meaning that everybody can have a great time every day no matter where they go. You don't want the grandparents and young kids dreading a trip to Movie World whilst the young adults and teenagers dread a trip to Sea World.
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Aren't drop towers one of the easiest rides to maintain because their core mechanics are fairly basic? From what I know the main problems usually involve the gondolas?
In saying that I'd be surprised if Dreamworld get rid of the Giant Drop any time in the next decade or two.-
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Ouch, that's a pre-Christmas dampener. They're going to be desperate to get Rivals back up and running otherwise people are going to drift down the road for the new hotness Mack coaster.
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We once did this by accident. They didn't have place in the booths but said we could wait for one to open in the upstairs bar. It took about an hour and a half to get a booth but by that point we had one too many jugs of CC & Dry. The games were absolutely cooked but the chaotic energy of the place is what keeps us going back. There is something about laughing at friends who can barely smack a ball whilst you've got another fellow who can barely sink a shot when sober but somehow becomes Tiger Woods with a couple drinks under their belt.
Though my favourite experience was when they did the super cheap weekday morning special. We went there before Movie World and it was just myself and one other person. We got to try all the games, have some coffees and breakfast and just vibe whilst the place was mostly empty. The games are good fun but I'm not really going for the golf on a Friday/Saturday night.
Glad to hear that expansions are back on the table. I may be biased but I really want them to expand down south before they add any more to the Brisbane/GC area.
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I feel Dreamworld cut their losses by removing their more troublesome attractions at the expenses of their image taking a hit but now we're starting to see the fruits of their labour. They're now able to focus on maintaining a quality experience over what they have left. Sure they're a smaller park but they've got a shiny new roller coaster and a whole theme park of attractions to bolster that new experience. Kudos to them for taking a risk and sticking to their plan.
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Agreed @Gazza. The GC bar gives me sushi restaurant in a food court vibes. Also the spot for live music in the top image is *chefs kiss*
I know they have a bunch of function spaces on the bottom level. It'd be great to retrofit that into another bar/eating space that's opened a little later than the golf. You could send home like 70% of your staff but still get revenue from the bar being open that way.
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3 minutes ago, rappa said:
For the love of god it’s called Movie World.
Excuse me!? It's Warner Bros. Movie World™
"Hollywood on the Gold Coast!"1 minute ago, New display name said:It could 100% be to the fact Village have new owners and are currently reassessing the directions the company takes and where they want to spend the money.
The last I heard (could definitely be wrong) is that the owners were basically sitting back and watching from a distance to see what parts of the business fall short and they'll take it from there. Whilst they have historic information, I think they want to assess how the business operates under the the watchful eye of the owner because if they're stumbling whilst being watched then they have no chance when left to their own devices.
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Definitely agree that it never found it's feet in the early days. The lack of focus on hospitality ruined the experience because most of the time I'm there for the venue, not the golf. Reflecting on it you can tell that it was managed by somebody with experience in theme park operations in Australia. Young and cheap staff, a focus on the experience instead of the package, the promotion of upcharges (you could only book if you paid directly through them and it needed to be a certain size), etc.
There's still an excellent opportunity to expand the brand and NSW is ripe to make a new first impression on the public down south. As you said, chuck somebody with hospitality experience and you'll be golden. Dream situation but if they co-operated with Pacific Concepts (the folks behind Winghaus, Bavarian, and Beerhaus) I reckon they'd make an absolute killing. -
18 minutes ago, New display name said:I remember reading somewhere Village gave up on the idea after the poor performance of Top Golf on the GC.
Honestly I feel a lot of their problems have been their own making. I absolutely love Top Golf and I always have a great time but it desperately doesn't want you to love it.- The Oxenford location is awfully placed. The theme parks siphon attendance during the day and there is nothing else around that is open at night to entice you to hang out around the area. Chuck a couple themed bars and restaurants nearby and it'd be fine but at the moment it's really baren outside of the experience.
- The inability to make a booking in the early days sucked. I'm not going out to Oxenford to maybe play Top Golf especially as a tourist with limited transport options.
