Everland Discussion Thread

[TheScooterGuy]

Fans Try to Save Eagle Fortress

The world's #2 steel coaster in danger

Last year the coaster community said goodbye to Big Bad Wolf, arguable one of the best, most intense suspended coasters ever designed. Now its looking like Everland's Eagle Fortress may be next on the chopping block.

With just 3200 feet of track and top speed of 40 mph, the stats are anything but terrifying. But this ride was custom built into a forested hillside in South Korea giving the illusion of vastly increased speed and the swinging motion nearly clips some trees.

As a matter of fact, Mitch Hawker's latest steel coaster poll had Eagle Fortress coming in at the #2 spot amongst all steel coasters. For sure this ride has a dedicated fan base. And now, with Everland's decision to not re-open the ride this year, those very fans are trying to save their most beloved coaster by way of a petition.

If the scenario sounds a bit familiar, fans tried to save Big Bad Wolf from its unfortunate fate in the same way. And of course its obvious to see how that went. Perhaps the owners of Everland will listen to the many voices of a petition, but those in charge of BGE sure didn't.

The unfortunate fact is that these tremendous rides designed by Arrow Dynamics are starting to get old. Parts are wearing out and breaking and since Arrow is no longer in business, spares are becoming very expensive & scarce. It seems as though we might be coming to the end of an era.

[Creapiano]

I just found out that RCDB announced a very simple(?) rollercoaster news about the replacement coaster of Eagle's fortress. For my personal information, a worker who works in Everland told me that it's going to be a launch coaster but i cannot guarantee this,, anyway, the link of the update is here

http://www.rcdb.com/9253.htm

[eddie200330]

"It may not be a sitdown or a steel coaster as listed above." - According to RCDB

 

 

With info like this, how can you go wrong!! LMAO

[Dotrobot]

yeah that's why frigging seoul land is like to be demolished whole. Because the rides there are so old. I mean did u see the bumper cars? They had long antennaes to some mesh web that created sparks which = SCARED Me!

 

You get scared by a few sparks on bumper cars yet you call yourself a coaster enthusiast? You would die at Little Amerricka.

 

I guess the 1.5 mile lift hill up to the park's only functioning coaster made me go partly insane. They had pretty skies thou

 

And about the bumper cars. You could actually hear the sparks.. It was really intense. I think i saw some of them fall down to the floor! Plus 1/3 of the cars in the arena doesn't work right. They either have steering problems, or speed problems. The ride had a breakdown in the middle of the day! When I came back it was closed for the rest of the day

[Garet]

I just found out that RCDB announced a very simple(?) rollercoaster news about the replacement coaster of Eagle's fortress. For my personal information, a worker who works in Everland told me that it's going to be a launch coaster but i cannot guarantee this,, anyway, the link of the update is here

http://www.rcdb.com/9253.htm

 

Not going to completely debunk this as my Korean is limited at best and so was the staffs English but when I asked in the park they refused to comment (like good employees should, all Everland employees always seem to bend over backwards to make sure people have a good time, top marks Everland). Expect another TR in the next couple weeks just waiting for a better weekend to get some Lotte World pictures to complete my trio but i did snap two identical pictures from my last trip report of Eagles Fortress's station and the sign that still says under refurbishment. Again this is only speculation on my part but I feel that if a decision had been made on a replacement, there would be some change here or a notice. I make regular trips so I will try and keep everyone updated. There is also nothing in the celebration centre which is normally where Everland puts up plans or announcements etc of new rides.

 

What i'm interested in, is where they will place this ride.... I don't neccessarily think it will take up Eagles old area, don't forget that when T express was installed as a replacement for Jet coaster it was installed in a completely different section of the park and all that was placed in its old location was a bunch of random childrens rides on the concrete (I think Robb even said in the TPR South Korea trip how out of place they looked to the rest of the park and they are still sitting there 3 years later).

 

Again, this is purely my views, but from my last couple of trips to the park there was nothing official to show anything (and from what i'm told Everland normally will have something to show as soon as things are decided) and there's no land clearing in any of the park yet and not a bolt has changed at the fortess but I will try and keep everyone updated if I see any change.

