The Mind-Blowing Theming of Phantasialand

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

To post a correction, I mixed up kilometers with meters... like an idiot. So no, F.L.Y. is definitely not 1,236 kilometers in length.

[@CaptainCroissant]

damnit

[@DjM1k4]

To be correct, in the german writing IT IS 1,236 kilometer… because we write it this way. 😅 One thousand would be in Germany 1.000! 😁

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

@@DjM1k4 That would make sense as to why I messed it up. Still, I should have thought about it before typing it into the script.

[@jumpingpiggie422]

That would be a hell of a ride though. Are you also aware of new Efteling attractions being build atm? Called Archipel and Sirocco, in a Sindbad theme? Basicly a revamp of old Adventure Maze and Monsieur Cannibale. But the park has also being given permission to extend their overall park size which hasn't been filled in yet... should be amazing to build complete new world along the existing realms!

[@jonny-b4954]

Would actually probably get boring at that point, hahaha. Have to piss? In the flying position? Better hope you're front row haha

[@discoyetiproductions]

Phantasialand feels like an indie movie for theme parks. It's not nearly as grandiose or well known like Disney or Universal, but it manages to be just as good if not better than some of their parks.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

That's a really good comparison.

[@martino20072007]

So far, in Rankings, every Year , again and again and again, in Rankings, that Park beats even out Disney!

[@yupyup8305]

In Germany Phantasia Land is just as big as Disney and definitely bigger then Universal because the nearest park from Disney is in France and Universal isn't in Europe at all I think.

[@bamdebambambam]

@Enzo Discovery good thing about that park is that theyre limited in space including height. That forces them to find another solution than the common "the bigger, the better" when it comes to themeparks. Especially since theyre in a rather competitive vicinity. Within a 4 hour drive by car are two Walibis, Toverland, Efteling, Slagharen, Tripsdrill, Heide Park, Movie Park, Europa Park, Disneyland, Parc Asterix just to name a few and these are only themeparks. There are a shitton of zoos as well f.e.

[@hsc894]

@Enzo Discovery Knott's isn't technically indie, It's owned by Cedar Fair. Personally, I'd say Hersheypark is the perfect indie park, since it's not even owned by an amusement park chain, but the Hershey corporation instead.

[@thedangerdog1]

gonna throw a few things out there that might give some context: rookburgh is considered a separate area to berlin, it was literally just the only area it could be built in and they're working on new entrances for it at the moment the reason wuze town and it's surrounding area is so bare and quiet is it is very close to local housing, so it needs to blend in and be very quiet, but yeah indoor dark rides are the way to go there. colorado adventure is inspired off of big thunder but it is crazy, it throws you about so much in the back. Chiapas' story is based on the mexican day of the dead, the backwards section is you travelling to the world of the dead after you enter that room during the dig,, then the disco room is the world of the dead, then you get pushed back to the world of the living when you return to going forward. Klugheim is also not considered an extension of mystery, although they look similar rookburgh and klugheim have their own story. taron/klugheim and fly/rookburgh do have story lines, as well as chiapas as i said above, there is a whole set of newspapers for lore about rookburgh that you can get from within and klugheim was given a story which can be found on their website. To put it very briefly fly is a prototype flying machine built by the f.l.y company in rookburgh based on the dream of flying humans had before it was possible. Taron's story is that the town is powered by the magical rocks surrounding it and taron's train is essentially a battering ram that smashes into the rock and then flies through the houses to provide them with power

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I appreciate the context. I've found that information on Phantasialand in English is a bit sparse on details, and while I did consult German sources, I see that I still missed quite a bit.

[@GPXBrent]

Iirc Klugheim was originally considered to be part of Mystery. I remember hearing about it, but I could be wrong. Also, is it just me or did the park kinda drop the dragons? There used to be a dragon for each area of the park, but they didn't use it for the Rookburg or Klugheim areas (and Wuze Town though that's technically part of the Fantasy area, which does have a dragon).

[@thedangerdog1]

@@GPXBrent most of the merch we saw in september was actually of the dragons, and it shows their meet and greets as attractions (albeit currently closed) on their website. They made klugheim a separate area as it expanded in scope i believe.

