Tag: Reverchon

An O.D. Hopkins Wonderland

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Wonderland Amusement Park

I would never have dreamed that the Wonderland Amusement Park would become my first amusement park in the USA. Few amusement park enthusiasts are familiar with it, but it is still of great importance to the industry. The former water ride specialist O.D. Hopkins was able to present his first ride here and with the Texas Tornado there is also a roller coaster from the same company in the park, which for many years even belonged to the best roller coasters in the United States. Accordingly, the park is actually a must-do, but unfortunately the city of Amarillo is off the beaten track.

Full of anticipation for the opening of the theme park in the evening I left the Palo Duro Canyon State Park in the late afternoon only to stand in front of closed gates. Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one there and more and more people are joining me. In fact, I was only a little lost in the opening hours, which is why I had to wait here for half an hour.

Even before the cash desks are occupied, the staff already start their work at the gate by serving all those who have obtained their tickets in advance. You can also buy tickets from them. I waited a little (as I didn’t want to wait close in a closed off area till the gates would open) and bought my ticket from a charming, albeit toothless old lady.

The park itself consists basically only of a Midway, where the rides are arranged to the right and left. At both ends of the way the park spreads out a little and forms with the corner around the chain plane Fiesta Swing almost an enclave. Basically, the Wonderland Amsuement Park is a classic Luna Park.

Accordingly, the entrance fee to the amusement park is quite low. The rides can be paid by the use of tickets or you can buy a wristband for unlimited rides. But here in the park there are two different variants, namely the WOW Pass and the Coca-Cola Ultimate WOW Pass, which includes mini golf, the free fall tower Drop of Fear, the roller coaster Texas Tornado and one ride on the dark ride Fantastic Journey.

As I would notice later, this wristband system is an absolute nonsense. Although I have noticed in the research for the report that I could have played minigolf for free, the surcharge is hardly worth it if you can already see from the outside that one of the main attractions would not be in operations on the day of visit.

Rainbow

Therefore, I was in search of a better mood. Practically, there’s a ride that creates a great smile without any effort: a HUSS Rainbow. I always liked this ride, when it was still in my home park. At every visit to the Heide Park, I rode it at least twenty times. After an incident at the Swedish amusement park of Liseberg, most of the rides disappeared in Europe. The Rainbow of the German Showman Klinkerfuß and the one at Serengeti Park have been preserved for some time, but since four years none of these can be found in Germany. Fortunately, the Rainbow of Serengeti Park can now be found in the Polish amusmement park Legendia.

Here in Wonderland Amusement Park the ride has been running since 1999. Unfortunately it looks a little bit run down. The ride is still a lot of fun. Due to the unnecessary seat dividers and the use of belts, the charming sliding from one side to the other one within the two-seater is no more.  Only the generous gondola decoration made in Germany reminds us of the former ease of the ride.

Scrambler

Things look much better with the all American classics, which were really in good shape, e.g. the Eli Bridge Scrambler named Scrambler. Compared to the English version of this true RCT classic, the ride in the American original is even more rustic. Who needs modern hydraulic bars when the ride itself is purely mechanical and all movements are controlled by only one motor? You can also just have a door, which you secure with a pin. Sure, the handling takes significantly longer, but who cares? It’s still the original design, like the ones in your grandparents time. Overall, the Scrambler is a great ride!

Cyclone

Our next stop on our park tour is the wild mouse Cyclone. But don’t panic, Cyclone is not a wild mouse of the 90s. The company Mack Rides was at the time of construction still completely new in roller coaster manufacturing and the Maurer AG knew nothing about their BHS takeover. Instead, this steel mouse comes from Miler Manufacturing. It was built in 1960 and since 1968 you can ride the ride here in Wonderland Amusement Park.

As soon as we have taken a seat in the car, the journey starts immediately. With outstretched legs we quickly climb the lift of the ride. After reaching the top, we immediately take the first corner, whereupon a few longer straights and wide curves are added for us to get used to. In a series of tight hairpin curves, we are pressed four times into the side wall of the car.

