Anac0nda

Thanks! Hansa Park's closest train station Sierksdorf is a short walk (less than 1km) away from the park entrance, but Heide's (Wolterdingen) was further, about 2km walk. You can check dbahn.com and Google Maps for more details. I wouldn't say it was difficult, but it isn't as easy as Scandinavian parks (most of which are inside a city). Train schedules can be a bit tricky, since you have to transfer. Hamburg served as a good base for Hansa, but if you're going to visit Heide for more than 1 day, I'd definitely recommend staying in Abenteuerhotel. If I had to choose either, I'd probably go with Hansa due to its originality and supreme theming! But it's pretty much a "quality vs quantity" thing.

Let me start by saying what a great trip it was! Weather was on our (me + friend) side and excluding Saturday, the crowds were minimal. I had had both parks on my bucket list for a long time and now I finally got to visit them. So far I’ve seen many enthusiasts do these two in a combo, and now I understand why. Hansa and Heide really compliment each other: Hansa has over the top theming but as a park it’s smaller and more original, as Heide is a bigger park with more larger rides and it feels a bit more company-owned somehow. I liked both parks equally, though, but for different reasons. Friday: Hansa Park We stayed the first two nights in Hamburg and took a train to Hansa Park. We were happy to discover that crowds were non-existent and basically everything was a walk-on! Of course we headed to the biggest beast first: Schwur des Kärnan Wow! You know the feeling when a coaster makes it into your top-10 even before you even SEE the train in station? Because that’s what Kärnan made me feel. I was completely in awe of the queue and loading, and I’d like to talk about it, but it would spoil so much that I’ll just encourage everyone to try it yourselves! Ride itself was as great, although some roughness occurred in a couple of spots. Now I’m not complaining, but if this was as smooth as Expedition GeForce, Kärnan would have surpassed it, but instead Kärnan is now at number 3 in my top-10. Height, speed, fast turns, airtime, dark ride portions, kick-ass soundtrack and a very cool station… Kärnan has it all. GO RIDE IT! Fluch von Novgorod Fluch is very much alike with Kärnan but with super impressive theming that continues even after the ride is over! Ride was way smoother than I expected, but as this was (and still is) my first Euro-Fighter, I really don’t have any comparison. Launch took us both by surprise every time and was fun! Airtime and OTSR really don’t mix, but everything else was top notch. With its immersive theming and fun ride Fluch made it into number 10 for me. The music that plays with every dispatch is still playing in my head! Classic Nessie was my credit #80. You can’t really go wrong with Schwarzkopf, right? Loop was surprisingly strong and sitting in the back gave almost ejector air when leaving the MCBR. Rasender Roland and Schlange von Midgard were fun family rides but the theming with Schlange… Hansa really likes to theme their rides nicely! Crazy Mine was a bit too violent for both of us, but like others it had no nice theming that it made it up for the poor ride experience. Aside from Rio Dorado which spun us like crazy, the other water rides were a bit disappointing though. We didn’t get wet in either and they were a bit boring, especially Super Splash which didn’t seem to do anything at all. The bouncy hill and climbing courses were extremely fun! I had no idea what we were up to when we climbed an innocent looking treehouse They really aren’t kidding with the size restriction sign! (There’s a test hole next to the entrance to test if you can squeeze through). The swinging bell felt a bit weird as you could see the huge bell above you at all times, but the swinging felt like any other pendulum ride to me. But as this is Hansa, they have added fire and water effects because why not? Fire effects were also in the beyond-awesome special effects show that they have! Fire, lasers, smoke, lights, all synched to music blasting from the speakers. We both enjoyed it thoroughly! During the day we fueled ourselves with Italian pasta and ridiculously cheap (compared to Finland) waffles and ice cream. Yum! Even though Kärnan broke down in the evening, we could rack up about four rides on it and five on Fluch. All in all Hansa Park was very interesting visit and I definitely recommend it to everyone! They have nailed it with Fluch and Kärnan. Saturday and Sunday: Heide Park We stayed the other two nights at Heide’s Abenteuer Hotel. This was my first visit in a park’s own hotel, and I fell in love with the concept of staying right next to a park! Even though our windows weren’t facing the park, the proximity and level of luxury really made the deal for me. Their buffets (dinner and breakfast) were more than satisfactory and I liked that they had a theme going in the hotel as well. Staying in the hotel also gives you a 30min ERT on Krake and/or Flug der Dämonen, as well as a headstart compared to GP because the hotel’s entrance to the park is located further than the main gate. Saturday was packed and all the queues were about an hour and we were prepared to buy Platinum Fast Passes for Sunday, but came Sunday and crowds were light again with Krake topping the queue times at 45minutes and everything else under 30 minutes! That’s 70 euros saved. Flug der Dämonen This was by far our favorite from Heide Park and we ended up racking about 10 rides in total in two days! The magic seat for us was 6R (last row in the right). In general left side felt weaker or floatier, while right side felt more intense and out