Days 9-11 - Europa-Park
These theme park trips are often as far away from a relaxing holiday as you could possibly get. When you're changing hotel most nights and visiting a different theme park every day, things can get very tiring quickly, so it was very, very welcome to have 5 nights in El Andaluz, with 3 full days in the main theme park. With it being somewhere all 7 of us have visited countless times in the past, the prospect of a more relaxing few days, without the need to jam in as many rides as possible, was welcome.
Rides
Despite what I just said, we still averaged around 19 rides a day, but due to the fact that the park closed at 6pm on the first 2 days, and 7pm on the 3rd, we felt quite rushed. Unfortunately the guest numbers didn't accurately reflect the closing times, and each day would ordinarily have been extended to around 7.30pm based on crowds alone. (Yes, normally it's minimum 8pm throughout August, but I'm not taking this into account.)
As per usual, the rides were often running flat out, and the generally-respected social distancing helped the longer-than-usual queues to move very quickly. For instance, Poseidon to the first staircase was only 15 minutes, and Silver Star way out the entrance into the staff access area was just 20. We literally didn't stop moving on a couple of our rides on Silver Star in the indoor section. Madness! It was also great to see batchers in previously free-for-all stations. Silver Star
really benefits from it, but due to its inherently high throughput, the staff member must never stop or they'll fall behind very quickly. I also found the stations much more manageable on the likes of Poseidon and Atlantica SuperSplash as a result.
Accommodation
The room we had in El Andaluz was great! This was my first proper stay on resort, after 1 night in Krønasår in December, and it was lovely to have a base for more than 2 nights. We had a ground floor room equipped with 2 huge double beds, which seems like the best, roomiest standard arrangement that is offered in the EP hotels. Our check-in process was a bit complicated, considering we had a combination of "Best Friends" discount, park tickets, EP clubcards and splitting 4 ways to take into account, but we got there eventually.
The housekeeping team were very efficient too, which was noted when one member of our group knocked a large glass bottle of sparkling water onto the floor which shattered everywhere, and they came to clean it all up and replace it very quickly indeed! The only issues I had with the room was the faulty temperature gauge on the shower, and lack of plug sockets. After unplugging the TV, I think we had one each, and only 1 of which was next to a bed.
The breakfast situation was far from perfect though, and not what you'd expect from a 4-star hotel. The first morning was by far the worst, as there was a long queue to get into Don Quichotte, then when you were seated, another long queue for the buffet. I think we visited at about 9.30am on the first morning, and the restaurant simply couldn't cope with that amount of people with that set-up. The continental buffet had been converted to counter-service, but could have done with a 3rd staff member to speed it all up. Fortunately, the other mornings weren't too bad queue-wise. The hot food had to be ordered at your table, which a waiter would then promptly bring over to you, though it was a shame hash browns weren't an option.
Dining
There were a number of eating establishments closed during our time at EP, including Walters Wurst and SPICES; a shame given that they're 2 of my favourite places. Still, it made the decisions about where to eat a lot easier! I had a meal at both Fjord Restaurant and the new Bamboe Baai, both of which were delicious. I can't think of many places where you can be eating in a theme park restaurant, and one of the park owners (also head of F&B) is eating the same food as you having a business meeting a few tables away. It really says something about the quality of the place. It was also my first time in Bamboe Baai, having never experienced it before the fire, and really enjoyed the dishes that were on offer - a good alternative to SPICES if you're looking for something a little more exotic.
As for the evenings, we had a varied selection of: Silver Lake Saloon, Gasthaus zum Ochsen Rust, Spirit of St Louis and Captain's Finest. The Rangers Best in Silver Lake was very tasty, as was the Club Sandwich in SoSL, and the steak was to die for in Captain's Finest, as always. The main difference on this trip was that we ventured out into the village and enjoyed a meal at Gasthaus zum Ochsen, which served a plethora of different German dishes that you wouldn't ordinarily get on resort. The portions were huge and prices competitive, so I'd thoroughly recommend going here for a night away from the hotels. We were all pleasantly surprised! Alles gut, alles klar.
After the last night at Europa-Park, we set off on a 2-hour drive to Tripsdrill!
