Sunday 1 December 2002

Batman 2 Doubles the Adventure at Warner Bros. Movie World

Join Batman and Robin as they fight villains and caped crusaders in the most amazing simulator journey ever created!

The world’s ultimate super hero has taken on his biggest bat battle yet with the Batman Adventure – The Ride 2 at Warner Bros. Movie World.

Warner Bros. Movie World’s most popular adventure ride offers guests a simulator journey starring the best of the Batman villains in a high tech, thrill speed showdown with the Caped Crusader.

Every jolt, every turn and every blow is experienced as advanced computer technology makes the free flight sensation seem real and the battle frenzied, making the brand new Batman experience the super hero adventure of a lifetime!

“The Batman 2 builds on the resounding success of the original Batman Adventure – The Ride which opened at Warner Bros. Movie World in 1992,” said John Menzies, Warner Village Theme Parks Chief Executive.

“Batman and his host of villains continue to be an extremely popular stable of characters within the park and we have capitalised on this strength with this thrilling experience utilising the latest in animation and computer generated technology.”

As per the original Batman Adventure – The Ride, there are six tracking modules for the chase simulation part of the ride, each seating 20 people. The lifelike motion of these modules is achieved by the use of military style fight simulator motion bases, which allow six degrees of freedom.

Batman Adventure – The Ride 2 has added to the many ‘Bat attractions’ at Warner Bros. Movie World, Australia’s home of the Bat. The theme park boasts Batman and Robin, the villains such as Mr Freeze, Catwoman and Poison Ivy, as well as the props, and sets from the hugely popular Batman movies.

Saturday 30 November 2002

Join the gang, solve the mystery and DOO the ride at Warner Bros. Movie World!

The world’s bravest Great Dane super hero is at Warner Bros. Movie World - the scariest, spookiest spine-tingling rollercoaster ever created!

Guests will be treated to a hair-raising journey complete with laser lighting and sound effects, animatronics and a kaleidoscope of colour, depth, height and trickery of dimension this holiday season thanks to the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster Ride.

A $13 million indoor rollercoaster ride inspired by the first feature film shot at Warner Roadshow Movie World Studios on the Gold Coast starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, Linda Cardellini and Rowan Atkinson, the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster Ride is not a ride for the faint hearted.

Featuring carefully replicated coaster cars from Scooby-Doo the film, guests enter the creepy dimly lit courtyard and move into the heart of Spooky Castle, where ghouls, gargoyles and the odd talking suit of armour may appear!

Housed in a 25 metre high building, the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster Ride features two distinctive experience zones, thrilling guests with different aspects of laser lighting.

While the laser lighting embraces and creates the entire illusion, maintaining it throughout the experience and simultaneously performing for multiple audiences moving through three dimensional space at high speed, the ride continuously alters direction, velocity, elevation and trajectors.

Warner Village Theme Park Chief Executive John Menzies explains that Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster is a world first and is a unique combination of two different types of entertainment experiences.

“Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster is completely innovative, no other ride in the world can be compared to this combination of experiences – the classic haunted house utilising the latest technological advances and lighting and sound effects and the adrenalin pumping thrills of an indoor rollercoaster,” said Chief Executive John Menzies.

The first experience zone further develops the Spooky Castle theme into a ghost train ride featuring the best in traditional movie inspired themeing and amusing animatronics.

Just as guests begin to think their journey is nearing conclusion, they find themselves drawn up over 17 metres into the castle’s creepy tower. This unsettling experience heralds their reversed entry into the rides second zone as guests are then pushed into a darkened void.

Disoriented in the dark, riders are now subject to the will and influence of the ghouls and gargoyles that Scooby-Doo warned of earlier.

Then, it’s time to be afraid…..be kind of afraid!

Perched precariously on an elevated turntable the car is turned 180 degrees to face the fate awaiting its anxious passengers.

Transfixed by an apparently infinite tunnel of emerald green laser light the riders are lurched forward into the shimmering abyss as the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster Ride propels riders through infinite voids, passing ghost-like through shimmering walls, floors and ceilings of light and speeding into tunnels of green swirling mist.

Finally, plunging over seven meters on the adrenalin-pumping journey, guests are hurtled towards a grotesque creature and the ‘ring of life’.

The Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster Ride with its ever-changing web of penetrating green laser beams, bumps, breathtaking drops and special effects thrills and excites every rider.

The multi-million dollar blockbuster, Scooby-Doo, was filmed at Warner Roadshow Movie World Studios on the Gold Coast in 2000/2001 and is the highest budget production ever filmed in Queensland to date.

