EUROPA PARK & HOTEL RESORT - Exploration 2011

Hey guys !

As we, Rainer (Orici) and Gero (GeorgeT), are very regular visitors of Europa Park here in Germany, our idea is to show you as many rare views and angles of this beautiful park as possible, combined with a hand full of advices where to look at, what to ride, what to avoid, where to eat and what to drink !

Hope you'll enjoy ... now on to the photos (lets start with something totally exciting to give you an idea how awesome this trip report will be ):

Adorable random duck: while I'm thinking about how beautiful nature is when I look at that photo, Rainer can't do anything but think about lunch

Me and Rainer share everything ... we are even used to abusing the same coaster ... and in the meantime Blue Fire must be used to being abused by us !

Same here

We thought it would be a good idea to start with this years new attractions.

So on to the Volo DaVinci photos !

The entrance of Volo DaVinci, which is located in the italian area of the park on the opposite of the parks haunted mansion !

The elaborated station from the inside with a few interactive models of Leonardos inventions !

And there: the man himself !

Besides ... a very complex animatronic, which is, of course, no where as complex as the original's brain

Now on to the trains !

Whats the point of VdV?

The faster you pedal the faster it gets.

But to be honest, it always stays a slow ride. But it gives you a few very nice views of the parks german and french area.

See ?

Beautiful France from VdV ... awwwwwww ....

On to the other new attraction in 2011: Märchenwald (enchanted forest) reloaded

If you enter the park heading to the spanish area, just choose the way thats on the left side of the lake and you will enter the "Märchenwald" !

Awwwwww ... (Rainer ... lend me some tissues please ))

(Gero ... give me those tissues back ... it's a case of emergency ))

Not bad, hmmm ?

Here you can see "Grimms magical library", (until now) the main attraction in this area, which will be expanded over the next two years. Then this place will host a new and huge darkride, which will be built on the other side of the river. Rumor has it, that another big attraction will be built in that area in the next two years...

Inside this building you can watch a movie in 3D with a technique that makes special glasses unnecessary !

Our review: short but nice video for the whole family !

Sleeping Beauty castle ... with big bad booby girl sleeping inside ...

(If anyone has an idea who B.B.B.G. could be ... just email Big Mike and win a bag of crap

Guess who lives in there ?

It's Big Mike after seven weeks of diarrhoe

Man that cat looks pissed !

Guess what she nibbled from ?

If you can't find the answer, just scroll up to the picture above. Got it ?

The new designed vehicles of Europa Parks fairy tale ride. Sweet, hmmmm .....

So, that's Rainer just chillin' and some random queer dwarf lightning thingy !

More places to chill ...

(with the totally annoying GeorgeT spoiling the whole picture ... as always ))

Oh noes ! It's him again ((

But seriously: On the lake side of the enchanted forest you will find SEVERAL places to relax and find some quietness far away from the extensive stress that is serious coaster riding and credit whoring !!!

Next stop: The Colonial Food Station !

Ok ... from the outside it doesn't look that appealing ... but looks can be deceiving

(Man ... we really love what comes next ...)

Awww ... om nom nom ... slurp slurp slurp ...

... see what we mean ?

On a really hot day nothing beats a frozen juice !!!

It's not just colorant, it's not just artificial flavor ... noo, it's pure frozen fruit juice.

Highly recommended ! Go there ... get it !

This is where you can experience a rolling thunderstorm out of nowhere ... totally annoying but fun ... triggered by a knob that is located somewhere at the bar. We are not joking. Just ask the barkeeper for your personal, spontanious thunderstorm !

Rainer ... do you think there is even one person in the whole universe less picky than you are ?

I mean ... she's old ... she's burned ... she's not even alive ! And ... last but not least: She's dead !!!

And it's NOT getting better when you come close

It's teaser time

What you see here is probably the most exclusive place in the whole park. You don't know what's inside (... and we are not talking about Atlantica Super Splash's Queue) ?

Get the answer to that questeion, news about Europa's upcoming wooden coaster ... and many more pics and advices in the second part of this trip report. Stay tuned, guys !!!

Yours

Gero (GeorgeT) and Rainer (Orici) from Germany !

