European Theme Parks Are Next Level!

[@ReviewTyme]

Hey friends. I’m Dom, the writer and producer of the video. I want to apologise for two glaring mistakes in this video. The first is that I refer to Europe as not being part of the western world. The second is mentioning that Phantasialand is in rural Germany. Both of these are frankly not true. I’m sorry for any confusion caused by them and thank all the people who have taken the time to correct me in the comments. My intention for this video was to showcase the amazing theme parks found across Europe. I hope that with these two comments omitted that I’ve still managed to pull that off!

[@myra0224]

it's just a bit sad that it took you half a year to address this and realise your mistake...

[@ReviewTyme]

@@myra0224 I agree, I did take too long. That’s on me. I’ve been meaning to write this for a while, but I have difficulty with confrontation. It’s something I’m working on improving, as well as my research, and will take with me into the future.

[@slimray5681]

@@myra0224 what are you on about?... "Sad"? give me a break... what's sad is you care so much.. and to hold on some type of resentment towards this content creator for 6 months over it. that's what's sad, look in the mirror bud.

[@UncleSkiBum]

Fair enough, if you make it over to the UK I'll happily take you to UK park and show you some British hospitality on this other part of the western world.

[@myra0224]

@@slimray5681 I got a notif that he reacted on a comment I commented on today. I watched this video 5 days ago or so at most? Like, I'm glad they apologised, but it did take them 6 months to do so. I'm sure they'll grow and will reflect immediately if something like this happens in the future. Aren't you coming back here after 6 months then too? Unless you're European and got harmed by what he said, they shut your mouth please

[@ft4709]

„In the middle of nowhere“ isn’t exactly how I‘d describe „on the outskirts of Germany‘s 4th largest city and adjacent to a metropolitan area with more than 10 million inhabitants“

[@TripleTSingt]

yep ^^

[@klobiforpresident2254]

As someone from the outskirts of Germany's fourth largest city and adjacent yo a metropolitan area with more than ten million inhabitants I have to agree. Hardly Highgate-upon-Nowhere, rural England (population : sheep). On the other hand I suppose the impression of "middle of nowhere" can be created by the lack of sprawl around it, which would be typical for a U.S. place (I assume someone who contrasts "the West" and "Europe" is American).

[@5thElem3nt]

Haha, yeah. And with Belgium and the Netherlands to the west, Phantasialand is right in the center of Europe's most populated area. By American standards: It's right in the backyard of 20-30 million people.

[@klobiforpresident2254]

@M E Should have said great Britain, the U.K. might mean you're from the Bounty!

[@ReviewTyme]

I agree, I made a mistake with this one. Making this from Australia it was very hard for me to get a sense of scale. I’m sorry for making that mistake. Hopefully I can visit soon to get a better sense of place. - Dom

[@randomnickify]

You missed one thing: we get thing called "Winter" here meaning most (if not all) our parks are seasonal, open only 6 months per year and that impacts attendance. I'm honestly impressed our parks are growing that fast with only half year of operation time.

[@ReviewTyme]

This is actually a great point that I never put two and two together. It’s very impressive that the parks are doing as well as they are when the elements are fighting against them for half the year.

[@mstrmren]

@@ReviewTyme Major parks, including Efteling, Phantadialand and Europa Park are open in the winter with special events. Some rides may close, but Phantasialand and Europa Park are just closed 2 or 3 months a year I think, and Efteling is open every day of the year.

[@jsplit9716]

@@mstrmren The attendance in winter will still be lower due to the fact that it's still quite expensive to go there and not even being able to enjoy all the rides.

[@mstrmren]

@@jsplit9716 From my experience Phantasialand is way busier in the Winter than in the Summer.

[@jsplit9716]

@@mstrmren It probably mostly seems that way because due to rides being shut downther's no one in the queue for those rides.

[@svenlakemeier]

Wait, did you contrast "the western world" and "europe" as if they were separate things? That's an interesting take.

[@romainthblt]

interesting as in wrong?

[@monicap7941]

@@romainthblt Totally wrong. Europe is the original West for God's sake. It is very much at the heart of the Western world.

[@thegatewaytoprestige]

@@monicap7941 Is it?

[@romainthblt]

@@monicap7941 "Interesting as in wrong", literally meaning excluding Europe from the Western world is wrong; we agree here...

[@romainthblt]

@@thegatewaytoprestige yes, in every customary definition Western world would definitely include Europe, it actually used to be Europe only as opposed other known continents.

[@AVdE10000]

From personal experience, theme parks are seen as a lesser form of holiday destination in Europe; going as far as "you're in this country/region, and you want to waste a day on a freaking theme park?" types of conversations (I've had that conversation many times, and have had to visit amazing parks by myself because my traveling companions weren't interested). With the exception of Disneyland and maybe Europa Park, you don't really go out of your way to visit a theme park which for the most part locks you to ones you can drive to, visit and drive back home from on the same day. Europe just doesn't have the same theme park/roller coaster culture that the US seems to have, so you have to attract guests with beautiful, relaxing scenery rather than loud in your face advertising or record breaking rides that very little people care about over here also you're right, you slaughtered quite some names in this video ;)

[@user-tt5xj5ib1e]

Europe is an adventure park ...... why would you need one :)

[@Sennahoj_DE_RLP]

I have been three times on a 2 day trip to Legoland Günzburg and will go once again end of may.

