• Lukas 42

    Inversions Fun Fluidité Théma

    A real Efteling classic which rides better than ever - it's smooth as silk and has comfortable trains. The layout is pretty basic and nothing special, but as vintage ride, it is great for what it is - the inversions are still good fun and the helix pulls some decent G's. Compared to other rides, theming is pretty much nonexistent, but as the first coaster of this park, this is no major flaw.

  • Lukas 42

    First Drop Théma Confort Trop court Débit

    Theming is nicely done, especially the tower structure of the lift hill and the building with the preshow and station look really authentic. Unfortunately, the capacity is not the best and the outdoor queue is not that great, a roof protecting from sun or rain would be nice. The story is easy to understand and matches with the ride experience which is very short, but still good fun: the first drop packs a punch, but the rest of the layout is fine, but could have been better. Overall, it is a nice thrill coaster for the attraction lineup of Efteling.

  • Lukas 42

    Bonne suprise ! Vitesse Fun Trop court

    This was one of the biggest surprises when visting Efteling: Vogel Rok may not have that oustanding theming like the other rides of this park, but as a coaster, it is one of the most fun experiences here. It is more intense than you may expect, runs mostly very smooth, has a great capacity when running three trains and the icing on the top is the beautiful onboard soundtrack. There are some theming elements in the dark which could be better, but they are fine for what it is. The only downside of this ride is its relatively short length, which seems to be a common problem with the rollercoasters at this park. But nevertheless I highly recommend this underrated ride!

  • Lukas 42

    Bonne suprise ! Vitesse Fun Débit

    This was actually the best Mack bobsleigh ride I have been on: It has a better and more fun layout than the prototype at Europa Park and runs less shaky than the version at Heide Park. This one starts pretty mild, but constantly builds up speed during the finale. The only downside is the capacity which is not great because there were only two trains running and most adults sit alone in one car (which I fully understand, you should only share these vehicles with someone you REALLY like, when sitting alone, you have plenty of room).

  • Lukas 42

    Situation Longueur Vibrations Déception ! Inconfort

    This behemoth with its beautiful location near the sea and overall nice appearance may be iconic, but for me, the ride was disappointing. I did not expect huge amounts of airtime and knew it can rattle quite a bit, but it turned out to be one of the roughest coasters I have ever experienced - when sitting over the axis, I yelled out of pain several times. In the second row, it was still far away from smooth, but bearable. The airtime was, if even there, mostly weak - the only really intense moment was the first drop, the rest of the layout is fast-paced, but doesn't do a lot... At least, it has an epic soundtrack I really enjoy!

  • Lukas 42

    Débit Situation Vibrations Harnais

    I expected to hate this ride, but it was actually one of the better SLC I have been on: yeah, it hasn't got the vest restraints like Mayan or such a smooth ride as Kumali, but nevertheless, Infusion was bearable for the standard layout. The location over the water makes this coaster look better (but beware of the fountains, they can make your feet wet!) and the throughput was also pretty good compared to other SLC's.

  • Lukas 42

    Débit Situation Fluidité Temps mort Intensité

    Aside from the surprise in the dark (which everybody knows, I guess), the overall experience is rather tame: especially on the outdoort part in the beginning, the trimbrakes hit really hard and it feels like a mild family coaster which does not fit to the theming at all... A pleasant surprise was the last speedy section which was more intense than I tought albeit being really short. Besides from that, the ride from the final brake run into the station is taken surprisingly swiftly, it almost felt like a mini launch. The coaster rides glossy smooth and it has an eery vibe to it with its queueline and the location in the woods - but for being advertised as a ride for 16+, it wasn't that scary, I personally found the theming in Smiler or Wicker Man creepier than this. Capacity was decent, with three trains and luggage claim the line moved pretty quick.

  • Lukas 42

    Théma Inversions Longueur Harnais

    For me, the best ride at Alton Towers: theming is one-of-a-kind, at the first glance, it doesn't look too unsettling, but the closer you look and the further you get into the station building, the creepier it gets. The Marmaliser is optically very impressive and the soundtrack is just mental. On our visits, lines were pretty long (sometimes up to 120 minutes), I strongly recommend a fastpass or using the single rider line, the latter is pretty effective. Nevertheless, capacity is not a big issue, we had four trains running and dispatches were fairly quick. The ride experience was better than I expected, only a few times we had a minor rattle - but it would be better with lap bars for sure. The inversions are great fun, and the two decent airtime hills are a nice change from that - I did not percieve the ride getting repetitive which is quite outstanding with fourteen inversions. To sum things up, Smiler offers a great overall experience and I highly recommend being corrected by it!

