Denmark [03/06/22 - 08/06/22]

[Danny]

Riding Lech in 2018 was a revelation. A euphoric experience jettinsoning it to a high ranking place in my top 10, and a new found admiration for Vekoma with these seemingly new versatile models.

Whilst only having ridden Formula at Energylandia to compare, the two are nothing alike. The less than favourable reviews for Abyssus compared to its Legendia counterpart, and F.L.Y sitting on the totally opposite scale of what Lech has achieved, have had me pondering for some years now whether or not Vekoma will match the surprise found on the edge of a lake in an unsuspecting Polish city park.

When it was revealed that one would be making its way to Denmark this year, and looked like it had a fighting chance from a POV basis, the deal was sealed and flights were booked for this long weekend to source the answer to a simple question.

Are Vekoma capable of building another innocent looking yet outrageously fun coaster in Europe?

The answer? Well, I won't be finding out until Monday. Afterall, it would have been criminal to just visit the one park when there were two other parks relatively nearby that have been quite "farup" my to do list for some time, so they "djurs" about made the cut.

Before getting into details about the parks, this trip in itself was a pain in the arse to plan from a budgeting perspective. Denmark obviously isn't cheap; it's part of Scandinavia. Therefore I was well prepared to have to remortgage my house somewhat to make this remotely possible, but trying to find hotels that didn't cost an arm and a leg whilst being in relatively nearby proximity to the parks we wanted was no easy task, particularly where Billund (the start and end points of this trip) was concerned.

Our first hotel, conveniently situated in the heart of the town directly opposite the Lego House, tantalises guests in with beautiful external charm. That's about the only positive I can muster, as the rooms were hideously outdated, and the idea for decor was to slap some Word doc typed up motivational quotes and frame them. The beds were as comfortable as a stack of sandpaper, and the AC unit outside by the cigarette butt carpeted balcony louder than any aircraft at the nearby Billund Airport. If you ever find yourself in Billund, for your own sanity I implore you not to stay on Hotel Refborg.



So, before you die of old age or boredom (whichever comes first), let's get onto the first park of the trip. Legoland Billund. The OG.

The added pressure I guess for LLB is that their next door neighbours (aside from the town and the airport) is Lego themselves, peering in over the park with their instantly recognisable campus buildings.

The arrival to LLB is less glamorous than LLW, whereby the long drive in with the W E L C O M E letters spaced out greet you as you wind through to the car park. That said, it puts you right into the action from the moment you see the peaks of some of the attractions and hotels.

No bag searches. No English families storming through the plaza in a pompous manner with their trollies piled high of jarred hot dogs whilst looking to get their RAPs. No repetitive and irritating soundtracks. From the car and into the park in less than 5 minutes. Boom.



Now obviously LLB doesn't benefit from the gorgeous panoramic views that LLW holds so dearly, stretching from Windsor and across to the London skyline. What LLB does have, however, is far more charm and character than LLW.



Whilst Miniland feels far less varied (mainly focusing on the architecture of Denmark as opposed to LLW's broader stretch across the continent and indeed the globe), the entirety of the park feels more authentic. It feels as if there are far more authentic brick made models around the park, with the only notable use of the newer fibreglass looking minifigures outside the shops and in the Lego Movie World area.

Yep, 100 per cent brick built. No corners cut here folks.

Our first mission was to get the credits done as quickly as possible so not have to queue for them later in the day. We opted to head to Polar Xplorer first, having the least expectations for this Zierer free fall drop coaster. Whilst en-route however, we were distracted by the Dragon. Mack powered, however, unlike the majority gravity powered ones across the Legolands of the world.

Whilst the dark ride section is just as charming and varied as LLW's, for me, the powered coaster section itself wasn't overly strong. A little too short given the grand nature of the coaster itself.

After this, we ambled over to Polar Xplorer. I cannot stress enough how low my expectations were set for this, having seen the ride POVs from when it first opened and it also having stalled the previous month.

With that said, it had an advertised queue time of 0 minutes, so we decided to give it a go. With no need for the external cattle pens, we headed straight into the station and onto the ride for our first go.

So, what did I think of the ride?

Well....

