Tag: Flipper

Rémy’s totally crazy adventure in Paris

itemprop="discussionURL"0

Walt Disney Studios Park

I make no secret of the fact that I always liked the Walt Disney Studios Park more than the amusement park next door. After all, the park appeals to a much more adult audience, and moreover it offers a wonderful leitmotif with the theme of movies. Now it is unfortunate that movie parks all over Europe usually do not act as such and at best only attract attention with cartoon characters, but here in Paris this would be much more difficult. Of course there are some exceptions, but most of them are not theme parks or are located in Italy. Nevertheless the Walt Disney Studios Park manages to create a homage to the film and thus manages to entertain you wonderfully.

Although my last visit was almost five years ago and not much had changed in that time, it seemed to me that the park had doubled in size. On the one hand, this is due to the well-known extensions, like the Toy Story themed area, which was still under construction at that time, and the small themed area around the Pixar film Ratatouille, but also because nothing was closed this time.

Due to Rémy and his family, the Walt Disney Studios Park is admittedly much more frequented, so that not much remains of the once countless rides on the Rock n Roller Coaster, as well as visits to the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Provided you don’t want to miss any of the other sights in this park. The word sight fits much better than just the word attraction, after all it is not only the rides, as in most other amusement parks in Europe, but especially the shows that you should not miss, at least as a first-time visitor. And it can’t hurt as an already knowledgeable park visitor to watch one or the other show again to refresh his own image.

Moteurs… Action! Stunt Show Spectacular

While I was less satisfied with the stunt show with the much too long name Moteurs… Action! Stunt Show Spectacular at the last visit, it could entertain me much better now. Although the in-between scene with Lightning McQueen and the bad guy with the “very” secret weapon as an odd gap-filler is not much more exciting than Herbie.  On the other hand, the other stunts were more than enjoyable, especially since they were not underlaid with the usual embarrassing story like in most other parks.

Studios Tram Tour

The Studios Tram Tour next door may not be a real show, but what happens during the first stopover is really worth seeing and interesting at the same time. Already at the entrance to the Disaster Canyon one notices the huge pumps that transport the required amount of water. What follows now is first and foremost very impressive, at least from a technical point of view, because the cars are shaken a little to and fro over movable floor plates, a hell of a lot of fire breaks out, which is then extinguished with significantly more water. This is certainly not a cheap pleasure, but unfortunately it is the only highlight of the tour, because after that we go all the way back past the props of rather unknown films. On the way to the other turning point you drive along the set of Reign of Fire and are entertained again with a little fire. If the film had been successful, the scene would certainly have been much more impressive, since it is better known. This is followed by the way back to the station.

The Studio Tram Tour is clearly too short as a studio tour of the Walt Disney Studios Park. Unfortunately, the film sets and props you pass by are mostly not worth mentioning and only Catastrophe Canyon is convincing. Fortunately the actual tour seems to be much longer than the now demolished original of the Hollywood Studios in Orlando.

Viewed from a distance, the tour offers another gimmick, because the backdrop including the Hollywood lettering looks impressively large. In fact, the structure consists of several smaller individual fragments, which only create the necessary depth due to the spatial separation from each other.

Armageddon – les effets speciaux

Armageddon – les effets speciaux is just as tricky, because what would a blockbuster movie be without its special effects? In principle probably too boring for most cinema-goers, which is why here you get to know a little about the history of its creation, until you then interactively participate in the pre-show or enjoy it as others do. Another film with one of the main actors of the film later, yes this show is very long, you finally get into the main show. A few insignificant effects later, finally a lot of fire shoots out of the middle of the room and the visitors can leave the show warmed up.

Cinémagique

After the homage to the special effects, we go straight to the homage to the film par excellence, namely Cinémagique, where the enemy of every cinema-goer suddenly finds himself in the film, crossing one genre after another. The film sequences shown in the process generate a rather long list of references and will certainly look very familiar to many visitors. The interplay between theatre and cinema also enhances the show and makes the simple story all the more entertaining.

