Hey all,
First trip report here!
I've been to Phantasialand 3 times before (2012, 2014, 2019). My original plan was to do a big trip to Efteling, Phantasialand, Toverland and Europa Park with my brother in September 2020 for my 30th birthday. Would you believe it, that plan didn't work out! Unfortunately my usual theme park companions were unavailable, so this time I was theme-parking solo.
Because I was alone, and to treat myself after years of not going abroad, I decided to stay on site at the Hotel Charles Lindbergh. Additionally, to try and
Day 1 - Saturday - Cologne
Day 1 was my only complete theme park free day. I started my journey in Bournemouth at 8am, taking the coach to Heathrow, then flying to Dusseldorf, before finally getting the train to Cologne for my first night stay just outside of the city centre.
Arriving into Cologne I decided to visit the Christmas Markets... On a Saturday... Near Christmas. This was a poor move. It was RAMMED. Rammed to the extent that it was no longer fun. I enjoyed seeing some of the stalls and ate some food, but ultimately I gave up and had dinner at a McDonalds rather than try and negotiate the chaos of the markets any longer.
Ultimately though, this was just a precursor to the big event...
Day 2 - Sunday - Phantasialand
After a patchy night of sleep (mostly due to excitement) I checked out of my Cologne hotel and made my way to the main event, Phantasialand and the Hotel Charles Lindbergh!
Taking the train and Phantasialand shuttle bus to the park, I arrived around 10:50am. My first task was to drop off my bag and pick up my tickets from the hotel.
My first impression was incredible. The hotel looks stunning. Walking through the lobby and reception area you capture glimpses of Rookburgh and FLY. The rumbling of the trains passing by echoes through the hallways and the gentle ambient music adds to the themed atmosphere. Checking in, the staff are very helpful and they explain the system for accessing the park and book in the dinner and breakfast reservations. I was initially a bit annoyed that the restaurant needed booking and worked with timeslots (my timeslot was 1 hour before park closing, so it meant that I lost time in the park), however this worry was unfounded, and actually I was glad to have this system. It was nice to have a guaranteed slot for dinner and meant the meals were more relaxing.
I dropped my bags off to the luggage area, but before I entered the park I decided to explore the hotel, which of course included that view.
Wow! I am a big fan of theming at theme parks, and I feel very confident in saying this is the best themed rollercoaster I have ever seen. Potential competitors include the Disney 'mountain' rides, and Taron at the very same park, but this view really just does it for me. It probably helps that I'm a big fan of steampunk theming, so maybe there's a bias.
Countless photos and videos later, I finally head down to the park around 11:30am to begin getting on some rides! Hotel Charles Lindbergh has its own private entrance to Rookburgh through which guests of the hotel can enter the park. A lovely elderly gentleman was checking the tickets on all the days I was here. A lovely man, but quite chatty, which slowed the queue of people getting in a little!
Despite entering the park in Rookburgh and exploring the area first, the first ride of the day was actually...
Taron
I'll voice a very 'basic' opinion here: Taron is a great ride. It's a bit of a boring opinion to have, but I think Taron is the best rollercoaster I have ridden. I'd ridden it in 2019 and my opinion formed very quickly that this was a very special ride. The level of theming around this ride is incredible. As you approach the ride the imposing grey rockwork looms large. The black track weaves chaotically through the rocks and rustic timber and stone buildings which form Klugheim. Though from the outside you can find vantage points where the coaster can be seen as a whole, approaching the entrance and through the queueline the layout feels like something of a mystery. Into the queue I go...
The first ride of the day had a queue was about 50 mins. It didn't feel like the best start to the riding day, but of course that feeling went away pretty quickly upon boarding.
The train exits the impeccably themed station accompanied by the dispatch theme before ramping up into the initial launch. Whilst not the fastest, the launch is still impressive, but not as impressive by what follows. The cars haul it through the layout, made of airtime hills and aggressively banked s-bends, all of which are thrilling, but particular praise goes to the two mind-blowing air-time hills which arrive shortly after the launches.
