PortAventura: General Discussion

[siralgenon]

Marketing usually exaggerates.

The above, however, was a lie.

...it looks like that...

 

[Sam]

...it looks like that...

It's the text. Not even Merlin at their most cynical would dare to tease a splash battle with the line 'GET READY FOR AN UNBELIEVABLE EXPERIENCE'

 

[siralgenon]

...it looks like that...

It's the text. Not even Merlin at their most cynical would dare to tease a splash battle with the line 'GET READY FOR AN UNBELIEVABLE EXPERIENCE'

I don't think PortAventura aim to please you. Im sure thousands of family's will thoroughly enjoy Angkor and children will think they are in the jungle with the animals. For me, and I am sure for them, it will be a unbelievable experience. I'm sure families wont be saying to each other 'it's just a splash battle'.

 

[AstroDan]

Of course you are right. But forgive me for not being that excited for a ride that's just a Splash Battle. It's probably my old age but the ride does nothing for me and I had half expected this to be a leap forward for the genre. It's not so I will just go back on Shambhala.

 

[Sam]

For me, and I am sure for them, it will be a unbelievable experience.

You need to get out more dear.

 

[AstroDan]

We collectively spend our lives ignoring Battle Galleons, Whale Adventure and Wakobato yet the way some are parading Angkor you'd think it was the second coming of Christ.

 

[siralgenon]

For me, and I am sure for them, it will be a unbelievable experience.

You need to get out more dear.

The feelings mutual.

I'm not saying you have to enjoy it. My main point is just because you don't like it doesn't mean everyone else wont. At the end of the day they wouldn't build an attraction if they didnt think it would be popular.

 

[siralgenon]

We collectively spend our lives ignoring Battle Galleons, Whale Adventure and Wakobato yet the way some are parading Angkor you'd think it was the second coming of Christ.

Because not everyone focuses on the ride system. Its the area as a whole. PortAventura is about escapism, which this new land provides. That is why everyone is happy about the new attraction.

 

[Sam]

That is why everyone is happy about the new attraction.

If you say so Ryan.

Down here in reality, the ride has received a very mixed reception over the last few pages of this topic, and a collective shrug of the shoulders from the wider enthusiast community. Yes, the theming is very good, but the ride itself is poor, far too long for a splash battle anyway (ten minutes! ) and is a waste of potential. Get rid of the guns, have proper boats, put in a few drops and dark ride sections with better animatronics and this actually could have been something a lot more than the distinctly average ride that it's turned out to be. :/

 

[siralgenon]

That is why everyone is happy about the new attraction.

If you say so Ryan.

Down here in reality, the ride has received a very mixed reception over the last few pages of this topic, and a collective shrug of the shoulders from the wider enthusiast community. Yes, the theming is very good, but the ride itself is poor, far too long for a splash battle anyway (ten minutes! ) and is a waste of potential. Get rid of the guns, have proper boats, put in a few drops and dark ride sections with better animatronics and this actually could have been something a lot more than the distinctly average ride that it's turned out to be. :/

That is your opinion. That is not a fact. It wasn't designed for enthusiasts, it was designed for the Parks target market in which this year is aimed at families. If you want a boat ride through the jungle with drops, ride Tutuki Splash. People really need to understand the difference between opinions and facts on this forum.

 

[James]

Sam didn't state anything as fact. Apart from peoples opinions on this forum which is fact when you read over the last few pages.

This will be a popular ride although for me, not my thing. It looks pretty boring and drags on far too long. Any amount of theming on any Splash Battle just isn't enough to swerve around the fact that you're on a slow moving boat with water pistols...

 

[CGM]

Marketing usually exaggerates.

The above, however, was a lie.

What do you expect them to write? 'Prepare for a passable experience'? It's marketing. If you're going to allow yourself to take marketing hyperbole literally, they you're going to be disappointed a lot.

If people are let down by this ride, it's by their own doing. From the start, this project has always looked like it was going to be a fairly unremarkable water ride. As it turns out, it's exactly that but it also has unexpectedly good levels of theming.

Any ideas of boundary pushing technology or world's firsts are purely the result of enthusiast hype running away with itself. Just because a certain contingent of the internet are willing to photograph and analyse every step of the construction process doesn't mean that the park has a responsibility to produce an industry changing ride at the end of it.

Not every ride has to be a headline attraction. Parks need filler attractions as much as they need major rides. For a filler attraction, Angkor is an excellent effort on the part of PA. On an international scale, it doesn't change much but for the park, it further strengthens their ride lineup and adds some great theming to the park.

I do get frustrated with new additions when it's clear that the park just aren't trying but in this case, I don't think that PA can be accused of that.

 

[CoasterCrazyChris]

The ride itself is nothing special, just the same old. However it doesn't matter because the theming and landscaping is pretty damn good even for portaventura standards and more than makes up for the fact it is just a splash battle.

I'm amazed that the theming of CBeebies Land and The Smiler are praised so much on this forum when they are actually very sub par, yet genuinely high quality craftsmanship and immersive experiences like Angkor are slated just because it happens to fall a little short of enthusiasts misguided expectations. It's not like they hyped this ride up to be something that it isn't.

Of course I would rather they had built something more exciting, but at least portaventura did a bloody good job of developing what they did decide to go with. I wish the same could be said about parks on Britain.

