Tim
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Air / Blue Fire
August: (23rd-25th) 2010, (22nd-25th) 1012
Return to Europa Park
I know I’m slightly late to the party (by several months) but when everyone else was bringing over their Europa Park trip reports from TowersTimes I decided to wait in the knowledge that I’d soon be returning. Well now I’m back from yet another fantastic trip and rather than right my report from scratch I’m going to take the best from last time and merge it with all new (and hopefully insightful) opinions.
Warning this post covers 7 Days at Europa Park from two trips in 2010 and 2012, It’s going to be long!
But don’t worry I’ve marked all the new content and I'm not expecting anyone to read it all at once. You can always skip right to the end if Wodan is all you’re interested in
The original review can still be found here if you want more of a standard trip report format
I’ll begin with a little bit of back story. Last time we arrived at Europa Park was by bus from Baden Airport. This time the plan was to take a very different route. Travelling to Stuttgart we (me,my brother* and parents) took the opportunity to spend 2 days in the city before and after making a round train trip to Europa park. This gave us a slight breather at the start and end of the holiday (or not as it turned out) and the chance to explore Germany. It did mean a 3 hour train trip to and from the resort but it went by without a fuss and wasn’t something we regretted.
*Who decided he didn’t feel like going on holiday at the last minute
So where were we staying?
Hold on this looks familiar... wasn’t that exactly the same place we stayed before!
As it turned out we ended up in the same hotel, on the same floor, down the same corridor and only two rooms to the left of our rooms from before. However there was one major difference... the view:
You have no idea how incredible it was to wake up to this view each morning
Also unlike last time we had the whole day to ourselves with only a brief hour for end of day rides. We spent most of this time exploring the resort, something I could talk about but would likely double the length of this report. So instead I’ll keep things short by discussing the one part of the resort that was completely New:
Bell Rock
Now I know some of you aren’t as keen on the New England look as some of Europa parks other Hotels but I absolutely loved it! Just exploring Bell Rock felt like being in a dream. From tiny details such as the diagrams in the pictures to the grand design of the restaurants and paint used on the walls it felt like the place I’d love to be. I was almost disappointed that I wouldn’t be staying there although as the picture above shows I couldn’t have asked for a better view of it.
But I did get to experience some parts of the Hotel, the main feature being the pool. While it’s fairly basic it does offer the best place on the resort just for swimming and the only sizeable indoor pool. Highlights include several water jets along the side, the 3 nozzle showers and the lockers shaped like a Ships cargo and barrels.
My parents also spent a fair bit of time in the new fitness centre (which was still receiving work while we were there). Apparently the facilities are great but they would have liked the pool to have been on that side of the hotel so they could swap between the two.
Work in progress on what is now the Bell Rock Fitness Centre
I also got to see Waterfire (the fountain show) several times which was enjoyable to watch. And while trying to sneak my way inside the lighthouse I stumbled upon Roland's Lodge - African Bar. I’d be intrigued to know more about that place as it was locked up tight and besides a comment once on here and a reference on their website I’ve never seen it mentioned before. It wasn’t even marked on a single sign at the Hotel. Any info about the top floor of the lighthouse would also be good to know.
It’s at this point in a standard trip report that I’d start talking about the last hour at the park and the following 3 days in the order which all the interesting talking points occurred. However as my first destination was the newly opened Wodan and this report would be an absolute mess if I kept jumping between rides I’m just going to follow the park layout round, inserting my view wherever necessary. Consider this my Ultimate guide to Europa park:
Europa Park: Park Tour
So we begin in Germany which serves as the park’s main entrance and almost nothing else. As such and as a hotel guest there was very little reason for me to be there which was why on my last trip I almost completely ignored it. I suppose that’s the unfortunate reality of a slowly growing park which started off with its focal area in the very corner of what would become a massive resort.
However it’s a fairly nice area and the gardens offer a good escape in the middle of a busy day. There was also one shop in particular that caught my eye. Labelled as the “Fan Shop” I honestly thought it was a mistranslation but no it actually was a shop for merchandise of EPFans; the parks official fan forum.
Moving on to Italy the area has changed a fair bit in the last two years with the acceptation of one ride:
Geisterschloss (Altered Review)
Ghost Castle
If you go back to my original review of Geisterschloss I was quite critical of the fact that this ride is very clearly a takeoff of Disney’s Haunted Mansion. While this is still true and still an issue for a first time rider I feel less inclined to criticise the ride as much since AstroDan pointed out that this ride pre-dates Disneyland Paris. As such it’s still a Disney clone but with no Euro-Disney Europa was just trying to offer a Disney experience closer to home. However since there has now been a Disneyland in Paris for 20 years It would be nice to see the Ghost Castle undergo either a re-theme or at the very least a few moderations to break away from the Disney formula. The same applies to Pirates in Batavia.
