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PortAventura: General Discussion
- Thread starter DynamiteDaly
- Start date
If it is an Intamin hot racer it could be brilliant for ferrari land. They could be easily themed in and it would be a great new ride for Europe as a whole. Whether that's what it is or not I have absolutely no idea but I suppose we'll have to wait and see.
siralgenon
TS Member
This looks like it could be a great and much needed addition to Ferrari Land HOWEVER, I think Ferrari Land desperately needs a water ride as the park is a suntrap and could do with an attraction to cool down on and as much as I realise Ferrari Land needs to expand I just hope PortAventura Park also continues to receive new attractions and doesn't end up being pushed aside, it's also ready for either a new country or headline attraction.
tayspru
TS Member
I’ve just arrived at the Callaghan’s Hotel last night and the standard of resort in my opinion far outstrips the equivalent hotels in Disneyland
Quick question, does anyone know if the park opens before the advertised opening, similar to Towers ? Or is the advertised time the time that the gates are opened
Quick question, does anyone know if the park opens before the advertised opening, similar to Towers ? Or is the advertised time the time that the gates are opened
that's pretty cool! And the fake restraints look pretty accurate.Glad to see PortAventura have jumped on Europa's idea of putting coaster seats at a bus stop:
siralgenon
TS Member
That was a marketing image from about 10 years ago. You can see the old logo on the poster.Glad to see PortAventura have jumped on Europa's idea of putting coaster seats at a bus stop:
Enter Valhalla
TS Member
I’m certain that you’re back from your trip now, but figured I’d answer your question anyway in case anyone else was wondering.
The park opens officially at 10:30, but Baco usually opens at 10:00 or 10:15, depending on how busy the park is. This is scheduled (they don’t just decide on the day), and you can check ride specific opening hours on the opening times section of the official website.
Most other rides open at 10:30 or 11:00, but the park entrances both open at around 10:00, and you can walk around the entire park straight away. In other words, they don’t physically close off areas of the park.
We stayed at Hotel Colorado Creek and came in at 10:00, and were able to take a leisurely walk to the back of the park and start waiting for Shambhala which opened at 10:30.
Be warned that Baco is always extremely busy for the first few hours of the day.
I'm thinking of a trip to PA this summer for my 18 birthday and I've got a few questions for anyone who's been before:
- How is taking the bus from Reus airport to PA if you've done it? How much does it cost and can you book it in advance?
- How busy would the parks be in mid June sort of thinking staying in Salou between 18th June and the 25th June (wouldn't be there the whole time it's just an approximate date)
- Is it worth staying in the onsite hotels, possibly using the hotel roulette? To me it appears like a fairly good deal
- I'm thinking of staying technically staying 3 nights, having only two full days on park but might be able to pop in the park on the other two days (arriving and departing) days to visit the park, is there enough to do in terms of near Salou as well as in the park/resort?
- How expensive is food in Salou and surrounding PA, we would happily walk/get bus for food in the centre of Salou.
Transfers from Reus really easy, book in advanced on holidaytaxis.com or similar. Done the journey multiple times (not for a few years now though). Was not expensive.
Having done June a few times (similar dates) and July- June was busier due to school trips- although quietened down in the evening. I wouldn’t want to go in June without the unlimited express pass. Staying in the on-site hotels allowed this to be purchased for the whole trip, so was worth it for us as a few year back worked out about £50-60 for the whole stay. However you can stay significantly cheaper in offsite hotels. Prefer the park later in afternoon heading to evening, cooler temps outside the midday sun and not as busy. However last trip was 7 days and so
Would spend day by pool and beach etc and visit the park mainly in the evening as open until midnight.
Having done June a few times (similar dates) and July- June was busier due to school trips- although quietened down in the evening. I wouldn’t want to go in June without the unlimited express pass. Staying in the on-site hotels allowed this to be purchased for the whole trip, so was worth it for us as a few year back worked out about £50-60 for the whole stay. However you can stay significantly cheaper in offsite hotels. Prefer the park later in afternoon heading to evening, cooler temps outside the midday sun and not as busy. However last trip was 7 days and so
Would spend day by pool and beach etc and visit the park mainly in the evening as open until midnight.
