Nic
Strata Poster
I'm spending this week in Belgium and Holland with my Dad. While we're here, we plan to get in a few park visits. Today is day 1. Read how it went... (Please note, I plan to add some photos at some point. I don't think we have a USB cable on us though, so that might have to wait till we get home). Also please note, I'm on the netbook and have been drinking wine, so my typing is likely to be even worse than usual.
This morning, we woke up at 4am, piled in the campervan and headed to the Channel Tunnel. Within a few hours (although, one hour more than anticipated due to a mix up with the time zones on the sat nav), we had arrived at our first destination - BobbieJobbieLand.
We arrived and wandered down the midway, and were greeted by Typhoon, the Eurofighter. Dad's immediate reaction was "SHIIIIIIIT! There's no way on earth you're getting me on THAT!", so I went on my own. I like the layout of it, it's fairly varied and keeps interest fairly high throughout. However, as with all EFs, its rough. Now Saw-head-banging rough more shoulder-shattering-rough. Still, a fun ride nonetheless.
From there we went to the powered coaster. Dad volunteered to come on that, then wished he hadn't 3/4 of the way round the first (of two) laps. It's really long. REALLY long! The last helix of WHY is also painfully forceful. It's lovely the way it goes round the lake and the flog lume though.
After that I cheered Dad up by taking him on the target shooting thing. It's a bit like the one at Drayton, but without any kind of scoring system. He loved it though, and took it far too seriously. If he hadn't been sat in a car, he's have been commando-rolling around the place like a ninja!
As we walked up the path we were greeted by Oki-Doki. It looks huge compared to the photos and what you expect for a coaster with its cars in the sape for a ****ing clown! Still, it feels as you expect it to - a fun but forceless family coaster.
From there I went on Dream Catcher. Is this only set up to use one train? There's no air gates, so you load straight from the queue? With only one train the queue is painful - especially when you have small dutch girls elbowing you in the back for half an hour
Whilst queueing for lunch (be warned, only about 3 restaurants in the whole park were open today, guess that's cause it's a school day?) I spotted the rapids. I'd had a look before we left and thought that none of the parks we're visiting had rapids - I'd forgotten all about the legendary ones they've got here. I pursuaded Dad to come on, knowing that it had an awesome whirlpool of awesomneness (like Bagatelle) and therefore thinking that he'd love it (bear in mind that he used to be a kayak instructor, has paddled a lot of whitewater, and has dome some whitewater rafting in his time). We got round the corner, and from my point of view - sadly the carousel and drop were closed. Dad had just commented "Thank **** for that!" on seeing the drop... then he saw the whirlpool, "It's got a ****ing great drop in the middle of it!!!!" At which point I reminded him of his water based past and told him to man up. I think he did enjoy it though. He then spent the next 20 mins pissing himself laughing at other people getting soaked while I went on the wild mouse. Meh.
Despite it obviously being boring, I went on King Kong before going on R/Evolution. I don't know what park I was confusing it with, but I was expecting thunderlooper in the dark. What I actually got was the product of someone spending far too much time smoking Amsterdam's finest. It was cool, but completely WTF?!
After that it was about time to head off and try and navigate our way to the campsite. Since we got here, I've argued with a tent, cooked dinner, tried dutch pancake syrup, drank lots of wine, laughed at the barman quickly having to turn lily allen off as "**** you" came on... and sat here writing this. We're here all week, and it's free wifi downstairs in the bar, so hopefully I'll post more tomorrow.
Plan for tomorrow is a trip to Drievliet. 4 creds... the first of which will be my 150th. Which one though, that's the question?! Oh, and, btw, we're staying at Duinrell so expect a report from there later in the week too. Yay!
This morning, we woke up at 4am, piled in the campervan and headed to the Channel Tunnel. Within a few hours (although, one hour more than anticipated due to a mix up with the time zones on the sat nav), we had arrived at our first destination - BobbieJobbieLand.
We arrived and wandered down the midway, and were greeted by Typhoon, the Eurofighter. Dad's immediate reaction was "SHIIIIIIIT! There's no way on earth you're getting me on THAT!", so I went on my own. I like the layout of it, it's fairly varied and keeps interest fairly high throughout. However, as with all EFs, its rough. Now Saw-head-banging rough more shoulder-shattering-rough. Still, a fun ride nonetheless.
From there we went to the powered coaster. Dad volunteered to come on that, then wished he hadn't 3/4 of the way round the first (of two) laps. It's really long. REALLY long! The last helix of WHY is also painfully forceful. It's lovely the way it goes round the lake and the flog lume though.
After that I cheered Dad up by taking him on the target shooting thing. It's a bit like the one at Drayton, but without any kind of scoring system. He loved it though, and took it far too seriously. If he hadn't been sat in a car, he's have been commando-rolling around the place like a ninja!
As we walked up the path we were greeted by Oki-Doki. It looks huge compared to the photos and what you expect for a coaster with its cars in the sape for a ****ing clown! Still, it feels as you expect it to - a fun but forceless family coaster.
From there I went on Dream Catcher. Is this only set up to use one train? There's no air gates, so you load straight from the queue? With only one train the queue is painful - especially when you have small dutch girls elbowing you in the back for half an hour
Whilst queueing for lunch (be warned, only about 3 restaurants in the whole park were open today, guess that's cause it's a school day?) I spotted the rapids. I'd had a look before we left and thought that none of the parks we're visiting had rapids - I'd forgotten all about the legendary ones they've got here. I pursuaded Dad to come on, knowing that it had an awesome whirlpool of awesomneness (like Bagatelle) and therefore thinking that he'd love it (bear in mind that he used to be a kayak instructor, has paddled a lot of whitewater, and has dome some whitewater rafting in his time). We got round the corner, and from my point of view - sadly the carousel and drop were closed. Dad had just commented "Thank **** for that!" on seeing the drop... then he saw the whirlpool, "It's got a ****ing great drop in the middle of it!!!!" At which point I reminded him of his water based past and told him to man up. I think he did enjoy it though. He then spent the next 20 mins pissing himself laughing at other people getting soaked while I went on the wild mouse. Meh.
Despite it obviously being boring, I went on King Kong before going on R/Evolution. I don't know what park I was confusing it with, but I was expecting thunderlooper in the dark. What I actually got was the product of someone spending far too much time smoking Amsterdam's finest. It was cool, but completely WTF?!
After that it was about time to head off and try and navigate our way to the campsite. Since we got here, I've argued with a tent, cooked dinner, tried dutch pancake syrup, drank lots of wine, laughed at the barman quickly having to turn lily allen off as "**** you" came on... and sat here writing this. We're here all week, and it's free wifi downstairs in the bar, so hopefully I'll post more tomorrow.
Plan for tomorrow is a trip to Drievliet. 4 creds... the first of which will be my 150th. Which one though, that's the question?! Oh, and, btw, we're staying at Duinrell so expect a report from there later in the week too. Yay!
