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Kolmården: General Discussion
- Thread starter Sam
- Start date
Nick
TS Member
I mean, it'll be perhaps the best coaster in the world when it opens based on that POV. Incredibly well-paced, air-time that is not only frequent but varied, great inversions (that barrel roll especially looks absolutely insane), the terrain interaction, overbanks and high G's galore. Basically a perfect layout. A work of genius.
Rob
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
I was over in Europe when I heard about the first train being dropped and was somewhat shocked! The last I'd seen of Wildfire only a few days earier was that the track had not been completed. The turnaround time from track completion to testing is quite remarkable but this has been seen before on some Six Flags RMCs.
It looks stunning though, I'd imagine this is going to be one of the best coasters in Europe. Now I just need to try and ride it!
It looks stunning though, I'd imagine this is going to be one of the best coasters in Europe. Now I just need to try and ride it!
Rob
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
Unfortunately Wildfire has not opened today as planned. RMC notified Kolmarden of a possible defect with the trains and they don't anticipate it to open for another 3-5 days at least:
A shame but seeing as the first test run was just over a week ago it can't come as a massive surprise that there has been an issue.
Kolmarden said:
A shame but seeing as the first test run was just over a week ago it can't come as a massive surprise that there has been an issue.
Danny
TS Contributor
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
So I got to ride Wildfire today, something I'd been looking forward to do immensely. I tried the same tactic I've deployed to more and more new rides I've experienced recently, to go in with low expectations and see where it takes me. Sadly, this didn't pay off for Wildfire.
It's a great ride in every sense, but it isn't as mindblowing as some might hope. Its location sat atop a rocky hill which in turn has stunning views of the neighbouring lake is the pinnacle of the ride, with the astonishing views atop the lift hill and particularly the first drop struggling to find a significant rival to top it.
The ride on the whole is almost glass smooth, with the occasional punch thrown in as the ride picks up speed later in the day, particularly through the corners. How RMC are able to profile the inversions so perfectly is a mysterious art form, one that belongs in a prestigious gallery amongst the greats.
I'll admit I was apprehensive at the first inversion, boasting so much hang time with just a lap bar. The sensation is astonishing, and arguably one of the main highlights of the ride. There's a perfect combination of relentless speed and varied elements throughout the first half, with headchoppers galore in the wooden structure and the surrounding rock faces enhancing the speed.
Then there's the second half, where the ride fizzles out as quickly as a firework fuse. Sadly however, there's no colourful explosion of delight and awe as the train arrives back at the brake run. For me, it had crushed the first and stunning half of the ride and had ultimately tarnished the whole package. No bow tie to wrap it up or a need to gasp for breath after an adrenalin fuelled trip around the hillside. There's a feeling of desperation as the train struggles over what had the potential to be a delightful airtime hill, before meandering back to the station in a bland series of swept turns. It's a huge shame.
The ride is a solid yet confusing investment for the park, however they are perhaps being too optimistic of its effect. The extended queue line is ridiculously long, particularly when the zoo was busy today yet the ride never exceeded a 20 minute queue. It's the elephant in the room, stacked up against a plethora of family friendly fun rides that make its scope of thrills not entirely necessary. Perhaps once further ride additions have been made to the zoo (hopefully a water ride or two) then it will suit the surroundings more.
Undoubtedly Wildfire was the primary reason for our visit to Kolmarden, however the zoo itself blew us away. The place is colossal in size and picturesque in beauty. The copious amount of hills make for a tedious trek to and from rides/exhibits, but they each offer stunning views into the surrounding areas or a glorious view of the nearby bay. The animal enclosures are surprinsgly large, and make Chester Zoo's look minuscule. And to top it all off, there's a ridiculously long 20 minute sky ride attraction that passes over plenty of the enclosures.
I'd love to return to Kolmarden and to ride Wildfire once again after a season or two of it settling in, and hopefully with a few additions to the ride line up. A very pleasant zoo with a very bright future.
It's a great ride in every sense, but it isn't as mindblowing as some might hope. Its location sat atop a rocky hill which in turn has stunning views of the neighbouring lake is the pinnacle of the ride, with the astonishing views atop the lift hill and particularly the first drop struggling to find a significant rival to top it.
The ride on the whole is almost glass smooth, with the occasional punch thrown in as the ride picks up speed later in the day, particularly through the corners. How RMC are able to profile the inversions so perfectly is a mysterious art form, one that belongs in a prestigious gallery amongst the greats.
I'll admit I was apprehensive at the first inversion, boasting so much hang time with just a lap bar. The sensation is astonishing, and arguably one of the main highlights of the ride. There's a perfect combination of relentless speed and varied elements throughout the first half, with headchoppers galore in the wooden structure and the surrounding rock faces enhancing the speed.
Then there's the second half, where the ride fizzles out as quickly as a firework fuse. Sadly however, there's no colourful explosion of delight and awe as the train arrives back at the brake run. For me, it had crushed the first and stunning half of the ride and had ultimately tarnished the whole package. No bow tie to wrap it up or a need to gasp for breath after an adrenalin fuelled trip around the hillside. There's a feeling of desperation as the train struggles over what had the potential to be a delightful airtime hill, before meandering back to the station in a bland series of swept turns. It's a huge shame.
