Jobe

I have since been in contact with LPS and the "official" statement is that the Flying Saucer is down for maintenance. I questioned further regarding it being taken from the ride list on the website and the reply I received was that a decision was pending. Nothing has officially been decided yet regarding its future, however, the fact that it has been deleted from the ride list is a fairly ominous sign. I think what JulieLovis has imparted is quite correct and we will hear the official line soon. There will also be an official announcement this week regarding Holiday rides that will be appearing at the park over this summer!! All in all, quite exciting news for LPS fans!

Well..I did say my opinion!! . Perhaps because it was at LPS I have a soft spot for it....its my considered opinion that the ride experience when it was at LPS was far superior than what it is now at Dreamworld...the overall ambience and the closeness of the cliff made for a far more satisfying ride experience. And although its been a little while since I have ridden it, it is true that time has not been kind. The last time I rode it ( some 3 years ago) it was the roughest ride I have yet encountered on it so I guess the intervening years have made it even rougher. I feel that it is a more satisfying ride experience than Sea Viper, however, and it is certainly in my mind better then Motocoaster and of course I put it above RoadRunner..so I guess I view it simply as not being on the bottom......and certainly nowhere near our best!

Really?? What is your definition of a "proper wooden coaster"?? I am sure LPM and Scenic Railway may contend this statement or even LPS and Aussie World with both examples of Wild Mouse. These 3 examples all definitely come under the umbrella of "Wooden Coaster", I can assure you. A more accurate statement would be perhaps "Australia doesn't have any MODERN wooden coasters". Just my opinion but I really feel that this is harsh. Cyclone IMHO does not deserve this tag and I really do not understand the overall hatred for this ride.........

Thanks for the info Julie Lovis- its sad to see the Flying Saucer no longer in the park. It was a iconic ride since 1995 and featured a unique ride experience!! I have ridden it many,many times and its a shame it can no longer be supported!! The Huss UFO is a fairly unique ride and are actually quite rare- there are about only 17 surviving examples left in the world. Hopefully LPS replaces it quickly with an equally thrilling and iconic ride!! Since the footprint left behind with Flying Saucer's demise is so exact,it will be interesting to see what LPS do with the site. Anyone have any ideas on what would be a good replacement in this spot? Great pics to RangerDude-thanks!!! I am looking forward to riding this in January in my annual trip to the park!!!

This is really good news Gazza!! AussieWorld needs another coaster and a Wave Swinger is a great family ride!! They will both be great family attractions!! As to the coaster, there are several other manufacturers that would have been preferable but its good to see this family park go from strength to strength!! Hopefully we will see a different offering that has not been seen in this country by Pinfari- something like the attached catalogue would be very good!! Any idea on the timeframe for these attractions? Wild-Wind Pinfari.pdf

Would love to see those photos too!! Bring them on!! I have just been looking at the LPS website and I have just noticed something and I hope I am completely wrong. When looking at the rides section of the website , it no longer lists The Flying Saucer ( Huss model) as being in the park line up. However it is still on the LPS map. I sincerely hope that this is an oversight and not a case where they are removing this ride. We are just seeing the introduction of the first new ride since 1995 and with that the permanent ride count being escalated as well. Lets hope that the introduction of The Hair Raiser does not come at the cost of another permanent ride.....Can anyone who has been to LPS recently confirm whether Flying Saucer has been operating ???

That looks brilliant! Reminiscent of Bermuda in the enclosed section which is a good thing!! Really building up the anticipation for this awesome family ride when it finally opens!!

Movieworld has 5 coasters, which is exactly the same amount as what Dreamworld possesses.Now I understand that purely on quality they are not equal but the fact remains that they are equal in coaster units to each other. Dreamworld does have far more flats ,however, this distinction is not overly discernible to the average Theme Park visitor, nor will they be as critical in judging the coasters as an enthusiast would be. IMHO Cyclone gets a bad rap. I do not think it is that bad a ride at all and I think it stacks up quite well , especially when it's is measured against Sea Viper.

Hmm my guess is it will be soon then!! Not sure why though....

Well we would all want this ride at LPS! Hopefully the Hair Raiser will prove popular enough to convince the operators of LPS to look at further expansion/ride inclusions in the near future. Fingers crossed for the addition of a 2nd compact coaster to complement the Wild Mouse- it would be superb if the original Wild Cat( it is alledgely still in existence on a property in the Hunter Valley but condition or veracity is unconfirmed) or similar model could be brought back to the park somehow!!! Or even an Intamin ZacSpin- IMHO the best value coaster presently available for LPS's limited space.

A piece of friendly advice Brad- let it go mate. Its just an opinion. Its similar to when you stated that Tower of Terror II is NOT a coaster....that was opinion and not fact. Hardly anyone jumped on you for stating this, even though they very well could have. This is one you will not win....it has been eloquently pointed out to you why Joz said to you what he stated by very long term and respected members of this board and community. Its really mountains out of molehills stuff in the end. Now back on topic please and to the exciting new attraction at LPS!!!! Anyone want to hazard a guess as to this new ride's name??

Excellent news GoGoBoy!!! This attraction is looking very nice!!! Here's hoping that LPS doesn't stop just here and they have definite plans for further additions/expansions of their ride offering as we move into the new year!! Here are the dimensions of the ride as taken directly from the Larson website!! I sincerely hope that the ride comes complete with a full array of LED light suites. This should look pretty impressive from across the harbour and will be a great attraction to ride on a balmy Saturday night!!!