of control. The first drop felt so wrong and awesome every time and the prezel loop has some funky grooves going on! It’s also silky smooth, which made Flug take the number 5 spot for me in my top 10. Colossos It’s so big it looks unreal. The lift is just massive and the hills just keep going and going. The train also makes funny sounds while passing the airtime hills. Roar of upstop wheels = sweet Intamin airtime. And airtime it provided. First drop and two following hills give you plenty of time to wonder if gravity will ever catch you back again. Surprisingly the turnaround provided the most positive Gs. Helix after MCBR was very rough though, but other than that it ran smoothly. Krake I was excited to ride my first dive machine. Being a B&M it was flawless, but somehow it just didn’t connect with me. The drop was fun and gave good airtime, especially in the back, but maybe it just suffers from being so low and short. As I said there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s super smooth and comfortable, but maybe I’m just looking for some more intensity IDK. I’ll have to ride a bigger DM to find out. At the end of the day I ended up enjoying more just watching the beautiful beast roll rather than riding it. I mean come on, the track shaping is sexy af right? Big Loop and Limit were both smoother, faster and more intense than I expected and I actually enjoyed both of them. Until we rode them the second time… Our first try on Limit was all the way in the back which had me worried, but I actually hurt my head only once (in the helix after Immelmann), but the second time in the middle gave me some serious deep tissue massage in the neck. And thus I now, after riding my first SLC, understand the headbanging people talk about. Big Loop however wasn’t that bad, only the exit of the second loop was rough. Scream really shows that in drop towers it’s the drop that counts. As I’ve ridden Kingi (at Linnanmäki) countless times, I’ve gotten used to its dropping and braking distances. Scream however has VERY different distances. It feels like it’ll never catch on the brakes and when it does, you can really feel the G’s! I was literally shaking when we got off due to adrenaline (doesn’t happen too often) which only implied another ride immediately after! Bobbahn (#90 for me) was fun and surprisingly long, but the shaking and vibrating really show that smoothness is the key nowadays in rollercoasters. HUSS-land provided us with plenty of spin-n-puke, but sadly all the ride cycles felt kinda short except the Topspin which ran two cycles in a row. Theming was great though, all the rides looked very nice. Desert Race felt a bit forgettable unfortunately, but it could be because we only ended up riding it once. Log flume had ridiculous lines so we opted for the rafting instead. I always feel rafting rides have more theming than log flumes anyway, and they tend to have more surprises along the way. This was the case at Heide Park as well. The larger monorail was also a fun way to explore the park around the lake. Oh the lake… The lake in the middle of the park is so beautiful I can’t really describe it. It’s just so serene and surrounded with huge rollercoasters, what more could you want? If I could stay in one spot, it’d be right there in the new kiddie area, from where you get to see all the big coasters giving the most beautiful backdrop to a lake ever. During the two days we ate some more waffles and ice cream, some chicken nuggets and a total of three buffets (I may have gained a pound or two… but hey it’s a holiday, you’re supposed to pamper yourself amirite?). To sum it all up: Hansa-Heide was a great combo and I recommend both parks to everyone. One day at Hansa and two days at Heide provided us with just the right amount of rides in both. Total of 14 new credits were acquired, three of which made it into my top-10, so I’d say this was a very successful trip! But not only credit-wise, but as a full experience as well Before we get to the photos, here's also a bonus video I made from the trip: Magnificent Kärnan Enter the queue This element rides better than it looks, IMO But the height is impressive even from the ground That's airtime right there Schlange von Midgard is smaller than Kärnan, but has nice theming too Money shot But first, let me take a selfie Fluch von Novgorod: more green track greatness Sideways floater before RMC Outside portion Another shameless selfie Cheap but tasty! Surprise sea creatures What's that there? It's a Schwartzkopf! Nice interaction Fun and beautiful! Nessie also shows your speed in the loop Nessie and Rasender Roland Aerial shot of Hansa Park Water rides have their theming too The climb in the treehouse is followed by this rope bridge Bye bye Kärnan! Hopefully we get to see each other soon! Menacing drop of Krake Such suspense Nice splash We see you Scream and Flug der Dämonen! One final shot of Krake's immelmann Scream up and close Countdown: 5....4....0 Flug der Dämonen Beautiful Magnificent You get to choose left or right, but to get front or last row, you have to have a bit of luck Coasters and more coasters Flug about to curse or absolve its passengers Vests didn't lock, providing a comfortable ride So smooth Getting artsy Nearby is Bobbahn as well Tangled mess of white track and green supports Minimal crowds on Sunday? Yes please! My first SLC... Classic Vekoma That monorail is just photobombing right there More yummies! Holy *@&k that's tall! Last shameless selfie, I promise! Beautiful scenery and a MACK powered More beautiful scenery Our buffet table was "captured" for us HUSS land provided all the spin'n'puke one can handle Lastly a beautiful shot of Heide. Bye bye!

