Heide Park

[Benzin]

I think as well a few of the near misses come with missing supports/track, rather than thematic ones....

 

[BigAl]

A slightly better on-ride video (forward and backwards POVs), as well as some off-ride footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qnKedKTggg#ws


So the "near" misses are a bridge, the shop and three supports. It's looking slightly faster in that video too, but it seems to have one speed for passing through inversions; 'sleep-inducingly' slow. The featured queueline in the video looks good and makes me wonder why Merlin gets it so wrong elsewhere (hint hint)? Still probably the best Wing Coaster layout so far, though Gardaland's still wins beats everything for theming and interaction.

 

[AstroDan]

The queue line is mainly the old Log Flume queue line before you start thinking they'd built it for this ride.

Not particularly impressed. It's just another churned out Wing Coaster by Merlin. I'm glad Alton avoided it and got something unique/different.

 

[BigAl]

The queue line is mainly the old Log Flume queue line before you start thinking they'd built it for this ride.

Ah, well... never mind then...

 

[Sam]

My good friend Kian (achoo!) Kronvang has pointed me towards a review he's written of the new coaster.

Heide Park opened their 9th roller coaster for the public this morning and I was there to witness the glory...

To be clear, this only covers the new B&M Wing Coaster and not the entire park.
- Los gehts!

After having closely followed the construction of this, certain excitement had been building up to this day.
At about 10 in the morning we entered the park and walked straight to the star of the day, an idea that most other park guests seemed to have.

We joined the queue, which was rather well themed, infact the whole area is nicely done and landscaped, but it's still graced with a good old cattlepen.
We waited in line for almost two hours before we made it inside the station and were finally dispathed into B&M's latest Wing Coaster design...

Exitting the rather steep lift-hill we immediately hit the first drop, not bad, over the airtime hill, (which included airtime) under a bulding and up into an immelmann. That first part is great, intense and fun! - But that's about it. The rest of the ride is forgettable and disappointing and I wish I could tell you why exactly, but it just kinda 'dies' after those first couple of elements. It's my first B&M Wing Coaster and I was aware that these had a tendency to be a little less smooth than the usual coasters from the Swiss company, but this was worse than expected as well. Add to that the awful pacing of these models and you have Heide Park's newest roller coaster.
We did ride it later in the day, but it maintained my disappointing opinion. - It's annoyingly photogenic though.

Apart from a bad start, we had a good day at the park, especially thanks to Colossos, Desert Race and Krake!

Confirms what we all suspected!

 

[BigAl]

So long as it has the "killer image" ( : ) to reel you in, the on-ride part doesn't seem to matter with these things.

 

[Dave]

I just don't think the concept makes for a particularly good ride. I find Swarm decidedly dull and forceless after the first drop and that's meant to be one of the better examples from a purely ride perspective.

I would like to see a wing-rider come along and prove that wrong but i'm not holding my breath.

 

[CoasterCrazyChris]

The queue line is mainly the old Log Flume queue line before you start thinking they'd built it for this ride.

Ah, well... never mind then...

And there was me thinking that Merlin had built that indoor section.

Of course not. They are not capable of such quality.

 

[John]

I wish Merlin would stop building such bland B&Ms. If they're not willing to cough up for a decent one I'd rather they went for a more complete coaster from a cheaper manufacturer. Heide now has two mediocre B&Ms, and it looks like Gardaland will follow soon.

 

[AstroDan]

At least Raptor makes the most of landscaping and near misses though.

This doesn't.

And Krake is rubbish. Although I guess it will be somewhat better than when I rode pre-tunnel in 2011.

 

[Benzin]

Poor Krake

Also Raptor is the prime example of a well designed Wing Rider...

What do people expect of this ride type by the way? As Baco shows high speeds and corners are particularly suited to the seat configuration, so what can be done to make the rides 'better'?

 

[AstroDan]

Poor Krake

Also Raptor is the prime example of a well designed Wing Rider...

What do people expect of this ride type by the way? As Baco shows high speeds and corners are particularly suited to the seat configuration, so what can be done to make the rides 'better'?

They simply have to be intensely themed / near misses.

Without these, they're just fairly dull inverting rollercoasters.

 

[Rollercoasters4Life]

What do people expect of this ride type by the way? As Baco shows high speeds and corners are particularly suited to the seat configuration, so what can be done to make the rides 'better'?

I think Baco's punishment is down to the trains and their configuration. Would love to have B&M wing rider trains on Baco just for arguments sake to see how it rides. I would personally think it would be a smooth ride.

Would love to see a B&M launched wing rider, that would definitely spice things up a little. Didn't B&M mention that they would do launches now if they were asked? Or something along those lines.

SW8 - B&M launched 4D wingrider, you've hear it here first!

 

[Laura]

I'm really disappointed by these reviews. I may like the wing-rider formula but as has been said, without the themeing and near-misses they're a bit pointless as you don't get the sense of progression/distance/movement/fear/can't think of the word.
An inversion at speed is intense regardless of what you're inverting over. A slow inversion doesn't mean anything unless you're inverting over something interesting, like a crashed aircraft or bubbling pit of lava. Like a child's rope-bridge with a sandpit underneath rather than a muddy bog, you have no incentive to try to stay on.

 

[Paradox]

Yeah, the reviews are disappointing, but I'm still looking forward to returning in a couple of weeks for the first time in 5 years.

Mediocre or not two new B&Ms are two new B&Ms.

Besides, there's always the multitude of massive slides!!

 

[AstroDan]

A lot of the slides were closed off in 2011 - entrances were covered with large bits of wood.

Europa-Park's slides tbh.

 

[Rob]

Merlin are really pushing the throughputs at Heide Park...

 

[AstroDan]

Corky!

<3

 

[Rocket]

IMA score have posted on their FB that they will be releasing a Heide Park soundtrack CD I'm guessing it will include tracks such as Flug and Krake

 

[djtruefitt]

They have said it will include Krake audio including area, ride, etc.

I still find it strange that Merlin don't release any music for their UK parks, if they do for their parks abroad. There surely must be some demand for it from geeks!