Thanks loads, that's been really helpful.
James
TS Founding Member
There's plenty of hotels in Salou within walking distance of the park, however if you're staying for 3 nights and the main basis of your stay is to go to PA, I would stay on resort (it's farily simple to get to Salou from PA). I've walked from PA to Salou myself, it's about a 30 minute walk and fairly enjoyable. Salou is a typical Spanish holiday resort, prices for food and drink are pretty average; there's not a whole lot to do there however the beach promenade is very nice to walk along. If you're after more culture Tarragona and Barcelona make nice days out, perhaps not doable over a 3 night stay.
I second going in the theme park at night, it's usually cooler, quieter and more enjoyable. Worth doing day and night for the experience.
I second going in the theme park at night, it's usually cooler, quieter and more enjoyable. Worth doing day and night for the experience.
Me and my dad (who will almost certianly come with me, would be a bit boring on my own) like a good walk and will probably enjoy the walk so it's good to know how long it takes.
I have actually been to Salou before but it was a long time ago, in fact I've been in port adventura's car park but not the theme park, something to do with the wrong bus. It's nice to know that it's not too badly priced though still.
Now I know it's open so late I will 100% will be going in at night, sounds like a really good option in terms of it being cooler.
Thanks for the info @James
Mattie boy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shamballa
11pm closes I think this year which is good !
Alastair
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Rise of the Resistance
Just got back from a 3 night stay at Gold River (my last stay was 2017, just pre-Ferrari Land so essentially went back to sample that as part of a bigger holiday visiting Barcelona). Thankfully, although the opening hours this week weren't the greatest (10-6), it was incredibly quiet, so the express pass wasn't required, and I didn't see many others using it either. Unfortunately this also meant that the park felt pretty dead, and a staggering number of eateries were closed. In fact, we walked all the way anti-clockwise around the park from Polynesia and it was only once we reached the Cantina in Mexico that we found somewhere to eat an actual meal that wasn't just an ice-cream stall. You think Towers is bad on park, but this was on a par in terms of closures.
The resort experience was similar too. Although you can't fault the level and quality of the theming at the hotels (particularly the Gold River/Callaghan's section), the evening eating experience remains incredibly hit and miss. We booked a table at the Grand Opera on Tuesday evening, only to be told later in the day (and only by chance having asked at reception), that it was in fact, inexplicably, closed, and all that was available on resort was the buffet (CLASSIC) - or, staggeringly, the La Liga Twentynines restaurant at the park entrance - which is around a 1.5km walk away from the hotel. The latter is by no means a poor place to eat, but it's hardly in-keeping with the self-contained resort experience. Additionally, the buffet at Gold River is pretty poor, particularly the room in which it's served which is an enormous, echoey dining hall almost like that of a big high school or something - pretty unpleasant overall.
Having said the above, the price point of the hotels on resort at PA is incredibly attractive - we essentially paid around €150 a night for a pretty nice double room in the Mary Joe's building, which included breakfast and park tickets to both PA and Ferrari Land. The latter, having visited for the first time, is perfectly adequate but - as I was expecting - severely lacking in stayability - and everything had been ridden after only a few hours. Additionally, the "Racing Legends" simulator ride in the Ferrari Experience building is hilariously bad - possibly the worst ever projector-based dark ride I've been on. And that includes the terrible Ice Age ride that was formerly at PA until a few years ago. I won't be returning again for a few more years, at least not until PA adds an additional ride or two to the main park plus to Ferrari Land - as it really does need more attractions, particularly dark rides. Still haven't ridden Templo de Fuego - which has incredibly been closed now on all 3 of my visits to the park in the last decade! A few random pictures below:
The resort experience was similar too. Although you can't fault the level and quality of the theming at the hotels (particularly the Gold River/Callaghan's section), the evening eating experience remains incredibly hit and miss. We booked a table at the Grand Opera on Tuesday evening, only to be told later in the day (and only by chance having asked at reception), that it was in fact, inexplicably, closed, and all that was available on resort was the buffet (CLASSIC) - or, staggeringly, the La Liga Twentynines restaurant at the park entrance - which is around a 1.5km walk away from the hotel. The latter is by no means a poor place to eat, but it's hardly in-keeping with the self-contained resort experience. Additionally, the buffet at Gold River is pretty poor, particularly the room in which it's served which is an enormous, echoey dining hall almost like that of a big high school or something - pretty unpleasant overall.
