Europe 08/21 – Piratland, Parc Spirou + Amigoland
Day 8 – Piratland
The following day began here, where I started to get the sense that every park in this part of the world contains the word Pirat, Luna or Magic.
Just a humble +1 on the cards, #1 Train de la Mine is a surprisingly lively SBF Visa that isn’t a spinner.
Moving swiftly on.
Parc Spirou
This was the main destination for the day, the relatively new park themed to Spirou Comics. I’d had it on my radar for a few years now, back when the original plans included a Zierer Tower coaster like Impulse or Wicked, which would have been exciting. Seems it wasn’t to be, instead they ended up with one of everything from the smaller half of Zierer’s back catalogue.
The Force Zero, #2 En avant Seccotine.
The Force Two, #3 Wanted Dalton.
And the Force One, #4 Spirou Racing (#1100).
This one ended up being my 1100th coaster, mainly down to lack of any better options. It might well be my most boring milestone yet, a clone of a ride from Schwaben Park. They’re alright as a model, those ‘inspired’ raised open trains are rather nice, but they do seem to develop quite a rattle after a few years, which in turn saps away any force it once had.
Alongside the coaster selection, the park so far felt pretty bland. There’s a slightly off air to it, having had 3 years to bed in it still feels a bit sparse and sterile and none of the guests seemed to be having a particularly good time, sweating away in poorly shaded queues.
Luckily there’s a dark ride to breathe a bit more character into the place.
I’m not sure how best to describe Gaffe á Gaston other than three simulator pods in front of a screen.
Maybe the comic will do it for me. The film is basically a POV of the bloke on his weird suspended chair that travels around an office environment causing various mishaps. The ride concludes with him delivering a message to a romantic interest, she seems impressed and then walks off as he turns to a mirror and says “m’enfin?” (finally).
It was funnier and more entertaining than I’ve made it sound, but it ain’t no Vienne Dynamique.
Also like Schwaben Park, they have a Roller Ball. #5 Nid des Marsupilamis doesn’t even come with a killer soundtrack and is just as pointless of a ride experience.
Seems every immersive tunnel in the world has to be themed to dinosaurs, including Super Groom et les Dinozorgs.
Even if it is based on an comic that doesn’t look like it needed to be themed to that at all.
I struggled to follow this one. Some professor bloke with a time machine, this superhero boy and his flying squirrel companion versus some dinosaurs and an evil man who I think is Dalton, of Walibi Belgium drop tower fame.
Talking of drop towers, somehow the day was already through and we had to sprint to get a last ride on Zombillénium Tower, so apologies, no pictures. It’s one of those big, cool Funtime ones with the nice restraints. It does some scary tilting things on the way up but not for the actual drop sequence, which surprised me. Good though.
I’ve since learnt that the Zombillénium name (whatever it is) was supposed to go to a trackless dark ride, so add that to the list of things that didn’t open which are now holding this place back. Surely they could have just not bought the roller ball or something, as it was built to make a pointless statement (unique in Europe, of two, and of a ride type no one should really care about), which only lasted a year anyway.
Only having three parks in a day now seems relatively relaxing and the last stop was another late night funfair that, for obvious time reasons, didn’t quite make the cut the previous night.
Amigoland
#6 Jumbo Jet is an even bigger one of those single-file Schwarzkopf beasts. Apparently this one was once built, but never operated, at Six Flags Great Adventure.
It feels very open at the top of that spiral lift hill and the number of cars on track was a spectacle to behold all in itself. Thrilling, forceful, fun. Had it all really. This being the best coaster of the day again proves how Spirou need to up their game a bit.
There was also a bonus #7 La Pomme on park to keep things perfectly balanced, as all things should be.
I think that made 5 of these in a 24 hour period.