Europa Park | The Disneyland of Germany
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2024
- I've previously covered both Efteling of the Netherlands and Phantasialand of Germany. Today, I would like to round out what I consider to be the best of European theme parks with Europa Park, located in Germany as well. Often labeled as the Disneyland of Germany, Europa Park mostly lacks the hyper-corporate nature of its American counterparts, offering interesting lessons in theme park design. In this video, I would like to explore its various attractions and overall design, trying to understand why it's often considered to be one of the best, if not the best theme park in the world.
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Correction: I stated that Euro-sat - Cancan Coaster was an IP tie-in to the 2001 Moulin Rouge film. I was under the impression that the inclusion of Offenbach's "Orpheus in the Underworld" referenced a scene in the film. To be clear, the coaster itself is just simply a Moulin Rouge theme and is not connected to the film.
Europa Park has a partnership with the original Moulin Rouge (a major tourist attraction in Paris, France)
another correction: Adventureland was rethemed to austria this year. The Junglefloßfahrt was rethemed to Josefinas kaiserliche Zauberreise, and the African Queen steamboats was rethemed to Donau-Dampfer. They are themed to the austria Kaiserin Sissi
I believe they've still got it, but the coaster also has a VR overlay based on the Valerian movie/French comic series. It basically is two rides in one.
Europa-Park is very much into VR, also having experiences like Yulbee and in Rulantica even VR snorkeling.
Now that I have you, Europa-Park is currently building another land based on Croatia. Next to that they've been working sometime now on Eatranalin, a darkride/diner experience where your table moves from room to room, to dish to dish.
What's also big at Europa-Park is they Halloween events, which has an elaborate storyline around multiple factions (vampires, zombies, werewolves, humans) that each year progresses the storyline. What's also interesting is that they daily rebuild the station of one of the water coasters into a horror club during Halloween.
What's also of note regarding their Disney inspiration is the Adventure Club of Europe (ACE). It's similar to Disney's Society of Explorers and Adventurers (SEA) and also connects a host of rides and Rulantica and it's "museum hotel".
Thank you for sharing this video with us. My family and I just got back from Europe Park last week. We really enjoyed it. We were there for three days but 3 days wasn’t enough time tp see it all. Anyone who is on the fence about visiting EP, please do so ASAP. It is indeed a beautiful park. You will not regret the trip, even if it’s not the easiest park to get to.
@@roland_mack978 one of the restaurants by the boat ride sill has African theming. Also Lesbian trolls, or one is just in drag
My favourite thing about Europapark is that they don’t offer a paid line skip, because they understand doing so degrades the experience for everyone else, something Disney has sadly forgotten.
yup! they do have a new feature called "virtual line" where you can basically book a little time slot in which you can then skip the "normal" waiting line. Usually these virtual waiting times will be a little longer than normal waiting times (up to 3 hours) and you can obviously only reserve for one attraction at a time. But this is something that everyone can do, which then of course also helps shorten the overall waiting times because everyone's more spread out.
There is no "pay to win" at Europapark
@@a.h.2615 I love the virtual queue so much, on even the busiest days you can skip two 60+ minute waits
Up to 3 hours is insane. No way im gonna wait longer than 45 min fo a 2 min ride
@@oosthakker it's a virtual queue, so you do what you want for 3 hours (including riding other rides)
Unfortunately there's a good argument for both sides on that front. With microtransactions you can allow access to more people instead of raising the overall prices. That's probably their logic at least
As to why the France coaster was space-themed, I would guess that it is because the European Space Agency launches their rockets from French Guiana. While technically part of France, it is in South America and thus located much closer to the equator.
It is a full part of France, it's just as French as Alaska is American
@@AdamSmith-gs2dv not true, it’s more like how Puerto Rico is to The us
@@poopyguy1281 Puerto Rico is very much American, and deserves the recognition and support as such!
@@AdamSmith-gs2dv not really, it’s only French in ownership while the culture is different from France. A whole ocean away makes a big difference
@@skylinegtr4045 **Hawaii liked that.**
A few things I found surprising about Europa Park, as an American used to the Disney parks:
- The food isn't bad, but you're not getting quite as many of the creative and varied food options you'd find at WDW. It's a lot closer to "park food" for the most part (with some exceptions, thankfully)
- It's only open from 9-6 most days, which is really tricky if you've planned a vacation around it and want to ride everything!
- The shows are in 75% German, 20% French, and 5% English. It's really fun to watch some of them as an English speaker because the performers will suddenly say something in English without context.
- If you get to a ride first thing in the day, you can often ride it twice in a row without getting off!
- Unlike the US, there's no "tourist strip" outside the parks. You leave and you're just in a small town. There's a few restaurants, a pharmacy, and two grocery stores a bit down the road. (And, weirdly, a pizza vending machine if you look for it.)
I'd like to hear more about this pizza vending machine.
Huh
@@connorscanlan2167 What of it? They’re in France too. It’s just premade pizza that’s frozen. You choose a pizza from a screen that lists all of the available pizza options and then you’re given the choice of it you want it cooked or not. Cooking it in the machine takes about five minutes, it’s more just warming it than anything though. It also takes credit or coins (at the local ones close to me). This is last resort Pizza, not something you actively look for!
@@werewolflover8636 I feel like vending machine culture is so much more developed and sophisticated than it is here in the United States. There are absolutely vending machines for all kinds of things, still, but the ones that aren't exclusively for simple canned beverages and things like sweets or potato chips have only become rarer. But I constantly hear about all these other kinds of vending machines all over the world.
It may be crappy pizza, but as an American, I've got a great deal of vending envy.
@@connorscanlan2167 I’ve seen some very interesting food vending machines in videos in Japan. I bet they have the best ones. I probably wouldn’t trust “real food” from one here though.