There are however two things of note about this ride. The first is in the pre-show which in true Disney tradition ends with the reveal of the hanged man. But unlike the original the body literally drops from the rafters, very close to impacting with whoever (in this case me) was standing below. It’s a nice touch. The second is the slightly interactive addition of water sprays. If you’ve come on this ride to escape a brief downpour (like we had) then be warned you won’t escape getting wet, although only mildly so.
***
New: Of the other two rides in Italy Piccolo Mondo Is a very quaint children’s ride which maintained a lot more of the former Ciao Bambini than I thought it would. Even the old music (which I previously compared to the famed tune of it’s a small world) is still present although thankfully for the operators sake it’s no longer blasting out over the station
Then there is the brand new Volo da Vinci. I love the Da Vinci inspired design of this pedal monorail ride and I like the way the pedals can be adjusted. Unfortunately I’m too tall for it at any position (not unusual for me) but what annoys me more is just how little feedback the pedals have. I know it’s designed for kids but it would be nice if it had an adjustable resistance option (like a gym bike). Still a good ride.
There’s also the theatre show which I’d recommend from both trips. I could add a review but with so many rides to cover I’ll save it for now.
Now onto France and without any faff let’s get onto the rides:
Eurosat
Against my better nature this is an absolutely brilliant ride. It's completely mental. Much faster than most indoor rides of its type with sharp direction changes which almost collide with the over head supports. Beside some laser effects there isn't much on-ride to look at, however the ride doesn't need it and felt better without such distractions.
If I was to fault anything it’d be the spiral lift which is great for capacity but takes forever. Oh and the final breaks can be a bit sharp. However those are some of the only faults I can find and as such it cements its place firmly in my top 10 coasters. While such a high ranking might seem weird to anyone who hasn’t been on Eurosat trust me when I say it’s just one of those rides that need to be experienced to be belied.
*****
New: Magic Cinema 4D: The Secret of Balthasar Castle
Without a doubt the best 4D show I’ve seen. But it’s not the effects that make it good, which are subtly used and only in appropriate places. What makes this show a league above the rest is its engaging story and endearing characters. Despite barely speaking any German I felt more attached to this films story than many genuine full length films. I actually got so interested in what was happening I completely forgot it was a 4D show, only to be cruelly reminded by a sharp whipping around the legs.
I don’t often praise 4D Cinemas but this one won my heart
****
New: Universum der Energie
With an extra day at the park I managed to try out a few odd rides which didn’t look like anything special on my last trip. Universe of Energy was one of them as I’d never heard anything special about it nor did it look that exciting. But after downloading the Europa Park pack for RCT3 I discovered that this was actually a proper dark ride similar to Geisterschloss and so I had to give it a try. Conclusion? It’s quite interesting. There’s a well maintained cavernous queue line followed by a trip through A Jurassic Jungle with some fairly impressive animatronic dinosaurs. There was even a decent jump scare as the cart rotated straight into the jaws of one of the beasts.
***
Silver Star
New Intro: Last time my Silver Star review started off badly with the criticism of the old display in the Mercedes-Benz Hall and how dull it made the queue. However this year’s Vrooar display is so much better. It’s a big and bold display of a comic-book racer that counters most of my previous faults. I still wouldn’t class it as anything special but the queue is much closer to what I originally expected.
The ride itself is a good B&M Hyper; not quite inspired enough to make it amazing but with enough character and solid engineering to make it a great ride. Highlights include the sharp drop after the mid-course break run and the final S-bend which puts some variety back into the ride just in time to end on a high note. It's such a shame they aren't able to build a B&M Hyper in the UK because the amount of airtime on Silver Star is incredible and something we’re really missing. It’s even better if you take advantage of the 9 cart trains by sitting near the back.
****
Up next is Greece and a chance to relive some of my favourite reviews from 2010:
Pegasus
Pegasus is a really nice family coaster. It's short but the track layout is well thought out, especially the dip before the final turn. We took the hint from the signs about sitting on the back of the seats so there was plenty of leg room. I’d recommend anyone reading this does the same as the front rows are supposed to be really cramped. The only slight downside to the ride is just how slowly the queue moves with only one train and the unorganised scramble that normally forms on the station platform. Fortunately a second train in 2012 went a long way to fix the former problem. Oh and look out for falling water as the ride is built under Poseidon’s Roller Coaster section.
****
Poseidon
As one of the first attempts at a Water Coaster Poseidon must have been a fairly big deal at the time. The dream of combining a water ride and roller coaster was a turn of the millennium idea which among manufactures must have seemed like the next big thing. It was certainly given a grand setting with a whole area themed around it and a massive queue scattered with the type of detail and props that the park wouldn’t match for another 12 years.
Don’t spend too long under this seemingly innocent Trojan horse, it has been known to relieve itself on passing guests.
Mack did a fairly good job of bringing this concept to life however when riding Poseidon you are not experiencing the perfect balance between water ride and roller coaster. To achieve such a thing would need a radically new design which could make the most out of both types of ride. Poseidon cheats by taking a normal water ride and modifying it to run on coaster track. The result is not too dissimilar to rolling a boat down a hill; fine in a straight line but as soon as you hit your first bump any notion of comfort is lost.