Polar Xplorer perfectly sums up for me why it is better to ride something with low expectations than higher ones. If you anticipate a ride to be crap and it delivers on that stance, then it's no skin off my nose. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this. Not only was the main coaster section much nipper than I anticipated, there were a few pops of air time that made it an all round genuinely fun family coaster. Where Thirteen tediously lunges through the clearing in the Dark Forest with little personality or vibrance about it, Polar Xplorer is much more zesty and packs a punch with its pacing. Then there's the free fall drop itself. Having been somewhat disappointed by Verbolten's and watched the early day POVs for Polar Xplorer, I was expecting more of a gentle elevator downwards than anything with substance. Instead, a forceful drop with definte bum lifting.



Now I won't sugar-coat the meander back to the station. It's a crap ending to what is otherwise a really solid and unsuspecting looking family coaster. Yes, there's the penguin enclosure on the brake run that gives Sea World a run for its money. However, this doesn't detract from what could have been an ideal place to fully enclose the free fall drop exit to the brake run and turn it into a dark ride section, rather than a couple of speed humps paired with a few Lego props.

Nevertheless, for a coaster I've had no anticipation for whatsoever, it was a genuinely pleasant surprise. We re-rode it immediately after the first ride, and went back just before leaving the park to give it one final go. I won't claim to be an avid fan boy for the ride, but I'll certainly stand its corner if necessary. And yes, I do prefer it to Thirteen with absolutely no shits given.



After this we decided to gently stroll over to...

Xtreme Racers. A coaster I was convinced was a Gerst Bob prior to visiting, only to realise it was indeed a Mack. With an advertised queue time of 0 minutes, we decided to give it a go.

The advertised wait was certainly no truth teller, as we ended up waiting almost 3 and a half minutes before boarding.

So, what did we think of the ride?

Well...

Standard run of the mill Mack wild mouse. Zippy round the corners, a few punchy drops, but nothing to overly shout home about. Good fun.

The fourth and final cred had the longest wait, given its proximity to the front of the park compared to the rest. Flying Eagle is the parks latest coaster, installed four years ago. A two lap special Force 281 from Zierer with a 30 minute queue; the second longest queue we waited in all day behind the queue for a coffee and chocolate lego bricks (more on that in a moment).



Another excellent family coaster of an unsuspecting nature. Where similar coasters would transition from one turn to another with a forceless bunny hop or even nothing at all, Flying Eagle throws in some s-curve style elements to ensure a constant flow of something happening at all times. A second lap reaffirms the delight of the first, with the only real downside of the ride being the throughput from one train due to the two lap nature.

Overall, I was quite taken aback by LLB's cred line up. No, it's hardly the Paultons Park of Denmark from a variation and number perspective. Having had low expectations in the first place, popping four new creds under the belt here didn't feel like a chore or exercise to do. It was genuinely fun.

When it comes to the rest of park, there are some things only Legolands can be notable for. The Lego brick chips at LLW sent the Merlin Mum's into a frenzy, and that success has been somewhat replicated over in Billund, albeit more modestly.



At £1.15 for a chocolate Lego brick, they're certainly an expensive treat considering they're one mouthful. White, milk, caramel and another I can't remember the flavour of are the offerings of the day, and we ended up queuing for just over half an hour (for a coffee as well) given my need for a caffeine fix. Most food outlets weren't open at this point as it was before 12pm, and those that were clearly had like minded guests needing the same fix. One Danish guest sighed behind us recalling how his visit the day previously hadn't been riddled with such a problem, and he strolled off to presumably break the news to his other half they would have to control their children without any form of coffee in their bloodstream.


£2.30 for two mouthfuls. Christ.

After having a gentle meander through Miniland, we observed the strange phenomenon of Ninjago only having a 5minute queue, having previously been on a 45 minute wait. So we decided to give it a go.

The advertised 5 minute wait turned into a walk on experience (thank God), and we were batched swiftly. On returning as we disembarked, the guests in front of us asked to stay on due to the lack of queue and were granted their request. A re-ride? In a Merlin park? Somebody call Varney...



The ride itself was just as physically demanding as the LLW version, being a hit and miss affair that only works if you're a seasoned pro or staff member. A one and done indeed.

 

[Danny]

Whilst totally different ride types, the haunted house concept is also shared between LLW and LLB, with the exception that Billund's is a country mile ahead in almost every aspect. Ghost is the fully cooked thematic experience that Monster House Party is only half baked with. An entirely external themed haunted house as opposed to just the facade that blends into its surroundings as opposed to being plonked on an available plot of land with an exposed tin shed poling out at the back. Not only is Ghost well presented from the outside, the walk through-esque queue line is a great factor for guests who needn't wish to experience the ride itself, myself almost being one of those people.



