- News all the latest
- Theme Park explore the park
- Resort tour the resort
- Future looking forward
- History looking back
- Community and meetups
-
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. - Thread starter CSLKenny
- Start date
- Favourite Ride
- Balder BEEP BEEP
- Favourite Ride
- Matterhorn Blitz (with an Aperol Spritz!)
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
- Favourite Ride
- The Giant Squid
[2025] Europa-Park General Discussion
Alix
TS Member
Chimp and I have just completed our first trip to EP and Rulantica. I won't do a trip report because nothing out of the ordinary happened, but had a few observations.
I deliberately didn't do too much research as I wanted to be surprised - and trusted the app would be helpful. But I did check where vegan options should be and other essential info.
The app is terrible if you don't know the site at all (or don't know people who do and have them on speed dial). Was telling us to walk through walls or lakes in order to get to rides, virtual line would state one time then change it to another when you clicked, sometimes hours later which meant it was no longer convenient, had false information about which food outlets had vegan options, so we'd traipse over there to be disappointed, and just generally was more of a hindrance than a help. Other parks' apps are much more helpful, Efteling's for example, and I'm not sure why EP's is so shonky.
The paper map wasn't much better, locations of entrances were sometimes difficult to find, clear info on where the trains go was difficult to find, we spent a lot of time trying to find something then giving up because we'd somehow ended up on France AGAIN (couldn't escape the place sometimes it felt).
Ride photos were a bit disappointing - no photo pass or similar to collect all our photos, and no fancy videos like other places do. No virtual option either (that we could find) so the few photos we did get ended up a bit crumpled in the rucksack.
But, saying all that, we did have a good time. The coasters were on the whole very good, the innovations such as moving floors and fancy lockers on Arthur and Voltron were impressive, we didn't see any shows as we prioritised re rides which was a bit of a shame but it's such a large park (and we got lost so much) it was too much to stomach trekking across park.
We stayed in El Anduluz and I was very impressed, beautiful even though it was the cheapest option, and close to the early access gate in the mornings. We didn't rate Bodega or Silver Lake Saloon, but Don Quixote was perfectly fine, even if they served the 14 year old chimp a real mojito rather than the nojito she asked for. Fun times.
I expected to hate Rulantica and did (it's really not my thing at all), but Chimp enjoyed it and only lamented not having someone to do those horrendous contraptions (slides ) with.
Overall, probably 8/10. Much better than what we have here, but had enough annoyances to mean Efteling is still my favourite.
Ready to be exiled for such heresy...
I deliberately didn't do too much research as I wanted to be surprised - and trusted the app would be helpful. But I did check where vegan options should be and other essential info.
The app is terrible if you don't know the site at all (or don't know people who do and have them on speed dial). Was telling us to walk through walls or lakes in order to get to rides, virtual line would state one time then change it to another when you clicked, sometimes hours later which meant it was no longer convenient, had false information about which food outlets had vegan options, so we'd traipse over there to be disappointed, and just generally was more of a hindrance than a help. Other parks' apps are much more helpful, Efteling's for example, and I'm not sure why EP's is so shonky.
The paper map wasn't much better, locations of entrances were sometimes difficult to find, clear info on where the trains go was difficult to find, we spent a lot of time trying to find something then giving up because we'd somehow ended up on France AGAIN (couldn't escape the place sometimes it felt).
Ride photos were a bit disappointing - no photo pass or similar to collect all our photos, and no fancy videos like other places do. No virtual option either (that we could find) so the few photos we did get ended up a bit crumpled in the rucksack.
But, saying all that, we did have a good time. The coasters were on the whole very good, the innovations such as moving floors and fancy lockers on Arthur and Voltron were impressive, we didn't see any shows as we prioritised re rides which was a bit of a shame but it's such a large park (and we got lost so much) it was too much to stomach trekking across park.
We stayed in El Anduluz and I was very impressed, beautiful even though it was the cheapest option, and close to the early access gate in the mornings. We didn't rate Bodega or Silver Lake Saloon, but Don Quixote was perfectly fine, even if they served the 14 year old chimp a real mojito rather than the nojito she asked for. Fun times.
I expected to hate Rulantica and did (it's really not my thing at all), but Chimp enjoyed it and only lamented not having someone to do those horrendous contraptions (slides ) with.
Overall, probably 8/10. Much better than what we have here, but had enough annoyances to mean Efteling is still my favourite.