The ride is a solid yet confusing investment for the park, however they are perhaps being too optimistic of its effect. The extended queue line is ridiculously long, particularly when the zoo was busy today yet the ride never exceeded a 20 minute queue. It's the elephant in the room, stacked up against a plethora of family friendly fun rides that make its scope of thrills not entirely necessary. Perhaps once further ride additions have been made to the zoo (hopefully a water ride or two) then it will suit the surroundings more.
Undoubtedly Wildfire was the primary reason for our visit to Kolmarden, however the zoo itself blew us away. The place is colossal in size and picturesque in beauty. The copious amount of hills make for a tedious trek to and from rides/exhibits, but they each offer stunning views into the surrounding areas or a glorious view of the nearby bay. The animal enclosures are surprinsgly large, and make Chester Zoo's look minuscule. And to top it all off, there's a ridiculously long 20 minute sky ride attraction that passes over plenty of the enclosures.
I'd love to return to Kolmarden and to ride Wildfire once again after a season or two of it settling in, and hopefully with a few additions to the ride line up. A very pleasant zoo with a very bright future.
Ted
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Kondaa
I really enjoyed Wildfire. Although admittedly I had high expectations for it and it didn't quite meet them. It's still a superb ride, the drop and the first two inversions are incredible, although towards the end it reminded me of the tool you use in RCT to complete coasters
Kolmarden is a lovely zoo. A great variety of animals and I loved the cable car safari. That's said it's very hilly so if anyone is planning to go, then prepare yourself
Oh and by the way when you ride Wildfire, you will get an amazing view of the lake when looking to the left on the lifthill.
Kolmarden is a lovely zoo. A great variety of animals and I loved the cable car safari. That's said it's very hilly so if anyone is planning to go, then prepare yourself
Oh and by the way when you ride Wildfire, you will get an amazing view of the lake when looking to the left on the lifthill.
Sm1lingAdvocate
TS Member
Rode it the other day, it's insane! Comes in at number 2 as I write this, just behind Helix. I can't quite decide which I prefer. Also, a few people from RMC and Vekoma were there all day, in the station and outside, with the green train outside in pieces, and the chassis inside. Anyone know anything about this, it was definitely running earlier in the season.
Lottie.
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Zadra, Energylandia
Okay, apologies for the double post but I thought I would give my review on Kolmården and the main attraction, Wildfire.
First off, the park itself is definitely unique in its surroundings and has a vast array of hills. Yep, there are a lot of steep hills that vaguely remind me of when me and Rob were in Gothenburg two years ago, and the amount of hills we had to walk when doing some sightseeing then! Prepare your legs for lots of walking and lungs for lots of panting. I'm not the fittest person in the world and those hills were very hard to walk up.
The zoo has a lot of variety of animals, including bears, red pandas, rhinos, wolves, elephants, Tigers, snow leopards. Lots of animals to see! The best highlight was seeing baby bears and the snow leopards! The enclosures are huge and with the surrounding woodland, it made it a perfect blend for a Zoo. One of the best zoos I have visited!
Thankfully, the weather was on our side too which meant glorious sunshine to enjoy the Zoo and of course, explore the rides. What fascinated me the most was how you cannot see Wildfire until you reach the Safari cable car experience area. Now I'll start by reviewing the safari before going on to Wildfire. This experience was brilliant. It may last 30 minutes but it is the best way to see how big the enclosures are for the animals as well as get a Birdseye view too.
In this Safari area, you board a gondola and take a trip above the treetops. You get good views of Wildfire above the treetops! There are bears, Savannah animals including ostriches, zebras, giraffes, goats, antelopes, all sorts. There are also lions including baby lion cubs which are adorable, moose and bison. It was an incredible experience and I was amazed at how quiet the cable cars are when travelling over the enclosures. It was perfect for the animals, even with the small sections of narration in the gondala car. You can tell where there used to be a drive through safari however they have gone for the cable car idea after the park suffered from a death with the drive through safari - a guest wanted to stroke a lion cub and you'll probably be able to tell what happens next!
Now, on to the reason why many of us are travelling to Kolmården this year. Wildfire rode and looked beautiful. I have never done an RMC woodie before so I was looking forward to seeing how this would ride. I was not disappointed. As you walk down the incredibly steep hill, Wildfire is to your right and already, I just wanted to get myself on the ride. We went on Friday when we arrived in Sweden, it was a very quiet day which led to many re-rides. The queueline takes you under the first corner before the lift hill, up a couple of flights of steps before you enter the station. Essentially it is like a sawmill shack. There were pulley systems which added to the theming of the station building. I was impressed and excitement was brewing as I walked through the turnstiles into the station. Of course, I headed for front row!
The ride experience was brilliant. It was very fun and at points relentless. My favourite part of the ride was the first element (not too sure on the name!) where you enter a zero-g that essentially leaves you hanging upside down until you roll out of the element. Now, I'm not a huge fan of hang time and was expecting this for this element. I can't really describe the sensation, it was like getting a small bout of airtime and floatiness before leaving the element. No hang time what so ever!
