Lots to do in Energylandia

Energylandia

Little Kids Zone, Family Zone & Extreme Zone

When Energylandia opened in 2014, it was by no means foreseeable how rapidly the park would develop in the following years. What initially appeared to be a collection of numerous rides straight out of the Italian car bootleg, complete with a cheap and hackneyed design, has fortunately quickly blossomed into a very respectable theme park thanks to European funding.

The park’s beginnings can be seen – at least in part – in the three children’s rollercoasters Circus, Frutti Loop and Mars, none of which are anything special, as well as the Pyramid 7D cinema and the Space Gun and Space Booster rides in front of it. Despite the numerous measures taken by the theme park, the corner of the park looks rather cheap and not at all attractive.

Speed

Past the SBF Visa Happy Loops Spinning Coaster and the entrance to the Energylandia water park, the route now leads us straight to the Intamin water coaster Speed.

Once you have left the long queue behind you, the ride can begin. As the ride’s vertical lift is still a long way off, we bob along the canal for a while, whereby, interestingly enough, a pretty good whitewater feeling is created here, with the waves almost hitting the boat again and again and making us literally jerk away from the water droplets that are whirled up. As soon as we reach the lift, we quickly get to the starting height of 60 metres. With the best view of the park, we’re soon pushed over the crest. On the following 45° gradient, we gain a lot of momentum and immediately whizz through the first water basin and over a hill with hardly any braking. Here we take off a little before throwing ourselves into a fast Bavarian bend. Hoping to lose a little speed through the following block area, we now pass through it without any braking effect and are then released into a right-hand bend. A brisk downhill helix follows, but then turns into a hill, which introduces the final shot of the ride. Well soaked, we are released back into the canal and reach the station shortly afterwards.

As with Divertical at Mirabilandia, the ride on the Intamin Water Coaster Speed is really impressive. However, I don’t recommend anyone to attempt a ride in late autumn, as the ride can turn out to be a little wetter than expected and the full-body dryers in the park can’t really dry you out.

Jungle Adventure

From the exit of the Speed rollercoaster, it is not far to the station of the Intamin Rapids Ride Jungle Adventure, but once again the park has built a very long queue, the entrance to which is unfortunately on the completely opposite side. The ride itself is quite fast, but unfortunately, with the exception of a few rapids, very uneventful.

RMF Dragon

When the Danish Fårup Sommerland opened the Orkanen roller coaster, the amazement was huge. The layout, which was specially designed for the park, was built on a lake and dives into a tunnel directly after the first drop, while the rest of the ride route runs largely close to the ground and over the lake. When Energylandia copied the layout, a large pool was built and the ride in Zator did not dispense with the tunnel either.

Here too, the first drop leads us directly into a tunnel, with the entrance modelled on a dragon’s mouth. Back on the surface, the route leads us smoothly through an overbanked turn and over a small speed bump, which leads us into a wide helix. We immediately cross the station building, only to end up in another helix on the other side. A compact right-hand bend then leads us into a small dip, whereupon we enter the station building after another bend and our extremely entertaining ride unfortunately comes to an end.

Formula

One of the most important milestones of the Energylandia theme park is the small Formula launch coaster. After leaving the station, we immediately enter the launch track, where we accelerate to 80 km/h after a short stop. We then enter the large Sidewinder with plenty of pressure, which we then exit in a curve close to the ground. This then leads us over an airtime hill and immediately into the second inversion of the ride – a corkscrew. We also leave this in a curve close to the ground. After a short turn to the left, corkscrew no. 2 immediately follows, which leads us into a Bavarian curve. From then on, we make our way over hill and dale, before we reach the braking section shortly afterwards and our ride on this cream of the crop from Vekoma comes to an end.

Anaconda

Intamin Spillwater lives from its design. Here in Energylandia, the ride is completely naked in the area. Thanks to the eternally long queue, which once again starts at the other end of the ride, you also have a very good view of the ride’s supporting structure. As the manufacturer’s standard model, the ride offers two shots and a fairly modest level of wetness overall.

