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MW Mini Driving School - Officially Confirmed

Brad2912

By Brad2912,
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DaptoFunlandGuy
DaptoFunlandGuy

Except - this is supposedly a driving school, teaching the kids road rules. Showing them up on the big screen sounds like a perfect way for the Daily Planet to get a new 'drive-thru' installation.

themagician
themagician

I think what would be good and something kids would love, is if they had a tv at the end of main street, like they really do. Kids could see them self on the screen as they drove down main street. It

Slick
Slick

I'm sure mods of the forum will want you to post them directly onto here. Might I suggest http://imgur.com?

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pin142 Experienced

pin142

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Side note has reminded me to check for new episodes of Colbert Report on Hulu. Thanks Reanimated!

Getting back on topic I know of people who have been to the park and their kids enjoyed the ride and they are recommending it to other parents so will have to say as far as an addition goes you can't call it a failure and as far as comparison to the previous attraction it is unfair. Also just as unfair to complain about this when you can't come up with another original concept.

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DaptoFunlandGuy Veteran

DaptoFunlandGuy

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I can see I'm one out here, maybe it's the difference between being a theme park fanatic and just being interested in theme parks.

I know people on here see theming etc as vitally important to rides, to me it is just the icing on the cake.

Which one are you then? I'm assuming you're "just being interested" which doesn't correlate with your overly critical viewpoint.

We are talking about a THEME park. And the ride is THEMED to be a mini movie world - in this case it IS vitally important to the ride. If we cast our minds back to LTRR - how important is it that there were animatronics and a storyline? Would the ride have been as good if it were just a boat ride through a big warehouse with industrial fluorescent lighting?

TailSpin didn't need a catchy name, a backstory, or any of the buildings around it - you're right - that ride is definitely 'iced' with a theme... it doesn't need it - it stands alone... just like any other spin-and-spew you see at travelling carnivals and fairs... but theres a reason why carnies spend time and money airbrushing cool designs, people and characters onto their ride to fit the theme - because it makes it more interesting than just a piece of industrial steel.

If you see all the rides stripped bare, without any consideration given to the effect the theme has on the overall attraction - then now it's starting to make sense on why your view is so skewed. You claim to love LTRR and BATRide more than JL3D and JDS... but answer me this - what is more enjoyable out of these 'no theming' attractions:

  • Walking down a plain corridor, and sitting in a motion pod (BATRide) with no sound and no video on screen, and just being shaken about by the motion pod
  • Walking down a plain corridor, and sitting in a boat (LTRR) whilst you go on a controlled journey through the empty soundstage shed
  • Walking down a plain corridor, and sitting in a carriage (JL3D) whilst you go on a controlled journey through the empty showbuilding
  • Walking into an empty warehouse, getting in a motorised buggy (JDS) with a bunch of your friends and driving around wherever you want to go, racing them from one side of the building to the other, bumping into them

You know what? When it's all stripped to bare bones without a theme - JDS sounds like the most fun to me...

If this ride was there instead of the Speedy Cars or the Dodge'em rink near Scooby I'd think it was a very good improvement.

My issue is with the quality of the ride, I don't question it is popular now but I question the re-ridability and whether it will hold interest down the track.

For older kids, in that gap between the Looney Tunes Rides and the thrill rides (say 8 - 12 year olds) I think this ride will quickly lose interest and I think that is a shame as it is the demographic MW is weakest at appealing to.

I think thats the closest we're going to get to you admitting JDS is not a bad attraction.

Dodgems is always busy when the park is busy. For all we know - Speedy and the rest of the WB gang in that corner may be earmarked to be removed in the future - we don't know. You repeatedly refer to JDS as a replacement for LTRR. Considering LTRR was removed several years ago and JDS has just opened (and tech services have used the warehouse for storage for quite a while), i think it's a tenuous connection at best to say it 'replaced' LTRR.

A ride that is removed to make way for a new ride has absolutely been replaced- viz a viz Tail Spin was a direct replacement for Reef Diver - they had 'new ride coming soon' signs up before they'd even removed Reef Diver... There was no such signage or announcement when LTRR closed.

