Photo TR's: JordyC's Theme Park Adventures

[BitterOldHag]

That Caterpillar ride doesn't seem to have ANY restraints. Is that the case? Perhaps that's why it doesn't spin too fast? Regardless, that looks really weird not seeing any kind of lapbar or anything on a ride with Himalaya-style seats.

 

Also, that roller coaster looks awesome. There's just something about the almost homemade appearance that I would love to see in person someday. Maybe I should start saving as I'm certainly not getting any younger!

 

Thanks for sharing your trip reports. I have enjoyed the thus far and look forward to the rest.

[JordyC]

That Caterpillar ride doesn't seem to have ANY restraints. Is that the case? Perhaps that's why it doesn't spin too fast? Regardless, that looks really weird not seeing any kind of lapbar or anything on a ride with Himalaya-style seats.

 

Yes, that is indeed the case. It doesn't have any restraints. I forgot to mention that

 

Also, that roller coaster looks awesome. There's just something about the almost homemade appearance that I would love to see in person someday. Maybe I should start saving as I'm certainly not getting any younger!

 

Well, Rodelbaan is technically home made, since it was built by the park itself back in 1930. It is an awesome classic ride, though!

 

Thanks for sharing your trip reports. I have enjoyed the thus far and look forward to the rest.

 

Thank you! My trip reports from the two other parks I've visited that day will be coming soon.

[Canobie Coaster]

Great report! Rodelbahn looks like the definition of a homemade ride. I had no clue it even existed. Also how steep is that lift?

 

I thought Canobie had the last remaining Caterpillar with a canopy. I stand corrected.

[JordyC]

^Thanks! The lift hill is surprisingly steep, it has to be at around 45 degrees. I have to admit, going up the steep lift hill for the first time, without any real restraint was quite scary.

[JordyC]

Plopsa Indoor Coevorden - September 2018

 

Hello everyone!

 

On September 8th, I did something rather unusual. I visited three parks in one day; De Waarbeek, Plopsa Indoor Coevorden and Slagharen. They are relatively close together, at most a one hour drive.

 

The second park of the day was Plopsa Indoor Coevorden. Plopsa Indoor Coevorden is an indoor theme park, located next to Center Parcs in Coevorden. Like the name suggests, it belongs to the Plopsa group, which includes Plopsaland De Panne, Plopsa Indoor Hasselt, Plopsa Coo, Holiday Park, etc. Like all Plopsa parks, Plopsa Indoor Coevorden was well themed. That is probably the best part about this indoor park; the theming. Despite it being a kids park, there is a good variety of rides. There are a few flat rides, one of which was surprisingly intense, a big slide, a playground and, of course, a coaster. There is also an outdoor section, which consists of another playground, a few attractions and a small petting zoo.

 

Welcome to Plopsa Indoor Coevorden!

As soon as you enter the park, you are greeted by Samson and Gert -- a well-known duo of Studio 100.

There are lots of details on all the buildings.

I really love the look of the park's entrance area.

There entrance area is home to some bumper cars for the smallest ones. It looks great.

When you enter the park, there is a double decker carousel on the right, ...

..., and a wave swinger on the left.

The park's restaurant.

More theming on Plop's restaurant.

You can find this ride at practically every Plopsa park.

A huge tree with a big slide acts as a play area for the kids (or if you're young-hearted).

I am pretty sure that if you aren't from Belgium or the Netherlands, all these characters might seem a bit weird. But here, we all grew up with them.

Even the lamps are themed.

I will always enjoy a big slide.

There is also a large theater where shows take place.

There were actually more rides at this park than I thought.

They have also got a disco area!

Ahoy, pirates!

You can take a raft to cross the little lake, or you can be boring and just use the pathways. Guess which route I took?

Some more lovely pirate theming.

Woeste Zee (Rough Sea) is the park's rockin' tug.

The ride itself isn't that great, but the theming certainly is.

Vuurtoren (lighthouse) was next.

It is a fun ride, where you even get a few small pops of airtime.

Wickie the Viking is another themed area that is home to the park's only roller coaster.

