Jobe

Agreed 100%!! A Big Fun coaster by GCI would be absolutely ideal the- only stumbling block it would appear, would be the price!! I think an example of one of these awesome coasters would be out of reach of Aussie World to install and I think they would rather spread out their budget over a period of time, adding in several attractions rather than just one. Remember this is a park that WANTS to grow and understands that to do this they must enhance and ADD to their overall ride line up. A philosophy that the Luna Parks and certain Gold Coast theme parks should try adopting eh? Interesting. I doubt the validity of the first statement however. When i was there in early January, there was no signs of any work or activity in the park on this "Australian Themed playground" whatsoever. Moreover, after questioning several ride ops throughout the day, not one mentioned a playground as a new attraction at any time. Now I know that ride ops are not the most reliable source of information, but given the time frames, it would be reasonable to assume that if this was going into the park by February, then it would be fairly common knowledge. Of course thats not saying it is not going to happen at some stage , but by next month?? Extremely doubtful. The second statement appears to be in line with what several ride ops relayed to me - the next attraction willl be another thrill ride and the $1 million budget should accomodate this.

Excellent to hear!! But going on close to 14 months of SBNO you would think that SOMETHING by now would be happening!!! Cheers!!

I have been on Lethal many times as well and I have not experienced the roughness that most are commenting on. Sure, I have had smoother rides on other coasters, but I wouldnt say that Lethal is overtly bone jarring IMHO. As for Seaviper/Corkscrew, I found that the new trains were not as smooth as the old ones, were not as comfortable as the old trains, and for the money that was spent on them, really did not add anything to the ride. It was still an "ok" experience and I would re-ride in an instant but after the hype of the coaster getting the new trains, I felt "underwhelmed". I certainly hope this does not occur with Lethal's new theme and trains. In unrelated news, I e-mailed Adventure World the other week regarding a possible replacment for the much missed "Turbo Mountain" The reply stated that they are indeed looking at their options and mentioned manufacturers Zamperla, Maurer Sohne and Gerstlauter. No time frames were mentioned but if they were to get a decent coaster in the next couple of years then a trip to Perth would certainly be in mind. Adventure World needs a good coaster to put it back on the map as a park of note. Fingers crossed it happens.

I agree 100% Joz!! I also think it would have been a real shame if WVTP had turned it into a "Wet'N'Wild!! This park has so much atmosphere and I actually commented to my wife that it had a " Luna Park" feel to it, which to me, is quite positive!! Agree wholeheartedly about another coaster too. I think that an example of a Maurer Sohne or a Zamperla model would be ideal for this park-a good steel compact would really set this park on the map!! Especially if their expansion plans come to fruition!! They certainly have the space for it!! It really depends on how tall your daughter is. If she is 100cm or more (which my daughter just cleared) then she was able to go on all the kids rides ( there are 4 in the park) plus The Swinging Ship, The Mozzie Muster (Tilt-A -Whirl) The Boomer Zoomer ( Flying Chairs) , The Plunge ( accompanied by an adult), The Giant slide ( accompanied by an adult) , The Dodgems (accompanied by an adult ) plus the Voyager Simulator and The Bizzy Buggies. And also with the price of admission comes a game of Putt Putt Golf which is nice little course!! Great value in my opinion!! Hope this helps!!