It could also be a Huss model as they are also very similar!! Looks like also it will be a model that either has riders on all 4 sides or 4 sides that drop independently!! Either way it looks like it will be a welcome addition to the ride lineup at LPS!! Oh welcome back to Bussy!! Glad you can drop by every once in a while!!

Huss make a decent free fall ride as do Zamperla. Most of the "majors" offer some form of drop tower attraction in their line up. As for the Skycoaster, it could be a possibility but I feel it is unlikely purely on the stated location of the ride. I don't think that their is enough real estate to capably fit one of these attractions.

A Starflyer/Windseeker style ride would be PERFECT for LPS!! What better way to take advantage of LPS's greatest asset- its position?? The views from the harbour would be spectacular and the scream factor almost non-existant!! This would be an Australian first to have one of these attractions permanently in a park!!! I am not too sure the residents adjacent to LPS would be too thrilled about having a ride that is able to give its riders a view into their living rooms on a regular basis however... True Zumanjaro will only have 3 tracks but this is a specific made ride attached to Kingda Ka. Generic Drop attractions of the type that LPS would be interested in have all 4 sides of the tower in operation. I cannot see a ride like Zumanjaro or a Drop ride that faces away from the cliff being developed just for LPS. If it IS going to be a Drop Tower, then I suspect we will see something like The Mega Drop travelling attraction or the Free fall Ride at Adventure World IMHO. That Starflyer idea has got me excited however.....

Taking a huge guess here but in the morning??? Not sure if I am right though......................

Could not agree more Brad- Dreamworld is by far the best all round destination for those with young families. We are thinking of having a trip to the Coast next year and planning our destinations, was just comparing Dreamworld to Movieworld and noticed the pretty large disparity in height restrictions for each park's rides. Most of Dreamworld's attractions are at the 120cm and upwards mark, whilst Movieworld and SeaWorld are all upward of 130cm+. This is fine but I find it quite odd that Cyclone is set at minimum 120cm and SeaWorld's Viper, a similar Arrow built looper is set at 130cm. I have an 8 year old who is 125cm and by visiting Dreamworld would have a far richer experience than visiting the Village parks. This could be a huge point in Dreamworld's favour for families on tight budgets that can only pick one park. ( Not us though, we will be doing the lot!!! ). Interesting point and one which I don't think has has been really explored in depth before.

This could be a configuration that may be used but I would doubt it. Surely any drop tower in LPS would be better off utilising all 4 sides for maximum ride efficiency. Good point. I was not aware that the compressed air from the Space shot was that loud- I certainly cannot recall it being especially so. I have only been on the ride once though, so my memory is a little hazy. From my experience riding both types of rides, I still maintain that the Free-fall would generate much louder screams from patrons- and this would be the most important factor in calculating noise for any ride at LPS. The plot thickens again with this new picture released by LPS. This COULD relate to any number of different rides........ and that includes a Shot Tower or a Drop Tower. We will soon know as the attraction unfolds.

Well said newaddict.

See after having been on the Batwing I would have thought that this type of ride would be quieter than drop towers especially for the scream factor-I tend to scream a lot louder on the Giant Drop than I did on Batwing!!!

Yeah that's the implication that the picture conveys. And really, given the location for where this is being placed, there is not a huge amount of room, it certainly begins to look like as you suggest a drop ride or shot tower. Which type of ride would you guys find more appealing?? The drop tower similar to Giant Drop at Dreamworld/Space Probe at Wonderland or the shot tower , like Batwing at MovieWorld?? Personally I think that the shot tower would be a better fit for LPS. Thoughts?

This was just posted on LPS Facebook page. Doesn't tell us anything other than the opening date but the good news is it looks like its going to be a significant attraction!!

Just received a message from LPS on Facebook regarding the new attraction- An announcement about it and accompanying Holiday rides and attractions is imminent. This is quite significant as it represents the first new ride investment in the park since the '95 incarnation. Even still, this will not equal the ride count that was in the park at that time- which of course included the much lamented Big Dipper. Hopefully this signals further signs of permanent ride investment back into the park- fingers crossed for another coaster in some shape or form. I think that it is no coincidence that LPS have finally made this decision with the opening of Wet and Wild Sydney looming next month. Finally some brighter news for Sydney thrillseekers!

Yeah I saw that the rides were available. It would be fantastic if some of our parks could benefit from some of the rides on offer ( LPS and LPM I am looking at you!!) Honestly Dreamworld would be the most logical park for the Led Zeppelin B&M- I can't see Village getting 2nd hand rides at this point in time. Also Aussie World would be a great candidate for some of the flats on offer!!

I messaged LPS on Facebook enquiring about the new ride and this is the response I received- "Management have a tight lip on this one, Keep an eye on our Facebook page because if there's an announcement to make we'll be sure to post it there -Luna Park Team" As you can see they are not giving too much away!! We will just have to wait and see what develops on the site! I totally agree with Gazza that an Intamin Zacspin would be an awesome addition to the ride lineup. However, I don't think that there would be near enough room to install one next to the Ice Cream shop where this new ride is being built. In my mind the perfect place for one would be the space between the cliff face and the Big Top. This provides a long space for the ride footprint to fit in, it would be nestled in between natural cliffs and the Big Top, so the residents would be somewhat sound sheltered and the ride queue could fit in next to the Tango queue space. Furthermore, a decent drop ride would be an excellent choice for LPS. The Mega Drop travelling ride has been there as a Xmas addition, and proved very popular, so a permanent addition would be most welcome!! Very interesting and hopefully this news will bring a attraction of some significance. Watching further proceedings at LPS with much interest!!