Crazy Bats VR Coaster - Phantasialand

[chainedbanana]

Is it possible Phantasialand could do a 'Universe of energy'/Madame Freudenreich's curiosities at Europa style overhall/re-theme? Although that doesn't seem to be Phantasialand's Modus Operandi i.e. repurposing older attractions, they seen to prefer a clean slate and build from new - but just thinking outside the box.

If they updated china town to a general 'far east' theme to include Japan - I'd love to see a ghost train dealing with the bizarre world of Japanese yokai & yurei (Japanese spirits and goblins)- they'd have a lot of visual reference to work with, and be one of the first Western theme parks to have a Japanese style haunted attraction

 

[MrRC]

^What are your sources?

Sorry i can't tell u, but my source is getting his info from inside Vekoma worker.

 

[Lofty]

Is he not confusing this with F.L.Y, which is exactly the same as you described?

 

[Hixee]

Is he not confusing this with F.L.Y, which is exactly the same as you described?

It sounds likely to me.

 

[MouseAT]

I hope it's an amazing trackless darkride like Symbolica but underground! Perhaps theme it to Chinese culture and mythology?

I'd love to see something like this, done well, and playing to some of the more interesting supernatural elements of Chinese culture. Some sort of trackless dark ride with modern effects, thematically along the lines of something like Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunters - sorcerers, flying martial artists, vampires (Jiangshi), paper talismans, incense and all that crazy stuff. I reckon it's be really spectacular if done well.

I can't see it ever happening though, and I seriously doubt there's enough space for something larger scale than the omni mover they have right now. After all, the track itself looks to be fairly tightly crammed in at the moment, and the current ride only has to create the illusion of space in the direction the ride car is facing. That illusion would soon be lost if the ride cars move in a more dynamic way, as they do in Symbolica.

 

[Phantasiastisch]

They can still expand the GR hall a little and I really see them doing that. I am convinced that the next darkride will increase in terms of surface area. Phantasialand will use all space creatively. I still don't think a trackless darkride such as Symbolica is impossible.

Although I would rather see a trackless darkride in combination with a coaster like Arthur appear on the site of Temple within a few years.

 

[MrRC]

Is he not confusing this with F.L.Y, which is exactly the same as you described?

NO, i'm not confused, my source is tell me this is not about F.L.Y. , but something totaly new experience. Vekoma never sold this type before.

As u can see in my contribution, the postioning of the rider, is most likely SITTING (instead of flying like F.L.Y.)

 

[VikingsAf]

NO, i'm not confused, my source is tell me this is not about F.L.Y. , but something totaly new experience. Vekoma never sold this type before.

As u can see in my contribution, the postioning of the rider, is most likely SITTING (instead of flying like F.L.Y.)

An underground SLC. So nobody knows it's an SLC, and everybody is like "Wow this is a cool coaster".

 

[CSLKennyNI]

If anything is to be removed this off-season there certainly weren't any signs of it today at Hollywood Tour or Geister Rikscha.
(The peeps over on PhantaFriends have also come to this conclusion/not heard or saw anything)

I spoke with Geister's ride operators and they said while they of course do have any information/know for 100% for certain, they did not believe that it was Geister Rikscha's final day.
At the end of the day the ride was empty no people or staff/management taking final rides or anything.

So most likely there won't be a removal this year. As I suggested as a possibility in the first post; presumably these rumours are slightly premature/false.
Honestly the only thing I really thought the rumour had going for it was the alleged demolition project tender for this off-season reported by a number of different sources - a couple of which I would have considered reliable so I'm a little surprised; unless something small non-ride related (like the shed over Colorado) or maybe the park cancelled/delayed the project due to Rookburgh.

So yeah if something does actually go I'll be surprised. The consensus/theory I've heard from a number of people is until Rookburgh is done/almost done nothing else will be started (so probably January 2020 or maybe 2021 the end will come for Geister Rikscha or Hollywood Tour).
In the coming weeks when the website is updated for summer 2019 we will have confirmation of any changes.
I imagine for 2019 we will just see some more improvements/small refurbs, such as the completion of Black Mamba/Africa rockwork replacement and hopefully River Quest's new entrance.

So false alarm/fake news lets go back watching walls in the Rookburgh thread.

