VR

Choose your own fury

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Preface

My last visit to Bobbejaanland was ages ago. During that time, many things changed. Some of them were small things, like the name change of the roller coaster Dizz to Naga Bay in 2017 to better fit the theme of the immersive tunnel Forbidden Caves next door. An interesting choice when considering that Forbidden Caves already became obsolete shortly after its opening in 2015 – with this years novelty Fury and its theme area Land of Legends, Naga Bay serves as a connection between the two areas, which is just fine. In the meantime Bobbejaanland sold their HUSS Fly Away to a small french theme park, teamed up with Samsung VR to offer with Mount Mara a new and exiting ride on the roller coaster Revolution – which apart of the low resolution does a fantastic job to the old ride – and the wind energy turbine next to Bobbejaanland was removed.

Land of Legends

The Land of Legends truly sounds more legendary as it is. The theme area consist of an unappealing long queue line for the roller coaster Typhoon – which got a new paint job –, a new queue line for the HUSS Giant Frisbee Slegdehammer – whose ride has been significantly enhanced by the sight of a novelty suddenly appearing underneath –, a water playground and the roller coaster Fury. Apart of Fury, which has a never seen before feature on a roller coaster, nothing stands out. In my opinion, the Land of Legends looks cheap and plastic. Of course we have the obligatory music by IMAsore, like all the other European theme parks.

Fury

Fury itself is a reasonably large ride with some exiting and interesting elements, which can be ridden forwards or backwards. The ride gives you a choice if you want so. If you really need to ride Fury forwards, you also have the choice to wait slightly longer in line and use the queue to the left in the station. If you want to be surprised by the choice of all the other people in the train and want to take part in a small poll, keep to the right. After boarding feel free to push whichever button you like and enjoy the turntable of destiny shortly after leaving the station.

Turned into position, the ride starts with its first launch in direction of the Top Hat. It then passes the same launch track in reverse, whereupon the Scorpion Tail Jr. element follows. This is basically a slightly overbanked vertical slope, where the train loses momentum whilst the riders hang upside down for a moment. After the third launch the train passes over the Top Hat with a very small pinch of airtime and suddenly drops down in a twisty motion. At full speed, the train climbs up a giant corkscrew, where the exit of the element ressembles a Banana Roll. You basically leave the element with a change in direction. Over a hill, the train then plunges down into the entrance of a very forceful loop. After the looping, the train enters the final valley. Similar to the beginning of the ride, the train changes speed in three stages. In the first one, we climb the second Scorpion Tail Jr. element and change direction. With reduced speed we now travel across the braking track and climb the exit of the loop for some meters. When entering the braking track for the third time, the train stops on the adjacent turntable. Back in position, the train enters the station and the ride comes to a finish.

Fury is definitely a nice Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster. It fits well into the ride portfolio of Bobbejaanland and complements it. The ride itself is very family-friendly, although it features a rather intense loop at the end of the ride. The backwards option is well received and offers an exiting ride for the thrill seekers out there. For everybody else, the forward option is a permanently available one, which is a good thing for all those who are not sure (or willing) to ride a roller coaster backwards. Although Fury is not the most exiting coaster in Europe, it is a nice one to give it a try when nearby.

Pictures

 

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Bobbejaanland

On the road with the Loopinggrufti

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Preface

One day I received an e-mail from Michael Singer – better known as Loopinggrufti in the amusement park scene – with reference to the Vertigo carousel, which makes its rounds at Tivoli Gardens. Since he was already standing in front of the ride a few years ago, it was very important for him to finally get into the ride. We talked and after some time it came like it had to come and we drove together to Copenhagen.

We have booked the Tivoli All-Inclusive Package of the Tivoli Hotel. Even if the name suggests it, the hotel is not located at the park, but some streets away from the park. We travelled with the Flixbus from Hamburg, which (if the route goes over the ferry connection Puttgarten – Rødby) is a quite inexpensive and pleasant connection. But we went back over the Storebælt bridge, which made the trip more like a torture without a break. Arriving at the hotel we immediately went to the amusement park.

