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Phantasialand Deep Dive
123 Plays18 days ago
Now that we've all been there, we can finally have our first park deep dive on Phantasialand! **Spoilers abound if you don't want to know a lot of Phantasialand details!**
We're joined by our good friend (and favorite British Canadian) Mikhile as we finish up a few Europe recap questions (Great Trip Recap Pt. 3-ish?), have another little trip recap, and then go into all the best parts about that bucket list German park, Phantasialand. Plus, find out why Allison wrote a note of "AKA no glasses and a random Dutch man" in her notes because she definitely doesn't remember why.
Make sure you check out Mikhile on the Chain Dogs Podcast! https://www.youtube.com/c/TheChainDogsPodcast
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Transcript
Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:00:00
Speaker
You are listening to the Inverted Creative Podcast. I'm Allison. I'm Brian. And I'm Jen.
00:00:17
Speaker
Holy crossover, do we have a special guest with us today?
00:00:21
Speaker
We do have a special guest. Is that an inside reference I didn't get? Wow. I guess you don't listen to the Chainedogs podcast. I listen to them sometimes when I'm driving.
00:00:34
Speaker
Hey, I listen to them too.
00:00:39
Speaker
I would hope you do. I don't listen to my own podcast very often, so I wouldn't judge. I have to. I edit ours. Anyway, we have a very special guest with us today, joining us ah by the name of Mikhail. Hi, Mikhail. Hello, hello. Hello.
00:00:55
Speaker
We've been talking about having Mikhail with us for a while, and that rhymes. That's happy. yeah A little minute, yeah. um But here we are. Here we are. We made it!
00:01:09
Speaker
To the the Great Trip Recap Part 3. No more. No more recaps. No, deep dive. I'm doing great.
Theme Park Experiences at Phantasy Land
00:01:17
Speaker
no deep dive i'm doing great Finally, all of us have been to Phantasy Land, um and we have to talk about how fantastic that park is. And also, I know Mikhail loves Phantasy Land, and he's half the reason I went, probably, for the first time.
00:01:35
Speaker
I also want to apologize in advance if my speech sounds slurred. It's not because I'm drunk. It's because I've woken up at, like, 4 a.m., like, five straight days, and I'm exhausted.
00:01:47
Speaker
So I apologize. And I've been working, like, every day, so... I was just about to say I cannot relate to part of that.
00:01:56
Speaker
I'm right there with you, but late evening finishes, not early morning starts.
Work and Sleep Schedules
00:02:02
Speaker
It's also like four in the afternoon for you. Yeah, I've had time to sleep in today. Good point. Yeah.
00:02:13
Speaker
um I'm working a normal schedule because I work for them. Put that down for awkward silence. ah Yeah. Awkward silence. Sorry, guys. We love a good awkward silence. We're doing great. We're doing great.
00:02:27
Speaker
We're doing good. Yeah. I've just been working my usual life doing things every weekend. and so I never sleep. It's fine. Everything's fine. I sleep a lot counting down the days till I go back to Europe.
00:02:41
Speaker
Do you not sleep in Europe?
00:02:44
Speaker
I mean, I sleep less in Europe. That's true. Wow, you had an early appearance. I know, usually it's like an hour. Wow. You for her to argue with.
00:03:04
Speaker
So, ah we've been, you know, little... not doing trivia lately because we've had a lot going on between our accessibility series and then just recaps for days.
00:03:16
Speaker
Literally, those were
Podcast Trivia and Listener Engagement
00:03:17
Speaker
our two longest episodes we've ever done in a row. Yeah, five hours of content. And we're still technically not done. Yeah, technically. We have a couple questions from someone that We um kind of totally forgot to answer last time, and we apologize for that one.
00:03:34
Speaker
um and then one of them apologize. You had the access to it. Don't say we. I mean, to be fair, I think it was comment on the Instagram post, and none of us saw it. Oh, that I have access to, but have yet to log in.
00:03:46
Speaker
Yeah, Allison, you're the responsible one here. i try. Okay. We had a lot of comments. This just going to be make fun of Allison episode. Please, no.
00:03:57
Speaker
Hello, welcome to our roast of Allison. Yeah, what if we just prayy completely didn't tell you and it's just going to be the roast of Allison? That would be great. That would not great. the wrong reason I'm here. Have you been to the Europa Post? This makes so much sense why Mikhail is here now, even at my own invitation.
00:04:18
Speaker
Yeah, but but yeah, back on the topic. I don't know. I feel like we've just fell off with trivia, so... Yeah, I want to oppose it to you guys. Do you guys like the trivia? Do you still want it? Do you care?
00:04:31
Speaker
i care. Let us know. I'm talking to the listener. We will put... This drops on Monday? Yeah. Yes. I am getting my days mixed up.
00:04:41
Speaker
This drops on Monday. On Monday afternoon, we'll put a poll on our story. Let me make a note of that. I will put a poll on the story. out Then my feelings will be hurt. If it's like 90%, no, we don't care.
00:04:53
Speaker
Oh, okay. Never mind. We're not going to put a poll in our story. I guess just message us and let us decide. Comments work for me. It's less real-time feedback. ah Trivia sucks. Stop talking about it.
00:05:07
Speaker
I appreciate your shtick.
00:05:13
Speaker
yeah um if you want I enjoy never guessing never guessing though the the the questions. I think I maybe got one question right. Like one trivia question. Yeah, because Bryce, trivia questions are hard. like think sometimes it doesn't help that i don't I forget to make one and then we're recording and then I'm like, uh, uh, and then i just do a horrible job at researching.
00:05:36
Speaker
I mean, that was us also during the accessibility ones where like, uh, uh, trivia, maybe, huh? I was putting out like the silliest questions. We were just like completely at a loss for trivia without Bryant.
00:05:48
Speaker
um like What is the oldest rollercoaster ah in Canada? There you go.
00:05:59
Speaker
That's easy. In honor of our guest. Why do I know that? Like not know that. actually i know that Is it LaTelon? Oh my god. What are we doing here?
00:06:13
Speaker
It's very serious question. Which
Traveling and Coaster Adventures
00:06:15
Speaker
one's Laetailon? Is that ah the Batman at La Ronde? Yeah, La Vampire. Laetailon. Laetailon. I'll be able to talk about that one soon.
00:06:24
Speaker
Yay. Oh, God. You're only allowed to talk about it if you more trips, guys. I'm tapping out. I'm going on a trip this weekend, and I'm tapping out for the rest the year. So... I am one toxic trip away from hitting 750 this year. let's see what happens.
00:06:40
Speaker
That means Allison's hitting 750 this year. I'm very well might. You just hit 700. You really are toxic this year Aren't you? You hit 600 this year, didn't you?
00:06:54
Speaker
Yes. Yeah, in like April. in In ah Santa Cruz. Yeah, yeah I did. You're so dumb. Like three months, well, four. ah Four months ago. did a Europe trip with 80 coasters, I'm sorry. So do I. So do I, I didn't add another 80.
00:07:12
Speaker
<unk>m We're doing Canada soon, and I think I get like a plus 17 because we're stupid and going up through like Great Escape and La Ronde and then back down to Canada's Wonderland, where i'm missing like seven.
00:07:24
Speaker
are you missing seven? You were there with me. yeah I know. We skipped that on all the kids' coasters. And I was recording. Yeah, so did I, but okay. You went more crud running than we did. i was more like, I'm gonna come back eventually. I'm not gonna like and run myself into the ground trying to get all the crap.
00:07:42
Speaker
Okay. That's fair. Well, guys. Reminder that I still have like 200 credits, so I'm the real expert of the podcast. And their opinions suck.
00:07:53
Speaker
And Talon is best. There it is. On that note, let's talk about Black Mamba today. ah we will. And Talon at Fantasialand. Wait, real quick. I kind of want to play a game. I want to guess how many credits Mikhail has.
00:08:09
Speaker
Do you know Allison offhand? Ish? Maybe? I'm going to guess. four sixty 462. I two don't remember remember.
00:08:22
Speaker
So the short answer is no. No. no Somewhere between 350 and 400, I think.
00:08:30
Speaker
So else I will say I feel like I might get 450 in September. i was wrong, i guess.
00:08:41
Speaker
ah
00:08:44
Speaker
I meant i was 462 is what you're going to be at the end of the year. ah fun Sure, yeah, that's totally what you meant. That's what meant. Nailed it. Okay, but that's actually a possibility. Nailed it. If mine fits right on, that would be so funny.
00:08:59
Speaker
Yeah, right. Like, plan to hit 461. That would be perfect. Just... but One shot. Or 463. Yeah, you're to have to go ride some, like, Visa spinner. ands Yeah, literally, like, it's ah it so it's a Visa spinner or a wacky worm just somewhere in, like, in some parking lot somewhere.
00:09:20
Speaker
and Literally. Heck yeah. I am currently on 427. 427.
00:09:28
Speaker
like i was full close on um I got 400 on that same trip that Allison got 600, but at a different park, on Gold Striker at cal ah California's Great Mountain. that's right. I do remember that. That's a good one I still need that thing.
00:09:48
Speaker
I need all of the California credits.
00:09:52
Speaker
I want to go back because we need to get um Laurel the credits over there as well. um Laurel! Definitely wanting to get back in.
00:10:03
Speaker
We need California parts on the film.
00:10:07
Speaker
It seems like we do more time for CTA than we do for ah Six Flags America at least.
00:10:16
Speaker
Yeah, i mean and I mean, if you ask me, they're choosing the right one to save for a little while longer. i agree. But that's just me. yeah I actually quite enjoyed Northern California Parks.
00:10:32
Speaker
Oh, I loved them. like I honestly don't think I've really heard terrible things out of Great America, like, ever. I've heard it from one person. One person. Yeah, literally one man.
00:10:45
Speaker
Everyone else I've heard has gone there and had a really good time there. It was a great day there. And I've heard the exact opposite out of America. Oh, America sucks.
00:10:57
Speaker
ah I don't think I've ever heard someone have a good experience out of America. Same. I think the the most um the most pleasant surprise out of that trip was Six Flags Discovery Kingdom though.
00:11:11
Speaker
Because I have heard bad things from that park. Yeah, that's the one I've definitely heard. Like almost entirely bad things. and park And I got there and I'm like, this park's gorgeous. What are you all talking about? Very pretty. Really?
00:11:24
Speaker
I mean, the crowds were okay. Yeah, the ride lineup was a bit... Isn't that kind of more animal themed?
00:11:32
Speaker
and
00:11:34
Speaker
Like, great adventure, like, back in the day? Yeah, yeah, yeah. But, like, it looked well-kept. And, I mean, I guess, like, the the area that had the most coasters was the DC Universe area, which, I mean, just looks like every other DC Universe at every other six-way.
00:11:51
Speaker
But the rest of the park looked really nice. I enjoyed a lot. But, yeah, California's Great America was great. I loved it. Interesting. Interesting. That's my my last stupid trip that I need to do.
00:12:06
Speaker
There's still a few stupid trips I need to do. Like I said, one toxic trip alone. yeah every time I think you're done, you you find something. Yeah. Speaking of stupid trips this weekend, I went on one.
00:12:19
Speaker
ah pretty decent one, where I went to Canada. Speaking of our guest. not Not his side, though. Canada's Wonderland. i got to ride Alpenfury.
00:12:33
Speaker
Already have a video out on the channel about it. um It's pretty freaking awesome. Not going to lie. were really quick to get that video out, by the way. Like, I was shocked. I'm like, holy crap, he's still on that track. About You were really quick to get that video out for Alpen Fury.
00:12:49
Speaker
Yeah, i like having my laptop now. i used to I only had a desktop my whole life, and I finally got a laptop, so it feels good. Well, not including college, but since college. Yeah, it's nice to edit on the road.
00:13:01
Speaker
Yeah, Alpenfury is actually really really good. Exceeded expectations. One of my favorite launches. Very Maverick-like. The way it's like kind of a boost inside of a tunnel and the way you pop back out. The inversions, for not being an inversion guy, really really fun.
00:13:20
Speaker
I love how it maintains its speed throughout the whole layout. Nice whip. It's not really a lot of airtime, but when there is airtime it does hit. um i It might make my top 40.
00:13:36
Speaker
It's that good. I wouldn't put it top 25, I don't think, but definitely the best Premier and definitely the best coaster I can as well. Without any debate or consideration.
00:13:50
Speaker
like It's that far ahead in both of those rankings.
00:13:55
Speaker
All the videos I've seen of it look sped up.
00:14:01
Speaker
and like every my all is older like hold It doesn't slow down. yeah three Like all of the testing videos and then when it but like when When all the testing video light footage um surfaced I was ah was like, okay, let me see it when they're not playing around with different speeds because it looks like it's just constantly on boost mode To be fair, I haven't seen what those videos look like It's definitely fast
00:14:34
Speaker
I think I saw the animation, that's it I've seen enough to see like the launch into the mountain and it looks incredible. Yeah. That looks like my kind of launch.
00:14:46
Speaker
It is. I'm excited to ride it. Yeah. Yeah. We have, we have similar, uh, loves of, uh, of launches. Yes. I kind of just feel premieres one of those manufacturers, like, even though I feel like we don't see very much out of them, like,
00:15:03
Speaker
I feel like we don't see very much out of them at all. And when they do announce something, no one's really that excited for it. But then everything that they release, like, slaps pretty hard, in my opinion.
00:15:16
Speaker
Unless it's, like, a clone skyrocket. Like, I think that they do such a good job. Like, I don't understand why they just kind of, like,
00:15:26
Speaker
cruise. Like, I feel like no one's really super hype about them. No one's really super angry about them. They're just, like, cruising in the middle there. I think everyone... What I was going to say, what I'll say is they are... Premiere are a train redesign away from being one of the most celebrated manufacturers. I was just going to say, everyone focuses on the train.
00:15:50
Speaker
Like, when you you but you hear Premiere, you don't think of the coaster, you're like, oh, Premiere trains, that's the first discussion. And it's not even, it's not even, like, the entire train, because the trains track really well.
00:16:01
Speaker
No, it's just the seat ergonomics basically. Yeah. Yeah. They read they redesign the seat ergonomics and the and the restraints and make them actually comfortable and easy to load and unload.
00:16:16
Speaker
I think that's the biggest thing is load and unload. Like, know all of their coasters get exponentially better. Just off that alone. Because the trains track, like I said, like they they track really well, they're smooth, they have good forces on them.
Coaster Reviews and Park Highlights
00:16:31
Speaker
Yeah. It's just getting in and out of them. And I will so but say the Op and Fury trains, they're still not perfect, but they're probably semi the most comfortable that I've been on.
00:16:44
Speaker
You do think it's an improvement over, like, standard Skyrocket trains? I mean, the restraints themselves, I felt, were. I mean, it's still a pain to get in and out, for sure. Like, that didn't change. But, yeah, the restraints are are definitely on the comfortable side, for sure.
00:16:59
Speaker
I feel like I'm, like, the low, like, an odd person out, like, Getting into an a premiere train is awful, but I feel like once I'm in it, don't- I feel like they're not uncomfortable. Like- Yeah, if if it doesn't have comfort collars, I would agree with that. For me, it's it's the seat it's the back of the seat. It's like it's curved, and I feel like it just into my lower back, and I feel like I'm arching my back more than I want to be when I sit in them.
00:17:29
Speaker
to compare it to um To compare it to, like, Mach and Intamin's multi-launch trains, like... they just like you just like you're not you don't feel like you're sitting in any kind of abnormal way at all but with the premiere trains like yeah i feel like my back is arched more than i more than i want it to be and it like it like if it affects how for me personally it affects how forces like hit my body yeah interesting okay The comfort colours were actually... let People always talk about the comfort colours. The comfort colours have never actually been a problem for me.
