PortAventura: General Discussion

[siralgenon]

Park Opening Hours 2016
PortAventura Park
The hours for the PortAventura Parks have been released this week, remaining quite essentially the same as 2015, with four seasons throughout 2016/17.

Spring Season: March 18 - June 23
Summer Season: June 24 - September 10
Autumn Season: September 11 - November 13
Winter Season: November 19 - Dec 31 (Jan 2017 hours yet to be revealed)

PortAventura Caribe Aquatic Park
May 28 - September 18 - 10:00am - 6:00pm / 7:00pm

Special Events
White Nights, Oktoberfest, Halloween'16, Night of the Vampires, Navidad'16, Esperando los Reyes Magos and Cabalgada de los Reyes Magos are set to return for the 2016 season with selected dates yet to be announced.

Spoiler: Large Image - Calendar 2016

Image PAWave

Gran Teatre Imperial / Gran Teatro Maya
In 2016 the Gran Teatre Imperial in China will welcome a new performer to it's already incredible cast in the form of Long Branch Saloon's resident singer, Noelia Cano. Noelia has been performing on and off in the Far West Saloon for many years, performing shows such as Saloon De Roxy, Can Can West, Vampires and Christmas Dream. Noelia will perform along side PortAventura's most well known singer Patricia Fernandez who has leaded some of the Parks most spectacular shows, Hola! PortAventura!, the Music Generation trilogy, Celebration and festive performances Rock Symphony, Halloween Escape, Mystery, Regalo De Navidad, Una Navidad Especial and Una Navidad Entree las Estrellas. It is yet unknown whether the theatres male vocal Carles Carrasco will still be performing in the Teatre Imperial.

 

[Enter Valhalla]

Opening hours tend to stay the same at PA every year apart from the odd White Night here and there.

 

[James]

Any news on what dates Cirque Du Soleil will be there?

 

[siralgenon]

A quick round-up of the Resort's latest news over the last few weeks:

PortAventura World 2016 Advert (English)
In a surprising move this years TV Advert features the entire Resort opposed to only PortAventura Park. The clip features PortAventura Park, Caribe Aquatic Park, Hotel Gold River, PortAventura Golf & Beach Club and Cirque Du Soleil.




Adventure Therapy - Part 3 - Mentor Daring (China)
The third and final part of PortAventura's latest marketing campaign Adventure Therapy to win a stay for you and your friends.




New: Revolution - Gran Teatre Imperial (China)
With only 11 days until PortAventura Park opens for the 2016 season details have began to emerge about the entertainments line-up for the Spring Season. This week Gianfranco Bollini revealed that 'Revolution' will be a new show replacing the Parks 20th Anniversary production 'Celebration' at the Gran Teatre Imperial in China.

PortAventura Park Renovations
A few closed season changes happening across the Park:

New planted area between the General Store and the Carousel in Far West where the pathway once stood. Now you have to walk past the games area to continue your route around the Park.

Some 20th Anniversary theming has remained in place in Far West, Polynesia and Mexico. The 20th Anniversary logos have been replaced with the new PortAventura World logo.

A new walkway is being constructed in Placa Major, presumably connecting PortAventura Park and Ferrari Land together, meaning you don't have to exit your current Park to then enter the other. This isn't a new system at PortAventura as the Waterpark is also connected to PortAventura Park via an entrance in Mediterrania.

In Mediterrania, Records de PortAventura and Il Caffe de Roma are in the process of being ripped out and re-designed. It is yet to be known if they are just being refurbished or will be opening under different names.

Images: PAWave

 

[James]

I see PA are taking inspiration from Mutiny Bay at Alton Towers, blocking a path to force you to go past game units you couldn't give a toss about...

Interesting the cafe and shop are being ripped out. I wouldn't say the shop needed any work done, the cafe could do with some work though. I hope they've kept those satirical Martin Parr prints of Disney that were in the cafe.

 

[siralgenon]

I see PA are taking inspiration from Mutiny Bay at Alton Towers, blocking a path to force you to go past game units you couldn't give a toss about...

This surprised me actually because PortAventura have actually had gates there for a good few years now, but they've always been open, so it surprised me that they've now built a permanent barrier. At least it planted and looks like it could have been there all along.

 

[Rob]

Said was closed the whole time we were there in the winter season. At least this looks better than a gate!

 

[siralgenon]

PortAventura Park 2016 Shows
Spring Season 19/03/16-23/06/16 - Summer Season schedule / Cirque du Soleil to follow.