Animagique

The black light show Animagique in the studio next door could actually be just as entertainingm if the show would at least focus on the Disney classics. Instead, a very child-friendly show, starring Donald Duck, is offered, which, thanks to the catchy melodies, the constant clapping of the audience and the necessary dark lighting, is more likely to put you to sleep than entertain you. A characteristic I have so far only ascribed to Europa Park, but there the shows are usually rather bad than good, Animagique admittedly has at least a few interesting scenes and an interesting concept. By the way, even more annoying than the song of the same name at the end of the show is the sound effects just before the show, which is why you should enter the building just before the show.

The Art of Disney Animation

At The Art of Disney Animation you get to know a little bit about the steps of creating an animated film. After a small preshow, in which a successful cut together of the different Disney and Pixar films is shown, you get into the main show where Mushu, the dragon from the Mulan films, takes the leading role. Through headphones you can now listen to the show in your own language, which results in Otto as the dubbing voice in the German version, or the best Frikandel joke ever in Dutch. Although this show always has the insipid aftertaste of a promotional event, at least the trailer of the current film of the Disney Animation Studios is always shown, I like the show very much.

Stitch live!

Stitch live! is similar, even though this type of interactive show outside the Dungeons by Merlin Entertainment is far too rare in Europe. Even though the show is designed for children, it provides the right amount of flat humour, especially for older viewers. The joy you feel when a person of the innocent group you have brought along is the victim of the show, before they take you instead, is just as satisfying as the proper portion of shame when only the staff makes a fool of themselves. It’s just a pity that Movie Magic hasn’t been available at Movie Park Germany for several years now.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith

Friends of good music and good roller coasters will find what they are looking for in the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster avec Aerosmith as the laser and music supported ride through the tangle of tracks within the sound stages of halls 8 and 9 is more than successful. After visiting the Tour de Force Records, you will be welcomed by the US rock band Aerosmith, after which you will wait a few minutes parallel to the launch track until you can finally get into the limousine.

Depending on the train, the experience on this roller coaster is always different. For each train, not only the lighting effects change throughout the ride, but also the associated soundtrack. Provided there is no emergency stop because someone thinks it’s great to record a shaky video of the ride with a selfiestick. Then you have a wonderful sound for the first seconds before you stand on the same spot for minutes and finally the ride takes place without sound and synchronised light show. I also didn’t find it funny when my life went in slow motion for a short moment, as a camera flew only a few centimetres past my head during the roll overs on in on the Vampire roller coaster in Walibi Belgium. Sure, it was a headchopper par excellence, but one you can do without, as well as the shaky onrides of various self-horny social media victims.

The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is and will remain an all-round successful roller coaster, which I still have trouble to let go of my list of favourites. However, the ride is very much dependent on its music, because despite the more comfortable trains, the indoor ride loses its fun as soon as it doesn’t sound, while the outdoor ride Xpress from the Dutch amusement park Walibi Holland always shows itself as a solid roller coaster and in the meantime, combined with the additional title Platform 13, additional effects can be seen as soon as you enter the queue.

Tower of Terror

The Hollywood Tower Hotel is undoubtedly the most famous Disney hotel, at least among amusement park enthusiasts and those who want to become one. Although the story of the Tower of Terror is told every time as an episode of the Twilight Zone in the hotel’s own library, many connoisseurs of the hotel are unaware that “Disney’s Tower of Terror” is also an entertaining film about the events of the evening in question.

After leaving the library, you will find yourself in the engine room, where the three service lifts are located, as the actual guest lift has understandably been out of service since that night. Once in the lift, the events of that time seem to be repeated. From the starting position the guest carrier moves backwards and is coupled with the lift technology. Once set in motion, the lift rises a few metres and stops in front of a mirror that makes you disappear. One floor down, you meet the passengers of the lift accident of yesteryear, they disappear, the corridor becomes dark and shortly afterwards you see them crash again before you crash yourself. Although you should know it, this rather small drop is always very surprising.  Much quicker than before, you now climb up to get some fresh air and enjoy the view before you hit the ground again. The same play continues a little bit more powerfully, before it goes up again to the top for the final fall.