00:18:06
Speaker
Oh, only when you yeah only when yeah Only when getting into them and you have to like hold it up and then position yourself into the seat, which is kind of stupid. um But yeah, but i can i can I can definitely understand how like taller people, how they affect taller people, because obviously like there's no give in them. like They're not retractable or anything. So if you're tall enough for them to just like sit on your shoulders and on your chest, it's like...
00:18:31
Speaker
oh god it i've got like two straps just like pulling me down here you know the way around for me like and they sit off my shoulders a little bit they're like right in ear level and this i feel them smack around the whole time yeah but yeah that makes sense i don't i do have like i don't have a super long torso like i'm all legs but I have a long enough torso that I don't have that issue, Allison, but I felt the same way. like Other than getting into the train, i maybe I'm just like the perfect height where the comfort colors never really bothered me that much.
00:19:05
Speaker
They just made me sweat, which that part is annoying, but do not put a piece of rubber around my body in 100 degree weather that other people also sweat on.
00:19:22
Speaker
the Yeah, we don't need that. yeah One weird thing for me, when I rode Icebreaker for the first time, um the shin guards like destroyed my shins. I came off and I was like...
00:19:37
Speaker
They just like super, super... like my My shins were bruised when I came off the ride the first time. I was like, oh, um and so I'm never riding that again then. But then I tried it one more time because I'm evidently not a man of my word.
00:19:54
Speaker
Tried it again and just nothing. like There was no pain there whatsoever. I was just like, oh, they fixed them. yeah I have to position my legs like...
00:20:07
Speaker
back more. Like if I put my feet up forward, I get bruised. But if I make sure my legs are like pulled back, like my yeah youre back under me, then I don't bruise on the restraints.
00:20:20
Speaker
Right. so like Yeah, kind of like on RMCs, right? Yeah. I don't have issues on RMCs, but I did have issues. I did bruise on Icebreaker. Yeah. but and that was the iphon I just found that super weird because I've never had that problem on like Skyrocket 2s before.
00:20:37
Speaker
And then it just popped up out of nowhere. My shins really hurt on on icebreaker shin guards. and i And then for it to just like have no issue. like I didn't do anything you know differently in how I placed my feet in the train or anything. It just happened to be no pain there. was just like, oh, I can actually enjoy this ride now.
00:20:57
Speaker
was fun. Yeah. Before this turns too much into a critique on a premiere scene. Yeah, we literally just like... we Anyway, after Canada's Wonderland, headed down to Michigan.
00:21:11
Speaker
Shout out our friends Scott and Dawn. We get to stay at their place for a few days. Had a... Kind of a fun party. We had like a pool party. Good good time. We had the CJ Barrymore's. I did not film a video on that, but that was fun.
00:21:23
Speaker
They have a horrendous looping coaster that used to be in New Jersey. It's still horrendous. And they have an SBF visa. You said a looping coaster. What kind of looping coaster?
00:21:34
Speaker
It's like a Pinfari. Okay, that's fine. goness I was like, yeah if you're going to talk about Schwarzkopf, you can leave. not No, I would never talk about Schwarzkopf. I was like, I'm out. i Trust me. Way worse. at the tech I had to check. a Allison, what did you say?
00:21:52
Speaker
C.J. Barrymore's is actually like kind of an awesome place. It's really nice. ah I watched the video, i can't remember who from, um of CJ Byron most recently.
00:22:04
Speaker
And that light isn't it is is it is it like one of the most built up family? Probably. with him Yeah, it's it's pretty massive. i've bear I have not been to a lot of FECs.
00:22:18
Speaker
If that's the standard, yeah, it's pretty good. They had a ah stand check at Strap Tower, which was great. Seatbelt only. ah Hopped in the batting cages, dominated as I do. ah But was a good little time. Also went to a Tigers game. I've mentioned my MLB Stadium ah goal. I'm up to 19. 11 to go.
00:22:38
Speaker
Out of how many? 30. Okay. We're getting there. I don't know baseball. I'm sorry. yeah Then it was on to Cedar Point. sorry Sorry, Brian.
00:22:50
Speaker
I just realized who I'm on a podcast with. U-C-O-N-N. UConn. UConn. UConn. Let's go, Mikhail. Go birds!
00:23:03
Speaker
This is Kyle's. You don't care about the birds. Go birds. Go birds. I'm like, what do you starting chant? Then I picked it up. I'm like, okay. I'm going to let you finish, and then I'm going to join.
00:23:16
Speaker
That's right, Yukon Huskies, college basketball capital, all the world. Anyway, Cedar Point. So we're going to be there for two days. We actually popped in Saturday night.
00:23:29
Speaker
ah We got in at like 9.30. Like, okay, the park closes at 11. Let's get a few rides in. ah That apparently, as I would find out the next morning,
00:23:39
Speaker
Somebody on this podcast also happened to be there that night. Didn't know. we never interacted. So but we, I mean, if you listen to the last episode, I don't know if it was during the recording or after the recording, but Bryant mentioned that he was going be Cedar Point.
00:23:52
Speaker
We had already talked about going to Cedar Point that weekend. um So we proceeded to ah not tell him that we had finalized plans to go to Cedar Point. We also went into the park on Saturday night.
00:24:04
Speaker
Did not see each other whatsoever. i think y'all were like 20 minutes. Maybe 10 minutes behind us in the top throw line or something like that. Probably, yeah. See, okay, well, I rode top throw two that night, and that's it.
00:24:18
Speaker
Oh, and like Raptor a couple times. But anyway, the next morning, we are all at Starbucks. Now, no offense, Allison. Jen completely blew me away.
00:24:31
Speaker
um You know had like a good 60%, 70% shot.
00:24:35
Speaker
I wouldn't be surprised if she shows up, especially after I mentioned it that I was going to be there. To be fair, I think Sarah said Taylor had said something accidentally about us being there.
00:24:46
Speaker
Yeah, he kind of hinted slightly. i tried to like block it out, but I'm like, I still even before that, I'm like, I wouldn't be surprised if she's there. Yeah, but we were already planning on being there before you had even said something. So it just kind of like finalized plans for us.
00:25:01
Speaker
And to be fair, just seeing you randomly walk into the Starbucks, that did surprise me. That's not where I thought it would happen. I did not. We ran in into Taylor and Sarah and a couple others. Matt was out there at the front of the park.
00:25:12
Speaker
Right. We saw them when we walked up. but And they're like, oh, Brian's at Starbucks. I'm like, cool, let's go get Starbucks. And like she walks in, of course, Mollett's there too. I'm like, you guys are so stupid.
00:25:22
Speaker
Yes. yeah susan i Very, very. I was very happy to see you for sure. Let's just talk top roll two. I rode it five times over the course of that weekend, but the best ride happened to be with you, Allison.
00:25:34
Speaker
Yay. My very, very first ride in the front row. Good Lord. but That was like corn. Unbelievable. I still loved it. I think I rode my first ride was in row nine.
00:25:47
Speaker
Second to last from the back. Good lord, that spike is terrifying. I told people online, like, I think that was the last, will be the last time I still had was some sort of nervousness before a rollercoaster.
00:26:01
Speaker
Because I've never been that high up. so much Backwards, you know? You still have first generation freefalls to get, so... I've been on Demon Drop. Yeah, but there are two more.
00:26:13
Speaker
And one in Japan that I didn't ride. Oops. That was dumb. Look. It's also one in Italy. Right, but I still have experienced that before. the For a rollercoaster, because that's not a rollercoaster. Where's one in Italy?
00:26:28
Speaker
Gardaland? Okay, noted. No, no, no, no, no. um it's movie It's at the park basically next to Gardaland. Is it Movieland? Oh, Yeah, it is Movieland. It's called Tower of Terror.
00:26:41
Speaker
yeah Okay, noted. That's on our list. Okay, continue. But yeah, no, the backwards spike insane. The one thing I did miss from the original dragster was that initial punchy launch. Yeah.
00:26:55
Speaker
But in the front, you kind of feel it again. And the way like the wind is hitting your face, the freaking airtime coming like up on the top hat and then the twist, especially if you're on the left seat. Oh, my God.
00:27:10
Speaker
Throws you like crazy. I'm not talking rankings yet. My rankings are an absolute disaster right now. I have no idea where anything is. Top Thrill 2 is amazing.
00:27:21
Speaker
Do you agree, Allison? I do. And Mikhail, you and I rode Top Thrill together a couple weeks ago as well. I was going to say, was it better than our back row ride together where I smacked you in the nose?
00:27:33
Speaker
It was a lot less painful, I'll say that.
00:27:39
Speaker
That's out of my face down then ah Down that spiral. We hit the brakes and I'm holding my nose like, oh god. That did not happen. I did not hit Allison at least.
00:27:54
Speaker
This don't think. No, you did not. I would have told you. Then obviously also the other main purpose of going to Cedar Point, Siren's Curse, which also blew me out of the water.
00:28:08
Speaker
Way above expectations. I thought it would be okay to tilt a fun gimmick. That's really cool. The rest of the layout's whatever. rest the layout's not whatever. rest the layout is phenomenal. That ride is solid.
00:28:20
Speaker
Airtime, airtime, airtime. just Perfect pacing, no wasted track. The night ride, that's a night ride. all the effects going off like obviously you get the soundtrack i don't want to spoil too much but great great i i would the i think the consensus was the drop is better in the back but the rest the layout was better in the front i don't know if you agree with that allison yeah i definitely agree to that yeah the drop was a little underwhelming in the front but everything else about the ride was better in the front it's fun to do it once because you actually get to see the track connect um but then after that yeah you want to be in the back for the drop
00:28:59
Speaker
Coming to the like edge of the track before the tilt is wild at the front. um well I haven't gotten front front row. I got second row of that ride. I think I rode with Alex. Alex, shout out.
00:29:11
Speaker
Yeah. He gets a ride up before me. because So what happens Saturday night is... ah So we all go to Top Thrill, and then Sarah realized that her sandals didn't have backs on her shoes.
00:29:24
Speaker
oh and And Matt was still boycotting Dragster for King Nica. So we went to Top Thrill, then they went to Siren's Curse. Then Alex happened to show up that night, too, and join them in Siren's Curse line. so It was weird how some of us got credits on different days, even though we were together as a group.
00:29:44
Speaker
But we all got multiple rides, so worked out One thing I'll say about Siren's Curses, Tilt, um... People are, like... ah I don't see enough people talking about the view of the like the whole back of the park.
00:30:02
Speaker
Oh, yeah. and sure know it's It's fantastic. It's just coaster hardware everywhere. You've got Millennium Force to the left, you've got Dragster and Magnum to the right, you've got... Steel Vengeance and Maverick in the back.
00:30:16
Speaker
Rougarou right there, like in front of you. like its court it It might be the best view from the top of a coaster in the entire park.
00:30:30
Speaker
In terms of everything you can see in like... Yeah. either that or Valraven. Yeah, I think Siren's Curse is more direct. can't wait to see that view when I'm evacuated from that ride.
00:30:44
Speaker
I want to be evacuated from that ride. If I don't leave Cedar Point with being evacuated from that ride, I'm suing. ah Don't worry, the news like reports about it every time. Oh, that's so annoying. I hate that. I'm going to twerk for the news camera.
00:30:58
Speaker
If I get evacuated. Jesus Christ.
00:31:03
Speaker
ah I wanted to joke. I'm going to really be panicking, but also like, this is the coolest evac of my life. Please evac me. Allison's taking notes to take me twerking.
00:31:16
Speaker
I bet you're leaving that in. You can't curse, but you can talk about twerking. Yeah. Yeah, I can talk about twerking. Anyway, my last point about Cedar Point.
00:31:29
Speaker
didn't mean that. um So there was a coaster that is probably dropping in my rankings a little bit. And there's a coaster that's going to be rising in my rankings a little bit. Okay.
00:31:42
Speaker
If you're about to come in a B&M, leave. No B&M. Oh, okay. You can stay. No. I got my worst ever ride on Steel Vengeance.
00:31:53
Speaker
How do I know you're going to say Steel Vengeance? The midcourse hit like it's never hit and completely... it didn't ruin the second half, but it it wasn't Steel Vengeance.
00:32:04
Speaker
That was just... Yeah, it's overrated, right? It's not overrated, Jen. It is overrated. Don't waste your time. Waste your time. Ride Top Thrill 2 three times in the time it take you to get through security at Steel Vengeance.
00:32:23
Speaker
That's another thing. It broke down like twice. See? yeah We had our friend Harrison from Australia there. The whole reason we went to Cedar Point was because he didn't get Steel Vengeance and Maverick and Raptor and Top Thrill two years ago.
00:32:38
Speaker
So this was his redemption. And he almost didn't get Vengeance again because it broke down twice when we were in line and then the second day got struck by lightning.
00:32:47
Speaker
Oh my god, that's kind of cool. You know what else I just remembered about Cedar Point when y'all were there, I'm pretty sure? Daniel Radcliffe was there. No, he was there the day after us. Okay.
00:32:57
Speaker
Yeah, when ill we checked. I was yelling at Harrison. I'm like, you couldn't have gone the next day. That would have been amazing. I heard about that.
00:33:10
Speaker
um But anyway, worst ride in Steel Vengeance, but my best ever ride. And this hurt a little bit because I've talked so much trash about this ride. Say it. Say it. Millennium Force.
00:33:21
Speaker
I've heard good things with the new It's running so well. Oh my God. Never, never, never had a forceless ride on it ever. Okay. Well, ever, not once, not one. ah I've heard really good things.
00:33:34
Speaker
And I've rode it a lot. I'm not the only person to say that about Millennium Force and Steel Vengeance. Tom and Kelly were also there on Saturday. And we just missed them. We're very, very underwhelmed by Steel Vengeance, but love their rides on Millennium. Wow.
00:33:49
Speaker
So if' that's a consistent thing I've been hearing.
00:33:54
Speaker
that That lift motor improvement, for context, I was there in July. ah We just said that we rode together and you smacked in the face. Yeah, I know, but people might think that I was there on the same weekend you guys were there and I was not. We've been going to Cedar Point like every year to this point.
00:34:15
Speaker
Yeah. ah Yeah, the the lift motor on that thing it was sorely needed and is massively appreciated because it is flying. It flew the whole way This is the ride I've heard about. My god.
00:34:30
Speaker
yeah Yeah, I'm very excited to re-ride that this year. Although I also have to bring up, what do we think is going on with the third train? Do we think it's in the bottom of Lake Erie, like Dippendot's guy said?
00:34:43
Speaker
Can confirm it is not in the bottom of Lake Erie, but it has been... Did you dive? Did you stupid dive to check for it, Allison? ah We did jump in Lake Erie for the first time, actually, because it was so freaking hot out.
00:34:54
Speaker
So you got to swim with Banana Train? Maybe. Okay. Could have been right under our feet. We didn't know. You sensed it.
00:35:06
Speaker
Then we also missed out on the part flooding. heard something, like... Well, I mean, like... Both... Like, it's... I think both trains, like, both Yellow Train and Blue Train back, and they might be close getting Red Train back as well.
00:35:21
Speaker
Oh, it's Red Train? I thought it was Banana Train and Eerie, sorry. No, um um yeah but Red Train was on Millennium Island when I rode it in pieces. Oof!
00:35:33
Speaker
But the Sunday that we went... Yeah, the Sunday, it was running both trains. It was running in two trains. There's a lot of time where I was running one train recently, and that is a brutal.
00:35:48
Speaker
Although I feel like a train with the new lift hill is probably still better than two trains with the old lift hill. Unquestionable.
