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Parque de Atracciones de Madrid

 

On the way home from Europe, I had a layover in Madrid. Most would take in the sights. Instead, I visited two Parques Reunidos parks.

 

Both Parque de Atracciones de Madrid and Parque Warner have enough attractions to fill a day. However, in order to fit both parks, I needed to make a speed run through both.

 

Ultimately, I figured it was safer to start with Parques de Atracciones de Madrid since they didn’t appear to offer a skip-the-line pass. Appear is the key word as they had one available for sale at the park. However, it wasn't needed. In fact, I had the opposite problem.

 

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The park was already testing things over an hour before the park opened. A+ for them!

 

The park was empty. Usually that’s an enthusiast’s dream, but not if the park requires a full train. This proved to be an issue on the park’s two signature coasters- Abismo and Tornado.

 

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I don't even think there are 23 other people in the park yet...

 

Until crowds picked up, I knocked out the other five coasters. My first stop was Tarantula, the Maurer spinner with an odd layout. Most spinners focus on spinning, hairpin turns, and helices. This one had barely any of that.

 

Instead, this one felt much bigger since it’s located on a hill. As a result, the focus is on sizable drops. These drops are particularly good if you’re traveling backwards. Mix in two nice horseshoe turns and you have a well above average spinner (even though it barely spins). 7 out of 10

 

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All those big drops are weird but awesome.

 

I then then trekked across the park and walked onto Vertigo. The top section was your typical wild mouse, but the second half was a bit uncomfortable. I’ve always wondered what would happen if the second half was unbraked. And now I know.

 

As expected, you get good air on the drops. It just so happens the airtime becomes a bit painful due to the lap bars. So it’s hard to say if I’d prefer the brake there. 5 out of 10

 

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Say hello to the only brakes on the entire ride.

 

My only wait was for TNT Tren de la Mina, which can best be described as a mash-up between a mine train and a Vekoma roller skater. The helices were forceless, but this was a very smooth ride.

 

And it had some airtime I wasn't expecting. Now I only got one ride and was directed towards the middle of the train, but even in that seat, I still got 2-3 weak pops of air. I imagine there may possibly be more air towards the front or back. 6 out of 10

 

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Sad and pathetic me of course rode Patrulla Canina. Half the Zamperla kiddie coasters are smooth. Half are not. This is in the latter half. The 3 laps couldn’t end soon enough. 1 out of 10

 

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If a dog has to pee, I hope it hits the coaster instead of the fire hydrant.

 

Next door was the odd Padrinos Voladores. This is one of those suspended Zamperla mini mice. While it looks cool to have another suspended coaster, you barely swing since the ride tops out at like 5 mph. It may be a snoozefest, but it’s perfectly comfortable for an adult. 2 out of 10

 

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Who needs Eagle Fortress when you have this bad boy?

 

Since it was now an hour past opening, I figured there’d be enough thrill seekers in the park for me to ride Abismo. And I was right. By this point, Abismo had 3-4 train wait, but I was able to board immediately when they called for a single rider.

 

Sky Loops are fairly rare clones, but I had ridden one previously at Skyline Park. As I remembered, the hangtime on the lift and barrel rolls is incredible. But the rest is what differentiates Abismo.

 

Rather than returning right to the station, Abismo rockets through forceful overbank, a camelback with some major and sustained ejector airtime, and a smaller hill with some good floater airtime. Then came the brakes.

 

Except unlike the other 99% of coasters out there, that brake takes place on a vertical lift. This causes the awkward lap bar to punch you in the gut. It’s an unfortunate end to an otherwise smooth and thrilling coaster. 7.5 out of 10

 

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The rare and unique extended sky loop.

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I can feel the airtime just looking at this photo.

 

Last but not least, I was able to ride Tornado. After camping by the entrance for 10 minutes, we had enough people to fill a train. I only got one ride in the back and consider myself lucky to have even ridden it.