I’ve been to Europa Park a couple years ago. One other interesting thing I noticed when there was the theming of hotels. I really liked how they were able to design and incorporate similar vibes from the park into the hotels. They even had a New England style hotel there, which was beautifully detailed.
I didn't do much research into them, but I did think that one in particular was interesting yet a bit out of place, considering the overall European theme.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I get that...but it adds even more variety to the resort which was probably the main goal...it`s the same whith the african area in the park IMHO...
Oh yeah! I got to spend a night in the colosseum themed hotel as a child! It was actually super nice and there was a show at night
I stayed at Kronasar and driving up, you think it's going to be so corny but it was soooo well done one of the best hotels I've ever stayed in.
Have you never been to actual Disney land? They do the same exact thing and you say it as if it’s a totally unseen new concept, when it’s not
A little known fact about the Park is, that it's name doesn't come from the overall european Theme, but the "Europaweiher". A Lake near the Place where they planned to build it originally.
it's still quite in the center of Europe
Really? Why should we have a Weiher called Europaweiher?
As an Indonesian theme park enthusiast this is the first time I heard of Pirates in Batavia and how accurate it is depicting Batavia in the 1700's. I was afraid that they'll depict Batavia as this "savage" land that justifies Netherlands to colonize it, to my surprise after watching the pov videos I must say they're really good and they've done their research
That's awesome that u know your history so well I've never heard of " Batavia" now I need to go learn. Thank you 🤗
It was 1700, they were probably savage
This was my main park when growing up and you are spot on mentioning the detailed theming. The park does really well with entertainment, street artists or any of the many (mostly good) shows really help to immerse you into the different areas. On top of this, they have a very varied and good food offering, something that I feel lacking in many parks where there is an abundance of fast food offering. Maybe Europa park is not the best in any single category, but to me the overall package makes it a world class park.
Watching through videos, I did pick up that there is a lot of streetmosphere found throughout. I suppose it's not something I usually focus on, but I did get the impression that it's very well executed here.
You are beyond lucky! This was what my little child heart actually yearned for, if you would've wanted to find me, I'd be at Europa.
AGREED!!!
Me too 🫶👋
I loved your point about how lands being “overwhelming” can actually be a good thing as it works to fill up the parks and keep everyone engaged and entertained. I’m a little bored with each new themed land only getting two attractions. It makes the lands feel empty and I’m done there after only a few hours. This one reason why I prefer CA Disney to FL Disney, because they make better use of their space.
I love this channel. It's nice to get theme park content that isn't a vlog, and doesn't blindly worship disney (or any other company, but especially disney)
Facts 💯💯💯
Coughdisneyfoodblogcough
@@emilioalberto6967 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@emilioalberto6967 Best thing I can say about them is that they don't delete "Disney-skeptical" comments, and the community usually either seems to agree or just be so lost in their bourgeois fantasy bubble that they don't even seem to notice
Except Disney is awesome and worthy of the focus if everyone’s really being honest with themselves
I love that they have lots of trees, would make a long day at a park much more bareable in the summer.
Europa-Park is my home park so I've been there many times. And I can defently agree that it's one of the best parks I've ever been to. It has its quite share of flaws, but I think overall no other park comes close. Phantasialand offers the better rides, but Europapark has the variety. No other park has so many well maintained rides, incredible operations and steady new additions. Several questionable decisions have been made in recent years, but I think specially with the upcoming new coaster it will keep its top spot in the theme park world
I'm not that familiar with the history of the park. What's new and why are they not so great?
@@PoseidonEntertainment @Poseidon Entertainment Many of the recent additions opened unfinished or rushed. Prime example being this years refurb of the old jungle raft ride. Not it opened as "Josefinas kaiserliche Zauberreise" and the theming looks cheap and tacky, and the dark ride part defently isn't on Europaparks level. The refurbed Eurosat opened unfinished aswell. Sometimes it's the small details that make perfection, and for me personally Europapark don't do that in many cases. Another example being Rulantica, which is very well themed, however the staircases for the slides are just plain black walls without any theming and a few TVs slapped in there showing advertisements. This ties in the next critique. The overreliance on sponsors and advertisements is really starting to annoy me. I dont know if you saw it, but Blue Fire was sponosred by a very controversial russian gas pipe coorporation called Nordstream 2. They only removed it recently due to the backlash when the war started.
And don't get me wrong, while I am very critical of EP, I still love that park to bits and pieces, however criticism is important
@@unknownuser7542 nothing controversial about them. Good company.
While I understand if you wouldn’t want to, I’d love to see more videos on this park in specific - as someone who’s been hyperfixated on Disneyworld/Land a lot as of recent, this park is highly interesting to me because of all the detail and theming; it’s making me realize Disney solely relies on IP for their rides nowadays and never tried to do anything new, always trying to one-up themselves.
Thank you for making this video, this was an incredibly fascinating place to discover tonight.
This park should get best effort award. And I mean that in the best of ways. The level of attention to detail alone makes me want to visit
Europa park has won the prestigious golden ticket award for best theme park worldwide several years in a row now, even above Disney and universal parks
This channel deserves to see some massive growth I’ve been watching for a long time now and you and defunct land are unmatched at the top in terms of quality content on the subject
I couldn't have said it better
I couldn't have said it better
The Jim Button children's coaster is based on a popular German children's book and the scenes are based on scene from the book and the various TV adaptations thereof.
This park looks absolutely incredible. The level of detail and theming, the mood it gives off of like not rushing but taking your time to appreciate it all, it feels magical through the screen, I can’t even imagine being there in person. As someone who is badly agoraphobic and who will never be able to travel to this or any other theme park anymore, I thank you for showcasing it how you have.