Tivoli Gardens

In no time at all, the object of desire was selected. A short time later Michael was completely enthusiastic. Although the Tivoli has meanwhile abandoned the backward ride program on its crazy propeller, the ride was still able to convince with its versatile ride. Over the course of the day, more laps followed. At the end of the day we even snuck into the queue, which was noticed. Shortly afterwards the queue was opened again, so that we were able to legally wait in line.

Kamelen

Directly next door the roller coaster Kamelen was built this year on the place of the roller coaster Karavanen. Thus Kamelen is already the second iteration of the roller coaster Mariehønen here in the park, which shaped this roller coaster type from Zierer in 1974. The model is no longer called Tivoli Coaster, but the layout passed the test of the time with flying colours.

Fata Morgana

Something you might not have been able to say about the HUSS Condor, as over time many rides of this classic 80s ride have disappeared from the scene. But suddenly in 2014 a new model appeared in a Chinese amusement park. A few years later, the Tivoli also decided to follow up with Fata Morgana. This makes the ride the first of its kind in Europe. In addition to the classic gondola design, the model also has two rigid gondola rings – very similar to the Intamin Spinning Star at Cosmo’s World Theme Park in Kuala Lumpur – with an outward-facing driving style. These gondolas were then equipped with a new lifting technology this year, which initates an additional rocking movement.

The ride is simply terrific. The view of the city of Copenhagen is ingenious and the rocking of the gondola makes the ride a successful mixture of thrill and relaxation. However, the praise refers only to this version of the ride, as the other version lags behind the original. The ride is rather jerky and you bang permanently into the upper and lower stop of the now mechanically (instead of hydraulically) controlled swing track. This is a pity, because otherwise a second generation HUSS Condor with the mixed gondolas would definitely be a recommendation for many other amusement parks, but this only leaves the advice to chose the more “thrill-heavy” gondola type.

Tik Tak

I wonder if we can say the same thing about the Mondial Shake Tik Tak. This rides replaced the old, but very stylish, HUSS Break Dance Snurretoppen this year. While the old ride was quite open, the shake got a roof, with a huge clockwork, which is a nice eye-catcher. The gondolas are quite detailed and represent small time machines. The ride itself is fast, although without many rollovers.

VR on Dæmonen

Another novelty for me was the VR movie on the B&M roller coaster Dæmonen. The film is exclusively made for Tivoli and shows in a very artistic way the fight of a Chinese dragon with a demon. The whole thing peaks in a fireworks display, whereupon you find yourself at a Chinese New Year celebration. Unfortunately, Dæmonen is a very intense roller coaster, which makes the headset press quite hard on you. Otherwise, Dæmonen in the VR version is definitely worth an experience, especially as the graphics of the film are of high quality and don’t resemble a 20-year-old computer game. The experience is definitely a recommendation, even if it can be uncomfortable.

Pictures Tivoli Gardens

Closing Words

In general, a visit to the Tivoli is always a recommendation. On 06.12.2019 the new roller coaster Mælkevejen will open. This replaces the roller coaster Odinexpressen, which entertained the visitors in Tivoli Gardens for 33 years. However, nothing was to be seen at our visit yet, but the pictures on Rcdb promise an as funny ride as the old Powered Coaster did before.

 

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Tivoli Gardens

Spooky Thorpe Park Hell Dream

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The changes of the past five years

What has Merlin made of the Island like no other in the last five years? The last two rows of the Swarm roller coaster are going forward again, the Disco roller coaster X has been redesigned into The Walking Dead – The Ride, parts of Amity Cove have fallen victim to the birds of Angry Birds, the Logger’s Leap log flume is rotting away, as is the Slammer Sky Swat – which is now officially awaiting its demolition – and Saw: Alive is at least operated from time to time (the same goes for the relatively new Maze I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!). In addition, there are a lot of closing days during the season and also the distinctive soundtrack of the island was exchanged.

There are many reasons for many things, but there are some things I don’t understand completely. Officially, Merlin have now taken a much more family-oriented course, which means they’ve moved away from the thrill-ride fetishists and the associated grubby image (# Hard Gaan) – strangely enough, they’ve been selling tickets to students ever since, thus attracting the preferred former clientele in much larger crowds. Can be done, but by now I’m too old for this shit. Just like I can’t approve of employees at the entrance of an attraction encouraging you to buy Fast Passes, even though the corresponding queue is almost non-existent.