 

I got some good whip on the first drop and both vertical loops had some solid force. But the highlight was the extremely snappy corkscrew over the midway. I was expecting a second corkscrew afterwards, but the rest of the ride just had some ok helices.

 

I was intrigued how a traditional Intamin invert would ride (RIP Volcano). And it’s somewhere in between a B&M invert and a Vekoma SLC. There’s light headbanging throughout, but it’s not the endless assault of a SLC. 7 out of 10

 

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I hope everyone has secured their loose articles.

 

I also need to take a moment to commend the park on its beauty. Most of the park is covered by trees, but the few open areas are populated with gorgeous flowers and fountains. You can tell this park takes landscaping seriously.

 

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What a gorgeous park!

 

While none of the park’s coasters are true standouts, Parque de Atracciones de Madrid had an odd and enjoyable coaster lineup. If I only had one day in Madrid, I’d personally pick Parque Warner on a return trip. But first timers should consider what I did in order to get a flavor of both parks.

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Late to the party but love your reports! I also went to Walibi Holland while in Europe and I loved both the park and Untamed. We did a nighttime visit during their Halloween event and the temperatures dropped into the high 40s, so Untamed ran a little less crazy for us, likely due to the temperature. But we thought it ran perfectly and it reminded me of a love child between Steel Vengeance and Twisted Timbers, in the best way.

 

One of these days I have to visit Efteling, likely in 2021 when we do a trip to Walibi Belgium for their new Intamin Megacoaster, and we'll likely go back to Walibi Holland again then, too. I just wish I could have ridden Bob before it got taken down, as now the only two Intamin Swiss Bobsled coasters remaining are the ones here in the states, and they're both the cloned Sarajevo Bobsled model.

 

I've also always wanted to ride a traditional-style Intamin Invert, as they look incredible. I definitely trust your judgment when you say there's head-banging though. Looking forward to seeing your report from Parque Warner Madrid, that park has always intrigued me.

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Late to the party but love your reports! I also went to Walibi Holland while in Europe and I loved both the park and Untamed. We did a nighttime visit during their Halloween event and the temperatures dropped into the high 40s, so Untamed ran a little less crazy for us, likely due to the temperature. But we thought it ran perfectly and it reminded me of a love child between Steel Vengeance and Twisted Timbers, in the best way.

 

One of these days I have to visit Efteling, likely in 2021 when we do a trip to Walibi Belgium for their new Intamin Megacoaster, and we'll likely go back to Walibi Holland again then, too. I just wish I could have ridden Bob before it got taken down, as now the only two Intamin Swiss Bobsled coasters remaining are the ones here in the states, and they're both the cloned Sarajevo Bobsled model.

 

I've also always wanted to ride a traditional-style Intamin Invert, as they look incredible. I definitely trust your judgment when you say there's head-banging though. Looking forward to seeing your report from Parque Warner Madrid, that park has always intrigued me.

 

Thanks! I definitely visited Untamed on a warmer day and the track was slick too from the rain.

 

Bob felt identical to Alpine Bobsled, just in a more wooded setting. And I feel like that ride will meet a similar fate to Bob in the next few years.

 

Tornado definitely wasn't as good as a B&M invert in terms of forces or smoothness, but it still was a fun ride.

 

Tarantula is definitely underrated! It's so great the speed at which it takes the drops and corners and it's nice to have such a unique layout!

 

Absolutely. The only other spinner I can think of that focuses on drops that big is Dragon's Fury.

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Parque Warner Madrid

 

After a week of cool and rainy temperatures, I was in for a rude awakening at Parque Warner Madrid. I had already started to melt earlier that morning at Parque de Atracciones Madrid, but that park had lots of shade. Parque Warner Madrid did not, which was a problem on a 100+ degree day.

 

I was actually stunned to learn this used to be a Six Flags park. It looked far too nice! The only things reminding me of Six Flags were the DC and Looney Tunes characters.

 

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This park looked too nice to have once been a Six Flags park.

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Even the bumper cars are very well themed.

