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Old video footage of our Aussie theme parks in 80's/90's


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16 minutes ago, Brad2912 said:

It added, what at the time was the tallest & fastest ride of earth, and you are now claiming this was the nail in the coffin for this once great park? 

I never said that TOT was the nail in the coffin, Brad. If you re-read my post I just said that it marked the beginning of changing into the park it has become today, where it has become loud, bold, and thrill ride orientated. 

Personally I still enjoy the park it is today. If I didn't, I wouldn't visit it anynore and I certainly would have a membership to keep going back. To me, it's just a different park that has, as Movieworld has also done, veered off in a very direction to what it started off in. 

I guess most of us just wish we could have kept both versions of the park, as opposed to one replacing the other. That's the only bit that really sucks to me ?

Edited by OceanGirl
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20 minutes ago, OceanGirl said:

I never said that TOT was the nail in the coffin, Brad. If you re-read my post I just said that it marked the beginning of changing into the park it has become today, where it has become loud, bold, and thrill ride orientated. 

Personally I still enjoy the park it is today. If I didn't, I wouldn't visit it anynore and I certainly would have a membership to keep going back. To me, it's just a different park that has, as Movieworld has also done, veered off in a very direction to what it started off in. 

I guess most of us just wish we could have kept both versions of the park, as opposed to one replacing the other. That's the only bit that really sucks to me ?

i agree with you Ocean girl we miss the version of the parks we grow up with .

same as our kids will miss the version of the parks there now growing up with as they change in the future

Edited by JeffreyMoore
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Wow, such an amazing video. Wish I existed when the park was like that.

ToT wasn't exactly the nail in the coffin, there were really several nails but the nail that slammed it shut for good definitely was the relocation of the vintage cars to make way for the motocoaster, and unfortunately my first visit to DW was actually just after MDMC opened so I never got to experience it with this charm.

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58 minutes ago, JeffreyMoore said:

you are right that the parks have to move with the times but i dont see why they need to remove old attractions to ad new ones.

i feel the parks would be so much better if they kept what made the parks great and ad new rides etc around that

thats just my point of view

Cost is a major prohibitive to keeping old attractions running, case in point Eureka. 

We loved the Jamboree growing up, but kids these days wouldn't bat an eyelid at it, if it still existed it would be for the benefit of the adults who visited as kids. We miss the memories more than the attraction itself.

space is another issue, sure DW has quite a bit of land, but the majority that isn't utilised isn't developed/cleared, so expanding go keep dilapidated and maintenance-heavy old attractions makes little sense 

55 minutes ago, OceanGirl said:

I never said that TOT was the nail in the coffin, Brad. If you re-read my post I just said that it marked the beginning of changing into the park it has become today, where it has become loud, bold, and thrill ride orientated. 

Personally I still enjoy the park it is today. If I didn't, I wouldn't visit it anynore and I certainly would have a membership to keep going back. To me, it's just a different park that has, as Movieworld has also done, veered off in a very direction to what it started off in. 

I guess most of us just wish we could have kept both versions of the park, as opposed to one replacing the other. That's the only bit that really sucks to me ?

I know you didn't use the nail in the coffin expression, but that was the impression I gathered from not just yours but others comments.

im as sentimental and nostalgic as anyone about where our parks came from, their history etc, but the Dreamworld of old would have less visitation than Aussie World if it stood as it once was. The teenage-Young adult market is where the $$$ are and they want thrills a minute. The Dreamworld of 20 years ago barely catered to that market. The demographic of the GC has also changed dramatically, the style of passes offered match that young adult/family demographic. 

The old park is safe in our memories, where is likely much better served than if it actually still stood physically. As adults I think we'd have differing opinions of same attractions now days to what we thought of when we were younger.

as I said earlier, I think we miss the memories more than the actual ride/attraction itself. The nostalgia of not being able to revisit those attractions make the memories stronger

16 minutes ago, Santa07 said:

Wow, such an amazing video. Wish I existed when the park was like that.

ToT wasn't exactly the nail in the coffin, there were really several nails but the nail that slammed it shut for good definitely was the relocation of the vintage cars to make way for the motocoaster, and unfortunately my first visit to DW was actually just after MDMC opened so I never got to experience it with this charm.

But that's what I mean... There isn't even a coffin, let alone a slammed shut one. The park is still an amazing all day experience. The relocation of the vintage cars is not that major, the disappointing element is that it's only open 2 days a week, meaning it's basically another SBNO suggestion for 80% of the year. It may as well not exist and then people wouldn't bring it up as an issue. No one without kids under 7 or 8 utilise it. 

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43 minutes ago, Brad2912 said:

Cost is a major prohibitive to keeping old attractions running, case in point Eureka. 

We loved the Jamboree growing up, but kids these days wouldn't bat an eyelid at it, if it still existed it would be for the benefit of the adults who visited as kids. We miss the memories more than the attraction itself.

space is another issue, sure DW has quite a bit of land, but the majority that isn't utilised isn't developed/cleared, so expanding go keep dilapidated and maintenance-heavy old attractions makes little sense 

I know you didn't use the nail in the coffin expression, but that was the impression I gathered from not just yours but others comments.

im as sentimental and nostalgic as anyone about where our parks came from, their history etc, but the Dreamworld of old would have less visitation than Aussie World if it stood as it once was. The teenage-Young adult market is where the $$$ are and they want thrills a minute. The Dreamworld of 20 years ago barely catered to that market. The demographic of the GC has also changed dramatically, the style of passes offered match that young adult/family demographic. 

