simon8899

^ This seems to be a Merlin thing. They marketed Krake at Heide-Park as "world first" - which was even true as it's smaller than all other Dive Machines...

The Eurofighter are perfect for smaller parks. The low capacity fits them nicely and with the single cars they can make maneuvers that high capacity coasters with long trains can't do. Still hope for a portable version someday....

Tornado at Särkeniemmi! Forcefuly invert with a heartline roll inside a stone cavern.

Specially the Magic-Your-Way prices are not too expensive IMO. A 5-Day Ticket comes in under USD 60 which translates to about EUR 40 per day - something you also pay for a day-ticket at Heide-Park or Europa-Park.

I just hope it's not another "small" variant like Desert Race or Krake. The first pales in comparison to US installations and the second is not only smaller than most Dive Machines but also shorter in track length. So far the only coaster making me visit Heide-Park is Colossos.

Nah, they should take down Limit - a Vekoma SLC - first!

Always love to see how low-tech US-made flats are - compared to the contraptions European showmen shuffle around. But the old ones are also very reliable after so many years... Large Park Wild Mouse is always fun but also a quite low capacity ride for a park this size...

There were also rumors for a short time that OL might get new trains from Gerstlauer but of course after the picture of the newly paintbrushed frontpiece was released these rumors stopped... As Alpina-Bahn will also be there I'll most likely visit Rheinkirmes on it's first weekend July 13th/14th to take some pictures...

Beginning with the Rheinkirmes in Düsseldorf Olympia will sport a fresh look: - Track and support newly painted in white (supports) and red (track) - Trains newly painted with a beautiful paintbrush - Lightpackage updated to LEDs Barth Facebook page

Before Tripsdrill built it's Launched Eurofighter I thought they would replace SuperWirbel with an inverting coaster from either Gerstlauer or Maurer-Söhne - also because woodies are not so high on my personal list than inverting steel coasters.... If it had to be woodie I'd prefer an Intamin/Cordes woodie.

Never had a problem with this on coasters so far. Of course on flats like KMG Loopfighter or Funtime Spanish-Bell you should wait until the ride-cycle is really finished.

^^^ I'm flying over from nearby Germany this September, will most likely book flight and hotel next week. Luckily we've from Hamburg direct service to Birmingham Airport which has its own long-range train-station. From there taking CrossCountry train (once an hour) direct to Stoke-On-Trent residing there at North Stafford Hotel. While not on-resort the hotel is near the trainstation which has service to Tamworth to visit Drayton Manor or Manchaster on a rainy day. Next to that in the city you'll likely have shops and restaurants nearby. From Stoke there's a daily bus service to Alton operated by the park itself and multiple more by FirstTransport

As this is a prototype I expect some delays before opening. Hope they have it all fixed for my planned trip in September - but I will delay my booking until the ride is running smoothly for at least two weeks without problems. I lately watched the documentary about Anton Schwarzkopf again were he stated that in ride construction you can't calculate everything, that you need long experience in how strong parts of the track and train have to be - always mockingly hinting at MBB who built an inverted coaster for the 1976 Oktoberfest which was scrap metal after 16 days. But even Anton's Alpina-Bahn stalled mid-track as the wheels were too tight on the rails and the friction caused the train to stop - the ride had to partly taken apart and the train removed by a crane.

I also think it's about parents supervision AND ride attendant / operator supervision. As even the bigger rides like BreakDancer, Shaker or Polyps on carnivals are open to walk on from all sides while the ride is doing its thing at full speed parents and ride personnel here always have a keen eye. Not only for wandering children but also for teens who show off how close they can get to an operating ride or swaying drunks. Of course we also have accidents about mechanical failure or minor accidents with some when some kid fell - but I can't remember an accident were someone was injured or killed because he wandered into an operating ride. I think the imminent danger of a free-standing and fast-spinning ride makes everyone more cautious than in other countries were most visitors think that rides have to be safe and sound and harmless by default. It should be clear that anything weighing multiple tons that could hit you at high speeds it something to keep a safe distance to. And of course: Ride with kids who can't hold on or behave properly on rides.

I sometimes think Orlando parks could have a little more variety on flats - specially the ones which spin on or near the ground. Most rides are either similar to Dumbo or The Mad Tea Party. Why not buying something from Mondial (Shaker), Huss (Break-Dance, Frisbee, Take-Off), Gerstlauer (Monster/Polyp, Skyroller) or Zierer (WaveSwinger)....?

