Review: Taron at Phantasialand
Taron is one of the most hyped roller coasters in all of Europe, but does it live up to its reputation?
This is a ride that everyone loves to review so I am sure you have seen opinions, photos and videos all over the internet. So let’s get the stats out the way first. Taron is the world’s fastest multi launch coaster and has a world record of 116 crossovers throughout the very long length of just over 4,330ft of track.
The area hosting Taron is called Klugheim and is regarded as one of the best themed zones in the world. With medieval buildings and rockwork combined with the twisting and compact coaster track of Taron, the area is superb and you can admire this for hours.
Throughout the queue and the entirety of Klugheim, you can see and hear the roar of Taron right until you get to the station. Hop aboard the comfortable trains and the phenomenal music blares out with huge atmosphere and excitement as you leave the station to turn right into the first launch track.
Taron is often described as a ride of two halves being separated between the two launches. The first takes you up to approximately 50 mph whereas the second takes you to the maximum speed of just over 72 mph. The second launch has a lot of intensity and the rattle of the train along with the noise it makes while speeding up emphasises this is a powerful roller coaster!
Throughout the duration of the ride, you are kept low to the ground weaving in and out of rockwork and buildings, never knowing which way you will go next. There is an impressive ejector airtime moment in both halves of the rides and a fantastic trick track moment in the first half. Although towards the end of the first half the train does slow down significantly, slowly plodding along until the second launch. This did not bother me as it builds the anticipation for the second part of the coaster.
A lot of people have been negative about a trim brake on one of the last airtime hills as it does take away the momentum of the ride. However again this did not bother me as it is necessary to make sure the train doesn’t hit the brake run too hard which will result in the ride shutting down. To me I see this as the end of Taron’s journey and the final corner is to take you back to the station.
So the question at the beginning, is Taron over hyped?
I would have to say no, however it did not exceed my expectations. This is a fantastic coaster that I will ride as much as possible when at Phantasialand but it is not in my top ten (It sits at number 13 in case you were wondering). This may be controversial as it is the number 1 for a lot of people and I understand why. I love Taron and if Phantasialand consisted of just this one roller coaster, it would still be worth a trip every year to experience Taron. Taron is world class, just to me, not the world’s best but it is up there.
