philcoaster83 Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Early this month I visited Egypt and did all the things that tourists do, Pyramids, Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, Tutankhmun blah blah blah. And yes they were an amazing experience and well worth doing at one point in your life. However, this is a Theme Park website and it's the parks you really want to see, so I will be posting my experiences of the two parks (Magicland and DreamPark) I visited at Giza outside of Cairo. I'll also include some advice as such info is hard to come by. As a teaser here is the view from the hotel I stayed at, the Hilton Pyramids Golf Resort. The hotel is highly recommended if you want to visit the parks (which are 10 minutes away by cab) or the Pyramids (the real purpose of the trip). View from the hotel of the pyramids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattnz Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Uh-oh. Is that an SLC I see in the distance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIPDUDE Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Whoa! A coaster next to a world wonder? Sweet! Probably alot of GP who get that room thinks thats a lame view but I would LOVE to have that kind of hotel view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philcoaster83 Posted April 27, 2008 Author Share Posted April 27, 2008 Uh-oh. Is that an SLC I see in the distance? Yes it is more on that later. Giza Parks Part 1 - MagicLand Orlando has Universal Studios, Giza has MagicLand which is part of the Media City development. It's basically a film and TV studios complex with a small theme park attached. This is the park with the least information about it on the net so my trip was more a 'turn and see what happens' visit. The day I visited, the park had very few guests. It could be because of the dust storm that dominates all of my photos, but it could be through lack of advertising. You know all those leaflets you get at hotels for Theme Parks, Tea Pot museums or variations on an aquarium that hotels hace lots of in their lobby areas, well Egyptian Hotels don't have any, so prior knowledge is essential. The park cost 40 Egyptian Pounds to get in, that's about $8. For that you get a big ticket, which has the park map on the back and 1 ride on everything. Yes just one ride. However the price includes a dolphin show - which they were extremely proud of - and a studio tour akin to the backlot tour. Not being into Arabic dramas, I chose not to go on this. The rides were basic, a Wild Mouse, some ghost train that only kids could go on, Rapids which weren't very rapid, a killer whale ride, a jurassic park style river ride and an assortment of fairground rides. The park felt like Thorpe Park in the '80s, before Tussauds got their hands on it, with a touch of Sea World for good measure. Walking around it was like entering another world. The dust storm added to the feeling of being in the Omega Man. I was the last person on planet Earth and was doomed to spend eternity at an abandoned theme park. Only the Dolphin show had the crowds, although we were the oinly Westerners there. This experience is similar to the feeling you get at the Japanese parks such as Tobu Zoo. The show was quite Old Skool - in that it was Dolphins through hoops, dolphins head footballs - none of the fancy ballet that takes the fun out of the shows at Sea World. The park also has a McDs although that was deserted apart from the pigeons sitting on the tables. Very cheap too at $10 for 2 Big Mac meals! The best bit of the park was the Jurassic Park style ride. Ok it lacked the big drop finale, but the models of dinosaurs, mammoths and cave men were hysterical (similar to the ones at Blackgang Chine). The Rapids were turned on as we got to the station. One attendant said they were shut, then changed his mind saying yes yes please come. I don't think I actually got wet at all on the ride and passed on the opportunity to go round again - this was against the park policy of 1 ride only. Anyway onto the pictures, Don't you just love those attempts at English that go wrong. Another Wild Mouse Lift hill POV. Wild Mouse in a dust storm. Fun fair and credit! Elissa friendly park? Magicland - the park where the guests have disappeared Park map by the entrance. The entrance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philcoaster83 Posted April 27, 2008 Author Share Posted April 27, 2008 Now onto that Jurassic Park ride! Any ideas what this is for? It wasn't part of the ride. The rapids are turned on for me. wild West film set in background. Where next? The end of the ride and no drop. They don't have this in Orlando! Just like Orlando. Scary. T Rex we've got a T Rex! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philcoaster83 Posted April 27, 2008 Author Share Posted April 27, 2008 Now onto the Dolphin Show, which the folks at MagicLand were extremely proud of. I was informed by 4 employers not to miss it. Still empty on the way out. This was very scary. How long would the bolts hold for! Everyone loves a Dolphin show. Old skool Seal action. Just like Sea World, but that aint the Kraken! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philcoaster83 Posted April 27, 2008 Author Share Posted April 27, 2008 A 15 Egyptian Pond ($3) taxi ride would take us up the road to Dream Park , Africa's premier theme park. Giza Parks Part 2 - Dream Park If MagicLand was Universal, then Dream Park is Disney complete with it's own character Doobi who looks very musch like Bolton's own Peter Kay. This is supposidly the biggest theme park in Africa. It also overlooks the Pyramids so should the rides get boring... The cost to get in was 35 E£ about $7 with the bigger rides being an additional cost of 6E£ each, just overa dollar. Whereas Magicland was like Thorpe Park in the '80s, this one was like Thorpe Park in the '90s just before it became really good. I quite like the idea of a park called DreamPark as it evoked many memories of DreamLand Margate, a regular haunt of mine from childhood. Little did I know that Dreamland was burning down that same day! The park is well themed with 3 coasters. A Vekoma SLC dominates the park and a rollerskate is found in the Chinese Themed area. The other coaster is a dark ride, but I couldn't find it through lack of park maps available. There is a Rapids ride - they seem to love them in Egypt - a a ride like Thorpe's Tidal Wave, which happened to be shut. A Detonator style ride was available at the extra cost as was Discovery - emphasis on the disc. This was one of the scariest rides I've been on. It didn't seem safe! Although I was reliably informed that this park passes European Safety standards. Again the park had the feeling of 'Lost in Translation' that you get in the Japanese Parks. It was worth it if not for anything else but excitement of the Egyptians on the Vekoma rollerskate. It was really as if they had never been on a rollercoaster before in their lives! They probably hadn't! As for the SLC....yes it was rough, and it made me feel sick. There wasn't a queue for it. Reason? Perhaps it was just too extreme for the park. Anyway, enjoy the photos... The entrance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philcoaster83 Posted April 27, 2008 Author Share Posted April 27, 2008 Here they are... They love their Rapids Rides here. Well it is Egypt after all. Bottom of mine. Top of Egypt's coaster poll. I see credit number 2 of the day! Nice theming. you get in here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philcoaster83 Posted April 27, 2008 Author Share Posted April 27, 2008 Some more... Tidal Wave clone shut down. Left hand side, one of those top spin things. This really should be called Ramses Revenge. Another view of the SLC. In pain upside down. It does what it says on the tin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philcoaster83 Posted April 27, 2008 Author Share Posted April 27, 2008 Last lot now. No, but this is the way out! Is this the way to Amarillo? I did see this right! How wrong is this! Check out the gift shop. Hang on a minute... Not really a water ride anymore. this is for fans of Fantazia Land! This was scary! NOt in a good way either. More of the funny English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIPDUDE Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Awesome TR! Scary that while youre downplaying these I'm actually thinking "hmm... maybe I should drive across the border? Those parks are better than what we got here...." Oh, many of the pictures dont show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRapidsNerd Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Wow! You taught me something new today. Had no idea these parks existed. Bet it got interesting when the dust storms kicked up. Hey, it's a couple bonus reasons for going to Egypt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philcoaster83 Posted April 27, 2008 Author Share Posted April 27, 2008 Had no idea these parks existed There are more. Check out this site, http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Lab/7432/Egypt.html I saw Geroland as I flew into Cairo from Luxor but I missed it on my camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterking2981 Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 I have a question: Why does Vekoma have a reputation for building very painful rides? I've been on Deja Vu here at SFMM, and I must say it isnt too painful for me. Is it because of the type of track Vekoma uses on its rides, laong with its compactness? Anyway, nice TR. Egypt looks like it could use a few Intamins, GCIs and/or B&Ms in its parks though. Are there any rides you went on that you think some U.S. parks here should have? That Jurassic Park-style ride is pretty funny looking lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanks4me05 Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 It's not the