[@YeeSoest]

I agree with the general idea although the real truth seems to be somewhere in the middle if you look at the numbers. It's like Supercar culture. Not as in your face as in America but if you go to the Nürburgring or a big event and count the supercars...it's always a lot more than you'd expect for a rainy Wednesday in Europe. Same for Coasterheads, there are at least 50 major clubs for folks dedicated to travelling to these parks all season long if you google for them. I know ... still a niche and still not as common and prevalent and in the public eye as America but closer than we think. 😅

[@ChristianJiang]

Re: the argument that Europeans live closer to many theme parks and that most of them are just a cheap flight away… I think you’re applying an American/Australian perception of distance to the European environment. As a European, EuropaPark in Germany and Efteling in the Netherlands are sooo far away!! Even though the tickets might not be super expensive, the idea of going all the way there is already overwhelming enough

[@tirzahsnel7454]

I am from the netherlands and going to the efteling soon. Without the car going to the eftelimh costs us p.p about €25,-. It is a 2-3 hour journey. So even for me the efteling is far away😅

[@ChristianJiang]

@@tirzahsnel7454 Yeah I’m from Italy and going to Gardaland (the closest theme park) is a super big thing, with train tickets (or 3 hour long car ride)… And I’ve never been to the other theme parks in Italy!

[@RahLeone]

In the US some of us will travel from state-to-state like it's nothing in our car. I guess it really is a big difference in how we think about travel/distance

[@myra0224]

@@RahLeone definitely. There's so much stuff that isn't accurate in this video, it shouldn't even be up anymore (or at least he should apologise for stuff he said... Like that Europe isn't the western world, when it was the original "West")

[@ReviewTyme]

You’re absolutely right, and I need to consider my POV moving forward. I regularly need to visit Sydney which is a two and half hour drive for me and that genuinely feels like nothing. My nearest theme park is 8 hours drive, so seeing so many only an hour or two from each other is pretty crazy to me.

[@freundlichermensch7540]

I would argue, a strong factor are building requirements. No theme Park is allowed to build whatever they want, they have a list of restrictions. It could be noise or height restriction. The reason why Phantasiland and Alton Towers first dig a hole before building a Coaster is exactly that. Phantasialand is located next to neighborhoods and a wildlife protected area, so everything they do has to get a permission, and Noise is a HUGE Factor. All the theming around F.L.Y or Taron is a "hidden" noise barrier. I don't wanna get political, but restrictions lead to more innovation, you cant just build taller/faster, you have to work around and make the best you can, rather than just scale it up. Think about Formula Rossa, does anyone really cares about it?

[@frida507]

Didn't know that but it makes a lot of sense.

[@Telris86]

In my opinion especially Phantasialand wouldn't be what it is today without those complicated restrictions given the parks location. So yes, the restrictions can be a good thing but you also need good management and especially a great creative team to truly shine given the restrictions.

[@thepinapplefruit1216]

Yes, it's just so bad, the peoples who live around the phantasialand always say: OHH, it's tooo loud od oh, don't do this, that's just so BAD

[@agent_277]

​@@thepinapplefruit1216 True. And the most frustrating thing about that is, that this living area was build there AFTER Phantasialand was opened. Phantasialand was first, the residence SECOND. And then they have audacity to complain about the noise of an amusement. IT'S AN AMUSEMENT PARK! IT'S WHAT THEY DO! Imagine a farmer doing his work somewhere in the middle of nowhere and then some people decide to build their houses right next to it and then complain about the noises of the tractors. Oh lord... 🤦‍♀️

[@jackback70]

That's so true, compared to parks in Europe, Six Flags LA's "Superman coaster" was probably one of the loudest things I ever heard in my life. I still have tinitus from it

[@medea27]

So refreshing to see the European parks getting the limelight they deserve! 🤍 The irony is that a lot of the original Disney IP was heavily based on European stories... just drastically toned down for American audiences. From Cinderella to Sleeping Beauty to Pinocchio.... many Disney stories derived from old European folk & fairy tales and stories from the likes of the Brothers Grimm, Jules Verne & Rudyard Kipling. So when you know the rich history of storytelling & folklore in Europe it's no surprise that their theme parks deliver such a colourful, unique experience!

[@rct800]

Fantastic video, you nailed a lot of things! One more aspect about european family owned parks: They really care about the experience itself, not about the commercial aspect of adding IPs like Disney. That is a very strong difference! Disney might try to convince guests that they care about the experience but let's be real here: Essentially all these IPs are methods to make a lot of money from merch, food and other additonal offerings. In parks like Phantasialand they care about the attractions itself, the quality of the product is the key selling point and not which IP makes the most money!

[@blank352]

Very good point. It’s almost like I wish Americans could stop consuming so much of the IP’s in theme parks. A lot of people go to parks like Disney just to buy the food or the merch and don’t even ride the rides, which means Disney will spend more on that then making actual, well thought out unique rides with high capacity etc.

[@Weejag]

ohhh. to

[@LoonyToony]

(coughs) thorpe park (coughs)

[@kevb7451]

THANK YOU! Disney has been overdoing the IPs in the parks and its so sad because they are truly at their best when they do original things.

[@ravenmusic932]

It's always the same: make a good product, genuinely care about it, then people will love you and be loyal. If you only care for the money, you will lose your customers sooner or later.

[@HalfBewolktBestondAl]

Great video, but I wouldn't say Phantasialand is in 'rural Germany' lol It's just outside of Cologne (population: 1.1M) and in a relatively central location in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area (population: 10M)

[@Aelsenaer]

I agree with your statement. As a Dutchy I have a different idea about rural. Phantasialand is a stone's throw from Germany's most densely populated areas.

[@timmy2870]

I was thinking the same.

[@brittariedel3446]

Phantasisland is not in the central of the Rhine-Ruhr Area. It is on the most far away south western edge. The center would be somewhere like Düsseldorf or Essen... we live at the eastern end of the Ruhrgebiet and travel 1,5 hours to Phantasialand, IF the Autobahn is free. Movie Park eg is much closer... however Phantasialand is amazing and worth going the distance, but it is not central at all.

[@rachelcookie321]

Yea, I just looked it up and was expecting it to be in the middle of nowhere but it’s right outside cologne!

[@Blast2224]

Europe: Crafts beautifully decorated roller coasters with fully realized storylines and theming contained to the ride itself. America: Six Flags pooped another clone into their parking lot this summer.

