KarlaKoaster

They said 'except Baron' which means 'not Baron' (as I know English isn't your first language)

I was evacuated from Air, and they release the foot restraints so that your feet touch the step beneath, then they release the overhead restraint and you kinda walk out from underneath with the car still in the flying position. Before they open the restraint they ask you to push your back into the seat so when they unlock the restraints it isn't as if you 'drop' out of the restraint because your feet take the pressure. It was quite simple although I think a few people were a bit worried when they said they were going to evac.

Thanks for all the pictures, it actually looks like a really nice event. I know people love to hate Six Flags, and I know this is damning them with faint praise, but it looks a hundred times better than anything Merlin would do for example, at least in the UK parks.

The new European Intamins look so good

He's looking good for his age, although to be fair he's had more facelifts than Cher. It's fascinating how he has transcended the cartoons and how he is embedded into literally everybody's consciousness - I don't think I've ever seen a Mickey Mouse cartoon and I'm pretty sure the majority of kids who queue to get his autograph haven't either, yet he's just about the most famous cartoon character in the world. Thanks for all the photos, some of the merchandise looks very nice!

Europa Park plans to build 6km cable car from the park to... FRANCE Europa Park has held a press conference to give details about 'Project S', a new cable car system that they are planning. If built, it will travel over the river Rhine, crossing the France-Germany border to either Rhinau or Diebolsheim in Alsace. The journey by cable car will be approximately 15 minutes. Currently over a million visitors to Europa Park are French, and 1500 employees commute from France every day. On the French side it is planned that there will be a holiday village similar in style to Centre Parcs with accommodation in wooden cabins and car parking. French president Emmanuel Macron has given his support for the project which has a timescale of around five years assuming plans are approved. One large hurdle to overcome is that the preferred route will cross Taubergießen, a large nature reserve near the River Rhine. Obviously a cable car is probably the least-destructive mass transit system that could be built, but there could still be objections. More information: SWR News: Cable car to cross the Rhine and the border (in German) EP Fans: Press conference live stream (in German) Project S. Image: EP Fans Press Conference. Image: EP Fans Preferred route (bottom), alternative route (top). Image: SWR News Michael and Roland Mack (2nd and 3rd left) with Emmanuel Macron (French President, 4th from the left) with various French representatives. Image: SWR News There hasn't been an official press release, but the park's press office announced the cable car and the press conference on Twitter: "A dream was born: A Franco-German project will hopefully bring both countries closer by a cable car. The investment in France will create new jobs." Emmanuel Macron, the French President, has given his backing to the project on Twitter: "Europa-Park has chosen to invest in France. It's the consecration of a true Franco-German project that will create thousands of jobs"

It seems Merlin are going balls-deep with their unique brand of dystopian theme park misery. I think they have adopted the opposite business model to Disney where instead of their parks being the happiest places on earth, they're the most miserable. I think it makes sense to incorporate what is essentially their own IP into the parks, though, while increasing their portfolio of Dungeons. We've seen it with Sealife and I'm sure we'll see it more with the Dungeons.

It will be like a campsite where there is a building with toilets and showers in. Here's a link for more information (which I should have included in my first post, really) or in case you wish to book! https://www.altontowers.com/short-breaks/stargazing-pods/

If you want to experience the disappointment of reduced operating hours, mothballed rides, closed quick-service restaurants and staff cutbacks, then you can now stay in a star gazing shed for just £88-123 a night. It includes breakfast in a bag. Photo: TowersStreet Photo: TowersStreet Photo: TowersStreet

Yes, it's definitely far from being finished, but I wouldn't bet against it being open later in the season next year, or maybe it will be 2020. Who knows? Without knowing what the theming will entail it's impossible to say, and honestly, I don't really care as it will open when it's ready; I am not the kind of person to plan a trip around a ride's opening date.

Smiler. It seems to be held in quite high regard, but I just don't get it. It's not very comfortable, largely forceless (every element somehow feels the same), the theming is no better than what Six Flags would do (despite the park talking up the whole 'psychological' aspect of it), and with the massive wait before the second lift makes it feel like two coasters bolted together.

Here's a picture showing some of the trackwork on FLY. Still quite a lot of track to complete, plus theming which - knowing Phantasialand - will be no small undertaking. Image: thrillsensations (Instagram)/PLS (Twitter)

Thanks for the first-hand report. Do you know where they squeezed the station for the Coastality VR version of the ride? I understand it has two stations now?

I deal a lot with corporate style guides. I wish they were all supplied to me as roller coasters rather than PDFs, it would make my job a lot more interesting.

This looks like a really good coaster, and seems to be all things to all men. It looks intense enough to keep thrill seekers happy* but not overwhelming to the point it would put off younger or less-confident guests off. It's not the kind of coaster I would drop everything and travel the world for, but it has such a broad appeal that I can't see it being anything but a huge success for the park. (* apart from Sven20)

So I can only think that it could be excessive forces and they're reprofiling (which is odd, as you'd think they would just trim it), excessive vibration and they're replacing the track, or they have found problems with the standard of manufacture/construction and are fixing it. Any locals have any better ideas? Was this part of the ride really THAT forceful? Or had any uncomfortable forces? It's all a bit odd to see such drastic maintenance a year after opening.

I'm not a fan of VR, but this is an interesting concept and if anyone can pull it off, Europa Park can. I think the fact it's an enclosed coaster also works to its advantage as one of my main problems with VR (aside the practicalities) is that it kind of isolates you from the whole experience of enjoying the coaster with your co-rider and not being able to see how high you are or how fast you're going which isn't really a factor on dark coasters anyway.

"Theme park bosses could face a corporate manslaughter charge over the death of an 11-year-old who fell out of a water ride during a school trip. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said they received a file from Staffordshire Police last month. Prosecutors will now decide if any criminal charges are to be brought over Evha's death." https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-45161739 It will be interesting to read how this pans out. Nothing I've read so far has indicated that the park have been in anyway negligent, but clearly we only have heard what has been reported on in the press, whereas the investigations have only just finished.

I think this is the first report of Lech Coaster I've ridden, so really appreciate the detail you've gone into. The layout looks really unique and exciting so I'm really happy to hear it lives up to the potential.

The CCMR teases are a bit strange. I kind of think they're just hinting at new trains (likely with individual lap bars so as to reduce the height restriction) and cosmetic upgrades, but is there really any need to have five trains? Do the queues warrant this (even bearing in mind new trains will open the ride up to a larger audience)?

I think it's a bit soon to criticise operations. The park has only been open for a week-or-so.

Oh yes, you're right! I guess my pointless observation was even more pointless than I gave it credit for

Pointless observation, but I noticed the train seems to 100% stop at the top of the drop. Normally it just slows... right... down... It looks like a fun layout. I'm not a huge fan of Dive Machines apart from the drop, but it looks a bit different at least.

It seems incredible that Lightning Rod is still experiencing such wholesale problems well into its second year of operation, but I suspect much of the delay in fixing it properly is down to arguments between RMC and their suppliers over what the cause is and who should pay for the repairs. Even if you break projects down into their component parts (eg, on Lightning Rod, the launch), there are so many contractors involved in the supply chain who will probably all be blaming each other and doing everything they can to not foot the bill.

Stunning! I like that the shape is similar to Eurosat; they're doing a really nice job of sympathetically giving this ride a new lease of life.