PortAventura: General Discussion

[Matt N]

My wife is desperate for some sunshine and whilst i think going to Europa Park in May will be a better trip overall i'm now looking at Portaventura as an option.

Main questions are:

- Is it worth going as my son will at best be 1.3m so unable to ride a lot of the big attractions? He'll happily enjoy somewhere like Alton Towers because really he only needs a few favourite rides that he can go on repeatedly (so in that example mainly WickerMan with a bit of Thirteen, Spinball, Curse and The Blade).
Uncharted probably fits the bill but not sure what else? Ferrari Land seems pointless.

- With Europa we'd be able to go to the theme park in the day and potentially Rulantica for a few hours in the evening. Here we'd likely have to flip that and do the water park in the day then theme park for a few hours later, is that going to be viable? Can you walk between them?

- Would Parque Warner be a better option?

Coasters-wise, the big trio of Shambhala, Dragon Khan and Furius Baco are all 1.4m. The coasters that are accessible to an under 1.3m tall child are Uncharted (an enclosed coaster; I thought this was 1.3m, but I seem to be mistaken according to the website), Stampida (a two-sided duelling wooden coaster, but do be warned that both sides are pretty rough), El Diablo (a mine train), Tomahawk (a family wooden coaster that interacts with Stampida, but do be warned that you or your wife may not be able to ride that one if either of you are above 1.85m/6'1") and Tami-Tami (a junior steel coaster in Sesame Street).

There are some neat non-coasters at PA that your son could go on. Street Mission, despite its Sesame Street exterior, is a deceptively excellent interactive dark ride, and if he doesn't mind getting wet, there are quite a few decent water rides (including a surprisingly fierce rapids!). Shows aren't really my cup of tea, but if you're more into them than I am, PA also has quite an extensive lineup of shows, including a parade. Templo del Fuego might also be worth checking out if your son isn't sensitive to loud noises or similar (that sort of attraction isn't entirely my cup of tea, but I have to admit that the effects are very impressive!), and there's also a train ride. It's a very nicely themed park throughout, so I'd definitely recommend it if you have an appreciation for well-themed and aesthetically pleasing parks.

I did not visit the waterpark when I visited in September, but it might be worth noting that the waterpark shuts earlier than the two theme parks in May (6pm vs 7-8pm in the main park and 10pm in Ferrari Land). It is also worth me noting that if you do visit Ferrari Land, it doesn't open until 4:30pm in the afternoon, so you'd have to go there late if you went (based on my experience, I would recommend leaving this park as late as possible, as it was pretty busy when I went in early, but apparently empties out drastically). It's a nice park, but there's not a lot there (Red Force is the main attraction, but there are a couple of dark rides as well).

I can't compare to Parque Warner, as I haven't been. If you do go, I would wholeheartedly recommend staying on-site, with Hotel Gold River (the hotel we stayed in) being gorgeous and expansive and both hotel and food being very reasonably priced. There is a separate entrance into the park from Gold River, so I would recommend taking advantage of this and getting into the queue for Uncharted early on at least one day. You get unlimited entry to the main park and one entry into Ferrari Land with any hotel package, and you can drop in and out of the park as you see fit via this entrance (so if you saw fit, you could go to the park in the morning, come back to the hotel at midday and go back in later, for example).

 

[NuttySquirrel]

I would wait until your son is 1.3m before going to Parque Warner so he's tall enough for Batman Gotham City Escape which is phenomenal. Don't torture yourselves by going to the park and not being able to ride it.

Of course it's dreadfully temperamental, so that could happen anyway, but at least give yourselves the chance!

 

[Bowser]

Thanks both!

Yeah, sounds like both these options would likely be better in 2026. Parque Warners restrictions are all over the place, 1.2m, 1.27m, 1.3m, 1.32m, 1.37m, 1.4m!

