Day 5 - Parque de Atracciones

The Park

[Fountains]  [Pathway] This park is situated not far from Madrid city centre, and although not one of the big chains, it is one of those places like Tibidabo that has its own charm and a great family atmosphere. It is split into two halves by a long pool and fountains feature - one half is quite leafy and wooded, while the other half contains more theming.


The Coasters

Tornado. Intamin inverted multi-inversion. Now I liked this! Not quite as smooth as a B&M, but infinitely better than a Vekoma SLC, and containing sleek curves and transitions all the way. One main twisted drop followed by two vertical loops interrupted by a corner, then around and into a corkscrew, then two helixes in oppiste directions. Great fun. There is another Intamin inverted coaster of the same name in Finland which contains two heartlines and has a great reputation, and now I'm desperate to have a go on it!

[Tornado: lift hill]   [Tornado: first drop]   [Tornado: bottom of 2nd loop]   [Tornado: final helix]  

[7 Picos] 7 Picos. Schwarzkopf Wildcat. Fantastic compact coaster, very smooth for its age (although not quite as ultra-smooth as Cedar Point's version), and great fun especially during a club takeover!


There was a third coaster in the park, but it was a junior coaster and the park would not allow adults on it...

Other attractions

[Wave Swinger] A very wet rapids, a fairly dry log flume, and a giant splash constitute the usual line-up of water rides, also a selection of standard spin rides such as a Condor, a Rainbow, an Enterprise, a Top Spin, Pirate Ship, a Wave Swinger, and a Frisbee (hey, spot the connection - it's Huss corner!). The Frisbee would have been the best of these, but unfortunately it was not running.


[Mine ride] This picture shows a family suspended mine ride, where the train travels slowly through mining scenes. It seemed a bit on the old side! There is also a simulator ride at the park, consisting of a small enclosed capsule as opposed to a large theatre with moving seats, but I found it a bit too rough and it didn't seem to be very well synchronised with the film. Another dark ride is an It's a Small World clone called Fantasia, depicting nations of the world. The UK section had a scene showing a hillside with sheep and a lot of rain - funny how the Spanish see Wales! A suspended monorail takes people on a long journey around the park, and a Jungle Cruise clone gives a relaxing and sometimes funny trip down a river. Finally, of course we have an Intamin Giant Drop called La Lanzadera.

[La Lanzadera]   [La Lanzadera & Tornado]   [La Lanzadera at night]  

Pat on the Back #2
The operators on this drop tower were lightning fast, providing a turnaround time of about 20 seconds. Putting Six Flags really to shame, who only seem to be able to manage about 2 or 3 minutes!

[Fingers] And this? Well, I'll leave it up to you to invent a reason for it!


Also visit the official Parque de Atracciones web site.

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