The Official "TPR Europe Trip 2008" Thread!

[ParkTrips]

I would actually go, isn't that incentive enough?!?

[mash80]

First time poster (and only been lurking for a week), so hi all, great community you have here!

 

Just wanted to say that some of these German parks look awesome, I really had no idea. I'm gonna have to get myself over to mainland Europe to check them out, with maybe a quick visit to Toverland too. Oh well, am already saving for my first TPR trip, so maybe in the next couple of years

 

Thanks for all the updates and TR's. Some of the captions from this tour (and all the others for that matter) really make me lol

[coaster05]

I would actually go, isn't that incentive enough?!?

 

I am sure you will say you will go, but then I'll get time off from school to go and you'll decide not to, since you somehow believe going on a foreign trip with me will rip a hole in the space/time continum.

[Nrthwnd]

^^ Welcome to Theme Park Review.

 

And yes, if you want to save and spend your money on something really worthwhile when it comes to visiting parks and riding coasters and other attractions, a TPR Tour is without a doubt, one of The Best Things Ever you can save up for.

 

The Europe Tour was my third tour with TPR and each one was unique, had a great bunch of people to tour with, was loaded with great memories of some amazing parks and coasters....um .... and left me ... uh... with this un-natural craving.....

 

for More TPR Tours, BWA HAH HAH

 

 

Hope you get to do a tour (or more) in the coming years.

[KrautWithAltitude]

@SharkTums: Acoording to the current headlines of http://www.coastersandmore.de/ the coaster has already been sold to Gorki Park. Note that the makers of this site are pretty much dead serious about their work (they also feature some articles in English, in-depth technichal information with lots of excellent pictures).

 

@Robb: I love to hear that! Still waiting for enough accommodation?

 

@olimonn: Gruezi!

You seem to have a pretty accurate picture of things going on

That´s right, installation of prefab track is quicker and therefore saves overall time and money, although the costs for raw material and machining are higher. Making laminated track takes a lot more time and effort and may not last as long as prefab, so I think Intamin have a good point in their patent (and make the customers pay dearly to use it ?). Intamin own the commercial rights on this track created by Mr. Stengel´s office, as to my knowledge, which may be incomplete here. Since most of the joints in the supporting structure are made with standardized timber construction parts, noone can patent such a kind of prefab structure, the knowledge lies in correct analysis and dimensioning of the whole mess of timber, nails, screws, dowels, bolts, custom metal parts...

 

@Ryancrash: Thank you. Work wasn´t that hard for me, I like to leave that to the others if I can

 

Norman

[robbalvey]

Day 9, Part 2 - Holiday Park

Home to Theme Park Review's #1 Steel Coaster in the WORLD -

Expedition GeForce!

 

Lots of photos by Hanno...some by Robb...some by random people. Thank you for your pics!

And this is pretty much what everyone looked like after that INSANE ERT session!

Thank you once again to Holiday Park for an outstanding evening!

(Of course, Robb is left to wonder...."is the bus still there?")

Terrance is happy with the EXTRA, EXTRA, EXTRA, EXTRA ride time!!!

You can just SEE the airtime here!

And then our ERT was extended into "Extra, Extra, EXTRA ride time!!!"

(ps. anyone want to play spot the nerd?)

"Um, HELLO!!! Did you forget about the beer?!?!?"

Did we mention that Expedition GeForce is Theme Park Review's #1 steel coaster?

That's a lot of happy TPR members!

This is what the world looks like while you are riding Expedition GeForce!

Same

I like that there are a lot of girls during ERT!

...Lou was into her 5th beer thinking "Is that a roller coaster I hear?"

Some of us opted for the amazing rides on Expedition GeForce....

We not only had Expedition GeForce ERT, but we also had "Beer and Hot Dogs" ERT!!!

Did someone say there is beer?

Awww....soon KidTums...soon you will be tall enough to ride!

Here it is everyone...what you've been waiting for...ready...it's, it's....A CABLE!!!!

"I believe I can fly!"

Here's his brother "mini-pulley"

We even made friends with the cable machine pulley guy.

Crazy good photo angles to be had from these secret areas!

NERD SHOT!!!

We even got a little "Behind the Scenes" Expedition GeForce tour!

