Phantasialand
Phantasialand is a theme park in Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany that attracts approximately 2 million visitors annually.[1] It was opened in 1967 by Gottlieb Löffelhardt and Richard Schmidt. Although starting as a family-oriented park, it has added thrill rides, especially in recent years. Following the example of Europa-Park,[2] it has also decided to attract business customers, calling spring the slogan "Business to Pleasure".[3]
Kaiserplatz in the Berlin themed area | |
| Location | Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 50°48′00″N 6°52′46″E / 50.80000°N 6.87944°E |
| Opened | April 30, 1967 |
| Operated by | Schmidt-Löffelhardt GmbH & Co. KG |
| Attendance | 2 million[1] |
| Area | 28 hectares (69 acres) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 32 |
| Roller coasters | 8 |
| Water rides | 4 |
| Website | Official website |
Phantasialand is known for its high theming detail. It introduces new attractions more often compared to other German theme parks, to compensate for its small area; and is regularly voted one of the world's best theme parks.[4][5][6]
Among its thrill rides is Taron, the world's second fastest multi-launch coaster; Black Mamba, a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster; and a themed Mine Train roller coaster called Colorado Adventure, which runs between some of the mountains in the park's Wild West section, and was opened by Michael Jackson. The most recent addition was F.L.Y., a Vekoma launched flying coaster.
History
Phantasialand opened in 1967.[further explanation needed]
On 1 May 2001, a fire destroyed two roller coasters, a theatre and parts of the Westernstadt. It was the result of a cable fire in the Grand-Canyon-Bahn caused by faulty wiring.[7] The blaze covered about 38 million Deutsche Mark (US$17 million) in damage[8] and 54 people were injured.[9] Phantasialand reopened the park about two weeks later and invested about €2 million in fire safety, equipping every building with sprinkler systems.
Phantasialand is also home to "Mystery Castle", an indoor Intamin Ride Trade Bungee Drop featuring a walk through a haunted castle. Next to the castle is "River Quest", a rapid river ride which features a lift, built by Hafema in 2002. It replaced the attractions destroyed by the fire one year before.
In 2002, Winja's Fear and Force, two indoor spinning coasters built by Maurer Söhne, were built along with a new area called Wuze Town.
New for 2006 was an African-themed B&M inverted roller coaster called Black Mamba.
A four-star on-site hotel called Hotel Ling Bao, which is Chinese themed, opened in 2004. The hotel's roof tiles were imported from China, and every room door was hand-engraved. The hotel has two restaurants; one of them - the LU CHI - is renowned for its Euro-Asiatic cuisine,[10] a bar, a pool with sauna, garden area, spa and its own entrance to the park. A second (three-star) hotel called "Matamba" opened in August 2008 in the Deep in Africa section.
Phantasialand opened another ride for 2007 called Talocan, a Suspended Top Spin by Huss Maschinenfabrik. It is located in the Mexican section of the park. In 2008 a splash battle ride, Wakobato, opened in the lake in the old fairytale forest. The attraction is highly debated amongst residents living next to the park, who complain about noise pollution.
In 2010 Phantasialand opened five new attractions for children in Wuze Town: Baumberger Irrgarten (Maze), Die fröhliche Bienchenjagd (Jump Around by Zamperla), Wolke's Luftpost (Magic Bikes by Zamperla), Der lustige Papagei (Crazy Bus by Zamperla), and Würmling Express (Monorail). The Berlin part of the park has also been reworked, with many Berlin-themed houses, fountains and a tribune for shows. Also new in 2010 was the show 'Sieben' (seven) by Jan Rouven.
In 2011 Phantasialand opened two new attractions: Maus au Chocolat, an ETF dark ride[11] in Alt Berlin and a chair-swing on the Kaisersplatz. The old shop in Berlin was replaced with a funhouse-style attraction called "Verrücktes Hotel Tartüff", built by the park's engineers and opened in 2012.[12]
For the 2013 season, Phantasialand built a new log flume-style attraction to replace their two previous water attractions. It is embedded in a large area of canyons and mountains, as a miniature model on display in the park had already revealed during construction. Chiapas: DIE Wasserbahn opened on 1 April 2014.[13]
After the winter season 2013–14, Silver City (a western theme town) and the dark ride Silbermine were removed to allow construction on the park's 2016 launched roller coaster, Taron, and the new themed area Klugheim, which was to become a part of the Mystery area. Another roller coaster, Raik, is located in the Klugheim area, and is more family-oriented than the likes of Taron. The coaster is a Vekoma family boomerang model attraction.[14]
Also in 2016, Race for Atlantis was removed to make way for a new themed area called Rookburgh with a rollercoaster named F.L.Y., the world's first launched flying roller coaster and the longest flying roller coaster in the world.[15] Rookburgh and F.L.Y. opened to the public on Thursday, September 17, 2020.
