Attraction Profile
parkworld-online.com
Flight of the Pterosaur is one of two new Vekoma coasters BELOW: Velociraptor
Dinosaur
Encounter One of the unique and potentially most popular attractions at Lost Kingdom is ALIVE Dinosaur Encounter. Produced by the company Themesparx of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, the 5m-long walking animatronic dinosaur that is the star of the show took five months to create. Weighting just 40kg, it is based around an aluminium frame and a latex exterior and fitted with cameras, microphones and speakers for safe operation. Extensive tests were undertaken in different weather conditions including high winds to ensure the dino doesn’t topple over during use. “This project has really pushed
Paultons more freedom when it comes to theming Lost Kingdom, or indeed choosing the rides and attractions. It might not be a licensed character, but the walking Tyrannosaurus Rex that appears at hourly intervals as part of the ALIVE Dinosaur Encounter (see panel, right) looks set to become an instant hit, and one that’s unique to Paultons.
Three coasters “Our main requirement with the rollercoasters,” says Mancey, “was to have something with a 1m height limit because we’ve got rides that you need to be at least 0.9, 1.1 and 1.2m to enjoy but nothing that’s just a metre. We looked around at family coasters, wanted something different to what we already had, and decided we wanted a suspended coaster. That lead us to Vekoma, and then we realised we had room to put in a second coaster, so we talked to them about other rides and chose the Family Boomerang. To fit the space we had, we needed to change the track layout. This layout is a world-first, and it’s turned out to be a fantastic ride.” “There is actually a third coaster too,” continues
Mancey, “which is a small Tivoli coaster by Zierer. It’s an existing ride which we have rethemed into a baby triceratops and called Dino Chase. That was done with Zierer’s help and it looks a million dollars.” The other three rides are Temple Heights and Boulder Dash, a custom-themed magic carpet style attraction and a Demolition Derby with dinosaurs eggs, both by Zamperla, plus The Dinosaur Tour Co, a jeep ride by long time Paultons collaborator Mettalbau Emmeln which travels through a lush landscape featuring waterfalls, exotic plants and a few surprises along the way. Rounding out the Lost Kingdom attraction offering is a discovery trail and the attractive Little Explorers themed playground by Russell Play.
JUNE 2016 43
us as it’s different to anything we’ve ever done before,” says Themesparx managing director Matthew Kitchen-Dunn. “It’s been a great project to work on though and we’ve had a lot of fun in the process. I’m impressed with my team and that we’ve managed to create something that looks so realistic.” Roaring as it walks, the baby T-
Rex appears at hourly intervals to interact and have its photo taken with Paultons guests in a special enclosure next to the Base Camp food court. See the animatronic in action by reading this article at
parkworld-online.com or visiting
youtu.be/BKI-vgyCASg
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