In terms of Portaventura we don't do shows, a very rough wooden sounds miserable and as @NuttySquirrel says it's fairly tortuous going to parks and not being able to go on the best rides (although that 10pm closing means i could sneak off to do Ferrari Land). On the other hand i'm happy to do so when my son is satisfied. How would you both rate Diablo and Tomahawk? Anything in the UK you can compare them to?

If they're good, there's probably a decent case for it;

- El Diablo
- Tomahawk
- Uncharted
- Tutuki Splash
- Kontiki (maybe, 1.3m)
- Street Mission
- Log Flume
- Rapids

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

Thanks both!

Yeah, sounds like both these options would likely be better in 2026. Parque Warners restrictions are all over the place, 1.2m, 1.27m, 1.3m, 1.32m, 1.37m, 1.4m!

In terms of Portaventura we don't do shows, a very rough wooden sounds miserable and as @NuttySquirrel says it's fairly tortuous going to parks and not being able to go on the best rides (although that 10pm closing means i could sneak off to do Ferrari Land). On the other hand i'm happy to do so when my son is satisfied. How would you both rate Diablo and Tomahawk? Anything in the UK you can compare them to?

If they're good, there's probably a decent case for it;

- El Diablo
- Tomahawk
- Uncharted
- Tutuki Splash
- Kontiki (maybe, 1.3m)
- Street Mission
- Log Flume
- Rapids

You might want to consider Gardaland too, given that it's near Lake Garda and has plenty of sunshine too.

 

[Matt N]

Thanks both!

Yeah, sounds like both these options would likely be better in 2026. Parque Warners restrictions are all over the place, 1.2m, 1.27m, 1.3m, 1.32m, 1.37m, 1.4m!

In terms of Portaventura we don't do shows, a very rough wooden sounds miserable and as @NuttySquirrel says it's fairly tortuous going to parks and not being able to go on the best rides (although that 10pm closing means i could sneak off to do Ferrari Land). On the other hand i'm happy to do so when my son is satisfied. How would you both rate Diablo and Tomahawk? Anything in the UK you can compare them to?

If they're good, there's probably a decent case for it;

- El Diablo
- Tomahawk
- Uncharted
- Tutuki Splash
- Kontiki (maybe, 1.3m)
- Street Mission
- Log Flume
- Rapids

Parque Warner's all over the place restrictions sound like round imperial measurements converted into centimetres. For example, I know 1.37m is 4'6" or 54", because all the 1.4m rides in America are 1.37m/4'6" rather than 1.4m/4'7"! I'm not sure why the Americans get to ride B&Ms at 3cm shorter than the Europeans do...

My comparisons for Diablo and Tomahawk might rely on you having been to Blackpool rather than Merlin parks.

El Diablo has exactly the same trains as The Big One, and some similarly square transitions. I actually quite liked it, to be fair, but it's not the smoothest of things in places (although by no means hideously rough either)! For a Merlin comparison, I'd perhaps say it's most similar to Runaway Mine Train at Towers, with a somewhat similar level of overall intensity, albeit gravity-fed rather than powered and a fair amount longer in terms of track length. You as RAP users might like it, though, as from my experience, it very seldom had a queue longer than 10 minutes when I was there!

I'd place Tomahawk somewhere between Nickelodeon Streak and Blue Flyer in terms of intensity. It's more intense than Blackpool's Blue Flyer, but less intense than Blackpool's Nickelodeon Streak, in my view. It's perfectly fine for a family woodie, and it's not rough, but as an adult, I didn't find it to be anything overly remarkable and was quite content with one ride on it. That's not to say your son wouldn't like it if he hasn't been introduced to the bigger rides yet, but for a Merlin comparison, I would say Wicker Man is a lot more intense/thrilling. Tomahawk is definitely on the tamer end of the spectrum as woodies go, although it does have a couple of good drops and some nice interactions with Stampida. As I said, I would also bear the max height in mind if you and/or your wife are above 6'1", as the ride does have a listed maximum restriction of 1.85m/6'1".

