Photo TR: Oktoberfest 2024 with TPR

[jedimaster1227]

It had been a long time since I last traveled with Theme Park Review... On land, I had been a part of the Behemoth/East Coast trip in 2008 and the Deep South trip in 2009. At sea I had sailed with TPR on the Freedom of the Seas in 2011. Oktoberfest had been a bucket-list experience for me for most of my life, and getting the chance to experience some of Germany's most notable parks had equally sat atop my list for as long as my fandom of theme parks and coasters has existed. For years, I watched Robb & Elissa's videos from the parks, thinking that I wouldn't get the chance to experience the beer tents or to have the chance to ride Olympia Looping, Euro-Mir or SilverStar...  But when the 2024 Oktoberfest trip was announced, I knew I was going to do everything I could to attend (including ending up on a certain game show).

As I've been preparing (read, paring down tens of thousands of photos) for this trip report, I'm already nostalgic for the experience of this trip. Robb and Elissa took great care to show us the best time possible at each stop. For those of us whose first time it was here, they made an extra effort to make sure we didn't miss out on the best parts. And as someone that has been a part of this site since the mid-2000's, it was an honor and a great gift to experience so many new things and places with friends I've known for 19 years. Diving into it...

Did I walk all the way across the Chicago O'Hare airport to visit this particular corridor for a very particular reason? Sure did!

My first half day in Germany was a success in that I had a chance to drop off my stuff at the hotel and hop on the train into the city... 

The architecture in and around Marienplatz was absolutely stunning. 

My main stop for the day was Hofbräuhaus München. I didn’t have a ton of time, but I did get my first taste of Bavaria, literally and figuratively…

The interior of Hofbräuhaus München was so charming and unique.

My first taste of authentic oompah music on this trip!

While I'd been to the Biergarten Restaurant at EPCOT, I'd never been to an authentic beer garden before!

But I immediately took advantage of the opportunity!

My first German meal of the trip and it got me so hyped to eat more throughout the trip.

And to drink more too!

The next morning I hopped a train to Fussen from Munich...

The train ride was beyond picturesque.

I had an amazing spaetzle take on mac and cheese at the hotel in Fussen and called it an early night because the next day would be a very active one.

Why Fussen? Well I had some castles to visit...

Oh, and the Museum of the Bavarian Kings could not be missed. No photos allowed inside but the museum was well worth our time and helped to instill a greater understanding in us before we toured the castles in the area.

Hohenschwangau Castle was the first of our stops. There's a strict policy of no photos inside except photos taken of or through windows, but the tour was absolutely incredible. 

Delicious and refreshing!

It's like Coca-Cola... But with orange!

The view from within Hohenschwangau Castle was incredible.

And it only got better upon closer investigation.

Neuschwanstein Castle was within direct view of the Hohenschwangau Castle at most times.

Back near the Museum of the Bavarian Kings is a lake known for swans... A swan lake, if you will.

Lots of roasted pork and sauerkraut was consumed on this trip.

We hiked up the mountain after lunch to Marienbrücke for the best possible view of Neuschwanstein Castle. 

Just two Disney fans from both coasts experiencing a Disney fan's dream up close!

Die Schlümpfe.

My first Cornetto cone of the trip. but not my last!

Neuschwanstein Castle is a landmark for Disney fans as it is known as the partial inspiration for the design of Sleeping Beauty Castle found at Disneyland Park in California (also previously found at Hong Kong Disneyland). 

Discerning fans can recognize the visual similarities.

Again, no photos inside but the tour was fantastic and the reveals from room to room were cinematic and surprising!

 

It was amazing to be here in person.

Most people share photos of the castle from Marienbrücke, but not the other way around.

After our fun in Fussen, we drove two hours to Dornbirn, Austria, for an authentic Austrian meal and a night in the city. Due to bad traffic and rain, our night was really just time at dinner, but Rotes Haus, which has a deep history going all the way back to 1639, was a delightful treat.

And our meal did not disappoint!

The rain cleared as our meal ended and we enjoyed the nearby sights briefly before heading to bed. 

