Disk’o Coaster

With Dragon’s Fury through Chessington South

itemprop="discussionURL"1

Preface

If you order a Merlin Annual Pass in the UK, you will need to collect it from any of the attractions in the group as well as from the attraction from which you have ordered it. However, the Merlin attractions in the UK are of a very high standard, which can make choosing an attraction quite difficult. If you restrict yourself to the London area, there are three theme parks belonging to the group and a large number of smaller tourist attractions. The best choice, in my opinion, is Chessington World of Adventures. Not only is it easily accessible, but it also has two very fun rides within the park, the Dragon’s Fury and Vampire roller coasters.

Chessington World of Adventures

Entering through the Lodge Gate near Chessington South railway station, you will immediately find yourself in the Zoo area of the park. Turn right to see otters in action and enter Wanyama Village and Reserve, which opened in 2011. This area consists mainly of a large prairie and some smaller enclosures such as the meerkat enclosure. Next year the area will be expanded to include the Zufari Safari Tour.

Next to Wanyama Village is the Monkey & Bird Garden where you can see some larger birds and smaller monkeys. The Monkey Walkthrough is an interesting feature where a staff member takes a smaller group around and explains the animals in the outdoor enclosure.

On the way to the rest of the zoo area at Chessington World of Adventures, we recommend a visit to the local Sea Life Centre, which has a number of interesting aquariums. This is one of the larger Sea Life Centres in the group – very similar to Sharkbait Reef at Alton Towers. Unlike the smaller Sea Life Centres in Germany, you can easily stay a little longer in this one. With children, the visit is a completely different experience anyway.

The Trail of the Kings, together with the penguin and sea lion enclosures, completes the zoo area of Chessington World of Adventures. Unfortunately, at the time of my visit, half of the enclosures were closed for refurbishment. However, the animals that were present were very active.

Sea Storm and Black Buccaneer

The Pirates Cove themed area features the Mack Rides Sea Storm ride and the very interesting HUSS Black Buccaneer boat swing. Like many other attractions in the park, the ship swing is located in a pit, which means it does not reach above the surrounding tree tops – a common height restriction in the UK. In addition to a tingly feeling in the tummy, you are guaranteed to get a bounce or two at the top.

The neighbouring area of Transylvania is home to a night creature of a very special kind. It is also home to a bubble factory and one of the most interesting fast-food restaurants. The Burger King here is themed.

BubbleWorks

BubbleWorks, the bubble factory, failed to impress on my last visit due to the lack of soundtrack, but it did so on this visit. The quirky design, which has been executed with a certain perfection, and the magnificent finale, which takes you through numerous fountain tunnels, make this dark ride something very special and something not to be missed.

Vampire

Equally special is the now grown-up Vampire coaster. At 21 years of age, it still swings its guests through the treetops, and it does so with aplomb. The main highlight is certainly the big drop into the tunnel, after which the gondolas swing out very strongly, but the first part of the ride is also a lot of fun and can already show some strong swings. As with Arrow’s other European coasters, this bloodsucker will tempt you to take a second or third ride.

Dragon’s Fury

The Dragon’s Fury roller coaster in the Land of the Dragons themed area, which also features a Zierer Kontiki, a large children’s playground and an interactive water fountain, is often regarded as Maurer Söhne’s best spinning coaster. On this visit, however, I found it difficult to decide whether Alton Towers’ Sonic Spinball was not a little better. The big advantage of the Alton Towers ride is certainly the much smoother ride compared to Dragon’s Fury, but it lacks the first drop with that crazy S-curve combination that leads straight into Immelmann. Both layouts have their charms and are well ahead of the other layouts, it is just hard to say which of the two Merlin Entertainments models is actually better or worse. However, Dragon’s Fury is a truly great coaster.

Madagascar Live!

With the removal of the Smarties Cottage in the former children’s area of Chessington World of Adventures, the last stigma of the park has disappeared. All the attractions remained the same, except that the Flying Jumbos were moved closer to the Powered Coaster Runaway Train to make room for a stage for the very popular Dreamwork figures from Madagascar. From a distance, the Madagascar Live! show looked quite child-friendly, but the show value was still much higher than the 4D Ice Age experience at Alton Towers, which currently occupies a theatre over there.

Monkey Swinger

In the Wild Asia section we immediately encounter the wave swinger Monkey Swinger, which drenches passengers with ice-cold water through its fountain play. Visitors get soaked by the fountains – not surprisingly there is a hairdryer at the exit for the passengers.

