Tim
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Air / Blue Fire
For those that just want my review on Tripsdrill feel free to skip the Prologue and Epilogue. However If you want to know my mindset at the time of visiting and why I liked this park so much I suggest you read on.
Prologue
Once upon a time there was a young boy. His family owned a small place by the sea. Several times a year they would take the seemingly endless journey down to the coast. Of the many sites he passed there was one which always caught his eye; a pair of large metal gates wrought in the shape of two Traction Engines.
One day the family decided to see what was on the other side. They discovered The Village. The Village was (as the name suggests) a living replica of a small settlement as it would have been in Victorian times. But this was not like any other Living Museum. The Village did not treat the past as a history book. It was a Theme Park for the birth of the Amusement Park era. For the young boy this became his favourite place on Earth.
As the boy grew so did the park. There had always been a Carousel but it was joined with other classic rides including the Downhill Racers, Haunted Conservatory Swing, Chair-O-Planes and a Cake Walk. These and a number of other shows and attractions were all lovingly restored not just to be preserved but to be enjoyed.
Unfortunately it was not to last. The park was deemed to have stretched too far beyond an educational attraction. The funding was cut, and The Village was left to support its high maintenance attractions on whatever money it could make. It couldn’t make enough.
Soon after the boy learnt the harsh truth; The Village was to close.
He cried and cried but its fate could not be changed.
When the time came he was there for the last day, rode the rides for the last time and watched as those beloved gates closed for the last time.
Years went by. The rides were auctioned off, the wildlife overgrew and the park remained unused. Eventually the gates came down and the land was redeveloped. The place that the young boy once loved was no more. But he always wondered:
What would that park have been like if it had grown from the small park it was into a full size Theme Park?
This story begins moments after my last trip ended. It was 5 o’clock German time with Europa Park disappearing on the horizon and a 4 hour train journey (a result of track maintenance) ahead.
I had one full day of the holiday left with the plan to make use of the SchwabenQuellen Sauna in Stuttgart. After three days of early starts and late nights the break was desperately needed. However there was a second option. Originally I was supposed to be travelling with my brother who isn’t keen on saunas (especially the German variety). So I’d been looking for other activities to fill in the final day and being the theme park obsessive that I am I stumbled across Tripsdrill. I’d wanted to visit this park for a long time; why I was not sure and for this reason I hadn’t ever been able to justify the trip.
Since I was worn out, my brother wasn’t with me and I had only a vague idea of how to get there it looked as if on this occasion it wasn’t going to happen. But as anyone who’s been on a long train journey will know you get plenty of time to think. I had this nagging feeling that I’d live to regret not going if this turned out to be the only time I’d ever have the chance. Plus they had a modern woody which when added to Wodan would bring my grand total up to 3.
So I found myself once again waking up with a 6 o’clock start and on my way to another Theme Park.
Getting There: An easy guide
The journey to Tripsdrill turned out to be much easier than I could have hoped for. Stuttgart has a fairly good travel network with two inner city trains known as the U-Bahn (a cross between a tram and underground system) and S-Bahn (Trains that travelled only in the city limits). The bus to Trpsdrill runs from the Bietigheim-Bissingen bus and train station which was the last stop on the S5.
It was a Sunday which meant there were 3 busses going to and from the park as opposed to the normal 1. This had concerned me a little as the last time I’d visited a park with a special Sunday bus it hadn’t turned up (I’m looking at you Alton). But not only did this bus turn up but it also accepted my all day Stuttgart travel ticket which I’d already bought for the train
One last bit of praise for the bus is that if you do visit on a Sunday you can catch one that arrives just before the park opens and leaves half an hour after it closes, therefore no lost ride time. But I digress:
Erlebnispark Tripsdrill
Tripsdrill Adventure Park
So I arrived at Tripsdrill. In contrast to what I expected the first site you see is a very revelling one. The park is on a slope with the entrance at the bottom of the hill while the main road and rides are at the top. As such three of the major rides (most noticeably Mammut) run alongside the entrance road and pose a striking image.
Only once at the park entrance all these rides become obscured behind the trees and the place slips back into looking like the small park it once was.
It was at this point that I got an odd sense of familiarity. It is a weird experience to visit somewhere for the first time, in a country I had only first travelled to two years previously, and yet to feel like I had seen this place many times before. With its modest car park divided up by trees and nothing but the small traditional entrance buildings Tripsdrill reminded me of the parks I had grown up with. In their absence it felt good to be back.
After purchasing my entry ticket I entered into the park, curious as to what I might find. Despite the normal temptation to rush towards the main rides I decided that on this occasion the big thrillers could wait, I wanted to explore.
The main entrance to the park leads down a cobbled street which is best described as quaint
Maibaum
Maypole
The Maypole is the very first ride any guest comes across. It’s a bizarre attraction by ABC rides. The manufacturer itself also makes it unusual but I’ll get back to why later.
Picture taken from Tripsdrill's website because the street was under a major refurbishment which stopped me getting a good picture
The ride cycle takes place in two parts. The first can loosely be described like the Space Tower at Legoland Windsor, only your elevation is controlled by a leaver rather than manpowered. The ride slowly rotates as you move up and down the Maypole to whatever height you wish. However the cycle then enters its second phase in which each basket is lowered to the midpoint and the speed of rotation increases. The effect is a bit like a swinging chair ride only further off the ground and facing out.
It’s not a thrilling ride but unique and definitely worth a try.
***
As I was taking the scenic route of the park the next stop had to be the parks very first attraction, Altweibermühle (Old Women’s Mill). The mill opened in 1929 as an addition to the nearby restaurant. The ride is simply a slide which travels down from the top of the mill and is ridden on sack like mats. It’s not too dissimilar to a helter-skelter stretched out with several straight sections. It had been a while since I last experienced a slide like this.