With momentum we enter a tight bend, which also drops slightly in the middle. After that we hit the big drop of the course in a double-down. With a lot of drive we then go to the second level of the roller coaster. After a very funny turn we are taking another straight in a sloped position. This is followed by the double ascent and descent, known from many Wild Mice, which is also visually impressive due to its location just slightly above the park’s log flume. In the front area of the course we now cross the station in another sloped straight. Two more ascents and descents await us. Thereby, we get dangerously close to the just route above us, which is a brilliant moment as we are also experiencing some airtime. Our excursion to the third level of the mouse is only of short duration. After a short left turn we immediately turn ourselves into a helix that also heralds the end of the ride. In a longer straight, the brakes are reducing the speed of the car till we reach the exit position of the ride.

The Wild Mouse coaster Cyclone is a true representative of an unfortunately much too rare roller coaster species. The American steel mouse comes astonishingly close to its wooden siblings and simply inspires with its many slopes and strange curve manoeuvres. Strangely, that there aren’t any helices being build in modern Wild Mice apart of the Bobsled Coasters by Gerstlauer…

Big Splash Log Flume

Right next to the steel mouse is the Big Splash Log Flume, which is a true budget version of the very popular Arrow logflume rides. A drop, a few curves and a very small footprint were the cornerstones for the most exciting career in the entertainment industry. O.D. Hopkins, who had previously only manufactured and marketed chairlifts, soaked the world.

The ride on the Big Splash Log Flume is relatively dry. Nevertheless, it is definitely a highlight not to be missed.

Fantastic Journey

If you are a fan of dark rides, don’t miss out a ride on the Fantastic Journey. The self-construction by the park founder Paul Roads is characterised by a multitude of great design elements and ideas, some of which have been adopted by friendly park operators from their ghost trains. The heart and soul of the park owner is truly noticeable. The numerous black light scenes, the strobo-aluminium foil room with Alien or the colliding bus at the end of the ride are just a few examples of the adventures waiting within the ride. Sadly, you can only ride the ride once with the more expensive wristband…

Mouse Trap

The big Pinfari roller coaster Mouse Trap has also been in Wonderland Amusement Park for some time and makes a very good overall impression. The ride on the big Zyclone with a front length of 64m thrills its guests by a multiplicity of slopes and helices, whereby the very high and quite slow middle part of the ride, as well as the very high end of the ride, are a little atypical. However, the ride in the tripartite trains is a lot of fun.

Tilt-a-Whirl

Right next door you can drive a true American classic, a Tilt-a-Whirl. The US version of the waltzer is characterised by its rotating seating shells and distinctive valleys, which get the wagons going and put a big smile on the cheeks of the passengers.

Rattlesnake River Raft Ride

Opposite the Mouse Trap roller coaster is the access to the Rattlesnake River Raft Ride, an O.D. Hopkins rafting ride. As with the logflume, this is the manufacturer’s prototype. To my own surprise the trip started as soon as I took a seat in the round boat as there are no belts and other safety features. The trip through the canal offers some rapids and splashing elements. But you don’t have to worry about the ride through the waterfall, here in the Wonderland Park there is only a garden sprinkler. Overall, the ride is quite interesting and worth a visit.

Pipeline Plunge and Thunder Jet Racers

Equally interesting is the American version of the dinghy slide. The Water Coaster (funnily enough a trademark of WhiteWater) Pipeline Plunge offers a very refreshing (and very wet) ride through numerous curves and turns. In addition to that, you’ll also be racing down over a few jumps. Be sure to try it out! If you are also a fan of water trips from O.D. Hopkins, there is no way around this ride.

One ride that I would have liked to try out is the almost inconspicuous looking Thunder Jet Racers (also from O.D. Hopkins). This dinghy slide offers a race on two tracks located side by side over a straight line on the ground. The dinghy are accelerated by a strong stream of water. Unluckily, this ride is for younger park guests only.

Fiesta Swing and Drop of Fear

Behind the Thunder Jet Racers there is a small park area offering the Chance Yo-Yo Fiesta Swing, a small baloon ride and one of the entrances to the free fall tower Drop of Fear. The former travelling free fall tower offers a total height of 200 ft and therefore a fantastic view at the region. None of the four lanes were in operation that day and it didn’t look like it would change in the near future. As the Drop of Fear is one of the few rides covered by the more expensive wristband this was very disappointing. I also wanted to try this rare Moser Rides free fall tower for a long time…Nevertheless, there is still hope as the ultramodern lighting system on the tower is quite new. Funnily enough, you can use the tower to display greetings and birthday wishes for a small fee.

