What's new

Hefei PTR - Part 2: Cred Whoring

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
Now that that boring Myanmar trip report is over, featuring spectacular scenery in places that few people have been to or ever even heard of, it’s time to get back to sharing a crapload of pictures of some twisted bits of metal. This first part will be a looooooooooong one, but very photo heavy.

My Chinese tourist visa is about to expire, so I wanted to get a quick weekend in before that since I’m probably not going to renew it until the summer. I can, stupidly, get a longer one if I apply in the UK and it will cost less than half what I’ve been paying here.

Hefei hadn’t really been on the cards since there are no direct flights from Hong Kong. There are loads to Nanjing, a much more major city nearby, but by the time I’d get from Nanjing Airport to the train station to get to Hefei, and do the reverse to get back, a regular weekend wasn’t going to work.

When I’d previously checked flights from Shenzhen, not many options had popped up. Either a lot more flights have been added since, or there was something going wrong with the website I’d used previously, since there are actually about 8 a day, which means it was possible to get a Friday night flight and fly back on Sunday night, giving me two full days.

Obviously, it would be quicker and easier to get to and from Hong Kong Airport, but realistically it only takes an extra hour to get to Shenzhen Airport – a bit more faff admittedly – and since you’ve already done the border crossing between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, you’re getting domestic flights, so no border control crap at the airport you’re flying into.

Anyway, I got to the hotel around midnight and just crashed.

No idea why I felt the need to tell you all that, but, you know, just in case you find yourself fancying a change from Blackpool and need to get between Hong Kong and Hefei…

Hefei Wanda Theme Park

This place was obviously the main reason to come here, having opened about six months ago. I’d done one other Wanda park, in Nanchang, and been pretty impressed, so this was high on my list of priorities. The park is in a completely new area of the city, with a lot of high-rises being thrown up around it, and has a stop on Hefei’s new metro. Only one line is running at the moment, having opened in December. My hotel wasn’t that close to a metro station (yet – line 2 will open soon), so my plan was to get a taxi to the metro and go from there. I ended up sacking that off and got a taxi straight to the park. Taxi prices are starting to creep up in China, but the 30-minute ride still only cost me about 6 quid.

The park entrance is opposite a huge Wanda shopping mall. This seems to be what they’re doing with all of their new parks, basically building whole entertainment/retail complexes just outside city centres. Smart.

DSC01667_zpse0pspobk.jpg


DSC01668_zpsbdizc1fj.jpg


I was there just before opening, quickly bought a ticket (from an English-speaking ticket bint!) and joined the queue to get in. It seemed slightly busy.

DSC01670_zps8titjqdt.jpg


I have never understood the mentality of tour groups of pensioners in a theme park, following a flag-waving tour guide around, but it’s weirdly common in China.

DSC01673_zps9uvhwvlb.jpg


I think this lot were all Wanda employees. There were around 100 of them, but I didn’t see them once I got inside the park.

My first thought was to head to the biggest coaster, an Intamin launch thing which was right across at the other end of the park. On the way, I saw this testing:

DSC01674_zpse2hfnihx.jpg


I was sure, based on a lot of Chinese park bulls**t, that they’d only run one side of this, but they were testing both sides. More on that one later.

The Intamin then, Soaring with Dragon.

DSC01679_zpsx9pgmwny.jpg


DSC01682_zpsaprff2oj.jpg


It was opening at 11, and it was only around 10:15 at this point, so I had a quick wander for a bit, going back on myself to grab a crappy Golden Horse spinner – which I don’t seem to have uploaded any pictures of, but it was the same as all the others – and nabbing a kiddy cred. The kiddy area was cute.

DSC01697_zpsscypz4sq.jpg


DSC01709_zps8qviskja.jpg


DSC01698_zpsus2z0wly.jpg


DSC01702_zpsd9uropvq.jpg


DSC01703_zpstrszi13l.jpg


The dueling tilt coasters, Battle of Jungle King, were also opening at 11. They were still testing both sides, but something was a little off. I’ve got no idea if it was deliberate or not. Both sides run independently, so I’m guessing that during testing, it’s not really important to set them both off at the same time.

