Hansa Park
Superrollercoaster Nessie
If you enter Hansa Park through the, once again grown, themed area Hanse in Europe, the first attraction you will come across, apart from a small carousel, is the Superrollercoaster Nessie, in the following simply called Nessie. Opened in 1980, the Schwarzkopf roller coaster is not only the first stationary roller coaster with a loop in Germany, but also one of the two entry level coasters par excellence in Northern Germany.
But Nessie is not as harmless as it seems from the outside, because the power Nessie shows during the ride is so much more impressive than some South German Megacoasters. Here not only the looping is done as it should be, you also feel one of the most distinct airtime moments of a roller coaster in Germany, at least in the back part of the train.
Dünenexpress Rasender Roland
In the direct vicinity or below and above Nessie the dune express Rasender Roland does its rounds. This children’s roller coaster made by Vekoma is an ideal, even if somewhat borderline, beginner’s roller coaster. Unfortunately the slightly longer roller skater doesn’t have any single bars, which have a positive effect on the ride comfort and don’t have such a huge play as the standard bars.
Space Race
Somewhat more hidden at the edge of the park is the indoor bumper car Space Race, a very unusual, even special ride of this type. During the ride you have to drive to single planets and collect them by buzzer in the car. During the game the time is measured and the fastest player wins the race.
Wellenreiter
Next to the space race building is the HUSS Troika Wellenreiter. The ride is fast, although slightly monotonous and is enhanced by the clearance gauge which is used to the limit. The ride, which was repainted last year, raises the hope that other rides like the log flume or Nessie can shine in new splendor some day.
Baracuda Slide
Placed in the middle of nowhere is the wave slide Baracuda Slide from Dutch production. If you don’t want to duel, a ride for two is recommended, as you can take off quite well with the rubber dinghy. It would be nice to see if this ride is not the only one far and wide anymore and if necessary crosses with a wooden roller coaster, because if you want to follow a trend then please follow it.
Crazy Mine
The Wild Mouse Crazy Mine from Maurer Söhne, which has dedicated itself here to the leading theme of a wild mine ride, is a remarkable ride, but it has suffered some losses over time. The ride was not lost, only the increased safety devices, be it the stairs or the sign warning of the first nasty brake, make the ride look overloaded and by no means as harmonious as before.
Schlange von Midgard
Where last year there was a construction site, the Schlange von Midgard now presents itself in a harmonious overall picture. The ride built by Gerstlauer is absolutely convincing and will be upgraded again thanks to the waterfall. The story itself in its completed version is by far not so annoying anymore, but still capacity reducing. The snake animatronic, or whatever it is supposed to be, in the outdoor area should be removed, after all it doesn’t fit into the overall picture, neither in terms of quality nor for story reasons.
Torre del Mar
The Torre del Mar, which unfortunately trumps the neighboring elevator from Maurer Söhne, is a ride that for years I could describe as boring at best, unless you reverse it. But now the taste seems to have developed in a way that I consider the ride as good, although nothing has changed at all. The fading away of the Star Flyer concept from Funtime in Europe may have a positive effect on it.
Power Tower Montezuma
The Power Tower Montezuma has been given a new ride program this year, but the soundtrack is also different now. The forces during the ride are now much more pronounced, which was really good for the prototype. Although the ride before was also much better than the ride of the Power Tower El Desafio from Isla Magica, Spain, the gap now became even larger.
Rio Dorado
Rio Dorado is the largest version of a White Water West spinning raft ride in the park, and luckily it’s a beautiful design. The ride itself offers besides a foot massage, at the beginning and at the end of the ride, a nice long slide part, where you can also achieve a distinct turn if you have a good load, and a rafting part towards the end of the ride, where now one of the cannons is regularly fired and with a little luck moistens some passengers.
Fluch von Novgorod
The reason for many amusement park fans to come to Hansa-Park lies in the Russian section of Hansa Park and is called Fluch von Novgorod. On the day of the visit there were only three cars in operation, so the queue was quite long. Because of the really bad rearrangement of the rows, the cars didn’t move at all for some minutes.
