Tag: Fähtz

There’s a monster in Maizières-lès-Metz

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Walygator Park

A year ago, during Easter, Thomas, Marcel, David and I went to Maizière-lès-Metz to visit the Walygator Parc. The weather was beautiful. The queues were well filled, basically a perfect day for a visit to the park, but unfortunately the reason for our visit – the B&M Inverted Coaster Monster – decided to stop working at that time. Since the park itself really wasn’t bad, our journey was worth it.

A year later, in the worst weather conditions of April, another attempt was made to get a ride on the former Expoland ride Orochi. We had a restful sleep and left the hotel slightly too early; we arrived at the parking lot an hour before the ticket booths were even opened. We had to wait for a while, but during this time the parking lot stayed more or less empty.

Monster

Just before the opening of the park, tests were carried out so that we could expect the park to eventually open. From experience we headed directly towards the roller coaster Monster, even if one or two rides on Anaconda would have made sense, as we first had to wait for 12 passengers in the station.

Gradually our co-passengers started to arrive and as we were the first ones, the first ride of the day took place in the front row on the sister ride of Cedar Points Raptor.

The ride in the first row is rather smooth, the forces in the looping, the quite high located Zero-G Roll and the Cobra Roll are hardly noticeable. Also the highly praised second part of the ride after leaving the former block area is comparatively harmless, as neither the corkscrews nor the helices at the end of the ride manage to build up enough pressure. In the back row the forces are way more pronounced. Where the first part of Monster can clearly convince, one is now pulled in the corkscrews and the helices at the end of the ride.

The monster itself is a good ride, but the layout is unfortunately not Batman La Fuga or as Jan would say it is not Nemesis. It doesn’t matter where the ride has been built, or how it is painted, as the ride itself is fun, it just lacks extremes. The forces themselves make the ride family-friendly, which is why it is a great addition to the park’s portfolio.

Südseewellen

After a round on Family Coaster, the park’s Wacky Worm, Jan went on to discover the park. Passing the former Smurf Village we went to the space area of the park, where the S&S Space Shot Dark Tower is still not completed this year, the Schwarzkopf Orbiter Südseewellen performed a decent, albeit quite monotonous and not too fast ride, and the Vekoma Hurricane Walycoaster waited for passengers.

Walycoaster

The Vekoma ride, which has been in the park since 1989, is one of the best Vekoma rides still running with an Arrow train. Although the latest generation of Vekoma trains can be regarded as truly ingenious, they simply cannot match the timeless design of Arrow. The ride is not bad at all and free of any rattles, but for time reasons we only did one ride.

Terror House

One of the park’s flagship attractions is the Terror House, a maze. Usually a long queue is formed relatively quickly at this ride, if there are other people in the area. However, the really creepy one is not the Maze that shines through some brilliant butcher’s rooms at the beginning of the arrangement of confusing corridors, but the Fun House that has to be completed before. The Terror House itself is quite big, the interior consists mostly of plain rooms with animatronics, there is also a frightener that tries harder than the lost pirate crew from the Lüneburger Heide.

Rafting

The park’s rapid river Rafting is located in the direct proximity of the maze. Built in 1989 by Soquet, this rafting ride is dedicated to the journey of Odysseus and has been superbly staged. Remarkably strange, as well as capacity reducing, is the handling of the boats, which are practically operated in a train system. A further curiosity are, similar to the log flume of the park, the different boats in use.

Tang’Or and Polyp

Passing the always broken HUSS Topple Tower Tang’Or and one of the children’s areas of the park, we reach the lake, where a very strange Schwarzkopf monster is located. Normally the excenter lifts after some time and creates the wave movement of the ride, but as this feature is currently broken you circle more or less fast at ground level. Luckily it’s not difficult to get a good spin on the ride, but the fun is reduced.

Riviére Sauvage

Passing the teacup, the wave swinger and the way too long and way too slow boat ride, you reach the log flume Riviére Sauvage. This ride, built by Soquet, is simplistic and features only a few bends and just one drop. Enough to get you perfectly soaked.