Thankfully the only proper coaster section comes right at the start and by the time you reach the final drop you might have even forgotten the unfortunate first half. The water section is no disappointment which hasn’t yet managed to get me soaked but there is a nice spray of water, just how I'd like most British water rides to be.
***
Fluch der Kassandra
[Spoiler Alert] For those that don't know this is Europa Parks version of Hex... and I can honestly say it touched me like now other ride has. Seriously I mean that physically. I'll get on to the rides rather shocking hidden feature in a bit but first the pre-show.
I was disappointed with the pre-show because as far as I could see there wasn’t one. I expected a few flashy effects with a voice over telling the tale of Kassandra’s curse. However nothing happened. We were allowed into a small library area and just stood there. I guessed there was meant to be some effect on the ceiling as I could just about see through to some Mythical creature beyond. But 2 minutes of silence later the door opened onto the main show. What was that all about?
Anyway the ride itself seemed to be working fine. On my first ride I took a back seat on the right side and sat down. Only to stand up again as I'd sat on something uncomfortable. I moved slightly and sat down again. The doors closed, restraints lowered and the room began to spin. The first noticeable difference to Hex was the use of rather powerful air cannons in the back of the seat. Then the seat rests would occasionally judder as if a powerful enchantment was acting upon them. But what really shocked me started halfway through the ride. Something stroked my arse! Turned out the thing I had sat on earlier was a roller that runs underneath the padded seats. The effect was definitely creepy. If it weren't for the same expressions on my family’s faces I would have freaked out. Oddly the group opposite seemed to be unaffected and were giving us a really strange look. Either there side was broken or they were used to this sort of thing.
I recommend going on this once, but if you run straight around for another go I'd be worried about what turns you on.
Update: I’ve since re-ridden the ride on the left side and thankfully found it to be a little less intrusive. I can’t guaranty though that it wasn’t just a broken seat on the return trip.
***
Atlantis Adventure
There's a lot of debate if an interactive dark ride can be a good attraction or not. Of the 4 examples I've been on Duel and Tomb Blaster have good themes but most of it is left over from better versions of a former ride. Legoland’s Laser Raiders has interactive scenery but is way too small and I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds the larger targets harder to hit.
Unfortunately Atlantis Adventure is somewhere in-between. Like Laser Raiders the ride is aimed at a younger audience and has a similar large target weapon that lacks any sort of precision. Not that my poor aim mattered as one of the major targets towards the end multiplied my score by so much I beat all my family anyway. Fortunately it’s not quite as bad as Laser Raiders as the theme looks good, the scenery is triggered by your actions and we had great fun playing with the rotation joy stick. But given that I left the attraction still preferring Duel and Tomb Blaster (which let’s be honest aren’t great either) it’s not the inspirational type of attraction I expect of Mack.
One day they'll be a good interactive dark ride but it wasn't this ride.
Edit in 2011: There is it’s called Maus au Chocolat and it hands down beats any other shooter ride I’ve been on.
**
New: Before finishing the Greek section off I feel the need to give mention to the parks Ice Show. To say I was stunned by the storyline would be an understatement. I know that Mack like to throw themselves some praise once in a while (or more accurately all the time) but basing an Ice Show on a recent IAAPA award (That’s the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) has to be taking it to a new level. Thankfully the show realises it’s nothing more than a shameless promotion about half way through and quietly moves on without referring to it again. I would have liked to have seen just how far they could push it but I think Mack already have too much of a god complex as it is. Once again I’ll save a full review on this but for anyone wondering if it’s worth their time and I’d recommend it.
Switzerland now which is a surprisingly small looking area mainly consists of two fairly well hidden coasters given their prime location:
Swiss Bob Run
Set in a traditional mountain village the queue travels through the cobbled streets and under the ride putting you right in the middle of the action. It starts to cattle pen nearer the station though so you wouldn’t want to be part of a long queue. The ride itself is good. A bit more interesting than Blackpool’s but let down by the rides very long ending. This is unfortunately due to the finale break run being as far away from the station as it's possible to be. I did here rumour that the ride was meant to be extended into the Matterhorn’s area which would explain the bizarre choice of ending. But as it never happened the train has to complete a lap of the village after the ride is effectively already over.
It also should be noted that my brother (who was sitting in front of me) spotted that the seat and restraint are on separate parts of the cart. This meant the restraint would sometimes push down mid-ride, making it quite painful. I like the Mack Bobsled as an idea but in practice they are not the best ride design.
***
Matterhorn-Blitz
A Mack Wild Mouse but with a couple of twists that make it one of my favourites. The queue for this ride is excellent. Most of it is under the ride until it starts to get close to the station. The line then enters a log cabin in which animatronics act out a tradition Switzerland family. The little details are excellent including several animals.