The next day we found ourselves back in Munich for the formal kickoff to the Oktoberfest trip with TPR. The spread was bountiful!

And the beer was flowing!

Pork knuckle and roasted chicken were the main courses of the night and they did not disappoint!

After dinner, several of us walked to the Oktoberfest grounds to scope out the festival...

But when life puts Olympia Looping in front of you, it is simply the rule that you must ride at least once.

As I mentioned earlier, Olympia Looping has been a bucket list coaster for some time. It is a white whale for many coaster fans, both because of its traveling nature and because of its famous size, number of inversions, its smoothness despite its age and its intensity. Schwarzkopf coasters continue to be removed from service year over year (several notable sibling coasters were taken out of operation in 2024) and it has always felt like the clock is ticking for Olympia Looping--at least for me to have a chance to ride it. 

But I can wholeheartedly say that the hype and the wait to experience this were both worth it. Olympia Looping is incredible. The layout, the speed, the smoothness, the intensity, and even the operations when kicked into high gear (five trains running at once!) were all mind-blowing. For a coaster that first operated in 1989, it is maintained and run like a modern coaster and even when compared to Alpina Bahn operating nearby at the festival, this was a significantly better experience and an absolute highlight of the trip.

So great to be traveling once again with friends I've known for so long!

I'd be back to try to conquer the Toboggan later...

Robb was kind enough to record my first ever ride on Olympia Looping...

And the results speak for themselves. 

Simply an incredible way to kick off the trip... And there was so much more ahead!

[bert425]

great pics. . . and so happy to see the castles I didn't have time to visit (so a trip back must happen).

 

looking forwards to following along with you!  (and will die of embarrassment when you catch up to mine and pass me. . I'm so damn slow).

LOL

[Nrthwnd]

<sighs> I love how they do charcuterie boards in Europe. That, and that ample serving of pork and chicken for you all.

Great TR of your Oktoberfest time! Looking forward to more of your TPR Adventure Tour!

By the way, I was in Germany in Oct.2006, and me and my Munich hosts 'attempted' to hike up to that bridge behind Neuschwanstein Castle, for one of those classic "travel shots" that the public sees. But, we pooped out, before we got even half-way there. It was interesting also, that the castle was only "partially built" (1/4-1/3?) and the 'courtyard' where we entered the building for the tour, was to have been totally enclosed.

It really is an amazing "story book castle" that obviously influenced Walt Disney, etc.

[BobloLives]

Anyone in the vicinity of Munich should book the train to Innsbruck, Austria for an overnight. The trip is beautiful, and Innsbruck is an amazing town.

[jedimaster1227]

The next day we started out at Skyline Park, not far from Munich. The park has a solid variety of coasters and a decent collection of other offerings in a charming setting.

As our first park of the trip, it was a nice warmup for the more involved days ahead.

We had exclusive ride time on Sky Dragster before the park opened. With only a few two-seater bikes in circulation, this was a great benefit to prevent us from waiting in lines once the park welcomed other guests. 

Sky Dragster was the first Maurer Rides Spike Coaster, a powered, semi-manually controlled coaster system that has been built in a few parks on land and even on several cruise ships. 

It was my first time riding one, and while kind of neat, I found it to be a little less thrilling that I would have expected, and the top speeds you could reach still felt like you were crawling through the layout at times.

Skyline Park has a decent number of tall attractions on its... Skyline.

This might have been a mistake for me to ride... It might've been. 

Sky Wheel was another first for me from Maurer Rides. 

The experience is a combination of hang-time, terror, laughs and "kerchunks." 

Berg- und Tal Hetz was the park's newest coaster from SBF Visa Group... And if you know anything about SBF, you know these coasters can pack a punch.

Sky Rafting (sense a theme in the naming convention?) is a sizable water rafting attraction that should look familiar to old Six Flags attractions...

Apres Ski Party was a neat fairground funhouse parked permanently at Skyline Park.

The moose out front should've told ya it was fun!

And a good time was had.

