J.R. Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 Tim, Dave and I visited Hungary, Austria and Germany, meeting up with Greg (Gluten Frei) and Derek (TPR Superstar) in Germany, where we became "fünf". The cities and parks we visited included: Budapest--Vidam Park Vienna--Wiener Prater Salzburg--a bit of sightseeing and The Sound of Music Bottrop--Schloß Beck and Movie Park Brühl--Phantasialand Munich--Oktoberfest with CoasterFriends.de! Rammingen---Skyline Park (and back to Munich for more Oktoberfest) Stuttgart--Cannstatter Volksfest Rust--Europa Park Haßloch--Holiday Park Despite a few technical snafus, mostly flight related, we had an excellent time. I'll let the pictures tell the story. Tim's writing a lengthier report with all the details, so keep an eye out for that! (I see he's already posted it--sorry if some of these photos turn out to be duplicates.) Janna Free of charge! Directional signs at the park. We still had to consult our map and ride list for translations for some of the names. Children enjoying the ride. A chariot. There were also rocking boats. The horses faced outward and rocked back and forth on these giant springs. Inside the building. The building that houses Korhinta, a stunningly beautiful Merry-Go-Round. Szellemvasut (Ghost Ride). One of two dark rides with a homemade Spiderman in it! Panoramakerek. Check out the tubs, with London theming. This was a bizarre Whip. Did not look like a Mangels at all. Both the tubs and mechanism seemed different. Kukomotiv, with a tunnel! By Daniel Pinfari, Italy! Looping Star, the Schwarzkopf formerly at Dreamland in the UK. An unfortunate haircut. ... More Hullamvasut. Hey, there's Tim up front! This is the view from the top of Hullamvasut. If you want the front, you may need to hop on before the train stops, like Rutschebanen at Tivoli. Closer look at the trains. ... ... Hullamvasut. Mesecsonak; a Fairy Tale Old Mill-type boat ride. Slowest ever but still light years better than Garfield's Nightmare. You can see Hullamvasut in the background. This is the facade for Tukorutveszto, a better than usual mirror labyrinth. This one too. This one's for you, Mark. Entrance to Vidam Park. Cannons and stuff. Hey, this looks like Pittsburgh, too! More from Fisherman's Bastion. This shows Parliament, where the riots that broke out just before we left were supposed to be going on. Hey, it looks just like Pittsburgh! More of the same. Fisherman's Bastion, on the Buda side of Budapest. Great views from here. Detail of church, under scaffolding. We might've gone in, if it didn't cost us. Church in the Castle District. These ladies were setting up shop near the station. They had a small, interesting array of things for sale. The trains were quite old but ran fine. The system was easy to figure out, once we decided what type of ticket to buy. Yay-new subway credit! I'm glad we're not driving! Tim's happy to be in Hungary. Hey Tim, the Sex Shop is the other way! Close-up. Hungarian dude in our hotel lobby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primogen18 Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 Nice PTR, with some very interesting pics. That carousel looks really unique and quite large. I've never seen any rocking horses or ships before. Im guessing that woody is a scenic railway/side friction with those type of trains with the wooden benches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niiicolaaah Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 Hi Janna! Nice pics so far. Budapest looks gorgeous. Primogen18 just said the other two things I was going to say so... yeah. Looking forward to more pictures! Nicole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking86 Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 Nice pictures! I loved Looping Star when I rode it last year. Btw, Im soooo dissappointed that you didnt visit Erlebnispark Strasswalchen on the trip. Its not that far from Salzburg Looking forward to the pictures from Prater. It really is an amazing place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.R. Posted October 12, 2006 Author Share Posted October 12, 2006 Nice Photo TR, with some very interesting pics. That carousel looks really unique and quite large. I've never seen any rocking horses or ships before. Im guessing that woody is a scenic railway/side friction with those type of trains with the wooden benches. We saw a couple of carousels elsewhere on the trip with the rocking horses but none as large as those. Yeah, Hullámvasút (Hungarian for "Riding the Waves") is a scenic railway. You can see the brakeman in the middle if you look carefully. This was probably the slowest and least interesting of all the scenic railways I've ridden (Rutschebanen, Bakken and Tivoli; Scenic Railway, Dreamland; Hochschaubahn, Prater and Vuoristorata, Linnanmäki). Janna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.R. Posted