PROST! - bert does Oktoberfest 2024 in Munich with TPR

[bert425]

at first, when I heard that TPR was doing an Oktoberfest trip in 2024, I thought there was no way I'd be able to participate - I mean, I'm not a big drinker, and the trips are really limited space wise.

but after talking it over with Elissa and being assured I wasn't the only non-drinker that would be on the trip, and besides, imagine getting to experience the Halloween event at Europa Park (180,000 pumpkins! and the Traumatica night time offering), I was all in, and luckily was invited to join along.

so yes, I'll have two TPR trip reports running at the same time, since I'm still nowhere near finished on the UK Trip I did in June/July

it was an AMAZING trip, with multiple bucket list things checked off (Olympia Looping, Voltron, Alpina Bahn) and even things I didn't know should have been on my bucket list (experiencing a Halloween Haunt in Germany - holy crap were these amazing) . .and hopefully these pics capture that.

Starting off, I was flying the day before the trip officially started, and was arriving in Munich the morning of the trip.  

I would have preferred to have a little more time (especially between flights, since I had to sprint thru the DC airport to make my flight to Germany due to flight delay out of Ausatin), but I knew there was some sightseeing time on this trip, so I did my best to make use of my available vacation and headed to the Austin airport.

starting off smiling and perky at the Austin airport.

barely made my flight to Munich. . and then we sat on the tarmac for about an hour + as they dealt with one mechanical issue after another.   Not exactly what you want to hear before a trans-atlantic flight.

but at least I wasnt' alone on this flight, as CFC was also on this flight and we had said hello as I rushed thru boarding.

eventually we got on our way, and enjoyed a nice dinner:

and breakfast, before landing in Munich.

because we arrived so late, there was no gate available for us at the Munich airport, so we parked on the tarmac, took the stairs down, and then took busses to the side Customs entrance - which worked out wonderfully.  Customs was a breeze, as it was only OUR plane using this side.    Soon enough was down in Baggage claim, where I met up with CFC, and also Nathan. . and we all hopped into a taxi and made our way to the 1st hotel of the trip (a close, 15 minute walk to the Oktoberfest grounds).

several folks were around this morning who didn't have enough time to do outside of the city sightseeing, but had a few hours before the welcome dinner.  

So several of us teamed up, and hopped on the train, and went to the City Center to see the famous clock tower:  the Rathaus-Glockenspiel.

I was impressed by the train - one long, open train. . . . . it was surprising not to see it separated by subway cars as they do here in the USA.

lots of folks on this train headed to Oktoberfest too, even tho it was a Friday, and the skies had been threatening rain.

coming off the train and looking at the amazing architecture in the City Central plaza

and here's the famous Rathaus-Glockenspiel

it goes off at Noon and has several tiers of moving characters that enact a joust (complete with riders falling from horses) and a complex dance recital.

we were still a bit early for that, so the square hadn't quite filled up, but it DID get pretty crowded as it got closer to noon.

better shot of the tiered levels of the clock. . and you can see we still had about 25 minutes till noon.

the group I went with:   Myself, Bob, Erik, Nathan, and Chuck (CFC)

a photo op?  don't mind if I do!

the clock in action during it's 10 minute or so performance (interestingly, this clock runs about 4 minutes behind. . so all the other clock towers in the area finish chiming Noon before this one starts up).

I angled the pic upwards to go over the crowd, but the square is PACKED now.

afterwards, we went into the actual tower (tho didn't pay for the tour. .  it's free to just go in tho to look around)

Munich has a bunch of sister-cities, and they're represented here in the entrance arch.

Cincinnati?   really?

gorgeous stained glass windows in here.

some pics from the interior square of the clock tower building

the gargoyles in here were a ton of fun. . and many of them were of the "drainage" variety

after wandering around for a bit, and buying some souvenirs (the Oktoberfest fair has a store here in the Central square, so could buy stuff here without the crowd), we stopped for a light snack.

we were gonna eat in a few hours, so i stuck with an apple fritter desert only, and it was fantastic.  (there are 3 here, and I shared with the table)

we made it back to the hotel, and our rooms were now ready, so was able to relax for a bit (and shower) before it was time to head to the lobby and meet up with everyone to walk over to the restaurant for the official welcome dinner.

i remembered to snap a pic with Elissa - proof of life to send home - and got to say hello to more friends I hadn't seen in a bit.

