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Photo TR's: JordyC's Theme Park Adventures


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^Thanks.

 

That's a shame you didn't get to ride Taron in the dark, because it is just awesome how it flies trough Klugheim without seeing what's coming. Also, at nighttime is when you get that mystic feeling of Klugheim even more. As I said in my report, I always had a hard time picking my favourite between Taron and Helix. But after my nightrides, Taron tops Helix for me. They are both fantastic rides, though.

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^It was my first time visiting their winterevent, so I didn't really know what to expect. Of course, it is Phantasialand so they will always do a fantastic job. I was definitely impressed seeing all the decorations with all the little details that Phantasialand loves so much. And I was even more impressed seeing all of that during the nighttime. What a fantastic event it really is!

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^Thank you!

 

The theming at Phantasialand really is outstanding, and during their Wintertraum event this is certainly no exception.

 

And I'm with Bill - maybe now is the right time to think about moving to Germany?

 

LOL! Germany has a lot to offer, so why not?

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I dream of the day I will finally be able to afford to go to Europe and go to Phantasialand, (as well as, other awesome parks over there). These pics just encourage me all the more to get over there...what a beautiful place!

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^^ I immediately fell in love with Germany when we went to Munich/Oktoberfest a few years ago. My main goal is to go back and check out the other areas that we didn't get to visit the first time, but part of me wants to go back to Bavaria too!

 

I am not sure if it is because my relatives came from Germany, but I had some kind of weird vibe when I was there...almost like I really should be living there, like it's my real home or something!

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^^ I immediately fell in love with Germany when we went to Munich/Oktoberfest a few years ago. My main goal is to go back and check out the other areas that we didn't get to visit the first time, but part of me wants to go back to Bavaria too!

 

I haven't got the chance to visit Oktoberfest yet, but I am planning on going next year. It looks so awesome! Anyway, you should definitely come back to Germany someday! It is a fantastic country. And whilst you're there, you can add a couple of theme parks to your visit as well.

 

Oh my Jesus!!! Must go back to Phanstasia.....soon!!

 

It is a gorgeous park, that's the least you can say. Every reason is good to go back to Phantasialand!

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Great TR! We went to Wintertraum on opening weekend, which was extremely crowded. It still was a fantastic experience, as always. And for anyone still going, make sure to be at Kaiserplatz around nightfall when they switch on the lights. Grateful to have such an amazing park nearby!

 

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^Thanks! I am glad you had a fantastic time, despite the crowds. That is why I try to avoid weekends as much as possible, because during my visit every single ride was a walk-on.

 

Wow, I didn't know about that lightshow! It is a shame I missed that.. Thanks for sharing the video, though!

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  • 3 months later...

Efteling (Opening Day Python 2.0) - March 2018

 

Hello everyone!

 

Today, Saturday March 31th 2018, was the first day the new Python officially openend to the public. In less than three months, Efteling managed to largely rebuild their entire iconic 37-year-old roller coaster - Python. The track and supports between the first drop and the brakes have been completely replaced. The rest of the track has been thoroughly cleaned and there was some maintenance on the lift hill.

 

Although the layout remained almost unchanged, the area around Python 2.0 did get a totally different look. First, the queue was re-built allowing for a special single riders line. The old onride photo store at the exit has been demolished. Furthermore, the station building has been refurbished and next month a new food stall will open next to the attraction.

 

Another important change is the arrival of the Boarding Pass. On busy days, like today, guests have to make a reservation to ride Python. They can select a time of their choice via the official Efteling app or at ticket kiosks next to the roller coaster. A limited number of people are able to join the queue every 15 minutes. In this way, the waiting time remains short.

 

So what are my thoughts?

 

Well, first of all, I can not stress it enough how much smoother this ride is. It feels like you are floating over the track. When you go down the first drop, you literally feel the moment when the track changes from old to new. Don't get me wrong, you don't feel the specific transition. No, that is perfectly smooth. But you really notice the difference between the smoothness of the old track and the new track. I never thought the old Python was a rough ride anyway, but it was not smooth either. I am going to make a bold statement now and say that Python is the smoothest coaster in the park.

 

The lift hill takes you to the top much faster as before. With the old Python the climbing seemed to last forever. Now, the chain releases the train in about 20 seconds. The turn and the first drop remained unchanged. The two loopings are just as intense as before and the little airtime hill that follows still provides a nice pop of air. The transition into the double corkscrews was much better designed than before, there is no longer that awkward jolt. The helix at the end is still as forceful as I remember, but now you can actually enjoy it.

 

Something that has disappointed me a bit, was the lack of theming. I really hoped that they would add some theming here and there. But sadly, the only theming you get is the snake look of the trains.

 

Final Score: 6/10

 

As much as I really enjoyed the new Python, it is and will always be a Vekoma double loop and corkscrew coaster. With the old Python, I did not feel the need to ride it everytime I went to the park. But now that the ride is much smoother, I will definitely ride it at least once every visit. I think the goal has been achieved - to preserve the iconic coaster and make it enjoyable for everyone.

 

Here are some pictures that I took.

 

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A bright new entrance for the park's most iconic coaster.

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It really is and will always be the icon of the park.

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The loopings are still as forceful as before, but now you can enjoy them without having to hold on.

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This is a close-up of the transition from the old to the new track.

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It still amazes me how much smoother this ride is now.

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I am still wondering why they did not re-track the first drop too..

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Some random people experiencing some serious G's.

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You no longer have to brace yourself for that awkward transition into Python's corkscrews.

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Going down into the smoothness!

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I have to admit, I really like the look of Python's trains.

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Some of the supports look really funky.

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It is the circle of life!

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You get some decent forces here.

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In my opinion, it is now the smoothest coaster at Efteling.

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The track looks massive, though.

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You get a nice pop of air here!

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One last look at Python 2.0.

 

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Cruising towards the brakes.

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Python is climbing its lift hill a lot faster than it used to do.

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An underneath shot of the first drop.

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Another look at Python's famous corkscrews.

 

Thanks for reading!

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And this is where the new track meets the old one.

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It's good that Efteling was able to extend the life of their old ride (admittedly, not one of my "favorites").

 

It isn't one of my favorites either, but now that it is a much smoother ride I actually really enjoy Python for what it is.

 

I like that they left part of the original track so you can see the difference. Who knows, 100 years from now it could have many different track segments!

 

Now, that would be something!

You can't only see the difference, you can actually feel it too!

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I agree that more parks should do this kind of re-tracking to their older iconic rides. It is a great way to preserve a piece of history and make it actually enjoyable! It is already been done with wooden coasters, so why not with steel coasters too

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This is fantastic news, an almost new rollercoaster ride in less than an hour!

 

You should definitely try it! It really feels like a new coaster. Whether it actually is a new rollercoaster or not, that is something everyone has to decide for themselves.

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In addition to what others have mentioned about Magnum, I would love to see them do this for Corkscrew as well. Everyone knows how iconic it is looping over the midway walkway, it would be a shame if they ever removed such a historical piece of engineering.

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To be honest, I was not expecting that Python would be this smooth after the retracking. It probably is one of the smoothest coasters I have ridden. So I am all in for transforming other coasters that would really benefit from it (looking at you, El Condor and Goudurix).

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