simon8899

I have my own tour planned in 2015. So far I've come up with this... SF Great America (Chicago) Cedar Point Waldameer (Eerie) Kennywood (Pittsburgh) Hersheypark / Knoebels / Dorney's / SF Great Adventure (south of NYC) SF New England (north of NYC) Astroland et al (New York) As I also want to do some sights in Chicago and NYC I plan 2 1/2 to 3 weeks on this trip.

If they do something classic how about a Loop-The-Loops? Of course with correct calculated loop...

^I think that is is the intended reaction we Muggles should have...

The concept arts looking great. I'm still eager too see - and in some years experience - the finished deal. Mostly as the London magical streets in the movies are quite cramped - at how Universal keeps the movie-like feel while making it wide enough for tons of visitors.

^Sounds like any weather or technical hiccup could cause a delay in opening...

Karacho at Tripsdrill is 700 meters long, 30 meters high and has 4 inversions - maybe a slightly bigger layout of Gerstlauer Launched Infinity Coaster...

I dispatched them a mail - lets see what they say. With SEPA the money transfer should be even more easy now. But honestly at spending a great value on travel costs each year I will not squabble over normal day ticket costs. Parque de Atraciones offers a "Today and Tomorrow" ticket ofr €29,90 which sounds good to me.

The Bobbejaanland deal nearly sounds too good to be true. Must I visit Bobbejaanland once before I can visit the other parks? As I also go to to Oslo this year this would be marvelous... EDIT: The payment options they offer run contradictory to the options I have...

^I have seen on the website that they have a Tourist Ticket for public transit. To include Parque Warner do I need A-Zone or T-Zone - and would the bus be included or is it a private operator? Thanks for your answers so far!

Looking good!

I am going to Madrid for a long weekend - Friday to Monday - this May and want to visit both Madrid parks. Reaching Parque de Attraciones is straightforward using the metro I am kind of lost at how to reach Parque Warner by public transit. Websites say to use line C3 - which I cannot find on the subway map. Then the PDF on the Parque Warner website for the bus services make me have more questions than answers - specially as I cannot speak spanish. If someone here has a working layout to reach Parque Warner the help would be much appreciated. Any other tips as of crowds and fastpass options are of course also welcome.

On reading "Looping Star" one first thought they would get something good... Instead they replace a heap of crap with another heap of crap! I would rather see such small parks to invest into some smaller but cool flats instead of buying a third class coaster...

For 2013 I call... pleasant surprise: Rock'n'Roller Coaster at WDW Hollywood Studios - heard it is better than you average Vekoma looper before but was suprised to find a really fine and fun ride with no headbanging at all unpleasant surprise: It is complaining on a high level but I call the woody Mammut at Tripsdrill the unpleasamt surprise of 2013 as it was - well bland - nothing much to remember about it...

^^Europa-Park while one of the biggest European Parks/Resorts is not really that old and quite unique as it is - in most part until today - a showcase for Mack Rides. The history of Efteling and Phantasialand started far earlier mostly as enchanted fairy tale forests and they evovled into full blown theme parks. Sadly here in Germany the city center parks in Berlin and Hamburg were destroyed in WWI and WWII. Only street names remain like "Luna-Park-St" or "Achterbahn-St". To look positive at things we developed a very strong carnival culture. In many US movies from the 60s and 70s were theme parks were shown they were dubbed carnivals as theme parks were not widely known here at that time.

As park entry and rides are paid seperatly were the park entry is quite a bargain many locals come late in the day if weather is fine. On restaurants you will find local fast and sit-down venues - do not miss danish hot-dogs, smoerebroed and fish, they also offer European offerings like the mentioned beer garden offering Bavarian/German food, the major chain restaurant found is Hard Rock Cafe. Some of the restaurants are accesisble from outside the park - you can dine and have views of the park without having to pay the entry fee. And do not miss the food and self brewed beer at Tivoli Lake Brewery. The prices at most sit-down venues are upscale - but you pay for the location here. Shows are as far as I have seen local and/or scandinavian productions/bands/stars. The pantomime, cabaret, comedy, brass bands and walkway amusements like clowns, fire-eaters, jugglers, etc are all employed by Tivoli Gardens. They also tend to their animals like horses and live white and colored peacocks. They also have an ultra-cute group of white ducks walking the walkways. All supervised by Tivoli personel.

Looking great in 1986! So what rides are still around from that time? I can only name the Enterprise as it was in the Smiler promotion game... Will take a look for myself this summer...

Another Schwarzkopf coaster coming to mind is the Jet Star - that coaster rattles and bangs loudly around. Part of the experience....

Tivoli is greatest and more magical after dark. With all the lights on its just unique. The food options are also premium - try the Paulaner Beer Garden or Tivoli's own Lake Brewery - not to mention the danish soft-ice and hot-dogs which are IMHO superior to its american/canadian counterparts. And even the rides offer a great variety having a StarFlyer, BreakDancer, AirRace, Inverted Flying Carpet, MegaDance and those crazy inverting planes - plus the classic Rutschebanen and one of the most intense B&Ms Demonen. They pack a lot into the small space available. What have I forgotten? The great shows on the main stage, the classic Pantomime show in its marvelous theatre with the mechanical peacock courtain and the lately added moving and changing intense LED beams on central plaza - a big fun for kids. And also not forget Tivoli's own marching band Tivoli-Garde -a sought after musical training for local teens/twens. Cannot wait what they add next. This year I will visit it twice for the 100 year celebration of the restored Rutschebanen... EDIT: And this June I will stay for the first time at the new Tivoli Hotel.

^Which is a cool ride and would not be disappointed to see it happen.

I liked Vekoma's Kvasten a lot but consider them more to be observation rides. Maybe Vekoma was too succesful in selling those...

I "encountered" a ride like this in a dream last night.... The basic concept is a mixture of an Intamin Looping-Starship and a Huss Ranger. It has a friction-wheel drive with counterweight like a Looping Starship. The "Ship" is open and as only the HUSS style padded lapbars as restraints. Next to that while slowly inverting the whole "Ship" is spinning like a Zamperla Rockin' Tug.

Oh boy - is it already a year since I visited Orlando?

At least the cars pictured did not fall off the track...

Any closeup pics of that strange looking blue inversion ride?