CookieCoasters
Giga Poster
On this trip me and my family visited the following parks for the first time:
Bobbejaanland
Dusseldorf Rheinkirmes
Movie Park Germany
Toverland
Walibi Belgium
This is my first trip report including photos, as i decided i am going to make an effort to actually take some pictures of the parks i go too on this holiday. As i would definitely not call myself an experienced photographer, i am sorry if some of the pics aren't very good, but i think most of them are alright.
First up
Bobbejaanland
Bobbejaanland means Pleasant Land in English (for those of you who didn't know). The name couldn't have been more apt.
We arrived at the park just after opening and got into the park at about 10:20am and headed straight for
Dizzzzzzzzzzz
It is a good fun ride. There is nothing mind blowing about it, but it is a smooth, mildly thrilling family coaster that suits bobbejaanland’s target market. The spinning can be a bit hit and miss, which meant the ride could be a little dull (sometimes not so dizzy). It is good, but I would say it is my least favourite Maurer spinner. 7/10
Deciding to hit another low capacity ride first, we ventured on to speedy bob, which turned out to be not so low capacity because the staff were working there socks off loading and unloading the ride to turn a queue that would take 30 mins at most parks into only about 10-15 minutes. Well done Bobbejaan!
One of the better wild mouse’s I have ridden, as there didn’t seem to be much braking and there was a bit of airtime, but all in all it’s still just a wild mouse with a common layout. As i said before the throughput was best I’d seen on a wild mouse though which was a plus. 6/10
As it was in the area me and my dad popped on El Rio, the parks rapids ride.
Unfortunately there was little to no rapids on this rapids ride which in a way meant most of the ride, of which there was not very much, was basically a slow boat ride, however the whirlpool was good and is really the only bit where you get wet. The ride would be much better with the use of the SBNO drop. 5/10
Walking round the park now we just picked up rides as we came to them, so Dreamcatcher was next.
Like Vampire it has trains that I really detest because of the OTSR’s and rock-hard headrest. Thankfully though the ride never really picked up much speed, so there was little roughness or head banging, but I’d say Vampire is a bit more exciting. 5.5/10
I could not see how the next rides name 'Okidoki' had any connection with clowns (maybe it's a belgian thing), but i guess that is part of the parks quirky nature.
Quite big and fast for your normal family coaster with even a bit of intensity thrown in. It was also smoother and more interesting than your typical Vekoma Roller Skater which usually tend to be a bit crap. 6/10
Next up, was the totally awesome indoor log flume, Indiana River.
This is the rides station.
It is a great log flume! It is very unique in that it is all enclosed with some good theming and barely any pointless meandering between drops. Although the three drops were all quite small, it doesn’t stop them from getting you completely soaked. It definitely goes down as one of my favourite log rides. It is also probably the least jerky log ride I have been on. 9/10
After getting drenched on Indiana River, we stopped for some lunch, so we would have time to dry off a bit, at this fast foodie type place. I have to say the food at bobbejaanland was probably the park's biggest negative, but i can live with that.
After lunch it was time to ride bobbejaanland's signature coaster, that could make or break my day at the park
Typhoon, the second euro fighter ever made, which didn't bode well as the bad experiences i have had on euro fighters were newer rides.
It actually turned out to be the only Eurofighter that I found really enjoyable, as there is only a small amount of roughness at the surface of the loop, whereas Saw and Speed can be pretty vile rides. The barrel rolls were cool and provided some nice hangtime and the helix was pretty intense as well. I’d say it is the best coaster Bobbejaanland has to offer. 8/10
Now it was time to hit up the park's main flats, Sledgehammer and Fly Away
Sledgehammer was my first Huss Giant Frisbee. I was really looking forward to it and for the actual ride it was really good, but the ride cycle felt really short, which i suppose is quite common in a lot of theme parks, but I thought they would give us a bit longer considering there was barely any queue. 7/10
Didn't get a picture of Fly Away, but it is basically a flying enterprise like the one at Pleasure Island.
I enjoyed the ride when I was actually riding it as it was pretty thrilling, but the moment the restraints are pressed down on you, you’re like ‘uhhhh this is so tight’ and from the moment the restraints are released you’re like ‘ohhhh, my back hurts.’ Not as good as the one at Pleasure Island, I like the fact that that one goes backwards. 7/10
Took us a while to find it, but we eventually got to the the world record breaking (R)Evolution.
I am sure most of you know, but for those who don't, (R)Evolution holds the record for the longest coaster train, or the coaster with the most cars in it's train (one or the other).
