themed around a mythical alternative early history, in which men and gods battle and dragons roam… Gyeongju World theme park is located in Gyeongju city, on
the southeast coast of South Korea in the Gyeongsang Province. Founded in 57BC, Gyeongju city was the capital of ancient Silla Dynasty for about a thousand years. Historic relics can be found on virtually every corner of the city, with the result that development on the Bomun tourist complex, on which Gyeongju World is located, has taken place under strict restrictions.
Beginning its life in 1985 as a sports park featuring a few rides and games, Gyeongju World has, over the past 33 years and with the help of radically increased tourist numbers, become the impressive theme park visitors see today. The B&M coasters Phaeton and Draken tower over a collection of over 30 rides, attracting thousands of families, teenagers and young adults each year.
The Draken wakes! N
ew B&M dive coaster Draken opened at South Korean theme park Gyeongju World last month. The fearsome ride and the surrounding land are
The park is comprised of four areas: the X-zone, the Snow
Sled garden, the Wizard Garden, and new area Draken Valley. Since 2008, Gyeongju World has sat next door to sister park California Beach waterpark, providing a dual ‘wet and dry’ entertainment offering for visitors. According to the park, the construction of its latest and
greatest attraction, Draken, is a commemoration of its 33rd anniversary, replacing Space 2000, a steel coaster by Meisho Amusement Machines. Draken is the tallest and fastest Dive Coaster in Asia, Sophie Bolliger of B&M tells Park World, and it has already attracted a lot of attention since its opening on May 1, according to a park spokesperson. It is the world’s sixth dive coaster, and the first to be built in Korea. At 63 metres, it is the country’s highest coaster, providing riders with great views over nearly Boman Lake before plunging them in a spine-tingling vertical drop that sees them fall 90 degrees. The coaster has a ride time of two minutes, with two vertical,
face-down drops. It boards up to 24 passengers, with eight passengers in each row, and three cars per train. The wide rows enable a more intense experience as the vehicle makes banked turns and heads down the precarious 90 degree descent.
“Installing a 63-meter tall coaster is an impressive task,” comments Sophie. “It is an iconic roller coaster. It can be seen from far away and is a landmark addition to Gyeongju World.” She described the ride experience for Park World’s readers: “From the exact moment of the start of the ride, riders can enjoy the most fantastic and thrilling experience. Riders face the sky as the ride goes up the steep lift. They then enjoy the panoramic view until the train reaches the point of the first drop. There the train tilts forward into the vertical drop before being stopped for four seconds with riders facing down, their feet dangling in the air, contemplating the emptiness below them. The train is then released into a breath-taking 63-metre face-down drop. The train reaches a speed of 117 kilometres per hour. “The next element, an Immelmann, reproduces and
aerobatic flight figure. The thrill and fun are doubled, as riders enjoy a majestic inversion while feeling like an aerobatic flight pilot. Draken’s water splash is over four-stories tall, and allows all the viewers around the ride to enjoy the cool and splendid splash of the water.”
54 AUGUST 2018
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