Derren Brown’s Ghost Train

But there are also rays of hope. Derren Brown’s Ghost Train is such a one. The reinvention of the classic ghost train is, in terms of storytelling, a huge hit. It’s just a shame that all visitors of the park are aware of this, so long waiting times are often a common issue. But that shouldn’t stop you from queuing here, after all the mixture of ride, Maze and VR experience is unique and about as scary as a Japanese horror movie in a 360° cinema.

The reinvention of the Ghost Train

After you have stood your legs in the queue, Derren Brown personally welcomes you in a short pre-show. It is thematically about the reinvention of the ghost train and why we love to get spooked. This all sounds promising and so we leave the showroom expectantly and climb a short staircase. Here we are held back for a short time, but it doesn’t take long until we enter the hall with the ghost train. Hanging from the ceiling, an old Victorian carriage appears, but its interior resembles that of the London Underground. Now, the VR-glasses have to be put on and when both trains are ready, the trip in the ghost train can start.

The tube ride

Actually, there are three trains, but only two of them have passengers at this stage. Thus we leave the station and ride a little bit with the tube. A man with a dog gets on and tells us a story that the scientists of the BGR in Hannover may not be able to agree with. Fracking is evil and something went bloody wrong. It doesn’t take long and a contaminated person tries to gain access to our compartment. It gets creepy and thanks to the VR-glasses we can’t help but always look directly in the direction of the action. In the meantime it is getting dark and a staff member has to stroke the passengers’ knees once through the rows. There is an accident and we have to leave the train as soon as possible.

By means of merlinary drills we are sent through a short and very nicely designed maze. This is less creepy, but somehow we have to get to the second platform of this dead-end station, where another subway is already waiting for us. But this time we are not the only passengers and each of the others has VR glasses on. The train starts to move, but this time the true story is revealed to the visitors; it’s not the fracking per se that contaminated the people, no demons did. Individually, they now get rid of passenger after passenger, before we turn to our fate in a magnificently staged transfer track scene and fall into the abyss. 3,2,1, we are back again.

Conclusion Derren Brown’s Ghost Train

So that was the reinvention of the classic ghost train and boy, that was good. The VR staging works, after all the graphics are high-resolution and don’t need real-time rendering. You just feel like you’re in a movie and not in a computer game of the early 90s. As already mentioned in the beginning, the ride on Derren Brown’s Ghost Train is not really scary and more of a suspense horror. However, this is what makes it good, which is why the ride, like any other proper ghost train, is very entertaining.

The Walking Dead – The Ride

Right next to Derren Brown’s Ghost Train is the entrance to the roller coaster The Walking Dead – The Ride, formerly known as X and X:\ No Way Out. Designed around the series The Walking Dead, the ride now shows a clear thematic reference. Zombies are simply better to convey than a computer virus or a discotheque. Basically, the same naked queue inside the building awaits you, but instead of fabulous light effects and a great music you only find desolate brown walls. The ride itself is partly nicely arranged and for fans of the series it’s definitely a great deal. At least I couldn’t do anything with it. On the equally long way back you only find naked brown walls once more, which is why you’re just glad to be back in the open air again.

Well, that was hardly worth it. You can implement well-known licenses, but then you have to exploit their potential. In fact, I wish nothing else than the lively computer virus-infested reverse roller coaster back. At least it was consistently weird and yet absolutely fun. The conversion to X was quite cool and quite optimal for the younger audience, but now as Walking Dead – The Ride it’s not even worth a ride in between. That’s a pity and for me a symbol for the developments of the last years.

Pictures Thorpe Park

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Conclusion Thorpe Park

Thorpe Park, you used to be cooler. But actually, that’s true for the entire Merlin Group. Something’s gone terribly wrong with you. Why do you want to get rid of the Tussauds image so badly lately? The island used to be coherent, now there’s only an IMAscore mash left, which isn’t good for some attractions. In addition, on both days of my visit many attractions were not running at all or only with problems. Well, breakdowns have always been the order of the day at Thorpe Park, but at least one can try to keep this kind of thing within the limits. Actually, the only thing missing now is the failure of a bigger roller coaster for a period of 2 years (Colossos at Heide Park) and the typical image of the Merlin Group would be perfect here, too.

 

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Thorpe Park