Richard Bannister

Today's itinerary involved an early morning flight to Paris followed by a lengthy drive to Parc Fenestre, with two quick credit stops along the way. If things had gone to schedule I'd have managed everything, but a computer breakdown at the car rental agency delayed my escape from the airport by almost ninety minutes, wiping out my planned slack time. Rather than cut things too fine I decided I'd be better to leave Winnoland for another day.

It was raining when I arrived at Royaume des Enfants Draveil, but the noise of an operational coaster was impossible to miss. Given that, I quickly purchased my tokens and headed to the ride. The operator had disappeared, presumably for a smoke, but eventually rematerialised after I'd been standing on the entrance platform looking stupid for almost a quarter of an hour. Souris Aventure (#2067) had a tyre drive lift hill, but otherwise was exactly what I'd anticipated; one more Big Apple tick to add to my collection.

One small warning for the reader; several rides at Royaume des Enfants Draveil close for a two hour lunch break from 12:00-14:00. While the coaster wasn't affected today, those on a tight schedule should probably avoid the midday window just in case the list changes.

Parc Fenestre is a substantial municipal park located in a remote area of central France, about four hours drive from Paris, and almost an hour from the nearest big city, Clermont-Ferrand. The reader might legitimately ask why I'd bother driving such a long way to get on a family ride that is not a credit; the answer is that I'm somewhat of a completist, and I wanted to finish the Soquet set.

Chenille Fantastique follows a triangular path around a field at the back of the park. The ride begins with a massive mechanical clunk as the station brake is disengaged, after which the train begins to slowly pick up speed. The first section of the course has a few small track dips, though these might as well not be there as they don't result in any airtime. Next, the train rounds a corner and slows significantly as it crests a hill rising a few feet above the terrain. The drop from this is the highlight of the ride; a powered fifteen foot descent into a sharp turn with minimal banking that throws riders to one side of the car. Unfortunately, this is also the only portion of the ride that I'd describe as thrilling. After three laps I'd had enough; I disembarked, took my photos, and wandered back to my car.