 

Pressed for time, I grabbed a skip-the-line pass and immediately ducked into Aventura de Scooby-Doo for some glorious air-conditioning. It was also a decent shooter. It wasn’t too long, but all the targets worked.

 

This was essentially Boo Blasters. The funny part is that the Cedar Fair Boo Blasters started as Scooby-Doo dark rides. I always thought those rides must have stripped out a ton of theming when they were converted, but it was indistinguishable from this ride. 6 out of 10

 

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Ruh roh Raggy.

 

The AC was refreshing, but I needed a more permanent solution. So I took a ride on Rapidos ACME. As a river rapids ride, this ride is a failure. The rapids do nothing. In fact, the most powerful rapid is oddly located in the station itself.

 

But it succeeds as a soaker. Rather than using rapids, this one uses Looney Tunes themed sprayers and waterfalls. I actually prefer this approach for the uniqueness. Story Land does something similar with Dr. Geyser’s, but this one was considerably longer, wetter, and better themed. 9 out of 10

 

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Usually I'm praying the waterfalls miss me. Not today.

 

Soaked to the bone, I figured it was a good time to ride the junior coasters. Adults dread sitting in wet seats, but kids eat that sort of thing up. So I felt no guilt riding them.

 

Correcaminos Bip Bip surprised me. I was expecting something along the lines of a roller skater, but this thing had some good yank on the first drop and a pop of air midway through. Plus, it’s themed to Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote so it gets bonus points from me. 6 out of 10

 

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Silly coyote, you can't catch the Road Runner.

 

Tom y Jerry is your typical Zierer Tivoli, but this one is dressed up quite nicely. Since you’re supposed to be the size of a mouse, you weave through and around all sorts of oversized items. 4 out of 10

 

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Too much pulp.

 

Up next was my most anticipated ride in the park, Rio Bravo. And it didn’t disappoint. I was always fascinated by this flume. It looked massive and was tucked inside a faux mountain like all my favorite flumes. But the highlight was a surprise element in that mountain.

 

SPOILER

 

I knew this flume went backwards. And per usual, the backwards section began with a drop. What I didn’t know was that there was an airtime hill with a bonafide pop of ejector airtime. Keep in mind this occurs in total darkness and you have zero restraints.

 

END SPOILER

 

Most of the course is extremely well themed. The outdoor bits pass through a western town and all the indoor bits (except the 2nd lift) have props to look at. The ride also mixes in a few rapids. In fact, I’d say the rapids on this flume are better than those on the park’s river rapids ride.

 

Last but not least, the climactic final drop was quite good. You really felt the size and it even delivered a tiny pop of air. And the splash was just what the doctor ordered on a hot day. It was soaking! This flume is the complete package. It has thrills, spills, and theming. 10 out of 10

 

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This looked like a cross of Splash and Big Thunder Mountain.

 

If you’ve read my reports, you know I can tolerate almost any wooden coaster. Taking a look at the worst coasters on TPR’s 2018 poll.

 

Hades 360? Amazing.

 

Predator and Zeus? Great.

 

Grizzly, Wilde Beast, & Mighty Canadian Minebuster? Not good, but smooth enough.

 

Bandit? Bumpy, but rideable.

 

I finally hit my limit. Coaster Express is the worst coaster I’ve ever ridden.

 

The scariest part is that Parque Warner knows this thing is brutal. They’ve pulled out all the stops to slow it down. Trims? Of course. Slow lift? Better, you come to a complete stop at the top before crawling over it. But none of this matters. This ride will destroy you.

 

I always thought Coaster Express was another Cyclone clone. But this is something much worse. It’s a 120 foot, 4500+ foot long twister. I can't recall any specific element, I just remember the constant jackhammering and concussive blasts.

I never rode Son of Beast, but I have to imagine Coaster Express is like that ride minus the loop.

 

In a weird twist of fate, one of the biggest issues are the beloved Intamin T-bar restraints. On a smooth ride, these minimalistic restraints are incredible. But on a ride that constantly jackhammers, it's a major problem. My legs mercilessly kept slamming into the center bar.