I visited a few years ago, and it one of the best theme parks I've been to and so much better than anything located in the UK. It appeals to all ages, is brilliantly designed with mature planting (so lots of shade when its hot, as well as nice to look at) and cleverly has rides that weave in and out of each other. If you want more than a concrete jungle of rollercoasters that the whole family can enjoy this a my top choice.
I think EP makes really good use of their space, especially when they add new attractions and tie them in with that already existing structures. what I also enjoy is how there are so many benches, tables and sitting opportunities everywhere, it's great if you can simply sit down comfortably and have a rest without having to stop at a restaurant. and, this is often overlooked, the restroom facilities are a plenty and always clean and looked after.
I've been to Europa Park many times since I was a child and what I really appreciate is how there's almost always something new each season, a new ride, another update or restaurant. you can go to the Europa Park you have always known yet there will be something new to explore!
I especially love the park during the Halloween season when it's decorated with thousands of pumpkins, skeletons and other decorations, it's grandiose.
i experienced all (yes all) florida parks and the 3 main european parks, visiting europa park for a five day streak in two consecutive years with a group of young adults during summer. i never got bored or annoyed ... something i cannot say about some of the florida parks.
a few added remarks on europa park: 1. the park is very well organised; 2. the lavish landscaping and flowerbeds are remarkable; 3. the park is extremely clean and well maintained; 4. because of the huge scale, smart layout and design of the park it never feels over crowded; 5. the thrill levels and age focus of the large number of attractions is very well balanced.
My family and I went there back in 2015 when my brother and I were in our early/mid teens. All of were completely taken back by how smooth the roller coasters and rides were. We were used to being jostled and jerked around from rides, or our heads rattling around in rides in places like sliverwood. Even Disney rides my dad had to sit out a few times due to motion sickness. While we were in Europa park we experienced none of that it was such an unexpected bonus of an already amazing theme park experience. All of rode rides over and over again without having that icky feeling or having our heads hurt by the end of the day, it was awesome. Another thing that we noticed is unlike Disney we were never compelled to buy anything No one was was waving bubble wands in our face or kiosks taking up space in the sidewalk. I couldn’t even tell you if there’s a souvenir store there because I have no memory of one. I really enjoy you videos and based on what I’ve seen from you I guarantee you will have a great experience while you are there. The food is so good and the beer is cheap too!
@@jsplit9716 oh yeah now have a faint memory I don’t think we ever look through them or anything. Unlike my experiences with Disney were I could tell you exactly where each gift shop was just because how much they insist “buying” is part of the experience
The ride quality might have something to do with Europa Park being in the same group as Mack rides.
So they basicly have acces to very good know-how on maintenance and upkeep.
Also many of the Mack rides are first tested and build in Europa Park before being sold to others.
Some very well known attractions build by Mack rides are:
- Journey to Atlantis (SeaWorld Orlando/San Diego/San Antonio, USA)
- Manta (SeaWorld San Diego, USA)
- Copperhead Strike (Carowinds, USA)
- Slinky Dog Dash (Disney's Hollywood Studios, USA)
- The Dark Knight (Six Flags Great Adventure/Great America/Mexico, USA/Mexico)
- DC Rivals HyperCoaster (Warner Bros Movie World, Australia)
- Steel Taipan (Dreamworld, Australia)
- Runaway Mine Train (Alton Towers, UK)
- Thunder Run (Canada's Wonderland)
- Helix (Liseberg, Sweden)
- Pulsar (Walibi Belgium)
-...
Yes there are multiple Souvenir Stores. The most massive one is basically half of the German area, but tucked away behind the themed Facades of the Buildings.
Maybe this will get lost in the shuffle as this video is two months old, but I just want to say that I'm so glad that this channel exists and that you are out here creating this type of content. Your thoughts and analysis of the theme park industry is second to none on this platform and it's a thrill whenever I see a new upload. Thrilled that someone is out here advocating for thematic integrity and an overall excellent park experience. Keep it up my dude!
If there’s one thing to criticize about Europapark it’s the recent wave of media tie-ins and advertisments. One particularly curious case was Blue Fire, which used to be sponsored by Gazprom and later Nordstream2. I don’t mind advertisements in theme parks, but walking through a Gazprom exhibition in the queue line was a bit much even by my standards. Especially considering the political implications. Besides this, Europapark is indeed one of, if not the best theme park in Europe. They may not have the best dark rides or coasters in their own right, but every single attraction has at least some hint of a story, of characters or just general atmosphere to it. You can easily spend an enitre day without riding any e-ticket attraction and you‘d still get your money’s worth.
I live pretty close to Europa-Park (20 minute car ride) and me and my peers are all big fans of it's unique designe.
When it comes to the theming of the park I think the mentioned cave with to build in rides (around the twenty minute mark) is the best example of all.
Everything is filled with such amazing details while having no fictional origin. The cave setting is done so perfectly, that they also included a walkway through the themed area, just to experience the details without being inside of a ride.
The details are even present in the smell of the cave (also in other themed areas of course, but this one stands out) with gingery smell with hints of cinnamon.
Also the hotels are themed perfectly to their respective setting. There I think the Roman and Italien themed Colusseum really stands out, while the Spanish El Andaluz and New England themed Bell Rock also need to be mentioned here.
If you're a theme park enthusiast I really recommend checking out Europa Park.
I had some whole year around tickets for some like two years, so if you want some more tips or a potential inofficial park guide, hit me up:)
How is the queues in June ?
I love Europa Park. My favourite thus far, and I have been to Disney World and Universal while studying in Miami. One thing I really love about Europa Park is that although prices are increrasing, they are still way more afforadable than Disney and you are allowed to bring your own food in and consume it at especially designed, themed and plentyful picnic areas all throughout the park.
I have now convinced the entire family to go Europa park. 👍
It's incredible to hear this. Mack was inspired by Disney many years ago and now Disney should maybe look for inspiration at Mack.