Wickiebaan (3.5/10)

The main attraction of the park is Wickiebaan, a Zierer junior coaster. It has a standard layout, but the theming is what really makes this ride. The lift hill takes you through a skull into the very dark indoor section of the coaster (I know, an indoor section in an indoor park). There is some nice theming in there. Apart from the majority of the ride being in the dark, the coaster itself isn't that memorable. The first drop does give a small pop of airtime in the back seat, though. It is also fairly smooth and takes you around twice. While Wickiebaan is just a junior coaster, I actually really enjoyed it. This proves again how a bit of theming can make a ride so much more enjoyable.

 

Time to ride Wickiebaan.

It looks like he enjoyed it.

The dark "indoor section" is where most of the action happens.

Wickiebaan is quite smooth and gives you two laps.

Flying passed those rocks.

It is a fun little ride, nothing special. The theming is what makes it, though.

Time to ride Anubis.

It is a bit like a frisbee ride, where it spins you around while rocking back and forth, but on a much smaller scale. Because of this, the swinging is actually pretty intense, more than I expected it to be. It doesn't do a full 360, but it swings you up practically vertical. It also spins quite fast, which made it even more intense. The cycle lasted for a good 2 minutes, too.

I really enjoyed Anubis. It ended up being my favorite ride at the park.

The outdoor section of the park is home to Plopsa's famous fountains.

Again, lots of play equipment to enjoy.

They have also got a little petting zoo.

Just three random goats in a row, only at Plopsa.

You can even learn how to drive a car, isn't that great?

Or if that's not for you, you can learn how to be a firefighter as well.

Or you can just enjoy all the play equipment.

 

So overall, I had quite a good time at this indoor theme park. The main highlight was Anubis, a fairly thrilling flat ride for what is basically a kids park. The other highlight was the coaster and just in general experiencing this park for the first time. I know it is a kids park, but I really liked this place. Not necessarily for the rides, but for the atmosphere and theming at this park.

 

Thanks for reading!

[Canobie Coaster]

Awesome report! That park looks incredibly cool. I especially like the look of that mini frisbee. I'm not sure if I'll ever make it there considering their lack of a star coaster and my time in Europe would always be limited.

 

I never realized there was a second Skull Mountain. I'm guessing this one doesn't play heavy metal music like Great Adventure's though.

[JordyC]

^Thank you! I'd say that when you're in the area, it is certainly worth a visit. You can even maybe do the same as what I did, and visit these three parks in one day. But I can definitely see why someone would give priority to other parks, especially when your time is limited.

 

What if I told you that there is even a third Skull Mountain, at Plopsa Indoor Hasselt.

[jedimaster1227]

I love seeing theme-heavy indoor parks like this! Thanks so much for sharing another excellent report!

[JordyC]

Attractiepark Slagharen - September 2018

 

Hello everyone!

 

On September 8th, I did something rather unusual. I visited three parks in one day; De Waarbeek, Plopsa Indoor Coevorden and Slagharen. They are relatively close together, at most a one hour drive.

 

The final park of the day was Attractiepark Slagharen. It is a Wild West themed park and holiday park that is located in Slagharen, the Netherlands. Slagharen consists of two areas, which are connected by a Mainstreet with shops and restaurants. I simply love Wild West theming, and all the theming at this park is very well done, especially the Mainstreet and the buildings around it. The atmosphere at this park was also fantastic, with lots of themed music playing around the different areas. Despite the park itself being rather small, there is a good variety of rides and attractions. They have a couple of water rides, lots of different flat rides, a classic cable car, a surprisingly good dark ride, a junior coaster and, of course, Gold Rush -- the park's Gerstlauer Infinity coaster that replaced the iconic Schwarzkopf Looping Star in 2017.

 

Welcome to Slagharen!

Let's start with a ride on the park's log flume.

It has two drops, but none of them will make you wet.

Mine Train (4/10)

Mine Train is the park's junior coaster, a standard model from Vekoma. While these are fun, they don't really do much. The drop provides a bit of airtime if you're in the back seat. The rest of the ride consists of a couple more turns which are all quite smooth. Like most rides at Slagharen, it was also nicely themed.

