MannekenPis
Roller Poster
With my partner working in Strasbourg for a few days, I realised I'd be able to tag on to the accommodation and go to Europa Park for a day. It wasn't clear what return timings were so I only had a day, wheras more time tends to be recommended. My initial plan then was to get the top 5 coasters plus EuroMir because it's closing and a couple of the most notable dark rides.
That plan didn't survive contact with reality though, the park is so big and confusing to a first timer, and the major coasters are far from the entrance, I could immediately tell that by the time I worked out how to get to them and got lost en route I'd lose any early mover advantage and end up in a queue.
First impressions: The park was pretty busy (I guess German schools have broken up, wheras Walygator in France the day before was dead) and I wondered if I'd get all the majors done now I had abandoned starting with them. But it's clear you are entering a full on theme park. There's not much to improve but i think the transport options could be clearer on the map and app. Whilst not as wow as Efteling, the entrance has fountains and entertainers and tells you it's going to be a good day.
My new tactic was to keep walking until I came to a small queue coaster and so I went to a walk on Matterhorn Blitz, which wasn't even on my to do list but I enjoy a wild mouse. The theming in queue is amazing, it's of an era but still excellent how much detail there is and all the animaltronics (is that a word? it should be). The ride itself is also really well themed, lots of rock work, a real cut above. The lift is cool, a bit different. The first drop is fun, then the laterals are much smoother than most wild mice. Fun, and good to have got one in. At this point I managed to get a virtual queue for Voltron later in the day so that settled my nerves bit in terms of getting on the top coasters.
No photos from the early bit as I was too busy!
Since I was in Switzerland and it was showing a 5 minute queue I thought I'd do the bobsled Schweizer Bobbahn, again not on my original targets but I've always liked Avalanche at Blackpool (absolute digression here but are these really creds?, I count them but it's not really a track is it?). I struggled to find it but other than that queue was as advertised. Anyway, amazingly detailed theming, showing its age but with a lot of charm. I didn't find it uncomfortable or particularly rattley but I did find that it didn't do that much. Not very quick and not much force. They are not exactly capacity monsters but 3 trains and good operations means still worth doing.
Based on proximity and queue times I then headed to Greece for Poseidon. A coaster I had on the reserve list if I had time for 1 water coaster but with Wodan showing 40 minute queues the plan was out the window. I should have mentioned Switzerland looks very Swiss but theme parky, but Greece looks amazing, just an inviting place to be. Later in the day when I needed a rest I sat for 5 minutes on an empty terrace with a view of the splashdown, and busy as the park was it was a damn sight quieter than the real Mykonos!
The queue for Pegasus basically comes off and exits to the start of the Poseidon queue and was showing 1 minute. I'd had no plans at all to do this but it was barely a diversion so on I went. I only felt bad because I knew my daughter would love the theme and love the ride. The front train looks great and the ride itself is smooth if uneventful. Was enjoyable enough and perfect for the actual target audience.
Poseidon was my 150th roller coaster because of the way the queues fell. Queue again lots of detail. The ride itself, the coaster section was really a coaster, proper drop, tunnel, twists. The nature of the big boat makes it a bit rattley but not uncomfortable. An actual and enjoyable coaster then a big but not soaking splash. The water section isn't too slow and actually has things to look at then another splash and a decently paced boat ride back. A good ride.
At this stage, seeing as it was actually on my to do list unlike anything else I'd done, and it was on 5 minutes queue, I paused coasters and went to Pirates of Batavia. Just an excellent dark ride, cheeky little splash, and the detail in the scenes, and some of animatronics were exceptional. Fantastic.
EuroMir was on a 10 minute queue so decided to tick that off. 15 minutes by the time I got there, queue is a cattle pen BUT it has a real training module of the Mir space station to look at, which you could easily look at for that long in a museum and never consider it queuing AND that theme tune. I'm not normally one for getting into soundtracks, but that tetrisy, technoey, baltiky infectious sound had everyone dancing in the queue. The spiral lift is a bit dark, but at least there's the music and then the cool scene at the top. The ride itself, I had considered the mirrors to be about looks, but spinning around the towers seeing everyone else and yourself reflected is great fun. Shame there is no music up here. Lots of spinning and laughing and this ride was comfortable, I couldn't really see the need to replace it. But at the end of my day I had a reride as it was near me and on 5 minutes and that time it was still fun but rough transitions. Glad to have done it. EuroMir is dead, long live EuroMir.