Theme areas
| Name | Theme | Dragon | Opening date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin (with Rookburgh) | Historic Berlin with the nostalgic flair of the early 20th century; Boulevard with the Kaiserplatz; Industrial quarter "Rookburgh" in steampunk design | Drago | 1970 | |
| Mexico | Plaza Mariachi with Mexican buildings; Rockwork of Chiapas; Aztec and Maya cultures | Quetzal | 1973 | |
| China Town | Traditional Chinese buildings and gardens | Wang | 1981 | |
| Mystery (with Klugheim) | Medieval village "Klugheim" with Nordic symbolism in a mystical dark atmosphere; Basalt Mountains; gloomy castle complexes | Schneck | 1998 | |
| Fantasy (with Wuze Town) | Playful, child-friendly fantasy world around the Wuze people in Wuze Town and Baumbergen at the "Mondsee" (moon lake) | Phenie | 2002 | |
| Deep in Africa | Savannah and rainforest landscape with West African adobe buildings | Kroka | 2006 | |
Roller coasters
| Coaster | Picture | Opened | Manufacturer | Area | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Mamba | 2006 | Bolliger & Mabillard | Deep in Africa | An inverted roller coaster | |
| Colorado Adventure | 1996 | Vekoma | Mexico | A mine train | |
| Crazy Bats | 1988 | Vekoma | Fantasy | An indoor steel roller coaster with an additional virtual reality experience | |
| F.L.Y. | 2020 | Vekoma | Berlin (Rookburgh) | A launched flying roller coaster | |
| Raik | 2016 | Vekoma | Mystery (Klugheim) | A steel family boomerang | |
| Taron | 2016 | Intamin | Mystery (Klugheim) | A multilaunch steel roller coaster | |
| Winja's Fear & Force | 2002 | Maurer Söhne | Fantasy (Wuze Town) | Duelling spinning roller coasters |
Water rides
| Ride | Picture | Opened | Manufacturer | Area | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiapas | 2014 | Intamin | Mexico | A log flume | |
| River Quest | 2002 | Hafema | Mystery | A rapids ride | |
| Wakobato | 2009 | Preston & Barbieri | Fantasy | A boat ride | |
| Wözl's Wassertreter | 2004 | — | Fantasy | Pedalos |
Thrill rides
| Ride | Picture | Opened | Manufacturer | Area | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mystery Castle | 1998 | Intamin | Mystery | An enclosed drop tower | |
| Talocan | 2007 | Huss | Mexico | A Suspended Top Spin | |
| Wellenflug | 2011 | Zierer | Berlin | A chair swing |
Dark rides
| Ride | Picture | Opened | Manufacturer | Area | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geister Rikscha | 1981 | Schwarzkopf GmbH (System) Heimo (Theming) | China Town | Chinese mythology | |
| Maus au Chocolat | 2011 | ETF Ride Systems Alterface | Berlin | Cake factory with a plague of mice |
Other rides
| Ride | Picture | Opened | Manufacturer | Area | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bolles Flugschule | 2010 | Preston & Barbieri | Berlin | Red Baron | |
| Bolles Riesenrad | 2010 | Preston & Barbieri | Berlin | Ferris wheel | |
| Bumper Klumpen | 2003 | Preston & Barbieri | Fantasy | Bumper cars | |
| Das verrückte Hotel Tartüff | 2012 | Hofmann GmbH | Berlin | Funhouse | |
| Der lustige Papagei | 2010 | Zamperla | Fantasy | Crazy Bus | |
| Deep in Africa - Adventure Trail | 2022 | Phantasialand | Deep in Africa | Walk-Through | |
| Die fröhliche Bienchenjagd | 2010 | Zamperla | Fantasy | Jump Around | |
| Djembe Musikschule | (does not take place) | 2006 | Phantasialand | Deep in Africa | Djembe drums |
| Feng Ju Palace | 2002 | Vekoma | China Town | Madhouse | |
| Octowuzy | 2003 | ? | Fantasy | Water playground | |
| Pferdekarussell | 1998 | Preston & Barbieri | Berlin | Merry-go-round | |
| Tikal | 2011 | Zierer | Mexico | Family drop tower | |
| Tittle Tattle Tree | 2002 | Vekoma | Fantasy | Para Tower | |