1. Helix - Liseberg 2. Expedition GeForce - Holiday Park 3. Schwur des Kärnan - Hansa Park 4. Junker - Power Park 5. Flug der Dämonen - Heide Park 6. Dragon Khan - Port Aventura 7. Piraten - Djurs Sommerland 8. Juvelen - Djurs Sommerland 9. Tornado - Bakken 10. Fluch von Novgorod - Hansa Park Fluch von Novgorod may soon get dropped due to Wildfire...

If you only get to visit one of the parks, I'd say Tivoli. While Bakken has Tornado and other fun rides, it still feels a bit unpolished as a park. Tivoli on the other hand is very finished and looks gorgeous (especially at night!) AND it has a B&M (as if an enthusiast could pass a chance to ride one, right? ) and one of the best flatrides ever: Flying Fury.

Didn't Maurer advertise that you can control the speed and acceleration yourself in their new motorbike-esque cars? That makes me think it'll be somehow powered, especially if this'll have those motorbike trains/cars. But like all of us I can't get my head around the layout either... I guess only time will tell. I'm also curious to know what's the difference between Maurer AG and Maurer Rides?

As if I wasn't excited already to ride this! That first drop looks so gorgeous With this and Ikaros opening next year at Gröna Lund, it finally pays off to live in Finland

Flug der Dämonen, pure fun!

Hansa Park followed immediately by Heide Park! I had totally forgotten how much both of these parks have to offer, not just the big coasters

Thanks for the tips Elissa and cookiex! We are planning on arriving at 9 so it's good to know in advance that Fluch and Kärnan open at 10. Also now we can try to exploit the queues after closing time And we'll be sure to try the crepes!

Me + friend are visiting Heide in a week (June 4th-5th). Got any tips on how to conquer the park the best way possible? We're staying the night between in Abenteuerhotel so we get the whole Sunday plus half an hour ERT before the park opens, so hitting Colossos and Krake won't be a problem Especially tips on where to eat are very welcome, since eating at a new park is always a gamble. This year they got a new ice cream shop selling Nitrogenie, but I read on coasterfriends that it isn't that good. Anyone got more experience here? And of course if anyone's there on the same days, PM me so we can meet-up!

Me + friend are visiting Hansa in a week (June 3rd). Got any tips on how to conquer the park the best way possible? Especially which rides have the worst capacity, and where to eat since eating at a new park is always a gamble. And of course if anyone's there on the same days, PM me so we can meet-up!

Train is looking good! I love the combination of black and red, and the golden details give it a nice balanced look. Steampunk-ish is also a good choice in my book. I can't wait to see the first drop completed, it will most probably be bonkers

Linnunrata eXtra opens this week, on Friday 20th! The park has released a teaser video:

What ^ said. This park looks like RCT in real life. Rectangular grids, pretty much zero landscaping, and only catalog model coasters. It's a shame (from an enthusiast's point of view) that this much money goes into something as unimaginative. At least they have a kick-ass looking Intamin. But hey who knows maybe they'll add heaps of theming in the next few years to bring the rides together and actually make this a park!

Linnanmäki opens this Saturday and has now revealed the hot new stuff for this season: - 2 new family rides - VR coaster experience (opens 20th May) - a new terrace with a cafe and a midway game - revamped main entrance area - 2 new restaurants - theme weeks during season First of all, the 2 new family rides are Poppis (Gosetto Party Dance) and Propelli (Zamperla Magic Bikes). I guess many are already familiar with the Zamperla, but the Party Dance is a new ride for me. You can control your spinning with a joystick, while the main gondola rotates and bounces up and down. It certainly looks to have decent speed in the video, but I'll write a more detailed report later after I've ridden it. Both rides are meant to be interactive where adults can ride with the children rather than just watching them have fun. Now the VR coaster: Linnunrata (custom indoor Zierer Force) gets the Samsung goggles and transforms into Linnunrata eXtra. I really did not see this one coming, and I am super excited to test it! Sadly the VR coaster company is swamped with work so Linnunrata has to wait a few weeks more. The layout isn't the longest, but it'll be interesting to see how they are going to use the two lifts for example. I guess the space theme will stay, but again only time will tell. Other new things around the park: The "kiddie sector" of the park gets a facelift and the new terrace with the cafe. The location is nice and sunny, but I'm a bit worried about how crowded it will get since the area is already tiny. There will also be a new climbing course for small children and the new midway game. The park's main entrance area transforms from previous maritime-theme to a more generic-style (I guess?) and a new interactivity for children is introduced in the revamped candy store; children are taught about cotton candy and they can try to make their own! The 2 new restaurants nearby serve mexican and american diner styled food, and will replace two restaurants. A circus-themed week will kickstart the season, a horror-themed week is planned for autumn and the season will end with a two-week-lasting Carnival of Lights. Finnish source Linnanmäki's Facebook Finnish news, with video Poppis (Gosetto Party Dance) Propelli (Zamperla Magic Bikes)

