Drakon Behind the Scenes

As part of the Paultons Park Super Fans Event 2026, we were given the opportunity to go behind the scenes of Drakon, the park's brand new Gerstlauer rollercoaster and the centrepiece attraction of Valgard – Realm of the Vikings.

Drakon is notable for featuring Paultons Park's first ever inversion, with the ride weaving and interacting with Raven, formerly known as Cobra, throughout its layout.

The behind the scenes experience took place beside the ride's viewing area, where guests were able to enter a restricted section of the attraction and get up close to one of Drakon's trains on the transfer track. During the tour, engineers demonstrated how the train can be moved from one section of track to another, with guests surprised to learn that the process is carried out manually rather than by a motorised system.

We also learnt more about the technical side of operating a modern rollercoaster. Drakon can be connected to the internet, allowing engineers from Gerstlauer to remotely access ride logs and diagnostic information to help identify and resolve any issues. This process is only carried out outside operating hours when a dedicated connection is established.

It was a fascinating look behind the scenes of one of the UK's newest rollercoasters and a chance to appreciate the work carried out by the highly skilled engineers responsible for keeping the attraction running safely and efficiently. We'd love to see the tour return in the future, perhaps with even more access to areas such as the lift hill and other behind the scenes locations.