Menghini

My list so far: Efteling Hellendoorn Moviepark Germany Phantasialand Toverland Drievliet Europa Park Holiday Park Skyline Park Heide Park Bonbonland Tivoli Bakken Tivoli Kopenhagen Tusenfryd Liseberg Tivoli Gröna Lund Tivoli Linnanmaki Sarkanniemi Powerpark Fantasy Island Flamingoland Metrocentre Newcastle upon Tyne (didn´t know there was a park...) Still to come: Alton Towers Walibi Belgium Bobbejaanland Parc Asterix Port Aventura

Nice TR! Funny by the way: around the first week of june I experienced the same problems with the rides you mention... Just one difference: the halfpipe worked all morning! But the rest of the day it was broke.

Rhapsody with "Dargor the Shadowlord of the Black Mountain"

I think theming or not theming also has a more historical explanation: Europeans always had theming. Six Flags once was in Europe and bought a "few" parks and just put some coasters in it. The crowds didn't buy it that way, so six flags is gone again. The parks are still recovering. Many Europeans (and I mostly mean the ones that won't go as often as we do) just like to see theming: they are attracted to it. I can't think of any ride in Europe that has no theming at all, except maybe at the former Six Flags parks.

It looks great, can't wait for october! On the other hand: the track-layout looks a bit dull to me...

^^wow, did they just finished building the rides? Last sunday they weren't finished yet! (unfortunately). You really got some nice parks (and weather ) in Scandinavia!

I had difficulty choosing between Wild Mouse and Grand National. The Grand has really nice drops and the racing with the other train is really fun. Wild Mouse is just crazy, dangerous, speedy: I've never laughed as much as I did on that coaster. Yes: the Wild Mouse is my number one coaster at BPB!

I only rode two stand-ups: Shockwave at Drayton Manor and Riddler's Revenge. Shockwave is Intamin, but it's not a very exciting coaster and at Drayton it looked really crappy, including the restraints! I think you're right: Intamin never made good stand-ups (they made 3, didn't they?).

The problem is: you never know what really happened. At least: as ´the public´.

^Looks impressive. Not this year or the next for me, but now I have a reason to go back there somewhere in the future.

First drop looks great: nice spinning action! I think many Maurer's spinnings have that kind of figure, not yet as a first drop. For instance: before you enter the helices in the Winja's you have something similar, only smaller.

Too bad I'm only going this year... I read the coaster would interlock very close with the water ride at Linnanmäki. I think it will be great!

I can't recall whether I ever saw a coaster in one of my school books, but if there would be a coaster picture in a dutch school book it would probably be a Vekoma!

^Thank you! I personally like the shot too, that's why I posted it: so you all could enjoy it too. I really love the light/shade in that picture.

Accidentally put out my videocamera and made a camera shot on Silverstar at Europa Park.

Really pathetic... I'm speechless...

Talocan will be "tested" 16 may and will officially be opened 26 may. It looks great!

Looks great! Hope it will be a little more themed and exciting than Jimmy Neutron's at Moviepark Germany.

Hmm, it happens much closer to home... My father once had bees (he quit that hobby just a year ago) and the hives stood in an open, private field. Still the children from the neighborhood came very close and threw rocks, poked with sticks and closed the hives (so the bess would die). My father became angry and put his most stingy/angry beehive in front. You should have seen the angry parents and their blown up children! My father was angry too and said it was their own fault, still they put up a fence and he enclosed the hives, so children couldn't get very near. But that doesn't stop them somehow. It was one of the reasons why my father quit. All those angry parents... About the crocodile: it's still a wild animal and it will protect his territory and/or eat anything that has meat on it. So: stupid child, I agree.

Nice TR! Won't be going there this year, so thank you! I never had a q-line at Goliath. I hear many people (many of them are not on this forum) who are afraid of the height and steep drop and won't do this great coaster, that's why I think there never will be long waiting for this ride! Dutch are strange people...

In a random order: - Deja Vu - Air - Nemesis - Black Mamba - Colossos (Heide-Park) - Bandit - Vliegende Hollander - Winja's Fear and Force (count as 1) - Rock 'n Rollercoaster (Disney Paris) - Goliath (Walibi World) Mostly steel, but many types of coaster!

Bounty looks cool! Well, I first thought it was a picture from the Efteling...

^Well, not when I was there last december... Your photos show a lot more theming at SFOT!

Well, it's almost "Attractiepark Slagharen" in the Netherlands!

Nice TR! Do the lodges all look the same in the USA? I thought I recognized it... Without hte slides of course...