Anaconda

Located at the edge of the park is the wooden roller coaster Anaconda, which was once again voted the worst wooden roller coaster in the world. The coaster doesn’t offer airtime, crosses the tops quite slowly and needs extra weight on the Morgan-built trains, but it’s definitely not the worst wooden coaster in the world. As a wooden coaster, Anaconda delivers a solid ride. The speed, the height, as well as the out & back layout are actually pretty good and worth a ride.

Pictures Walygator Parc

Conclusion Walygator Parc

The Walygator Parc is not a bad amusement park, but also not a very good one. This year the expansion madness of the French showman brothers Claude & Didier Le Douarin continued and so they now present a new children’s land with rides bought by the fairground and simply put up. However, what became of the planned Wild Mouse is hard to say, also it is very likely that the park will not paint its Inverted Coaster for the time being.
 

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Walygator Grand Est

Climbing mountains in Fort Fun Abenteuerland

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Preface

After the Sternrodler was tested, we went past the actual highlight of the trip, the Bruchhausen Stones, towards the village of Wasserfall to visit the local amusement park. The Fort Fun Abenteuerland was founded from the western city Fort Fun City and can still show this leading theme today, but also the ski lift and the two former summer toboggan runs led to the success of the park at that time.

After I informed the cashier about the 50% discount of the Movie Park Germany annual ticket, we went into the park. David was luckier than me concerning the staff, so that his first impression about the customer friendliness and motivation of the staff was still positive.

Tour of the park

Devil’s Mine

This should not change even at the first attraction visited, the Vekoma roller coaster Devil’s Mine. But first you have to pass the much too long, but worth seeing queue, even if it’s too dark in the first part. The ride itself is surprising and very fun due to the two airtime moments after the hills with the friction wheels. Unfortunately we could not make another ride in the afternoon because the ride had a defect.

Crazy Washhouse and Mystery Warehouse

Other attractions on the really beautiful top level of the amusement park Fort Fun Abenteuerland include a wave swinger, the Funhouse Crazy Washhouse, which lost all its charm due to empty rooms and offering just some mirrors, a Nauta Bussink Ferris wheel and the ghost train Mystery Warehouse. The latter ride was quite amusing and even thematically convincing due to individually placed theming elements.

Rio Grande

Probably the best themeing can be found at the small rafting ride Rio Grande from Bear Rides, which can score with its original cacti. Even if you look at the age of the ride and how wet it is, the ride is still one of the better rapid rivers.

Dark Raver

The path now led us further and further downhill and so directly to the next highlight in the Fort Fun Abenteuerland, the Indoor Round-Up Dark Raver. Even though the building is rather strange from the outside, the ride was really successful. The light effects and the music give the old Fähtz ride another live.

The show stage and the climbing structure next door don’t look very nice, even though the idea was not bad. We didn’t watch the show itself, because it seemed to be over by the time we arrived. Furthermore there is plenty of space for attractions on this level of the park, but the use of this area is rather sparse. Considering how many top-class rides have left the park in the course of time, I wonder why they did not find their place here, as attractions are generally missing in this park.

Trapper Slider

Our way leads us to the highlight par excellence of the amusement park Fort Fun Abenteuerland with a ride that changed my world view on alpine coasters in general, the Trapper Slider. The slogan “Feel the thrill – Rock the hill” basically says it all, because what the ride offers is outstanding. After a little longer time in the lift you reach the top of the lifthill and after a small 270° downhill helix the ride starts. After a very short time you reach your cruising speed of about 50 km/h and you are sent over elements that would virtually pull you out of your seat if the seatbelt was not so tight. The centrifugal brake has to work quite hard in the curves, provided there is no lurker in front of you. After a good 1300 m the ride is over and the only thing you can think of is the word brilliant.