Always great to see pics of Tivoli! They've something about planes - first the insane tower, tupsy-turvy thing and now an Air Race... Will most likely visit Tivoli again next year for 100 years of Rutschebanen!

After visiting Efteling I couldn't get the Vliegende Hollander music out of my head for days...

Finally made some vidcaps of the 1980 Italian movie "Chissà perché… capitano tutte a me" - called "Buddy haut den Lukas" in German. The finale of the movie is filmed in Six Flags Over Geogia while most of the movie was filmed in Monroe, Georgia. This is one of the so called "clobber"-movies were the actors around lead Bud Spencer got into comedic fistfights. As theme parks were a quite new thing in Germany for the movie it was dubbed a carnival called "Eldorado Days" The sheriff takes a round On-Ride footage of the Mindbender from when Schwarzkopf loops were still new random show shot don't know this ride kiddie ferris-wheel Parachute-Tower Log-Flume splashdown Hence the German title as these things are called "Haut den Lukas" - "Strike Luke" here They even did a Mindbender nerd shot wooden coaster fun Dolphin show As this movie is about fistfights screenwriters came up with lots of weird ideas to get rid of guns Bud Spencer hitting some cops before the Dolphin Stadium

I rode Goliath and Scream alone in the back row in 2011 an no one complained - it was on a very slow day were they also allowed immediate re-rides. Why there shouldn't be single riders in front or back rows is totally beyond me. On front row a park may argue that so many guests wanna ride first row - but on slow days the back row is mostly empty. I try to ride all coasters in the back row and so far had no problems on either side of the Atlantic. In Germany no one is complaining if you ride the front or back row alone even if the park or carnival is crowded. In Denmark at Tivoli it's common practice to jump onto the train of Rutschebanen as its entering the station to get a front row ride - they've no plattform doors and the attendants don't care a bit - I once saw a kid fall as he stumbled and he had to get up by himself with no attendant even having an eye for it. No one cares as far as I've witnessed in Finland (Linnanmaki) and Sweden (Gröna Lund) in 2010... ^^ This might have changed but at Linnanmaki I rode Kirnu once beeing the only person in the car. At Gröna Lund I rode together with another guy on one side, we both over 300 pounds - while on the other side was a small girl with about 100 pounds. Edit: My last single Ferris Wheel ride was at Lisberg on the old wheel which even had open gondolas. I even moved around the gondola when the wheel was turning to snap some photos and the attendant didn't cared about it.

For planned September visit to Alton Towers and Drayton Manor I only plan going by public transport. My colleague told more than once that he barely crashed into a truck riding his motorbike as he took a turnaround the wrong way. And he's an English citizen working in Germany - a born Scotsman! If even English guys who are now used to right-hand driving make such mistakes I won't even try to drive "on the wrong side"... He also recommended if possible to only cross roads at traffic lights as one so easily looks the wrong way first while checking for traffic...

Can't remember this for any German or even European ride. You can go alone on Schwarzkopf Monsters (one bench for up to 3 persons, one lapbar), HUSS Dancers (older ones also having one bench without having slip-under protection like newer ones) and of course all ferris-wheels. I guess most showmen would protest any kind of rule like this - may it be coming from the manufacturer or from the government. I can see the reasoning behind the rule on the rafting ride,but they should better post a weight limit. But here stupid behaviour normally waives all reimbursements for any injury. If here's a sign "Do not stand up" you get no payment even if you can stand up as single rider. Aside form that I could ride the Rock-O-Plane as single riderat Santa Cruz Broadwalk

A nice Loop Fighter variant with outside seating. Not really sure but I've heard a portable will go carnival in Germany this year...

Gladly they've lapbar trains - so the tunnel has enough clearance to raise your arms. But will be quite bizarre to do that on a darkride coaster...

I can't judge how much truth this article contains... ...but for us over the pond it's another colorful news item were we chuckle about the non-existent US health-system and how it drives ill or disabled people to get the money for their doctor's bill. How sad this might be for the people affected...

Out of curiosity, what means high wind? And how often do they have such conditions there? Just asking cause I plan to visit in May/June 2015... Visiting Hansa-Park a few weeks ago I had winds of 4-5 Bft with all coasters and even the Star Flyer running...