Dragon Khan

I was also pleasantly surprised this summer. It was my first visit, and I liked it a lot. Troy is excellent, but definitely NOT the best GCI imho... I much prefered Prowler and have a soft spot for Renegade too. But this seems like a good addition to the park. What about the old Batman clone dream ? Was it just rumour or can we still expect a real THRILL coaster in the future ? The park does NOT need that, I mean, but that's probably something that would get ME coming back. (I don't think they care though lol) Nice original little rides in this park. One fun "discovery" for me was the powered bobsled pictured below

Maybe it's an Amokev !

As I wrote above, they've been testing 3 different types of wheels, according to Panoramix, who used to run the website "potionmagix". Seems those are for different weather conditions and have VERY variable prices according to the sort. I read on the same website that the "protocol" for all I know of it, consists of a first batch of 40 hours of continuous cycling for each train. This phase is over. The current test runsare probably more for the track than for the train themselves and after another 20 hours, the whole track / collumns should be reinspected for eventual metal fatique and so on... probably more techncal data in the next couple of days

Not only empty / not empty. From what I read, they've been testing with 3 different sorts of wheels (even wheels especially designed for cold temperatures... future winter openings ?) I also read that they have been cycling 3 trains and still have to make them run something like 20 hours before they recheck every joint, connexion and so on.

Our friends at French forum Ameworld have just posted a new video of the tests, in HD this time ! Enjoy this youtube link. Thank you to the French site for this update

Looks lke sharp old school zero G roll like on Khan or Kumba... This combined with the riding position should provide a very unique feeling ! It's high time I returned to the UK (last visit = 2000 !)

I am already in love with this beast. I have a feeling the frist drop will be epic taken in the back seat. a little more than 5 months till I ride this gem 2 hours away from home...

This combined with the fact that you strangely get a feeling of being horizontal while still negociating the end of the loop. So the flat section feels like going upwards. Speaking of noise: indeed I can understand the neighbours complaining, in a way LOL. But the sound of the launch when it was not enclosed, as well as the typical "tudududud" of Schwarzie loopers... pure ear delight imho. A sample of the launch system sound (flywheel) can be found on the schwarzkopf fansite. Worth listening

coming back on the ugly representation of the future ride one page earlier: there is no way it will be THAT massive over Khan. First, on this drawing, both lifts nearly look parallel and it's nearly as if the new one was actually closer to us than Khan. We all know it's not the case. Also the lift of the hyper will take benefit of the topography: Khan reigns on a "mountain" but strangely enough, it's full of "valleys" too (oooh i love this ride <3 ) if they make the bottom of the drop the lowest track part, then Khan might not be surpassed by a "real" 78m - 45m so a real 33m. Look on the picture: lift hill looks lika a giga ! Everyone screamed "scandal" when they decided to install Furious Baco that would "mutilate the park's face forever". It's effing well integrated I think. I'm sure they know what they're doing. It's NOT Blackpool (which incidentally I love too)

^Jon, did you also get that feeling coming backwards in the dark after the loop, that the launch section felt like an incline whereas it is perfectly horizontal (unlike KK, TTD ...) Lots of people who rode it with me felt like they were going "upwards" on the way back through the station...

Building is definitely there to stay since even if they had removed Turbine, the building would have been kept as a station / braking area for the spinning one. But I agree that I prefered Sirocco to Turbine. Some of my coaster friends do, some don't. I would love a kind of catwalk THROUGH the loop for viewers, with an inside passage for non riders !!! (there is actually a tiny one inside the building, threading the loop for "maintenance" (I really don't know what they can do from the center of the loop but it's there)they could paint the train with a neon colour stripe or combine that with blacklight in the building and viewers would see it flash twice in a kind of "milky way" ala Space Mountain ? daydreaming...

^would be better than nada of course, but there are already Typhoon and Anubis as Gerstlauer looping dept representants. CDA has just acquired a B&M for Asterix. Let me dream of a Swiss machine in Belgium too... (wingrider before they are so widespread they do not look "new" anymore ?) I'd love a Khan clone of course, but this will never happen. Anyway, I think any new coaster will have to be on the other side of the park because of the neighbours. Back to the likely renovation of Turbine: Do you think the fact they have to enclose the spikes will be a shortcoming ? (no height sensation) or a plus ? (feeling of speed accentuated by the "tubing" )

Moreover I think this is WAY exagerated, as Khan's lift is 45 meters tall with a drop of 49 meters, and the future ride with its 76 meter lift will never look that big. Also, the perspective is pure guess. Just a fan's drawing, which may or may not look like the real thing... There are plenty of those on the dedicated webpage, some look great, some ugly. But seriously, compared to µKhan, the one drawn here looks taller than i305 ... http://www.pa-community.com/p/port_aventura/atraccion-2012/fotos/#

I think you're mistaken with those videos: those are about the Paramount Park for Murcia, in Spain mainland. The project discussed in this thread is not Murcia, but Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands.