I thought i would take the opportunity to post a brief trip report of our recent visit to Aussie World. Having never been there before, I was not sure what to expect!! Let me say I was quite surprised by what we found. Here was a small yet very neat and compact park!! The new additions have really fleshed out the offering and are great!! We visited on a Saturday and I expected the park to be busier than what it was-about 1100 people visited the park that day, according to one ride operator. This meant that queues were very short indeed and this was bliss for the kids after the madness of Movieworld 2 days previously. The Plunge is a fairly well themed and presented ride and was very popular during the course of the day. I think someone on the forums said it was second hand? -if so then Aussie World have really surpassed themselves with how good the ride was looking!! Plenty of re-rides on this erased the horror of an hour and half wait for Wild West Falls from the kids minds!! The Redback is also a extremely good looking ride. This is how a Disk 'O" should appear!! ( Dreamworld I am looking at YOU!) The ride program was excellent and it was not suprising to learn that these 2 rides were amongst the best patroned all day. THe Wild Mouse at Aussie World is an exact copy of the one at Luna Park Sydney. It was running ok but there is one vital difference between the 2. LPS Wild Mouse cars are configured for 2 people to ride whereas Aussie World's only a single person may ride. The cars themselves are not in as good condition as LPS's either and on the whole, I prefer LPS model over Aussie Worlds. Still an enjoyable ride though!! The Octopus was an interesting ride. This originally had its genesis in the early 80"s incarnation of LPS and was retained by the park until the removal of The BIg Dipper in 2001, whereby it was inexplicably sold to Aussie World. Here it has found a new lease of life and is a very enjoyable ride. I originally thought that this was a Schawrzchkopf Polyp but it was actually made by an Italian company. The Swinging Ship found in Aussie World originally came from Myer in Brisbane and whilst smaller than other similar models I have been on, was quite fun. The height restrictions are quite good on this ride and allowed both my 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter to both ride. . The rest of the rides , The Mozzie Muster ( Tilt - A- Whirl), Booma Zooma (Flying Chairs) , Rock "n Roll Rebel (Tango ride in the dark) are all extremely well appointed and very well maintained rides. The large Ferris Wheel dominates the skyline and provides great views all the way to Caloundra It was also heartwarming to see the Giant Slide from the Royal Easter show having found a home. Simple fun but one many families on the day were quick to enjoy!! All in all, Aussie World was a great day out and really gave excellent value. We arrived at 10:30am and entance to the park cost us $99 for a family pass of 4. We stayed for the entirety of the day and then had dinner at the nearby Ettamogah Pub, where the food was excellent!! All the ride attendants were fairly young and were mostly Uni students working their way through school holidays. Overall, though, they were some of the nicest ride attendants that I have ever experienced in any park. Helpful,cheerful and nothing was too much trouble for them. They are a tremendous asset to Aussie World. In an interesting side note, I questioned several ride attendants on the parks future plans. Apparently the owners of the park wish to add a new attraction every year for five years. They have plans to put in another major ride this year, although they could not say what it was. Things are looking rosy for the park in the next couple of years,it appears!! Aussie World was a refreshing change from the Gold Coast majors. It has the capacity with some more investment in attractions to become a major player. It really is the park that Luna Park Sydney should be.

Surely if there are new trains and a new theme then there will be a colour change?? Makes sense, especially if they plan to make Lethal a part of the DC area.

Exactly. IF that was the case.We may never know the real reason! But a very valid and real point.

Its still more transparency than Movieworld have given for the closures for LTRR, Batman Adventure Ride or even Marvin's Rocket ride. Throw in Seaworlds dormant and still standing train ride ( a travesty in my mind), the closure of Bermuda, even the removal of the Pirate Ship and it appears that WVTP are quite prepared to close more rides in their parks than actually add them. If they came out with some statement or explanation relaying why they closed these rides beyond the usual "closed to make way for a new attraction" then this would at least give some public validity to the closures. At this time, on both sides of the fence, all we are doing is speculating on the reasons why. It would be nice to have some official angle to discuss.But thats what this forum is for and why we contribute to this board.To DISCUSS. I am like GoGoBoy and Joz, I find it puzzling that this point is hard to understand.

lol...Very tasty indeed!! In fact I see that they are now selling them as a take home pack!!! Awesome!! Apologies to any who find this old news, I havent seen this before... Brilliant idea Anyway....back to the discussion at hand!

Noted!! And supported 100%..... Basically we are all giving our views and opinions and expressing our thoughts on why these rides are closed. Most of us are not that naive to think that they would ever come back-in fact I do not want that!! I am sure the replacements will be excellent and we will soon be feverishly posting our excitement about them, when they are finally announced.This still does not stop us discussing WHY they have been shut, or the mechanics or reasoning behind the decision to cull the rides in this fashion. Its what this forum is designed for. It comes down to a matter of opinions really......and as we all know...Opinions are like arseholes. Everyone has one. Some are just larger and more obnoxious than others!! lol!! Loving the discussion though!!

