Baconjack

I guess when the vaccine comes out and borders start to re-open. I had saved for a Florida WDW/SFO/BGT/Universal trip for June next year, but obviously that won't happen at that time and I don't think I'll be able to get out there until the following year at least. In the meantime though, I'll keep saving money to possibly make the America trip a little bit bigger and try to add in some more parks. Cedar Point, LA and New York are certainly at the top of the list.

Here's an existing model with a similar layout to the one seen in the picture It's very similar to a family boomerang though and for what it is its a good quality ride for the families.

Yep. Big Dipper is going to be one heck of a little coaster, it should easily be the best roller coaster in the country outside the Gold Coast, even then, better than most of what’s on offer up there, probably only behind Leviathan and DCR in terms of thrill. A truly elite offering out of nowhere I’d never have expected from management. Combined with heaps of new flats. Gyro swings are not everyone’s cup of tea but I don’t mind them. Kids area offers a lot for the family compared to how it used to be. Vekoma Family Boomerang is a great touch also. This is really indeed an excellent set of changes that has taken nearly 10 years to get through. These rides combined with Volare, Hair Raiser, Tango Train, Rotor, Wild Mouse being kept should be an awesome use of the plot.

That might be the replacement for one of the kiddie flat rides that was removed a few months back (next to the u-drive). Spider is running on borrowed time and will most likely be that ride that gets axed. This will complete a process that was supposed to be finished years ago.

I rode AA as Lethal Weapon I didn't like either restraint. It was either ear bashing on the original, or hip/leg bashing on the new (it was fine when new, but by the end, it was horribly rough). Bear in mind i'm 6'5" so it might have been a different experience for taller people. Considering that the similar kumbak trains which were installed on Sea Viper reportedly put heaps of stress on the track & structure (which was a major factor in the decision to retire the ride), I wouldn't be surprised to learn of something similar with AA. Other Kumbak installations on SLC's have also been problem childs so far so it mostly adds up to a shitty product made by a shitty manufacturer. I'm sure a raptor is sufficient for MW's capacity needs. In the grand scheme of things MW is a smaller park in terms of attendance (smaller than that of the American regional parks which these coasters currently sit in without any crowd problems). Even in summer season, you have Green Lantern in the lineup and based on its loads would imo come close to raptor capacity (as did AA with its single train, and Superman last summer) This is a bad take imo, MW usually runs around 200 guest per hour on all of their major attractions (bar WWF, DCR in summer peak and probably SDSC). I've been saying an Australian park should get one of these for years. If not MW, DW should, or Aussie World, Adventure World, LPS, so on and so on. It's an honest no brainer to me. I'd love to see a dive coaster in our parks, I think it would be a good supporting attraction to DCR and its a guest magnet but we don't have the money for B&M. I dont believe we will see Village spending that much on a single attraction on anywhere near the scale of DCR for some time yet. Its why I don't see the site being replaced by another invert or a flying coaster.

It's too bad Village jumped the gun and worked with Kumbak, shortly before they realised their products were shit. What MW was looking to do was ahead of its time, if they waited a few more years they could have gotten the new Vekoma trains (with the vest restraints just like Sidewinder's restraints) which would have imo allowed AA to run for many more years to come. I won't be shedding a tear though it was a leg basher especially in its last years and quite an uncomfortable ride. MW now have some decent real estate to put something new in, I'd love to see them work with RMC to build a raptor in that spot, or get a compact hybrid going on in the spot.

This looks like it will be a parts donor based on how its been carefully disassembled in the photos, rather than you know, given a blow torch or ripped down with demolition equipment a la Wipeout. I do wonder who the customer is, because I do not believe there would be a local customer that is wanting Huss Troika parts anytime soon unless there is cross-compatibility with another model that also exists here. Probably going to a buyer overseas is my guess.