^absolutely Larry. But I have a feeling (I said feeling, I am no expert and don't have figures to prove it) that Spanish amusement parks really have to rely on foreign visitors more than locals. that's probably why Port Aventura or Terra Mitica are situated in very touristic places (Salou / Benidorm) Madrid of course, is "touristic" in a way, but I'd say people on a beach vacation and people on a (cultural) city trip won't react the same way towards parks. I don't think the "usual" tourist would take 2 trains from Atocha station to visit a park which is VERY POORLY advertised in the city. Lots of people in Madrid ignore its existence and for them, rollercoasters= Parque Attraciones de Madrid. Look at attendance figures between PA and PWM... Again I may be totally wrong. Just my opinion based on visits to those places

Why am I happy ? Maybe out of nostalgia. Not only is it a Schwarzkopf, but it's also one of the first coasters I ever rode. Maybe it's a matter of generation, and I can understand how at 37 I am more attached to it than you at 23. I also would LOVE new thrilling coasters at my local park. Would like it sooo much. Just as much as I would love Cedar Point to replace Walibi altogether. But unfortunately, this is NOT gonna happen. I know it's a far fetched example, but we are now used to NOT receiving new rides, they might as well open the ones they still have. I am a regular visitor to the park, and honestly, the longest lines on "Sirocco" were in the 90's when it ran at full capacity. Since they covered it, I have NEVER had to wait more than let's say 20 min max. Low capacity might be better than no capacity at all. Tell yourself the people in Turbine's line are not in Werewolf's... I realise I have just typed 8 lines when I could just have Typed "ANTON SCHWARZKOPF"

As French forums show, something is underway at Walibi Belgium. I think my favourite Belgian ride might reopen in the end ! I had heard there was activity in the building and thought it was just for Zoo Terror (Hallowween) but the pictures here seems to indicate it's happening at last. Enjoy. Thanks to Ameworld for the picture workers on the front spike (tallest so)

To play the devil's advocate... If Warner Parque Madrid got built (literally in the middle of nowhere), anything can get built I think. It's not just the fact I would like it to happen, of course, since for BELGIANS (there are not ONLY Germans on earth), Mallorca is still an attractive and quite cheap destination. Also, I totally agree that there's a lot of binge drinking over there, but probably not more than in Salou (home of PA) , Lloret De Mar or to a lesser extent Benidorm (which I acknowledge is more family oriented). (I have been to those places several times) Don't misunderstand me. I have been to other very touristic destinations where I don't think a theme park would fit (Tunesia, Morocco...). I would say that out of the Spanish Islands (Balearic / Canary ) Mallorca would be the most likely to receive a park. (Certainly not Teneriffe, Lazarotte, Ibiza or Minorca)

^very clever remark about the SIZE of it. As I said before, I believe a park could work there. But I agree they kind of see things BIG. On the other hand, if the tourists from all over Europe find a park with rides actually smaller than on mainland, it's fated to failure. Everything will have to be very well balanced... Where next? Ibiza ? (coasters on acid LOL)

Be awaree that M%allorca and especially Palma de Mallorca are a very dynamic and young (Palma) destination with lots of clubs, nightlife and so on... a bit like Salou, but full of festive (and often drunk) Germans. I spent 10 days over there and could have done with a break with a good amusement park, but then again, i'm not the "usual public". Do waterparks work ? I think so. So maybe a thrill park would be good too.

^Then i would expect this coaster to have long stretches of low to the ground hills / turns like what we see on Leviathan's videos / pictures. Right ? Also, I wonder if the "helix" will be all upwards followed by a strraight drop or partly upwards, partly downwards.... I have seen so many "alleged POV" made on nolimits that I don't know what to trust "more". Also, do you notice how funny it is, that Khan's way smaller lift has far more supports than this new beast ? (judging from what I "think" I understand on the "plan". Proof that technology is now further and will allow bigger rides for less money ? (since less supports = less steel)

So Lift seems to go above Khan's lift. But what about the first drop ? Will it go above Khan's first drop (which i believe) or under it ? I suspect above, and the drop leading to the assumed splash zone UNDER Khan's drop. Do you interpret it that way too ? As for its colour, if it is blue like on some art we have seen, I hope at least they paint the support the same light blue as Khan's too. Don't want a rainbow zone there. ONE new colour could complement the looper's red, but I don't want it to look like a dragqueen though...

WOW ! This is way faster than I thought it would be ! Test runs on Patriot make it look like it's gonna valley at all time... but this one ! Also, we DO know the layout, but the zero G roll which is hidden behind the station will ba a nice surprise for "normal people" Asterix "hide" something nice in lots of their rides: the drop out of the helix on TdZ, now this... I like the "joke " effect. Cannot wait till april 7th

I read on some French Forums today, that testing had begun this morning ! It seems first test phase consists of each train running for about 40 hours... Right now the park is just opened at week ends, so it makes sense... not too frustrating for visitors when they come (and I suppose test will stop)

Didn't even know Intamins could be sand filled. I thought this process was reserved to B&M's box track only. But I think I heard filling the COLUMNS also decrease the noise level quite a bit. Hydra, Talon, maybe Duelling Dragons, are some examples that come to mind