The new attraction of Port Aventura: adrenaline almost in the dark

Seeking to surprise its visitors, many with a high repetition rate, Port Aventura launches its first dark ride, an indoor roller coaster that immerses passengers in a world that is dark at times, with special effects, launches and surprising turns in any direction.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
16 June 2023 Friday 10:53
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The new attraction of Port Aventura: adrenaline almost in the dark

Seeking to surprise its visitors, many with a high repetition rate, Port Aventura launches its first dark ride, an indoor roller coaster that immerses passengers in a world that is dark at times, with special effects, launches and surprising turns in any direction. . The long-awaited attraction, Uncharted, set in the successful Sony video game and the Tom Holland movie, is the resort's great asset to surpass its historical record this year: 5.3 million customers.

"The investment, of 25 million, shows that our shareholders continue to bet on Port Aventura," said David García, its general director. Before its opening to the public, the world premiere of the attraction was held yesterday with special guests, the media, journalists, influencers and content creators. A group of twelve employees was also able to try it out, in this first exclusive pass, after participating in their case in a raffle.

The experience is different from what the rest of the Port Aventura attractions offer. Although he gets on a wagon that might seem like a normal roller coaster, the journey begins almost in the dark to immerse the passenger in a kind of parallel reality. Light and color appear with special effects and images more typical of a video game than an attraction. The passenger loses the notion of space on the stage, of almost 5,000 square meters, inside a mountain that configures a new skyline of the Far West themed area.

“You don't know when you're going to accelerate or where, backwards or to the side. The darkness and the pitches are combined to create a unique experience”, says Luis Valencia, development director of the park.

The Hollywood trip to search for gold inside a mountain, in an old mining prospection. The two-minute journey keeps the passenger in suspense, as if suspended on the rails. Among the most impressive novelties, lateral accelerations, pioneers, inverted falls or reverse gears. There are five sudden changes in speed in which the traveler sees his sensations multiplied thanks to the darkness or little light, depending on the case.

The attraction is designed for all audiences, with the only requirement to be at least 1.30 meters tall. For those who regularly go up and down the big attractions, such as Shambhala or Dragon Khan, Uncharted is a new experience that will not physically push you to the limit, although you will experience other types of sensations.

For those who prefer less physically demanding attractions, it is an ideal immersive space. Going down, the feeling is of having experienced something very intense, but without dizziness or laxity in the legs.

Port Aventura has devised a route that begins long before boarding the attraction, to make the queues more bearable, which will be long especially in this first season of release. In parallel, virtual queues have begun to be tested throughout the park. A dimly lit tour, full of surprises, will accompany the visitor in the queue until getting on Uncharted.

The park has doubled its bet in a special season, the longest in history, with the opening for carnival, in February. The rate of reservations in July and August is better than that of 2022, thanks to the local public, the French (one million visitors), with a growth of 42%, and the British: 500,000 customers.