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It still might take less time than SFSTL's carousel refurbishment.

Brace yourself for dinosaurs and pirates at Djurs Sommerland, me hearties! No, I’m here FOR lunch. I am NOT THE lunch. “Dinosaurland” is owned by “Dino Inc.” As Mr. Spock might say, “Logical.” This is “Spinosaurus,.” which means "spinning lizard," I guess. I suppose it could also be pronounced “Spine-o-saurus” as you’re riding back and forth over a dinosaur’s backbone. OK, the name of this ride isn’t as imaginative as "Spinosaurus," but it gets the point across. “Hello, I’m Rex. T. Rex. I hope your family enjoys my ride.” A Mack powered coaster, a Gerstlauer, and three Intamin coasters. There are two Zirer kiddies, as well, so this is a very well rounded park. Despite the sign saying “Do not the feed the dino,” there is, in fact, more than one dino on this ride. Which one in particular are we not supposed to feed? “DO NOT FEED ME!” This is a lousy photo, but it shows a nice callback to an old attraction. This ape head was once part of a giant ape animatronic on the old “jungle cruise” that used to be here. A giant mammal doesn’t really fit in with a bunch of thunder lizards, but it is a nice Easter egg. “Oh, you’re quite safe. I’m a vegetarian. Well, I guess I could step on you or something.” “Oh, you’re gonna feed THIS dino, sign or no sign!” Djurs defies Disney’s lawyers and shows you the backside of water. Have fun risking terrible injury, kids! When in Denmark, do as the Danes do. Ahoy, mates! Shiver me timbers! Avast! All that piratical nonsense! “I craps treasure, I does!” This place wouldn’t be very “piratey” unless you had the chance to get soaked next to a giant rock skull. Welcome to your ERT on Piraten, mates! We’ll not be lootin’ the ticket booth today. That were just Cap'n Robb havin' a wee bit 'o' fun. Ye’ll find that this here Megalite rocks like a ship in a typhoon. And remember, ya scurvy swabs! Pirates don’t say “whee” . . . . . . they say “arr”! Why, thar be Miss Sarah, lookin’ so prim and proper like . . . . . . while this be goin’ on behind her. “Arr! Someone done unleashed an air kraken here, sez I!” Here be a rousing game of “Pass the Sword,” while Miss Kristen works on her “Bride of Frankenstein” impression. I think all you sea dogs can agree that any day that ends with ERT on Piraten is a great day!

