PortAventura: General Discussion

[siralgenon]

The argument I was making was the express pass situation. I couldn't care less about whether you spend 2 weeks in the park or 2 days.

There are a lot of people I know have been and swear by the express pass because it's so cheap and without it you'll be waiting an age in a stuffy cattle pen.

I agree, many people have told me they always buy them on every visit. But like I said I've only ever bought one once. I've mentioned it before that I would never queue over an hour for a ride, yet I've always got on what I wanted to during the day. I suppose it comes down to whether you mind waiting in queues or not. Some people hate it, some people don't mind.

In relation to @DiogoJ42s point, it's not that you have to, its if you choose to. Obviously you wouldn't spend the whole two weeks in PortAventura Park.

 

[AstroDan]

I guess it depends on the pace at which the queue moves and the experience in the queue.

I have always felt that whilst PA theme areas nicely, queueline theming gets short shrift.

To be honest over - selling of fastrack is something I criticise at a great many parks.

 

[siralgenon]

I guess it depends on the pace at which the queue moves and the experience in the queue.

I have always felt that whilst PA theme areas nicely, queueline theming gets short shrift.

To be honest over - selling of fastrack is something I criticise at a great many parks.

I agree, the rides and areas all have high quality themeing, but apparently the queue lines didn't seem to come under that bracket. The only two attractions I can think of which have queue lines you wouldn't mind standing in are Sea Odyssey and Templo Del Fuego.

 

[Sam]

PortAventura Park has 50 attractions which I wouldn't say is bad going, it has more than both Disney Parks combined, and thats not including the shows.

Haha! Are you having a laugh? The only way it could possibly have 50 'attractions' is if you include every shop, restaurant and large piece of theming as an 'attraction'.

According to their own website it has 42 'attractions', though that includes all the stations of the train separately and the two terminals of the boat ride across the lake separately. Also, whenever you go half the stuff in the park is shut for cost-saving reasons, most obviously Templo del Shuto.

In terms of major attractions, the park is chronically lacking. The Disney parks have far more major attractions than PortaAventura. Yes, if you count every tiny children's flat ride, then PA have more. If you're looking at rides of actual interest, then PA is underwhelming.

 

[siralgenon]

Both Parks list train stations as separate attractions so I counted the same on both. They didn't include shows in which case PortAventura would have had even more. Not one attraction is closed in the Park for cost cutting reasons, the only attraction is Templo Del Fuego which runs on reduced hours and is classed as a show not as a ride.

Disneyland Park's major attractions include: Phantom Manor, Big Thunder Moutain, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, Pirates of the Caribbean, 'it's a small world', Space Mountain Mission 2, Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast.

PortAventura Park's major attractions include: Furius Baco, Grand Canyon Rapids, Silver River Flume, Stampida, Hurakan Condor, Templo Del Fuego, El Diablo: Tren de la Mina, Dragon Khan, Shambhala, Sea Odyssey and Tutuki Splash.

I rest my case. You might not like PortAventura's attractions, but it has more.

 

[Sam]

Disneyland Park's major attractions include: Phantom Manor, Big Thunder Moutain, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, Pirates of the Caribbean, 'it's a small world', Space Mountain Mission 2, Star Tours and Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast.

PortAventura Park's major attractions include: Furius Baco, Grand Canyon Rapids, Silver River Flume, Stampida, Hurakan Condor, Templo Del Fuego, El Diablo: Tren de la Mina, Dragon Khan, Shambhala, Sea Odyssey and Tutuki Splash.

I rest my case. You might not like PortAventura's attractions, but it has more.

Replying to this stuff feels unbelievably pedantic, but you keep making misleading points ('over 50 attractions') again and again so I feel like I have to reply in petty and tedious detail. Sorry, everyone else.

There are rides at Disneyland Park that are equally as major to, or more major than, 'Sea Odyssey', such as all three of the dark rides in Fantasyland. If we're having Templo del Fuego (which you previously described as a show, not an attraction) then we're also including Disney Dreams. Once you actually work it out properly, Disney have 12 and PA have 11. Given that Templo Del Closedo is shut for the majority of the time, I'd personally say that disqualifies it.