- The service has always been pretty lackluster. It's party golf, but they really play down the party aspect. Waitstaff and servers would take ages to clear plates and drinks without even asking if we want anything else. I'm not sure whether this has changed but it's been consistent from the four times I've gone since it's opened each spanning about 9 months between each visit. They could turn a pretty penny if they just asked people if they wanted more food or drink more often. It's bartending 101. Pick up a glass once it's empty and ask whether they want another.
- We ALWAYS get kicked out early. I have never been to Top Golf where they have honoured our time allocation or their closing time. They start blaring closing time surprisingly early on weekend nights. There was even a time where we had a 2 hour booking and they came up and told us that although we had 45 minutes left on our two bays that they were closing and we needed to start packing up.
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I remember hearing rumours about possible expansions of Top Golf in the early days to locations in NSW but it never got off the ground. Does anybody know whether the Top Golf brand intends to expand further in Australia? Unfortunately I feel the huge price of building the facility on the top of a swamp in the Gold Coast really turned Village off constructing anymore.
Outside of the businesses intentions, what would you like to see done with the brand or where would you place the second facility? I genuinely think in Newcastle and Sydney it would sell like hot cakes, especially considering that Newcastle almost has nothing like it and is itching for more entertainment into the night. -
Food costs don't seem as dramatically expensive as the GC parks but it's hard to compare since I haven't been in a while. I think it's about standard for what you'd expect at a theme park.
Legit though the season pass price only exists for people like myself who want to experience their new attractions and come back for Big Dipper later in the year/next year. I'd say they will get one season at this price and renewals will dramatically fall come next year. I expect it to be much cheaper over the next 12/24 months.
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Just now, Gazza said:
As others have said it's not a ballistic launch like Supemrna
Too much Pfizer for Gazza.
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48 minutes ago, New display name said:
Are there any deals going on the annual pass?
Nope. It's flat $199 and probably wont budge for a while. Day of prices are insanely expensive now so it's worth it for spontaneity but is still very pricey.
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I managed to get to LPS on Sunday for the first time since they've opened everything. For context it had been raining pretty much all weekend and Sunday was no exception. The morning was blue skies, but once we hit midday it was just pouring.
All the ticket booths were closed once I got to the park. No problem, I just need to use the website but goodness me was it having problems. I have a background in Tech so I'm not computer illiterate but it probably took about a solid 20-30 minutes to secure a season pass. There was a problem where my card kept getting rejected, then it'd wipe the form and request new information. Apple Pay was also failing as it'd just flash up briefly and then disappear. It was frustrating, but once I got the QR they were super quick to print out my card and get me in the park with no reservation. Kudos to the team during this time because they were doing everything they could to get me in the park but also gave the expectation that there was a weather warning.
By the time I got my season pass the rain came. One of the staff members said they got pinged on their in-ear radio that pretty much all outdoor rides had closed due to lightning nearby but they would be open when the weather eases. It was about midday so we got a hotdog and ate indoors for a bit. COVID safe practices meant that there wasn't a ton of seating indoors but we did manage to get a seat which was a bonus. At this point the park was drained of people thanks to the rain except within Coney Island which is where we ended up next. There were pretty decent lines for the freefall drops so we just browsed all the retro photographs and relics that they had on the walls instead.
After about an hour the weather had eased to a point where it was light enough to get on some rides. The rain was freezing though so we got some surprisingly cheap ponchos ($3 each!?) and jumped on Boomerang. It's fun! Nothing outstanding but a great addition for the family. Big Dipper had been testing all day as well. Literally every two minutes you would have a train cycle which made it great for photos and videos. I'll upload some later.
Afterwards we did Loopy Lighthouse which @MrLukeCarroll tempted me to get on as a joke. There was no line but I was actually surprised that this ride was fun! The gut drop feeling is awesome for a non-intense attraction. Also the attendant didn't bat an eye at two grown adults getting on the attraction which is nice. In saying that, all staff members were excellent the entire day. For what was miserable weather with wet and frustrated guests, the staff were attentive, cheerful and professional. A lot of them were willing to have a chat about the park, the new rides and updates on the Big Dipper which was appreciated.
We capped off the day with a ride on sledgehammer. We only needed to wait one cycle which wasn't long because it was still not running 360 mode and the 270 cycle is extremely short. The ride packs a punch once it ramps up, but unfortunately once it hits that point you start slowing down. I know they're having problems with this attraction, but the current cycle is way too short for a park like LPS. I'll be interested to see how the 360 mode compares, but hopefully they can iron out the kinks on this attraction because it's got great potential.
