Well, one of them, anyway. Surely?
So, I've finally done it - I have knocked Europa Park off the list! I went to the European Coaster Club event, which included an ERT on Voltron, and spent a day and a half there. I managed to get... all 14 creds. Yes, even the kiddy coaster. I still can't quite believe I pulled that off to be honest. So, first thing's first: what did I think of Europa Park? For the most part, I loved it.
Firstly, the pros. I'd heard how beautiful this place was, but that didn't prepare me in the least. You have to be there to really take it in - the wonderful landscaping, the gorgeous streams and ponds, all the amazing little details, the immaculate bits of theming, the way each land is meticulously designed to look like the country it's named after. Everything about this place feels so well-designed, it feels like everyone involved cared with every fibre of their being and put every ounce of effort into crafting an unforgettable, immersive experience. They succeeded with a vengeance. The food options were thoroughly impressive and even though they were expensive at least, unlike with some theme parks, the food lived up to the price tag. Additionally, in spite of how busy this place was on both days the operations were absolutely stellar, and even the longest queues were always moving.
In terms of cons, I have a couple. Firstly, this place is pretty hard to navigate at times. Secondly, and more importantly, there's the coaster line-up. Having fourteen coasters isn't something to sniff at, but I'd definitely say there's a quantity-over-quality approach here. Most of them were good, don't get me wrong, but not that many of them necessarily stood out. Put it this way: this park needed Voltron.
So, time to break down the coasters! I give the thrill coasters a rating out of ten, and the family coasters a rating out of 5.
Alpenexpress Enzian - Having been damaged in a fire recently, this coaster is back and it's thriving. This particular Mack Powered Coaster goes above and beyond the call of duty with its scenic journey through the beautiful surrounding theming, including several close passes with the park's log flume. I've done a handful of Mack Powered Coasters and this one is definitely my favourite of those. 4/5
Arthur - All rise for one of the best family coasters ever built. This Mack Inverted Powered Coaster is a masterwork, an enchanting journey through theming so beautiful it'll bring a tear to your eye. In many ways, it feels more like a dark ride than a rollercoaster but don't let that put you off - the parts where the ride speeds up are surprisingly forceful and it does get quite disorientating at times. The irony is that the original movie that inspired was terrible. Sometimes, unsuccessful films do have this lovely habit of inspiring great theme park attractions - just ask Waterworld (1995). One of the very best rides at the park, I cannot recommend it enough. 5/5
Atlantica Supersplash - The prototype for the Mack Supersplash model is another good one. Honestly, it feels more like a flume ride than a rollercoaster but technically it is one so I'll include it here. The theming is tremendous, the backwards drop is fun and the main drop provides good airtime and a soaking splashdown, perfect for hot days like the one I visited on. Simple yet undeniably effective. 7/10
Ba-a-a-Express - This tiny kiddie coaster is the smallest one at the park. Some might've raised their eyebrows at the three grown men (myself included) riding at the back but we're coaster enthusiasts - no time for embarrassment when you need to get those creds. I'm not going to give this one a rating as it's so basic I wouldn't really know what to give it; what I will say is that it's a visually appealing attraction with a smooth ride experience, making it a successful kiddie coaster in my book.
Blue Fire Megacoaster - As the first extreme coaster Mack built, this is their most important coaster and one of the most significant coasters to open in the 2000s. I really liked it. For starters, that launch is way better than you'd expect from Mack, and the rest of the layout is consistently fun and well-paced, being heightened further by some fantastic head-chopper moments. Also, that heartline roll offered some of the most aggressive hangtime I've ever felt. It's not the most intense rollercoaster out there, and that's absolutely fine since I don't think it was trying to be. I think it was aiming to be an extreme thrill coaster that still wouldn't be too much for younger guests. For what it is, it's a very good ride. 8/10
Euro Mir - This Mack spinning coaster is one of the weirdest coasters you'll ever ride. It begins with a lengthy barrel lift, then it does a series of Wild Mouse style turns around some glass buildings. Then, you begin the rollercoaster section of the ride with a series of sweeping banked drops... and that's when the ride stopped being fun for me, alas. The barrel lift, complete with the catchy music, was a vibe and the Wild Mouse turns offer scenic views of the beautiful surrounding countryside. The rest of the ride was just unpleasant. I will say that I was facing backwards throughout this part and that always make disorientated, but at the same time even riders who don't have a problem with that will probably leave dissatisfied. Not only is the fast section of the ride rough, it's also boring and forceless. 4/10