As a hater of any form of drop ride, including Nemesis Sub Terra, forcing myself into this felt obscene at the time. Had the queue line videos not spoilt the ride itself in the pre-loading room, I'd have perhaps ridden with more trepidation than anticipation. Rather than being a haunted house version of NST which I had believed it to have the most similarities of, discovering Ghost was to be a miniature version of Mystery Castle was a much needed mood lifter in that moment. Although it was certainly more Misery than Mystery, as the cycle was shorter than my tolerance for drop towers.


Whilst Monster House Party has its merits (and a beltin' soundtrack), Ghost is clearly the offering of more substance; both internally and externally.


Other rides we opted to experience included the nauseating Rapids, which insisted on non-stop spinning for the entire layout. Acceptable wetness was kindly gifted by the drop (especially as we were the subjects of traversing it in reverse) just in the nick of time for the sun to come put and the temperatures to take a scorching rise.




The Lego Canoe log flume wasn't particularly bad either, although there wasn't much to say about this really. Fairly standard, nothing of note and another display of acceptable wetness to conclude the slightly too short for my liking final drop.

The laser raider equivalent has more similarities to Atlantis at EP than its Windsor counterpart, yet is criminally short and tarred by a 1/4 of the ride layout consisting of non stop spinning in a tunnel. This was perhaps the biggest disappointment for me.

The generic pirate tow boat ride was the final water ride we opted to experience. Fairytale Brook on steroids I'd somehow convinced myself prior to riding. LLB have outdone themselves with this one, as the entire ride building was riddled with very convincing bird animatronics zipping about overhead; almost as if they were real birds who had commandeered the ride as their own turf. Come to think of it, this was probably the case. A charming ride full of brick built set pieces nonetheless, with an efficient queue to boot.




The final attraction we "had" to experience on this trip was Emmet's Flying Adventure; what Windsor's Flight of the Sky Lion was originally destined to be. All I can say is thank fuck it never came to pass.


The worst flying theater I've been on. The principle set up is absolutely fine, but the film and ride itself is just a chaotic clusterfuck of erratic movements that even the least susceptible to motion sickness would perhaps fail to bat an eyelid at. Much like FOTSL, the main queue line is a cattle pen through a single hall building, albeit with more pops of colour and less pixilated vinyl. A much more pleasant experience to queue for than its Windsor counterpart, but fails to deliver on the ride itself.


The Lego Movie World is the minor turd in LLB's overall charm. Gone are the brick built props and instead a much cheaper material. 2D surfaces with the only substance generated from the character figurines themselves. Whilst I revelled in one of my favourite moments from the first film being a physical and enjoyable prop in the form of the double decker couch, it was as if someone had vomited on the floor by it last season and still hadn't been removed in the present. The area feels very cheap and lacking of real care compared to the rest of the park, and it's a genuine godsend that this area wasn't rolled out to Windsor and an organic theme put in its place.



There are two very clear tales to LLB. The heart of it, which is clearly shown in the staff having themed uniforms for the vast majority of rides. The pride in the majority of the parkwide presentation, including the planting and pathways. The staff, balancing being upbeat and chatty with determined and efficient. Queues rarely stalling for rides with the exception of the flying theatre and Flying Eagles. This is the part which feels very much as if Lego almost had one hand on the steering wheel with when Merlin were balls deep in shareholder pleasing a few years ago.

There are, however, some tell tale signs of when Merlin were carrying out this madness. The cheap quality of the Lego Movie World, paired with an abundance of closed food outlets on a busy day and the odd unexplained ride closure, brings any Legoland guest back to the reality of Merlin.


Legoland Billund isn't perfect. It does however feel much more of a tribute and showcase to Lego than in some ways LLW and all the LDCs feel like a tick box exercise in order to get the Danish playmaker's approval. It is, however, a must visit for any Lego fan visiting the birthplace of the world's largest tire manufacturer.

 

[Danny]

Djurs Sommerland has been a park I've always fancied visiting, but never had the necessary drive to do so. A crying shame really, because Djurs Sommerland is one of the greatest all round theme parks I've ever visited.

It is near enough perfect with something for everyone. From the smallest of families with not a whiff of thrillseeking desires, to huge groups of Merlin Mum's who have wet dreams at the thought of lugging a trolly full of frankfurters in jars around. Djurs caters to almost all audiences.