| Wabi's Krabbelinsel | 2003 | ? | Fantasy | Indoor playground | |
| Wirtl's Erlebnishöhle | 2003 | ? | Fantasy | Indoor playground | |
| Wirtl's Taubenturm | 2007 | Heege | Fantasy | Lifting tower | |
| Wolke's Luftpost | 2010 | Zamperla | Fantasy | Magic Bikes | |
| Wözl's Duck Washer | 2003 | Preston & Barbieri | Fantasy | Teacups | |
| Wözl's Wassertreter | 2003 | Phantasialand | Fantasy | Pedal Boats | |
| Wupi's Wabi Wipper | 2003 | ? | Fantasy | Children's drop tower | |
| Würmling Express | 2010 | Preston & Barbieri | Fantasy | Monorail |
Removed attractions
Due to its particularly small area Phantasialand is known to remove attractions more frequently than other theme parks to gain space for new attractions.
| Ride | Picture | Opened | Closed | Manufacturer | Description | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autoscooter | 1968 | 1986 | ? | Bumper cars | none | |
| Ballonfahrt | 1993 | 2009 | Zamperla | Balloon ride | none | |
| Baumberger Irrgarten | 2010 | 2021 | Phantasialand | Maze | Maze | |
| Bienchenflug | 1979 | 2009 | ? | Carousal with bee-looking gondolas | none | |
| Bolles Spieleland/Penaten Kinderparadies/ Ronnies Spieleland | 1970s | 2010 | Phantasialand & | Playground | none | |
| Bottichfahrt | 1971 | 1993 | Phantasialand | Water ride with tub-looking gondolas | none | |
| Bullenreiten | 2004 | 2009 | Phantasialand | Mechanic bull | American frontier | |
| Cine 2000 | 1978 | 1995 | ? | 180-degree Cinema | none | |
| Condor | 1986 | 2006 | HUSS rides | Condor | none | |
| Crazy Loop | 1995 | 2004 | Fabbri Group | Breakdance | 1995-1996: none 1997-2004: Mexico | |
| Galaxis-360 | 1982 | 1985 | ? | 360-degree Cinema | none | |
| Galaxy | 1994 | 2005 (re-themed to Race for Atlantis) | Simtec & IMAX Corporation | Simulator ride | Science fiction | |
| Gebirgsbahn | 1975 | 2001 (burned down) | Schwarzkopf GmbH | Speed Racer (Roller coaster) | Mountain range | |
| Gondelbahn 1001 Nacht | 1970 | 2009 | Phantasialand | Dark ride | Stories from One Thousand and One Nights | |
| Grand-Canyon-Bahn | 1978 | 2001 (burned down) | Schwarzkopf GmbH | Powered roller coaster | Mountain range | |
| Hollywood Tour | 1990 | 2020 | Intamin | Fantasy | Hollywood movies | |
| Jumbo | 1979 | 2000 | ? | Aerial carousal ride with elephant-looking gondolas | none | |
| Käpt'n Blackbeards Piratenflotte | 2001 | 2004 | Phantasialand | Model ships navigated by water guns | Pirates | |
| Kinder-Riesenrad | 1993 | 2009 | Zamperla | Ferris wheel for kids | none | |
| Klettergarten | 2009 | 2012 | Phantasialand | Climbing parcourse | none | |
| Märchenwald | 1967 | 2007 | Phantasialand | Fairytale Forest | Fairytales | |
| Oldtimerbahn | 1967 | 1986 | Phantasialand | Vintage Car Adventure | none | |
| Phantasialand Jet | 1974 | 2008 | Schwarzkopf GmbH | Monorail | 1974-1996: none 1997-2008: Mexico | |
| Polyp | 1975 | 1983 | Schwarzkopf GmbH | Octopus | none | |
| Ponyreitbahn | 1967 | 1975 | Phantasialand | Pony ride | American frontier | |
| Professor Wuzipuh's Clever-Bollen | 2003 | 2016 | Phantasialand | Edutainment | Fantasy | |
| Race for Atlantis | 2005 | 2016 | Simtec & IMAX Corporation | Simulator ride | Atlantis | |
| Ruderboote | 1967 | 1967 | Phantasialand | Rowing boats | none | |
| Schloss Schreckenstein | 1972 | 2008 | Phantasialand | Walkthrough | Scary castle | |
| Seeräuberfahrt nach Carthagena | 1968 | 1978 (re-themed to Wikingerbootsfahrt) | Phantasialand | Themed water ride | Pirates | |
| Silbermine | 1984 | 2014 | Schwarzkopf GmbH (system) Hofmann (Theming) | Dark Ride | American frontier | |
| Silverado Up 'n' Down/Wamazonen-Flugcenter/ Wuzi's Going Up | 2004 | 2015 | Phantasialand | Bungee-trampolines | none | |