Mediterrania

• NEW PortAventura on Parade La Rambla

Polynesia

• NEW VERSION Aloha Tahiti Anfiteatro Polynesia
• NEW VERSION ICE AGE: THE 4D RIDE
• Aves del Paraiso Makamanu Teatre
• Pareos en Bora Bora (Dinner Show) Restaurant Bora Bora

SesamoAventura

• SesamoAventura Talent Show TeatroAventura

China

• NEW Revolution Gran Teatre Imperial
• NEW VERSION Bubblebou Temple Magic Jing-Chou

Mexico

• NEW VERSION Viva Mexico! La Cantina

Far West

• NEW VERSION Bang Bang West Western Stunt Show Arena
• NEW VERSION Can Can Show (Dinner Show) Long Branch Saloon

 

[AstroDan]

Ice Age 4D - new version?

The heart beats.

 

[James]

I know they like to market 'new version' each year although for most of ents it's just old stuff rehashed. The stunt show and bubble show being prime examples.

Revolution will no doubt be another pop mash up singing and dancing show with some acrobatics, same as all the other 'new' shows they've had in that theatre since the old Chinese themed shows were removed.

Not that I don't enjoy entertainments at PortAventura. They could with with spicing it up a bit though, trying something different for once, they've kept it too samey of recent years and seem to be playing it safe (no doubt budgets play a huge part in it too).

 

[siralgenon]

I agree with @James, although I thoroughly enjoy PortAventura's shows, they are now ready for a mix up. The last time all of the shows were fully renewed was for the 15th Anniversary in 2010, although some brand new shows have been introduced as well as special performances for the 20th Anniversary, this year was the time for another overhaul, especially in the Gran Teatre Imperial. Saying this, I think I'm still right in saying PortAventura has the biggest and most diverse entertainments line-up in Europe.


In other news, today PAWave confirmed that Il Caffe de Roma is indeed leaving the Park and Cafe Saula will be taking its place in Mediterrania and Hotel PortAventura's central plaza. Cafe Saula will serve a range of drinks, coffees, sandwiches, cakes, pizzas and salads.

Opening Times:
Hotel PortAventura 09:00hr - 00:30hr
PortAventura Park Mediterrania 10:00hr - Park Closing

Image: PAWave

 

[Enter Valhalla]

The entertainments line up has also been reduced somewhat in recent years. Anyone remember the panda puppet show in the mini theatre opposite the bubbles one? No? Just me? Its building, seating area and even set are still all there.

I believe that number of daily performances even on peak days have been reduced. This is why you see people queueing well over an hour just to watch a show. It's madness really when you think about it.

 

[AstroDan]

I waited 30 minutes to see the show in the Gran Teatro, and we then did not get in as the line was so long.

We managed the following day, though.

 

[Enter Valhalla]

Stories like that are quite common at PA annoyingly. Even if you get to shows early you'll often end up queueing and then not getting in.

The saloon bar in Far West has a capacity of around 350 yet they only run about three performances a day, much as I love PA it's just craziness for a park that size. They really don't help themselves with these sorts of things.

 

[siralgenon]

The saloon bar in Far West has a capacity of around 350 yet they only run about three performances a day, much as I love PA it's just craziness for a park that size. They really don't help themselves with these sorts of things.

In Spring there are 4/5 performances daily and in Summer its generally 7/8. In terms of queuing over an hour for a show I don't know what you people get upto, I just arrive at the Theatre 15 mins before the show starts, wait 5 mins and then walk in with the others when the doors open.

 

[kydog1299]

PAWave, a creditable source of PortAventura news, have confirmed that director Giovanni Cavalli of PortAventura World has stated they plan to build a Dark Ride attraction in PortAventura Park for the 2018 season, confirmed at a tourism fair in Berlin. It is currently unknown where this will be located in the park.

Parece ser que el nuevo director de PortAventura World; Giovanni Cavalli ha anunciadom durante la feria de turismo de Berlín, que en 2018 PortAventura Park abrirá sus puertas con una gran novedad: Una gran DARKRIDE. Estaremos muy atentos a nuevas informaciones que vayan saliendo en relación a esta notícia.

Fotografía de: taaindustries.

‪#‎PortAventuraWorld‬ ‪#‎PAWave‬ ‪#‎DarkRide‬

 

[John]

At new year the queue for the China theatre was pretty much back to Khan well over 30min before the show was due to start. We weren't even close to getting in - the queue moved only as far as the covered waiting area.

 

[siralgenon]

PAWave, a creditable source of PortAventura news, have confirmed that director Giovanni Cavalli of PortAventura World has stated they plan to build a Dark Ride attraction in PortAventura Park for the 2018 season, confirmed at a tourism fair in Berlin. It is currently unknown where this will be located in the park.

Major Dark Ride

 

[Rob]

Hooray! The park needs a good dark ride, will be interesting to see what it turns out to be.

 

[AstroDan]

EXCELLENT. Finally PA doing something that I feel they *actually* need.

Let's see what sort of budget we're talking!