On arrival, the first impressions are perfectly pleasant. The entrance plaza almost has a whiff of a zoo about it. In fact, it almost feels like Djurs should have a zoo, to really round out the experience.

The park is vast with a huge range of rides and attractions, too many for us to do in one day. From small kiddie appropriate flat rides, to the copious amount of huge playgrounds through to the eight different credits on offer at the park.

We began our visit with the most anticipated ride; the legendary Piraten. This Intamin megalite seems to have a high ranking on most people's lists, and it's easy to seewhy. Whilst the difference between first thing in the day and last thing in the evening rides are radically different, Piraten's morning wake up call is far from peaceful.



Painful operations aside (with just two members of staff and dispatches taking between four to five minutes per train), Piraten was everything I could have asked for and more. The first drop and air time hill are shrunk down from Intimidator 305 in size, but certainly not in packing a punch. The constant ejector air time and wicked pops throughout are dangerously addictive, mixed with the pacing and the perfect ride duration; long enough to satisfy yet short enough to not under deliver towards the end. We rode Piraten four times throughout the course of the day (two consecutive without leaving the train at ride close), and it was plenty enough to secure it a solid spot in my top 30 coasters.

After our initiation to the park on this small but mighty power pack, we opted to head to the back of the park to tick off the newest coaster before the queues amassed. This gave us the chance to stroll through the parks many open green spaces with expansive amounts of seating, inflatable bouncy hills and trampolines, as well as the sheer number of huge play areas. It feels as though there are more slides at Djurs Sommerland than UK parks combined. The amount of seating options ensures that even during the peak lunch period, there are still places to sit and unwind.

T-Rex Family Coaster (a name plucked from RCT it seems) is the new for 2022 Mack powered coaster, situated towards the back of the park. The area feels a little less detailed compared to some of the older ones, with a distinct new shiny look to it. Once the plants have had time to grow in and the rubber playground texture smells have lost their way, then this area will look great. The animatronics in the queue line are fairly standard, and the wait was nothing more than 15 minutes.



The ride itself? Arguably the most comfortable train Mack have produced for their powered models. The on board audio is functional and clear (and long may it stay that way), and the layout itself is perfectly varied. Whilst we weren't impressed by the end of the first lap, the second lap redeemed with an increase in pace and some fairly noticeable forces on the helix. Given the crowd levels and the need to tick all the creds off, this was very much a one and done coaster, but a decent little investment for the park's core audience.

Following on from this, we tackled the park's Gerst Bob coaster; Thor's Hammer. A couple of punchy helix's and poppy air time hills coupled with some great views of the ice cream shop terrace at the exit to the ride. My only irritance with this was that there wasn't a Nordic themed bar to accompany the terrace overlooking the ride and the body of water it sits over. Whilst not the most memorable layout of its coaster type, and another one and done due to crowd levels, it certainly wasn't something to be disappointed with.



The next credit on the list was another hotly anticipated coaster; Juvelen. This Intamin quadbike coaster with its Mexican themed station had a few Chiapas VIBES to it, particularly with the disco statue launch sequence. Having heard generally positive thoughts on Juevelen, the first half disappointed a little, meandering through the landscaping with little to no substance or standout moments. Hitting the second launch however felt like an entirely different ride, as the thrill sensation was dialled up significantly. A meandering family coaster suddenly became a solid family thrill coaster, with great transitions and pacing. The only downside was the somewhat uncomfortable seating position, with difficult to cross trains. Y'know, the general old school Intamin issues.



We were also able to mop up the two kiddie credits; Vilde Hønsejagt and Jungle Rally. Vilde featured a fox seemingly performing an unspeakable anal act to a chicken mounted to the front of the train, and was a standard run of the mill Zierer Force Two model. The ride host was incredibly enthusiastic, her voice breaking as she bellowed Old Macdonald had a farm every time the train passed through the station. Jungle Rally was a pleasantly themed Zierer Force Zero model, but with jarring transitions throughout that made for an uncomfortable ride. A tick box exercise nonetheless to get the credits.

Another anticipated ride was DrageKongen, the Intamin suspended coaster. The theming for the most part is excellent, but there are just a few spots of bland nothingness, particularly from the launch out of the station and to the lift hill. With that said, this is certainly one of my favourite family thrill coasters, packing a great punch with the launch and carrying itself well through the layout. Certainly a proffered coaster to the typical Vekoma SFC layout.



