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Walibi Rhone Alpes Discussion Thread


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Hey everybody!

 

This thread is simple! Rather than having a million little threads about everything that goes on at Walibi Rhone Alpes, this thread is designed to consolidate it all into one user-friendly thread. Feel free to use it to post updates, trip reports, questions, comments, and of course, general discussion. For pictures and videos of the park as well as past updates, see TPR's Park Index Walibi Rhone Alpes.

 

Walibi Rhone Alpes Official Website

 

Below are some links to past updates from the park, you may be interested in. Enjoy!

 

--Robb

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2009

Helicopter Ride commemorating park's 30th anniversary turns tragic (see below)

 

2014

April 16th, 2014 - new non-OTSR restraints on Boomerang

 

2016

July 23rd, 2015 - Park announces Timber, a Gravity Group coaster to open in 2016

 

2017

December 8th, 2017 - Gerstlauer Infinity coaster to be built for the 2019 season

 

2021

March 16th, 2021 - EqWalizer to become Generator with new color and theme

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Original Post:

 

 

 

There was an horrible accident at Walibi Rhones-Alpes in France. The park offered (or they purchased the tour) their employees helicopter tours of the park and area around. Around 7pm on saturday june 20th, a few minutes after taking off, the helicopter crashed and killed all 7 occupants... The pilot and 6 park employees...

 

Horrible, since I knew one of the park employee and the park was closed today while they offered help to the families and employees.

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Translated story:

 

LYON (AFP) - Seven occupants of a private helicopter were killed early Saturday evening in the crash of their aircraft on Mount cord on Common Brégnier-Cordon, in Ain, it was learned from firefighters, the gendarmerie and the prefecture.

 

The accident occurred around 19:00 when the helicopter airline Azur Helicopter, which was on a first flight from the park Walibi en Isère, crashed for unknown reasons in an area steep and uninhabited, said the same sources.

 

The victims were the pilot of the helicopter and six employees of the park on leave, which had used the day to make this flight, it was shown in the direction of Walibi.

 

Five of the victims were decapitated in the accident, according to firefighters.

 

"A witness gave the alarm. He saw the blue and white helicopter flying at low altitude before you lose sight, and then heard a bang and felt a strong smell of kerosene", told AFP the master Frédéric Bertin, an officer in the Departmental Operations Center Fire and Rescue (CODIS) of the Ain.

 

"The weather at the time of the accident was a priori good. The aircraft crashed without causing a fire," said the AFP Didier Doré, the sub-prefect of Belley in Ain, which visited the site.

 

"The prosecutor's office in Bourg-en-Bresse is seized of the case and the investigation is ongoing to determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy, he added.

 

Fifty firefighters from the Ain, Isère and Savoie, aboard a dozen trucks were immediately visited the scene of the accident.

 

They were supported by as many men whose gendarmes de la brigade de gendarmerie airline, said to AFP gendarmerie.

 

Attached to the phone by AFP, the company Azur Helicopter, which has a hangar at the airport Lyon-Bron, did not wish to communicate.

 

The common Brégnier-cord is located 20 km south of Belley (Ain).

 

 

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RIP Stéphane JAQUOT !

 

Stéphane used to be Parc Asterix's Operations Manager and helped the ECC and TPR when they made their trips to Parc Asterix .

 

Stephane moved to Walibi and became Park's Manager and sadly died in the Helicopter Accident near the Park with 6 Other park's employees . The Helicopter tour was made for the Park's 30th anniversary .

 

Aurevoir Stéphane and thank for what you did in Parc Asterix and Walibi Rhone Alpes .

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  • 4 years later...

Walibi Rhône Alpes (France) is currently making a few changes to their iconic Vekoma Boomerang that opened in 1988.

 

Here it is, plain ol' Boomerang:

 

 

But for 2014, Walibi proudly (I hope not) presents EqWalizer!

 

Wow looks flashy!

 

906203_797112903649924_7751375432983890661_o.jpg

WOW it IS flashy!

 

Seriously?!

 

10259088_799396410088240_5686478424500284097_o.jpg

I think I like what WH did with Speed of Sound better.

 

10262263_799396503421564_213476784584302060_n.jpg

At least it's shiny!

 

The good news is that they're getting a new train, from SAT Rides. Who rode the Boomerang at the Wiener Prater, or Teststrecke? Are they comfortable? The lap-bar looks intimidating...

 

135419_800482069979674_3498345931165663145_o.jpg

Yay for the audio system! Hopefully it will be as loud as on Speed of Sound, the sound was pretty good (at least in station and during the lifts).

 

1941546_800481983313016_4658994036571195132_o.jpg

Moar pink!!

 

(Source)

 

By the way, have you ever noticed that the SAT Rides train uses the same seat design as the Zierer's ESC coasters?

Edited by KingRCT3
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Would've looked nice with orange track and blue rail. Or least, by looked nice, I mean marginally less tacky.

 

Why don't they just have confetti fly out when you come back to the station while the attendant apathetically spins a noise maker, just to go the full nine yards.

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The same train like on the Vienna Prater Boomerang and on the Schwarzkopf Double-Loop Teststrecke - former Laser. IMO an improvement in replacing the older Vekoma OTSR trains but still prefer the new Vekoma trains with vest-style OTSRs as they comfortable and give the upper body support inside the Cobra Roll - specially on the return trip were the Cobra Roll is taken quite slow you have to keep yourself upright inside the seat of the SAT trains.

 

I cannot compare between the SAT trains and Gerstlauer train for Schwarzkopf loopers - but will do next year...

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  • 5 weeks later...

The new colors are horrible, but the new trains are nice, they look much better than the old ones, and I have only heard good things about them. It's nice to see parks trying to improve their old coasters.

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If I had to be perfectly honest the Boomerang actually does have a pretty cool, forceful layout. I'd love to ride one with these types of trains as the ride would probably be very enjoyable with no head banging and less restrictive restraints.

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If Speed of Sound is anything to go by, this overhaul will be amazing. The soundtrack on SOS was so catchy and well synched. Do we know if there will any tunnels added to both spikes? Is this going to feature the same soundtrack as SOS (the song was called "Hello World!")?

 

Although the new paint job might look a bit tacky, it gives a bog standard Boomerang some fresh air. The new trains will hopefully avoid the inevitable headbanging on the cobra roll.

 

Great job, Walibi! Now build brand new rides across the chain!

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The ride is reopened, here is the official (ew...) pictures:

 

10314016_818889191472295_3936096064264247322_n.jpg

 

10314016_818889194805628_8221735034720521224_n.jpg

 

10294391_818889198138961_6758982189818410800_n.jpg

 

Source

 

And some better pictures from Mehdi.B on Ameworld.net.

 

 

 

 

Mehdi rode the ride 7 times, and tell us what he thought:

 

Yes, the speakers are around the head. It's apparently the same song that on Speed of Sound at Walibi Holland. The ride is very pleasant.

 

Pros:

- New train with lap-bar.

- The modulable queue line that can hold up to a wait of 1h45.

- Station gates

- The on-ride picture that is took at the end of the vertical loop and that can be send by e-mail after your purchase.

- New colors.

 

Cons:

- There's no baskets to put your belongings. (will be added in the future, though)

- Depending on the affluence, you can't sometimes choose your seat.

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