JoshC.
Strata Poster
I've heard that rumour too. What sort of 'discount' they got / how these sorts of things work I don't have a clue about though!
Phantasialand | F. L. Y. | Vekoma Launched Flying Coaster | 2020
- Thread starter roomraider
- Start date
I've heard that rumour too. What sort of 'discount' they got / how these sorts of things work I don't have a clue about though!
Ethan
Strata Poster
I also heard something similar, but that they got Taron as part of a 2-ride deal with Intamin and Raik in a 2-ride deal with Vekoma? Of course this could be absolute bs.
Phantasiastisch
Mega Poster
About hotel Matamba:
If the pathway for the probably new hotelentrance really goes underneath the zero-G-roll, this could give a very nice view on Black Mamba. I suppose the pathway will go here:
However, I ask myself:
When this is really a pathway for the hotelentrance, why didn't they create the ticket control at the end of the pathway?
Because I see it happening that day visitors walk towards this ticket control which is a dead end pathway...
Very curious to see this developing.
If the pathway for the probably new hotelentrance really goes underneath the zero-G-roll, this could give a very nice view on Black Mamba. I suppose the pathway will go here:
However, I ask myself:
When this is really a pathway for the hotelentrance, why didn't they create the ticket control at the end of the pathway?
Because I see it happening that day visitors walk towards this ticket control which is a dead end pathway...
Very curious to see this developing.
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Rupert
Mega Poster
But there is no need to make the pathway under the zero-G because there is already a path through the loop! As CSLKenny says, the newly-built gate by the hotel is set back, leaving the fire engine access route open, so there shouldn't be any restrictions on using the bridge any more, based on what has been said earlier in this thread. Or is your photo new? As the only reason I can think to build a new path is disabled access to avoid the stairs of the bridge through the loop.About hotel Matamba:
If the pathway for the probably new hotelentrance really goes underneath the zero-G-roll, this could give a very nice view on Black Mamba. I suppose the pathway will go here:
View attachment 7843
However, I ask myself:
When this is really a pathway for the hotelentrance, why didn't they create the ticket control at the end of the pathway?
Because I see it happening that day visitors walk towards this ticket control which is a dead end pathway...
Very curious to see this developing.
Back to the conversation about the costs, if those figures are even slightly accurate, the amount of money PL is spending is phenomenal for an independent park, wow. To every couple of years spend around €50-70 million is amazing, but I can believe it given how complex these multi-year intense projects are, and how in the last decade or so the core of the park has been almost completely renewed.
2 things regarding the hotel entrances and the money.
Hotel Matamba had an entrance planned, which is the bridge through Black Mambas Loop. I think it has been discarded due to TÜV constraints, but that is just a rumor. In addition, Matamba has a big gate between the fence to Black Mamba and the restaurant Bantu which could be easily modified as an hotel entrance.
A path below/above black Mambas layout would be great, but I think the same problems would apply as they did for the loop.
Regarding the Money:
You may not know this, but the owner of the Phantasialand used to own Mirabilandia, too and sold it in 2006 for ~100 million €. Shortly after that sale, the Phantasialand began heavy investments into the park. The new Berlin area, followed by Chiapas and Klugheim and now Rookburgh. If the money has been temporarily invested (which the owner is used to do, as the park is more a hobby for him), it is realistic that Berlin, Chiapas and Klugheim have been paid with the money from that sale. And with the park being able to save money for several years for another major investment, this money could now be used for Rookburgh.
Now we are going into the speculations: With all the pay once, go twice and even discounted tickets (especially in the 2020 season), it looks like the park is trying to improve visitors as quickly as possible to have easier negotiations with banks for a loan for the next expansion.
Hotel Matamba had an entrance planned, which is the bridge through Black Mambas Loop. I think it has been discarded due to TÜV constraints, but that is just a rumor. In addition, Matamba has a big gate between the fence to Black Mamba and the restaurant Bantu which could be easily modified as an hotel entrance.
A path below/above black Mambas layout would be great, but I think the same problems would apply as they did for the loop.
Regarding the Money:
You may not know this, but the owner of the Phantasialand used to own Mirabilandia, too and sold it in 2006 for ~100 million €. Shortly after that sale, the Phantasialand began heavy investments into the park. The new Berlin area, followed by Chiapas and Klugheim and now Rookburgh. If the money has been temporarily invested (which the owner is used to do, as the park is more a hobby for him), it is realistic that Berlin, Chiapas and Klugheim have been paid with the money from that sale. And with the park being able to save money for several years for another major investment, this money could now be used for Rookburgh.
Now we are going into the speculations: With all the pay once, go twice and even discounted tickets (especially in the 2020 season), it looks like the park is trying to improve visitors as quickly as possible to have easier negotiations with banks for a loan for the next expansion.
Phantasiastisch
Mega Poster
You could find the picture in the source mentioned by @roff. I wouldn't know where this would lead to if it wasn't for the hotelentrance. We'll see it when a new update comes up.
An entrance next to restaurant Bantu isn't possible (like @Rupert said) due the fire engine access. The bridge through the loop was/is just a big mistake too, wheelchairs and buggies have no access.
