GoGoBoy

I have to admit I'm disappointed with Dreamworld's new attraction, the Flowrider. It just seems to me to be the sort of thing you'd find at a recreation centre or waterpark, not a theme park. Is there still a possibility it could be intergrated with the new waterpark? The ride surely has limited appeal and reaches out mostly to the 'surfer' demographic which is a strange market for a theme park to want to attract. And now after seeing the way the area has been presented I do not think it fits in with the surrounding family theme park feel at all. It's almost like the Big Top at Luna Park (Sydney) when there's a Come Together music festival on and yet the park is still open for families and people wanting to go on the rides. Also, why is Dreamworld adding a Flow Rider and then at the end of the year a new waterpark? What is the link with these 2 very much water based additions? It has got me thinking about what direction Dreamworld is heading in. It seems to me they are almost trying to get away from being a theme park and become more of an entertainment/recreation park. With attractions like Big Brother, Flowrider and the wildlife sections offering more 'experiences'. There have been a number of quotes from both the CEO and the PR spokeswoman implying this is the case. They have said things along the lines of (and I'm loosely quoting) "the Flowrider is just a taste of things to come... new generation attractions bringing experiences to life". And recently the spokeswoman said something like "Dreamworld is not just a theme park, it is a combined entertainment precinct". When they start using words like entertainment precinct it's very dangerous. It's not a good sign for lovers of true theme parks, rides and roller coasters. Perhaps DW now feels they have enough rides and want to focus on other areas (especially seeing as though rides require large amounts of capital). I remember writing into Wonderland years ago asking when they were going to get a new ride. This was the Sunway era. The reply I got was "At Wonderland we now feel we have more than enough rides so we are going to focus on entertainment based additions". This included the horrible Action Man Show. In other words they didn't want to spend any money on decent new rides. With Movie World doing the right thing and now constantly adding amazing new rides, why aren't Dreamworld doing the same? I'm just glad that Dreamworld is adding a new waterpark as this gives some sign of hope. I'm very interested to hear everyone elses opinions on the matter. Do you think DW is going to add a new ride anytime soon or do you think they are going to continue to add experience attractions like the Flowrider? What would you prefer (this may be an obvious question, but perhaps not to DW)? I would be very interested to see the DW master plan. Please add your comments and speculations about what you think DW has planned for the future....

Don't get me wrong rabid, you've done some great updates on the waterpark, as I've mentioned and thanked you for before. It's totally up to you when you want to and can provide updates and we are grateful for them. I just haven't seen any pics from the park for about a month (from anyone) so would be happy whoever can provide them. I know things must be moving along at a fast pace

Ofcourse it is possible that Dreamworld Waterpark will start out small with the ultimate goal of expansion. However, this could potentially be a dangerous move on Dreamworld's part. The first impression the general public gets of a park is generally a lasting one. If people decide from the start that DWWP is not as big or as good as WnW then it will be a real struggle for DWWP to shake that stigma. We all know how much the Aussie public seems to go for for quantity over quality when it comes to parks. Take Movie World as an example (and I can think of many more), it started out with very little attractions. Over the years they have added a considerable number of rides but people always think of it as the park without many rides partly because of the way it was when it opened. The only things we know for sure about Dreamworld Waterpark is that there will be a wave pool, 3 tower structures and toddler pools. The rumour is that there will be no lazy river ride either (which is strange as most if not all new waterparks overseas have these). So as I said before, those towers are going to need to be packed with the latest and greatest slides and attractions to ensure Dreamworld does not get stuck with the 'inferior park' title. mattcrombie - if you can get those pics for us that would be excellent. Our theme park fansites don't seem to be covering the construction updates very much

Cyclone was themed by a company called the Sanderson Group who also themed the Giant Drop (which has some of the dodgiest queue line theming I have ever seen). The Sanderson Group also created the theming for the 'future zone' at Sega World in Sydney and then the re-theme of the Magic Motion Theatre ride (both quite poorly done). Thankfully it appears Dreamworld is now using a company called Atomiq. This firm created the new entry facades for Gold Rush Country and Ocean Parade, full theming on the Claw and also Wiggles World. They have also been commisioned to work on the new waterpark. They seem to produce some good stuff