 

I’d say Coaster Express needs to burn in the Spanish sun and combust into flames, but I’m holding out hope RMC can do something with this colossal structure. 0 out of 10

 

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I now know the true meaning of pain.

 

I needed the glass smooth ride of a B&M, so I boarded Batman: Arkham Asylum. For those who thought running Batman backwards was too much, what about putting VR on the Caped Crusader?

 

The thought of greyout-inducing vertical loops, oppresive heat, and a phone screen an inch from my face did not sound appealing, so I rode Batman in its original state.

 

This Batman was every bit as forceful as the ones stateside, but it had this weird, audible rattle. I never felt a rattle, I just heard it. SFFT’s Goliath does the same thing. 8 out of 10

 

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VR on a Batman coaster was not for me.

 

Compare that to Superman la Atraaccion de Acero. There, the rattle is very tangible. I always heard this was one of the best floorless coasters, but I think it’s one of the worst.

 

The one thing Superman did well was airtime. Unlike most B&M loopers, this one had a straight drop with floater air more reminiscent of a hyper coaster. The drop off the MCBR and the final bunny hill also had great floater airtime.

 

Beyond the rattle, the inversions on Superman simply are not good. And that’s a problem for a ride that goes upside-down 7 times! The zero-G roll had some decent hangtime, but the other 6 inversions were unbelievably forceless. Superman is still fun, but it was quite a disappointment. 6 out of 10

 

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I'd say the sun messed with this photo, but Superman's track is really that faded.

 

Usually I don’t look forward to riding a clone featured at my home park, but I was looking forward to Stunt Fall. If you’ve ever perused the SFNE thread, you’re almost guaranteed to find someone whining about the Premier trains on Goliath.

 

And you know what? It’s 100% warranted. Those trains blow. They turned a smooth and enjoyable coaster into a painful and unreliable mess. Meanwhile, Stunt Fall still had the original Vekoma trains.

 

And the result? I enjoyed it! It wasn’t perfect since there was some headbanging throughout, but I’m willing to accept that for such an intense ride. I particularly love the first drop on these giant inverted boomerangs. 6 out of 10

 

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100% free of Premier Rides trains. Thank the Lord.

 

I was running out of time, so I made my way back to the Wild West for one last ride on Rio Bravo. But then, a dangerous thought crossed my mind.

 

“Just how rough could Coaster Express be in the back row?”

 

I was morbidly curious. I knew I was basically putting a hand to a hot stove, but I just had to know. I didn’t think Coaster Express could get any worse, but it did.

 

The front was non-stop pain. But at least the pain stopped when the ride ended. In the back, it felt like I broke my back. That’s exactly what I wanted to feel like before boarding a 7 hour flight home.

 

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I needed this pillow after Coaster Express.

 

I definitely wished I had more time at Parque Warner. I love parks that go all-in on the theming like Parque Warner. Except unlike most parks that do this, Parque Warner focuses on thrill rides.

 

The lack of a signature coaster is the park’s biggest weakness, but they have a structure ready to be converted into a top 10 ride. Please Parque Warner. Get Alan Schilke and RMC on the phone.

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I really like Parque Warner Madrid. Is it fair to say they don't have a signature coaster when they have two really decent B&M's!?!? I mean for a park in Spain that's not Port Aventura that seems pretty great. Did you get to eat any food while there or were you too busy? We found air conditioning and good food which was a nice surprise at a park like this that we also felt would be very corporate and similar to a US Six Flags/Cedar Fair park from the 90's.

 

And yes, burn Coaster Express to the ground. The supports don't even deserved to be reused for a good coaster, just kill it with fire!

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^ For me the star was that log flume. But from a coaster perspective, I found Superman just ok (not sure if I rode it on a bad day) and a Batman clone is always great (just not unique). Maybe Coaster Express could get the Gwazi treatment where hardly anything was reused.