The ride also has the best start of any Wild Mouse. Two trains leave the station and enter a loading shaft. I had a quick glance at the mechanisms which is huge. I would love to see a proper behind the scenes tour for this ride. The carts travel upward but this is no standard lift. The lift is actually a section of track that is effectively a train itself. The track has four sets of wheels that connect to one of two vertical tracks either side of the shaft. Some form of driver mechanise (which I was unable to spot) drives the track with both trains on it up the tower. Why doesn't it use a simple elevator system? Here's the clever bit, the two tracks lean to both the left and right side of the tower so as the cart rises it sways, creating a great rickety lift effect and letting the descending lift down. The effect works perfectly, carrying both carts to the top.
Techy photo: the track starting to lean as it swings to the left
The rest of the ride is a fairly standard Mack Wild Mouse. Fun but I've never got the point in sharp cornering. Overall an excellent ride but it is still a Wild Mouse.
****
In contrast to Switzerland England is a really large area but without much in it. I suppose the main attraction is The Globe Theatre but I wasn’t sold on either of the two shows I could have seen there.
Unlike previously I did get on the Crazy Taxi which I had to try just to say I’d been on one of those figure of 8 rides. For a kids attraction it packs a fair punch.
I also gave The Queen’s Diamonds a try. For those that don’t know it’s a laser dodging game to see if you can get through a corridor to reach the Crown Jewels... in a set time limit and without setting off all the alarms. Obviously someone else beat me to it as there were no Jewels in sight. While it’s sort of a non-attraction at Europa I’d quite like to see a small regional park add something like this as I can imagine getting really competitive over it.
Of course there is the Historama (which I always thought was in Russia).
2018 Edit: Apparently it's in Luxembourg now. At least now the building has a permanent home, even if the Historama has been replace by the Rulantica Preview Centre
Historama
Now as my dad was quick to point out Europa Park certainly like to blow their own trumpet. A show based on the park (and companies) own history might seem strange to most guests but I can't see anyone on here complaining if Alton Towers did the same. The first part of the building houses quite a few displays such as the model of the Hotel Colosseo pictured above.
Can I have one of them on my shelf?
All of them are great to look at, especially the model of Eurosat which gives an idea of what it looks like inside. By following the displays we reached the queue for the Historama show. The show is a big revolving theatre so the seats move every 6 minutes to show a different part of the stage. I won't give too much away but some of the highlights were a model park that built up ride by ride (although the wooden coaster was a bit confusing) and a history of the park with each piece of a map highlighting as the years past. Apparently the old show had laser and water effects which are still present. Good fun although a bit over the top.
New Edit: Well I spoke too soon about the Wooden Coaster being out of place, maybe that was a hint
However I unfortunately have to say the Historama show is not looking too good. The show is exactly the same as two years ago (Happy Birthday song and all) which probably wouldn’t have been a problem at any other park but given how much Europa has changed it already feels dated. Plus some of the effects have stopped working which doesn’t help the out dated feel. If you’re going to make a show celebrating the company’s success it really does need to remain up-to-date and in top form.
***
But there is something new that everyone must try: the FoodLoop restaurant. If you don’t know what it is just Google it. Loved the place and despite only being able to order snacks after 4 o’clock the Spaghetti I ordered was a full meal anyway
As this tour of the park is now in Russia it’s time for:
Euro Mir
I knew this would be a strange ride and I’m still not sure what to make of it. Euro Mir is just odd, from Mack’s spiral lift hill to the supposedly random but very much controlled spinning. It looks odd too with the sky scraper style buildings trying to hide the section of not so sharp hairpin turns. The result is good but nothing I’d rave about. The spinning also felt rather strange as we rode most the ride facing the same direction. Not so much a spinning coaster as an indecisive one.
A little bit of advice: For anyone seeking a front seat view get the front train but facing backwards, it’ll flip round on the lift hill. Also watch out for the final bakes.
***
Passing back by the Historama to Holland and although there wasn’t much here to interest me there was:
Pirates in Batavia
Europa Parks answer to Pirates of the Caribbean.
I’ve already expressed my opinion on the matter of copying Disney with the Geisterschloss review above so I won’t add anything more here. While it can never compare to Disney’s quality there's a nice old nostalgic feel. The queue line has quite a few animatronics. German Animatronics are not like their American counterparts. They’re much more simplistic but not because they have to be but because they seem to like them like that. Even on the most recent rides they have the same creepy plastic faces and the trend followed over to another German park Tripsdrill but more on that later.
The ride itself is good although it does borrow a bit too much from Disney, including the restaurant at the ride exit. Something I particularly enjoyed was the waterfall projection of a dragon. The shear amount of models would have made it fun to re-ride although there wasn’t a story to progress so some of the characters looked at odds to their neighbours.
****
A small note also needs to go to the Jungle Rafting and Enchanted Forest but these are area’s that really need to be explored.
