Wiener Prater Trip Report

[Imagineer]

Prater Trip Report

 

So I recently went to Vienna and had some spare time so went to visit Prater. It's basically a permanent fairground with all rides being operated independently. This makes it quite an expensive experience and the rides aren't the best with quite a few Wild Mouses (should that be Wild Mice?!) but that said it was a good way to kill a few hours...

 

 

So arriving at the park you're met with the Big Wheel, which is why most people come to Prater. The entrance plaza is quite nice.

 

 The map is pretty confusing. Unless you know the names of the ride you wont really know where to go. So I wondered down the right hand path and found a Wild Mouse, which I avoid like the plague, and this: a Pinfari called "Super 8er Bahn" and it is fairly decent. 

 

 

I remember the days of Drayton Manor's sombrero ride....and therefore decided not to give this a go.

Below is Maskerade - a Gerstlauer Spinning Ride with "themeing". It starts with a vertical lift which makes the experience quite unique. It span quite a bit. When I got off the ride I realised the cashier/ride operator had decided to bugger off. Which was...reassuring.

 

 

Is a Boomerang really a Boomerang if it gets lifted up both sides? I didn't ride this as I was being careful with my funds so moved on to Hollenblitz. This was by far the most expensive ride at €7! But it was also the craziest. I had to wait a while in the station whilst they waited for move people to board. The inside is best described as a drug-induced trip. The carriages free spin which provides for a really interesting ride and means you to be hand rotated as it comes into the station.

 

So then we move onto this monstrosity...A Zamperla flyer called Volare. First you have to climb into the "seats" which isn't comfortable as you have you actually apply pressure on your feet. The spiral lift his is interesting but because of the loose nature of the restraints every inversion is ridiculously painful. I would never ride this again. Ever. Worse than an SLC.

 

 

IMG_6934.MOV < - Here is a video of the lift hill if this works at all? I don't know.

There are lots of "Ghost Train" style rides. I didn't ride any as I don't think they're always worth the money and I was by myself. I think they're less fun alone.

 

 

Quite often I was the only one on the coasters. Like this inside Maurer spinner. This was again pretty fun. There are many other flat rides to enjoy too...like the classic Tagada. 

 

 

The rides have weird opening times (not labelled) and seem to just open when they want. So there were a couple of rides  I wanted to do that were already closed and therefore I went back the next day. First thing I saw was this...which was closed...but still better than Storm Surge.

 

 

So now it was time for what I was really here for...Hochschaubahn (catchy name!) my first wooden coaster with an on board brakeman. I got a bit photo happy so enjoy a few shots of the beautiful mountain countryside...

 

 

 

 

 

They also have a nice looking little train that actually has a few stops, so I took a round trip.

 

 

 

They had a lot of kiddy rides...like these plane and car rides. In which the cars go higher than the planes...alright then.

 

 

Then it was on to the weirdest ride I've ever been on. Blue Plant. It's....difficult to explain and if you don't want the entire experience spoilt then don't click the spoiler!

Spoiler

First you walk around then you wait for a lift. The lift shows to dinosaur clips stolen from various different TV shows and films whilst the lift shakes, rocks and tips. Riding this by myself was terrifying. You're then dumped out into a dinosaur scene scapes. Then you wait at another door (there is nothing to tell you to do this so many people just went out the fire escape?!) The doors open and you board a vehicle. It drives around with some weird non-human driver that shouts at you in German. (I don't speak German). A dinosaur appears on the side and is very angry. The driver drops you off and you walk through more Dinosaurs. Then you wait at another lift. More stuff happens to you in this lift and there is another very angry dinosaur. Then you're released back into the real world. Seeing as I'm terrified of DINOSAUR at DAK...I probably shouldn't have "ridden" this alone.

 

 

 

 

After all that I decided to round off my trip with a go on the Big Wheel. You can see quite a bit and they do pack them in. I'd say it was probably worth the money. You can get combined tickets with other things which makes it better value.

 

 

And that's pretty much it. Thanks for reading!

 

[Mega-Lite]

Volare's aren't that bad at all man! One of them over El Condor any day of the week.

 

This park seems absolutely the definition of credit run, nothing worth the hassle apart from the temporary visit from Hollenblitz...

 

On that note, I'm rather jealous of you for getting to ride that beast, I'm currently praying to Zeus nightly that it makes it's way to Winter Wonderland!

 

Dinosaur Sub Terra does seem like a laugh though.

[Benin]

Volares are VILE contraptions...

 

Prater is a weird place, it'd be tonnes better if there was some form of wristband system though, getting all the creds is such a wallet eater; but it's obvious why they have it like that... It's a shame cos there were a few other rides I would've happily done if I'd paid say, €20-30 (maybe even €40, since there is a tonne of stuff around) to do so...

 

Shame you didn't do the Boomerang and it's terrifying restraint system though... Best permanent ride there (I went when Olympia Looping was around last year) is Megablitz though, purely because it's firmly beyond the mediocre category that the rest of the park sits in...

[Matt 236]

Certainly looks an interesting place to visit.

 

Ive always wondered about this place and am considering it as part of a cultural trip in the future.

 

Does the park have much on the dark rides front?

[Benin]

Several Ghost Trains, the Blue Planet thing (I didn't do it, I put money into creds and the ridiculous Star-Flyer instead) and probably some others hidden away... They're all around €3/4 a go though...

 

It just about makes Winter Wonderland look affordable... Just...

[Imagineer]

7 hours ago, Benin said:

Volares are VILE contraptions...

 

Prater is a weird place, it'd be tonnes better if there was some form of wristband system though, getting all the creds is such a wallet eater; but it's obvious why they have it like that... It's a shame cos there were a few other rides I would've happily done if I'd paid say, €20-30 (maybe even €40, since there is a tonne of stuff around) to do so...

 

Shame you didn't do the Boomerang and it's terrifying restraint system though... Best permanent ride there (I went when Olympia Looping was around last year) is Megablitz though, purely because it's firmly beyond the mediocre category that the rest of the park sits in...

I'd definitely have paid money for a wristband of some sort. The costs were really driving up...I don't really know how much I spent but for my money I didn't think the Boomerang was worth it. I'd probably agree with you on Megablitz which I did actually ride the 2nd day but didn't get a photo of for whatever reason...

 

4 hours ago, Timber Creek said:

Certainly looks an interesting place to visit.

 

Ive always wondered about this place and am considering it as part of a cultural trip in the future.

 

Does the park have much on the dark rides front?

All of the Dark Rides as Benin said are "Ghost Trains" which for my money are never worth it. They've got the standard load of "fun houses" too...and a couple of shooting rides. The cost really put me off...with most costing €5 now...