PortAventura: General Discussion

[AstroDan]

The lack of dark rides for a resort of the scale of PA is very surprising.

All major resorts globally feature dark rides - PA is an anomaly.

I would love them to show they can do a highly themed, indoor immersive experience.

 

[Rollercoasters4Life]

El Diablo needs to go. That would open up a lot of land. I'd also like a pathway through this area as it's a right pain trying to get to China if you are nearer the front end of the park or Wild West.

The only real short cut of sorts that I know about to get to China quicker from Far West/Mexico way is by going through the cut through that takes you to the Grand Theatre show but use it when the shows not on and cut out the rest of Mexico and El Diablo and walk up the great wall section. Saves you a few minutes.

I'd like to see an invert or flyer at Port Aventura - but like others say, a good dark ride would fit nicely.

 

[Croftybaby]

@Rollercoasters4Life yup, that saves a bit of time. they do have a path that links the rapids to the bird show in Polynesia that saves a fair bit of walking but it's only open on event nights. I just think that the area with El Diablo and the log flume (The name escapes me) is just a real waste.It's a lot of prime land and a lot of it is taken up with storage sheds for the coaster and the parks railway. The railway at least could have an off site storage shed.

 

[kris3012]

@Rollercoasters4Life yup, that saves a bit of time. they do have a path that links the rapids to the bird show in Polynesia that saves a fair bit of walking but it's only open on event nights. I just think that the area with El Diablo and the log flume (The name escapes me) is just a real waste.It's a lot of prime land and a lot of it is taken up with storage sheds for the coaster and the parks railway. The railway at least could have an off site storage shed.

Yes you notice all this wasted land when your on the flume, like you say combined with El Diablo there’s a fair chunk of land.


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[Graham73]

I'm very pleased to say that Stampida is a very different ride now after the latest off season track/wood replacements.

Back in 2013 the first time we came to PortAventura I was shocked as to how bad the ride was. But after 3 off seasons off work doing rebanking, section replacements and the latest track/support work it is now a very different ride. Even those dreadful Kumbak coaster trains don't seem to give such a bad ride.

On another note I'm now only 65 rides away from 2000 rides on Furius Baco, which I'm hoping should be done on Wednesday, absolutely insane I know!

 

[kris3012]

I'm very pleased to say that Stampida is a very different ride now after the latest off season track/wood replacements.

Back in 2013 the first time we came to PortAventura I was shocked as to how bad the ride was. But after 3 off seasons off work doing rebanking, section replacements and the latest track/support work it is now a very different ride. Even those dreadful Kumbak coaster trains don't seem to give such a bad ride.

On another note I'm now only 65 rides away from 2000 rides on Furius Baco, which I'm hoping should be done on Wednesday, absolutely insane I know!

I thought Stampida was rough as hell last week
2000 rides that’s insane fair play mate


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[Graham73]

I thought Stampida was rough as hell last week

2000 rides that’s insane fair play mate


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It's like a B&M this year compared to what it was like 5 years ago.

As for Furius Baco, even the ride ops here think it's insanity. I think they have feelings of admiration and being quite scared of me! lol

I know it's a ride most people don't like, but it's one of those rides that for some reason I absolutely love. I think most coaster fans have a ride like that in all honesty. Maybe not quite so brutal as mine though

 

[AstroDan]

I just find Baco pretty dull, if nothing else.

The layout is dreadful.

If the ride had immense airtime, or some kind of cool layout, at least it would give you more reason to ride it. But as it is, it suffers from dreadful engineering and a bad layout to boot.

 

[Croftybaby]

Just realised, I've visited PA about 7 times sicne 2009 and i've not ridden Baco since my first visit! I would ride but as I would be a single rider I just couldn't possibly face that cattlemen queue. There is no Single rider is there?

Good news about Stampida. It did feel really rough last October.

 

[venny]

I give Baco another go every time I go back, thinking it can’t be as entirely unpleasant as I remember. Only I’m proved wrong. Every time.

Stampida’s retrack started a couple of years back. The first year only the first half of the ride was complete and it showed just how much difference it made to the roughness between old and new sections.

 

[Graham73]

Just realised, I've visited PA about 7 times sicne 2009 and i've not ridden Baco since my first visit! I would ride but as I would be a single rider I just couldn't possibly face that cattlemen queue. There is no Single rider is there?

Good news about Stampida. It did feel really rough last October.

Sadly there isn't an SRQ for it.

However if your staying in the resort hotels then I would very strongly recommend the Express Unlimited wristband which is currently €70 for the length of your stay, be it two nights or two weeks!!

Without the wristbands I doubt I would have got near 1000 rides on Furius Baco and loads of other PA rides as well. The parks biggest weakness off peak is a lack of ride staff. Yesterday on Baco being a prime example.

It only had 2 staff on the ride platform on a 2 car operation which leaves one member of staff to batch and then run back to assist the other ride op who has nearly checked the whole train themselves.

By contrast Shambhala as nearly always the case had 3 ride staff on a 1 Train service.

 

[kris3012]

It's like a B&M this year compared to what it was like 5 years ago.