I'd ran out of no or low queue rides I was wanting to do at this stage (though most dark rides were walk on). So I decided to now focus on what I was aiming for originally. I grabbed a beer thinking I could drink it in the queue and headed to Arthur, which was the lowest queue of my target rides (target as a dark ride not a coaster). I then realised it was in a very Kiddie area and I was making myself look even odder than usual as I was not only alone but had a 11:40 beer. I got there and I had forgotten there was single rider. The greeter was unphased by a single middle aged adult with a beer going on a Kiddie ride, and showed me somewhere to hide the beer to pick it up afterwards as single rider was walk on. The ride itself is done fantastically well inside, would love to go on it with my daughter, it would be magical. The outside coaster bit is quite fun and very smooth. Lovely ride. Beer still intact and friendly farewell from the greeter.
Now my timeliness gets a bit confused, I know Voltron was my next coaster, but I think I did a dark ride before it because I had just enough time before my virtual queue 10 minutes slot. So I think it was the Grand Prix Edventure shooting ride. Amazingly themed queue line though it is massive, glad not needed, it was walk on. The 3d worked well, like others though I found the stringpull shooting mechanism difficult to operate. What's wrong with a trigger?
On to Voltron , where the virtual queue worked perfectly, with about 5 minutes afterwards enough to appreciate the queue line. Fantastic theming with all the moving parts, though I imagine 45 minutes in the cattle pens because it's all in one room would be a bit much. Plenty to look at though, but I don't think the tesla coils were running. Locker system worked efficiently (though dark to find your things after, for that reason on my reride later I put some coins in my back pocket so I wouldn't have to scrabble for them. Even though I was sat on them in a pocket I lost them on the ride, which says something about the forces!) The ride itself is extremely forceful and intense, though smooth enough on my first go. I had looked up a lot of logistics but hadn't looked up the ride, so I thought it was good but a bit short: then I got the second half! It left me breathless, confused and amazed and there was a round of applause on my train. It didn't quite beat Taron for me but was certainly a 10. However later in the day I had a reride and it was very rough on the outer seat. It started to bring on a small headache (in fairness, I'd been riding all day, it was 35 degrees and I probably hadn't drunk enough), I think that drops it to a 9. Maybe behind Kondaa? Not sure,the good ride was better but the rough ride was much worse. NB The reride took 25 minutes through single rider in the late afternoon, exactly the same time as the main queue would have been.
I had a drive later but a full 2 hours had passed since my beer, so I grabbed another. I wanted to chill a bit now it was clear I could get the coasters done, so I headed to Voletarium which had a 15 minute queue, thinking I could drink the beer in the queue. But just like Arthur, the single rider was walk on (might all have been). No beer cubby hole here so I had a look at the park models exhibition while I drank. The queueline was huge, can't imagine it's ever used. I haven't been on a flying theatre for years and really enjoyed it. A great ride type, wish there were more of them. I did feel maybe the screen could have been crisper, and something the roof comes into view breaking the illusion but still good.
I then took the EP Express to the back of the park, had a wander through Spain which looked great, wandered through the Nordics, saw that the smoked salmon was closed so got a very good curried mackerel sandwich. I am a bit mixed up about when I did the dark rides but I think it was then I did Snorri Touren to let my sandwich go down. A lovely looking ride, very cute, good animatronics would love to do it with my daughter.
I headed to Wodan and got in single rider which took 5-10 minutes compared to an advertised 30 (this was 2ish). Theming seemed a bit light, but maybe because I skipped most of the queue. Even the station seemed a bit ordinary, but you can do that on a woodie because the structure looks so good. I can see why it's not classed as a true wooden coaster, quite a bit of ugly steel track in places, seems a shame. The ride was excellent though, amazing first drop then relentless. I should say I'd got the back through single rider and got plenty of air. Not at all uncomfortable. Later in the day I got a virtual queue for it so had a reride in the middle and still great fun. I probably slightly prefer Troy though but a great ride, my favourite in the park.
