Theme parks are generally bright and colourful places with lots of interesting structures and forms. You would think, therefore, that they would make great subjects for paintings but I am struggling to find art which features roller coasters and rides. I would like to reflect my interest in rides and amusement parks with art in my home but the choice is surprisingly limited. Continue reading
Tag Archives: roller coasters
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!
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
Bags and Baggage
If you are going to spend an entire day at a theme park then it can be difficult to take everything you need in your pockets but carrying a bag can be a total pain. Unless you are at a Disney Park where they don’t appear to care what you take onto the rides with you then your bag is going to have to go somewhere whilst you experience an attraction. Parks have adopted various solutions to the bag issue but not all of them work too well. Continue reading
The Pros and Cons of Working at a Theme Park
A theme park is obviously a fun environment with an upbeat atmosphere where you get to be part of a team and so some of the attractions of the job are obvious. There are other perks to be considered if you are considering applying for a job on the rides but several downsides too which should not be overlooked. Continue reading
Crazy Roller Coaster Antics
When working at a theme park you see many people trying to do the craziest things on roller coasters and attempting to smuggle amazing items onto the rides. Mad antics on coasters are becoming competitive and are proving to be a great means of getting publicity or making money for charity. Take “Scream If You Know the Answer”, a television quiz show where the celebrity competitors were filmed trying answer questions whilst riding the coasters. Adding a roller coaster to the mix makes for a good story and some great pictures. Continue reading
Wodan
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
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
The Smiler
The newest coaster at Alton Towers finally opened at the end of May following a string of delays and technical problems. After two weeks of operation the coaster is still suffering from late openings and many shut downs but the paying guests are certainly anxious to experience the Smiler as the queues have been very long indeed. So is the Smiler worth the lengthy wait? Continue reading
Gardaland
Gardaland has one of the most picturesque settings of any theme park in the world. Close to the shores of Lake Garda in Northern Italy, it is just a short drive from historic Verona and is surrounded by beautiful countryside and gorgeous lakeside towns. The park is worth visiting for its own sake but can also form part of an extended trip to the region. Continue reading
Thorpe Park Fright Nights
On special evenings in October as the sun sets Thorpe Park turns into a fear fest with crazy creatures and fearsome freaks lurking ready to scare the living daylights out of the guests who visit the park to join the Halloween party. The park is open well into the hours of darkness and offers several specially themed attractions in addition to the opportunity to take on the coasters in the dark. Continue reading