So.... a new ride opening close to Cologne.... you can guess where I have been today
The queue is mostly a cattle pen outside, so nothing special so far. Every once in a while a group of 1-2 trains worth of people will be let inside (I guess there will be more once Corona is over). You enter a Pre-show room which does not much except for telling you that you are going to visit 3 sets where the director Steven Thrillberg is currently making 3 movies at ones. Afterwards you are let into a corridor with some "transparent" doors, where you can see what the people do inside. This is of course achieved using screens instead of glass.
In addition, there are 2 rooms with tons of object from the parks past. There is a model of Bermuda Triangle (now Area 51), and Van Helsings Factory, old pictures from the parks construction, a Six Flags helmet and so on. We really found something new every single time we rode the coaster.
The corridor can hold ~10 to 15 minutes of queue until you reach the stairs to the station. At this point, single riders can join the Single rider queue, which makes little sense as you have to wait for 1 train maximum if you stand at the bottom of the stairs. There is a baggage hold in the station and then you can board the train.
The ride itself can be seen on the onride videos arround, so I will focus on other things than the layout. It features quite a lot special effects. From the "stuttering" track, the switchtracks to wind and even heating lamps. Those effects really make the ride what it is. The coaster parts are both quite short, with the first one just being a 180° curve.
There are of course lots of blank spots during the ride. BUT, with it being themed to a movieset, this is totally fine. Theming something to a movie-set is of course quite cheap, but with it being MOVIE park I don't mind at all. The sets (and backstage storages) you enter look quite good, with lots of stuff and details to explore. For example, you can find a Gremlin during the ride (for those who do not know: There used to be a Gremlins dark ride in the hall where Van Helsings Factory is now located), which I found quite cool. Unfortunately, you are passing most of the sets pretty quick, so you have just a few seconds to spot something.
Is everything perfect? Of course not. But comparing it to the rest of the park, it is a good step up in quality and makes the park as a whole more attractive.
The thrill level is quite low, but it is enough for smaller children to enjoy. In my opinion you have to see this more as a darkride, than a coaster. If this is your mindset, you will most likely enjoy this ride. I really liked it and feel like it's a great addition to the park and finally giving some new live to the old Ice Age hall. I think I'd give this ride a B- or B for what it is. A partly great experience with some (smaller) downers, which do not detract too much. It is for sure a "good" attraction, but not amazing.
Make sure to give it a try if you can.
PS: I wish the onboard sound would be quite a bit louder, you can barely here it most of the time.