Lorikeet Lagoon

An attraction now found in many zoos around the world is the Lorikeet Lagoon free-flight aviary, where you can lure the colourful lorikeet with a bit of nectar. This made the birds look quite fat, probably due to their new plumage. As at Weltvogelpark Walsrode, the lorises were quite trusting, which led to some funny situations.

Dragon Falls and Peeking Heights

In the Mystic East themed area is the Dragon Falls log flume, which cleverly directed the water from the shots onto my shoes, resulting in wet socks. The Peeking Heights Ferris Wheel is supposed to offer views of Staines and nearby Thorpe Park, but the view was not that good on the day we visited.

Tomb Blaster

On my last visit my opinion of Tomb Blaster was a little clouded by the long breaks in the block sections. The ride is a real gem of an interactive dark ride, just like most of the other dark rides built by Sally. The story, however, is rather flat and doesn’t deserve any real attention, as you’ll mainly be shooting at ancient Egyptian enemies and bigger bosses. The length of the ride is also remarkable, partly due to the train system used.

Rameses Revenge

Next door is Rameses Revenge, one of the best top spins from HUSS. The ride not only manages to produce a good number of spins, but also provides a good shower for the passengers. On two occasions the water fountains were approached head on and luckily they caught you well so you left Chessington World of Adventures well drenched.

Runaway Train and Rattlesnake

In the Mexicana themed area, you can ride Mack Rides’ Runaway Train – which comes with a beautiful mountain range and a top themed queue – as well as another coaster highlight: the Rattlesnake. Due to the park’s height restrictions, this wild mouse was installed in a pit, giving it a very unique look. It also helps that the queue passes through the coaster’s inner courtyard.

Pictures Chessington World of Adventures

Conclusion Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington World of Adventures is the prettiest of Merlin Entertainments’ UK theme parks, although not the biggest. The park’s portfolio is well-balanced and boasts some real treasures, including some very special rollercoasters such as Vampire and Dragon’s Fury. The park, with its extraordinary ideas, has made the most of the constructive constraints. The integrated zoo, like Drayton Manor Theme Park or Tier- und Freizeitpark Thüle, provides an all-round successful package and a very good distribution of visitors within the park.

 

What is your opinion about the roller coaster Dragon’s Fury?  Just write it in the comment field below the report or visit our social media channels:

 

     

Click here for the overview page of Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington - World of Adventures

The Air Meeting of Nigloland

itemprop="discussionURL"0

Nigloland

Since 1987, the amusement park Nigloland has been located on the outskirts of the French village Dolancourt. It was founded by the showman brothers Gélis, following the example of Europa-Park in Rust. Over the years, the park has developed like no other French amusement park from a regional to a national destination in the middle of the beautiful Champagne region.

Anyone who now expects a park like the Walygator at Maizière-lès-Metz, due to the showmanship background of the park founders, will probably be pleasantly surprised. After entering Nigloland, the first glimpses fall on the beautifully shaped park landscape, which by French standards is simply outstanding. In this area you will find mainly more leisurely rides, such as the vintage car ride, the jungle raft ride or the grand prix, which looks amazingly similar to a certain ride from the Sauerland Fort-Fun Abenteuerland.

If you now turn left, you enter the Canadian part of Nigloland, which unfortunately is a dead end. Here you will find a log flume and a powered coaster made by Mack Rides as well as a nice little cogs ride.

Rivière Canadienne

The log flume Rivière Canadienne is, as so often in France, equipped with only one shot, but the layout is integrated wonderfully into the surroundings and thanks to the Train de la Mine, which is built in sections over the ride, a beautiful interplay of both rides is created. Even if the level of wetness was not particularly high, the ride alone is convincing due to its good condition and excellent decoration.

Gold Mine Train

To get to the powered Train de la Mine you first have to leave the nicely designed queue behind you and climb into the depth of the mine. The ride itself is quite surprising and can show some funny changes of direction. The speed of the train is constantly high, even if the last curve during the last lap is a borderline experience.

Grizzli

Somewhat more hidden in this area are the Zamperla Disk’o Coaster Grizzli, as well as the station of the Mississippi boat tour. While the second ride opened later, Grizzli enjoyed many satisfied passengers. Just like the Cobra from the English Chessington World of Adventures, Grizzli is not only a great ride, but also offers an outstanding design.