The Tower of Terror is certainly the most elaborate vertical dark ride of our time, especially since it is not a pure freefall tower compared to the ABC Rides Towers of the Dungeons or meanwhile also other Merlin Entertainment attractions, but still offers the same forces. The ride itself is outstanding, even if the last drop always falls out of the pattern. Only the storyline with the Twilight Zone is annoying during repeat rides.

Crush’s Coaster

Comparably annoying is the waiting time on Crush’s Coaster, which is now a little slower due to the addition of a single rider line without any real benefit. Here you should ask yourself before the ride, if you’re riding alone, if you want to spend most of the waiting time in the fresh air or inside the always very warm and stuffy hall. Although the idea of a single rider line on a spinning coaster is not wrong, it shows that almost all people willing to ride are mostly two or four persons and therefore the single rider line moves forward very slowly, while you are always moving in the normal queue. Of course there is an exception, namely in the English amusement park Alton Towers in the rain, because for some strange reason the cars are loaded with only three people.

The ride is similar to a ride of the spinning racer during the evening hours, only that with this ride the rotation is already released after the lift and the track has been extended by a few meters. On this section, before the already known layout, you leave the building after a small lift for a short time in order to do a small darkride part in the interior. Although the ride is quite good it is not worth waiting more than an hour for it, especially since the Walt Disney Studios Park now offers a lot more.

Toy Story Playland

For example the Toy Story Playland with its music express Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin that offers an even more duller driving programme than the Flipper VolPaiute from the Spanish amusement park Port Aventura that is known to do its rounds in maintenance mode, the not very nice to look at Parachute Tower Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop, and the Intamin Half Pipe RC Racer.

RC Racer

Although there are not too many similarities, the RC Racer can at best be described as an oversized boat swing with a terrible capacity. Although there weren’t really many people in the queue, one waits here for half an eternity, hardly imagining what it would look like in the main season with a full waiting area. And yet the ride offers nothing exciting at all, because as soon as it has started to be a little bit of fun, it ends again. Well, this is similar to Halve Maen from the Dutch amusement park Efteling, but that ride is at least an oversized boat swing of enormous capacity.

Ratatouille L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Remy

While the Toy Story Playland is not particularly conspicuous for its rides, the area that has been available since last year is all the more attractive because we are in Paris, the city of love and above all of rats. Even if Paris is not the cleanest city, it is mainly about the rat Rémy and his family, known from the Pixar movie Ratatouille. Although it sounds like rat and patootie, it is a more than successful animated film and with Ratatouille L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Remy it has been given a worthy dark ride.

Due to time constraints we always used the Single Rider Line, because if we had to wait beyond the 75 minutes in the normal queue, we probably could have made only one single ride. On the other hand, the rows of seats for three people each have created ideal conditions for single riders, because even if this waiting area would be full, you would never be able to wait here for more than 20 minutes.

The ride

The station is located on the roofs of Paris and we are allowed to play rats. But before I act as a critic, in the sense of Anton Ego, there is a summary of the trip. After the cars have left their starting position, it seems as if they are driving around randomly. Shortly after that, however, they all drive along a narrower corridor. On the roof of the Gusteau’s, Rémy is pondering the current evening menu in his own restaurant and, oh, what a miracle, it will probably be ratatouille – a simple peasant dish served to critic Anton Ego just before the restaurant had to close.

Rémy crashes through the skylight and we slide along happily. A short tour through the kitchen of the restaurant follows, where the young cook Linguini, who actually should be a chef, helps us to escape unrecognised. The path now leads us through the pantry of the restaurant where Emile, Rémy’s brother, once again fills his stomach with grapes. Linguini is also able to successfully cover up the renewed route through the kitchen, before we are discovered in the restaurant’s dining room by Chef Skinner. Although Linguini helps us to escape quickly, Maître Skinner is always on our heels, but before he can grab us by the hand he prefers to reach into a mouse trap. We finally get to the kitchen of the restaurant La Ratatouille, which is the model for the restaurant Chez Rémy. After a small champagne shower we reach the other rats, whereupon we arrive at the final stop of our journey.