The foliage in this image almost exactly covers up the route the slide makes, you can just about see the main straight section under the part with the slanted roof.
I then had the choice to either go left around a small lake or push deeper into the park by going right. As there were only a few rides to the left I chose to head that way and came across the parks only thrill ride to be built away from the other newer rides. Not that you’d have known it was a thrill ride from a distance as it could easily have been mistaken as a tree house:
Doppelter Donnerbalken
Freefall Ride according to their website, or Double Thunder Box if you believe Google.
I’ve often stated that I don’t like drop towers. However that is not always the case. Small towers such as Sub-Terra or Th13teen arent normally a problem. Neither was Mystery Castle which despite its size never went for true freefall. But I’ve never known what the cut off point is. Now I do...
This sign just outside the entrance describes the experience fairly well
Like Maibaum this is a fairly quirky ride. It bounces its way to the top of the tower in a manner which is best described as an oversized Froghopper. Both towers (they face each other) move together but out of sync so that you can anticipate what your tower will do or see the reactions of the tower that falls afterwards. Eventually they both reach the very top which is when the ride pulls its most evil trick.
[Spoiler Alert] The cart tips forward by about 15 degrees. And I’m not talking about the nice gradual tilt on Apocalypse but a sudden jerk of a motion followed only a second later by the full freefall drop. Thankfully I was aware of what was about to happen having read reviews and seen the warning sign they very kindly put at the rides entrance. I’d also chosen a seat on the back (did I mention there are two rows?) for the first ride so the motion was less extreme but it still packed quite a punch.
It’s a good ride overall, Just a little bit out of my comfort zone.
***
The other ride in the area Spritztour für Seefahrer is an interesting boat ride that would be a Splash Battle only the guns are slightly less... conventional. There are four people to a boat, one armed with the steering wheel while the accompanying three wield a Watering Can, Tea Pot and Bottle of Wine. They’re not especially accurate but the ride makes up for it with pure awesomeness. I would have ridden it but it was really popular and not the type of ride you can really enjoy alone.
Continuing around the corner was an old funhouse Altmännermühle (Old Men’s Mill). Anyone else suspect this was probably the second ride after the Old Women’s Mill? It’s a good attraction, if a bit short. There’s a revolving drum (Trommel style) that you have to walk through, several slopes made up of rollers and a cake walk inspired walkway.
Next to the ride there was also this Captain in a Barrel. I felt compelled to take a picture of it because of the clever water trick used to keep the stone constantly rotating. Not that you’ll be able to tell from this picture.
Having completed my diversion I decided to double back and grab a drink from the entrance. I walked into the shop and went to talk to the psychotic looking lady behind the counter...
...only to realise she wasn’t real.
If I hadn’t already made this point clear Tripsdrill is more than just your standard Theme Park. It exists as both an entertainment and educational attraction in its desire to relive and replicate German Culture. Sound familiar from my Prologue? There are several ways the park has managed this but the first which I encountered was the rather impressive collection of waxwork characters and animatronics.
Around every corner you are likely to come across a scene of Germanic Culture, normally being played out in an interesting way. They even have several stages which at set times throughout the day have the curtains pulled back to reveal an animatronic scene. One in particular caught my attention as it depicted a farm yard with numerous talking animals which eventually declaring the farmer as their president... could this be a slight jive at Disney
In all honesty it’s rather Bizarre. Each model is made in a very traditional German style just like those at Europa Park. Unlike the super realistic Tussauds Waxworks they are slightly stylised, giving them what I felt to be a rather creepy look. The animatronics are also quite basic (intentionally so) which adds to this uncanny valley effect. Although I must admit they gave the park quite a charm.
But a word for the wise: don’t watch Doctor Who or play Slender before going in a cellar labelled as Trillarium. It’s full of weapons as well as some of these creepy looking figures. Turn your back on them and your mind starts playing tricks :-\
Another Captain only this one was a proper Animatronic hidden away until I stumbled upon it (and everyone else followed)
Where was I? Oh yes; leaving the shop and heading back to the Old Woman’s Mill. This time I decided to turn to the right and went on a tour of the rest of the traditional section of the park. This lead around a U-turn back the way I came but on the other side of the buildings. If you are finding any of these directions hard to follow it’s because Tripsdrill has a rather odd layout. There is no main midway, just lots of different routes all lined with displays to encounter along the way. There are also a few interesting attractions like this spinning barrel ride, Weinkübelfahrt. I literally do mean spinning as every so often they’d just start to spin randomly. I did record a video but it’s fairly basic.
I decided to get some high ground by boarding Wiegen-Hochbahn. It’s essentially a single cart monorail but like many of Tripsdrill’s rides has a great quirk. Each cart looks like a baby’s crib and as such rocks from side-to-side as they drove around the track. It was quite long too making it a worthwhile experience.
From up hear I could see Hochzeitsreise which was a standard tracked ride although it ran multiple different cars on the same track. All of them drove slightly differently (supposedly as part of a wedding procession). The one in the picture was my favourite. It’s the actual wedding carriage and holds eight people: Four in the seats, two driving it and two on the horses that bop up and down like the hoarse ride at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach.
Having now seen quite a few of the parks classic rides I was tempted to make my way to the starring attractions. So I headed further into the park but there were a few other rides I had to try along the way:
Gugelhupf-Gaudi-Tour
Bundt cake jamboree
This is a Waltzer with an interesting bakery theme. As far as Waltzers go I suspect this is less intense (and less sickly) than most but it would occasionally pick up some great spin with a quick whip of a motion. However what I really liked was the touch of theme. The carts looked very interesting as some type of cake and in the centre of the ride were a collection of animatronic figures operating the bakeries ovens.
