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Why Europa-Park is still my favourite theme park

AstroDan

AstroDan

TS Team
Favourite Ride
Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
I wasn't sure it would remain there after my trip to Asia in August.

But it did.

I was almost open to the idea that DisneySea might be so mindblowingly beautiful that it toppled all that went before.

Let me explain.

I like to think of myself as pretty well travelled these days. With exception to the West Coast of the USA, I have done most major global parks now and have topped 500 coasters. I can quickly come to the conclusion that the best park I have been to for...

Coasters?
Cedar Point.

Theming?
DisneySea

Entertainment?
Puy du Fou

So how on earth can Europa-Park be the best park if it isn't the best in any of those three categories?

I guess it's a 'Jack of all' trades, a park which does loads of stuff but doesn't truly do one single thing better than the rest. Well, that wouldn't be quite true. Because Europa-Park has the best hotels. Theyr'e all in one place and they're all immaculate. And they're building more. Europa-Park also matches the best food - there are some which are probably equal, like Epcot, but EPs range of food is something quite beyond the regular. Europa-Park also batters most parks when it comes to their slick operation. Rides shift queues and, because there's no fastrack - you don't really need to agonise.

I have been to EP when it's full. 55,000 people inside. And I still managed to do everything. Sure, between 1 and 4pm I avoided the biggest rides, I didn't want to queue 2 hours. But we managed it all. They extended closing time by 3 1/2 hours. All was well.

Those other parks, which top EP in one category or another... Cedar Point. Trust me - the best coasters on the planet. But you know, it's not a theme park. It's a cracking place but beyond those awesome coasters, it's not really got all that much else. Nice setting, of course. DisneySea? Wow. The theming is just... what can I say? But when that park is full it's not like EP. It's a bit of a chore. 45 minutes for a beer. 3 hour queues for things. And typically Disney, it doesn't actually have *that* many rides. It also really falls short on coasters - with just one major coaster and... it's pants. Puy du Fou? The best entertainment on the planet I would say but... it's not a rides park and as much as it's a fab place, it's just not your bread and butter.

So yes. I make no apology about it.

Europa-Park is the best.

:)
 
I'd like to add to all that that Europa Park is also, aside from Disney, the only park to my knowledge that regularly commissions full live orchestral recordings as soundtracks for their rides. And they are all the better for it of course, nothing can touch the magic created by a real recording as opposed to the alternative. ;)
 
Alastair said:
I'd like to add to all that that Europa Park is also, aside from Disney, the only park to my knowledge that regularly commissions full live orchestral recordings as soundtracks for their rides. And they are all the better for it of course, nothing can touch the magic created by a real recording as opposed to the alternative. ;)
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Phantasialand has done it on occasion! :)
 
A brilliant summary of why Europa is the best! It does everything well and other things exceptionally. This cannot be said for many other theme parks, if any at all.

:)
 
I get the admiration to a point. It does a lot of things very well. It's certainly come on leaps and bounds since my first visit in 1999. It's almost like a completely different park.

In terms of the comparisons you made, I'd take a day at DisneySea or Cedar Point over Europa, but that's perhaps down to familiarity and there still being a sense of newness in the other two parks, having visited fewer times.
 
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Beyond the Burger of Joy, Europa Park's food is nowhere near some of the best offerings (such as say, Dollywood, nor Polle's Kuchen)...

Better than average, like the park itself is in terms of overall quality, which is of course the point...
 
The one food that lets EP down is their currywüst. But then I suppose it's such an every day food in Germany that they don't bother, people go there to sample the finer foods from around Europe.
 
Rick said:
I get the admiration to a point. It does a lot of things very well. It's certainly come on leaps and bounds since my first visit in 1999. It's almost like a completely different park.