  • Lukas 42

    Débit Confort Fluidité

    I enjoyed this ride more than I thought - yeah, it is not really intense, but I don't see Galactica as a thrill ride: The feeling of soaring over the Forbidden Valley is just amazing, the restraints are very comfortable and I especially liked the inversions - lying on your back feels just great on this ride. The soundtrack is also really nice. Another plus is the high capacity with three trains and a dual station which is desperately needed on busier days. I am glad the VR has been removed, I simply cannot imagine wearing headsets on this ride...

  • Lukas 42

    Situation Intensité Layout

    This legendary ride is definetely one of the best inverts out there: the use of the terrain and the unusual layout lead to an interesting pacing - while many traditional rollercoasters tend to have the most intensity at the start after the first drop, Nemesis starts a bit leisurely and gains speed throughout the whole track while the end being the most intense part of the ride. Thanks to the use of the terrain, there are some near misses which make this ride feel even faster than it actually is - the layout in general is great, I especially enjoyed the zero-G-roll and the last corkscrew which was particularly snappy. Overall, it was an awesome experience and the mighty roar fitted perfectly to it. I am curious how the retracked version of this coaster will ride, but I highly doubt that it will be as loud as the originial - I personally appreciate a loud B&M noise, but I still can understand this decision.

  • Lukas 42

    Théma Temps mort Intensité

    First of all, it is one of the best themed rides at Alton Towers: the preshow is extremely atmospheric, station looks pretty neat and of course, the huge statue catching fire is a cool gimmick. I also really enjoy the soundtrack creating a slightly eerie atmosphere. But the ride experience itself can be a bit disappointing: it definetely is the weakest GCI woody I have been on, especially in the front rows the pacing is a bit sluggish, so I recommend the back seats. The biggest letdown is the unbanked curve passing the walkway interrups the flow of the layout, while some of the hills gave some mild floater airtime. It is not a bad ride by any means, but I found it a bit confusing that such a family-friendly ride has a horror-based theming.

  • Lukas 42

    Launch Vibrations Trop court Déception !

    "Rattly Rita", like I used to call this coaster during our visit, was probably the biggest disappointment at Alton Towers: I didn't have high expectations at all, I expected it to be a fun little coaster with a powerful launch like Desert Race (which I actually enjoyed) - but the experience here was underwhelming: The launch was pretty snappy as expected (just like the one at Heide Park), but while Desert Race keeps its pace pretty well and rides smoothly, Rita dies down from here. After the forceful first turn, it loses speed very quickly and the layout doesn't do much. That would not be such a letdown when this coaster would not have this annoying rattle, which is present on both trains and makes this experience quite uncomfortable. Dispatches were pretty slow compared to Stealth, and it always had one of the longest lines of the day. I strongly recommend riding this coaster as early as possible, because of the waiting times and like all hydraulic launch coaster, it tends to break down quite often...

  • Lukas 42

    Situation Fun Layout Vibrations Inconfort

    Interaction with the rapids ride is nice, and the unusual layout in general is pretty neat. Nevertheless, I found this coaster a bit rattly (nothing too bad, but still noticable) and the trains are, like most of the older Mack Powered Coasters, a bit cramped with two adults sitting next to each other. But for families, this coaster still seems to be a decent choice - Choo Choo!

  • Lukas 42

    Fun Layout Théma Débit

    It was actually pretty fun: with an unbalanced loaded car, spinning can get quite intense and the immelman turn was the highlight for me. Definetely one of the better family coasters out there. Nevertheless, capacity is not the best (but dispatch time was much quicker than Dragon's Fury at Chessington!) and theming could have done better...