It was a brilliant ride and I am looking forward to riding some more RMCs when I eventually get myself to America (not Florida!). Needless to say I was impressed, the way the ride is a huge mass of track built on top of a mountain, well done RMC and Kolmården!
I would definitely make a return visit to the park. I've done 2 days on the park and I want to go back! There is also a Tropicarium opposite the park, it is a small but worth the visit if to explore the little areas where you can get up close and personal with Pygmy marmosets. This is not included with the park entry but at 120KR, you can't go wrong with spending an hour or so here.
Where do I rank Wildfire... It's very close but it's my number one, beating EGF for the spot. If you can, definitely visit Kolmården for both the Zoo and Wildfire. It will not disappoint.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
First off, the park itself is definitely unique in its surroundings and has a vast array of hills. Yep, there are a lot of steep hills that vaguely remind me of when me and Rob were in Gothenburg two years ago, and the amount of hills we had to walk when doing some sightseeing then! Prepare your legs for lots of walking and lungs for lots of panting. I'm not the fittest person in the world and those hills were very hard to walk up.
The zoo has a lot of variety of animals, including bears, red pandas, rhinos, wolves, elephants, Tigers, snow leopards. Lots of animals to see! The best highlight was seeing baby bears and the snow leopards! The enclosures are huge and with the surrounding woodland, it made it a perfect blend for a Zoo. One of the best zoos I have visited!
Thankfully, the weather was on our side too which meant glorious sunshine to enjoy the Zoo and of course, explore the rides. What fascinated me the most was how you cannot see Wildfire until you reach the Safari cable car experience area. Now I'll start by reviewing the safari before going on to Wildfire. This experience was brilliant. It may last 30 minutes but it is the best way to see how big the enclosures are for the animals as well as get a Birdseye view too.
In this Safari area, you board a gondola and take a trip above the treetops. You get good views of Wildfire above the treetops! There are bears, Savannah animals including ostriches, zebras, giraffes, goats, antelopes, all sorts. There are also lions including baby lion cubs which are adorable, moose and bison. It was an incredible experience and I was amazed at how quiet the cable cars are when travelling over the enclosures. It was perfect for the animals, even with the small sections of narration in the gondala car. You can tell where there used to be a drive through safari however they have gone for the cable car idea after the park suffered from a death with the drive through safari - a guest wanted to stroke a lion cub and you'll probably be able to tell what happens next!
Now, on to the reason why many of us are travelling to Kolmården this year. Wildfire rode and looked beautiful. I have never done an RMC woodie before so I was looking forward to seeing how this would ride. I was not disappointed. As you walk down the incredibly steep hill, Wildfire is to your right and already, I just wanted to get myself on the ride. We went on Friday when we arrived in Sweden, it was a very quiet day which led to many re-rides. The queueline takes you under the first corner before the lift hill, up a couple of flights of steps before you enter the station. Essentially it is like a sawmill shack. There were pulley systems which added to the theming of the station building. I was impressed and excitement was brewing as I walked through the turnstiles into the station. Of course, I headed for front row!
The ride experience was brilliant. It was very fun and at points relentless. My favourite part of the ride was the first element (not too sure on the name!) where you enter a zero-g that essentially leaves you hanging upside down until you roll out of the element. Now, I'm not a huge fan of hang time and was expecting this for this element. I can't really describe the sensation, it was like getting a small bout of airtime and floatiness before leaving the element. No hang time what so ever!
It was a brilliant ride and I am looking forward to riding some more RMCs when I eventually get myself to America (not Florida!). Needless to say I was impressed, the way the ride is a huge mass of track built on top of a mountain, well done RMC and Kolmården!
I would definitely make a return visit to the park. I've done 2 days on the park and I want to go back! There is also a Tropicarium opposite the park, it is a small but worth the visit if to explore the little areas where you can get up close and personal with Pygmy marmosets. This is not included with the park entry but at 120KR, you can't go wrong with spending an hour or so here.
Where do I rank Wildfire... It's very close but it's my number one, beating EGF for the spot. If you can, definitely visit Kolmården for both the Zoo and Wildfire. It will not disappoint.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
http://ekuriren.se/nyheter/sormland...na-wildfire-upphavs-hoppades-pa-annat-besked-
I really wanted to ride wildfire at some point
I really wanted to ride wildfire at some point
Sm1lingAdvocate
TS Member
Drayton Manor are buying Wildfire on the cheap
Rob
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
Well this is a real bummer, I doubt it will get to this point but Kolmarden may be forced to remove the ride. However I have seen it pointed out that Kolmarden is owned by Parks & Resorts Scandinavia who bring a lot of tourism to the country, so the authorities may not want to annoy them too much.
I thought all these issues had been sorted so it's saddening to see them brought up again. Hopefully guest figures are up significantly this year as that would give Kolmarden a good starting point as to why Wildfire is so important for the park and the area.
I thought all these issues had been sorted so it's saddening to see them brought up again. Hopefully guest figures are up significantly this year as that would give Kolmarden a good starting point as to why Wildfire is so important for the park and the area.