Now we reach some of my favourite areas with Scandinavia There are several attractions of interest here such as the Vindjammer and Fairy Tale Tower.
2018 Edit: RIP Batavia and Scandinavia
End of part 1
Return to Europa Park
I know I’m slightly late to the party (by several months) but when everyone else was bringing over their Europa Park trip reports from TowersTimes I decided to wait in the knowledge that I’d soon be returning. Well now I’m back from yet another fantastic trip and rather than right my report from scratch I’m going to take the best from last time and merge it with all new (and hopefully insightful) opinions.
Warning this post covers 7 Days at Europa Park from two trips in 2010 and 2012, It’s going to be long!
But don’t worry I’ve marked all the new content and I'm not expecting anyone to read it all at once. You can always skip right to the end if Wodan is all you’re interested in
The original review can still be found here if you want more of a standard trip report format
I’ll begin with a little bit of back story. Last time we arrived at Europa Park was by bus from Baden Airport. This time the plan was to take a very different route. Travelling to Stuttgart we (me,
*Who decided he didn’t feel like going on holiday at the last minute
So where were we staying?
Hold on this looks familiar... wasn’t that exactly the same place we stayed before!
As it turned out we ended up in the same hotel, on the same floor, down the same corridor and only two rooms to the left of our rooms from before. However there was one major difference... the view:
You have no idea how incredible it was to wake up to this view each morning
Also unlike last time we had the whole day to ourselves with only a brief hour for end of day rides. We spent most of this time exploring the resort, something I could talk about but would likely double the length of this report. So instead I’ll keep things short by discussing the one part of the resort that was completely New:
Bell Rock
Now I know some of you aren’t as keen on the New England look as some of Europa parks other Hotels but I absolutely loved it! Just exploring Bell Rock felt like being in a dream. From tiny details such as the diagrams in the pictures to the grand design of the restaurants and paint used on the walls it felt like the place I’d love to be. I was almost disappointed that I wouldn’t be staying there although as the picture above shows I couldn’t have asked for a better view of it.
But I did get to experience some parts of the Hotel, the main feature being the pool. While it’s fairly basic it does offer the best place on the resort just for swimming and the only sizeable indoor pool. Highlights include several water jets along the side, the 3 nozzle showers and the lockers shaped like a Ships cargo and barrels.
My parents also spent a fair bit of time in the new fitness centre (which was still receiving work while we were there). Apparently the facilities are great but they would have liked the pool to have been on that side of the hotel so they could swap between the two.
Work in progress on what is now the Bell Rock Fitness Centre
I also got to see Waterfire (the fountain show) several times which was enjoyable to watch. And while trying to sneak my way inside the lighthouse I stumbled upon Roland's Lodge - African Bar. I’d be intrigued to know more about that place as it was locked up tight and besides a comment once on here and a reference on their website I’ve never seen it mentioned before. It wasn’t even marked on a single sign at the Hotel. Any info about the top floor of the lighthouse would also be good to know.
It’s at this point in a standard trip report that I’d start talking about the last hour at the park and the following 3 days in the order which all the interesting talking points occurred. However as my first destination was the newly opened Wodan and this report would be an absolute mess if I kept jumping between rides I’m just going to follow the park layout round, inserting my view wherever necessary. Consider this my Ultimate guide to Europa park:
Europa Park: Park Tour
So we begin in Germany which serves as the park’s main entrance and almost nothing else. As such and as a hotel guest there was very little reason for me to be there which was why on my last trip I almost completely ignored it. I suppose that’s the unfortunate reality of a slowly growing park which started off with its focal area in the very corner of what would become a massive resort.
However it’s a fairly nice area and the gardens offer a good escape in the middle of a busy day. There was also one shop in particular that caught my eye. Labelled as the “Fan Shop” I honestly thought it was a mistranslation but no it actually was a shop for merchandise of EPFans; the parks official fan forum.
Moving on to Italy the area has changed a fair bit in the last two years with the acceptation of one ride:
Geisterschloss (Altered Review)
Ghost Castle
If you go back to my original review of Geisterschloss I was quite critical of the fact that this ride is very clearly a takeoff of Disney’s Haunted Mansion. While this is still true and still an issue for a first time rider I feel less inclined to criticise the ride as much since AstroDan pointed out that this ride pre-dates Disneyland Paris. As such it’s still a Disney clone but with no Euro-Disney Europa was just trying to offer a Disney experience closer to home. However since there has now been a Disneyland in Paris for 20 years It would be nice to see the Ghost Castle undergo either a re-theme or at the very least a few moderations to break away from the Disney formula. The same applies to Pirates in Batavia.
There are however two things of note about this ride. The first is in the pre-show which in true Disney tradition ends with the reveal of the hanged man. But unlike the original the body literally drops from the rafters, very close to impacting with whoever (in this case me) was standing below. It’s a nice touch. The second is the slightly interactive addition of water sprays. If you’ve come on this ride to escape a brief downpour (like we had) then be warned you won’t escape getting wet, although only mildly so.