[@BackSeatJunkie]

giggles........ yes, Six Flags did that. The Six Flags near my home town removed an enterprise and two years later added an endeavor. HAHAHA Technically, the EXACT same ride. but the marketing about the "new" ride was overhyped and unwarranted.

[@rachelcookie321]

At least America has theme parks. New Zealand has one theme park that only has one rollercoaster. Six flags sounds great to me.

[@jamescain9464]

seaworld and paramount used to be the best at this outside of disney but lately meh

[@revimfadli4666]

@@rachelcookie321 I wonder if Transmart's "coaster-gimmick supermarket" business model would work in NZ

[@rachelcookie321]

@@revimfadli4666 and what exactly is that business model?

[@blank352]

Very great topic. I’m from the USA but seeing European park vlogs on KZbin I notice that their local parks care a lot more about theming then the USA local parks. They include bonus rides like dark rides or mad houses, indoor attractions with stories and that is cool!

[@SirBlackReeds]

Funny, one European native in the comments section stated that it's the opposite, that European theme parks are more haphazard with their theming instead of making sure that the entire park's theming is cohesive.

[@blank352]

@@SirBlackReeds Yes I see what you mean. Like maybe European parks don’t really have themed lands but instead just sort of theme each ride. I think it still works for them, since they for the most part consider the theming and story for the ride still. Even if it isn’t a coherent park, confidently pound for pound one could say they theme each ride overall better than the USA parks. Great point and I agree with that !

[@Fromfieldds]

The Efteling is a theme park I would go to yearly with my family. It still is my favorite theme park I’ve ever been to. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the Netherlands or Belgium!!

[@Coasterrestrepeat]

We do an annual Efteling pilgrimage too (from the UK) & stop off at Plopsaland on the way back to do RTH 🎉🎉

[@PaddletailPhilly]

From what I've seen of them on KZbin, I can definitely say theme parks in Europe add to the continent's aforementioned man-made beauty.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I believe it's important that parks like this get more exposure. A theme park is not just some cheaply incorporated IP being thrown into unfulfilling experiences. If people wanted that, they wouldn't have paid the money to visit an immersive, transformational place that acts almost as a work of art. As we see Disney moving away from what made them special, other parks and especially European ones, are starting to catch people's attention. How could corporate laziness compete with the charm of Efteling or the theming of Phantasialand?

[@BritAcrossThePond]

US theme parks are holiday destinations especially in Florida. With the amount of paid time off Europeans get they mostly want to travel so theme parks in Europe are more of a day trip thing

[@Daniel-nt5gh]

And people in Europe prefer culture or football events over theme parks, there are considered for the teens or kids liking more than anything. If a family goes to Paris, you can bet most of families prefer his kids to go to the Louvre or Versailles than to see Mickey Mouse, or enjoy some French cuisine rather that having overpriced hamburgers or hot dogs as meal options. Let's be honest, what would you prefer? To see a recreation of a European fantasy castle or to visit the real castle?. American like theme parks work really well in places where there is no option, nothing else to see or visit, where there is no millenia of culture. And that is why European parks are more center focus on a day visit for the locals more than expecting someone to travel to see it.

[@joswonderland]

This video actually made me pretty emotional. I'm Dutch myself , and I'm so Incredibly proud and lucky to have grown up with so many of these parks.they all have a wonderful sense of charm to them, while also maintaining the thrill most of us love. They are catered to everyone, and tell wonderful, innovative stories through the form of rides and attractions. I love them so so much, and I'm really grateful so many non-europeans think the same thing about it. Thank you.

[@flintwolf3951]

Its great that a small country like the netherlands still has 3 high quality theme parks in efteling, walibi holland and the most underrated: toverland. Not so bad to live here for theme parks

[@joswonderland]

@@flintwolf3951 yess I know right!! Completely agreed :D I'm grateful to have grown up here

[@jarmoliebrand2005]

I’m Dutch and I visit Efteling at least once a year. I prefer theme parks over amusement parks. Great atmosphere with occasionally good coasters make for a better experience than great coasters with an occasional good atmosphere, in my opinion. A park like Efteling is a complete package. A few coasters, most of which can be enjoyed by the entire family, immersive darkrides, in which you will likely see something new everything you ride it, great music, both in the foreground and background, innovation and uniqueness (look at Villa Volta (first Vekoma madhouse and the fairytale forest, a unique core of the park), good storytelling and finally, there is a lot of greenery. Even the biggest thrill coaster is heavily themed, and more of an overall experience rather than unique thrills.

[@SEEKINGTHETHRILL]

Happy to be a Theme Park enthusiast living in Europe ❤️

[@StijnSchurkens]

🥳

[@BassGuitarSlide]

Oh yeah, me too :)

[@ryz.n6383]

I live 1 hour away from Europa Park and go there a few times a year, its awesome here.

[@starlit-rain]

Same, I live about an hour away from Phantasialand

[@RankingTheMouse]

This is legitimately one of the best videos in all of theme park YT. Seriously fantastic. Incredibly well done Dom.

[@ninjetti9898]

I second that notion

[@nathanielburbery4890]

Agreed

[@ThemePark-TV]

Best. Video. Ever. I wished more people did videos on the ‘business’ behind theme parks!