Flotter Otto exists.

Huepfburg is a bouncy play area set in the shadow of Sky Wheel. 

Geisterbahn was the first ghost train I experienced on this trip.

This ride's main character starts out with no hands...

Strange things ensue.

And by the end of the ride he has hands.

Sky Twister is another classic flat ride. 

Sky Wheel is visible from most parts of the park.

"It's Coca-Cola but frozen!"

No coaster left unridden here.

Allgäuflieger is the park's starflyer and it is the tallest attraction in its lineup. 

Flammkuchen and beer for lunch? Yes please!

They had a self-operated carousel and it simply had to be experienced.

Wildwasserbahn is a surprisingly large log flume. It was a little too cold for my riding during our visit but those in our group that did try it really enjoyed it.

Science ride!

The queue for Zero Gravity was almost as experiential as the ride!

Zero Gravity is a modern take on a Rotor, but with a translucent structure and unique show lighting. It was quite a good time!

Most of the park's self-operated attractions had been removed over the last few years but this swing ride still exists.

And it is quite fun.

Why pay for ropes courses at home when Sky Walk at Skyline Park is included in the park admission?

After our time at Skyline Park, we stopped at the grocery store near our hotel. I was surprised to find some familiar brands like those I find at home...

A taste of the Germany of EPCOT... But in Germany.

Just a normal sight in Germany during Oktoberfest.

Back to Oktoberfest we went!

Predator was one of those super-daunting flat rides that I committed to riding before the end of our time at Oktoberfest...

I'll never discount a traveling drop tower when it comes to bringing the thrills.

You know the rule.

A hidden gem of food that we found at the fair grounds was this awesome pasta stand that prepared your fresh pasta, tossed in sauce and scraping out the cheese from inside of a hollowed out cheese wheel...

This would be the first of several truffle oil pastas for us!

It was a quick visit, but a good one. More fun would follow on the next day...

With it being the weekend, crowds were significantly more than what we experienced last night, so it was an eat-and-walk night (save for that one ride on Olympia Looping) before calling it an early night…

[bert425]

that pasta place was amaze-balls. . I think most everyone tried it once y'all posted that pic and how good it looked!

as for Skyloop.    nope. . total terror, never again.  (you can even see the terror in my face in that pic, tho you certainly look like you're enjoying it!).

 

great pics

[prozach626]

That pasta holy shit!! 

Quote

Flotter Otto exists.

Lol.

Nice report.

[Nrthwnd]

That cheese and pasta is definitely something to fall in with.  And that dug out wheel of cheese! Amazing.

And I think I've been on a few of those Skyloops. Once in China, another in Finland.... lots of fun, for myself I remember.

Your ongoing tour's looking great!  Looking forward to more.

[jedimaster1227]

Our next day started out with a visit to Legoland Deutschland (with a brief stop at Peppa Pig Park next door). The second Legoland property I’ve been to so far, this was a really charming park! The lineup features some unique coasters (including a bizarre wing-rider that’s not quite for kids but also not a super-thrilling ride compared to some of the larger versions of this coaster type) and lots of fun smaller experiences throughout the park. We had express access to all of the park’s major rides, which cut our wait times down to minutes at a time.

Similar to Legoland Florida but different. 

But first...

Somehow I ended up experiencing Peppa Pig Park in Germany before ever getting to its counterpart in Florida. What you see in this photo is the majority of what the park is/includes.

There are water play areas...

And a few family flat rides...

The youngest of kids will find the experience exciting.

Papa Wutz´Achterbahn was the real reason we were here. It features a themed zero car, a traditional lift hill and a booster launch (Zamperla is known for big, launched coasters after all). 

Bis Bald Peppa Pig Park!

Now on to the main event!

Rope drop included a cute dance number featuring some LEGO characters.

Bavarian LEGOmeister is the best!

Familiar but different.

Really, really picturesque on a level I hadn't expected.

It feels like I've been here before.

I thought it was kind of interesting that they had one of these kinds of rides in Legoland only to have a similar, albeit smaller experience in Peppa Pig Park.