Ready to be exiled for such heresy...
Rowe
TS Member
Let it be known all Europa-Park and Rulantica opinions, rankings and criticisms are valid here
Even us die hard fans can, will and shall grouse over questionable decisions made by management et al.
Skyscraper
TS Member
Cough EDventure
Poisson
TS Member
I've somehow survived when preferring Phantasia to EP all these years. Preferring Efteling to EP is much more palatable to the masses.
As much as I like the super themed entrances etc, some of them (like the Monorail in Iceland and the toilets in Scandinavia) are a little *too* well themed if anything.
As much as I like the super themed entrances etc, some of them (like the Monorail in Iceland and the toilets in Scandinavia) are a little *too* well themed if anything.
Soprano187
TS Member
I’m in the middle of a fairly long trip here. Heres a few points that might be of interest:
1. Don’t think good weather in summer is guaranteed;
2. Rain can turn a busy 90% crowd calendar day into a Wodan 10min / Voltron 15min / Water Rides walk-on day;
3. The Brazilian buffet at Alcazar at €47.50 p. adult now includes unlimited soft drinks. Waiter told us its for this month and next month. Sounds like a trial following the implementation at Silver Lake City. Will know by end of trip if its all buffets as got plenty more booked;
4. Theres a new fast food stall just before you get to the Chinese Aroma place. Pizza burgers hotdogs etc. Looked really new. And nice. Don’t remember it from last year. Haven’t tried it yet. Decent prices. 4min walk from Andaluz / Bell Rock. Stops serving food at 10pm. Pizza vending machine 24/7 next door;
5. I’m a pizza monster, and i don’t discriminate, i can go gourmet handmade fresh or frozen pizza from aldi. But the vending machine is pretty much cardboard. Might be ok if you’re utterly sloshed;
6. The Samsala show in England.. if you’ve got young kids that don’t speak German, absolutely FORGET it. My kids were climbing the walls. So so speech heavy unlike many EP shows;
7. If you have young kids, ignore everyone else on this forum but me regarding the Grand Prix ride
My kids LOVE it;
8. If you have a kid below 1.3m and one above 1.3m then you can get the baby switch at Voltron, go on with the bigger kid and then afterwards the other adult can use the baby switch to jump to after the locker and take the bigger kid on again, allowing the bigger kid to back-to-back the ride (not sure if this is a universal tip);
9. Euromir does not seem to be a strict 1.3m. My kid was 1.27m and the dude at the start with the stick acknowledged it was under but gave the nod that it is ok for him to go on. Tried Blue Fire and it was a hard no;
10. If you have young kids, don’t miss the bubble show in Ireland!
1. Don’t think good weather in summer is guaranteed;
2. Rain can turn a busy 90% crowd calendar day into a Wodan 10min / Voltron 15min / Water Rides walk-on day;
3. The Brazilian buffet at Alcazar at €47.50 p. adult now includes unlimited soft drinks. Waiter told us its for this month and next month. Sounds like a trial following the implementation at Silver Lake City. Will know by end of trip if its all buffets as got plenty more booked;
4. Theres a new fast food stall just before you get to the Chinese Aroma place. Pizza burgers hotdogs etc. Looked really new. And nice. Don’t remember it from last year. Haven’t tried it yet. Decent prices. 4min walk from Andaluz / Bell Rock. Stops serving food at 10pm. Pizza vending machine 24/7 next door;
5. I’m a pizza monster, and i don’t discriminate, i can go gourmet handmade fresh or frozen pizza from aldi. But the vending machine is pretty much cardboard. Might be ok if you’re utterly sloshed;
6. The Samsala show in England.. if you’ve got young kids that don’t speak German, absolutely FORGET it. My kids were climbing the walls. So so speech heavy unlike many EP shows;
7. If you have young kids, ignore everyone else on this forum but me regarding the Grand Prix ride
My kids LOVE it; 8. If you have a kid below 1.3m and one above 1.3m then you can get the baby switch at Voltron, go on with the bigger kid and then afterwards the other adult can use the baby switch to jump to after the locker and take the bigger kid on again, allowing the bigger kid to back-to-back the ride (not sure if this is a universal tip);
9. Euromir does not seem to be a strict 1.3m. My kid was 1.27m and the dude at the start with the stick acknowledged it was under but gave the nod that it is ok for him to go on. Tried Blue Fire and it was a hard no;
10. If you have young kids, don’t miss the bubble show in Ireland!