 

[siralgenon]

I'd personally say it doesn't so it looks like you'll have deal with that

The Disneyland website lists things such as Pocahontas Village as an attraction so I included the equivalent attractions. Even if you remove Templo Del Fuego from the line up, there are still more.

If you feel that way, please feel free to stop replying, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[John]

Not one attraction is closed in the Park for cost cutting reasons, the only attraction is Templo Del Fuego which runs on reduced hours and is classed as a show not as a ride.

This is not true. When we visited in October 2013 a total of 7 attractions were SBNO on weekdays, almost certainly to save money. This includes Templo, which only ran between 12-5pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Not all shows ran every day either, I made a scan of the timetable on the days we were there to show just how poor weekdays were compared with weekends:

 

[Enter Valhalla]

This thread has just got so boring now, which is a shame since this time three days ago we were talking positively about new developments in the resort rather than having pedantic closed season arguments about number of rides and shows.

The bigger issue which I've never understood about people's attitudes towards PA is, as I've said before, why on earth can't certain people on this forum just accept that different people like different things? Different rides, different coasters, different parks etc. As I've already said you shouldn't need to justify all the reasons of why you like parks or specific coasters in a lot of detail. You shouldn't need to count up number of rides, refer to Mitch Hawker polls and bicker about difference of opinions. It's just about what does it for you. If you enjoy PA then you enjoy it, if you don't then you don't. It really is that simple. Why should this need justifying? and why do some of the regulars on this forum try to make you justify your opinions in great levels of detail? I just don't get it. Is it just because it's closed season that this debate has expanded so much and got so petty?

 

[siralgenon]

This is not true. When we visited in October 2013 a total of 7 attractions were SBNO on weekdays, almost certainly to save money. This includes Templo, which only ran between 12-5pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Not all shows ran every day either, I made a scan of the timetable on the days we were there to show just how poor weekdays were compared with weekends:

For some reason PortAventura's Halloween event only fully runs on weekends and I don't know why because Ive heard its extremely popular on those days? I know Tutuki Splash and Silver River Flume close in the off peak season due to the weather and how wet the attractions are, what other attractions were closed?

 

[Panda]

Is it just because it's closed season that this debate has expanded so much and got so petty?

Yup.

 

[siralgenon]

Yup.

Europa Park is closed, this was bound to happen at some point

 

[John]

All water rides were open, it was only fairly minor rides that were shut. I can't remember the full list but it included Yukatan and Cobra Imperial. Nothing you'd really miss, but it still doesn't leave a good impression.

 

[Sam]

The bigger issue which I've never understood about people's attitudes towards PA is, as I've said before, why on earth can't certain people on this forum just accept that different people like different things?

Have a look at the top of the page you're reading.

It says "Forum", defined by the OED as "A meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged." The whole point of a forum is that people's views are challenged, queried, analysed, critiqued and discussed.

If you just want to write about how much you love PA without having to engage in any criticism about it, then what you need is a blog.

 

[TheMan]

As a totally impartial observer here, I see a lot of things being defended about this park that generally are justifiably and rightly criticised in other parks. And complaints that come from people whose park opinions I respect, and possibly even drift from the norm of typical enthusiast complaints.

People whom for example, simply enjoy a good ride, and a good park, have no investment in fanboying or anything of that kind and just assess the places as people who are interested in it.

I find it a bit weird some points that are being made about this park are being defended in a way that usually for any other park they'd be pretty much lambasted for.

Still, it's usually a UKIP topic or something that brings this much controversy and division of opinions.

 

[James]

It seems if you visit PA in July or August you're guaranteed all rides, shows and attractions open daily, Monday to Sunday. Outside of those months if you visit you lose out, especially on weekends. Smaller rides are closed, shows are on reduced times and in the case of Templo you have a main attraction closed completely (apart from weekends as some have reported).