Of the coasters your son would be able to ride, I would personally say Uncharted was the one I liked most by a fair margin. It's a really cool ride with some very cool tricks up its sleebe and a nicely themed queue and facade, even if the theming on-ride leaves much to be desired. If your son likes Thirteen, I think he'd very much like Uncharted, as they're quite similar in terms of ride hardware. And while I haven't ridden that one, I imagine it would have similar levels of "fun in the dark" to Vogel Rok at Efteling, which I know you've ridden. It's a good, dynamic coaster that's definitely quite thrilling!

Stampida also has its moments if you have a higher tolerance for roughness and being thrown around than I do; it has its moments of intensity for sure, with some good drops, but it is really quite rough (not quite as bad as Grand National, but not too far off), and I also got absolutely zero airtime due to the uncomfortable trains.

If you are able to separate from your son at all, I would definitely recommend giving Shambhala a go. It was my favourite coaster at the resort by some margin, and the airtime and speed are just sublime! Red Force is also absolutely fantastic, if you are able to get into Ferrari Land; while the launch isn't quite as punchy as Stealth's, the sheer height, speed and airtime are still quite something!

I would also get ready to be quite well acquainted with this song at PortAventura, particularly if staying in the hotels:

If you're there for a few days, it will almost definitely live rent-free in your head!

 

[Bowser]

Parque Warner's all over the place restrictions sound like round imperial measurements converted into centimetres. For example, I know 1.37m is 4'6" or 54", because all the 1.4m rides in America are 1.37m/4'6" rather than 1.4m/4'7"! I'm not sure why the Americans get to ride B&Ms at 3cm shorter than the Europeans do...

My comparisons for Diablo and Tomahawk might rely on you having been to Blackpool rather than Merlin parks.

El Diablo has exactly the same trains as The Big One, and some similarly square transitions. I actually quite liked it, to be fair, but it's not the smoothest of things in places (although by no means hideously rough either)! For a Merlin comparison, I'd perhaps say it's most similar to Runaway Mine Train at Towers, with a somewhat similar level of overall intensity, albeit gravity-fed rather than powered and a fair amount longer in terms of track length. You as RAP users might like it, though, as from my experience, it very seldom had a queue longer than 10 minutes when I was there!

I'd place Tomahawk somewhere between Nickelodeon Streak and Blue Flyer in terms of intensity. It's more intense than Blackpool's Blue Flyer, but less intense than Blackpool's Nickelodeon Streak, in my view. It's perfectly fine for a family woodie, and it's not rough, but as an adult, I didn't find it to be anything overly remarkable and was quite content with one ride on it. That's not to say your son wouldn't like it if he hasn't been introduced to the bigger rides yet, but for a Merlin comparison, I would say Wicker Man is a lot more intense/thrilling. Tomahawk is definitely on the tamer end of the spectrum as woodies go, although it does have a couple of good drops and some nice interactions with Stampida. As I said, I would also bear the max height in mind if you and/or your wife are above 6'1", as the ride does have a listed maximum restriction of 1.85m/6'1".

Of the coasters your son would be able to ride, I would personally say Uncharted was the one I liked most by a fair margin. It's a really cool ride with some very cool tricks up its sleebe and a nicely themed queue and facade, even if the theming on-ride leaves much to be desired. If your son likes Thirteen, I think he'd very much like Uncharted, as they're quite similar in terms of ride hardware. And while I haven't ridden that one, I imagine it would have similar levels of "fun in the dark" to Vogel Rok at Efteling, which I know you've ridden. It's a good, dynamic coaster that's definitely quite thrilling!

Stampida also has its moments if you have a higher tolerance for roughness and being thrown around than I do; it has its moments of intensity for sure, with some good drops, but it is really quite rough (not quite as bad as Grand National, but not too far off), and I also got absolutely zero airtime due to the uncomfortable trains.