I live less than 20km away from this park and I've never been in any other theme park. So what this video taught me is that Europa-Park isn't just good but actually special. I thought it probably wasn't even close to what you said it is. It is truely spectacular experience whenever I go.
The park also changes themes seasonally. So to winter, fall and summer. Well, summer basically is nothing but the rest of the year they change things. Halloween (fall) is actually very cool and the Euro-Sat is transformed into a pumpkin while also having incredible actors all around the park at night to scare people. Winter is similar except without the scary parts. Euro-Sat is a present and the entire park looks like snowfall and winter. There is also an christmas-market and many more elements.
My dad and I used to go to Europa Park for 3-4 days at a time every couple years. He would make us go on all the rides even the ones that are for kids, so we get to experience everything. It was awesome and surprisingly not boring at all. We'd eat in a different "country" every day and go see different shows. That park is really awesome. It's very unique and different compared to Universal, Disney, or even Six Flags.
It's so sad to hear/see they've changed the theming of Eurosat. It was hands down my favorite ride with its techno music and space theme.
Your video brought back many happy memories, thank you!
So glad I found this channel. As a theme park enthusiast, it brings me so much joy to see your passion flow through the visuals and your unbiased commentary. Keep up the great work!
I wouldn't say unbiased, but I do try to be fair lol
@@PoseidonEntertainment I understand. I also live within the Theme Park I-4 Corridor and it's hard not to set the bar higher for everywhere else 😎
Unbiased?? You must have watched a different video than I did.
I would love to check this place out! So funny, I didn't even know that Arthur and the Invisibles (as it was released in the US) was a French film. I loved that movie when it came out! The ride looks absolutely beautiful!
It does blow my mind how at a fundamental level they managed to pack so much into a park like this.
If you like the style of Europapark you might also be interested in „Trippsdrill“, a theme park that has mastered theming just as well. All their attractions and waiting lines are themed around a local tale. It is not as big but has both thrilling coasters and smaller attractions for families.
Yeah, but Trippsdrill feels more like it is only façade. Don't get me wrong, I love that park and have a year pass for it. But albeit it showing a lot of 'family business' vibes, it can't hide the budget constraints on the theming in it's newer areas.
Yet, it hosts a Gerstlauer LIM and a brand new Vekoma SLC with the new track design, playing on the upper end of European attractions.
I'm honestly happy channels like this one exist, because you actually talk about parks that deserve more exposure, and not going over the same place "I'm looking at all of those Disney channels" a million times.
I'm kind of annoyed with how much "Disney content" is out there. I like videos that cover attraction history, but otherwise it's just people climbing over each other for easy social media exposure. If I talk about Disney, I want to offer a new perspective or highlight something that often isn't covered.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I fully agree with this
100% agreed! It's getting kind of boring watching people shilling over Disney for views. I've never been to these parks and these videos really want to make me go there, perhaps more than Disney now.
The great thing about it is that you really feel enveloped into the themes they try to convey. There's not a single shoddy element to be found, everything pulls you in. There are so many really nice corners off the beaten path as well and they too are spotless. I've been there four times now and I'll definitely keep coming back.
Ah yes a brand new upload from Poseidon Entertainment! Love these video's talking about different themeparks around the world.
@@piperian3962 Neither could you have
@@piperian3962 Some people just want to be first to comment, which is fine lol
@@PoseidonEntertainment Well to be honest, I saw that the video was uploaded a minute ago and there were no other comments so i kinda took advantage of it.
Europa Park to me is memories. Been there dozens of times over the past 40 years like a lot of german, swiss and french people living within a 3h drive of the park.
There are videos on YT that show how the Ghostvilla looked in 1988 and 1992, 2000 and so on. Or the pirates of batavia before the fire. EP became a part of our culture and our lifes. It's more that just a park to a lot of people 🥹
Absolutely loving these European theme park videos!!! Being Dutch and having grown up with all three of these parks, it is amazing to see them covered from another perspective! Really great videos man, keep going! :)
I didn’t even know that this parked existed but I want to go now. I love the themes especially
One of my favourite attractions is the voletarium right next to the entrance ... it's a fairly new ride and essentially a 4D cinema but it's a truly amazing experience imo. Great video!
sadly I completely ignored this ride when it just opened, as it's a bit tucked away and I dismissed it as 'just a simulator' and didn't want to bother waiting. but during my visit last year I finally went and you're absolutely right, it's really beautiful! I was annoyed with myself for ignoring it before, such a great experience.
Great review! From what you showed you can tell the designers took their time making Europa park and it really gave me a sense of what to expect if I ever get the chance to visit this beautiful park.
It's refreshing when a space feels designed for enjoyment, rather than maximizing monetary value.
I recently went to Europa park, my stay was during the recent explosion in the diamond mine which a coaster and a log flume ride run through. Overall Europa Park is really fun and I wish some of the rides were in a disney park, such as Arthur the ride, but what sets WDW apart from Europa Park are the tiny details. During my time there, there were a handfull of times I thought to myself "I wish the park crew would just walk through the queue/ride the ride and fix the small things." Also because of the compact feel of the park, there are generally many smaller, small child-oriented attractions than you would see in an american park. Euro-mir has the best soundtrack of any ride I have ever ridden, at disneyland/world, universal, or otherwise. Look it up, it's a banger.
Europa Park is my main park and I'm there at least two times a year including staying in one of the awesome hotels. Even if the park is only two hours away from me I enjoy the Hotels so much and they complete the whole experience perfectly. They also have a Halloween event in October similar to Halloween Horror Nights :)
Is it usually very busy in October?
I am also a central Floridian. Seen every video you’ve made, love your videos!