Join Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Gang for the scariest, spookiest, spine-tingling rollercoaster ever created – Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster Ride.

Visit Warner Bros. Movie World on Australia’s Gold Coast – where movie magic happens everyday!

Friday 1 November 2002

$20M show extravaganza announced for Warner Bros. Movie World!

Australian tradition, culture and music is captured in The Australian Outback Spectacular

Warner Village Theme Parks announced that the owners, Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow, have approved a $20 million Australian show extravaganza – The Australian Outback Spectacular – to be completed in 2005.

To be constructed on land near Warner Bros. Movie World, this $20 million major evening attraction will be set in an enclosed arena and will feature a two hour extravaganza incorporating up to forty horses, stuntmen and other favourite Australian animals, as well as a typical Aussie BBQ dinner.

The Australian Outback Spectacular – the first of its kind in Australia - will highlight Australian tradition, culture and music while combining stunning and extravagant lighting, sound and special effects.

As a pre-curser to The Australian Outback Spectacular, Warner Village Theme Parks plans to utilise an adjacent area for koala and kangaroo displays, as well as sheep shearing and sheep dog demonstrations, ensuring that this attraction is the largest and most spectacular outback presentation in Australia.

Originally conceptualised over seven years ago, The Australian Outback Spectacular was to be constructed adjacent to Sea World, but was delayed due to native title claims on that area.

The land near Warner Bros. Movie World has been selected due to economies of scale in utilising already established infrastructure and the ability to keep and maintain horses and other animals on this large area.

Already officially recognised by the Gold Coast City Council Tourism Branch as Australia’s premiere theme park and entertainment precincts, welcoming more than three million visitations a year, Warner Village Theme Parks is committed to sustaining and expanding the Coomera/Oxenford region.

An advantage to this site is the clear visibility of the new attraction from the Pacific Motorway combined with easy access and well established transport links from Surfers Paradise and Brisbane.

The Warner Village Theme Parks massive marketing and sales engine that already drives families to the Gold Coast for a sun, surf and theme park holiday will swing into action.

“Due to our well-established infrastructure and marketing and sales network, as well as our close relationships with the AOL Time Warner and Village Roadshow families, Warner Village Theme Parks have the resources and ability to effectively market The Australian Outback Spectacular to the domestic, interstate and international market,” Mr. Menzies said.

“This ensures The Australian Outback Spectacular will be playing to capacity crowds,” he said.

It is envisaged that the majority of tickets to each performance will be sold through the extensive trade network of Warner Village Theme Parks both in Australia and overseas prior to visitors arriving on the Gold Coast.

Warner Village Theme Parks already has forged solid relationships and partnerships with over 150 trade operators and tourism organisations both nationally and internationally, leaving them in good stead to take The Australian Outback Spectacular to Australia and the world.

The ability and capability of Warner Village Theme Parks to develop and implement sales packages has already been demonstrated by the success of the 3 Park Super Pass Package, which has exceeded all expectations.

Coupled with their well developed and close working relationships with local tourism operators, hotels, accomodation houses and transport organisations, there is no doubt that Warner Village Theme Parks will expose this unique and exciting spectacular to Australia and the World.

Extensive research by the Australian Tourism Commission, Tourism Queensland and the Gold Coast Tourism Bureau highlighted the fact that international visitors are in search of a typical Australian experience to learn about Australia and its rich heritage and culture.

Research also highlighted the need for additional quality evening entertainment that could provide domestic, interstate and international visitors with a unique and exciting night time experience.

Chief Executive Officer of Warner Village Theme Parks, Mr. John Menzies said that The Australian Outback Spectacular provides world class entertainment and high appeal not only to local domestic and interstate visitors but also to international visitors.

“Our research and discussions with international wholesalers has confirmed that an Australian outback experience would not only draw local domestic and interstate visitors due to the patriotic spectacle of such an unusual show but it would be a major drawcard for international visitors,” Mr. Menzies said.

In addition the research identified the need to provide audiences, particularly key international markets, with much more entertainment than just a story about The Man from Snowy River.

“Audiences wanted to experience a performance that went beyond that story. They craved a much more exciting and exhilarating experience that provided a unique and spectacular insight into the history and culture of Australia, combined with music, sound and lighting,” Mr. Menzies said.

The show itself will be a combination of exciting horsemanship displayed by experienced stockmen, which will be sensitive to outback traditions and culture.

A competition will also be staged by riders from outback homesteads or stations who will be supported by pre-selected sections of the audience who will scream encouragement from their team as they ride for supremacy.