[@user-ls3mm5il8s]

100% agree

[@joppe98]

completely agree with that. Good job Dom, beautiful video

[@DjM1k4]

You nailed it. The funny/sad thing is, I live in an about 2-3 hours drive from Europapark. I visited this park last time in 2007. In the meantime, I have been 3 times in Orlando. Before Covid hit last year I planed to go back to Europapark and even get an Anual Pass… maybe next year. 😅

[@martinrotvig]

2-3 hours travel is a lot for most Europeans. But being from Germany, that’s not an excuse you can use 😂

[@DjM1k4]

@@martinrotvig where I live, everything is at least 2 hours away. The next bigger Airport, the next bigger city, or the Europapark. 😅 But if you compare the 10 hour flight to Orlando, that‘s no time. In my excuse, two of the three Orlando visits were job related, but I used the trips anyway to visit some themeparks. 😅

[@martinrotvig]

@@DjM1k4 you Germans just on average have to drive longer so are more used to it. If Danes have to travel 3 hours within the country, we kind of want an extended weekend for it. Or it will feel like we did nothing else than drive 😂

[@leDespicable]

@@martinrotvig That's the same for Germans as well. Just because the country is bigger doesn't mean we travel longer distances lol. A 3 hour trip definitely also isn't worth it for many people unless they spend multiple days at their destination.

[@coatr5624]

0:20 I definitely disagree with this statement. Phantasialand is located just 30 min. from Cologne, a city with over a Million inhabitants.

[@aarons0683]

Phantasialand is in a region which has more than 15 Million inhabitants (The most densely populated part of Germany)… so it’s not in the middle of nowhere

[@upsidedown_]

I am so happy this vdieo exists and respect, i am so tired off most USA enthousiasts bashing on Europe and it even came so bad i started to hate them, it's refreshing to see someone that cares and respects us and our parks... also Europe is getting a lot off new coasters next years because i truly believe zadra/untamed/trth/kondaa started a Europian coaster war.

[@BassGuitarSlide]

Thanks for this great video! As a German theme park enthusiast, I think it's funny that many people think that only in the US there are great parks and consider the local parks as childish... Over the last years, we got some awesome new rollercoasters and themed rides :)

[@ThrillCentral]

Having been to five Euro parks I can say this about EU vs US- uniqueness/speciality vs structured. The great thing about euro parks is everything you highlighted. Family owned parks help create a lot of these unique experiences. Lots of innovation happens here first. Some parks have government funding. Parks have their own individual charm. However, US parkgoers may assume some things that aren't true that I'd like to highlight. First off, transportation kinda stinks when it comes to getting to these parks in the middle of nowhere. Trains and flights are great, but getting from stations to parks in small towns can be tricky and possibly impossible without a car. Also, while some parks tend to be better than others, staff and operations tend to lack compared to typical US chain parks. Some parks like the Merlin parks and Europa are better, but typically a lot of those smaller private parks need lots of operation improvements in order. Great video and I think it's awesome to see a big chanel spread word of parks like phantasialand, entering, and port Aventura. Europe has a lot of great an unique experiences to offer, it's just they need to work on the infrastructure a little bit

[@crytocc]

While I partly agree about the operations point, it's also important to remember that because the attendance is lower, it's often simply less important to have perfectly smooth operations - the bigger parks _do_ tend to have smooth operations. And that loose approach to operations does also come with its own benefits; for example, when it's quiet in a smaller park, an operator is very likely to just let you do another ride without going through the queue again, whereas that would be difficult in a more rigid operations structure because those are heavily procedure-based. I'm actually curious what parks you're thinking of with bad transportation - all the parks I've ever been to (with perhaps the exception of Thorpe) have offered a reasonably reliable bus service from a nearby train station, though admittedly I don't travel outside of the Netherlands much.

[@ae_drags9618]

This video is a great insight into European theme parks and considering I live in uk it’s interesting to see America look on our theme parks. I have been to quite a few theme parks and it really made me realise how different the USA and the European parks differ.

[@egel7736]

This video truly is US centrism embodied, lol. First the comments about Europe not belonging to the West, then claiming that Phantasialand is in rural Germany…

[@timmy2870]

I've rarely felt so proud to be European❤️

[@JamesonThomas24]

“It’s my video and I can do what I want.” Mood

[@fretbrner]

Hate to nitpick mate but you keep referencing the western world, like the US is the western world. Last time I checked,the Majority of Europe, including Poland and Germany, are considered the western world ;)

[@tulinfirenze1990]

These two guys have some strange gaps in their knowledge. At a basic level, please listen to somebody else "Tivoli Gardens", so you know how to pronounce "Tivoli" correctly. Meanwhile, don't even get me started on "Cha-PECK".

[@MarceldeJong]

@@tulinfirenze1990 or the pronunciation of “Walibi” (hint to the host: it does not rhyme with alibi)

[@amossutandi]

europe is the west, and when europeans colonised america and australia, they became part of the west as well)))

[@peter5486]

Tomb Blaster is hilarious as an option but you've got everything else spot on. Theme Parks in Europe are brilliant and they put a lot of effort in. Some absolutely gorgeous parks out there not mentioned too like Nigloland and Parc Asterix in France, and Plopsaland in Belgium. Great video though, and you made me laugh for the reason for including the UK 😂

[@mavisintheworld8972]

Indeed, Tomb Blaster is knackered. I was waiting for Piraten in Batavia to get a mention, Haha!

[@flintwolf3951]

And plopsaland has one of the best coasters ever in the ride to happiness, that thing is a work of art

[@sgl0d10n]

“For most people, Europe is really really far away” 💀💀 what?

[@filleis6374]

A thing to remember aswell is that while yes, everything is quite close together there is quite a big factor which american parks dont really have to think about. That being the language barriers between countries that make it necessary atleast someone in your group knows fluent english or the countries majority language. Also people very much tend to go to their countries theme parks instead of ones outside.

[@raphaelnowicki9701]

I'm from Germany and we have so many small and big parks like you said. All of them are designed with love and as you said to flee out of the "normal" life. But I also have to say, that many people don't go to amusement parks, even though I don't know why. Many people here have the dream to go to the USA just for Disney Parks or new York. Same as I have. It was a very informative video and seriously the best and most objective video I have seen on KZbin. Go on like this 👍

[@Melissakamper]

I’ve lived in New York all my life and my dream is to travel all around Europe lol. I just like the irony behind this and had to reply! 😉

[@sevendam9070]

the Efteling is actually so old (1951) that even Walt Disney himself did pick some thing up from it before he started doing theme parks.

