Phantasialand | Avoras | 2024

[CSLKennyNI]

Phantasialand have removed the last mentions of Hollywood Tour completely from their website. Likely confirming its suspected end.

The 1990 Intamin boat dark ride closed mid season in 2020 after an incident with water damage in the show building. Both the ride and Fantissima dinner show theatre in the same building were affected. The dinner show eventually returned in 2021 following repairs to its theatre. However Hollywood Tour has remained SBNO ever since.
The park communicated it required extensive work however couldn't give an answer as to when it would reopen.

Reading between the lines and rumours it's clear they weren't ready to give up the ride already; however something that is not part of their long term plans needing expensive work in the middle of the pandemic situation and completing Rookburgh was bad timing and luck. Despite removal from the 2021 map the ride webpage and info remained online with a notice 'closed for maintenance'. However these have now been removed; the webpage link redirects now to the attractions overview page.

Einzigartige Attraktionen | Themenpark - Phantasialand

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www.phantasialand.de

Typically a ride closure at Phantasialand signals the start of something new. But with these circumstances, and that it was widely believed the complex of Crazy Bats and Hollywood Tour would have a few more years until the dinner show could be relocated (and until that time they introduced the Crazy Bats VR overlay to breath some life into its twilight years), that might not be the case.

Leave the space empty a few years until the whole complex can go for another major new area? Change plans and just put a new ride into the existing show building? Who knows...

 

[Sandman]

A good thing long term even if it wasn't planned.

It was definitely outstaying its welcome in a park that has steadily purged attractions of a similarly poor quality. I can only imagine certain fans will miss it for sentimental reasons. I'd not mind if Phantasialand opt to hold off with any development within the show building. They've given us plenty the last few years, and I'd like to see something more substantial arise once Crazy Bats inevitably closes; a reasonable plot of land to play with then.

On another note, I hope they auction off some of the set pieces from Hollywood. They've got some real corkers in there, and they'd be far more interesting than some expensive Big One track/scrap metal. Imagine the guy who gets the giant King Kong on his patio

 

[Trax]

Personally, I don't think that this closure was planned for this year. They would not invest a decent amount of money into the building (with Crazy Bats) if they'd planned to remove it 2 years later. This does not make any sense for a park, and would be a big waste of money.

I think there was a technical problem with the ride, and the park does not want to invest the money necessary to refurbish it just to have it open for a couple more years.

Therefore, I still expect China Town to be the next area to be overhauled.

 

[Justin2000]

Bummer, I really enjoyed that ride.

 

[CSLKennyNI]

something more substantial arise once Crazy Bats inevitably closes; a reasonable plot of land to play with then.

This is the thing. It is a massive bit of land for the park.
Plus in the 2015 moderation for the expansion the neighbours association pushed for a building on the maze behind Bats/Hollywood to act as a sound and visual barrier to the expansion plans on the opposite side of the road behind.

If they put Bats and the maze together you have a site larger than Rookburgh to work with for another "new world".

 

[JoshC.]

Sad times.

Hollywood Tours was definitely a ride indicative of 'Old Phantasialand'. BUT it had a certain level of charm to that I don't think any of the other older / rubbish stuff at the park has.
Despite the quality of it in its own right, for me, Phantasialand is a little bit weaker for not having it. I wouldn't say the same about, for example, Feng Ju Palace or Wakobato. I'd be less sad if we had lost Crazy Bats or Geister Rikscha tbh.

It's fortunate that the ride was very much located out of the way, and it's closure doesn't impact much.

It will be interesting to see what the next step for the park is. China is an area which is more frequented by guests, even if the rides themselves don't get much of a queue even when the park is busy. And whilst the rides are quiet and lower quality, the actual area is still pretty great. I would say that the Bats/Hollywood maze area is in greater need of development in terms of the park more broadly, and newer stuff there might help spread crowds around the park a bit more.

It still feels weird not having something being constructed at the park, given they always had something on the go for best part of a decade. Especially with the aftermath of Covid, one has to wonder if now is the time they need to take a break from large investments, or if we are just in the middle of a bit of a breather.

 

[Phantasiastisch]

I assume they will tackle Chinatown first. The Crazy bats site is bigger, more complex, more expensive and you have to start from 0.

In China Town with Geister Rikscha and FJP, the underground hall will most likely be preserved (it will be expanded at most). I think a total renovation of China Town with a new darkride takes less construction time and costs less money than completely replacing the CB-site.