DSC01710_zpsj9jbph0y.jpg


DSC01688_zps1et5ungw.jpg


DSC01689_zpsh5uiajgz.jpg


DSC01692_zpsxlgluiov.jpg


DSC01705_zpsvhvq2ctd.jpg


The theming for this was fab as well, a castle siege. Well, the façade of it at least; the coaster itself had no theming once you got through the entrance.

DSC01712_zps99rzggno.jpg


DSC01714_zps7ejbambo.jpg


DSC01715_zps3btcuis9.jpg


DSC01716_zps6yxrf7m1.jpg


DSC01717_zpsic6uaylf.jpg


DSC01720_zpse60yilfp.jpg


DSC01721_zpss7yte3su.jpg


DSC01722_zps4rn8qbit.jpg


DSC01724_zpssdugkbhp.jpg


I ended up going back to Soaring with Dragon at around 10 minutes before it was due to open. Quick view back across the lake:

DSC01727_zpszlbs8r1a.jpg


And a quick view from a urinal:

DSC01730_zps3evapu6k.jpg


There was nobody else waiting, but then a staff member came out front and they started testing it, so a queue quickly built up.

DSC01734_zpsiepjsgqd.jpg


I was on the first train of the day and headed straight for the back row. I’ve mentioned before that people in China always seem to fill up trains from the front, even when not told to, so it’s usually very easy to nab a back row ride.

DSC01738_zpsofsz01ch.jpg


I really liked this coaster a lot. The launches have a bit of vibration which seem common in other Intamin shuttle launches, but it was too small of an issue to be a problem. The second, backwards, launch up the spike and the final launch over the inverted loop feel quite strong. The loop is fab, really disorientating and obviously massively high (the world’s tallest). The following inversion and airtime hill are also really good, and it finishes with some intense/snappy turns. All-in-all, an excellent ride.

DSC01740_zpstlvzry6h.jpg


DSC01744_zpsti29w3zt.jpg


DSC01745_zpshoepsmwq.jpg


DSC01747_zpsk76km5hv.jpg


I went straight back round for another go, but ended up waiting half an hour since it broke down for about 15 minutes. As far as I could tell, this was the only issue it had all day though.

From there, I went back to Battle of Jungle King.

DSC01753_zpsrk0omtnv.jpg


DSC01755_zpsctdgvs6z.jpg


DSC01757_zpszukxb6ot.jpg


They were only running one side. Bollocks. The sign outside said it was a 90-minute wait, but I decided to just suck it up. In reality, it was only around 40 minutes.

DSC01770_zpsazqmplhf.jpg


DSC01772_zpsiiadguee.jpg


DSC01775_zpsszlgcng3.jpg


DSC01776_zps8mzhts0m.jpg


DSC01778_zpsjaaackyo.jpg


DSC01779_zps78ywntcm.jpg


DSC01781_zpswosbbal7.jpg

They were running the “Tiger” side.

DSC01793_zpscur5vbtw.jpg


F**k me, it was horrible.

The tilt and drop are actually fab. Again, I went straight for the back row for the bigger drop, but the second half of the layout, after the loop, was atrocious. It’s not even that fast, but it seriously smacks your head around in a couple of places.

Right as I got to the front, they started testing (though not dueling) the other train, and by the time I got off, they were running (and dueling) both sides, with a queue time posted out front of 5 minutes, so that was wonderful f**king timing on my part.

DSC01790_zps1pyivzwv.jpg


DSC01794_zpsu4qo8wcg.jpg


DSC01796_zpsdendmlun.jpg


DSC01811_zpsdqni6ocs.jpg


DSC01813_zpsjwr9kk4i.jpg


DSC01815_zpsjxnsf8by.jpg


DSC01816_zpssp2xxtln.jpg


DSC01817_zpshdo3hnfc.jpg


DSC01818_zps5jcdlqi2.jpg


Despite, or because of, the brain hemorrhage I was no doubt suffering, I headed straight back in to get the other side, “Dragon”. Although it had one more inversion than the Tiger side, it didn’t seem as rough. I rode in the middle this time though, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Tiger has a basic corkscrew, while Dragon has a weird helix into a half corkscrew thing, followed by the same in reverse. It means that the trains duel in that section.