Do you know if Volo da Vinci replaced the Mack Museum?

Yesss...it totally did, Larry !

(To make things clear : I think you`re totally adorable, Mike )

I knew that staircase looked familiar.

Hello guys and welcome to part number two of our trip report !

Let's start with the georgeous Magellan Lounge ... and this is the entrance, located at the exit of Atlantica Super Splash ...

We were talking about the most exclusive place in the whole park, remember ?

So ... did we promise too much ???

This place is full of detail ... comfortable leather armchairs, loads of fine wood and they even made the lambs swing, simulating the motion of the sea !

This place is only open for a few special events during the summer time OR (now listen carefully, Robb ! ) you can easily book this via Europa's confertainment service !

What a treat for special guests !

This is what the bar looks like from the outside ...

And this is the beautiful view that the ship's deck offers !

With the beginning of this season Europa started to spread some mist over the river that's a part of the rest area that's close to the Iceshow's building.

To increase the mystical vibe of the place.

Anyone in the hunger for fish ?

The (blue) Fjord-Restaurant in the background serves food that really is as good as the surrounding landscape !

DO - NOT - MISS - THIS !!!

Close to the Fjord Restaurant you will find the parks' beautifully landscaped Fjord Rafting !

Gero: "Random theming greek stuff thingy ...!"

Rainer: "It's salad ... om nom nom ...!"

Gero: "Noo, Rainer, stop eating that random theming greek stuff thingy !"

Random iceland monorail station shot !

Can landscaping be more elaborated ?

And to protect this, the park placed some signs showing killed flowers ... and they are crying ! We think this is very sweet ...

You think this picture is boring ?

So you're probably right.

But if you're looking for a really calm place inside the park to have a meal, then this is perfect (cause our impression is, that nearly no one knows about this nice place that belongs to the english food station) !

If you enter this building (that is located at the exit of Eurosat) ...

... you will find yourself inside this perfectly air-conditioned restaurant. This is probably the "coolest" place in the whole park ... especially on very hot days this is worth a lot !

And it's nearly empty most of the time ... why ever ... must be some kind of insiders' tip !

But if you prefer to sit outside, the Restaurant also offers an atrium where you can sit with a few friends enjoying a nearly intimate atmosphere !

Ok ... this is some kind of Disney copy, but never the less the atmosphere inside the Bamboe Baai Restaurant is wonderful and a great contrast to the vibe that you get outside !

You can enter this Restaurant while leaving "Piraten in Batavia" (the park's pirate's darkride).

Bamboe Baai's optional entrance ...

... and the Menu !

The food is excellent ... and NOT expensive !

Gero recommends the "Batavia Wrap", it's served cold, and it's a very fresh snack on hot days !

Rainer recommends the "Chicken Curry", cause it's something exotic and very delicious ... but to be honest, Rainer likes everything that's eatable (remember the duck in the first part of the report ? )

Take a close look at these two pictures ...

... and if you think you know which one is photoshopped ...

YO ARE WRONG !!!

(Just remember ... Europa is famous for going into detail ..... but to be honest, even we were a little surprised about this authenticity ! )

This water playground is a little bit hidden in the spanish area and will probably be removed to clear space for the new park entrance of the new Bell Rock Hotel which will be opened in 2012 !

This is a kiddy ride ... that is no kiddy ride at all !

After two or three rides in a row you probably need to eat again !

Let's not forget about the coaster nerds !

This is probably the highlight of Silver Stars not so exciting layout, BUT we do love Silver Star ... we really do !

This building (located on the ride side of the haunted mansion) houses arguably the best show in the park: The "Luminocity" Varieté Show !

We think it's great !

Hey, it's us again !

If the people who spend the most time at the park are those who are the most important for the park ... then forget about Roland Mack ... just spoil him ))

We are still not sure whether your baby gets food here, or if this is the place where babies are served ...

Gero: "Rainer, stop it, I was just joking ... think about the parents, the future ... think about morality :-)"

This picture was taken inside the haunted mansion.

Do you recognize this man ?

Yes, you're right ! It's Christopher Lloyd ... but we have to admit he looked a little different during "Back to the Future". He looked (just) a little bit better because in the movie he had only experienced his first explosion, while he had to explode another time to get a job in Europa's haunted mansion !

