• 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.

[2024] Voltron Nevera | Mack Stryker Coaster

I'm getting a feeling it's gonna be a mixed bag in what people think and not just because of the difference in cars. Charlotte herself said it was a bit disappointing in regards to the forces and whatnot whereas Digital Dan loved it.
 
I’m not sure that it’s an excuse that previous openings weren’t this crackers. Their last major thrill coaster opened in 2012. It’s not just vlogging that has changed since then. It was more than a decade ago.

I think it’s fair to say that the running hordes of people could have been predicted by pretty much everyone.

The project looks to be stunningly delivered with some brilliant details and an excellent layout. I just really struggle to accept that there are still bits that are unfinished when they have had such a long time, including so many delays, to get this right first time. Whilst there’s always going to be teething problems with any new attraction, it feels like there are a litany of unfinished sections, issues with wheel compounds (seemingly associated with the unexplained volleying yesterday), coupled with inexcusably poor organisation for an opening day.

I’m sure this will all be smoothed out in time and we’ll forget about the issues, but come on EP. These really are things which are within your control that could have been better.
 
This might be controversial, but I'm not sure how much I buy that it's an issue with certain trains. This whole phenomenon of trains riding significantly differently to each other seems to have started very recently. I never remember hearing this comment about new rides in the past, and now suddenly Nemesis and Voltron have the same problem.

On a similar note so far I've only seen TPWW reporting that the ride runs badly. The riding experience as reported by others seemed to be overwhelming positive (based on the press preview day).
Which does make me wonder, how much of what we are currently hearing is being warped by people who have an invested interest besides just experiencing the ride?
I can belive TPWWs reaction was genuine based on past reviews (if anything they are usually too positive about new rides), but does that mean everyone at the press event was claiming the ride is far better than it is? I find it hard to believe the ride suddenly fell apart over night. Although it's not impossible they changed the running wheels after the press event, which might explain all the issues they've had in the last 48 hours.

I'm just finding it so hard to gauge the general opinion on this ride at the moment.
 
Benzin said:
Yes. Hyperia will be exactly the same.
Click to expand...
Ok, I probably should have worded that better. I know new rides get overhyped. But when you have one person saying it's amazing and the next person saying it's physically painfull to ride, that's more than just getting wrapped up in the excitement of a new ride!
 
Yup the caveat when reading any initial reviews should always be hang fire and see if that same opinion remains after a few more rides, and a few more visits at a later date. That's even mentioned in TPWW's video, when they said their review so far is a first reaction and it should be taken as such. You've also got to remember that these first rides come off the back of the excitement/adrenaline of getting to the ride in the first place - especially this time considering the mess of a "queue".

There's 6 weeks or so until I visit, so I'm looking forward to seeing how this all develops before getting to experience it for myself.
 
Isn't it confirmed that they are running different wheel compounds on each train? So possibly TPWW got unlucky on their first ride.
 
TPW is not the only person who I've heard saying that the ride runs badly; I also read a rather subdued review on CoasterForce describing the ride as headache-inducing: https://coasterforce.com/forums/thr...ryker-coaster-2024.41398/page-46#post-1171616

I think this could very well be down to them running different wheel compounds. Unlike @Tim, I actually seem to remember hearing about some rides running differently between trains for quite some time now. It seems to be particularly prevalent on coasters with many trains/cars; as an example, I've always heard it said that The Smiler at Alton Towers and Saw at Thorpe Park can vary quite drastically in terms of smoothness depending on the wheel compounds of the car you're riding in. On both of those rides, I have experienced considerable variations in smoothness over the years that cannot be explained by seating position alone (I've had the exact same seat in the exact same row ride very differently between visits), so I think there's something in that. Perhaps Voltron will be similar, seeing as it has 7 trains?

I am struggling to gauge an overall consensus opinion at the moment, though I will say that the reviews thus far don't seem as universally glowing as I'd perhaps expected based on the hype beforehand.
 
Brad97 said:
Isn't it confirmed that they are running different wheel compounds on each train? So possibly TPWW got unlucky on their first ride.
Click to expand...
Who by though? Most rumors like this seem to start on someone's vlog, then suddenly everyone is saying it.