| Space Center | 1988 | 2001 (re-themed to Temple of the Night Hawk) | Vekoma | Roller Coaster | Space | |
| Spider | 1984 | 1985 | Schwarzkopf GmbH | Octopus | none | |
| Stonewash Creek | 1974 (together with Wildwash Creek as Wildwasserbahn) | 1992: split into two water rides 2011 | Mack Rides | Log flume | American frontier | |
| Temple of the Night Hawk | 2001 | 2019 (re-themed to Crazy Bats) | Vekoma | Roller Coaster | Jungle | |
| Tretboote | 1967 | 1968 | Phantasialand | Pedal Boats | none | |
| Walzertraum | 1993 | 2009 | Mack Rides | Themed water ride | Flowers | |
| Wikingerbootsfahrt | 1979 | 1999 | Phantasialand | Themed water ride | Vikings | |
| Wildwash Creek | 1974 (together with Stonewash Creek as Wildwasserbahn) | 1992: split into two water rides 2011 | Mack Rides | Log flume | American frontier | |
| Wosi's Abenteuerpark | 2003 | 2013 | ? | Indoor playground | none | |
| Yeti | 1989 | 2004 | Phantasialand | Animatronic | Yeti |
Performance shows
- Silverado Theatre: Battle of the Best – a show featuring basketball and trampoline stunts as well as dance-offs
- Arena de Fiesta: Rock on Ice
- Wintergarten: Nobis - Der lange Weg vom Ihr zum Wir
- Schauspielhaus Pirates 4D
- Miji African Dancers (does not take place)
- China artistry (does not take place)
- Wuze Town: Hack and Buddl Children's Show (does not take place)
There are several additional 'mini shows' featured in the new leaflets for 2014, most of them taking place at 'Kaiserplatz', as well as a chance to meet up with the park's dragon characters.
A dinner show called Fantissima is also offered on select evenings, for an additional fee. The show run-time is approximately four hours.[16]
References
- ^ a b "TEA/AECOM 2019 Theme Index and Museum Index: The Global Attractions Attendance Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
- ^ Silver Lake Saloon. "Europa-Park – Erlebnis-Resort – Deutschlands größter Freizeitpark". Confertainment.europapark.de. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
- ^ [1], http://www.phantasialand.de/en/#business-to-pleasure.
- ^ "Attraction Review: Is Phantasialand The Best Theme Park In The World?". Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ Bonn, General-Anzeiger (16 September 2016). "Amusement Parks: Phantasialand ranks in world's top ten". General-Anzeiger Bonn (in German). Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ "Phantasialand – Best theme park in Europe?". Coaster Chat. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ "RZ-Online: Feuer im Phantasialand". Archiv.rhein-zeitung.de. 2 May 2001. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
- ^ "Germany / U.S. Foreign Exchange Rate - St. Louis Fed". research.stlouisfed.org. 8 March 2006. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ . 1 May 2001. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ Busche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH. . Schlemmer-atlas.de. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
- ^ . Park World Magazine. 12 August 2011. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ . Phantasialand.de. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
- ^ "Neu 2013 CHIAPAS - DIE Wasserbahn - Seite 10 - Phantasialand". Phantastische Fans. Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
- ^ "Fakten und Hintergrundgeschichten Klugheims" (PDF). Phantasialand.de. 4 July 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
- ^ "F.L.Y. announced". Looopings. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
- ^ "Dinner show Fantissima - Phantasialand".
External links
- Phantasialand official website