Pirate, Himalaya and the Texas Intimidator

Friends of good rides are well served in the rear corner of the amusement park. The HUSS Pirate, the Reverchon Himalaya or the Moser Flipping Action Arm Texas Intimidator are all worth a try. The Texas Intimidator offers a beautiful and thrilling rollover ride on a minimalistic footprint and therefore should not be missed.

Hornet

The Hornet roller coaster also has a very small footprint. This Vekoma MK-700 roller coaster can look back on a proud past as it was the first of its kind. In 1988 it saw the light of day on Boblo Island near Detroit, where it was covered by a hall. After the closure of the amusement park, the ride moved to the amusement park Six Flags Astro World near Houston, where the ride was named Mayan Mindbender. After this amusement park had to be closed as well, the ride found its new home in the Wonderland Amusement Park, where it was not enclosed again.

That move actually suits the ride quite well, as the layout resembles that of a Zierer Flitzer, which you can normally find outdoors. The differences in the layout are actually rather small; the Vekoma variant has a more pronounced urge to go up- and downhill, which is especially apparent in the middle part of the ride (where the Flitzer just speeds through the curves). Thus, after climbing the lift hill, we are directly drawn into a Bavarian curve that tapers off and that at some point merges into the big drop of the layout. With a lot of momentum we pass the station before we make our way through the rear part of the ride. Shortly afterwards we change direction and race towards the ground again. Here we quickly change direction for another time, whereupon the brakes are coming closer and closer.

The Hornet roller coaster is a great family coaster, but it is a bit weaker in comparison to the much older Flitzer. Unfortunately, the Vekoma ride is a little inert due to its long train and the up- and downhill leading curves. Friends of light lateral Hangtime will definitely have their fun, as the actual target group (young kids) already does.

Spin-o-Saurus

Probably this will be also the case with the small SBF Visa roller coaster, which is currently being built behind the roller coaster Hornet. The Compact Spinning Coaster Spin-o-Saurus was purchased from a park in Florida. Unfortunately I couldn’t test this ride for you – like the HUSS Airboat, which was lying around in parts right next to it.

Shoot the Chute

As a fan of the O.D. Hopkins water rides – who would have guessed it – a ride on the Shoot the Chute had to be done. The splashing boats are just one of my favourite rides and therefore I looked forward to apply the push method learned in Japan once again.

Since I was the only passenger the ride could start immediately after free choice of place. With a total height of only 40ft the ride belongs to the rather smaller representatives of its kind. But that does not mean that it is not just as wet. Also the generated wave is just as stunning. Simply, a great ride!

Since the ride ran in two-boat operation, the second boat had to be sent off first before I could get off the ride. After saying goodbye to the operator, I made myself  on the way to the bridge to take a picture of the plunging down boat and head into security shortly after. So far so good, but Wonderland is just mean and puts a zigzag barrier in your way. In short: I was drenched.

I wonder why no other amusement park came up with the idea. The way the bridge was built, almost every former passenger will get drenched a second time. Soaking wet, without any photo and absolutely happy I spend my time at Wonderland Amusement Park until closure. Since my hotel for the evening was based in Wichita Falls, I had to change in my car. A hotel in Amarillo would have been a good choice. Thanks, Hopkins 😀 .

Texas Tornado

The biggest highlight in the park is the double looping roller coaster Texas Tornado, which can absolutely inspire with its differently constructed inversions. As so often in this theme park this roller coaster comes from O.D. Hopkins. This makes it one of only seven roller coasters ever built by the manufacturer. Of course the prototype is the one in Wonderland Amusement Park. But the train comes from PTC, which normally only build trains for wooden roller coasters – so what should go wrong?