They definitively need more trees at Europa

Same here

It's the "See-Restaurant" with loads of om nom nom inside ...

And the view from the "See-Restaurant" in the twilight ... awww ...

Now that's interesting: If you loose your card you only have to pay 50 € ... no matter how much you have eaten !

I think a lot of ACE's will be able to save a lot of money here

We tried to serve different views of well known things ... so here we are !

We gonna close this report with a few impressions of Europa in the evening ...

The entrance plaza ...

Random white house copy ...

Silver Star ...

Euro-Mir ...

Spain ...

Blue Fire ...

Blue Fire's entrance ...

Iceland ...

So ... this was a lot of work ... AND a lot of fun !

We hope you enjoyed our report ... trying to give you a few impressions of Europa Park that are not too typical ... sorry for the lack of coaster porn ... but we think there are enough other reports who focus on the coasters ... but Europa is so much more !!!

We really hope a few comments and ... hope to see you one day here in Germany !

Greeds ... Gero (GeorgeT) and Rainer (Orici) !

really nice trip and photos. Because i rarely visit the restaurants in the park, there are many places i`ve seen the first time. Especially the ship... i often wondered whats in there. Even after i visit my home park since nearly 25 years, there is everytime something new to explore. So big THX and hope to see more soon.

But one question!? how did you manage to get all the night shots from inside the park, have you stayed in a hotel or was the park opened till night!?

Thanks for the different views of the place. This park continues to look amazing!

Very good photos!

I am going to Europa Park this weekend. Does anybody know how crowded it gets? We will be there for two days but I don't want to miss anything.

I saw you ate at FoodLoop, is it good? We are planning on eathing there, too.

@ Kooky and Beamer Boy : Thank you SOOOO much (!) for giving us feedback !!!

To be honest...we (Rainer and me) were really a bit sad that no one gave us a littlebit of (positive) feedback. It`s a lot of work to do a report like this...and it`s hard when no one is reacting at all...so thanks

@Kooky : We took those evening pics during the "summernight party" on Juli the 30. The park was open until 24:00...and we had such a GREAT time then...!

But, luckily, there are are more days where you can experience Europa in the evening...just think of Helloween time !

And you should really take some time to experience the diffrent restaurants and bars...so many places with great athmosphere. The variety is absolutely amazing

Greeds...Gero

EDIT : Just saw your post, oriolat. Yes...definitively the food loop is worth to try. The food really is very good there, the variety is huge...and I guess the prices are absolutely okay. But my advice is to try as many different types of food as possible at Europa. You asked about the crowds...well it varys...it`s hard to say in advance. But very often the park is not more crowded at the week end...I guess that`s because many people think that the park would be packed at the weekend so they choose to go on weekdays. It also depends on the weatherforecast...but I whish you good luck !

If you have any more questions...feel free to ask, oriolat !!!

Thanks for the information! The weather forecast says it will be cloudy and there might be some light rain... so, yay!

I saw your night pictures. What are the opening times? On their website it says 9am to 6pm but it also says that the schedule can be extended. I really wish I could ride blueFire or Silver Star at night!

Thanks for the information! The weather forecast says it will be cloudy and there might be some light rain... so, yay!

 

I saw your night pictures. What are the opening times? On their website it says 9am to 6pm but it also says that the schedule can be extended. I really wish I could ride blueFire or Silver Star at night!

So I think the park won`t be too packed. And during the summer...especially during the weekend...opening time usually is extended to 8 or 9 pm...sometimes even 9:30 pm ! I guess you`ll have loads of time.

But I guess I have to dissapoint you a littlebit. You will not be able to ride Silver Star and Blue Fire in the dark. Maybe if you choose one of them and you are one of the last riders it could be dark already. But that just works when the park is open until 9:30...so I guess you`ll need some luck.

But you need to explore the whole resort in the evening !!! There are so many WONDERFUL bars and restaurants...don`t miss the Colosseo Bar, the Bar from the El Andaluz Hotel and the bar that`s located very high in the castillo hotel. And there`s a nice little western village with a nice saloon (with really good) western food in the area of the Tents and wagons...it`s called Tipi-Dorf ! Try not to miss too much !

