• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

2014: Arthur in the Minimoys kingdom

I think its a brave decision they have made. If this had been Merlin, they would of just opened it half ready.

The fact they are prepared to delay the opening, to ensure the guest experience is the best it can be, is a good thing, if not disappointing for those who were hoping to attend this April.

Hopefully you will be able to attend later in the year Saz :)

Ian
 
It's positive news. Hopefully it won't be delayed for too long, as I'm heading to Europa on the 3rd and 4th of May.

Please, be open by then!
 
Sazzle said:
They deserve as much slating for this as Towers did with The Smiler! Poor planning and preparation :-(

I'm sorely disappointed that I won't be able to ride during the Junket in April... I do hope to make a return visit this year!

Such a shame.
Click to expand...

I agree and disagree.

The Smiler was due to shoddy construction, a rushed plan and poor implementation. Even when the ride did eventually open, it kept closing and parts of the ride were unfit for purpose.

With Arthur, I don't think Europa have cut corners or had shoddy companies involved. They have, quite clearly, planned to do 20 months work in 19, and where most parks would probably just open it even if it's not 100% - Europa will not because they have some of the highest standards in the industry. Maybe they should just open it, I don't know.

Their general delivery record is exceptional, unlike Alton Towers, and so I think with Arthur they will realise that if they're going to hit deadlines bang on, they need more time than even they imagined. I genuinely felt that starting in September 2012 was fantastic, they'd never miss April 2014 but it just shows - even the best struggle sometimes.

The outcry on EPfans etc. is far less abusive than what happened to Alton Towers about Smiler. Maybe that's more to do with the reputation of both parks and the respect each has than anything else.
 
If this were a Merlin park, or any UK park for that matter, not only would they just open it unfinished, but it would remain unfinished for the rest of it's life.

Well, it's good to know that the ride itself isn't the problem. You have to wonder exactly what is though?
 
It's not as bad as The Smiler but it's still pretty poor going. If they planned to do 20 months of work in 19 months then what were they expecting? That's poor planning. If it had been planned properly then by doing a critical path analysis they should have known how long each task in the project was due to take, and which tasks would be able to over run but not effect the delivery date.

Alas, I'm sure once it does open it will be fantastic!

:)
 
AstroDan said:
With Arthur, I don't think Europa have cut corners or had shoddy companies involved. They have, quite clearly, planned to do 20 months work in 19, and where most parks would probably just open it even if it's not 100% - Europa will not because they have some of the highest standards in the industry. Maybe they should just open it, I don't know.
Click to expand...

I totally disagree with you on that point.
Europa Park always opened their attraction on time, even if it wasnt 100%.
I can remember Bluefire at the opening, lots of the effect werent there, are simply not working (Not mentionning what I saw when I first rode it 3 days before the official opening).
Wodan also has had lots of theming added after it opened, just remember the queueline floor on the opening weekend!
That is not something really important, as long as the ride itself is running 100%, but still is something that has always happened at EP.
I can also mention Hotel Colosseo, that was really close from being delayed, and they had to work 24 hours a day to finish it on time.
It was only a matter of time before they had to repport a major project.
 
I do think, even if the theming is only 90%, they should just open it. This is EP, not Disney. Their existing dark rides aren't that good that they'd make this look terrible if it opened at 90%. Without all the theming in place, it's probably still the best dark ride in the park. Open it during the day (maybe for a shorter amount of time than the whole park) then finish it off overnight. :)
 
I agree that they should open it even if the theming isn't 100% finished. But something tells me there is more to it than that. Maybe it's because in order to build the theming the ride building is full of scaffolding, making it unsafe for the public?
 
Pedro said:
AstroDan said:
With Arthur, I don't think Europa have cut corners or had shoddy companies involved. They have, quite clearly, planned to do 20 months work in 19, and where most parks would probably just open it even if it's not 100% - Europa will not because they have some of the highest standards in the industry. Maybe they should just open it, I don't know.
Click to expand...