You know I really like that clip. Not only does it look polished and detailed (at least to my untrained eye), but it SOUNDS great. I really like the ambient noises but even more I like the music! If they can deliver for what they are promising with that build-up of tension, I actually don't mind that they added this VR element. However this will be very vulnerable to technical hiccups, so we can only hope for the best. Do I remember correctly, that the syncing is done with monitoring the speed (and that way the travelled distance) of the running wheel? Is this done in each car separately or just in one car and scaled to other cars, does anyone know?

I kinda like the little sound clip! It's got nice rhythm and I can imagine at least some people getting a little groove on while queuing. The only thing that bothers me is that it has lyrics. Somehow I just don't like any lyrics in ride music, as it attracts more attention from me rather than just staying ambient, if you know what I mean. But a nice clip nevertheless. Groovy ride music is what this world needs more

I wouldn't say nothing like designing a real coaster. It has been confirmed that some manufacturers use it to quickly sketch layout possibilities or even use it in actual marketing (GCI), and it's no wonder why. It's the best in the market at the moment, and it has quite powerful graphics and scripting engines to make the surroundings look like their real life counterpart. Now could you use your NoLimits track in manufacturing and blueprinting? Of course not. NoLimits (for me) is a graphic designing tool. To make proper calculations, I'd imagine you'd use analytic methods. Creating blueprints and checking cross-sections and connections you'll have to use something a bit more validated than just a 'game'.

Guys, we have been through this literally with every coaster, right? First test runs are _always_ slower than the rides a few weeks after opening. Give it some time to warm up and break in. It could also be that the reviews from Skyrush made the designers lay back a little bit to make a coaster that's re-ridable and fun instead of an insane ejector machine that may bruise your thighs. The layout looks kick-ass though, I can't wait for a POV!

What Tanks4me05 said. I skimmed quickly through the first three years in university, but now that I'm doing my master's degree in civil engineering, I dropped several courses from my yearly quota. I found out hat plowing through courses is is a fast way to graduate, but I didn't actually remember most of the stuff discussed during the courses. Now that I'm over halfway to graduating, I though it'd be time to actually try and learn something that I'd also remember later on. Having less courses per year really allows you to focus on the courses you have, but also lets you have other life as well. A man's gotta eat and sleep, right? About this designer vs engineering topic: in my opinion, being an engineer is kinda required, since you should understand how your design is supposed to work. I've heard numerous (stereotypical) examples of architechts who want "levitating glass-pyramids filled with eternal fire". Why would you want to design something that just isn't possible/realistic? You'd have to re-design, which costs time which again costs money. If you have engineering-knowledge, you already know what's possible, what's impossible, and what is difficult but achievable. This is my interpretation of an engineer at work. Back to topic: it has been my dream job since I can remember (earliest I recall I was 6). I wasn't sure what I should do to achieve it, but studying civil engineering and working at an amusement park really were the way to go for me. Studying gives you mathematical understanding of the phenomena happening in structures etc, and working at a park lets you get up and close with rides. If you're lucky, you get to see some of the maintenance's stuff as well (as was with me), and if you're really lucky, you might get a chance at networking inside the industry! Studying languages is also a plus since manufacturers can be located in a different country than the one you're living in, AND the products will get sold all over the world and being able to communicate really makes things easier. It's also noteworthy how the computers have revolutionized this industry as well, so learning your ways with CAD and BIM should also be in your to-do-list.

I'm slightly bummed that this isn't going to be a spinner after all, but I'm more excited that MACK has a four-seater design now! Facebook post from MACK reveals that this type is called BigDipper: "The first pictures of our BigDipper car are here! Extremely sharp turns, massive airtime and floorless outer seats with our comfortable lap bars will let you enjoy Lost Gravity!" It's interesting to think that B&M dominated for so long with their four-across seating, and now Intamin, Gerstlauer, MACK and even Vekoma have their variants. Sign me up for a wing seat anytime!