***
And finally a credit:
Rasender Tausendfüßler
Racing Caterpillar
If Tripsdrill had felt similar to the parks I grew up with before the sight of a Zierer Tivoli sealed the deal. The Rattlesnake at Pleasurewood Hills (or as some of you may know it “Snake in the Grass”... err) has always been a classic favourite of mine. This one didn’t disappoint either.
I’m not quite sure which I’d rank higher. Rasender has a slightly better setting because of the lovely landscaping. But I did always like the Snake Tunnel on the Rattlesnake along with the other obstacles (although I believe most of them have been removed now ).
I also felt the snake was a bit more forceful but I suppose all kids’ rides lose their edge once you’ve grown up. Still it was a nice attraction to relive a few memories... and of course a credit.
Random Trivia: According to the RCDB both of these rides are exactly the same age (1986)
I’ve just about covered everything I want to from the traditional section of the park (which I’ll call the “Old Park”). There are many more rides and displays besides what I’ve listed here but I won’t spoil everything
However before going any further some of you might have spotted a pattern forming. Most of these rides are not the conventional attractions you see at other parks. Many were built by lesser known manufacturers. The rest are a combination of Zierer, Gerstlauer and around the corner Hafema and Mack rides. All of these companies have one thing in common; they are all German.
This brings me onto the second point that blends the line between Theme Park and something more. Tripsdrill has an authentic feel because it is authentic. The park isn’t just themed to German history it is German. Nearly every aspect has been designed, manufactured and built locally. Which lead me to a mind blowing realisation; one day the park which merely mimics history will become the real deal.
But then should this really be that surprising to us Alton Tower’s fans? After all the Towers are not genuine gothic buildings but part of the Gothic Revival. In their day they were probably seen as mere takeoffs yet now they are just as remarkable as the buildings they were originally themed to. Could the same occur here?
Of course this theory is let down by a few exceptions. Even a country like Germany can’t quite make everything themselves. The Swiss company ABC Ride’s have added a few of their creations to. However as the park is in Southern Germany Switzerland is just as local as many of the other German companies and as of yet I’ve failed to find an influence beyond this local radius.
But I won’t get too carried away with this thought now as I’ve still only covered half the park and the other half is probably the part you’re really interested in?
The New Park
So far Tripsdrill has remained a very traditional park in a fairly enclosed place. But the four major rides take up an open space all by themselves. Leaving the old park the path widens around (or in this case over) the first ride of the new area:
Waschzuber-Rafting
Washtub Rafting
This was one of the first Hafema rapids. What’s so special about them? Picture a normal rapids boat but cut it into 3 segments held together by the inflatable ring. The result is a much more flexible design which is capable of several odd abilities as anyone who’s ridden River Quest will know.
But I’m getting ahead of myself because the ride isn't all that's of interest. The queue begins over a cascade of waterfalls (see below) and enters the washing house:
As I noted in the first part of this review Tripsdrill does not just exist as a collection of rides but as a museum of German culture. This is something the park is especially proud of and a tradition they were determined to keep as they expanded. I’ve already highlighted the two original points of interest but with the need for longer queues Tripsdrill’s major rides have taken an extra step. Every queue has a small museum serving whatever local theme the ride has been given. In this case the laundry and sewing industry. This house is full of models, props and old sewing equipment. The level of detail is very impressive for a small park; I certainly wouldn’t expect to see anything like it in Britain.
A model for Waschzuber-Rafting found midway through the queue line
The end of the museum exited onto the ramp of the boarding platform. That’s another quirk of the Hafema rapids; the boats leave the water on a large conveyer belt so that you climb into the tubs before they’re lowered back into the water. Only this one didn’t sound too healthy, periodically making a loud metallic bang which was very unnerving.
So how would this early model compare to Hafema later creations:
Well despite how wet the above picture looks you’re not going to be in much danger on this ride. It’s fast and choppy but these Hafema boats are actually too good at surviving even the roughest of water. It seems that the only way to really get them wet is to drop one down a waterfall (again see River Quest). It didn’t help that there were only two water effects around the ride. The first is a waterfall which thankfully turns off just in time and the second is a lethal looking canon but it’s a pay for use extra so you’d be very unlucky to be hit by it.
While I don’t mind the ride being a fairly dry experience it does remove any sort of threat.
***
After Waschzuber-Rafting there’s a large open field with the remaining three major rides spread around the far edge of this space. The closest is the parks log flume followed by Gerstlauer’s very first coaster:
G’sengte Sau
This is a local word so doesn’t translate too easily but it’s themed to the local sleigh industry so let’s just call it:
Bench: The Roller Coaster
No I’m not kidding that literally is what it looks like.
And for what it is I have to say G’sengte Sau is a very good ride. It’s got speed, force and a fairly solid pacing. In many ways this small family coaster is better than many major rides and a great first roller coaster for Gerstlauer. Of course it is only a Bobsled which although better than a Wild Mouse can still only be as good as the ride type allows.
There’s not much else I feel I can add about the ride as there is already a fairly definitive break down of it over at Roller Coaster Philosophy. But I will add that the queue is fairly stunning. It starts with a walk around the castles garden which is beautiful in the summer. Then the queue enters inside through several sleigh displays and even a large room with a video screen. Just like with Waschzuber-Rafting the level of detail for what I guess was quite a tight budget kind of puts our parks to shame.
Lots of airtime over the bunny-hop hills, such a good layout!
****
Right next door is:
Mammut
Mammoth
As the parks newest attraction and most major ride I guess the name was chosen to reflect this because I see no sign of a Mammoth anywhere, despite a novelty T-Shirt. No, Mammut is themed to a lumber mill, a fairly obvious theme for a Wooden Roller Coaster but it fits Tripsdrill’s line up of historic based rides.