Nick had been on the UK tour a couple of months prior, but it had been a year or so since I'd gotten to see Jon.  

it was great to hang out with them again.  as well as see folks I hadn't see in years, and meet some folks for the first time whom I've interacted with online for a long time, but had never met in person.

we all followed Robb & Elissa to the restaurant for the "welcome dinner", and just outside - for some reason - was this giant snail.

so we stopped and posed for a pic!  

(photo courtesy of Robb)

here's the restaurant we went to - a traditional German beerhouse, that was packed (as it was very close by to the Oktoberfest fair)

we had 3 full tables in one part of the restaurant. . so it was a mini-TPR takeover.   (oh, and it started pouring literally moments after we sat down, so no rush to finish off anything as the food started coming out. . and coming, and coming!)

 

Prost! 

LtR:  Barry, Andy, Colin, Hawk, Doug, and I think John's arm, and Eric's coke?

yup. .a Beer as big as Eric's head!

these gluttonous masses were . . . . something.

I think they were supposed to be the potato dumplings. . but they were a very strange texture, and had a flavor like . . . air.

yeah. .they were something.

I wasn't really all that hungry, the problem was the food was all HUGE!    So even trying to eat small meant taking big pieces.
felt guilty for wasting food, but not gonna lie, the chicken was the best I've ever had.  I mean ever.    the braise on the crispy skin was so damn good.. ate way more than I should have.

my plate, with TRYING to eat small.. . tiny scoops of the sides, so i DID try.  (that's the smallest pork knuckle that was available on the tray!)

the texture of a breast implant, and the shape of a ball. . . yay!

tho good for a picture, it was really the only thing (besides the liverwurst - but I don't like liver) that I didn't care for.  

Everything else was excellent.

Official pic of our table from the waitress *or maybe it's Colin doing a selfie?

LtR: Hawk, Doug, Eric, Jonathan, Jere, Hanno (hiding behind Jere), Jon, me, Barry, Andy, Colin

with the meal winding down, and the rain slowing to a really light drizzle. . . several of us decided to check out the Oktoberfest Fair, figuring (correctly) that the rain probably drove a lot of folks out. 
and some, like myself and Christopher, really wanted to get rides on Alpina Bahn and Olympia Looping. . .  why wait?  do it now.

it made for some great pictures.

that's the next post in part II of day 1

[bert425]

Day 1 part 2:  Oktoberfest at night. . after the rain has come.

the downpour for a couple of hours while we were eating, really cleared out the crowds.   side benefit is that it really made for some beautiful pics, with the lights from all the rides reflecting up off the wet ground.

we entered not thru the main entrance (that would be tomorrow), but the group I was with, including Jon, Nick and Christopher), went in on the side closest to the restaurante we were at, on the right.

near what they call:  "Vomit Hill"

I would have renamed it "Vomit and Piss Hill" as there were so many people doing both. . . which was a bit shocking since it's on the side of a beautiful building (a Museum?) with this incredible statue out front.

but as noted. . it's on the far right side of the Oktoberfest fair - which is about as big as 3 football fields, I'd say - so I guess it really IS "off the beaten path" even tho we came in on this side tonight (for the only time)

looking across. . the main corridor is up ahead and if we turned left, would see many of the HUGE beer tents that line the main corridor.

the rides are all on the outlying corridors and the outside of the fair.   with the "big" rides separated to help out with crowds, I'd assume.

this, tho it looks like a ride, is a game booth.

the rides are all independently operated, and there are multiple versions of some rides (I counted at least 4 breakdance type rides) - and they all run insane cycles to help draw crowds to them.   The incredible lighting, fog, and fire effects help do that too.

the giant Ferris wheel at the back of the main corridor of the fair (if you come in under the Oktoberfest sign and walk straight back, eventually you get to it).

interestingly, my favorite area of the entire fair was back here BEHIND the Ferris wheel on the right - it was an "Oktoberfest Museum" of sorts, that had classic artwork, posters, haunt figures, information, food, drink, and a bunch of classic (like ancient) rides, that also ran crazy cycles - including a waltzer that the operator hand cranked to get it to go faster, and you had to fight for an open carriage when the ride stopped!  NEVER in America LOL.     and the rides in this section were all 1.50 Euro (much cheaper than anywhere in the fair, tho you did have to pay 4 euro to get into this section). 