CSLKennyNI
Giga Poster
I feel like the whole 2-ride deal stuff is just fan speculation but I guess who can say for sure. Chiapas and Taron were many years in the planning; whether Intamin offered a Chiapas issues discount retrospectively after Taron was already designed and contracted we will probably never know.
So I would be very surprised to see Ling Bao loose its entrance, even temporarily. I think this is just the park now upgrading Matamba for the benefit of resort guests' experience and bringing the same standard across all 3 hotels this summer.
As for Matamba with the entrance location effectively making that path/access road part of the park. I could perhaps see the fire access gate beside Bantu and the loop bridge opening up. Gives a step free accessible route for hotel guests, and for the park some extra roaming space for guests to look around Mamba and go through the loop. Plus with the entrance infrastructure out of the way it still leaves room for emergency access.
The main China square is unlikely to be majorly affected in my opinion. Nevermind the rumours that pointed to just Geister Rikscha and the opposite food stalls getting the axe, and the underground hall of Geister being reused so the area remains largely unaffected, the main China square has seen a decent bit of investment in recent years such as the new IMAscore soundtrack, the custom made Wintertraum decorations, etc.
So I would be very surprised to see Ling Bao loose its entrance, even temporarily. I think this is just the park now upgrading Matamba for the benefit of resort guests' experience and bringing the same standard across all 3 hotels this summer.
As for Matamba with the entrance location effectively making that path/access road part of the park. I could perhaps see the fire access gate beside Bantu and the loop bridge opening up. Gives a step free accessible route for hotel guests, and for the park some extra roaming space for guests to look around Mamba and go through the loop. Plus with the entrance infrastructure out of the way it still leaves room for emergency access.
Lori Marie Loud
Giga Poster
Why does that drawing of yours seem to imply that the bridge goes over the zero g roll? And close enough that trains could collide with it?About hotel Matamba:
If the pathway for the probably new hotelentrance really goes underneath the zero-G-roll, this could give a very nice view on Black Mamba. I suppose the pathway will go here:
View attachment 7843
However, I ask myself:
When this is really a pathway for the hotelentrance, why didn't they create the ticket control at the end of the pathway?
Because I see it happening that day visitors walk towards this ticket control which is a dead end pathway...
Very curious to see this developing.
Based on that scenario I can just picture some folks going on the bridge when suddenly Black Mamba's train rolls through and game ends both the bridge and the poor, poor folks on it.
UP87
Mega Poster
I think this is it. At phantafriends.de there is also some speculation that the restaurant Bantu could be used for park guests, as well (like it will be with Uhrwerk in Rookburgh). At least for crowded days it'd be cool to have an additional Restaurant and I assume that it's really empty if open at all during park hours as a restaurant outside the park.
Phantasiastisch
Mega Poster
I thought this too, but I wanted to keep this speculation for myself. People already think I'm nuts.
Exactly. This way day visitors also don't have to leave the park and go via Matamba's entrance to have dinner at the restaurant. This are mostly fans and guests who have been staying at Matamba before that knows that this is possible.
DiA can use this extra space and eating facility so this is what I'm hoping for. Let's wait and find out if this is it.
Phantasiastisch
Mega Poster
Tobi on Phantafriends confirmed that FLY was making test drives today:
"Today I made another small visit to Phantasialand and shortly after I got there I looked at the current status of Charles Lindbergh. Shortly afterwards there was an increasing louder wind noise, which I thought was a stronger gust of wind that was pushing against the big rusty wall. It turned out, however, that it was a test drive. After that, of course, I waited for further test drives and plenty of test drives were carried out so that you could experience test drives from all the places from which you could look into Rookburgh. My impression was that the test drives are already running very smoothly. In the second launch, the train is shot through and the loading (dummies) of the trains suggested that two trains were used for test drives. As far as can be seen, the train trim is the standard trim, which is kept very dark."
"Today I made another small visit to Phantasialand and shortly after I got there I looked at the current status of Charles Lindbergh. Shortly afterwards there was an increasing louder wind noise, which I thought was a stronger gust of wind that was pushing against the big rusty wall. It turned out, however, that it was a test drive. After that, of course, I waited for further test drives and plenty of test drives were carried out so that you could experience test drives from all the places from which you could look into Rookburgh. My impression was that the test drives are already running very smoothly. In the second launch, the train is shot through and the loading (dummies) of the trains suggested that two trains were used for test drives. As far as can be seen, the train trim is the standard trim, which is kept very dark."
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Phantasiastisch
Mega Poster
I also searched without result. Yet we can be sure that testing has really taken place, Tobi is the best source we can have (except Phantasialand itself
).Update of the novelties and renovations around hotel Matamba:
As we can see, beside the hotelentrance they're also building another theming element but now near restaurant Bantu from which the thatched roof is already completely renewed.
Yeah, I also think so!?
Flying Pilot
Mega Poster
When I shared the first image of Fly testing, it completed it at least untill the second launch. Maybe now it completed the whole course.