In the test phase, where the original Hopkins trains were still used, things actually went wrong. First the train didn’t manage the Double-Up element after the first looping, whereupon the exit of it was moved some feet in the height. After this change, the train didn’t made it through the second looping, whereupon the second loop was massively reduced in size. The actual appearance of the two consecutive loops, however, was to be retained, which is why both loops now look the way they do today: they are pretty wacky.

Before we go on the ride, a short hint for all those who want to venture the ride at some point: Fat people will not fit in the coaster. Even I had the pleasure to fix my safety belt with an extension, even though I never had any problems with the usual used belt lengths on any other roller coaster. Also you only gain a few inches with the belt extension. During the second ride I managed to close the buckle without the extension. I gave up the first try after I have already changed the seat (they all are very tight).

In addition there is another rather big problem, as the first ride on every roller coaster in the park has to be done fully occupied. Since not everyone in the park has the more expensive wristband, you can sometimes wait a very long time for your ride. All attempts of animation didn’t help, which is why the visit only pays off on a day when there is a lot more going on in the park.

If, however, a journey is made, it starts immediately with a left turn out of the station. The chain lift brings you up to a height of 80ft, whereupon we dive down to the ground. With full speed we pass a long straight, in which a small bend was built in. Shortly afterwards we see the world go upside down for the first time and expose ourselves to very high G-forces at the same moment. With full force it pulls us into the looping, over the apex and into the elevated exit of it – what a great fun. In a Double-Up element you gain a little height, but unfortunately no airtime is offered. In a steep turn we pass under the Shoot the Chutes and once again experience very high G’s. After a hill the second looping follows and with it another acquaintance with the strong forces of the ride. Shortly afterwards we dive into a tunnel. Here we drive with full speed over another bend, before we head back to daylight and cross the park’s rafting ride Rattlesnake River Raft Ride in a longer straight. Shortly afterwards the ride ends at the station.

The Texas Tornado is a bomb of a roller coaster that you should definitely have experienced. The coaster offers a great ride and nearly endless pressure. Beyond that, the ride just looks stunning in its white-red-blue colouring. Basically, it’s no wonder that the roller coaster was one of the best of its kind in 1985 and still has some fans today. The double looping was on everyone’s lips back then and Hopkins planned a flawless ride that still stands out today.

Pictures Wonderland Amusement Park

Conclusion Wonderland Amusement Park

Wonderland Amusement Park is a good family-owned regional theme park with the charm of an old Luna Park. Although not much has been added over the years, the park offers a variety of really good amusement rides. The close friendship with the water ride specialist O.D. Hopkins led to a very large collection of water rides, all of which can convince. Also Wonderland Amusement Parks offers a lot of prototypes, which makes the park even more special. For me the park has been on my bucket list for a long time and I am happy to have visited it.

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Click here for the next report of the Texas Round-Up Tour

Texas Round-Up Day 1 / Wonderland Amusement Park

A park full of bees

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Parc du Bocasse

The last stop on my journey through France lies directly on the route to the ferry port of Dieppe and thus directly on my way back to England. In the small village Le Bocasse you will find the amusement park Parc du Bocasse. As so often in France, the amusement park has developed from a small restaurant. As early as 1967 the gastronome Jacques Chabaille put up some playground equipment, which was then supported by some bigger rides and the park’s first roller coaster in the 80s. When Max Chabaille took over the amusement park, not only the park grew, but also the target group of the park. In 2015, the park expanded its grounds, so that a new themed area including an entrance area could be created.

And through the elegant wooden gate we enter the amusement park. Right at the beginning of our tour of the Parc du Bocasse, we immediately notice the new orientation of the park, which is really worth seeing. Instead of alot of smaller additions, the park went bigger and more substantial. Not only do the rides here look excellent, they are also much larger than in the rest of the park.

Splash-o-Saure

The first one is the log flume Splash-o-Saure by the French manufacturer Soquet, which is more reminiscent of the ride Mami Wata from the Austrian amusement park Fantasiana Erlebnispark Strasswalchen and could therefore have come straight from Hafema.