Mayan

The ride through the tried-and-tested SLC layout with the roll-over, sidewinder and the two inline twists is really impressive, which is mainly due to the modern trains and the resulting smooth ride – the Mayan roller coaster therefore shows in a very pleasant way that Vekoma suspended looping coasters are not bad roller coasters from the ground up.

Aztek Swing und Apocalypto

The Aztek Swing and Apocalypto rides were also opened in the theme park’s first year of operation and therefore hardly fit in thematically with the theme park. While the Aztek Swing is more popular, the small Top Spin Apocalypto is rarely used, which is simply because it can be easily overlooked.

Viking

The SBF Visa roller coaster Viking is a bottomless cheek; whoever came up with the idea of fitting a simple Crazy Mouse roller coaster with a over-the-shoulder restraint deserves to have to ride this roller coaster for eternity. Everyone else should avoid riding this rollercoaster.

Boomerang

The Boomerang family roller coaster impresses above all with its curves close to the ground and the small hill above the station. The layout itself resembles a figure of eight, with the two ends running over the loops.

After riding backwards up the lift hill, we descend rapidly and then go full throttle through the station. This is followed by a left-hand bend close to the ground and the aforementioned hill over the station, where a slight airtime sets in. After a right-hand bend under the lift hill, there is a hill over the first bend, which has a small bump in the middle. Here we come to a standstill, whereupon the reverse journey begins. A little more leisurely than before, we now make our way back to the station, where the rather pleasant ride comes to an end.

Atlantis, Splash Battle und Toffifee Gold Mine

Directly opposite the Boomerang children’s rollercoaster is the SBF Visa Rafting Atlantis, which – with the exception of a few tame rapids – is more like a calm water ride. Right next door, there are two more water rides with a much higher degree of wetness: Splash Battle and the Toffifee Gold Mine log flume.

Śmiejżelki Energuś

The family roller coaster Śmiejżelki Energuś is located directly at the entrance to the theme park. After a short curve and the subsequent lift hill, we immediately take a steep curve with a subsequent upward helix to the left, pass through a short valley and then ride through a wide right-hand curve near the station. Over a hill, we cross the route we have just travelled, whereupon we lose some height in another helix. This is followed by a left-hand bend, after which the braking section awaits. After one lap, the ride is already over.

Hyperion

The Hyperion roller coaster, which runs prominently alongside the theme park’s car park, characterises Energylandia like no other roller coaster. The Hyper Coaster from Intamin impresses with its 77 metres in height and the large out & back layout, which becomes more twisted towards the end of the ride.

The ride on Hyperion begins with the fairly fast lift hill, after which we immediately take on a descent of 82 metres. This is followed by two wonderful airtime hills, where we turn to the side on the crest of the second one and initiate the oversized dive drop. The rest of the route then takes us over several hills close to the ground before we take on another airtime hill. From then on, the route leads us through a large overbanked turn and immediately through a series of hills and curves close to the ground. With plenty of steam, we then race over another classic airtime hill before we are led into the braking section after a climb.

Hyperion is a really good roller coaster, which is characterised above all by the curves close to the ground after the big dive drop. The ride is extremely fast and – with the exception of the rear outside seats, which have an interesting swinging behaviour – absolutely worth experiencing.

Dragon Zone

The Dragon Zone is a medieval themed area on the other side of the access road to the theme park, which can be reached via a tunnel. In addition to the two family roller coasters Draken and Frida, the park’s large Ferris wheel and the RMC hybrid roller coaster Zadra are also located here.

Frida

The Dragon Zone also has its family roller coaster from Vekoma. However, the layout itself is unique in Europe, even though it is one of the most frequently copied Dutch-made installations and was built a total of 16 times in 2017 alone. The major customer in this case is the French company Carrefour, which ordered the rides for its Transmart shopping centres in Indonesia.