I visited back there on day 3, so will be pics forthcoming of that.

Christopher and I in front of one of the official welcome signs.

 

pretty sure this is a different BreakDance

again, this is relatively empty !   because it had rained. . can you imagine what a Friday night would have been if it had been nice?
(we'd see that the next night when could barely move in the place!)

tho there were several drop towers in the fair, this is actually a pic of a drop tower and a Catwoman's Whip style ride.

but really, I think I was trying to get the pic of the Alpina Bahn sign

along side the huge Lowenbrau tent - where we would be on Monday.

this is one of the beer halls. 

made to look like Gingerbread and candies.

Incredible that they build this up just for ~3 weeks.

this amazing thing is called the Predator.

imagine an Enterprise that's on a Gyroscope.

and yes, I did ride it on one of the days - before eating of course - and LOVED it.

but look at this crazy thing!

multiple Himalayas and Music Expresses too

'

more looks at what Predator does.. it really is mesmerizing.

and a really long cycle too.

but enough foreplay . it was time to head to the very back of the fair, for what many of us had wanted to come on this trip for:

Olympia Looping.

and it's jaw dropping in person

snapping pics as we walked up to Olympia Looping.

a variation on a Breakdance, called Parkour, and another Drop Tower

this was a ghost train, but they had added VR to it.

I did ride it one day, and it kinda made me nauseous. . but when it's over? you're not done. . . they make you go thru a fun house to get out!  including stepping on mushrooms to find your path, and if you miss?  water below it.   but yeah, they really want you to get your $$ worth out of it.

oh, and not everyone is seeing the same VR thing. . so you'd have to ride multiple times to make sure you get all options.  (once was enough for me)

the outside is very cool tho.

and now a bunch of pics of Olympia Looping. . .

i mean, are you really looking at Olympia Looping if you don't get pics of all 5 loops?

time to ride!

waited one train for front row (I discovered quickly it's much more forceful in the back, but for my 1st ride?  I wanted to ride in the front)

they were running 2 trains this 1st night due to the rain, but some days we were there they had 4 running.

proof!

as it got later the fair got a bit quieter. . but it didn't stop all the friendly (ie: drunk) folks from making our acquaintance.

a pic of me in front of Looping turned into this wonderful pic with drunk revelers.

and even Christopher - who had been taking the picture - got into it with a selfie.

 

tho I did get this cute photo op they set up out front of it.   other nights were so crowded, no way to get a decent pic, so I'm really happy we went and rode this 1st night.

Right next to Olympia Looping is the Carousel Bar - where the center of it is actually a Carousel that spins while you drink.

even on a relatively quiet night it was packed, tho I did spend quite a bit of time there during our visits to the fair.

Um. . . ok?

you GO, "Jumbo Flug"

the famous Toboggan slide, with the Conveyor Belt lift hill.

no, I didn't do it - I'm a klutz and would have broken my neck.   But it was a ton of fun watching people try it, and several from TPR did really well on it.
(the guys standing along the wall are to help pick up the people that fall on the conveyor belt and get them to the top)

equally as well known from the fair is this. . aka: the Devil's Wheel - the spinning ride where you pay to go in and watch, and run down when they call groups to try and be the last one on the wheel.

Adam from TPR won a round on this trip.

probably due to the weather (it's covered inside) it was PACKED in there tonight even, so didn't go in, and just got this pic outside of it.

one of three ghost trains at the fair.   This one was the middle one (there's one much better and one much worse)

but in this one? you ride in cages.

so, of course, Jon and I wanted to ride

the outside does a fantastic job making you want to go in and ride.   it was just a lot of props in front of black drapes tho.

meh. . .C-

the Wild Mouse was fantastic.

not only was it all lit up, AND they were racing it the whole time. . but I've never been on a Wild Mouse with so much airtime.

it was so good. . . both sides.
 

and I'm sure the wild mouse on ride photo was officially licensed too (didn't get one, because it was more than the one at Olympia Looping).