[@leophyte9663]

That's tivoli gardens you're talking about there, not efteling

[@sevendam9070]

@@leophyte9663 What makes you say that?

[@leophyte9663]

@@sevendam9070 Well efteling was barely a theme park when it opened in 1952 and more of an outdoor fairytale museum, while tivoli which opened in 43 was way closer to our modern definition of a theme park. Plus, walt disney was inspired by tivoli for disneyland, and I couldn't find anything online about him visiting efteling

[@TheRealColonel]

​@@leophyte9663 for disneyland paris he did visit Efteling to rake inspiration and efteling even helped with some technical aspects etc. i saw a documentary about it a while ago

[@leophyte9663]

@@TheRealColonel ooh ok

[@queenofcamp832]

This might be your best video to date. As a Brit, thanks for shedding some light on theme parks our side of the pond! I love Disney and Universal as much as the next guy, but it's nice to be reminded of the treasures on my doorstep :)

[@gabrielperurena6013]

Bro Efteling and Energylandia are pretty much opposites in every way.

[@FantasKanal]

I live in northern germany. Both Hansapark and Heidepark are basically a daytrip. Went to hansapar a few times with friends, but we never stayed a night, always went home in the evening.

[@RGamePlayXtreme]

Amazing video! I completely agree with the ease of travel. I live in a town in the north-east of Belgium, right next to the border with the Netherlands and Germany. I live within an hour of Toverland and Phantasialand (which is my second favourite park behind Disneyland Paris), and within 2.5 hours of Plopsaland de Panne (very underrated by people outside of Belgium, it has an incredible coaster and great theming), and Efteling. And I live 4 hours away from Disneyland Paris, which feels like a lot for a lot of people here, but it's still nowhere near as long of a drive as some americans have to do to go to a good park. The only point in the video I kinda disagree with is the competition. There is some of course, but a lot of parks (like Efteling, Toverland or Phantasialand) mostly do their own thing without trying to be better than the competition. It only really applies to parks that want to beat Disneyland Paris (like PortAventura and Europa Park), and parks that focus mostly on coasters (like the Walibi parks) As for theming, you are spot on. What a lot of people here consider to be "ugly parks" are usually still really nice and clean.

[@upsidedown_]

1hour from phantasialand your lucky, well i am only 50minutes from plopsaland :P

[@Robbedem]

don't forget Bobbejaanland and Walibi.

[@myra0224]

@@Robbedem Walibi is pretty meh with themes, it's quite boring (been there less than a month ago and it's just messy with only a handful of well-designed themes)

[@HarJBeRw]

Am I the only one who was getting an eye twitch every time he mentionned the "western world" in opposition to "Europe"? ^^

[@kmeanxneth]

no

[@rosshorn4620]

This video was a bresh of fresh air. 😉

[@ReviewTyme]

I knew somebody would call me out on this ;)

[@myra0224]

@@ReviewTyme so you can reply to this but not to all the comments talking about the inaccuracies and straight-up looking down on Europe? You're acting as if we aren't the Western World, act as if the US doesn't have free travel between states (exact same thing as the free traveling in EU countries) and so much more. If you want to praise our parks, then don't look down on us

[@fernisaperson]

I hope Disney and Universal step up their game and use these parks as inspiration... less dominated by the monetary benefits of IP to funnel money from their guest's pockets, but more interested in creating amazing experiences. Seeing new leadership from these companies would be a welcome change to really make these parks into what they could be

[@aaronlimitless]

problem with US parks are most are owned by public companys whos numeber one goal is make money vs Europes parks look at silver dollar city in the US that park is beautful family owned great rides a small park but built right into the ozark mountains so its deff possible to do! i think disney will tone down IP eventually but itll be awhile and i think US consumers wants more variety then quality thous why the parks are they way they are they just want the rides and at cheap prices and dont care about the ascetics of the park. But at least America has what a few hundred parks too though..

[@katschaccc]

Yeah I love my home parks phantasialand and Sound Halloween movie park germany. But also toverland in the Netherlands. Within 4-6hours you can reach heide Park , europa park, holiday Park, almost any Park in germany and the Netherlands it's a dream for any theme Park Fan.

[@frontrowviews]

My man really just said that Phantasialand is in “rural Germany” despite it being in the 10M metropolitan area of Köln, Dusseldorf and Dortmund. Even the Disney parks in Florida are more rural than that

[@chrisogrady28]

Americans referring to Europe like it's a collective is always funny to us Europeans

[@ravenwing199]

Europeans calling Aussies Americans is never anything other than funny.

[@TigressUnicorn]

It's been over 20 years since I last went to Phantasialand and Europa Park (on school trips) and I barely recognise them anymore! They have come on soooooo far and I can't wait to get back to them.

[@no_george]

There’s a stawberry themed theme park in Germany called Karl’s. It’s really good

[@RodrigoColimodio]

Like, they don't cost $150 per ticket with really quality and improvement over time.

[@rct800]

Exactly, why should you pay 150 Dollars just for the IPs of Disney when you can get amazing theming and even better, more thrilling attractions at Europa Park or Phantasialand for not even half the price.

[@SirBlackReeds]

@@rct800 Well, there's the cost of airplane travel and a hotel. Local travel is going to be cheaper than international travel, is it not?

[@kevinkrupski246]

The thing is the US has a population of over 340 million. No passports or customs needed for them and the Universal Studios and Disney Rescorts are located in two areas that have a year round warm climate. They homstly don't need the international tourists to come in to support them. My guess is this is not the case for the European markets that have to be cheaper to get people from saving up to go to those US parks.

[@amossutandi]

@@kevinkrupski246 european union has a population of half a billion, and intra visa free travel. plus public transport is better and cheaper and the entrance, accomodation and catering at the themeparks are half or less than euro disney, let alone american themeparks.