00:35:58
Speaker
But yeah, anyway, Cedar Point was great. Allison was there. it was awesome. Top thrill, amazing. Siren's Curse, amazing. Steel Vengeance, eh. And Lightning Forest, amazing. Wow. Can't believe said that.
00:36:09
Speaker
No, we've been in the whole time. No. Only one more trip for me this summer. Going to Virginia next week. Some rap terror. Really? I didn't know that. Real quick. like Two days and then back home. Don't think I'm doing it. you guys want to be triggered by my Cedar Point rankings?
00:36:29
Speaker
Yes. Actually, yeah. Real quick. Yeah, let's do it. and I'll just do my top five. i'll just do my talk i'll just do my talk for Top five at Cedar Point. Top five at Cedar Point.
00:36:40
Speaker
Okay. And then one more so for context. So, number number one, top, well, yeah, top thrill two, two, Maverick, three, Millennium Force.
00:36:52
Speaker
That's my top three. Okay. Four, still vengeance. Gross. Five, five, Magnum XL 200.
00:37:04
Speaker
Above Siren still? Yes. And number six.
00:37:10
Speaker
Siren's Coast. To be fair, with with who you're dating and their love of Magnum. Yeah, riding Magnum is awesome. But riding Magnum with Laurel is the best thing ever.
00:37:24
Speaker
Correct. It is pretty... is That's like how you can't you can't rank Voyage just on Hollywood Nights. You can't rank Magnum just riding with Laurel. But then also... um No, not like... Even Magnum even with that like magnums just like magnum is vibes encapsulated. Like, it's just, like, there's, like, the vibe it creates when you're there with friends with a few drinks down here is greater than the sum of its parts, I think.
00:37:58
Speaker
Like, that's a core memory. That's a core Cedar Point memory for me. um But even, like, even that aside, just not to get on a soapbox or anything, but I...
00:38:12
Speaker
i So I've ridden a few Nuva Comas at this point. know um Ridden Let Coaster, ridden Formula, ridden Abyssus.
00:38:25
Speaker
um So I have a more informed idea of how the Nuva Comas sit down specifically how they And...
00:38:37
Speaker
and I had my expectations tempered just a little bit because, um and Tom from the Drunk Riders mentioned this being like why he loves them so much, just like how they flow and how seemingly perfectly they flow.
00:38:57
Speaker
For me, it's just a little too, like, they don't, they don't
00:39:07
Speaker
change forces and sensations as abruptly as I would like. Like, as abruptly as the Intamin multi-launches do and stuff. So, like, it kind of... gra I don't want to say that i don't want to say that the phrase too refined, but ah it kind of takes away like the sort of like rotational lats.
00:39:29
Speaker
in the transitions, which is something I really like about Intamin multi-launches, well, just Intamin's in general and RMCs. So the tilt is cool and the rest of the layout, like it has its forces, it has it has its airtime, it has its, um you know, strong positives.
00:39:51
Speaker
But like each each ride I came off thinking, that was good. like It's a good ride. It's is perfect for ah like an exciting thrill coaster that appeals to a mass audience.
00:40:06
Speaker
But for me, it's just a ah not tame, but it doesn't quite reach that clip of... You know, just like that out of control chaos.
00:40:16
Speaker
yeah I haven't written that one yet, but what I've found so far with the new Vekomas that I do really like is It's a nice mix of elements. like no That's what I think I really enjoy about them.
00:40:32
Speaker
Because don't have to pick. Do I want airtime or do I want positives? That's kind of what my options are right now. like Or laterals. like I feel like you get a lot of really good laterals and airtime out of an Intamin multi-launch.
00:40:48
Speaker
But you don't really get... like, good floater airtime out of those. If you want floater airtime, you're gonna go to a hyper. Yeah, that's not what they're about. Yeah. But on ah on the Vekomas that I've ridden so far, you get a really good mix. Is it the most intense?
00:41:04
Speaker
Absolutely not. But it's still, like, a very well-rounded product. And I think that's what I really like about them. They have a very good flow to them.
00:41:17
Speaker
Yeah, like, The pacing is really, really good. Fantastic.
Coaster Manufacturers and Design Comparisons
00:41:22
Speaker
That's the other thing, yeah. The ones I've written in so far, they don't really like fall off. they just but They do flow really well.
00:41:30
Speaker
And I do think... um I still do think Sirens is one of the best layouts that Vekoma have come up with for the Vekoma sit-downs.
00:41:42
Speaker
um But, like... You know, people people compare it to Maverick, people compare it to just, like, the Intamin multi-launches. You compare it to Tiger, which I know you've ridden recently, Alison.
00:41:57
Speaker
Like, Tiger has... arguably the most intelligent layout that I've seen on like these modern multi-launch coasters. Supreme flow throughout the entire thing, with those moments of abrupt force switching like throughout throughout them, that I just don't feel like Siren's Curse has. It's not necessarily the strength of the forces, it's the rate at which they switch forces.
00:42:23
Speaker
The one thing about Taiga... They create the they create the like moments of, holy crap, like what's what just happened? I feel like I'm at physics class and Mikhail's my professor right now. He's like... Getting into that nitty-gritty, man. I'm like, oh, man.
00:42:41
Speaker
I didn't think about it that way. The one thing about Taiga that I think that Sirens is lacking in is hang time. Taiga has very good hang time and it uses it really well. ah Sirens does not really have a lot of hang time.
00:42:54
Speaker
I can see that.
00:42:59
Speaker
Not even I can see it, but I've ridden TigerSor. No, I agree.
00:43:04
Speaker
Well, speaking of Europe, we should ah go back to Europe yet again. Considering, one, that's our deep dive, but two, we have some more recap questions that we're going to go through real quick.
00:43:16
Speaker
we We just have two. One of them um from Sarah, we, they yelled at me for this beforehand. It was posted on our Instagram and I totally forgot to include it on our agenda. So I am very, very sorry, Sarah, that we did not answer this ahead of time. And it's mostly directed at Bryant.
00:43:34
Speaker
Yeah, I'll read it, and I'll apologize, because she said I saw Brian at Plopsaland. I was going to compliment the podcast. Well, thank you. um Didn't get the chance to actually say anything. I can't believe you were there, because I i know you've been following along our whole history so far.
00:43:49
Speaker
um That's crazy. I wish we could have met, for sure. um Yeah, Plopsaland, ugh, I miss Ride to Happiness. Anyway, she says, I'm curious, ah for both of your trips, I think, is that all of us, or...
00:44:04
Speaker
Technically, it was a reference to Jen and Bryant. Okay. For this one, I believe. but What were your top three favorite coasters that you rode? And how do you think Kanda compares to other Intamins as Velocicoaster and Hyperion?
00:44:18
Speaker
oh So, I'm going to figure out my rankings by the end of the year. That's going to be my big end of year video. I'm going to say... don't know if I want to say my top three.
00:44:31
Speaker
I'll give you my top, like, seven. In no particular order, Untamed, Conda, Fly, Zadra, Hyperion, Voltron, Ride to Happiness.
00:44:47
Speaker
But what order? That's a good question. I still know the answer to that question. im I'm still questioning my ah yeah my top one. Conda and Hyperion, ah once again, I don't know.
00:45:01
Speaker
I will say Velocicoaster still beats both of them. It's the only question of yours that I'll actually answer. But Hyperion and Kondo are... Those are my top three Intimans, maybe.
00:45:17
Speaker
I said that before Top Thrill. Now I don't know. I don't know. Top Thrill isn't an Intamin. Oh, well, I guess that's true now. Fair. It's only half an Intamin.
00:45:29
Speaker
Yeah. But yes, Jen, go you go now. It's a Zamperlamin. It's a Zamperlamin, yeah. Like that. um
00:45:40
Speaker
For me, I feel like it's really hard to answer this question because
00:45:45
Speaker
i am not very into credits and experience- like, I love experiencing new parks, I love experiencing new roller coasters, but I am very much a, like, go to a place that I'm comfortable and that I love and like go over and over and over again. So my Europe trip, this last one, especially because it wasn't like planned to be a trip for me,
00:46:09
Speaker
I was at Europa Park all day. Every day. I hung out at Europa Park. And none of those were new to me. I don't think I rode a single. Oh, Atlantic Super Splash or whatever was new to me.
00:46:23
Speaker
um Oh, you finally rode? I finally rode it. um Yeah, I wrote it twice. um It was fine. um But yeah, so this is a hard one for me, but out of all, like out of my Europe credits, I don't know if I could put them in order, but I feel like Voltron.
00:46:47
Speaker
um Welderhild. good Yeah. um I feel like Voltron's up there for me. Woden's up there for me. Tatatus.
00:47:01
Speaker
um And Black Mamba. Taron's really, really good. Taron is close for me, but I wrote it in December, so I think it was running a little too slow for me Taron's one of my ones like Fury, where I won't really...
00:47:15
Speaker
give it ah rating that much because I think that I wrote it in its worst conditions. So. Notice how I didn't say Taryn in my top seven. oh I do think Taryn is really good and I think it has a lot of potential.
00:47:31
Speaker
Look, I was talking about those changes in forces that Intamin's do. One of my favorite thing in the world. Like that, if I had a coaster that just changed forces like that, I would be like perfect coaster for me.
00:47:43
Speaker
Love it. And i feel like because it was so cold, it was like borderline not able to run. i wasn't getting the effects of those changes as intensely as I should have been.
00:47:59
Speaker
One point I did want to make about This is going to be fun conversation talking about Taron. That's one thing I was thinking before we started recording. it just like It's going to be fun getting into the intricacies of Taron, but sorry. yeah My one point is now of writing Taron and Maverick in the same month.
00:48:16
Speaker
If you have Taron over Maverick, you're out of your mind. Hi. Hi, I'm out of my mind. Anyway. We'll get to that. So am I. yes so Very fun conversation about Taryn.
00:48:32
Speaker
um Yeah, looking at the three ones that she mentioned, Konda, Velocicoaster, and Hyperion. um I have Velocicoaster at number one forever and always at this point.
00:48:43
Speaker
o youve you are You dropped the first Taylor Swift song. Damn, pretty good. Oh.
00:48:50
Speaker
Jeez. Mikhail, is Velocicoaster still like 1B for you with Zodra? Oh, ah ah yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, i think we're ah we're all a Velocicoaster stand account on here. Mm-hmm.
00:49:04
Speaker
said just Maybe. I don't know anymore. That's not changing anytime soon either. It's like the one that was going to give it a run for its money was Voltron, and Voltron ended up at two. so I don't know yet.
00:49:18
Speaker
I'm going to say, as it stands right now, I don't have a number one right now. Oh. How about that? Okay. There's contenders. That's fun for you. contenders oh There's There's some sidewaves going on right here that I can't like time um but i do have What was your number one before you didn't know?
00:49:39
Speaker
The Lost Coaster. And it still could be. I don't know though.
00:49:47
Speaker
TBD when your video comes out. Yeah, like December. I knew that. I have Konda. I think I settled with it at about five and then Hyperion is eight or so at last look.
00:50:03
Speaker
Yeah, Conda 5, Hyperion 8.
00:50:07
Speaker
So that's how I feel about those. conda
00:50:11
Speaker
Conda left a mark on me, and I'm not just talking about the very, very dark bruise it left on my thigh. Because it did that too.
00:50:22
Speaker
I am hopefully riding Conda in September. sound i cannot wait to hear. I'm extremely excited about it. I did not watch any like POVs leading up to Conda. And then... I think we had like three rides on it. And it was everything I wanted.
00:50:39
Speaker
yeah So good. Try not to hype it up too much for you I know. But I'm also just... I love Intamin. ah That's very apparent.
00:50:50
Speaker
No, I've heard...
00:50:53
Speaker
pretty much every angle of the opinions of like Condor versus Expedition G-Force. Some people prefer it to G-Force. Some people prefer G-Force to Condor because it's less refined. in its And it's like the epitome of that mid-2000s intermin, you know, tomfoolery that some purists really loved.
00:51:14
Speaker
um And I just look at the i look at the two of them and I'm like... just like from everything that Conda does and seems to maximize and then it's just like the new Intamin Seats and Restraints they're unmatched like they're unbeatable they are unbeatable and I just look at I just look at I look at the way it's themed I look at the the plaza the entrance the station the the train design like the nose car design I'm like oh that is a bit me from start to finish
00:51:48
Speaker
Konda is the closest I've gotten to that Skyrush first drop feeling. Same exact comparison I made. That's wild. Yeah. You'll have fun in September, Mikhail.
00:52:01
Speaker
Yep. Yeah, very a lot of Skyrush. I definitely will.
00:52:07
Speaker
ah This next one, should we skip it?
00:52:11
Speaker
We've only been pushing it off for three episodes. It's fine. All right, Fursona. It's finally time. And it's a good segue into our deep dive today. Yeah, that's true.
00:52:22
Speaker
So they ask, which European theme parks should coaster theme park enthusiasts visit at least once in their lifetime? Well, we're going to talk about one. That's for sure.
00:52:34
Speaker
I would also nominate Jen. i You know, you know you want to say it. Yeah, 100% Europa Park. I was hoping she would say Schwab and Park.
00:52:46
Speaker
sobar um No, but Europa Park is just going to give you, in my opinion, i feel like it is the most total package you'll ever get.
00:52:57
Speaker
um You have thrilling rides, um good dark rides, A lot of chill area. Anything that you could want in a theme park is built into Europa Park. So Europa Park, for sure. That's true.
00:53:16
Speaker
Yeah. Also, Rulantica. I know we're not talking about water parks, but Rulantica, if you don't like water parks, that place is the best place in this planet. i'm I've been to like three water parks in my life that I would ever go back to.
00:53:32
Speaker
And I want to go back to Rulantica like every other day. Yeah, I'm not a water bar person, but Rulantica was incredible. It is incredible. Their Lazy River is like a dark ride Lazy River mix.
00:53:46
Speaker
And you can bring drinks in it. So good. Multiple swim up bars. Multiple swim up bars. And they just opened a new one. Really? Oh. Yeah. They just a new one mid-May.
00:54:00
Speaker
Well, I gotta to go back now. Yeah, it's like Norway themed, I think. It has like the little um troll. or maybe Scandinavia, I don't know which, but it has like the little like rock trolls on it. It's very cute.
00:54:12
Speaker
can We should just have an inverted creative like getaway at Joey's house and just spend a week at Europa. Yeah, let's go. Let's go. I'm down. yeah um treat a retreat. That's what I should say.
00:54:25
Speaker
Thanks. Yeah, so Europa Park, I don't want to, like, steal the whole experience because the other one that I don't know for sure, and I feel crazy saying this because I have not yet been, um but I think Efteling.
00:54:38
Speaker
Efteling, for sure. yeah Absolutely. not like Top of my list right now. Yeah, and I think Efteling for, like, for the theming. From what I've heard of Efteling and, like, looking at the lineup of rides, like, the rides are okay. Yeah.
00:54:52
Speaker
I feel like Efteling is a theming and experience package that everyone should experience. so And I've never even been. so we'll see.
00:55:05
Speaker
Those three for sure. We also have strobe waffles. Sorry. but Now I'm done. That is important though. and good past very Very important information. yeah They just opened a really good looking hotel as well. Oh my god, it looks so good.
00:55:22
Speaker
yeah Yeah, part of me really wanted to book it, but I was like, Jen, you can't. like good
00:55:30
Speaker
If I didn't have a, like, I have with my Europa Park Resort Pass, I have a single day at Efteling, and if I didn't have a single day at Efteling, like, because it includes tickets, it would have been booked.
00:55:45
Speaker
and I haven't been there, but I would probably nominate Alton Towers, and I would nominate Porteventure.