As the ride starts to lose some speed, the cars turn dive quickly into the highlight of the ride. The second launch is breathtaking. It is around 70 mph, but it feels like a hundread. Even just hearing the sound of that launch, the rasping and ominous buzz of the LSMs is enough to give my goosebumps. The launch is followed by an arching curve upwards, which then transforms into a weaving downward series of s-bends which are a perfect balance of weightlessness and speed. The rest of the layout is more of the same of the first half, with the only bad note being the trimmed camelback. This sole mood-killer doesn't last long as the final drop and turn into the breaks is still fantastic.
TL
R - Taron is great.
It's November, it's cold...do you know what would be a perfect follow-up to Taron.
Chiapas
Chiapas is one of my favourite rides in the world. I may enjoy coasters, but for me one of the truest expressions of joy at a theme park is a drop straight down into a trough of water...and there are few drops into troughs of water which are straight down as fast and steep as Chiapas. Is it perfect? No, if I'm being honest I feel like it could do with more dark ride 'scenes'. However, the things it does it does very well. The rockwork is great and there are plenty of drops. I love the trick tracks and switches, which really add a great spin on the classic log flume. The biggest shame in this world is that Intamin didn't sell more of these!
I anticipated that Phantasialand would do what Tokyo Disneyland do with their Splash Mountain and tone down the water splash during winter. They do not. I got very wet, but I'm ok with that.
With my two personal favourites out of the way, it was time to do the big new hotness...
FLY and Rookburgh
As I aluded to earlier, Rookburgh is phenomenal. There is theming everywhere, from the massive brick and iron structures surrounding the land to the little vents spouting steam there is detail everywhere. Each railing, each tube, each brick complements the area and the ambience. Even more impressive is the way FLY weaves in around all these details. The fact that a hotel is mixed into this is also incredible. It is stunning.
You might wonder about why I left FLY until later. I get motion sick, and I was warned by several people that FLY made them nauseous. So, I wanted to get Taron and Chiapas out of the way just in case the nausea set in. Taking my...err...stomach... into my own hands, I started queuing. I decided to queue for front row as I had heard that this was the best to avoid feeling sick.
The queue was about 30 mins, which is surprising as it would hit 60-80 mins for most of the day. I just got lucky this time! The queue and the music are fantastic. You get some amazing views of the ride and the tension really rises as you descend into the station. The station was really atmospheric. As the trains enter and depart the station the light changes, the sound effects play and the music blares into action. The loading process as well is so much better than other flying coasters. All in all a good start.
Boarding the front row, I nervously lowered the restraints. Barely a moment passed, and we were off. The train swiftly rounded the corner into the brief dark ride segment. Industrial walls are gently lit with coloured lights as holograms advertise steampunk products, followed by a bigger projection of a city scape as the train rises up from the underground. The train comfortably rotated around into the flying position and I was very impressed at how smooth the transition was.
In no time at all the first launch commenced. The train surged forward with some moderate forced and quickly began its rise upwards into the coaster layout. The ride is very impressive and highly enjoyable. It is the only flying coaster I've ridden which actually felt like I was flying. The ride has a great balance of forces, drops and even some mild airtime. The interaction with the scenery and the hotel is truly impressive, and the ride is a technical marvel.
As the ride returned to the station I felt a sense of elation and relief. The ride was great fun, and thankfully I did not feel sick. However, I can easily see how being in a later row or going on it when feeling slightly iffy could result in nausea. I really had to concentrate on facing forwards on the track in front of me to avoid feeling dizzy. It was worth it though, the ride is a triumph. All in all, this is now my second favourite coaster in the park.
The rest of the daylight hours were spent riding some of the smaller rides and re-riding some I'd already done. The park was very busy, and because I had ridden most things before I was an opportunist and simply rode things as they had short queue times:
Colorado Adventure - A fun mine train coaster. It's good fun, but it actively feels quite juddery and dated. I enjoyed it less than on previous visits.
Geister Rikscha - Phantasialand may make great new rides, but they do not maintain this one at all. It is broken and battered in so many ways. It did have a 0 minute queue though, and was dry and indoors, so it's a winner in my opinion.