The newest addition to Legoland was our first stop of the visit.

The realm features many mythical creatures built out in LEGO form.

The station and queue building for Maximus - Der Flug des Wächters is pretty neat.

I've been on a few B&M wing-riders before, but never a kid-oriented version.

The coaster wraps around the mini-land's many elements.

A look at the coaster's trains up close.

One of the coaster's two inversions twists directly overhead the land's entrance/exit corridor.

TPR takeover!

After riding this one, I’m not convinced family/kid-friendly B&M wing-riders need to exist anywhere else.

Drachenjagd was a fun junior coaster near the larger, more traditional Feuerdrache (Dragon) coaster.

Feuerdrache was a good time.

The park's express pass system is handled entirely through your own mobile device and allows you to reserve a priority entrance within a few minutes' time. The system seriously worked great!

Power Builders is the original KUKA arm-based attraction and it was quite fun to experience the highest intensity program.

Flying Ninjago was the first time I've ridden a Gerstlauer Sky Fly and for whatever reason, I couldn't get the thing to flip... But others around me were spinning the entire ride through.

Das Große LEGO Rennen is a carbon copy of the one in Florida.

It has its value with a few pops of airtime and some sharp turns.

Lunch was a surprisingly great plate of veal spare ribs and a baked potato for good measure.

It doesn't matter what the attraction is themed to, this is the quintessential Legoland experience.

Temple X-Pedition was short but fun.

This section of the park was quite nice with a kinetic energy thanks to several moving attractions within view.

I do like that this park has an observation tower.

A look at the bulk of the layout of Maximus.

Jungle X-Pedition was a fun log flume with a few surprise twists.

This looks familiar!

A moving LEGO model of Ninjago was one of my favorite elements of this park's Miniland.

It's like apple juice but carbonated!

Fun to see this guy here, considering he has a near-identical twin at Disney Springs.

Love this!

Dinner was unsurprisingly another bowl of our favorite truffle oil pasta...

By now, I think you know the rule.

Hi Robb and Jack!

One of the oldest attractions at Oktoberfest.

The size of these portable funhouses never ceases to amaze me.

There's just something about that Oktoberfest nighttime glow...

Back for more...

Elissa beat the Toboggan with style!

Sarah nailed the lift as well!

This is one time where I definitely recommend looking down.

This Jumanji-inspired funhouse, complete with a knock-off Robin Williams continued to crack me up throughout our time at Oktoberfest.

There aren't many Enterprises left out there, so it was fun to see one here.

Voodoo Jumper is one of the best flat rides at Oktoberfest to observe, in addition to riding!

Our next day would be our big day at Oktoberfest with time at the Lowenbrau tent, rides and more festival food ahead!

[jedimaster1227]

After a restful evening, we woke up early to rope drop Oktoberfest for our full day at the fair grounds. As it turns out, most of the attractions don't open until a few hours after the grounds open, as most people are (justifiably) rushing to the beer tents. But the emptiness gave us a chance to see the space more freely before it would be time to check in for our reservations at the Lowenbrau tent. 

Must be first! (No, not really.)

Might I interest you in some cured fish?

The celebrity portraits on this game booth are so bad they're great!

Dr. Archibald Master of Time is a huge dark ride experience that somehow has no physical show elements as riders experience the full attraction with VR headsets while moving through the physical building on ride vehicles...

You know the rule.

There's something about a giant ferris wheel that just feels right at festival grounds.

Dan, right behind you.

Timmy hates explanations, or so I'd assume.

The gang's all here!

This will be a moment long remembered. 

This is currency and in it, we were rich.

Sweet elixir of life.

Good beer, good food, great company--many memories!

Reed and his refreshing radishes.

Yes, I ordered a hearty helping of sauerkraut and it was worth every bite.

This pork knuckle was the small portion option and I had the meat sweats after eating it.

The strength astounds me.

More delicious shredded pancakes for dessert!

This happens at Oktoberfest.

And this.

When the pickle vendor passes, you don't pass up a chance to pick a pickle. 