The ride on Fluch von Novgorod begins with a little serenade by the ghost Rurik, which is quickly memorized as a catchy tune during several rides. Then follows another room where you get acquainted with the seal of the wolf, after which you are let loose on the following roller coaster part of Fluch von Novgorod. After a 90° drop follows the launch, which is astonishingly powerful for LSM, whereupon you leave the building in a curve and experience well dosed airtime on the hill, which is more intense in the first row. The bay knot is the most uncomfortable part of the ride on Fluch von Novgorod, as you often get to know the shoulder restraints. This element leads into a perfect heartlineroll. After a brake, you climb the 90° steep lifthill, where you are stopped only to find out that Volkov is still alive and then fall 97°. After a steep bend, the braking follows bit by bit, only to climb back up to station level and be laughed at by a scarecrow, one of the few effects that still work.
The Fluch von Novgorod is a good roller coaster, but nothing more. The story the ride tries to tell is well done, but leaves an open end, which isn’t really satisfying. The way to the exit of the Fluch von Novgorod shows a slide and a labyrinth, where most passers-by get scared by somebody simply standing around.
El Paso Express
Back in daylight, you have to get used to the theme, as you are now in Mexico. Here you will find the BHS Metroliner El Paso Express in the direct vicinity of the shop. The ride in a double bavarian curve takes a lot of getting used to when the cars are folded up, but otherwise it is a lot of fun. The little Mexican jokes were unfortunately not available on the day of the visit.
This year, the Arena Plaza del Mar is the venue for the Variety Show City Dreams 2012, which, in contrast to Phantasialand or Europa-Park, did not try to make me fall asleep or managed to do so. The show basically consists of only four acts, two of which are so similar that it’s better to do without one. Especially worth mentioning are the Chinese artists, who performed on two pillars in their first number and jumped through rings in the second number.
Wildwasserbahn
The park’s log flume Wildwasserbahn has been given an optical innovation, but not during the actual ride. At the exit of the ride in need of renovation there is now an inviting lounge instead of a single photo sale. It is still there, but in a much smaller and more attractive version. At the same time the photo quality in the whole park was raised.
Super Splash
A bit off the beaten track, the Super Splash water ride awaits its passengers. This ride is to be redesigned in the near future and so you can already discover first hints for the later design. The ride itself is simply outstanding and can be very wet if the boats are loaded correctly. This is something you unfortunately rarely find in Europe.
Fliegender Hai
The Fliegender Hai is one of the unfortunately rare HUSS Rangers. This year, the ride has been slightly modified and so the first change of direction will be initiated a bit earlier. The following part of the ride is full of somersaults and the softer stirrups are very convincing.
Navajo Trail
One of the reasons to visit Hansa Park is the Navajo Trail. As a high ropes course, it rounds off Hansa Park’s offerings and is quite convincing due to its length, but not necessarily due to its degree of difficulty.
Spanische Glocke
Very rarely and once again defective, the Schwarzkopf Dschunke Stumvogel shows up to the public. In a similar way the Spanische Glocke presented itself as functional later in the day, because the podium, which is used for getting in and out, did not allow a safe step. The Spanische Glocke itself is a really good swing, as both the rotation and swing were perfectly coordinated. Although the ride feeling doesn’t come close to a Zamperla Giant Discovery and is more comparable to a Mondial Revolution, it is better than the counterpart from HUSS which is not particularly difficult.
Pictures Hansa Park 2008 – 2012
Conclusion Hansa Park
Hansa Park has managed to please again this year, even though the entrance fee has increased once again. It would be nicer and also more appropriate if the prices were on a similar level as at Nigloland in France, which has a similar offer, but for that you would have to travel two years into the past. Should the park in the distant future have completed all its projects and maintain the rides as well as its green areas, Hansa Park can certainly become one of the best parks in Europe.
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