Kooky

first some infos for the new coaster: yes, it is a powered inverted coaster, but it seems that it didn`t get any gravity driven passages. This would be possible but they decided not to use it on this one. But it has another feature: the cars will have controlled spinning in the dark ride scenes and in the outdoor section you can ineractivly change or choose the direction in which the cars are facing. So you can ride it sideways or backwards if you want. and there are some new photos from some theming elements,models and some indoor parts in their exhibition room: (photos from http://www.chris-space.net/?incvar=bilder.php&path=news/2014/2013_09_14-artworks/) this paper clips maybe prepared... ...for this creepy scene

some progress pics from http://www.chris-space.net/?incvar=ep_2014.htm from the last weeks... the outdoor section seems to build very nicly through and around the existing trees

the fabric is nearly completed, photos from http://www.freizeitparkinfos.de/news/europa-park/europa-park-bauarbeiten-zu-arthur-im-koenigreich-der-minimoys :

The Europa-Park guys (especially the MACKs) have often talked about a water park in the past ten years... i have often read in smaller newspapers of it, but maybe this time they really going to build it. Hope so of course But don`t forget about the new interactive suspended powered coaster dark-ride "Arthur", it seems to make good progress. But there are not many pics because the building area is hidden behind a river and many trees. So here some photos from http://www.chris-space.net/?incvar=ep_2014.htm :

EuroSat is really wild beast... not everyone like it. Some times i love it, sometimes i hate it. Because it is my home park i think i have ridden it more than 100 times. But i have to say i liked it a little bit more in the past. There was just minimalistic theming inside the lift and the rest of the track. And no music playing, just weird and loud space noises. You really got nervous when you went up the lift and just listen to noises which sound like something is breaking down or metal that sqeezes. And then in the main coaster part there were just some LEDs on the walls and hanging in the air and you didn`t see a bit. You really fealt like you were thrown through space. Now after nearly 25 years of EuroSat, it is still a good but hurting coaster, with cruel but funny hard break

first pics of the trains... they look very nice and perfectly fitting for tripsdrill: source: http://forum.airtimers.com/index.php?/topic/1999-tripsdrill-karacho-2013/page__st__810

here is a little bit shaky onride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuIr5HQnsqU

I forgot to mention an interactive feature which the Macks mentioned on the press conference: The riders will have the oppertunity to choose the direction in which they/the trains are facing in the outdoor-coaster section of the ride . So if you want to ride the outdoor-part sideways, backwards or forward.... it is your choice. They have not explained how this will work, so maybe you have a joystick and can spin it freely or maybe you just get some buttons which you can press on specific times to change the direction. But sounds cool. The source of this fact comes directly from the Macks and you can listen to it in this video (in german):

The track is completed and the tests will begin the next days: image-source: http://airtimers.com/die-rattenmuhle-osterreichs-neuer-bobsled-coaster/0017912/ and two cgi-pics for a better view of the complete track: source:

i hope for something like this image-source:http://newsplusnotes.blogspot.de/2011/11/scott-and-carol-present-day-two-at.html

the pics are all mixed up, but i trie to explain: EuropaPark is building a complete new indoor area, themed after the "the Minimoys" movies. It is a big hall extremly themed and with many attractions inside. The main attraction is a inverted powered coaster/darkride with stadium seated trains which has controlled rotatable seats so that everyone can see what is going on. In the movies there is a mini (steam punk like) world and the main actors were shrunken to the size of them. The ride seems to follow a story and seems to get some nice effects and scenes. The ride will be a mixture of darkride and (powered-)coaster parts. And they build some more kids attractions in it: a little family free fall tower, a carousel and a big kids play area with slides. If you don´t know the movies here is a trailer of the first one: and here are some facts of the ride: the area is called "Das Königreich der Minimoys" (The Kingdom of the Minimoys) facts of the area: - Die aufwändigste und größte Indoor-Attraktion des Europa-Park (the most complex and biggest indoor attractioon of the EP) - Nachbau der Original Filmkulisse aus Luc Bessons Kino-Erfolg „Arthur und die Minimoys“ (replica of the original movie set) - Grundfläche 3.500 m² (->base area) - Indoor-Volumen 40.000 m³ - 15 Meter hohe Kuppel (dome with 15m height) - Shop - Gastronomie - Klatschmohn Free Fall Tower, 10 Meter hoch - Mul-Mul Karussell - Großes Rutschenparadies (big slide-paradies) - Spielecke (Playground) Arthur - die Attraktion (Arthur - the ride) - Weltneuheit aus dem Hause MACK Rides (Worlds first of this type from Mack rides) - Ab 4 Jahren und 100 cm Körpergröße fahrbar (children need be 4 years old and 100cm big) - Flug durch sieben fantastische Königreiche (Flight through seven fantastic kingdoms) - Dynamische Fahrt mit verschiedenen Geschwindigkeiten (dynamic ride with variable speed) - Zahlreiche High-Tech Spezialeffekte (many hi-tech specialFX) - Inverted Ride: Wagen hängen unter der Schiene - Wagen können sich drehen (rotateble trains) - 550 Meter lange Schienenstrecke (ride lenght of 550 meters) - Dark Ride - In- und Outdoorstrecke (Ride though in- and outdoor areas) Hope that helps