***
New: Of the other two rides in Italy Piccolo Mondo Is a very quaint children’s ride which maintained a lot more of the former Ciao Bambini than I thought it would. Even the old music (which I previously compared to the famed tune of it’s a small world) is still present although thankfully for the operators sake it’s no longer blasting out over the station
Then there is the brand new Volo da Vinci. I love the Da Vinci inspired design of this pedal monorail ride and I like the way the pedals can be adjusted. Unfortunately I’m too tall for it at any position (not unusual for me) but what annoys me more is just how little feedback the pedals have. I know it’s designed for kids but it would be nice if it had an adjustable resistance option (like a gym bike). Still a good ride.
There’s also the theatre show which I’d recommend from both trips. I could add a review but with so many rides to cover I’ll save it for now.
Now onto France and without any faff let’s get onto the rides:
Eurosat
Against my better nature this is an absolutely brilliant ride. It's completely mental. Much faster than most indoor rides of its type with sharp direction changes which almost collide with the over head supports. Beside some laser effects there isn't much on-ride to look at, however the ride doesn't need it and felt better without such distractions.
If I was to fault anything it’d be the spiral lift which is great for capacity but takes forever. Oh and the final breaks can be a bit sharp. However those are some of the only faults I can find and as such it cements its place firmly in my top 10 coasters. While such a high ranking might seem weird to anyone who hasn’t been on Eurosat trust me when I say it’s just one of those rides that need to be experienced to be belied.
*****
New: Magic Cinema 4D: The Secret of Balthasar Castle
Without a doubt the best 4D show I’ve seen. But it’s not the effects that make it good, which are subtly used and only in appropriate places. What makes this show a league above the rest is its engaging story and endearing characters. Despite barely speaking any German I felt more attached to this films story than many genuine full length films. I actually got so interested in what was happening I completely forgot it was a 4D show, only to be cruelly reminded by a sharp whipping around the legs.
I don’t often praise 4D Cinemas but this one won my heart
****
New: Universum der Energie
With an extra day at the park I managed to try out a few odd rides which didn’t look like anything special on my last trip. Universe of Energy was one of them as I’d never heard anything special about it nor did it look that exciting. But after downloading the Europa Park pack for RCT3 I discovered that this was actually a proper dark ride similar to Geisterschloss and so I had to give it a try. Conclusion? It’s quite interesting. There’s a well maintained cavernous queue line followed by a trip through A Jurassic Jungle with some fairly impressive animatronic dinosaurs. There was even a decent jump scare as the cart rotated straight into the jaws of one of the beasts.
***
Silver Star
New Intro: Last time my Silver Star review started off badly with the criticism of the old display in the Mercedes-Benz Hall and how dull it made the queue. However this year’s Vrooar display is so much better. It’s a big and bold display of a comic-book racer that counters most of my previous faults. I still wouldn’t class it as anything special but the queue is much closer to what I originally expected.
The ride itself is a good B&M Hyper; not quite inspired enough to make it amazing but with enough character and solid engineering to make it a great ride. Highlights include the sharp drop after the mid-course break run and the final S-bend which puts some variety back into the ride just in time to end on a high note. It's such a shame they aren't able to build a B&M Hyper in the UK because the amount of airtime on Silver Star is incredible and something we’re really missing. It’s even better if you take advantage of the 9 cart trains by sitting near the back.
****
Up next is Greece and a chance to relive some of my favourite reviews from 2010:
Pegasus
Pegasus is a really nice family coaster. It's short but the track layout is well thought out, especially the dip before the final turn. We took the hint from the signs about sitting on the back of the seats so there was plenty of leg room. I’d recommend anyone reading this does the same as the front rows are supposed to be really cramped. The only slight downside to the ride is just how slowly the queue moves with only one train and the unorganised scramble that normally forms on the station platform. Fortunately a second train in 2012 went a long way to fix the former problem. Oh and look out for falling water as the ride is built under Poseidon’s Roller Coaster section.
****
Poseidon
As one of the first attempts at a Water Coaster Poseidon must have been a fairly big deal at the time. The dream of combining a water ride and roller coaster was a turn of the millennium idea which among manufactures must have seemed like the next big thing. It was certainly given a grand setting with a whole area themed around it and a massive queue scattered with the type of detail and props that the park wouldn’t match for another 12 years.
Don’t spend too long under this seemingly innocent Trojan horse, it has been known to relieve itself on passing guests.
Mack did a fairly good job of bringing this concept to life however when riding Poseidon you are not experiencing the perfect balance between water ride and roller coaster. To achieve such a thing would need a radically new design which could make the most out of both types of ride. Poseidon cheats by taking a normal water ride and modifying it to run on coaster track. The result is not too dissimilar to rolling a boat down a hill; fine in a straight line but as soon as you hit your first bump any notion of comfort is lost.
