17 Feb 2017 Star Trek zone and coaster opening soon at Movie Park Germany By Alice Davis
Work on the Mack coaster Star Trek: Operation Enterprise is almost complete Photo: Movie Park Germany
A new triple launch coaster opening this spring at Movie Park Germany will be the centrepiece of a a wider Star Trek-themed area, Federation Plaza.
The first coaster in the world based on Star Trek: The Next Generation series, the Mack-made ride will feature a twisted halfpipe with a 40m elevation – the only one of its kind in Europe.
The rollercoaster, called Star Trek: Operation Enterprise, will be located in the new Federation Plaza near the entrance of the park. The CBS-owned IP has been translated into an original narrative for the new zone, in which visitors must rescue the crew of the famous Starship Enterprise.
From the main plaza, park visitors enter the Starfleet Academy and become Starfleet cadets. They find out that the Enterprise has been taken by the enemy Borg and the crew has been captured. There’s only one way for the cadets to save them, and that’s Operation Enterprise.
“The twisted halfpipe and the 30 metres-high top hat will give guests the adrenalin rush of their lives,” said Movie Park general manager Thorsten Backhaus. “It’s not enough today to have a unique coaster. You also need the perfect storyline. We have to make our guests part of something exciting from the moment they enter the attraction to the moment they leave.”
The Bottrop, Germany, theme park was looking for an IP that appealed to people of all ages, Backhaus said, adding: “Movie and TV series licenses are what our park is all about and Star Trek has been inspiring generations of people for more than 50 years.”
