April 11, 201213 yr comment_136125 I'm also tempted to do Parc Asterix, suppose if you drove across it wouldn't be too bad...
April 12, 201213 yr comment_136218 Some brief thoughts about Wodan, as I was at EP on 2,3 and 4th April. Track and Train: Good, but not amazing (when compared to say, Troy, this isn't as good but it's on a par with Joris - although 1st drop on Wodan is amazing) Theming: Outstanding - even by Europa-Park standards this is something special. As good as Poseidon and better in places. Really, this is such a complete package. It may not be as wild or fast as we'd have wished (rubber wheels for noise do not help) but the experience EP have delivered is sensational. The queue is a delight. I would happilly wait 1 hour for this. You queue inside the wooden structure, past lakes of fire and mist, amazing moving queue elements. The station is also brilliant, with moving statues which watch the train arrive and depart. They were continuing to programme the ride during my visit, and were working on making the lift a block section to aid faster dispatches. It really is a work of art. The music is fantastic, and timed with dispatches too. The entrance feature mists and has water flowing down it!
April 13, 201213 yr comment_136228 Wodan: Review (Note: I have avoided step by step detail of the queueline so as not to spoil the experience, although I have touched on some of the SFX used). So, Wodan opened and off we went to Europa-Park to ride it. I was reasonably grounded with my expectation from the physical ride hardware, mainly as the layout had never massively appealed to me (aside from a massive first drop) and the realisaion that "rubber wheels" were going to hinder the pace of the ride. As a big fan of Troy, I was fairly sure that this would not beat it. And, I was right. At least, I was right in terms of track and train. However - it's not one big competition and when taken as an attraction at Europa-Park, Wodan is well and truly spot on. It simply isn't the sort of ride you discuss on the basis of track and train. It is much, much more than that. Europa-Park have got a solid wooden coaster, with the best throughputs of any built by GCI, and dressed it up so incredibly, that it seems to dwarf most others in Europe, at least in terms of experience. Where Die Vliegende Hollander has a sensational queue/station and then a dour rollercoaster, Wodan ensures that the sensational queue is then followed by a genuinely fun and exciting experience. At least as high quality (and better in parts) as the queue for DVH at Efteling, you are treated to stunning views of the ride as you wait. With animatronics, mist, fire and projection mapping used in multiple places, it’s a feast for the eye. It’s definitely Europa-Park’s best themed project since Poseidon opened in 2000. Every inch of detail seems to be dealt with. Whether it’s waterfalls flowing down the grand entrance, mist enveloping guests, fire burning on a lake or hammers causing mini earthquakes under the ground - EP have got it. The statues in the station, whose heads turn to face arriving and departing trains add yet more mystery to it all. Music is also a key component of the experience which has been created by Mack Solutions. The Belarus Philharmonic Orchestra were used to record the rides soundtrack, and the triumphant yet eerie score which greets every train departing the station and eager guests in the queue ensures the atmosphere is red hot. Upon departing the station, a surprisingly high speed out banked corner comes before the lift hill. Passing the fire wolves at the top of the lift (who will breath fire in due course), the train picks up breathtaking pace before the first, massive, dive into the tunnel. What follows is a camelback, although airtime is limited, and then a fantastically fun increasingly banked corner which then dips under the entrance arch and into the banked station flythrough. The pace at this point is brilliant. Following the flythrough, the ride loses a lot of pace on the camelback, which sadly offers no airtime or any major thrill. However, the restbite is followed by a quick left hand dive down, and some fun dips and kinks before the Atlantica turnaround. The bunny hop over Atlantica again doesn’t deliver much by way of airtime, but there is then a very fun left hand dive into yet another tunnel, which causes a lot of screaming as the ride picks up some more pace. Some fun dips and dives follow, before the ride makes its way into the brakes. Overall - track and train - it’s a solid, good rollercoaster without being one of the worlds best. With just a little more pace on the camelbacks and in the final fifth of the ride, I feel Wodan would get masses more praise. However, I fear that the coaster junkies who will ride it expecting the next Troy or Prowler, may be left disappointed. What is for certain, though, is that the experience adds yet more value to an already packed theme park and one of the best themed ride experiences in Europe. It’s a sensational piece of artistry and one that Europa-Park should be very, very proud of. I think the following video sums it up very well indeed:
April 17, 201213 yr comment_136415 What an awesome video and a great review! I love a good woodie so would love to go out there and ride this thing! By any chance do you think you could send the music from the video across to me?! It's amazing!
April 17, 201213 yr comment_136467 I am afraid that seen as it is not my own video, that I cannot send it to you. Perhaps contact the guy on Youtube to find out the music?