 

I didn't have time to eat since I only had a limited amount of time before returning to the airport. That's good to know if I make it back.

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Bandit and Coaster Express were mixed up in my mind too. Wow that truly looks like the worst coaster ever. I'd have so many conflicting feelings riding with that Intamin T bar because those are glorious lap bars.

 

Speeding through parks isn't something you do very often, is it? Kudos though, if you have the opportunity to visit, go for it!

 

Signed, a one time 5pm-12am Disneyland parkhopper.

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^ Intamin T-bars are fantastic for airtime and freedom as long as a ride is smooth. Intamins are. This wooden abomination isn't.

 

I can speed through a smaller park or a park I've already been to, but it was a bit difficult at Parque Warner when there were things I wanted to reride. Their Fastpass also had a rule you had to wait 15 minutes before reriding something, so that also slowed me down.

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Enchanted Forest

 

Way back in the 1990s, my parents took me to Rhode Island’s Enchanted Forest. I don’t remember much, but they described it as a rundown amusement park run by ex-cons. Maybe that’s why it’s now closed.

 

But that wasn’t the only Enchanted Forest. On the complete opposite side of the country, tucked in the Oregon hillside is one of the most charming kid’s parks you’ll ever find.

 

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Enchanted Forest truly is in a forest.

 

I’m pretty sure this park was built in the days before ADA compliance was a thing. The hill this park is built on is treacherous. And the park doesn’t hide it either. Check out these excerpts from the accessibility section on their website.

 

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By foot the park was pretty hard to navigate. My prayers are with those in wheelchairs.

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This is one of the MORE accessible paths.

 

The entire park is shaded. Even though it was 100 degrees out, it felt like it was in the 70s. Just try to look at the park from Google Earth. You won’t see anything but trees. You’ll question if a park even exists.

 

The park is built into two loops- Storybook Lane and another loop with all the rides. And every inch of the park is ridiculously charming. It sort of feels like a discount Disney with the theme music and little areas.

 

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How quaint.

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I especially love this animatronic that pops out the window.

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Howdy from the wild west.

 

I’ll start with one of the most bizarre credits in the world, Ice Mountain Bobsled. The park originally had an alpine slide. After a few years, they decided to convert it to a roller coaster. This thing truly looks homemade, almost like a ripoff mountain coaster.

 

And it only gets weirder when you see the vehicles. WTF?!? Picture a bobsled with swiss-cheese, plastic coverings. You may think these things are stupid, but you’ll realize they’re 100% necessary when you see some of the clearances on this ride. Oh, and there are ZERO restraints.

 

The coaster starts with a short lift and slowly weaves through the picturesque mountain. But the real fun occurs when you start ripping down the hillside. The profiling on this ride looks wrong in many places. Most places actually. It looks like it should kill you, but thankfully it doesn’t.

 

And it’s thanks to the cars. They’re well-padded so there’s no pain, only laughter (remember no restraints). It’s mostly laterals, but there’s at least 1-2 spots of airtime. And it was far longer than expected. I didn’t realize how far down the hill this ride went. In fact, there’s a second lift at the end.

 

This is my type of coaster. It is extremely screwed up and quite frankly shouldn’t exist. But it does and it’s a a riot. This thing gets way more speed than you’d expect and the lack of restraints results in a surprisingly wild ride. 7.5 out of 10

 

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If the Matterhorn got drunk with a mountain coaster, you'd have the Ice Mountain Bobsled.

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Just look at those cars. WTF?

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100% unique and probably homemade.

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I never realized just how far this coaster strayed from the mountain.

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I know the Swiss cheese holes look bad in photos, but you don't notice them too much during the ride.

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Watch your head when the ride decides to give airtime.

 

Up next is the Big Timber Log Ride. You may think it’s an ordinary log flume. But it’s actually a coaster. Now the coaster section is admittedly very short (just one drop and uphill bit), but I’ll count it.