China Town therefore seems to me to be a more logical step in further modernization and renewal. They can start later when things are better financially and deliver on a shorter term.

Plus, the renovation of Crazy Bats probably wasn't that cheap, so they want to keep it running for a few more years as this is still a pretty fresh investment due the covid closure periodes.

It's also not clear yet where they want to stay with Fantissima. Since there is no trace yet of a new construction site for a new theater, I can't see the CB-site getting demolished soon.*

*Unless a new construction site pops up somewhere in the coming weeks, I might be able to draw different conclusions.

* A renovation of the Colorado Adventure site and the Silverado Theater could be another in-between project due the financial setback, but I guess that's not the most urgent site to redevelop.

 

[Will]

I won't miss it - but can they put the big silly ape animatronic somewhere in the park as a memento?

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Statement from the park's guest service team confirming Hollywood Tour is closed.

Thanks for your message. Unfortunately, the Hollywood Tour has officially been removed from our program since last season. The reasons for the closures are quite diverse, the pandemic unfortunately also plays a role here, but is not the only factor that led to the closure. However, there are currently no plans to convert or reopen the attraction. I'm sure you understand that I can't give you any other answer at the moment.

Phantasialand’s maze Baumberger Irrgarten (behind Crazy Bats/Hollywood and opposite the entrance to Wakobato) has been removed from their website. And it is reported on PhantaFriends.de that it currently is being demolished. It opened only in 2010.

I did just mention it funnily enough before

This is the thing. It is a massive bit of land for the park.
Plus in the 2015 moderation for the expansion the neighbours association pushed for a building on the maze behind Bats/Hollywood to act as a sound and visual barrier to the expansion plans on the opposite side of the road behind.

If they put Bats and the maze together you have a site larger than Rookburgh to work with for another "new world".

Although given the sudden unplanned death of Hollywood, Crazy Bats is not that old and Fantissima still has no new theatre - I'm not getting hyped just yet as this being a sign of another mega project in the works. Maybe it's just something small, or because it was not well visited being in the back of the park/not worth the maintenance, or related to Wakobato's uncertain future (was also SBNO for 2021 but still on the website right now so who knows).

 

[Nick13]

I have had five trips to Phantasialand over the years, and I have never been in that area with the maze & Wakobato once…

I know there’s a lot of restrictions with the residential area right next door, but I guess if they could build a new theatre over that way for the dinner show, it would open up a good sized plot to redevelop where the current building is.

 

[UP87]

I don't think they'll build a new Fantissima theatre inside the park. Fantissima is not really connected to the park and doesn't even have the same target audience as far as I'm concerned. I thought the plan was to build a new theatre on the new area that they might possibly someday be able to get. The removal of the maze is surprising to me because I agree with most people here and assumed that the area of the maze would be part of a bigger construction site once the whole Temple complex was removed.

 

[CSLKennyNI]

As well as the departures in the Fantasy area; a couple of other changes are in store at Phantasialand this year it seems.

Since the off season began some usual work has been taking place in the 'Deep in Africa' area. An opening was made in the external street wall (whether just for site access or actually part of this development who knows). Cranes have been onsite. Concrete works.

Source RideXpert Instagram

New pictures taken from Hotel Matamba that surfaced briefly online yesterday gave a hint of an idea towards what exactly is going on.

Firstly starting from an until now unused hut opposite Mamba's entrance and the souvenir shop - a covered bridge goes over the track coming out of the vertical loop.
Then there is a gap until another platform/stairs - perhaps to be connected by rope bridge?

The steps sit on the edge of a surface beside the Zero-G Roll which has been cleared of its vegetation.

By the area border wall a concrete platform/foundation has been created. There also appear to be concrete works on top of the tunnel directly beside.

An overview from the park map. Circled in red is the hut where the pathway begins.
In Green the cleared surface visible by the Zero-G Roll. Black roughly the concrete works.

Of course with limited views in it's hard to know the full extent of developments - however it seems a raised pathway is being built through the coaster here.

Intriguingly back in 2006 when Black Mamba opened a TV documentary about its construction showed an early concept model which does actually feature a bridge by the Zero-G Roll.

Although the model makes it look more like theming leading to a dead end - maybe a good idea never dies. If reworked, although slightly differently positioned, such a bridge there from the concrete platform back to the main path could serve as the exit to this new route being created.

