Category Archives: European

Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates_of_the_Caribbean

Yes it is a bit cheesy and frankly a little dated but Pirates of the Caribbean remains a hugely popular attraction at the four Disney parks in which each features. All four versions of the ride are similar and so to an extent if you have seen one you have seen them all but that doesn’t seem to reduce the number of enthusiastic guests queuing up to take a ride. Continue reading

New Development at Port Aventura

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Port Aventura is notable by its exception from the growing list of theme parks that I have visited. Somehow my first visit to the Spanish park has never materialised despite several half made plans and all sorts of good intentions. I think my lack of interest in Spain has probably been a contributory factor however this year I had resolved to stop procrastinating and to organise a trip. Now I think I may have to cancel again! There has been an announcement that changes everything. Continue reading

Silver Star

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This was the coaster that inspired my first visit to Europa Park and I am very glad that it did because I loved the ride and enjoyed the park so much that I have returned many times since. I recall the first day I arrived when I was so keen to get to the main attraction that I sprinted past everything else including the lovely band playing Spanish Guitars at the entrance. I made the first train of the day and I think I was probably on the last one too! New rides have been installed since my first visit but somehow I can never get enough of Silver Star! Continue reading

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Paris

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The runaway mine train is a theme park staple that you find in many parks but nobody does it like Disney and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is no exception. Having taken many rides on the Floridian incarnation of this attraction I was pleasantly surprised when I first visited Disneyland Paris as this version of the Disney favourite was even better. Continue reading

The Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster – Paris

It seems like yesterday when my cousin returned from one of many trips to Florida to inform me that the Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster was a great ride. As a confirmed fan of coasters in the dark I was very jealous as this ride appeared to be right up my street. Happily it wasn’t long before I found myself at Disneyland Paris after the same ride was opened there. Continue reading

Project Helix

I have always been an enormous fan of Europa Park which possesses a winning combination of great rides, extreme efficiency and brilliant food. My trips to Europa Park have been so enjoyable that I have always been left wondering why I can’t find the features I so admire elsewhere. Most parks have dreadful food, British parks seem incapable of keeping their rides running and most curiously nobody seemed to have picked up on Blue Fire as act of brilliance. Nobody until now that is because Blue Fire technology is coming to Sweden!

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Blue Fire

Blue Fire is an exceptional roller coaster and quite different from any other ride. A decent launch is followed by a fun and thrilling circuit packed with twists, turns and inversions which makes you grin with pleasure until you are back in the station. There are no shoulder restraints and so guests have a great feeling of freedom and are not assaulted in the head.  The ride has a fabulous throughput which keeps the queue moving along nicely, a great boon in a busy park and Blue Fire’s greatest asset is the smoothness of the ride experience which is second to none. Blue Fire is so smooth and therefore so quiet that it is surely a ride system which is ideal for parks with concerns about disturbing the neighbours and yet unlike so many other coaster models this one has not been taken up with enthusiasm.

New Coaster

Whilst B & M’s wingriders are all the rage without any real justification in my personal experience, the potential of Blue Fire has been overlooked until now.  A longer and more dramatic coaster with Blue Fire technology is being built at Liseberg in Sweden and this is enough to get me planning trip! I had not considered an expedition to Sweden before, at least not to visit a theme park, but the new coaster, currently dubbed Project Helix, looks fabulous. Project Helix will offer 2 minutes of ride time on a 4500 ft track and there will be two launches on the circuit. With the smoothness of Blue Fire thrown in this one is sure to be winner and I want to give it a go.

Sweden

Liseberg were concerned about noise pollution from a new ride and this fact heavily influenced their decision to go with Mack for their latest attraction. This is a ride that is sure to run smoothly with Mack technology and Scandinavian efficiency. The Scandinavians don’t appear to be able to do anything wrong these days. The clean lines and functionality of their furniture and homewares has taken the world by storm and I now suspect that I may have missed a trick in not sampling the theme park offering.

Sweden will almost certainly be a place where I can visit a park which will be clean, attractive and which runs its rides efficiently. There is a fair chance that I will like the food too and so it is time to plan a trip. The new ride opens Spring 2014 which sounds as good a time as any for a Scandinavian adventure.

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Article by Sally Stacey

Wodan

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OK I admit it! I was always going to smile favourably on Wodan because I love Europa Park and I adore the wooden coasters off Great Coasters International. Having said that, even I was surprised by how good this attraction is. This is a ride that impresses as soon as you clap eyes on it and is a great adventure from the moment you enter the Plaza. Continue reading

Blue Fire

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Blue Fire is a launch coaster by Mack Rides situated at Europa Park in Germany. The Park is owned and run by Mack and is a showcase for their rides. This being the case it is surprising that there has not been a mad scramble on the part of other theme parks to buy one of these constructions because it is a very special ride! Continue reading