Day 9 of the Camping and Coasters 2004 tour.
The first thing that I noticed about Phantasia Land was how well themed the whole place was. You can tell that the theming here is just as important as the rides themselves, which can only be a good thing. I felt that this park had that magical feeling that Alton lacks. As wells as excellent rides, Phantasialand has some great shows, including Pirates 4D. In Phantasia Lands case its 3D. I gave it a wide berth! One of the great things about the park is that there are loads of people in costumes who interact with the visitors. Something else which Alton lacks. The trolls in Mystery Castle were particularly amusing! The ride ops also wear themed uniforms.
Anyway. Onto the main rides themselves.
First up is River quest. Now, Im not going to give too much of away. As the ride throws out loads of surprises at the unsuspecting passengers. And to say too much would ruin the experience for those who have not yet ridden it. All Im going to say is that the ride is on several storeys, features articulated boats, has a vertical section, and is very wet (depending on where you are sitting). The rides Medieval themeing is almost as stunning as the ride itself. Oh, and its probably the best rapids ride in the world. Or at least Europe anyway. A truly magical experience.
Winja's Force and Fear ins the Maurer Sohne Spinning Mouse coaster. We decided to head to Force first. Queues were minimal and we got on within 15 minutes. I was in the backwards facing seat which mean that spinning onto the track after the vertical lift hill felt insane! What followed was a mish mash of twisted track, sweeping Helix’s and surprise elements. Our car was in spin overdrive. This meant an intense ride experience. I loved it. Same for Winja Fear. The fact that its indoors and extremely well themed adds to an already amazing ride experience. You have to see it to believe it. In my opinion its much better than Spinball Whizzer, and slightly better than Dragons Fury.
Mystery Castle is a Free Fall housed inside a heavily themed Medieval Castle building. The story goes that Evil forces have lingered in the castle for centuries and can only be destroyed with a thrust of energy. That’s where we the riders come into the fray. This is definitely one of the best tower rides out there.
Feng Ju Palace was another Vekoma Mad House. The theming (Chinese) was stunning. Unlike certain UK parks, Phantasia Land doesn’t scrimp when it comes to detail! The story line is the typical good vs evil type plot line, which of course involves a damsel in distress. The pre-show was pretty good and the ride itself was pretty good too. Still not as good as the one at Tivoli though!
Colorado Adventure AKA Michael Jackson Thrill Ride (I kid you not) is a mine train coaster supposedly designed by the man himself. It features about four lift hills, and is actually very good!!! It features plenty of fast helixes and a fake splashdown section I cant help think that he might have been inspired by a certain ride at Disney!
If you’ve never been to Phantasia Land before, then I cant recommend the place enough. |
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