^ If i remember right, EuropaPark always builds their rides so that they are ready to open with the beginning of the new season. So i think it will open together with the park on the Easter weekend (the first week of april). But when i look on the building progress maybe they can open it earlier... for example with the start of the winter-season in november/december. And of course it would be great addition for the cold months

there are a massive amount of pics from the press conference from http://www.coasterfriends.de/forum/4583-2014-neuheit-thematisierte-familienachterbahn-arthur-ride-europa-park-11.html : and a lot of artworks: and mayn more pics from http://www.chris-space.net/?incvar=ep_2014.htm by the way... the arrows seem to show the direction in which the spinning seats are facing

Havent´t found a thread so i open a new one for the little park in Austria. They are building "Rattenmühle" a bobsled coaster for this season and looks like it may become a fun one. Here are some facts: Height: 19 meter Lenght: 430m max. speed: 54 km/h and here are some pictures from http://www.coasterfriends.de/forum/coasterfriends-insider-1/newscenter-park-und-coaster-news-park-talk-5/europa-news-67/5083-2013-neuheit-rattenmuehle-bobsled-coaster-familypark-neusiedlersee-osterreich.html :

^ he is a hotel guest... so you wouldn`t start with wodan in the morning and don`t use the extra riding time before opening. Sure it will run better in the evening. But isn`t it the same with all the coasters i know that wodan has the most difference but you can ride it in the evening again. So i think the most of my suggestions would fit... sure you can ride silverstar directly in the morning but than you have to walk with the crowds back again. My suggestion but not "the way it meant to be rided"

^^ sorry but i won`t do it this way... the most people do the same as you said. So if you come from the hotel use the early time to ride wodan 1-2 times till the crowds arrive, maybe you take a ride on bluefire,too. But BlueFire is a people eater, like SilverStar and they really push the crowds trough them (and if i remember right, than the hotel guests can go into the area for Wodan and Bluefire half an hour before the official park opening). The longest waiting times i had, were often on Poseidon (watercoaster) and the wild-mouse "Matterhorn-Blitz"... The older coasters are most time have a good capacity,too. So EuroSat and EuroMir oftenhave fast moving crowds and not the longest lines. Maybe sometimes the "SchweizerBobbahn" has slow moving lines, but i think on the Tuesday you will have no problem to ride all of them. Like mentioned on wednesday there are normally more french people and the park will be more packed, but i think it will be ok. It is not so crowded compared to days were we germans have holidays . And you should look on signs... the park will change their closing time according to the amount of people which are in the park. So even on the fullest days with long lines i got all major rides done and some of them a secound time. So i think you will have enough time (2 days are perfect) and little - up to middle crowds.

a new part of the track goes up and looks really nice too: image-source: http://www.coasterfriends.de/forum/3022-2013-neuheit-karacho-gerstlauer-launch-coaster-erlebnispark-tripsdrill-59.html

i think it is mixed... the first part is a joke. But the secound part: It fits to the interviews and other details which were published... fully animated 3D-objects... everything possible with the scripting engine (even flats)... animated textures and so on

Some new pics from http://worldofcoaster.de/index.php/tripsdrill/karacho of the construction area. I like the indoor parts and hope it will get a nice darkride section Edit: Some facts from the report: The coasters name is "Karacho" and it wil have cars for 8 people with "lap bars" After the station you directly roll into the heartline roll which will be underground -->hangtime the you will be the first block breaks and a little drop directly into the launch! after this you will be launched into a 30 meter high tophat and then the rest of the layout is not public yet. But overall it should have 4 inversions. lenght of the track will be 700 metres and you will be launched in 1.6 secounds to 100 km/h. capacity will be ca. 900 people per hour. source of all pics: http://worldofcoaster.de/index.php/tripsdrill/karacho

they showed the layout and theming plan of their new attraction in a german tv-show.... looks really nice... i especially like the tunnel were you drive through the stomach of a caterpillar. Track-Layout - ImageSource: http://www.ep-board.de/die-neuheiten-2013-2014-f42/arthur-the-ride-neuer-darkride-coaster-2014-t4187-s620.html

^ they won`t.... the "Food-Loop" Restaurant in EuropaPark has loops: image source: http://www.holidaycheck.ch/vollbild-Europa+Park+FoodLoop+Restaurant-ch_ub-id_1162431821.html and a short video of the EuropaPark-version of this restaurant:

^Direct-link doesn`t seem to work, so just go on thrill-network and then in the news section. There you will find it.

there is an Interview with one of the developers on ThrillNetwork.com. There are many big News in it. Here are some important facts from the Interview: - There will be a much higher limit for the height and speed. - Multiple (different) coasters in one area are possible. - All old and many new coaster styles are integrated - better smoothing and math tools to generate smooth coasters - new scripting-tools that allows many things (like animated flat-rides or theming)... even the water splash from the video was not really a feature of nolimits, it is made with scripts... but like they said, with in this interview: -and much more... And they showed a new coaster style on ThrillNetworks.com (scroll down), here is the link to the source with the interview and pics (EDIT: Link corrected to Thrillnetwork.com because direct-link doesn`t seem to work...) http://www.thrillnetwork.com

Found this new crazy (german) fake documentary on youtube. The rides in this short movies are very crazy and most of them would probably kill you. But it is fun watching and has some nice made CGIs. EDIT: I found the english version and changed the link to it:

there appearred some parts of the train on the test-rails for the new family coaster (Pics from http://www.chris-space.net/?incvar=bilder.php&path=news/2014/2013_01_11-teststrecke/):