Ain't it a laugh, Ain't it a treat?

Hob-nobbin' here, Among the elite?

BOOBIES!!!!

"Hey baby, you know what I want to do with you?"

And of course the TPR-famous dark ride....

"Why don't you take a picture it will last longer....hey wait....where's my camera?"

Erik is keeping the ride from sinking.

Can't forget about the Vekoma corkscrew!

"OMG! It's....it's.....MY HAND!!!!"

"Hey everyone! I'm riding with Norman! He's a celebrity!!!"

Then how quickly people are reduced to eyes closed, quivering lumps of jelly...well, Chris at least!

See, it LOOKS like your normal chairswing...everyone is nice and calm....

We'll get back to GeForce in a moment, now it's time to focus on another awesome ride....Lighthouse Tower (or the Star Flyer)

OMG! I love the ride and all, but MAN...I gotta go!!!

Trims? What trims? You could hardly notice them this year. The ride was running so much better that when you got to them, it didn't seem to matter.

Last year the ride was still awesome, but it wasn't quite running to it's full potential. This year, it totally redeemed itself!

Most everyone in the group would agree that this was the hands down (or should I say hands up?) BEST coaster of the trip!

And Expedition GeForce was running AMAZING this day!

OK, so let's just get right to the point...Holiday Park is a nice place, but when you have the #1 steel coaster in the world...it's hard to do much else!

And greeting the group was Piers jumping out of a cake! Yay!!!

The sign says go that way...so we go that way!

[WillMontu]

Edit: Never mind

[KrautWithAltitude]

Airtime, Hairtime,... and Racktime! No doubt the king of all steel coasters:

 

 

Norman "OMG I´m a celebrity now... "

[coaster05]

Great TR and this is my new number 1 steel.

[ELZ]

Extra Extra Extra ERT on EGF was amazing. The guy running the ride was a maniac! A stunning ride, even with the 'trims' that first drop, quote Lou quoting Dave (TheBat), really is a religious experience because you'll be needing the messiah to calm you down after it!

 

Best coaster of the trip and a quaint little theme park to boot, again they let you put six in a flume boat, which we took serious advantage of. That vekoma could do with... well taking down really but the Star Flyer was insanely good and the Intamin drop tower was fun.

 

Great fun on a great day.

[ginzo]

Great TR and this is my new number 1 steel.

 

Same. Just a great, great, great ride. I can't say enough good things about it.

[zjerre]

the opinions about EGF look promising for me! going to holidaypark this sunday

[hansrubens]

I hope EGF will be in topform next saturday.

 

I've been on it last year when the trims were on pretty hard.

[robbalvey]

I've been on it last year when the trims were on pretty hard.

I believe the trims were on exactly the same this year as they were last year, it was more that the coaster overall was running better. So this year when the train got to the trims it seemed to have more speed going into them than it did last year, therefore the train had more speed coming OUT of them than it did last year.

 

My experience tells me that the trims slow the train down an equal speed no matter how fast the train is going heading into them. I believe the magnetic trims slow the train down a set amount of speed not to a set speed depending on how much distance the magnetic pads are away from each other. So if the train is going 3 to 4 MPH slower when it hits them, you'll feel them more.

 

And just a few MPH can make a HUGE difference in the overall ride performance.

 

--Robb

 

ps. Norman - can you add any insight to this?

[Moose]

I had a great time during this ERT. I rode EVERY SINGLE ride of ERT despite Mel and Kristie trying to get me out of my seat. I forgot to count how many laps I got, but I know it was well over 20.

 

Still not sure if it is number one or a very very very close number 2, but I can guarantee it wicked awesome.

 

 

 

Other highlights of this park:

FUn rapids ride where we got crunched and Stefan yelled at them in German and they let us go in front of them.

The star flyer even if I was forced to take my glasses off (boo)

Satan's flume ride.

Cute EGF ride ops.

VERY cute drop tower ride op.

Super Gerbils.

EXTRA EXTRA Exclusive Ride Time.

 

Thank you Holiday Park.

[SteveC]

that Miles bloke seems to spend a lot of time at the bar

 

The extra extra extra was the coolest ERT ever, I loved every single second of it, even running like a crazy man to the bus, (not easy for me...the running that is not the crazy obviously) thank god it was still there !