 

Next up, Mine Train.

Mine Train is the park's Junior coaster.

The drop provides a bit of airtime, while the rest of the ride consists of a few turns.

Smile for the camera!

It is an excellent family coaster.

Slagharen is also home to a Jules Verne themed area.

Phileas Fun House isn't a fun house, but a giant indoor play area for the kids.

You can learn how to drive in Jules Verne style.

It is a very pretty park, with lots of theming.

The park is also home to a classic Enterprise, which is manufactured by Schwarzkopf, not Huss.

Flying elephants at Slagharen.

A small carousel for the kids.

Expedition Nautilus is another water ride.

It is probably one of the least themed rides at the park.

Slagharen really has a great variety of rides.

The park's rockin' tug looked nice, despite the ride itself being not that great.

There is also a cable car that takes you from one side of the park to the other. I love these kind of rides.

The cable car takes you over the Mainstreet to the other area of the park. I really like that you literally went above the other guests.

Lots of shops and places to eat at Slagharen.

El Torito was my next ride. It looks very nice, but the ride itself wasn't very forceful and you barely spinned. You did get a long cycle, though.

The park is also home to what is probably the most unique wave swinger ever.

The monorail passes through the building, where you get a tiny dark ride section.

The drop tower didn't really fit in with the rest of the park, in my opinion. It had no theming and just didn't look nice when you compare it to the rest of the park.

The ride itself wasn't very good either. The best part of the ride are the views you get from the park.

Slagharen's giant and unique carousel.

The Mainstreet is home to lots of shops and restaurants and connects the two areas of the park.

It is also the best themed area at Slagharen.

I simply love Wild West theming.

The atmosphere in this area was fantastic.

El Teatro is a 4D cinema. I didn't ride it.

The park is also home to a huge ferris wheel.

Are we in Paris now?

It is a gorgeous park.

Some more themed buildings.

This is quite possibly the shortest Antique Cars ride ever. It goes out of the station, around this tree, and then back into the station. All set and done in less then 40 seconds. What a ride!

There are also lots of play areas for the kids.

Convoy Race. It is not really a race, though.

Lots and lots of flat rides. This one is a classic, but I always enjoy these.

The park's Pirate Ship.

Wild West Adventure was the biggest surprise of the day. I knew that it was a dark ride, but I didn't know that it would be this good. It is a boat ride that takes you through the Wild West, passing Cowboys and Indians. The theming in there is simply fantastic and so are the special effects. There even is fire! It is located near the back of the park, so make sure you don't miss this one. It is a very good dark ride.

Even more play areas.

The park's other, smaller ferris wheel.

Eagle VS. Cobra

There aren't that many of these left, so I made sure that I rode it. It was quite enjoyable.

Gold Rush (8/10)

The newest ride at Slagharen is Gold Rush, the new-for-2017 triple launch Infinity Coaster. Gold Rush is very well themed, and has lots of little details throughout the queue and in the station. The ride was fairly smooth, but it did have a bit of a rattle. It didn't take away from the ride experience at all, though. Your ride begins when you gently launch forwards for the first time. After going up for about a quarter on the first element, you roll back into the launch. This backwards launch is way more snappy than the first one, and really pushes you forwards out of your seat. You then travel up into the dive loop, where you hang upside down for what has to be at least 4-5 seconds while experiencing one of the best hangtime moments on any coaster ever. Seriously, it is insane, even more so when you're in the back of the train. Next, you travel back down and are launched for a third and final time. After this very snappy launch, you are going full speed and shoot straight up on the ride's top hat. At the top, you get some great views of the holiday park, before flying out of your seat the whole way back down; floater airtime in the front, ejector in the back. The ride's first inversion is taken at high speed, but still provides a bit of hangtime at the top. After some high G's exiting the Sling Loop, you travel over an airtime hill that gives strong ejector airtime. A high-G overbanked turn over the queue is followed by Gold Rush's final and best inversion, the Dive Loop. This inversion aggressively throws you out of year seat when you make a quick left twist before diving upside-down towards the ground. The launches then act as brakes and guide you back towards the station.