As for whether it's popularity holds down the track - I ask you to take a look at Speedy's Taxis - in your eyes a very similar ride - that is still operating, with queues and countless happy parents hovering over the fence with cameras. Not bad for something over 20 years old, eh?

So long as they keep 'mini movieworld' current with changes and developments to the park, I think they'll do alright.

(Side note - I think it would be an AMAZING touch for MW to 'theme' Mini MovieWorld the same way they do for Christmas - snow patches, and lights everywhere, and a big tree in place of the fountain... I wonder how hard that would be?)

As for the age group demographic - MW's website permits riders up to 12 years old to ride with a parent. Just because the 13 year olds you know wouldn't be interested, doesn't mean all of them wouldn't be. I would imagine 'older kids' would enjoy riding with a younger sibling (or riding separately and ramming them)... so I don't think the ride is going to lose popularity as you predict.

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BigKev Explorer

BigKev

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Theming is important, no question, what I am saying though it to me theming comes after ride quality in order of importance.

To flip your example the other way would Superman be such a great ride if it travelled at a slow speed around a flat track? Of course not.

To be a really good ride all the parts have to come together and I think that the drivable cars option is a disappointing one.

(Incidentally it strikes me as strange that Dreamworld cops so much flak about having 'Spin'n'spews' more suited to shows and carnivals but most people are pretty relaxed about Movie World adding another set of dodgems.)

I stand by the replacement call as well. MW got to a point with LTRR where they either refurbished it or replaced it.

After a long break they decided to use the space for JDS. I'm comfortable to call it a replacement.

Yes, there may be other plans not yet released, to change other rides, add new ones etc which will show this is just a piece of the puzzle but right now I think it is reasonable to call it a replacement.

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Zanstabar Community Regular

Zanstabar

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JDS is no way a set of Dodgems, so please stop referring to it as such. This is a unique ride for most kids. Where else can they drive a car with some sense of freedom without being arrested? Sure, Dreamworld has the Model- T's but they are on rails. There is no sense of freedom. Don't compare JDS to Dodgems. That's like comparing the Bermuda Triangle to the WB Kids Splash Zone; it's just not right.

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BigKev Explorer

BigKev

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JDS is no way a set of Dodgems, so please stop referring to it as such. This is a unique ride for most kids. Where else can they drive a car with some sense of freedom without being arrested? Sure, Dreamworld has the Model- T's but they are on rails. There is no sense of freedom. Don't compare JDS to Dodgems. That's like comparing the Bermuda Triangle to the WB Kids Splash Zone; it's just not right.

Not sure what dodgems you have been on or seen BigKev but they generally involve driving around a small arena, in one direction with no theming with the aim of hitting each other, which could not really be any further disconnected from what Junior Driving School is.

I don't see how anyone could argue they aren't closely related to dodge'ems.

Fancy, well-themed dodge'ems with a much more interesting driving area no doubt, but still very dodge'em like in appearance, track and operation.

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Reanimated35 Experienced

Reanimated35

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I don't see how anyone could argue they aren't closely related to dodge'ems.

Fancy, well-themed dodge'ems with a much more interesting driving area no doubt, but still very dodge'em like in appearance, track and operation.

Dogems are designed to be driven around and crashed into each other.

JDS is not designed to be crashing into each other, however they do need to factor in that of course that will happen either via accident or deliberate manoeuvre. They're not just going to leave off a bumper because some idiot would assume they're dodgem cars, they're going to put some kind of bumper around the car to protect their investment.

Yup, nothing like them. Where's the big pole thing sticking up out the back?

You do realise Dodgems don't always need the "big pole thing" right?

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Brad2912 Experienced

Brad2912

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I don't see how anyone could argue they aren't closely related to dodge'ems.

Fancy, well-themed dodge'ems with a much more interesting driving area no doubt, but still very dodge'em like in appearance, track and operation.

And I don't see how anyone could argue they are. Dodgems are supposed to be crashed into each other, these cars are not, but obviously for safety reasons have the necessary bumper/barrier around the cars. Dodgems are promoted by signage and ride attendants as having the aim go smash the other guests, something that is not mentioned or even alluded to in anyway on this ride

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