 

Rob

[Garet]

Wasn't sure about making a topic for this since it isn't that huge a development but since no-ones mentioned it thought i'd post what's new at Everland for 2011.

 

They're converting the old theater into a new 3D movie based on Pororo scheduled to open in June.

 

In other news Eagles Fortress is still sitting there with the sign saying under refurbishment, absolutely no change since the day it closed. I love Everland but I'm starting to think the ride may just be abandoned and left to rot. Let's not forget the old alpine slides charlift is still sitting there since T-express opened and when the jet coaster was removed they left in the concrete base and dropped some temporary kids rides that are still there 5 years later.

 

Speaking of also sort of new for this year the big wheel that was under maintanance all of last year has now closed down for good, it's being used as a memorial attraction now this year with a poster advertizing it's history and where you can pose in one of the carriages.

[samisthabomb]

Well, it's good to see some refurb. Hopefully Everland will do the same with the rest of their run-down or SBNO attractions.

[shivtim]

Thanks for the update!

Do you happen to know if T-Express is open in the winter? I always found it strange that Everland is apparently open even when it's snowing.

[Garet]

Thanks for the update!

Do you happen to know if T-Express is open in the winter? I always found it strange that Everland is apparently open even when it's snowing.

 

I'm sure it must have rehab at some point but whenever i've been it's been open, some weather conditions force it to shut but once the snow melts off the track i'm pretty sure it runs even if the ground is still covered, Everlands pretty good with preparing for the weather, all through the summer they had giant humidifiers fanning water everywhere, they prepare well for all weather.

 

Rob

[Garet]

Sorry for bring back an old thread but since it is also to do with new for 2011 thought it was best to add here, just got back from everland yesterday not only is there the pororo 3d in everland this year but caribbean bay has now added 4 aqua loops, didn't take picture but its listed on there site;

 

http://www.everland.com/MultiLanguage/english/caribbean/attraction/attraction.html

[beatle11]

^Anyone else have that many Aqua Loops? Those slides terrify me, but that's a great addition to their waterpark.

[deathbydinn]

^ Wet 'n' Wild Water World in Australia has four as well.

 

 

http://www.themeparkreview.com/parks/photo.php?pageid=316&linkid=10143

[Brent]

Thinking about going here next weekend with a trip with the army/MWR... hopefully T-Express will be open. Will also probably go in late March when I fly my wife out for two weeks.

[Garet]

I was going to post this with my 2011 photo update, that i will put up within the next few weeks but i've been invited (weather permitting) to go with my director to everlands last firework display of the year next week, where they set off even more than usual and I love Everlands crazy low firework displays so i'm going to try and get some pictures of the 2012 ride while i'm there and add them to the photos from 2011 1st before i post it (again weather permitting) so it will probably be a while before i have that update ready.

 

So following Everlands 2nd 3d movie they added as their new for 2011, it has just opened its 3rd chairlift in the park, this time spanning the park lengthways as opposed to the other 2 going down the mountainside and gondola style as opposed to the other twos open style: http://www.everland.com/web/everland/how/festival/news/1205112_10436.html

 

For 2013 they are expanding their zoo again using the safari ride, easily one of the parks most popular rides: http://www.everland.com/web/everland/how/festival/news/1203825_10436.html to include cheetahs, white lions, rhinos into their existing giraffe, elephant and zebra part which is currently closed, although the lion, tiger and bear part of the safari ride is still open.

 

I find these interesting developments since the safari ride already has one of the longest lines and is a huge hit already with no signs of losing popularity, i'm surprised they feel the need to upgrade it since it was only recently upgraded in 2010 to include some elephants, giraffes etc (which talks apparently: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4622479/Chatty-elephant-Koshik-stuns-scientist-by-being-able-to-speak-Korean.html)

 

I also find it interesting since they have quite a few SBNO rides that stand out noticeably the big wheel and the eagles fortress coaster, as well as some of the rides seem to be getting quite grafitti covered (especially around the helicopter cycle fun house area) or the always temporary looking middle section of the park where a lot of kids rides are just placed on the concrete, I thought one of those areas may have been the target soon.