 

incredibly well lit, and flashy Rotor.   with a waterfall, and what looked like a funhouse prior to getting on the ride.

classic looping ride.

and it made me laugh that they have the Olympic rings on the front Bannister.

how drunk must one be to think this is Olympia Looping?

one of two massive Claw rides. . this one was Konga, and had giant fire effects too.

finally made it over to my other "must do tonight" ride:   Alpina Bahn

the trains were lit up, and the tracks were wet from the rain, and this sucker was FLYING.   I absolutely loved this, and think I may have ridden it more than Olympia Looping during my visits to the fair (tho I rode both of them 5-6 times)

 

the bears up top are Animatronic, tho since they were speaking German, I have no idea what they were going on about

even on the 1st night, I got to see the "true meaning of Oktoberfest" 

turns out that unless you pass out in a walkway?  Security leaves you alone. . this guy was just fine on a bench, and saw many folks laying on the grass on the sides that were left undisturbed.

as we were headed back to the hotel - it had been a really long day, and I had ridden all 3 of the coasters (only one side of Mouse), I was ready to sleep - we passed by the biggest of the ghost trains, and had to stop by to take a look at it.

wouldn't ride it until the next day. . but ended up riding it several times, it was that good. 

Geister Palast (Ghost Palace)

still headed towards the exit (the fair is really big!). . here's a shooting dark ride, that was Nintendo - adjacent.   I think Elissa had the high score on this one for a bit (posted outside the ride)

one of multiple FunHouses thruout the fair - this one with the whole lower level as a mirror maze

and yet another infamous ride spotted, the Tagada.

this one with a metal floor.

this one was pretty violent, and was shooting people off the seats and into the center during some of the spins.

very fun to watch.

. . and with that, we made our way back to the hotel, and I crashed.

tomorrow was the official start of the trip and we were starting out the day with Skyline Park.

and a ride I was terrified of, but had promised I'd ride it (and made the statement publicly) after I chickened out and didn't ride it in Finland.

but for now?  sleep. . .

[bert425]

Day 2 (1st official day of trip) - daytime at Skyline Park

I'd never even heard of this park - which is not surprising, as I'd never been to Munich before.

this is a very, very large park. Super spread out, with a LOT of walking between attractions.  And while it does have a lot of attractions, the space could hold at least 4 times as many.  the park reminded me very much of Marineland in Canada, with how much space there is between things, and open areas.

and also important to mention, while there are a bunch of very unique attractions?  they are mostly extremely low capacity rides (the Skycoaster only ran one car - so two riders per cycle.  Same with the Slingshot - tho this one was included in park entry, so no upcharge.   and the Skyrider gyro-suspended only had two operating trains, so total capacity of 8).  

luckily, we were there on a very overcast day where rain was forecast, and there were not a lot of folks in the park (and we had ERT on two of the lowest capacity rides).   so for the most part, the capacity issues did not affect us.


 

I do really like how they incorporate some old coaster track into the entrance. . . but I don't think this is from any coasters they have removed in the past (they used to have a Schwarzkopf wildcat, a Schwarzkopf katapult, and a couple of self operating "butterfly" coasters, but those are all gone. . . some of the pads are still visible where it looks like something used to be - and apparently the Wildcat left in 2022 as the most recent removal.

photo ops everywhere. . . but we were headed deep into the park for our ERT, so just snapped this one as passing by.

a petting zoo, I believe. .

and I think this mountain of candy is over a candy shoppe - tho not sure as there was a candy shop really near to this too.

slide complex

short water obstacle course among the lilly ponds

you can probably see why it reminded me so much of Marineland. . . big areas of greenery. . and then suddenly a ride.

such as this suspended Carousel.

there were installations (similar to this one) all over the park too. . . I think perhaps they are used to disguise mechanical/electrical boxes?