DSC01788_zps2kgefava.jpg


I took that picture before my first ride, before they opened the Dragon side, but you can get an idea of what they do.

DSC01824_zpsennmdxxz.jpg


DSC01825_zpsr9vykupv.jpg


DSC01826_zpszdyzarwl.jpg


DSC01831_zpsrj2gg50x.jpg


A quick note. You don’t actually get to choose your side. There’s just one queue right until the end, where a ride op counts people in either to the Dragon side, which is closest, or over a bridge to the Tiger side. I’m sure you could probably ask to wait to get on the side you wanted, but I didn’t need to as I ended up on the Dragon side anyway.

DSC01832_zpsa6eipnbw.jpg


DSC01836_zps5wwrcnar.jpg


Although the line was short, I had no intention of reriding either side of this. I find it utterly bizarre that they managed something as complex as double tilt tracks and well-timed dueling, but so badly f**ked up the section which is, essentially, just an old-school looper.

Oh, I forgot to mention as well that they have maximum height and weight limits. I can’t remember the height limit now (maybe 190cm?) but the weight limit was 90kg. I only saw this on the sign out front though, so no idea if this is checked or enforced.

I didn’t do the rapids. As is usual for a Chinese park, they had a bunch of water cannons all along the course getting people drenched.

DSC01847_zpsy5plldfl.jpg


Instead, I went back to Soaring with Dragon and had a few more rides on that, bagging a front row on one of them, but usually heading for the back. They were only running one train, but the queue, advertised as 30 minutes, was a steady 15 minutes for each ride.

DSC01849_zpsi0sqngjm.jpg


DSC01850_zpsgnf7tloi.jpg


DSC01851_zpshwuxsgnn.jpg


DSC01852_zpsia3qeglb.jpg


DSC01856_zpsssamkeue.jpg


DSC01859_zpsy2tgmulv.jpg


DSC01864_zpsrnkcres4.jpg


The train is fab, but kind of obstructs the view in the front row. I’m pretty tall as well, so I can’t imagine it’s great if you don’t have my statuesque physique.

DSC01866_zpsrsjxlmoe.jpg


There was also a height limit on this, but it was something not worth worrying about, like 198cm or something. Someone on Facebook asked if they still had an 80kg weight limit. Apparently a group of them had issues riding this and the 90kg limit tilt coasters. I’m saying nothing…

63062672.jpg


I saw no sign of this restriction anywhere on the Intamin, but I didn’t really look closely. However, I think if they had this, I would have been checked. I’m fairly tall and 76kg, so although I would’ve been fine, I would’ve thought somebody might have queried it, but nobody did on any of the rides I had throughout the day.

DSC01871_zps442neh8b.jpg


DSC01875_zps43zrmjhj.jpg


DSC01884_zpsj16vwvrx.jpg


DSC01885_zpsjs57m7z6.jpg


DSC01892_zpsjzm9lywf.jpg


DSC01894_zpssuzkf1mc.jpg

This simulator thing wasn’t too bad. It was 3D and clearly going for the “Star Tours” style, though with an underwater theme. While it all synched well with the screen, the whole mechanism was quite noisy really.

DSC01907_zpsgrnffy1f.jpg


DSC01901_zpsef12d1zz.jpg


DSC01903_zpsyryhngye.jpg


DSC01905_zpsvsrnukzj.jpg


Didn’t do:

DSC01914_zpswknpwloc.jpg


DSC01915_zps4szvdm2p.jpg


I did the ferris wheel for some pictures.

DSC01916_zps8qu3vtmx.jpg


DSC01920_zpserwhwbzx.jpg


Ah, there’s the spinner looking quite closed. No idea if it was by that point since I never went back to it.