Eurosat - Can Can Coaster - This ride is a thoroughly impressive family thrill coaster. The fast, unpredictable layout, the delightfully quirky set-design (including an Eiffel Tower atop the barrel lift!), the solidly forceful drops and, of course, the famous Can Can music echoing all around the ride's spherical building make this one hell of a charming ride. One of the park's best coasters without a doubt. 7.5/10
Matterhorn Blitz - Like a few of the other rollercoasters at this park, this is a tame-looking ride that goes harder than you'd expect. It's got an amazing queue filled with impressive animatronics and the ride itself is also very solid. It's got a quirky tilting elevator lift, the first drop provides a whoosh of airtime, there are some other nice theming elements around the layout and best of all... it's smooth. The transitions don't hurt at all. Rattlesnake, this is not! This uses the Wild Mouse layout you see at the Legoland parks, the one which begins with a large drop - this drop is something of a double-edged sword. While it is more exciting than anything on the more common Wild Mouse layout, it does mean that the ride peaks at the beginning and while the common layout increases in intensity as it goes along, this one peters out by the end and the brakes are an anticlimactic moment. Despite these pacing issues, however, Matterhorn Blitz is a jolly good variation of a done-to-death model, the best I've ridden aside from the travelling Wild Maus XXL. 7/10
Pegasus - A junior coaster in the Greece section of the park, and another one that goes harder than I expected. Alongside the usual theming and atmosphere in the ride area, this had a thoroughly enjoyable layout and the first drop even provided some airtime in the back row. Good stuff! 4/5
Poseidon - A Mack Water Coaster with some of the best theming in the park, there are two separate coaster sections of this ride. The first focuses on twisting drops and this part is a bit on the janky side. The second part, which plays like a smaller version of Atlantica SuperSplash's drop, is way better and provides some pretty strong airtime that produced a hilarious surprised expression from me, as I saw on the ride photo. I marginally preferred Atlantica SuperSplash, but this is still a good ride. 7/10
Schweizer Bobbahn - This is the prototype Mack Bobsled... well, that explains why this model is so rare. I mean, this is a rough and uncomfortable ride that has you vibrating like an electric toothbrush all the way through, so it wouldn't have had anyone rushing to buy one of these. It looks good from the outside and the first drop is decent - otherwise, this is a big old dud from top to bottom, and it'll leave you with a headache. 4/10
Silver Star - My most anticipated coaster of the trip aside from Voltron, this is one where my opinion changed quite a bit by the end of my time here. The first time I did it was early in the morning and though I thought it was good, I was also underwhelmed. I had two more rides - one at night and one in the front row the next morning and both of those rides were a huge improvement, with the ride going a lot faster through its course. I would sum Silver Star up thus: is this an elite coaster? No. Is it as amazing as its monstrous stats would make you assume? Also no. But is it still a very good ride on its own terms? 100%. I mean, few other European coasters are this massive. It's still a fast and furious airtime-filled machine that's a delight to ride. It's enormously fun, gloriously smooth and provides amazing views of the surrounding countryside. 8/10
Wodan Timbur Coaster - Silver Star is very good... but Wodan is better. After going through its amazing queue-line you're treated to a breathtakingly fast and intense GCI knockout that'll have you flying out of your seat and squawking like a frightened parrot all the way through. To use my favourite analogy, this thing slaps harder than Will Smith at the Oscars and until this year, it was definitely the greatest rollercoaster in the park. 9/10
Voltron - And now, it's time for the biggie. As I said earlier, Europa Park's coaster line-up is good but it lacked that one indisputable stand-out coaster that such a beloved and brilliant theme park deserved. Well, rest assured, now they have one and it's a freaking doozy. I'm not going to sugar-coat it: this ride scared me. It is so intense and ferocious. Both of the launches are aggressive as hell (so Mack is good at launches after all!) and you'll rarely be in your seat all the way through. The airtime on this thing is completely relentless, and the inversions provide jaw-dropping hangtime. It's a long, beautifully paced ride that only seems to get more and more demonic as it goes along and, as you'd expect from Europa Park, the theming is to die for. Just before the first launch, the ride does have a trick element and this was a really neat touch as well. In terms of cons, there is one: it's quite shaky. Some trains seem to be rougher than others, especially on the wing seats. At the same time, this does add to the ride's intensity in a number of ways. All in all, this ride is a real masterwork and although I marginally prefer Hyperia (because it is smoother and thus easier to re-ride), this is still one of Europe's finest. 9.5/10
It's not all about the rollercoasters though. Europa Park also has many, many dark rides as well as a couple of sizable water rides. This park doesn't seem to be one for flat rides; I saw a few around the place but didn't go on any of those. I did both of the water rides, plus four different dark rides.