Exactly.....they opted for the cheaper route. No matter how much you try and dress it up, or justify the closures, the fact remains that closing all 3 rides in similar timeframes was poor decision making. Closing them without any real replacement or plan (that we know of) is , in my mind, very poor management indeed. Its a fact that these closures could have been handled so much better and the problems faced by Movieworld today could have been somewhat tempered if there was a tiered plan in place.

Agree 100% with your thoughts here AlexB. My kids are 4 and 6 and they have been exposed to Theme Parks since birth. They love them and my son even has a collection of 5 dvd's with Rollercoaster and Theme park vids. We are heading up to Qld on Tuesday and will be visiting Dreamworld, Movieworld and Aussieworld. This will be our first visit to Aussieworld so it will be interesting to see how it rates. Looking forward to it. I also think that it is a bit much to be asking a 2 year old admission price of $29 just to enter the park. This is seemingly the only major criticism that I have heard of Aussieworld which, from all appearances, appears a very family friendly park in most other aspects.Will try and get as many pics as possible to share with the board.

I agree wholeheartedly with this post!!! The idea of Lethal Weapon being replaced at this point in time is just ridiculous IMHO!! As Linus has stated, a new theme and new trains will re-invigorate the ride and its perception in the public domain. To be honest, I have never, ever really found Lethal to be all that rough. Plus while it is a SLC and there are many versions of it around the world, it is made rarer for the fact of the addition of the bonus helix at the end.The fact that there is so many proves it is a very successful and popular design (much like the Vekoma Boomerang but that is another story!!) It is our only "Thrilling " Inverted coaster and it would be a huge loss to our coaster landscape if it disappeared. Long live Lethal!!!

You might want to re-think that statement....there are currently 3 closed dark rides at Seaworld and Movieworld.......my bet is that on at least ONE or more of these sites that a very expensive multi-million dark ride will rise from the ashes. And I think it will be before any new large coaster will be introduced to one of our parks. Just saying....

Ok POP. I am pretty sure that it was a lighthearted comment by Gazza. Seriously if we are talking a million dollars, what type of coaster (if indeed it is one) could be got for one million?? Second hand what would that buy you?

The irony is lost on some....lol Seriously though, a good second hand coaster would be the next logical attraction for Aussie World. This would then give them a very decent ride roster indeed, and one that would make people travel to visit.

I agree. It is a lasting shame that more of Wonderland's rides could not have stayed in Australia- Aussie World could have had a field day if they were in the market now!! Another smallish coaster would be a great addition to Aussie Worlds line up-maybe a model from Zamperla or Maurer Sohne perhaps?

Ahhh SBF Visa!! Thanks for that Spotty!! Makers of goodness such as Fear! The Tower coaster!!! Not!! Gazza here is a pic from the SBF Visa website of the model that comprises The Jurassic coaster. Cheers

I certainly did!!! Thats one of those annoying typos that can strike from nowhere!! Don't appear able to fix it either..can a moderator help?

Gazza, don't be too over concerned!! It is a travelling kiddie coaster with dinosaur figures liberally placed around the course and a dinosaur themed backdrop.Makes sense to include it in the ride line-up with the Dinosaur Alive exhibition I guess. My 6 year old and 4 year old loved it and in its defense it is fairly smooth-it is also a pretty new ride. Its a big hit with the younger ones and families, delivering mild thrills and prepares younger minds for bigger coasters when they are older. It is a good design and has 2 "lift hills" (tyre driven), although I am not certain of the manufacturer-anyone help out with that? All in all good fun.