Manoir Hanté

Passing the ship swing Galion Pirate we now enter the righthand part of Nigloland. On this stretch of the path you usually meet a lot of people, so you might think that this area would be quite empty, which of course it is not. The first highlight in this area is the old Manoir Hanté, which is a bit on the edge of the path.

Through an access to the cellar you can reach the inside of the Manor House, where the ghosts are already waiting for you. In the self-built ride you take a ride in unique carriages, which turn more or less in the desired direction due to the inclination of the track. The ride is unexpectedly harmonious, both in terms of the rotation and the scenes. All of them genuinely tell a story line and are not stuffed with all kinds of junk like at the Geisterschloss in Europa-Park. Along with the comparable ride from Disneyland Park, this is definitely one of the better rides of its kind.

Air Meeting

Back in daylight, the next highlight is already waiting in direct sight. The new for 2012 ride was still advertised in the brochure under the name Sky Fly, which has now been changed to Air Meeting – a name that does not necessarily make sense. Nevertheless, the prototype installation from Gerstlauer is something very special, which should be placed in a similar form in every theme park. Apart from the absolutely positive feedback from the audience, which looks up to the sky full of astonishment and wonders how one can make a rollover so quickly, the operators also have a lot of fun giving the flying audience tips for the perfect ride.

That these tips were mostly given with a reference to some of the pilots was at least an honour for me, after all the staff themselves were amazed what some pilots got out of the second day of the ride. During my first ride I was quite astonished how fast one could make a rollover, during the 90 seconds of driving time there were 39 more, which was about the normal number of rollovers. The second ride showed that it is still possible to bring the whole thing to the top, where even the centrifugal force became so strong that my glasses had the constant urge to be pushed outwards and slowly move away. Even after I let go of a wing because of this, the rotation did not decrease. The fact that you only see circles during the 80-90 rollovers underlines the extremes of the ride – if you want it that way.

During the rest of the day there was a constant urge to visit the ride again and again to show the French audience of Nigloland how it really works. Hardly any other ride in this park captivated us as much as Air Meeting did, even if it paid back on our shoulders in the late evening. One can only wish Gerstlauer all the best for the further marketing of this ride, because it is simply perfect in many respects and serves such a wide range of park guests. I have only seen very few rides like this before.

Juke-Box

In the immediate vicinity of the air meeting you can see one of the most harmonious rides. Matching the 50s style and underlaid with a very great soundtrack, the Juke-Box is one of the most beautiful Schwarzkopf Monster. Apart of the look, the ride is not very interesting and even fast spinning ride is not really possible due to the padding in between the seats. However, the whole package is convincing.

Spatiale Expérience

The intergalactic travel agency Spatiale Expérience in the row of houses next to the Juke-Box knows the way into the depths of our universe. The ship which is waiting for its passengers is similar to the EuroSat roller coaster from the Europa-Park in Rust and so it is not surprising that the propulsion is also similar to that of the Rust model. The following ride is often described as quite brute and there is also talk about miscalculations by the company Mack Rides. However, this ride resembles more the indoor roller coaster Vogel Rok from Efteling and was quite amazing.

The trip through the galaxy features very ingenious interactions of right and left turns and offers a smoothness of running that one would not expect due to the prototype of Europa Park. The scenery during the ride is minimalistic but effective and the soundtrack to the ride is just great. The speed at which you race through the ride is constantly high, but the forces involved are just right, even the braking is almost harmless.

Apple Flight and Grand Roue

Past last year’s novelty, the Apple Flight from Zierer, which like all new wave swingers is somehow slow-moving, we go to the big attraction from Gerstlauer. We are talking about the Ferris wheel Grande Roue, which fits quite well into Nigloland, despite its transportable construction.

Schlitt’Express

Next to it, the latest roller coaster Schlitt’Express is making its rounds. As with the other roller coasters in the park, great importance was given to a coherent appearance. The roller coaster itself fortunately corresponds to the standard layout of a wild mouse, only with minor changes, as you can see for example at the end of the ride. The cars have been adapted to the latest standard from Mack Rides, which is rewarded with very comfortable seats and great bars, but the possibility to crush each other in the curves is massively limited, which somewhat diminishes the fun of the ride.

Chenille

In the small children’s area you will find the smallest roller coaster of the Nigloland, which was very popular in the afternoon. We’re talking about the Wacky Worm roller coaster Chenille, which even features a grown apple. I found it quite amusing that the staff was the only one who noticed that I was wearing my Gerstlauer Fleece Jacket, after all it wasn’t the warmest day despite the constant sunshine, but it didn’t make the ride better than it is.