In terms of the comparisons you made, I'd take a day at DisneySea or Cedar Point over Europa, but that's perhaps down to familiarity and there still being a sense of newness in the other two parks, having visited fewer times.
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As with anything it comes to to personal preference. If you want a day at a theme park riding a load of top coasters then clearly you are going to want a day at somewhere like Cedar Point. If you want to be fully immersed in theming, story and the experience that goes along with that then a Disney park will come out on top (well, most of them). Then if you only want to spend a single day at a park as part of a trip then there are far better options than Europa as it is too large to enjoy in a day.

But if you want to spend some time at a theme park, maybe a few days, and split your time between some good coasters, other types of rides, shows, relaxing with a drink and good food and so on then I challenge anyone to find a better theme park out there. Without having been I would think Dollywood may come close.
Benzin said:
Beyond the Burger of Joy, Europa Park's food is nowhere near some of the best offerings (such as say, Dollywood, nor Polle's Kuchen)...

Better than average, like the park itself is in terms of overall quality, which is of course the point...
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Say what now? I'm not sure what the Burger of Joy is for a start but in no way is a burger the best food at EP! The varied choice of food and drink at Europa-Park is at least on par with any other theme park out there. You can having anything from a quick burger and chips, a more authentic but still quick bratwurst, other traditional German fare to a 3 course meal in the beautiful Schloss Balthasar. I look forward to comparing the food choices at Efteling next week.

:)
 
The term, as you yourself used, is 'on-par'... Having multiple options of food does allow choice, but choice does not equal quality... Food Loop is the prime example of this, and the food in the hotels isn't really anything to write home about (aside from the aforementioned Burger of Joy, found at Bell Rock's bar and possibly the a la carte restaurant)...

Food is the hardest thing for any park to get right mind, and the quality is as expected from a park, nothing dreadful, but nothing amazing at the same time...

Wonder how long it takes for a 3 course meal at Balthasar compared to Disney (which is about the only other park that has such an option, and even then 2 hours feels long)...
 
Benzin said:
The term, as you yourself used, is 'on-par'... Having multiple options of food does allow choice, but choice does not equal quality... Food Loop is the prime example of this, and the food in the hotels isn't really anything to write home about (aside from the aforementioned Burger of Joy, found at Bell Rock's bar and possibly the a la carte restaurant)...

Food is the hardest thing for any park to get right mind, and the quality is as expected from a park, nothing dreadful, but nothing amazing at the same time...

Wonder how long it takes for a 3 course meal at Balthasar compared to Disney (which is about the only other park that has such an option, and even then 2 hours feels long)...
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Well no, I said "at least on par with any other theme park out there", as in it is at least as good as the best out there.

Food Loop is some of the poorer quality food on park but it does depend what you have. It's more about the novelty and experience than the food there. The vast majority of other outlets offer a varied range of quality products.

And the food in the hotels isn't anything to write home about? Again something I have never heard said about Europa-Park; the hotel food is the best food at EP! Silver Lake saloon never fails to go down well, I have had numerous delicious meals at Don Quichotte including a wonferful steak earlier this year and Captain's Finest is a delight. The relatively new pizzeria in Colosseo is also a very good option if you want a cheaper meal. I would agree that the buffets aren't anything to write home about but I am not a fan of buffets anyway.

A 3 course meal in Balthasar takes between 60 and 90 minutes really which is what you'd expect at a good table service restaurant.

:)
 
Haven't eaten in Silver Lake or Don Quichotte, but the Colosseo restaurant was meh (pasta is always a good test of ability, since over or under cooked is really noticeable), and Bell Rock's was good... But again not food that I'd go crazy over...

I wouldn't really say any park has a good OVERALL quality of food, for every good place, there's somewhere dire... So I'd kinda expect a park like Europa to be on par with the rest... Where else in the world does really good food overall? Disney is very hit and miss, PA is average, Phantasialand is mixed, Efteling is also mixed (apart from anything Pancake related)...

About the only park that I've come away from and thought "wow the food really was fantastic" is Dollywood... And I'm sure that might even have some dodgy food options somewhere...
 
Have you eaten at Schloss Balthasar at EP?

Please do!

I genuinely find food at EP superb*

Flammlachs!
Bamboe Baai!
Tarte Flambee!
Ammolite!
Sala Santa Isabel!
Bodega!