It's baffling how PA operate like that with the ticket price costing the same. If Towers did that we would be up in arms (look at how angry we got with staggered ride openings).

There's a big divide on here of those who visit the park in July/August, and those that visit in the quieter months of the year. There's a massive contrast between those two times of the season. In August the theme park if full of life. I'd dread to imagine how depressing it is to walk around with half the park closed and hardly anyone around.

PA doesn't have the greatest line up of attractions and rides, but there are some gems here and there. What they need is some more variety and another good coaster or two. Personally I actually enjoy PA more for its entertainments, that they get spot on and I've never seen a theme park have so much going on in that area. PA do their ents really well.

I don't find much that wrong with PA as it stands, it's a good park, it's just not a 'wow' park (beyond pretty theming). They need to up their game and add more unique and diverse rides and attractions.

 

[Enter Valhalla]

Have a look at the top of the page you're reading.

It says "Forum", defined by the OED as "A meeting or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged." The whole point of a forum is that people's views are challenged, queried, analysed, critiqued and discussed.

If you just want to write about how much you love PA without having to engage in any criticism about it, then what you need is a blog.

Thanks for explaining what a forum is Sam and, if you remember, a few days ago a genuinely interesting discussion was going on about PortAventura before you decided to come on and say that everything that the park did was meaningless until they remove Baco and Stampida.

Now I always respect difference of opinions but when people such as yourself continually repeat the same points without paying any attention to what people are saying in response to you then it stops being a forum. Also I always welcome disagreement but when people come on here and belittle people for having opinions which differ to yours this again shows that you aren't able to have a proper discussion and that is what has made this topic go so silly. It's a shame really because a few days ago, before you joined in, there did seem to be an interesting discussion going on about what was going on in the resort. At the end of the day Sam I don't think there's a single person on this forum who doesn't know that you dislike PortAventura so why do you feel the need to sabotage intereating discussions with daft comments like "whatever they do is meaningless unless they remove Baco and Stampida"? It's like you have a one man campaign of hatred against the park and won't rest until everyone feels the same as you. It's so strange that you feel the need to throw your negative opinions into every single discussion regarding the park. I hate Air and The Smiler but I don't go on every topic where these rides are mentioned and go "these rides are terrible, you need to explain yourself if you like them"

 

[Sam]

Thanks for explaining what a forum is Sam and, if you remember, a few days ago a genuinely interesting discussion was going on about PortAventura before you decided to come on and say that everything that the park did was meaningless until they remove Baco and Stampida.
...
It's a shame really because a few days ago, before you joined in, there did seem to be an interesting discussion going on about what was going on in the resort.

Actually I'm sure many would agree with me that this is the most interesting the PA topic has been in months, especially compared to the stream of bland, corporate press releases that it usually consists of. In fact, I think someone said the very same a few pages back. Posting dull press releases is not an 'interesting discussion'

 

[Enter Valhalla]

Hmmm funny I don't remember talking about "corporate press releases". (Woo trendy graduates hating corporate stuff, screw the system, power to the people etc.)

I seem to remember talking about upcoming events, the re-opening of the Beach Club and talking about genuine constructive ideas of how to improve the resort, such as AstroDan's idea of linking the hotels by monorail for example. I am the first to admit that PortAventura is far from perfect and I think it's intereating to discuss genuine ideas of how the park could be improved. But you coming on here and making the frankly stupid suggestion that PA is meaningless until they remove two of their most popular coasters does nothing to improve the quality of the topic nor does bickering about number of rides or trying to show off about your apparent "superior" experience and "superior" opinions of coasters.

 

[Tim]

Can I also step in and say this discussion went stale several days ago. Some people like PA, others don't. There you go I've just summarised pages of waffling. The bit about opening times was interesting but once again we've gone back to the same pointless "debate".

Now back before this all started I was going to speculate about Ferrari Land. My thought as to why it could make sense as a separate attraction is if they plan it to be different from the standard Theme Park experience. More exhibit based, for example like EPCOT. Has anyone been to the original Ferrari Land to compare?