Mack brings launched water coaster to Freizeitpark Plohn in 2026
AT: Tim Baldwin
tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com
LENGENFELD, Saxony, Germany — Already announced for 2026, Freitzeitpark Plohn has teamed up with Mack Rides to offer guests something beyond description. To call it a coaster doesn’t categorize it properly as it also features two splashdowns. Water coasters exist around the globe — and are very popular — but the as-yet-unnamed attraction at the park is unlike any other.
The custom attraction features linear induction motors and a timed “high-five” element that banks riders in opposing boats toward each other as they pass. The ride will also offer several airtime moments and banked turns.
“We’re using the water coaster boats we already have,” said Maximillian Roeser, marketing, Mack Rides. “The LIM launch only requires us to get a metal piece on the bottom of the boats. We push the boats a little out of the water — but not by much — and launch it with the force of a Blue Fire coaster.”
With the use of two launches, the ride stays relatively low to the ground, without a need for great height. This keeps the boats speeding through the ride’s various maneuvers.
“The unique combination of high-tech, water fun and roller coaster is not available in this form anywhere else in the world,” said Jan Vôlkel, junior manager, at the ride’s announcement. “The action-packed yet family-friendly orientation of the major attraction will perfectly complement the diverse offerings of our park. It is no coincidence that we have once again specifically opted for the trusted partnership with Mack Rides, and thus for a genuine ‘Mack product.’”
Mack Rides installed its first Big Dipper coaster, Dynamite, at the theme park in 2019. Adding to the aesthetics of the ride, the installation of the ride will be primarily built over and within a lake. Roeser likes the numerous moments that the low elements touch the water.
“After the first launch and second launch, the boats will interact with each other,” he told Amusement Today. “We are testing the LIMs right now. The layout always touches some part of the water to have some sort of splash effect. It’s a really nice interaction.”
The boats will be timed to do the “high-five” element each cycle.
“New to our water coasters is this high banking,” Roeser said. “In the olden times, anything we did was 40 degrees. Now we are going up to 60 degrees.”
Even with the greater banking, the restraint system did not need to change.
Renderings show an observation platform in front of the ride’s second launch, as well as a bridge that spans the lake. It will offer spectators multiple views.
“You can also look forward to the planned theming,” added Vôlkel. “Here, too, we want to meet our own high standards for an elaborate design of the major attraction and also your expectations, in keeping with the location of the spectacular new feature at the ponds. You can be sure that this extraordinary innovation will be so elegantly integrated into the park structure that our park will not lose any of its natural charm.”
As of press time, the attraction’s name has not been released. While this attraction is under construction, Freizeitpark Plohn will add a new ride in 2025. A Wild Swing from ART Engineering will be placed in the center of the park, and its placement over the water will provide a mermaid motif. It seats 16 people in a back-to-back configuration. Designed for families, the dramatic swings provide butterflies in the stomach, but the ride does not flip upside down.
When the new coaster opens in 2026, it will bring the park’s count to seven.