As in East Asia, the route first takes us to a height of 13 metres, whereupon we hurtle down a steep bend. This is immediately followed by a wide helix to the right, which then turns into an equally wide helix to the left. After a short turn to the right and a short turn to the left, we immediately find ourselves in the station of the ride. This is followed by a second lap on the family roller coaster, which is quite nice overall.

Zadra

The Zadra roller coaster is the largest roller coaster built by RMC to date. While many of the IBox Track Coasters have breathed new life into existing wooden roller coasters, Zadra is a completely new installation. Accordingly, the ride is more comparable to the Goliath roller coaster from the American theme park Six Flags Great America.

After climbing the 62.8 metre high lift hill, we are ready to go. With plenty of momentum, we are pulled towards the ground and immediately over a wave close to the ground. After a steep curve, the path leads us back towards the lift hill and immediately into the Zero-G stall, where we remain upside down for a few seconds and experience a very fine feeling of weightlessness. Back in an upright sitting position, the path immediately leads us behind the station, where we are first turned 90° to the right in an airtime hill before exiting it in a left turn. After a right-hand bend close to the ground, a classic airtime hill follows, which allows us to skilfully glide out of the seat. Shortly afterwards, we dive into the rafters in a zero-G roll. A steep turn is immediately followed by two smaller airtime bumps. A short turn then takes us to the other side of the wooden structure, where another zero-G roll awaits us. Shortly afterwards, we reach the braking section of the ride.

Zadra is a really good rollercoaster, although it is surprisingly gentle by RMC standards. Instead of being mercilessly sent from one airtime hill to the next at a rapid pace, the ride takes much more time – the pacing of the ride is therefore not quite as insane as on other rides, which also makes the ride itself feel much more rounded. It is a pleasure to get on here again and again, although this is made much more difficult if the shortcut at the lockers is closed during the course of the day and you have to walk through the overly long queue again as a result.

Aqualantis

The Aqualantis themed area shows once again how well Energylandia can realise themed areas when they try. In addition to a large number of rides from Zamperla, including the Disk’o Coaster Tidal Wave Twister, the area is particularly impressive with its two roller coasters Ekipa Light Explorers and Abyssus.

Ekipa Light Explorers

As every type of rollercoaster at Energylandia has to be built at least twice, there is also a Family Boomerang from the manufacturer Vekoma in this area. While the Boomerang roller coaster is rather compact, the track on Ekipa Light Exploreres takes you across the lake, with several small turns along the way.

Abyssus

Abyssus is basically the same roller coaster as Formula, only longer and bigger. After a rather leisurely launch, the track immediately leads us into a right-hand bend and over numerous turns with small airtime moments and wonderfully smooth curve changes before we reach the actual launch section. Here we are accelerated to the maximum speed of 100 km/h. We immediately ride up an interesting-looking hill, on the top of which we experience some really great airtime. Unfortunately, the descent is a little trimmed. Nevertheless, we cross the subsequent valley with a lot of pressure, as well as the following loop. An extremely fast right-hand bend then leads us into an airtime hill, whereupon the prominently placed Batwing at the entrance to the ride is initiated. This is travelled through very quickly and is the highlight of the ride. After a large turn and an airtime hill, a fairly flat corkscrew follows, which then leads us into a heavily banked airtime hill. After a fairly fast helix, there is one last quick turn, which then leads us into the braking section of the ride.

Abyssus is a really fine rollercoaster with a great layout and a very long track. Unfortunately, however, the ride is located at the very end of the theme park in a cul-de-sac, which will only be resolved at some point by the candy-themed area that has been under construction for years. As a result, you might want to think twice about whether you actually want to take the long walk to the rollercoaster or whether you would rather take a ride or two on Hyperion and Zadra.

Pictures Energylandia

Conclusion Energylandia

Energylandia is quite a pleasant theme park and home to many attractions. Accordingly, my image of the park is not necessarily the best, as apart from the very good roller coasters Abyssus, Formula, Hyperion and Zadra, there is also a lot of junk around. Two more roller coasters are currently being built, one of which will once again be a family roller coaster by Vekoma. The large number of very similar roller coasters does the park no favours, nor do the very extensive grounds and the miserably long queues. In addition, the division of the theme park into two parts creates a less homogeneous overall impression.