Having said the above, the price point of the hotels on resort at PA is incredibly attractive - we essentially paid around €150 a night for a pretty nice double room in the Mary Joe's building, which included breakfast and park tickets to both PA and Ferrari Land. The latter, having visited for the first time, is perfectly adequate but - as I was expecting - severely lacking in stayability - and everything had been ridden after only a few hours. Additionally, the "Racing Legends" simulator ride in the Ferrari Experience building is hilariously bad - possibly the worst ever projector-based dark ride I've been on. And that includes the terrible Ice Age ride that was formerly at PA until a few years ago. I won't be returning again for a few more years, at least not until PA adds an additional ride or two to the main park plus to Ferrari Land - as it really does need more attractions, particularly dark rides. Still haven't ridden Templo de Fuego - which has incredibly been closed now on all 3 of my visits to the park in the last decade! A few random pictures below:
Eez Closed seems pretty standard for PA, had same a couple of times now despite having booked.
This is one park that frustrates me greatly. It should be in the top tier of European Parks, but it has so many failing that it doesn't come close.
It is a lovely park to be at (The view of the oil refinery from the Shambhala station aside), but let down by :-
Poor operations: Only been 3 times, but every time Shambhala is on one train for example (but other coasters have similarly poor ops). They do add a second eventually but it always seems a chore. Then I see a few days after my visit others who are visiting praising the fact that Shambhala is on 3 trains. Slow loadings, 1 train operation, creating lengthy queues.
The lengthy queues due to the above when the park is reasonably busy means that getting express pass is a must to enjoy your day. On the plus side, staying on resort, the pass is valid for your entire visit (or at least it was), which is excellent value for money, but then means that every man and his dog has it.
Despite efforts to theme areas in the park, there is no effort for the queue lines. These tend to be nasty cattle pens, which are usually full and a queue jumpers and smokers paradise, making them deeply unpleasant.
The resort side, the hotels generally are of a high standard, but there is little connectivity between them. For example, having a meal in Gold River but staying in PA hotel? They will promise you transport back later but then when you ask will say it is too late and they can call a taxi. Both hotels are pretty close to each other, and can be accessed fairly easily when the park is open, but when closed? It takes about 40 minutes to walk between the two, which involves walking in the opposite direction for 15 minutes to get past the fence, then doubling back and walking back the way you come the other side of the fence, passed where you started from 30 minutes previously. I am aware this is meant to be addressed, but I remember doing this in 2013 so not like they are in a rush to do it.
The staggered opening times. They advertise the park opening at 10. Furious Baco and around that area opens at 10, the rest seems to be open at 12. Means it doesn't take long for Baco to get a 2 hour queue. Not always a massive problem when the park is open late, and I am not sure if they do the same when the park closes earlier.
Ferrari Land really doesn't seem like a Second Gate. Red Force itself is fine, but all the additions are shockingly poor for a park such as PA. Racing Legends look likes its been ported straight over from an Amiga, and even some of the lesser parks would probably be embarrassed to have something like this. On the plus side of it being a second gate, if you are visiting, pop in in the afternoon, most people have got bored/died of boredom by then and it should get quiet.
Whilst not PA's fault, using public transport seems a faff. On two occasions now, have left Barcelona on time and arrived at PA station an hour or more late (1st time was 90 minutes late). No idea how that happened. On return have arrived in plenty of time to catch train back to Barcelona and it has rocked up 30-60 minutes late, but oddly managed to arrive in Barcelona earlier than timetabled.
I am not sure I would visit again until there is a new coaster unless there are some cheap deals on offer with some cheap flights too boot. Is a place I think I would hate in the height of summer, even with express pass. Oddly, I do like the place, there are just too many negatives to make it a worth while trip more than once every few years.
Mattie boy
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Shamballa
Yeah I do agree with most of that. Been twice before..should be going again end of june when it's full of kids...definitely needs a new coaster now