The final credit to tick off was the Mack water coaster; Skatteøen. From the moment we arrived, the ride seemed set to be closed all day, and we accepted it as a spited credit. As we had our lunch at around 2:30pm (more on that shortly), work seemed to be underway in order to get the ride open. With just over 2 and a half hours to ride close later, we spotted the ride boats going around and hurried over, successfully being on one of the first boats and avoiding the half hour queue from then on. The ride itself is nothing to shout home about, I'll admit. Essentially a pre-drop into a spiral down to the splash down. Given the hot weather we had, the spray was pleasant enough yet not overwhelming to be considered unacceptable wetness. I'm glad we didn't end up queuing longer than the walk on we had for it, but hats off to the park for getting it open even if only for a couple of hours.



Whilst we never queued anything reliatically over 35 minutes, the sheer number of attractions combined with taking over an hour for lunch meant the number of other rides aside from the coasters had to be limited. We regrettably missed out on the Rapids, more so due to forgetting they were there after passing them on the way to the Mack powered. We did, however, manage to get on the log flume which the queue was out of the entrance for. Despite this, it was only a 20 minute wait for a three drop ride which delivered an acceptable level of wetness; drying off made easy by the heat.

Nearby we were also able to experience Tigeren, the gyro swing. It's been a good few years since I've been on one now, and it was great to reconnect with my love for them. The queue itself was decently themed, as was the batching area prior to boarding. I'd have loved another go on this, but time was of the essence.



There was so much more we wanted to do at Djurs, and it could have done with being open an extra hour anyway given the crowd levels. The sheer number of available rides and attractions meant no queue reached over half an hour, but it was still impossible to have been able to truly experience everything the park had to offer.

When it came to refuelling with food, Djurs offer a "grillpakker" option on booking your entry ticket; a self grill barbecue pack with various different meats you can cook yourself on the parks variety of grills. There is a kids option and an adults option, with a steak costing an extra 20dkr. The value for money here was great, but the experience in trying to acquire our food less so. The instructions for collection weren't made clear, so we found ourselves wandering for a good 20 minutes from place to place asking the staff. After finding the right spot, the staff didn't appear to have our orders. Regardless, we were seen to by a wonderful lady who ran around the park like a headless chicken to collate our range of deceased animals for the grill, and gave us a free fizzy drink whilst we waited.

The grills are mainly used by families who bring in their own food (which the park encourage, and in doing so keeps the queues at food outlets minimal). The grills are self serve, and mainly attended by the typical barbecue dads in their masses. Barbecuing a range of pork chops, sausages and steaks in the heart of a theme park certainly felt like a unique experience, and we had no difficulty finding somewhere to eat it due to the masses of seating options. They also provide reusable picnic table clothes as part of the package, meaning no having to worry about food being placed on grubby tables.

Djurs was a joy to visit, and I would absolutely return in a heartbeat. It is one of the most upbeat, pleasant all round parks I've ever visited. It is ideal for families, with so many different things for kids to see and do.



There's plenty of places for adults to relax in the sun or shade, and the huge number of rides and the sheer expanse of the park means that even when busy, it can easily cope. The staff, many in their themed uniforms, smiling and taking pride in their work. This is not a park for anal throughput whores, as staff focus on guest interaction rather than cramming as many through a ride each hour as possible.

At the end of the day, rather than rushing home to get changed for a piss up in their respective towns, the staff gather together with litter pickers, brooms and dustpans, and can be seen smiling and talking with one another as they go about making the park presentable for the next day; cheerily bidding farewell to guests or guiding them to the exit.



Djurs has won a place in my heart and is certainly one of the best theme parks I've visited. Should there come a day where I find myself raising a family, a trip to Denmark will be absolutely inevitable so I can experience the park through the eyes of its true target audience.

Whilst the park lacks any form of inverting coasters or proper balls to the wall material, Piraten is well worth the trip alone. Another thrill coaster to accompany this would be ideal, but a lack of one isn't something to berate the park for.

We had a brief few exchanges with some American/German enthusiasts after catching eye contact from my Kings Dominion and their Iron Gwazi t-shirts, and they seemed to share many of the same sentiments of Djurs. It truly is the park for anyone and everyone to visit. I implore you to visit and be delighted.

