2020 | Rust (DE)Pirates in Batavia: Dark Ride Attraction
For 31 years, the well-loved “Pirates in Batavia” had entertained guests to Europa-Park in Rust, Germany but then in May 2018, a fire burned through the ride and destroyed the main themed area of the Scandinavia portion of the park. The Mack family quickly took a decision to rebuild the water based dark ride and Kraftwerk Living Technologies was assigned to deliver the media technology for the reconstruction of the popular attraction.
In 2020, construction was taking place in the middle of a pandemic and therefore under difficult conditions, but careful distancing and teamwork with the guys from Mack230, Mack Media, Team Europa-Park, Garner Holt and Jora Vision just helped create a perfect attraction at the end of the day.
Kraftwerk Living Technologies was responsible for the audio, video and lighting technology as well as the show control and programming. The 8-minute ride experience used over 300 loudspeakers and 700 spotlights, integrated into the elaborately designed stage set and over 100 animatronic figures, all separately controlled. Whilst much of the equipment was installed and set up prior to the water being introduced to the ride channel, audio is a different matter and the acoustics of a ride would change considerably. This is why the team of Kraftwerk Living Technologies had to put on the waterproof fishermen trousers and spent many days in the channel nearly up to the waist, adjusting the sound system and getting the sound balance and the harmony with the animatronics and other effects just right.
The result of this impressing project is a spectacular stage design with unique show program, perfectly integrated technology – look around whilst travelling and it is very hard to see any light fittings or loudspeakers – and for sure an attraction that new guests can thoroughly enjoy, and past fans of the original ride will visit again and again. Some of the figures from the original ride were rescued from the fire and maybe you can spot them on a lifeboat – look out for the survivors of Batavia!
Facts
- 18 boats with 16 seats each
- Capacity of 1,800 people per hour
- More than 300 loudspeakers, 700 spotlights and about 100 animatronics – all of them individually controllable
- Ride length of 500 meters
- Total attraction area of 7,000 m²
Related Links:
Visit the Europa-Park Batavia website
Check out the making-of on Youtube (in German only)
Check out more of our worldwide references
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