Gazza

Wiggles World, Wet n Wild and Weribee Zoo also featured.

I designed it so it would fit into the middle of SE. I was sort of leaning towards the indoor queue because it is more in line with what MW does, can be air conditioned and can have themeing that wouldnt normally survive in the open. I think the one I did could be done fairly cheaply, just make it out of fibro or besa blocks or something and then go over that with whatever is needed to make it look nice, the only part that would be a bit more expensive would be the glassed in front entrance but it would be worth it.

Ok, here is the sketch i promised .

My Documents>RCT3>Coasters or it could be Parks or Scenarios better play it safe and put it in all 3, im not actually sure how adam saved it but thats what i did

So has anyone got any photos or TRs?

Coaster nut readers of the Sunday Herald Sun are in for a bit of a treat today, there is a colour 8 page lifout (Probly cost them $$$) of the lastest happenings at "The Gold Coasts greatest theme parks" (SE, Outback Spectacular, Sharks, Shrek, E-h2o-Z, BH etc) It actually looks really good with great photos (Good work Rabif if you were the one who took them). All the text is straight from the press releases but hopefully this will go a long way for getting people to travel up. One thing that i found very interesting was the way MW was promoted on its page, rather than being all about the glitz and glamour of Hollywood on the Gold Coast they seem to be pushing MW as the place to "Ride Australias best thrill rides" and they are even showing it as their own big 4 (LW,SE,WWF,SDSC) , obviously a swipe at DW but hey, good luck to em'. An interesting little read.

Ok, so heres a more complete idea for a space shot at MW. The rides name would be: LexCorp: Antigrav. The basic theme would be you being a test subject to one of Lex Luthours inventions, a device capable of controlling gravity (hence the ride being a space shot). The rides main entrance would be like the entrance lobby to an office tower (LexCorp naturally) It would be a couple of stories high, all glassed in and you would enter via a revolving door. This part would be where the overflow part of the queue would be so it would be swtich backs with chrome posts and rope between them (like in a bank). There would be fake lift doors on each side and at the opposite side of the lobby to the entrance would be the receptionists desk, hanging above the desk would be a banner that says "LexCorp open day", prehaps a pre recorded message would play that would tell people that LexCorp is having a open day so the public can view LexCorps work and have an exclusive look at the development labs. So anyway the queue would then head out through a set of doors into the labs. It would really just be a wide-ish coridoor that wraps around the rides launch area, but completley indoors and windowless. This area would have clean lino floors and fluro lights. Neatly alligned cables would run along the roof (none of that random crap like on GD), LCD screens would be mounted frequently showing info about lex corp and random scientific and engineering data (eg graphs, cad drawings etc). along the queue would be work stations, server cabinets, computers and bits of other equipment in glass cases (eg robotic arms, prototype devices, electronics that have been disssasembled) the themeing would have a degree of interactivity but it would be designed to be vandal resistant. Another feature could be interactive touch screens, where people queuing could do stuff like look through the LexCorp employee data base, run some programs, graphing software etc. As you get to the last part of the queue you are taken in in groups of 28 (basing that on a single Huss Shot'n'Drop Maxi) The door locks behind you where Lex himself appears on a screen. He tells you about his latest invention: the Anitgrav and how it will give him an all new level of power, and how you (the riders) are going to be who it will be tested on. A door then opens and you are forced out into the launch area and made to buckle in (there would be free item storage on the ride since you land where you started and the secuity risk is low since riders could see down into the launch area). The launch area would have polished concrete floors with lines painted on and large bits of machinery all around. on each side of the tower would be an electronic sign showing the current gravitational conditions. Intially it would show "NORMAL", but moments before launch it would change to "REVERSED", with that you would be shot up the tower and the ride program would commence (I dont actually know the exact program for these rides, can someone help) At the end of the ride the electronic signs would say "TECHNICAL ERROR" and you would disembark, as you head out the exit you would hear a recording of Lex saying something along the lines of "my Antigrav! my source of power! ruined!" Thats basically it, I actually just got corel draw so i did a rough idea of how the outside of the ride would look overall, later on i might post some sketches of the inside. Edit: did a revised floor plan for the ride. Basically the foyer part would face north and be directly beside the LW building.

