Dubai: Technical glitches have hit two popular rides at the Ferrari World theme park in Abu Dhabi leading to their temporary closure, XPRESS can reveal.
V12 and G Force have been shut down and there's no word on when they'll be operational again.
Flume ride V12 takes visitors into the heart of a 12-cylinder Ferrari 599 engine, while G Force blasts them 62 metres into the air.
In an e-mail statement to XPRESS, Andy Keeling, Park Manager, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, admitted that G Force and V12 had been temporarily closed but he attributed the closure to enhancements. He didn't say when the rides will restart. "The advanced technology within each attraction means that from time to time it is necessary to perform routine maintenance and upgrades to improve the show value, and in line with this, two of our rides are temporarily closed for enhancement; G-Force and V12. The rides will return to full operation once the work has been completed.
Regular updates
"We have been constantly updating guests with daily info on ride operation through our website and on entry to the park. All guests are fully informed prior to purchasing a ticket," Keeling said.
However, people who purchased tickets from group-buying website Gonabit said they were not given any prior notice. Over 1,000 people bought tickets at 50 per cent discount (Dh225 for two tickets with against the original price of Dh450) not knowing that the two rides were inaccessible.
"Had I known about it earlier, I wouldn't have bought the tickets. I wanted to go on a ride, not be taken for a ride," said Sharjah resident Nazia Khan, 28, who visited the Theme Park last Saturday.
Dubai resident Gloria, who was there with eight friends, said she bought the discounted tickets from Gonabit thinking it was a good deal, but regrets her decision now. "Two of the rides were not working and there were technical issues with Formula Rossa as well. We had to wait for more than hour before I could get into the roller coaster," she said.
"It is regrettable that select rides were temporarily out of service... as with any deal, Nabbers are referred to the terms and conditions; in this instance, Nabbers are continually advised to check the park's website for the latest information before visiting Ferrari World," said Dan Stuart, CEO and Co-founder, GoNabit.com.