  • Lukas 42

    Lap Bar Confort Fluidité

    After Wodan and Silver Star, it is the third best coaster at Europa Park! Blue Fire lacks a bit in intensity and the launch may not be the strongest out there (although it accelerates faster than many other Mack coasters) , but it's still good fun: the coaster runs glossy smooth and thanks to the comfortable seats and lap bars, the ride experience feels really free. While most of the layout is moderately intense, the heartline roll has some very strong hangtime. Theming is nicely done (except of the huge glass building beneath), especially the rockwork looks really nice and the darkride section in the beginning with the power plant and the loud siren before the launch is atmospheric. I also like the intersection with Wodan, which can lead to nice interactions. During winter season, both the track and some of the trains are illuminated - which looks absolutely gorgeous! The onboard music is a nice gimmick, but it is not featured on all trains, often defect and should be played louder, because you can only hear it in the slower parts. Altogether, I like this coaster more than its reputation and especially at night, I really enjoy riding it!

  • Lukas 42

    Théma Confort Layout

    After Steath, this is the best coaster of the park: the apocalyptic theming looks really cool, the near-miss elements enhance the ride experience and like all the other wing coasters, it is a very photogenetic ride. Operations were pretty quick and the ride itself is great: It is smooth, the dive drop is always a pleasure and while not being as forceful as Fenix, the helix has some decent forces. The inversions are taken gracefully and due to the restraints, it is a very comfortable experience. The trains look really cool and there is also some acoustic theming - there are many sound effects and there is a great soundtrack by the rock band "You Me at Six ", which I really appreciate. Altogether, The Swarm is an awesome overall experience.

  • Lukas 42

    Airtimes Launch Fluidité Fiabilité

    My favorite at Thorpe Park: It is all about the insanely fast launch, but the top hat is taken quite swiftly and has some great airtime - all while running completely smooth. In these aspects, I prefer Stealth to Red Force, which creeps over the top hat and has a rattle in the back while being more than ten years younger. Additionally, operations on Stealth were one of the best at Thorpe Park - thanks to a baggage drop before the station, a separate loading and unloading platform and two trains, the line moved quickly. Theming is only loosely done, but it still looks okay and I like the train design. The only downside of this ride is the reliability - like the other Intamin hydraulic launch coasters, there is many downtime (it went down two times during our visit), but this ride should not be missed when visiting this park. Three, two, one, GO GO GO!!!

  • Lukas 42

    Théma Inversions Intensité Trop court

    This is one of the weaker inverts I have been on, but on the other hand, the competition is strong - Nemesis Inferno is not a bad ride by any means: Theming is well done (I like the lush vegetation underneath it and the section before the lifthill is also a nice gimmick) and the ride experience is your typical intense and smooth invert with fun inversions and some forceful turns, albeit the latter are not as strong as Black Mamba. While being longer than it's namesake in Alton Towers, this ride feels shorter, I think this is due to the fairly long pre-lift section. As a result, this ride feels like it is missing something, but I cannot say what exactly. Operations are kind of a mixed bag, but mostly, they were okay. Overall, this is the third best coaster of Thorpe Park and definetely worth a ride. The biggest con is the awkward choice of the name - cause it's not really being related to the Nemesis at Alton Towers, I personally think just "Inferno" would be much better.

  • Lukas 42

    Fluidité Sans intérêt Temps mort

    Welp, I don't know what to think about this ride: Preshow was fine and better than I expected, while the theming during the long walk to the station is only sporadically. The vehicles are a bit cramped with two adults next to each other, but at least, this ride runs smooth. The ride experience itself, it was mostly kind of "meh": for the spooky theming, the coaster itself is fairly tame - it mostly just meanders around and I don't get the point of the multiple complete stops which kill the flow. Theming during the ride is also mediocre at best, only at the final breakrun, there were some traditional scare effects. During the exit, there were no scare actors (which I personally consider as an advantage, I really don't like that kind of stuff), but the ridiculously long way through the darkness was tedious and pointless (maybe because of this circumstances the former name "X - No way out"). I personally think it was a bad idea to transform a family-friendly ride into a horror attraction - one less attraction for people not into thrill.

  • Lukas 42

    Situation Temps mort Intensité

    Feels more like a monorail than a coaster - but at least, it runs fairly smooth compared to other Zamperla powered coasters and the location above the lake is nice.

  • Lukas 42

    Inversions Bonne suprise ! Fun Trop court Inconfort

    I expected some headbanging, but ended up liking this coaster more than I thought: Despite the cumbersome boarding and slow operation (the restraint system is downright bizarre), the ride experience is quite good. Of course it is not a top-tier rollercoaster, but it runs surprisingly well aside of some minor rattle. Especially the zero-g-roll is a very unusual experience while being in standing position, but the rest of the layout is also fun. Theming is not really existent, but the appearance has improved with a new bright and colourful paint job of the station building. The slow operations were not a big issue during our visit because queue times were only about 15-20 minutes.

