Phantasialand 2014: Chiapas

[Sammy]

Re: Phantasialand

Considering that their old flume actually grounded on the bottom of the trough and stopped dead when I went on it, I'd say this is still an improvement.

Considering this one has the ability to stack at the bottom of a drop, I wouldn't be so sure!!

Seriously though, this whole thing is a little bit of a joke, I know this is Intamin we are talking about, but come on, how could they get it so wrong! Especially considering water rides are normally one of the things they do quite well relatively speaking! I love that fact that you watch that video and the un-weighted boat hits that water and pretty much stops dead!

Lets just hope that it doesn't take too much work to rectify the problem, cause it's certainly not going to be easy to get new tracks in now that it's all themed!

I certainly can't see PL buying from Intamin again any time soon anyway!

 

[Alastair]

Re: Phantasialand

Especially considering water rides are normally one of the things they do quite well relatively speaking!

Well...if relatively speaking means oppositely speaking then you would be correct

 

[Ian]

Re: Phantasialand

There are photos over on PL-Fans which I will put in here which show something rather interesting; what looks like a brake fin on the bottom of a boat. Now wether these are being retrofitted, or were always there and never spotted remains to be seen, but boats have been moving to and from the site lately, and the ride hasn't been testing for a few days, so could it be they're looking at implimenting and altering these?

Intamin - Trim all the rides?

 

[Rob]

Re: Phantasialand

Oh please let them be trimming this, that would be hilarious! The idea of a log flume being trimmed, only Intamin could do such a thing!

 

[Martin]

Re: Phantasialand

Considering the empty boats stop almost straight away, I'd say they're more likely to be fins for LIMs.

 

[Ian]

Re: Phantasialand

I don't think the emptiness is an issue really. If no one's in it no one can complain they didn't get wet

However, they also said that another issue is that the fully loaded boats get far too wet. I can see them adding trims to slow down heavier boats to an "acceptable wetness" level, and probably adopt a policy of no boat leaving with less than say 3 people in (Which shouldn't be hard really when you consider how efficiently they are able to batch River Quest).

It's such a farce though. As Sammy said, another nail in the coffin for Intamin relations

 

[Lottie.]

Re: Phantasialand

Lol if they are trimming this ride!

 

[John]

Re: Phantasialand

There is a precedent for trims on water rides - Altantica SuperSplash is supposedly able to vary the splash according to the weather, but at least that was an actual design feature rather than a bodge job like we've seen on so many Intamin rides.

These 11th hour modifications are surely something of an embarrassment to Intatrim - it just looks like they don't really know what their doing. When they get everything right they come up with some amazing rides, but you often get the impression they're over-reaching their own engineering ability.

 

[Ian]

Re: Phantasialand

Intatrim! I just loled and woke half the street up

But yeah, their various bodges and cock ups over the years is ridiculous, but as you said, they can do things right when ghey want to! I always say that for every good Intamin ride at least 2 bad ones will usually follow

 

[AstroDan]

Re: Phantasialand

It's a pity.

The theme work is lovely. Shame the ride don't work.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Joel]

Re: Phantasialand

http://ischiapasopen.com

*whistles*

 

[Ian]

Re: Phantasialand

ERMAHGAWD people can actually ride it!

I'm guessing they are either TÜV or engineers, but if people are actually being allowed on it after the most recent round of work maybe it isn't far off ready now (He says)

 

[DiogoJ42]

Re: Phantasialand

I don't buy it for a second. That's gotta be CGI.

 

[Rob]

Re: Phantasialand

Well that video was uploaded on 29th August, over a month ago. So yeah, I don't think it means much!

 

[Ian]

Re: Phantasialand

Well we have an official statement from the park, and it's not pretty reading

Opening of CHIAPAS - THE water ride in the 2014 season

In the past 16 months an impressive landscape has emerged in the newly designed themed area Mexico, which now presents itself with many impressive and unique details. The work on these gorgeous designs are completed.

With the attraction, we are still working on different settings to achieve the optimum riding pleasure for you. Unfortunately, this optimization work will take longer than expected, so we can not open the attraction, CHIAPAS, as planned in the 2013 season.

Firstly, the long, hard winter has brought us a non-retrievable delay, so we also have all worked to rectify this. On the other hand want to give the time that is needed to get the best ride experience for our guests, with this unique, modern and innovative water ride.

For this reason CHIAPAS - THE water ride opens in the 2014 season.

Translated from the Phantasialand newsletter.


So yeah, seems like they're finally admitting defeat for the 2013 season. I wonder what they're going to do about all the return tickets they issued guests who visited and it wasn't yet open. I'd hope they could let them be used for 2014...

 

[GeorgeT]

Re: Phantasialand

No, the park already confirmed that those tickets will not work in 2014 ! :S

 

[Rob]

Re: Phantasialand

And the 2013 theme park fail award goes to... Phantasialand and Intamin!! Together they managed to somehow create a fail that was greater than that of The Smiler. They should be proud of their efforts.

 

[Sam]

Re: Phantasialand

No, the park already confirmed that those tickets will not work in 2014 ! :S

This park just gives the impression that its run completely by amateurs. At least Merlin clearly have an employee who's done a degree in public relations.

There's no excuse for not re-validating those tickets. It's not the fault of the guests that it's not open, and re-validating tickets will create more revenue through food & drink, as well as creating a positive impression of the park to those guests.

Also, who the hell buys a log flume off Intamin?! Why wouldn't you get a Mack or an ABC, both of whom have proved time and time again that they can easily handle a sizeable flume?

From the botched redevelopment of Berlin with its desolate and windswept take on Tiananmen Square, to this omnishambles, it paints a picture of Phantasialand's management as incompetent amateurs.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Phantasialand

No, the park already confirmed that those tickets will not work in 2014 ! :S

From the botched redevelopment of Berlin with its desolate and windswept take on Tiananmen Square, to this omnishambles, it paints a picture of Phantasialand's management as incompetent amateurs.

Yet, the investment is still of a much higher quality than anything we've seen in the UK for quite some time. I mean, Chiapas may have a ride system that's poorly designed, and sure, they probably could've gone to Mack, but at the end of the day, it's without a doubt one if the most beautiful and elaborately themed rides in Europe.

Also, for all we know, they might've gone to Mack and ABC for tenders on the project. Maybe the system from Intamin just suited them better?

 

[Ian]

Re: Phantasialand

So it looks like the rumours were true. There actually does look like there's at least one trim brake been added to the ride. *slow claps Intamin*

They've also had to redo the whole runoff to add better guide rails, as originally the boats were banging around too much apparently.

The rest of the ride has been drained for a few days now it seems, and there's been no reports of further testing.


Another rumour going around, though its credibility seems a bit lacking at the moment (But I wouldn't be a bit surprised), is that the TÜV have allegedly found 120 defects with ride, including electrical faults with sensors and water (Storm Surge anybody?).

How a flume can be so plagued with issues I have no idea! From what I can see the only difference between this and your normal flume is the steepness of the drop, and the speed of the turntables, unless there's some big secret hiding in the middle no one knows about.

There have already been reports of inspectors monitoring the force being pulled at the bottom of the camelback, and measuring the track up. At this rate I can see the bloody thing having a re-profiled drop before it opens!

*sigh* At least it looks nice I guess...