Maus au Chocolate - When you ignore the oncoming carpal tunnel from tugging on the strings for the guns it's a fun ride! I like that the spaces between screens are all themed properly, and I much prefer it to most screen-based shooting rides.
Deep in Africa - Adventure Trail - This is a new for 2022 walkthrough in the Africa section. It provides some excellent views across Black Mamba and I was amazed at how dangerous some of the climbs felt. This was definitely not possible in the UK!
Raik - It's...fine. Perfectly functional vekoma family boomerang, but ultimately unremarkable beyond its setting amidst Klugheim.
As 3-4pm approached, I knew that next on my agenda would be the other thing I came here for: night rides. However, first I wanted to check in. I returned to the hotel (not that it's very far to walk), checked in and checked out the room! I am so impressed with the hotel. The entire complex is so detailed and has great views over Rookburgh.
The rooms themselves are no exception, with little flourishes throughout. The rooms are small, but not claustrophobic, though as I was travelling alone I would imagine staying with a second person might feel a bit more cosy. I slept very well both nights I was there.
Returning to the park after the sun had descended, I returned to a much busier park. Queues were in excess of 45-50 mins on the bigger rides, and it became apparent that I would not get many night rides in tonight.
I decided to prioritise...
Taron (night ride)
The big daddy had to be the first one didn't it. The queue was near an hour, sadly prohibitting other night rides given my booking for dinner. It was TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Wow. Taron at night is an absolute beast. The ride feels faster, more intense and more surprising than during the day. A phenomenal way to end my first day.
My first day was good, however it was a busy day, and you'll notice a lot of big rides missing. Black Mamba and Winjas would have to wait for Monday.
Returning to the hotel, I went to dinner at Uhrwerk. My first meal was lovely. It's not fine dining, but it was a filling meal and better than your regular theme park food. Following dinner I returned up to the viewing walkways to look down upon FLY before returning to my room to sleep off the day, in preparation for day 2 at Phantasialand.
First trip report here!
I've been to Phantasialand 3 times before (2012, 2014, 2019). My original plan was to do a big trip to Efteling, Phantasialand, Toverland and Europa Park with my brother in September 2020 for my 30th birthday. Would you believe it, that plan didn't work out! Unfortunately my usual theme park companions were unavailable, so this time I was theme-parking solo.
Because I was alone, and to treat myself after years of not going abroad, I decided to stay on site at the Hotel Charles Lindbergh. Additionally, to try and
Day 1 - Saturday - Cologne
Day 1 was my only complete theme park free day. I started my journey in Bournemouth at 8am, taking the coach to Heathrow, then flying to Dusseldorf, before finally getting the train to Cologne for my first night stay just outside of the city centre.
Arriving into Cologne I decided to visit the Christmas Markets... On a Saturday... Near Christmas. This was a poor move. It was RAMMED. Rammed to the extent that it was no longer fun. I enjoyed seeing some of the stalls and ate some food, but ultimately I gave up and had dinner at a McDonalds rather than try and negotiate the chaos of the markets any longer.
Ultimately though, this was just a precursor to the big event...
Day 2 - Sunday - Phantasialand
After a patchy night of sleep (mostly due to excitement) I checked out of my Cologne hotel and made my way to the main event, Phantasialand and the Hotel Charles Lindbergh!
Taking the train and Phantasialand shuttle bus to the park, I arrived around 10:50am. My first task was to drop off my bag and pick up my tickets from the hotel.
My first impression was incredible. The hotel looks stunning. Walking through the lobby and reception area you capture glimpses of Rookburgh and FLY. The rumbling of the trains passing by echoes through the hallways and the gentle ambient music adds to the themed atmosphere. Checking in, the staff are very helpful and they explain the system for accessing the park and book in the dinner and breakfast reservations. I was initially a bit annoyed that the restaurant needed booking and worked with timeslots (my timeslot was 1 hour before park closing, so it meant that I lost time in the park), however this worry was unfounded, and actually I was glad to have this system. It was nice to have a guaranteed slot for dinner and meant the meals were more relaxing.
