Tag: Vekoma

Posted on

Parque Warner Madrid and the Quest for Night Rides!

With the Halloween season in full swing, theme parks around the world are putting on thrilling haunts and running their attractions well into the wee hours of the morning. While most guests are there to enjoy the unique haunted houses, scare zones, and live entertainment, it’s also a great opportunity to get night rides on coasters! Join us for a night at Parque Warners Madrid’s Halloween Scary Nights as we enjoy some of Europe’s best coasters in the dead of night.

Continue reading “Parque Warner Madrid and the Quest for Night Rides!”
Posted on

Why we love Parque Warner Madrid so much.

As a child, I frequented Warner Bros. Movie World Germany, now known as Movie Park Germany, and it left a lasting impression on me. Six years after the opening of the German park, Six Flags and Warner Bros. continued their partnership with the opening of a new park in Madrid. This park has since been on my radar, also due to the fact that it’s home to a Vekoma Giant Inverted Boomerang.

Continue reading “Why we love Parque Warner Madrid so much.”
Posted on

Human Riders on TRON: Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom

TRON: Lightcycle Run, a highly anticipated new attraction at Magic Kingdom, has been testing practically nonstop for weeks. The new Vekoma coaster has undergone numerous test cycles, but so far we have only observed empty vehicles and those with test dummies. Nonetheless, we now have footage of actual riders. Hopefully this signifies that the ride will open sooner rather than later.

Continue reading “Human Riders on TRON: Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom”
Posted on

In Defense of Avengers Assemble: Flight Force

It’s only been a couple months since Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opened at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, but Disney Imagineering has already unveiled their next Marvel-themed attraction: Avengers Assemble: Flight Force. Though expectations were (probably) modest, the “new” coaster didn’t perform as desired for some folks – what went wrong?

Continue reading “In Defense of Avengers Assemble: Flight Force”
Posted on

Rise of Fønix at Fårup Sommerland

Rising from the ashes, Fønix at Fårup Sommerland spread its wings for the first-time last week. We kindly got invited by the park to experience the ride and have a look behind the scenes. What a new addition for the park and Europe! Read more about our experience and discover the whole park and its cute atmosphere, including the other major coaster: Orkanen and Lynet.

Continue reading “Rise of Fønix at Fårup Sommerland”
Posted on

The Missouri Triangle: Part 3 – Six Flags St. Louis

After a shorter day at Worlds of Fun, Pete and I had come to our final day and park of the Missouri Triangle. Six Flags St. Louis opened in 1971 as the third and final Six Flags park developed under the vision of Angus Wynne – before expansion switched from new park development to acquisition. It is apparent that the concept had been streamlined by the third try. While the six flag-themed areas remained, far less emphasis was placed on nation specific theming. By the 70s it was obvious rides are why people went to Six Flags and the park opened with multiple of what made the Six Flags concept work: two Arrow log flumes, two Arrow mine trains, and two Arrow car rides. While the park has undergone some dramatic changes through the years, it benefits from this simplified formula, and, despite the changes, the park feels cohesive. What was it about this “lower-tier” Six Flags park that made it a highlight of our trip?

Continue reading “The Missouri Triangle: Part 3 – Six Flags St. Louis”
Posted on

The Missouri Triangle: Part 2 – Worlds of Fun

In part one of this series my friend Pete and I started our Missouri trip with an amazing Thursday at Silver Dollar City. Friday’s park was one of Cedar Fair’s mid-tier parks, Worlds of Fun. Worlds of Fun opened in 1973 at the height of the regional park boom. Despite some dramatic changes since the park’s 1995 sale to Cedar Fair, Worlds of Fun still very much feels like a product of the 70s. Loosely themed to Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, the park is divided into various international regions such as Europa, Africa, and the Orient. These areas are more distinguished than I expected and are united by a streamlined 70s aesthetic. For coaster enthusiasts World of Fun features some impressive coasters including the tallest full-circuit coaster in the state, Mamba and the well regarded GCI woodie, Prowler. The biggest question for the two of us was how did this Cedar Fair property compare to it’s Ohio siblings.