00:55:54
Speaker
I'll say one off the back of... Are we talking about um one park for a coaster enthusiast to go and visit? Coaster slash theme park enthusiast. I also forgot like Lisa Berg. Oh, Lisa Berg. Lisa Berg, too.
00:56:10
Speaker
I've got one that perpetually... does not get talked about like enough, even though the people who love this part talk about it ad nauseam, because one of them.
00:56:23
Speaker
Silver Dollar City. Oh, we're talking to Europe. This is just for you, but... Oh, just Europe? that That's why. i was waiting for someone to say it. I was waiting for someone to say Silverdahl City or Dollywood.
00:56:44
Speaker
what's up for How can you get as far away from European culture as possible? Silverdahl City. Okay, so... European parks... arm okay so um europe in european parks Park Asterix.
00:57:01
Speaker
o yeah I would agree. Park Asterix. Definitely. I honestly thought that's what you were going to say because I feel like Park Asterix is really underrated. it isn't. I thought it was incredible.
00:57:14
Speaker
In a lot of the same ways that Sotol City is really.
00:57:19
Speaker
um Another one I'll put up is Hanza. um Just because I feel like the theming and The fact that you walk out of that park liking Gertzlauer's, which I'm not saying Gertzlauer's are bad, but Gertzlauer's, like, I feel like they're not necessarily...
00:57:41
Speaker
I feel like they're hard to maintain and to stay good. like I feel like they're really good at the very beginning, but then they get pretty rattly and they're pretty hard to rewrite. That's actually a very good point. Yeah, like they're great at the beginning, but then I feel like because of the way that they're built out, they might just not be the easiest to maintain. They really age It's like chewing gum. You get a good first few chews, then the taste goes away real quick.
00:58:04
Speaker
Yeah, and I feel like Hanta Park Hansa Park gave me an appreciation for Gertzlauer roller coasters that I don't think that I ever would have had in this planet had I not gone there.
00:58:19
Speaker
Had I looked at that lineup, like had i not been going with friends and I looked at that lineup, I would have said this is an easy skip for me. Sure, yeah. I have heard that a lot, though the Gerstlauers at Hershey... Hershey? Oh, wow. You're obsessed with the stage. At Hansa Park. I've been here too long. um yeah the Yeah, the two Gerstlauers at Hansa Park...
00:58:46
Speaker
um are just like far and away, at the very least, the best maintained, to your point. Yeah, whatever whatever you think... Consistently, Novgorod and Kyanan just consistently top performers amongst major label Gerstlauers. Whatever you think the second best Gerstlauer Hansa is, is the second best Gerstlauer in the world.
00:59:11
Speaker
ah Yeah. They're the two best. They're the two best, and i feel like I have to mention them exactly because I said I would have looked at the lineup and said, absolutely not, I will not be going here, and I would not have gone. And i and so happy with everything in my being that I did end up going because those two coasters are incredible.
00:59:36
Speaker
Two more that I would i would suggest, Dioz and Far Up Summerland. Their coaster collections both look really well-rounded, and if Dio's gets that Intamin multi-launch that they've been rumoured to be getting in the next few years, like that's going to be ah like a no-brainer.
00:59:55
Speaker
like if you If you go over to mainland Europe, like you've got to you've got to hit Dio's Summerland for sure. Because... Yeah, their lineup looks super... like both at Both parks, like both their coaster and ride lineups look super well-rounded.
01:00:11
Speaker
and just like there's something There's something for everyone, and there's really high-quality family coasters over there as well. And they were both look charming as hell. like Not necessarily the most densely-themed parks, but the um the landscaping and how they how they are presented.
01:00:33
Speaker
look really charming.
01:00:38
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. We need to get into Fantasialand eventually, so real quick, which European dark rides would you like to see in America? Dance Macabre? Witch Park? Anywhere? It's great.
01:00:51
Speaker
We get it. you f I mean, it's the best dark ride I've been on in Europe, personally. oh That's dumb. And then Symbolica as well.
01:01:02
Speaker
so I'm trying to think of dark rides I've been on. Basement Dino Ride! Basement Dino Ride belongs at um I don't know, Dorney Park, so Jen could just ride it all the time.
01:01:18
Speaker
Yeah, I went at Hershey Park. I went at Hershey Park. Honestly, I would have been at Hershey. And put Basement Dino Ride in its place. Okay.
01:01:29
Speaker
I'm so serious. Don't lie. Wait, why Fahrenheit? Because Fahrenheit is the only coaster in the park that is absolute trash. Knock down left track. Put it there. Oh, I guess I'll i'll accept that too. Those are the only two correct answers. I'll say that.
01:01:54
Speaker
I can see Dance Macabre at like Fiesta, Texas, like near Poltergeist.
01:02:00
Speaker
Wait, do i can can we count Arthur? i went i want Arthur. i want Arthur so I can sit at the exit and wait for those parents to hear those words. Where should Arthur go in the States? I'm going to sit here with my beard. Put Arthur at Dollywood.
01:02:17
Speaker
Yeah, put Arthur at Dollywood! Oh my god, even better, a bunch of southern people? but Oh my gosh. I'm gonna sit at the exit and just watch. It's gonna be great. Can I have a chair right at that entrance area where the song drops in?
01:02:33
Speaker
would actually legit fit at Wildwood Grove. like Without the soundtrack. That would be incredible. ah Different soundtrack, please.
01:02:45
Speaker
No, want the soundtrack. That's the whole reason I want it here. i the whole care of the whole Same lyrics, but Dolly covers it. That's what we need.
01:03:01
Speaker
going into the taxi cab scene with Snoop Dogg, it's Dolly. it's just doll Yeah, Dolly it sings the same song. yeah Dolly would hit us up.
01:03:17
Speaker
Did you notice any new things during the trip? Well, was my first real time. So park layouts, atmosphere, waiting lines, waiting experiences, park and ride music, accessibility, park and ride operations.
01:03:30
Speaker
Every single park on my trip was new. Let's just talk about all those things for Fantasialand. Okay, I'm good. Yeah, we definitely can.
01:03:41
Speaker
That was a great Crescent persona, seriously. Thank you. Yeah, I think that one's just hard for us to answer because a lot of us, it was a first time at a lot of those places. says Other than like me at Europa Park every single day, but like things haven't changed enough. The one thing I will say is the um the soundtrack at Meclodon, at Doc World, is not I'm a score, but it's fantastic.
01:04:06
Speaker
go I completely missed the soundtrack, I'm not going to lie. Mike plays it a lot. Sorry. But it's very good. I will say that.
01:04:17
Speaker
That's the extent of my contribution right now.
01:04:22
Speaker
I also struggle a little bit. I am very much struggling. I wonder why. Anyway. You guys know why. What is the proper, true pronunciation of Fantageline? That's what I want to know.
01:04:33
Speaker
Fantasia land. It's Fantasia land. And they say Fantasia land. Yeah, it's in Germany. So I would assume that the Germans know how to pronounce it. If they don't, then like.
01:04:44
Speaker
How does Joey pronounce it? He's Dutch. He doesn't count. what Okay, he works at Europa. He's like partially German at least. I don't. I think he says Fantasia land.
01:04:56
Speaker
Well, he's wrong, but... Yeah, like, you can't ask a Dutchman to pronounce the German, even though he speaks German. So Joey's as much German as i am Canadian.
01:05:10
Speaker
gathering Yeah. Yeah. He's like... Yeah. But, yeah. the Do you speak French? I do not. Yeah, because you're not in the French part again, right? No. Yeah, so he at least speaks the language.
01:05:29
Speaker
he' not all that' That's the one thing i'm missing is the second language. Yeah. The third term.
01:05:39
Speaker
Technically, you do speak the language if you're on that side of Canada, but...
01:05:45
Speaker
it did but but By association.
01:05:50
Speaker
You're good. youre Anyway. think he says Fantasialand. That's how I know it to be. I've always said Fantasialand. I do the same thing as you. like I trust the Germans, so I trust the park. They say Fantasialand, I say Fantasialand.
01:06:08
Speaker
So when I say Fantasialand, that's like too German. Oh, you're not going to get rid of my Delco ask accent, if that's what you're saying. Anyway, it's a pretty good part, guys. Should we talk about it?
Phantasialand Deep Dive
01:06:23
Speaker
Okay, so this is our first ah park deep dive that we've done because we've all been there now and we can talk about this park in depth. and not Spoiler warning, if you've never been to Phantasyland and you don't want anything spoiled for you, maybe don't listen to the rest of this episode. Good thing you've already got an hour content. Yeah, we gave you an hour of content that we meant to be like 15 or 20 minutes.
01:06:46
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. yeah But the idea of this is to kind of go over a lot of the things that we've talked about in previous episodes, including, according to my list, whatever vibe feels right. Music, theming, immersion, layout, trains, queues, food, photogenicness, etc.
01:07:04
Speaker
I threw in the photogenicness. but I threw that in because mikay is a photographer and he knows the best photographic views of the park.
01:07:16
Speaker
As he looks at me. Questioningly. Like, they're all the best photos. Honestly? You can't get all of them in one trip.
01:07:30
Speaker
Trust me, I tried. But to be fair, some parks are a lot more photogenic than others as a photographer. And you just want to stay in Rookburg, especially, and take lots of pictures.
01:07:43
Speaker
Shout out Charles Lindbergh on the Observation Tower, especially.
01:07:48
Speaker
Y'all should stay at the Charles Lindbergh. It's amazing. i can I can confirm. I could not stay there the last time. That's what when Joey surprised me with bringing me there, he said he tried really hard to get us a room there. But because I i booked my trip to go see him like 40 days before I was there, I just kind of was like, guess what? I booked a um So we could not get any rooms on site.
01:08:16
Speaker
Oh, there were none available? No, he said he looked. He couldn't get any rooms. too There are not a lot of rooms. There isn't? No, seem like oh that park sells out really quick. like Even if you look now for December.
01:08:30
Speaker
Especially for December. Yeah, December and the weekends. Every single room on property was sold out. We'll just go back to December. ah Yeah.
01:08:42
Speaker
i I understood that reference. Allison, when you were gone, Jen, Allison said forever and always. i'm like, wow, you said the first ah Taylor Swift. What? One of these days going to drop like 60 and try to be as subtle as possible.
01:08:57
Speaker
I got that one. I got the back to December. The back to December one was good. Anyway, back to this August podcast. um
01:09:09
Speaker
I think we just need to start going through ah the ah listener comments and then go off of that. I would agree. Because we've got more comments than questions, which is a good thing. mean, that was kind of the question I posed this week.
01:09:23
Speaker
So the very first ah comment that we have is from someone called a Thrills on Film. I don't know if y'all have heard of them. Y'all have heard of her? Laurel? Laurel? She said, never been, but the music seems cool and your guest seems cooler.
01:09:39
Speaker
Oh, she's obsessed with you. Well, i don't know who this thrills on film person is, but they seem like a pretty nice human being.
01:09:52
Speaker
but state If they think I'm cool. We love thrills on film one. we should meet some Yeah, thrills on film one, specifically.
01:10:02
Speaker
We've heard she likes Magnum.
01:10:06
Speaker
Oh, we'll get along fine then. ah
01:10:11
Speaker
she needs to go to fendell they're all about they're all about the vibe that that that's what that tells me yeah i'm just saying yeah she'd be waving to so many people on on fly and oh my god yeah aon the bridge outside of black mamba uh
01:10:33
Speaker
I did try to convince yeah i know she would her to come down. I tried to convince her to do like a weekend trip to Europe for my birthday.
01:10:45
Speaker
but She told me The outcome of my last birthday trip for her, probably Europe's not the best destination, but...
01:11:02
Speaker
The music is definitely cool. When I did my ah December trip with a few of us, me and a few of my friends, we did a um December trip in 2021, which is why I was going to get onto the point of diss december early to mid-December being the best time to go to Phantasialand.
01:11:19
Speaker
um the like the out My friends who I went with... off the back of that are basically planning to do that same trip every couple of years.
01:11:32
Speaker
So I told i told um Laurel that they're doing it they're planning to do it this year and then again in December of 2027.
01:11:45
Speaker
so If you guys go in December of this year, i will also be in Germany in December of this year, and I will do it every I'm not doing it this year because I can't afford it. I was going to say, i will do whatever I have to do to come in Tundra Land with you guys. If I have to get on train and train for eight hours, I will do it.
01:12:03
Speaker
I'll keep you in the loop for future visits. Yeah, keep me updated. I spend a lot of time in Germany. no No.
01:12:14
Speaker
Really, I had never id never noticed. Random Dutch men.
01:12:20
Speaker
yeah Those Voltron write-ups. Oh my god. I flirt so much. I flirt so much! How's Sophia doing?
01:12:32
Speaker
She works at Arthur, right? Who does? Sophia, so how's she doing? Sophia! Anyway.
01:12:43
Speaker
We're doing great. yes Yes, Thrills on Film is. ah Wonderful, wonderful. She does mention the music, which I know Allison has probably been waiting for a week to talk about the music of... Yeah, I know. This whole entire thing, we just start running off and out Allison's literally like shaking. She wants to talk about the music so bad. No, there are other reasons for that, to be fair.
01:13:06
Speaker
But no. um What about the music, Allison? I have definitely manifested trips to Phantasy Land solely because of the soundtrack and how much I could not stop listening to it. Mostly for Klugheim, but also for Talikin.
01:13:20
Speaker
Yeah. It's a pretty sick soundtrack. And this is also how I manifested a trip to Lisa Berg because of the Helix soundtrack. I'm sensing a trend and now I listen to Park soundtracks to manifest trips.
01:13:33
Speaker
Yeah, Park's putting their soundtracks on Spotify as a dangerous game. Shout out to Epic Universe also putting their stuff on Spotify now. Starting And also, shout out to Schwaben Park.
01:13:47
Speaker
Yes.
01:13:51
Speaker
Hold on, hold on. Don't think I haven't suggested a southern Germany trip to Mike for our honeymoon, including Schwaben Park. Heck yeah! Probably not going be that way. I'm pretty sure we have our honeymoon pretty set, but...
01:14:06
Speaker
That was one of the options. But anyway, this is Phantasyland today. Do you have a favorite? Is it Klukheim? Oh yeah, Klukheim, 100% for me. I know a lot of people prefer Rookberg.
01:14:19
Speaker
um I know um our buddy Matt said the Rookberg soundtrack was one of the yeah best things about Phantasyland. Rookberg is my favorite, i think. Again, I'm biased. I'll probably forever be biased until I stay at Matamba or Ling Bao.
01:14:33
Speaker
But... I stayed at Matamba, but I just, I have a, I don't know, something about Klugeheim. It just, I love Klugeheim. Why you have Taryn in your top five?
01:14:44
Speaker
Yes. Yes, I do. how How much of ah that ranking is the music? Not just in music, but also immersion is a big part of it. The whole Klugeheim area and just kind of how it goes in on, it like all over itself, honestly.
01:15:00
Speaker
the way i The way I sum it up, and i mean i like ah like I stayed at Charles Lindbergh um and Klugheim is still my favourite themed area of Phantasioland.
01:15:13
Speaker
um There's something about... Klugheim is just moody.
01:15:24
Speaker
like like there's there's character in how moody it feels especially especially ah ah ah not just nighttime but um like in twilight when it's not quite pitch dark but like it's getting darker and they're already pumping fog into the area it just it like it it has so much more like it has much more of a
01:15:51
Speaker
palpable sort of feeling to it than Ruckberg does for me which I mean like Ruckberg is unbelievable as well like I mean like the first time I'll i'll tell anyone the first time the first time I saw and walked around Ruckberg I forgot I was at Phantasialand like that's how that's that's how powerful it is like immersion wise I looked at my friend Tom and said oh Damn, there's a whole other park still. like oh yeah I forgot I was at a fantastic one. Brookbank very much its own entity. It's very Diagon Alley.