Thanks very much for that info dodge. For some reason I didn't see your post at the time you wrote it. 3 tower structures is not very much for a stand alone waterpark (that's only 1 more tower than Sea World's crappy waterpark has). They are going to want to be very tall towers with a lot of rides packed onto each to make it worthwhile. It seems to me most of the newest waterpark attractions (such as Rocket Slides and Bowls) tend to have their own individual towers and do not usually share with other slides. Has anyone been past the park recently? We haven't had any updates for a few weeks and I'm sure construction must be progressing quickly. It's driving me crazy. If anyone has any info even from just driving past please let us know

While I do like the colour scheme (Wet 'n' Wild has a distinct lack of colour) I reckon they should have made Tornado yellow and black rather than blue and orange. It would suit the theme of H20 Zone better... not that they seem to care about theming or presentation in this area

Fair points there... though I think Water Technology inc. would use the same waterslide manafacturer for most of their projects. And by the looks of their products - they manafacture rather cheap and nasty generic slides. Ofcourse time will tell but so far I have seen no evidence of a great waterpark in the making

I have been researching the various parks designed and constructed by Water Technology inc (the company which is supposedly designing Dreamworld Waterpark) and I have been getting more and more concerned. While it appears they build quite good indoor parks, their outdoor parks don't look so great. As an example check out the rather average Wildwater Kingdom which they designed/constructed at http://www.dorneyonline.com/attractions.php?type=wwk You can click on the attraction names to see photos. The slides are really quite ugly and basic. They are just very standard flumes and tube slides which drop down into pools. You will notice that the supports around Cyclone look very similar to their slide and tower arrangements (particularly Jumpin' Jack Splash and Wildwater Rapids). Something about the design looks so 1980's to me. When you compare this to an awesome park like Six Flags New England Hurricane Harbor (mostly designed by ProSlide) you can see what I'm talking about. While it appears Water Technology inc. has been associated with some big name waterparks, most of this involvement was BEFORE the parks recent refurbishments and overhauls to bring them into line with current standards. All I can say is if Dreamworld thinks "new generation" attractions are a bunch of Water Technology inc. 1980's crapppy flume slides then they are going to be way off the mark. Food for thought

Well the site certainly looks good... I think Movie World could learn a few lessons from them. It's kinda a similar style to MW's Superman Escape site, only it actually works and isn't ridiculous. However, I am somewhat concerned at the amount of effort DW is putting into this attraction. They have labelled it their 'next big attraction' which is worrying as I would not really consider it to be such. They also mention that it is the first of a new generation of attractions bringing experiences to life. This combined with a statement from a park spokesman makes it sound like they are trying to turn DW into an 'experience' park rather than a theme park. This would mean they could spend less capital on big new rides and put in far more cheaper attractions like this.. which is possibly what they are planning

I am aware of that which is why I said Master Blaster/ROCKET SLIDE. I realise it is a Rocket Slide from Pro Slide. More people have heard of a Master Blaster though so in a sense it's more generic which is why I used that term. Master Blasters are from NBGS International and purely rely on water jets to propel riders uphill. Rocket Slides are from Pro Slide and I believe use a combination of both water jets and conveyer belts. Zip Coasters are from White Water West and use high speed conveyer belts. Anyway - let's hope we get one of them

I found a site showing the construction of a master blaster/rocket slide at an awesome looking waterpark overseas. I sure hope DWWP ends up looking something like this. Anyway, the pics show some shots of the initial footers etc. and I was wondering if any of you think anything looks familiar compared to the construction at Dreamworld? Some of those footer placements look sorta similar to the arrangements going on at Dreamworld but I'm not sure. What do some of the more engineering-minded people think? One thing I know for sure a master blaster/rocket slide would be one hell of a way to convince the general public that DWWP has got something wet 'n' wild doesn't. Plus I'll be terribly disappointed if they don't get one. Anyway, the site is http://www.coaster-net.com/rg/typhoonsfne.php

I was just discussing over on Ozcoaster the fact that some of the supports are painted and some are just exposed steel which is very odd. Lets hope they're not losing attention to detail already! Also, at this point the supports look very small. Hopefully they are still planning to increase the height and add more pole lengths