and a giant Ferris Wheel (which I didn't see operating this day. . but as noted, it started off nice, but got very overcast as the day went, and I believe we only stayed until 3pm)

paddle boats in a lake. . and some more rides way off in the distance.

as we kept walking. . yeah. . BIG park, landwise, it seemed.

the Slingshot had a Spiderman statue watching over it.

not really sure why, but Spidey had a big ol ba-donk-a-donk.  (so of course I took a pic)

Sky Spin, the park's Maurer Spinning coaster - and at 4 people per car, and running 3 cars?  the highest capacity coaster in the park.

that's a starflyer tower there. . and what I had thought was a construction truck was actually a firetruck.  and was theming for the Splash Battle boat ride (also not operating today)

from the other side , you can see the splash battle boats.

and coming into view was the ride I was terrified of - the Mauer Skyloop.

I did NOT ride it in Helsinki, but I had promised I'd get on this one. . . luckily we weren't headed to this first thing.

passing under the Splash Battle theming. . . I'm only guessing, but I'd assume the fireman on the lift sprays the folks walking by when the ride is operating.

as well as the "big", permanent rides, this park also has some "traveling carnival" type rides, in some area.

this was a funhouse.

I BELIEVE that's a Frisbee (but I don't recall ever getting close enough to it to see), and the one behind it is a "spinning crane" type ride (capacity 8 per cycle) similar to the Catwoman ride at SFStL.   you can also see a peek of the blue flume from the spinning rafts ride, and the only pic I have of the newest powered coaster, just to the right of the crane ride

speaking of traveling carnival rides?  this is a traveling Flume ride.    Elissa told us that last year, the park had brought this to the Oktoberfest Fair.

eventually we made it back over to what we had ERT on this morning:  Sky Dragster.

This is a Maurer Dragster coaster - and I believe we were told this is the prototype for the one they added to the Carnival Cruise ship.
 

there were warnings that "if you don't win, you get wet" as there's a button to control a spray at the finish line.     But for that there needs to be more than one car in operation, I suppose. .and as you control the speed with the handles in the front seat, I'm not really sure how that would work anyways.

it was a fun ride, but not something I felt the need to back and ride again later after our ride on it in the morning.      But really cool that we were able to get in the lowest capacity ride in the park before it opened to the public.   Yet another reason to love TPR!

 

and hey, look!  not only did I get a pic of Hanno (and William in the front seat), but smiling too.

 

Andrew and I rode together. . . whee!

(thanks Elissa for this pic)

and I believe these are from Andy.

and then we headed over to the other morning ERT ride. . the one I had been dreading:

yup. .this thing. . a Maurer Skyloop

it's similar to the launched looping coasters, but this one slowly goes up the vertical lift via chain, and does not release until well after you are hanging upside down (with only a lap bar restraint).

I am not a fan of heights, and terrified of looking down with nothing underneath me (which is why I can have no problems riding a tall coaster, or doing the tower free fall I did in Denmark (I was on my back facing upwards when we fell).

yeah. .I was NOT ready. . but I had promised myself I'd ride, so I nervously got in line.

I don't' look excited on this train full of TPR folks.

(and thanks to Christopher for the pic)

and yeah. . I hated - I mean HATED it. . . .  

I got off the thing shaking for a good 5-10 minutes, and I had gripped the lap bar so tightly I broke some blood vessels in my fingers.

oh, and as a nice "fuck you" from the ride?  it overshot the station after the two loops, so they had to send it for a 3rd time.    Some were jealous that we got the rare 3 loop cycle. . I was gritting my teeth and muttering "get me out get me out get me out"

yeah. .hated.   

done it once, and good for me.  never, EVER again.

at this point in the pic?  it's still on the chain lift.

huh. . I lied, I did get another pic of the new coaster. . well, the sign at least.

I think I called it a powered coaster, but RCDB says it's a "Family Launch" coaster.    I just know that I kept reading that as "Big and Tall"

Hans told me that translates to "Hills and Valleys"

a nice, family coaster.

the spinning raft ride, had some effects that would get one a little moist. . we didn't get too wet when we rode it a bit later in the day.

but you can see from the sky it was starting to get very overcast quickly.