01:16:29
Speaker
Yeah. Where you like walk through a tunnel and it's like, oh, I'm just in a completely different land and area of the world right now. but so So Macau, my own question is- Oh, go on.
01:16:41
Speaker
Sorry. So my question to you is- say i love the um I love that Phantasi- Sorry. I love that Phantasialand and Universal clearly take design inspiration from each other in how they craft their themed lands. You see elements of Velocicoaster in Taran thematically you see elements Diagon Alley and Rookberg and Super Nintendo World and Klugheim honestly
01:17:14
Speaker
And they've acknowledged like how they you know respect each other. The Lothelheart family who owns Phantasialand, amongst their favorite theme park resort destinations is Universal Orlando.
01:17:28
Speaker
It's been said, and I love that i love that they pay homage to each other that way. Sorry, b Brian, what was your question? No, you're good. So my question is, I think of the four of us, I'm the only one that can't speak to this.
01:17:43
Speaker
Have you truly seen Phantasialand if you haven't been at night?
01:17:49
Speaker
Is that a whole different ballgame? don't necessarily think it's fair to say... that purely because of just like how much how much goes into the world building of like all of their themed areas not just klugheimer ruckberg but also deep in africa where black mamba is um woozy town where wind jess is um like there Like there's so there's so much layered worldbuilding that goes into into into all of those areas that
01:18:31
Speaker
It kind of does it a disservice to say it and like it can only be really appreciated during Winter Traum when the parks open later into the night.
01:18:42
Speaker
But having said that, Winter Traum is absolutely the best time to go. Yeah. I was going to say, because between, like, what, May and September, it's not open even close to that night ever, right?
01:18:56
Speaker
Yeah, no. I think the latest... This is an impossible question because there's so many lights and beautiful things and it's such a different experience that you're not truly getting the same park at night.
01:19:09
Speaker
Yeah, especially with... the one thing The one thing I like about Winter Trump um as like as a Christmas event is that when it comes to the lights and everything, like, they...
01:19:21
Speaker
They centre the vast majority of it around the Berlin like Main Street area and you see the Waifswinger ride at the top of the Berlin ah the berlin area all lit up and all of on all of the lights on all the buildings and everything.
01:19:38
Speaker
Outside of Berlin, the lights and the Christmas decorations accent the areas more so than... um more so than like take over everything.
01:19:51
Speaker
So like you see you see the christmas you see like the the the lights and the Christmas decorations around Klugheim and around Ruckburg, but they don't overpower everything that's already there. And I really enjoy that because it allows what's already like it allows the thematic elements of those areas to shine even more at night.
01:20:16
Speaker
If that makes sense. One day. One day I gotta get there.
01:20:21
Speaker
but theres But there's still already so much going on. like Not only just the rock work, not only just you know the thematic walls at the back of Rookberg and the and the um and but big long flying coaster, like, throughout the entire area, but just, like, you see light posters on the walls giving hints at little scenarios going on like in the built worlds and everything.
01:20:48
Speaker
Those like little um scenario-based elements that really like set you into the time frame that's going on in each land, thats like like those are all there outside of Winotron.
01:21:05
Speaker
so like yeah Also, River Quest isn't open during Winotron, so you kind of have to still go white in the summer. River Quest. I miss it.
01:21:19
Speaker
Yeah, I don't and don't know that. But, like, for me, i love lights and I love, like... I love it being, like, really dark at night and just telling a story with lights.
01:21:37
Speaker
It doesn't have to be Christmas. It doesn't have to be wintertime. But, like, putting that effort in, like, I just think it's so unbelievably gorgeous. So I feel like, for me...
01:21:50
Speaker
I would take that over ah daytime trip there any day, but, like, I also acknowledge there's, like, there's no comparing the two. Like, it's... They're just such different experiences.
01:22:05
Speaker
I wish you could see the version, like, Phantagaland at night, but and don't think that you'll ever, like, you ever really will get that opportunity, so...
01:22:18
Speaker
It's like comparing apples to oranges.
01:22:23
Speaker
They also have um ah projection mapping shows, light shows that happen at night during Winter Trauma as well. They have dotted around like different areas of the park. They have pyrotechnics show that goes on um on top of the on top of the ah the themed facade behind Chiapas, where the Mexican architectural buildings are.
01:22:49
Speaker
And that show is captivating. Like, it's awesome. It's like a fire-themed show or something, right? Like, Tiempo Del Fuego or something like that? Tiempo Del Fuego, I think, is... Oh! it It's a really similar name to the um to the walkthrough show at Port Aventura, and I always get the two names mixed up, but I think it's Tiempo Del Fuego.
01:23:09
Speaker
yeah That sounds right. Yeah, that sounds right to me, too. We did watch that as well. That was really cool. It's awesome. Yeah, that and the laser show... Oh my god. We ran across the park to get to the show at Rookburg.
01:23:24
Speaker
Like, we had like seconds to spare before it started. i think we walked into Rookburg as it started. And just, my jaw was on the floor the whole time. It was incredible. That's the one plus side I will say to Fly being closed. Because I did not have to run there.
01:23:40
Speaker
Because Fly was closed. And I guess a lot of people are a lot more local. It was empty. Like, the laser show was pretty close to empty. Yeah.
01:23:51
Speaker
didn't have to rush there, I didn't have to go find a spot, didn't have to anything, which that was kind of nice, but that show was incredible. So, the first time they ever ran show...
01:24:06
Speaker
which is now called Pulse of Rookberg. think it had a different name when it first started. But um it was that it was that it was definitely ah it was definitely a slightly different show in its first iteration.
01:24:17
Speaker
The first time they ever ran that show, I was in Rookberg taking photos and had no idea it was happening.
Rookburg Laser Show and Immersive Experiences
01:24:29
Speaker
Because the first time they ever ran it, It wasn't actually listed as a show at the park. yeah I remember you sending me videos of that, actually. It was like... you Probably do. yeah the very like Literally the first time they ever run the show was just a test.
01:24:45
Speaker
No one knew about it. My friends were on Fly at the time because it originally ran while Fly was still open. They didn't used to close Fly during it. They used to keep it running.
01:24:56
Speaker
And I had decided her um forego like a couple extra rides on fly to take photos around Ruckburg and so like I was just doing my thing I was in like I was in the little plaza area nearby uh the the restaurant uh work restaurant um all the lights go out the what I didn't know that the show was starting at the time.
01:25:26
Speaker
All the lights go out, the music changes, the music, well, the music drops, the music changes. I'm looking around like, what's happening? um And then like the show starts to build and build and build.
01:25:40
Speaker
i as it as it gets As it goes through the show, I hear the train coming around. I hear my friend Jai cackling on the train. and meanwhile, I'm just standing there like, where am I right now?
01:25:58
Speaker
i felt like um i felt like I wasn't on planet Earth. They all get off of Fly, come out of the exit. i see it I see them come up out of the exit. I run over to them.
01:26:09
Speaker
And I'm like, please tell me you were on that train during the show. They all yell at me. We were on that train! We were on that train! We all just lose our minds.
01:26:21
Speaker
it's one It's one of the most palpable memories, theme park memories, i've I have just period. like I've been going to go a theme park since I was three years old. It's is one of the best memories I've ever had at a theme park.
01:26:33
Speaker
That's so cool. Just on unreal. Unbelievable. And like you you talk about like just like thematic and thematic integrity and and thematic world building and then going a step beyond to be able to deliver experiences like that, even though it was technically an accident.
01:26:58
Speaker
it Yeah, like very few parks in the world do it like Fantasio it. Yeah, that that show is very, very cool.
01:27:11
Speaker
For sure. So, to the next question. Or comment, I guess. Question two. um From John Mike, he said, the level of overall immersion throughout the entire park. I recall several moments while in park losing my sense of place and having trouble orienting myself.
01:27:27
Speaker
Can confirm. Have a video of him crying as we walked into Rickburg. It's shocking. He said, plus, how can we not talk about the ride and show that you get from Talacan? Talacan. Now, let me talk about Talacan for a second.
01:27:39
Speaker
Yeah. It was closed when I was there. Really? Yeah, the thing. here's the thing I don't know if would have ridden it even if it was open. That's not my ride.
01:27:50
Speaker
It was not my ride either, but holy crap. So you guys can talk about that thing. i scream I don't do rides very often. That was my first topspin ever. I don't do rides that have like one straight spinning motion very much, but I had to do talican.
01:28:06
Speaker
I had to. I screamed so much. From the amount of flipping on that thing. It was wild. But just gorgeous to stand and watch that ride.
01:28:20
Speaker
With the fire and the water. Yeah, it was close both days. It's just it's so enjoyable just to watch. You didn't even need to ride I'm so sad it was close for you.
01:28:31
Speaker
Even just like not riding it, but like just to watch it. Sure, I definitely would like see it for sure. Yeah.
01:28:38
Speaker
I did watch it. There wasn't a chance I was getting on that. I did tell Joey if I had like four. i was like, if I have like four pints of beer, maybe. think I had one beer the entire time.
01:28:50
Speaker
So I was like, nope, not a chance. Like that thing looked awful.
01:28:59
Speaker
I don't know if it's a ride that you would want to ride drunk. No, i I... Listen, your girl's got a stomach of... Your girl's got a stomach of Oh, yeah? Yeah. Got a stomach of steel. That's you? That's not a problem.
01:29:12
Speaker
I don't have any... Like, I'm actually really scared of, like, rides. I don't like rides at all. Yeah. Like, I'm not a big fan of heights. I'm not a big fan of, like, smaller rides.
01:29:28
Speaker
Not a chance you'll catch me on, like, a fair ride. Nope. Yeah. yeah I do very little rides. That was one of those rides, like, you see it on, like, Instagram all the time. Would you ride this? Kind of like with Siren's Curse.
01:29:45
Speaker
I had to ride it. I had to experience it at least once for my first topspin. No, that's fine. You can call me ah baby. Call me whatever you want. Another B word. That's fine. and much yeah I'll be sipping my beer and watching you cry.
01:30:01
Speaker
It's fantastic to watch from the sidelines still. I'm watching a video of it now from the guy for that thinks Mykonos is the best restaurant in Austin from Amusement Insider.
01:30:12
Speaker
ah Loser! yeah Watching his video of it. Yeah, that's crazy. I'm not- Yeah, I would never ride this thing. Why would you watch Robin use a cute corgi? Tell him to send Ed pictures.
01:30:27
Speaker
Ed. i will say, the soundtrack for Talocan is also just, like, S tier. It's so good. That song is like, why does it go- Why does Imascore go that hard?
01:30:41
Speaker
Like- Imascore. Imascore? That's pronounce it, but i don't know. I don't know. Why do they go that hard? They don't have to.
01:30:53
Speaker
But they do, and it's great. It's on my ah my like daily playlist. um Do they do a lot of Efteling, too? Sorry, not to skip parks, but Efteling also has killer soundtracks.
01:31:08
Speaker
that They did not do Donsal Cup, as I learned. Okay. I don't know. All right. Random question. Sorry. Back to Fantasia land.
01:31:21
Speaker
Well, the next comment on the list is from Cpred, who says, i want to go back and get the famous shot while having a beer in this spot right by Taryn. I don't remember who started this trend in Buzzbars. I want to say it was Creech, maybe. i was going to say, wasn't it Creech?
01:31:35
Speaker
I feel like it's Creech.
01:31:39
Speaker
I feel like he messaged me when I went and he was like, you need to take a shot here. there There's definitely been a few of us who did it. I know I took one even though I don't particularly like that style of beer. I did take that picture.
01:31:51
Speaker
ah feel like it's either Creech or Jack that did it the first time. I think it was Creech. I think Jack went after him. Right.
01:32:02
Speaker
I don't remember. or Maybe it was a Matt from Coasters and Brews who started it maybe. That would check out. Somebody started it, but yes, getting that shot of the ah giant beer stein in front of Taryn.
01:32:18
Speaker
Yeah. I took it. I didn't drink the beer very much, but I took the picture. Well, when a beer is like six or seven dollars for that giant beer. Yeah. um where Where is the spot? Is it like on the bridge?
01:32:34
Speaker
No, there's like... um It's in the plaza outside Rutmore's Tavern, right? Yeah. some pi like taryn It kind of seems like a bridge because Taran goes like below you, right?
01:32:47
Speaker
Yeah. It's kind of like an overpass. It's kind like beside it right there. Yeah. it's more like it's more like beside It's more like right beside um one of Taran's underpasses.
01:33:01
Speaker
Wendell left a comment said, the Klugeheim town square where you can have a drink, my favorite breeding or resting spot sorry in a park. yeah yeah it's ah It's an isolator. I think they sell like crepes there or flatbreads or something like that. Pizzas too, right?
01:33:15
Speaker
and know I got pizza there. great yeah I think that was flatbread or something like that. yeah That's the spot. There's like a turn where Helix goes like right there. Helix? Helix. Turn it.
01:33:28
Speaker
I think, though, that this might bring up my only negative thing that I have to say about Fantasia Land, which
Phantasialand Challenges and Innovations
01:33:36
Speaker
is... Fantasia Land.
01:33:39
Speaker
It doesn't have a ton of space, which means it has nowhere to sit down, nowhere to relax. There's... Like, that park is go go, go, go, go all the time, and they do a fantastic job at that.
01:33:54
Speaker
But there's no, not even, like, not everyone wants to have balance at a park, but there's no ability to have balance ah at a park. There is the... um The... ah Like, the the little... like Not river, but like small lake area right by Woozie Town.
01:34:17
Speaker
Oh, that's huge. Which is very hidden away. If you don't know about it, it's very easy to miss. yeah But there's a Splash Battle ride right by there as well. And I'm pretty sure that... like i've not I've not actually been around this path. I just know it's there.
01:34:32
Speaker
Um... There's a path that goes like right round the um the the the little lake on the left side on the far left side of the park. And that is supposed the area is supposed to be very quiet and relaxing purely because...
01:34:50
Speaker
the the the The town of Brule, which is the closest closest town to Phantasialand, gives Phantasialand a lot of noise complaints.
01:35:02
Speaker
what i just oh a lot A lot of pushback to Phantasialand applications for more space because of things like noise complaints and things like that.
01:35:13
Speaker
And that side of the park is pretty much right next to like residential areas and a lot of houses. So the the they've been historically very cautious about building on that side of the park.
01:35:25
Speaker
you know, for risk of receiving like a million and seven noise complaints and stuff, which is why Temple of the... Well, Crazy Bats and the past Boat Ride Hollywood tour, like that's why they're in... that's why they That's why they have been in such a massive...
01:35:43
Speaker
um ah show building that's why wind jess is largely indoors um woozy town like all of that is to mitigate noise on that side of the park so there is that area there that's much quieter as well but no to your to your point the vast majority of the park is like you know they're maximizing the space they have because the place is so small so yeah and and a net result of that is yeah there's It does make it a very overwhelming, like, I do get very, very overstimulated. Like, I yeah need to take breaks throughout my day. It is sensory overload to the max, for sure. Exactly. And the, but like, ha-
01:36:27
Speaker
That spot I have heard about, I did not go there, but like walking across the park to get to one single quiet area um instead of like having the ability after standing in an hour long queue that was really overstimulating to get off the ride and like sit down so and like decompress and have a second. Like that's part of the reason I love Europa Park so much because there's plenty of that.
01:36:55
Speaker
Where that's like my one and only complaint about Pentagoland is that there's just nothing. um Even to eat. Like we tried, we did eat and we ended up sitting on the ground because again, fly was closed. So that area was empty, but it had that area not been empty there. We couldn't find a single seat.