It is a very werid, wacky ride which I suppose is themed to Darwin’s theory of evolution a bit, but unless you knew that beforehand it is not obvious. I really liked the massive trains and the uniqueness of the ride made it more interesting, but really it has quite a mild coaster section, made better by the darkness and bit of theming. 7/10
Now i noticed the park was about 2h 30mins from closing and factoring in that i wanted to re-ride some of the rides, i thought i better pick up my last cred, Bob Express
A really good powered mine train coaster that I would say is even better than Alton’s. It feels faster than most, it has a little bit of intensity and even a spot of airtime near the end of the track. Like Plopsaland’s it is placed over the water and log flume which I think visually, always looks good. 6.5/10
The last ride i had to ride was the park's outdoor log flume, Wildwaterbaan.
A decent log flume ride with two medium sized drops which looked pretty much the same height, a bit like the log flume at Parque de Atracciones. Not as wet as Indiana River, but you still get a good spray. Again no jerking, what does Bobbejaanland do to their log flumes that makes them run so smoothly? 6.5/10
Now i had done all the rides i had set out to do it was time for re-rides (I had already ridden Typhoon twice, so i didn't bother going back there). I went straight back on Indiana River with the intention of returning for a third go if there was time later on. I then got on Dizz, followed by (R)Evolution. After that, i looked at the time and it was about 5 minutes until Indiana River closed, so me and my family rushed over to have a final ride just a minute or so before it closed. What a great ending to the day.
I had a great time at Bobbejaanland. I felt the park was had a good feel and atmosphere too it and even though none of the coasters are top 10 material, they have a really good variety of rides that can easily make Bobbejaanland into a full day park. Even though all but three rides are targeted at families, there are definitely a few unexpected thrills and unique gems to be found in the park. Queues were consistent all day ranging from about 15-30 mins and the occasional walk-on which i did not have a problem with.
Theming: 6/10
Landscaping/Environment: 8/10
Coasters: 7/10
Water Rides: 8/10
Flat Rides: 7/10
Operations: 8/10
Friendliness: 4/5
Cleanliness: 3/5
Queues/Crowds: 3/5
Food & Drink: 2/5
Family Factor: 4/5
Thrill Factor: 3/5
Park Experience: 8/10
Overall Average: 7.2/10
Ride Count:
Dizz: 2
Speedy Bob: 1
El Rio: 1
Dreamcatcher: 1
Okidoki: 1
Indiana River: 3
Typhoon: 2
Sledgehammer: 1
Fly Away: 1
(R)Evolution: 2
Bob Express: 1
Wildwaterbaan: 1
Total: 17
I hope you enjoyed reading my Bobbejaanland report. A report on the Dusseldorf Rheinkirmes will be coming soon.
Bobbejaanland
Dusseldorf Rheinkirmes
Movie Park Germany
Toverland
Walibi Belgium
This is my first trip report including photos, as i decided i am going to make an effort to actually take some pictures of the parks i go too on this holiday. As i would definitely not call myself an experienced photographer, i am sorry if some of the pics aren't very good, but i think most of them are alright.
First up
Bobbejaanland
Bobbejaanland means Pleasant Land in English (for those of you who didn't know). The name couldn't have been more apt.
We arrived at the park just after opening and got into the park at about 10:20am and headed straight for
Dizzzzzzzzzzz
It is a good fun ride. There is nothing mind blowing about it, but it is a smooth, mildly thrilling family coaster that suits bobbejaanland’s target market. The spinning can be a bit hit and miss, which meant the ride could be a little dull (sometimes not so dizzy). It is good, but I would say it is my least favourite Maurer spinner. 7/10
Deciding to hit another low capacity ride first, we ventured on to speedy bob, which turned out to be not so low capacity because the staff were working there socks off loading and unloading the ride to turn a queue that would take 30 mins at most parks into only about 10-15 minutes. Well done Bobbejaan!
One of the better wild mouse’s I have ridden, as there didn’t seem to be much braking and there was a bit of airtime, but all in all it’s still just a wild mouse with a common layout. As i said before the throughput was best I’d seen on a wild mouse though which was a plus. 6/10
As it was in the area me and my dad popped on El Rio, the parks rapids ride.
Unfortunately there was little to no rapids on this rapids ride which in a way meant most of the ride, of which there was not very much, was basically a slow boat ride, however the whirlpool was good and is really the only bit where you get wet. The ride would be much better with the use of the SBNO drop. 5/10
Walking round the park now we just picked up rides as we came to them, so Dreamcatcher was next.
Like Vampire it has trains that I really detest because of the OTSR’s and rock-hard headrest. Thankfully though the ride never really picked up much speed, so there was little roughness or head banging, but I’d say Vampire is a bit more exciting. 5.5/10
I could not see how the next rides name 'Okidoki' had any connection with clowns (maybe it's a belgian thing), but i guess that is part of the parks quirky nature.
Quite big and fast for your normal family coaster with even a bit of intensity thrown in. It was also smoother and more interesting than your typical Vekoma Roller Skater which usually tend to be a bit crap. 6/10
Next up, was the totally awesome indoor log flume, Indiana River.
This is the rides station.