If someone was still doubting about the steel/wooden structure of the lift hill and drop, I'd say based on this episode that the structure will have metal scaffolding, kinda like Goliath. Also, just imagine a RMC coaster and a Falcon's Fury drop tower next to each other! If they have convinced the government about building tall amusement rides, I don't see any reason why they shouldn't buy a drop tower, regular or similar to FF. That'd certainly bring in the adrenaline junkies (and enthusiasts!) and put Kolmården even more to the map.

I really love this thread! Colorful skies and beautiful coaster silhouettes make awesome pictures Piraten at Djurs Piraten at Djurs Raketti at Linnanmäki

A new episode has been released! In this one, winter has arrived (with snow) but it doesn't seem to hold these guys back:

I wanted to write this earlier but oh man last semester at uni was a tough one! Anyway, last summer we visited my favourite park Liseberg with a group of four ride-operator friends from Linnanmäki. We stayed at Scandic Hotel Rubinen and spent the weekend enjoying the last hot days of summer, the dark evenings that bring out the rides' lights and also ran into a couple of other TPR members as well. Liseberg was as great as ever: service and operations were friendly, and excluding SpinRock and Mechanica all rides were operating on full drive. SpinRock was closed, Mechanica had had some issues during the whole week and continued having them during our stay: two of the six arms were out of order which lead into major increase in waiting times (up to 120min!). Thus I only got to ride it twice during two days. So how was Mechanica? I liked it! It seemed to move in all directions all at once. It provided enough spinning and height to make me giddy. Restraints and seat weren't uncomfortable and the cycle was fun. Because the arms spin free the experience varies every time, which encourages re-riding. My only complains are the constant laterals, and I noticed I was continuously banging my head against the headrest. Not restraints, headrest (weird I know), but it was so softly padded that I didn't even notice it until way into the rice cycle. Queues other than Mechanica weren't that bad, Helix, Balder and FlumeRide at 60min, AtmosFear and Kanonen at 30min and of course the mother of all people-eaters Lisebergbanan with full queue extended and filled with people but queue time only 15 minutes! I was a bit concerned about whether Helix could still hold up its place at my #1 after Expedition GeForce, but it did! The only thing Helix lacks is a great first drop, other than that it covers about everything else! Balder is still kick-ass, especially in the evening when it's warmed up! The difference is ridiculous . AtmosFear is tall af and Gasten still awesome! Kanonen's launch felt like a literal cannon but thanks to padded restraints, rest of the layout felt smooth and I didn't feel any headbanging whatsoever. Another memorable forceful moment was Uppskjutet's launch which made me almost bite my tongue off Liseberg is my favourite park not only due to rides, but to the scenery as well! It's hillside landscape and amount of trees are beautiful, but their trump card is played when the sun goes down. The park has so many lights you don't know where to look! With Helix and Mechanica LED's were introduced to really show the world how lighting should be done on rides! So beautiful! If you don't believe me, just watch the video. Before we hop on to the pictures, here's a video of our trip. I haven't yet shot nor edited video that much, but I'm learning more every time. This video is stabilized using YouTube's own stabilizer. It does improve most of the shots, but it also creates a nice "acid-tripping" effect Please try to ignore that... .....Also yes, we did sing Log Flume song Yay it's travelling time! Our merry group (I'm on the right) I had hyped my friends quite a bit about Helix. They said it delivered! They also liked Kanonen! Nerd shot from Lisebergbanan. The park is so green and beautifully integrated in every way And the ride interaction is carefully planned instead of just plotting catalogue models down on flat ground! Liseberg truly has a unique setting Although it started to get chilly, FlumeRide stayed busy throughout the night FlumeRide's panel for those of us who are into these things Green is beautiful What other park has a launch coaster next to a log flume? I'm glad we rode this Mechanica. Beast. TPR meetup! with viking86 and lond "We're on a log flume!" Having second thoughts Guess it wasn't that good of an idea to ride a water ride 9 pm with temperature dropping LED's are beautiful LED's are still beautiful I think LED's are most beautiful VIP bracelet power, unite! On to the second day with champion's breakfast! Honestly this was 90% of the reasons we stayed at Scandic Rubinen (and I made the receptionist chuckle when I asked whether they still serve these ) More awesome Helix! More awesome water rides! Happy place And another night falls, bringing the park to life in another way I really like Helix's headlights Goodbye Liseberg! See you again soon!