The Claw (Dreamworld)

Last updated

The Claw
The Claw Logo.jpg
The Claw swing (Dreamworld).jpg
The Claw at full swing.
Dreamworld
Area Ocean Parade
Coordinates 27°51′50.73″S153°18′58.15″E / 27.8640917°S 153.3161528°E / -27.8640917; 153.3161528 Coordinates: 27°51′50.73″S153°18′58.15″E / 27.8640917°S 153.3161528°E / -27.8640917; 153.3161528
StatusOperating
Cost A$6,000,000
Opening date18 September 2004 (2004-09-18)
General statistics
Attraction typeGyro Swing
Manufacturer Intamin
Height27.15 m (89.1 ft)
Speed75 km/h (47 mph)
Capacity400 riders per hour
Vehicles1
Riders per vehicle32
Duration1:30
Height restriction120 cm (3 ft 11 in)
Swinging Angle120° each side
SloganTearing into Dreamworld
References [1] [2] [3]
Dreamworld Q4U availability.svg Ride Express available

The Claw is an Intamin Gyro Swing located at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast, Australia. The ride opened in September 2004 after months of construction and advertising. [1] [4]

Contents

History

In April 2004, construction began on what was rumoured to be a Teen Market Thrill Ride to open later in the year. [4] To aid in the construction, the northern end of Ocean Parade was closed off to the public forcing guests to detour through Nickelodeon Central to get to the other rides that area, including the Cyclone and the Wipeout. [5]

A few days before The Claw was officially announced on 22 July 2004, construction of the ride went vertical. [6] The announcement detailed that the ride was going to be an Intamin Gyro Swing, a duplicate of Maelstrom at Drayton Manor in the United Kingdom. [7]

On 18 September 2004, the ride officially opened to the public [1] as the first Intamin Gyro Swing in the southern hemisphere. [3] Queensland Tourism Minister, Margaret Keech, officially opened the ride. [8]

In late 2008, Dreamworld introduced Q4U, a virtual queuing system. [9] For an additional cost, riders can pre-book a spot on the ride without having to join the queue. A special Q4U entry gate was constructed to allow guests with a device to easily enter the ride. [10]

Marketing

The ride was heavily marketed in the theme park and in the mass media during construction. The television commercial stated:

Prepare yourself for the ultimate thrill ride - The Claw. Swing 9 stories high, spin 360 degrees, reach zero gravity. It's Australia's first, and it's tearing into Dreamworld.

— Dreamworld, The Claw Commercial [11]

The ride's slogan, Tearing into Dreamworld was advertised on the construction fences which surrounded the attraction. [6] It was also advertised on several bus stops across the Gold Coast.

The opening of the ride was televised on Rove Live, a popular Australian variety show. Competition winners won the chance to be the first public riders of The Claw, provided they were naked. [12]

The Claw was also featured prominently in the opening title sequence for Big Brother Australia from 2005 to 2008, a reality TV show filmed at Dreamworld from 2001 to 2008 and 2012 to 2014.

Ride

The Claw is a one and a half-minute ride in which riders are swung from side to side on an axis in a similar fashion to that of a pirate ship ride. However, the seating arrangement on The Claw and other Gyro Swing rides is in a circular formation. [13] The ride seats 32 guests at a time in a single ring which slowly rotates as the ride operates. Riders reach a top speed of 75 kilometres per hour (47 mph) as the ride swings over 240°. [1] [2] [3] The restraints are over the shoulder, hydraulic restraints plus a seatbelt.

Related Research Articles

Dreamworld (Australia)

Dreamworld is a theme park and zoo situated on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It is Australia's biggest theme park with over 40 rides and attractions.

The Giant Drop

The Giant Drop is an Intamin drop tower ride located at the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast, Australia. The ride was added in December 1998 to the existing Dreamworld Tower which housed the Tower of Terror. For fourteen years, The Giant Drop held the record for the tallest drop tower in the world.