(Not a wooden coaster)
(Still fun)
I then went to BlueFire, showing 30 minutes and single rider got me on in about half that. I couldn't really understand the theme tbh, something to do with energy? And a bit dated. The coaster itself underwhelmed a bit, very smooth, some nice hangtime, but quite a weak launch. Fun enough, but feels more family coaster than thrill. Bit of a mismatch between how it looks and how it feels. Would have happily given it another go to reconsider, but ran out of time.
Walked past Ireland and by now it was clear I could complete if I wanted to, Baa Baa was walk on so why not? Because it's incredibly dull. Smooth, nice theming, goes in an oval. I'm not the target audience but who is? I feel my daughter would have been scared of it when she didn't like coasters, and find it dull now she does. Must be about a 6 month age range it works for. I guess she'd probably still like the singing sheep!
Heading to CanCan coaster in France, I did Madame Freudenreich's Curiosities, I guess it's a bit dated, but whimsical and amusing, and walk on. Again my daughter would love it. The French area would be a nice place to chill if time allowed.
CanCan had a single rider that cut the queue from 25 to 10 minutes. I thought the queue theming was excellent, really convincing. I also really enjoyed the ride which was made by the music which seemed to fit perfectly. Could use a bit more theming on the lift, even the eiffel tour looked more like a pylon. Still, great fun.
Silver Star had a 30 minute queue and no single rider so this was my only real queue of the day so far (coasters had showed 40 minutes at times, but I'd avoided them or used singlerider). I'm happy to be told I'm wrong and it's been redone, but the queue feels like how modern looked in the early naughties and now has a kind of retro charm. I liked the cars to look at but it was a bit of a drag. The ride itself I loved. To me it felt like a slightly more modern, better Big One. Big first drop, out and back design, just kind of old school. Very comfortable though. Very floaty, good sound and theming, great views. Just enjoyable. Would have liked a reride but for the queue.
NB there was a sort of advertorial room for the Monaco Aquarium in the area, which was just giant screens of bright slowly moving fish and calm music. I don't know if it was on purpose but it was definitely functioning as a sensory or calm room for some people. I took a 5 minute chill myself!
So to my amazement I had done all the credits bar the other water coaster Atlantis at this point which I didn't think I'd get anywhere near. I'd also had a Voltron reride and done loads of the dark rides. There wasn't time to tick off Atlantis before my Wodan queue slot so I decided to do Alpenexpress Enzian. I don't think powered coasters are coasters but they are still good rides. The queue line was well themed if a bit similar to the other Alpine ones. It did remind me that I need to ski the Hannenkahm after race weekend while it's still icy while I still have some knees and some nerve! Operations were amazing, theming was great, coaster was smooth. Bit slow though.
After my Wodan reride, Atlantis was on 25 minutes. The 2nd ranked water coaster was really bottom of my list, but I had the time so might as well do it. Area was nice but not as nice as Poseidon, queue was nice but not as nice as Poseidon. Did drag a bit, though is well themed. Ride is, OK at best, small backwards humpback, one splash and a slow boat ride home with less to look at than Poseidon. Just less good and kind of pointless to have both. Fine though.
At some point in the day I had done a load of dark rides, all walk on, some with a faded charm, some modern and truly excellent. I reflected later that when we go to Disney we will have massive queues for dark rides wheras here they are all walk on. I even did the fabled Bench, that comes under the faded charm section, probably needs a redo but my daughter would still like it. Also, it was 35 degrees outside and bloody cold in there, I almost did a second ride! I definitely also did Abenteuer Atlantis, a fun and well themed shooting ride, I liked that you could turn the whole car. Piccolo Mondo which is small and simple, one for kids, I'm kind of done with madhouses but did Kassandra by mistake and was surprised by the extra effects and thought it was a good one. Castello dei medici I thought felt a bit dated even though I understand it has been redone, and might be a bit scary for some children.
I rode all rollercoasters with 3 rerides and nearly every dark ride of note. I had a couple of beers and a tasty lunch. I even had a couple of sit downs! I'd say in terms of rides I'd missed that I'd like to do, Kolumbusjolle is one but might be too spinning hence not making the cut, and the whale watching because I thought it was just a splash battle but now realise it has a dark element. And it would definitely be nice to have a second day, to watch shows, to take my time, to eat and drink and soak in. But still, I'd say it is possible to not just do it but do it well in a day.
