Sam
TS Member
And an espresso.
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PortAventura: General Discussion
- Thread starter DynamiteDaly
- Start date
The argument that rides such as Dragon Khan and Shambhala aren’t themed all the way round is true, but discredited when you consider a large quantity of rides at top parks across the world have rides with minimalistic theming across the entire attraction/experience. So I think you can throw that argument out to be honest.
AstroDan
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
I love the "I'm not bothered about PortAventura any more"...
Please.
I just don't rate the place. Get over it.
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siralgenon
TS Member
Well obviously you'd know more than me whether I love it or not...
If you don't rate it that's fine. But don't slate a place for things when they've already resolved the problem?
siralgenon
TS Member
New Pedestrian Access to Hotel Gold River, Hotel Mansion De Lucy, Hotel Colorado Creek and Hotel 'The Callaghan's'!
Hallelujah! Finally PortAventura are installing pedestrian walkways linking the Far West Resort Area to Plaza de Aventura (parks entrance plaza). Opening with the Parks the new walkway will mean Hotel guests won't have to walk through PortAventura Park to get to Caribe Aquatic Park, Ferrari Land, the other hotels and the train station.
There will also be another pathway linking Hotel Gold River to Hotel El Paso. Traffic lights have been set up across the roads as part of this new set up.
A great move from PA.
Hallelujah! Finally PortAventura are installing pedestrian walkways linking the Far West Resort Area to Plaza de Aventura (parks entrance plaza). Opening with the Parks the new walkway will mean Hotel guests won't have to walk through PortAventura Park to get to Caribe Aquatic Park, Ferrari Land, the other hotels and the train station.
There will also be another pathway linking Hotel Gold River to Hotel El Paso. Traffic lights have been set up across the roads as part of this new set up.
A great move from PA.
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AstroDan
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
I can only base my opinions on my most recent experience.
Theme Park Telepathy is sadly not yet something I have mastered
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Benjsh
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
It's why people don't like PA. The operations and staff. Not a difficult riddle that fella.
Personally I have never had a truly awful experience there. I have seen things I don't like to see in parks but no more than other parks I have visited. However I'm fully aware that people have had regularly had bad experiences at PA. Think I have been lucky.
D4n
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Zadra
I'm in the same boat as @Benjsh. I've been to PortAventura and had quite a good time, no fast pass needed. It was the school Easter holidays and, although the park was quite busy, all coasters were on maximum capacity so none of the queues ever topped 60 minutes, even in the peak of the day. My main frustration was staggered openings which meant everybody scrambled for Baco first thing.
I liked a variety of rides including Shambhala, Khan, Stampida, the water rides (gum aside!), Temple del Fuego and Hurakan Condor. The shows were of a very good standard.
But there's no smoke without fire and countless, countless people that I know or know of have had unpleasant experiences there. You can't be that inconsistent and still be considered a world class theme park resort.
I liked a variety of rides including Shambhala, Khan, Stampida, the water rides (gum aside!), Temple del Fuego and Hurakan Condor. The shows were of a very good standard.
But there's no smoke without fire and countless, countless people that I know or know of have had unpleasant experiences there. You can't be that inconsistent and still be considered a world class theme park resort.
Enter Valhalla
TS Member
Well perhaps if you’d actually mentioned PA in the original post rather than bashing other park operators, your post might have actually made a bit more sense. This is a PA thread and you didn’t mention PA once. Just saying.
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Sam
TS Member
New Pedestrian Access to Hotel Gold River, Hotel Mansion De Lucy, Hotel Colorado Creek and Hotel 'The Callaghan's'!
Hallelujah! Finally PortAventura are installing pedestrian walkways linking the Far West Resort Area to Plaza de Aventura (parks entrance plaza). Opening with the Parks the new walkway will mean Hotel guests won't have to walk through PortAventura Park to get to Caribe Aquatic Park, Ferrari Land, the other hotels and the train station.
There will also be another pathway linking Hotel Gold River to Hotel El Paso. Traffic lights have been set up across the roads as part of this new set up.
A great move from PA.