Probably is, from my understanding there's at least one unit that exists and quite a good number of Ranger parts such as the drive shaft are compatible with the Rainbow so that makes sense (the irony if it was the ex-Wittingslow one that's getting the parts, the same rainbow that was originally supposed to be at LPS instead of the Ranger). Even despite this it served the park well for 25 years and ran on the show circuit and at Expo before then so the old ranger has had quite a long and distinguished career. It was only a matter of time before it would be replaced, at least the parts are getting some use.

Blue track & white supports = surf So, a coaster themed to the beach? That's my guess at least. Also this might explain the earlier posts on the paint being stripped back to check the metal. If there is metal fatigue in a track section it can be replaced in a like for like track replacement, a few parks such as Blackpool Pleasure Beach do this with their steel coasters.

Well I mean its the only large empty plot of land in the park left that's still within close proximity to the entrance. Take a left turn straight out of the gate, pass sky voyager and the entrance is right there in your face (at least according to the plans, thats what it will be). Unless you want to bulldoze Blue Lagoon or RHLR and have the ride tucked away back there its a no brainer to build in what was once Gold Rush. You're Dreamworld, spending your largest amount on individual attractions in decades, you surely want to have what will soon be your signature attraction front and centre in the park?

Iirc Jet Rescue had mist after the tunnel that houses the 2nd launch. I remember JR still having the mist in that spot as late as 2013. Same for Surfrider when i was last at WnW around the same time. Also, if memory serves me correct Superman's effects were steam and not mist, and were removed as a safety issue, completely unrelated to batwing.

I like to judge 'iconic' by public recognition and international fame. And for that, it's an easy pick and it isn't even on the Gold Coast. Building on Jobe's point, I'd throw in the Wild Mouse or Coney Island at LPS, or the Scenic Railway at LPM. 100%. All three are well known for their historical value considering they have been around for 50+ years (100+ for scenic railway), are well known on a global level and are pretty significant reasons as to why both parks are tourist attractions for many visiting those cities. IMO I do not think any of the current attractions on the Gold Coast are more 'iconic' than any of these, with the exception of maybe GD on its own. Literally nobody cares about Superman or WWF outside of Australia. DC Rivals is still relatively new. Sea World has the dolphins but not sure on how 'iconic' they are. DW has nothing other than GD (that I get to later) If we go by past attractions I'd say there's a few more that can be considered. Corkscrew at SW (and Vikings to a lesser extent) was used quite extensively in marketing materials for the Gold Coast from the 80's to 2000's that also gave it a lot of recognition. On a similar note to Corkscrew, Thunderbolt was the poster boy for early life Dreamworld and the Gold Coast theme parks in general for much of its life. Wipeout saved the park and was a park favourite for many people but not on the level of ToT or Thunderbolt. Finally, the Dreamworld Tower rides combined have a lot of international recognition, broke records, arguably put the Gold Coast on the map and were easily the signature attraction at DW for its entire lifespan (and can be argued it still is, for GD anyway)

I didn't really care when Sea Viper was removed. The iron cage restraints were extremely uncomfortable when compared to the old train and made the ride experience much worse. When it happens though, it is definitely Arkham. Worst coaster on the coast as far as i'm concerned and was quite a brutal leg basher in its last years.

I mean to their credit they were at least somewhat right with DC Rivals being a 'world best ride' considering what I hear about it in other roller coaster or theme park-related spaces on the net outside of Parkz. By all accounts those overseas who somehow have the credit love it. Leviathan? Nah this is going a bit far this probably won't even be a top woodie.

My vote goes to Bermuda. I didn't ride when it was new but when I went on it as a kid in 2006 (when the gas was still working) I thought the experience was really cool back then. Highly themed dark rides/boat rides are definitely my cup of tea and Bermuda is 100% still the best themed ride this country has ever had. Unfortunately those days of ambitious themed family attractions are long gone as Village now likes building flashy thrill rides. Scooby-Doo is fine in its current state but I felt its image was tarnished quite a bit by its early life bugs which were fixed by the time of my last visit to the park late last year. I agree with the criticism of the animations, they would have been good by 2005 standards. Some parts of the ride I thought were executed rather poorly when compared to the original - the mirror scene and the post-brake run scene are the specific examples I'll draw my attention to. Some parts however I felt were better than the original though. The screens in the elevator lift I prefer to the original where nothing was there.

