[Tripsdrill Adventure Park]

Pluk please fix your pictures, I miss them sorely

[europa park is bad.]

Euromir can run up to 9 trains! 5 Would be a really quiet day 

[Canadian Caper: Marineland, Fantasy Island & Darien Lake]

I despise marineland simply due to the fact that the drop tower ruins the view of niagra falls from one side. 

 

I may be visiting darien lake this year, and your reports are always a great read, which I'm sure will help my decision on whether or not I go.

[Phantasialand - the best THEME park in the world?]

3 hours ago, Mark9 said:

Phantasialand isn't the best theme park in the world as there are some areas that need serious work. However, it's well on its way to being that park. It just needs to jettison some of the weaker attractions such as the Chinese omnimover and the Hollywood tour ride. As it stands though, rides like Taron, Black Mamba and Chiapas are simply outstanding, the work they've done on River Quest has massively improved the area. Europa Park and Phantasialand though are some of Europes best. 

 

Lucky Germans 

 

I really enjoy the omnimover, I just find it really charming, however with the back area of the park and the mad house I completely get your point. I must admit whilst writing this I completely forgot about those areas, however I will say that the areas that I have taken pictures of, and generally spent more time on are some of the most intricate and immersive things I've ever heard of/seen.

[Taron]

3 minutes ago, Matt Creek said:

Taron sounds an amazing ride. Out of interest how does it compare to Blue Fire and Wodan?

 

How was Phantasialand as a whole and how does it rate against Europa? I look forward to visiting in just over 2 months. 

 

 

I protest to compare rides as a whole. Every ride is different, and I don't see why people can't just enjoy an experience without having to compare it to something!

Having said that, I personally believe blue fire is very tame. This is not. And wodan is quite irrelevant. 

 

Phantasia is completely incomparable to europa. Just go and enjoy it.

[Wodan]

2 hours ago, Mark9 said:

I like Wodan.

 

But I don't love Wodan the same way others do.

 

It's all about Blue Fire for me and I think it always will be. 

 

 

 

I genuinely thought blue fire was too tame. Don't get me wrong it's a solid ride, but still, there's not much about it that makes me think wow.

[Stuttgart Sojourn: Tripsdrill]

I agree with Mark Ben, your blogs have really helped me shape an idea of where I want to go in terms of Europe (and Asia) in the next 5 years, and your blogs are always a good fun to read through. Without them I'd have never heard of half the parks/attractions you've gone to, let alone some of the rides within!

 

Can't wait for part 2

[Galactica: A Gimmick Lost In Space]

I second what Adam said. The park spreads so far its not the queues, it's the distance between rides that account for not being able to do rides, which is why it's important that if you want to do everything here you don't go back on yourself. I really hope SW8 is more then just a coaster, or not a coaster at all. More then ever Towers is in need of some back up rides, so I'd love to see mutiny bay extended not just with a potential multi million pound ride, but also the introduction of more flats (even though, it seem,s its the only area of the park left with multiple flats)

[Kinder bars give me happiness.]

There's no denying the locations were fantastic, just the atmosphere of the people I went with was very uncomfortable and put a dampener on the experience.

 

I never visited Rome on this trip haha, but I'd sure love to aswell.

[Fright Nights smells]

I've always loved the smell in Saw:Alive - piss and meat you say?  Well that is just pretty rancid and doesn't say much for my sense of smell.  I always thought it smelt like bacon

 

haha, I meant like the meat you smell in the London Dungeons pie house. Quite a pleasant smell, like slow cooked pork, or beef or something. It does smell good tho XD

[Roman Roaming: Highlights from Italy, Part 1]

Another Briliant read Ben, your trip reports are always delightful to browse through. I can just let my imagination run wild in these, and let me jealousy sink its teeth into the pictures. Very inspiring that you're able to travel like this, I sure hope to visit a couple of these parks soon!

[Plopsaland]

WHY ARE THE SHOES AND DOORS SO BIG THOUGH

[Nearest Creaky Experiences (so far) to Disney Land Paris]

[Merlin Rollercoastermatic Universe (MRC) - Part Two]

^

Thing is, they actually got sets of the same rides on a sort of deal, I believe

 

 

Yes, air the blade is totes happening. Plus chessington toadies intamin tyre launch replacement, and 2019 rapids.

[Arabian Adventure: Ferrari World & Friends]

Incredible, thanks for this. I am very jealous of all these trips you do.

Good thing Ferrari world is getting a new gringotts style ride next year

[Spiderman: The 4D Adventure that was ahead of its time]

I still need to ride that dang thing. 

 

ORLANDO 2016!!

[2014:- A Mark9 love affair.]

I am so so SO  jealous of your american trip! I went through the exact same path as you on the West coast of america but unfortunately the only park I visited was Universal, which was to be honest not exactly what I was looking to do.

 

Anyway it seems like you've had an amazing year, I am jealous of how well you have travelled. I can't wait to grow up a little more ^^

[Paramount Park.]

I knew you were gonna do this but why have I only just found out .-.

[Creaking North Part 2 Big Things Require Big Expectations]

It is a masterpiece - my overall favourite ride ever!

 

It is actually very rare to have a go with every single fire effect on, as there are so many!  There are usually two fireballs in the first splashdown room, one fireball in the final room and then the big explosion in the final room (but they sometimes have the quiet fireball off in the final room which I actually think works better).  Then you have the ring of fire, fire on the track and lots of static fire in both fire scenes on the wooden slats which are a bit hit and miss.  There is also fire on the arrows in the upstairs section and on the two plinths before the first lifthill.

 

The misters on the ceiling in the ice room used to spray cold dry ice at the riders but hadn't been working since the refurb due to high costs, so I'm very impressed if they have brought those back.

Ah okay. Lots of effects then! I believe we didn't get the fire on the arrows, the wooden slats or the small fireball, but we got the huge one in the cauldron. 

Like I said, still very impressed with the ride and would go back again just for it!

[Creaking North Part 2 Big Things Require Big Expectations]

Great TR, I have a question though.  You mentioned that Valhalla had misters in the Ice Room - were these on the ceiling?  As if so they haven't been working for years so it's great that they are working again!

There were misters behind the statues of the vikings at least, I believe. I was told by Stretch though that some of the fire effects weren't working, however all the major ones (firey door way and splash zone, log collisions, geysirs, ice room) all worked so I was phenomenally impressed with the ride!

[A California Trip - San Francisco & Beyond]

Did you do the 4D experience, and when were you there? It's quite possible we could've walked past eachother there haha.

[Why Angry Birds Land is better than Diagon Alley]

ABL, because pig stickers on walls looks better then fire breathing full size dragons.

[The Story Behind Detonator]

Great article Josh! Brilliantly written and kept me curious throughout. I have to point out, other then its photographic beauty, I rather dislike detonator (the only ride that's every caused me a black out I think).

Brilliant article nonetheless!

[Drop it like it's hot.]

So.... bertifol.

Ha, Inferno was the only ride I went on, the first time I came to thorpe park. (I mean rollercoaster)

On that day, I rode it 17 times. Much like you, because of this wild, new experience, I didn't much care what anyone else thought, inferno was my baby. Beatufiully summed up and written, you deserve a nobel prize or something Mark!

[In the award system we trust.]

WHUT