Dark Rides
Castello Dei Medici and Madame Freudenreich Curiosités - It's interesting to talk about these rides together. They're Omnimover dark rides and use the same system, but they're both radically different. The former is an ultra-dark ride (no pun intended!) filled with gruesome imagery that concludes with you descending into hell, while the latter is a sweet, kid-friendly ride that's filled with adorable dinosaur animatronics and is about as wholesome as it gets. Both are impressive creations filled with amazing visuals. I'd give Medici an 8/10 and Curiosities a 7.5/10.
Pirates of Batavia - I'd resolved before my visit that I would definitely try and do this dark ride at the very least, and I'm so thankful that I did. This boat ride, which also features a nice drop at the beginning, is a masterpiece of immersion. The animatronics are mind-blowing and the amount of detail put into this thing is just extraordinary. I felt transported to another world when on this thing and even when the ride goes through one of the park's many restaurants at the end, that illusion didn't break, An ingenious theme park ride in every sense, and a contender for my favourite ride in the whole park. 10/10
Voletarium - This one is a glorious Flying Theatre through various European landmarks - not thrilling, just wonderfully immersive and visually stunning. The film for the ride was stunning and I really liked the ride system as well. It never made me feel dizzy and the mist effects when the film went through clouds were a nice touch as well. A wonderful showcase of some of Europe's many beautiful locations. Great queue-line as well! 8.5/10
Water Rides
Fjord Rafting - As a British enthusiast, this was particularly refreshing for me. Let's be honest - none of our River Rapids rides have much punch, with Rumba Rapids at Thorpe Park feeling particularly worn down. This one, on the other hand, was an absolute charmer. It's not the most soaking of Rapids, but it does have some nice effects and moments. More importantly, it was a visually amazing ride filled with wondrous Scandinavian theming. I really enjoyed this one. 7.5/10
Tiroler Log Flume - Much like the park's powered coaster, this was damaged in a recent fire but it is back, and you love to see it. In an era where the UK's Log Flumes are disappearing (RIP Loggers Leap and Alton Towers' Flume) it's lovely to go on such a good one here. The drops are both very good, you actually get wetter on the smaller one funnily enough. Having said that, what takes this ride to the next level is, you guessed it, the visuals and scenery. It's a gorgeous ride. 8/10
Thanks for reading!
So, I've finally done it - I have knocked Europa Park off the list! I went to the European Coaster Club event, which included an ERT on Voltron, and spent a day and a half there. I managed to get... all 14 creds. Yes, even the kiddy coaster. I still can't quite believe I pulled that off to be honest. So, first thing's first: what did I think of Europa Park? For the most part, I loved it.
Firstly, the pros. I'd heard how beautiful this place was, but that didn't prepare me in the least. You have to be there to really take it in - the wonderful landscaping, the gorgeous streams and ponds, all the amazing little details, the immaculate bits of theming, the way each land is meticulously designed to look like the country it's named after. Everything about this place feels so well-designed, it feels like everyone involved cared with every fibre of their being and put every ounce of effort into crafting an unforgettable, immersive experience. They succeeded with a vengeance. The food options were thoroughly impressive and even though they were expensive at least, unlike with some theme parks, the food lived up to the price tag. Additionally, in spite of how busy this place was on both days the operations were absolutely stellar, and even the longest queues were always moving.
In terms of cons, I have a couple. Firstly, this place is pretty hard to navigate at times. Secondly, and more importantly, there's the coaster line-up. Having fourteen coasters isn't something to sniff at, but I'd definitely say there's a quantity-over-quality approach here. Most of them were good, don't get me wrong, but not that many of them necessarily stood out. Put it this way: this park needed Voltron.
So, time to break down the coasters! I give the thrill coasters a rating out of ten, and the family coasters a rating out of 5.
