Attraction Source Forum

Desert Race is open!

Really, wow. Is there any pics, videos of first day in action anywhere?

Must of gone through construction quickly, think im going to look for vids and pics

Pictures and Video here:

http://www.rides.nl/nieuws/bericht/dese ... bliek/1103

More Pictures:

http://www.achterbahnfan.de/dr/dr.htm

Reports say that it is running far smoother than Rita. Well... its ALL NEW. The final turn, which is an improved-from-Rita-Layout is taken far too slow in my opinion... Sad.

Silly as well: both, Desert Race and the new Heide-Park hotel were done without Tussauds Studios. Is that to save money? Silly.

I like.

Looks a lot fresher, more i don't know lot less cramped then Rita. Has a more peaceful atmosphere about it, the que looks a hell of a lot better, why didn't they consider the railing for Rita, and looks as if maybe it has some nice themeing

Th ground looks a bit bare, yeah rita does look more compact. But thats the art to it. No shabby spaces, and that is the exact rita video?!
Do they not know how to film or something.
But, the ride seems in general better. Smoother and more space too run around.

Amazing! They had all that space and they still couldn't do a better Q line than they did for rita.

Also:



Rather lazy of them not to remove the corkscrew station support, I can't see why they didn't, given that they had to do a complete set of new supports (due to the height difference) anyway.

I'm not saying the helicopter being there is a bad thing but what's that got to do with a desert race?!

This coaster is nothing special, its exactly the same as rita, bar the tiny airtime hill and ending to the circuit/ It's such a dissapointment and that queline looks almost as ridiculous as Ritas.

The Helicopter is to do with a desert race, they monitor and film the rally cars as they progress there way across the desert a bit like in the dakar rally.

The queuine looks a lot more uglier than Rita's!

What I don't get is, is thats its supposed to be themed around a race, but they have used the standard Intamin trains, and not gone with ones that look like cars

It's a cheap, Bog standard, plonk it there coaster exactly like Rita!

Nuff said.

Have the same thoughts. It is INCREDIBLE that they didn't go for themed trains with THAT theme!!?!

Now eat this: Heide-Park had FREE CHOICE for a rocket coaster layout and they only took a RITA copy because they liked it. THAT'S SILLY! Okay, they do have a lot of problems with neighbours who attacked already many times their huge Colossus coaster for noice. This is why they didn't want a top hat element or anything. Still...

The Queueline is silly. With these railings queue-jumpers are almost invited to. In general I REALLY LIKE THE THEME "Desert Race" but would have wished it to be more put into reality. At least the soundtrack (from Tussauds Studios!) is said to be cool.

Moreover guests at Heide-Park cannot access the inside of the ride's circuit. This is the most impressive to me with Rita so I feel its far more integrated than this here. See the aerial shot taken from the park's observation tower (older pic):

http://www.heide-park-pictures.de/bilde ... _0956.html

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

More pictures of the opening here:
http://www.heidepark-pictures.de/ (scroll down to small pic and click on "Bildergallerie direkt öffnen")

Humm looks really bare, not that impressive to be honest. Maverick is how it should be done with caverns, water and inversions Perfect, something neither of these rides are.

Offride-Video: http://www.rides.nl/nieuws/bericht/dese ... bliek/1103

Desert Race is now complete, and open to guests. The soundtrack is a modified version of the X:/No Way Out soundtrack from Thorpe Park.

I have to say it doesn't look as good as Rita (we complain about Rita's look but at least it interacts with the public and queueline) - although I am now convinced that the end of the ride is better than Rita's, it looks fun!

In just 3 seasons, Tussauds have gone from 0 to the biggest installer of Intamin Rocket Coasters in the world. 3 of their 4 theme parks now have them. Given their reliability problems, i find this somewhat suprising? And given than AT rushed Rita, I also find it suprising Heide Park would choose the same coaster!

Interestingly, this coaster cost €10million, some £7million.

Less than Rita, and two years on...

Meh no big deal really. I guess park owners like Tussauds have deals with ride companies to provide more than one of the same type of ride. Also Desert Race wouldn't of needed a full design like Rita did too

True, id imagine they got a 3 coaster deal with them. So they will come cheaper as there buying in mass

However these rather rushed coasters do show in terms of quality in my opinion.

http://www.screamscape.com/html/heide-park.htm

According to screamscape heide park is buidling a family coaster for some time in the 2008 season as well as a new themed area. Myself i think the date is wrong should be 2009.

RCDB says it's under construction for a 2008 opening. If it's going to open in the summer then it could be for 2008. I don' think it will be anything too big or we'd have probably heard something else before now.

As we've had a look at Mammut, the new Gardaland coaster for '08, which has provoked mixed opinions - Heide Park also opened a new family coaster in 2008.

Indiana-Achterbahn (Indiana Coaster) opened in May. The quality of attraction does not look as good as Mutiny Bay at Alton Towers - and for a family coaster did they go for a Young Star? Or even a Vekoma? No... they went for a Zierer...

http://www.rcdb.com/id4146.htm

The theming looks minimal. The ride looks no better, indeed worse than Troublesome Trucks at Drayton Manor and, given Merlin is "second to Disney" this is somewhat alarming. Gullivers Kingdom in Matlock's recent new coaster "Switchback" looks better!

WOW! Such theming...