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Movie World Australia TR - Star Tour, Doomsday, VR, and more


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Last weekend I was privileged enough to experience Warner Bros. Movie World’s Star Tour, a fantastic VIP experience where a small group of people are privately taken to some of the backstage areas of the park. It was an absolutely amazing experience that you should definitely consider doing if you’re ever on the Gold Coast - it is extremely informative and a must-do for any theme park enthusiast. In addition to my review of this, I’ll be covering the new DC Super-villains Unleashed area including the Doomsday Destroyer flat ride, as well as some other improvements around the park.

 

Star Tour

The Star Tour kicks off at 7:30am, and getting up early and getting to the park so early in the morning is by far the most painful part of the day, especially if you’re coming from Brisbane. However, once you’re there the day is so jam-packed you never get the chance to realise how tired you are. The groups are generally 8-people in size, with two guides to accompany us for the day. These two guides are incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and funny, and will make sure you have an amazing day.

 

The tour kicks off with the coaster climb - a walk up the lift hill of the park’s SLC - Arkham Asylum. The view you get from the top is spectacular, giving you a view of the whole park as well as the movie studios behind it. We were lucky enough to spot a few pieces of the Thor: Ragnarok set which is currently in production there. Whilst up there the tour guides point out a few things, explain the mechanics behind the ride, and point out a few fun facts and easter eggs.

 

After heading back down and grabbing a bite to eat, the next part of the tour took us into the Justice League dark ride for a lights-on tour. Although the ride is maybe not as extravagant as the Six Flags versions, the level of detail in there is unbelievable, especially on the animatronics. Lots of easter eggs hiding through the ride that you wouldn’t usually spot either.

 

Up next was the Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster portion of the tour, where we got to witness the indoor wild mouse in operation from below the ride with lights-on. This is definitely one of the most popular sections of the tour, as it offers a perspective of the ride never seen before. It’s amazing being able to see the ride’s system in action from this angle.

 

With October coming up, we were lucky enough to get a walk-through of one of the mazes for the park’s Fright Nights events. Although this was only one of the returning mazes for this year and not a brand-new one, it was still great to see the maze with the lights on and gain a bit of knowledge about it. Afterwards, the guides took us through the all new Supervillains Unleashed area - more on that coming soon.

 

At this point the park was getting ready for opening, and we headed over to Superman Escape to witness some of the pre-opening checks that are performed each morning. In addition to this, we were given the first ride of the day on this fantastic coaster. Afterwards, we went down to the engine room to see the hydraulics in action - something I found really interesting (yet complicated).

 

By now the park had opened to the public, so we headed back to the kitchens to see some of the park’s food prep. We then went behind the scenes of Hollywood Stunt Driver 2, the park’s stunt show where we met some of the drivers including Neil Fanning, Scooby-Doo himself. For me it wasn’t particularly interesting, but if you’re a rev-head you’re sure to find this part very informative. After watching the show from our VIP seating we headed to lunch, where we got to meet some of the characters (Superman and Bugs Bunny - we also met Batman earlier in the day). For the rest of the day were were given unlimited Fast Track and Fast Photo passes to enjoy the park as we chose.

 

Unfortunately as many of the areas are considered backstage, it also means there was a no photo rule for most of the areas. Fortunately, we were allowed to take photos during the Justice League walk, so I’ve uploaded a few below.

 

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Justice League's station and control panel

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The walkthrough gives some great opportunities for close-up shots with the animatronics.

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Even the dogs have been infected by the evil alien starfish.

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The level of detail is incredible - something you definitely don't get to appreciate while riding.

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Starro's spaceship is particularly impressive from this angle.

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We were also given a run-down on the ride's system and how each car is tracked.

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Supergirl to the rescue

It was an absolutely fantastic day, and I extend my thanks to the Movie World staff for creating such an amazing experience. Again - if you’re on the Gold Coast and have the chance to do this I strongly recommend it. For only $350 (or $300 if you’re a pass-holder) you get so much and it’s definitely worth the money.

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DC Supervillains Unleashed

The day of my Star Tour was also the official opening of the park’s new DC Supervillains Unleashed area, including the Intamin Twin Hammer, Doomsday Destroyer. This area is one of the best-themed areas in Australia, the detail they have put into it is outstanding. The area is dotted with statues of many major DC supervillains, and purchasing a RFID wristband allows you to interact with these statues. Lights, fog, water and sound effects are all parts of the area’s special effects.

 

Doomsday Destroyer isn’t a super-intense flat ride, but it’s a lot of fun and appeals to a wide range of audiences. It’s a great addition for the park as its high-capacity and draws crowds away from the main DC hub. For me, I prefer some of Dreamworld’s flat rides thrill-wise, but the theming in this area is outstanding and definitely trumps not only many of Dreamworld’s flats but also other flats around Australia and the world.

 

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The ride is quite an impressive structure

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Many of the popular DC villains can be found around the area... here's scarecrow, who'll use his fear toxin on you causing you to 'hallucinate' (screens around the area disguised as doors and windows will display terrifying creatures)

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Poison Ivy is one of the most intricate models in the area.

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When approached, she'll decide whether she likes you (sending out a sweet scent) or doesn't (spraying you with 'venom')

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Killer Croc has several water effects around him - don't get too close if you want to stay dry!

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Captain Cold and Grodd are both part of the area too.

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Pressure sensors lie near Grodd, which can be jumped on to destroy the cafe shown on screens next to him.

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You can also join the Joker and Harley Quinn to destroy the nearby bank.

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Doomsday sits above the entrance to the ride, ripping apart Daily Planet signage.

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Another fantastic model - during the day his eyes glow red (this wasn't turned when I took this as it was before the park opened)

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Doomsday Destroyer is a great addition to the park - they really needed another flat and it definitely fits that.

 

Arkham VR

Movie World have also recently introduced Virtual Reality onto their SLC Arkham Asylum. All I have to say about it is wow. What an experience. After seeing some of the videos of Six Flags VR I was a bit underwhelmed, but Virtual Reality on Arkham Asylum was one of the craziest, most intense experiences I’ve had on a rollercoaster. There’s just something incredible about coming face-to-face with the joker and being sent on a wild journey through Gotham dodging villains such as Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, and Mr Freeze. It feels very realistic and the video posted by Movie World does not do it justice. While it does slow down loading for what was already a low-capacity coaster, I have heard the staff are getting faster. Unlike Six Flag’s VR, you do have to pay to experience the VR (fortunately one free use is included on the Star Tour and unlimited Fast Track), however it is definitely worth $5, even just to try once. I’m expecting to be disappointed with Dreamworld’s VR on Motocoaster as this has raised the bar for VR coasters very very high.

 

This video posted by the park gives some video snippets of the VR:

 

Ride Refurbishments

Wild West Falls has just come out of a large refurbishment, where the mountain had all its dirt pressure-hosed off and a lot of new theming added. Lots of simple things such as warning signs and dynamite now fill in any gaps in theming that once existed, and the weird train bridge scene has been replaced with a complete wreckage of the bridge including a locomotive at the side. The indoor sections have also been themed to look more like a mine and less like a shed.

 

Superman has also had a complete track re-paint. Take a look at some of the older photos and you’ll see how much it had faded. The new red looks fantastic.

 

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Photos don't do justice to how vibrant the track really is now.

 

With so many new attractions, great refurbishments, and the 2017 ’World’s Best’ rollercoaster starting construction, I definitely recommend heading down to Movie World if you’re nearby.

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It's got the Kumbak trains which are very comfortable, the shakiness does affect the VR a bit especially around the inline twist but as long as it's on tight there are no large problems.

Oh ok.

 

I heard people saying that the Kumbak trains on T3 were uncomfortable, that's why I asked.

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It's got the Kumbak trains which are very comfortable, the shakiness does affect the VR a bit especially around the inline twist but as long as it's on tight there are no large problems.

Oh ok.

 

I heard people saying that the Kumbak trains on T3 were uncomfortable, that's why I asked.

It depends if you find the leg-crushing to be a problem. I actually found that the VR takes your mind off it, as the section along the final brakes back to the station has a pretty cool fight sequence with Batman and the Joker.

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Great photos, thanks for the report! Looks like they are keeping the park in very good shape and taking steps to keep it ontop of the Aussie theme park food chain.

 

Although Superman was closed for refurb while I was there, the 1 - 2 punch of Scooby Doo and Wild West is a top notch themed ride duo. I miss that place!

 

Is that goofy Looney Toons boatride/dark ride still kicking?

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