 

[Stevie]

I personally think it looks like a great addition

From this POV, the themeing and location is absolutely stunning!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB_g0nPqYys

Okay, it's only a Splash Battle, but at least it's in a country where Splash Battles are acceptable. Unlike Battle Galleons, and Splash Battle at Flamingoland, where you're guaranteed a miserable day all year round.

 

[AstroDan]

I'm amazed that the theming of CBeebies Land and The Smiler are praised so much on this forum when they are actually very sub par, yet genuinely high quality craftsmanship and immersive experiences like Angkor are slated just because it happens to fall a little short of enthusiasts misguided expectations. It's not like they hyped this ride up to be something that it isn't.

I'm sorry?

I doubt anyone here for one moment would claim that The Smiler or CBeebies has equivalent theming standards to this. Don't alledge comparison which hasn't been made.

Sure the theming is pleasant on this Splash Battle. In fact, dare I utter the words - but Battle Galleons is actually pretty well themed too. In fact so is the one at Heide-Park and the one at Europa-Park and the one at Phantasialand and the one at Dollywood. Perhaps none are quite this well themed but when this ride type, which is often collectively ignored by enthusiasts AND public upon visiting a park, is being lavished upon by one or two - sorry but I find it odd.

The fact I was personally expecting MORE from this may well be my own flaw, but given it's a regular splash battle, of which there are many already, then I don't care about it. And if you do, then fair enough. But I don't. It may work for them. It may get hour long queues. But I won't be in it.

Never has a Splash Battle generated as much discussion, partly because people actually anticipated something special here. Even the UK's most EP-obsessed forum cared less when they built theirs.

I hate uttering such negative words about Mack products

 

[Rob]

That is why everyone is happy about the new attraction.

If you say so Ryan.

Down here in reality, the ride has received a very mixed reception over the last few pages of this topic, and a collective shrug of the shoulders from the wider enthusiast community. Yes, the theming is very good, but the ride itself is poor, far too long for a splash battle anyway (ten minutes! ) and is a waste of potential. Get rid of the guns, have proper boats, put in a few drops and dark ride sections with better animatronics and this actually could have been something a lot more than the distinctly average ride that it's turned out to be. :/

That is your opinion. That is not a fact. It wasn't designed for enthusiasts, it was designed for the Parks target market in which this year is aimed at families. If you want a boat ride through the jungle with drops, ride Tutuki Splash. People really need to understand the difference between opinions and facts on this forum.

No rides are ever designed for enthusiasts, that's never really a valid arguement. I good ride will be appreciated by all, enthusiast or not. I think enthusiasts appreciate different things in a ride, particuarally when it comes to the finer details, but at the end of the day whether you are an enthusiast or not shouldn't really matter.

The theming on this is, like I've said before, stunning. It is definitely the best theme Splash Battle out there. It's also in a climate that is suited to a Splash Battle. However the ride time is very long for a ride that's isn't exactly the most exciting out there. It just gets boring as it does on down to the fact that it is pretty much the same thing again and again. There are no scenes with effects to keep riders engaged. There is no story told. For such a long ride time you'd have thought there may have been another dimension to this. A dark ride section for example would have been perfect!

For a Splash Battle it is fine. It's just too long. It is not an "unbelieveable experience" and I doubt the public are going to be flocking to ride it when Shambhala is next door. Hopefully in the future they may be able to expand on the area it is in though with further rides as I do like the theme.

 

[Benzin]

An 'unbelievable experience' would lead towards something a bit more than Jungle Cruise meets Battle Galleons, such as say, a fully themed water dark ride with multiple effects/levels/drops/etc...

A 10 minute Splash Battle will eventually lose some interest, as such a loss of interest can also occur on the shorter variants across the world, plus of course, factor in the work required to make things move and react to the ride over the 10 minutes, it's gonna be tiring as hell... Which isn't particularly great in the climate that a Splash Battle as a ride suits... Slightly ironic really...

 

[CoasterCrazyChris]

I'm amazed that the theming of CBeebies Land and The Smiler are praised so much on this forum when they are actually very sub par, yet genuinely high quality craftsmanship and immersive experiences like Angkor are slated just because it happens to fall a little short of enthusiasts misguided expectations. It's not like they hyped this ride up to be something that it isn't.

I'm sorry?

I doubt anyone here for one moment would claim that The Smiler or CBeebies has equivalent theming standards to this. Don't alledge comparison which hasn't been made.

They still seem to get an undue amount of praise despite having very little artistic merit.

Having seen how much space Angkor takes up I do agree that the land could have been better used for a better ride, but this is beautiful and almost totally immersive which is exactly what makes a good theme park.

 

[AstroDan]

It's all entirely within context.

Within what we have come to expect from Alton, Smiler is pretty good.

Portaventura, their theming standards are far higher. Therefore the bar is automatically raised.

 

[Laura]

My dad and I had a great time on the splash battle during a hot day at Europa. We went round a dozen or so times and used the cannons by the attraction edge, soaking other guests.

However this one looks far too much like the Phantasialand splash 'battle'. Which was incredibly hard work, unrewarding, and just really boring (aim at targets - make fountains activate). I haven't watched the POV of this one yet, mind you, maybe it's more exciting..?

If I'm going on a 'gentle boat ride' I want it to be just that - relaxing and with interesting things to look at. I don't want to have to work to see the animatronics!

The Europa whale one worked simply because it was quick, compact, and was based entirely on soaking other guests and getting soaked yourself in the process. I assume Battle Galleons would work that way as well...if it was EVER hot enough to use.

I also think Battle Galleons is one of the best themed rides at Alton