The next theme park season in Spain (starting in February 2023) will probably be the best of the last decade in terms of new additions to the parks. In fact, the two major theme parks in Spain (PortAventura and Parque Warner) will both be adding to its coaster collection two rides that have the potential to become the best of the country and even some of the best in Europe. Having said that, let’s dive in all we know about this two new Spanish roller coasters that will be opening in the upcoming months.
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Gotham City Escape (Intamin Multi-launch) Parque Warner
We will start traveling to the outskirts of Madrid, where Parque Warner is located. This Warner Brothers-themed park opened in 2002 with 5 coasters, but since then, they have just added one family coaster (Correcaminos Bip, Bip in 2009). For many years, there had been rumors about a potential major new roller coaster that would be built across all the areas of the park, but it was not until 2020 that some marks on the park’s paths and trees started to appear.
Not until 2021 that some works started to be carried out in the park, indicating that, after 19 years since opening, the first new major roller coaster for Parque Warner was on its way. During the first months, they prepared the terrain and demolished a Halloween horror maze built in the Gotham City Park area.
Works on Wayne Manor and the former simulator ride building also begun. Some months after, the first footers started to appear, week after week great progress could be spotted. In May of this year the first coaster supports arrived at the park, and so did the coaster track some days after that. We have been following the vertical construction of Gotham City Escape with great detail since then, and also have published several updates on it.
After a bit of context, let’s see all details we know about the coaster:
| Name | Gotham City Escape |
| Manufacturer | Intamin |
| Type | LSM Multi-launch coaster |
| Theme | Batman |
| Number of launches | 3 |
| Speed of the 1st launch | 54 km/h (33.5 mph) |
| Speed of the 2nd launch | 104 km/h (64.6 mph) |
| Speed of the 3rd launch | Rumored around 80 km/h (49.7 mph) |
| Length | 1.01 km (0.62 miles) |
| Duration | 1 minute, 51 seconds |
| Height | 45 meters (147 ft) |
| Inversions | 4 |
| Elements (in order) | 1st Launch, Corkscrew, 2nd Launch, Top hat, Camelback, Reverse Sidewinder, Corkscrew, 3rd Launch, Zero g stall, Spike |
| Other | Rumored 1 or 2 pre-show scenes before the first launch |
As it can be seen in the elements part of the table, the new Parque Warner’s coaster will be a full-circuit shuttle coaster similar to Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. However, the coaster’s dimensions and features are more comparable to Jurassic World: Velocicoaster (Islands Of Adventure in UOR), but shorter. This is why some refer to Gotham City Escape as “The Spanish Velocicoaster”.
Uncharted Roller Coaster (Intamin Multi-Dimension) PortAventura
PortAventura World is the main theme park destination in Spain, designed by Anheuser-Busch (Busch Gardens) and Tussauds. It opened in 1995 and, since then, it has been constantly evolving, building new roller coasters and becoming a resort with three parks and seven hotels. The main park of the resort (PortAventura Park) is widely known for its interesting coasters (such as Shambhala, Dragon Khan, Furius Baco, Stampida, etc.) and its rich history. For a few years, it became a Universal Studios resort, the one and only that has ever existed in Europe.
Notwithstanding that, after Universal left and new owners started managing the resort various questionable decisions have been made, and new attractions that have not been up to the standards of the park have opened. The last worth mentioning addition was the B&M hypercoaster Shambhala. On top of that, the new entertainment offerings are poorly designed and executed, and it seems that the managing team has forgotten what is the theme and history of the park. However, the new roller coaster for the 2023 season might be the light at the end of the tunnel. Also, there are multiple rumors and hints that suggest Universal might be interested in acquiring the resort again next year, which would be the best news ever for the PortAventura fan community.
Last year we mentioned on our European Instagram account that PortAventura was preparing a new attraction for 2023, although at that moment it was unclear what type of attraction it would be and if it would actually be built.
At the beginning of this 2022 season, the park opened with a fenced construction area in the Far West section. Prior to opening to the public, some employees uploaded photos on social media with a giant billboard announcing a new experience coming there for 2023. But, for some reason, the advertisement was removed the first day of the season. It appeared later on, when a really huge building (yes, coming from the Mexico area it looks enormous) began to be built.
At the beginning of this month, coaster track was spotted being staged in a parking lot behind the Gold River Hotel, and some days after it began to be put in place inside the show building.
Today, PortAventura has revealed on their social media accounts and in a special event in Madrid (premiering the advert on a giant screen in a very famous square) that Uncharted (the movie featuring Tom Holland) will be the theme of its new roller coaster.
It is still unclear how the franchise will fit in the Far West area, which is based on the American West of 1876. But at least, the fans of the resort are relieved to know it will not be based on La Liga (read more about that here), Tadeo Jones (a Spanish cartoon), or The Minions (as it was rumored).
After a bit of context, let’s see all details we know about the coaster:
| Name | Unknown |
| Manufacturer | Intamin, Sally Dark Rides |
| Type | Dark Ride (Rumored Multi-Dimension Coaster) |
| Theme | Uncharted (movie) |
| Number of launches | 5 |
| Length | 700 meters (2,296 ft) |
| Area | 4,800 square meters (51,666 ft²) |
| Acceleration | 1G |
| Elements (in order) | At least a Spike |
| Other | Pre-show, budget of 25 million € |
According to the description provided by the park, in the new Uncharted coaster we will join a dangerous search for one of the greatest treasures ever, feeling a new kind of adrenaline living an adventure in which everything is possible. Nearly 700 meters of a vibrant and enveloping environment in which we will discover dark and unexplored territories. What is more, there will be a pre-show full of surprises that, in addition to setting off the events, will turn this treasure hunt into a completely immersive adventure.
Conclusion
Although we are looking forward to enjoying both coasters, we are especially excited about Gotham City Escape, as it will offer a new level of thrills never seen before in Spain and has the potential to be a TOP10 coaster in Europe. However, the new Uncharted coaster for PortAventura also has a lot of potential to become an unforgettable experience, especially if the theming and level of immersion is well thought and executed. In addition, the park desperately needed an indoor coaster, particularly if they are really committed to opening the park 365 days a year.
In conclusion, 2023 will be an awesome year for Spanish theme parks, and we will be there to publish the best content about it for our readers and followers to enjoy.