Just an adventurous new pathway with unique Mamba interactions and views? Or can any kind of attraction be placed in the middle there? An aerial obstacle course (although lack of overhead infrastructure for harness wires and the shortness of the course makes me doubtful)?
A successor of sorts to the seemingly removed Baumberger Irrgarten mentioned a few posts up?

Whatever happens seems they have discovered a new way to make the most of their limited space and create something new to experience in the area.


Additionally Phantasialand have removed Kaiser Snack, Berlin’s quick service restaurant which serves fries, chicken nuggets and Currywurst, from their app and website.
Presumably as with other gastro offerings in recent years a modernised and improved replacement can be expected.
So no need to panic about a c̶u̶r̶r̶y̶wurst case scenario…

 

[Sterrenstof]

To me a trail of sorts seems indeed the most likely. Klugheim and Mexico have their fair share in wander space, perhaps they want to reinforce that in Africa too. They allready started that when they added the path through the loop to the park.

On the wild side. I'm in for any mechanical ride or even some exclusive Matamba-extension rooms. If it would be one of those two I would prefer a ride. My balance and perfection-seeking mind has always found it hard to accept that despite the Surface it uses Africa offers only one ride. You never know what Phantasialand is capable to squeeze in places you'ld never expect...

 

[Sandman]

Nice to see a little activity in this area.

The addition of a rope bridge purely for additional guest interaction would be cool. Typical Phantasialand; actually adding to already great areas.

I love the idea of seeing a well established coaster from new, unique perspectives and angles. Especially considering how well hidden Mamba actually is.

 

[Trax]

With the popularity of the outdoor seating area next to Mambas corkscrew, I wouldn’t wonder if they go for more expansion of the area. I see myself, sitting under that Zero-G and enjoying a appropriately named Black Mamba Cocktail.

 

[CSLKennyNI]

RideOnBlog.de have also just shared some new looks at the Africa Project.

A look ahead at ... Phantasialand

RideOnBlog.com - einzigartige und innovative Berichterstattung rund um Freizeitparks. Mit rund 8000 Fans in den Social Networks, eines der beliebtesten Freizeitpark-Portale!

www.rideonblog.com

 

[CSLKennyNI]

When Rookburgh was built, as many will fondly remember I'm sure, a large wall was created between it and the Fantasy area. Along with these works, a pedestal for what many speculated would be a future new flat ride, was created. However it was then used for preview displays about Rookburgh until it opened.
Now in an unexpected turn of events: Wolke's Luftpost, the park's Zamperla Magic Bike, is actually being relocated here.

It previously sat in the open air tower of Wuze Town which you walk through to get to Crazy Bats' entrance.

Following the maze previously mentioned; this is now another attraction directly beside the Crazy Bats/Hollywood Tour complex being removed. And we have Hollywood Tour staying shut.
Of course until the profitable Fantissima dinner show moves out of the complex it is safe from demolition but increasingly you get the feeling they are slowly but surely preparing for drastic changes to that corner of the park now...

Statement from the park's guest service team confirming Hollywood Tour is closed.

Phantasialand’s maze Baumberger Irrgarten (behind Crazy Bats/Hollywood and opposite the entrance to Wakobato) has been removed from their website. And it is reported on PhantaFriends.de that it currently is being demolished. It opened only in 2010.

I did just mention it funnily enough before

Although given the sudden unplanned death of Hollywood, Crazy Bats is not that old and Fantissima still has no new theatre - I'm not getting hyped just yet as this being a sign of another mega project in the works. Maybe it's just something small, or because it was not well visited being in the back of the park/not worth the maintenance, or related to Wakobato's uncertain future (was also SBNO for 2021 but still on the website right now so who knows).

 

[Christian]

That ride had it's own open air building before. I was always impressed that such a small ride got such impressive surrounding. Do we know if anything else is going in it's old place or will that remain empty?

 

[Hixee]

Do we know if anything else is going in it's old place or will that remain empty?

Knowing Phantasialand they're probably planning a B&M Surf Coaster or something.

 

[Nicky Borrill]

Additionally Phantasialand have removed Kaiser Snack, Berlin’s quick service restaurant which serves fries, chicken nuggets and Currywurst, from their app and website.
Presumably as with other gastro offerings in recent years a modernised and improved replacement can be expected.
So no need to panic about a c̶u̶r̶r̶y̶wurst case scenario…

Noooooooooo

That was a great place to escape the crowds, (and the cold at Wintertraum) hardly ever anybody sat inside the massive sit down restaurant behind it! It was very dated though. :/