Anubis the Ride is an exciting Gerstlauer launch coaster at Plopsaland de Panne. This coaster
features a shockingly strong LSM launch and a twisted layout with 3 inversions. For almost
a decade, this was arguably Plopsaland’s top attraction and while Ride to Happiness is the
firm owner of that title now, Anubis is still a fun ride. And I’ll explain why in this review.
Anubis opened in 2009 as Plopsaland’s biggest and boldest attraction to date. This would be
a Gerstlauer launch coaster. While the ride technically isn’t classified as a EuroFighter,
it looks and feels like one. The ride is based on Het Huis Anubis,
or the House of Anubis. This was a television show created by Studio 100 that aired from 2006
through 2009 on Nickelodeon in Europe. The show’s premise was that a series of kids would
hunt for treasure at their boarding school. The coaster’s queue line and station are built
in a replica of the castle from the series. The coaster barely has any theming along the course.
The twisted blue track is hidden amongst the trees though, so it’s very difficult
to see any of this coaster off-ride and it’s challenging on ride to see what’s coming next.
There is plenty to look at while you wait though. You have a series of treasures and paintings
of the team’s past exploits. And you may have to wait a while to ride. Anubis runs just 2-3
cars and each car seats just 6 riders. The ride typically has a 20-30 minute wait most days.
Anubis has the flared 3 row trains Gerstlauer experimented with for a short while.
These cars were designed to try and improve the sightlines for those further back,
but I don’t think it has a significant effect myself. Anubis has the familiar
Gerstlauer over-the-shoulder restraint. While I undoubtedly would prefer the freedom of a lap bar,
the over-the-shoulder restraints are fine here because Anubis is very smooth.
I know that can’t be said for all Gerstlauer coasters, so I was thankful
Anubis didn’t dish out headbanging. I have a slight preference for the front
for the unobstructed view, but the ride feels identical from a force perspective.
And you likely only have to wait an extra train for the front, so it’s worth it in my opinion.
One other note if you’re visually impaired like me, but glasses are not allowed even with a strap.
They need to be stored in the loose article bins. Once dispatched, you turn to the right out of the
station and hit a very short launch track. If you’ve ridden any Gerstlauer LSM launch coaster,
you know their coasters pack an impressive punch. And Anubis is no different. The launch is very
forceful and will throw you against your seat back, as you accelerate to the ride’s top speed
of 56 mph or 90 kph in a flash. You also shoot through an impressive-looking Egyptian archway,
but you barely have time to register it. You then get blasted with positive Gs as you
ascend the top hat. Everyone gets good ejector airtime over the top and then the descent twists
90 degrees, so everyone gets some nice laterals. Anubis then rockets through a dive loop. The
flip at the apex causes an upside-down pop of airtime and then the dive back
towards the ground builds the positive Gs. Anubis then weirdly navigates a second top hat.
It’s rare to have one of these in the middle of a layout, but I appreciate the uniqueness.
You lose a little too much speed over the top to get anything more than a weak pop of airtime,
but the element basically functions as a fun turnaround.
You then immediately charge through an Immelmann with a little force. On-ride, this
element honestly feels like a giant overbank. You then twist upwards into the mid-course brake
run. It slowed me down a little on my rides, but not too much.
The second half starts with a gradual twist downwards to the left and this elongated
bunny hill. Neither element offers any force. Anubis then turns into this super slow barrel
roll into the brake run. You cannot see it coming and this element delivers some great
sustained hangtime. You then hit the brakes, ending the 1969 foot or 600 meter long coaster.
So what would I rate Anubis the Ride? I would give this Gerstlauer launch coaster a 7 out of 10.
I like the themed queue line and how the coaster’s layout is hidden amongst the trees.
Then the ride itself is pretty good too. The initial launch is exceptional
and I love the airtime and lateral combo on the first top hat. The middle part of the
ride isn’t quite as strong, but the ride does finish on a high note with that barrel roll.
And while not all the elements wowed me, the coaster was thankfully smooth start to finish.
Ride to Happiness is easily the best ride at Plopsaland now,
but Anubis is a respectable number two and one of the better coasters from Gerstlauer.
So those are my thoughts on Anubis the Ride, the Gerstlauer launch coaster at Plopsaland de Panne.
What are your thoughts on this coaster? Are you a fan of this ride?
I would love to hear your thoughts down in the comments. If you enjoyed this review, I’d
appreciate it if you gave this video a like and you considered subscribing since there will be a
lot more roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!