Thankfully the only proper coaster section comes right at the start and by the time you reach the final drop you might have even forgotten the unfortunate first half. The water section is no disappointment which hasn’t yet managed to get me soaked but there is a nice spray of water, just how I'd like most British water rides to be.
***
Fluch der Kassandra
[Spoiler Alert] For those that don't know this is Europa Parks version of Hex... and I can honestly say it touched me like now other ride has. Seriously I mean that physically. I'll get on to the rides rather shocking hidden feature in a bit but first the pre-show.
I was disappointed with the pre-show because as far as I could see there wasn’t one. I expected a few flashy effects with a voice over telling the tale of Kassandra’s curse. However nothing happened. We were allowed into a small library area and just stood there. I guessed there was meant to be some effect on the ceiling as I could just about see through to some Mythical creature beyond. But 2 minutes of silence later the door opened onto the main show. What was that all about?
Anyway the ride itself seemed to be working fine. On my first ride I took a back seat on the right side and sat down. Only to stand up again as I'd sat on something uncomfortable. I moved slightly and sat down again. The doors closed, restraints lowered and the room began to spin. The first noticeable difference to Hex was the use of rather powerful air cannons in the back of the seat. Then the seat rests would occasionally judder as if a powerful enchantment was acting upon them. But what really shocked me started halfway through the ride. Something stroked my arse! Turned out the thing I had sat on earlier was a roller that runs underneath the padded seats. The effect was definitely creepy. If it weren't for the same expressions on my family’s faces I would have freaked out. Oddly the group opposite seemed to be unaffected and were giving us a really strange look. Either there side was broken or they were used to this sort of thing.
I recommend going on this once, but if you run straight around for another go I'd be worried about what turns you on.
Update: I’ve since re-ridden the ride on the left side and thankfully found it to be a little less intrusive. I can’t guaranty though that it wasn’t just a broken seat on the return trip.
***
Atlantis Adventure
There's a lot of debate if an interactive dark ride can be a good attraction or not. Of the 4 examples I've been on Duel and Tomb Blaster have good themes but most of it is left over from better versions of a former ride. Legoland’s Laser Raiders has interactive scenery but is way too small and I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds the larger targets harder to hit.
Unfortunately Atlantis Adventure is somewhere in-between. Like Laser Raiders the ride is aimed at a younger audience and has a similar large target weapon that lacks any sort of precision. Not that my poor aim mattered as one of the major targets towards the end multiplied my score by so much I beat all my family anyway. Fortunately it’s not quite as bad as Laser Raiders as the theme looks good, the scenery is triggered by your actions and we had great fun playing with the rotation joy stick. But given that I left the attraction still preferring Duel and Tomb Blaster (which let’s be honest aren’t great either) it’s not the inspirational type of attraction I expect of Mack.
One day they'll be a good interactive dark ride but it wasn't this ride.
Edit in 2011: There is it’s called Maus au Chocolat and it hands down beats any other shooter ride I’ve been on.
**
New: Before finishing the Greek section off I feel the need to give mention to the parks Ice Show. To say I was stunned by the storyline would be an understatement. I know that Mack like to throw themselves some praise once in a while (or more accurately all the time) but basing an Ice Show on a recent IAAPA award (That’s the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) has to be taking it to a new level. Thankfully the show realises it’s nothing more than a shameless promotion about half way through and quietly moves on without referring to it again. I would have liked to have seen just how far they could push it but I think Mack already have too much of a god complex as it is. Once again I’ll save a full review on this but for anyone wondering if it’s worth their time and I’d recommend it.
Switzerland now which is a surprisingly small looking area mainly consists of two fairly well hidden coasters given their prime location:
Swiss Bob Run
Set in a traditional mountain village the queue travels through the cobbled streets and under the ride putting you right in the middle of the action. It starts to cattle pen nearer the station though so you wouldn’t want to be part of a long queue. The ride itself is good. A bit more interesting than Blackpool’s but let down by the rides very long ending. This is unfortunately due to the finale break run being as far away from the station as it's possible to be. I did here rumour that the ride was meant to be extended into the Matterhorn’s area which would explain the bizarre choice of ending. But as it never happened the train has to complete a lap of the village after the ride is effectively already over.
It also should be noted that my brother (who was sitting in front of me) spotted that the seat and restraint are on separate parts of the cart. This meant the restraint would sometimes push down mid-ride, making it quite painful. I like the Mack Bobsled as an idea but in practice they are not the best ride design.
***
Matterhorn-Blitz
A Mack Wild Mouse but with a couple of twists that make it one of my favourites. The queue for this ride is excellent. Most of it is under the ride until it starts to get close to the station. The line then enters a log cabin in which animatronics act out a tradition Switzerland family. The little details are excellent including several animals.