 

I honestly preferred everything else on the ride. You pass by a nice logging scene and the ride feels a good 100+ feet off the ground since it’s built on a hill. And that final drop is great too. It’s massive and even gives a tiny pop of air.

 

Due to the heat, I declined the complimentary poncho but those water-phobic coaster enthusiasts should hop all over this. While the final splashdown is massive in size, it’s the first drop that’ll get you. 8 out of 10

 

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If you look hard, you may see the coaster drop.

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You don't have to look too hard to see the regular flume drop though.

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I know it may not look like it, but this drop isn't a soaker. I swear I'm being honest.

 

Would you believe this little park also has a trackless dark ride? I couldn’t believe it either, but I present to you the Challenge of Mondor. While the show building is extremely small, the ride doesn’t feel it.

 

The reason is because you stop at several points. Sometimes you just spin in place. Other times you’ll take a quick detour down a dead-end with more targets. The trackless vehicles really help this ride utilize every inch of the building.

 

I thought the scenes were dark, but what I could see was well-themed. Most of the figures were static, but there were a few animatronics sprinkled in. And the auditory feedback helped me grab the high score for the day. I felt so accomplished beating a bunch of kids. 8 out of 10

 

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I have no clue how this park has a trackless ride system, but I'm not complaining.

 

The park also has a Haunted House. Considering the park’s audience, I expected some cheesy, blacklit garbage. But this was a bonafide haunted house that could scare adults. There were some loud and sudden jump scares.

 

I thought the scenes were well-done except for the fact that many had a delayed reaction. For that reason, make sure you don’t rush through it. My favorite scene was this Pepper’s Ghost effect of some ghouls rising from their graves.

 

There were no live actors, but judging by the number of terrified kids in its current state, that’s probably a wise choice. That’s especially true since this is a pretty long haunt too. I really don’t think this is a great fit for the park, but I enjoyed it. 7 out of 10

 

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If you stand here long enough, you're guaranteed to see a child run out crying.

 

With the rides covered, it’s time to talk about Storybook Lane. This walkthrough brings all your childhood stories and fairy tales to life. If you’ve been to Idlewild, it’s similar to the Story Book Forest.

 

Some are single houses or displays. Others are far more involved. For example, for Snow White, you travel through this mine. For the witch and Little Old Lady in the Shoe, you go down slides. But the standout was Alice in Wonderland.

 

To say this wasn’t meant for adults is an understatement. I saw the small entrance, but I figured it wasn’t more than a few feet. Nope. This is a claustrophobic pathway that’s a good 20 yards in length. If that’s not enough, it leads into an evil maze with more dead ends than I could count.

 

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I can totally fit!

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About halfway through, I realized I made a grave mistake. If you're wondering why I'm not crawling, the floor was pavement.

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Want to get lost?

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Yes, Disneyland's castle may actually be bigger.

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In general the scenes looked great. Just don't look too closely at their faces...

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Oh Jesus I'm going to have nightmares.

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The Exorcism?

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Mary's Lamb looks like he's about to take a steamer.

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Enter through the witch's mouth. Slide out the butt.

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If you prefer not to be farted out a witch's butt, you can instead take a slide from the Little Old Lady's shoe.

 

In many ways, Enchanted Forest reminds me of a European park. And I mean that 100% as a compliment. It has that laid back atmosphere and some funky things you never find in America.

 

I know Enchanted Forest is meant primarily for children, but I loved the park. The park’s theming combined with some unique attractions made it stand out for me.

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^I always remembered, the Haunted House being My Best Part of that park. And it's true, the whole place is like a mini-Disneyland of sorts. And all under the blessed shade of the trees that surround it, engulf it, etc.

 

Great TR of your visit there! (And YAY for Bizarro-Matterhorn!)

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I rode the trackless ride back when it originally opened (2006). And I was totally shocked that such a relatively small park would have one of these, much less afford one of these! Best surprise of my last visit there. Been too long. Must go back.

 

EDIT: I just checked on who manufactured this particular trackless ride, and it turns out to be the same Dutch company that just completed SYMBOLICA in Efteling Park!

