Jobe

Visited Luna Park today and saw some interesting markings on the area in Maloney’s Corner behind Coney Island. It would appear that work could be about to commence on a new attraction for the park. From viewing the markings, it appears that the attraction is of a decent size. I am not going to say definitively “coaster” but I would not like to rule it out!! Let the speculation begin!!

Pretty sure that THIS is a sign of demolition........... Seen any of these yet?? No? 😄

Well one thing is for sure is that it is going to worse before it gets better. The effects could be quite severe in the short to mid term and there are some projections that show that August is going to be the peak for Coronavirus in Australia, the ripple effects could quite conceivably carry on until well into 2021. Lets hope that this is not borne out because we need our amusement industry to thrive with the lingering after effects of the TRR tragedy still being felt.

I know what you mean...I joined in January 2003......17 years ago!!! Time does sure fly when your having fun!!

Excellent!! Expedition videos are some of the best on YouTube!! Good stuff!!

Steel Taipan works for me. Its a good strong name that invokes all sort of badassery. The name Gold Coaster would also work well with the rename of the Sidewinder. I suspect that the old girl still has some life left in her- its a fairly simple design and the fact that it stood SBNO for close to 6 years at LPS with minimal use means that despite its age, it actually has low km on the clock. I cant see it going anywhere in the short to medium term, espcailly when there are plenty of older Arrow loopers in the world still running.

Yep thats a flume ride with decent length!! This would also have to be a contender: Hell even our cousins across the water at Rainbow's End have a log flume...... Not sure that management at Dreamworld or Seaworld get that this should be a priority in restoring similar attractions back into their respective parks?

It certainly didnt shed light on where we can view said generic "News Segment" Cheers.

Are you sure? Sorry thats not how I saw it.....especially since it stood SBNO for a substantial time.

Same old same old.....

I really like this idea AlexB for all the things you have quoted. Having just got back from a visit to the park, (my first in 8 years) I felt that this are was underutilised. A wheel of some description would be an excellent addition here and as you rightly say, it needs some kinetic energy to help this area feel more alive. However, in thinking a bit more about that, I thought I would take your idea and add in something a little more unique- something like this. Installing an Intamin Coaster Wheel. This would still fulfil the same function as a normal Ferris Wheel but would add in a thrilling element of the "coasting" gondolas. They are very unique ( from memory there are only 2 installations of these in the world- not counting the original Deny's Wonder Wheel , from which they derive). The uniqueness of this ride plus the exciting visual appeal as you enter the park would be a winning combination for mine. Plus , we all know how photogenic the Coaster Wheel is at DCA.

Except for Fast and Furious Supercharged. That thing is a massive piece of crap and pales in comparison to what it replaced.

That rocking boat concept looks excellent!! I can see that one being very popular with parks in the future!!

Interesting. Those hoops must be extremely large given the length of time it has taken so far for no result still. I would love to see a comparison of the specifications and changes in safety systems before and after - they must be fairly significant changes for the length of time that has been added on to each project they have affected. Great info thanks @Jdude95. This has obviously affected their plans significantly - I wonder if other than affecting the planned timeline will it have any other serious side effects? Have some of the planned ride installations been cancelled? Food for thought.

Heheheh...or maybe lack of said items!!!!

So have contacted Aussie World regarding the SX360 and it will not be open anytime soon, according to the info I received. I will be visiting the park in the next 2 weeks and they certainly indicated that the ride will NOT be open within this timeframe. This is taking an monumentally large amount of time and despite the "it takes a long time to commision a comlex ride at times" spin from the park, it appears that SOMETHING is holding up the long stagnating official opening. Would anyone care to speculate just exactly what is holding up this ride? Does anyone feel that it is a fault with the ride or the installation or is it just the due process that needs to now occur in the wake of the TRR tragedy by the state government assessors? We will still be visiting the park and will provide a full trip report , its just a shame that we willl not be able to include any ride experiences from the SX360.

Wow. Thanks for the tip guys- this has altered our way of thinking immediately!! We will now look at going to MovieWorld on a Friday instead and hopefully this gives us the easier day we desire!! Will let you know how the trip pans out!! Cheers.

Thanks so much for posting this!! I saw this had been posted on Facebook- I remember seeing this footage and show "Just For the Record" when it originally aired in 1988 and I have been searching for it ever since!! Brilliant!! What a shame that this never opened to the public- it would have been unique in the world and enthusiasts would have come from everywhere just to have a ride on the thing!!! I think this is the only footage of the Orphan Rocker running to ever be aired publicly- this is a precious moment in Australian theme park history and gives us a glimpse of what could have been had the ride ever been allowed to open. It certainly looked liked it needed some form of better restraint!! Fantastic this has made my New Year's day!!

