Mælkevejen is a 2019 powered coaster by Mack Rides. Its size and layout are very similar to the former powered coaster it replaced but this new one is a much better thematic match with the surrounding area.

Out with the old, in with the new

One interesting fact about Tivoli Gardens is that they - despite being a fairly modest-sized park - are one of the most visited theme parks in Europe. However, despite their massive success as a park, they are also completely landlocked. This means, that whenever they want new stuff, they have to replace an existing ride. In 2018, they closed both their old Mack powered coaster 'Odinexpressen' and their small kiddie coaster and replaced them with two new, almost identical coasters. The kiddie coaster went from a Tivoli model (named after Tivoli Gardens) to a force coaster and the new coaster replacing the old Mack powered coaster was... a Mack powered coaster. I guess when you have a lot of money without any big expansion options, you don't mind spending the money tearing a coaster down and replacing it with a new one, over simply refurbishing the existing one. Alas, we now have Mælkevejen, a new lunar/space themed powered coaster on this plot of land.

Theming and views

Mælkevejen's biggest strength is undoubtedly its theming. From the pretty and colorful queue line and station to its equally amazing dazzling front train, it's clear that Tivoli Gardens really care about guests' continual immersion while traversing the park and trying the rides, and this ride is no exception. The views you get from the coaster's highest point are also really good, allowing you to glance over the busy streets outside the park's borders.

Doesn't reach its potential

Now it might seem like a weird statement to say that a powered coaster has high potential but if there is any park that could turn this into a highlight family coaster, it would be Tivoli Gardens. While the coaster offers nice views and some somewhat surprisingly intense turns before the station, we can't help but to feel like this coaster could've been more. Either a faster and more evenly-paced experience at the corner of the park or a longer, winding experience with more on-ride theming, perhaps like an indoor darkride section. In the end, it seems like they settled on a fun but unimpactful ride which easily could have been so much more.

Conclusion

Mælkevejen is a perfectly fine family coaster, especially for the younger audience. It's real pretty and doesn't break your immersion but while it does offer some nice views and a few thrills, its overall ride experience does feel somewhat incomplete and doesn't leave much of an impact. Now that is fine, for a powered coaster but we couldn't help but to feel they could have done so much more with a ride like this, in a park like this. In the end it's a decent enough family coaster.

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