As for Furius Baco, even the ride ops here think it's insanity. I think they have feelings of admiration and being quite scared of me! lol

I know it's a ride most people don't like, but it's one of those rides that for some reason I absolutely love. I think most coaster fans have a ride like that in all honesty. Maybe not quite so brutal as mine though

Wow it must have been brutal before as it was still pretty dreadful lol


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[Graham73]

Wow it must have been brutal before as it was still pretty dreadful lol


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When I first rode Stampida back in 2013 I didn't really have much time for it, the trains bounced, jolted and hunted all over the place leading to a poor opinion of the ride by myself. Now after 3 off seasons of rebanking, section replacements and this year new wood in the supports and track work it's a far better ride. I still think it needs some Millennium Flyers rather than those dreadful Kumbak Coaster ones though.

Just to put it out there for all, on a different subject, I have reached 2000 rides on Furius Baco today

and no I'm not posting this from the local hospital

 

[John_P]

Fair play for achieving that milestone. Think I'd like Baco more if it wasn't for that barrel roll.

I enjoyed Stampida last year so glad to hear they've continued to work on it during the offseason.

Any rumours of what the main park might look to add next? I know this year their adding some much needed kids rides to Ferrari Land.

 

[Graham73]

Fair play for achieving that milestone. Think I'd like Baco more if it wasn't for that barrel roll.

I enjoyed Stampida last year so glad to hear they've continued to work on it during the offseason.

Any rumours of what the main park might look to add next? I know this year their adding some much needed kids rides to Ferrari Land.

I've not heard anything at all about new attractions for next year. But a couple I would like to see over the course of time are a dark ride attraction and a B&M inverted or a new build RMC.

I say new build RMC as I'm never really too keen on Woodies getting the RMC rebuild treatment.

As for Ferrari Land, I still believe at some point it will just become another area of the main park.

 

[PhantaDad2017]

I wonder if Port Aventura is a good alternative. After all I've read about it, it's a kind of "worst offender" when it comes to rip-offs after initially entering the park, and annoying visitors at basic fare, to force them into "upgrades" like express passes (which come at many different levels and prices). They prohibit own food and drinks, and search bags to enforce it, so visitors have to buy expensive park food and beverages. There's multiple reports that the park generates queues artificially, by operating rides under capacity, letting trains or flat rides run partially empty, while queues are building up. On busy days, even express queues are crowded, and regular queues move hardly at all. Furthermore, at least some rides have mandatory lockers for bags, on a pay-per-use base.

Also, I noticed that express passes are not mentioned under the ticket offers, so a naive visitor might think that admission and parking is all, and not be aware that these "upgrades" are in fact almost mandatory. This looks like a deliberate "surprise".

From a regular visitor's view, PA looks like a no-go: Enter for currently 55€ plus parking, then make perhaps only 3 major rides on a busy day, or still wait long time in an empty park, because they generate queues artificially, or even close rides completely. If it's like this, these 55€ will be wasted. Any funfair would be better and cheaper, and one will not be a second class citizen there, having a "nobility" passing by in express queues.

What could be half-way acceptable, is really to stay in park hotels for several days, with much cheaper tickets per day (124€ for one week) and one express pass for all days (one week under 200€, plus hotel). It would, however, not give me a good feeling to book such a trip, in a park with such questionable business practices. There might be another nasty surprise in store, about which I don't know yet, and others will definitely get ripped off.

 

[Benzin]

The nasty surprise is that you have to ride Baco...

 

[RicketyCricket]

2000 rides on Baco?! Fair play sir.

The launch is Incredible but what follows is an endurance test. Those hard rubber restraints cause agony to my shoulders.

 

[Graham73]

2000 rides on Baco?! Fair play sir.

The launch is Incredible but what follows is an endurance test. Those hard rubber restraints cause agony to my shoulders.

They used to really mess up my shoulders badly as well as I'm 6ft 4in tall. However I have discovered a new riding position where I basically push against the restraint to stop it from causing shoulder damage.

Works an absolute treat as well I'm pleased to say

I set a new personal one day record yesterday on Furius Baco btw, 60 rides!! lol

Never to be beaten as that really is the absolute limit even for me!! Not saying I won't equal it another time though

 

[Croftybaby]

I wonder if Port Aventura is a good alternative. After all I've read about it, it's a kind of "worst offender" when it comes to rip-offs after initially entering the park. They prohibit own food and drinks, and search bags to enforce it, so visitors have to buy expensive park food and beverages.

This rule really did have a negative impact on my thoughts of PA. We were stopped at the entrance and our bag was searched. We had a big bag of crisps and a couple of rolls we had made at our hotel and were told we'd have to bin them to come in. I stood at the turnstiles for a bit asking why I wasn't allowed in with them. Eventually I just walked out of the queue and walked around the corner to the other entrance point which is normally used as the exit turnstiles. I clocked an attendant who seemed to be really busy sorting guests out and she let us straight through without checking the bag.

Not letting you bring any food in is pretty disgusting practice. We normally only bring some in for a quick snack and then spend money on a larger meal later in the day/evening.