Day 5, June 7th part 1: Bakken! today was gonna be a really full day. . . but at least we got to sleep in a bit! after breakfast, we checked out and loaded up the bus and were on our way to Bakken by 10:30 (for 11am arrival). as some others doing reports have mentioned, Bakken is the world's oldest amusement park, as per Wikipedia, it's been operating since 1583! It also really does look exactly as we were told - "like a group of carnies got tired of traveling, so just set up in the middle of a forest, and decided to stay there" the closest comparison, I'd say, is Knoebels. . it very much has that vibe. we had ERT on their wooden coaster, and a crazy swing ride called Supernova before the park opened at noon, and then were there until 5pm. (we had to catch a ferry to Germany this evening) it's not a HUGE park, but there is quite a lot to do. as Chuck has been pointing out. . this Nightmare clown seems to be all over Denmark! I had thought this was a spookhouse. . but when it opened later? it's a candy shop. Yeah. . with Dracula's on the top for some reason. . LOL This was the reason we are here early. . . no, not the "Fyr & Flamme" performance, but the wooden coaster (which like at Tivoli Gardens is called) Rutschebanen (Roller Coaster) This one is not quite as old as the one at Tivoli Gardens, as this one opened in 1932. Sadly tho, back in 2010, they modernized it with new trains, new station gates, and other "upgrades". . . the new trains no longer require a brakeman to control the speed. . . so although the coaster LOOKS fantastic, it really was just an OK ride. Way, way outshined by the version at Tivoli Gardens. Oh, still worth riding. . but personally I didn't really get any airtime regardless of where I rode the train, and it seemed a bit sluggish in places. it's only one ride at the park tho, so not a slam on the park, but it is a shame it's been so neutered. I do love the "Old skool vs new" design of the trains the fancy "glass" gates front row! this is a later pic, and explains why not a full train, as some went over to ride Supernova (which is a spinny ride that I just wasn't feeling, so I stayed back and kept riding Rutschebanen). again, it was ok. Fun, but not YEAHHH!!!! fun and unlike the one at Tivoli Gardens? This Rutschebanen has a nude woman that is still on the actual ride. in fact, you go thru the "classily" placed tunnel that she hovers over during the ride! (thanks, Jonathan, for the clear pic!). pink unicorn balloons? sure! appetizing! we were gonna be turned loose in the park to enjoy the day, but after some discussion, pretty much everyone stayed together to head over to Tornado, the park's Intamin spinner. one of only two in the world (and the 2nd one just opened in 2023). you see, they run it in normal mode. . but with some encouragement (ie: $$ and asking nicely) from Robb & Elissa, the park very kindly switched the ride over to "insane" mode for us! what is insane mode you ask? well. . .the chain lift, basically speeds up to the point that instead of a lift hill? it becomes a launch. and when I say launch? I mean, this sucker THROWS you up the lift hill and right into the twisting track. it really beat the shit outta me, and I loved every moment of it! and insane, crazy, fun ride. the park was open to the public now, this wasn't ERT. . but they still ran it in "Insane mode" for us before switching it back. so we got back inline to ride it in "normal mode". . and the operators recognized us as TPR and kicked it back over to insane for our launch again. . LOL. . . I have the bruises to prove it.. but loved this. Really wish there were more of them around! most of the track is in the building, so hard to get a pic of the full ride, but I think Robb has a video up on TPR's youtube of it? after another ride on Tornado, much of the group scattered to check out the rest of the park on this beautiful day. scary clown? check! oooo. . down this way is the Vilde Mus - which is exactly what you think it is these pics, I think, courtesy of Big Mike. yeah. . here's Supernova.. the other ride we had ERT on this morning (that I passed on riding) ooo.. a carousel. a small one, but don't mind if I do! "interesting" figurines on the interior column but Hawk and Doug rode with me. . . next door was something. . it appeared to be a fun house, so we went in. and it IS a funhouse - a pretty damn good one too. . but themed to a submarine! (for some reason). continuing along to check out more of the park. Turned out to be a beautiful day. . the weather really cooperated with us on this trip. oooo..the clown has his own house - where he puts on a show. the park was nice enough to have the times out as a warning this is a jungle/shooting ride. . . Jonathan better watch out for that spider! Big Mike looks like he's shooting himself in the leg. there's one more "big" coaster here - Mine Train Ulven (Wolf's Mine Train) like Tornado, a lot of this ride is hidden in the trees/shrubs. . and also like Tornado? it's an Intamin! didn't' know what to expect, but this was SO good, with an intense diving helix that was so impressive we got off it and got right back in line to ride again. the park also has a Flume. . that's very disingenuous.. . the drops don't get you really wet. . but the course brings you so close to the drops, that you get soaked from the splashdowns of OTHER boats. really quite good. a little moist, but it felt good. (think this pic is via Andy if not mistaken) we were starting to get hungry, so looked around to see what options were avail. . and there are a LOT of food options. Several buffet choices too. we ended up at a very nice place - looked a bit "fancy" but was quite reasonable, and had a great variety of choices on the buffet. Yes, i chanced deviled eggs from a theme park buffet and did NOT get ill. most everything was really good. . tho too many choices and I did overdo it a little bit didn't stop me from going back and getting a little bit more. . . (those are calamari not onion rings. . and I HAD to try one of the gigantic hot dogs being sold everywhere - tho I didn't care for it, so most of it was uneaten) but there's always room for Ice Cream! even if the promotions are these creepy kids eating their way out of ice cream traps that are worth of the '66 Batman TV show. yum! "Skumfidus" ??? yeah. . . nope!! (turns out skumfidus is the danish word for "Marshmallow". . . so disgusting in English, AND in Danish) taking a lap around the park to check out the areas we hadnt' been to (and to walk off the food). . . let's go past the wild mouse this time. . . a "Professor'. . . not sure, but at least not a creepy clown. Check out that tie he's got on tho. Grasshopper. . another spinny ride, that was a "nope" for me today, tho Doug & Hawk rode it later. as mentioned, tons of restaurants and cafes here in the park. including this dance hall. this was the first time I'd seen something like this, so snapped a pic - but I discovered all thruout the Scandinavian parks, dance halls are very popular . .. and this was the least crowded of any of them I'd see during the trip. the decor in here was "interesting" tho. . . ah.. . a dark ride haunt? yes please! it was carnival level, but also had a couple of really good animatronics, and at least two GREAT jump scares. I think I rode this 4-5 times. the park has a Nebulaz too. . . tho this was more my speed at the moment. . still full from so much food! a shooting dark ride? not quite. . more saddles with "guns" in front of a video screen, if I'm recalling correctly. I *think* the seats moved along with the action on the screen? but can't recall.. someone on the trip can clarify I hope. there was also a 5D theater . . . again, not a super clear memory, but I think we saw an Angry Birds 5D movie? LOVED the poster art all over the park.. so much history. unfortunately, not really a gift shop that sold any of this merch, tho they did have a puzzle of the grounds I think. not a Kangaroo (ala Kennywood) but a fun mini-bouncer. but note. . do not clim on the statue! some of the track from the "hidden" Mine Train Ulven more food options.. . .but past here the place really was more "park" than "amusement park".. .lots of folks having picnics and enjoying the grounds once you passed this bus. oh no! we happened to be walking by at "Clown time" GAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! scared the "pissoir" out of me the park has a smaller Air Race. . . that seemed to allow for some good flipping. Hawk about to get his flip on and Jonathan not super tall.. but tall enough to allow for some good winds. . and I really enjoyed the retro light fixtures. this wasn't operating today, but as near as I can tell, it was a "Dunk the clown" booth? and here's the park's one other coaster: Mariehønen (a zierer ladybug kiddie coaster) here are the credit whores riding it! and I honestly did NOT remember riding it. . tho many on the trip did. but here's proof that I did get on it and ride it too (hi, I'm bert, and can be peer pressured into being a credit whore too (sometimes)). here's that Grasshopper ride, with Doug & Hawk on it. yeah. . glad I passed on it. . . tho I did enjoy this rum fountain near the funhouse. I did a quick run over to guest services (where they sell the very limited Bakken merch) and tho no magnet, I did pick up a bottle opener/keychain, that I'll have to make into a magnet), and then we headed to the front of the park to meet the bus. Robb gathered us all for a picture. . . and then we headed out to the bus. . we had a ferry ride to Germany, and a decent drive ahead of us before we checked into the hotel (a very funky hotel) for the night. to be continued. . .