At this point we were done with the weather. It was cold, miserable and we couldn't be bothered sticking around. I'm happy with the new additions as it really solidifies the park for families but also offers something to entertain teenage and young adult thrill seekers. Again, the staff deserve huge kudos for being all-around excellent.
I've got a season pass now so I'll be back for Big Dipper when it opens and hopefully I can experience the other attractions in dry weather.
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38 minutes ago, Daedra said:
Big Snake totally wet not clickbait.
Legit that probably has to be one of the best coaster vistas in Australia.
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The event is selling out, as do most night time events at the theme parks nowadays, so I doubt Movie World are really concerned about feedback at this stage. Unfortunately I'm still locked out of the state until later this month, but speaking to some friends they said the event was 'something'. They were huge fans of Hurray for Hollywood so do with that what you will.
13 minutes ago, New display name said:Just a friendly reminder that MW isn't a full day park.
I tend to agree with this beyond what they mention. I wish our parks were open later but it does hit a point where the excitement just runs out. Movie World's biggest downfall is a lack of people eaters that you can just vibe on for some time. Wild West falls is probably the best example followed by Justice League, but it'd be nice if there were just some more slow moving attractions that you could enjoy between the intense experiences. Working against them is limited space, but with Arkham on its way out I'd love to see a cohesively themed location with some more family friendly additions.
Honestly in that area you could go back to basics with a 'Village Studios' themed area. Have a tram tour that goes through the studios as something a little more dynamic, have a successor to the Looney Tunes boat ride with a slow moving Space Jam ride, and then have some things like a Studio Observation Ferris Wheel, etc. Movie World has some great attractions but they are let down by little to do in between and if you do them over and over you just end up sick.-
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It seems to be their main graphic used to advertise their NYE event at the park. I'd imagine that they just had a background-less coaster track image lying around and just slapped it on to save time cause the track is just the same image duplicated at slightly different sizes. Otherwise they'd need to have a photographer go out with ideal lighting, find the right angle for the track, take the picture, edit it and then cut out the background to chuck it on the graphic. That's a lot of work for a single event where the ride isn't the focus.
From what I know the marketing and content team at LPS is pretty small (and watching the job listings they're struggling to fill spots) so I don't envy their work load. Likely they just pumped it out as quick as possible and then moved onto the next thing.-
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On 28/11/2021 at 10:09 AM, themagician said:
Maintenance building update
Aw man, I had hopes that wall was going to be more than just shed.
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16 minutes ago, New display name said:
That's human nature. People still have distrust for Dreamworld because trust is a hard thing to get back. DW now claim they deliver the "world best safety standards" and people still don't trust them.
I'm really sorry hear what happened to your Grandma Skeeta, I really am, but what you mentioned is a wary conclusion compared to an unnecessary exaggeration. You mention that you distrust science and medicine because of what happened to your Grandma, but the equivalent comparison for Dreamworld would be distrusting all theme parks and rides forever no matter what because of what happened there. We all know that isn't case for industry, and it's the same for medicine.
All medicine involves risk, but correlation is not causation. People survive cancer despite being told they're going to die, whilst others pass away from simple dental operations. We can calculate chance, but we can't calculate outcomes, and for the individual it's a roll of the dice. Just because something tragic happened to somebody close to you does not mean that it will happen to you ad nauseam into the future and the proven benefits of medicine and science should not be given disregard because of rare complications.
When the Dreamworld incident occurred we didn't close down every theme park in country, just as we don't take every car off the road when there is a car accident. Risk and tragedy are unfortunately part of life, but thankfully they are rarer than the benefits.
All of us here had a choice after the Dreamworld incident to never get on another theme park attraction again, but many of us decided against it because we figured the rare tragic event was not enough to stop us from enjoying the thrill and joy of theme parks.
I won't try persuade you into anything, but this is your Dreamworld tragedy moment. Do you stay outside and observe from a distance with your perceived safety, or take the risk and re-enter the gates?
20 minutes ago, New display name said:That's a simple one to answer. The Governments care more about being elected then they care for the community. If the Governments wanted to do the right thing they would make the vaccine compulsory instead of the watered down version.