And now I really want to go to Germany for Europa Park. Let me know if you want to expense it for UA-cam I’ll go with ya 😆👍
Oh, that's a trip down the memories! Been to Europa Park a few times about twenty years ago. I was devastated when I heard about the fire in the Batavia Ride, loved it as a kid. But it looks even better and the new restaurant in it is a nice touch. Didn´t recognize anything of the "Geisterhaus", all the Dark rides seem a bit more colorful than in my Memorie. The recycling of the old Dino Animatronics makes me smile, it was more of a spooky ride in the past. Now the bad dinos wear scarves and play in the kitchen of a nice old lady. XD
Great Video, makes me want to go there again in the future and walk between old and new attractions!
I was here way back in 1998, and hopefully I can get back in the next couple years.
Just to set this park in relation, it has been elected several times as the world's best theme park. First time I heard that, I was like "What? Europe maybe..but the world???" I just came from a little vacation in Rust, and I'd loved to go into EP, my leg wasn't cooperative. So Rulantica was the place to go instead. Great place to be, if you are into water slides, pool bars, waves and stuff. And the little ones have enough playground as well. So, in summary, EP&R make a very nice combo. If you got a few days to spare, you will be entertained a lot there.
But stay away from the hotels. Sure, they are well themed and all, but it is way cheaper to rent a vacation home. 4 nights, 4 persons = 350€.
End of shameless promotion :)
Love these videos highlighting the gems we have here in Europe to a wider audience. I remember somehow going on a rollercoaster at Europa Park when I was probably way too young! Would be interesting to see you do a video on Alton Towers here in the UK and how that stacks up!
I was fortunate enough to be able to go here for a couple days. Stayed at the Colosseo hotel. It really is an incredible park - never got around to any of the dark rides on my visit, but I do think that this is a park without any weaknesses. One of the few to fit this bill, actually.
It's not as "focused" as a park like Disney, Busch Gardens Tampa, or Cedar Point, and as such it doesn't reach the same "highs" in thrill (or mechanical development, in the case of Disney) as those parks. However, this balance allows audiences of all types to enjoy the park. Not up for coasters? Maybe try some of the dark or flat rides. Looking for coasters? It's still got a pretty good collection.
I agree for sure, but I think that's how most theme parks should be designed. Disney has too many e-tickets, Universal is too focused on thrills, SeaWorld parks could use some quality dark rides, etc. I think the closest equivalent in the U.S. might be Dollywood and Silver Dollar City, though even they could benefit from more dark rides as well.
Thank you so much for making this Europa park video. It brought back a lot of memories. I haven't been there since 2006 and I'm surprised with how many new attractions they've built since then. For someone who has never visited the park you did an outstanding job giving a feeling of how it is to be there. One other thing that you didn't mention that I feel is one of the best things about the park is the food. Being able to travel to all these lands and trying foods from all over was one of the highlights of my trip. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
I wanted to cover more of the food, but I was having a lot of issues finding information on restaurants or even video for anything other than Food Loop. I tried using Google translate to throw German words into the UA-cam search bar, but even then I couldn't find much. There were a few food vlogs, but the subtitles didn't translate to English.
One important thing to mention is that Europapark is easily the size of two Diseny or Universal Parks, while a day ticket is only 55 EUR ($60) and parking is 5 EUR (by now Disney and Universal have the audacity to charge $25).
Someone did do the math and found that Europa Park is somewhat smaller than the Magic Kingdom. Still, it certainly offers many more attractions.
I love your content. I know I’ve been a bit critical about the Disney stuff you did in the past but admit I was wrong and you were way ahead of everyone about what was going on with the company. Great job man!!! Please keep doing these
Thank you for covering all of these unique parks! I really think I'll plan a vacation based on visiting them all some day.
You have inspired me to visit parks in Europe! My planning starts today!!
This is a 10/10 video! As a German I can agree with everything said. The Story of the "Geisterschloss" is a bit over the place. Basically there wasn´t really a story in the first place but they added a little bit of a story. So first things first, the girl at the begining of the ride (with the projected face) is like lost (??). Then that same girl is found at the end of the ride again. She is mangeled, screaming for help and hanging from the celing, impling that the monsters have found her and now tortering her! I know... that was alot! But one little Fun Fakt about that Ride: Fans of the Park now call the Ride "die Rumpelkammer des Parkes" which can be roughly tranlated into "The Storrage-Room of the Park". This is because they just keep on adding Animatronics to the Ride. At this point, it feels like its overflowing with animatronics! Sadly the park nowdays feels like their trying to copy Disney more then ever. Due to the "ACE = Adventure Club of Europe" where they try to implament every Ride they have, as good as posible. As of the day of writing this, ther has been a second fire at the park. Because of that, many people are losing their trust in the Park and jokingly ask themselfs what can and will burn down next!
All in all this is a great video for any person who doesn´t know about the park! 👍👍👍
My mum and eye would visit every year, from 1995-2011. Then life got in the way and eye haven't been back since. BUT...this place...is nothing like Disneyland. It has Gemütlichkeit, Magick and its own kind of flair which eye haven't found in Disneyland. Eye'm only referring to the one near Paris. Eye am VERY sure the one in Orlando is a whole other level.
Europa Park left such a mark on me that my mum eye reminisce years on. It is for all ages. Oh, Herr Mack...danke.
I have fond memories of going to this park as a kid :)
I have actually been to this park! It was a pretty long time ago, probably close to 15 years now, but a few things still stand out to me. 'Cassandra's Curse' (which was the first time I encountered a ride of that nature because I don't think there were any in the states at that point), the Pirate and Haunted Mansion dark rides, and Euro-Mir which was both fabulous and nauseating (I don't deal with spinning well). There was a boat ride in the Greece section too although I don't know if it's still there. I rode the 'Universe of Motion'...which I feel compelled to admit had a huge sign out front that read something to the effect of [Dino-Fahrt] which of course translates to 'Dinosaur Road' or highway... but when you're an American running on a bit too much sleepdep, you end up having to explain to your German friends why that sign in particular is /absolutely hilarious/...