Personal it sounds very irresponsible to be trialing unproven wheel compounds on a ride that is open.

I know Mack did do this in the past on Wodan, but the last time I'm sure it was done during the closed season.
 
Tim said:
Who by though? Most rumors like this seem to start on someone's vlog, then suddenly everyone is saying it.

Personal it sounds very irresponsible to be trialing unproven wheel compounds on a ride that is open.

I know Mack did do this in the past on Wodan, but the last time I'm sure it was done during the closed season.
Click to expand...
Someone else could have said it as well, but it was the ECC who I saw confirming this.
 
Tim said:
Who by though? Most rumors like this seem to start on someone's vlog, then suddenly everyone is saying it.

Personal it sounds very irresponsible to be trialing unproven wheel compounds on a ride that is open.

I know Mack did do this in the past on Wodan, but the last time I'm sure it was done during the closed season.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say the compunds are "unproven", it's just that they are trialling different combinations of hard and soft compounds across the wheels on the trains. So one train may have all soft, another all hard, a third could have front row being soft and all others hard, a fourth could have hard on leftside and soft on right side.

This will help their engineers figure out the optimum set of compounds and where they are best placed on the train for the best performance. This I assume will also change based on different running temperatures too so there are a lot of variables at play.

I guess once things get figured out, they will use the same configuration across all trains.
 
That's all well and good, but assuming that is what they are doing should they really be running these tests now the ride is open?

Remember that when the train stalled yesterday it was meant to be operating only a few hours later. Meaning that there was a genuine risk that the train could have run fine that morning but stalled with guests on board.
 
Coming into this rather late and likely won't be at Europa Park for goodness knows how long, but am I thinking it looks rather dull regarding its launch systems after watching several POV's already? TBH that hasn't been a strong point of Mack but I really don't know what to think of this ride...looks well lovely and well themed and the trains have that cool steampunk look to them with that padding which makes it all look very smart as you expect but that I'm afraid is the only thing going for it.

Even without the supposed roughness factor, it just seems to go on a little too long in which you could have removed that whole turntable sequence out which seems utterly pointless and would help with the pacing; even Smiler for all its faults has to me just about the right ride time for a long coaster which is helped by going round at full speed.

Voltron just seems to lumber its way around the track and yes it likely needs to be run in a bit more before it can get up to some speed but from first impressions, I'm a bit disappointed at what I'm seeing as I want to like this but given how it seems to have a major rattle worse than what a lot of newer B&M coasters seem to have, that is alarming to hear...I really don't know what to think honestly other than I want to like this ride but I'm really not so sure.
 
QTXAdsy said:
Coming into this rather late and likely won't be at Europa Park for goodness knows how long, but am I thinking it looks rather dull regarding its launch systems after watching several POV's already? TBH that hasn't been a strong point of Mack but I really don't know what to think of this ride...looks well lovely and well themed and the trains have that cool steampunk look to them with that padding which makes it all look very smart as you expect but that I'm afraid is the only thing going for it.

Even without the supposed roughness factor, it just seems to go on a little too long in which you could have removed that whole turntable sequence out which seems utterly pointless and would help with the pacing; even Smiler for all its faults has to me just about the right ride time for a long coaster which is helped by going round at full speed.

Voltron just seems to lumber its way around the track and yes it likely needs to be run in a bit more before it can get up to some speed but from first impressions, I'm a bit disappointed at what I'm seeing as I want to like this but given how it seems to have a major rattle worse than what a lot of newer B&M coasters seem to have, that is alarming to hear...I really don't know what to think honestly other than I want to like this ride but I'm really not so sure.
Click to expand...

The ride runs down a narrow strip of land, it’s actually quite packed in really. I suspect the turntable was to allow another block in a tight turn and locate the garage so more a practical solution.

Mack launches are normally really pants but Voltron seems fairly punchy, also seems to have a fair chunk of airtime. My main concern is the wide trains and rattle, reviews seem to be mixed on this front.

10 years ago Mack where probably one of the smoother coaster designers mostly because of their really comfortable restraint system but Intamin, Vekoma and others have improved their track fabrication tech. I do wonder if Mack might need to up their game on the smoothness front soon. But I haven’t ridden this yet so who knows.
 