 

Gold Rush is a very good coaster, and a great overall experience. It is short ride, but it really packs a punch and does a lot of different things. It has fantastic hangtime, ejector airtime and it is well themed. The fact that Gold Rush's trains are also very open and only have lap bars make the fast transitions, airtime and hangtime even better. Gold Rush is an excellent coaster and worth a trip to Slagharen just for that.

 

It is finally time to ride Gold Rush.

It is the new-for-2017 triple launch Infinity Coaster that replaced the park's iconic Schwarzkopf Looping Star.

Gold Rush is well themed and has lots of details around the ride.

The ride starts when you launch forwards, whereafter you roll back into the launch. This backwards launch is more intense than the first one.

You travel up backwards into the dive loop, where you hang upside down for what seemed an eternity.

Seriously, this is one of the best hangtime moments you'll ever experience.

After the third launch, you fly full speed straight up on the ride's top hat.

Some excellent views from up there.

You are out of your seat the whole way down. Awesome!

After plummeting back down, you travel up the first inversion.

It is taken at a high speed, but you still get some unexpected hangtime.

You experience some high G's while exiting the Sling Loop.

The airtime hill that follows takes you over the station.

Great ejector airtime!

Despite the slight rattle, Gold Rush is quite smooth.

The overbanked turn guides you over the queue towards the final inversion.

Gold Rush ends with its final and best element -- the Dive Loop.

This inversion aggressively throws you out of year seat when you make a quick left twist. The lap bar makes it even more insane.

You then dive upside-down towards the ground, where the launches act as brakes and guide you towards the station.

It is a short ride, but it does a lot of different things. And it does it all very well.

Gold Rush is a fantastic coaster, and an even better overall experience.

 

So overall, I had a great time at this lovely Wild West park. The main highlight was Gold Rush, easily one of the best coasters in the Netherlands. The other highlights were the dark ride and just in general experiencing this well themed park. Slagharen was actually a lot better than I originally thought. I love all the theming at this park, and the atmosphere is outstanding too. Combine all of this together, and you have one of my favorite small theme parks.

 

Thanks for reading!

Edited September 25, 2018 by JordyC

[JordyC]

I love seeing theme-heavy indoor parks like this! Thanks so much for sharing another excellent report!

 

You're very welcome. Yes, me too! I love theming, and when it is all indoors it makes it even more lovely.

[Canobie Coaster]

Awesome report!

 

If I had more vacation time, I would have had the chance to experience Gold Rush and Slagharen at the end of last year's TPR Oktoberfest trip. From POVs, it looked like the coaster would pack quite the punch and your review confirms that.

 

I agree the park looks fantastic. I love the Sky Ride passing over the pathways and then that wave swinger sure looks funky. That topper is huge!

[jedimaster1227]

Another excellent report! Thank you so much for sharing!

[JordyC]

Awesome report!

 

If I had more vacation time, I would have had the chance to experience Gold Rush and Slagharen at the end of last year's TPR Oktoberfest trip. From POVs, it looked like the coaster would pack quite the punch and your review confirms that.

 

I agree the park looks fantastic. I love the Sky Ride passing over the pathways and then that wave swinger sure looks funky. That topper is huge!

 

Thanks!

 

Gold Rush is very good coaster. It is a short ride, but the intensity and variety of elements more than make up for that.

 

I really enjoyed the cable car, especially how it takes you over the Mainstreet. And that wave swinger, yeah.. It certainly is unique

 

Hopefully you are able to experience this park in the future, if your vacation time allows it.

 

Another excellent report! Thank you so much for sharing!

 

Thank you!

[cparkes92]

I'd love to visit Europe someday to go to some of these parks!

[JordyC]

I'd love to visit Europe someday to go to some of these parks!

 

What a coincidence, because I would love to visit some American parks!

[cparkes92]

I'd love to visit Europe someday to go to some of these parks!

 

What a coincidence, because I would love to visit some American parks!

 

For a summer trip, some must-includes are Cedar Point and Kings Island

[JordyC]

Parc Astérix - April 2019

 

Hello everyone!