I mean it almost happened before Eisner stepped in and decided Hong Kong was the better investment. I may have a low opinion of Eisner and even with HKDL failing in the early days I think he made the right judgement in this case. It was the early 90’s, Euro Disney had failed and Disney had to play it safe with their park projects. China was a much safer pick for a new build park over Australia.

Wow. Had absolutely no idea this existed and I did some sleuthing on the small handful of historical newspaper archives I am subscribed to and found nothing else relating to this proposal at all whatsoever so this is all that exists. At that time I think it was very ambitious for the park to basically build a coaster that took up the entire park. Judging by the layout and what is described in the article it is surprisingly quite resemblant of what is now Sidewinder, same manufacturer, inversions and elements. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Arrow would have re-worked quite a lot of this plan into what we got considering it would have been at an advanced stage at the time. Same core elements, the loop, dive loop, helix and overbanks in a smaller plot of land while being taller and faster.

Arkham is gone for sure 100% given its closure has essentially been a foregone conclusion for a very long time. My guess is the monorail is the other ride that closes. Don't know much about WnW so I won't comment on what could go there. I think you're forgetting DW still has 6 major thrill rides, soon to be 7. Their three coasters they have may be a laughable joke especially when compared to whats down the road but flats wise they are still well ahead of Village's offerings even after losing Wipeout. Same goes for family and kids rides although ABC kids losing its anchor in Big Red Car Ride doesn't help. The figure Ardent committed to spending last year ($50 million) leaves room for around $20m of capex when discounting the coaster. I think it was discussed at the time as being allocated towards a flat to replace Wipeout and the ABC Kids World expansion which was going to take over TOT and BRCC. These plans obviously being mothballed nowadays given corona. Sidewinder won't be going anywhere given Dreamworld are repainting it at the minute and the coaster is quite simple mechanically when compared to let's say, Wipeout or TOT. Neither will Shockwave given its a very common ride type that's not very old with plenty of manufacturer support and spare parts.

I'd love to see Aussie World, LPM or Adventure World gobble up Buzzsaw if they were prepared to buy it. A pretty cheap way to add a big ride that doesn't take up a lot of land. DW buying buzzsaw was a head scratching decision for me. They bought a ride from a low tier manufacturer that had a poor track record even at the time whose most successful models are small spinning coasters and wild mice. Remember that when Buzzsaw was built Ardent at the time was penny pinching... I wouldn't be surprised to hear that when they realised they had to get a big thrill ride they went with the cheapest possible option, which was more than likely the skyloop. Nowadays DW have to live with the consequences of their owners being cheapskates with yet another problem child ride in their lineup. Almost 10 years after the fact DW have a double whammy, a ride that is most of the time shut, and when it's not shut, its a ride that nobody wants to queue up for because it is a one trick pony that also doubles as a bone shaker.

MW or DW standard isnt exactly a high bar to be fair at the minute, especially considering Westfield is an appropriate standard for both companies in terms of presentation. They are already halfway there in terms of presentation, the historical buildings and aforementioned Flying Saucer/Big Dipper fixtures have been done up and look fantastic. But anywhere else thats where the presentation starts to crumble. Maloney's corner is basically a parking lot with zero scenery whatsoever, something acceptable for the Royal Show, not a boardwalk park. Keeping around the 80's rides is not retro. There is a difference between retro and outdated. Tumble Bug, Ranger and Spider are all examples of the latter and in an ideal world should be replaced ASAP but as we know the process to build a new ride is extremely lengthy so it will be a long time till we see all 3 replaced with actual proper 'retro' rides that call back to the 60's. Similarly, suggesting that literal carnival rides are 'true to the park's aesthetic and history' is a pretty bad take, though for reasons I've already said that doesn't bother me too much. Perhaps I think too much of LPS but I do see potential for it to be our equivalent of Grona Lund that is well presented. Given what has been done so far its definitely showing some promise but there's still a long way to go to finish up the park's transformation in the buildings. Maloney's Corner needs to be properly integrated into the park rather than what it is now, Tumble Bug/dodgems fixture needs a redo, Big Top needs some paint, and the ticket booth needs a repaint. Plus some new permanent rides that match the presentation of Volare. Not too tall an order to be honest considering what they have been able to achieve so far.