Continue reading “The Missouri Triangle: Part 2 – Worlds of Fun”
Posted on

Lost Coasters of California – Part 10: Déjà Vu

In Part 9 of this series I briefly mentioned Six Flags ambitious expansion throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.  A growing American economy made the expansion of the theme park market seem unstoppable.  A series of park acquisitions and the acquisition of Six Flags by Premier Parks that was finalized in 1998 expanded the company’s portfolio to include European parks, movie themed parks, and animal parks.  At the park level Six Flags unveiled park expansions and additions at a dizzying rate.  From the years 1997-2003 Six Flags Magic Mountain received a brand new coaster every year.  It is worth noting that with the exception of 1999 each one of these additions was a major, and in many cases record breaking coaster: 1997 saw the addition of the record breaking 400 ft tall Superman: The Escape.  1998’s Riddler’s Revenge remains the largest Stand-Up coaster in the world. 2000’s Goliath opened as the world’s tallest continuous circuit coaster. 2002’s X introduced the world to the 4th dimension coaster.  And 2003’s B&M floorless Scream was built to be a reliable addition after X‘s problems. X was originally set to open in 2001 but was delayed significantly.  Six Flags chose to open another major thrill machine from Vekoma. Unfortunately, this coaster would have its own set of problems. In August of 2001 Six Flags and Vekoma unveiled the world’s first “Giant Inverted Boomerang”, Deja Vu.

Continue reading “Lost Coasters of California – Part 10: Déjà Vu”
Posted on

Lost Coasters of California – Part 8: Invertigo

Last week we focused on Windjammer Surf Racers and how it was a product of Knott’s Berry Farm’s attempt to navigate the space between the family and thrill market.  It faced the problem of Magic Mountain dominating the thrill market with major coaster additions, many of which we’ve discussed here, and Disneyland’s hyper detailed themed experiences.   Northern California in the late 90s had a far less competitive theme park market.  After the construction and runaway success of Tidal Wave in 1977 Marriott’s Great America, eventually Great America in 1985 and then Paramount’s Great America in 1993, had remained consistent with coaster trends.  In 1986 they opened the wooden Grizzly, 1991 saw the addition of the B&M standup Vortex, and 1993 saw the addition of the still-beloved B&M invert Top Gun.  These consistent additions, despite changes in ownership, resulted in a solid coaster collection any regional park could be proud of.  

Continue reading “Lost Coasters of California – Part 8: Invertigo”
Posted on

Spanish Theme Park History – Part 3: Monte Igueldo & Parc d’Atraccions de Montjuïc

Today we’ll continue our series about the Spanish Theme Park History with the third article. Every two weeks we’re publishing one of eight articles about the history of thirteen Spanish amusement and theme parks. Some of them no longer exist, but some others are still operating and receiving guests nowadays. In this series, we travel in time through 168 years in theme park history, starting in 1853, to our days in 2021. In this article we’ll focus on two very special parks, the first one is Monte Igueldo, which still operates in the Spanish region of the Basque Country and, the second one, Parc d’Atraccions de Montjuïc, which was located in Barcelona.

Continue reading “Spanish Theme Park History – Part 3: Monte Igueldo & Parc d’Atraccions de Montjuïc”
Posted on

Scandinavia Series- Part 6: Kolmården Wildlife Park, Sweden

With the theme park season drawing to a close in many countries and people forced to stay home again, we thought we’d bring you a brand new article series. Expect regular updates from myself as we explore one of the most beautiful, cultural and historical regions of Europe: Scandinavia! We’ll be taking you from Norway across to Finland, through Sweden and then down to Denmark. We’ll be providing you with detailed insights and top tips into the theme parks each of these countries has to offer. We will also be diving into which rollercoasters and attractions you aren’t going to want to miss out on. So grab a cup of coffee, a slice of cake and enjoy! Continue reading “Scandinavia Series- Part 6: Kolmården Wildlife Park, Sweden”