The queue isn’t as detailed as the museum like queues of the other major attractions but it does have a few pieces of authentic lumber equipment. There’s also a quirky feature that I was very fond of which could be found on both of Tripsdrill’s two major coasters. Both rides had a wall of newspaper clippings near the station, archiving the history of the attraction. As the newest ride Mammut’s news clippings were limited to the one story of a local rollerblader who had modified his skates to ride the roller coaster. G’sengte Sau being a bit older and integrated with the parks flume had a few more interesting articles about the castles construction. However on Mammut the lack of news did have the bonus that they resorted to English and American papers on the same story to pad out the display, giving me the chance to read them.
But enough about the queue, with Mammut it’s all about the ride, and I still had a few questions left over from yesterdays ride on Wodan. Mammut gets off to a very good start, leaving the station it turned left into a pre-lift pre-show (which I believe was added in 2010). This section can best be compared to Blue Fire’s but if it was a broken down lumber mill. The train moved into the mill as several heavy switches flicked down. Red lights flashed from each and alarms sounded. The train passed under a very realistic looking broken and sparking cable before making a small decent to engage with the lift hill. As the train dropped it was sprayed with mist and water as it began to climb the hill under the bent mill blades.
As the ride reached the top of the hill the layout ahead looked very similar to a GCI coaster, just like the one I had only just left. Only this isn’t a GCI but Gerstlauer’s own version. It seemed that I’d get to test my theory of preferring Wooden Coasters with longer carriages (and therefore less amplified judder) much sooner than I thought.
While I did prefer the ride of the first few drops the longer carts soon proved to have their own issues. For starters they aren’t as dynamic so each element had to be grander and lacked the chaos. This was great at high speed but meant the end of the ride couldn’t give the same illusion of still moving quickly. The ride wasn’t helped by the other problem which was the trains weight (admittedly an issue with Gerstlauer’s design and not the carriage length). About half way through the ride it became very apparent that the train was losing speed. It tried to recover with quick direction changes but it couldn’t quite pull them off. Thankfully the ride had one finale element to redeem itself.
Plunging into a tunnel Mammut picked up its opening speed again and added to it with a post-show inside the tunnel. A green laser light cut through the track ahead before being obscured by a cloud of smoke. The train plunged through, riding into daylight and slamming into the break run.
In the end Mammut was not a match for Wodan but it did hold up reasonable well.
If you’re looking for a good family thrill coaster then Mammut certainly provides.
****
This just left one ride which I was saving to last:
Badewannen-Fahrt zum Jungbrunnen
Bath trip to the Fountain of Youth
But let’s just refer to it as Jungbrunnen
This is the ride The Flume (unplugged) should have been. In fact I’m slightly stumped as to why they didn’t just copy the design after Mack did such a good job of the bathtubs. But as the long winded name suggests this ride isn’t just about bath time but also a trip to the Rauhe Klinge (Castle) and more importantly The Fountain of Youth.
Actually that opening statement is a bit misleading because while Jungbrunnen does do the “bath time” theme better than The Flume It’s not very consistent. The bathroom setting lasts about as far as the station before a bit of scenic castle touring takes over. Then the castle is abandoned for the fountain before going back to finish with the castle again. But oddly it all flows fairly well from each section to the next. I never once questioned why I was riding a bath tub through a castle.
For what you want to know about the actually ride It’s the best Classic Log Flume I think I’ve been on. I genuinely enjoyed it and found the ride warranted several re-rides which for me is very high praise for a log flume.
The layout is a common 3 drop formula. Each gets progressively larger with a backwards section thrown in for the second drop. It’s a good formula helped by cutting straight to the point without the usual meandering sections. Nothing felt wasted.
But my favourite part of the ride was oddly in one of these quiet sections as it was very unique to Tripsdrill and Germany. After the first drop the boat turns into a tunnel which felt oddly authentic. Near the end of the tunnel was a slot in the roof to let the light in. As my attention was drawn towards it the tunnel opened up out of view so that when I turned back in front of me was the Fountain of Youth.
The Fountain is a really clever setup. The flume channel slowly curves around the scene which is populated by a crowd of figures representing the fountains regenerating effect. They start as old folk being wheeled into the water but as the boat progresses each Women (there are no men in the water for some reason) slowly changes. This being Germany they are of course completely naked, and anatomically accurate. But being able to see all was what made the regeneration process all the more bizarre. Some of the later models while they had a young physique were wrinkled all over, as if the process back to youth isn’t quite the same as normal ageing. It’s a very odd scene and not one that would appear on your standard log flume.
****
This brings my trip to Tripsdrill to an end. I managed to snag a few more rides on the big 4 before catching the last bus at park close. I hadn’t planned to stay quite as long as I did but single train operation on Mammut and my determination to get as many rides in as possible resulted in missing the earlier bus.
As I headed back I reflected on my time at Tripsdrill. It’s an interesting park and one I’d definitely recommend to anyone who’s in the area and looking for something a little more traditional. The rides are quirky, the feel is quaint and it has a real appreciation for what it is and what it wants to be. I look forward to their upcoming coaster and hope that the park continues to do well. Which reminds me...
Epilogue
Life isn’t like a fairytale. Places close and most of the time there is no white Knight to save them. The young boy from my original tale will never know what The Village could have been like if it was still standing today. Maybe it would have become our own Knoebels and continued to restore and even recreate many long lost classic attractions. But that didn’t happen. Instead reality kept on going and the young boy spent 8 years wondering what the park could have been like. It was nice to walk into Tripsdrill and finally have an answer, even if it had a slightly German twist.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my ramblings
PS. I’m tempted to do a retro review of The Village at some point if there’s any interest?