Alpenexpress Enzian - Having been damaged in a fire recently, this coaster is back and it's thriving. This particular Mack Powered Coaster goes above and beyond the call of duty with its scenic journey through the beautiful surrounding theming, including several close passes with the park's log flume. I've done a handful of Mack Powered Coasters and this one is definitely my favourite of those. 4/5
Arthur - All rise for one of the best family coasters ever built. This Mack Inverted Powered Coaster is a masterwork, an enchanting journey through theming so beautiful it'll bring a tear to your eye. In many ways, it feels more like a dark ride than a rollercoaster but don't let that put you off - the parts where the ride speeds up are surprisingly forceful and it does get quite disorientating at times. The irony is that the original movie that inspired was terrible. Sometimes, unsuccessful films do have this lovely habit of inspiring great theme park attractions - just ask Waterworld (1995). One of the very best rides at the park, I cannot recommend it enough. 5/5
Atlantica Supersplash - The prototype for the Mack Supersplash model is another good one. Honestly, it feels more like a flume ride than a rollercoaster but technically it is one so I'll include it here. The theming is tremendous, the backwards drop is fun and the main drop provides good airtime and a soaking splashdown, perfect for hot days like the one I visited on. Simple yet undeniably effective. 7/10
Ba-a-a-Express - This tiny kiddie coaster is the smallest one at the park. Some might've raised their eyebrows at the three grown men (myself included) riding at the back but we're coaster enthusiasts - no time for embarrassment when you need to get those creds. I'm not going to give this one a rating as it's so basic I wouldn't really know what to give it; what I will say is that it's a visually appealing attraction with a smooth ride experience, making it a successful kiddie coaster in my book.
Blue Fire Megacoaster - As the first extreme coaster Mack built, this is their most important coaster and one of the most significant coasters to open in the 2000s. I really liked it. For starters, that launch is way better than you'd expect from Mack, and the rest of the layout is consistently fun and well-paced, being heightened further by some fantastic head-chopper moments. Also, that heartline roll offered some of the most aggressive hangtime I've ever felt. It's not the most intense rollercoaster out there, and that's absolutely fine since I don't think it was trying to be. I think it was aiming to be an extreme thrill coaster that still wouldn't be too much for younger guests. For what it is, it's a very good ride. 8/10
Euro Mir - This Mack spinning coaster is one of the weirdest coasters you'll ever ride. It begins with a lengthy barrel lift, then it does a series of Wild Mouse style turns around some glass buildings. Then, you begin the rollercoaster section of the ride with a series of sweeping banked drops... and that's when the ride stopped being fun for me, alas. The barrel lift, complete with the catchy music, was a vibe and the Wild Mouse turns offer scenic views of the beautiful surrounding countryside. The rest of the ride was just unpleasant. I will say that I was facing backwards throughout this part and that always make disorientated, but at the same time even riders who don't have a problem with that will probably leave dissatisfied. Not only is the fast section of the ride rough, it's also boring and forceless. 4/10
Eurosat - Can Can Coaster - This ride is a thoroughly impressive family thrill coaster. The fast, unpredictable layout, the delightfully quirky set-design (including an Eiffel Tower atop the barrel lift!), the solidly forceful drops and, of course, the famous Can Can music echoing all around the ride's spherical building make this one hell of a charming ride. One of the park's best coasters without a doubt. 7.5/10
Matterhorn Blitz - Like a few of the other rollercoasters at this park, this is a tame-looking ride that goes harder than you'd expect. It's got an amazing queue filled with impressive animatronics and the ride itself is also very solid. It's got a quirky tilting elevator lift, the first drop provides a whoosh of airtime, there are some other nice theming elements around the layout and best of all... it's smooth. The transitions don't hurt at all. Rattlesnake, this is not! This uses the Wild Mouse layout you see at the Legoland parks, the one which begins with a large drop - this drop is something of a double-edged sword. While it is more exciting than anything on the more common Wild Mouse layout, it does mean that the ride peaks at the beginning and while the common layout increases in intensity as it goes along, this one peters out by the end and the brakes are an anticlimactic moment. Despite these pacing issues, however, Matterhorn Blitz is a jolly good variation of a done-to-death model, the best I've ridden aside from the travelling Wild Maus XXL. 7/10
Pegasus - A junior coaster in the Greece section of the park, and another one that goes harder than I expected. Alongside the usual theming and atmosphere in the ride area, this had a thoroughly enjoyable layout and the first drop even provided some airtime in the back row. Good stuff! 4/5
Poseidon - A Mack Water Coaster with some of the best theming in the park, there are two separate coaster sections of this ride. The first focuses on twisting drops and this part is a bit on the janky side. The second part, which plays like a smaller version of Atlantica SuperSplash's drop, is way better and provides some pretty strong airtime that produced a hilarious surprised expression from me, as I saw on the ride photo. I marginally preferred Atlantica SuperSplash, but this is still a good ride. 7/10