Tangy yet satisfying. 

The better (butter)beer mustache.

Prost!

Such an amazing experience!

And a good time was had by all!

After our time in the Lowenbrau tent, we roamed the grounds to enjoy more rides... This standing "Looping the Loop" was intriguing but that much manual effort didn't feel right after consuming so much food and beer.

The sheer scale and ornateness of this Rotor's facade was impressive.

"The Devil's Wheel" had long been something that interested me...

And witnessing the experience was well worth the hype...

But trying it out firsthand?

Wacky. Hilarious. Uncomfortable at times? Yes to all of the above.

As unflattering as this photo is, it is my trophy showing the moment not only in which I gave birth, but in which I won the round by being the last on the Wheel!

We had to try one more time...

Some of our group passed the test with flying colors.

Me, not so much.

Such a great view!

Down Joey goes!

As the sun began to set we continued to try more experiences... Here on the giant slide my victory was sure to be documented for all to see...

Nevermind.

I'm not above riding both sides.

Clench and squish!

Bob joined me in finally riding the aneurism-inducing Predator. It was insane and intense but one of my favorite rides at Oktoberfest.

The Pixels shooting dark ride was... Bizarre.

Alpina Bahn is Olympia Looping's sibling at the fair and it features newer trains from Gerstlauer.

While it was still fun, I definitely preferred Olympia Looping overall.

Time for a meter long marzipan crepe!

It has a waterfall, therefore we must ride.

It was quite fun!

You could've guessed where we'd end up for dinner...

The booth that makes this amazing pasta even featured us on their social media in all of our embarrassing glory!

[bert425]

such a great time. . . I hope to have my pics up from this day in the near future (yeah. .I've said THAT before. . BWAAA-HAAAA-HAAAA).

my favorite part of the people standing up to chug, is that the whole tent cheers. . .and then if they fail to chug the whole stein?  yup, everyone boos!

it was so fantastic and a memory that will forever be near the top of my life experiences!

great pics, and some nice stuff done after the tent by y'all. . . and congrats on winning.   Didn't they give you a prize?  no pic of that?

[Taylor Finn]

Thanks for this wonderful report! We just locked in a trip to visit Oktoberfest on a Monday. We plan for a full, full day but just one day. How were lines for rides? Would love to ride all the coasters, any unique dark rides / flat rides, and any old rides. We obviously plan to spend some time in a tent as well. Is it... doable?

Specific recommendations / advice certainly welcome!

[jedimaster1227]

Our final day in Munich was reserved for "on your own time" to explore the city and spend more time at Oktoberfest. For this reason, we used our day to accomplish both. Revisiting Marienplatz was the first activity of the day...

Absolutely beautiful.

We even had a chance to see and hear the Rathaus-Glockenspiel play.

Reinheitsgebot München Viktualienmarkt was a short walk away and worth a stop for one reason in particular...

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!

Despite having been to Las Vegas, New York and several other cities that have an Eataly location, this was my first time actually visiting one.

It's like a theme park for Italian foods.

I could have done some serious damage here.

This was one of the most indulgent meals I consumed on the entire trip.

Back at Oktoberfest for our final evening, we spent some time watching Jack enjoy his favorite ride in all of Germany.

As the sun sets, many of the rides begin to come to life in new and colorful ways...

Out of the fire and into the frying pan?

Hupferl was another "never in America" kind of experience and it was awesome.

The size of some of these (traveling) flat rides is astounding.

One more visit to the Devil's Wheel. 

We weren't on a log flume... We weren't on a log flume.

We grabbed as many extra rides on Olympia Looping as we could on this evening...

Just such an incredible experience!

While it wasn't my favorite coaster to ride, Alpina Bahn looks great at night.

Our last few hours at Oktoberfest were spent roaming the beer tents, each of which has unique entertainment, decor and more.

Each tent felt totally different...

The Paulaner tent is one of the bigger tents.

And the interior is quite vibrant!