Talking about the Smiler, I know it's such a minor thing but the "halfway corrected" announcement added a lot to the experience.
I really feel like every ride that's in two parts needs some sort of announcement to build the tension back up and give meaning to the moments breather.
The turntable definitely feels like a missed opportunity at present, but not an unfixable one. If next year they were to enclose more of the track under the Tower they could add a scene much like the false ending on return of the mummy;
"Congratulations you made it... now I suppose you'll want me to send you back?!"
They could even make the backwards launch seem like a minor malfunction.
Thematically the turntable makes a lot of sense, as the ride is meant to be sending you to another location. It just doesn't make that clear at present.
 
Tim said:
Talking about the Smiler, I know it's such a minor thing but the "halfway corrected" announcement added a lot to the experience.
I really feel like every ride that's in two parts needs some sort of announcement to build the tension back up and give meaning to the moments breather.
The turntable definitely feels like a missed opportunity at present, but not an unfixable one. If next year they were to enclose more of the track under the Tower they could add a scene much like the false ending on return of the mummy;
"Congratulations you made it... now I suppose you'll want me to send you back?!"
They could even make the backwards launch seem like a minor malfunction.
Thematically the turntable makes a lot of sense, as the ride is meant to be sending you to another location. It just doesn't make that clear at present.
Click to expand...

Indeed I was expecting more drama with the turntable.

Is a missed opportunity.
 
Tim said:
This might be controversial, but I'm not sure how much I buy that it's an issue with certain trains. This whole phenomenon of trains riding significantly differently to each other seems to have started very recently. I never remember hearing this comment about new rides in the past, and now suddenly Nemesis and Voltron have the same problem.

On a similar note so far I've only seen TPWW reporting that the ride runs badly. The riding experience as reported by others seemed to be overwhelming positive (based on the press preview day).
Which does make me wonder, how much of what we are currently hearing is being warped by people who have an invested interest besides just experiencing the ride?
I can belive TPWWs reaction was genuine based on past reviews (if anything they are usually too positive about new rides), but does that mean everyone at the press event was claiming the ride is far better than it is? I find it hard to believe the ride suddenly fell apart over night. Although it's not impossible they changed the running wheels after the press event, which might explain all the issues they've had in the last 48 hours.

I'm just finding it so hard to gauge the general opinion on this ride at the moment.
Click to expand...
In fairness, if you were personally invited by EP to experience their new coaster, I don’t think you’d want to risk never being invited again by ripping into it.

Ive seen a couple of vlogs now which have mentioned the roughness of the wing seats and row three in particular. The ride comparisons you tube channel were on the same train as TPWW and had very similar opinions coming off it. Even after 6 rides in various seats the consensus was still “Rough”!

Also if you break down lift hills and thrills comment where he said “I could do RTH at plopsa 6-7 times in a row but voltron is a 3 and done ride for me” is probably just a polite way of saying “it’s a bit rough” without offending the people that invited him.
 
Last edited:
RustyRider said:
In fairness, if you were personally invited by EP to experience their new coaster, I don’t think you’d want to risk never being invited again by ripping into it.

Ive seen a couple of vlogs now which have mentioned the roughness of the wing seats and row three in particular. The ride comparisons you tube channel were on the same train as TPWW and had very similar opinions coming off it. Even after 6 rides in various seats the consensus was still “Rough”!

Also if you break down lift hills and thrills comment where he said “I could do RTH at plopsa 6-7 times in a row but voltron is a 3 and done ride for me” is probably just a polite way of saying “it’s a bit rough” without offending the people that invited him.
Click to expand...
I understand why vloggers and media in general want to give a positive spin so that they will be invited back again. But from your or my perspective as the consumer of their content why should we accept that! Isn't that basically saying 'I'm OK with being lied to, if it means someone I don’t know and can't trust gets to keep going to special VIP events'?

I'll be honest in light of more recent reviews I'm starting to suspect EP cherry picked the people they invited for this very reason.
Lift hills and thrills was a bizarre choice. You can tell he doesn't know the park well (referring to Austria as Australia, and never having ridden those rides before the fire). He even acknowledged multiple times in the video that he wasn't sure why he was invited when so many people with long standing connections to the park weren't.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top