Rather than "a great move", I feel this is representative of the systemic problems being discussed in this thread.
At any other park approaching this size, literally being able to move from one part of the resort to another would be considered an opening day necessity - not something to be celebrated twenty years later.
Obviously people's opinions about the park (although highly consistent on matters like operations, food and fastrack) are subjective. But the numbers aren't.
As has already been mentioned in this thread, PA is much cheaper than other European resorts of its size because they know it's an inferior product. If it was in the same league as DLP, EP or Efteling, they would charge more for it. The economics don't lie.
PA is more isolated compared to the above resorts of which all 3 are very central to many different countries. So they lure people in with cheaper rates and then make money on express etc. Out of the above I would only say EP is better, DLP isn't thrilling enough for me and neither is Efteling, but both do have some world class attractions. At the end of the day PA is up there with the very best resorts in the world for me, though I haven't been to all of it's competitors, people that have still rate PA very highly.
siralgenon
TS Member
As I've just said, it's not any cheaper, when I looked for August, it's cheaper to stay in the equivalent hotel at Disneyland Paris than it is to stay at PortAventura.
It doesn't bother me if people don't like PortAventura but if people are going to argue a case at least check it's accurate before ranting about it?
Sam
TS Member
Aha. As you well know this is slightly misleading Ryan, given that PA's hotels always include free park entry whereas tickets to DLP cost up to £76.52 a day on top of the room rate.
siralgenon
TS Member
Whenever I've gone to Disneyland I've never had to add tickets on? They've always been included.Aha. As you well know this is slightly misleading Ryan, given that PA's hotels always include free park entry whereas tickets to DLP cost up to £76.52 a day on top of the room rate.
**EDIT**
I've just looked on Disneyland's website, it says "Every package includes Park Tickets and Hotel. Transport options are available."
So the price is like for like.
Sam
TS Member
That's hotel + park packages - standard hotel bookings don't include park tickets.
Can you provide the figures for the park hotel + tickets package that's cheaper at DLP than it is at PA in August?
AstroDan
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
May 15-17th based on 2 adults in a B&B rate including park entry:
Disneyland Paris, Sequoia Lodge
£908.00
PortAventura, Hotel PortAventura
£294.00
Europa-Park, Hotel Colosseo.
£590.00
PA is bargain basement, pal. It's great value for a family holiday - I have always found it far cheaper than most resorts in Europe. Which makes it a very attractive destination for some sun, sea and coasters. I don't blame its popularity amongst UK families. The weather is great!
At those prices though, something has to give. And for me, it's standards/operations/service.
(God - Disney is a bit of a rip off, isn't it?)
Disneyland Paris, Sequoia Lodge
£908.00
PortAventura, Hotel PortAventura
£294.00
Europa-Park, Hotel Colosseo.
£590.00
PA is bargain basement, pal. It's great value for a family holiday - I have always found it far cheaper than most resorts in Europe. Which makes it a very attractive destination for some sun, sea and coasters. I don't blame its popularity amongst UK families. The weather is great!
At those prices though, something has to give. And for me, it's standards/operations/service.
(God - Disney is a bit of a rip off, isn't it?)
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Ted
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Kondaa
I looked up prices for DLP a while back and it's far cheaper to stay off site and get the train in central Paris directly. Horrendous pricing.
I've booked a two night stay in Salou for June and although the prices weren't that bad, it was still cheaper to get a B&B in the town and the park ticket (2 days) than it was to buy it as a package.
Enter Valhalla
TS Member
On another subject, where was this year round opening thing actually announced?
I’ve not seen any announcement on their social media channels and the opening hours on their website still include weekday closures in November and full park closure in January.
I’ve not seen any announcement on their social media channels and the opening hours on their website still include weekday closures in November and full park closure in January.
siralgenon
TS Member
It was announced on PortAventura's official fan pages late last year. It appears that the park will still be closed on odd weekdays throughout November, January and February but it will still be open every week and not close after January as there will be a new Winter event running until February and then Easter will begin. From what others have said the calendar will be updated again closer to the Parks opening.