I dropped my bags off to the luggage area, but before I entered the park I decided to explore the hotel, which of course included that view.
Wow! I am a big fan of theming at theme parks, and I feel very confident in saying this is the best themed rollercoaster I have ever seen. Potential competitors include the Disney 'mountain' rides, and Taron at the very same park, but this view really just does it for me. It probably helps that I'm a big fan of steampunk theming, so maybe there's a bias.
Countless photos and videos later, I finally head down to the park around 11:30am to begin getting on some rides! Hotel Charles Lindbergh has its own private entrance to Rookburgh through which guests of the hotel can enter the park. A lovely elderly gentleman was checking the tickets on all the days I was here. A lovely man, but quite chatty, which slowed the queue of people getting in a little!
Despite entering the park in Rookburgh and exploring the area first, the first ride of the day was actually...
Taron
I'll voice a very 'basic' opinion here: Taron is a great ride. It's a bit of a boring opinion to have, but I think Taron is the best rollercoaster I have ridden. I'd ridden it in 2019 and my opinion formed very quickly that this was a very special ride. The level of theming around this ride is incredible. As you approach the ride the imposing grey rockwork looms large. The black track weaves chaotically through the rocks and rustic timber and stone buildings which form Klugheim. Though from the outside you can find vantage points where the coaster can be seen as a whole, approaching the entrance and through the queueline the layout feels like something of a mystery. Into the queue I go...
The first ride of the day had a queue was about 50 mins. It didn't feel like the best start to the riding day, but of course that feeling went away pretty quickly upon boarding.
The train exits the impeccably themed station accompanied by the dispatch theme before ramping up into the initial launch. Whilst not the fastest, the launch is still impressive, but not as impressive by what follows. The cars haul it through the layout, made of airtime hills and aggressively banked s-bends, all of which are thrilling, but particular praise goes to the two mind-blowing air-time hills which arrive shortly after the launches.
As the ride starts to lose some speed, the cars turn dive quickly into the highlight of the ride. The second launch is breathtaking. It is around 70 mph, but it feels like a hundread. Even just hearing the sound of that launch, the rasping and ominous buzz of the LSMs is enough to give my goosebumps. The launch is followed by an arching curve upwards, which then transforms into a weaving downward series of s-bends which are a perfect balance of weightlessness and speed. The rest of the layout is more of the same of the first half, with the only bad note being the trimmed camelback. This sole mood-killer doesn't last long as the final drop and turn into the breaks is still fantastic.
TL
R - Taron is great.It's November, it's cold...do you know what would be a perfect follow-up to Taron.
Chiapas
Chiapas is one of my favourite rides in the world. I may enjoy coasters, but for me one of the truest expressions of joy at a theme park is a drop straight down into a trough of water...and there are few drops into troughs of water which are straight down as fast and steep as Chiapas. Is it perfect? No, if I'm being honest I feel like it could do with more dark ride 'scenes'. However, the things it does it does very well. The rockwork is great and there are plenty of drops. I love the trick tracks and switches, which really add a great spin on the classic log flume. The biggest shame in this world is that Intamin didn't sell more of these!
I anticipated that Phantasialand would do what Tokyo Disneyland do with their Splash Mountain and tone down the water splash during winter. They do not. I got very wet, but I'm ok with that.
With my two personal favourites out of the way, it was time to do the big new hotness...
FLY and Rookburgh
As I aluded to earlier, Rookburgh is phenomenal. There is theming everywhere, from the massive brick and iron structures surrounding the land to the little vents spouting steam there is detail everywhere. Each railing, each tube, each brick complements the area and the ambience. Even more impressive is the way FLY weaves in around all these details. The fact that a hotel is mixed into this is also incredible. It is stunning.
You might wonder about why I left FLY until later. I get motion sick, and I was warned by several people that FLY made them nauseous. So, I wanted to get Taron and Chiapas out of the way just in case the nausea set in. Taking my...err...stomach... into my own hands, I started queuing. I decided to queue for front row as I had heard that this was the best to avoid feeling sick.
