Duinrell

08/24/2013
After being told that "this program is made possible by the roller coaster Dragon Fly in Duinrell" for several weeks on television, we decide to check out what it is exactly that gives us so much tv-pleasure.

With discount coupons in our pocket we drive in the direction of Wassenaar early in the afternoon. The weather is not the best we could have had, it looks as if rain may start to pour down on us but luckily it remains dry. At the cashiers there is still a decent row even at this time of the day, mainly thanks to the many foreign tourists who come down here for a plunch in the Tikibad when they're being told that they have to pay access to the amusement park first.

Once inside we walk straight to the far corner of the park where the three coasters are located. The roller coaster we came here for is a Gerstlauer of 15 meters high and 360 meters in length. It's been a year and a half already since the track opened. Dragon Fly (#824) is built over the kikkerachtbaan and has the same color scheme as the other Gerstlauer next to it: a brown track and supports with a yellow woodlike profile.

It is quite busy in the queue and in just over half an hour we slowly move towards the turnstiles at the station. There is just one operator that operates the gates, checks the restraints and lets the train depart. Once the train leaves the station it is out of sight of the operator and he only sees it back again at the end of the ride. I wonder how this satisfies the safety regulations.

The ride itself is not very spektacular, after the lifthill there are a few small drops, well above ground, in zigzag pattern. At the end, right before the brakes, there is a helix where left behind spectators can take pictures of their braver family members. Dragon Fly is a nice addition but the arrival of Falcon two years earlier was a much bigger surprise.

Speaking about Falcon: that's were we move to next. Indeed this turns out to be a much more interesting ride once again with a vertical lift and drop and 3 inversions.

On our way towards the alpine coaster it strikes us that concrete reinforcement is applied to a number of places underneat the Kikkerachtbaan track. This probably has to do with the construction of Dragon Fly above it but the exact reason is not clear to me.

The Rodelbaan is still much fun, just a shame that the child in front of me has a branch stuck between the wheels and thus we slide down in sucker pace. There is no alternative but to slowly ride it out.


The entrance to Dragon Fly.




It's still fairly busy here in the park with serious queues for the coasters and for Splash.


In the helix.




The front of the train is beautifully decorated.


Falcon offers a lot more value.








A remarkable adaptation of the track of the Kikkerachtbaan. Never seen before.