Spike
TS Contributor
- Favourite Ride
- Taron
Helloooo, long time member, long since posting.
I have been a member of TT and now TST since 2007 and since then I have watched countless trips to Europa happen and I have longed to visit this park since then. Last week my time finally came and I thought I’d share with you my experiences.
First of it was my first proper holiday in 24 years so it was special for many reasons and not just for Europa, but I have wanted to visited Europa for so long it’s untrue.
*Before I start rambling, I will warn that there will be comparisons – mainly to Alton. Not out of spite but because I’m not well travelled yet and it’s my only point of reference as Alton was the closest place to a themepark I had visited. There may also be spoilers included for those who may not have visited yet. I will also try to use a thesaurus as well because there will be only so many times I can use the words – fantastic, amazing, unbelievable. My views are based on my own experiences and do not conform to hype in any cases. Also, I started this review last weekend and stupidly constructed it into Word thinking I could copy and paste what I'd done into TST but sadly all my fonting, coloured flag text was lost on copying so I have had to copy and redo most of the stuff, but it's my own stupid fault. So it doesn't look as grand as it did in Word*
I really thought about where to begin and I wasn’t sure so I will just go ahead with...
PART 1 - The Park
First Impressions:
I was obviously excited to arrive and we arrived for the first day of our ‘Hopping Pass’ tour on the Sunday afternoon and so had a few hours to get a feel for the place. I think within an hour my mind had already been blown. It is a stunning place and I found it to be faultless in near enough every way. It was like walking into a ‘concept theme park’ for the future and a bench mark for what all theme parks should be like.
The best way to describe it is to review each area as displayed on the Europa site and what I rode during my time there and my ride count in brackets.
Starting with...
Adventure Land
A lovely African themed area with wonderful attention to detail, even the cigarette machines were themed wonderfully. It jumps and stands out at you the first time you go as you’re not really expecting it but you instantly feel involved.
African Queen(1 ride)
We rode this on our last day and it was a lovely short tour of the lake in the centre of the park. It has water guns on each side for added fun and a great family chilled ride connected with Jungle Rafts for great theming.
Jungle Rafts (3 Rides)
I am a sucker for transport rides (as you will see) and this one was just lovely. A great slow chilled ride around some great African style theming. I love the tunnel section and the length of the ride is great, a real relaxing ride, especially after on a hangover.
Germany
I’m guessing one of the first areas as it is located at the entrance to the park. It’s very grand and beautiful, more like a showcase entrance than a ride area, but I think that is the point.
Elf Ride(4 Rides)
This was one of my favourite transport/family rides in the park. A lush environment with wonderful escapism esq theming. It was charming, fun and as with all of Roland’s transport rides another well executed tunnel section. It was just such a cute ride “hallo, hello, hallo” made me smile.
Vintage Cars (1 Ride)
Again another well executed family transport ride. It had its moments but it was just a nice drive around a wonderful setting.
England
Would you believe that I never rode anything within this area whilst there. The London Bus and Crazy Taxi rides looked fun but not really for me. The area is very well themed and very British, they really did a good job of capturing stereotypical London I would say. Not sure on the Laser dodging attraction though, not sure where that fits in. I mean I love my lasers as does Bayliss and Ogoid but I would be most impressed if Europa did that based on us lol The smell from the English sweet shop was sublime though and the best smell of the whole trip.
France
Very mismatch theming I thought, it was beautiful – buildings wise - but also seemed very confused. It seemed like bodge job – last minute type of area as they had only the space to feature the rides included. (but this will seem picky as I completely understand the space required for rides)
Euro-Sat (3 rides)
I wasn’t aware there was a divide amongst Europa fans about this ride and Euro-Mir until I posted on Facebook. I was instructed to ride this ride this first of any ride, and I did. I really liked it. The lift hill disorientates you before you’re sent into ‘space’ and then <censored> gets crazy. I wasn’t expect a ride of this age to stand up this long into it’s life. I loved the lasers (obviously) and the music is great (I knew this before I went) It had a few surprise knocks but nothing to write home about. As I said – for it’s age – it’s a great coaster. Really not sure what’s French about it though. The French people as a whole surprised me as they come across very polite from what I saw, so maybe this was designed for that reason – to surprise you.
Silver Star (2 Rides)
I will first get out of the way - the area but I realise that this must have been due to space. They really could have incorporated it better though by using a French car manufacturer, but then, they are all crap, so I don’t blame them.
That’s not the part that will probably get people’s backs up. The part that will is that I didn’t rate it at all. I am not really a fan of ‘airtime’ it doesn’t make a coaster for me and the first time it made me feel sick lol It could have been the lack of food or the excitement as it was the 2nd ride I rode when I stepped into the park, but it wasn’t for me as an enthusiast. My second ride – however – was much better, but even then I couldn’t get excited over it. It has a lot of airtime for those who love it but it just wasn’t what I look for in a coaster.
Universe Of Enery (4 rides)
I didn’t find this until 3 days in and thought it was just a walk through, only to find a people mover inside themed to the evolution of power and Dinosaurs. A bizarre placement in the French area - again - but I loved it. Very well themed and a lovely tour. Yes, the one section on the ride so cleverly designed to crap-you-up, did crap me up the first time I rode it. Haha
Greece
I don’t know what it is about this area but it niggled me and I don’t know why. It looked the part, but felt odd in some way, and I can’t place my finger on why.