I was grateful that I had the chance to visit Hofbräuhaus München at the start of my trip, because I wouldn't end up having a chance to drink at the Hofbrau tent. 

The Hacker tent may be smaller than some of the neighboring tents...

But it has one of the most charming interiors of them all.

Braurosl was quite busy on this night...

Such a neat space!

Spatenbrau was too busy to allow walk-in guests to jump in for a drink.

We revisited the Lowenbrau tent to see if the atmosphere changed when compared to our daytime visit in the prior afternoon.

The vibe was definitely more lively and party-like at this hour.

It looks bigger from the outside.

But a rock band on the inside was keeping everyone entertained.

This looks familiar!

Remember how I said I wasn't above riding both sides?

I'm not. And somehow this ended up being the last coaster I rode at Oktoberfest...

[jedimaster1227]

After an incredible week in and around Munich, it was time to move on to the theme park-focused portion of trip. Our travel day from Munich to Europa Park was spent mostly on the bus (with a brief rest stop visit along the way), but the payoff would come in the form of an early evening arrival at Europa Park. Robb and Elissa along with the team at Europa Park surprised us with a few hours of access to the park followed by an hour of exclusive ride time on the park's newest addition, Voltron Neverra. With two full days in the park ahead of us, it was a great first taste of just why Europa Park has earned world-class praise. 

Local soda flavors continue to be a travel passion of mine and Germany continued to impress.

What happened to Germany's original Milky Way if they're already on Milky Way 2?

On the way to Hotel Colosseo we got our first look at Rulantica, Europa's water park which we'd be visiting on the next day.

In terms of themed hotel environments, this is one of the nicest I've experienced. 

Inside of the park for our few hours of access before our Voltron Neverra exclusive ride time, we enjoyed the sights of Europa Park. In a lot of ways, it feels like the park has found ways to utilize their land creatively, embedding multiple attractions in unique, intertwining spaces that look excellent.

My jaw nearly hit the floor when we made it to this section of the park.

Alpenexpress Enzian re-opened in 2024 after a fire in 2023 destroyed much of its layout along with several other parts of the Austrian section of the park. 

Europa Park goes out of its way to celebrate Halloween with a unique parade and a Halloween overlay to an existing attraction (we'll get back to that later). 

Hi Snorri!

There's so much happening in this photo. It's almost too much to process as a theme park fan.

Something I especially admire about Europa Park is its willingness to invest in animatronics for queues, scenic spaces and themed areas simply meant to pass by. 

I don't know that there's a wild mouse I've ever anticipated riding more than Matterhorn Blitz.

The double-train elevator at the start of the ride is a neat touch.

Matterhorn Blitz was a really fun coaster. Nothing earth-shattering but the layout was literal leaps-and-bounds ahead of standard wild mouse coasters.

Familiar yet different.

It was finally time to visit the park's new Croatia-themed area and its signature attraction...

Long had I waited for this moment and even longer had I doubted that I'd ever have the chance for it to happen.

This coaster is relentlessly intense and much longer than you'd expect. 

Each element of the coaster flows seamlessly from the previous and the train's unique seating allows you to be whipped around through inversions while being held in purely by a lap bar. 

Such a unique element and a great way to kick off the coaster's outside layout. 

Such a picturesque coaster.

ERT was such a great surprise and Voltron more than lived up to the hype. This is quite easily one of the best rollercoasters I've ever been on, and having an hour to ride it repeatedly only solidified that notion.

I could have kept going for hours more!

Familiar yet different.

Grand Prix of Europe is a new interactive dark ride that will open at the park in 2025.

We passed through the grounds of the Hotel El Andaluz on our way back to the Hotel Colosseo...

Absolutely beautiful.

Dinner at Antica Roma kicked off with a wide selection of cheeses...

Are you even in Germany if you're not having a beer each day?

Antipasti for dinner!

A new Cornetto Cone flavor for the books!

After dinner we assembled for TPR's first ever competitive puzzling challenge. 

Joey and I participated. 

It was also the trip's designated time for the snack exchange and many treats were had. 

Here's a photo of a trophy I didn't come close to getting.