It is a great log flume! It is very unique in that it is all enclosed with some good theming and barely any pointless meandering between drops. Although the three drops were all quite small, it doesn’t stop them from getting you completely soaked. It definitely goes down as one of my favourite log rides. It is also probably the least jerky log ride I have been on. 9/10
After getting drenched on Indiana River, we stopped for some lunch, so we would have time to dry off a bit, at this fast foodie type place. I have to say the food at bobbejaanland was probably the park's biggest negative, but i can live with that.
After lunch it was time to ride bobbejaanland's signature coaster, that could make or break my day at the park
Typhoon, the second euro fighter ever made, which didn't bode well as the bad experiences i have had on euro fighters were newer rides.
It actually turned out to be the only Eurofighter that I found really enjoyable, as there is only a small amount of roughness at the surface of the loop, whereas Saw and Speed can be pretty vile rides. The barrel rolls were cool and provided some nice hangtime and the helix was pretty intense as well. I’d say it is the best coaster Bobbejaanland has to offer. 8/10
Now it was time to hit up the park's main flats, Sledgehammer and Fly Away
Sledgehammer was my first Huss Giant Frisbee. I was really looking forward to it and for the actual ride it was really good, but the ride cycle felt really short, which i suppose is quite common in a lot of theme parks, but I thought they would give us a bit longer considering there was barely any queue. 7/10
Didn't get a picture of Fly Away, but it is basically a flying enterprise like the one at Pleasure Island.
I enjoyed the ride when I was actually riding it as it was pretty thrilling, but the moment the restraints are pressed down on you, you’re like ‘uhhhh this is so tight’ and from the moment the restraints are released you’re like ‘ohhhh, my back hurts.’ Not as good as the one at Pleasure Island, I like the fact that that one goes backwards. 7/10
Took us a while to find it, but we eventually got to the the world record breaking (R)Evolution.
I am sure most of you know, but for those who don't, (R)Evolution holds the record for the longest coaster train, or the coaster with the most cars in it's train (one or the other).
It is a very werid, wacky ride which I suppose is themed to Darwin’s theory of evolution a bit, but unless you knew that beforehand it is not obvious. I really liked the massive trains and the uniqueness of the ride made it more interesting, but really it has quite a mild coaster section, made better by the darkness and bit of theming. 7/10
Now i noticed the park was about 2h 30mins from closing and factoring in that i wanted to re-ride some of the rides, i thought i better pick up my last cred, Bob Express
A really good powered mine train coaster that I would say is even better than Alton’s. It feels faster than most, it has a little bit of intensity and even a spot of airtime near the end of the track. Like Plopsaland’s it is placed over the water and log flume which I think visually, always looks good. 6.5/10
The last ride i had to ride was the park's outdoor log flume, Wildwaterbaan.
A decent log flume ride with two medium sized drops which looked pretty much the same height, a bit like the log flume at Parque de Atracciones. Not as wet as Indiana River, but you still get a good spray. Again no jerking, what does Bobbejaanland do to their log flumes that makes them run so smoothly? 6.5/10
Now i had done all the rides i had set out to do it was time for re-rides (I had already ridden Typhoon twice, so i didn't bother going back there). I went straight back on Indiana River with the intention of returning for a third go if there was time later on. I then got on Dizz, followed by (R)Evolution. After that, i looked at the time and it was about 5 minutes until Indiana River closed, so me and my family rushed over to have a final ride just a minute or so before it closed. What a great ending to the day.
I had a great time at Bobbejaanland. I felt the park was had a good feel and atmosphere too it and even though none of the coasters are top 10 material, they have a really good variety of rides that can easily make Bobbejaanland into a full day park. Even though all but three rides are targeted at families, there are definitely a few unexpected thrills and unique gems to be found in the park. Queues were consistent all day ranging from about 15-30 mins and the occasional walk-on which i did not have a problem with.
Theming: 6/10
Landscaping/Environment: 8/10
Coasters: 7/10
Water Rides: 8/10
Flat Rides: 7/10
Operations: 8/10
Friendliness: 4/5
Cleanliness: 3/5
Queues/Crowds: 3/5
Food & Drink: 2/5
Family Factor: 4/5
Thrill Factor: 3/5
Park Experience: 8/10
Overall Average: 7.2/10
Ride Count:
Dizz: 2
Speedy Bob: 1
El Rio: 1
Dreamcatcher: 1
Okidoki: 1
Indiana River: 3
Typhoon: 2
Sledgehammer: 1
Fly Away: 1
(R)Evolution: 2
Bob Express: 1
Wildwaterbaan: 1
Total: 17
I hope you enjoyed reading my Bobbejaanland report. A report on the Dusseldorf Rheinkirmes will be coming soon.
), but this one was really long and fast, as well as being completely insane. The only negative I found with the ride was that because it is so intense, it gives your legs that painful feeling that some ones trying to pull them off, but only a few short times during the ride. 8.5/10