Prologue
Once upon a time there was a young boy. His family owned a small place by the sea. Several times a year they would take the seemingly endless journey down to the coast. Of the many sites he passed there was one which always caught his eye; a pair of large metal gates wrought in the shape of two Traction Engines.
One day the family decided to see what was on the other side. They discovered The Village. The Village was (as the name suggests) a living replica of a small settlement as it would have been in Victorian times. But this was not like any other Living Museum. The Village did not treat the past as a history book. It was a Theme Park for the birth of the Amusement Park era. For the young boy this became his favourite place on Earth.
As the boy grew so did the park. There had always been a Carousel but it was joined with other classic rides including the Downhill Racers, Haunted Conservatory Swing, Chair-O-Planes and a Cake Walk. These and a number of other shows and attractions were all lovingly restored not just to be preserved but to be enjoyed.
Unfortunately it was not to last. The park was deemed to have stretched too far beyond an educational attraction. The funding was cut, and The Village was left to support its high maintenance attractions on whatever money it could make. It couldn’t make enough.
Soon after the boy learnt the harsh truth; The Village was to close.
He cried and cried but its fate could not be changed.
When the time came he was there for the last day, rode the rides for the last time and watched as those beloved gates closed for the last time.
Years went by. The rides were auctioned off, the wildlife overgrew and the park remained unused. Eventually the gates came down and the land was redeveloped. The place that the young boy once loved was no more. But he always wondered:
What would that park have been like if it had grown from the small park it was into a full size Theme Park?
This story begins moments after my last trip ended. It was 5 o’clock German time with Europa Park disappearing on the horizon and a 4 hour train journey (a result of track maintenance) ahead.
I had one full day of the holiday left with the plan to make use of the SchwabenQuellen Sauna in Stuttgart. After three days of early starts and late nights the break was desperately needed. However there was a second option. Originally I was supposed to be travelling with my brother who isn’t keen on saunas (especially the German variety). So I’d been looking for other activities to fill in the final day and being the theme park obsessive that I am I stumbled across Tripsdrill. I’d wanted to visit this park for a long time; why I was not sure and for this reason I hadn’t ever been able to justify the trip.
Since I was worn out, my brother wasn’t with me and I had only a vague idea of how to get there it looked as if on this occasion it wasn’t going to happen. But as anyone who’s been on a long train journey will know you get plenty of time to think. I had this nagging feeling that I’d live to regret not going if this turned out to be the only time I’d ever have the chance. Plus they had a modern woody which when added to Wodan would bring my grand total up to 3.
So I found myself once again waking up with a 6 o’clock start and on my way to another Theme Park.
Getting There: An easy guide
The journey to Tripsdrill turned out to be much easier than I could have hoped for. Stuttgart has a fairly good travel network with two inner city trains known as the U-Bahn (a cross between a tram and underground system) and S-Bahn (Trains that travelled only in the city limits). The bus to Trpsdrill runs from the Bietigheim-Bissingen bus and train station which was the last stop on the S5.
It was a Sunday which meant there were 3 busses going to and from the park as opposed to the normal 1. This had concerned me a little as the last time I’d visited a park with a special Sunday bus it hadn’t turned up (I’m looking at you Alton). But not only did this bus turn up but it also accepted my all day Stuttgart travel ticket which I’d already bought for the train
One last bit of praise for the bus is that if you do visit on a Sunday you can catch one that arrives just before the park opens and leaves half an hour after it closes, therefore no lost ride time. But I digress:
Erlebnispark Tripsdrill
Tripsdrill Adventure Park
So I arrived at Tripsdrill. In contrast to what I expected the first site you see is a very revelling one. The park is on a slope with the entrance at the bottom of the hill while the main road and rides are at the top. As such three of the major rides (most noticeably Mammut) run alongside the entrance road and pose a striking image.
Only once at the park entrance all these rides become obscured behind the trees and the place slips back into looking like the small park it once was.
It was at this point that I got an odd sense of familiarity. It is a weird experience to visit somewhere for the first time, in a country I had only first travelled to two years previously, and yet to feel like I had seen this place many times before. With its modest car park divided up by trees and nothing but the small traditional entrance buildings Tripsdrill reminded me of the parks I had grown up with. In their absence it felt good to be back.
After purchasing my entry ticket I entered into the park, curious as to what I might find. Despite the normal temptation to rush towards the main rides I decided that on this occasion the big thrillers could wait, I wanted to explore.
The main entrance to the park leads down a cobbled street which is best described as quaint
Maibaum
Maypole
The Maypole is the very first ride any guest comes across. It’s a bizarre attraction by ABC rides. The manufacturer itself also makes it unusual but I’ll get back to why later.
Picture taken from Tripsdrill's website because the street was under a major refurbishment which stopped me getting a good picture
The ride cycle takes place in two parts. The first can loosely be described like the Space Tower at Legoland Windsor, only your elevation is controlled by a leaver rather than manpowered. The ride slowly rotates as you move up and down the Maypole to whatever height you wish. However the cycle then enters its second phase in which each basket is lowered to the midpoint and the speed of rotation increases. The effect is a bit like a swinging chair ride only further off the ground and facing out.
It’s not a thrilling ride but unique and definitely worth a try.
***
As I was taking the scenic route of the park the next stop had to be the parks very first attraction, Altweibermühle (Old Women’s Mill). The mill opened in 1929 as an addition to the nearby restaurant. The ride is simply a slide which travels down from the top of the mill and is ridden on sack like mats. It’s not too dissimilar to a helter-skelter stretched out with several straight sections. It had been a while since I last experienced a slide like this.