type of track that's the problem, it's how the track is put together and how tightly (in Vekoma's case, not tightly) the wheels are on the track. That means more shaking, and to top it off, most of their Overhead Restraints are rather hard, making it quite painful. Deja Vu is a newer Vekoma, so that one is smoother, and although I have never been on a Deja Vu clone (yet) I have been on several Vekomas, including two of their infamous SLCs (one was only moderately painful, and the other one which was strangely infamous for its pain was so smooth I almost put it in my top ten steel) and 5 of the 6 Boomerangs in the North East (all of them I find are quite fun, kinda rough, but really not that bad.) Personally, I think Vekoma isn't as bad as people say it is, I really think that the vast majority of the people on here are VERY pampered and thinking that anything rougher than glass smooth is not enjoyable. I am not one of those people. Jeez, everyone! Get tougher! Anyway, I think those parks are actually pretty nice, save for the second park's drained pond thing. The dust storm made them look kinda dumpy, but it wasn't the park's fault. Next time someone posts a TR during a clear day, it will most likely look a lot better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odene497 Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Did you have much trouble getting to the parks? There's a good chance I'll be staying in Cairo this fall with my brother who will be studying abroad. Maybe I should check these out. -Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DenDen Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Thanks for sharing this, I love the obscure-park trip reports! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rideslover Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Cool, There's amusement park in Cairo, Egypt? look very nice pictures with the full of clouds or something to fog on around of theme park and you can't see the blue sky? Whoa! look at a bigger pyramids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philcoaster83 Posted April 27, 2008 Author Share Posted April 27, 2008 Are there any rides you went on that you think some U.S. parks here should have? They're all there anyway, just not all together. Did you have much trouble getting to the parks? All the taxi drivers know where these parks are, so no bother at all. look very nice pictures with the full of clouds or something to fog on around of theme park and you can't see the blue sky? As I wrote earlier, it's a dust storm. These usually appear around April. Rest of the year is blue skies and blistering heat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLIPDUDE Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Yup. Magor sandstorms are common in the middle east. It's always interesting to wake up in the morning, look out the window,a nd realize the entire world is yellow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knowit Posted April 27, 2008 Share Posted April 27, 2008 Tanks4me05 said It's not the type of track that's the problem, it's how the track is put together and how tightly (in Vekoma's case, not tightly) the wheels are on the track. That means more shaking, and to top it off, most of their Overhead Restraints are rather hard, making it quite painful. Deja Vu is a newer Vekoma, so that one is smoother, and although I have never been on a Deja Vu clone (yet) I have been on several Vekomas, including two of their infamous SLCs (one was only moderately painful, and the other one which was strangely infamous for its pain was so smooth I almost put it in my top ten steel) and 5 of the 6 Boomerangs in the North East Have you been on the Sidewinder at Hershey Park? I think that was the first boomerang that had the new trains and in my opinion one of the smoothest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coasterfreak101 Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 ^Sidewinder doesn't have new trains. Nice trip report, I didn't even know Egypt had amusement/theme parks! That SLC is probably the #1 of a lot of people, considering that we have El Toros and Tatsus to compare them to! And, since I want to be the first person to say it: BONUS HELIX!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kennyweird Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 All I have to say is this: America's worst parks > Egypt's best parks. Thank god I live in the US! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmoney422 Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 Parks I never want to visit: 1. Fantazyland...CHECK! 2. Dreamland...CHECK! 3. Magicland...and CHECK! G "Fish are friends, not food!" Money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dleo Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 What a wild and interesting trip report. I imagine that the sand storms are hell for maintenance on the rides... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts