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.