Fuji-Q Highland (5-6-1 Shin-Nishihara, Fujiyoshida City, Yamanashi Prefecture) will open “San-X Paradise,” a permanent area where visitors can enjoy the world of San-X characters, on August 1.
“Sumikko Gurashi Balloon Cupcakes” is an outdoor rotating ride where guests can enjoy a stroll through the sky while riding on balloon cupcakes featuring the faces of the Sumikko characters. There are eight cupcakes in total, with a capacity of 32 children or 16 adults.
The fee is 800 yen per ride (included in the One-Day Pass). The height requirement is 90 cm or taller; preschoolers and children under 105 cm must be accompanied by a middle school student or older, and children under 3 years of age are not permitted to ride.
The character (cupcake) you’re shown is chosen at random, and the lineup includes a polar bear, a penguin?, tonkatsu, a cat, a lizard, the tail of a fried shrimp, the tail of a fried horse mackerel, and the tail of a shrimp tempura.
Before boarding, you’ll be given a card featuring each character, so be sure to ride the cupcake with the same character. The back of the card contains important safety instructions, so please be sure to read them before boarding.
After entering, you must check your bags and backpacks in the luggage baskets. Any items in your pockets that might fall out, as well as items worn around your neck (such as keys, ticket holders, and neck coolers), must be placed inside your bag. Photography is not permitted while on board.
To get a sense of what the ride is like, imagine a slightly smaller version of the octopus-shaped rides—such as “Octopus”—that can be found at amusement parks and theme parks across the country.
Not only does the central shaft connecting the eight cupcakes rotate, but each cupcake also moves up and down while rotating on its own. The handle in the center isn’t just for gripping; you can also use it to adjust the rotation, just like you would with a coffee cup.
However, the handle is thick, and it takes quite a bit of strength to turn it. Preschoolers and children in the early elementary grades should either have an adult assist them or just go with the flow.
A reporter tried it out at the preview event; because the ride moves up and down so much, you get a great view of the San-X area while you’re up high. The cupcake-shaped seats are fairly deep, and combined with the reassuring feeling of being securely fastened at the waist with a belt, even this reporter—who isn’t a fan of floating sensations or heights—was able to enjoy it quite a bit.
However, I found that focusing only on what was right in front of me made me feel a little queasy, so for people with sensitive inner ears or those who haven’t ridden a ride in a while, I recommend keeping the steering wheel still and gazing at the distant scenery as much as possible.
According to the official website, the ride’s thrill level is rated 3 stars out of 5, and its spin level is rated 5 stars. The top speed is 20 km/h, the height is 2.5 meters, and the maximum incline is 20 degrees. The ride lasts 1 minute and 30 seconds.
During the test ride, there was only one adult per ride, and since we had time to adjust the orientation of the cupcake as we got off, the actual ride time was just under two minutes.
A total of two outdoor attractions have opened at San-X Paradise. We’ll cover the other attraction, “Rilakkuma’s Makumaku Sweets Buffet,” in a separate article. Additionally, one more indoor attraction is scheduled to open this fall.
© Source travel watch