Wildwasserbahn

Those who need something leisurely after the ride can get into the chair lift next door or go downhill for a few metres and take the Wildwasserbahn. This early log flume, from the cooperation of the manufacturers Mack and Arrow, has a considerable track length and a great setting. As with the log flume in Thorpe Park, England, there is a mixture of different styles, which unfortunately is not really convincing here. The degree of wetness of the ride was quite high, because the two passengers got really soaked.

Tomahawk

Next to a ship swing from the manufacturer Huss you can admire an exotic in the park: a Shake R5 from Mondial. The ride was long and balanced, but there were no rollovers. If you know the Commander von Hanstein or if you have done a round in Schäfer’s Shake & Roll, you will be a bit disappointed here, but if you know how awful sometimes the rides on Vorlops Shaker are, you will find the ride good. For a medium sized park the Tomahawk is a good investment.

Speed Snake

The roller coaster Speed Snake, a Vekoma Whirlind, was formerly known as the whirlwind. Since the original Arrow chaises unfortunately became too old, as in Heide-Park, a new train had to be brought in. This one is a first generation Vekoma train from the Prater in Vienna. If you have any bad suspicions now you will be disappointed, as it is usually the case with the Dutch manufacturer, because the train offers the same seating comfort as the old Arrow trains and this even with legroom in the second row. The ride itself is surprisingly intense in the corkscrews, as I previously only knew the identical specimen in the Zoo Safari- und Hollywoodpark Stukenbrock with an empty train, I was a bit surprised, and will pass through without any significant jerking or even hitting. The theming does not enhance the ride, but it is nicely placed and easy to look at, and the successful train does its best to do so.

Marienkäferbahn

Where the Fort Fun Abenteuerland on the top level could still create a harmonious picture, the design decreased more and more, which at first sight is not really disturbing, because the gardeners do a good job here. But there is a place in the park that really belongs to the worst what you can see in a park. The whole thing is declared as a children’s land and can be seen next to some cheap rides of Italian origin, the Zierer dragon train, which has been unused for some years, with an ugly blue facade and a Tivoli large. The Marienkäferbahn scores with its location in the middle of a forest, and the ride also offers a decent amount of speed – which is not always the case on such a roller coaster ride.

Beverly Hills Drive

At the lowest point of the park you will again find a well-designed attraction. The Monza track, known as Beverly Hills Drive, offers a long driving distance and a design that can be found in a similar form at Disney.  In any case, the ride is a ray of hope for the rather weak lowest part of the park.

Fun Xpress

Because we missed the Fun Xpress we went back up the mountain by foot. As the gastronomy in the lowest area of the park was more busy with itself than with the customers, we went to the gastronomy at the log flume. The offer here is decent, but also a bit expensive. After a while the staff noticed me and I ordered a portion of Pommes Spezial. The taste was great and I was satisfied.

Pictures Fort Fun Abenteuerland

 

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Fort Fun Abenteuerland

A day in Walygator Parc

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Preface

On Easter Monday David and I originally wanted to go to Phantasialand, however, the park hadn’t yet closed its Maus au Chocolat competition and the entrance fee of 37€ wasn’t worth it in regard of the expected crowds. Therefore we searched for alternatives and somehow we settled on the idea to visit France to see the Monster of Walygator Parc in action.

Walygator Parc

Once arrived at the park we had to go to the ticket offices. This took some time, as the park unfortunately only has a small number of these. At the entrance most of the people waited on the the left side of the entrance. With our walk directly to the other side, we saved a lot of time.

The park, formerly known as Walibi Lorraine/Stroumpf, has been run by a French showman for some years now, which is why a lot of novelties moved to the park area, but also a lot of trashy rides has gone into the park. Thus, the park has a certain charm that is worth discovering.

