• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

Phantasialand: General Discussion

Looks like Phantasialand have finally upgraded their hotel booking system. I booked ealier this year for 3 nights this august, after reading on here about the hotels wanting a bank transfer for payment (plus my email confirmation stated the same) I emailed yesterday asking if could pay via credit card (as read on here previously). They have emailed back this morning and now use a new online booking system where you can pay for your booking using all major credit and debit cards and as I booked when was still the old system have sent me the link to my booking in their new system.
 
Does anyone have any experience or recommendations for staying offsite when visiting Phantasialand, without a car? I am planning a group trip for which the onsite hotels likely won't work (or even be available). Staying offsite seems a little more difficult than Europa Park, which is surrounded by hotels within walking distance.
 
I stayed at the Premier Inn in Köln itself last time and got the tram and shuttle bus for both days. It was super easy and very reasonable.
 
There’s a shuttle bus from Brühl station that runs roughly every half hour (with a couple of breaks in the day). It’s €4 for a return ticket.
www.phantasialand.de

Phantasialand | Arrival and shuttle bus - Phantasialand

www.phantasialand.de www.phantasialand.de

That’s probably the best option in terms of variety of offsite hotels, as you have the whole of Cologne city centre at your disposal. It’s just a short local train ride from the main station, Köln Hbf to Brühl (about half an hour).
 
+1 for staying in Köln! You have the trains from Brühl Bf or the trams from Brühl Mitte which take you directly into the city. Both are served by the PL shuttle bus.
 
Wonderful, thanks everyone for the input. Seems like there are a lot of decent options, mostly hinging on how much travel we want to do at the end of the day. The H+ hotel seems like a good deal all in all: walking distance to the park, inexpensive, and a number of seemingly decent food options in the hotel and the surrounding neighborhood. Before I asked here I was looking into the hotels closer to the shuttle stop in Brühl, most of which seem like a worse deal overall than the H+ one. So I'm glad I asked :)
 
Checked out the new African village and other new things this year. Quite remarkable the transformation the area has undergone in recent years; the new buildings offer nice new corners to explore, an interactive telephone exchange, new seating and tables.
With classic PHL engineering solutions the new buildings are mostly actually on stilts between the midway and coaster envelope.
Fy_gNfpXsAMIb3k

Fy_gOdnXgAE0Fo5



From: https://twitter.com/cslkenny/status/1670800503989497858


With final touches like trees and flowers being added, and the new Africa facades on the rear of Berlin finished, the new loop pathway over Mamba's station roof is nearly complete, and it's been added now to the park map, so presumably opening is imminent.
No word yet what the new F&B outlet will sell (although with DIA Drinks painted on one side and the water tower theming element I suspect drinks of some sort).
PXL_20230630_121042930.jpg

PXL_20230630_123451366.jpg


A GIF showing the overall transformation of Deep In Africa following the last years of plussing work with new theming, F&B outlets, paths, Kroka's Lodge and the Adventure Trail - 2019 vs 2023.
IMB_Fy9yc4.gif


In Berlin the new building with stairs built last year is also nearly finished - the area will finally have a major toilets facility.
PXL_20230630_145313208.jpg
 
The new Berlin central toilets facility has opened today providing 46 toilet cubicles and 20 urinals, and the detailed 1920s theming holds a few surprise Easter eggs.


From: https://www.instagram.com/p/Curg6TDt193/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==


IMG_2288.png

IMG_2287.png

IMG_2286.png

IMG_2285.png

IMG_2281.png



Easter eggs to International Travel Exhibitions taking place in Berlin's Gardens. Another such poster makes a direction reference to displays about Africa.
IMG_2282.png

F1AL5NWXsAE0cUU



Another poster references former simulator attraction Galaxy (1994 - 2005) and its mascot 'Alex from Galax' (an alien of the Siantapha species). The film was replaced by Race for Atlantis until when the whole simulator was removed for the construction of Rookburgh.
IMG_2280.png
 
There is more theming in that one set of toilets in Phantasialand than in the entirety of the UK's theme park toilets put together.

Do we need themed toilets - no, but do we want them, yes!

That's why Phantasialand is one of my favourite parks - they don't have to, but they do.
 
CSLKenny deserves some sort of award for reporting on not only the news, and not only on the exact number of both toilets and urinals at the newly opened bathrooms, but for explaining the deep references and easter eggs that would surely have gone over my head otherwise

From that detailed explanation, that level of theming reminds me of Disneyland... and I reckon that's about the highest praise you can give to themed bathrooms
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top