Found this interesting article on Dreamworld's upcoming Flowrider from a surfing site - THE FLOWRIDER HITS DREAMWORLD Date: 18-05-2006 Dreamworld is riding the crest of imagination to the perfect wave introducing a brand new, unrivalled, aquatic experience never before seen in Australia. Born from the roots of surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding and body boarding, the FlowRider is set to take the nation by storm. With 27 installations worldwide and a global visitor count of over fifteen million per year, Dreamworld is bringing the ultimate fusion of board sports down under. Don’t dwell on a lack of swell because the surf’s up at Dreamworld, now the only place guaranteed to give you a decent wave all year round. Opening June 2006, FlowRider will provide a controlled environment where the water is warm and the waves are on tap. FlowRider generates a thin sheet of rushing water that flows over a stationary form allowing riders to drop in on their own unbroken wave, slide down, carve a turn, cut back and ride up the padded surface. Pro surfers, skaters and snowboarders from around the world are flocking to FlowRider, pushing the limits and trying to figure out new ways to ride the wave. But you don’t have to be a pro to be in the know, regardless of age and skill, everybody can now experience the rush of riding a wave. This unique and interactive experience combines thrills and skills for the whole family providing a safe platform for novices and a challenging stage for competitive board riding enthusiasts to show off their skills. The flexible, trampoline-like base is designed to handle any wipeout meaning you can go hard form the word go. Dreamworld will build a multi-million dollar, high energy, recreational zone to house the Australian first complete with merchandise shop, food outlet and a hip bar to chill out and take in the action. Dreamworld’s surfing CEO, Stephen Gregg said the FlowRider is the very latest in a collection of innovative rides and attractions introduced at Dreamworld and is just a taste of things to come. “The addition is part of a new generation of attractions bringing brand new experiences to life and is set to capture the youth culture like never before.” Mr Gregg said the FlowRider will create Australia’s first self contained, flexible and safe surfing environment for families to try a brand new sport on a perfect perpetual wave. The iconic landmark is set to find a cult following on the coast where the more you do it, the more you love it. “And the better you get at it, so every time you ride, you can improve your skill, perform for the crowd and maybe even realise a dream.” FlowRider is both an interactive skill ride and an exhilarating surf show where spectators can enjoy watching as much as participants enjoy riding. “In the future, our goal is to offer “Flowboarding” competitions that showcase the awesome skills of some of the top board sports professionals in the world.” “The attraction will provide a wonderful new venue at Dreamworld complete with awesome theming and lighting to create unique, world class events after dark,” Mr Gregg said. To ensure everyone has the opportunity to have a go, 15 people can rotate in a thirty minute FlowRider session for just $5 per person. After hours access, eventing and FlowRider competitions will be introduced at Dreamworld in the near future. The wave is heated and will be accessible all year round so be one of the first to experience the FlowRider at Dreamworld and get ready to get wet.

Well there is certainly one thing that we all agree on - the marketing for Superman Escape was very poor. The moment I saw that terrible website with its ridiculous attempt to tap into the 'teen' market. I don't even think the try-hard teens they were aiming for would have fallen for it. Has the marketing department changed recently? Let's hope they do better with their rumoured next attraction

You know I would have to agree with that last comment re Superman Escape. I was actually planning to start a new thread about it. While I still think a new rollercoaster is better than Dreamworld's 'nothing', I really don't think SE is all that great. Throughout the entire ride I felt like I was having a brain haemorrhage (my friend actually came up with this name for the feeling we had throughout the ride). I just found it to be way too intense and way too quick. I really don't like the idea of a launch coaster, especially one that has such a confined space to work with. I always thought it would be much better if we got a massive continous circuit hyper first. It's something Australia doesn't have and it provides heaps of fun with not nearly as much 'painful intensity'

Aaargh this is typical of the Australian public! It's so frustrating. Movie World gets a brand new coaster and attendances go DOWN! How encouraging is that? Meanwhile Dreamworld adds nothing and their attendances go up. It's the Wonderland scenario all over again. Seriously, if the general public doesn't respond to new attractions then parks will stop adding them which is not good. I just don't understand it. News article at http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=103809

Well so far we only have blues and purples which isn't all that colourful (besides the lime green supports). I'd like to see some yellow, orange and red too. Then the park would really look like nothing else we have in Australia

I think that's great news... the more colourful the better in my opinion. The further this new waterpark gets away from Wet 'n' Wild with its boring blues, whites and greys, the better (the new Tornado ride excluded)