Atlantis Adventure(4 rides)
Again, I was impressed with this ride and I was left thinking – “Why did Alton not choose this setup?” The guns are much easier to use and don’t give you cramp after a few minutes. The targets were clever, the cars were clever it just seemed a better system in my view. The theming though was poor in comparison to the other attraction standards and not as good as Duel. I managed 122k as a score after learning that you can only shoot red targets once and where things were. Still a great little ride though.
Kassandra’s Curse(1 ride)
It took me ages to find this as it wasn’t well placed on the map. Thanks to Ogoid and my FB status of “Guest 103 is lost and can’t find Kassandra” I managed to find it.
Mack have excelled in many areas but ‘Madhouse’s’ is not one of them. It was a sloppy half-arsed attempt with no real story. It was just a madhouse with good music. The syncing within the ride was awful and created no illusion of the room spinning 360. Even the added effects it had were cheap and naff in my view. No wonder it’s hidden and not a patch on Hex or Vekoma's ‘Madhouses’
Pegasus (1 ride)
It is what it is - a family jaunt for 60 seconds. It’s fun but feels – in comparison – like a rush job. It feels like a last minute filler ride and it really doesn’t offer that much for me, even for a family coaster. LOVE the lift hill music though, it was one of favourite pieces before I even came to Europa so was happy to hear that.
Poseidon (1 ride)
I’d heard mixed reviews about this ride, but I found it quite fun, not too wet and very unique. It’s a little bumpy, but as a Colossus lover it’s mild bumps and no where near as rough as people make out. Really well themed and sits beautifully in the area.
Netherlands
A small but lovely square of the park, sadly only did one ride here. I can see the restrictions within the space but what they have done - and are currently doing as there was expansion work going on in this area whilst there - is great.
Pirates In Batavia (3 rides)
One of my favourite dark rides of the trip. I instantly when I got into that boat thought “This reminds me of Pirate Adventure at Drayton” and it was, with a budget that of Disney and then some. It was great and a wonderfully themed boat ride. The attention to detail was sublime and I LOVED the random ending of going into a restaurant full of people eating haha very much the Gold Mine style of Blackpool but MUCH slower and more uncomfortable as you don’t know where to look as people eat their food.
Iceland
This is one of the more impressively themed areas in the park with a great representation of Icelandic/Nordic buildings and themes. I like the openness of the area and it feels like a small town in Iceland with wonderful shops and eateries.
Blue Fire (4 rides)
I had high hopes for this ride and it matched those but didn’t exceed them. It is themed well - especially the build to the launch - and the music is fantastic. I really like the train design and the heartbeat meters were a nice touch (although not sure how accurate or if indeed they worked properly) The on-board audio seemed too quiet though I thought and was drowned out a lot by ride noise etc.
The ride itself is great if a little lacklustre in places. The launch was more powerful than I expected but obviously not as forceful as it’s Intamin rivals. I’m not sure on the curved turn after the launch it doesn’t seem to add anything and with the craziness of the launch it just seems a sluggish end. However, the most talked about part of the ride did not disappoint and turns it from a good coaster to a great one – the final inline twist. It is one hell of an inversion and although not quite as good as Nemmies zero-g it’s a very close second. It literally catapults you from your seat and nearly out of the train. A very unique and exciting end to a standout coaster.
Wodan (11 rides)
Where do I start with this amazing coaster? I guess with the fact it has taken the top spot away from Nemesis for me and get that shocker out of the way.
It did take 3 days of riding it in multiple seating positions for it to steal my heart from Nemesis and it was a tough decision but I have to be truthful, the ride is incredible. I know many will say Troy, El Toro or even Boulder Dash are better, but I haven’t ridden those yet.
The theming on the ride is – in a word – incredible.
The first walk through the queue line was stunning. You have the ride roaring overhead and you meander through various indoor themed sections with a stunning Nordic feel. The gates at the entrance to the ride remind me of the scene from Jurassic Park with the huge entrance gates to the park. In the station itself the attention to detail is great, I love the statues which move their heads as a train departs and enters the station – it’s that attention to detail that makes Europa such an amazing place.
The ride itself is just right up my street, from being released from the lift to the breaks at the end it is a non-stop barrage of twists and turns coupled with insane speed. It is like Nemesis in a way, it’s a short, sharp, speed blast with no let up or respite. It’s exactly what I look for in a coaster and no real surprise – upon reflection – why it now wears the top crown for me. Simply sublime.
Italy
Yet again a wonderful representation of Italy, the cuisine on offer is very in-keeping with Italian traditions and the area theme is nicely thought out. It has a slight Venice feel to it.
Geisterschloss (6 rides)
I knew before I went that I was going to enjoy this ride being a big dark ride fan and I wasn’t disappointed. I wasn’t aware of the pre-show part which was unexpected and reminded me a lot of Drayton’s ‘attempt’ only much better.
The ride itself has such a clever classic feel to it but with some modern twists thrown in as well. The ride is well maintained for it’s age and everything seemed to work. What was impressive was that if something had broken, by the next day it was fixed – a concept lost within UK parks who choose to leave it until the end of season in most cases.