Part 6 Pirates & Dinos & Vikings--Oh My: Djurs Sommerland Here’s how Djurs Sommerland has changed since my last visit with TPR in 2009: They changed what they should’ve changed and they kept what they should’ve kept. This park was good back then, and it’s even better now. Case in point: The park featured a rather dated jungle-themed area with a Huss Topple Tower and a “jungle cruise” ride full of moth-eaten animatronics. They’ve since replaced it with a family-friendly dinosaur-themed land that looks much better and is less likely to become dated. However, I must admit that I miss the monkey who water skies behind a crocodile. As for things they rightly kept, they still have the excellent Piraten. Yes, the whole pirate themed area has been improved, but that classic Intamin Megalite remains its flagship. They still have the field full of trampolines and potentially dangerous climbing structures, too. With its remaining sections themed to Vikings, Mexico, and the American Wild West (no surprise there), along with a water park, Djurs Sommerland is one of the most well rounded of the Danish theme parks. The coasters there range from major thrill machines like Piraten to great family rides, such as Juvelen (a launched Intamin coaster themed to an ATV race through Aztec ruins). As you may have guessed, I enjoyed this park--a lot. Here’s a look at a great day at Djurs! Here’s all you need to know about Djurs Sommerland in mural form. “You see what’s behind me, right? So, you know what’s coming late this afternoon! Yep! A behind-the-scenes tour of that ticket booth. You’re welcome!” The park website says that the ride is a race to recover an Aztec jewel (or “Juvelen,” in Danish). It’s a good example of what a “family coaster” should be--a nicely themed “journey,” not just a mess of track plopped down on a concrete slab. The queue looks great. Somebody fetch me a hacksaw and a crow bar. This jewel belongs in a museum! This dude might’ve just cursed us, but I’m not sure. Eric and Jere are still alive, so I guess they weren’t cursed. “Oh, don’t be so sure about that, my good man.” Thus spoke the Aztec Mummy. I didn’t get too many pictures of Juvelen itself, but this is definitely one of them. I call this “Peekaboo Juvelen.” Vaya con Dios. Is Asia any wilder than Mexico? Well, it does have dragons. “What happened to Chuck?” “Dunno. We heard a yell, followed by a loud belch. But all we found was his hat.” I thought this was a Vekoma Family Suspended Coaster, but I later found out that it’s an Intamin. Djurs is a very Intamin-friendly park, I guess (which is a good thing). Well, to whomever made it, nice little ride. Looks like Ligeia caught up to me, again--but why is she drooling so much? This isn’t my kind of ride, but folks seem to enjoy it. And there are those who REALLY enjoy it. A train and a ride sign in one shot--I rule! Looks like those Cokes never made it to their destination, unless they were going to Hell! “Oh no, not Hell. I must admit that I killed the driver and drank them all.” While in Laredo Town, keep an eye open for a young cowboy all wrapped in white linen, cold as the clay. “Why don’t ya take a picture, hombre? It’ll last longer . . . oh, you are.” Yes, we are indeed transported to the American West as imagined by Walt Disney and interpreted by a Danish theme park. Not sure this is authentic Wild West gear, though. Looks like a nice place. They can bury you and cater the reception afterward. A land themed to Vikings in Scandinavia? How novel! I think we may have found the Thor’s Hammer coaster. Call it . . . a hunch. OK, all you who watched cartoons in the 1960s--sing along! “From the Rainbow Bridge of Asgard . . . . . . where the booming heavens roar!” “You’ll behold in breathless wonder, . . . . . . the God of Thunder, Mighty Thor!” Did Thor look a bit hungover to you? He was definitely hung over your car as it departed the station . . . OW! Stop hitting me! More to come.

hahaha. . I look miserable in ever pic of me on Piraten.. but I loved it and was having a great time! so not sure why the faces great update (and I swiped some of the pics of me for my FB !)

The ride was supposed to open more than a year ago. Obviously something is not going to plan (aka, a problem).