The Idea
"The plan - to be more precise, the vision - of our owner and manager Robert Löffelhardt was to create a themed world that is really self-contained. A world that you can completely immerse yourself in, day and night. Where everything merges with one another, from the theming to the food and the experience at night. Over time, this led to the planning of the Rookburgh theme world with the Flying Launch Coaster F.L.Y. in perfect union with the Hotel Charles Lindbergh. The first models and drawings were created with the plans - which were then brought to life here on site by our phenomenal project department and countless areas of the company. In addition to the "classic" construction (which was anything but classic due to the special spatial conditions, the special architecture of the hotel and the extremely confused route of the roller coaster right through the themed world and the hotel), colleagues in all areas were actively involved in creating Rookburgh.
The flying coaster F.L.Y. was newly developed in cooperation with the manufacturer; From the technology to the seats to the layout, the development of the coaster was in our hands - no “off the shelf” roller coaster, but a globally unique new development based on our specifications and requirements. The thematic design of the theme world and the hotel with its special aviation cabins was also created in our project department.
We have designed our own employee clothing with a distinctive and unique Rookburgh style. The colleagues from the gastronomy have developed the culinary offers in the Uhrwerk restaurant, the Zum Kohleschipper sandwich shop and Emilie’s Chocoladen & Candy workshop - with their own recipes, homemade dishes and high-quality ingredients. The lighting design and the special effects, which contribute enormously to the intense night experience, were developed by us. And much more. The bottom line is that the entire themed world - from the roller coaster to the smallest pleasure experiences - were developed by ourselves and with specially selected partners."
Theme
"The Rookburgh themed world is part of the Berlin themed area - the world of the Golden roaring 1920s. In our big finale Wintertraum show "The Magic Rose - Spirit of Light" has used the topic of steampunk for years. We took this theme up and developed it into our own version of steampunk in Rookburgh. We wanted to bring both - the steampunk theme and the Berlin theme - together in a world that you can completely immerse yourself in. The pulse of Rookburgh is more haunting and intense than that of golden Berlin, but both belong together. We wanted to create a world where industrial tones and the aviation theme take center stage, while innovative but charmingly old-fashioned features of steampunk shape the design and spirit. Industrial elements combined with filigree ornaments. Amazing innovations combined with down-to-earth craftsmanship. The typical steampunk gears and clockworks, pipes and machines. Rookburgh became a world of explorers and adventurers, of aviators and free spirits - but also of artisans and workers. Where the sky is conquered and amazing machines are invented. Where the fog stands in the streets and the coal stores smoke. Almost where the steam of steampunk is present everywhere and the freedom and inventiveness that are otherwise associated with steampunk are anchored in every creative element and in the experience itself."
Space
"In contrast to many other theme parks, the area in Phantasialand is very limited. In order to make room for innovations, we have to repeatedly tear down old attractions and sometimes even entire subject areas. When building new themed worlds, our strategy is to build different attractions into one another. The attractions Colorado and Chiapas, for example, merge, Raik and Taron cross several times. And in Rookburgh we managed to work a hotel, a restaurant, a fast food outlet, a candy workshop and of course our new attraction F.L.Y. into the smallest of spaces exactly where the attraction "Race for Atlantis" used to be."
Hotel Charles Lindbergh
"With an overnight stay at the Hotel Charles Lindbergh, you don't book a place to sleep, you book an experience package. Only as a hotel guest can you access the hotel with all its exciting viewing platforms and paths which F.L.Y. passes by and with the Bar 1919, where you can end the evening with craft beer, cocktails, billiards and lively conversations while becoming a member of the 'Explorers Society'. In addition, as a guest of the Hotel Charles Lindbergh, you have private access to Phantasialand as well as preferential access to the FLY attraction. The experience package not only includes a rich and exclusive breakfast, but also a 3-course evening menu in the Uhrwerk restaurant. "
The night is spent in real aviator cabins. The cabins belong to Ltd. Meyerhopper, flight engineer or skipper pilot Burburry - and when these gentlemen are on home vacation, they make their cabins available to our guests. In these small space miracles with 2 beds, storage space for luggage and a private bathroom you will find many small details such as photos, certificates or other objects that remind of the owners of the cabins. "
F.L.Y.
"F.L.Y. is a revolutionary flight experience! Visionary mechanics, a completely new flight position and unprecedented pilot seats: F.L.Y. has revolutionized technology and the ride experience. Lying on their stomachs, our guests take to the skies - and feel the freedom of the sky closer than ever before! The journey with F.L.Y. begins sitting upright, until the pilot's seat rotates gallantly under the rail to take off and you are shot in the sky and fly! The gentle sideways rotation of the pilot's seats into the lying position was specially designed for F.L.Y. developed and is unique in the world. F.L.Y. is the first launched flying coaster and the longest flying coaster in the world. "
Public Response
"We take great pride in how our guests perceive Rookburgh. From the very first moments, our guests have immersed themselves in the world of Rookburgh and enlivened it with their own experiences and stories. The complete immersion, which was our declared goal with Rookburgh, is very intense by the guests. From the start, guests have referred to themselves as "explorers" who experience adventures in Rookburgh. In their reports (blogs, social media, personal feedback) they become “pilots” who “fly” - they don't “ride” on the roller coaster. That our ideas and stories are felt and "lived" by Rookburgh in this way was our hope, and that our guests now formulate and experience this so intensely is of course something that we are very happy about.
It's also surprising that for many visitors to Rookburgh, the overall experience is more important than the roller coaster - even if that's, of course, what we wanted to create. Many guests first talk about their experiences with the special delights in the Uhrwerk restaurant or their astonishment at the design of the world or their experiences in the Hotel Charles Lindbergh before they address their flight with F.L.Y. - so it is a bit upside down to a "normal" perception of a roller coaster and a theme world. Most of the time, a roller coaster is the focus of attention (and also of the concept). That our themed world works so well as an overall experience in which the hotel, roller coaster, design and enjoyment merge completely into one another, and that our guests literally become “Rookburgers” themselves, inspires us every day."