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Everything new at Freizeit-Land Geiselwind

A lot has happened since my last visit to Freizeit-Land Geiselwind. In 2016, the animal and amusement park was taken over by showman Mathias Mölter and has been steadily expanding ever since. Interestingly, the charming funfair is developing more and more into a theme park as more and more funfair rides are added.

Verrückte Farm

It all starts with the nice children’s area right at the entrance. The crazy farm is home to the Doggy Dog children’s roller coaster, a classic Big Apple.

Freizeit-Land

The charm of the old amusement park can still be discovered today in Freizeit-Land. Most of the rides have been given new names, and the Shot ‘n’ Drop Tower T-Rex Tower has been completely re-themed with an artificial volcano, from whose crater you are now ejected.

Drachenbucht

Wo früher noch Autos parkten, befindet sich heutzutage der Themenbereich Drachenbucht. Der weitläufige Themenbereich bietet fernöstlichen Charme, ohne dabei allzu kitschig zu wirken. Hauptattraktion hier sind die SBF Visa Frisbee Auge des Drachen, der überaus kurzweilige Walkthrough Meister Ling’s magisches Labyrinth (Master Ling’s magical maze) und die Drachenhöhle.

Drachen Höhle

Die Drachenhöhle ist die ehemalige Black Hole des Schaustellers Schierenbeck. Der Hell Diver aus dem Hause Zierer ist mit seiner rasanten Achterbahnfahrt in den kleinen Bobs auch heute ein wahres Highlight und sollte deshalb keineswegs ausgelassen werden.

Land der Piraten

The Land of the Pirates used to be home to the theme park’s terrific HUSS corner, where you could experience a variety of classic rides from the HUSS company. Today, the main attraction here is Jack’s Versteck (Jack’s Hideout)- a huge funhouse, as well as a variety of well-themed rides. Unfortunately, however, the new Bounty ship swing doesn’t really fit in here.

Fluch des Kraken

The world record roller coaster Boomerang now also belongs to this area. The ride, now known as Fluch des Kraken (Curse of the Kraken), convinces with a coherent overall concept and the still magnificent ride characteristics. Personally, however, I think it’s a shame that the original design has been thrown overboard, because it was actually very successful. It’s a pity that an Australian themed area didn’t fit into the concept of the theme park.

Safari

At the back of the Freizeit-Land, in the middle of the forest, is the Safari themed area. Here you will find a number of children’s rides, the great horror walkthrough Dr Lehmann Horror Lazarett, and the roller coaster Taka Waka.

Taka Waka

The roller coaster that sounds confusingly similar to Tiki Waka from Walibi Belgium is a cyclone coaster from SBF Visa. The medium-sized roller coaster offers a classic Figure 8 design based on the Pinfari model, with several smaller drops and a large number of helices, as well as rather rough brakes. The ride is not worth mentioning and looks outdated despite its fairly recent construction.

Forbidden Kingdoms

The newest themed area is the Forbidden Kingdom. This area is home to the Cobra roller coaster, as well as the Merlin sling shot and the Ramses walkthrough (the former Tal der Könige by showman Bügler). The theme area’s focus is a mishmash of all kinds of adventures, be it in mystical England, the ancient Egyptians or someplace in the jungle. Surprisingly, the concept works and the Forbidden Kingdoms proves to be an extremely coherent themed area.

Merlin

The undisputed main attraction of this themed area is Merlin – a Sling Shot from Funtime. The ride catapults two brave passengers to lofty heights, where they then experience several somersaults. The ride is absolutely breathtaking and definitely a recommendation for anyone who wants to brave the rather short (yet very long) queue.

