• 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.

[2025] Europa-Park General Discussion

Bowser said:
Thanks all, sounds doable then!

Is Arthur as strict? Seems a bit OTT from what i've seen of the ride considering how typical suspended rollercoasters operate. Or is that more to do with so much of the ride operating above public areas?
Click to expand...

The entire station is on a conveyor. There is no time for faffing about. That's why it's lockers before the station, and I imagine the park see loose items as an extension to the faff.
 
With Europa-Park having recently closed at the end of the 2024/25 season, this topic has now been renamed as 2025 General Discussion.
 
I found it was possible to get away with something in an inside zipped pocket on Voltron, but definitely nothing in regular leg pockets. There are a pair of hosts stood specifically looking at those as you approach the stairs up to the station. They obviously can't clock non-visible items though!

On the other hand I witnessed multiple times guests with phones out on display in the single rider queue (already upstairs) and the batcher just ignoring them. It's definitely up to the individual.
 
I wouldn't want to risk anything on Voltron regardless, even in a zip pocket. It is that bonkers! Anything not in a zip pocket is likely to be flung out, and anything in a zip pocket could be rather uncomfortable depending on where the restraint locks.
 
Not content with the amount of VR on the park, AR is now being tested on EuroTow'AR'.



I do find this to be a nice additional touch if it goes ahead, albeit I'm curious as to what the upcharge will be.
 
This is quite a cool idea; I think AR has a lot more untapped potential than VR, and the fusion between computer generated content and real vision could make for some interesting opportunities!

On a side note, however; I’m absolutely baffled by Europa’s continued love of VR/AR. Europa Park seems to be the only park in the world still actively pursuing virtual reality on theme park rides (it seemed to die out everywhere else a good 6 or 7 years ago, and almost everywhere else that whacked VR on a coaster removed it a couple of years later), and putting VR on things seems almost actively at odds with their mission for maximum efficiency. Their continued infatuation with VR when practically everywhere else has moved on from it seems odd at first glance…
 
Matt N said:
This is quite a cool idea; I think AR has a lot more untapped potential than VR, and the fusion between computer generated content and real vision could make for some interesting opportunities!

On a side note, however; I’m absolutely baffled by Europa’s continued love of VR/AR. Europa Park seems to be the only park in the world still actively pursuing virtual reality on theme park rides (it seemed to die out everywhere else a good 6 or 7 years ago, and almost everywhere else that whacked VR on a coaster removed it a couple of years later), and putting VR on things seems almost actively at odds with their mission for maximum efficiency. Their continued infatuation with VR when practically everywhere else has moved on from it seems odd at first glance…
Click to expand...

Ha i was thinking the same.... although if anywhere can get away with it, the park with some of the best operations in the world is the one to do it.
 
I think it is smart to continue exploring the VR/AR possibilities. One day the technical problems and other inconveniences will be solved and they will have a head start.
 
Gurkensalat said:
I think it is smart to continue exploring the VR/AR possibilities. One day the technical problems and other inconveniences will be solved and they will have a head start.
Click to expand...

Personally I don’t think that will ever be true, at least with rollercoasters. Donning some form of headset or glasses is always going to negatively impact operations and I think detract from the experience for many.

Rides outside of that perhaps but even then you’re still going to face issues with immersion and socialising which are major parts of the theme park experience and imo will keep it as a niche interest.

In fairness I think the AR of Mario Kart seems to work very well and they do an excellent job negating throughput issues but again that relies on dozens of staff members and is still a ride that rarely has a queue under 2 hours. And I still found myself wanting to experience it without AR as it’s so distracting,

What Europa actually do with just the back row of one coaster offering upcharge VR seems like the best solution for that type of ride currently. Beyond that I think we are looking at very distant technological developments.
 
As @Bowser said, I don’t see parks returning to VR en masse any time soon. Regardless of how much screen quality increases or whatever, you’re never going to get around the fact that it completely shoots operations in the foot and is quite temperamental technology.

I remember the brief period when VR was taking the theme park world by storm. I seem to remember 2016 being the year where loads and loads of stuff got VR whacked onto it, with a few VR conversions, albeit less, in 2017 as well. By 2019, pretty much all of those VR conversions were reversed, which I think speaks volumes about how unsuccessful VR coasters were as an experiment, and I don’t see parks being in a rush to repeat this any time soon.
 
Mack are the inventors of a modern VR coaster system and own the company VR Coaster. So naturally they have a vested interest in continuing to refine and expand the products on offer. It will never stop for them.
 
CSLKenny said:
Mack are the inventors of a modern VR coaster system and own the company VR Coaster. So naturally they have a vested interest in continuing to refine and expand the products on offer. It will never stop for them.
Click to expand...
As a ride manufactor surely Mack only have a vested interest in products they can sell or hope to sell in a high enough quantity to give them a return on r&d. Who is buying it at this point? It's very odd.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top