I think the one thing that made me the most happy about it though is just that every single attraction save for that one kiddieland (which I don't think was even there when I visited) and the Grimm section, was an original IP. I've pinned down one of my real points of disillusionment with US parks to being the apparent complete inability to build anything creative that isn't just a rip on some other pre-existing property. I don't think we'll ever get another ride at Disney or Universal that's like Poseidon's Fury or the Haunted Mansion... they just aren't interested in creating anything that they don't already know has a media tie-in, and that's sad to me.
The gardening there is also incredible.
Landscaping is for sure an underrated element of theme park design. It's interesting how in recent years, the love for Animal Kingdom and its theming has really risen in discussions on it.
Awesome. I gotta get to this park and Efteling someday. I've heard Tivoli gardens is good too. Loving your content. A Japan or Asia theme park tour would be great too.
I've been to Europa Park twice! It's wonderful and the rides are awesome!!! So beautiful there!
Great video once again. I'm glad there are still people out there that try to shine a light on smaller, but still well-themed areas around the world. I will say that I am a little confused when you brought up the fact that western parks don't theme their smaller, non-e-ticket rides as much compared to Europa/other European rides. Rides like Navi River Journey, Buzz Lightyear Astroblasters, Men in Black Alien Attack, E.T., Living with the Land, and Multiple others have details and thematic elements that can rival their e-ticket counterparts at times. I was hoping you could shed a bit of light on what you meant by that
I was referring mostly to small tracked rides. As an example, I appreciate Casey Jr. and the Storybook Canal Boats at Disneyland for what they are, but Disney hasn't really built anything like them since DLP (at least, nothing that I can recall). I wouldn't agree that MiB or E.T. aren't e-tickets, at least in that I think they were intended to be when they opened. To my knowledge, MiB was intended to be a large enough draw to bring people back to USF to counter-balance the opening of IoA the year before. I know that the ranking system is pretty subjective, but at this point, I consider attractions like River Journey and Astroblasters e-tickets as well, since they bring in a significant level of demand. To my knowledge, they certainly were designed with a lower ranking in mind, but I wouldn't equate them with something like Jim Knopf or the various calm boat rides around Europa. Perhaps the "ranking" system is at this useless though, as overall Disney parks demand has skewed what is and isn't popular. At no point do I think waiting more than 15 minutes for Alien Swirling Saucers is acceptable, yet I always walk by and it's usually a 45+ wait time because of how few attractions HWS offers in comparison to its consistent crowds.
The story of the Geisterschloss was recently changed in July 2024. Now, it depicts a visit to the old Medici castle, with the ghosts of the Medici family haunting you. Before, it never had a real story and there was just too much happening, which made the ride look cheap and a bit goofy. Also, there were some disneyland elements like the singing tombstones. All these elements are gone now, with a new story attached to the ride.
Disney and Universal should take notes from these European Theme Parks. (Most importantly Disney especially today)
I think domestic Disney theme parks should take notes from these European Theme Parks. The Tokyo Disneyland Resort even though it owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. They have learned to create a better Disney experience than the original American Disney theme park in may humble opinion.
@@bjvincent8786 yea maybe I should’ve been more specific lol Tokyo is getting the best of everything best Disney park best Universal park best shops… I wanna to go to Tokyo so baaaaaaad 😫
@@NinthShinigami No worries, to be honest I would also love to go to Tokyo Disney Resort and (if I win the Big Game or Powerball Lottery) stay at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel.
That being said since the Disney company is using the Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disney Resort for research and development. Why not use this new tech to from these parks to build new non-IP ride and/or upgrade older rides; so they feel like a natural and fitting addition to the existing parks like an upgraded ride system for the new domestic Space Mountain and a new Tomorrowland Plaza. How about a new Pirates of the Caribbean ride with the same original theme but using tech from the Pirates ride in Shanghai Disneyland which is the best attraction on any Disney property at this time.
Since Disney has no plans to bring Tokyo Disneyland's Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast and/or Hong Kong Disneyland's Mystic Manor to a North American Walt Disney World park I would love that technology to be used to upgrade the Haunted Mansion ride so it will remain "timeless" and not "dated". But again that is just my opinion.
Universal is making Epic Universe So I feel like Universal is probably going to get a great grade for taking those notes
I think Mack Rides owning the parks is what makes the experience so great, they only have to pay wholesale prices for their additions which means they can put more money towards theming and story telling. It's also good for Mack because they are basically making money off of their testing ground which is something that normally costs ride manufacturers money
I would certainly think that's an aspect, but I also think that theme park culture in central Europe is just different. Is it competition with Disneyland Paris? Maybe. But the leisurely, well designed spaces seem to be an evolution of the gardens that were once so significant to the region.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Europapark is my home town Parc. I grew up about 20 km of it, even had for 2 Years in a row a annual ticket for me and my family. Last autom I was the first time in eurodisney and I was so disappointed. Much pricier, not good maintained, a lot of closed ride, enforced merchandising, much smaller, overcroveded, transition between the themes boring af. I'm fluend in French, so no problem with the language but boy is the staff rude and bored, compared to EP where a lot of the staff is French (alsasiens) too. Never again, I waited 30 years to go there and it was such a disappointment...
Video now shared by Michael Mack himself! Excellent stuff - truly the best theme park on the planet.
I would toss my wdw annual pass in a heartbeat if this park was here in fl. This park is beautiful!
What is so magical about this park is that is has a cozy feel to it! I agree, it's not that you are comparing it to magic Kingdom but you have a point the cars just go around with nothing to enjoy. Just the grassy knoll! I feel loke Disney could really add more magical sceneries!
