Nicky.B’s Trip Reports and Reviews

[nicky.borrill]

Phantasialand Wintertraum 25th November 2018

So decided to make my first trip to Phantasialand during the Wintertraum event, as I found some cheap flights, and with the Sunday deal, the Hotel Matamba and inclusive park tickets were good value too. It’s also my first solo trip to any theme park, never mind one on foreign soil.

Going to keep this brief, but WOW, Phantasialand is beautiful!!! Really nice in the day, but at night, at Christmas, it’s stunning.

Obviously the main reason I came here was Taron. My first 2 rides were a bit of an anti climax. I enjoyed them, they were brilliant, but I was asking myself if I preferred Icon. After 12 Rides I am speechless. Most of those 12, excepting the first 2 and 2 others have been sensational, fast, forceful, whippy. Just brilliant. But I have noticed that every now and again there is a much slower ride. How is that?

My first 2 were lots slower, then I had around 4 or 5 fast ones and thought I must have been imagining it. But then I had a really slow one again. And it’s so noticable, it’s nothing to do with the seat position. But on these slow rides it doesn’t whip you from side to side like on the others, the ejector becomes floater... You get the picture. Why have I never seen anybody mention this before. And it seems really random too, not just early in the day.

After that 3rd slow ride, I went away and came back in the dark to do it again, and again, and again. Taron is incredible at night, like most thrill coasters. I had several extremely thrilling rides, and just 1 slow one in the dark. 

Anyway, I said I’d keep this short, in a nutshell, despite the odd slower ride, I think I have a new favourite coaster. 

Now onto Black Mamba, and I’ll try to keep this short as I don’t want to sound too negative, because I’m not, I really love the park and every single ride I’ve ridden has it’s merits. But nemesis slayer it is far from, and I honestly thought it was going to be. For 24 years now, I’ve been riding Nemesis, and I still come off it every time with a slight case of jelly legs. Black Mamba had no such effect, it’s not nearly as intense. As a package it’s great. The theming, near misses, I like the 2nd and 3rd rolls, and the tight turns / helixes at the end. But it’s not as intense as Nemesis. That being said, it’s a top top ride. It has great pacing, keeps up the intensity to the end thanks to those turns, and as I’ve mentioned has amazing theming and near miss elements.

Hopefully you’ll all be pleased to hear that I was grouped with an American familly on the chocolate mouse ride. And sat with their teenage son. After the first couple of screens I noticed he was checking the scores constantly, and really wanted to win, and at that point he was winning. So of course, I turned on the style and destroyed him over the rest of the ride, he ended up over 150k behind me.  :lol UK 1 v 0 USofA, and beaten by an older guy at a shooting game too, he should be ashamed.  :lol

Will post some pictures in here eventually, just tried now, but despite not getting the SLR out until after ERT on Taron tomorrow, my camera phone photos are apparently still too big to attach, so will have to shrink them all. (Or upload them elsewhere) 

[nicky.borrill]

So my second day started with an hours ERT on Taron, which actually turned into over an hour and quarter. I was allowed to stay on the same train for the entirety of that hour!!! It was incredible, so fast every time, I’m now thinking that it’s a certain train that was running slower the day before, or I was imagining it after all.

Taron is incredible, I love Mystery Castle, which I got a very long, and forceful, cycle on. Chiapas is the best water ride i’ve ridden, yes, better than Valhalla. 

I loved both of the main shows, the projection mapping was incredible. And the final show is breath taking, how they sequenced the lights for that entire area is beyond me. 

Anyway, I cannot express just how beautiful this park is, my photos do not do it justice, but here they are anyway. Apologies for the quality, they were all taken with an Iphone. 


























What is this half finished bridge all about?



This is what is placed in front of the F.L.Y site, interesting that it mentions attraction and experience, is that a clue that there will be something else in there? Or just a nod to the pre show element of FLY?



MEEEEEE Before my first night ride on Taron.