 

[JAperson]

It looks, from your pictures, like an incredibly well maintained and colourful park. seems to have some good rides too. Definitely somewhere I've got to add to the bucket list.

 

[Danny]

Having been captivated in every sense the day prior at Djurs, Farup Sommerland had a lot to contend with. Matched in the amount of credits but with the premise of rainy spells throughout the day, we expected our visit to be somewhat more leisurely when it came to mopping up the rides.

Having stayed in the nearby town of Brondesleven the night before, the park was an easy drive through Northern Denmark's singular terrain of vast open fields. The sign of forests was the first indicator that we were nearing until one very particular roller coaster appeared on the skyline.

Farup is unlike any ever park I've been to before when it comes to entry. Queues of both vehicles and pedestrians tailed from the toll booths before gaining entry to the car park and in turn, the theme park. The key here as we painfully discovered is not to join a queue with the least amount of vehicles in it, but a queue with the least amount of people in the vehicles. Tickets are checked and scanned at these toll booths before you are then admitted to the car park. The entrance plaza to the park itself has no turnstiles, and you simply stroll in.



The atmosphere is very different to Djurs, with Farup's many secrets tucked away into the well-maintained woodland that surrounds and flows through the park. We knew exactly where we were heading first in the event of any technical issues or long queues later in the day.

Fonix is right at the back of the Eastern spoke to the park from the entrance. It remains well hidden until arriving in its ride plaza, littered with many vantage points from which to observe its nature colour scheme. The queue line building and surrounding structures, including the ascent up into the station from the queue line have a whiff of Wodan about them, further enforced by trains whizzing through a roll directly above guests waiting to load.

To answer the question I asked at the start of this trip report; can/will Vekoma ever replicate the success of Lech in Europe?

Fonix is a great ride, make no mistake about it. Is it on par with Lech or even a sensational ride, however? No. No it isn't.



The first drop is similar to Lech in that you spend the duration of it out of your seat, but without the whippy side transition. Instead, Fonix glides you into the inverted top hat with gratifying hang time before turning you back on yourself down to the ground. The rolls (both external and through the station) are whippy and forceful, but nowhere near to matching Lech's intensity. The double down is fun but not as air-time packed as it should be. The ride burns through its pace not too quickly but doesn't leave you feeling breathless on the brake run either. As to be expected with the newer gen Vekomas, it's as smooth as silk boasting the perfect mix of snappy transitions, great inversions and some excellent hang time. The air time does leave a small margin to be desired with the ride as a whole, but considering the coaster as an all-around package, it's a fantastic coaster.



We rode 7 times throughout the day, 3 of which at the end of the day courtesy of the pleasant and conversational ride op/host (the same two chaps throughout the day) without getting off.

Fonix is very much a front row ride as it is a back row ride. The middle seats aren't dreaded cheap seats either due to the train's 16 rider capacity, giving you a consistent ride regardless of seat. Sadly the ride doesn't overly warm-up, meaning a first start in the morning ride through to a 6 pm triple ride hat trick doesn't feel too dissimilar.

Obviously, I can't compare with Abyssus, but @Panda can and affirmed her views that Fonix trumps the relatively new Polish effort.

It's a solid coaster that bubbles somewhere in my top 50, and thankfully had a great support credit in Piraten over at Djurs justify the trip to Denmark in the first place.



Not too far from Fonix are the park's junior credits; Mine Expressen and Saven (the family boomerang). The former was surprisingly punchy and definitely one of the better types of its model, whilst Svatten was relatively straightforward with no complexities in its layout. The last two family boomers I've ridden (Phantasia and Tripsdrill) have both left me feeling somewhat nauseous after riding the reverse portion, but thankfully Saven didn't explore this feeling.



The next credit to hit on the list was Lynet, the launched Gerst. Only a 5-minute queue to tick this off, with a delightfully punchy launch that Gerst just seems to be able to do so well on these types of coasters. Certainly, it's no Novgorod, particularly during the latter half of the layout which is littered with spots of minor headbanging in true older Gerst style. Given it's been 6 years since I last rode Anubis, I look forward to being able to properly compare these two come August.