01:37:21
Speaker
That's wild. Even in that area, there's just nowhere to sit at all. I'm trying to think back to... yeah I'm pretty sure I've seen a few benches around Rookburg before when i when I've been walking around taking photos.
01:37:41
Speaker
But yeah, like unless you're unless you're sitting down ah one of the sit-down restaurants there... If you're getting like some kind of quick service food, yeah, like the the places that there are... yeah like I do have memories of like I've gotten the jambalaya at a quick service spot in deep in Africa before and being able to find ah like a bench somewhere in the area.
01:38:08
Speaker
But yeah, like the places to be able to sit and relax, like they're not like that they are hidden when they're there. Well, not obviously not intentionally hidden, but like they're not the easiest things to find.
01:38:21
Speaker
In terms of food, like the main places that we ate, I've eaten it you know at Matamba. We had like the dinner there, which is really, really nice. um But like outside of hotels, we ate it some noodle place in like the China area.
01:38:37
Speaker
i know, we had like some kind of like chicken coconut food. noodles or something that was really good but we had like a standing table kind of thing but in terms of like sitting down and relaxing outside of like the wave swing around like the steps i guess it's like by the kind of the front of the park but we never actually went through the main entrance anytime that we were there um because we went through Matamba one time and then like through like the Mystery Castle entrance over by there.
01:39:05
Speaker
But there's a bunch of like seating on like the steps right outside of the Wave Swinger. And we definitely sat there for a while and just chilled. But I can't think of any other like rest areas.
01:39:18
Speaker
outside of the Outside of Restaurant or Work... Rutmore's Tavern, the tapas place right next to Chiapas, and then like yeah like the the the ah the Chinese food places, like that like the actual sit-down restaurants.
01:39:38
Speaker
is is it can It can be hard to find places to like outside places to just sit. Again, like it it comes down to much maximization of space or lack thereof that they have in there, which they do to a level I've not seen at another park. but But yeah, there are trade-offs to it.
01:40:02
Speaker
Brian, where did you eat like at the park at all? Did you eat at the park at all? I assume you were one point. Barely, because with Charles Lindbergh, we got the complimentary dinner and the complimentary breakfast, and the breakfast was, like, huge.
01:40:15
Speaker
So literally the only thing we ate, I think, was the pizzas. The breakfast is the best is the best part of the food. Oh, the breakfast was so good at Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh, at least. Huge, huge spread.
01:40:29
Speaker
So good. Yeah, it was just the pizzas outside of Taryn.
01:40:34
Speaker
Okay. We did, like, um... Outside of Fly, there's a quick service place that has really good sandwiches. I'm sorry. We did have those sandwiches.
01:40:45
Speaker
Yeah, they were really good. um Very filling. Yeah, and I think we went back and ate there twice. Oh, no. we went We ate there, and then we ate. It was Winterstrom, so we ate at the booths in the main area.
01:41:00
Speaker
So maybe part of it, because don't think anyone was able to sit on the steps that you're talking about during Winterstrom.
01:41:07
Speaker
Yeah, I think it was during the summer when I sat on the stuff. Yeah, so don't know if that is really accessible during Winterstrom because that was one of the places, too, that we, like, both places we had really hard times finding anywhere just, like, sit. I ended up just, like, putting the food we had on, like, a rallying and, like, standing up against things, but we were, like, it was so packed of everyone trying to do that because there was nowhere.
01:41:39
Speaker
So, but that's my only single complaint about the entire park. There's lack of seating to chill. Yeah, the, and that's not important to everyone. Like, and like they have so little space and they want to get a lot in there and they want to be a world-class park in that space. So they, they're doing a fantastic job for that.
01:42:04
Speaker
But for me, I'll take a park that has a balance a thousand times over. An elite park.
01:42:17
Speaker
That just feels a bit more open.
01:42:21
Speaker
Yeah, and it's just like, if you're doing ten hours in a theme park, you're gonna need balance. There's no one in this world that can do hours and hours of just go
01:42:34
Speaker
You at least need to be able to find a nice, even if you're like quick service, like maybe you're budgeting and you don't have the money to sit down in a nicer restaurant. Like you're just grabbing something quick service, cheap, good to go. Like you need that like 20 or 30 minutes to just like sit, eat your meal, recharge, and then go at it again. And I found that extremely hard to do.
01:43:01
Speaker
Yeah. That recharge time can be make or break in a park. Exactly. And even like 20 minutes, 20 minutes with a sandwich, just sit, eat it, recharge, go.
01:43:13
Speaker
That can completely change your day. So I feel like that is a really important spot that I wish that they had the ability to do more of.
01:43:32
Speaker
We can go back to positive things. Everything else I have to say is positive. To be fair, the whole point of a deep dive is to look the positives the negatives. Just everything creative in a park.
01:43:44
Speaker
Yeah. Maybe some creative seating. Wait! Creative in a park? ah Now I'm going derail a different way, guys. but love in the area... What is it called with fly...
01:43:56
Speaker
Rookburg? Rookburg. That's what I thought, but I wasn't confident enough. um So that area, the way that they build the supports into all of the theming, absolutely incredible. Like, there's a bathroom in one area where you, like, go down this long hallway before behind a quick service and then turn again One, the bathroom is so incredibly themed. I was like, this did not have to go this hard.
01:44:27
Speaker
um And then the other one like, as you're walking into that bathroom, there are supports just, like, into the walls and stuff. And it's like, having the ability to, like, think this through so much that you're building buildings around the supports is, like, kind of really cool to see.
01:44:48
Speaker
the The whole area of Rookburg and just like how everything is integrated together just absolutely blows my mind. I want to see blueprints of that entire land.
01:44:59
Speaker
Like level by level and just study it. Yeah, that's one of the most impressive areas of design. Yeah, also including, i did not get to go there, but Brian, I know for sure you probably got to go there.
01:45:13
Speaker
Doesn't that bar have like an entrance into the, like... Don't they have to do some weird things with the trains on and off in that bar? Well, the park was closed when we went there. um Yeah, but... They do have, like...
01:45:31
Speaker
They do have a seating area that's literally right underneath Fly. Yeah. I used to... i used to i used to know exactly what that is, and I have since forgotten.
01:45:42
Speaker
Yeah, there's something maintenance-wise but apparently oh but or ah that Oh, that didn't know....it move all the pool tables, and the floor, I think, opens? Yeah. to Yeah.
01:45:53
Speaker
Yeah! like that Like, one of the supports... literally goes through bar 1919. um And they can they can shift they can shift things around, in layman's terms, to get down to the maintenance and shed through the bar.
01:46:15
Speaker
That's cool. That's unbelievable. but ah so like this this This is the thing about um about about the the the talent level of Phantasialand's creative team.
01:46:28
Speaker
like ah and and just really really like the brainchild of the late Eric um sorry if i butcher this last name Eric Daman he was the creative lead creative director whatever his um job role might have been for Phantasialand's creative team um like like to be able to craft something like that to such intricate detail It's like, where do you even start like with it, really?
01:47:04
Speaker
And to be able to like think of innovative solutions just for access to certain areas, to be able to like logistically make all of that work within each other.
01:47:17
Speaker
The simple process of having a coaster wrap itself around a hotel... and have different layers of different levels of the coaster, like exist amongst different levels of the hotel and have all of the access points work in actual like practicality is beyond like, that's, that's not something I can really like,
01:47:45
Speaker
speak to ah ah ah to a relative amount of detail in just like a podcast episode like like that's like sitting at a bar for multiple hours and just i like how the hell how the hell they do like in this essay i will dot dot dot yeah
01:48:03
Speaker
but yeah like um with at and i don't i don't want to i mean like you've you've stood in the area so like you've gently like you like you've seen like you like flies um fly station is underground like the entire thing you can't actually see like any part of the station whatsoever until you're like right there in front of it um and then to be able to
01:48:33
Speaker
make everything else, like all of the other elements, um architecturally and infrastructure-wise, work within the area, and have that not be the first time they've ever done that, Black Mamba's station is underground too.
01:48:48
Speaker
That's true. That's true. Oh, I never realized that. Which, but I mean, like but Black Mamba opened in, what, 2006? Yes. has been innovating this way for...
01:49:03
Speaker
You know, decades at this point. and yeah I but like the i i remember i remember coming to the end of my trip in 2021 and thinking, I saw them open Klugheim in 2016 with Taron and Rake, the Vekoma boomerang that they somehow interweaved in in there as well, and thinking...
01:49:29
Speaker
they can't, like, how do they top this? Like, like how ah like that they've just set the standard for themselves, like, going forward, and then they go and, they go and, like, do it in know in a lot of in a lot of ways with Rookberg, and you're looking at it, and it's like, okay, how do they top this? like Like, how do how do they go even further in terms of, like, innovating, like,
01:49:55
Speaker
with architectural styles and infrastructure logistics and and things and things like that. It's really just like really mind-boggling.
01:50:11
Speaker
Yeah, no, I completely agree. Where does Phantasy Lion go from Fly? Like, what's what's going to be next? Jeez.
01:50:23
Speaker
Yeah, i don't even know. i mean... But to a mile point, like, any other park produces fly, and that would be my take. However, with Phantagaland's history, as long as they can find the space, I trust them to outdo it.
01:50:43
Speaker
e
01:50:45
Speaker
They don't have really, like, a great dark ride, right?
01:50:53
Speaker
dark... Chocolate? So in my opinion, no. I mean, it's that's cute, but... I didn't even go on it, so I have no idea. Oh, it is cute, but it's fine i was definitely like... fun. Yeah. They're almost like set, coaster-wise, for a while, I think.
01:51:10
Speaker
So, if, what like, what like you' you're talking about um in terms of what do they do next, like, in conversations I've had with um or the other people who are just fans of the park and, you know, affiliates of the park and stuff, um there's a there's a few different ideas, all of which I trust have been jotted down and brainstormed to hell and back by their creative team.
01:51:35
Speaker
Oh, yeah. One of them being, to the point of Dark Rides, is um focusing on the China area. was going to say, if there's something that's missing, we should they need a star attraction for Ling Bao.
01:51:53
Speaker
Yeah. and um And I've always been an advocate of um as much of a meme as Geist the Rikshire is. Oh yeah, I forgot about that thing. Yeah, which is a bit of a Haunted Mansion ripoff in is in its ride hardware.
01:52:12
Speaker
um That takes up a lot of space. and Underneath the land. So you got that. Uh-oh. so you got that no Maybe ah keep Fengzhu Palace, wreath wreath redo maybe the the ah the pre-show, because that pre-show is so unnecessarily long.
01:52:37
Speaker
um But Geisterrikshire, you have a lot of space to install a world-class dark ride there. I would say.
01:52:50
Speaker
So that would be my take. Was it Wuzi Town? Yeah. like That that area could use maybe some redeveloping.
01:53:03
Speaker
I agree, although i kind of like how cute and charming it feels in there. I would agree with that, yeah. I've never been sure of how you would rework that. I always find myself going towards...
01:53:18
Speaker
gutting Crazy Bats and then using that massive show building which you which used to hold Hollywood Tour, the boat ride, as well as Temple of the Nighthawk, now Crazy Bats, and doing a really, like, um...
01:53:41
Speaker
a really high level indoor area. Maybe, maybe you expand Woozie town into that, into that area. Ooh, okay. Maybe you, and maybe you rework the, the building that Woozie town, Woozie town exists in and make that all one whole massive indoor section of the park and revamp it that way.
01:54:02
Speaker
i don't hate that.
01:54:06
Speaker
Maybe you have something like a Vekoma family multi-launch coaster similar to Aquila, the one that the one that opened recently at the Polish indoor park.
01:54:20
Speaker
um Something to that size. You obviously couldn't do something like Big Bear Mountain in there. But like yeah, a Vekoma family LIM multi-launch like Aquila would
01:54:33
Speaker
and clean up in there. That'd be the perfect replacement for Templar but for um for Crazy Bats.
01:54:43
Speaker
yeah I'm just annoyed I've been in that park twice and I've missed Crazy Bats every single time. And that's the reason I did get 300 on Terran. Alright, where are we at in our comments here?
01:54:55
Speaker
we we're We're kind of struggling with it. Pushing two hours, yeah. ah but
01:55:02
Speaker
Always so much to talk about. Brian needs to go to bed. Yeah, um i'm um I'm definitely on the struggle bus right now, but we'll get through it. We'll get through it. we got what We have ah less than 35 minutes until we break.
01:55:19
Speaker
Longest episode again. Are we only at Ryan? Yeah. Oh my god.
01:55:28
Speaker
Eventually we'll run out of things to talk about, right? true um why well i love immersion music is one thing that ties package together yep from the start of fly the switching tracks played at talcon didn't know that and the ambient music at rookburg phil i was brought into another world entirely yeah pretty we've pretty much already touched on all that it's now amazing it is there talcon has i think i think they have two main songs there like one in the queue and then one on the ride yeah we also can't talk about music We also can't talk about music at Phantasialand without mentioning the disco.
01:56:06
Speaker
they would You all know what I'm talking about. Think about it. Do I? Do If you've ridden chop-ass, you do. Oh, okay, yeah. There you go.
01:56:18
Speaker
yeah i get what you're saying. Yeah, that is the best. I have two Chiapas songs on my like playlist, and one of them is like the main Chiapas song, and then one is that like temple song.
01:56:32
Speaker
We haven't really talked about Chiapas, so good. Another soundtrack in itself. So good.
01:56:41
Speaker
Chiapas is a marvel in itself. Yeah, agree. In terms of how that's integrated into the Mexico area and just like how well themed that that attraction is and... um
01:57:01
Speaker
yeah like it's um you know it's widely talked about as one of the best if not the best log flume attraction yeah planet earth yeah and um despite like how again like in terms of maximization of space like how little space it takes up and yet it is as long as it is
01:57:27
Speaker
so i know it really They say that it has a winter mode. It really does not have a winter mode. but yeah and that John Mike can attest being in front row of our boat in 36 degree weather. It really does not have a winter mode. I watched people getting off of it and I was like, no nope, I will miss that. Thank you. It's 35 degrees outside and you are soaking wet. I would rather die.
01:57:59
Speaker
It was worth it. I'll say that. ah You can say that all you want. me I did that one water coaster at Europa in like 36 degree weather as well. so That's crazy as well.
01:58:12
Speaker
Hey, they opened it. It was their fault.
01:58:16
Speaker
They opened it so that people as crazy as you would go on and potentially ride it? No. I was naked and warm with my beer on balloon farts.
01:58:28
Speaker
To be fair, there's an honored photo of us on ah the one at Europa Park where I'm just like covered under my arms like you cannot see me at all. Everyone else having the time of their life and i'm like, where's Allison?
01:58:40
Speaker
don't want to get wet. That's funny. Yeah.
01:58:49
Speaker
One thing, um this is... it i don't I don't think this is um did like to do to do with the comment or... I don't know if any of the other comments are gonna cover this.
01:59:05
Speaker
You mentioned that you hadn't seen the um the front end like the main... What is the currently the main front entrance of the park, right? You never entered the park that way?
01:59:17
Speaker
No, I mean, I know what the outside of it looks like. But yeah, I was like, I'm from Matamba. It is actually, like, i i I love the front entrance to this park.
01:59:29
Speaker
Not because it's, like, particularly, like, well done or anything. In fact, it's not, like, like at all. it looks like It looks like a bus station. It looks like the front of, like, a
01:59:42
Speaker
the the front of like maybe a movie theater or something like that. It is the most unassuming front entrance to a park I think I've- to a park of this level at least, that I think I've ever seen.
01:59:55
Speaker
But then you walk in and then you're just... like it It's just... Phantasyland. Like... Just looking from it... from From the outside... From the outside... like the Like the main road just right up next to the entrance.
