originally posted on 12/10/2021
Quest is a new indoor park in Doha, Qatar.
Photo: Courtesy of Quest. View full-sized image.
On the list of not-sure-I’ll-ever-get-there coasters is a new addition. This past summer, Quest (Doha, Qatar), an indoor amusement park in the Doha Oasis mixed-development facility, had a soft opening. Today, more than 25 attractions can be found in this brightly imagined facility.
Leading the lineup is EpiQ Coaster. Built by Premier Rides, it claims the bragging rights for world’s tallest indoor coaster.
Photo: Courtesy of Premier Rides. View full-sized image.
As the ride experience begins, passengers stroll through a futuristic space station. Enthusiasts might find a vibe inspired by Disney’s multiple Space Mountain attractions. The queue has a cosmic flair with other-worldly illumination and signage that sets the stage. Passengers step into one of two 12-passenger trains. Quest sports numerous hexagonal lighting fixtures in its ceiling, and on EpiQ, riders zig-zag through lighted hexagons on their way to the launch zone. A section of bright red track slides into place. From there, passengers are propelled backward up a 197-foot twisted reverse spike via linear synchronous motors. A cylindrical column of architectural theming surrounds the spike, and riders twist while traveling upward. A moment of weightlessness is experienced, and the 90-degree spike is traversed again, this time plunging forward. An additional burst of speed sends the train into the main layout at a heart-racing rate. Within the tangle of 1,837 feet of track, riders take highly banked curves, a zero-G roll, airtime hills and a corkscrew — all within a compact footprint.
Photo: Courtesy of Premier Rides. View full-sized image.
ACEers will be familiar with the Skyrocket II-style of trains. Top speed is 56 mph.
Photo: Courtesy of Premier Rides. View full-sized image.
EpiQ Coaster is the biggest of four roller coasters at the park. Fly With Flap is a suspended coaster from Extreme Engineering. Oryx Express is a Vekoma junior coaster. Space Twister is an SBF Visa spinning coaster, a model that continues to sweep the globe, even among such extravagance found at this park.
Fly With Flap.
Photo: Courtesy of Premier Rides. View full-sized image.
There are three sections to the park: Oryxville, City of Imagination and Gravity, each of which represents either the past, present or future. Within these lands, Quest has its own set of characters. The intellectual property isn’t anything people in the United States would know, but it makes for imaginative fun for families visiting there. One of the characters is Flap, a bird that plays a part in the Extreme Engineering coaster.
Among the other rides are a mix from Zamperla, SBF Visa and an S&S drop tower. A flying theater and virtual reality attractions are also included. There are a handful of thrill rides, including the Premier Rides coaster, but many attractions are aimed at families and children.
The Doha Oasis complex includes residences, stores, a five-star hotel and a modern cinema. Because of the many hot months in Qatar, the indoor climate of Quest keeps things comfortable year-round for guests.
Currently, Quest is open Tuesday through Sunday 3 to 10 p.m.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
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