Pre-Easter launch confirmed for Gardaland dive coaster
It’s all downhill for daring guests at Gardaland this Easter as the Italian park launches its new dive coaster: Oblivion – The Black Hole.
The Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) construction enjoys the distinction of being Europe’s longest dive coaster, standing 42.5m high and featuring over half-a-kilometre (566m) of track. Stalled for several seconds at the top of the 87° first drop, riders will reach speed of up to 100km/h as they speed though a series of inversions, tailspins and big spirals. With its imposing white structure, the attraction towers over all other rollercoasters in the park, and is already visible from several corners of Lake Garda.
The queue line is described as “an attraction in itself”, which is just as well as long lines are expected to form for the ride over the Easter holidays. Eager passengers will enter via a technological training centre where through “advanced software enriching sensorial perception” they will steadily make their towards the 18-seater trains that will take them on their adrenaline-fuelled journey.
Guests wanting to take the Oblivion experience to the next level can sleep in one of the new themed rooms (pictured below) at the Gardaland Hotel, where a special Mission Oblivion package is on sale including an overnight stay, premium breakfast, à la carte dinner, one-day park entry, a welcome gift and queue-skipping pass.
Oblivion – The Black Hole, which was assembled on site at Gardaland by Rollercoaster Construction Services, is the second B&M dive coaster to carry the Oblivion name following the original but significantly shorter ride at Alton Towers in England. Owner Merlin Entertainments also operates a third dive coaster called Krake at Heide Park in Germany. B&M, meanwhile, will launch a another this summer in Europe when the famous Dutch park Efteling unveils its Baron 1898 ride.
Gardaland will be open daily through until September 27 and then weekends and school holidays until November 1, with extended summer opening hours of 10am until 11pm. Discounted advance admission is available online for €29, with season passes starting at €52.