The foliage in this image almost exactly covers up the route the slide makes, you can just about see the main straight section under the part with the slanted roof.
I then had the choice to either go left around a small lake or push deeper into the park by going right. As there were only a few rides to the left I chose to head that way and came across the parks only thrill ride to be built away from the other newer rides. Not that you’d have known it was a thrill ride from a distance as it could easily have been mistaken as a tree house:
Doppelter Donnerbalken
Freefall Ride according to their website, or Double Thunder Box if you believe Google.
I’ve often stated that I don’t like drop towers. However that is not always the case. Small towers such as Sub-Terra or Th13teen arent normally a problem. Neither was Mystery Castle which despite its size never went for true freefall. But I’ve never known what the cut off point is. Now I do...
This sign just outside the entrance describes the experience fairly well
Like Maibaum this is a fairly quirky ride. It bounces its way to the top of the tower in a manner which is best described as an oversized Froghopper. Both towers (they face each other) move together but out of sync so that you can anticipate what your tower will do or see the reactions of the tower that falls afterwards. Eventually they both reach the very top which is when the ride pulls its most evil trick.
[Spoiler Alert] The cart tips forward by about 15 degrees. And I’m not talking about the nice gradual tilt on Apocalypse but a sudden jerk of a motion followed only a second later by the full freefall drop. Thankfully I was aware of what was about to happen having read reviews and seen the warning sign they very kindly put at the rides entrance. I’d also chosen a seat on the back (did I mention there are two rows?) for the first ride so the motion was less extreme but it still packed quite a punch.
It’s a good ride overall, Just a little bit out of my comfort zone.
***
The other ride in the area Spritztour für Seefahrer is an interesting boat ride that would be a Splash Battle only the guns are slightly less... conventional. There are four people to a boat, one armed with the steering wheel while the accompanying three wield a Watering Can, Tea Pot and Bottle of Wine. They’re not especially accurate but the ride makes up for it with pure awesomeness. I would have ridden it but it was really popular and not the type of ride you can really enjoy alone.
Continuing around the corner was an old funhouse Altmännermühle (Old Men’s Mill). Anyone else suspect this was probably the second ride after the Old Women’s Mill? It’s a good attraction, if a bit short. There’s a revolving drum (Trommel style) that you have to walk through, several slopes made up of rollers and a cake walk inspired walkway.
Next to the ride there was also this Captain in a Barrel. I felt compelled to take a picture of it because of the clever water trick used to keep the stone constantly rotating. Not that you’ll be able to tell from this picture.
Having completed my diversion I decided to double back and grab a drink from the entrance. I walked into the shop and went to talk to the psychotic looking lady behind the counter...
...only to realise she wasn’t real.
If I hadn’t already made this point clear Tripsdrill is more than just your standard Theme Park. It exists as both an entertainment and educational attraction in its desire to relive and replicate German Culture. Sound familiar from my Prologue? There are several ways the park has managed this but the first which I encountered was the rather impressive collection of waxwork characters and animatronics.
Around every corner you are likely to come across a scene of Germanic Culture, normally being played out in an interesting way. They even have several stages which at set times throughout the day have the curtains pulled back to reveal an animatronic scene. One in particular caught my attention as it depicted a farm yard with numerous talking animals which eventually declaring the farmer as their president... could this be a slight jive at Disney
In all honesty it’s rather Bizarre. Each model is made in a very traditional German style just like those at Europa Park. Unlike the super realistic Tussauds Waxworks they are slightly stylised, giving them what I felt to be a rather creepy look. The animatronics are also quite basic (intentionally so) which adds to this uncanny valley effect. Although I must admit they gave the park quite a charm.
But a word for the wise: don’t watch Doctor Who or play Slender before going in a cellar labelled as Trillarium. It’s full of weapons as well as some of these creepy looking figures. Turn your back on them and your mind starts playing tricks :-\
Another Captain only this one was a proper Animatronic hidden away until I stumbled upon it (and everyone else followed)
Where was I? Oh yes; leaving the shop and heading back to the Old Woman’s Mill. This time I decided to turn to the right and went on a tour of the rest of the traditional section of the park. This lead around a U-turn back the way I came but on the other side of the buildings. If you are finding any of these directions hard to follow it’s because Tripsdrill has a rather odd layout. There is no main midway, just lots of different routes all lined with displays to encounter along the way. There are also a few interesting attractions like this spinning barrel ride, Weinkübelfahrt. I literally do mean spinning as every so often they’d just start to spin randomly. I did record a video but it’s fairly basic.
I decided to get some high ground by boarding Wiegen-Hochbahn. It’s essentially a single cart monorail but like many of Tripsdrill’s rides has a great quirk. Each cart looks like a baby’s crib and as such rocks from side-to-side as they drove around the track. It was quite long too making it a worthwhile experience.
From up hear I could see Hochzeitsreise which was a standard tracked ride although it ran multiple different cars on the same track. All of them drove slightly differently (supposedly as part of a wedding procession). The one in the picture was my favourite. It’s the actual wedding carriage and holds eight people: Four in the seats, two driving it and two on the horses that bop up and down like the hoarse ride at Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach.
Having now seen quite a few of the parks classic rides I was tempted to make my way to the starring attractions. So I headed further into the park but there were a few other rides I had to try along the way:
Gugelhupf-Gaudi-Tour
Bundt cake jamboree
This is a Waltzer with an interesting bakery theme. As far as Waltzers go I suspect this is less intense (and less sickly) than most but it would occasionally pick up some great spin with a quick whip of a motion. However what I really liked was the touch of theme. The carts looked very interesting as some type of cake and in the centre of the ride were a collection of animatronic figures operating the bakeries ovens.