DSC01922_zpsj6os5auw.jpg


DSC01925_zpsh2ceaozo.jpg

DSC01926_zpszpdi6w4e.jpg

DSC01931_zpsnlonq8gy.jpg


DSC01932_zpshqdsa8xj.jpg


DSC01947_zpsys8jabvq.jpg


DSC01958_zpsclynvrrj.jpg


DSC01963_zpst7seccv7.jpg


It seems I haven’t uploaded many flat ride photos. If anyone’s bothered I can dig some out, but they were very generic. They had a shot tower, disco, a splash battle and a Twist and Splash, one of those unicoaster things (closed), chair swings, a top spin, a star flyer, a power surge and a huge gyroswing. I didn’t ride it, so not sure if it’s an Intamin or Huss, but I’m sure it’s one of the two.

DSC01952_zpsa5dqkzgv.jpg


DSC01954_zpslstud9ue.jpg


The park was closing at 6pm, but a lot of rides, including the major coasters, started closing at 4:30. There was a show starting at 4, so I popped into that and called it a day.

DSC01972_zpseqanpc05.jpg


DSC01975_zpsgk8d9rip.jpg


It was pretty epic and large scale, but ultimately a bit boring and repetitive to be honest.

DSC01981_zpskjlo0y8l.jpg


DSC01985_zpsvptijbbt.jpg


DSC01992_zpszeivuhbu.jpg


It was linked to the theme of the tilt coasters (in the same area) in that it was basically an attack on some castle.

DSC02000_zpsue4z7uga.jpg


DSC02003_zpsh5c5ak5l.jpg


DSC02006_zpsoqgiopfc.jpg


DSC02023_zpsodjitau8.jpg


DSC02025_zpsk37yjcjw.jpg


This is the main entrance area. I hadn’t taken any pictures on the way in since I rushed over to the Intamin first. The Wanda parks are based around Chinese culture, so any theming around the place reflects that. This actually did feel like a traditional Chinese street, but it was a bit bland because it was too accurate.

DSC02035_zpsmia1pnga.jpg

DSC02036_zpshxykiwlb.jpg


DSC02037_zpsy8dxep6d.jpg

I had a quite walk around to a bus station area to get a couple of pictures of the tilt coasters from the other side.

DSC02040_zps8xh88oem.jpg


DSC02043_zpsadqjw6k7.jpg


DSC02047_zps4sfvshhm.jpg


DSC02050_zpsgssdvklf.jpg


Then a quick look in the shopping mall, which was huge, but I didn’t hang around.

DSC02051_zpspdlqs2bk.jpg


There was an indoor water park, and, opposite, a Wanda Movie Park.

DSC02052_zpsud2xmmvn.jpg


DSC02053_zpsallsraqd.jpg


They had one of these in the mall next to the Nanchang park as well, but I don’t really see the point of them. They’re a bit empty feeling and nobody seems to bother with them. This one had a flying theatre and dark ride shooter, neither of which I bothered with.

DSC02057_zps4ndb1nlt.jpg


DSC02058_zpssgsdiegg.jpg


I decided to get the metro back into the city centre and walk a bit to the hotel to see a bit of the city. Meh. Very generic from what I saw of it, but nothing wrong with the place. The actual centre is surrounded by a moat/river which is lined with small parks, so it was a nice walk back. It was getting dark, so it looks a bit gloomy, but it had been a really nice day.

DSC02060_zpsrx1gdqi7.jpg


DSC02062_zpstwaplugu.jpg


DSC02066_zpsa49b7wfv.jpg


DSC02068_zpsucyxkwet.jpg


Don’t worry, that’s it for any semblance of culture in this report.

Thoughts on Wanda then. I liked it, but not as much as the Nanchang park. The Intamin was excellent, and totally worth the effort, but the tilt coasters, while very cool to look it, were pretty vile and there’s nothing else there of any real note. I’m saying that as a park whore though, who’s done all those flat rides, water rides etc. to death, so will happily not bother. For a casual park goer, there’s actually a lot to do and it’s mostly decent quality stuff. There’s also nothing that comes close to a high-quality park in Hefei, or even nearby Nanjing for that matter, so this is a great addition.