I don't think it's that simple. Firstly you can only minimally influence the community if you're unelected so there is that to consider. Also making the vaccines compulsory would not be the right thing to do. People should still have a choice, just as you can't be forced to have a medical procedure without your consent, but people should be able to use the resources available to them to decide whether the procedure is right for them. Browsing credible sources shows that the risk with the vaccine is insanely low, but the medical officials and the government can't control those sources unfortunately. If somebody decides to explore non-credible sources, misinformation or agenda-based skepticism, then it is up to the person to decide whether that information is right for them and this gets muddled when merged with emotions and personal agenda.
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One thing I find interesting about this whole debate is the overhyped value of the individual in what is fundamentally a community issue. I completely understand the stance of individuality and pondering the slippery slope of authoritarianism, but I know people personally who take the stance that they will never get vaccinated because they feel it devalues them as an individual.
Modern society and culture is a communication through multiple avenues which determines what is best for the community. Almost all levels from government, health care works, business owners, workers, and consumers have decided through that communication that being vaccinated is the best option moving forward. It allows businesses to remain open, consumers the option to shop freely, workers the option to return to their office or place of work that may usually be unsafe, governments the option to relieve restrictions and control over its people, and our hospitals have the opportunity to relax their guard to the looming threat that is COVID.
As a whole I value the concept of individualism, but its more nuanced than I feel most people understand when they decide to embrace it. Accepting the community stance does not devalue the individual, just as going against does not bolster it. Individualism is an expression of uniqueness, but there is nothing unique about the refusal of the community stance merely to embrace ones self. you're just taking the opposing community's stance, not your own individual one.
The true individuals are the ones that did more than conform. They questioned the necessity of the vaccine, discovered it's benefits or problems and, perhaps despite personal fears, embraced the outcome that it's overall the best option for the community. You can be angry at the situation, you can despise the discourse, you can hate what the government has done during this time, but you can also come to the conclusion that the option presented is the best to get us back to a point where it's fair for the community. Questioning and curiosity are healthy and encouraged, but the outright denial or acceptance of any stance under the grounds of individualism is unhealthy.
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10 hours ago, Im Hungry said:
Super exciting but my goodness that picture does my head in. The train is soaring off to the left, the track is floating overhead and the spinning carriage in floating on the scenery. It took me ages to figure out what I was looking at haha.
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6 minutes ago, joz said:
Out of interest what do you think we should do about the virus?
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3 minutes ago, New display name said:
I love google battles.😂
I'm not googling these. As I said earlier I was terrified of the vaccine and listened to as many podcast, research talks, videos, etc. from reputable sources that I could find to help me understand it. I even dabbled in some alternative views to see what the other side was saying but a vast, vast majority was just fundamentally wrong. I can safely say I'm not fearful of it anymore.
Dreamworld Maintenance 2021
in Theme Park Discussion
Posted
Surprisingly back in the day our parks actually did spend the money needed to keep up with the industry. When Longhurst constructed Dreamworld he worked with a lot of Disney designers to help on the park. Sea World consulted with Disney to construct Bermuda Triangle (but ended up building it in-house much cheaper than they recommended which is likely why the ride had such a short lifespan) and when designing Movie World they hired C. V. Wood who worked alongside Walt designing Disneyland. They knew that if you spend the premium money, you get a premium experience.
Then came the good fun of the 'race to the bottom' after the turning millennia which gets us to where we are today.
@joz I agree that Movie World is a family attraction or two away from being a solid family park but it could easily tip depending on what decisions they make in the future. I love the idea of Santa Monica Pier at Movie Park Germany (even though in execution its rather underwhelming) but something like that could be done on the Arkham plot. Build a small lake area and have a pier themed location with a Ferris Wheel, Chair Swing, and some sort of shuttle coaster. You could even double up on thrill + family with an Eccentric Ferris Wheel like at DCA and free up some land in the Wild West area by moving the games to this new pier area.
I also agree that I have no idea what SW is and I'm not sure if it even knows. It has some great children's rides with the Nickelodeon area but they're catering a little too young to be well-rounded family attractions. I reckon that they need to find a suitable replacement for Viking's Revenge and then have something similar to Sea/Storm Rider at Tokyo DisneySea to fill out the line up.