  • Lukas 42

    Inversions Launch Fun Théma

    A great indoor rollercoaster: while the acceleration may not be particularly forceful, it is still a quite unusual feeling being launched upwards. The twisty layout in the dark features nice inversions, forceful turns and some special effects. The ride may be a bit rough, but not in a way I would consider it as a con - thanks to the vest restraints, there are no issues with headbanging. Theming is a double-edged sword: the Star Wars overlay seems a bit provisional (for example, in the station there are only a few banners with the ride logo hanging from the ceiling) which is definetely not on the typical "Disney level" and it doesn't match with the objects of the former Jules Verne theming which are still present. But on the other hand, the building itself looks fantastic - especially the giant cannon launching the train into darkness is a piece of art. I would love if someday the original Jules Verne theme would return!

  • Lukas 42

    Théma Temps mort

    It fulfils its purpose as the only kiddie coaster of the park, but even for being a ride for the small ones, it is fairly weak. Theming is also lackluster.

  • Lukas 42

    Vitesse Intensité Ejectors Trop court Débit

    Due to the low capacity, I would advise to ride this coaster first when going to Thorpe Park, this one often has the longest line of all coasters. Theming is nothing special on the outer queue, but indoor, it is pretty well executed. If you want to fully see the small darkride part before the acutual coaster section, I would recommend to take the rear of the two vehicles about to dispatch. The ride itself is pretty short, but aggressively paced - there are some very snappy moments of ejector airtime. I braced for some headbanging (especially when thinking at Huracan at Belantis), but while still not being very smooth, it was absolutely tolerable. I think, these circumstances fit pretty well to the theming as one of SAW's deathtraps.

  • Lukas 42

    Inversions Fun Débit Inconfort

    I braced for some headbanging due to its reputation and the bulky restraints, but this coaster run surprisingly well. Yes, there were some slight vibrations, but nothing to write home about it. The inversions are all good fun, especially the finale with the quadruple heartline roll. The optical presentation is actually really nice - the coaster itself is very photogenetic and I appreciate the lush greenery it is located in. The biggest downsides of Colossus are the uncomfortable trains (they are very cramped and the harnesses are very cumbersome to pull down), which may lead to the low throughput of this ride - the second train had to wait quite a bit on the final break run everytime. So I would recommend to ride this coaster as early as possible (at best, right after coming off SAW!)

  • Lukas 42

    Théma Confort Fun

    An absolute winner for Paultons Park: with two trains and quick dispatches, lines were surprisingly short for this nicely themed coaster. The queue in a wooden "barn" underneath the slides and the station look very nice, even a catchy soundtrack is playing. But the ride itself is great fun: Albeit still being family-friendly, it can still pack a punch and when properly loaded, the spinning can get pretty intense. The coaster runs very smooth and the cars are very comfortable for every body height. Altogether, Storm Chaser fits perfectly into the attraction lineup of Paultons Park!

  • Lukas 42

    Théma Vibrations

    Theming is top-notch for such a small ride. It is a good starting point for ongoing enthusiasts, but unfortunately, one of the s-bends has some pretty distinctive jolts to it - which is not a good sign for a coaster just a few months old...

  • Lukas 42

    Fun

    Your fairly standard family boomerang - nothing special for us thoosies, but the target audience will be happy with it :)

  • Lukas 42

    Fun Fluidité Théma

    The first hairpin turn caught us all off guard, it was particularly snappy. The rest of the layout was your typical Bobsled Coaster: a smooth and enjoyable family coaster for every age. Theming could be done better, aside from some fancy topiarys shaped like a cobra, most of the ride takes place over some green meadows and the station building is rather bland. I think, the ride's theme will be changed in the future to fit more into the newer concept of this park.

  • Lukas 42

    Fun Vibrations Théma

    A bit rougher than its successors, but it's okay because this is the prototype of the family boomerangs and still a decent family ride. Theming appears to be only half-baked, because despite having a new name and some themed elements, you can still spot some remenants of the former "Ben 10" theming in the queue line. Additinally, the policy that you have to take off your glasses without a strap during this ride, is quite unnecessary.