Yeah, i also believe some flats need to be incorporated, however they should still have good themeing (At least Claw standard), maybe they could take paramounts approach and put it indoors (like the tomb raider top spin), at least that way you could incorporate some good theming, and also have the bonus of an all weather attraction. Also, Kenny, Space Shots can still be built pretty high, i think 80m is the limit and that is a fairly respectable height, It would have even more of an impact if it was 2 or three towers like it dominating the skyline, so it could work well. If such a ride were to be built at MW i think a cool place to put it could be in the middle of SE (in that sandy part that is currently gated off), Im unsure as to how many towers could fit in that space, but it would look good if it was panneled like Maliboomer intstead of leaving it as a plain framework. It could be made to look like a city skycraper. The rides theme could be themed so something in the superman universe, (It has been suggested a good theme could be one of lex luthours machines) Also, since the whole area is just surrounded by white sheds (Back of LW,Batman, Superman etc) they could have skyscraper facades too, and it would become a metropolis themed area.

Also, another thing, Channel 7 is airing a theme park special on the Great Outdoors at 7:30 next monday (20/3/06) They are apparently showing KBF and MW from what i was told.

Has anyone seen that Mack at the Amsterdam Dungeons where the station is the lift? what happens is that you board the vehicle but there is a wall directly in front and behind you, and then the whole loading room just lifts up, IMO it is a pretty cool idea. Another little manufacturer i like is Wiegand, the coasters they make may be small (and in some peoples eyes not even a coaster eg RCDB) but i really do like their alpine coaster, its fast, safe, fairly cheap and makes good use of the terrain (Terrain coasters are actualy my personal favourite) and i hope some day i can ride one.

You missed out on a few there, but Im going to say both B&M and Intamin because they have been doing some really good rides lately. But i also like GCI and Maurer Sohne, and Mack seem to be pretty solid too.

I get it, but Curtains? They must have read Richos review. Too bad nobody can get a pic of what they have done (Except maybe for a shot taken through the exit door in the shop.

The doors have been there all along, they just werent working, so how do they hide him? do they just have a gap that closes around it. If so it would look a little wierd from the unload side, seeing a supermans legs poking out the other side, but its good to know they thought of it.

Or it could be any of the many "rip offs" of this ride, Mack and Ride Trade both have their own versions, it could be a cool additon, but one effect of it i have to wonder about is how the GP would view it in comparison to that bungee rocket thing in Surfers, essentialy they offer a similar ride experience (except the S&S doesnt flip freely on the way up)

That is a pretty cool idea, i must admit that i have wondered what it would be like to chuck an exersise ball in with dodgems to see what happens, its nice to see someone try it.

Of course, you could put it another way, the small lockers at SE cost $1 per hour and the photo centre ones cost the equavalent of $1 per hour ($7/day), yet the ones at SE are very tiny, so you are paying the same but getting less. Whatever way you look at it, the SE ones are worse value.

So why cant people just check the height themselves?

Yay, boourns. Thats they way it should be, they are pretty obvious improvments, even Richo pointed out what could be done in his review. Thanks for that. Also, LiveandLetlive, a little tip, make MW EMPLOYEE your signature so you dont have to type it on every post. Also, just one other little point about the lockers: the all day lockers near the photo centre cost $7 all day or $1 per hour if you used them for the full duration of the parks operation, however the large lockers at SE (which are the same size as the photo centre ones) cost $2 per hour, so in effect you are paying double for the same thing, and here they are saying they are providing them at minmal cost when they are really charging double.