The old park is safe in our memories, where is likely much better served than if it actually still stood physically. As adults I think we'd have differing opinions of same attractions now days to what we thought of when we were younger.

as I said earlier, I think we miss the memories more than the actual ride/attraction itself. The nostalgia of not being able to revisit those attractions make the memories stronger

But that's what I mean... There isn't even a coffin, let alone a slammed shut one. The park is still an amazing all day experience. The relocation of the vintage cars is not that major, the disappointing element is that it's only open 2 days a week, meaning it's basically another SBNO suggestion for 80% of the year. It may as well not exist and then people wouldn't bring it up as an issue. No one without kids under 7 or 8 utilise it. 

You are 100% right todays parks personaly no longer offer me any real memory's

Witch is why i look down on them so much 

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I have to admit, as much as I love having unlimited entry to all the theme parks, one thing I do miss is the excitement that used to come with visiting them with my parents when I was younger :unsure:

Back then, it wouldn't happen very often, maybe once every couple of years, because entry was expensive for families, year passes even more so -back in the 90's I remember I got my MW one for around $150, and that was a half price deal :blink: So it was always a major occasion when it did happen... I'd be up for most of the evening prior because I was too excited to sleep lol. It was pretty much the same feeling you'd get on Christmas eve, then waking up Christmas Day :wub:

The annual passes and memberships these days are awesome, they are so cheap that almost everyone can afford to have them. I love having all the parks as my second home and being able to visit them whenever I want. They are great boredom busters too, particularly on days when finances aren't the best, you have the day off work, and you don't want to sit bored at home. 

But yeah, I no longer feel that anticipation and excitement I used to feel because I visit so often. It's been made way too easy now lol. It has taken the initial thrill out of the visit.

Does that make sense?

Bittersweet, I guess you could say!! 

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Definitely makes sense!

my childhood years was visits to the parks every couple of years when we came to Qld on holidays from Sydney.

now having lived on the GC for 11 years and visiting a park every week or so, it does dilute the experience, and the enjoyment I get comes from watching my son's excitement every time he meets a character or conquers a new ride. Experiencing it through his eyes is what brings back that nostalgia for me from my childhood visits. 

In saying that, 90% of my park visits are just myself and my son, so for the time being no thrill rides, so I still get that anticipation every few months when a mate comes up for a visit or we go in a group so I can hit up thrill rides 

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The sound of that ride is one I'll never forget. Only got to ride it about a half dozen times.

 

Last time was on a rainy day, they only allowed 8 of us on at a time (24 seat train?) as "too many and it goes too quick for safety - you'll get the quickest ride today!", said the RideOp.

Never knew if it was true or not...

Edited by Glubbo
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1 hour ago, Glubbo said:

The sound of that ride is one I'll never forget. Only got to ride it about a half dozen times.

Still better than the grand total of zero. Consider yourself lucky riding it six times, I was only 2 months old at the time that video was taken.

I wonder if Thunderbolt put Wipeout to shame in the decibel contest...

Edited by XxMrYoshixX
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10 minutes ago, XxMrYoshixX said:

Still better than the grand total of zero. Consider yourself lucky riding it six times, I was only 2 months old at the time that video was taken.

I wonder if Thunderbolt put Wipeout to shame in the decibel contest...

Wipeout yes, Tower of Terror no ? 

And consider yourself luckier, @XxMrYoshixX. .. my video above was filmed in 1996 and I was a teenager then! So I feel super old now, especially if you weren't even bloody born then either, hahaha ?

I got to ride the Thunderbolt twice, once was in that home video and the other time was a couple of years prior, which also happened to be my very first rollercoaster ride. I walked off with what felt like a concussion and a cramp in my neck, hahaha ?

Good ol' TB ❤ 

I miss it ??? 

 

 

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I don't think that was the sole reason, as it was always on the rough side over the years it operated. I heard it was because Dreamworld's CEO at the time ran it into the ground. They didn't maintain it to the best of their ability and it was in very poor condition with a rusted track by its final days. That and it was old anyway.

The Cyclone was brought in as it's replacement before they permanently closed it down.  

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Came across this website (http://www.scottware.com.au/theme/dream/logos_maps_etc/ ) which features most of the DW park maps, couple aren't very good quality, so haven't included those below, but these give an idea of the transformation of the park between its opening in 1982 and 2005.

map1.JPG

map2.JPG

map3.JPG

map5.JPG

map6.JPGmap7.JPG

map8.JPG

map9.JPG

map10.JPG

 

Edited by themagician
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On 4/18/2016 at 1:28 PM, Theme Park Girl said:

I don't think that was the sole reason, as it was always on the rough side over the years it operated. I heard it was because Dreamworld's CEO at the time ran it into the ground. They didn't maintain it to the best of their ability and it was in very poor condition with a rusted track by its final days. That and it was old anyway.

DW still do the same thing today :P with all of its rides that aren't in Ocean Parade or Dreamworks land with the exception of Cyclone.

On 4/18/2016 at 2:00 PM, Slick said:

Crazy, I swear it hasn't changed in like a decade.

Buzzsaw? 

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