After an evening of fun, it was time to get some rest, because tomorrow would be our first of two full days at Europa Park. 

[Blue Turbo]

Finally remembering to come over here and read your wonderful report form an amazing trip! It's bringing back some great memories, and that trophy looks great up on my shelf

[Hilltopper39]

I don't know what Universal is cooking up as a replacement for Rockit but man something similar to Voltron sure would be an awesome addition to that park.

 

Europa always looks amazing, cant wait to see the rest of the report. 

[jedimaster1227]

After our brief but wonderful taste of Europa Park the prior evening, it was hard to sleep knowing that we'd have two full days to enjoy the resort ahead of us. I managed to grab what rest I could, eagerly awaiting the morning's exclusive ride time. 

We started with Blue Fire, another of the park's coasters that I had long anticipated getting the chance to ride.

This is one sleek train!

ERT earned many thumbs up!

As soon as ERT was over, Robb and I rushed over to The Can-Can Coaster (Eurosat), not for the traditional ride experience, but for the newly-opened The Phantom of the Opera Coastiality VR experience. 

Replacing the previous Valerian VR experience that debuted with the rebuilt Eurosat, this new experience leans heavily into the fandom surrounding Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic musical. The queue is filled with props from the show...

The queue also serves as pre-show experience before the VR elements begin, setting the stage for your visit to L'Opera Populaire in Paris.

Fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber can find in-universe nods to some of his other works.

I'll be absolutely honest. I'm not a huge fan of VR experiences on coasters. But I am a huge fan of Phantom of the Opera--I've seen the show seven times in my life, the movie countless times and I've listened to the soundtrack far too many times to count. For this reason, I wasn't going to be to visit Europa Park without seeing how such a beloved (albeit likely incompatible) IP could translate to a theme park ride experience. 

Unlike other VR experiences I've been on, this one had you put on the headset while standing in a room away from the loading platform. From here the pre-show experience begins in Box 5 of the Paris Opera House, the Phantom's preferred booth. Surprisingly, the booth lowers from the theater down into the catacombs below to reveal the Phantom's lair. Standing alongside others who are also wearing the VR headsets (you and others around you are represented as period-appropriate avatars, mine an older woman in a purple dress and Robb's a man with a monocle, a black top hat and a grey mustache) you are guided by another avatar through the catacombs to a convenient train of gondolas. 

What you don't realize is that from behind the VR helmets, you are walking to the Eurosat trains. And through the VR experience you are actually expected to walk to and get into your seats. If the VR isn't spot on (whether because of the headset placement or how it has sync'd up), then your results on getting in safely may vary... But I absolutely give them credit for such a ballsy approach. 

Once seated, your gondolas take off and begin on a journey that summarizes the key points of the musical's story in a compressed format. Logic, science and physics cease to matter as, once you ascend Eurosat's lift hill, your point of view shifts from the turning gondolas to a glowing orb that floats and flies through the story's scenes. The ride kicks off strong with the Phantom bringing down the chandelier to the famous tones of the show's main overture, and as the chandelier collides with the stage, you go crashing through it, down and into the catacombs. Flying through the layout of the physical coaster, you inexplicably weave in and out of the Paris Opera as it crumbles and burns, pausing near the end for Raoul and Christine to kiss in front of its burning remains, before returning inside to revisit the Phantom's lair, where he appears briefly and disappears in a gag that mirrors a final moment from the show, 

All in all, it was an interesting way to translate the show to a ride. The VR graphics aren't quite there yet and the syncing with the coaster's movement never really felt perfectly aligned--both reasons why I was in love with the end result, but as a Phantom fan, I'm grateful that Europa Park was gutsy enough to choose such a property for this experience. 

Now time for another hotly anticipated experience!

Due to our visit taking place near Halloween, the coaster's signature music had been replaced with a special track for the season. 

"It's Halloween" plays on repeat throughout the queue and inside of the ride itself during this overlay. And I guess it is because I didn't know what I was missing--I thought it worked really well. Euro-Mir was a really fun ride (with a somewhat wild finale) and the randomized rotations made it very re-rideable. 