 

From April 15th to April 16th 2019, I went on a trip to Paris, France for my first ever visit to Parc Saint Paul, and my second visit to Parc Astérix. I spent the first day at Parc Astérix and my final day at Parc Saint Paul.

 

On April 15th, I visited Parc Astérix. Parc Astérix is located just outside of Paris, the capital of France. Since my last visit to this park a few years ago, the park has added a new coaster (Pégase Express), retracked two coasters and has built a new 4D cinema. The park is based on the comics of Asterix and Obelix. While I am not a massive fan of comics, I really like this park, its theming and the massive lake in the middle. The variety of rides at Parc Astérix is also very good. Combine all of this together, and you have the best non-Disney theme park in France, in my opinion. I really like this place.

 

Of course, the main reason for visiting Parc Astérix was Pégase Express, their new-for-2017 Gerstlauer Family Coaster. Parc Astérix is also home to a very solid wooden coaster, some good water rides, one of my favorite B&M Inverts and an excellent Mad House.

 

The weather that day was absolutely perfect. The park was very busy, though. Queue times exceeding 45 minutes were not an exception. The biggest queues were for Pégase Express and Tonnerre de Zeus, topping out at 70 minutes. Most of the other rides had a 30-50 minute wait. I decided to get an unlimited Fast Pass, which made sure that I could do all the major rides multiple times.

 

Welcome to Parc Astérix.

It is the park's 30th anniversary this year.

First ride of the day - Splatch!

Despite from the final double drop, the ride is quite boring, with no theming or music during the ride.

Menhir Express was next. I really like this log flume - it will get you soaked! The top section is more like a rapids than a log flume. There even is an airtime hill after the first drop.

 

Trace Du Hourra (5/10)

I have done a lot of Mack Bobsled coasters, but Trace Du Hourra is still the best one I have done. It is long, it is fast, has lots of helices and even has quite a few head choppers.

 

 

SOS Numérobis (1.5/10)

Nothing special. Just a Zierer Tivoli coaster. It would have been nice if it had some theming, though.

 

 

OzIris (8.5/10)

I have heard a lot of different opinions about OzIris; some think it is okay, while others think it is one of the best B&M Inverts. I definitely tend towards the latter group. This ride is just super fun! I agree, it is not the most intense coaster out there nor are the inversions very snappy. But it is the complete package this ride offers that really makes it for me. The theming and the area is stunning, and the tunnel under water is just something else. The Dive Loop is really fun, and the two Zero-G Rolls give perfect weightlessness.

 

The ride starts with a climb on its lift hill, whereafter it drops you down towards the ground, without the usual B&M pre-drop. This makes sure that when you're towards the back of the train, you are really whipped into the first drop. After soaring very closely over the ground, you travel up in the unique Dive Loop, that gives some very strong G's at the bottom. A surprisingly intense overbank, sends you into the ride's vertical loop. Then you fly throug a small tunnel into an Immelmann. Another overbank guides you to the highlight of the ride - an underwater tunnel followed by a perfect Zero-G Roll. Flying out of this tunnel into the inversion, really caught me of guard every single time. It is so disorienting. The helix that follows is a bit forceless, but gives you some time to take a breath. Next, you drop down a small hill, that gives some nice flaoter airtime, that guides you into the ride's last inversion - another perfect Zero-G Roll. A final, high-G helix sends you into the brake run.

 

To put it short, I really love OzIris. And it looks so good! The theming and area are gorgeous. It is my second favorite B&M Invert, after Black Mamba.

 

It spins rather fast, but won't get you wet at all.

The new ride for this year is Attention Menhir! It is a 4D cinema, but not your standard one. It has a very funny pre-show (if you understand French) and the film is also quite funny. The 3D-film itself is of the best quality I have ever seen at a theme park. The special effects (no spoilers) are one of the best, too. Normally, I am not a big fan of this kind of rides. But I really enjoyed Attention Menhir.

Attention Menhir!

No Transdemonium..