In terms of operations, the two parks I’ve been to have been pretty good, but could be better. Both of them have run their coasters on one train, despite having more. The Intamin had 3 trains, and could have done with running a second really, while the tilt coasters had two on each side. However, despite initial impressions, it wasn’t too busy, so one-train operations weren’t an issue like they were at Nanchang, where the queues for the two big coasters hit two hours in the afternoon with no second train in sight.

Having said that, even though they run single trains, they run those pretty efficiently. As soon as people are taking their seats, they’re filling the air gates for the next batch. At Fantawild and some Happy Valley parks, they hold people outside the station until the previous trainload has completely cleared the platform, then bring people to stand in front of the gates – and an empty train – while they go through safety bulls**t and/or ridiculous warming up exercises.

I’ve only done two parks out of the current three (with another 5 under construction), but for a new chain they seem to be mostly getting things right. They’re not running the places as well as Chimelong – the only Chinese company that comes close to excellent operations – but are better than most Happy Valley parks and leagues ahead of the s**tshow that is Fantawild.

Next up: cred whoring.
 

GuyWithAStick

Captain Basic
Great report as always! Shame to hear that the Dueling Tilt coaster was meh, it seems like a really neat concept.

That Intamin looks really sexy though. Glad to hear it didn't disappoint!
 

davidm

Strata Poster
That Intamin looks great - the park looks pretty good too, albeit rather spoiled by all the ugly tower blocks in the background, but I guess thats a function of it being tied to the shopping malls ; one big urban destination. If only the Trafford Centre had built a giant Intamin next door to it instead of a travelodge :(
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
The next day was a cred whoring day. I haven’t had one for ages, so was quite excited to add some god-awful s**te to my count, and with the hope that I might stumble upon something unlisted. My flight wasn’t until around 8pm, so I had the whole day, which I really didn’t need since there wasn’t a great deal to do.

I’d had a quick look on Google maps to see if I could spot something in any generic parks which had gone unnoticed by RCDB, but didn’t immediately see anything, so just stuck to the parks that were listed. I’m sure there are probably a few more +1s scattered around somewhere though; I didn’t encounter a single Jungle Mouse, which is unheard of, so they’re all probably hiding out somewhere.

Xinghua Park

This place was about a 20-minute walk from my hotel, through some very nondescript streets, and was easy enough. It’s just a generic city park with a rides area in one corner. The weather on this day was nowhere near as nice as the previous day, and it was clear it could rain at any time, so I rushed things to avoid cred anxiety.

There’s probably a much more grand main entrance – there usually is – but I arrived at this one:

DSC02069_zpstdhdqnnq.jpg


DSC02071_zpsn3h3sg7n.jpg


It was, luckily, right near the rides area though, so no traipsing through a massive park listening for Chinese pop music to try and locate the creds.

DSC02074_zpsvganrg3s.jpg


DSC02076_zpsdlthqznu.jpg


DSC02103_zpsppmqlg4x.jpg


CRED!

DSC02077_zpsfzcfpii4.jpg


DSC02079_zpsx8gmn5kg.jpg


Toddlers on Tagadas should be a reality show on DMax:

DSC02086_zpsjvyhdtkm.jpg


DSC02087_zpsxjnxh9rh.jpg


DSC02088_zpset0pcmhs.jpg


Since I’d planned this out using coast-to-coaster, which, like RCDB, doesn’t list double-tracked coasters separately unless you click on them directly, I was ecstatic to see that this park would have a +4 rather than the +3 I was expecting.

DSC02089_zpsxhyfpysf.jpg


DSC02090_zpsdwrm1ve2.jpg


DSC02092_zps0tqinv67.jpg


Unfortunately, they were SBNO. A sign taped to the booth, explaining that they were down for maintenance, was dated as 2007, but I honestly thing that’s a typo and it should have been 2017. The “sign” – a piece of A4 paper taped to the outside - certainly didn’t seem 10 years old.