For me, it was the first Sling Shot. Although I have already stumbled across many rides of this kind, the high price of the attractions, which are usually operated as up-charges, was never worth it to me. Here at Freizeit-Land Geiselwind, however, the ride is included in the park ticket, just like at Skyline Park, and is therefore a must for every amusement park fan. The ride, which seems quite extreme, is simply a great and surprisingly gentle experience in the end.

Pictures Freizeit-Land Geiselwind

Conclusion Freizeit-Land Geiselwind

Freizeit-Land Geiselwind has changed considerably. Although it was much emptier during my visit this year than during my first visit, I spent much more time in the park. Nowadays, there is something to discover around every corner, and sometimes you even come across attractions that you hadn’t even thought of before and which you really want to try out. Especially the self-built walkthroughs are all worth a visit. A visit is therefore definitely worthwhile, especially as the next few years will certainly offer one or two more surprises.

 

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Red Force Alert

Ferrari Land

After the Caribe Aquatic Park in 2002, Port Aventura Resort expanded once again in 2017 with the Ferrari Land theme park. In the tradition of many European second gate parks, the offer here was also very limited at the beginning. The addition of a children’s area the following year significantly expanded the range of attractions for families.  

Red Force

The park’s main attraction is the Red Force launch coaster by Intamin. The 112-metre-high roller coaster towers over the Port Aventura Resort and thus captivates everyone in its immediate vicinity and, unfortunately, draws them into its queue. Shortly before the attraction went into operation, the queue was already completely full and stretched over the course of the day to below the top hat of the ride, which corresponded to a waiting time of over three hours.

I myself was only in the official queue and therefore had to spend about an hour in it. As soon as I took my seat in the twelve-passenger train, the ride started. Once out of the station, the train starts to accelerate and it becomes increasingly uncomfortable. The train then climbs up the Top Hat with a brute force and immediately descends again, but without the spiral during the descent of the two preceeding Accelerator Coasters, Top Thrill Dragster and Kingda Ka. At full speed, you soon hit the brakes and after a short uphill section, you come to a stop again.

Red Force is a very short, but damn good roller coaster. Here, as the speed increases, you notice the forces acting on the train before it reaches a height of 112 m, which is extremely impressive, especially in comparison to the Shambhala roller coaster in Port Aventura Park – currently the third-highest roller coaster in Europe with a height of 76 m. The descent and the final rush of speed also provide sufficient endorphins so that you leave the ride extremely happy. Regrettably, however, at this point another ride on the roller coaster was out of the question, unless you buy the expensive Express Pass for Ferrari Land, which gives you one-time access to the 4 ½ main attractions.

Junior Red Force

As impressive as the Red Force roller coaster is, the Race Coaster Junior Red Force from the SBF Visa Group is not. The ride in the small roller coaster offers basically nothing apart from a tapering downward spiral and a brute upward curve. Sure, the setting of the children’s coaster in the inner courtyard of the much larger Red Force is very nice, but that’s about it.

Miscellaneous

As it was getting increasingly crowded, I didn’t test any other attraction in Ferrari Land apart from the two roller coasters. The Flying Theatre Flying Dreams and the Racing Legends simulator ride would have been of particular interest here. In addition to a handful of children’s rides, the very nice-looking car ride Maranello Grand Race and the two S&S towers of the Thrill Towers (one Space Shot and one Turbo Drop) complete the contemplative offer.

Pictures Ferrari Land

Conclusion Ferrari Land

Ferrari Land is not a theme park where you would spend more than one or two hours, but you have to in high summer thanks to the low capacity of the rides. Overall, the entire amusement park is more like a themed area of the amusement park next door, which offers an extremely immersive experience in this respect. But as a stand-alone theme park, the park simply lacks what it has to offer.

Sure, Red Force is good and the Flying Theatre and the simulator are probably very nice, but that’s about it. The Ferrari theme is also extremely specific, which will certainly appeal to one or two visitors to the Costa Dorada, but unlike Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, you’re not standing right next to a race track here. It will be interesting to see how the park develops.

 

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