Mystic

By late May 2019, Mystic was ready to meet its riders. Looopings reported that Walibi Rhône-Alpes would officially open the new coaster that same week and that an onride video was already online. For fans, this changed the perspective: Mystic was no longer only concept art or a construction update, but a complete ride experience seen from the train. The statistics explained why it mattered for the French park: 31 metres tall, 575 metres long and a top speed of 85 kilometres per hour. The ride's most distinctive promise was its mix of a vertical lift, three inversions and a backwards section. The voodoo theme gave Mystic a recognisable identity within Festival City, turning it into more than a technical expansion. For visitors, the report meant the wait was almost over: the new headline coaster was about to become part of an actual day out. In Mystic's history, this is the turning point from anticipation to operation, when the announced Gerstlauer infinity coaster became a public attraction for Walibi Rhône-Alpes.

In April 2019, Mystic moved from concept art to physical reality. Walibi Rhône-Alpes released a timelapse showing the coaster taking shape step by step: foundations first, then supports, and finally the last pieces of track. For coaster fans, the video offered more than a construction update. It revealed how a compact Gerstlauer infinity coaster comes together and why this ride would stand out in the park's line-up. Looopings listed the key figures: 31 metres tall, 575 metres long, with a vertical lift, an inversion and a twisted halfpipe with a switch that sends riders backwards. A top speed of 85 kilometres per hour and a voodoo theme gave Mystic a clear thrill identity. By comparing it with Gold Rush at Slagharen and Fury at Bobbejaanland, the article also placed the ride within a familiar European family of Gerstlauer coasters. For visitors, the story signalled the final countdown to opening: Mystic was scheduled for June and would give Walibi Rhône-Alpes its fifth coaster. Historically, this was the moment the earlier promise became visible steel.

At the end of 2017, it became clear that Walibi Rhône-Alpes was preparing another serious investment. After Timber and the plans for three new Festival City attractions, a video presentation by owner Compagnie des Alpes pointed to a more ambitious next step: a new Gerstlauer infinity coaster for 2019. The name Mystic had not yet been announced, but the ingredients already stood out. Looopings reported a vertical lift, an inversion and a special element that was still being kept secret. That mystery mattered to coaster fans, because Gerstlauer's infinity coaster format is known for fitting dramatic layouts into relatively compact spaces. For visitors, the news showed that Walibi Rhône-Alpes was not only building family capacity, but also preparing a new headline thrill ride. In a wider context, the article captured Compagnie des Alpes' strategy of strengthening its regional parks with recognizable, marketable additions. For Mystic, this is the opening chapter: no name or full theme yet, but already a clear sign that the French Walibi park wanted a coaster with real fan appeal.