That plan didn't survive contact with reality though, the park is so big and confusing to a first timer, and the major coasters are far from the entrance, I could immediately tell that by the time I worked out how to get to them and got lost en route I'd lose any early mover advantage and end up in a queue.
First impressions: The park was pretty busy (I guess German schools have broken up, wheras Walygator in France the day before was dead) and I wondered if I'd get all the majors done now I had abandoned starting with them. But it's clear you are entering a full on theme park. There's not much to improve but i think the transport options could be clearer on the map and app. Whilst not as wow as Efteling, the entrance has fountains and entertainers and tells you it's going to be a good day.
My new tactic was to keep walking until I came to a small queue coaster and so I went to a walk on Matterhorn Blitz, which wasn't even on my to do list but I enjoy a wild mouse. The theming in queue is amazing, it's of an era but still excellent how much detail there is and all the animaltronics (is that a word? it should be). The ride itself is also really well themed, lots of rock work, a real cut above. The lift is cool, a bit different. The first drop is fun, then the laterals are much smoother than most wild mice. Fun, and good to have got one in. At this point I managed to get a virtual queue for Voltron later in the day so that settled my nerves bit in terms of getting on the top coasters.
No photos from the early bit as I was too busy!
Since I was in Switzerland and it was showing a 5 minute queue I thought I'd do the bobsled Schweizer Bobbahn, again not on my original targets but I've always liked Avalanche at Blackpool (absolute digression here but are these really creds?, I count them but it's not really a track is it?). I struggled to find it but other than that queue was as advertised. Anyway, amazingly detailed theming, showing its age but with a lot of charm. I didn't find it uncomfortable or particularly rattley but I did find that it didn't do that much. Not very quick and not much force. They are not exactly capacity monsters but 3 trains and good operations means still worth doing.
Based on proximity and queue times I then headed to Greece for Poseidon. A coaster I had on the reserve list if I had time for 1 water coaster but with Wodan showing 40 minute queues the plan was out the window. I should have mentioned Switzerland looks very Swiss but theme parky, but Greece looks amazing, just an inviting place to be. Later in the day when I needed a rest I sat for 5 minutes on an empty terrace with a view of the splashdown, and busy as the park was it was a damn sight quieter than the real Mykonos!
The queue for Pegasus basically comes off and exits to the start of the Poseidon queue and was showing 1 minute. I'd had no plans at all to do this but it was barely a diversion so on I went. I only felt bad because I knew my daughter would love the theme and love the ride. The front train looks great and the ride itself is smooth if uneventful. Was enjoyable enough and perfect for the actual target audience.
Poseidon was my 150th roller coaster because of the way the queues fell. Queue again lots of detail. The ride itself, the coaster section was really a coaster, proper drop, tunnel, twists. The nature of the big boat makes it a bit rattley but not uncomfortable. An actual and enjoyable coaster then a big but not soaking splash. The water section isn't too slow and actually has things to look at then another splash and a decently paced boat ride back. A good ride.
At this stage, seeing as it was actually on my to do list unlike anything else I'd done, and it was on 5 minutes queue, I paused coasters and went to Pirates of Batavia. Just an excellent dark ride, cheeky little splash, and the detail in the scenes, and some of animatronics were exceptional. Fantastic.
EuroMir was on a 10 minute queue so decided to tick that off. 15 minutes by the time I got there, queue is a cattle pen BUT it has a real training module of the Mir space station to look at, which you could easily look at for that long in a museum and never consider it queuing AND that theme tune. I'm not normally one for getting into soundtracks, but that tetrisy, technoey, baltiky infectious sound had everyone dancing in the queue. The spiral lift is a bit dark, but at least there's the music and then the cool scene at the top. The ride itself, I had considered the mirrors to be about looks, but spinning around the towers seeing everyone else and yourself reflected is great fun. Shame there is no music up here. Lots of spinning and laughing and this ride was comfortable, I couldn't really see the need to replace it. But at the end of my day I had a reride as it was near me and on 5 minutes and that time it was still fun but rough transitions. Glad to have done it. EuroMir is dead, long live EuroMir.