October 12, 2006 Author Share Posted October 12, 2006 Nice pictures! I loved Looping Star when I rode it last year. Btw, Im soooo dissappointed that you didnt visit Erlebnispark Strasswalchen on the trip. Its not that far from Salzburg Looking forward to the pictures from Prater. It really is an amazing place! I had Prater halfway done tonight and then it all went "Poof!" and disappeared when I went to make a sandwich. I'll try again tomorrow, possibly posting in smaller installments to prevent losing everything again. Janna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.R. Posted October 13, 2006 Author Share Posted October 13, 2006 Part Two: Weiner Prater, Vienna, Austria We arrived in Vienna via train late in the evening. The next morning after breakfast, we dropped our luggage off at the train station and took public transportation to Prater Park. We didn't do any sightseeing in Vienna, but Dave and I had both been before and I was kind of unimpressed then, so I don't feel like I missed anything. For more details, see N'at Man's Ok-Coaster-Fest Trip Reports. On to the photos... Janna Tim can't wait for it to open. This one's for you, Mark! Free of charge! ...home being the Geister Schloss (Ghost Castle). This was an very good dark ride, with a simple but effective surprise at the end. For some reason, this one had a Spiderman in it too, like the ones at Vidam. This dog is on his way home... Amadeus, Amadeus, Rock Me Amadeus! (I like how they've removed The "-per" from both signs...) A Zamperla Mr. Muscle. These were all over the place. The operator's booth. A lot of the operators here get into providing a complete experience, choreographing music to go along with the ride and providing commentary during the ride. Extasy detail. Soriani and Moser Extasy. I was hoping this would be similar to my favorite flat ride, the Moser Extreme. Unfortunately, it wasn't--the cars didn't flip and you spent a lot of time upside-down. Not too bad though. Tim and Dave with the Prater guy, in front of Extasy. One of several carousels, with one of several bumper car rides in the background. Here's one for the beer thread! Super 8er Bahn, a Pinfari FC80 that was actually quite pleasant due to the lap bars. Close up of the tunnel. We probably would have had to spring for another ride to get a photo of a train in the tunnel; there were very few customers when we arrived and we had to wait for several of the rides to open. Dizzy Mouse, a Reverchon spinning mouse. and another. and another... and another... View from the Riesenrad. Graffitti inside one of the cabins. The pristine cabins are reserved for dining and special events. More Riesenrad. The cabins of the Riesenrad Ferris Wheel. ("When the hungries hit, hit the Red Barn...") Prater mascot guy. Hey, a French Fry Dudelike the one at Mount Olympus! Biergarten. Prater reminded me a bit of Bakken but with way more rides. It's within a larger park and there are many independently operated rides, restaurants and attractions. Unfortunately, there's no POP option. Entrance with the famous Riesenrad in the background. Park entrance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.R. Posted October 13, 2006 Author Share Posted October 13, 2006 More Prater photos.... Auf Wiedersehen! After a few beers we were ready for the Star Flyer. Kind of scary at first but ultimately very thrilling. We got a pretty long cycle, going up to the top several times. Budweiser Budvar. Definately not Wally's Budweiser. This stuff is tasty *and* potent. Here's one for the beer thread. Fresh horses. The Ponykarussell. PETA would not approve. Hey, it's El Toro and there's no line! We missed you, Buddy! The Boomerang was closed for painting. Darn. Megablitz, a Vekoma custom. Not bad. Auto BergBahn. Could be counted as a credit. I just wanted to ride it because it was so adorable. It had a conveyor belt to get you closer to the top quickly, similar to one we saw at Oktoberfest. Toboggan. I really wanted to ride this but when we got a closer look, it looked like it had been closed for a while and could fall apart at any time. The ride as seen from back, on another midway. This cat appeared to live at Hochschaubahn. It jumped out of the train when we arrived to ride. That's a bar/restaurant to the right. ... ... ... Hochschaubahn. There's the Prater guy again. Hochschaubahn Hochschaubahn Hochschaubahn Hochschaubahn--a 1950 scenic railway. It had very charming theming, including mountains, waterfalls, plants, and water-shooting elves. Another carousel. This part of the park also had the best bathrooms (not free, though). ... ... "Kid's World". This seemed like a newer or recently redone part of the park. ... Liliputbahn--train ride. This thing went way far out. We got out maybe half way (but weren't sure) and still had to walk back a ways to the attractions. Walk-through attraction. Glocke. Didn't ride it. Maurer Sohne Wilde