Zones by Särkänniemi 8th June 2019

Zones by Särkänniemi is a respectable large Family Entertainment Center located on the upper floor of the Ideapark Commercial City shopping mall south of Tampere. It is divided into four distinct sections: the Kid Zone, the Family Fun Zone, the Action Zone, and the Game Zone. There are no individual ride tickets available; instead, would-be guests are required to purchase a wristband covering one or more of the available zones. Those visiting only for the coaster will therefore need to be prepared to part with €14.90, a timely reminder (for those who still need it) that this truly is a ridiculous hobby.

Lohikäärme-rata (#2690) is a non-spinning figure eight coaster from SBF Rides located in the Family Fun Zone to the left of the main entrance. There were no other guests in the vicinity, which may well explain why I was treated to an incredible twenty lap cycle of the short track, easily the longest programme I've experienced/enjoyed/endured (delete as appropriate!) on a ride of this type. It's tempting to describe the layout as life changing and worthy of industry accolades, but that would be truly ridiculous; it was a credit to be ticked off and nothing more than that.

The accurately named Spinni was more than I felt like dealing with in the immediate aftermath of breakfast, and I was over the maximum height limit for the Tähtitorni frog hopper. I had more luck at the XD Dark Ride, which turned out to be a glorified version of Desperados, a dated yet entertaining target shooting game that is always fun (if possibly not in the way that the designers intended). There was also a 6D Cinema with three movie choices: Future Bike, Lost World, and Kapadokya Coaster. Needless to say I went for the latter, and though the footage completely ignored the laws of physics the experience was still enjoyable thanks to a range of different special effects.