I'd ran out of no or low queue rides I was wanting to do at this stage (though most dark rides were walk on). So I decided to now focus on what I was aiming for originally. I grabbed a beer thinking I could drink it in the queue and headed to Arthur, which was the lowest queue of my target rides (target as a dark ride not a coaster). I then realised it was in a very Kiddie area and I was making myself look even odder than usual as I was not only alone but had a 11:40 beer. I got there and I had forgotten there was single rider. The greeter was unphased by a single middle aged adult with a beer going on a Kiddie ride, and showed me somewhere to hide the beer to pick it up afterwards as single rider was walk on. The ride itself is done fantastically well inside, would love to go on it with my daughter, it would be magical. The outside coaster bit is quite fun and very smooth. Lovely ride. Beer still intact and friendly farewell from the greeter.
Now my timeliness gets a bit confused, I know Voltron was my next coaster, but I think I did a dark ride before it because I had just enough time before my virtual queue 10 minutes slot. So I think it was the Grand Prix Edventure shooting ride. Amazingly themed queue line though it is massive, glad not needed, it was walk on. The 3d worked well, like others though I found the stringpull shooting mechanism difficult to operate. What's wrong with a trigger?
On to Voltron , where the virtual queue worked perfectly, with about 5 minutes afterwards enough to appreciate the queue line. Fantastic theming with all the moving parts, though I imagine 45 minutes in the cattle pens because it's all in one room would be a bit much. Plenty to look at though, but I don't think the tesla coils were running. Locker system worked efficiently (though dark to find your things after, for that reason on my reride later I put some coins in my back pocket so I wouldn't have to scrabble for them. Even though I was sat on them in a pocket I lost them on the ride, which says something about the forces!) The ride itself is extremely forceful and intense, though smooth enough on my first go. I had looked up a lot of logistics but hadn't looked up the ride, so I thought it was good but a bit short: then I got the second half! It left me breathless, confused and amazed and there was a round of applause on my train. It didn't quite beat Taron for me but was certainly a 10. However later in the day I had a reride and it was very rough on the outer seat. It started to bring on a small headache (in fairness, I'd been riding all day, it was 35 degrees and I probably hadn't drunk enough), I think that drops it to a 9. Maybe behind Kondaa? Not sure,the good ride was better but the rough ride was much worse. NB The reride took 25 minutes through single rider in the late afternoon, exactly the same time as the main queue would have been.
I had a drive later but a full 2 hours had passed since my beer, so I grabbed another. I wanted to chill a bit now it was clear I could get the coasters done, so I headed to Voletarium which had a 15 minute queue, thinking I could drink the beer in the queue. But just like Arthur, the single rider was walk on (might all have been). No beer cubby hole here so I had a look at the park models exhibition while I drank. The queueline was huge, can't imagine it's ever used. I haven't been on a flying theatre for years and really enjoyed it. A great ride type, wish there were more of them. I did feel maybe the screen could have been crisper, and something the roof comes into view breaking the illusion but still good.
I then took the EP Express to the back of the park, had a wander through Spain which looked great, wandered through the Nordics, saw that the smoked salmon was closed so got a very good curried mackerel sandwich. I am a bit mixed up about when I did the dark rides but I think it was then I did Snorri Touren to let my sandwich go down. A lovely looking ride, very cute, good animatronics would love to do it with my daughter.
I headed to Wodan and got in single rider which took 5-10 minutes compared to an advertised 30 (this was 2ish). Theming seemed a bit light, but maybe because I skipped most of the queue. Even the station seemed a bit ordinary, but you can do that on a woodie because the structure looks so good. I can see why it's not classed as a true wooden coaster, quite a bit of ugly steel track in places, seems a shame. The ride was excellent though, amazing first drop then relentless. I should say I'd got the back through single rider and got plenty of air. Not at all uncomfortable. Later in the day I got a virtual queue for it so had a reride in the middle and still great fun. I probably slightly prefer Troy though but a great ride, my favourite in the park.