Thanks Brad- great tips!! Yeah I thought Monday would be the best day!! cheers for the response.

Hi all, We are heading up to the Sunsine Coast from the 12th January and will be visiting Aussie World , Movie World and Dreamworld. My Family and I have not been to the Gold Coast parks for well on 8 years and thought its time to revisit ( especially to ride DC Rivals and Sky Voyager). In keeping with that , here are some quick questions that more seasoned GC park goers may be able to answer: What do you guys suggest would be the best day of the week to visit MovieWorld in terms of keeping the crowds down? I get that its peak time and not ideal but I have seen some horrendous wait times online and some terrible horror stories of where famlies had 2+ hour waits for most rides!! Was thinking either a Sunday or a Monday?? Happy to recieve any advice on this... Havent investigated ticket pricing or options yet but for single day entry , what would be the best option for Dreamwoeld and Movieworld? Would it be easier to get an online pass? For Movieworld are there Fast pass options that may be worth it? Obviously keeping a close watch on the opening and closing times to maximise time spent in parks, what are tips and tricks anyone would recommend to maximise ride times? What to head to first etc? Any other tips that you guys find useful- ie best food options in the parks , any other little hacks or tidbits of info that would be worth employing. Thanks in advance guys - your insights into these are most appreciated!! Cheers

Great news Jamberoo fan- lets hope that now this has been approved that work commences quickly and that we see the new Grand Gorge Falls meet that surmised opening date of 1st December 2020. I suspect that this will be pretty close to the mark , although I feel that either Boxing Day or earlier in January might be closer to the mark. Exciting times though!!!

Then isnt the LPM model superior to the Seaworld model as the LPM restrictions are 110cm to ride with an adult whereas Seaworld's is 120cm to ride with an adult? Doesnt seem like a down side to me..........

Update for Luna Park Melbourne- they have just installed a new permanent ride in time for the Summer school holidays. They have installed a Skyflyer called Supernova. For the young ones they also have a new attraction called the Happy Swing. Both attractions should prove popular with their respective target audiences and are great additions to Luna Park's lineup. Its great to see that LPM are committed to refreshing their ride line up after a decade of stagnation. Now if we could just get installed that 2nd coaster, things would really be looking up......

To add further to the debate of hot paths,there are several ways to address the issue of hot paths and burning feet. It just takes some recognition by the parks and some simple steps for them to introduce. 2 of the best I have seen in the water parks I have visited are: Funfields: We all know , like Gazza said, that dragging your thongs or choice of footwear from slide to slide and finding an appropriate place to leave them is , to put it plainly, a pain in the arse. Funfields have come up with an elegant solution that is presented on their major slides which gives riders the option on where the leave not only their footwear but other ancillary items such as hats or even suncream. A great idea which actually encourages people to wear their footwear around the park and its a cheap solution too. Volcano Bay, Orlando. Although I couldnt find a pic to show this, the majority of paths of Volcano Bay to their major slides have ground level spriklers and misters that soak the paths in very wide areas. This enables patrons to easily walk between attractions without suffering from the hot burning paths issue on tender feet. These are a great idea but a much more expensive option than the Funfields one , and also one I suspect, wouldnt in all honesty be that popular in water conscious Australia. I did find it amazing though, when I visted the park 2 years ago, how effective this sytem actually worked. Of course, as Gazza and MickeyD has already pointed out, the choice of surface for the pathways is certainly critcal in how much heat they absorb. Certain surfaces are designed to not absorb heat and leavs the surface with a much lower temperature than normal concrete paths would allow in those conditions. Of course , they ARE a much more expensive option but they certainly make the overall customer experience far more positive. In conclusion, there are many solutions to hot paths but you are never ever going to fully eliminate the human condition. There will always be someone who will hot step from ride to ride on hot paths. As long as the parks take reasonable steps to allow solution to this for patrons, then any talk of lawsuits is , in my mind, overkill and not needed. Common sense needs to prevail and people do need to be accountable for their own actions and decisions.

Just found this interesting video on Youtube of 25 slides from around the world. There are some excellent visuals here and they are mostly of slides that I have never heard of. Look for a local slide to make the cut , which is great for Australia and the park in question!! Any way enjoy!