Europa Park Discussion Thread

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Also yes, family oriented park doesn´t mean it shouldn´t expand on the thrill rides, because I would expect such a park to be also oriented on thrills for older family members... EP haven´t done anything thrilling for a while and I´m just worried they won´t do that in upcoming years, but we will see.

 

Well, even without a thrill ride in the last years they do one record year after another. So their strategy might be not so bad after all...?

 

 

What's odd is that they build a thrill ride- Minor increase, family attractions- bigger increase. So either the locals hate thrill rides or they won't visit the first year it's built.

[cookiex]

 

What's odd is that they build a thrill ride- Minor increase, family attractions- bigger increase. So either the locals hate thrill rides or they won't visit the first year it's built.

 

I think Wodan was an outlier - Blue Fire saw park attendance increase 6.3% when overall attendance in Europe was slightly down that year.

[mr.sugar]

Maybe it is just me, but wooden coaster was decision I didn´t understand. Instead of that, they could have built something more unique to get some more diversity in this area.

I haven´t ridden it, but as long as it is airt-time oriented as for instance colossus at Heide Park, isn´t it somehow just competing with Silver star?

[KingRCT3]

No, Wodan has an out-of-control feeling you definitely don't have in Silver Star.

[JordyC]

No, Wodan has an out-of-control feeling you definitely don't have in Silver Star.

 

Exactly! Wodan offers a completely different ride experience than Silver Star. Silver Star is more about the floaty air and the speed, while Wodan is crazy unpredictable from start to finish. Also, Wodan has much better theming.

[BonnyST]

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Get ready for the launch, check out our new 360 degree VR experience of the Mack Rides Megacoaster Blue Fire.

 

Get the immersive experience with a Google Cardboard or a VR headset. Also works with your mobilephone (Youtube App) or your browser (with HTML 5).

[cookiex]

Project V going up

 

 

And the new event hall next to Silver Star

 

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Maybe it is just me, but wodan coaster was decision I didn´t understand. Instead of that, they could have built something more unique to get some more diversity in this area.

I haven´t ridden it, but as long as it is air-time oriented as for instance colossus at Heide Park, isn´t it somehow just competing with Silver star?

 

 

I wonder if they did some guest surveys and people kept wanting a wooden coaster. Also wouldn't be surprised if it got brought up alot at enthusiast-events during Q&A's

[cookiex]

Anyone know anything about this coaster? I remember seeing pictures and models of it in the EP Historama center (the big tent-like building that houses the looping restaurant and the monorail station) but there's no record of it on RCDB and the history page on Europa Park's website doesn't offer much information from what I can see.

 

[KingRCT3]

RMC T-rex before it was cool.

[eKs_Productions]

It's one of the first steel coaster by Mack. Like a Monorail Coaster.

I have to check it tomorrow in my library, but I have a book with some facts about in it.

[jumper]

Maybe it is just me, but wooden coaster was decision I didn´t understand. Instead of that, they could have built something more unique to get some more diversity in this area.

I haven´t ridden it, but as long as it is airt-time oriented as for instance colossus at Heide Park, isn´t it somehow just competing with Silver star?

 

Wodan has absolutely nothing in common with Silverstar (really comparing a B&M Hyper with a GCI woody?) and I dont understand how you could build something more unique than a park's first custom-designed Wooden Coaster?

But maybe it would help trying first?

[eKs_Productions]

Anyone know anything about this coaster? I remember seeing pictures and models of it in the EP Historama center (the big tent-like building that houses the looping restaurant and the monorail station) but there's no record of it on RCDB and the history page on Europa Park's website doesn't offer much information from what I can see.

 

 

My book is not available at the moment, so I checked the worldwide web for you. It's called "Meteor" or "Meteor Roller Coaster". After searching and checking different sources, I believe Mack built only one (or maximum two) installations.

 

Your picture (see also more bottom) is from Zürich at a funfair in the late 1950s. Then the coaster cross the sea and built up in America, see (or is a second unit, but I believe its the same. Instead we will have more picture today).

 

First RCDB-Entry: Sportland Pier als Meteor (https://rcdb.com/9089.htm)

"An identical Mack Meteor roller coaster, if not this unit once operated at Zurich's Knabenschießen Bank Holiday. // The Meteor is believed to have traveled the German Fair circuit prior to coming to the US. It was advertised by Wedemeyer at the end of 1957 and presumably purchased by Ramagosa who owned Sportland Pier."

 

2nd: Freedom Land U.S.A als Meteor

 

3rd: Sportland Pier als Meteor (again)

"The Meteor returned to Sportland Pier after a few years in storage and at least one season at Freedom Land U.S.A. This entry and dates represent the Meteor's return."

 

The source of your pic is the EP-Twitter Account in/from April >>

Then there was an reddit discussion >>

 

And, funny thing, I found one more picture in color. But I don't know where its been take. Probably one of the three possible locations in the US? Can anybody help here?

(http://ih1.redbubble.net/image.3346237.6743/flat,800x800,070,f.jpg)

[cookiex]

New interview with Roland and Micheal Mack reveals some tidbits about Europa Park's future:

 

http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/wirtschaft/standardwir-sind-auch-der-freizeitpark-der-schweiz/story/15783104

 

- VR will be scrapped on Pegasus due to capacity issues and focus will turn to offering multiple VR options for riders on Alpenexpress

- Euro-Mir and Eurosat will both see extensive refurbishments in the near future

- A new coaster is planned after the construction of the water park (bit unclear here since I'm using Google Translate)

- The new hotel is set to open in early 2019 and the water park will open later that year. Construction is set to start in February although they're seeing some delays with materials due to a construction boom in Germany

- The new event hall is set to be inaugurated on January 13th

- You're going to need pre-book your ticket to the water park as they expect hotel guests to fill up most of the capacity

[JaxStrumley]

Interesting interview! And nice to see how they keep adding to the park and improving existing attractions. I only wish that, at some point in time, they would allocate some budget to get rid of the obvious Disney imitations. Entire darkride concepts are copied, sometimes with extremely similar scenes (e.g. singing busts, locked up pirates who have to lure an animal to get the key). I know there are many other parks with Disney imitations, but as one of the leading European parks Europa Park should aim a little bit higher I think. Efteling and Phantasialand show that it can be done!

