Spinning Coaster

The Gruffalo and Tiger Rock

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The changes of the past five years

The UK’s greatest theme park has been going through a period of renovation, or rather transformation, for some time now; there is no other way of explaining the changes that have taken place over the last five years – apart from last year’s Adventure Tree Carousel, no new attraction has been added to Chessington World of Aventures. For example, the Runaway Train is now the Scorpion Express, the dark ride BubbleWorks is now Gruffalo’s River Ride Adventure and the log flume Dragon Falls is now Tiger Rock. Sadly, there have also been some retirements, such as the Monorail, which used to dominate the area around the Hocus Pocus Hall and the Zoo, and the Peeking Heights Ferris Wheel.

Scorpion Express

This development started with the Runaway Train rollercoaster, which lost all the artificial rock that had so impressively decorated the ride. Although Scorpion Express now stands relatively naked in the area, it is hard to miss. A huge mechanical sculpture in the shape of a scorpion adorns the rear helix, creating all sorts of effects that make for a very fun and lively ride. There are also a number of terrariums in the queue to entertain the waiting passengers. All in all, the upgrade of the ride has been successful. In any case, a ride on the Scorpion Express is a lot of fun.

Gruffalo’s River Ride Adventure

Similarly, the squeaky duck dark ride BubbleWorks in the Transylvanian area, next to the awesome Vampire suspended coaster, was a lot of fun – let’s see what happened to it.

Originally opened as Prof Burp’s BubbleWorks, the first 15 years were spent in round boats sailing through a fizzy drink factory before Imperial Leather’s ducklings took over the dark ride. In 2014, the soap manufacturer’s sponsorship with Merlin ended and all references to the manufacturer were removed from the park. While the theme of the ride may have lasted for the time being, the design elements used did not. So a new IP was needed, and a classic children’s book was chosen to fit in easily with the theme. The last ride with the old design followed in 2016, before Gruffalo’s River Ride Adventure opened on 18.03.2017.

The ride itself offers a very healthy mix of static design elements and video projections. The atmosphere inside is now very dense; it feels like following a stream through a forest in a small boat. Each room tells a part of the first children’s book, in which the Mouse stops the Fox, the Owl and the Snake from eating him by threatening them with the Gruffalo – a hitherto fictional creature. In the following rooms, the Mouse meets the aforementioned Gruffalo, who also wants to eat him, but does not, thanks to the Mouse’s explanation that all the other animals are afraid of him. Together, the Gruffalo and the Mouse climb up the ride’s lift and then make their way to the former bathing room. There they meet the other animals, who take to their heels. This scene succeeds despite the relatively open design and retains some of its old charm thanks to some of the remaining fountains. On the way back to the station, the Mouse chases the Gruffalo away, leaving him to crack his nuts in peace.

As I am not familiar with the franchise, I will refrain from making a comparison at this point. The ride itself is once again fascinating. The mix of static design elements and video projections works very well and doesn’t seem out of place anywhere; despite the rotation of the gondola, you can actually catch it at any time. In general, the ride is now consistently well attended.

Tiger Rock

The Tiger Rock log flume, on the other hand, is much less popular, although this does not apply to the new and much larger tiger enclosure which now occupies the former open areas of the log flume. This is where most of the work has been done, as the renovation of the log flume was unfortunately not carried out. So you float through a channel that could have been re-coated and have a great view of the animals in the (at least partially) surrounding enclosure. This is a good thing, especially as the animals really do congregate in these areas and it is actually the best view from the Tiger Rock log flume, but it could have been more. The hardware of the ride contrasts with the new layout of the ride and in my opinion this is a missed opportunity. As Tiger Rock is the last remaining log flume of the group in England, it is sadly foreseeable that the ride will be closed in the next few years.

Pictures Chessington World of Adventures

Conclusion about the visit

Of the three theme parks near London, Chessington World of Adventures remains my first port of call. The three major additions of the last five years all have their place and are all either fully or largely successful. With a revamp of the Hocus Pocus Hall walkthrough already announced, we can look forward to more to come. In any case, it’s a park to include in your UK plans, especially if you’ve never been there and want to visit a theme park near London.