***
And finally a credit:
Rasender Tausendfüßler
Racing Caterpillar
If Tripsdrill had felt similar to the parks I grew up with before the sight of a Zierer Tivoli sealed the deal. The Rattlesnake at Pleasurewood Hills (or as some of you may know it “Snake in the Grass”... err) has always been a classic favourite of mine. This one didn’t disappoint either.
I’m not quite sure which I’d rank higher. Rasender has a slightly better setting because of the lovely landscaping. But I did always like the Snake Tunnel on the Rattlesnake along with the other obstacles (although I believe most of them have been removed now
).I also felt the snake was a bit more forceful but I suppose all kids’ rides lose their edge once you’ve grown up. Still it was a nice attraction to relive a few memories... and of course a credit.
Random Trivia: According to the RCDB both of these rides are exactly the same age (1986)
I’ve just about covered everything I want to from the traditional section of the park (which I’ll call the “Old Park”). There are many more rides and displays besides what I’ve listed here but I won’t spoil everything
However before going any further some of you might have spotted a pattern forming. Most of these rides are not the conventional attractions you see at other parks. Many were built by lesser known manufacturers. The rest are a combination of Zierer, Gerstlauer and around the corner Hafema and Mack rides. All of these companies have one thing in common; they are all German.
This brings me onto the second point that blends the line between Theme Park and something more. Tripsdrill has an authentic feel because it is authentic. The park isn’t just themed to German history it is German. Nearly every aspect has been designed, manufactured and built locally. Which lead me to a mind blowing realisation; one day the park which merely mimics history will become the real deal.
But then should this really be that surprising to us Alton Tower’s fans? After all the Towers are not genuine gothic buildings but part of the Gothic Revival. In their day they were probably seen as mere takeoffs yet now they are just as remarkable as the buildings they were originally themed to. Could the same occur here?
Of course this theory is let down by a few exceptions. Even a country like Germany can’t quite make everything themselves. The Swiss company ABC Ride’s have added a few of their creations to. However as the park is in Southern Germany Switzerland is just as local as many of the other German companies and as of yet I’ve failed to find an influence beyond this local radius.
But I won’t get too carried away with this thought now as I’ve still only covered half the park and the other half is probably the part you’re really interested in?
The New Park
So far Tripsdrill has remained a very traditional park in a fairly enclosed place. But the four major rides take up an open space all by themselves. Leaving the old park the path widens around (or in this case over) the first ride of the new area:
Waschzuber-Rafting
Washtub Rafting
This was one of the first Hafema rapids. What’s so special about them? Picture a normal rapids boat but cut it into 3 segments held together by the inflatable ring. The result is a much more flexible design which is capable of several odd abilities as anyone who’s ridden River Quest will know.
But I’m getting ahead of myself because the ride isn't all that's of interest. The queue begins over a cascade of waterfalls (see below) and enters the washing house:
As I noted in the first part of this review Tripsdrill does not just exist as a collection of rides but as a museum of German culture. This is something the park is especially proud of and a tradition they were determined to keep as they expanded. I’ve already highlighted the two original points of interest but with the need for longer queues Tripsdrill’s major rides have taken an extra step. Every queue has a small museum serving whatever local theme the ride has been given. In this case the laundry and sewing industry. This house is full of models, props and old sewing equipment. The level of detail is very impressive for a small park; I certainly wouldn’t expect to see anything like it in Britain.
A model for Waschzuber-Rafting found midway through the queue line
The end of the museum exited onto the ramp of the boarding platform. That’s another quirk of the Hafema rapids; the boats leave the water on a large conveyer belt so that you climb into the tubs before they’re lowered back into the water. Only this one didn’t sound too healthy, periodically making a loud metallic bang which was very unnerving.
So how would this early model compare to Hafema later creations:
Well despite how wet the above picture looks you’re not going to be in much danger on this ride. It’s fast and choppy but these Hafema boats are actually too good at surviving even the roughest of water. It seems that the only way to really get them wet is to drop one down a waterfall (again see River Quest). It didn’t help that there were only two water effects around the ride. The first is a waterfall which thankfully turns off just in time and the second is a lethal looking canon but it’s a pay for use extra so you’d be very unlucky to be hit by it.
While I don’t mind the ride being a fairly dry experience it does remove any sort of threat.
***
After Waschzuber-Rafting there’s a large open field with the remaining three major rides spread around the far edge of this space. The closest is the parks log flume followed by Gerstlauer’s very first coaster:
G’sengte Sau
This is a local word so doesn’t translate too easily but it’s themed to the local sleigh industry so let’s just call it:
Bench: The Roller Coaster
No I’m not kidding that literally is what it looks like.
And for what it is I have to say G’sengte Sau is a very good ride. It’s got speed, force and a fairly solid pacing. In many ways this small family coaster is better than many major rides and a great first roller coaster for Gerstlauer. Of course it is only a Bobsled which although better than a Wild Mouse can still only be as good as the ride type allows.
There’s not much else I feel I can add about the ride as there is already a fairly definitive break down of it over at Roller Coaster Philosophy. But I will add that the queue is fairly stunning. It starts with a walk around the castles garden which is beautiful in the summer. Then the queue enters inside through several sleigh displays and even a large room with a video screen. Just like with Waschzuber-Rafting the level of detail for what I guess was quite a tight budget kind of puts our parks to shame.
Lots of airtime over the bunny-hop hills, such a good layout!
****
Right next door is:
Mammut
Mammoth
As the parks newest attraction and most major ride I guess the name was chosen to reflect this because I see no sign of a Mammoth anywhere, despite a novelty T-Shirt. No, Mammut is themed to a lumber mill, a fairly obvious theme for a Wooden Roller Coaster but it fits Tripsdrill’s line up of historic based rides.