Conclusion Ratatouille L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy

Despite the admittedly very loose adaptation of the film, Ratatouille L’Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy is an extremely successful dark ride, where even after the tenth ride you would always find new details. The dynamic of the ride is as exciting as the picture, which is very sharp from all sides and which, depending on the position in front of the screens, always looks different and therefore reveals new details. Just as interesting is the point in time when you see a scene, because this way you see either a little prelude or a little postlude. It is also a significant difference if you are sitting in the first or second row of each car, because the perception of the individual scenes can differ enormously, only in the scene with the champagne cork it is an advantage if you sit in the front row, because this effect is very surprising.

So you shouldn’t miss Rémy’s totally crazy adventure, and it’s also the reason why you should definitely spend your visit to Disneyland Resort Paris in the Walt Disney Studios Park, because nowhere else in Europe you will be as well entertained on a dark ride as here.

Pictures Walt Disney Studios Park

Conclusion Walt Disney Studios Park

The Walt Disney Studios Park can convince a little bit more than the park already did because of its new perspective, mainly created by Rémy and his family. It would be nice to see if the park will be extended in the next years, so a visit to San Fransokyo in the near future would be an event I would be looking forward to years before.

 

What are your thoughts about the French movie park Walt Disney Studios Park? Just write it here in the comment field below the report or visit our social media channels:

 

          

 

Walt Disney Studios Park

Hamburger Winterdom (2014)

itemprop="discussionURL"0

Häsler’s take on Disneyland’s long gone special effects dark ride Alien Encounter is just awesome. The show ride built by the showman himself offers a great suspense and has some interesting humour attached to it. The special effects are all to the point and leave you with a big grin on your face when exiting the ride. Not as frightening is the Double Jump Tagada by the showman Petter, which has a similar effect on its riders. Overall it was a very nice Winterdom.

 

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

 

          

Hamburg

A lot of bling about Shambhala

itemprop="discussionURL"0

Port Aventura

After the Spanish resort Port Aventura, consisting of four hotels, the water park Port Aventura Caribe Aquatic Park and the theme park Port Aventura Park, was bought by the Italian Investindustrial from the Bank la Caixa, a lot has happened on the outskirts of the tourist city of Salou. Long overdue investments in the area of amusement park maintenance, as well as the expansion of the water park, bear witness to this, as do new investments in the coming years.

Compared to the last visit the amusement park Port Aventura Park was in a much better condition, which was mainly due to the only slightly scribbled trains and queues, as well as a much higher level of cleanliness in the park. But the view of the queue was clouded, after all the express entrance was used most of the time.

Although the purchase of the Express Premium wristbands was not profitable at all on the first day, after all there was a waiting time of 0 minutes at most of the attractions, it proved to be a necessary investment on the second day to avoid waiting for an average of 90 minutes. The advantage, with a few exceptions, to always pass the queue without waiting and to get your turn right away was actually worth the money, even though the 15 minutes waiting time at Dragon Khan seemed like half an eternity.

It would be wrong to say that the system is fair for everyone, but at least it is affordable for everyone. The situation is different for the food, which is simply not affordable. By not selling single tickets, you save yourself too much of a crowd at the express queues, and in addition, as a normal day passenger, if not too many people pay the extra cost of a one-way trip in the first row, you have an increased chance of a seat in that very row.

Stampida

If you stay at the Hotel Gold River, you can enter the spacious western area through its own entrance and enjoy the slightly different view of the dueling wooden coaster Stampida. Although the two tracks usually run parallel to each other, the middle part, introduced by a tunnel each, is completely different. In this part the two tracks meet each other, which is a great effect, which is sometimes enhanced by the small wooden coaster Tomahawk. The racing effect is quite distinct, which is mainly due to the well calculated track. However, the two trains should have about the same weight.