I could go on for hours.

People whine about Food Loop but they have spag bol rather than things like seasonal dishes. Last time i passed, they were doing venison with seasonal asparagus and such like.

*but not the fast food burger joints.



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I consider Europa-Park second only DisneySea. But this isn't a Disney topic, so I won't go into detail of why that is.

One of the things that makes Europa so great is that there's really something for everyone. It's hard to think of any other park that offers such a range of things to do. And whilst the quality can be mixed, I find that the naff stuff tends to be from the 80s/90s - but it also has a charm to it.

I don't understand the complaints about the food, though. I've had very few disappointing meals there. Hell, I even like the spag bol at Food Loop! Outside of the Asian Disney parks, it's the best theme park food I've had! Tarte flambé tbh.
 
The worst food at EP is still miles ahead of any of the sub-dogfood-standard swill we get at parks in this country.
 
The Three Piglets, cor what a place to dine! :D

I joke. But yes, Europa's food is generally very good! I very much enjoyed the buffet at Hotel Colosseo - it may have been a bit on the dear side (it's a theme park hotel though, what can you expect), but the food was top notch for what it was and the experience was delightful! #meatskewerrestaurant
 
The food establishments are a highlight at Europa-Park, to the point where it's hard to decide which place I want to go to for lunch and dinner every trip! They have a wide variety and good-to-excellent quality all around but also, and not as mentioned, they have one of the best and most visible food offerings for people with dietary needs that I've experienced so far.

Some theme parks say in passing they provide gluten free food but never specify what as much as where on park, typically on an FAQ or an underdeveloped web page, whereas some theme parks just don't bother at all and don't have anything on offer beyond chips and salad. So imagine how lovely it is to find out Europa-Park accommodates for food allergies and intolerances, and actually details what they have!

Their website features a food allergies and intolerances page which, unlike most parks, specifies a wide variety of dishes and the on-park establishments they can be purchased from. The resort also provide lactose free and gluten free items in their breakfast and dinner buffets. The kitchen teams are very accommodating to whatever dietary need too with some menus detailing which restaurant dishes are gluten or lactose free on request. They're not limited to just dishes, as they do provide snacks (i.e. rice/corn cakes and crisps) at various kiosks on park.

I can't say what the lactose free food is like, but I will say the gluten free food itself ranges from good to excellent quality with prices being the same as their 'normal' counterparts. Some of my favourites are:
  • Pizzeria Venezia/Mille Fleurs pizza
  • Resort breakfast bread
  • Schloss Balthasar' vegan dishes
  • Silver Lake Saloon's Rice and Beans
Obviously, they haven't detailed dishes that are nut free (another dietary need which requires more visibility) but just this information alone is more than what I or any person with allergies/intolerances will see at another theme park. I'm delighted Europa-Park has put in the time and effort to do this, so I really wanted to take the time to explain why this aspect makes the park my absolute favourite too.
 
I find that Germany is especially bad when it comes to pointing out things that contain nuts (anyone who remembers the state I was in after the Chinese buffet at PL will confirm this). This is why I avoid all chocolate when in Europe, as for some reason, they seem to think it is supposed to contain hazelnut!
 
Rowe said:
So imagine how lovely it is to find out Europa-Park accommodates for food allergies and intolerances, and actually details what they have!
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Actually, I've found that Europa aren't that good with allergies, from personal experience.

In 2015, I went with a friend who has a lot of food allergies - which includes dairy and gluten. Our first meal was at Silverlake Saloon. She ordered the steak salad, and made sure that it would be gluten free before doing so. She was told it was. When it arrived, it had croutons on it - which weren't gluten free. She complained, and was told by the waiter to just eat around them. Not the best start considering the amount I've raved about the place!

The next day, we went to Food Loop. She went for the safest option - which was just vegetables. Again, she verified that it wouldn't have anything she was allergic to. When they arrived, it turned out they were cooked in butter. This wasn't mentioned on the allergy chart they had.
 
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