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Walibi Belgium ready for its transformation!

toofpikk

Mega Poster
What they're doing isn't so much of a reinvention, but they're subtly manipulating the track in various areas to achieve a certain effect.

hi, sorry, theres absolutely nothing subtle about this:
151118zoegse.jpg


WB.jpg


You can literally see the intamin engineers steam across the office doing humungous, 20 ft slugs of coke screaming **** YOOOUUUUU at an RMC logo.

saying this is subtle is like saying putting your boxers on the outside of your trousers inside out is a subtle change to standard dress code. I mean, tbf, by the time you come off this thing i wouldnt be surprised if thats the case.
 

Coaster Hipster

Giga Poster
I see what you mean @toofpikk. The new designs are crazy indeed! I think it's more a case of subtle calculations leading to spectacular results. In other words, fine engineering to make insane rides! <3
 

FistedColossus

Hyper Poster
Somehow missed this due to the Parc Asterix hype but this Hyperion/SteVe mashup is probably gonna be even better.

As others have mention RMC have clearly inspired other manufacturers to up their game and long may it continue - especially in Europe.
 

roomraider

Best Topic Starter
You can literally see the intamin engineers steam across the office doing humungous, 20 ft slugs of coke screaming :emoji_zipper_mouth: YOOOUUUUU at an RMC logo.

saying this is subtle is like saying putting your boxers on the outside of your trousers inside out is a subtle change to standard dress code. I mean, tbf, by the time you come off this thing i wouldnt be surprised if thats the case.
I think a lot of this is down to their new designer Camiel Bilsen. Like Benjamin Bloemendaal at Vekoma he seems to have come in and completely changed parts of the design philosophy. Hopefully sooner rather than later those two guys names should be up their with Alan Schilke in our minds.
 

Antinos

Slut for Spinners
hi, sorry, theres absolutely nothing subtle about this:
151118zoegse.jpg


WB.jpg


You can literally see the intamin engineers steam across the office doing humungous, 20 ft slugs of coke screaming :emoji_zipper_mouth: YOOOUUUUU at an RMC logo.

saying this is subtle is like saying putting your boxers on the outside of your trousers inside out is a subtle change to standard dress code. I mean, tbf, by the time you come off this thing i wouldnt be surprised if thats the case.
Hi, sorry, um...take a look at @Coaster Hipster's original post, then reread my post, and then look at Coaster Hipster's reply. Both elements I referenced are spectacular and imposing, but as Coaster Hipster stated, the subtle shifts in track yield spectacular results. The video that Coaster Hipster linked showcases a subtle shift in track profile to create airtime through a barrel roll. So terribly sorry that the reference wasn't as obvious as the outside banking on that hill nor as obvious as the transitions in the non inverting roll...which aren't really what the posts were about but go off.
 

Nel Iglesias

Roller Poster
Walibi has always tried to put the best coasters out there for the public and coaster enthousiasts. This shows how passionate they actually are about themeparks and how much they want to prove themselves to the public! I sincerely wish them all the best of luck in the future and hope that they evolve into a bigger, better and stronger themepark.

Walibi you've impressed us in a good way! Keep on the good work and ideas.
 

Coaster Hipster

Giga Poster
To add on @roomraider and @Nel Iglesias' on point comments,

On a more general scale, I am convinced these additions are the result of a younger, passionate generation moving up the ranks in both park management and manufacturers hierarchy. After years of stagnation with little investment (for example Walibi Holland's attendance dropped from 2M in the Six Flags days to about 800 000 prior to Lost Gravity), upper management at Compagnie des Alpes started to listen to young hotshots with fresh ideas.

One example is Julien S. (he wants to retain anonymity) who has worked as a consultant for Compagnie des Alpes for many years now from my understanding. He's very much an enthusiast, and is one of the founders of Trips n' Pics, where he and other of his group regularly post TRs in French of their credding around the world - including Asia <3 Founded in 2004, it's basically the loose French equivalent of Richard Bannister's long-running website.

There is also Julien Bertévas who was heavily involved with the scenery of OzIris for the CDA, and still provides them concept arts as a freelance artist. I recommend checking out his website which displays a lot of cool sketches illustrating his portfolio.

Roomraider and I already mentioned Camiel Bilsen of Intamin (which I interviewed in a video at this year's EAS) who is also very much an enthusiast, and as such, was instrumental in pushing for bolder and more ambitious designs to compete with RMC, new Vekoma and so on - his answer in said video interview at 4:58 pretty much tells that. Other manufacturers did the same and started hiring talented youngsters with a passion for the industry and often years of experience toying with NoLimits 2 and regularly checking/posting on forums such as this one. Alex Tanner was a noted presence on the NL2 scene designing many outstanding rides such as the Strathmore coaster (often in contention for the title of best NL2 creation) worked as an engineering intern at Premier Rides - and might become a permanent there. AltLenny who was also big on the NL2 forums and created the FVD++ software was hired by Mack... With fierce and fiercer competition, companies are striving for ideas, and thus are looking to hire such promising enthusiasts to step up their game.

This is probably why the simple "OMG Intamin just straight copied RMC" comment occasionally found on Youtube (ugh.) bothers me a lot. There's a lot more behind the scenes, and many, many youthful and enlightened pros pushing for change, both at manufacturer and park operator levels. In other words, there is a demand and supply for more audacity.

What a fab time to be an enthusiast, really!
 
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KristofWB

Hyper Poster
Walibi has always tried to put the best coasters out there for the public and coaster enthousiasts. This shows how passionate they actually are about themeparks and how much they want to prove themselves to the public! I sincerely wish them all the best of luck in the future and hope that they evolve into a bigger, better and stronger themepark.

It is something pretty recent. Since a couple of years, the park has an amazing management that does know what they are talking about. I mean, I did read an interview with Operations Manager Khalid Boucharouf and it is stunning what he knows about what is going on in the themepark industry and he really does know what he is talking about. Going on from big European parks such as Alton Towers, Port Aventura to Efteling or parks such as Liseberg or whatsoever...they know. That is pretty impressive, because parks such as Plopsaland or Bobbejaanland seem like they don't care.

Anyway, the development of the new Karma World is fully in progress. Boomerang coaster Cobra is almost ready for another paintjob!

attachment.php
 

Nel Iglesias

Roller Poster
Here is a new recent picture ;-)
They destroyed the Ice Cream Melody who was in front of the cobra (boomerang). Not to mention that the MusicXpress has been removed from the park this year which give them more space to build the big new restaurant! (will post another picture soon)

karmaworld.PNG
 

CrashCoaster

CF Legend
Does anybody know if Cobra will be receiving a new train like the boomerangs at the other two Walibi parks did? It makes sense since the area is having an overhaul and the ride is being repainted.
 

KristofWB

Hyper Poster
Rumors say that, together with the transformation, the iconic kangaroo is ready for a new look aswell.

charly-loubet-39223290-1747425348640226-9222869169198858240-n.jpg

Source: Artstation.com
 

Us3rmane

Mega Poster
Looking at the Linked In profile of the artist it says that he worked with the CDA so I hope it's not a rumor because I really like this new design :D
 
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