Kondaa Review

The new stand out attraction for Walibi Belgium

The signature ride that has long been overdue for Walibi Belgium opened in 2021 with of course a very difficult season for the park. Having to delay opening due to the pandemic followed by a prolonged closure throughout the season due to the devastating floods throughout the Benelux, finally we got on this new for 2021 Intamin Mega Coaster in October and it did not disappoint.

Kondaa holds the record for the most amount of airtime from any steel coaster in the world and also introduces the world’s first non-inverting cobra roll. The excitement builds up as you cross the bridge into the new area and see this huge Intamin structure loop around the back of the park.

Theming

The increased theming and care from Walibi Belgium is regularly discussed as the park looks to up their game in the theme park industry. The area itself where Kondaa is situated is presented extremely well with a strange bone structure in the middle along with a small family wheel and a very interesting entrance plaza.

However the queue and the ride itself has no theming which is common on mega, hyper and giga coasters, however the trains do look awesome.

So in short, there is minimal theming but the theming it does, it does well and the area is well presented to get you into that mood.

Ride Experience

The ride experience can be the most important aspect for many enthusiasts whose interest in theming becomes secondary. So good news, Kondaa is awesome. I enjoy the coaster, but it is not in my top 10. This could be very different for you as we all love different things in a coaster but for some reason I have always struggled with that wow factor during the construction of Kondaa.

 Kondaa starts by climbing an extremely fast lift hill followed by a twisting first drop. This drop will be mostly compared to Expedition GeForce by enthusiasts and unfortunately does not stack up with the older model. Expedition GeForce almost twists too much and has to correct itself when straightening up and that is what makes that drop for me, Kondaa just twists on the way down. The drop is still awesome and one of the best out there but unfortunately when reviewing a ride, I like many people will compare to what we already know. Spoiler alert, some Untamed comparisons will creep up towards the end!

First airtime hill, awesome, second airtime hill, outer banked and awesome, then the non-inverting cobra roll. To me the ride feels like it loses some of it’s pacing at this point. Not saying it is a bad element, but it only feels ok going around into what is essentially an extra gimmick. Another comparison is Hyperion an Energylandia which simply flips upside down and heads back for more awesome rather than Kondaa, a little turn and a twist and a turn and a twist and there you go, back to the ride.

After the non-inverting cobra roll, you have a couple turns and some floaty airtime moments before the ride goes into overdrive mode starting with a very strange double down moment that almost tricks you into a fake airtime moment followed by an actual airtime drop. Quickly round a corner and then the multiple ejector bunny hills keep you smiling and laughing the whole way until you hit the brakes.

The final bit is great fun, and the Untamed comparison comes up… not as crazy or intense as Untamed. This for some will be a good thing as a few people have that as a bit of a complaint for Untamed (not me) and the incredibly comfortable Intamin restraints fix this issue completely.

Overview

Overall Kondaa is a brilliant coaster and a perfect addition to Walibi Belgium. I love the coaster, love the name and will happily re-ride this as much as possible. One thing to note that a lot of people tend to say is how much the coaster warms up throughout the day. It does feel like a completely different ride towards the end and I have never known a coaster to change this much than Kondaa. Get your first ride in the morning but make sure you also leave this to the last ride of the night.

At times this review seems over critical and it is not meant to be. There are many rides that will have that standout moment and Kondaa takes all these moments from other coasters to become a jack of all trades, master of none, but a great way to experience a little bit of everything with the new stand out attraction at Walibi Belgium.

Konda – 9/10

Ride Kondaa in 2022 as the first coaster on every Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands tours with Coaster Breaks. Also head to Walibi Belgium for their opening day 2022 as the first tour departs on Friday 1 April for the Saturday opening. Click here for the tour information.