You know we had to come back for more Voltron!

I love that the Croatia section of the park features three animatronics of Nikola Tesla (one in the queue, one at the start of the coaster and one in an outdoor area in the land). 

I strongly considered buying this Coaster Dynamix Nanocoaster but I haven't finished assembling several of the ones I already own.

Silver Star stands in the foggy distance...

Madame Freudenreich Curiosités was a very cute way to repurpose the "Universe of Energy" dinosaurs for a more unique (and less knock-off-ish) experience. 

The ride has a cute story.

Familiar but different.

There are lots of dinosaurs to be found in the ride.

Not our dino,

TPR has a bobsled team!

Long had I waited for this moment!

And Schweizer Bobbahn did not disappoint!

The Swiss section of the park is charming and narrow... But most importantly...

It is home to raclette!

TPR takeover of the raclette hut!

The park has so many beautiful areas to enjoy.

I love the faux bateaux mouche so much!

Europa Park had already been a delicious and refreshing experience so far!

Time for more cute dark rides!

Adorable.

How does one follow up such cuteness? With coasters, of course!

It was nice to just hang out for a bit.

Of all of the rides inspired by Disney's Haunted Mansion that we experience on this trip, Castello dei Medici was certainly one of them.

There's definitely key differences here.

But there are also far more blatantly derivative sections. 

Familiar but different. 

There's even a hitchhiking ghost-equivalent finale. 

Though I have no affinity for the IP, "ARTHUR - In the Minimoys Kingdom" is a pretty neat mini land.

The power suspended coaster was fun and unique. 

I love the architecture in the Iceland section of the park.

And Wodan was a solid wooden coaster that has been well maintained.

The station fly-through is such a fun element. 

Whale Adventures – Northern Lights is easily one of the cutest splash battles I've ever seen.

Animatronics and flammable buildings out and about to enhance the lands' theming. I LOVE IT.

I wish I had more time to spend in the Scandinavian section of the park.

Snorri Touren is a gem of an attraction that no amount of research had prepared me for.

Snorri is simply the best.

This dark ride is not without value for adults.

The gist of where the story takes you while onboard...

Our carriage awaits!

Our journey begins...

Some great set design for this attraction. 

You can't go wrong with singing trolls.

Snorri plays the mushroom drums.

You can bet I brought a plush Snorri home to my son.

Familiar but different.

Some neat elements in the queue...

Lots of exposition but I couldn't understand what it was.

While he isn't Snorri, Jopie is great too.

Piraten in Batavia feels similar but different to Pirates of the Caribbean.

Some scenes are more recognizable than others.

Jopie is helping to escape!

Very pretty sets.

I spy with my little eye, someone that is Mack.

The ride's finale ends with an impressing series of projection mapping effects.

Familiar but different.

Equally familiar but different.

Where have I seen one of these before?

It was too cold for my tastes to ride Fjord-Rafting during our visit.

Atlantica Supersplash looking good.

This place is a theme park fan's dream. 

So cool to see in person!

Such a fun and pictureseque coaster!

Our time in Europa Park came to a close for the day... But our adventure was just beginning. 

As we had an evening set aside to experience Rulantica!

Due to our limited time I have virtually no photos from inside, but I can't rave enough about the water park. This is the first indoor water park I've been to, but the bar was set so much higher than I anticipated.

Rulantica is packed with themed areas, great water slides and some excellent spaces. Vildstrøm is the star of the show--a wild outdoor body slide that doesn't require you to go one at a time. Hilarity and chaos ensue. Robb has some fantastic video from our experience...

The park was kind enough to let us try the Snorri Snorkling VR experience which was unlike anything I'd done before.

It followed a similar story to Snorri Touren from in the park, but this time, experiencing it while gliding through the water. Super unique--mildly bizarre. I'm glad I had the chance to do it.

After a wonderful evening at Rulantica, it was time to head back to the hotel for some rest.

Tomorrow would bring even more adventures.