They do. Volare is probably the best presented ride in the park and has a decent set of LED's when compared to the old flats. TBH that doesnt say a lot considering a good chunk of the park screams parking lot coaster. The renovation of the existing fixtures is something I'm definitely a fan of. The old Flying Saucer lighthouse & cafe repaint and the old Big Dipper entrance look a lot better than they used to be plus the LED packages are a nice touch as well. Pretty sure that's all done now because that aspect of change is a lot easier to get past the residents. Look gimme a new coaster anyday and LPS have looked at one in the past but it'll be difficult to fit a decent one in given the space they have, let alone constructing one which is practically begging for resident action given the endless battle Multiplex has with the neighbours. A ride on the scale of Sidewinder/GoldCoaster is not going to happen again. At the end of the day LPS is hard pressed for space and the space is better spent on an extra flat or hell even an empty space for school holiday rides. I'm definitely not a fan of the 'school holiday rides' strategy as it completely breaks the park's appearance and screams Royal Show rather than a genuine effort at a boardwalk park but I recognise that it is a crucial component of the amusements side of the park. A park like Grona Lund would be a good example to hold LPS to account. A very good boardwalk park that is well presented that doesn't need the flashy rides. I think they are halfway there and they are definitely trying but administrative and planning issues has definitely slowed those plans to a halt so they have no choice but to keep their 80's carnival rides running for as long as possible.

I think its quite a common practice in the theme park industry to create an ambitious vision for a ride and then suddenly things like budget come into play and things slowly get cut over time. Its not a new thing for our parks either - remember Storm? Buzzsaw? I don't think the creativity and ambition to build those themed experiences is there when compared to the time when Bermuda Triangle and LTRR were built. For quite a while Village has taken the angle of building big coasters and flashy flats with bare bones presentation over a truly cohesive and themed experience and that can be definitely seen by any ride at MW built in the last 10 years which has a nice sign, some 2D graphics here and there, but when they try to create a themed experience such as the Scooby-Doo refurb they fail. To demonstrate what I mean with difference between expecation/reality here's a concept made for Superman at SFMM. You couldnt even tell that this project was going to be for a Six Flags park, but when budgets came into play, obviously much of this extensive theming was scaled back. Even Disney projects have had at least some degree of difference between expectation vs reality at some point, need one only glance at the difference between concept and reality for any post-Paris Eisner project neutered by budget cuts such as New Tomorrowland, the Hong Kong park and DCA to see that. On the topic of the DW coaster I don't necessarily see any major differences between concept and finished product. On that end it will be similar to what we see in the NL render with decent landscaping and what have you. Given, DW hasn't promised anywhere remotely close to the level of detail that SW have put on the Atlantis precinct, so its much easier to deliver on that regard.

Lots and lots of red tape and planning shit has to go through. Thats probably the only reason why this park has sat on its hand and nothing has progressed. It is a seemingly endless battle that has no winner. From what I've seen LPS try to procur, I can say they have tried but too often this doesn't see the light of day. When you have picky rich neighbours that have a pretty extensive history of having a sook every single time a new ride gets installed or announced it should be no surprise that things have slowed. Its been the plan for nearly 10 years to give the whole park a facelift and all thats happened since then is a like for like ride replacement, a few building fixture changes and a Wave Swinger that opened 2 years after initially planned. If we were at the pace management wanted everything would have been replaced by now.

Did you see anything happening at the Ranger? As for what is happening theyve planned to pull these rides for a number of years now as the 25+ years worth of sea air has meant that they have been reaching the end of their service life. When they got rid of Flying Saucer a few years back it was obvious that the other rides were on the way out. I wouldn't be surprised if this was indeed the final knell for Tumble Bug and Ranger.