Walibi Holland Discussion Thread

[dankeykang]

If you've never seen teddy bears on an RMC before, here is a video for you:

 

[KarlaKoaster]

Haha you beat me, I was just about to post the same. I love how it looks like they're putting their arms up

 

If only all test dummies could look as cute as this. And riders too, in fact!

[SharkTums]

I love this so much.

[DJeXeL]

This is all kinds of fantastic!

[Pedrinho]

One of the best videos ever.

Also: love to hear the chain dog after every air time moment. Meaning: All the time!

[thrillseeker4552]

This video is the best thing to come out of 2020 so far.

[KBrylczyk]

The next TPR event should do the "Big Bear Train" in response, kinda like the "Fat Train Challenge." Shirtless hairy fat dudes. Sign me up.

 

This better not awaken anything in me...

[Garet]

The social media team is doing a fantastic job of promoting the park lately. There's now a follow-up teddy bear video (with bonus sloths).

 

[youtu_be]

[/youtu_be]

 

And the park also collaborated with Ride Sims to have an official Untamed ride simulation released.

 

[Pedrinho]

^

My son, who just went two years old, LOVES their videos. A simple way to get kids addicted to theme parks these days.

[Nrthwnd]

^^ They should auction all those bears (and the sloths, too) off for charity, like "Give Kids The World" or a European equivalent. Have tags attached stating these are the real Walibi Holland Riders! And the rides they have ridden, etc. Would be fun to have one of those, knowing they'd ridden UNTAMED, and the swings.

[Pedrinho]

^

One would directly head to my son's arms.

[SharkTums]

^^That's a great idea!

[Nrthwnd]

^ And call them "UNTAMED Bears" on the tags, LOL!

[RCT3Bross]

So Walibi opened the 21st of May and "updated" another piece of the park. Quick overview:

- El Rio Grande is renamed Rio Grande (Nothing to big) and they added graffiti on the statues and walls around the river.

- Hacienda was repainted again (strange as it wasn't too long ago the restaurant got painted)

- Disco in the bathrooms.

- Condor has a lot more color on the entrance, but the biggest thing are new trains from Vekoma.

Today I got to see it all in person and the best description I can say is: Awful Taste But Great Execution. Like the is a clear intend and while the images on the stone walls are done very well, it's Merlin's castle all over again, beautiful structures ruined by bold and a lot of colors.

But it seems Walibi has made some great choices to update rides these last few years, giving the RMC conversion to Robin Hood and giving us Untamed. Now with Condor and the new trains, Condor was one of the worst SLC's I've done, it being the oldest doesn't help that fact, but the new trains make the ride experience by far the best SLC ride I ever had. The ride remains extremely bumpy but now your head doesn't rattle at all between two giant cushions. To describe it with numbers: I used to rate Condor 2 out of 10 now a solid 4,5 out of 10. Now all I have to say is give Xpress the MK1212 trains and the parks rides would be the best they can be.

End of the day I'm scared for what happens this winter, the Crazy River, Lost Gravity, Neurogen, Drako and Tomahawk area is next. I can already see the graffiti all over the Flume ride, I doubt Lost Gravity will will be defecated much if at all.

[DBru]

Interesting how Walibi Belgium has been adding gorgeously-themed additions and renovations over the past few years whereas Walibi Holland has been trying hard to make their park look as atrocious as possible.

[Nrthwnd]

^ But their rides are still awesome, right?

I agree totally about the "graffiti effect" they're putting all over the place. Not great, most places.

[DBru]

It's my personal opinion that all 3 of their top coasters are overrated, but I know others absolutely love that trio and I totally respect that.

(I'm a total Intamin fanboy but I'd consider Goliath to be weaker than most B&M hypers--besides Intimidator at Carowinds.)

[Satchboogie3]

On 5/26/2021 at 3:21 AM, DBru said:

It's my personal opinion that all 3 of their top coasters are overrated, but I know others absolutely love that trio and I totally respect that.

(I'm a total Intamin fanboy but I'd consider Goliath to be weaker than most B&M hypers--besides Intimidator at Carowinds.)

Where did you ride on Goliath?  I found it's a backseat ride.  The middle did nothing for me.  The back was classic intamin ejector air.  I will say the front was the most forceful on the two helicies.  

I wasn't a big fan of Lost Gravity, but I'm not sure I'd call it overrated.   If people are putting it in the 30-50 range of steel coasters... that is probably where it belongs.   I'm sure some individuals love it, but the concensis is on point. 

Untamed, I kind of wanted to find it overrated... but my Intamin fanboy self couldn't deny that Untamed was the best overall roller coaster I've ever ridden, and multiple rides made that pretty clear.  

I'll habe a trip report up soon, it was an interesting day.  Toverland tomorrow!

[DBru]

I've ridden Goliath probably 20 times all over the train, mostly in the back. Not once have I experienced any airtime that I would consider "ejector." I think the whole ride is quite graceful (and floaty) for an Intamin. But I do think it's a beautiful coaster with super comfy trains.