Dinosaures Aventure

With the Dinosaures Aventure, Nigloland offers a small walk-through attraction, which is enhanced by a preshow. If you understand the French language, it is even quite interesting to follow. The following dinosaurs, on the other hand, have all been seen somewhere, whether in the queue to Rasti-Land’s great rapid river, in the dinosaur park Münchehagen or in various other small theme parks. Honestly speaking, it could be better.

Bobsleigh

The most hidden entrance in all of Nigoland is at Schwarzkopf’s City Jet ride called Bobsleigh. Here it’s a little surprising that the queue basically runs above one half of the roller coaster, but is tastefully decorated as is typical for the park. The loading station is a bit awkward, as many of the park guests just stand in the way and the trains start with empty seats most of the time.

Once you have made it into the very spacious and comfortable vehicles, the journey can begin. Typical for this type of ride the lift is solved by an upward spiral with conductor rails. Once you reach the top, the ride goes down so abruptly that airtime forms in the back of the train. The following curves are so brutal that one is glad to have some short relaxing phases in between. The brakes at the end of the track are typical for the manufacturer, so it is best to hold on tight.

Bilder Nigloland

Fazit Nigloland

Nigloland gave me a lot of satisfaction during the day. Even when I lost my wallet in the meantime, thanks to the help of the very competent staff, I was able to quickly retrieve it without anything being missing, whereas in Hansa-Park it would have been lost forever. The park itself is charismatic and not as detached as many other family-run parks. There is a good atmosphere in the park, which is mainly created by the family audience, which knows how to behave very well. The reasonable price is simply outstanding for what is on offer, even though there is clearly room for improvement in the catering.

 

What are your thoughts about the French theme park Nigloland? Just write it here in the comment field below the report or visit our social media channels:

 

          

Nigloland

A day in the world of adventure

itemprop="discussionURL"1

Chessington World of Adventures

The day after Whit Monday we took the train to Chessington South and from there we walked about 1km to Chessington World of Adventures – a Merlin Entertainments theme park. There we immediately came across a wonderfully deserted animal and theme park. On the day we visited, all the rides were doing two laps in a row, which was quite amazing, especially on the roller coasters.

Dragon’s Fury

Passing the tigers and lions, which were still moderately active in the early morning, we made our way to the first object of desire, the Dragon’s Fury spinning coaster. This ride, built by Maurer Söhne, is relatively easy to describe as it is simply brilliant. The first drop ends in a crazy S-curve combo that leads into an Immelmann turn. This is followed by a couple of turns and helices, which then lead into another weirdness, the second fairly flat lift hill, which gives you the potential energy to complete the rest of the rather bizarre layout.

Dragon’s Fury is by far the best spinning coaster in the world, which is no mean feat with rides like Sonic Spinball at Alton Towers or Tarantula at Spain’s Parque de Atracciones de Madrid. The ride itself usually has a very good spin, which adds to the great layout of the ride.

Wild Asia

Next door, the newly designed Wild Asia area took us straight to Asia. The former Beanoland, which was dedicated to an English comic series, has been revamped for the 2010 season and now welcomes visitors with two new features.

Monkey Swinger

As well as a bumper car, a playhouse and a crazy bus by Zamperla, the area also boasts a very remarkable installation: A Zierer Wave Swinger. Normally found in almost every amusement park, Chessington World of Adventure manages to make the Monkey Swinger something very special by using water fountains. In contrast to the installation at Phantasialand, the fountains at the Monkey Swinger are not only an impressive decoration, but also serve as ice-cold refreshment. This is where you realise that the English are not really averse to water. It is not surprising, then, that you will find yourself running through the water fountains at least a dozen times during the ride. The outer seats, where you are already soaking wet, are still the driest seats.

Kobra

To get dry you can go to the body dryer or take a ride on the new Kobra ride, a Zamperla Disk’o Coaster. Unfortunately, the ride itself looks much more impressive from the outside than it is from the inside. Nevertheless, a ride on the Kobra is still a nice in-between ride.

Lorikeet Lagoon

The second new feature is the Lorikeet Lagoon, an attraction that is becoming increasingly common in zoos such as Erlebnis-Zoo Hannover and Weltvogelpark Walsrode. This is a walk-in aviary where lorikeets do their rounds and you can buy food for these birds for a small fee. The nature of these parrots is such that you can get into some pretty funny situations, as long as you have some nectar to attract them.

