Europa Park Discussion Thread

parksmania.it published a video of the EuropaPark from the year 1991, reminds me on my first visits there... really nice to get in mind how it looks there 20 years ago:

Hello, I plan to go to Europa Park on either Thursday or Friday for the first time, and I'm not sure what to expect, and what the most efficient plan is. I've heard the most efficient plan to hitting all the major rides is heading to Wodan and Blue Fire first, and working my way back to Silver Star and Euro-Sat, would this be a good plan of attack? Also, I was wondering what the crowds are like this time of year. I know this is a high capacity park and that all the rides are extremely efficient and the lines move fast, but I haven't heard anything about the actual crowds and how big the lines actually are. Thanks in advance, and any advice/tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

-Schotcher

At the moment here are summer holidays (for nearly complete germany, france, swiss and other countries next to it) and normally this is the time were no one from the area goes to the park. It often is totally crowded these days. But sometimes if you have luck the park is even these days very empty. A friend was two days ago and it was really crowded (wodan 90 mins) and the next day another friend was in the park and it was empty (10 min wait times). But EP counts the guests and if it is to crowded they open the park some hours longer... Sometimes till 10 p.m. so that every guest has enough time to ride everything (and maybe get the rare possibility to ride the coasters in the dark )

About Wodan.... yeah it will be the best to go fast back to Wodan on the end of the park (or if you stay in a hotel you can walk directly to them from the hotel entrance). Sometimes Wodan gets more empty (and of course a faster ride ) in the last hours or at mid-day. It has the slowest-moving lines (of the coasters) after the mouse coaster( MatterhornExpress). The most crowds start from the entrance and walk to the back (start with Silverstar) but because there are now 2 nice coasters in the back and Wodan as the new big attraction many run to Wodan and it gets very early very full. Often i start with MatterhornExpress in the morning,then when it is a hot summer day, go to "Poseidon" the water coaster (because it is packed and lines are not the fastest) and then back to wodan (1-2times) then bluefire and then atlantica supersplash. if you are not so in mack mouse and prever wooden-coasters, run directly to wodan to get 2 short queing rides.

BlueFire and SIlverstar are people eaters.. they bring through the lines a huge amount of people in a short time, so don`t worry about them. Eurosat and EuroMir eat people too and the most time the park run a huge amount of trains (on Eurosat i think up to 6-8 tains, bluefire 2-4) so they should have not so long waiting times. For the water rides on hot days all the water rides are normally crowded and the lines are moving a little bit slower. So if you have ridden Wodan and BlueFire, you can Choose between the RApids and the SuperSPlash next to it and then walk slowly in the direction to get to the entrance riding the attractions on your way. Especially Silverstar gets a less crowded after some hours. But i havge to mention... Even on most crowded days, with extra parking lots on a cornfield, i always get a chance to ride all major attractions at least once and some of them twice. And like everyone said, this park has no slow moving lines, even on Wodan they push the people through it. And if you are not so much into queuing, the dark rides(Piraten in Batavia, Geisterschloss) are mostly not very crowded and empty... so a good time to chillout

On the Mack company area appeared a short part of the prototype test-track (in a not so blue color ) which is rummored to be a spinning (or swinging) powered-suspended coaster for the new darkride in 2014. Because one local-newspaper (http://www.badische-zeitung.de/waldkirch/die-achterbahn-spezialisten) reported that the track for this new ride can be seen on the company area, it seems to be no rumor anymore.

So here are the pics from http://www.chris-space.net/?incvar=bilder.php&path=news/2014/2012_08_24-teststrecke/

it seems to be this ride (pic from http://www.mack-rides.com/en/products/coasters/suspended-powered-coaster/info/index.html)

Because it looks like the Park will build a darkride themed after the movies "Arthur and the Invisibles" most people think they will use the controlled spinning option. But intresting thing is that the ride is capable of controlled and uncontrolled spinning. So maybe they use both variations (would be great imo)... and i think the suspended and spinning thing combined with a darkride will add a lot to the powered-coasters, because i like riding backwards And the new powered coaster is capable to run more than one train on the track...so a perfect system for a darkride experience!

This looks very interesting!

Can't wait to see some of the vehicles for this.

Horror Nights 2012 - Preview:

Hi, can anyone tell me if Europa Park is good for thrills?

^Yes.

^^Europa Park is good for everything.

^^Europa Park is good for everything.

Including raclette.

Thanks. I've read that Europa Park caters more for families so I assumed they would have less thrilling rides compared to parks such as Alton Towers, Port Aventura etc. is this an incorrect assumption?

Think of it as thrilling for the whole family, but with a few more thrilling things like Blue fire and Silver Star.

^^ They've got stuff for everyone. Although people usually think coasters such as Pegasus and Alpenexpress look boring, they're quite exhilarating for family coasters. That being said, they still have five pretty decent thrilling coasters: Blue Fire, Wodan, Silver Star, Eurosat, and Euro-Mir. The only thing is, they do seem to lack in thrilling flats. Other than that, quite a well-rounded park, tied with BGW as favorite park.

Blue fire is my number one roller coaster

It really is an all around amazing park. The uniques rides and flats, and the amazing food, more than make up for not having 'extreme' rides (but the rides are still very good)!

Just checked the front page of rcdb, and it stated that Europa Park will, in fact, be recieving the Mack suspended coaster, but not until 2014. It also said that the ride will be named, Arthur-The Ride!

We may need to do a Europa Park Add On from the 2014 Scandi Trip!

Fun Fact: They will now have 12 coasters. More than any park in Europe.

Supposedly, the expansion is taking over the Enchanted Forest area.

Just checked the front page of rcdb, and it stated that Europa Park will, in fact, be recieving the Mack suspended coaster, but not until 2014. It also said that the ride will be named, Arthur-The Ride!

It's based on the books and movies written & directed by Luc Besson.

We may need to do a Europa Park Add On from the 2014 Scandi Trip!

YES

We may need to do a Europa Park Add On from the 2014 Scandi Trip!

100% down for this. I think I've decided it's pretty much a given that, no matter exactly when or where or why I am in Europe next, I will head to Europa Park as well.

We may need to do a Europa Park Add On from the 2014 Scandi Trip!

Balder AND Raclette??? Can I just send my deposit in now?!?

We may need to do a Europa Park Add On from the 2014 Scandi Trip!

Yup. This is happening. You said it, which makes it true. There's no going back now, Elissa.

Clever addition Europa is doing with Arthur and the Minimoys as everything Luc Besson is huge in France which accidently is just next door over the Rhine...

Europa park is such an amazing park. I really need to get back there soon. Such a fun collection of rides and attractions, and the most amazing food! I should just sell my house and join the TPR trip!