There was one other reason for me riding this a lot apart from the above, was to hear the piece of music I have adored for years now – The Ballroom piece. Whilst it was nice to hear some of it I couldn’t quite fathom why they play a stripped down budget version of the piece rather than the one they sell. The one they sell it’s much more immersive and would sound incredible in the scene, but that is only a small gripe as the ride is lovely.
Piccollo Mondo (3 rides)
Well this was a sweet ride. A nice little transport ride though Italian-esq themes and quirky characters. The music makes me smile as well. Not much more I can say about this ride really, it is what it is.
Volo Da Vinci (1 ride)
An unusual ride floating above the park in a gondola which you can ‘fake pedal’ if you choose to. The gondolas are a nice theme and feel like something from Around The World In 80 Days. The station is beautifully presented and fits the Italian theme, it’s much more Da Vinci era of theming but then that is the point and well executed.
Austria
I couldn’t see very much within this area which defined it as ‘Austrian’ and neither did the ride themes really. It does feel bolted onto Grimm’s Enchanted Forrest and the rides are dotted about not really connect to any really theme.
Magic World Of Diamonds (3 walkthroughs)
I really, really liked this attraction. It was totally unexpected and blew me away. It appeared to be just a simple walk through looking at old mining and milling equipment but to our surprise you then venture into a cave filled with amazing theming and animatronics. You’re intertwined with a Mine Train and Log Flume and it’s a surreal but beautiful escape. Even though the walkthrough leads you into an upselling store with crystals and minerals the journey to it is wonderful. Definitely one of my highlight attractions.
Alpine Coaster (4 rides)
‘The slayer of RMT’ The layout length maybe similar but the surroundings are far from it. Apline definitely has the edge on surroundings and immersive theming. The speed is near enough double of RMT and they don’t bother with restraint checking which made me laugh, in then out haha. Part of the ride - as mentioned - is within the ‘Magic World Of Diamonds’ and wonderfully tours the cave before plummeting into an even darker tunnel with only red strobes flickering which offers a real sense of speed and danger. Great family coaster!
Tirol Log Flume (4 rides)
I do love a log flume which doesn’t soak you to the bone and this is one of those. It is quite a short Log Flume but it’s nice one at that. Only two drops on this one which is fine, but I was hoping for a bit more as it’s a Mack showcase ride but it does exactly what it says on the tin. Again, like the above two attractions it intertwines with them within the Diamond Cave adding another new depth to the ride. As a log ride I think I prefer Loggers Leap but the theming gives it the edge over the others I’ve ridden.
Portugal
Again, this area seemed a bit confused as to what made it Portuguese. The area felt more Greek than anything else, what with Atlantica being Greek and also Santa Maria being Spanish. It did however feel apt as it felt like it was bolted onto Spain which is effectively what Portugal is in a way.
Atlantica Supersplash (1 ride)
This was the only ride I didn’t quite get, I just don’t see the point off it. I have no idea what the backwards part is for. I can see it working indoors like Valhalla but it just seemed like a not-to-subtle attempt to showcase the ride type by Mack, kind of like “oh by the way it can go backwards as well, see” I wasn’t impressed with it really. On a hot day I can see its obvious appeal but I think the ‘splash zone’ would be more useful in that situation.
Russia
I liked this area and was in keeping with the brief. The Russian Village captured a little piece of Russia and their obvious history with space travel was depicted well. I must mention the full scale radio telescope which I couldn’t tell if it was real or if it was built for the area. If it was built for the area it’s an unbelievable piece of theming which isn’t as visible as it should be.
Euro-Mir (1 ride)
Here’s where I lose readers haha! As mentioned with Euro-Sat I wasn’t aware there was such a divided view amongst fans. Sadly though, as you will have guessed from my Euro-Sat review I’m not a fan of this ride.
The reason why is I’m not a spinning coaster fan in the first place. I rarely ride Spinball and I like Dragons Fury because of it’s layout but generally they make me feel ill sometimes so I prefer to avoid them. Whilst Mir only spins for a short period it just didn’t impress me. It was slightly rough and the lift hill was just boring. The soundtrack (which I hated before I went) just drones on. I also didn’t find it very comfortable.
If you’re still reading after that, I shall continue. Or maybe I should wait until you’ve calmed down a bit. Oh well, the next review is brief….
Mir Space Station (1 walkthrough)
It had seen better days really and added a great piece of theming to Euro-mir but that’s it really.
Sleigh Ride Snowflake (1 ride)
Aka ‘BENCH! The Ride’ Erm, yeah, well it was… errrrrrm yeah. Shall we move on. Lol
Switzerland
A stunning area beautifully representative of Switzerland. The little streets running either side and in the centre are picturesque and quirky. I would love to live in a one of the homes.
Matterhorn-Blitz (1 ride)
I really wasn’t expecting much from this coaster as it’s essentially a wild mouse, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s easily the best steel wild mouse I’ve been on and the lift system is ingenious. It packs a punch for a wild mouse and it’s the layout which separates it from the others with some great drops and not-so-tight turns which often ruin wild mouse coasters. At the risk of repeating myself again it’s really well themed as well and pinches the spot from Rattlesnake.