[RCT3Bross]

Today I visited the park again after the winter break, and today was a mixed bag of opinions mashed together that I have to talk about it someway.

So the virtual queue system is still in play but single rider and fast pass are also in the mix. If you're early in the park just don't even bother with virtual waiting, take the single rider line and you can still sit together as the masses group before the ride and the park employees can't keep up the scanning fast enough. I got 2 rides on Untamed in about 10 minutes. Also if you're alone there are about three rides that are only accessible with the system (Xpress, Rio Grande, Crazy River) the rest you just jump into single rider queue no problems. 

A lot of rides had downtime throughout the day, but for what I can tell most where quickly solved. There is however one ride not open at all, Xpress a train had stalled in one of the corners during morning testing I presume, it was extremely cold for the time of the year with temperatures near freezing point. I was shocked but pleased with the fact almost everything was open didn't expect that yesterday.

Last post I talked about the winter upgrades of this year and they did happen. Happy to say this time it was okay, not good but also could have been way worse. Basically the entire area has been made in Lost Gravity's image continuing the Yellow and Black theme of the ride and the random objects scattered about on the rides. Crazy Rivers actually got some electrical post and pipes added on the station but the old station is still there mostly complete.

End of the day was a complete mess. I bought a parking ticket on-line and when I got to the exit of the car park I was told my ticked was invalid and so I pressed the intercom to get a hold of someone. After having to press that button three times without answering on the other side I decided to call customer services and told them about my problem, when we spoke a second and third car already started to have the same problem, the promised me someone would come and I asked the third driver (second drove away) about the ticket he had, also like me a on-line one, other cars came with tickets bought at the park or gifted or annual passes and they all worked fine. after half an hour I called again as nobody had come, they told me they worked on it and by that time they told me more people already called as by this time a fourth car had arrived with the same problem (also on-line ticket). Already losing patience I waited an additional 15 minutes before a fifth car with the same problem came around and called again this time I was actually starting to lose my cool and told them I waited for 45 minutes and no communications or anything and there where now four cars all with the same problem here and nobody told us anything then to wait. They informed me they opened the exit up to let cars pass and I answers them, I saw for about 2 seconds each time, we couldn't even react to that as we all gave the people who could leave the space to do so. While I had them on the phone a sixth car arrived to add on the growing pile and I asked them if it was so difficult to send somebody over to check on the situation or to just open the exit for a longer period of time so we could all leave. Again they told me somebody would come. 15 minutes later I started to get angry and was about to block the exit till I got help and  when I made the move for my fourth call there finally came somebody to help. Keep in mind I had to wait a hour for help here, I cannot say anything good about that, the park did offer compensation with a free ticket so I did get that but again, don't let people wait a hour for a simple fix. I never experienced anything like this before and I hope I never will again.

[tndank]

Park is going to building a new RMC single rail currently set to open March 30, 2024. 

[Nrthwnd]

^ Hey! That's my Birthday Date (Mar.30)!

Kewl. And by 2024, I'll be .... 71.              eep.

 

 

(And by the way, I don't believe it.)

[RCT3Bross]

Read about the rumor this weekend, Source is reliable and has stated a intern mail has the park boss confirm the rumor this is where the date comes from. The ride will supposedly will be placed between Goliath and Xpress for a little more information.

As for the rumor itself if it is true, I really look forward to ride these single rail coasters so to get one in a park I visit every year I would love it. Also love how the park is bad at everything except when it comes to picking coasters, Untamed and Lost Gravity are among the countries best in my opinion.

Curious how this will pan out, the timing also isn't to odd as Untamed was promised on the day Lost Gravity opened about 3 years earlier so yes I can see this rumor being true.

[Invertalon]

Currently in process of planning a trip mid to late May to the Netherlands/Germany/Belgium. When do the Walibi parks (Holland/Belgium) post their operating calendars for the year typically? 

Efteling, Phantasialand and Plopsaland, which are the other parks being planned on this trip, all seem (historically) open every day of the week come May, so no issues there... But both Walibi parks tend to be limited to just Thur-Sun or Fri-Sun in May and into June.  This makes planning a bit more difficult between these two. Unless they were more limited this year due to COVID and such and typically open all week in May?

Side question; I assume there is a train you can take from AMS central station to Walibi Holland without much issue? (Google was having issues with any route but driving...). We will be getting a car, but not until we depart AMS after a few days, unless we need sooner. 

 

EDIT: Did email Walibi Holland and they had emailed back saying the calendar would be released in March... Which is way too late for planning purposes for us. So worst case we skip Walibi Belgium if not open during the week at the end of May. 
 

[Nrthwnd]

^ Best Advice I Can Give You ....

No matter how much you really, really, really want to ride it, do not ride Condor. It's the first SLC of it's kind granted (the first one in the U.S. is at Kentucky Kingdom - anyone wanna ride that one? I rode it back in1995), but your back and entire body from the neck down, will not forgive you for what IT will do to you.

Be forewarned.

I took a photo from here, and you could hear the yelling and 'pain' coming from the riders, at this time.

Taken Sept.12/2015. At a safe distance.