(Not a wooden coaster)
(Still fun)
I then went to BlueFire, showing 30 minutes and single rider got me on in about half that. I couldn't really understand the theme tbh, something to do with energy? And a bit dated. The coaster itself underwhelmed a bit, very smooth, some nice hangtime, but quite a weak launch. Fun enough, but feels more family coaster than thrill. Bit of a mismatch between how it looks and how it feels. Would have happily given it another go to reconsider, but ran out of time.
Walked past Ireland and by now it was clear I could complete if I wanted to, Baa Baa was walk on so why not? Because it's incredibly dull. Smooth, nice theming, goes in an oval. I'm not the target audience but who is? I feel my daughter would have been scared of it when she didn't like coasters, and find it dull now she does. Must be about a 6 month age range it works for. I guess she'd probably still like the singing sheep!
Heading to CanCan coaster in France, I did Madame Freudenreich's Curiosities, I guess it's a bit dated, but whimsical and amusing, and walk on. Again my daughter would love it. The French area would be a nice place to chill if time allowed.
CanCan had a single rider that cut the queue from 25 to 10 minutes. I thought the queue theming was excellent, really convincing. I also really enjoyed the ride which was made by the music which seemed to fit perfectly. Could use a bit more theming on the lift, even the eiffel tour looked more like a pylon. Still, great fun.
Silver Star had a 30 minute queue and no single rider so this was my only real queue of the day so far (coasters had showed 40 minutes at times, but I'd avoided them or used singlerider). I'm happy to be told I'm wrong and it's been redone, but the queue feels like how modern looked in the early naughties and now has a kind of retro charm. I liked the cars to look at but it was a bit of a drag. The ride itself I loved. To me it felt like a slightly more modern, better Big One. Big first drop, out and back design, just kind of old school. Very comfortable though. Very floaty, good sound and theming, great views. Just enjoyable. Would have liked a reride but for the queue.
NB there was a sort of advertorial room for the Monaco Aquarium in the area, which was just giant screens of bright slowly moving fish and calm music. I don't know if it was on purpose but it was definitely functioning as a sensory or calm room for some people. I took a 5 minute chill myself!
So to my amazement I had done all the credits bar the other water coaster Atlantis at this point which I didn't think I'd get anywhere near. I'd also had a Voltron reride and done loads of the dark rides. There wasn't time to tick off Atlantis before my Wodan queue slot so I decided to do Alpenexpress Enzian. I don't think powered coasters are coasters but they are still good rides. The queue line was well themed if a bit similar to the other Alpine ones. It did remind me that I need to ski the Hannenkahm after race weekend while it's still icy while I still have some knees and some nerve! Operations were amazing, theming was great, coaster was smooth. Bit slow though.
After my Wodan reride, Atlantis was on 25 minutes. The 2nd ranked water coaster was really bottom of my list, but I had the time so might as well do it. Area was nice but not as nice as Poseidon, queue was nice but not as nice as Poseidon. Did drag a bit, though is well themed. Ride is, OK at best, small backwards humpback, one splash and a slow boat ride home with less to look at than Poseidon. Just less good and kind of pointless to have both. Fine though.
At some point in the day I had done a load of dark rides, all walk on, some with a faded charm, some modern and truly excellent. I reflected later that when we go to Disney we will have massive queues for dark rides wheras here they are all walk on. I even did the fabled Bench, that comes under the faded charm section, probably needs a redo but my daughter would still like it. Also, it was 35 degrees outside and bloody cold in there, I almost did a second ride! I definitely also did Abenteuer Atlantis, a fun and well themed shooting ride, I liked that you could turn the whole car. Piccolo Mondo which is small and simple, one for kids, I'm kind of done with madhouses but did Kassandra by mistake and was surprised by the extra effects and thought it was a good one. Castello dei medici I thought felt a bit dated even though I understand it has been redone, and might be a bit scary for some children.
I rode all rollercoasters with 3 rerides and nearly every dark ride of note. I had a couple of beers and a tasty lunch. I even had a couple of sit downs! I'd say in terms of rides I'd missed that I'd like to do, Kolumbusjolle is one but might be too spinning hence not making the cut, and the whale watching because I thought it was just a splash battle but now realise it has a dark element. And it would definitely be nice to have a second day, to watch shows, to take my time, to eat and drink and soak in. But still, I'd say it is possible to not just do it but do it well in a day.