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Ling Bao
For a few years now Phantasialand have been gradually refurbishing and modernising Hotel Ling Bao. The corridors, bars, toilets and exterior have been redecorated, and last year the lobby and both restaurants (see Phantasialand Improvements 2018).

Now this year the hotel bedrooms are being renovated during the off-season. Ride-On-Blog.de have been given a look at the first newly completed room.
The rooms continue the new brighter, modern and Tibetan inspired style being introduced throughout the hotel.

Africa/Black Mamba
Its also been reported on FreizeitparkCheck.de that work has started again on replacing more old rockwork with new rocks by Universal Rocks in the Africa themed area. This renovation of the theming around Black Mamba has also been going for the past few off-seasons.

 

[zazobo]

Ah cool! I'll be staying at Ling Bao in May of this year. Interesting to see the new shiny rooms, although I quite liked the paired back rustic rooms!

 

[VikingsAf]

A bit sad. I realy loved the previous rooms and there somewhat rustique feeling
Oh well. They'll know better I suppose

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Hotel Ling Bao Refurbishment
Apparently there will be a few differently coloured rooms (allegedly each floor has its own scheme). A look at another new room which has more visible Tibetan Buddhist theme features including the Endless Knot (which appeared in the new restaurants last year):

Room Tour

Africa Refurbishment
On PhantaFriends is has been claimed that work so far has been focused on replacing the rocks around the start of Black Mamba's lifthill/cave exiting the station, and on the right underneath Mamba's vertical loop.
This surface on the right (foundation of the area shop) has actually been bare since the coaster opened so this is totally new rockwork/theming being added.

Screenshot from Pleasure Beach Experience's Black Mamba POV

Also two things to note if anyone is planning a trip to the park in June:
- There will not be any Klugheim ERT for Hotel guests on 25th June 2019 (it is available every other day as normal in April, May and June though). It has been the subject of some speculation; some theorising if that could be because of an opening evening event for Rookburgh however the more realistic reason is that Klugheim has probably been hired for a corporate event that evening instead.

- The 16th annual FantasyPride, Phantasialand's gay pride event, will on Saturday 29th June. So be wary that this is typically a rather busy day so you might want to avoid it.
Or you might actually choose to visit then since the park is open longer (depends on crowd levels but typically until 10pm) with additional events and there is party until 4am in Wuze Town with still Winjas running. Plus there's no additional charge/change in ticket prices.

http://fantasypride.de/

 

[zazobo]

A little off topic (apologies)- does anyone happen to know with the Phantasialand season ticket- how do you go about getting your free day ticket to Efteling/Liseberg?

 

[JoshC.]

A little off topic (apologies)- does anyone happen to know with the Phantasialand season ticket- how do you go about getting your free day ticket to Efteling/Liseberg?

Literally just show up at whichever park you're visiting and go to a ticket kiosk. I think Efteling has a specific kiosk for that sort of stuff, but there's usually someone directing people you can ask.

 

[CSLKennyNI]

^Yeah. For Efteling you go to the Guest Service booths left of the ticket offices.
And for Europa Park you also need to go to the guest services. Don't know about Liseberg but I assume its similar.

 

[Thekingin64]

Jumping in a bit here but how about the vice versa? Understand Plopsa pass gives large discount off Phantasialand entry, is it just a pay-on-the-day job at the ticket gates?

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Jumping in a bit here but how about the vice versa? Understand Plopsa pass gives large discount off Phantasialand entry, is it just a pay-on-the-day job at the ticket gates?

For using the Phantasialand pass for discounted entry into Toverland we just show our passes on the day when paying at the normal ticket booths so I'd presume it would be the same for a Plopsa pass into a park.

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Phantasialand have shared a look at the Black Mamba rockwork replacement work happening this off season by Universal Rocks.

Goodbye to the old rocks...

Since 2014 now they've been redoing the rocks in Africa bit by bit to bring the area up to the standard of Chiapas and Klugheim. This section is as far as I can remember the last major section of old rock that remained? So unless there's any other small pockets along the ride's layout that they wish to address next year; I'd presume this may be the final year of this renovation project. (Intrigued to see if they maybe then move on to start refurbishing Colorado Adventure or Wuze Town/Winjas next year?)

 

[Ethan]

Going mid-April this year, cannot wait to see this in person again now it's been tarted up. And then I can finally ride Taron <3