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Oregon State Fair

 

Whenever I plan a coaster road trip, I sometimes do my due diligence and check if there are any big state fairs in the area. 9 times out of 10, that search comes back empty. This was that 1 time out of 10.

 

My route between Enchanted Forest and Oaks Park would take me right past the Oregon State Fair. I had no clue how big it was, but I saw Rainier Amusements owned a few coasters so I made a quick stop. Worst case scenario, I could stuff my face with fried food.

 

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The Oregon State Fair is brought to you by Canobie Coaster. Because yes, I was that much of a credit whore to make this pit stop.

 

The fair was pretty sizable, both in terms of the midway and overall fairgrounds. Since I hadn't eaten yet, I decided to start with the lobster fries, which was a mixed bag. The lobster was great, but the fries themselves were extremely bland.

 

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The lobster corn dog sounded intriguing.

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But I went with the lobster fries. They were ok.

 

In terms of coasters, the star was Arctic Express. From a distance, I thought it would be one of those Interpark galaxi ripoffs, but this was actually a classic galaxi coaster.

 

And I have to say the original is better. Beyond the absence of comfort collars, this one was a bit smoother and still maintained the quick pops of air on the first two drops. 5 out of 10

 

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Turns out this used to be owned by Rockwell Amusements in Rhode Island.

 

Explain this to me. The fair has two Miler kiddie coasters. Both have the same layout.

 

The Kiddie Coaster is considered a kids ride and gives 5 laps. The Scream Machine is considered a major ride, so you pay more for just 3 laps. The logic is infallible. 2 out of 10

 

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Kiddie Coaster 1

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Kiddie Coaster 2 that is advertised as an adult ride for some reason.

 

At most US fairs, the highlights are the flat rides. And that was certainly the case with the Oregon State Fair. The top ride was a bizarre experience on a Power Surge.

 

These rides aren’t known for their reliability. Just look at coasterbill’s Pierogi Map or the amount of them whose bases no longer spin. Well apparently the locking mechanisms were acting up. So rather than shut the ride down for maintenance, my good friend the carny had us covered.

 

He jammed an Allen wrench into the vehicles one-by-one to raise and lower the restraints. The whole process took 10 minutes. After locking my harness, he removed a pin and I immediately rocked to the side. I was confused. That was new.

 

And when the ride started, I flipped non-stop. I’m not sure if other Power Surges have this magic pin, but it’d be great if they remove it too. 9 out of 10

 

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The Power Surge was flippin' awesome.

 

I also rode my first ever Loop O’Plane. I was a bit apprehensive to try these since I have an odd relationship with pendulum rides. Giant frisbees and screamin’ swings are no issue, but swinging ships can do me in.

 

I loved the alternating high Gs on the full speed inversions and hangtime on the slow inversions. And it had the perfect cycle. It wasn’t too short, but it ended right before I started to feel queasy. The key takeaway is that I should never ride one of these at a European fair. 8 out of 10

 

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There was no shortage of ways for people to vomit.

 

While I spent a little less than an hour at the fair, I could tell it was pretty popular among locals. And for a state without a major thrill park, I could see the midway having a bit more appeal. Definitely don’t make a special trip for the Oregon State Fair, but don’t be afraid to pop in if it’s in town.

 

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Oh and there were sea lions. Can't say I've seen them at a fair before.

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Great report. I really want to go to Enchanted Forest just because of how weird it is.

 

Thanks! Enchanted Forest really is one-of-a-kind.

 

Plus the Portland area has a ton of other interesting stuff nearby like a 600 foot waterfall, Mt. Hood, and (if you want to drive 1.5 hours) Fascination and Lusse skooters.

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Thanks!

 

I'm fortunate to do a lot of traveling for work. In the past year, I've had trips to my company's other sites (both US and international), vendor sites, conferences, and customer sites. And since I'm usually stuck on a plane for most of those trips, I can easily write these up while they're fresh on my mind and save them.

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