As the tracks of the ride are almost continuously bent in the wrong direction, the ride is quite special and mostly of the rougher kind, which is what a wooden roller coaster should be. The used trains are not disturbing at all, even if the bar sometimes closes quite tight.

Silver River Flume

Passing a merry-go-round, a bumper car and a beautifully designed break dance, we immediately arrive at the entrance of the Silver River Flume log flume, one of the best and strangest rides of its kind. Since you can wait here for half an eternity in a full queue, despite the very large capacity, it was always a pleasure for us to take a seat in one of the boats through the Express Pass entrance and without any waiting.

After leaving the station, the first lift hill is reached within a few metres. The following shot brings you up to the plateau on which a large part of the track leads and where the El Diablo mine train shows up from time to time. After the front side of the boat has been well moistened, a short time later a second lift takes you up to the top of the trees. Through the second slope, which now prefers to soak the rear part of the boat, you get back down to the plateau only to cover some more metres. Here you are float around for a longer time and even start to wonder how long the track actually is. Then you climb another lift and after a short turn you can start the impressive, but not wet, final. Back at ground level the track leads to the exit where you get out more or less drenched.

Furios Baco

Over a bridge with artificially attached rivet heads and along the Grand Canyon Rapids ride, which is unfortunately hardly worth mentioning although it is rather stylish, the path takes us towards the entrance area of the Port Aventura Park, where, apart from some transport rides, the catapult launch coaster Furios Baco is located. The prototype of the Wing Rider Coaster, which is definitely worth seeing, is a real wonder bag in terms of theming, but also in terms of ride characteristics. Notoriously and quite rightly the ride is considered to be a shaking machine of the more extreme kind, which at the time of our visit also cost Martin his mobile phone.

However, Furios Baco is quite rideable, as long as it is in the first row on the left inner seat, where the vibrations of the train vanish into thin air in an interesting way and the best launched coaster from Intamin shows up. It looks different on almost every other seat, where the pleasure is on a rather medium level or is only felt by people with a sadomasochistic disposition. But what is always in common is that the straight sections of the track are absolutely brilliant and the direct gradient after the launch creates a lot of airtime. No matter how much you are shaken in the curves, the Inlinetwist always provides a short moment of joy, even if another curve is passed immediately afterwards. After all, the train then goes into the final brakes and the rapid ride comes to an end.

Furios Baco is without equal a very brute roller coaster, but a very interesting and fun at the same time. The launch and inversion are rarely found in this form and should be tested during one or more rides. The storyline at the attraction is original and just as bizarre as the range of the too experienced ride characteristics. The rear part of the train on the right hand side is indeed the worst possible seat, which makes the ride oscillate strangely between “absolutely brilliant” and “absolute nuts”.

Sea Odyssea

The Sea Odyssea simulator shows similar behaviour, whereby a strong distinction must be made between the theme and the film currently running. The hardware in Port Aventura Park, as well as the general design of the ride, is on the highest possible level, but the software, i.e. the film, is no good here. Why of all places in an amusement park with a multitude of roller coasters a 4D film with a roller coaster is shown, although a water roller coaster is still missing, remains a big mystery, just as why the film, whose preshow is still shown before loading, was stopped a few years ago.

Tutuki Splash

In addition to the Kon-Tiki Wave ship’s swing, as can be found in Flamingoland, and a small children’s train, the Spillwater Tutuki Splash also shares the area known as Polynesia.

If this ride is not running at its best capacity, there is a real chance of getting wet, and this in a rather nasty way. If, however, the best possible capacity should be run, due to the high rush, then on the one hand you get a cold while waiting for the return to the station and, apart from a few drops, you hardly get wet due to the two slopes, but with a little luck the water cannons are occupied in this case.