Anaconda

The rides portfolio is quite respectable, you can find some classic rides as well as the worst wooden coaster in the world – at least if you believe this year’s Wood Coaster Poll. We went into the coaster with the lowest expectations, after all we were all familiar with Efteling’s former wooden coaster Pegasus and were positively surprised. Anaconda is just fun, even if you don’t have much speed on the hills. The descents are even better. The ride doesn’t beat you up nor rattles, yet it was described by some coaster fans as a massive physical injury…

Family Coaster

Since we are all interested in roller coasters, we drove the most gentle of all Wacky Worms soon after. We managed to create a good atmosphere on the Family Coaster, which probably caused confusion for some passers-by.

Waly Twister

Thereupon, we wanted to continue our journey towards the monster and therefore took a ride on the Waly Twister with us. Unfortunately, as with almost all flatrides in the park, it was operated on a budget. In the meantime we observed how the Monster had to be evacuated.

Waly Coaster

Instead of waiting, we decided to take a closer look at the rest of Walygator Parc. Thus we went to the Vekoma Hurricane Waly Coaster, which also was surprisingly good. Moreover, it was nice to sit in an Arrow train again, which unfortunately are getting rarer and rarer.

One more surprise came to us in the theatre of this section, where we watched a magic show. In three languages they presented a mix of magic and comedy on a stage that could convince solely because of its lighting technology. The magician, apparently having a dog fetish, presented many tricks that worked according to the same scheme, but this was well covered by her immense bust size.

Terror House

The next highlight of the park was the Terror House. I must confess that I am not a fan of such attractions and have no idea what Halloween is all about. But as the other guys wanted to take a walk through the Maze by all means, I couldn’t say no after all. A positive note is that you were sent in small groups of 8 people through the Maze, which led to a slightly longer waiting time.

Before you were allowed to enter the Maze one floor lower, you had to conquer the real terror: the Funhouse. You were sent through narrow corridors with various bizarre funhouse elements and numbers on the wall, which might also be found in Bobbejaanland. The only thing missing here would have been some clowns and the creep would be perfect.

On the lower floor there are some interesting rooms and effects, especially the butchery scene at the beginning has already given a girl in our group the rest. Instead of cheering her up, however, her boyfriend told her how funny the whole thing was and how much fun he had with it. Dulled as you are by some horror movies I found the rest very nicely done and quite amusing. The walk through the rooms of the maze took quite some time and showed off the park’s overall quality of doing stuff nice, when on a budget.

Rafting

In the immediate neighbourhood of the horror maze you will find the park’s rapid ride, which tells you the story of Odysseus and his ten-year odyssey. As only eight boats were in use on Rafting and the loading system is more than strange, we had to wait some “trains” until it was our turn. The rafting itself is really impressive and has a wonderful wetness level, as you can get pretty wet by the waterfalls.

Rivière Sauvage

In order to be able to really get soaked in Walygator Parc, there is also a wonderfully designed Soquet log flume Rivière Sauvage in Walygator Parc. In contrast to the one at Walibi Sud Ouest (formerly Walibi Aquitaine), there is even an outflow in the boat and the ride comfort is much better. The degree of wetness is quite good for just one drop.

Monster

As the main reason for our visit was still missing we lined up at the Monster. We were already in the station and had to wait only one more lap for our journey in the front row, however, the train braked A little bit too strongly and the whole ride went down. It took about an hour until they were ready to start a test run, but even there the train braked too hard. As we wanted to go at least once we had to wait. Since the ride operators for the day were dismissed at some point, our hope for a ride fell apart and we left the park.

Pictures Walygator Parc

Closing Words

Nevertheless, the day was not a disappointment, as we got to know a nice French theme park. Especially the design in the front area of the park can even blow you away and the shows are even recommendable. The rides of the park are great, even if the HUSS Topple Tower always stands still. Walygator Parc has a good mix of roller coasters and the world’ s worst wooden roller coaster, which is truly worth a ride.

When the Wild Mouse roller coaster arrives in the park next year, Walygator Parc will see me surely again. And I will start my day on the Monster, as I would love to ride this roller coaster at some point.

 

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Walygator Grand Est