We have certainly had a complete lack of information in the lead up to the opening of Dreamworld's waterpark. At this point we still know very little about it (except for the excellent pics provided by Rabid and others keeping us up to date on construction). However, I came across a very interesting site which I'm not sure if anyone else has seen yet. While not giving us any information on actual attractions, it is a complete list of every company behind the planning, development and construction of DWWP. There were a couple of interesting/positive findings - The project designer/pool designer is Water Technology inc. At first I was somewhat concerned as I had never heard of this company. After looking over their website I was relieved to see they have worked on some major parks in the States and overseas. They were involved with Crocodile Dundee's Boomerang Bay which is a great example of a very colourful and well themed waterpark (it's also home to an Octopus Racer... so fingers crossed). This also means they use a number of other companies to supply the actual attractions in some cases, which is good. You can visit their website at www.watertechnologyinc.com The 2nd interesting revelation is the company who will be doing the theming for the waterpark - atmomiq. These were the people who did all the theming/signage/paving for the Claw. This means that DWWP should end up with a very high standard of presentation. Also on this note, the landscape company chosen to undertake DWWP's landscaping is Urban Space Design. They were also involved with the Claw and designed all the gardens surrounding the ride. One of the things people always seem to mention when reviewing the Claw is how great the landscaping is. So that's another positive move. So overall it looks like we will end up with a really well presented park. Thank goodness they're not planning to replicate Wet 'n' Wild's H20 Zone and just plonk down some grass and concrete. You can check out the full list of companies working on the project at http://projectcentre.net/pc.asp?j=DW01

I suppose if anything Wet 'n' Wild is very spread out, unecessarily so in some places. This is probably because it started with nothing and very gradually over the years expanded bit by bit. Extreme H20 Zone is an example - out in the middle of nowhere

I know I can't believe we haven't heard anything yet! Wet 'n' Wild announced Tornado aaages ago. I was just looking at DW on Google maps and from what I can see space for the waterpark looks like it certainly will be an issue. They would need to use all of the land in front of Cyclone and the whole ex-Thunderbolt area and even then the park wouldn't come close to the size of Wet 'n' Wild. Strategic planning may go someway to overcoming this. As we have discussed before this would surely make any kind of expansion difficult (although DW may not have plans for much expansion as usual... wanting to hold onto all that money for the shareholders). The maintenance sheds area would have to be used if any expansion did take place and who knows this may be the plan down the line. Does anyone know how far out to the road the park is being built? Or are they only using the ex-car park area?

True but knowing MW they will opt for an extremely short version of the ride... like 40m or something. So once again they'll have an attraction that had potential but won't steal the customers from DW who will still say the Giant Drop is much better

I just think ProSlide's product offerings are slightly better. I also think the slides are just generally better presented. Compare the 2 websites - www.proslide.com and www.whitewaterwest.com It's probably just me being fussy but for some reason ProSlide looks better to me. Also, I agree that the Octopus Racer would be a great addition but this is also a ProSlide attraction. Both companies do some sort of bowls though. There is SO much potential for DW to do some great stuff. They have every opportunity to get this right as they're building from scratch so let's hope they do. There is certainly no excuse to get the layout and presentation wrong - let's hope the place ends up looking really special and has the exact right mix of attractions

While we're on the subject does anyone have any idea how much a Flow Rider and giant wave pool would cost? This might give us an idea of how much money they have for the real attractions. Also, considering how much space the wave pool will take up, how much more room does the waterpark have? Are they going to use the entire Thunderbolt area in addition to the car park?

Ok so we now have 3 confirmed attractions for the waterpark - a flow rider, wave pool and some kind of standard slide/s. My question is, how much more do you think the park needs to be any kind of competition for WnW? I'm interested to hear peoples opinions on the bare minimum you think this park needs to be even remotely decent. Keeping in mind their budget (which has been partly eaten up by the wave pool and flow rider), the relatively small size of the area (I still can't work out how big it is but it doesn't appear to be too large) and the fact that they are building a new park from scratch. We already have a few rumours going around about the manafacturers - White Water West and ProSlide are possibly in the ring. Someone on OzCoaster mentioned Australian Waterslides & Leisure. I am certainly hoping it's ProSlide after looking at their website but unfortunately I have a funny feeling that Gazza could be right about White Water West. Interested to hear everyones thoughts