 

What is your opinion about Scorpion Express, Gruffalo’s River Ride Adventure and Tiger Rock at Chessington World of Adventures?  Just write it in the comment field below the report or visit our social media channels:

 

     

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Chessington - World of Adventures

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

The inclined track of Formule 1

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Parc Saint Paul

The origin of the Parc Saint Paul theme park dates back to 1978 when a small excursion destination with pony rides, boat hire and a restaurant was created on the outskirts of the village of Saint-Paul. Five years later the showman André Campion bought the site. He put a good twenty rides in the park and christened it by its now well-known name. In 1999 his son Gilles Campion took over the business. He then developed the park into a theme park. Where previously you could enter the park for free and had to pay for individual attractions, henceforth there was a uniform admission price. In the following year the Wild Train, the park’s first roller coaster, was launched. Since then, the amusement park has been characterised by an interesting selection of rides without neglecting its main target group: families with small children.

On the way to the entrance we already notice a number of children’s carousels and family-friendly rides. Most of these are from the SBF Visa Group and are of recent production. But the real attraction in this area is the staff, who not only control the entrance, but who are also available for photos. In the beginning I thought the staff was on stilts, but I was surprised to meet 2m20 tall people. One of them is Monsieur Brahim Takioullah, with 2m46 the second largest person in the world.

Aérotrain

The first roller coaster on our round course is the Aérotrain. This roller coaster from Vekoma was previously located in a shopping centre in Portugal, where it was operated as Montanha Russa until 2013. Thanks to its location and the resulting course above the visitors, the coaster is quite high. Fortunately, Gilles Campion was looking for a kind of monorail for the Parc Saint Paul, so that it could also be viewed from above, when Cedeal Rides presented him with this used ride as a proposal.

The ride on the Aérotrain begins with a short left-hand bend where the friction wheel lift joins the ride. Once you reach a height of 11m, you descend immediately. The short descent immediately changes into a left-hand bend followed by a right-hand helix. Over a very long left-hand bend we slowly increase in height again, before we reduce it again in another helix. After a longer straight line there is only a short left turn before we reach the station again. Another lap follows before the ride ends.

Even if the Aérotrain is not as fast as the air-cushion train that gave it its name, the ride is a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The ride is generally shallower than most roller skaters, making it an ideal entry-level roller coaster for the smallest park guests.

Arche de Noé

The Arche de Noé, a swing boat made by Metallbau Emmeln, is a little more exciting. This was designed to match the theme, which is why you can discover numerous animal sculptures on and around the ride. The ride itself is also very convincing with its smaller airtime moments.

Aqua Splash

Just as convincing is the Aqua Splash dinghy slide from the same manufacturer right next door. Meanwhile, we follow the path along the large lake, where some of the park’s pedal boats and the Mississippi steamship are located. Passing numerous playgrounds and a trampoline hall we reach the second roller coaster on our loop.

Mini-Mouse Cartoon

Mini-Mouse Cartoon is a very family-friendly roller coaster where a train is pushed through a series of hairpin curves. On the connecting straights there are also smaller hills, similar to those of a Wacky Worms, which loosen up the ride a bit. The ride itself, however, is very gentle. Depending on the rush you make several laps through the layout.

Téléphérique

Right next door is the Téléphérique, a seemingly harmless rail-guided cable car. But appearances are deceptive, because if you have had the idea of riding the ride with a backpack on your back, the centrifugal forces take over and you have to hold on tightly to avoid falling down. A very interesting play equipment and an even more interesting grey zone count.

Maison Foldingue

After I missed the Crazy House built by Preston & Barbieri in the Japanese amusement park Yomiuriland and in the Italian Mirabilandia due to a lack of language skills, I could finally test this bizarre ride. But the jokes and special effects of the Maison Foldingue are not really worth mentioning, as well as the ride’s sequence. A bizarre idea that will certainly go down well with children.

Souris Verte

Just like the children’s song of the Souris Verte. In the Parc Saint Paul, however, the green mouse embodies a spinning coaster made by Zamperla. Unfortunately, the ride through the familiar layout does not involve a major rotation of the gondola.

Tour Descente Extrême

Since the Wild Train roller coaster lacked the train, I unfortunately could not test this roller coaster. But next door there is another product of the former Russian company Pax, the Tour Descente Extrême, which was just waiting to be tested. The 40m high freefall tower offers a very bizarre ride, because before you can fall you are pulled forever through the magnetic brake, which takes up about half of the tower.  Because of this circumstance, the braking is also extremely rough. Ça me plait beaucoup! With the best will in the world I didn’t expect such a fall coming from Pax, it is grandiose. However, the ride itself takes its time, so it’s no wonder that you can’t find so many tower rides made by Pax.

La Pomme

Much more common, however, are roller coasters of the Big Apple type, also known as La Pomme in France. The local one comes from the Turkish company DAL Amusement Rides Company. One of the most striking features of this ride is its very present and inviting decoration, which adds a lot to the ride.