After you have been assigned to a row in the double loading station and have boarded your boat, your journey starts quickly. After a few meters of distance you find yourself inside a volcano, whose ceiling is covered with chewing gum. After passing a second, interestingly less glued tunnel, the first shot follows. Unfortunately you hardly get wet, but this can change very quickly when you climb the first lift hill. If at the same moment, when the boat reached the beginning of the lift, a boat shows up on the slope of the second descent, you can assume that you will be showered properly from the side in the next moment. But the level of wetness is less than when the same thing happens at the spillwater La furia de Triton in Terra Mitica, Spain, where you actually get soaked down to your pants. Either you continue to climb the lift hill dry or now refreshed and moistened. Afterwards you will race towards the double drop in a turn. The double drop, however, is not quite as smooth and basically only ensures that no big waves are formed during the subsequent splashdown which could cool down the spectators on the bridge from the exit of the ride. During this drop you get at least a little wet, so that the trip can be worthwhile even without the wave from the falling boat. The subsequent shower from the cannons will then make for smiling faces on both sides.

Dragon Khan

Since last year, you can reach the two big coasters of the Port Aventura Park much faster than before through the children’s area Sesamo Aventura. At the same time the way allows completely new perspectives on the roller coaster Dragon Khan, which is now incredibly photogenic and brings movement into the picture due to the short handling time.

Although Dragon Khan was long considered to be the worst steel roller coaster for me, a lot has happened to the ride since my visit. Not only does it shine in a beautiful new colour scheme, but the ride has also not been affected by the neighbouring construction site. Without sand on the tracks, the ride still runs very brute, but this is due to the continuously high forces, which are generated by the clearly too high speed. Dragon Khan just races down the track and is not really regulated, which doesn’t really help when the block brake is released, but makes for an interesting driving experience.

After the train has climbed up the lift, after a short bend, the way goes downhill. Meanwhile the train experiences positive forces for the first time, which it doesn’t really want to give up until the block brake. Shortly before the valley you get a little bit wiped from the right and left side, which affects the ride a little bit, but supports the overall picture of the ride. Full speed ahead you go up the loop, the top of which is not at all reminiscent of a hangtime. Shortly afterwards you pass a diveloop, whereupon the hardest element of the ride awaits you with the Zero-G Roll, whose name should have a much higher number. It is easy to get in contact with the restraint during this inversion. By means of a Cobra Roll you make a turn above the final brake only to take the drive up into the block brake with full speed, which of course does not brake you, but releases you rapidly into the next curve. The following loop is much more powerful than its big counterpart within the track. Through a turn you screw yourself to a higher level and then you are turned upside down by two interlocking corkscrews. Shortly afterwards you reach the final brake and can finally take a deep breath.

Dragon Khan is one of the few rides that really demands a lot from its passengers without harming them, as long as you’re not that crazy and try to ride it permanently. Although the inversions elsewhere are even more powerful, it is the length of the track that makes the ride very stressful.

Shambhala

In the background, and unfortunately not so photogenic, the latest roller coaster Shambhala towers up. The Hyper Coaster from Bollinger & Mabillard is only the second ride of its kind in Europe, but it mercilessly lets the first, and previously highest roller coaster in Europe, sink into oblivion. Silver Star had never been a real danger to other comparable roller coasters, but Shambhala is.

The experience does not have to start positively in order to end positively. Therefore, it is advisable not to be served by certain persons when the train is being handled and to close the hanger properly from the beginning. After a short bend, the train climbs up quickly, with a much better view on the right side of the train, unless you want to look down on ugly hotel complexes and a construction site. Shortly afterwards the train descends rapidly down the 78m slope, where you have lost most of your contact with your seat, and then descend into a tunnel underneath a magnificent head chopper. This is followed by a high but hardly eventful hill, on whose descent, however, airtime appears again. The turning point is the highlight of the ride, even if the banking could be more pronounced at the top. The supports offer great head chopper effects, but these are more pronounced in the right part of the train. Back in the valley you pass a much too low speed bump and are lifted out of your seat with unusual force. Another, quite high, hill follows, whereupon you pass the most impressive element for the passers-by, the splashdown. After this, basically unspectacular straight, where you get a few drops of water in the back of the train, another hill follows over the lifthill of the neighbouring roller coaster Dragon Khan to enter a block brake. This block brake is passed again without any braking before you feel negative G-forces for the last time after a downhill turn. During the subsequent braking the rear part of the train gets its money’s worth, on the other hand it takes place quite smoothly.