After leaving the station, you quickly reach the first lift, which takes you up a few metres. When you arrive at the top you are turned around on a turntable in the direction of the descent, but you leave it backwards. Well moistened, you now bob along the canal for a few bends until you reach the central tower of the ride. In here you will find the vertical lift of the ride, which will take you up to the starting point of the big drop. Without any great skirmishes you go down immediately, whereupon a quite decent shower is waiting for you. After another bend you reach the station of the ride again. With a bit of bad luck you can get drenched by another boat – very similar to the old log flume Wildwasserbahn II of Heide Park. You leave the ride via a footbridge past the run-out section.

The Splash-o-Saure is a really good log flume. It is really nice to see more and more new rides from Soquet in the recent years. But before I get all sentimental, let’s take a look at an older ride from the same manufacturer, which is located on the other side of the park, which is divided by a road.

Train de la Mine

The Parc du Bocasse also has a classic Train de la Mine. The variant here, however, has a very remarkable helix right at the start of the ride, which makes the ride stand out a bit. The course is then skilfully and fluently initiated by a beautiful steep curve. On the following hill we change the direction of the ride for a short while, whereupon we enter another downhill helix. After two full turns we leave this helix again and immediately dedicate ourselves to a little bunny hop. After a tight turn below the first helix we immediately approach the terrain and follow the course of a small hollow. After a straight line and a left bend we reach the final curve of the ride, whereupon we immediately find ourselves in the station of the roller coaster.

The Train de la Mine is a very nice family roller coaster, but it lacks the more daring moments of other Soquet roller coasters. Nevertheless, the ride is a lot of fun and has an optical highlight and a really nice start due to its high-mounted helix.

Electro Spin and Flash Tower

As the French round boat slide rafting Colorad’Eau next door was unfortunately not in operation at the time of the visit, we will now turn our attention to the rides next to it. They are all made in Italy, and this also applies to almost the entire area of the park. The more exciting rides Electro Spin and Flash Tower are from Zamperla, other rides are mostly from SBF Visa.

Speedy Gonzales

In fact, the Parc du Bocasse offers an exceptionally large collection of smaller children’s rides. These are now gradually being integrated into the park’s theme-based activities, and some of them are certainly worth seeing. The small roller coaster Speedy Gonzales, which has a very compact layout in the shape of an eight, is still completely without design.

Pirate’s Plunder

In the back corner of the Parc du Bocasse amusement park, we then come across other fairly large rides, such as a Rockin’ Tug and a boat swing. There is also a simulator, as well as an interactive theatre by Alterface. Instead of the well-known western shooting, we go on a treasure hunt with a Jack Sparrow blend and get rid of skeletons. Terrific fun!

Apiland

But the biggest surprise of the amusement park awaits us in a small hall marked Apiland. What looks like a museum about bees from the outside, turns out to be a lovely dark ride inside, which just doesn’t want to end. The ride is simply outstanding for a theme park of this size.

Jurassic Twister

On the way to the exit we take the roller coaster Jurassic Twister with us, which rides like any other Zamperla spinning coaster. Shortly afterwards I’m sitting in my car again and leave the Parc du Bocasse in a very good mood. French family parks simply have what it takes 😉.

Pictures Parc du Bocasse

Conclusion Tron-Tron-Trône

A little later I am already on the ferry to England, whereupon my journey through France comes to an end. It was nice; but it was not cheap either. However, the French amusement park landscape is definitely always worth a visit. With a few exceptions, the parks are all great, the public is usually very pleasant and the rest of the country is also very relaxed; you just shouldn’t be so fooled by French people abroad. In any case, come and visit them, it’s worth it.

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Parc du Bocasse / Tron-Tron-Trône Day 9

Le King et la Foire du Trône

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Preface

Originally it was not planned to visit the Foire du Trône on a Thursday. However, as the French train company SNCF was supposed to go on strike the next day and it was therefore unclear whether and how often the Paris regional train RER would run to and from Torcy, I simply moved the planned visit to the French capital one day forward. Since it should remain dry until the evening, my first destination on this day was the Bois de Vincennes and with it a visit to the Foire du Trône.

Foire du Trône

The funfair officially opens at 12 o’clock. When I entered the square an hour later, there was naturally not much going on. Here and there there were some groups of visitors, but there was no trace of the showmen. Sometimes you didn’t even find them during the whole day. Good, in the evening it should rain. This might be reason enough for a French showman to stay away from work, but it casts an unnecessary shadow on this big event. Imagine such behaviour at a large funfair in Germany, at some point nobody would ever go there again.