I totally disagree with you on that point.
Europa Park always opened their attraction on time, even if it wasnt 100%.
I can remember Bluefire at the opening, lots of the effect werent there, are simply not working (Not mentionning what I saw when I first rode it 3 days before the official opening).
Wodan also has had lots of theming added after it opened, just remember the queueline floor on the opening weekend!
That is not something really important, as long as the ride itself is running 100%, but still is something that has always happened at EP.
I can also mention Hotel Colosseo, that was really close from being delayed, and they had to work 24 hours a day to finish it on time.
It was only a matter of time before they had to repport a major project.
Click to expand...

There really is a difference.

Here, they are working with a film studio, and it's a dark ride. Dark rides depend ENTIRELY on theming and immersion. Wodan and Blue Fire - Wodan they only hadn't done some flags. Blue Fire, it was really marginal stuff that wasn't completed.

Wodan is 75% coaster, 25% theming. Blue Fire 85% coaster, 15% theming. Arthur is really 50/50!

Volo da Vinci ended up being delayed by a few weeks for whatever reason.

I also agree they should open it, even if it's not 100%, but you know - they won't. So that's that.
 
There's still a tiny chance that it might magically be ready when we go there on the Junket trip, right? Right? :D I mean, Mack are wizzards and can bend the rules of time and space, after all.
 
This is EP, not Disney. Their existing dark rides aren't that good that they'd make this look terrible if it opened at 90%.
Click to expand...
That's true for the existing ones. But the last big dark ride (PiB) was opened 27 years ago.
With Arthur they want to get much closer to Disney.
 
Events 2014

The following events will take place in the theme park this year (hotel/resort events I haven't listed here):

19-21 April: Easter Village

1 May: May Day Festival

13-14 May: Science Days for Kids

23-25 May: Germany on the move!

29 May: Miss World Cup 2014

1 June: Fairy Tale Day

4 June: European Musical Exchange Day

6-15 June: Spanish Feria

12 June - 13 July: World Cup: LIVE

19-22 June: Midsummer Weekend

21 June: Day of Steel - Harley Davidson Bike Festival

27-29 June: Castle Festival

28-29 June: St James' Muscles in Europe

5-13 July: Hungarian Festival

14 July: Bastille Day

18-19 July: Regional Wine Festival

20 July: Black Forest Day

25 July - 5 September (Fridays only) After Park Lounge

26 July: Summer Party (open till midnight)

27 July - 31 August: Sansibar Beach Club

27 July - 24 August: South African Weeks

27 July - 7 September: IMPERIO Summer Show

1 August: Swiss Festival

2-3 August: Russian Festival

9 August: Music @ Park

10 August: Hansgrohe Children's Festival

16 August: GAZPROM Adventure Day

30 August: Brass Orchestra Day

7 September: Alsace Day

10 September: Kaiserberg Wine Day

13-21 September: Milka Rally

19 September - 5 October: Oktoberfest (selected dates)

26 September - 1 November: Horror Nights

27 September - 2 November: Halloween at Europa-Park

3 October: German Unification Day

16-18 October: Science Days

24 October - 2 November: Halloween Circus with DJ Bobo

25 October - 2 November: Halloween Market

31 October: SWR3 Halloween Party

22 November - 6 January: Winter Season at Europa-Park

13 December: Day of Wishes

31 December: New Years Eve
 
Dj bobo heard good things about him

But the main reason for this post is I'm shocked how much there is going on
 
Does the GAZPROM Adventure day involve a simulation of threatening to turn off all the oil into mainland Europe whilst attempting to occupy Crimea?
 
The Gazprom day is literally sports activities for kids dotted about and theres usually some sort of tie in with FC Schalke 04.
 
Some photos of the tower of Rust from the Badische-Zeitung, which is now open. :)

82135469.jpg


sqN3G7I.jpg


NvOtaxY.jpg
 
10003226_654242414641216_2072736908_n.jpg


chris-space said:
Now also the facade on the side to Bocha square (red tent / Dome) is designed with the magic of cinema. With many extra euro mice!
Click to expand...

Good to see this project finished off, and the exterior of the Magic Cinema brought up to the post-Blue Fire general park standard. :)
 
10001588_617853418297792_457917129_n.jpg


A picture from EPFans with a train during testing (bear in mind it has no theming or housing in the photo) :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top