I was still pretty shaken from the skyloop, so chose to sit out the next coaster, "Kids Spin" - an SBF Spinning coaster.

So I did "bench: the ride" while others got on it.

it gave me a perfect view/picture opportunity of the train as it passed by.     well. . more of a tram that's designed like a train.    but I loved the park had it, and it made several stops thruout the park.    We rode it later on to get back to the front gate.

Rawrrrrrr

 

this is the parks defined "kiddie coaster" - called "Flotter Otto"

it's an SBF double helix mine train.

not sure who took this, perhaps Christopher?

but he sent out a video too

a beautiful Condor (called "Sky Twister" here)

either relatively new, or they just take excellent care of it.  as it looked pristine.

the places where the park does do theming are quite well done (such as the firetruck splash battle) and this short drop tower, that was themed to farm area after a tornado.

the tower itself is themed to a windmill

and I get the idea - from the reaction of the operator when the ride just sat at the top for a few moments, then slowly lowered - that this is the type of tower that Tripsdrill and BonBon Land have.  where it's supposed to tilt forward like it's collapsing, before dropping.    (it certainly looked like the tilt mechanism was there).

but it didn't work on the cycle prior to our ride, and then it seemed as if the operator shut it down and went into the maintenance shed to try and figure out what was up.

we gave it 5-10 minutes then decided it probably wasn't a good idea to get stuck up on a ride if it was about to pour, and moved on without waiting for it to come back up

instead we headed over to: "Sky Rider" a Gyro Flyer (I think it's a Vekoma?).

it seemed a bit bumpy, and had a line as they only had two trains operating. . but we discovered from talking to other adults in our group who had ridden that it seemed the heavier the train was, the smoother the ride.

we still didn't get a bunch of spinning - tho we got some - but it was a nice ride.   and another rare credit to get.

these pics might be courtesy of Jere

and then we headed over to the final coaster we'd yet to go on today:   "Sky Spin" - the Maurer spinner.

it was a ride.   and it was really rough - I think the roughest coaster here.   

but at least we knocked out all the coasters before the sky opened up and it started to pour.

it was starting to mist, so we figured we'd head over to something indoors, just in case, and ended up at the park's Ghost Train:

it has some really nice design work and theming, and I really did love the look of it.

and while it does have an outdoor section, there was really no line, so we figured we'd get right on.

this big sign is at the loading platform. . and we said to the guy manning the console:  we're 4 adults, should we split up and do 2 & 2 ?

and he insisted that no, we should all ride together, so we got in, and the ride didnt' seem to like that much

LOL. .in fact, we got stuck on the lift hill.   For probably a good 10 minutes.  

the lights came on. .and Jon and I did our best to not burst out in hysterical laughter as two men came up behind us and tried to push the car forward - to shove the car back into the chain to continue us up the lift (the only thing moving was the back seat and Jon and I just kept looking at each other).

eventually the lights went off. . and we didn't move. 

then they came back on again. . the guys again came up and tried to push us. . . .. and then evacced us from the train back to the main entrance.

yup. . we got evacced from a GHOST train

we stood at the front as we watched on the monitors as the guys pushed the empty car we were in thru the course, and then moved it off the tracks.

then sent the next car as if nothing had happened (hey guys!).

and then?  he put all four of us back into the next car to try again.

there were cheers when we made it up the lift hill.

the eyes and head move on the main skull.

there WAS an actual storyline in the ghost train. . but heck if I can recall what it was.    I do remember it had something to do with an expedition to the lost continent. . which puts the stuff outside into perspective.

another look at my hated nemesis. . from a side angle as we passed by (deciding it was time to eat something)

we ended up in this great restaurant that had some really good currywurst.

and the sky just opened up and it POURED for a bit while we were in here, so it filled up as folks rushed to get out of the rain.

the park did have a small, self operated, carousel.

but there were too many children playing on it for me to bother, and honestly?  I found it a tad bit "problematic"

the rain stopped, so we rode the train, and continued wandering until  it was time to head out.   Stopping to watch the Slingshot operate

and luckily Robb had told everyone not to miss "Zero Gravity" . . .which I must say, was possibly my favorite ride in the park.

it's a SUPER intense Rotor ride. . .with heavy theming, and a funhouse like queue.        It really felt like it was liquefying my insides, and I loved every moment of it.

the pre-show room. . .but had to put camera away so no pics of the actual ride, that looks like a giant green blender.  it reminded me of Riddler's hat from Batman and Robin.