It is expected that tickets for The Australian Outback Spectacular, which will include a typical Aussie BBQ dinner will sell for approximately $60.00 a ticket, with concessions for children and pensioners.

Warner Village Theme Parks expects that the Australian Outback Spectacular will be open in 2005.

Thursday 30 May 2002

Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster Ride Specifications

The manufacturer of the 'Wild Mouse' Dark Ride (Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster) is Heinrich Mack GmbH & Co who are based in Waldkirch, Germany.

The ride was designed to achieve the most thrilling and varied ride effects incorporating dips in the dark ride section, a vertical lift and a reverse chute followed by a rotating station.

The vehicle enters a vertical lift where it is lifted to the highest point of the ride (approximately seventeen metres). As the vehicle reverses out of the lift it races down a seven metre deep reverse chute before it is turned by 180 degrees. After a speedy course the vehicle is slowed down before falling down a final drop of approximately three metres entering the station to be unloaded and loaded again.

The ride incorporates a unique turntable and features individual lap bars for each rider.

Duration of ride, including load / unload : approx 253 seconds
Maximum track height : 17 metres
Height of backward drop : 7 metres
Length of track : approx 530 metres
Maximum Speed : 44.6 km/h
Passengers per vehicle : 4 adults
Capacity : 1 000 guest per hour
No. of carriages : 18

Tuesday 1 January 2002

Dreamworld Guests Blown Away By Cyclone

Dreamworld guests are being blown away by the park's new rollecoaster, Cyclone, which opened to the public on Boxing Day.

Standing almost 13-storeys (40 metres) high, Cyclone is the tallest high-speed gravity rollercoaster in the Southern Hemisphere including with a 360degree hair-raising loop and a screaming sidewinder.

A $5.5 million investment, the massive ride, Cyclone was built with more than 1,000 tonnes of steel and more than 15,000 sets of nuts and bolts.

Dreamworld Chief Executive Officer Tony Braxton-Smith said the ride was a powerful interactive experience.

"The pre-ride experience is almost as impressive as the ride itself," Mr Braxton-Smith said.

"Set in the lush tropics of 'cyclone country', guests experience the ferocity and power of a Cyclone created by a massive wind generator, before passing through the calm eye of the storm. Guests then board the rollercoaster to complete the jaw dropping experience."

Mr Braxton-Smith said the ride would be an extra 'shot in the arm' for Queensland tourism this Christmas.

"Holidaying in Australia is certainly an attractive proposition given the current global economic and political climate,' Mr Braxton-Smith said.

"CYCLONE will be an added boost to encourage local and interstate visitors to holiday on the Gold Coast this year."

The ride has already received the thumbs up from Queensland Premier, the Honourable Peter Beattie MP, who officially launched the new rollercoaster earlier in December along with Queensland Minister for Tourism, Racing and Fair Trading, the Honourable Merri Rose MP.

Ms Rose said Dreamworld had always sought to renew its appeal to Queenslanders and domestic and international tourists alike.

"The theme park has never stopped still. It has a proud record of catering for different tastes by providing the brand new experiences visitors demand," she said.

"Dreamworld's allure will never dim while it continues to provide world-class facilities and world-class experiences.

"The secret to tourism success is diversification – and that's why Dreamworld has been so successful in the past and will continue to be successful in the future."

Dreamworld CEO Tony Braxton-Smith said the launch of Cyclone marked the end of a very positive year for the park with a host of new attractions brought on-line as part of Dreamworld's ongoing multi-million-dollar redevelopment strategy.

"At an investment of $5.5 million, Cyclone is yet another milestone to mark Dreamworld's 20th year of operations," Mr Braxton-Smith said.

"We have a strong history of opening the tallest fastest rides in the world with the Tower of Terror in 1997 and the Giant Drop in 1998. And now Cyclone is the first mega rollercoaster to open on the Gold Coast since 1995.

"As the Gold Coast's newest attraction, Cyclone is a hugely powerful experience which we are confident will blow theme park visitors away this Christmas and for many years to come.

"Cyclone joins some of our other new attractions to be launched this year including the Australian Wildlife Experience, Dreamworld Studios and the Big Brother House Tours and our seven-week-old Bengal Tiger Cubs.

"And that's certainly not all. With a host of fun and entertainment up our sleeves, this ongoing roll-out of new attractions will continue throughout next year. We're looking forward to a very successful 2002."

With so much fun, Dreamworld is a two-day experience with Return Visitor Passes now only $10. Or you can play all year round with Dreamworld's exclusive Max Action Pass for the one-off price of $135 for adults and $89 for children and pensioners.