Each of Taiwan's major amusement parks tries to have something unique. Yamay Discovery World boasts a coaster style I had never seen before this trip. But first, you walk down a large walkway to the entrance.
I bet this place looked great when the paint was fresh. It seems like fading is a bit of an issue here. Actually, the stores that line the entrance way just inside the gates feel kind of empty. Perhaps it was because it was low season, but this portion of the park was a little creepy.
But go around the corner, and you come to this coaster. It's called Gravity Max. Notice how the track just ends? Well, the train rolls to the end of the tracks...
Then that portion of the track swings down 90 degrees, attaches to the vertical portion of the track, and off you go! That part of the ride is pretty fun, but after that the coaster isn't anything special.
The theming was pretty nice throughout the park. Some rides were inside pavilions which helped keep things cool. And I never saw it, but I think a teen stunt show could be worth watching.
More great theming for a trick art photo thing and a burger restaurant.
One ride that seems to be pretty popular in Asia is the Top Spin. That's okay because I love Top Spins!
Discovery World at Yamay Resort has its own cactus garden.
Melody Maker is just like the Disney teacups.
For an Asian Ferris wheel, this one is kind of small.
There's another coaster! While Taiwan's amusement parks have a good selection of rides for kids, they lack in rides which provide a thrill but can be ridden over and over. And lots of coasters.
I found a castle!
I swear Taiwan's amusement parks are themed based on the Roller Coaster Tycoon game, and this calm ride would fit right in.
There's a nice river or lake in the middle of the park.
Gravity Max is up near the front, and a train is about to go down the first drop!
I don't know what this industrial complex thing was. It appeared to have no purpose.
A popular pirate ship is positioned over the lake. Why are those things so popular?
I like this shot. In front of Gravity Max is a swings-like ride that spins around; you move a joystick back and forth to make your seat swing in and out. If you know how to time things properly you can get some good swinging action going.
Well, that's it for Yamay. It's a fun park, but I realized I had done everything within an hour or two of arriving. I was able to have fun riding some attractions multiple times, but as you can see from the shadows (or lack of them) that I left early in the afternoon. There are a lot of smaller attractions that I probably shoulda-coulda rode to draw out my visit.
Discovery World at Yamay Resort - now apparently called Lihpao Land - is located near Taichung; take the train to Houli Station. There is supposedly a free shuttle bus now, but last year (when it was Discovery World) I just grabbed a taxi to get to the park. There also appears to be a bus (#155) from Taichung that leaves every 30 minutes, so you might want to ask at their visitor's center. And if you're really interested in a long bus trip, there seems to be a bus from Taipei. Admission is NT$800, but a special price that is given to foreigners might be NT$590. Actually that happened at a lot of parks in Taiwan; don't be surprised to get a discount if you're obviously a westerner! The park opens at 9:00 and closes at 5:30 (later in summer and during Chinese new year). The park's
English website is located here; it has good basic information but the
Chinese-language site has bus timetables as well as a list of attractions that are scheduled to be closed during the day (even for an hour or so).
I should mention that while the park appears to have been rebranded this year, it doesn't have any new rides listed and all the rides I remember being there are still on the website.
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