The next credit, Flagermusen unwelcomingly invited a turn of the tables to a so far pleasant day at Farup. Not only does it stick out from the rest of the park (the clunky, clattering layout in a chunk of clearing), it also highlights a clear division in Farup's guests from Djurs. Whilst both staff and guests at Djurs appear proud and take care of this park, Farup's guests and staff evidently don't have too much of a hoot about the park's presentation. Flagermusen was a particular example, with Snapchat codes, Instagram handles and profanity littering the queue line fences, with some trees and posts decked to the brim in used chewing gum.



To make matters worse, this is no ordinary Reverchon spinning wild mouse coaster. It certainly lives up to the name spinning, as the rotations surpassed any level of entertaining and fun. It generated a level of nauseous between the two of us that saw us down and out for the count on a table for a good ten minutes, and also lingered for a considerable few hours afterwards. Unpleasant to look at, unpleasant to queue for, and unpleasant to ride. The sooner it is torn down and replaced with a much more charming coaster the better.

Having ticked off the credits on the forested side of the park, we headed over to the opposite side which is dominated more by lakes and water parks than trees. The park's smallest cred, Pindsvinet, can be found just before the forest subsides. A tiny three-lap Zamperla credit which is far rougher than it ought to be. No thanks.

In addition, there are two other credits to be found here right by the lake which is overlooked by the park's rather pretty looking hotel. Hotel guests are actually able to wander through the park at night out of hours, in addition to getting ERT. We did consider a night here, but given the budget-conscious nature we wanted to apply this trip, we sadly had to forgo it. In addition to the lake that the hotel overlooks, are Falken and Orckanen; the park's S&S woodie and Vekoma SFC.

The American enthusiasts we had met the day before at Djurs had alluded to Falken "having some pops of Phoenix moments", alluding to the legendary wooden coaster at Knoebels. I'm not sure how they'd smuggled crack into the park the day before, but it certainly must have been strong stuff to form this review.

Falken had an advertised wait of 5-10 minutes, which became more like 30 minutes; 20 of which were spent by the air gates. I've no idea why, but on one train operation, the single operator decided that guests should have the ability to re-ride without getting off the train should they wish. This means that the throughput, which would already be painful enough with one single train in operation, is halved even further. Not wanting to queue again for it later in the day on this basis, we took our two laps of the ride and left.

Falken is just generally OK. It's nothing to rave about; a bit rough around the edges but not unbearable. It has the occasional pop of fun over one or two of the hills, but nothing that makes it a standout coaster or even remotely memorable.



Orkanen on the other hand was much better. The queue was also advertised in a similar 5-10 minute wait range on one train, again giving guests wanting a re-ride a second lap without having to get off. Thankfully the shorter ride duration and having both an operator and host ensured that this wasn't a misery to wait for, in addition to the ride having a few standout moments, particularly just as it comes off the lake and the final section leading to the brake run. It's certainly one of the better SFCs I've been on.

With all 8 credits ticked off in under 3 hours, we were in for a much leisurely rest of the day at the park. The weather was not on our side for the majority of the afternoon, with rain showers detracting from the vibrant sun rays of our days prior at Legoland and Djurs. However, we were still able to lap up our numerous Fonix re-rides, a couple of goes on the park's train, and sample the number of boating attractions across the park.

With so many different water bodies, Farup has a range of different boat methods to enjoy. From row boats and canoes, and powered boats to two and four-seater pedalos. We ticked off the powered boats by Fonix as well as the two different types of pedalo boats; one by the water park and the other more in the centre of the park. There are no life jackets nor staff supervision here, so entering/exiting and tying on/off are incredibly perilous, with @Panda taking great delight at almost having me drop into a lake when attempting to tie back on from our last pedalo ride. Regardless, the number of water-based rides here are a pleasant (but not relaxing, plenty of effort is required to get them going) alternative to spend your day.

We also tackled the park's log flume and rapids. The rapids are easily some of the spinniest I've ever encountered, with acceptable levels of wetness on both attractions. The final drop on the flume is rather jarring, however, sending me from the back of the boat straight into the back of @Panda who was sat in the front.



On the recommendation of the Americans at Djurs, we opted to dine at Oasen; a relatively new 'social dining' experience at the park. I was expecting something along the lines of Mackie Mayor / Picturedrome / Altrincham Markets concept based on this description from back home, but instead we were treated to quite a neat little system.

You can order a number of smaller slider dishes which equate to around £4 - £5 each, with a huge range of items available including gluten-free and vegan options.



