Taron at Phantasialand is one of the most visually stunning coasters
in the world. Set amongst a Norse village and a rock canyon, this Intamin multi-launch coaster
has a devilishly twisted layout that crosses over and under itself a whopping 58 times.
It’s exceedingly rare to have a thrill coaster with as much theming as Taron.
The theming is absolutely world-class, but is the coaster as well?
Find out in this review of Taron. Taron opened in 2016 as part of the Klugheim
section of the park. Klugheim is one of the most stunning themed areas of any amusement park. The
entire section is engulfed in these shimmering grey rock walls. It’s some of the most impressive
rockwork out there. And then the center of the land features traditional Nordic architecture.
The whole area feels like a maze between the winding pathways and Taron itself. It’s nearly
impossible to tell where Taron is going next as rockets over and under pretty much everything
in Klugheim. Taron brings the kinetic energy to Klugheim, which makes it almost as fun to watch
as it is to ride. And the area and ride is accompanied by a custom IMAScore soundtrack
that is one of the best out there. It feels like a score fit for a battle sequence in a movie.
It really gets you amped up for your ride. Phantasialand is one of the most highly
attended theme parks in Europe and since Taron is arguably the park’s signature attraction,
it understandably will have the longest line most days.
I’ve visited Phantasialand a few times and this coaster typically has a 45-60 minute wait
most of the day. It’s nearly impossible to avoid waiting for this attraction.
Taron isn’t on the park’s Quick Pass skip-the-line system.
And then you can’t use the usual methods of getting in line at park opening or closing.
Taron opens one hour after Phantasialand’s gates open. Combine that with the fact this
coaster takes a little bit to warm up, I would not advise heading there first. Taron gives its
strongest rides in the mid to late afternoon, but Phantasialand will always close this line early.
They do post the time they close the line by the main entrance, so you can plan ahead.
Taron’s queue line is a labyrinth much like the coaster and Klugheim. It has a series of winding
paths and then one large section of switchbacks. While the line is long, it usually moves at a
continuous pace since Phantasialand usually runs 3 or 4 trains on Taron with good operations.
The only hiccup is that Taron has small bouts of downtime throughout the day. From my experience,
the issues are resolved quickly but they can add an extra 15-20 minutes to your wait.
Once you reach the station, you have the option to wait for the front row or be assigned a different
row. While you may have to wait quite a bit for the front, I strongly recommend trying seat. This
is the best seat to appreciate all of Taron’s world-class near-misses and theming. Plus you get
the rush of wind on the coaster’s two launches. The back is arguably a little bit more forceful
so that’s the second best seat and employees often honor seating requests for that row.
Taron is a play on the Russian word for battering ram, so the trains are fittingly themed to rams.
The trains look fantastic with the ram heads on the front and they are super comfortable
as well. The new generation Intamin trains are top notch. They have high centers of
gravity which accentuate all the turns. And they are very open too. You have a simple
and comfy lap bar that leaves your entire upper body free to experience this coaster’s forces.
Once dispatched, Taron rounds a corner and comes to a halt on the first launch track. After the
music builds to a crescendo, you launch from 0 to 50 mph or 80 kph in 2.6 seconds. It’s a decently
forceful LSM launch on par with the initial one on Velocicoaster. And I love the roar the LSMs make.
You then soar through this giant overbank under and around rocks.
All the overbanks on Taron ride similarly. They don’t really have any force to them. Instead,
they are all about the near-misses. That’s followed by my favorite element on
the ride- the camelback. This hill offers some fantastic sustained floater airtime up front
and just as sustained airtime in the back coming closer to weak ejector.
But this element isn’t just about the airtime. The resultant drop banks to the left and into
a tunnel. The drop is underbanked so it offers some awesome laterals,
especially since you’re still out of your seat for the start of them.
You then rip through this S-twist that offers good laterals and a quick pop of
ejector airtime. I thought the element was a little stronger towards the back since you’re
whipped through it, but it’s great anywhere. After a strong start, Taron starts meandering.
The rest of the first half doesn’t do much in the force department. You get
some faint laterals on a few turns and there’s one s-dip with some very weak floater airtime.
But this section is mostly about the visuals as you dive through buildings, past rocks,
and over pathways. You really need to be up front or else this section can feel sluggish.
But then you drop down to the ride’s lowest point and hit the second launch which accelerates you to
the ride’s top speed of 73 mph or 117 kph. This launch is what earned Taron the honor as the
world’s fastest multi-launch coaster. This launch has a good kick to it and the sense of speed is
amplified since you’re boxed in on all sides. Taron then winds upwards through a banked turn.
You get a quick blast of positives at the start of the element and then you get a refreshing
spritz as the adjacent waterfall mists riders. This is arguably the best near-miss on the ride,
especially since it does actually hit guests to an extent.
This upwards turn brings you to Taron’s highest point of 98 feet
or 30 meters, which seems surprisingly short for a coaster with Taron’s top speed.
You then navigate these elevated s-bends that unfortunately don’t do too much before diving
down and to the left. If you’re in the back row, you’ll get some weak floater airtime and laterals
on this dip as you’re pulled down it. Taron then rockets through the ride’s
strongest overbank, which pairs the usually great near-misses with some mild force.
Taron then charges over back-to-back s-hills. The first offers a great pop of ejector airtime and
strong laterals. The second offers similarly good laterals, but only a weak floater pop of airtime.
You then zoom around an elevated helix that hugs the rockwork before heading towards the
ride’s final bunny hill. But on the way, you hit a trim brake that will slow the ride down.
I imagine the bunny hill could give some nice ejector airtime without the speed loss, but
since you’re trimmed, it only offers decent floater airtime throughout the train.
Taron then winds into the brake run, ending the 4331 foot or 1320 meter long coaster.
Like many Intamin creations, Taron is immaculately smooth.
There isn’t a hint of a rattle. This smooth trackwork combined with the amazing trains
makes this one of the most reridable coasters out there.
Taron’s biggest flaw is its pacing. The start of the first and second halves are great.
The sense of speed is incredible and there is a strong mix of airtime and laterals.
But the ends of both sections really seem to fade. It feels like Taron is meandering at points.
Maybe that was deliberate so you could appreciate the theming at a more leisurely pace,
but I just wish those parts could have offered some sort of forces to go with
those visuals. For comparison, I think this was executed better on Velocicoaster’s first half.
So what would I rate Taron? I would give this Intamin multi-launch coaster an 8.5 out of 10.
Taron is a very good roller coaster. The ride’s biggest strength is that otherworldly theming. The
way Taron is integrated with Klugheim is nothing short of amazing. This leads to some of the best
near-misses of any coaster and it’s darn near impossible to memorize this coaster’s layout.
And unlike most coasters with this level of theming, Taron is a thrill ride.
The launches, first camelback, and s-hills are fantastic. The ride is uneven as it fades
towards the end of the first and second halves, which is why I do think it’s a bit overrated,
but it’s still a great coaster that offers a ride experience matched by very few rides.
I do think FLY is now the best attraction at Phantasialand,
but I think most people will be 50-50 which ride they prefer.
So those are my thoughts on Taron, the stunningly beautiful launch coaster at Phantasialand.
Have you ridden this coaster? Or do you think it’s a little overrated like me? I would love
to hear what you think about Taron 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!