Schweizer Bobbahn - This is the prototype Mack Bobsled... well, that explains why this model is so rare. I mean, this is a rough and uncomfortable ride that has you vibrating like an electric toothbrush all the way through, so it wouldn't have had anyone rushing to buy one of these. It looks good from the outside and the first drop is decent - otherwise, this is a big old dud from top to bottom, and it'll leave you with a headache. 4/10
Silver Star - My most anticipated coaster of the trip aside from Voltron, this is one where my opinion changed quite a bit by the end of my time here. The first time I did it was early in the morning and though I thought it was good, I was also underwhelmed. I had two more rides - one at night and one in the front row the next morning and both of those rides were a huge improvement, with the ride going a lot faster through its course. I would sum Silver Star up thus: is this an elite coaster? No. Is it as amazing as its monstrous stats would make you assume? Also no. But is it still a very good ride on its own terms? 100%. I mean, few other European coasters are this massive. It's still a fast and furious airtime-filled machine that's a delight to ride. It's enormously fun, gloriously smooth and provides amazing views of the surrounding countryside. 8/10
Wodan Timbur Coaster - Silver Star is very good... but Wodan is better. After going through its amazing queue-line you're treated to a breathtakingly fast and intense GCI knockout that'll have you flying out of your seat and squawking like a frightened parrot all the way through. To use my favourite analogy, this thing slaps harder than Will Smith at the Oscars and until this year, it was definitely the greatest rollercoaster in the park. 9/10
Voltron - And now, it's time for the biggie. As I said earlier, Europa Park's coaster line-up is good but it lacked that one indisputable stand-out coaster that such a beloved and brilliant theme park deserved. Well, rest assured, now they have one and it's a freaking doozy. I'm not going to sugar-coat it: this ride scared me. It is so intense and ferocious. Both of the launches are aggressive as hell (so Mack is good at launches after all!) and you'll rarely be in your seat all the way through. The airtime on this thing is completely relentless, and the inversions provide jaw-dropping hangtime. It's a long, beautifully paced ride that only seems to get more and more demonic as it goes along and, as you'd expect from Europa Park, the theming is to die for. Just before the first launch, the ride does have a trick element and this was a really neat touch as well. In terms of cons, there is one: it's quite shaky. Some trains seem to be rougher than others, especially on the wing seats. At the same time, this does add to the ride's intensity in a number of ways. All in all, this ride is a real masterwork and although I marginally prefer Hyperia (because it is smoother and thus easier to re-ride), this is still one of Europe's finest. 9.5/10
It's not all about the rollercoasters though. Europa Park also has many, many dark rides as well as a couple of sizable water rides. This park doesn't seem to be one for flat rides; I saw a few around the place but didn't go on any of those. I did both of the water rides, plus four different dark rides.
Dark Rides
Castello Dei Medici and Madame Freudenreich Curiosités - It's interesting to talk about these rides together. They're Omnimover dark rides and use the same system, but they're both radically different. The former is an ultra-dark ride (no pun intended!) filled with gruesome imagery that concludes with you descending into hell, while the latter is a sweet, kid-friendly ride that's filled with adorable dinosaur animatronics and is about as wholesome as it gets. Both are impressive creations filled with amazing visuals. I'd give Medici an 8/10 and Curiosities a 7.5/10.
Pirates of Batavia - I'd resolved before my visit that I would definitely try and do this dark ride at the very least, and I'm so thankful that I did. This boat ride, which also features a nice drop at the beginning, is a masterpiece of immersion. The animatronics are mind-blowing and the amount of detail put into this thing is just extraordinary. I felt transported to another world when on this thing and even when the ride goes through one of the park's many restaurants at the end, that illusion didn't break, An ingenious theme park ride in every sense, and a contender for my favourite ride in the whole park. 10/10
Voletarium - This one is a glorious Flying Theatre through various European landmarks - not thrilling, just wonderfully immersive and visually stunning. The film for the ride was stunning and I really liked the ride system as well. It never made me feel dizzy and the mist effects when the film went through clouds were a nice touch as well. A wonderful showcase of some of Europe's many beautiful locations. Great queue-line as well! 8.5/10
Water Rides
Fjord Rafting - As a British enthusiast, this was particularly refreshing for me. Let's be honest - none of our River Rapids rides have much punch, with Rumba Rapids at Thorpe Park feeling particularly worn down. This one, on the other hand, was an absolute charmer. It's not the most soaking of Rapids, but it does have some nice effects and moments. More importantly, it was a visually amazing ride filled with wondrous Scandinavian theming. I really enjoyed this one. 7.5/10
Tiroler Log Flume - Much like the park's powered coaster, this was damaged in a recent fire but it is back, and you love to see it. In an era where the UK's Log Flumes are disappearing (RIP Loggers Leap and Alton Towers' Flume) it's lovely to go on such a good one here. The drops are both very good, you actually get wetter on the smaller one funnily enough. Having said that, what takes this ride to the next level is, you guessed it, the visuals and scenery. It's a gorgeous ride. 8/10
Thanks for reading!