Schweizer Bobbahn (2 rides)
I love how this ride is nestled in the trees and the surrounding area, it’s just lost in their to the point I sometimes couldn’t find it. I’ve heard people compare it to Avalanche saying they prefer Avalanche but I prefer this to be honest. The ride itself is very similar but that is to be expected but when you add in all the other factors I prefer Bobbahn myself. I do think Avalanche has a better station though.
Scandinavia
Fishes! Nestled in the centre of the park is a Norwegian fishing village. It’s a charming area with a fresh involving theme. It’s the best place to go if you’re looking for seafood.
Fjord Rafting (1 ride)
I wasn’t expecting this to be as wet as it was in all honesty. We didn’t have a ‘fat boat’ and yet tidal waves which put the ‘KFC wave’ to shame kept cascading into the boat. It’s a really good layout and unlike Alton’s car park tunnel, Fjords tunnel is well themed with fire and other effects. Overall the best rapids ride I’ve been on and would love to ride it in the summer.
Grimm’s Enchanted Forest
My favourite themed area in the park. It’s a beautiful representation of storybooks of old like Rapunzel and Cinderella nestled in a lovely forest setting. I really felt immersed into the surroundings despite it being aimed at the younger guest. Sadly no rides here that I could ride but plenty of walk rounds and a show which I will review later.
Spain
I loved the vibrancy of this area but sadly did not do any of the rides. I’m not a spinny ride type of person and although they looked fun they’re not to my taste. We did however take the train from here a lot haha.
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I thought I’d also cover the other key areas within the park as well...
The Staff
Not once did I see or hear anything bad from the staff who worked in the park. They were all so very polite and not a whiff of ‘I hate my life’ anywhere, they performed excellently throughout the week and faultlessly. They always had a smile on their face and would offer assistance whenever you needed it. They always looked like they were having a great time and rides were always staffed generously to improve your experience and throughputs, speaking of which..
Operations & Throughputs
They put any UK park to shame! I never waited more than 25mins for any ride during the week even on busy days, or what Alton would call a busy day. The most I saw on the Europa app was 45mins for Wodan, which is to be expected.
It’s fantastic to see rides built – even the older rides – to maximise throughput. I was straight on Blue Fire one opening after Wodan and it had a 10min queue, they soon added a 3rd train to it as did Wodan that day. The majority of the week they were running full capacity on most of the coasters and you could tell, the queue lines just don’t stop moving. They did take a train of Silver Star one afternoon but I feel for technical reasons as it was back on 3 later that day.
The parks opening hours were extended every single day from 6pm to either 6.30pm or 7pm even with it not being as busy as I suspect it could get.
There was not a fastrack in sight! Oh what an absolute joy that was and made all the difference to queue times through the week. It shows the pure greed of Merlin with fastracks and how much damage they can do to your day, but then they really don’t give a damn about guest experience that much is now evident upon seeing how a theme park should be run.
Park Food
A real mixed bag of offerings in this department, you a literally spoilt for choice. Ever cuisine you can pretty much imagine is catered for and never enough meal times in a year to experience them all. Some were great, others not so much...
Food Loop – We waited 20mins to get seated and the novelty is great don’t get me wrong but the food that we ate wasn’t great. We both had Spag-Bol and it tasted like the microwave supermarket variety and was seriously overpriced. The dessert didn’t fare much better either, it was effectively Angel Delight. It’s a lovely surrounding and a great concept but at over £25 for two it wasn’t worth the money.
Euro-Mir Burger – We ate here a lot for lunch snacks as we’d always stocked up at Breakfast and knew we’d be having a big dinner. The burgers were well priced and tasty but the king was the Wodan Burger. Really tasty burger.
Mario’s Pizza Bar – A special mention goes to this place for the most wondrous pizza slices or should I say slabs! Again, really cheap and really nice pizza. If you just want something to grab on the go, I cannot recommend this outlet more.
We tried many more snack places through the week and stuffed our faces with all sorts of goodies, waffles were divine also.
Music
No matter where you went there was always music playing to immerse you in the rides or surroundings which was just wonderful for me. I’d acquired much of the Europa Park music years before visiting but there’s nothing like hearing it first-hand in the place it was created.
So much detail, time and skill go into making these pieces and even now as I write this I have the Iceland area theme playing in my headphones taking me right back to where I was. Everything in Europa seems to be designed, thought out and constructed that much better than any park I’ve ever experienced. The music is no exception.
Prices
Quite simply, some things were more expensive than other parks and some things were cheaper.
One noticeable thing was bottled water cost more than soft drinks in most cases and the food was very varied. Things you expected to be expensive weren’t and some things you didn’t were. The Food Loop being one.
The souvenirs were also hit and miss, some things you could get for a good price and were not dissimilar to UK prices but some things were insane, hoodies could easily cost €99 and t-shirts €30 Euros. A decent jacket? Forget about it you could be talking €150 or if you’re feeling flush a Mercedes Silver Star jacket for €250. Like I said, hit and miss. I think Alton is much fairer on merch than Europa but I still managed to get a good selection, and lose the jacket/hoody I bought (luckily it was 50% off and so it only cost me €50)
I think that's enough for one post, I was hoping for it to be a bit more broken up with some colour and to be easier on the eyes but at the end of the day most people just want to know what you think really.
