Park Redaktion 13.12.19 13:11 Seite 2

E_24_27_(080_083)_Mystic.qxp_Park Redaktion 13.12.19 13:11 Seite 2

COASTER

Fantastic ride dynamic on the new Gerstlauer Coaster

With the strong 2019 competi - tion it was difficult for a new coaster to assert itself among a handful of soloists of the high- est calibre, and so “Mys tic” at Walibi Rhône-Alpes became rather unjustly almost invisible.

Totem ” and is the first impression for guests when coming nearer to the park on the access road and Text & Photos: Jochen Peschel Mystic turning off to the parking area. And “Mystic” is also an impressive landmark within the park. The most prominent element is naturally the 31 metres high he opening of the wooden coaster “Timber” in vertica l lift. The lovely view over the fields on the T2016 resulted in the park having an added rise horizon from the hill can however only be enjoyed in popularity, which it wanted to retain without los - for a short period, as already the three wagon train ing the focus on family friendliness. And so at the accommodating four passengers per row pulls end of 2018 it was officially announced that the them down the 73° steep and twisted drop. Shortly park would be delivered a new coaster from Gerst- after though it’s up again in order to climb the Out - lauer Amusement Rides GmbH. The attraction side-Top-Hat. This forms a turnaround that leads took over the location of the Calypso “Bamba” and into a Zero-G-Roll that runs parallel to the lift. the kiddie Go-Ka rt track “QWADS” on the south This is f ollowed by a Dive Loop before the train eastern point of the park. speeds past a track switch. From here, the shuttle The new “Infinity Coaster”, the manufacturer section of the ride begins: Over a 90° banked name, is located next to the “Space Shot “Le camel back, the course travels onto a 32° steep A dead-end-element marks the way back E_24_27_(080_083)_Mystic.qxp_Park Redaktion 13.12.19 13:11 Seite 3

ramp, on which the track completes a half rotation only a half instead of complete rotation for some- on its longitudinal axis. The train rolls headlong what more thrill. with a view to the wrecked open end of the tracks, In the area of the track switch the train is braked before travelling though once again into the 115 during the reverse segment, the dive loop exit metres long cul-de-sac in reverse. travels a little upwards, is braked again during for- The idea of complementing the close course with ward travelling and th en comes to a standstill a shuttle segment stems from the wooden coaster exactly on the track switch. The brakes are addi- “Switchback” from The Gravity Group at ZDT'S tionally switched on subject to the weight and the Amusement Park. The inclined a nd twisted spike speed of the train. The track switch is then so on the other hand was inspired by the impulse turned that the vehicles can enter the station. Con- coaster “Flash: Vertical Velocity” from Intamin at sequently, there is a track length of 460 metres of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, nevertheless with the total of 575 covered metres of track course.

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FAST FACTS From the drop in the station to the return, around comes about over QR-Codes. As this is a com - one minute and 45 seconds pass; from the release pletely new development, the switch was tho - n Opening: 30th Mai 2019 from the lift chain to the end position on the track roughly examined at the Münsterhausen factory n Track length: 460 m switch around 45 seconds. The track switch is the premises prior to delivery. The voodoo theme of n Course length: 575 m technical core of the coaster so to speak. In addi- the coaster was developed by the park, or more n Lift height: 31 m tion to both positions used during the ride and for specifically by the parent company Compagnie n Max. speed: 84 km/h the return to the station, there is a third position des Alpes. The station in particular has been n Ride time: 1:45 min used to drive the train onto the siding, but also a designed very elaborately and in detail, and has n Pure ride time: 45 sec fourth position for a track where the train can be turned out to be a real gem. All over there are funny n Trains: 2, seats per train: 12 taken to from the course, for maintenance. details to discover, not least the voodoo dolls from n Capacity: 600 p.p.h. For the fourth position, the track switch is de- Astérix and Oberlix. The applications on the front n Manufacturer: Gerstlauer signed as a rotating element. As braking also car of the train were realised per 3D-print. Münsterhausen, Germany takes place on the switch the construction must In addition to the normal queue line, there is also n Operator: Walibi Rhône-Alpes be particularly solid and massive in order to be an entrance for those with a Fast Pass. Even if it’s Les Avenières, France able to direct the emerging forces. The determin - not specifically signposted, this entrance is also ing of the current position of the track switch simultaneously a single-rider entrance.

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Due to the four rows, the waiting time is significant- trine wouldn’t quite fit. And for the 40-year anni- ly reduced. Although “Mystic” is not an inter - versary a rock solid attraction with great ride national magnet among coaster fans, in actual fact character istics and above average theming was that wasn’t what was aimed for. And in a middle added, in order to ensure the appeal of the park sized park such as Walibi Rhône-Alpes, a re - also for the next years. n presentative of the “higher, faster, longer” doc -