An interesting upgrade you seem to have missed is the upgrade of the "cave coaster" seen at 22:48
That coaster (which was a little bit boring before) has been upgrade to include a "virtual coaster". You can lend VR-glasses (for a small fee: last time i visited it was €5) and the VR glasses will transport you in a completely different world. I didn't expect much from it but was blown away how well this worked. The VR-coaster matches almost exactly the forces you experience while riding the original coaster. As someone who is susceptible for motion sickness, I had no problems at all.
really awesome to see you once again cover a european theme park!! it's super cool learning about these places i only vaguely knew about. the theming here is so good!!
I have been to Europapark a few weeks ago for the first time. It was awesome! I was a little bit worried because it was said that it would be busy. Well, i didn’t had to wait longer then 5 minutes. It is also very beautiful themed!
I just spent a week in Orlando visiting most major parks. I agree that Europapark (EP) needs to be compared to Disney and Phantasialand more to Universal. Let me briefly give you my comparison of EP and Disney: 1. Innovation: This point clearly goes to Disney. EP does not have anything comparable to e.g. Rise of the resistance. 2. Emersion & Theming: In my eyes a tie. EP shows more care for detail while Disney impresses with more large scale objects and much better animatronics. 3. Number & Variety of attractions: If you put all four Disney parks together they can match the number and variety of rides in EP. But this is no fair comparison. So the point clearly goes to EP. 4. Crowds: Disney seams to me very overcrowded. On top you see much more strollers than in EP. After noon it gets almost too much for me. So clear point for EP. 5. Costs: The EP ticket does not even cost half of Disney. The virtual line options are free while Disney charges you on Genie+. Clear point for EP. 6. Food: Much better and less expensive in EP. So overall I see a result of 2:5 in favour of EP. Main reason in my eyes is that EP is a family business which shows much more heart and soul. Still I continue to love Disney too 🙂 When it comes to Phantasialand vs. Universal I clearly see Universal as the winner. For me today the best theme park ever.
Phantasialand sadly has a big space problem, universal and phantasialand is the better comparison here like you sad, good themed and thrill rides, and noboady can deny that velocicoaster was inspired by taron, when brühl would give phantasialand cook and give it more land universal could get a run for its money
Channel is underated. I hope it grows more
I appreciate the sentiment. It'll get there eventually I suppose.
What better way to start the day than a new Poseidon Entertainment video
I was at DL Paris for the first time in 20 years and was surprised how shabby it seems. The restaurant and shopping area outside is very dated and faded of what it was once at my first visit in 1996 when I lived in Paris (and had an annual pass in 1997). I have no feeling of needing to go back.
But I DO want to visit with other theme parks across Europe.
I usually watch Disneypark videos on your channel, it was nice to see you cover Europapark since it's in the area were I grew up.
As you said in the video this is not a indept video but I think it gives a nice Overview. What I would have mentioned is that there are VR experience options for two rides and I expect more to be added in the future. It costs 2 - 6€ extra but it adds a whole new experience plus you get to use an extra usually faster line.
This experience was really outstanding to me the last time I went so maybe that's why I think it's worth a note.
Also on what you said about theming when taking about that tractor ride. I never did that on but I was very underwhelmed by the lack of theming when doing Autopia in Disneyland Paris. Awful experience after a fairly long queue. One of my least favorite rides ever.
MACK as a company also produces a lot of content around their parks as for Rulantica there is books and in the movie theater in the park there short movies on f.e. Batavia and short movies featuring the park mascots. And of course there are souvenir shops trying to sell you euromaus plushies but yeah the focusing on merchandise is not as heavy I think.
One ride I noticed you didn't mention (which is often not mentioned by people who haven't visited) is the Voletarium.
It's effectively a Soarin clone - but in many ways it is better than Soarin in my opinion.
oh I love this ride, it's so immersive and simply beautiful! but as it's a new-ish ride perhaps many didn't have the opportunity to discover it yet. even the placement of the ride, a bit tucked away, isn't ideal.
The film that the Arthur ride was based on was released in the U.S. as “Arthur and the invisibles”. That’s cool that there’s a ride based on the film. The rides here look so cool and creative , even if I’m not a roller coaster guy , they make me want to ride them lol. Great video as usual
From a small bit of research, it appears that the film flopped here. Still, knowing nothing about it, I'm highly interested in the area.
@@PoseidonEntertainment it’s really interesting
I haven't watched the movies the ride is based on but the 'Arthur' ride and land are really great and it's easy to follow the story without any movie knowledge. amazing theming and atmosphere, one of my favorite sections of the park.
Absolutely charming! I'm not a huge fan of exposed coasters dominating the skyline, but I think the theming more than makes up for it. I would love to be able to visit Europa and Efteling some day.
Incidentally, do you have any plans to talk about Tokyo DisneySea? I've been fortunate to visit Tokyo Disney twice, and it is a testament to what Disney Imagineering can accomplish when give the budget and creative freedom, and the utter irony is that Tokyo Disney isn't even owned or operated by Disney.
I've thought about it, but there are a handful of things holding me back. While I am more familiar with those parks than I ever was with Europa, it definitely seems like a script that could easily run out of control. I also probably want to go there first to understand the nuance of what makes them so much better.
This video makes me wonder not only about how American parks could do better, but it has me wondering whether they actually _could_ follow some of these design philosophies. My sister did crowd control for Fantasmic in Disneyland for a while, and she said they were constantly making tweaks to the formula in order to optimize crowd movement. It's fundamental to the very design of the park at this point, if it wasn't in the first place. And even if you _could_ change it, Cast Members simply aren't paid enough to handle the added stress of negotiating the same number of guests in more intimate, genuinely park-like spaces.