DSC02106_zpstjqx9ufl.jpg


DSC02102_zpscacobl0u.jpg


Since I didn’t have any sharp objects immediately to hand to end my pain, I continued on to the Golden Horse spinner. I hadn’t done one for approximately 22 hours, so I was obviously ecstatic to get back in the saddle.

DSC02095_zpsiet5hcwk.jpg


DSC02096_zpsnmcd9jvv.jpg


DSC02098_zpsxj0zsrnk.jpg


DSC02100_zpsmhnymo8a.jpg


Moving around to the final, most shameful cred then. It was powered as well, so extra shameful.

DSC02111_zpsrwtvxspa.jpg


DSC02109_zpsr2tiwiyp.jpg


DSC02114_zps1knjnae8.jpg


So, I was expecting a +3, for a brief moment of pure joy thought it’d be a +4, and left with a +2. Such an emotional rollercoaster in the 15 minutes I was there.

The next park would have been a 30-minute walk, which I’d usually do to get to see a bit more of the city, but the threat of rain was making me anxious, so I got a taxi.

Xiaoyaojin Park

As with the last place, this was a regular park with a rides area, but was a lot bigger and seemed a lot more popular.

DSC02119_zpsrk2mssd6.jpg


DSC02121_zpss87zcjjp.jpg


DSC02165_zpsvcsclrd0.jpg


DSC02160_zpsi83sesxa.jpg


Again, the rides area was right inside the entrance I’d ended up at.

DSC02122_zpsnwtuqlj1.jpg


DSC02123_zpsxbxhoakz.jpg


DSC02158_zpsxeyhjzf6.jpg


DSC02150_zpsn0igjrbf.jpg


DSC02147_zpsetarljkm.jpg


DSC02146_zpsfn6rfkhk.jpg


DSC02148_zpsvgh3tjx2.jpg


DSC02145_zpsjmrwoubk.jpg



The only coaster here is another Chinese spinner, but this time from Yaoqiao, so that really mixed things up a bit.

DSC02124_zpsjsdvvu8j.jpg


DSC02128_zps6okxkwa7.jpg


DSC02130_zpssprvklv1.jpg


So much copyright infringement in one ride poster:

17203188_10158369232960188_5166081175652058599_n_zpsragxl2xm.jpg


DSC02155_zpsgumaxfnj.jpg


This pagoda thing was surrounded by tacky game stalls.

DSC02162_zpsory7yagw.jpg


These included this extremely wasteful one where kids smash eggs to reveal a piece of paper to select their prize, with shards of ceramic flying everywhere for safety.

DSC02164_zpsaxpt0z7z.jpg


I got very excited to spot a worm train through some trees.

DSC02133_zpssbulai6o.jpg


But no. Even though it clearly has a couple of “hills”, it definitely isn’t remotely a cred.

DSC02134_zpsp0w6610z.jpg


DSC02136_zps2dkpq9eh.jpg


Back to the taxi then.

Huiyuan Pleasure Island

RCDB has this listed as Happy Island, but the English listing on Google maps is the one I’ve used in the title. Unlike the other places, this was an actual amusement park with a pay-one-price ticket, and it was awful. The crappy weather wouldn’t have helped, but Wanda has clearly put the nails in the coffin of this place. It was next to a fairly big aquarium.

DSC02172_zpsqwbzplx6.jpg

Such a dump:

DSC02174_zpsqbrmyd9n.jpg


DSC02175_zpsjmacyyhk.jpg


DSC02177_zpsify81qq9.jpg


There were probably about 10 customers mingling around the whole place. Not a good sign on a Sunday.

DSC02187_zps02hggtss.jpg


DSC02183_zpsoxjx15s4.jpg


DSC02186_zpsja1k9ame.jpg


DSC02192_zpsevixgyah.jpg


They even had the audacity to rip off Chimelong Paradise for their ride information signs.

DSC02178_zpsik6gca0q.jpg


And this one looked decidedly “Happy Valley”:

DSC02198_zpsdrpkhw57.jpg


But, you know, creds.