Adventure World (amusement park) Amusement park in Australia

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Mick Doohans Motocoaster

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The Gold Coaster

The Gold Coaster is a steel roller coaster operating at Dreamworld. The roller coaster is one of the tallest in the Southern Hemisphere, after originally being the tallest when it was first built. Designed by Arrow Dynamics, built in Melbourne by Able Leisure Pty. Ltd the ride was originally installed at Luna Park Sydney in 1995 as the Big Dipper before being sold and relocated to Dreamworld on the Gold Coast in 2001. When it was brought to Dreamworld, the ride was the first roller coaster to be opened on the Gold Coast since 1997. The roller coaster was named Cyclone from 2001 until 2015 when it was refurbished and named Hot Wheels SideWinder as part of the new Motorsport Experience themed land from 2015 to 2020.

Eureka Mountain Mine Ride

Eureka Mountain Mine Ride was a Wild Mouse steel roller coaster located at Dreamworld in Gold Coast, Australia. After closing for maintenance in 2006, the ride remained inactive for 11 years. Following a third party assessment in December 2017, the decision was made by management for the ride not to reopen again due to the deteriorated state of the track. The remainder of the structure and ride was subsequently demolished within the same month.

Main Street is a themed land at the Dreamworld amusement park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The area acts as the main hub for the park catering as a gateway to many other lands including Gold Rush Country, DreamWorks Experience and Ocean Parade.

Ocean Parade (Dreamworld)

Ocean Parade is a themed land at the Dreamworld amusement park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It features 3 of the Big 7 Thrill Rides at Dreamworld. The Claw, The Gold Coaster and Tail Spin. Are within close proximity of each other. Ocean Parade has an Australian beach culture theme, and has beach-themed rides scattered around the area. It currently provides a link between Main Street, DreamWorks Experience, and the adjacent water park WhiteWater World.

Gold Rush Country

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Rocky Hollow (Dreamworld)

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Thunder River Rapids Ride

The Thunder River Rapids Ride was a river rapid type water ride located in the Town of Gold Rush section of the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. After four riders were killed on it in late October 2016, the ride was closed. On 9 November 2016, Ardent Leisures' CEO announced that the ride would not reopen, and was to be demolished. In October 2017, police recommended that no criminal charges be laid against any person in relation to the deaths.

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BuzzSaw (roller coaster)

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The history of Dreamworld dates back to the mid-1970s when John Longhurst envisioned the future theme park. After a seven-year construction period, Dreamworld officially opened to the public on 15 December 1981. Now owned by publicly listed Ardent Leisure, the park has seen many expansions, closures and replacements over its 30-year history.

Burnout is a Chance Rides Trabant amusement ride at Funfields. It was originally located at Dreamworld on the Gold Coast from 1983 until 2012 where it was known as the Roulette and Stingray. The ride was rethemed and relocated to Funfields in time for an opening on 23 November 2012.

Pandamonium (ride)

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The Claw (Dreamworld)". Parkz. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Ride Trade - The Art of Thrill - Gyro Swing". Intamin. Retrieved 10 July 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  3. 1 2 3 "The Claw". Dreamworld. Retrieved 10 July 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  4. 1 2 Wilson, Richard (25 April 2004). "Teen Market Thrill Ride". Photo. Parkz. Retrieved 6 September 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  5. ↑ Wilson, Richard (6 May 2004). "Teen Market Thrill Ride 2004". Photo. Parkz. Retrieved 6 September 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  6. 1 2 Wilson, Richard (23 July 2004). "The Claw Construction". Photo. Parkz. Retrieved 10 July 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  7. ↑ "Gyro Swing Ride Coming to Australia's Gold Coast". Ultimate Rollercoaster. 27 July 2004. Retrieved 10 July 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  8. ↑ "Dreamworld visitors in the clutches of The Claw". World Leisure Organisation. 17 September 2004. Retrieved 25 September 2011.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  9. ↑ O'Sullivan, Kay (17 January 2009). "Oneworld, one itinerary for air fares". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 July 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  10. ↑ "Q4U - News". Dreamworld. Retrieved 10 July 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  11. ↑ Dreamworld (4 August 2008). "Dreamworld The Claw Commercial". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 10 July 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  12. ↑ Masterson, Andrew (3 October 2004). "Why the PM should join the Rove party". The Age. Retrieved 25 September 2011.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  13. ↑ TheStorm79 (3 September 2009). "Dreamworld Ride - The Claw". Video. YouTube. Retrieved 10 July 2010.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
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