Of course it would not be realistic to change the entire theme of a darkride, but adjusting some of the scenes would definitely be possible imho.

[Taron]

Michael Mack announced in an interview, that Project V will open in May/June 2017.

 

German Source (22:15)

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Interesting interview! And nice to see how they keep adding to the park and improving existing attractions. I only wish that, at some point in time, they would allocate some budget to get rid of the obvious Disney imitations. Entire darkride concepts are copied, sometimes with extremely similar scenes (e.g. singing busts, locked up pirates who have to lure an animal to get the key). I know there are many other parks with Disney imitations, but as one of the leading European parks Europa Park should aim a little bit higher I think. Efteling and Phantasialand show that it can be done!

Of course it would not be realistic to change the entire theme of a darkride, but adjusting some of the scenes would definitely be possible imho.

 

 

Doesn't Phantasialand have a knockoff Great Movie Ride?

 

Also Efteling has rides inspired by Small World & Haunted Mansion

[CoasterFEV]

Doesn't Phantasialand have a knockoff Great Movie Ride?

 

Hollywood Tour is an amazing experience - the ONLY ride that even comes close to the awesomeness of Hollywood Tour is the shining star of Singapore known as Treasure Hunters!

[JaxStrumley]

Interesting interview! And nice to see how they keep adding to the park and improving existing attractions. I only wish that, at some point in time, they would allocate some budget to get rid of the obvious Disney imitations. Entire darkride concepts are copied, sometimes with extremely similar scenes (e.g. singing busts, locked up pirates who have to lure an animal to get the key). I know there are many other parks with Disney imitations, but as one of the leading European parks Europa Park should aim a little bit higher I think. Efteling and Phantasialand show that it can be done!

Of course it would not be realistic to change the entire theme of a darkride, but adjusting some of the scenes would definitely be possible imho.

 

 

Doesn't Phantasialand have a knockoff Great Movie Ride?

 

Also Efteling has rides inspired by Small World & Haunted Mansion

 

You are correct: in the 70s and 80s many European parks built attractions that were Disney ripoffs to some degree. Not many Europeans had visited the US Disney parks and Disneyland Paris did not yet exist. So who was going to know? So, indeed, Phantasialand has a Great Movie Ride ripoff, as well as a Big Thunder Mountain clone. Both of lesser quality than the Disney versions of course. But in recent years this park has also shown that they can come up with original concepts and execute these with attention to detail (Maus au Chocolat, Chiapas, Taron). Besides, the Movie Ride ripoff at least is expected to be removed in the coming years.

 

As for Efteling: indeed, it has rides that are "inspired by" Disney attractions. That means that they share part of the concept, but the execution is very different. Carnaval Festival is a journey around the world, like Small World, but the style and message are very different. Eftelings haunted castle has very little in common with Haunted Mansion, except for the fact that it is haunted and Pepper's ghosts are used. But the theme is much darker than Disney's. Fata Morgana was inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean, in the sense that they wanted to build a high-quality darkride with boats. They were wise enough not to go with the pirate theme, but settled on the Arabian Nights. Efteling has used its own unique style from the very beginning and it shows.

 

These examples are quite different from Europa Park: Europa Park has copied not only the concepts, but the executions as well. So they have a dinosaur ride, an Epcot-like dome, their haunted house has singing busts, their pirates darkride has scenes and vignettes that are almost carbon copies of the Disney originals. In my opinion such unoriginality is far below the level that a major player like Europa Park should aim for. Of course, these things were built in another era. But still, with all the big additions and improvements they are working on, couldn't they improve or change these relatively minor things? Just get rid of the darkride scenes that were copied from Disney and replace them. Then you can still have a pirate ride, but it will be much improved!

 

By the way: Storybookland in Disneyland Anaheim was inspired by the Dutch park Madurodam (which contains miniature versions of famous Dutch buildings). Walt visited the Netherlands in 1951 and later sent his key designer Ken Anderson to study the park. So there was some inspiration in the opposite direction as well!

[CSLKennyNI]

Europa Park have revealed that their Flying Theatre Attraction, known until now as Project V, will be called Voletarium.

 

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Edited March 31, 2017 by CSLKennyNI

[JordyC]

^What an awesome video! Europa-Park never disappoints. Can't wait to try this out.

[EP_Sprecher]

We started yesterday into the new season. Hereby the clip with all new additions to the park and the resort:

 

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Enjoy!

[petestrash]

Is anyone aware of any coupons, codes or other discounts for single entry to Europa Park?

 

I'll be there May 18th.

 

Thanks,

Peter.

[eKs_Productions]

The EP didn't have any discounts or other things like FastPass oder QuickEntrys. All attractions have big capacity and so the park handles every guest like the other ones.

I only know, that some fan-groups (like the ECC or the FKF) have an option for tickets for the group price.

[petestrash]

The EP didn't have any discounts or other things like FastPass oder QuickEntrys. All attractions have big capacity and so the park handles every guest like the other ones.

 

Thanks for that.