Oblivion: The Black Hole
Oblivion: The Black Hole is a roller coaster of the amusement park at Gardaland in Italy close of Lake of Garda. The ride is one of many Dive Coaster models to be manufactured by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard. Since its opening, it became the first vertical drop roller coaster in Italy.[1] The ride is considered the 'sister' to the iconic Oblivion roller coaster at the also Merlin owned Alton Towers. The ride also (maybe unintentionally) shares part of its name with The Black Hole, a Jet star 2 rollercoaster that operated in the X sector section of Alton towers on the current site of The Smiler.
| Oblivion: The Black Hole | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Gardaland | |
| Location | Gardaland |
| Park section | Space Section |
| Coordinates | 45.4582°N 10.7111°E |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | March 28, 2015 |
| General statistics | |
| Type | Steel – Dive Coaster |
| Manufacturer | Bolliger & Mabillard |
| Model | Dive Coaster |
| Lift/launch system | Chain lift hill |
| Height | 139.4 ft (42.5 m) |
| Length | 1,856.9 ft (566.0 m) |
| Speed | 62.2 mph (100.1 km/h) |
| Inversions | 2 |
| Max vertical angle | 87° |
| Capacity | 1890 riders per hour |
| Height restriction | 140–195 cm (4 ft 7 in–6 ft 5 in) |
| Trains | 3 trains with 3 cars. Riders are arranged 6 across in a single row for a total of 18 riders per train. |
| Oblivion: The Black Hole at RCDB Pictures of Oblivion: The Black Hole at RCDB | |
Marketing
The theme and marketing campaign of the ride share many similarities to Oblivion, the world's first vertical drop roller coaster situated at fellow Merlin Entertainments park, Alton Towers. The ride also shares the same 'ultimate rollercoaster' slogan that was used originally for Thirteen also at Alton Towers.
Ride Experience
After climbing to the top of the lift hill, the train begins turning to the left before being suspended over a vertical drop on a holding brake. After a few seconds, the train is released and plummets down the vertical drop into a subterranean tunnel. After levelling out and ascending back out from the tunnel, the train flips through an immelmann and over an airtime hill, before navigating a 270° helix. Proceeding from the helix, the train passes through a heartline roll before entering the brake section and returning to the station.
Queue Line and Station
The queue line features two main sections, the outside compact queue pens and the themed inside queue line. The inside queue line features many different lighting effects also the walls are painted in orange, white and black throughout with images and diagrams that link to the theme of the ride. Before entering the station, the queue line goes over an orange bridge and into the station.