Past the Grande Roue Ferris wheel and the P’tits Lapins, we are now drawn to the rear of the park. In a mansion and its forecourt, we find many shops, the main gastronomy of the Parc Saint Paul, as well as the place of the wave swinger Chaises Aériennes, which was not yet set up at the time of our visit.

Château Hanté, Parcours 3D, Miroirs Magiques and Toi aussi deviens un Géant

Of the four walkthroughs Château Hanté is the most convincing. With its huge collection of animatronics and absolute darkness it is more frightening than many ghost trains in Germany. The Parcours 3D, on the other hand, is too short to really notice it. The Miroirs Magiques mirror cabinet and the crooked house Toi aussi deviens un Géant complete the offer.

Dino Splash

Right next door is the elaborately designed log flume Dino Splash by the manufacturer Interlink. Even the queue of the ride is surprisingly appealing and gives hope for an exciting ride.

The ride begins quite quickly with the ascent of the first lift hill. At the top we roll through a narrow left turn, before the first shot is already waiting. Over a striking double drop we descend at high speed and with shallow airtime. Well soaked we race through the run-out section before we are braked a little in the following right turn. Over a straight with some white water and a waterfall on the left hand side we are now heading for the second lift. This takes us up to 11m, whereupon a right turn follows. Shortly after that we descend the second shot with its significant dinosaur back wheel. Here we will get a proper shower, whereupon we spend the rest of the ride completely soaked. After a longer straight line past the front we reach the station of the ride and get out of this really great log flume happy and satisfied.

Safari Trip

While wood for the Wood Express roller coaster was stored in the Teen’s Party hall, park guests romped around on bumper cars, a carpet slide and the Music Express Safari Trip. The latter offers a really nice ride due to its forward and backward ride. What’s unpleasant, however, is that the carpet slide seems to be free of fools; here the park audience showed its most unpleasant side. In general, I noticed this rather negatively during the whole day, as especially a Moroccan family and birthday group really misbehaved and had to be constantly rejected by the park staff – who really acted exemplary.

In general, the staff at Parc Saint Paul is very friendly. For example, when I got stuck in the lift of the roller coaster Formule 1, as the ride unexpectedly had an emergency stop, they informed me about every step until the ride was running again. Even after the ride they apologised for the inconvenience and brought me my rucksack, because in this case I had to leave the car in the actual exit area and not in the station.

Formule 1

The ride on the somewhat different Wild Mouse Formule 1 from the manufacturer Pax begins with a very, very steep ascent, which is immediately followed by a pronounced pre-drop. Quite quickly we race through a hollow before we start the big shot ride. Over a narrow hilltop we shoot towards the ground and are lifted unexpectedly out of our seats. Over an extremely airy double-up we are then lifted up again. Following a narrow curve, the first block brake is already waiting for us.

Now the hairpin bends follow. These, however, also have a very special feature to offer. The entrance to these is always inclined outwards, while the exit is inclined inwards. A pretty wacky affair. After a total of five bends this section is over again and we enter (still inclined outwards) a U-turn. This is followed by several ups and downs, which once again lift you out of your seat. After another block area the ride becomes a bit more leisurely and so we drive across the ride with several right/left swivels. After a longer right bend, the ramp then joins the braking section. After passing through the exit area, you will reach the station shortly after and can get off the car.

The ride built by Pax was the reason for me to go to Parc Saint Paul some time ago. As there are rumours that the ride will be closed soon, a visit was unavoidable. I didn’t care if the wooden coaster Wood Express would open sometime during the season. Pax comes first. As expected the ride on Formule 1 is brute, bizarre and superb. The airtime on the ride is unparalleled and the mouse curves are simply brilliant. A really beautiful and interesting ride.

Pictures Parc Saint Paul

Conclusion Parc Saint Paul

Parc Saint Paul is a very strange amusement park. It seems conceptless and gossipy. On the other hand, however, it offers many interesting rides that are not often found in this abundance. Only the rides built by Pax are worth a visit. But I doubt whether I want to go back to the park so quickly. As the only park of my trip, the park could not really convince me. This was mainly due to its rather antisocial audience.

What are your thoughts about the French theme park Parc Saint Paul and its legendary roller coaster Formule 1? Just write it here in the comment field below the report or visit our social media channels:

          

Click here for the next report of the Tron-Tron-Trône Tour

Parc Saint Paul / Tron-Tron-Trône Day 5 to 8