Why You Must Visit Adlabs Imagica (original) (raw)
The last time, I went to an amusement park was when I was in the fourth grade, and there, I was barred from sitting on rides due to my height. Well, this time around it was different. In order to fill up the adventure void, I had to try all the 21 rides (even the minor ride like the carousel) at India’s own Disneyland called Adlabs Imagica.
Located near the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Adlabs Imagica is India’s answer to Disneyland. Built at an expensive cost of Rs 1,600 crore, Manmohan Shetty’s magnificent prairie-like theme park excels expectations. The entire park is divided into zones like Arabia, Asiana, Americana, Jambo Africa and Viva Europa. The adult rides are not for the faint-hearted, and are very high on the ‘heart in your mouth’ quotient. Thrill seekers will definitely get their dose of adventure on rides like Nitro, Scream, Deep Space, Dare 2 Drop, and Gold Rush Express.
Tickets are priced according to ‘regular’ and ‘express’ entries. Express entry is advisable during the weekends as you can cut the crowd from the regular tickets and get a direct entry for the rides. If you enter through a regular ticket, then be prepared to stand in queue for 30-45 minutes for every ride.
Here’s a quick list of rides, which you shouldn’t miss if you decide to pay a visit to Imagica...
Nitro: Start your day at Adlabs Imagica with this roller-coaster. Give yourself a pat if you do it twice. Nitro is India’s first ‘floorless’ roller coaster which almost kills you! Almost kills you, because it twirls, twists, and turns at a rapid speed, which reminds you of speed from the movies like ‘Final Destination’ and ‘The Fast and the Furious’.
Scream
Take this ride on your own risk as this ride will elevate you to the angles of 120 degrees and will swing you up to 148 feet above the ground level! Each time the pendulum- like ride oscillates, you feel, as if someone is pulling your legs from the height of 148-feet and you will be flung out of the ride. It’s an experience, you will remember for a lifetime.
Dare 2 Drop
This roller coaster is like a rocket, which rises up with high speed. It’s like going up with full force then coming down and then rising up again.
The Curse of Salimgarh: This is the ‘bhoot bangla’ of Adlabs Imagica. Though, we weren’t even a bit scared, there are ‘characters’ which will make you jump in your seat.
Deep Space
This one turned out to be the most surprising ride as we did the swiftest time travel in the space. Stick your neck tightly to the seat, as the speed here is neck breaking.
I For India: A 12-minute film is shown from the unbelieveable 30-ft height. From the Valleys of Flower to Kanyakumari, the hydraulic chair lifts you and makes you feel as if you are in a helicopter. However, stay away from this ride, if you suffer from vertigo.
Rajaurus Water Ride: This ride is somewhat similar to Universal Studios Orlando’s Jurassic Park River Adventure. A pre-movie is shown about the dinosaurs which then leads you in a water boat. The scary drop in the end makes it a worth try.
The food here is nothing extraordinary. It’s quite expensive, and you are not allowed to get in the outside food. But, then who goes to an amusement park to eat right? Also, the view during the night is breathtaking. Overall, Adlabs Imagica won’t disappoint for sure. A onetime visit is highly recommended.
Neha is a keen observer of human behaviour and a devout Tina Fey worshipper. She is a good listener and will gladly listen to all your rants and raves. This job has made her shift base from the far-flung suburbs to town, and she is therefore now adapting to a new lifestyle (which is a sweet coincidence as she manages the lifestyle section at indiatimes) She is a TV fanatic and has watched most of your TV shows well in advance. Neha’s favourite shows include ‘Mad Men’, ‘Dexter’, ‘Game of Thrones’ and everything between. Her newfound passion is running and thinks that a good 30-minute-run is the ultimate key to happiness. Also, loves the sound ‘hmm’ a lot..