The major coaster here is a Beijing Shibaolai shuttle loop. I’ve done two of them before, along with two (or is it three?) of the original Japanese models, and they’re all equally crap really. I was sitting in the thing for 15 minutes waiting to fill the train with guests who weren’t in the park before they finally set it off with just me in it.

DSC02193_zpsxvwoynvz.jpg


DSC02194_zpsuahdlvmf.jpg


DSC02202_zpslvuuxasy.jpg


DSC02199_zpsnmxs9abi.jpg


DSC02208_zps1xue2msu.jpg


Amazing signs:

DSC02203_zpsbua8gmog.jpg


DSC02204_zpsdzvpqfg3.jpg


The second coaster was a crappy kiddy spinner thing.

DSC02209_zpshp1j9sw7.jpg


DSC02211_zpsqtazoitv.jpg


DSC02213_zpskuqoxmpb.jpg


DSC02215_zpsemdgap4c.jpg


DSC02220_zpsi2clklsv.jpg


DSC02223_zpspof3prmm.jpg


DSC02262_zpssaequde2.jpg


This revolving tunnel thing was actually amazing, one of the best I’ve done and so disorientating. I had to close my eyes to manage to actually walk straight.

DSC02224_zpshijn1gwv.jpg


DSC02226_zpswt6u3knn.jpg


I didn’t do the booster or frisbee. Chinese boosters are crap, the frisbees are decent enough, but both are everywhere.

DSC02250_zpshmbsyrpa.jpg


DSC02265_zpsd5hsejbw.jpg


Towards the back were some playground areas and construction/renovation of a dinosaur area, which was f**king horrifying.

DSC02252_zpshtqc4c4g.jpg


DSC02253_zpsgzormkhd.jpg


DSC02255_zps9kvsucoj.jpg


DSC02259_zpsopxfkpv5.jpg


DSC02261_zps28wzdsp2.jpg


DSC02260_zps4x0f8rw4.jpg


DSC02263_zpssss7t89s.jpg


No idea:

DSC02246_zpsfkvkz6rp.jpg


I did the Ferris wheel for the views of not much. I’m assuming that this place may get a lot busier when the water park is open.

DSC02243_zpsblo9u256.jpg


DSC02242_zpsizwva3pf.jpg


DSC02239_zpsb9dzorao.jpg


And look…

DSC02238_zps4s6cglcb.jpg


Call me a whore, but these were an unexpected bonus.

DSC02180_zpsomo1inhd.jpg


DSC02182_zpsyjfdkedd.jpg


RCDB doesn’t list these rides, but I honestly think they should. I count them now, anyway. At first, after I’d ridden the ones at Chimelong Paradise years ago, I definitely thought of them as coasters based on how they ride, but didn’t count them since RCDB didn’t list them.

I didn’t know enough at that stage to make my own judgment call, and saw RCDB as some “official” list when it really isn’t. That’s not having a go at RCDB by the way, it’s an amazing resource, but whether things get included or not are all down to one person’s opinion, and I’m more than in a position now to make my own.

They’re essentially no different from halfpipes, though on a smaller scale, and are definitely more of a coaster than those Butterfly things at any rate. Looking at them, it’s definitely arguable, but riding them will basically make up your mind.

DSC02185_zpsz2fsxnki.jpg


I had to be quite persuasive to get all four of them though. The way the ticket works is that you’re supposed to get on each attraction once, and they write the number down on the back once you’ve done it. I pointed out to the operator, through my phone translation, that there were loads of flat rides I hadn’t done and that I was leaving. He seemed confused as to why I wanted to ride all four, but didn’t give enough of a f**k to refuse, luckily. Often in China, they have their rules to stick to and won’t use any kind of common sense to deviate from those. This guy just didn’t care.

Dump, but a +6 instead of a +2.

It was starting to rain slightly by this point. It was still really early though, so I decided to knock off one final place.