Maus. Loved this ride--nothing at all like the one at Blackpool. This one went at varying speeds and also bounced up and down. The operator seemed to be challenging riders to stand. Another dark ride. This one had real old-school "sensors"--the car would hit a board that would trigger the stunt. I made a note of a "collapsing bridge" effect on this ride but don't remember it now.... This was my favorite. One area of the park had a lot of these interesting sculptures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneyfan1313 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Awesome TR! I love seeing these random parks in Europe. The french fry guy looks stoned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan King Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Dude! I rode that Ferris Wheel In Austria! I Was SOOO mad that those coasters were closed! GAH! This TR made me upset that I coudlnt get those credits! But! None the less! Awesome TR! As He^ said above...its awesome seeing these odd-ball parks! Something besides SF and Universal Studios! -Ryan King Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zingoman Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Wow, Prater seems HUGE! That is a wild mix of major vintage (the old truss Ferris Wheel, and horse pulled carousel) and new. It reminded me of an oversized Oktoberfest. I bet I would LOVE that place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saxi Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 HI TPR´s. This is my first post - but I had to reply as I am living in Vienna/Austria. Prater is a huge area but unfortunately every ride has to be paid extra. Also if you are a "thrillseeker" Prater will not really satisfy you. The real good thing is - as already mentioned in the TR - the "Budweiser Budvar"-Beer which has nothing in common with the Budweiser from Anheuser Busch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking86 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Great pictures! Prater is such a great place. The coasters arent that great, with Megablitz being the best one by far with its amazing helixes, but the atmosphere and all the weirdness makes it the most interesting park I have ever been to. This cat appeared to live at Hochschaubahn. It jumped out of the train when we arrived to ride. On our guided backstage tour last summer we were told of that cat. It does infact live inside the structure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Great Trip Report! I love Budapest... Anyways, what in the world is that "bell" looking ride? What does it do? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.R. Posted October 13, 2006 Author Share Posted October 13, 2006 Great Trip Report! I love Budapest... Anyways, what in the world is that "bell" looking ride? What does it do? Thanks! Thanks! I'm not used to taking pictures when I visit amusement parks so some of them, particularly the coaster ones, aren't the greatest and sometimes I forgot to take them at all. Here's some pictures of the Glocke ride being constructed and in action. I don't recall if it was open or not when we visited. We didn't see it in action when we were there but it was an uncrowded day. We just didn't feel like paying 4 euro for it. http://wpayer.wild-side.net/RC_Glocke.htm As far as I can tell, it's made (or maybe just distributed?) by Funtime http://www.funtime.com.au/. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Janna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obeygiant Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Amazing pics so far! Prater looks like a cool quaint park... This part of the park also had the best bathrooms (not free, though). You're saying that you had tp pay to use the bathrooms? Sounds like what I have to do if I need to use the bathroom in school! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viking86 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 This part of the park also had the best bathrooms (not free, though). Oh yes I remember those toilets. 50 eurocent, wasnt it? Anyway, I dont think Ive ever seen such clean toilets. I'd almost say it was worth it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pvcoasterguy Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 ^^ In Europe, it is common practice to have to pay for restrooms in public places. Anyway, great TR! The photos were great and the parks interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Here's some pictures of the Glocke ride being constructed and in action. I don't recall if it was open or not when we visited. We didn't see it in action when we were there but it was an uncrowded day. We just didn't feel like paying 4 euro for it. http://wpayer.wild-side.net/RC_Glocke.htm Thanks for the link... interesting concept for a ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niiicolaaah Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 Hahaha... if I ever go there I have to budget for using the restrooms... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DallasAlvey Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 The park looked fun but it also looked like Castle Park Austrian style. The coasters looked fun and so did that mountain train thing. The pictures were great and I can't for your next post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastrfreak2000 Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 Ewww a Zamperla Volare.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.R. Posted October 16, 2006 Author Share Posted October 16, 2006 Part 3: Salzburg, Austria to Essen, Germany (warning--no coaster content!) After our day at Prater, we validated our Eurail passes and took the train across Austria from Vienna to Salzburg. Our ultimate destination was Essen, just north of Düsseldorf, in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany, where we'd meet up with Greg, who had been sightseeing in Berlin. Our plan was to spend a night in Salzburg, do a little sightseeing the next day, and then continue on to Essen. Our hotel was the Best Western Hotel Zum Hirschen. Nothing "Best Western" about it; it was a really nice place with plenty of outlets for Tim and Dave to recharge all of their gadgets. There were Mozart balls on our pillows which were delicious. The Mozartkugel, as it is called, originates from Salzburg (as did Mozart) and has a core of pistachio, marzipan, and nougat coated with dark chocolate--yummy! Equally exciting was my discovery that the TV channel line-up included a 24-hour "The Sound of Music" channel! I am a big fan and Tim obliged by letting me watch a bit before we turned in. The next day, after an excellent breakfast that included some of the best bacon I've ever had (I often wonder what Europeans think of the generally crappy and pathetic "Continental" breakfasts that American hotels tend to offer; theirs are far superior...), we set of to do some sightseeing before we had to catch our train. We walked a few blocks from our hotel to the Salzach river, walking along the river until we reached Mirabell Gardens and Schloss (castle) Mirabell. There was some sort of bike race going on in town that day so there were parts that were blocked off and helicopters buzzing overhead but we did get to see the gardens (featured in the Do-Re-Mi sequence of "The Sound of Music"), including bits of the Salzburg Dwarf Garden, before heading back to the hotel to check out and walking to the train station. Salzburg is a town I wouldn't mind visiting again. Maybe next time I'll make it to Erlebnispark Strasswalchen. (And if Derek ever goes, there's "Brauwelt," Europe's largest exhibition of beers. Check out http://www.brauwelt.at/e_home.htm and take the bierquiz while you're there) (Next: Schloss Beck and Movie Park) Janna Here's one for the beer thread, from Cafe and Bar Celona (get it?) at Kennedy Platz in Essen. Danke für lesen. Hey, there's a WalMart in Essen! ... .... The scene at the train station in Munich, where we had to switch trains. Lots of people coming for Oktoberfest, dressed in lederhosen (so hot!) and dirndls, and a really party-type atmosphere. We couldn't wait to come back! Hot stuff. !!! From the Dwarf Garden (and also seen in The Sound of Music). ...Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do.." ...Tea, a drink with jam and bread That will bring us back to Do.... ...Sew, a needle pulling thread La, a note to follow Sew... ...Me, a name I call myself Far, a long, long way to run... "Doe, a deer, a female deer Ray, a drop of golden sun... Mirabell Gardens. Maria and the children pranced through here while singing "Do-Re-Mi". "The hills are alive with the sound of music With songs they have sung for a thousand years..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.R. Posted October 16, 2006 Author Share Posted October 16, 2006 Hahaha... if I ever go there I have to budget for using the restrooms... I tried to pee for free wherever I could but I also kept .50 euro coins on hand for when I really had to go and a pay WC was the only thing around. There's also toiletten that are technically free but there's someone sitting there next to a tip plate... Janna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beager Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 First time posting so I hope this works. Where was the Hochschhaubahn? I was there last August and didn't see it, and was looking forward to riding it. Otherwise, I really enjoyed that park, very different from what I'm used to out here in So. Cal. It had lots of Fun Houses, the type that we don't see anymore. And the dark rides were pretty cool. We also did the Dino walk-through. Cheesy, but I love cheesy stuff. Erin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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