Dragon Falls

In the Chinese themed area of Mystic East you will find the log flume ride Dragon Falls next to the Peeking Heights Ferris Wheel, from which you can theoretically see all the way to Thorpe Park. This ride is beautifully designed but has a very low water level and a rather bizarre layout.

Rameses Revenge

Much to the surprise of the staff, we took a ride on the Top Spin Rameses Revenge. As the first guests of the day, we were surprised not only by the ride’s fountains, but also by the staff’s knowledge of German, who appropriately referred to the machine as a ‘Waschmaschine’.

Tomb Blaster

In the same themed area is the interactive dark ride Tomb Blaster, an attraction by Sally that is well worth seeing. A long train takes you through a series of breathtaking backdrops. Due to the yawning emptiness of the park and the resulting long pauses in the block areas, you could score a lot of points, but the ride also lacked some momentum.

Rattlesnake

Somewhat hidden in a pit like Top Spin, the cars of Rattlesnake – a Wild Mouse by Maurer Söhne – make their rounds. The waiting area in the middle of the layout alone deserves some attention, but the ride trumps that. Unlike the Crazy Mine at Germany’s Hansa Park, the original ambience has been preserved and not enhanced by functional additions.

Runaway Train

Slightly off to the side is the Powered Coaster Runaway Train – a Blauer Enzian model from Mack Rides. This standard model is perfectly suited to Chessington World of Adventures, as you can see from the queue that has somehow been inserted into the ride. The coaster itself is also much more harmonious than its sister ride Flying Fish at Thorpe Park, which is barely 15 miles away. The friendly staff also contribute to the great atmosphere.

Hocus Pocus Hall and Sea Life Centre

An interesting attraction is the passage through the Hocus Pocus Hall, where you can see some effects with special glasses. Another interesting walk is through the Sea Life Centre, which unfortunately has an ugly tent look from the outside. Inside, however, the aquarium is very impressive. The large variety of species and the elaborate design make for a high entertainment value. Thanks to the very low number of visitors, it was finally possible to take a closer look at the fish.

BubbleWorks

The Transylvanian themed area is home to the world’s most beautiful Burger King and a very special dark ride about squeaky ducks. The tour of the BubbleWorks bubble factory is quite amusing and has one of the most impressive finales as you literally take a bath. You won’t get wet, but the water jets you pass through are impressive.

Vampire

The last roller coaster in the park is an Arrow Dynamics and is a true suspended coaster. This rare type of coaster is mainly found in America and unfortunately the very few examples are getting rarer and rarer with time. So it’s good to know that there is one in Europe. The new Vekoma trains at least give hope for a long future.

The ride on Vampire starts out quite amusing with some combinations of curves where you are already swinging a bit to the side. Shortly after that the ride climbs the second lift hill, which completes the visible part of the ride. Passing the row of houses by the Burger King, you quickly reach the treetops where you continue to swing back and forth. The highlight of the ride comes shortly after when you exit a tunnel and swing out hard after a big drop. Unfortunately, you end up in the brake section, where you swing out a bit before returning to the station.

Vampire is a very surprising coaster, and the ride comfort for those who wear glasses is noticeably improved as soon as you take them off. Although Vampire is neither the tallest nor the fastest roller coaster in the park – mainly due to the local constraints of the park – Arrow Dynamics have managed to give the park an extremely entertaining ride that is definitely unique, at least in Europe.

Black Buccaneer

Next to it, in a very interesting location, you can admire the park’s boat swing, which, like all the other big rides, is located in a pit. Bizarrely, the entrance to Black Buccaneer is in a rather illogical position, so you might need to spend some time looking for it. Once you have made the impressive descent to the ship swing, you will be rewarded with a great ride with a rather large swing out.

Pictures Chessington World of Adventures

Conclusion about our first ever visit

Chessington World of Adventures is one of the most exciting animal and theme parks in Europe, with top quality rides, beautifully designed themed areas and a really good zoo. If you are in the London area and have to choose between Chessington World of Adventures, Legoland Windsor and neighbouring Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures is well worth a visit.

 

What is your opinion the theme park Chessington World of Adventures?  Just write it in the comment field below the report or visit our social media channels:

 

     

Click here for the overview page of Chessington World of Adventures

Chessington - World of Adventures