The ride also has the best start of any Wild Mouse. Two trains leave the station and enter a loading shaft. I had a quick glance at the mechanisms which is huge. I would love to see a proper behind the scenes tour for this ride. The carts travel upward but this is no standard lift. The lift is actually a section of track that is effectively a train itself. The track has four sets of wheels that connect to one of two vertical tracks either side of the shaft. Some form of driver mechanise (which I was unable to spot) drives the track with both trains on it up the tower. Why doesn't it use a simple elevator system? Here's the clever bit, the two tracks lean to both the left and right side of the tower so as the cart rises it sways, creating a great rickety lift effect and letting the descending lift down. The effect works perfectly, carrying both carts to the top.
Techy photo: the track starting to lean as it swings to the left
The rest of the ride is a fairly standard Mack Wild Mouse. Fun but I've never got the point in sharp cornering. Overall an excellent ride but it is still a Wild Mouse.
****
In contrast to Switzerland England is a really large area but without much in it. I suppose the main attraction is The Globe Theatre but I wasn’t sold on either of the two shows I could have seen there.
Unlike previously I did get on the Crazy Taxi which I had to try just to say I’d been on one of those figure of 8 rides. For a kids attraction it packs a fair punch.
I also gave The Queen’s Diamonds a try. For those that don’t know it’s a laser dodging game to see if you can get through a corridor to reach the Crown Jewels... in a set time limit and without setting off all the alarms. Obviously someone else beat me to it as there were no Jewels in sight. While it’s sort of a non-attraction at Europa I’d quite like to see a small regional park add something like this as I can imagine getting really competitive over it.
Of course there is the Historama (which I always thought was in Russia).
2018 Edit: Apparently it's in Luxembourg now. At least now the building has a permanent home, even if the Historama has been replace by the Rulantica Preview Centre
Historama
Now as my dad was quick to point out Europa Park certainly like to blow their own trumpet. A show based on the park (and companies) own history might seem strange to most guests but I can't see anyone on here complaining if Alton Towers did the same. The first part of the building houses quite a few displays such as the model of the Hotel Colosseo pictured above.
Can I have one of them on my shelf?
All of them are great to look at, especially the model of Eurosat which gives an idea of what it looks like inside. By following the displays we reached the queue for the Historama show. The show is a big revolving theatre so the seats move every 6 minutes to show a different part of the stage. I won't give too much away but some of the highlights were a model park that built up ride by ride (although the wooden coaster was a bit confusing) and a history of the park with each piece of a map highlighting as the years past. Apparently the old show had laser and water effects which are still present. Good fun although a bit over the top.
New Edit: Well I spoke too soon about the Wooden Coaster being out of place, maybe that was a hint
However I unfortunately have to say the Historama show is not looking too good. The show is exactly the same as two years ago (Happy Birthday song and all) which probably wouldn’t have been a problem at any other park but given how much Europa has changed it already feels dated. Plus some of the effects have stopped working which doesn’t help the out dated feel. If you’re going to make a show celebrating the company’s success it really does need to remain up-to-date and in top form.
***
But there is something new that everyone must try: the FoodLoop restaurant. If you don’t know what it is just Google it. Loved the place and despite only being able to order snacks after 4 o’clock the Spaghetti I ordered was a full meal anyway
As this tour of the park is now in Russia it’s time for:
Euro Mir
I knew this would be a strange ride and I’m still not sure what to make of it. Euro Mir is just odd, from Mack’s spiral lift hill to the supposedly random but very much controlled spinning. It looks odd too with the sky scraper style buildings trying to hide the section of not so sharp hairpin turns. The result is good but nothing I’d rave about. The spinning also felt rather strange as we rode most the ride facing the same direction. Not so much a spinning coaster as an indecisive one.
A little bit of advice: For anyone seeking a front seat view get the front train but facing backwards, it’ll flip round on the lift hill. Also watch out for the final bakes.
***
Passing back by the Historama to Holland and although there wasn’t much here to interest me there was:
Pirates in Batavia
Europa Parks answer to Pirates of the Caribbean.
I’ve already expressed my opinion on the matter of copying Disney with the Geisterschloss review above so I won’t add anything more here. While it can never compare to Disney’s quality there's a nice old nostalgic feel. The queue line has quite a few animatronics. German Animatronics are not like their American counterparts. They’re much more simplistic but not because they have to be but because they seem to like them like that. Even on the most recent rides they have the same creepy plastic faces and the trend followed over to another German park Tripsdrill but more on that later.
The ride itself is good although it does borrow a bit too much from Disney, including the restaurant at the ride exit. Something I particularly enjoyed was the waterfall projection of a dragon. The shear amount of models would have made it fun to re-ride although there wasn’t a story to progress so some of the characters looked at odds to their neighbours.
****
A small note also needs to go to the Jungle Rafting and Enchanted Forest but these are area’s that really need to be explored.
Now we reach some of my favourite areas with Scandinavia There are several attractions of interest here such as the Vindjammer and Fairy Tale Tower.
2018 Edit: RIP Batavia and Scandinavia
End of part 1
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