Port Aventura |"Shambhala"| B&M Hyper

[Ethan]

^ Yeah you think this looks 'meh' (which I don't) then Leviathan is going to be crap. I think this coaster actually looks really fun. It will be smooth and flowing, not too intense, not too dull. Definately a lovely addition to the park.

 

[Lofty]

I LOVE this photo;

Solely for the fact that it shows how HUGE it truly is and how it's NOT dwarfed Khan <3

 

[Hixee]

I suspect Lofty is getting a bit too fanboy-ish over this. It's definitely made Khan look less imposing.

 

[Snoo]

Well lets be honest, Khan wasn't THAT imposing anyway. I mean it might just be my "I've been on a dozen coasters this tall or taller" thing.. but this just doesn't look insanely scary imposing.

As far as comparing to Leviathan.. there really isn't one. Both will be meh at best.

 

[Lofty]

^^ Dwarfing & Imposing are two different things, dear

^ To be fair, Khan WAS imposing. If you'd have been able to visit, it loomed over all the park, solely for the fact it's on top of the hill, everywhere around the local areas, all that was not cable was Condor & Khan.

 

[Snoo]

Ahh I got ya. Well from that respect, I understand the point. Phantoms Revenge at Kennywood has that same respect when your down in the valley.

 

[Hixee]

Please, it's dwarfed Khan. I know you'll tell me that this is bigger, but up close these Hyper coasters really don't look that vast. Diamondback is huge, and massively dwarfs the rest of the rides at the park, but it's not actually that big. It's hard to explain what I mean, but this ride will look pretty normal up close (at least, that's how I feel looking at the Hypers in real life) and it will make Khan look smaller.

I can't see how you don't see it. You're definitely a bit too much of a fan of PA (at least, that's how you're coming across at the moment ), tell me you don't think Baco is good too?

 

[Lofty]

^ Personally, I don't think it's "Dwarfed" it, at all. Yes, obviously, it's not the big attraction there now, that's obvious. I was one of the more sceptical people at the beginning and really expected it to ruin the views and the area over near China, read back to the beginning to see that much, but, it's grown on me, I like what they've done, especially the interaction between this & Khan. It's great in my opinion.

I do actually like Baco, it's not good coaster, by any means, I just like riding it, it can be a fun experience, if you sit in the right place, otherwise, it can be painful and not worth the riding, the further back in the train you go.

 

[spritex]

^^http://www.coasterforce.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34150&start=17

Ah, ok. Thanks for the pointer. Maybe we will leave PA for the next year or so. Enough things nearby to like even without it.

 

[Ethan]

I don't think its dwarfed Khan. They both look impressive and huge in different ways!

 

[Antinos]

Well lets be honest, Khan wasn't THAT imposing anyway. I mean it might just be my "I've been on a dozen coasters this tall or taller" thing.. but this just doesn't look insanely scary imposing.

As far as comparing to Leviathan.. there really isn't one. Both will be meh at best.

Easy, Marcus. You don't want to piss off anybody from outside the US who have ridden 'a dozen coaster this tall or taller.'

 

[owentaylor121]

Khan's new trains.

Anyway, that theming <3

 

[andrus]

Please, it's dwarfed Khan. I know you'll tell me that this is bigger, but up close these Hyper coasters really don't look that vast. Diamondback is huge, and massively dwarfs the rest of the rides at the park, but it's not actually that big. It's hard to explain what I mean, but this ride will look pretty normal up close (at least, that's how I feel looking at the Hypers in real life) and it will make Khan look smaller.

That's exactly how I see it too! It's a scale thing. The huge spine and relatively few and big supports make B&M hypers look a lot smaller than they actually are. To me Silver Star looked a lot less imposing than eg Colossos (Heide). And that's probably the same reason that imo makes Millenium Force look a lot bigger than Leviathan in photos!

 

[oriolat2]

Today I was at the park and I had the first chance to see Shambhala and I must say it looks very imposing. The first drop looks very steep (like 75º steep), the first camelback hill looks huge and the ampersand turn looks like an inversion (I know it's not).

Khan still looks big but the fact that Shambhala towers over Khan makes Shambhala look a lot taller than it actually is. You can see the coaster from miles around the park.

Since it was a very foggy and rainy day, when I entered the park you couldn't see the top of the highest hills making it look like a real mountain range <3 If I can, I'll upload of a photo of it later

 

[Venom2053]

Says the one camping outside CW for Leviathan :wink:

I never said Leviathan was better :lol: I'm excited for Leviathan because its right next door. Of course its not want I want in CW but it's better than nothing. To me Shamby and Leviathan each only bring one new thing to the table. Leviathan is just a taller B&M and Shamby only has the cool turn around section. Other than that they bring nothing new. Both will just be o.k. rides, though Shamby will be themed way better.

As for Khan being dwarfed, its the same with Dragon Fire at CW. Leviathan towers over and it makes Leviathan look way bigger. In reality Hypers are tall coasters but not as tall as they seem next to a B&M sit down or similar looping coaster.

 

[Lofty]

Leviathan is just a taller B&M and Shamby only has the cool turn around section. Other than that they bring nothing new.

You see, that's where you're wrong. BOTH Leviathan & Shambhala bring higher experiences to both parks. In terms of Shambhala, this is really played upon, simply for the fact it's going to be Europe's tallest. So, the fact "it doesn't bring anything" is a bit of an empty comment. If you meant layout-wise, that's totally true to be honest, but in terms of an overall experience, well, no.

 

[ECG]

Not the best, but here's the first photos of the trains (arriving at the park).

 

[Venom2053]

That said, that's really not a knock against the ride from anything other than a purely industrial standpoint - it most certainly will be well-received, and those who love B&M Hypers probably won't be disappointed. It's just that anyone seeking to ride this year's "new big thing" in the world of coasters would probably look elsewhere.

Exactly, well put. Hypers are great fun to ride and this is a great addition to the park, but its nothing we haven't seen before and it will ride exactly like every other hyper. Which is unfortunate because I never got a big kick out of any Hypers. I'm an inversion guy

 

[andrus]

For a moment I actually thought that PA, that seems obssesed by thrill rides, had persuaded B&M to make a more extreme version of their hyper coaster.. But oh well, this seems great too

 

[oriolat2]

Not the best, but here's the first photos of the trains (arriving at the park).

I don't want to sound rude but those photos were posted a few days ago. In fact, 2 trains are already assembled in the shed and dummies have been placed in order to start testing.

Here is an update from PA-Community:

Walls and walls everywhere, not to mention the mess of supports...

I am glad to see the station tower "topped off". I really like the look of the small "village"-esque buildings and the basic light yellow-red colour scheme...

From the other side...

The entrance to the section, where Fumanchú used to sit (mind you, Fumanchú won't be operating this season and it is rumoured it could make a comeback next year...)

First drop tunnel looks like SFMM's Goliath :S I hope PA theme it well...

B&M feast...

To finish this update, I will post a photo of Shambhala from yesterday.

It was very rainy and foggy. In fact the fog was so thick you couldn't see the top of Shambhala's hills at times... It looked like the real Himalayas!