 

I will cover it in my trip report in more detail but i recently had 2 pretty bad days at Everland operations, and it does seem that the park needs another big people eater like T express to soak up the crowds soon, especially considering Everland is one of the most visited parks but the trend both here and Lotte World seems to be on getting in young children/family rides right now (i blame battlestar galacticas lack of popularity for this )

Edited November 3, 2012 by Jew

[gisco]

To bad there is no mention of adding rides or at least removing the SBNO ones.

[GigaG]

I believe Eagle's Fortress was closed "forever" a few years ago, but why haven't they demolished it yet? I'm hoping it can be saved, maybe somebody could find terrain that fits it? But considering how unusual it is layout-wise, and how it has been sitting for 3 years, its chances are slim to none IMO.

[3Mutts]

^ Last time I was there, Eagles Fortress looked beat up but you never know because they could be pulling a Walibi like strategy on us (let the ride sit a few years till people forget it, then refurbish the ride and call it new).

[Rastuso]

Anyone who has ridden Eagle Fortress, will NEVER forget it.

 

R

[Loefet]

^ Last time I was there, Eagles Fortress looked beat up but you never know because they could be pulling a Walibi like strategy on us (let the ride sit a few years till people forget it, then refurbish the ride and call it new).

We can always hope. But they would have to do some serious work for that to happen.

 

Another news item that is related to Everland for 2013 is the opening of the EverLine in April (if it don't get delayed again). It's a rail line that will connect to the Seoul city Subway network and it will make it possible to get to Everland from Seoul by train, which will make it much easier to get there for people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EverLine_Rapid_Transit_System

[Garet]

^ Last time I was there, Eagles Fortress looked beat up but you never know because they could be pulling a Walibi like strategy on us (let the ride sit a few years till people forget it, then refurbish the ride and call it new).

We can always hope. But they would have to do some serious work for that to happen.

 

Another news item that is related to Everland for 2013 is the opening of the EverLine in April (if it don't get delayed again). It's a rail line that will connect to the Seoul city Subway network and it will make it possible to get to Everland from Seoul by train, which will make it much easier to get there for people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EverLine_Rapid_Transit_System

 

I wouldn't trust wikipedia on that, its been on the maps for a while and was supposed to open when i arrived in Korea almost 3 years ago. Honestly from Seoul i think you'd be just as well off taking the bus since there is the bus lane on quick a few highways, i've taken the bus and i think it could beat out the subway and is also much more convenient. To get to the everline you have to take the bundang (yellow) line all the way to the end transfer to the everline then also take that to the end. The yellow line isn't that well connected to the rest of the cities subways since it's not a main numbered line, even without taking one of the many express shuttle buses to everland, i think the public buses would still outbeat it, despite the name i think the everline is more for people that live in yongin to get around the city than as a new faster way to everland... it has an awful lot of stops to make and this subway is very different from the 10 train cars of seoul, these are little 2 car tic-tac shaped monorail cars i think you'd face quite a queue trying to get on one after everland closes as well.

[The Angry Darren Mullins]

Everland needs to do something about those god awful Vekoma trains on Rolling X-Pain. This thing was a walk-on with one train in operation while Eagle's Fortress would have a 90 minute wait with two trains in operation. I will never understand why the Koreans wouldn't fix Eagle's Fortress. Koreans aren't as smart as the people to the east (Japanese) or west (Chinese).

[GigaG]

On an unrelated note, was Rolling X-Train repainted and reprofiled? Compare this

 

 

to this

 

 

And which one was filmed earlier? TPR's was uploaded later, but which one was filmed earlier? I never knew Rolling X-Train was ever white...

[Garet]

The white is the more recent and its current color scheme but it's still quite rough.

[The Angry Darren Mullins]

They replaced the track on the corkscrew of Rolling X-Pain and painted it white. Otherwise, it is exactly the same. Sadly, it will outlive Vortex at Kings Island thanks to Ouimet having a thing for removing coasters, but that is a different topic for another time.

[3Mutts]

The white is the more recent and its current color scheme but it's still quite rough.

 

Actually, I thought it was pretty smooth for a Arrow coaster (WAY smother then that piece of Vekoma trash called French Revolution). Also, want time did you ride it, I found it smoother in the morning then at night.