[@myra0224]

@@kevinkrupski246 Euh, our parks are very expensive too. A ticket for Walibi Belgium is literally €45 which is wayyyyyy too much. Besides, Europe has a bigger population than the US and we have mostly border-less travel as well

[@ChWolf-ps6jn]

Hint: the entery to phantasialand in germany is free if its your birthday. You just have to show theme your passport and you'll get a free ticket.

[@callum7039]

Didn't realise Europe wasnt in the western world 😅 Also, the UK is part of the continent of Europe just not a member of the EU anymore

[@louiswright8282]

No matter how big, crazy, or how high quality Disney World and Universal are, they will never beat my Home Theme Parks, Drayton Manor, and Alton Towers because they lack an incredibly important piece of context that most European Parks do hold. Charm. They have no Charm, or their own unique style. Most Americans Amusement Parks just feel like copy and paste on concrete blocks and their layout as well. They will never rival the magic my home Parks hold with their lack lack IPs and their unique theming and layout. Unfortunately over the past few years, Alton Towers has started to feel more American ever since the introduction of Cbeebies Land, the lack of maintenance on Non SW rides and other roller coasters thanks to Merlin, which is very similar to Corporate Disney. Duel is the biggest victim of this, which is one of my favourite Dark rides BECAUSE of its Charm. Duel feels like a genre of a dark ride of its own that no American Dark Ride could rival, not even the Haunted Mansion. I just don't want Alton Towers To turn into another Average IP based park like Disney. I want it To Be Tussauds Alton Towers again. I want Alton Towers to be Alton Towers again... just once more...

[@martinrotvig]

Yes, we have free movement within EU, but we don’t travel across borders nearly as much as they cross state lines in the US. Which is why all parks even Disney to an extent, is run as regional parks firstly.

[@michaelv2297]

This is one of your best videos yet Dom! I genuinely didn't know most of that about European theme parks

[@pamaqu6697]

Everyone loves Energylandia here in Poland but i haven't been there yet, definitely a must see on my next holidays

[@ajdz1840]

Thanks for shining a light on these parks. I feel like the theme of these parks is Europe and it’s authentic

[@stratoplayer1988]

American citizen here. Alton Towers, Phantasialand, and Tivoli Gardens are among the theme parks I hope to one day visit! Yes, I would like to visit Disneyland Paris too; but that seems like a one-and-done park for me. I could see myself going back multiple times to the three parks I listed earlier.

[@cokezzz8249]

Tivoli Gardens is definitely my favourite. Walt Disney got his inspiration for Disneyland when visiting this park.

[@JimValley]

This is next-level: creative story idea, compelling argument and analysis.

[@joshuaalbert9092]

I like how everytime he talks about Europes theme parks, he shows video footage from American parks/Japan Park/Disneyland in Europe, all foreign parks.

[@iseewood]

Beautiful video! Top notch production, too. As an American, I would call most ride parks “Amusement” Parks vs “Theme” Parks, that is to say it’s all about the rides with very little theming and/or uneven theming. If you like the tallest, scariest and fastest, you’ll love American “Amusement Parks”. I personally would give up thrills for an immersive experience. I love what European Theme Parks have done and would love to visit some day.

[@rafven7594]

seeing my home park in this video was awesome! Proud to be european, italian and a theme park enthusiast!

[@YeeSoest]

Before visiting the US in September, I told my gf who was a bit nervous about the different cultures and rules and all that "America is like Phantasialand. It's awesome, you get to do all those things and see all that wild, crazy stuff and... it's okay because you don't have to live there. It's going to get a bit weird, it can be imposing and even scary at times...but you get to go home after 2 weeks so enjoy the ride and take a lot of it with you." Worked like a charm, plans are to go back a lot of times ;) Edit: I know you Yankees, what could that be??? So, List of items people are rightfully scared about in America: Guns, no general healthcare so overall health, esp. mentally, can't drink tap water, cars are unregulated nightmares, roads are terrible, powerlines look like Armenia in 1986, road rage is common and often violent, blackouts, cleanliness, horrible health and safety standards in general... Yes, China has Tofu Dreg and Britain had "that'll do" but America has "makes no money, gets no attention"!

[@lesdeliresdematt8396]

I am kind of confused by your opposition Western world / Europe, as the Western part of Europe is part of what we usually call the Western world.

[@elementalgolem5498]

"Things that make me question what the western world does wrong, and europe is doing right" ahh yes. the eastern coutries of Europe, i love their shaolin temples and karate arts.

[@guscrossing]

After watching the video, I'd say European parks are more human and less artificial, less corporate per say, and I can see more thrilling rides than family-friendly ones in Disneylands. They are selling a sense of authenticity and a nice day trip. On a technical, theming, and scale perspective, Disney and Universal are at the top of the game. Their park experiences are quite untouchable considering their immense time and money poured in this sector.

[@Milleniumone]

One thing I would like to point out is that "within the EU you can travel freely" is not quite correct. The freedom to cross any border without passport exists within the Schengen-area, whereas the EU is a political entity. Both do overlap to a large extent - but are not synonymous. There are countries in Schengen and not the EU and vice versa. Switzerland for example is in Schengen but not part of the EU whereas Ireland (and formerly the UK) is part of the EU but not Schengen.

[@SpartaFan]

I´m living in Düsseldorf, Germany and with my public transport ticket, I can travel to Phantasialand, Movie Park and some more parks. It is very easy for us to travel to other parks. And we just have wonderful themed parks!