 

just

[dandaman]

Two points: one for GeForce, one for the Les Miserables reference.

[fudgey]

Seriously amazing.. it makes those of us who weren't on the trip insanely jealous. I shall certainly be making an excursion out that way quite soon..

[raptor6]

I would love if there were more Intamin Hypers built in America...such great rides.

[KrautWithAltitude]

@Robb

 

Oh well... I think I am not a guru on magnetic brake technology. But I´ll give it a try:

 

Those trim brakes were installed after the opening of EGF, because the trains were running to good. As far as I remember, there are two of them. So if they were speed sensitive, one would be enough because the train would be broken down to a calculated set speed depending on season, weather, occupation, actual speed etc. to make it merrily to the station. This would require proximity sensors before the trim and of course variable brake force, none of which we have here (maybe there are sensors, I can´t recall). It should be possible to vary the gap of the magnets with some kind of hydraulic setup, but no such gear is visible on EGF´s trim brakes, and this is due to the fact that the faster the train goes in, the more eddy current will flow and the stronger the brake will catch. A slower train will be broken down softer but will also stay longer in the brake, so the train speed (difference of about 7% between the slowest and fastest possible train) will always be broken down by roughly the same difference of 3 or 4 mph in such a trim brake. In the case of EGF two such brakes were installed (hope I recall right), which should therefore be sufficient under all circumstances and not require any seasonal manual adjustment.

 

PS: Also to me, riding EGF really is close to a religious experience. I rode it for the first time and got four consecutive rides in the first row, and one in the last. Never before did I know why people love airtime so much. It´s an instant superman machine, and flying over the trees like this is just like a dream, the first drop and the first two airtime hills give you everything from near-death terror to total bliss, and all of that within seconds. The airtime yanked so good, I had sore hip joints. I wish the very best for HP´s executives´plans and want to thank them for building this cathedral of roller coasters and also for the tasty hot dogs and beer

 

Norman

[robbalvey]

Two points: one for GeForce, one for the Les Miserables reference.

Heh...I wondered if anyone would get that reference!

 

--Robb "Les Mis Fanboy!" Alvey

[olimonn]

^Well, do we have any solid info on the coaster leaving? If it will be there in 2009 and not 2010, I can be persuaded to do the TPR Oktoberfest trip next year for sure!

 

It's official since early July, Euro Star has already departed Germany and has been bought buy Gorky Park in Moscow as stated by coastersandmore: (german)

http://www.coastersandmore.de/rides/eurostar/eurostar.shtml

 

This is due to increasing transportation and operating costs. Alpina Bahn (Schwarzkopf nonlooping coaster) takes its place on most of the major fairs such as oktoberfest.

 

The appearance of a new monster is very unlikely due to these costs and the raising debt rates. The Big Three for Oktoberfest is now constituted by Olympia Looping, Höllenblitz and Alpina Bahn. And this, until another one departs...

[Ryancrash]

Holiday Park was another place that really rolled out the red carpet for us. Delicious beer, delicious hot dogs... and extra extra extra EXTRA ride time on GeForce!

 

Running back to the bus after ERT was the second greatest workout I got on the trip (after the ropes course in Belgium). Thanks Elissa for not killing us all! (Damn, I have GOT to get in better shape...)

 

Holiday Park had some other fun treats as well - the Teufelsfässer log flume, Burg Falkenstein, Donnerfluss, the Free Fall Tower... and the Tour des Flours monorail ride was apparently designed by someone under the influence of some serious psychedelic drugs! What a head trip...

 

And the park also had Waldmeister slushees - YUM!!

 

All in all, a truly wonderful visit, and I believe my favorite ERT session of the entire tour (if I had to pick just one). Thank you Holiday Park!! Expedition GeForce still reigns supreme as my number one favorite coaster on Earth - can't wait to go back and ride it some more!

[CycloneMan]

Ain't it a laugh, Ain't it a treat?

Hob-nobbin' here, Among the elite?

 

Best caption ever!

[carolinacaniac]

KidTums's test seat picture is just adorable. She looks like she enjoyed the stationary seat experience.

Even though the seat is stationary, she still has her hands up, I hope my kids in the future will be as cute!