Without being able to leave a great deal of money on the Foire du Trône, I was nevertheless happy to have some rides on rides that I had already had on my to-do list for some time. Only the main reason for the visit – a ride on the infamous Le King roller coaster – was to take longer. The start was made by the Jet Star roller coaster of the showman Montalétang.

Jet Star

This chic little darling from Schwarzkopf spent years in Holly Park, France, before it finally closed its doors in 2014. Prior to that, the Jet Star had stood for 24 years as Cortina Bob under the showman Steindl in Vienna’s Prater, before he ordered the Megablitz from Vekoma. In fact, the ride is the first Jet Star produced in Münsterhausen.

The ride begins with a short right-hand bend, which is immediately followed by the ride’s lift. At a height of 13m, we then pass through a rather wide bend, with the words Jet and Star on our left, briefly interrupted by the Olympic Rings on our right. With momentum we now rush down the first slope and it’ s steep! The bob-like sitting position does its best and thus provides the first moment of surprise of the ride. We whiz through the valley at full speed and immediately throw ourselves into the steep curve close to the ground, which revolutionised the roller coaster world at that time. Just below the lift hill we finish our ride and immediately start a longer ascent. Now on the second level we follow the track before the first gradient, before we say goodbye to the right and enter a Bayernkurve via a small gradient. Over hill and dale we now turn left along the front of the ride. In the following valley there is a short change of direction, whereupon we go through the back of the ride a third time. After a short left bend, we fall to the ground once more, whereupon we ride for a very long time through a right bend close to the ground, which tapers to an upward helix towards the end. This is followed by a short dip and an equally short ascent before the final downward helix awaits us. With momentum we then reach the brakes, which bring us to an unexpectedly gentle stop.

After having already tested two of the later City Jet rides, I was very excited about a ride in an original Jet Star and was very positively surprised. The ride on the meanwhile 50 year old roller coaster is simply a lot of fun due to its racy curves and the straight drop at the beginning of the ride. The ride characteristics are still indisputably great, a real Schwarzkopf roller coaster. It’s just a pity that you can’t find a roller coaster of this series on German fairs since a very long time. I would have liked to ride it much earlier. Accordingly, I would like to thank Mr. Montalétang, who recognised the gap of the Jet Star of showman Lapère at the Foire du Trône, which moved to Babyland-Amiland, and was able to close it seamlessly. A really cool move.

La Pomme and 1001 Pattes

On the way to the Jet Star, the worm of the Big Apple La Pomme of the Pouget Groupe was already smiling his way through the course, while his colleague 1001 Pattes of the showman Perc was still wrapped up in the children’s corner on the other side of the Foire du Trône. Interestingly, one worm stopped running after the other one finally revealed himself to the public in the late afternoon. Strange, but still CC+2; it’s fine with me.

Crazy Mouse

The prototype of the Reverchon spinning coaster shows itself to its potential passengers as new. The roller coaster Crazy Mouse of the showman family Degoussée not only looks good, but also performs well during the ride. As usual from the manufacturer, the second part of the ride resembles a wild merry-go-round, which becomes more and more intense in the hairpin curves. So far, so good. While after the last curve the brakes are already waiting for the passengers, the prototype goes one better: There is a bonus dip! Although this is also the end of the ride, it’s definitely a cool gimmick.

Infernal Toboggan

Another ride that started early was the roller coaster Infernal Toboggan by the showman Lapère/Roopers. This SDC Galaxy, which was built for the Belgian showman Bufkens sometime in the 80s, has been in the hands of the showman family Lapère since 1997. The ride through the compact layout with its tight support structure and seemingly endless helices scores above all through a tunnel that covers the complete second exit including the ascent. A nice ride, even though the coaster itself has seen better times.

Moonraker

In the same series, another SDC classic started up in the afternoon. After having already tested a Centrox of the same manufacturer or at least a Spanish copy at a Spanish funfair, I was now very excited about the ride on a Galactica/Moonraker – because the basic ride sequence of both rides differs from each other only in one important detail. Basically, both rides are a slightly more modern round-up, which is ridden in a sitting position and is equipped with shoulder restraints. The rotation of the gondola can therefore be variably controlled; but in general the ride is quite fast and powerful. The maximum inclination of the boom is similar to that of an Enterprise, so the ride is quite steep. The difference between both carousels is an additional function in the ride. While the nacelle of the Centrox can be moved into the horizontal position via hydraulics, the whole centre boom of the Moonraker can rotate 360°. However, this is done at a moderate speed and not against the direction of rotation of the disc, which is why there is no luffing effect similar to that of a hully gully. A third version of this ride was intended to combine the two functions, but was never built.

Although I was the only passenger during the second trip of the day, the ride on the Moonraker was really successful. The ride and the staging of it speak for themselves. The additional rotation of the boom is a welcome addition to the grandiose, albeit somewhat monotonous, pressure spectacle. It is nice that even today a showman takes the time to keep an 80s classic alive.

Le King

Le King, la montagne russe 100% français, was built by Soquet, like many other fairground coasters in the country. Most of these were looping coasters that eventually found their way abroad. Le King is different. The layout of the roller coaster, built in 1995, is very similar to the Alpina Bahn, but also sets many own accents. The intricate layout with its many steep curves promises an exciting ride, which is also advertised on countless screens. As a roller coaster fan you are of course aware of the ride’s style. It is not without reason that it is considered one of the most terrible Adrealin rides in the country, after all the shoulder bar contact is supposed to be guaranteed as high as the share of French components. And yet the train is extremely comfortable. You sit very freely. The shoulder restraint gives you a lot of leeway to the right and left; contact with it seems to be rather distant. But then the journey begins.

After a short S-bend along the sidetrack we are constantly pushed up a ramp towards the lift hill at the back of the ride. This brings us up to the starting height of 26m. After a short pre-drop we fall down a steep curve without great expectations. This is a very decent ride, but the further we go towards the valley, the more the train is inclined. In fact, we can see the approaching disaster mercilessly coming up. The moment the train starts the next ascent, we get wiped out. The following ascent with an integrated change of direction, on the other hand, is again going quite well. Arriving on the next hilltop, we have a short moment to somehow cling to the stirrup, because the next steep curve is already waiting for us. Once again we drive through the following valley with a much too high cross slope, whereupon the contact with the stirrup is established. Over a longer ramp we reach the first block brake of the ride.

Past the King logo we are pulled down once more in a curve. Here one of the worst parts of the layout awaits us. After a proper clamp, it goes up again rapidly. Following a short dip we rush down another curve against our will. Fortunately, the slope in the valleys is now a little less steep, but a series of wild curve manoeuvres awaits us now. Over several hills with integrated turns we now ride criss-cross through the ride before we dive into a tunnel. Through several containers we now go at full speed over smaller ascents, as well as a left/right turn, before we come back to daylight. After another right turn we reach the braking section of the ride and soon the station.

Le King is actually a very passable and funny roller coaster, if it weren’t for these terrible valleys. Without the constant contact with the shoulder restraints, the roller coaster would be extremely entertaining. The ride itself is quite smooth and the layout with its many curves, funny dips and the extremely fast tunnel finale is a bit strange, but not bad at all. Basically, it’s what you would expect from an oversized Soquet roller coaster. The strokes on the other hand don’t really fit to it and make you forget about any repetitive rides. Quel dommage.

Pictures Foire du Trône

Conclusion Foire du Trône

That’s it from the Foire du Trône. As mentioned at the beginning I could not ride very much on this visit. At some point I didn’t see any reason to want to ride anything anymore, although at that time the Mondial Power Maxx swings up, as well as the HUSS Pirate directly on the main row. Shortly after one of the two tagadas opened its daily business, I left the Foire du Trône.

In general, I found the Parisian funfair to be very unorganised. There is no round trip, in many places there are several rows parallel to each other. I would recommend a visit only in the late evening or at the weekend, otherwise you will find yourself in front of closed rides. Why the rides start around noon was not clear to me.

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Île-de-France / Tron-Tron-Trône Day 5 to 8