I didn't ride the small carousel, but of course I made sure and rode this one.
Love these, and wish there were more / any of them in the States.

taking a break in the pizza place near the front gate, I found a throne.    

and if you know me?  I'll always take a throne pic.

everything was moist, but at least the rain had stopped.

this was a kiddie driving area

but right next to the bigger oval track for the adults.

and then it was time to head back to the bus and back to the hotel to enjoy the rest of the afternoon/evening as we so chose.

pic by Robb

getting back onto the bus, Shane and I posed for a pic too.

and with that we headed back to the hotel to get ready for this evening. . .I was planning on going to the fair with a group.

[bert425]

Day 2 (1st official day of trip) - night-time at Oktoberfest Fair

a quick stop at the hotel to relax and take off my shoes, and then a group of us on the trip met down in the lobby around 5:30 to head over to the fair.

it had started to get colder, but I thought I'd be ok - something I really regretted by the time I got to the fair gates.  so first stop was to buy a T-shirt that I put on over the shirt I had been wearing.

this was Saturday evening, and Elissa had warned us that it would be the most crowded we'd see at the fair.   and yes, she was correct!

this time we went in thru the main entrance, and went all the way to the back down the main corridor:

lot of people headed out. . but TONS more coming in as night fell, and the weather report cleared up

the giant buildings are the big Beer Tents that line the main corridor.   Each one brews a special beer just for Oktoberfest sales.

this corn freaky thing is apparently a famous sight at Oktoberfest.  

not gonna lie, the corn smelled fantastic

but he (it?) freaked me the hell out.

the Enterprise was running a good cycle with a  great lighting pkg.

but of course, we headed over direct to Olympia Looping. . which had many trains operating at once tonight.

this was the crappy Ghost Train. . . tho the outside was pretty dang tempting.

the group I headed out to the fair with. . and a couple of photo bombers

for dinner we found one of the many wurst stands that looked (and smelled) amazing.    but this one had an area off to the side where one could stand relatively uncrowded and eat.  so this won out.

I have no idea what I ordered, I just pointed to one and said "that one"

it was good, and at least had a normal size bun, even if it was a HUGE sausage.  (and a nice view of the shirt I bought to help stay warm, and made a fantastic souvenir)

the clouds really helped the lights reflect. . it was so lovely tonight. . tho very very busy

peeking into one of the beer tents thru a window, as we walked down one of the many alleys to a restroom. 

all of them have live music too.

we ended up at one of the oldest rides in the Oktoberfest Fair - Hexen Schaukel - which is a classic Madhouse, the type you would have gone to in the early 1900s.

I loved the design of the tickets:

but what really sold me was the gesturing finger (in the center of the pic) that drew customers in with a "come hither" movement.

lots of signs up about the history of the attraction, but all were in German (of course)

wonderful design work on the outside, tho the inside of the Haunted Swing only sat about 12 people, and the "room" that rotated around us was more like a giant paper bag.   The artwork was charming tho - done as if by a child. . so it really did come across as a ride that had come thru time to appear at the fair.