(Posted soon)
Part II will be - Europa Park Resort/Food, Shows & Entertainment
Part III will be - Rankings of coasters, Low/highs, pictures and final thoughts
I have been a member of TT and now TST since 2007 and since then I have watched countless trips to Europa happen and I have longed to visit this park since then. Last week my time finally came and I thought I’d share with you my experiences.
First of it was my first proper holiday in 24 years so it was special for many reasons and not just for Europa, but I have wanted to visited Europa for so long it’s untrue.
*Before I start rambling, I will warn that there will be comparisons – mainly to Alton. Not out of spite but because I’m not well travelled yet and it’s my only point of reference as Alton was the closest place to a themepark I had visited. There may also be spoilers included for those who may not have visited yet. I will also try to use a thesaurus as well because there will be only so many times I can use the words – fantastic, amazing, unbelievable. My views are based on my own experiences and do not conform to hype in any cases. Also, I started this review last weekend and stupidly constructed it into Word thinking I could copy and paste what I'd done into TST but sadly all my fonting, coloured flag text was lost on copying so I have had to copy and redo most of the stuff, but it's my own stupid fault. So it doesn't look as grand as it did in Word*
I really thought about where to begin and I wasn’t sure so I will just go ahead with...
PART 1 - The Park
First Impressions:
I was obviously excited to arrive and we arrived for the first day of our ‘Hopping Pass’ tour on the Sunday afternoon and so had a few hours to get a feel for the place. I think within an hour my mind had already been blown. It is a stunning place and I found it to be faultless in near enough every way. It was like walking into a ‘concept theme park’ for the future and a bench mark for what all theme parks should be like.
The best way to describe it is to review each area as displayed on the Europa site and what I rode during my time there and my ride count in brackets.
Starting with...
Adventure Land
A lovely African themed area with wonderful attention to detail, even the cigarette machines were themed wonderfully. It jumps and stands out at you the first time you go as you’re not really expecting it but you instantly feel involved.
African Queen(1 ride)
We rode this on our last day and it was a lovely short tour of the lake in the centre of the park. It has water guns on each side for added fun and a great family chilled ride connected with Jungle Rafts for great theming.
Jungle Rafts (3 Rides)
I am a sucker for transport rides (as you will see) and this one was just lovely. A great slow chilled ride around some great African style theming. I love the tunnel section and the length of the ride is great, a real relaxing ride, especially after on a hangover.
Germany
I’m guessing one of the first areas as it is located at the entrance to the park. It’s very grand and beautiful, more like a showcase entrance than a ride area, but I think that is the point.
Elf Ride(4 Rides)
This was one of my favourite transport/family rides in the park. A lush environment with wonderful escapism esq theming. It was charming, fun and as with all of Roland’s transport rides another well executed tunnel section. It was just such a cute ride “hallo, hello, hallo” made me smile.
Vintage Cars (1 Ride)
Again another well executed family transport ride. It had its moments but it was just a nice drive around a wonderful setting.
England
Would you believe that I never rode anything within this area whilst there. The London Bus and Crazy Taxi rides looked fun but not really for me. The area is very well themed and very British, they really did a good job of capturing stereotypical London I would say. Not sure on the Laser dodging attraction though, not sure where that fits in. I mean I love my lasers as does Bayliss and Ogoid but I would be most impressed if Europa did that based on us lol The smell from the English sweet shop was sublime though and the best smell of the whole trip.
France
Very mismatch theming I thought, it was beautiful – buildings wise - but also seemed very confused. It seemed like bodge job – last minute type of area as they had only the space to feature the rides included. (but this will seem picky as I completely understand the space required for rides)
Euro-Sat (3 rides)
I wasn’t aware there was a divide amongst Europa fans about this ride and Euro-Mir until I posted on Facebook. I was instructed to ride this ride this first of any ride, and I did. I really liked it. The lift hill disorientates you before you’re sent into ‘space’ and then <censored> gets crazy. I wasn’t expect a ride of this age to stand up this long into it’s life. I loved the lasers (obviously) and the music is great (I knew this before I went) It had a few surprise knocks but nothing to write home about. As I said – for it’s age – it’s a great coaster. Really not sure what’s French about it though. The French people as a whole surprised me as they come across very polite from what I saw, so maybe this was designed for that reason – to surprise you.
Silver Star (2 Rides)
I will first get out of the way - the area but I realise that this must have been due to space. They really could have incorporated it better though by using a French car manufacturer, but then, they are all crap, so I don’t blame them.
That’s not the part that will probably get people’s backs up. The part that will is that I didn’t rate it at all. I am not really a fan of ‘airtime’ it doesn’t make a coaster for me and the first time it made me feel sick lol It could have been the lack of food or the excitement as it was the 2nd ride I rode when I stepped into the park, but it wasn’t for me as an enthusiast. My second ride – however – was much better, but even then I couldn’t get excited over it. It has a lot of airtime for those who love it but it just wasn’t what I look for in a coaster.
Universe Of Enery (4 rides)
I didn’t find this until 3 days in and thought it was just a walk through, only to find a people mover inside themed to the evolution of power and Dinosaurs. A bizarre placement in the French area - again - but I loved it. Very well themed and a lovely tour. Yes, the one section on the ride so cleverly designed to crap-you-up, did crap me up the first time I rode it. Haha
Greece
I don’t know what it is about this area but it niggled me and I don’t know why. It looked the part, but felt odd in some way, and I can’t place my finger on why.