If you are able to separate from your son at all, I would definitely recommend giving Shambhala a go. It was my favourite coaster at the resort by some margin, and the airtime and speed are just sublime! Red Force is also absolutely fantastic, if you are able to get into Ferrari Land; while the launch isn't quite as punchy as Stealth's, the sheer height, speed and airtime are still quite something!

I would also get ready to be quite well acquainted with this song at PortAventura, particularly if staying in the hotels:

If you're there for a few days, it will almost definitely live rent-free in your head!

Thanks for the detailed response!

I haven't been on those Blackpool rides but i do know of them so get the gist.

The maximum height restriction isn't an issue for any of us fortunately!

10 minute queue sounds good. The dates we are looking at are mid-week in May when Spanish children would be at school so hopefully it would be tolerable unless there's typically an influx of fellow Brits abroad but QueueTimes seems to suggest it would be extremely quiet.

 

[AltonLover123]

Parque Warner's all over the place restrictions sound like round imperial measurements converted into centimetres. For example, I know 1.37m is 4'6" or 54", because all the 1.4m rides in America are 1.37m/4'6" rather than 1.4m/4'7"! I'm not sure why the Americans get to ride B&Ms at 3cm shorter than the Europeans do...

Fun fact, that is actually the min height restriction for the B&Ms here too but for whatever reason, we round it up to 1.4. No idea why.

 

[Enter Valhalla]

The conversion of height restrictions from imperial measurements is puzzling.

I just looked at Knott’s website and found Xcellerator to be a 52 inches height restriction, which converted is 1.32m. So could therefore, other Intamin launch coasters such as Stealth, Rita and Red Force be 1.32, as opposed to 1.4m?

 

[Matt N]

The conversion of height restrictions from imperial measurements is puzzling.

I just looked at Knott’s website and found Xcellerator to be a 52 inches height restriction, which converted is 1.32m. So could therefore, other Intamin launch coasters such as Stealth, Rita and Red Force be 1.32, as opposed to 1.4m?

Xcelerator has lap bars, which might make a difference.

This country doesn't generally do 1.3m restrictions, though, so who knows?

 

[Bowser]

Xcelerator has lap bars, which might make a difference.

This country doesn't generally do 1.3m restrictions, though, so who knows?

Hyperia has opened the floodgates! Seems more of a historical legacy of OTSR in this country mostly.

I’d be surprised if any more coasters are built with a 1.4m restriction here.

 

[owenstreet7]

Hyperia has opened the floodgates! Seems more of a historical legacy of OTSR in this country mostly.

I’d be surprised if any more coasters are built with a 1.4m restriction here.

Honestly, the only time I can see a 1.4m coming to this country would be a B&M model however some of these are 1.2m or 1.3m in more recent builds.

A couple of the US Dive Coasters that opened in recent years are 1.2m - Iron Menace and Dr Diabolical.

I think a lot of the 1.4m restrictions are Merlin setting them higher than recommended for one reason or another rather than actual the manufacturer recommendations like with Saw and the Eurofighter model which is more likely due to the horror film content than the actual ride itself. There's also a lot that have OTSR when it could be lapbars instead.

 

[Dhev123]

Honestly, the only time I can see a 1.4m coming to this country would be a B&M model however some of these are 1.2m or 1.3m in more recent builds.

A couple of the US Dive Coasters that opened in recent years are 1.2m - Iron Menace and Dr Diabolical.

I think a lot of the 1.4m restrictions are Merlin setting them higher than recommended for one reason or another rather than actual the manufacturer recommendations like with Saw and the Eurofighter model which is more likely due to the horror film content than the actual ride itself. There's also a lot that have OTSR when it could be lapbars instead.

Honestly even though eurofighters can have a restriction as low as 1.2m, imagine a poor 1.2m tall child getting battered by the restraints on saw

 

[owenstreet7]

Honestly even though eurofighters can have a restriction as low as 1.2m, imagine a poor 1.2m tall child getting battered by the restraints on saw

That is very true with Eurofighters, Saw is incredibly rough for it's ride type.