Stop me if im wrong, but dont rides have a height meter out the front? Couldnt people just go and stand by it, and if they are not tall enough then they would simply not join the queue. Anyone who is stupid enough to join the line without checking properly deserves to waste 45 minutes. Also, obviously if they have not taken the time to check their height then the would have also not read the safety rules (since they are both on the same sign) All they need to do is have the height meter in a really prominent place like right by the queue rails at the very entrance so there is no excuse for complaining that you arent tall enough. Prehaps they could even go the extra mile by having an infa red beam detector which you walk through and it tells you if you are tall enough. But basically if its signed well enough there is no need for staff.

-Because its a bit of a rip off -Because there are a very limited number avalaible -Because we didnt need them in the past so why start now -Because we like to have our stuff with us and not have to go back to a car, locker etc -Because if you are a season pass holder it starts adding up for each visit -Because there should be free item storage on all rides (like DW, SW) and at those places you dont need a locker

I think its just the way the launch is set up, Accelerators can have their speed modified (like those tests on Xcel where they put it at 160km/h). The distance it finishes away from the launch has nothing to do with it because it would slow down only minimaly on the last straight bit. Also it cant go too fast because the radius is tight so the Gs can get too high if it goes too fast. IMO it should just 'cruise' over the top, just so you get enough time to admire the view but dont feel like you are going at a boring pace and not getting a big shock of negative Gs. IMO its still a good tophat though. Maybe the reason could be to keep it at 100km/h in line with the rides advertising, maybe 110kph doesnt sound like such a clean number so they dont want to run it any faster.

So when were these shots taken? But i love the shot of the Scenic Railway station, i never realised it looked so good, has it been redone recently?

I agree Rich, they wont do it on the basis of a theory that some may cheat the system,surely they could trial it for a week or so and watch the effects (since with electronic lockers you can monitor the habits of users) Also, liveandletlive, feel free to pass it on to them if you want. And also, the 3 paralel lines is how it looks already and people dont merge into one. In peak times if they all filled then people would queue along the leftmost one, do a u turn at the end and go back towards the main entrance then do another u turn and go past the wall with the posters on it, before doing a left turn along the back wall past the big MRT sign which would lead in to the main zig zag part that slopes up to the station doors. Also, the company that makes the lockers is http://www.lockersystems.com/index.html if anyone cares, but its not really their problem is it? The only way out i can reall see is for MW to buy out the lockers outright from Compusafe, but i dont know wether contractual obligations will restrict this. Prehaps the cost could be subsidised by advertsing both on the doors and inside the lockers?

No they wouldnt because do that there are two locker sizes, there are those really little $1 ones and there are the $2 ones. The little ones can only fit a few personal things like phone, sunnies, wallet, keys etc, not a whole bag of stuff. These are things you have on your person all day and not things you would keep in a locker or else why would you take them to a park. Usually those with bags are people with a group (eg a family) where one person in the group would hold everything) IMO the rides target audience is teens etc and us teens (esp males but im not being sexist) tend to travel light since it is no fun lugging a bag around and so they would use the smaller ones. But a couple of questions for those who have been overseas or frequent international coaster sites. How do smart lockers such as the ones at IOA work, and do they have a problem with free riders using them as an all day locker? Also, how do they approach item storage on 2 station coasters (TTD springs to mind as its station set up is similar)? Also, they arent necesarily charging $1 to ride, but this is what is happening in effect because not everyone has a non riding friend. Heck, the whole reason you vist an amusement park is to ride stuff, not everyone is a sook who sits out and watches. What about those who are alone, what about those where everyone in the group wants to ride together? Not having free for one hour is like some city carparks not having free for the first hour on the basis that some would return to their car every hour and drive in and out. But also, taken from the smate carte website: http://www.smartecarte.com/lockers/lockersletthemenjoy.html

Well, i wonder if the lockers could be set for a really small value (10c) or be designed to give up a $1 coin so its more like a deposit (kind of like the trollys at Aldi) Also, just one other little idea that popped into my head (but it would be expensive) would be to make the big long straight section of queue from the entrace look like a stationary travelator.