02:00:10
Speaker
And... and looking from it, from from that road, you would not think you would never think that there is a world-class theme park behind the walls or behind the entrance.
02:00:22
Speaker
And that kind of... For me personally, just like in terms of thematic integrity and thematic narrative and everything, it just play it just plays into the sort of... You could walk into just small opening, any small...
02:00:37
Speaker
you know opening any small like hole in the wall kind of thing and just be greeted by another world which is and incredible to me like i like i i love that it's it's almost like speakeasy-esque like like a hidden cocktail bar or something like that i love it Yeah, I even thought that way coming into the like China entrance. I remember walking up and I was like, we are not walking up to some like beat-up table with a man standing there to check my bag. They're using a phone to scan my ticket. And I was like, this is the most unassuming entrance I've ever entered in my life.
02:01:21
Speaker
And then i walked into that park and I was like, what? What a day and night. Like...
02:01:30
Speaker
And like the parking lot doesn't even have lines on the spots. It's just like. No, it doesn't. don't even think we didn't park in like the parks parking lot. I think it's run by like someone else.
02:01:43
Speaker
But it goes to parks entrances. I don't know. But it's like the it literally is like the most unassuming parking lot. The most unassuming bag check.
02:01:56
Speaker
And then bam Fantasialand. Yeah, it's wild. And it's all built into the ground, so it's like you can't even see it from the outside either. Mm-hmm.
02:02:07
Speaker
I hate to do this, guys. I'm going to head out real quick since I've been up since 4 and I need to sleep. yeah You guys will finish the podcast. very sure Love you guys. Mikhail, you're awesome.
02:02:20
Speaker
I miss you. so are you Hope we can hang out in person soon. We definitely do not talk even nearly enough. We don't. ah And I gotta i gotta to get back to Vancouver.
02:02:33
Speaker
but i I will see you guys next episode. Whatever that episode may be.
02:02:41
Speaker
We love you, Bryant. Okay, well, now that Bryant's gone, can we just, like, say all the crap about Coaster 365? Yeah, i mean, i god thank God I was getting tired of his voice.
02:02:54
Speaker
He's getting tired of the Patriots pillow behind him. words! No words!
02:03:03
Speaker
well um We're doing great! We're doing great! Oh my god, Jen, did I text you a photo of the eagle that I took photos of at Busch Gardens Williamsburg?
02:03:15
Speaker
No. I'm pretty wait maybe Wait, maybe you did. No. You texted me not that long ago, now that I think about it. I think I did.
02:03:27
Speaker
And I think I just responded, go birds! I think I remember that. I absolutely did! I said, hell yeah, go birds! And Brian's not here to say anything against it.
02:03:39
Speaker
That was a really good photo.
02:03:43
Speaker
It reminds me of Philadelphia. that was That was beautiful. Yeah, i just texted you the photo of the the bald eagle just saying, Go birds! Go birds!
02:03:55
Speaker
exactly what you would say in response to it yeah go birds well we whenever he sees people in eagles gear to say go birds but like apparently i guess europeans sometimes just wear eagles gear without understanding so now he gets really nervous because he said go birds to like three people and they were just like looking at him like what i was like call them out they're fake fans tell them to take the jersey off and that they're losers like
02:04:24
Speaker
So does Joey have an Eagles jersey yet? No. No. No. I don't even have an Eagles jersey. I just like to yell Go Birds. Can you get him a jersey that just says Go Birds on the back?
02:04:37
Speaker
Yeah, i should. I'm going to get him a Go Birds shirt.
Theme Park Camaraderie and Inside Jokes
02:04:40
Speaker
now even a yeah Not even a jersey, just just a green t-shirt that says Go Birds on it. I'm sure there's plenty out there. Yeah, at my coffee shop, they're allowed to, like when the Eagles are doing well, they're allowed to wear Eagles shirts.
02:04:53
Speaker
And one of them has one, it's like Go Birds meanings, and on the back it's like a list of meanings. And it's like, hello, how are you? Go Eagles! like And it's just like a list of everything Philadelphia people say.
02:05:06
Speaker
go birds i love that so much go birds so phantasyland speaking of birds back to phantasyland how are those even related whatsoever speaking of birds let's talk about fly eagle fly that a thing Fly, eagles, fly.
02:05:34
Speaker
brought to victory. So I'm literally looking through our comments. I'm like, did anybody else mention Fly? We have at least one other comment about Fly from a solar coaster.
02:05:46
Speaker
They said, I've never been, but i love how the coasters have no dead space in theming. i also love how Fly, aka for Flying Launch at Yoster,
02:05:58
Speaker
Fly's ride system works. I can't get over flying once Yoster. That's incredible. Um, yeah.
02:06:08
Speaker
To what degree do you care about spoilers for Fly? We gave our spoiler. Well, I guess, yeah, yeah Jen hasn't been on it. Yeah, I mean, not really that much, because, like, i do have a good idea of what's going on, and I do, like, obviously I could see everything that was happening with it.
02:06:26
Speaker
Um. Right. Yeah. So, I mean, i will okay i i won't I won't talk about um like but before the launch, because whether you care about or not, i i like it you you want to go in blind to that.
02:06:46
Speaker
um But just like from a logistics standpoint with how that coastal, how that coastal loads, how Vekoma innovated with Fly's loading system and how it goes from, um, loading to, you know, the flying position is much more comfortable than BNM flyers to use quite literally. Well, I guess flying Dutchman's used to exist, but, um, but to use like its most direct comparison, um,
02:07:21
Speaker
much more comfortable loading position, more more um much more of a spectacle um in terms of like how it does it, and um much like like lent lends itself much more to um theming and storytelling.
02:07:48
Speaker
they look that It seems like Vekoma literally looked at how, like, everything, like, looked at the B&M flyer model from every angle and was like, how can we improve on this?
02:07:59
Speaker
How can we improve on this? How can we improve on X, Y, and Z to make it a more comfortable experience, a more seamless experience, and just a more overall enjoyable experience? And they knocked it all, all out of the ballpark.
02:08:20
Speaker
It blows every other flying experience. Flying coaster experience. Fully out of the water. So. Mikhail I don't know if you've really heard me.
02:08:30
Speaker
Go about this but like. Of all of the coasters. I could have missed at that park. I was happiest it was fly. Because with. The.
02:08:42
Speaker
Flying coasters that I do have experience on. And inverts. Like I expected a very. I knew people told me it was like, said it was different, said nothing compares to it, but like, I still had this mindset of like, flying coasters aren't really great, not a big fan.
02:08:59
Speaker
Um, so I was like, of the three coasters, I'm happiest that that's the one that was down and not Black Mamba or Terran. But after Na'Fiana Force, us like, I don't know why it like literally just clicked to me when you said Vekoma.
02:09:17
Speaker
Now, after Nafianiforce, if I knew the quality of that coaster at the time that I missed Fly, I think I would have been severely more upset.
02:09:29
Speaker
And it also makes me much more excited to get back and ride Fly. Because Nafianiforce was just a masterpiece, in my opinion. Yeah, it was fantastic.
02:09:43
Speaker
So... I, um... i I personally think, and from from that standpoint as well, like comparing Vekoma's models to each other, I personally think the design philosophy that Vekoma has employed with with regards to crafting their coaster layouts and their philosophy to like their element progression, their transitioning and all and and all ah all of those like layout design um ah like aspects and characteristics, their design philosophy lends itself probably the most to their flyer model, honestly, I would say, with just how flowy like it is and...
02:10:29
Speaker
and and also agile at the same time. probably Probably their flyer model and their suspended thrill coaster model. So yeah, I would say like given that you've ridden Nafiana Force and gotten an idea of like how Vekoma has improved their design philosophies, yeah. like yeah you've you've you've you're on you're on the right track.
02:10:59
Speaker
Yeah, and comparing like, in my mind, and this is all literally generating in the last five minutes, um comparing a BNM invert to the Vekoma suspended,
02:11:15
Speaker
and then the BNM flyer, so it's kind of like, I can't even think of what it's called when it's like, you compare two things, two similar things, you have two different statements. So you would say like, hot dog is to hot dog bun, hamburger is to, and you like fill in the blank. I don't remember what it's called.
02:11:38
Speaker
Comparing apples to one.
02:11:41
Speaker
No, there's an actual word for it in. I know, I know what you mean. Yeah. Idiom. yeah
02:11:49
Speaker
Something like, yeah. don't know. I don't remember the name, but now it's like Vekoma, like now looking at it as like B&M invert to B&M flyer, which I'm not a huge fan of the B&M flyer, like, cause it's the same forces just on a different model.
02:12:07
Speaker
But now it's like, then the Vekoma suspended coaster to a Vekoma flyer.
02:12:16
Speaker
don't know.
02:12:19
Speaker
I don't know if it made any sense. In mind, it made sense.
02:12:24
Speaker
um I just... I think that... um I think that B&M inverts and B&M flyers track and ride very differently to each other, whereas I feel like Vekoma's new layout design philosophy lends itself more so to suspended thrill coasters where...
02:12:50
Speaker
the um well like the i is is It's hard for me to say having not ridden a new STC yet, but um just like the the the force switching is might be, you can confirm or deny, might be a little minimal and it's more so just like an accentuation of like how enjoyable the force it delivers.
02:13:20
Speaker
are with regards to its positive moments, with regards to its airtime moments, and just like how it very evenly flows between between like between the two and between all its elements.
02:13:35
Speaker
And the Vekoma Flyer, like in light with with the example being Fly, like that like it flows incredibly evenly.
02:13:49
Speaker
I'll say. And they that like the yeah going back to the point, like just like how they've innovated on the system, like it all transitions from loading to to flying position to launching really, really, really well.
02:14:08
Speaker
Which is not something that the B&M flyer has ever been good at. Yeah. No, because I feel like the downfalls of the B&M flyer, I think they're really cool models and they are a really cool concept.
02:14:21
Speaker
But I think the downfalls, I feel like they design for an invert and then just throw a flying train on it, which makes it very, very uncomfortable.
02:14:32
Speaker
It's overly intense, with the exception of a pretzel loop. Other than that, every element on a flyer is the same five elements they put on an invert.
02:14:45
Speaker
I kind of... like Yeah. I kind of see that. Yeah. So i feel like... That thought where isn't really there. Which is fine... But when you're going for super intense positives the entire time, it it becomes ah too intense of an experience.
02:15:03
Speaker
And it's even too intense for like a flying simulation experience where now experiencing a new generation Vekoma suspended coaster, where it's a completely different philosophy, where it is a beautiful mix of elements of grace, of flow. Mm-hmm.
02:15:25
Speaker
it I believe that that flyer is now going to be top team. My view and my excitement to that flyer has completely changed. Which, Fly has its moments of intense, like well, strong positives as well.
02:15:40
Speaker
like I remember being caught off guard with how strong the forces are at at certain points. It's not necessarily but it's not necessarily like overly intense like overall, but it has its moments where um like sustained positives... like i can and I can understand if someone who is just generally who generally finds flyers uncomfortable would find so and certain moments within the layout uncomfortable.
02:16:06
Speaker
Especially... especially like um especially especially how flyers can be uncomfortable for women because of the vest restraints and stuff. um I can definitely understand, like, at certain points, um just the strong positives that are inflicted on the body um being uncomfortable for women.
02:16:24
Speaker
But, um of like, for the for the most part Yeah, like like yeah the new the new layout philosophy, lent light they they they implement it really well. They execute it really I think that they looked at Talon at Dorney Park and said, this is a fantastic coaster. We're going to implement our entire philosophy off of Talon at Dorney Park.
02:16:47
Speaker
And it's an incredible philosophy. Good job, Vekoma. It only took you like over two hours, but there it is. honest I though, the reason that... would love for them to confirm that.
02:17:01
Speaker
Yeah, please ah come on here, Vekoma, and let me know. But honestly, though, everything I have to say about... And great, there's only two of them in existence. I only wrote one, but, like... Everything that I have to say about Nafiana Force is everything that I love about Talon. It has a couple moments of really good positives, but then does a lot of other things very gracefully and very well, and it gives you a very good mix of elements, which is now what I'm expecting from Fly.
02:17:27
Speaker
And given the amount that I love Talon and for the reasons, Fly, i feel like, is going to be very similar to Talon.
02:17:39
Speaker
And this is Talon is
02:17:50
Speaker
i'll I'll try and make this the last thing I say about flyers so we can move on. but um The word agile is not a word I would use to describe b and m flyers at all.
02:18:01
Speaker
Fly feels agile. in the way the in in In the way that they... They shrunk each car down from four-seater row to a two-seater row. And therefore, like it's able to articulate tighter roles.
02:18:17
Speaker
They have been able to make it wind way in and around... it they have being able to make it wind its way in and around Ruckberg in a fashion that no B&M flyer would be able to.
02:18:33
Speaker
Like you look at like the, the little cracks and crevices and tunnels that it inter interweaves itself into. and it's like, no B&M flyer train is getting through there, which I, which I really enjoy as well. And like at certain points in the, in the layout fly feels like it feels like you're just straight up dodging stuff.
02:18:52
Speaker
Like it's all, it's, it's awesome. I love that about it as well.
02:18:58
Speaker
But we can move on to the next one. What? Unless either of you have anything else to say about it. The one word I use to describe fly is graceful. it's It's a very graceful layout. The pacing is really good.
02:19:12
Speaker
It's got a very good mix of positive and negatives. You don't get airtime on flyers very often. What does that sound like? Not Talon at Dorney Park.
02:19:23
Speaker
It's literally the exact words that I use when I say my, like, iconic reason to call him the best B&M invert. So, um... Inverts versus flyers here, to be fair. We need to insert my spiel in.
02:19:38
Speaker
Go ahead and say your spiel. Just say it. Wait, no, now I can't say it under pressure. I'm gonna mess it up. Talon is the best B&M invert because it has the perfect mix of positive and negatives and it's super graceful and it has a beautiful flow There you go. I messed it up, but it's a very small.
02:20:02
Speaker
Papa Maritime! That's a gorgeous Papa Maritime! Hell yeah! But Fly is still better. soda Okay, that's fine, but I'm now convinced that it is Talon at Dorney Park, so.
02:20:14
Speaker
Well, you are called Talon at Phantasy Land right now. Yeah, I had to get with the theme of the day.
02:20:23
Speaker
ah There are other coasters at Phantasy Land besides Fly and Talon.
02:20:30
Speaker
ah right Yes, can we talk about the most unhinged mine train on planet Earth, please?
02:20:37
Speaker
Oh, we haven't talked about that at all today. lot of is... I was not expecting that.
02:20:49
Speaker
it's the it's the It's the best mine train in the world. ah Yeah. And that one too, like, they picked up a mine train and I feel like the theming and the thought that went into that mine train, like, just so unneeded but so appreciated.
02:21:16
Speaker
i don't know how much you guys will hate me for saying this, but I prefer it to Black Mamba. Yeah, I don't agree. That would be the dumbest thing that ever came out of anyone's mouth. Yeah, I was nicer about it at least.
02:21:35
Speaker
and So here's my story on on Black Mamba. The first time I wrote it, I thought it was awesome. like it was very It was very forceful, very whippy, very in the same ilk as as Nemesis. um I still preferred Nemesis at the time.
02:21:51
Speaker
um But... just like with how with how much of a again like an architectural marvel just black mamba is within deep in africa had such a huge huge appreciation of it um i thought it was great i loved it that was back in 2018 when went back in 2021 wrote it and came i wrote it and came off me and me and my friend jai both looked at each other and we both said i remember that being better what happened i remember that i remember like it wasn't it it wasn't as like quick and nippy as as i remembered it being it wasn't as strong force wise as i remembered it being i was like
02:22:44
Speaker
have I just ridden more coasters? Or have has that gotten worse? like but We were both confused. it still is and like It's still good. it's still is' still i like I like it a lot. but um And perhaps I need to and need to get back there and give it even more rides. I mean, I lost count of how many times I've ridden it.