[@jackbyne1909]

in contrast to the us, the historic culture of Europe is so dense, that there isn't a need for theme parks. generally i think those kind of experiences are about thrill and fun. They're for the natives and not the tourists. The rest of europe is already waiting for a photograph

[@ninjetti9898]

Your videos are as epic as the thrill rides you highlight, you don't just show Rollercoasters you make us feel like we are on one 😃

[@FrankHuber]

funny to refer to the US as western world and excluding Europe from it. To us we are the western world and the US is frontier land ^^

[@ryanleeuwis1602]

You said it amazing i always tought disney was not a huge succes in europe bc disney has a monopoly on kids theme parks in the us but in europe they have serieus competitors whitout the need of ip and when a park like phantasialand is building a new ride people are going to visit that and not visit disney that did not have a new high qwality ride in forever

[@SirBlackReeds]

No, it's because Disney didn't carefully choose the company they were working with when it came to fostering relations with France.

[@ThemeParkRoundUp]

This is a gorgeous video! Well-made and beautifully constructed. Also surprised me how many parks i could name from a second footage so i must be well travelled on this continent! What I would say is UK theme parks are very different from European ones. Merlin have stripped the charm out of most of them (notably Chessington and Thorpe who in the early 00s were beautifully themed parks). Only Alton Towers can compete with European parks on the folklore and theming elements European parks thrive at

[@Colinsuryoutube]

You really need to check the "Puy du Fou" Park in France. A one of a kind theme park (and the second largest of the country)

[@ValerieSparrowW]

ngl i found it very funny how you pronounced 'Walibi'. its so far from how we europeans or even dutch speaking (its a dutch name) say it so that definitley suprised me

[@bjoernphotography]

Thank you - its nice to know that we have such many beautiful parks here in Europe :)

[@thepinapplefruit1216]

i live in germany, at phantasialand and i have to say i feel very flattered. :)

[@Danileptic]

As a German i find it extremely amusing how you pronounce these Parks 😂😂😂

[@Manuel-zu5uy]

Great Video :) But how did you miss on Piraten in Batavia when talking about Darkrides :D ??

[@FrankHuber]

I don't follow your argument that when a visitor did not like a park they would just travel to the next one in another country. A language barrier exists. Families might avoid travelling to another country and instead pick a park in their country even if it's further away. It exaggerates the idea of a unified Europe, you could just go to any park but most won't

[@sevendam9070]

Yes, a language barrier exists. But in most theme parks all over Europe there will be a lot English signs for international guests. Also some dark rides that include voice acting during the ride gives people an option to choose a language. However, i do agree with most of your argument though. As a Dutchman myself I indeed mostly visit Dutch parks only, and I've only been to foreign parks while on vacation. Although, with an exception for Movie park Germany, and Phantasialand. Because those are literally just over the Dutch-German border.

[@FrankHuber]

@@sevendam9070 it's not only the problem of a language barrier but also some hesitate to travel to certain countries not only because of the language barrier, but also because of a higher cost of living, or just not wanting to leave their own country just to visit a theme park. Going to theme parks for many in Europe is still a 1 at best 2 day activity. Another area where the language barrier is more relevant is for children. If Germans take their kids to the playground at a German park all other kids will speak German. When visiting Disney kids will have to rely on their parents for all directions

[@crytocc]

Another interesting factor for the Efteling specifically, is their ownership structure; it's fully owned by "Stichting Natuurpark de Efteling", a foundation which has a legal mandate (due to how foundations work in NL) to not only operate a theme park, but also support social and nature preservation causes, especially around the park. This means that there's much less focus on short-term profitability or shareholder dividends, and much more focus on it being a long-term cultural cornerstone! This likely plays a big role in why the Efteling is reluctant to remove even the very old rides, often instead choosing to maintain and refurbish them, meaning that you will eventually end up taking your kids to the very same rides that _you_ went to as a kid, and it really becomes an intergenerational part of the culture. That's _very_ different from how US-style theme parks tend to operate, which generally optimize for having the latest-and-greatest, and indeed Six Flags' ill-advised expansion into Europe did not last very long. I can't speak for how other parks in Europe are run, but from what I've heard, similar situations apply for a lot of other independent parks; the focus is really on being a sustainable long-term part of people's lives, rather than extracting maximum profits in the short term. There's just a lot less of that capitalist profit-oriented attitude. And even though there's definitely a degree of competition, it's important not to miss the _collaboration_ - it's not uncommon, for example, for different independently-operated parks to offer free tickets to each other's parks when you get a yearly pass for one of them! I think especially that last point is a big cultural difference with the US that might make it challenging to replicate European-style parks over there; not just competition and profits, but a balance between competition and collaboration, and always a long-term vision. I don't think either Universal _or_ Disney could pull that off. _If_ this gets replicated in the US, it will probably be by either an independent operator, or maaaybe by a European park expanding to the US.

[@EdwinBosveld]

It's interesting because even Disneyland Paris incorporated this to a certain extend, before the shares were taken over by the Walt Disney Company. Now you see the same drive for latest-and-greatest and putting IPs in parks.

[@rachelcookie321]

Him: people don’t fly into France just for Disney land Paris then leave. My family who did exactly this when I was a kid: 😶

[@yvoferdinandvanderhoek1027]

So many Dutchies just go by car or Thalys to Disney....

[@officialix5investor]

Liseburg is a good theme park in sweden, with Helix and Liseburgbanan, makes a good park layout.

[@Noct31]

I would suggest America has their own parks that could be considered to be created and kept in the same mindset of those European parks you highlighted such as the Busch Gardens parks, and places like Dollywood and Silver Dollar City.

[@kevinkrupski246]

And on that note, Dom seems to be only highlighting the cream of the crop while not mentioning the European equivalent of a Six Flags/Cedar Fairs of Europe. Not to mention the majority of these parks seem to be in all different countries. It's honestly not hard to imagine there being a top tier Disney style park in each country while the rest of the parks are basically an average amusement park your would see from a six flags.

[@newguy90]

Dollywood is great. Dolly Parton made a premium affordable experience for the working class people in her region, as well as give jobs for the people of the town she grew up in. She mentions that she really doesn't make much of a profit from it and she'd actually have less stress if she just sold it, but that's not the point. Children also get a free book when they go to her park as part of her charity.