Atlantis Adventure(4 rides)
Again, I was impressed with this ride and I was left thinking – “Why did Alton not choose this setup?” The guns are much easier to use and don’t give you cramp after a few minutes. The targets were clever, the cars were clever it just seemed a better system in my view. The theming though was poor in comparison to the other attraction standards and not as good as Duel. I managed 122k as a score after learning that you can only shoot red targets once and where things were. Still a great little ride though.
Kassandra’s Curse(1 ride)
It took me ages to find this as it wasn’t well placed on the map. Thanks to Ogoid and my FB status of “Guest 103 is lost and can’t find Kassandra” I managed to find it.
Mack have excelled in many areas but ‘Madhouse’s’ is not one of them. It was a sloppy half-arsed attempt with no real story. It was just a madhouse with good music. The syncing within the ride was awful and created no illusion of the room spinning 360. Even the added effects it had were cheap and naff in my view. No wonder it’s hidden and not a patch on Hex or Vekoma's ‘Madhouses’
Pegasus (1 ride)
It is what it is - a family jaunt for 60 seconds. It’s fun but feels – in comparison – like a rush job. It feels like a last minute filler ride and it really doesn’t offer that much for me, even for a family coaster. LOVE the lift hill music though, it was one of favourite pieces before I even came to Europa so was happy to hear that.
Poseidon (1 ride)
I’d heard mixed reviews about this ride, but I found it quite fun, not too wet and very unique. It’s a little bumpy, but as a Colossus lover it’s mild bumps and no where near as rough as people make out. Really well themed and sits beautifully in the area.
Netherlands
A small but lovely square of the park, sadly only did one ride here. I can see the restrictions within the space but what they have done - and are currently doing as there was expansion work going on in this area whilst there - is great.
Pirates In Batavia (3 rides)
One of my favourite dark rides of the trip. I instantly when I got into that boat thought “This reminds me of Pirate Adventure at Drayton” and it was, with a budget that of Disney and then some. It was great and a wonderfully themed boat ride. The attention to detail was sublime and I LOVED the random ending of going into a restaurant full of people eating haha very much the Gold Mine style of Blackpool but MUCH slower and more uncomfortable as you don’t know where to look as people eat their food.
Iceland
This is one of the more impressively themed areas in the park with a great representation of Icelandic/Nordic buildings and themes. I like the openness of the area and it feels like a small town in Iceland with wonderful shops and eateries.
Blue Fire (4 rides)
I had high hopes for this ride and it matched those but didn’t exceed them. It is themed well - especially the build to the launch - and the music is fantastic. I really like the train design and the heartbeat meters were a nice touch (although not sure how accurate or if indeed they worked properly) The on-board audio seemed too quiet though I thought and was drowned out a lot by ride noise etc.
The ride itself is great if a little lacklustre in places. The launch was more powerful than I expected but obviously not as forceful as it’s Intamin rivals. I’m not sure on the curved turn after the launch it doesn’t seem to add anything and with the craziness of the launch it just seems a sluggish end. However, the most talked about part of the ride did not disappoint and turns it from a good coaster to a great one – the final inline twist. It is one hell of an inversion and although not quite as good as Nemmies zero-g it’s a very close second. It literally catapults you from your seat and nearly out of the train. A very unique and exciting end to a standout coaster.
Wodan (11 rides)
Where do I start with this amazing coaster? I guess with the fact it has taken the top spot away from Nemesis for me and get that shocker out of the way.
It did take 3 days of riding it in multiple seating positions for it to steal my heart from Nemesis and it was a tough decision but I have to be truthful, the ride is incredible. I know many will say Troy, El Toro or even Boulder Dash are better, but I haven’t ridden those yet.
The theming on the ride is – in a word – incredible.
The first walk through the queue line was stunning. You have the ride roaring overhead and you meander through various indoor themed sections with a stunning Nordic feel. The gates at the entrance to the ride remind me of the scene from Jurassic Park with the huge entrance gates to the park. In the station itself the attention to detail is great, I love the statues which move their heads as a train departs and enters the station – it’s that attention to detail that makes Europa such an amazing place.
The ride itself is just right up my street, from being released from the lift to the breaks at the end it is a non-stop barrage of twists and turns coupled with insane speed. It is like Nemesis in a way, it’s a short, sharp, speed blast with no let up or respite. It’s exactly what I look for in a coaster and no real surprise – upon reflection – why it now wears the top crown for me. Simply sublime.
Italy
Yet again a wonderful representation of Italy, the cuisine on offer is very in-keeping with Italian traditions and the area theme is nicely thought out. It has a slight Venice feel to it.
Geisterschloss (6 rides)
I knew before I went that I was going to enjoy this ride being a big dark ride fan and I wasn’t disappointed. I wasn’t aware of the pre-show part which was unexpected and reminded me a lot of Drayton’s ‘attempt’ only much better.
The ride itself has such a clever classic feel to it but with some modern twists thrown in as well. The ride is well maintained for it’s age and everything seemed to work. What was impressive was that if something had broken, by the next day it was fixed – a concept lost within UK parks who choose to leave it until the end of season in most cases.