02:23:05
Speaker
But um I need to get back there. and i maybe it's It's been four years, but maybe I need to get back there and ride again. But I just i remember being i remember I remember getting off and thinking, like, wait, that was better the last time.
02:23:21
Speaker
but What did you do to it? ah
02:23:26
Speaker
Meanwhile, Colorado Adventure... Sorry, Colorado Adventure... Tipsy. ah what Was just there just the amount of unhinged that I...
02:23:41
Speaker
was kind of looking for. I have two critiques about Colorado Adventure that I can think of. One, those seats are very narrow and I felt like I was going to fall off the entire time because my butt not fit on it.
02:23:54
Speaker
they need some more cushioning on those seats. Just a little bit deeper on the actual like seat part of it. Yeah. And it's also very difficult to find the entrance of it, especially like the, whatever fast pass system they have there. forget what it's called.
02:24:09
Speaker
Every park has a different one. Um, but like, you have to like go through like the gift shop or something to get to it. And it felt very confusing.
02:24:19
Speaker
I feel like I was told recently that, that, that Colorado Ventures, uh, entrance had been relocated recently because otherwise I agree with you the entrance is like you've got to solve a puzzle and open up the open up a pyramid somewhere in Egypt in order to find the entrance to the right like but It's so hidden away and there's no like like
02:24:52
Speaker
main sign for it. like yeah either There's no main entrance sign. ah feel I feel like i'd heard ah feel like I'd been told that it had been relocated. but other But otherwise, if not, I agree.
02:25:06
Speaker
For sure. That's like the one thing I remember is like both times I went there once during winter trauma when we used the regular entrance and we struggled to find it. I guess in those like in the Africa area or something. I don't remember.
02:25:19
Speaker
um And then the other time in the summer when we used the fast pass lane and struggled to find it. But. um But the integration was like Chiapas is really nice.
02:25:32
Speaker
It's kind of like dueling almost. Definitely. Yeah.
02:25:40
Speaker
I don't remember looking for the entrance, but I think that's because I had no glasses and a random Dutchman. so you were being led everywhere. was being led everywhere.
02:25:54
Speaker
glasses and a random Dutchman. Perfect gun combo. Sounds like it should be the the name of this episode. No glasses and a random Dutchman. That's going to be my ah AKA.
02:26:11
Speaker
Novak is a random Dutchman.
02:26:15
Speaker
Writing that down right now. Alright. um Let's see. We have a couple more comments. um The Ruckberg soundtrack and how every land feels isolated from Matt Novak.
02:26:33
Speaker
There were a couple comments about everything feeling isolated. Yeah. It really is quite quite uncanny how the park like we've mentioned we've mentioned already the the park takes up such little space each area is such ah such a crazy maximization of the of the little space that it has and yet they do such a good job of hiding all of the areas from each other unless you're at the top of a coaster yeah yeah right
02:27:07
Speaker
Yeah, it's really impressive how you're just, like, in your own little world in each section. Yeah. It was, uh, Wendell said, uh, sightlines, not seeing the other themed areas from within one area.
02:27:25
Speaker
Yeah. I will say, um i don't I don't know if you would call this a critique because they do it really well, but, um, it like if you come If you compare the the setup um of like Deep in Africa, where Black Mamba is, to then Klugheim and then Ruckburg, in its design of each area, it kind of seems like it's become a little more obvious their efforts to hide the rest of the park from said area.
02:27:58
Speaker
Because Ruckburg is just you know outlined by its walls. Yeah Rookburg is very much its own area. Yeah and then Klugeheim as well but to a little lesser degree you've got you've got the um you've got the rock walls on either side of Taran um but like you can you can see where they've tried to cover up sight lines to where you can see other attractions in the park Deep in Africa um is probably of the three the least surrounded by walls.
02:28:37
Speaker
Yeah. Like... I mean, it's got the Tumba surrounding it in a way. Yeah. Like, yeah. And the... um I'll bet the... ah Like, the building that the top of Black Mamba's lift hill goes through...
02:28:54
Speaker
Right. was likely put there, not that I know this to be a fact or not, or anything, but likely put there to cover up maybe being able to see Mystery Castle behind it, or something like that.
02:29:08
Speaker
um There probably is a bit of intentionality there. um But yeah. like they they still They still implement like those those walls in Ruckburg forced perspective and the and the the lesser detail on the walls to make it look like they're further away than they actually are.
02:29:30
Speaker
um They still do that really well, but um the the intention of closing each area off to the rest of the world is a little more noticeable with every area that they do.
02:29:48
Speaker
That could be looked at as a critique, but it could also just be looked at as a thing of, you know, hey, our park's tiny, what you want us to do?
02:29:58
Speaker
Yeah, I think part of the reason that Ruckberg had to be so much like that too, though, is because feel like they almost needed to have more on-room properties,
02:30:14
Speaker
Yeah. yeah So, like, where else were they really gonna put a hotel? um
02:30:22
Speaker
So, at least with Taron, that area, like...
02:30:29
Speaker
i feel like they did a really good job not making you think it was really, like...
02:30:37
Speaker
Closed off to the rest of the part. Yeah, like, because I didn't feel as much like that was the intention. Like, when I walked into that for the first time,
02:30:50
Speaker
I felt like the rock work was done for theming, and then later I processed that it was done to help hide. Yeah. Whereas, like, I do realize that going into Ruckburg, lot of it's done to hide the park from the outside.
02:31:08
Speaker
But also...
02:31:13
Speaker
The integration with the hotel made me completely overlook that. Yeah. Yeah. like If is it was just, like, the walls, it would be different.
02:31:25
Speaker
Yeah. No, I agree, actually. um
02:31:29
Speaker
because they kids i mean like Because the hotel looks in keeping with the rest of the walls. like they They did a really good job of of making the making the two like elements of that of that land as seamless of a transition and and integration as they could.
02:31:46
Speaker
Yeah, so I feel like where it is kind of like not creative, where they just threw walls up at the same time, they did such a creative integration of the hotel that like... Yeah.
02:31:58
Speaker
Yeah.
02:32:01
Speaker
i don't know. don't know.
02:32:07
Speaker
And like if what it works with the um industrial city, you know, thematic world but they that that that they implemented for the entire area, not just the hotel as well. So, yeah.
02:32:24
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. What else have we got?
02:32:31
Speaker
I know we have a few more comments, but we probably need to wrap up soon. I know. I'm also starting to crash a little bit. So, um, another one I really like here is from Sarah Epadi.
02:32:44
Speaker
um love the waterfall interactions with Taryn and Black Mamba. Also, mr Mystery Castle is super unique. Um, I don't think we gave Mystery Castle, like, enough credit during this episode. Mystery Castle deserves all the love.
02:32:58
Speaker
Yeah, it's... I think we just got so carried away with some of the other things we talked about. It is hard to... It is kind of easy to skip over it, but no. it has like yeah mryle One thing that you mentioned, like, i think it was before my first trip to Phantasy Land.
02:33:14
Speaker
everything there is like so elite in its class of rides that it's so easy to forget about the things that are there like you forget that mystery castle is there you forget that black mama is there because everything there is just very good for what ride type
Immersive Themed Areas and Key Attractions
02:33:29
Speaker
it is yeah i feel like it's like they have the three main coasters but i feel like their whole entire collection is just like so top of its class that you don't walk in there like one two punch and then the rest is trash like the whole park is good yeah like yeah it's not like some of the other parks where it's like you go for like two main coasters and for me for me personally i think um it like it is it is elevate like we're talking about we're talking about the top three in the top two in tyrant and fly like we're we're talking about like
02:34:05
Speaker
very high quality standalone roller coasters by themselves elevated by the themed lands that they excuse me that they exist within and for me for me like ah like that's that's
02:34:25
Speaker
That's my element. like That's the theme park, my preferred theme park world that I prefer to exist in, in in an area that makes you forget about everything else in the outside world, including the rest of the park that you're at, that can just like root you in the feeling of being in that one world.
02:34:50
Speaker
And then you walk outside and it's like, oh yeah, this also exists. so So personally, me personally, i know this is not everyone's taste, but um me personally, I'll take that feeling.
02:35:01
Speaker
like and and And in that it's that, it's not to say that Mystery Castle is not also a really fun attraction and really well-executed attraction in itself.
02:35:14
Speaker
It's not to say that Black Mamba's not really ah a really high-quality attraction yourself in itself and a really good B&M invert. It's not to say that Windjus is isn't also one of the better Mara spinning coasters, you know, as, as attractions anywhere.
02:35:30
Speaker
It's just to speak entirely on how that built, what that built world that you're in and being and feeling lost in just makes you feel at the time.
02:35:46
Speaker
And ah light like i i for me for me personally, that's that's why that's why i love that's why that's why I love concept design, that's why that's why i that's why I love drawing, that's why I love thinking about all these things, that's why I love photography, is just the feeling of being transported to somewhere else and feeling like there's nowhere else like in your immediate vicinity.
02:36:12
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. that's That's something I love about Phantasyland. That's something I love about like a lot of my top coasters, like Velocicoasters, just that immersion. Completely putting you into a different world. That makes a huge difference in how I rank a coaster.
02:36:30
Speaker
That's why I have Terran ranked so high. you know It's not the best layout, necessarily, but just everything that goes into it, it's an entire package. e makes It makes a huge difference. It just makes you feel like you're just captured and enveloped by something bigger than you.
02:36:49
Speaker
And it's also why I love, are you ready for this? i told you I'd circle back to it. Silver Dollar City!
02:37:01
Speaker
I will say, Silver Dollar City was my favorite park in the US until I looked at the universe, which does the same kind of thing. Putting you in a different world. Yes.
02:37:12
Speaker
I also have been dying to say that, like, we were trying to, you mentioned circling back to Silver Dollar City, and I just processed that you're wearing a Silver Dollar City shirt. So I had to stop myself multiple times.
02:37:24
Speaker
I was just going to be like, hey, Mikhail, are you wearing a Silver Dollar City shirt? Like, the most unorganic transition back to Silver Dollar City.
02:37:36
Speaker
We did it a lot more seamlessly.
02:37:42
Speaker
I saw the opportunity. I was like, oh, I'm getting this one in. Silver Dollar City, it's a European theme park. In Missouri.
02:37:56
Speaker
I had to do it. I felt really i felt really stupid for saying for not hearing the question properly and saying Silver Dollar City when you talk about European theme parks. I said that he should have roped it in when we were talking about Europa Park.
02:38:08
Speaker
And the Silver Dollar City car was there.
02:38:13
Speaker
Oh, that's true. When the time traveler car showed up out of nowhere without telling anybody. Yeah, no, it just like it was just sitting in the park for a weekend. And everyone was like, wait, Europa are getting their Xtreme Spinner?
02:38:26
Speaker
Everyone's like, Euromir replacement! Yeah! Honestly, that'd be awesome. It would be awesome. I want the giant glass buildings and the um spiral lift hill, though. or If I don't have those, I don't want it.
02:38:44
Speaker
anyway I think... I think that we covered pretty much everything else. yeah like um i think pretty much everything l um
02:38:56
Speaker
I think we've covered pretty much everything else. Marcus Serpani mentioned that the various levels and pathways and stairs are super cool and making the park kind of like a maze.
02:39:08
Speaker
um I think we dug it into that kind of a little bit with some of the layout and like the change of levels that makes the park really unique. Yes. But I do the one that I'm really excited that we're ending on.
02:39:23
Speaker
um I feel like this might be the most important comment that was given to us. know exactly what you're going to say. I know exactly which comment you're about to read. And I wanted to leave that for the last one.
02:39:33
Speaker
This is literally like, if you are this woman, please reach out. I'm generally at theme parks. I want to be your friend. Um... Chris Leonard said, i saw a woman once finish a beer, ride Black Mamba, then finish a beer all before 9.30am. Are you sure he didn't see you?
02:39:56
Speaker
ah He might have, except I wasn't drinking at Fantasia Land.
02:40:02
Speaker
However, if you saw me at Hansa Park, chug a beer, ride Nessie, and then chug another. That was indeed me. ah No, not at Black Mamba, though. I had a single beer at that park all day, unfortunately. yeah You just gotta to go back.
02:40:19
Speaker
Yeah, I gotta go back, and then it maybe will be me. But if you are this woman, us We would like to have a discussion with you. I need, like, this is this is someone I need to be friends with.
02:40:35
Speaker
So. i agree.
02:40:39
Speaker
Alright, so i think i pay that brings us to the end of the episode! I knew you were going to say it. We could talk literally for probably another two hours about Fantasia. Yeah, we definitely we definitely have not finished.
02:40:51
Speaker
ah There's a few things that I would love to discuss in further detail, but it is late, at least for ah some of us, maybe not for one of us who is three time zones away. but Yeah, but someone else has to has to give a phone call.
02:41:09
Speaker
Got little date.
02:41:13
Speaker
Yeah. I've got a date with going to sleep. Me too. I got a date with my bed that I'm already laying in. I am not. ah Very shortly.
02:41:25
Speaker
But Mikhail, thank you so much for joining us. We might we will definite yes definitely have you on again at some point. Probably to talk more about Fantasieland. Yeah, Fantasieland part two.
02:41:36
Speaker
Fantasieland deep dive part two.
02:41:41
Speaker
yeah yeah this was this was awesome um thank you guys for having me on yeah I know we've been wanting to have you on since before the podcast really was a thing when you and I talked about it we've talked about it for like over a year at this point yeah I remember texting you from like Old Mill at Kennywood actually that was about this time like last year I was on Old Mill at Kennywood texting you about it don't know why I remember that
02:42:10
Speaker
very Yeah, no, I'm happy to come back on whenever the subject matter dictates. All right, so when we do Silver Dollar City deep dive?
02:42:22
Speaker
yeah Yes. Honestly, though. Yes. I'm already there. Or we do our first park deep dive.
02:42:31
Speaker
Not Fahrenheit, though. Yeah, we don't need to talk about that one. Tear it down. Oh, we should always straight up just do a Velocico's a deep title. Please? Please. want to reach out to Gooch.
02:42:44
Speaker
No, that's not who I meant. What's his name? Prodigy. Oh, oh yeah. Oh, he's dream guest right there. Yeah.
02:42:56
Speaker
Greg Hall, you're listening. Yeah. Follow Inverted Creative Podcast back on Twitter so that they can message you. Yeah, please. I love you.
02:43:10
Speaker
I was the first VelociCoaster tattoo. Please come on my podcast. was When VelociCoaster won Coaster Madness this year, you retweeted us, I think, or at least liked it, or something. Please come on the podcast.
02:43:25
Speaker
Wait, but he actually, like, that, that i I really love following him, but he actually, i think he takes a mental note or takes a note of everyone who has Velocicoaster tattoos.
02:43:37
Speaker
And when he sees someone get a Velocicoaster tattoos, he'll, he like, there's been like two times where he has quoted them with mentioning the other people with Velocicoaster tattoos.
02:43:50
Speaker
Yeah. I think you need to reach out to him then to talk about. What's your vibe? Yeah.
02:43:57
Speaker
I love it. yeah We have a plan for the future. We got manifesting. Yes, let's go. Okay.
02:44:08
Speaker
Yeah, you can say your line again, Jen. Now that brings us to the end of the episode. There it is. we'll say the usual hashtag think inverted and we will see y'all next time.
02:44:22
Speaker
Bye. Bye.
02:44:46
Speaker
Bye.