Shambhala is one of the few roller coasters that actually gets better on every ride, yet Shambhala is not the best roller coaster in Europe, nor the best ride of its kind. I personally like rides like the Big One at Pleasure Beach and the GeForce Expedition at Holiday Parks more, because they not only have an insane first drop in common, but also a fun ride from the beginning. But what is interesting about the big roller coaster from Port Aventura is that it entertains you very well on every seat. Where the forces at the back are a bit rounder, the ride at the front more or less voluntarily takes your shirt off.

El Diablo

Coming from Dragon Khan, you can walk directly into the arms of El Diablo, the mine train of the park. This roller coaster from Arrow Dynamics is the last ride of its kind and one of the strangest. The track basically consists of only three lift hills, where you spend most of the ride time, and a bit of distance between them. However, these parts are quite fast, except for the second major part, which is only used to pass the maintenance buildings of the ride. The resulting views of Port Aventura Park, the two big coasters from the Chinese themed area, and the log flume further enhance the family-friendly roller coaster.

Hurakan Condor

The second supposed highlight in this area is the Giant Drop Hurakan Condor, a freefall tower with a sloped roof and several different “fall pleasures”. Whatever could go wrong with such a ride has been realised in perfection, because the tower does not only look wrong from far away, but also from close up when you see how exactly the gondolas fall. It’s strange that such a simple principle is ruined by lateral displacements, these produce a clearly noticeable bump or a little wobble in the lower part of the tower, depending on which track you have caught. Interestingly, the fall experience is accompanied by very long waiting times, which also apply to Express Pass holders, so that it was quite easy to do without several rides. The manufacturer Intamin has proven many times that size is not everything and with Hurakan Condor has created its worst tower.

El Secreto de los Mayas

Very close by is the glass labyrinth El Secreto de los Mayas, the novelty of the current season, which, like the Templo del Fuego, was not visited. While the first ride kept us from going on due to long queues, the brilliant fire show was already closed for the season.

Yucatan and Serpiente Emplumada

Not far from there, the Musik Express Yucatan is making its rounds, which made for a good squeezing session at unfortunately only medium speed, of course to the delight of the other onlookers. The Schwarzkopf Sombrero Serpiente Emplumada, whose ride is not only ideal for a dry spin, is a completely different pleasure. This ride, which can best be described as a mixture of a polyp and take off, is always worth a ride, if you are not unlucky and have queued up at the beginning of the boarding.

VolPaiute

However, the loading procedure is still halfway reasonable, a feature that Flipper VolPaiute cannot offer. Although there are two people working here, it is hardly possible to board the gondola on your own, because here the loading of each individual gondola is called to the gondola after some waiting time so that it can be dispatched. The whole spectacle lasts for several minutes, a period of time when one could have ridden at least three times the Flipper of Heide Park. Of course, there might have been a risk in closing the HUSS bars on their own, but then it could have been solved like the HUSS Magic at Walibi Holland. The ride itself is boring and as soon as you think the ride is going to accelerate, it ends.

Tomahawk

Opposite the still best animatronics of all times is the entrance to the wooden roller coaster Tomahawk. This children’s roller coaster is used by the small PTC trains, which unfortunately leads to a low capacity, as only one adult fits in one row of seats. The ride is quite wild and has some daring curves, but it runs on the best level, making the ride an ideal entry-level roller coaster.

Conclusion Port Aventura

Port Aventura is, to my own surprise, a much better park than I remember. Although the attractions themselves may not always be 100% convincing, the overall offer is coherent. Totally adapted to the Spanish preferences the park presents a large number of shows that you can watch as you like and without regretting it afterwards. Nevertheless Port Aventura is not the park you should visit every year, because there is still a lot of room for improvement and the offer is not yet mature enough, although this year increased amounts of money were invested in the resort.

 

What is your opinion about the Spanish theme park Port Aventura Park? Just write it here below the report in the comment field or visit our social media channels:

 

          

Port Aventura