The queue was about 30 mins, which is surprising as it would hit 60-80 mins for most of the day. I just got lucky this time! The queue and the music are fantastic. You get some amazing views of the ride and the tension really rises as you descend into the station. The station was really atmospheric. As the trains enter and depart the station the light changes, the sound effects play and the music blares into action. The loading process as well is so much better than other flying coasters. All in all a good start.
Boarding the front row, I nervously lowered the restraints. Barely a moment passed, and we were off. The train swiftly rounded the corner into the brief dark ride segment. Industrial walls are gently lit with coloured lights as holograms advertise steampunk products, followed by a bigger projection of a city scape as the train rises up from the underground. The train comfortably rotated around into the flying position and I was very impressed at how smooth the transition was.
In no time at all the first launch commenced. The train surged forward with some moderate forced and quickly began its rise upwards into the coaster layout. The ride is very impressive and highly enjoyable. It is the only flying coaster I've ridden which actually felt like I was flying. The ride has a great balance of forces, drops and even some mild airtime. The interaction with the scenery and the hotel is truly impressive, and the ride is a technical marvel.
As the ride returned to the station I felt a sense of elation and relief. The ride was great fun, and thankfully I did not feel sick. However, I can easily see how being in a later row or going on it when feeling slightly iffy could result in nausea. I really had to concentrate on facing forwards on the track in front of me to avoid feeling dizzy. It was worth it though, the ride is a triumph. All in all, this is now my second favourite coaster in the park.
The rest of the daylight hours were spent riding some of the smaller rides and re-riding some I'd already done. The park was very busy, and because I had ridden most things before I was an opportunist and simply rode things as they had short queue times:
Colorado Adventure - A fun mine train coaster. It's good fun, but it actively feels quite juddery and dated. I enjoyed it less than on previous visits.
Geister Rikscha - Phantasialand may make great new rides, but they do not maintain this one at all. It is broken and battered in so many ways. It did have a 0 minute queue though, and was dry and indoors, so it's a winner in my opinion.
Maus au Chocolate - When you ignore the oncoming carpal tunnel from tugging on the strings for the guns it's a fun ride! I like that the spaces between screens are all themed properly, and I much prefer it to most screen-based shooting rides.
Deep in Africa - Adventure Trail - This is a new for 2022 walkthrough in the Africa section. It provides some excellent views across Black Mamba and I was amazed at how dangerous some of the climbs felt. This was definitely not possible in the UK!
Raik - It's...fine. Perfectly functional vekoma family boomerang, but ultimately unremarkable beyond its setting amidst Klugheim.
As 3-4pm approached, I knew that next on my agenda would be the other thing I came here for: night rides. However, first I wanted to check in. I returned to the hotel (not that it's very far to walk), checked in and checked out the room! I am so impressed with the hotel. The entire complex is so detailed and has great views over Rookburgh.
The rooms themselves are no exception, with little flourishes throughout. The rooms are small, but not claustrophobic, though as I was travelling alone I would imagine staying with a second person might feel a bit more cosy. I slept very well both nights I was there.
Returning to the park after the sun had descended, I returned to a much busier park. Queues were in excess of 45-50 mins on the bigger rides, and it became apparent that I would not get many night rides in tonight.
I decided to prioritise...
Taron (night ride)
The big daddy had to be the first one didn't it. The queue was near an hour, sadly prohibitting other night rides given my booking for dinner. It was TOTALLY WORTH IT.
Wow. Taron at night is an absolute beast. The ride feels faster, more intense and more surprising than during the day. A phenomenal way to end my first day.
My first day was good, however it was a busy day, and you'll notice a lot of big rides missing. Black Mamba and Winjas would have to wait for Monday.
Returning to the hotel, I went to dinner at Uhrwerk. My first meal was lovely. It's not fine dining, but it was a filling meal and better than your regular theme park food. Following dinner I returned up to the viewing walkways to look down upon FLY before returning to my room to sleep off the day, in preparation for day 2 at Phantasialand.
Attachments
Last edited:
