Fox Studios Sydney - what happened to the theme park?
7 Comments
It closed down many years ago, I guess it couldn't justify the cost of maintaining and developing rides and had plenty of competition from other Sydney tourist attractions.
I do remember the Titanic ride being world class. Just wasn't enough rides to keep me coming back.
I think more than Fox Studios, the saddest day was when they shut down Australia's Wonderland. It was great so much fun, I would love someone to explain to me why they shut that one down.
Ah yes Wonderland, what a shame. Was the biggest park we had in Australia for a while. Then the Gold Coast parks took over and it became a lot less popular. It closed down in 2004 after new buyers struggled to keep it going and the level of investment (new rides + higher public liability insurance) made it not viable.
I takes a massive investment to make theme parks work - you need repeat visitors and unless new rides appear every few years not enough people come.
I think the theme park at Fox Studios was just part of a pretty picture to get people that count on side. (those who get excited in the name of everyone who doesn't care). It was never going to be a goer. There are too many things to do that don't cost a motzer in the inner sanctum of Sydney.
They always wanted the land. Fox studio's appeased the residents of Paddington etc by allowing access. They knew full well that the outrageous prices would quickly thin the crowd so after a few years of working as an officer on the James Cameron's Titanic the ship finally went down.
Then Fox finally got what they really wanted... the whole backlot as professional studio's.
While there I saw them make the Matrix, Moulin Rouge and Star Wars with all the excitement and feakiness that goes with it.
I loved the Titanic ride, remember boarding a life raft and sailing away, in fact the studio was great just didnt have enough rides so I never took the family back more than once.