As you say, Disney and Universal are hyper-corporate, ultra-capitalist ventures. The unique design aesthetics and features you highlight here simply aren't compatible with that core philosophy
I thought that, but I keep going back to Diagon Alley. When I first saw it, I was surprised at how poorly optimized it was for crowd flow. Yet, the park manages just fine, even when the area is packed shoulder to shoulder. I think that even Disneyland kind of proves that you can design a park this way because it's the closest equivalent in the U.S. I know that a lot of pathways have been widened to assist with crowd flow, but the park still manages that intimate feel at times. New Orleans Square is a perfect example I think.
What a trip! Just was there first time on 7.7.22 and it was amazing! Sadly didnt have enough time to go whole park through but well maybe next time, was totally worth to visit!
One of my favourite Parks I've been in is Hansaland in northern Germany. Right on the Baltic coast. It doesn't have really great theming and designs (except for a few really good ones), but the rides are amazing. If you want a park in Germany with amazing theming there's also Tripsdirll in southern Germany. It's quite the old park which gives it it's charm.
Maybe consider those as ideas for future videos? ^^
With the recent decline in Disney QA, I've been on the hunt for alternatives. I LOVE this set of essays and it makes me want to plan a trip to visit the three parks you've highlighted. I'd be interested in a video outlining how to plan a trip like that. ;)
I'm not sure if that's really my brand, though from what I've heard, all three parks are easy driving distance to each other.
@@PoseidonEntertainment
I would say that for Americans it's easy driving distance. Efteling to Phantasialand is maybe two hours and Phantasialand to Europa-Park is four or so. For Europeans that's quite a drive, but I guess for Americans it's only a short hop.
I much prefer Europa Park than Disneyland, by far honestly!
Geez, I already knew I wanted to travel to Europe. Now I’ve got to fit three theme parks into the planning.
I got to Europa in early April. Only had to wait around 30mins max for the top 3 coasters and took a tip to ride their flying theater at midday at a walk on, most waits I had were max 15 beyond the top 3
I've heard their operations are impressive.
You should look at France's "Puy du Fou" it's a show oriented park which is highly themed and really well executed
I was thinking about it, but in a larger context. I know that the park has some controversy, and I was perhaps considering rolling it into a larger video about representation of people and culture in theme parks.
@@PoseidonEntertainment controversy on what part or subject? Their shows are based on French and European History. If it's done right, I don't see any issues with it.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Puy du Fou is also not a traditional theme park as it has no rides. It is based only on its very elaborate shows, so it's kind of an all inclusive theater district. But what it does, it certainly does exceptionally well.
@@electricar9 I was under the impression that people had some issues with how it portrayed a certain town or nation. Something about genocide if I recall correctly. I thought I read something about controversy in this regard, though I'm having issues finding it again.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I live in France and have never heard of anything negative ever said about them! People here are very proud of this park and rightfully so! So will find reasons to complain no matter how something is presented, we choose to ignore them. Something Americans need to learn too! FYI they’re also constructing a park in the USA which will be for the Eastern Band Of Cherokee, it will be in TN off the Highway near Pigeon Forge.
This was my favorite park growing up in Germany. I had no idea that they copied so much from Disneyland until I went to Disneyworld a couple years ago and was shocked how familiar a lot of elements seemed at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. Still a great park though! Haven’t been in over a decade though so hopefully my memory still serves me well
Bro what an awesome video! From production to music to everything man. Keep up the good work
People also praise Tripsdrill in Germany, although that has more natural/rural vibes building off its odd themes
I was waiting on this by you! This park is great and reminds me of old school Disney!
Just now learning about the park but now it’s number 1 on my must visit list right ahead of Tokyo Disney and universal studios Japan
Oh mine too lol (the Tokyo Disney and USJ part lol)
I'm considering a trip next year, either to Europe or to Tokyo. It's difficult to choose because both options are great.
@@PoseidonEntertainment seems like the overall ride experiences as well as effort put into atmosphere in Europe are better. But it’s hard to beat the service, food, and also very unique and quality experiences. Japan also has places like the hello kitty theme park, the new ghibli park opening, the British themed theme park, and weird but fun and affordable love hotels. Quite the hard choice indeed, but I can’t wait to see you make videos about where ever you visit!
Pretty much liking your reaction. I`m living next to it and was born the year the park opened.
From the UK and have had 3 visits including a week long stay,it's better than Disney in my opinion.
I hope to visit this park and the other European parks before I depart this earth. They look wonderful ❤
All the justified praise for EP aside, I think they still struggle with storytelling quite a bit, so in that regard they can not even dream of comparing with disney or especially Universal for now. In terms of theming, some areas hold up well, others do not reach quite the same standard, even among the newer ones. That being said, now with the addition of Voltron at the latest, the park really offers a perfect mix of thrills and family-friendly experiences without feeling as corporate as you correctly pointed out, which is very nice indeed.
thanks for this great video. The Europapark is one of my 2 home parks. I visit him every year. I'm going to Europapark this month again
Your comment about slow rides rings true. You need a “quiet ride” between the fast ones to calm back down and relax a bit.
I used to love the “dragon boat lifts” at Magic Mountain which was a slow ride which is now where Batman was built. It allowed you to tak in the scenery and get up or down a steep hill.
Not only is this park more beautiful than Disney, but the ticket prices are crazy affordable too! its about 65 dollars per day. Lol try getting a day for under 110 at Disney World
Arthur and the minimoys is called Authur and the Invisible's here in the states. I saw the Arthur animitronic and imediately recognised it!
I went to TRIPSDRILL last year and was positively surprised. The Theming is great, not as per the areas, but each ride by itself. And the number of rides/coasters is really great. My favorites as ride are KARACHO and HALS ÜBER KOPF 🥰
Plus with the ticket you also get access to the animal park / zoo next door!