This attraction also had my favorite moment of this night at the fair:

when they closed the door to start the ride, there were 4 of us from TPR, two girls, and across from us, these two guys in Lederhosen.

the moment the lights went out, the guys started shaking out powder onto their hand and snorting it. 

they made a big production, offering to everyone on the ride - the girls strongly (but firmly and politely) declined, and all of us said no too. . even muttering - I'm not snorting some random stuff off some stranger's hand in Germany.      But the guys thought it was hysterical. . and were laughing and giggling.

when the lights came on at ride end, the offered me again, and I again said "no thank you". .but asked if I could take a picture of them.

which resulted in one of my favorite pictures that I took:

 

we kinda shook our heads, and laughed at the picture and then made our way over to Alpina Bahn for rides.

this is a picture Erik took from the Ferris wheel, just of the main corridor of the fair.

gives you an idea of just how crowded the place was around 9pm!

there were so many amazing smells from the booths, so several of us decided to try Chimney Cakes. . that were rather unique looking.

they make them fresh by putting the raw dough onto the spokes, then baking them and deep frying in oil, before dipping in toppings.

served warm, the Cinnamon I think was the best (and we were told most popular), but I personally also tried the Raspberry sugar rolled, and that one was excellent too.

about the consistency of a funnel cake, but tasted more like a sweet bread.

headed over to the biggest of the Ghost Trains, and the one I liked the best - even loved the cars on this one.

and then back to Olympia Looping for another ride

right next to it (on the left) is the Carousel Bar. . which was much more crowded than the night before. 

But we spotted Hans in there, so headed in to join them for a drink.

no luck getting on the Carousel tho ... it was pretty packed.

so we hung out in a spot near the mug return, at the front of the bar entrance

PROST!!!

while chatting, Ryan and I made some new friends.

we told them about the guys in the Hexen Madhouse and they laughed and showed us what they guys had been snorting.

it's a Cinnamon & Sugar mix that gets sold exclusively at fairs (can't recall if they said it was only Oktoberfest or fairs in general in Germany).   they said "it burns but gives you a boost of energy". . which made me laugh, as that could be a description for a different white powder one snorts.

when they showed us the bottle, it matched what the guys on Hexen had. . . . so at least I was relieved it was nothing illegal. 

I still didn't want any tho.

didn't stop them from posting for a pic for me, with a rolled up Euro tho. . . .LOL

(and yes, I asked Ryan if he had an issue with me including this in the Trip report)

best thing about our spot at the Carousel Bar?

able to get some really nice pics of Olympia Looping from where we were standing.

the mouse was still racing. . . and we HAD to go back, as Andrew and I had to ride the left side

whee!

and of course there was a kiddie coaster at the Oktoberfest

I didn't want to ride it, but was able to document it for those who did.

look at these proud faces

and we then bumped into a very happy Jonathan!     who hung with us for the next hour or so until we all headed back to the hotel.

not sure where we are here, but I THINK it's the bar across from the Toboggan (the Garden bar?)

wandering towards the main entrance / exit. . . we stumbled across what became my favorite flat at the fair:

Voodoo Jumper.

fire effects, long ass cycle, and just a ton of fun!    Even Barry who doesn't like spinning rides, rode it twice the next night with us.

So good. . I don't' video, but I'm sure someone recorded a cycle and posted online.

of course we were gonna stop and ride it!

whee!

most of this fog here?  is coming from a Bumper Cars !  

Seriously, they loaded so much fog into that, it was like a 70s disco.

and after convincing some that it was time to head back to the hotel, as we had another full day tomorrow. . . we did stop and watch the Tagada for a bit.

people kept staring at me, and someone said they thought it was because with my shiny jacket, and standing next to Jon, I looked like a famous person with his bodyguard (ha!!!).. so they were trying to work out who I was.  

loved this Church just outside the main gates of the festival.

 

and then it was a short walk back to the hotel. . where I promptly crashed.

 

tomorrow was another full day!

[VandeSte]

Yes, Voodoo Jumper is a crazy ride. Lots of effects (fog, flames, lights).

 

[teacherkim]

Glad you had fun at the fair! We had an opportunity to go to the summer fair in Dusseldorf when we were there in July (no Olympia Looping but Alpina Bahn was there) and had every intention of going ........BUT after a soaking wet cold day at Movie Park Germany, a late arrival back to the hotel due to a detour for someone who got ill on the bus and urgently needed us to stop at a gas station, and the fact that the next day was an early start and a jam packed day at Phantasialand; we never made it. Knew we would regret it later but knew just as strongly at the time that all we wanted were hot showers and a warm bed, but that was our only real hiccup on the trip so won't dwell on it.