May 11, 201213 yr comment_137401 Just booked my hotel and flights to Europa park and cannot wait! Sadly couldn't afford to stay in the parks hotels but am staying nearby in Grafenhausen. I booked the hotel for 16th July and it has cost £192 for a triple room for three nights, which I thought was great value at £64 a person.
May 12, 201213 yr comment_137404 How did you go about booking it? Particularly a hotel away from site? Really need to go this year, the confusingness of trying to find somewhere, find suitable dates at a reasonable price, is just mental. Wonder if I can just go travel agents...
May 12, 201213 yr comment_137407 Surely Expedia will help book a hotel off site to the park? Just search for Rust/Europa Park... Still think the best bet is flying to Basel and getting the relatively expensive shuttle... Better than having to suffer Stanstead, Ryanair and stupid flight times...
May 12, 201213 yr comment_137409 www.booking.com Type Europa-Park - there are stacks of places in Rust.
May 12, 201213 yr comment_137411 How did you go about booking it? Particularly a hotel away from site? Really need to go this year, the confusingness of trying to find somewhere, find suitable dates at a reasonable price, is just mental. Wonder if I can just go travel agents... I originally searched combined flights and hotels through Expedia, but it was only bringing up hotels in Europa park itself or Freiburg and Offenburg which are the two nearest larger towns, this would have worked out expensive getting trains and buses to Europa park each day (visiting the theme park twice). So I found a hotel on booking.com in Grafenhausen which is a 10 minute drive away - http://www.booking.c...131cb59e;dcid=1 that had fairly good reviews. I then searched how I would get to the particular location by train on http://www.bahn.de/p/view/index.shtml and realised it was quite simple with a train from Basel to Freiburg, followed by a change of train to Orschweier which is about 10 minutes from the hotel. This is the first time I have personally booked flights and hotels separately, and definitely the first time I will have to personally find my way to a hotel on a transport system in a country of which I cannot speak ANY of the language in. Lets hope I don't get lost.
May 12, 201213 yr comment_137412 The German train system is fab, with multi-language ticket machines which can also print off your change-overs with platforms and times... German public transport
May 12, 201213 yr comment_137414 The German train system is fab, with multi-language ticket machines which can also print off your change-overs with platforms and times... German public transport Cheers. Thats made me relax a little, as I did think it would be a nightmare.
July 13, 201213 yr comment_139059 Hotel Bell Rock is now open! There was a fantastic opening for it yesterday which featured guests such as Roger Moore, the German Finance Minister, the US Ambassador in Germany and DJ Bobo (famous swiss DJ singer), along with fireworks and music. <3 Europa-Park <3
July 13, 201213 yr comment_139061 Europa Park didn't really tickle my fancy till recently, not that the place looked rubbish or the ride was average because the whole park looks beyond and above a normal park, it just really didn't appeal too me, but with Bell Rock I've seen the light and hope to go their soon! Hopefully sooner if they add some more looking thrill/big rollercoasters, wooden coasters look very family too me, but I heard the place is very family themed Edited July 14, 201213 yr by IanNem Spelling Corrections
July 13, 201213 yr comment_139063 It is a family park, run by a family - but you won't have seen operations, standards, quality of service or hotels like it ANYWHERE else. If it's *just* thrills you look for, stick with... THORPE PARK.
July 13, 201213 yr comment_139064 Europa Park didn't really tickle my fancy till recently, not that the place looked rubbish or the ride was average because the whole park looks beyond and above a normal park, it just really didn't appeal too me, but with Bell Rock I've seen the light and hope to go their soon! Hopefully sooner if they add some more looking thrill/big rollercoasters, wooden looked very family too me, but I herd the place is very family themed Nah mate. Putting aside the fact that Silver Star was the tallest ride in Europe for ten years or that Blue Fire single handedly blew away every other launch rollercoaster in Europe, Europa Park is about the whole park experience, not just what the big rides do. I get (and I know other people will hold testament to this) just as much thrill flying through Alpenexpress's tunnel to seeing Europa Maus being unveiled out of a champagne bottle and ice skating around an arena. It should continue doing what it does best. Being the best park in the world.
July 14, 201213 yr comment_139081 ^This Europa is about the experience, soaking in the atmosphere and just enjoying it... Thrill rides do not make a good park, otherwise people would say Six Flags and Cedar Fair are better than Disney...
August 28, 201213 yr comment_140438 Horror Nights 2012: Attractions Map Although not shown below, Matterhorn Blitz will also be open for Horror Nights this year. Hopefully, the fact that there are two more rides open than last year, will allow the event to better cope with crowds. Also, it looks far more spaced out - which is great.
September 13, 201212 yr comment_141143 the fact that there are two more rides open than last year, will allow the event to better cope with crowds. Have I missed something? I count 3???
September 14, 201212 yr comment_141156 Does anyone know if they extend opening times of the main park from 1st - 4th November? I can see they do on the 31st October
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