I wondered what it looked like inside the Magellan Lounge, I love photos of places people take for granted in the parks.

Hi Larry...so nice to hear you appreciated some of our pictures

You know...the FIRST thing that came to my mind when I entered the Mangellan Lounge for the first time was : "I have to show this to the TPR guys...I need to tell them about how beautiful it is...and take some pics to show here in the forum"

Besides...the staff helped us to take those pictures...so yes...the were for granted

Larry...if you need any other picture for the index...just let us know...it would be a pleasure to assist.

Greeds...Gero

Cool report, I am fascinated by this park. I am a little disappointed to learn that it is not open in the evening though; I am definitely more of a fan of theme parks by night than day. There is a cool vibe at night that I really can't compare to anything else...

Thanks for posting!

Great report!

I had no idea the park was so detailed. I like all the places to eat and see that not many other guests notice.

Now that's interesting: If you loose your card you only have to pay 50 € ... no matter how much you have eaten !

I think a lot of ACE's will be able to save a lot of money here

ROFLMFAO!

Honestly had no idea Europa Park was this stunning & well kept, those photos have doubled my desire to get to the place...

Cool report, I am fascinated by this park. I am a little disappointed to learn that it is not open in the evening though; I am definitely more of a fan of theme parks by night than day. There is a cool vibe at night that I really can't compare to anything else...

 

Thanks for posting!

You`re welcome !

And you are definitively not the only one who loves the nighttime at parks...that one of the reasons why Europa is so incredibly packed during the summer party.

Well at least, as I mentioned before, there`s a lot of time on Helloween (and during the winter season) to experince Europa in the dark. And the entrance placa is enlightened and open every evening...so is the whole resort !

The problem is just that the park produces too much noise...and the locals are absolutely not happy with that...so it will stay an exception for shure.

Greeds...Gero

Awesomeness, I love to see TR's with secret spots and whatnot. Thanks for the tips, especially since I'm going to Europa Park for a couple of days next sunday. Hoping to spot some new stuff since it will be my 2nd visit and I'll be able to take a bit more time to look around this time, which is something I often miss when I go to a big park..

Thanks for putting in the effort guys ^_^

Great TR guys! Sorry I missed this while we were out traveling around the country!

Excellent pictures, guys. I highly recommend the "Vasco di Gama" cocktail at the Magellan Lounge Bar. It helped the Beach Party last Saturday really get going!

Excellent pictures, guys. I highly recommend the "Vasco di Gama" cocktail at the Magellan Lounge Bar. It helped the Beach Party last Saturday really get going!

 

Aaaaah...so you`ve been there, too. Would have been sooooo nice to meet up cause I like what you write in the forums a lot

Maybe next year...or probably next spring when Europa launches the new woody...I guess you`ll be there, too, right ?

Greeds...GeorgeT

Gero and Rainer,

Thanks so much. That was one of, if not *the* best trip reports I've ever sen on this site. Cheers for all the insider tips, I really enjoyed it.

- Tom

Excellent pictures, guys. I highly recommend the "Vasco di Gama" cocktail at the Magellan Lounge Bar. It helped the Beach Party last Saturday really get going!

 

 

Aaaaah...so you`ve been there, too. Would have been sooooo nice to meet up cause I like what you write in the forums a lot

 

Maybe next year...or probably next spring when Europa launches the new woody...I guess you`ll be there, too, right ?

 

Greeds...GeorgeT

Of course! Already got the hotel booked from 1-5 April.

I will also be there for Terenzi in late October.

Can't wait!

I have to say that it makes me VERY happy to get some positive feedbacks for this trip report. And we`re even linked to the front page now...

WOHOOOOOO

As some of you may visit Europa Park with TPR next year...we thought it would probably be a good idea to add an extra report later...just showing you the different restaurants, bars and other stuff the whole resort offers after park closing. So I think we`ll be back with that in about two or tree weeks !!!

So all of you...have a good time...and thanks for reading !

GeorgeT

Europa Park looks gorgeous! All I am used to seeing is the coasters and thrill rides. This makes me want to spend several days there just exploring the whole place. Great TR. Very detailed and informative. Thank you.