[@kefo025]

The biggest difference between European and American themeparks is probably that they're not only built by big companies like Six Flags to be a massive money-printing machine. The European family-driven parks care way more about the experience itself.

[@MoonFairy929]

The steampunk ride looks amazing! Europe has some amazing parks. I hope to visit some in my lifetime.

[@RickyRicardo03]

Great video man! Now you really really wanna go back to Europe! That Steam Punk park looks amazing. I live in Los Angeles where we’re pretty spoiled for choice of theme parks (Disneyland pass holder here) but the theming is really important to me more then the rides.

[@Chaoshero5567]

Rookburgh is just an area of the park, it’s actaully really small, but damm

[@deang5386]

I went to Europa Theme Park back in 2013. It was amazing

[@dylanmmc]

That Fly coaster should be purchased by Disney and turned into an iron man coaster where the seats/harness looks like iron man’s armor.

[@Drebe73]

Awesome video. Dom, I could listen to you narrate for hours. Review Time has the most interesting theme park content.

[@NorthernRidesYaBoi]

This reminded me how lucky I am to be European. There's so much to explore. Thank you for this incredible video

[@wrc5557]

Excellent video! I'd love to see a full length documentary on this topic - I think the point on IP is a really important one, In my view IP kills imagination and makes parks more like a generic shopping mall. Think of iconic rides like Expedition Everest or theme park locations like lost continent in IoA and theres no IP. Thats why I love parks like Portaventura so much, while its obviously now got Ferrari world, the original park is stunning and completely free from the pollution of franchises and IP - and instead concentrates on genuine stunning landscaping, theming and escapism rather than just sticking a marvel or star wars logo on a piece of junk and waiting for the millions to roll in 🙂

[@crytocc]

I agree, I think there's a lot of ground that could still be covered here. It would actually be interesting to see a _series_ of videos on this, comparing-and-contrasting between EU and US parks on different points!

[@vanvorst1999]

Hmm... You didn't touch on the topic of admission prices that impact attendance, sponsorships and park development. 🤔

[@jonhanson8925]

Man! This is an awesome video! You've hit on my big issues with the American theme park industry, I love Disney but it's just too much of a dang money sink these days, losing even the pretense of being about anything other than draining you of every dollar possible. Hoping that I can explore Europe and feel some of that old theme park magic again.

[@kevinkrupski246]

I understand what your saying and not discounting these parks but the US has multiple high tier theme parks outside of Disney and Universal(Silver Doller City, DollyWood, Busch Gardens Tampa and Williamsburg, Knotts Berry Farm,Hersheys Park along with top tier tier amusement parks loke Lagoon, Silverwood, Kennywood Kings Island and Cedar Point).Those are just the most popular and located in ideal travel destinations.

[@NathanHydra]

I noticed that there is no footage in this video of the theme park “Toverland” in the Netherlands, so I’m assuming you didn’t visit that one, I highly recommend it, it has some incredibly good theming and a very pleasant atmosphere.

[@PendelSteven]

In fact, Phantasialand can be reached by train, international train and bus from Utrecht, Netherlands in a little more than four hours. Or if you leave at Efteling in the morning for example you'll be there in less than five hours. That really is the future. Not flying. No way, José. We don't have the oil for that. Forget it.

[@Extravidrigt]

Okay so here’s an overdue geography lesson for you: The UK is a country which is a part of Europe the continent which is a part of the western world/cultural sphere.

[@SunSailor]

But not part of the EU anymore - that was the point at that moment. He literally said, he'll concentrate on countries, which are part of the EU and he chooses to add the UK, because it is his video and he can do there, what he wants. So, please, re-view the video and maybe correct your post to not stay being a jerk. That should be your lesson.

[@Daniel-nt5gh]

I think most of people in Europe prefer culture or football (soccer) events over theme parks, there are considered for the teens or kids liking more than anything. If a family goes to Paris, you can bet most of families prefer his kids to go to the Louvre or Versailles than go seeing Mickey Mouse, or enjoy some French cuisine rather that having overpriced hamburgers or hot dogs as meal options. Let's be honest, what would you prefer? To see a recreation of a European fantasy castle or to visit the real castle?. American like theme parks work really well in places where there is no option, nothing else to see or visit, where there is no millenia of culture. And that is why European parks are more center focus on a day visit for the locals more than expecting someone to travel long distance just to see that. We Europeans, you could say, we have much more options of things to see when traveling.

[@florianplack2973]

Great script, presentation and by far the best footage I’ve ever seen in a theme park video 😍 those drone shots are stunning. Greetings from the heart of Germany! P.S. I can’t wait for the next podcast episode. Still falling asleep listening to them every night, 20 minutes at a time :)

[@rjc0234]

A couple of things I think. A lot of European economies are rapidly growing. Poland is going through a boom, similar to what the USA went through when all their amusement parks were popping up. Another thing is that it is now starting to cost tens of thousands to go on a trip to American Disney parks, something only the richest European countries can afford, and something only the richest people in those countries can afford. The UK has long had Alton Towers and LEGO Land as two amazing theme parks, and Port adventura has been a "local" holiday destination for British people for years. as the global economy pinches even more, people are spending more time in their own country to go on holiday, so there is more money in local theme parks. I live in a town with an amusement park, and (right up until COVID) they were breaking profit records every year, and were expanding with new rides and attractions each year. I also really like your take on European Theme parks being complimentary to a visit to Europe and your country. Look at the ratio of Theme park to Hotel in European theme parks vs the Orlando mega parks. I remember as a child having an assignment where we had to come up with holiday brochures for LEGO Land in Windsor, and the only person who got an A+ was because her one said "and why not stay in in our hotel for 2 nights" but at the time it didn't have a hotel. 16 years between the park opening and them building a small hotel!!!