There was one other reason for me riding this a lot apart from the above, was to hear the piece of music I have adored for years now – The Ballroom piece. Whilst it was nice to hear some of it I couldn’t quite fathom why they play a stripped down budget version of the piece rather than the one they sell. The one they sell it’s much more immersive and would sound incredible in the scene, but that is only a small gripe as the ride is lovely.
Piccollo Mondo (3 rides)
Well this was a sweet ride. A nice little transport ride though Italian-esq themes and quirky characters. The music makes me smile as well. Not much more I can say about this ride really, it is what it is.
Volo Da Vinci (1 ride)
An unusual ride floating above the park in a gondola which you can ‘fake pedal’ if you choose to. The gondolas are a nice theme and feel like something from Around The World In 80 Days. The station is beautifully presented and fits the Italian theme, it’s much more Da Vinci era of theming but then that is the point and well executed.
Austria
I couldn’t see very much within this area which defined it as ‘Austrian’ and neither did the ride themes really. It does feel bolted onto Grimm’s Enchanted Forrest and the rides are dotted about not really connect to any really theme.
Magic World Of Diamonds (3 walkthroughs)
I really, really liked this attraction. It was totally unexpected and blew me away. It appeared to be just a simple walk through looking at old mining and milling equipment but to our surprise you then venture into a cave filled with amazing theming and animatronics. You’re intertwined with a Mine Train and Log Flume and it’s a surreal but beautiful escape. Even though the walkthrough leads you into an upselling store with crystals and minerals the journey to it is wonderful. Definitely one of my highlight attractions.
Alpine Coaster (4 rides)
‘The slayer of RMT’ The layout length maybe similar but the surroundings are far from it. Apline definitely has the edge on surroundings and immersive theming. The speed is near enough double of RMT and they don’t bother with restraint checking which made me laugh, in then out haha. Part of the ride - as mentioned - is within the ‘Magic World Of Diamonds’ and wonderfully tours the cave before plummeting into an even darker tunnel with only red strobes flickering which offers a real sense of speed and danger. Great family coaster!
Tirol Log Flume (4 rides)
I do love a log flume which doesn’t soak you to the bone and this is one of those. It is quite a short Log Flume but it’s nice one at that. Only two drops on this one which is fine, but I was hoping for a bit more as it’s a Mack showcase ride but it does exactly what it says on the tin. Again, like the above two attractions it intertwines with them within the Diamond Cave adding another new depth to the ride. As a log ride I think I prefer Loggers Leap but the theming gives it the edge over the others I’ve ridden.
Portugal
Again, this area seemed a bit confused as to what made it Portuguese. The area felt more Greek than anything else, what with Atlantica being Greek and also Santa Maria being Spanish. It did however feel apt as it felt like it was bolted onto Spain which is effectively what Portugal is in a way.
Atlantica Supersplash (1 ride)
This was the only ride I didn’t quite get, I just don’t see the point off it. I have no idea what the backwards part is for. I can see it working indoors like Valhalla but it just seemed like a not-to-subtle attempt to showcase the ride type by Mack, kind of like “oh by the way it can go backwards as well, see” I wasn’t impressed with it really. On a hot day I can see its obvious appeal but I think the ‘splash zone’ would be more useful in that situation.
Russia
I liked this area and was in keeping with the brief. The Russian Village captured a little piece of Russia and their obvious history with space travel was depicted well. I must mention the full scale radio telescope which I couldn’t tell if it was real or if it was built for the area. If it was built for the area it’s an unbelievable piece of theming which isn’t as visible as it should be.
Euro-Mir (1 ride)
Here’s where I lose readers haha! As mentioned with Euro-Sat I wasn’t aware there was such a divided view amongst fans. Sadly though, as you will have guessed from my Euro-Sat review I’m not a fan of this ride.
The reason why is I’m not a spinning coaster fan in the first place. I rarely ride Spinball and I like Dragons Fury because of it’s layout but generally they make me feel ill sometimes so I prefer to avoid them. Whilst Mir only spins for a short period it just didn’t impress me. It was slightly rough and the lift hill was just boring. The soundtrack (which I hated before I went) just drones on. I also didn’t find it very comfortable.
If you’re still reading after that, I shall continue. Or maybe I should wait until you’ve calmed down a bit. Oh well, the next review is brief….
Mir Space Station (1 walkthrough)
It had seen better days really and added a great piece of theming to Euro-mir but that’s it really.
Sleigh Ride Snowflake (1 ride)
Aka ‘BENCH! The Ride’ Erm, yeah, well it was… errrrrrm yeah. Shall we move on. Lol
Switzerland
A stunning area beautifully representative of Switzerland. The little streets running either side and in the centre are picturesque and quirky. I would love to live in a one of the homes.
Matterhorn-Blitz (1 ride)
I really wasn’t expecting much from this coaster as it’s essentially a wild mouse, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s easily the best steel wild mouse I’ve been on and the lift system is ingenious. It packs a punch for a wild mouse and it’s the layout which separates it from the others with some great drops and not-so-tight turns which often ruin wild mouse coasters. At the risk of repeating myself again it’s really well themed as well and pinches the spot from Rattlesnake.