Hefei Wild Animal Park

I don’t particularly enjoy supporting Chinese zoos by paying to get into them. But, ya know, creds an’ that trump any kind of moral issue.

DSC02266_zpslvwezbjc.jpg


DSC02267_zpshvms7qli.jpg


DSC02314_zpsdsygsrnf.jpg


I walked past the end of a sea lion show, which was next to the rides area.

DSC02271_zps9gfqgxnu.jpg


DSC02273_zpsxx8yslwi.jpg


DSC02285_zpsunl583za.jpg


DSC02286_zpspwiskya5.jpg


DSC02288_zpsd4lq54sp.jpg


I dread to think how many thousands of goldfish die every week in China. These goldfish fishing things are in loads of places, people walk away with about 10 at a time, and I’m fairly certain they’re not going to end up in a tank at home.

DSC02287_zpsbefgjhpq.jpg


Just the one cred here, and what a beauty.

DSC02275_zpsvgyqsrz0.jpg


DSC02276_zpsvx55n1mv.jpg


RCDB had it listed as powered, which is isn’t. I count powered anyway, so it makes no difference to me, but it’s always good to get an unquestionable add to the count.

DSC02279_zpspxavjjtf.jpg


DSC02277_zpsur3ovm3j.jpg


DSC02283_zpsgcfbemei.jpg


It was properly raining by this point, but I decided to still have a bit of a walk around since I still had loads of time and there’s always a chance of finding something new.

Parts of it were, predictably, a bit gross, but others were actually really decent. There was this huge bridge – I’d estimate it at about a kilometer long – going over some massive enclosures, bigger than anything I’ve seen outside an actual safari park I reckon.
DSC02303_zpschejgdic.jpg


DSC02306_zpsc0jw7ndk.jpg


I’m not quite sure of the thought processes behind having such easy, barrier-free access to big cats though.

DSC02297_zpsc3ylgkz5.jpg


DSC02299_zpsgh3mhnzo.jpg


DSC02309_zpsvwnkwic5.jpg


Pandas aren’t often full of joie de vivre, but this one looked especially bored. It was being kept inside because of the rain, but actually had a decent enough outdoor area.

DSC02317_zps2njqx6bl.jpg


It was still early, but I decided to just head to the airport and chill out there before my flight. There was nothing else in the immediate area, the wildlife park was halfway between the city and the airport anyway and I didn’t want to go back on myself, and it was pissing down by this point.

All-in-all, it was a decent enough weekend. Hefei is nothing special, but I’ve been to far worse places, and it would be worth a detour for Wanda if you’re in the Nanjing/Wuhu/Changzhou area for other parks anyway. There are fast, regular trains from Nanjing and you could then easily get to Wanda on the metro which also passes though both of Hefei’s main train stations. Totally day trip material.

That’s it. Thanks for reading. There probably won’t be any more China reports from me until after the summer now once I’ve got a new visa.
 

Hixee

Flojector
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Social Media Team
Thanks for the report. Very impressed by the Intamin, especially the view from the ferris wheel!

And hooray for the bonus +4 on the half-pipe coasters! Not much else to say really, I'm afraid. Although it does look like a pretty entertaining weekend away.
 

HeartlineCoaster

Theme Park Superhero
Love the front of the dragon train, shame they didnt go for that seating on the Nanchang hyper.
Are the Wanda movie parks pay per ride?
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
^ I suppose they must be. There's no entrance fee go go in and walk around, just a ticket counter. I didn't bother looking, but I'd assume there are various options for single/multiple rides.
 

HeartlineCoaster

Theme Park Superhero
Would be nice if they had put those dark rides in the main park, make it a bit more of a complete package.
Wouldn't mind a shot at Tale of Nuwa - shooting edition.
 

gavin

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Social Media Team
^I don't think it's the same thing at all as the Fantawild rides using the same name. There were video screens outside it, and it didn't appear to be up to the same quality.
 

Pink Cadillac

Giga Poster
Had been following the construction of the Wanda park so it's great to see a report of it! The dinosaur graveyard pics from the second day is literally my mood board from today.
 
Top