For your information guys, Luna Park has announced its Xmas holiday line up and I have to say that it is looking like pretty good value. From Boxing Day, Jurassic Coaster, Rock'N Tug and The Disk'O will be appearing. Also from January the 7th, there will be located at The Big Top, the Dinosaurs Alive! Exhibition. The LPS site says "DINOSAURS ALIVE! is a $3.5 million educative and fun-filled exhibition featuring robotic dinosaurs. It takes visitors along the 165-million-year journey of the Age of Dinosaurs. At Luna Park 7th January to 12th February, don't miss these pre-historic giants. Visitors can marvel and learn about the seven dinosaurs on display as they walk through the exhibition. They will see Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor, Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, Huayangosaurus, Gasosaurus and Allosaurus in motion. By seeing the life-like dinosaurs move in front of them, guests can imagine how the magnificent creatures once roamed the Earth." If you have a young family or are young at heart, then this should provide some good summer fun. I know I will be taking my kids there after we get back from the Gold Coast and I will put up a trip report for all. I think that Luna Park should utilise The Big Top more for travelling attractions like this. A few years ago, they had "Prison Break LIVE" which was an interactive walkthrough maze with live actors. A evolving,changing , Xmas walkthrough attraction, be it a scarefest, or information driven like Dinosaurs Alive!, should be something that Luna Park should investigate further and could become a great future drawcard at this time of year. I think the Dinosaurs Alive! exhibition is going to be a winner. I mean, which young kid is not fascinated by Dinosaurs? Thoughts?

Hehehe.....knew it would not take me long... "the CAN move it". I assume you mean "they". Yep..we ARE all human......just some more human than others!!!!

I have no problem whatsoever in Movieworld removing both Batman and LTRR. The last time I was at Movieworld last year, both rides were walk-ons. By their very nature, both also, IMHO, didnt have a lot of re-rideability. This is reflected in their poor popularity in the latter stages of their life.What I do have problems with is the now well referred timing issue.Sure LTTR was gone but surely Movieworld could have kept Batman going until after the peak holiday period?? This may or may not be indicative of deeper plans that we are not privy to, but time will tell all.I think we all would have been much more comfortable if Movieworld had announced that Batman was closing at the end of February after the peak time had passed. Bermuda, on the other hand , I feel is a different story. This was a world class ride which was still popular, delivered decent family thrills and was something you desired to ride again and again. However, after the flames from the volcano were dowsed for good, the ride was let to fall into the slow decay that we saw it become. This ride, which fit perfectly for Seaworld's target demographic, should have been brought back up to spec and saved, in my opinion. It was world renowned, and has been stated many times on these boards, had world class theming. My hope now is that Bermuda will be replaced by an equally iconic and brilliant attraction. It is really what Seaworld deserves.

You are correct AlexB. Your position would have been made far clearer if you had stated the above in your original post, however. In saying that, though, there are limitations on where, how and what can be moved, if it is on the Heritage Register. As long as the building still complies with the Register's requirements and that the nature of the building is not overtly changed and it is agreed by the Heritage Council, then there are no large impediments to something being moved for further precint development. This is far easier when it comes moving something like the Rotor. I would think that LPS would have a very hard time indeed if they nominated to move, say Coney Island or The Crystal Palace. There are many factors to take into consideration when applying to change or move Heritage Listed buildings-the list is long and horrendous!!. This should not be a barrier for ride development to NOT happen at LPS though, rather , it can show that there are ways to make things work whilst still retaining the original buildings. There are many examples around the world where the old and the new can quite happily co-exist in perfect harmony-it just takes willingness and money!!

GoGoBoy I absolutely agree with your comments here. At the risk of being branded as anti Movieworld (which I am most certainly NOT) , I too cannot for the life of me, fathom the timing of the removal of these rides. In my mind, it is an absolute error and until they are replaced, weakens their offer significantly, despite the introduction of Green Lantern (which I am very excited to see). Like you, I pray, hope and still have faith that their demise will hearken decent replacements in the near future. However, I do feel that this timing issue has been largely ignored on the board, except for a select few, which to me, is somewhat surprising. I AM looking forward to visiting the park in January to ride Green Lantern. If it is as good as it looks in the track testing video, then it should be a sweet ride indeed!