 

Goudurix (6/10)

Goudurix looks spectacular. That is what I said. Looks. The ride itself is all but spectacular. Although I have to say that it wasn't as bad as I remembered. True, there are a few uncomfortable transitions, especially the Butterly element. But apart from that, it actually isn't that bad. Maybe it is because I am rather small, so my shoulders don't bash into the restraints. Who knows. Also, it is probably one of the weaker themed rides at the park.

 

You can have a nice drink high up in the air.

 

Tonnerre de Zeus (7.5/10)

I remembered Tonnerre de Zeus to be one of my favorite wooden coasters. It is quite intense, especially the first drop where you dive into a tunnel - it is insane! Probably the best drop on any wooden coaster I have done. It also has a good mix of floater and ejector airtime. The ride is also very, very long. It just keeps going. The first drop and the first turn have been retracked, which made the ride super smooth. But after the second drop, the ride gets very bumpy. It is not that bad, by any means. But I would rate this ride much higher if it were just a bit smoother. Some of the corners did really hurt. But the craziness of the ride more than makes up for that.

 

 

Vol D'Icare (3/10)

Since the last time I was here, Vol D'Icare has been completely retracked. This made the ride quite a bit smoother. The ride itself doesn't do very much. It is basically a small drop, a turn and brakes, and that a few times. It is nicely themed, though.

 

 

Pégase Express (7.5/10)

The newest coaster Parc Astérix is Pégase Express. It comparable with FireChaser Express at Dollywood. And let me just ask why there aren't any more coasters like this? Because they are so much fun for the whole family. Pégase Express is very well themed, just like all the other rides at Parc Astérix. The ride starts with a rather quick launch out of the station, whereafter you make a small helix and drop down a drop that provides gives a small pop of airtime. You then climb up the ride's lift hill. Next, you drop down towards the lake travel over a couple straight and twisted airtime hills, all providing some minimal floater airtime. You twist and drop a few more times, before you go up the ride's final lift hill that leads you to the showroom. I won't spoil what happens in here, but it is something I'd never experienced before on a coaster. You then launch backwards towards the lake and go through a very twisty layout that guides you towards the final breaks.

 

Le Defi de César is not just a standard Mad House. This one is very unique, with its unique theme and sequence. I still prefer Villa Volta at Efteling, but this one isn't far behind.

 

So overall, I had an excellent time at this park. The main highlight was OzIris. The other highlights were Tonnerre de Zeus, Pégase Express, Menhir Express, Le Defi de César and, just in general, being back at this beautiful park.

 

Thanks for reading!

[Intamin_coyote]

^Awesome!

 

This theming of this park looks incredible, and with a great mix of rides too.

 

I especially like the looks of OzIris (like another rendition of Montu).

[Canobie Coaster]

Great report! It's already making me miss the park just a few hours after visiting. I agree OzIris and Tonnerre are the two stars.

 

Grand Splatch was playing music for me, but I agree there really isn't anything to look at. It's sort of surprising considering all the characters next to several of their other rides like the antique cars.

 

Was Goudurix worse on past visits? I'm almost wondering if it was retracked at some point because it isn't the headbasher I've always heard about.

[JordyC]

This theming of this park looks incredible, and with a great mix of rides too.

 

I especially like the looks of OzIris (like another rendition of Montu).

 

I really love the theming at this park as well. And OzIris has to be one of the best looking coasters out there.

 

Great report! It's already making me miss the park just a few hours after visiting. I agree OzIris and Tonnerre are the two stars.

 

Grand Splatch was playing music for me, but I agree there really isn't anything to look at. It's sort of surprising considering all the characters next to several of their other rides like the antique cars.

 

Was Goudurix worse on past visits? I'm almost wondering if it was retracked at some point because it isn't the headbasher I've always heard about.

 

Thank you!

 

Grand Splatch didn't play any music when I rode it. And like you said, it is weird that is basically the only ride at the park that isn't really themed and is just "a ride", without more.

 

I never really thought Goudurix was one of the worst coasters, but when I rode it last week it was definitely the smoothest ride I have ever had on it. I don't remember them retracking the ride, so I don't know what they did. But I approve!

[CatraBiNAS]

we got a review from untamed?