Schweizer Bobbahn (2 rides)
I love how this ride is nestled in the trees and the surrounding area, it’s just lost in their to the point I sometimes couldn’t find it. I’ve heard people compare it to Avalanche saying they prefer Avalanche but I prefer this to be honest. The ride itself is very similar but that is to be expected but when you add in all the other factors I prefer Bobbahn myself. I do think Avalanche has a better station though.
Scandinavia
Fishes! Nestled in the centre of the park is a Norwegian fishing village. It’s a charming area with a fresh involving theme. It’s the best place to go if you’re looking for seafood.
Fjord Rafting (1 ride)
I wasn’t expecting this to be as wet as it was in all honesty. We didn’t have a ‘fat boat’ and yet tidal waves which put the ‘KFC wave’ to shame kept cascading into the boat. It’s a really good layout and unlike Alton’s car park tunnel, Fjords tunnel is well themed with fire and other effects. Overall the best rapids ride I’ve been on and would love to ride it in the summer.
Grimm’s Enchanted Forest
My favourite themed area in the park. It’s a beautiful representation of storybooks of old like Rapunzel and Cinderella nestled in a lovely forest setting. I really felt immersed into the surroundings despite it being aimed at the younger guest. Sadly no rides here that I could ride but plenty of walk rounds and a show which I will review later.
Spain
I loved the vibrancy of this area but sadly did not do any of the rides. I’m not a spinny ride type of person and although they looked fun they’re not to my taste. We did however take the train from here a lot haha.
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I thought I’d also cover the other key areas within the park as well...
The Staff
Not once did I see or hear anything bad from the staff who worked in the park. They were all so very polite and not a whiff of ‘I hate my life’ anywhere, they performed excellently throughout the week and faultlessly. They always had a smile on their face and would offer assistance whenever you needed it. They always looked like they were having a great time and rides were always staffed generously to improve your experience and throughputs, speaking of which..
Operations & Throughputs
They put any UK park to shame! I never waited more than 25mins for any ride during the week even on busy days, or what Alton would call a busy day. The most I saw on the Europa app was 45mins for Wodan, which is to be expected.
It’s fantastic to see rides built – even the older rides – to maximise throughput. I was straight on Blue Fire one opening after Wodan and it had a 10min queue, they soon added a 3rd train to it as did Wodan that day. The majority of the week they were running full capacity on most of the coasters and you could tell, the queue lines just don’t stop moving. They did take a train of Silver Star one afternoon but I feel for technical reasons as it was back on 3 later that day.
The parks opening hours were extended every single day from 6pm to either 6.30pm or 7pm even with it not being as busy as I suspect it could get.
There was not a fastrack in sight! Oh what an absolute joy that was and made all the difference to queue times through the week. It shows the pure greed of Merlin with fastracks and how much damage they can do to your day, but then they really don’t give a damn about guest experience that much is now evident upon seeing how a theme park should be run.
Park Food
A real mixed bag of offerings in this department, you a literally spoilt for choice. Ever cuisine you can pretty much imagine is catered for and never enough meal times in a year to experience them all. Some were great, others not so much...
Food Loop – We waited 20mins to get seated and the novelty is great don’t get me wrong but the food that we ate wasn’t great. We both had Spag-Bol and it tasted like the microwave supermarket variety and was seriously overpriced. The dessert didn’t fare much better either, it was effectively Angel Delight. It’s a lovely surrounding and a great concept but at over £25 for two it wasn’t worth the money.
Euro-Mir Burger – We ate here a lot for lunch snacks as we’d always stocked up at Breakfast and knew we’d be having a big dinner. The burgers were well priced and tasty but the king was the Wodan Burger. Really tasty burger.
Mario’s Pizza Bar – A special mention goes to this place for the most wondrous pizza slices or should I say slabs! Again, really cheap and really nice pizza. If you just want something to grab on the go, I cannot recommend this outlet more.
We tried many more snack places through the week and stuffed our faces with all sorts of goodies, waffles were divine also.
Music
No matter where you went there was always music playing to immerse you in the rides or surroundings which was just wonderful for me. I’d acquired much of the Europa Park music years before visiting but there’s nothing like hearing it first-hand in the place it was created.
So much detail, time and skill go into making these pieces and even now as I write this I have the Iceland area theme playing in my headphones taking me right back to where I was. Everything in Europa seems to be designed, thought out and constructed that much better than any park I’ve ever experienced. The music is no exception.
Prices
Quite simply, some things were more expensive than other parks and some things were cheaper.
One noticeable thing was bottled water cost more than soft drinks in most cases and the food was very varied. Things you expected to be expensive weren’t and some things you didn’t were. The Food Loop being one.
The souvenirs were also hit and miss, some things you could get for a good price and were not dissimilar to UK prices but some things were insane, hoodies could easily cost €99 and t-shirts €30 Euros. A decent jacket? Forget about it you could be talking €150 or if you’re feeling flush a Mercedes Silver Star jacket for €250. Like I said, hit and miss. I think Alton is much fairer on merch than Europa but I still managed to get a good selection, and lose the jacket/hoody I bought (luckily it was 50% off and so it only cost me €50)
I think that's enough for one post, I was hoping for it to be a bit more broken up with some colour and to be easier on the eyes but at the end of the day most people just want to know what you think really.
(Posted soon)
Part II will be - Europa Park Resort/Food, Shows & Entertainment
Part III will be - Rankings of coasters, Low/highs, pictures and final thoughts