The queue isn’t as detailed as the museum like queues of the other major attractions but it does have a few pieces of authentic lumber equipment. There’s also a quirky feature that I was very fond of which could be found on both of Tripsdrill’s two major coasters. Both rides had a wall of newspaper clippings near the station, archiving the history of the attraction. As the newest ride Mammut’s news clippings were limited to the one story of a local rollerblader who had modified his skates to ride the roller coaster. G’sengte Sau being a bit older and integrated with the parks flume had a few more interesting articles about the castles construction. However on Mammut the lack of news did have the bonus that they resorted to English and American papers on the same story to pad out the display, giving me the chance to read them.
But enough about the queue, with Mammut it’s all about the ride, and I still had a few questions left over from yesterdays ride on Wodan. Mammut gets off to a very good start, leaving the station it turned left into a pre-lift pre-show (which I believe was added in 2010). This section can best be compared to Blue Fire’s but if it was a broken down lumber mill. The train moved into the mill as several heavy switches flicked down. Red lights flashed from each and alarms sounded. The train passed under a very realistic looking broken and sparking cable before making a small decent to engage with the lift hill. As the train dropped it was sprayed with mist and water as it began to climb the hill under the bent mill blades.
As the ride reached the top of the hill the layout ahead looked very similar to a GCI coaster, just like the one I had only just left. Only this isn’t a GCI but Gerstlauer’s own version. It seemed that I’d get to test my theory of preferring Wooden Coasters with longer carriages (and therefore less amplified judder) much sooner than I thought.
While I did prefer the ride of the first few drops the longer carts soon proved to have their own issues. For starters they aren’t as dynamic so each element had to be grander and lacked the chaos. This was great at high speed but meant the end of the ride couldn’t give the same illusion of still moving quickly. The ride wasn’t helped by the other problem which was the trains weight (admittedly an issue with Gerstlauer’s design and not the carriage length). About half way through the ride it became very apparent that the train was losing speed. It tried to recover with quick direction changes but it couldn’t quite pull them off. Thankfully the ride had one finale element to redeem itself.
Plunging into a tunnel Mammut picked up its opening speed again and added to it with a post-show inside the tunnel. A green laser light cut through the track ahead before being obscured by a cloud of smoke. The train plunged through, riding into daylight and slamming into the break run.
In the end Mammut was not a match for Wodan but it did hold up reasonable well.
If you’re looking for a good family thrill coaster then Mammut certainly provides.
****
This just left one ride which I was saving to last:
Badewannen-Fahrt zum Jungbrunnen
Bath trip to the Fountain of Youth
But let’s just refer to it as Jungbrunnen
This is the ride The Flume (unplugged) should have been. In fact I’m slightly stumped as to why they didn’t just copy the design after Mack did such a good job of the bathtubs. But as the long winded name suggests this ride isn’t just about bath time but also a trip to the Rauhe Klinge (Castle) and more importantly The Fountain of Youth.
Actually that opening statement is a bit misleading because while Jungbrunnen does do the “bath time” theme better than The Flume It’s not very consistent. The bathroom setting lasts about as far as the station before a bit of scenic castle touring takes over. Then the castle is abandoned for the fountain before going back to finish with the castle again. But oddly it all flows fairly well from each section to the next. I never once questioned why I was riding a bath tub through a castle.
For what you want to know about the actually ride It’s the best Classic Log Flume I think I’ve been on. I genuinely enjoyed it and found the ride warranted several re-rides which for me is very high praise for a log flume.
The layout is a common 3 drop formula. Each gets progressively larger with a backwards section thrown in for the second drop. It’s a good formula helped by cutting straight to the point without the usual meandering sections. Nothing felt wasted.
But my favourite part of the ride was oddly in one of these quiet sections as it was very unique to Tripsdrill and Germany. After the first drop the boat turns into a tunnel which felt oddly authentic. Near the end of the tunnel was a slot in the roof to let the light in. As my attention was drawn towards it the tunnel opened up out of view so that when I turned back in front of me was the Fountain of Youth.
The Fountain is a really clever setup. The flume channel slowly curves around the scene which is populated by a crowd of figures representing the fountains regenerating effect. They start as old folk being wheeled into the water but as the boat progresses each Women (there are no men in the water for some reason) slowly changes. This being Germany they are of course completely naked, and anatomically accurate. But being able to see all was what made the regeneration process all the more bizarre. Some of the later models while they had a young physique were wrinkled all over, as if the process back to youth isn’t quite the same as normal ageing. It’s a very odd scene and not one that would appear on your standard log flume.
****
This brings my trip to Tripsdrill to an end. I managed to snag a few more rides on the big 4 before catching the last bus at park close. I hadn’t planned to stay quite as long as I did but single train operation on Mammut and my determination to get as many rides in as possible resulted in missing the earlier bus.
As I headed back I reflected on my time at Tripsdrill. It’s an interesting park and one I’d definitely recommend to anyone who’s in the area and looking for something a little more traditional. The rides are quirky, the feel is quaint and it has a real appreciation for what it is and what it wants to be. I look forward to their upcoming coaster and hope that the park continues to do well. Which reminds me...
Epilogue
Life isn’t like a fairytale. Places close and most of the time there is no white Knight to save them. The young boy from my original tale will never know what The Village could have been like if it was still standing today. Maybe it would have become our own Knoebels and continued to restore and even recreate many long lost classic attractions. But that didn’t happen. Instead reality kept on going and the young boy spent 8 years wondering what the park could have been like. It was nice to walk into Tripsdrill and finally have an answer, even if it had a slightly German twist.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my ramblings
PS. I’m tempted to do a retro review of The Village at some point if there’s any interest?