Orders are placed for your table via an app, with each guest selecting an animal to correspond to their respective orders. We were amongst the last to eat and left as they were closing up, meaning it was relatively quiet inside for a pleasant atmosphere. The staff were friendly and attentive, and the food was great given the portion sizes and pricing. I would highly recommend it.

Farup was the closing note of our theme park trilogy aspect to this trip. The weather drove most people out an hour or two before ride close, leaving the park feeling a little sombre in the wet conditions as 6 pm rolled around. With the music switched off and staff heading home as the techies drove about in their golf cart, it didn't feel as cheery as our exit from Djurs the day previously. There are plenty of similarities between Farup and Djurs. The range of different types of attractions to appeal to guests of all ages. The sheer range of grills available for guests to bring their own food and enjoy a barbecue in the hot weather. The green spaces. The play areas.

Where Farup has an advantage over Djurs is for the thrill-seekers. Whilst not by a heavy margin, Farup actually has inversions on offer courtesy of Lynet and Fonix. It has a hotel, with picturesque views to boot. A bizarre entry system that makes queuing a pain, yet entry from the car relatively easy. It has beautiful woodland with plenty of shade to protect from the sun, and the numerous boating offerings with no up charge is great.

Yet, despite this, I'd rather return to Djurs.

Djurs benefits from staff in themed uniforms that are much more uplifting and clearly happier to be there. It has the better overall lineup of coasters, and there is just a tad few more things to do for the whole family. It's cleaner and better presented.

I won't be rushing back to either of them any time soon, nor Legoland Billund (which it was equally great to finally experience).

However, whilst this trip was to ostensibly ride Fonix, I am grateful that I was finally able to tick off these parks after eight years of wanting to go. Would I recommend them? Absolutely. Flying into Billund and getting a hire car to tick off all three, with the possibility of bolting on Copenhagen afterwards (which we did not do this time round) was much easier than I had anticipated.

Whilst finding quality hotels on a budget is few and far between, it gives you the chance to find some options you'd never normally experience. We stayed in an old 1800s farmhouse the night before Djurs, with picturesque views of the meadows both at sunset and in the morning. Our last night in Billund was also spent in a converted farmhouse which was equally beautiful if inconvenient due to the shared bathroom situation as a result of refurbishment works.

The final day was spent visiting the LEGO House back in Billund, which I may write a full review of if I can find a spare moment. We also snuck one last ride in on Polar Explorer in Legoland moments before ride close that day, a concept that prior to this trip would have seemed baffling.

Alas, it was great to finally visit Denmark and tick off this wonderful trio of parks, and the unsuspecting delights they hold to the uninitiated.

 

[Rob]

Thanks for these reports @Danny, sounds like a great little trip! I'm rather keen to try and get out to Denmark at some point and experience these parks. The food at that place you went to at Farup looks excellent!

 

[Poisson]

This was a great read. Sadly it means I'm now most of the way through planning a similar trip for later this year (with the addition of Tivoli Friheden for an extra +4)

Regarding comparisons to Abyssus, imagine a slightly better Icon and you're most of the way there.

 

[Enter Valhalla]

Why on earth were the operators on Orkanen and Falken allowing people to re-ride when there were people waiting in the gates?!!

That makes zero sense. I’ve been to Fårup a few times and never seen that happen here, or at any other theme park anywhere in the world for that matter. The mind boggles.

 

[Danny]

Not sure, I've heard it's happened to multiple people who have been this year.

The only positive is that at least it applied to everyone, but I'd much rather have had the one lap and smaller queue on Falken. This was bizarre given there was just one elderly gentleman operating and hosting by himself. At least Orkanen had two staff members (plus supersoakers...)

 

[Enter Valhalla]

Speaking of staffing, when you were at Djurs, did you go on the Depth Charge style four lane water slide, which is completely unsupervised, and you not only get your boats yourself, you also operate yourself? I’ve never seen one of these types of rides unstaffed before, but weirdly it actually seemed to work.

 

[Danny]

I don't recall seeing it, so we didn't give it a go sadly. It does seem however that both Djurs and Farup rely on their guests having common sense, given the lack of supervision when it comes to the boating attractions.

For comparison, we opted to take a row boat out on the lake at Legendia four years ago. We were given a safety brief, life jackets, and had to hand our passports over as a deposit. Djurs and Farup? Hop on in and have a whale of a time! Just be mindful of the rope pull bridges which share the same lake at Farup, leading through to a huge island play area.