[@cslkenny]

@@GPXBrent klugheim is part of Mystery. The dragons are still present. Schneck the mystery dragon is depicted in a few places in Klugheim village, plays a role in the story and his throne was added to the whirlpool in River Quest. The logo of Rookburgh’s Air Rail Company who operate F.L.Y. (the logo even present on the trains) is a stylised depiction of Drago the Berlin area dragon.

[@mstrmren]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Some of the things he claimed is wrong though: Klugheit is indeed an expansion of Mystery, and was even announced as such officially by the park. You can even see that on the Park's Map, it clearly shows that Klugheim is part of Mystery.

[@jeremyelkayam]

As a guy who's spent time in both theme park and roller coaster enthusiast communities, I've always been frustrated with how rarely theme park fans even consider the idea of non-Disney / Universal parks. Weirdly it's the adrenaline junkies who get more into these well-themed overseas parks like Europa, Phantasialand, Efteling, etc...

[@dragangproductions9304]

I've always found the coaster enthusiast/theme park enthusiast community to be completely separate from the Disney/Universal community. They seem to exist in their own bubble, at least to me as a British theme park enthusiast!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I believe it's just a lack of exposure. Disney and Universal continue to dominate the narrative, but that's partially why I decided to do this video.

[@dutcherrct3]

I wonder if it also has something to do with the overseas issue. There is a large physical distance between Europe and the US so I'm not surprised that the US doesn't know that much about Europe that goes further than 'these are the countries that are located in Europe'.

[@kboi1170]

@@dragangproductions9304 This. You’re absolutely right. I’m from the USA and I’ve noticed that parks that fly under everyone’s radars here (like Kings Dominion for example) are usually much better than Universal or Disney. I feel like the extreme hype that Disney and Universal get are just from diehard movie fans that want to experience their favorite IPs in real life.

[@arnikakiani8014]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Lack of exposure goes both ways - most Europeans will never visit the USA, nevermind a theme park there but Germans will usually go on school trips to a park if they are in the area, so it´s not like people here have Disney constantly on their mind. I still can´t retain which one is Disneyland and which is Disneyworld. I did visit Disneyland Paris when we were in the city and I thoroughly regret having spent the money.

[@aaronsharpe2854]

Phantasialand looks like a park someone would make in Planet Coaster. Thats how high of a bar the park has made.

[@knightwolf3511]

roller coaster tycoon taught me with height restrictions, you just raise the land

[@Tamwyn107]

@@knightwolf3511 or in the case of Phantasialand you lower the land, so you can build higher.

[@moonbridge8234]

To this day my favorite park ever

[@thechoiboi5727]

For a person who's never heard of Phantasialand, the theming looks amazing and the fact that they fitted in their version of NEARLY the ENTIRE DCA into Berlin in it of itself is mindblowing

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

What do you mean? Flat rides?

[@thechoiboi5727]

@@PoseidonEntertainment I take that back. Basically my point was that Phantasialand implements many of it's rides, even flat rides very creatively and it overall enhances the atmosphere, but my wording was weird

[@marcussheen]

Love Phantasialand. I have said for a long time that pound-for-pound it's better than Europa Park (which has traditionally been the park to receive all the plaudits). I think Europa is incredible in terms of scale (it's probably a three day park now), but the detail and storytelling at Phantasialand is just next level - compare Chiapas to Poseidon, Taron to Blue Fire etc, and for me it's just unbelievable the quality of attraction Phantasialand is churning out. It's genuinely Disney-quality theming with no luxury of IPs to fall back on

[@kaasmeester5903]

Saying it's Disney-quality is doing the park a disservice. I'd say it is on par with Efteling.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

@@kaasmeester5903 I have to say that I agree. Even Disney's arguably best themed coasters don't seem to match up to Taron or F.L.Y. in terms of theming level.

[@GPXBrent]

@@kaasmeester5903 imo Disney and Phantasialand both have better theming than Efteling. I kinda miss the fully themed areas in Efteling, they mostly just theme the attractions (which is part of the appeal for a lot of people though, as it has a lot of respect for nature). I personally prefer the immersive areas of Disney or Phantasia.

[@vicecraft2391]

Blue Fire is basically "Gazprom - The Rollercoaster". Same with Silver Star just being a huge Mercedes advertisement. I like Europapark but in terms of believable and creative theming Phantasialand really is so much better.

[@wimberkers6901]

@@kaasmeester5903 On par with the quality level of Efteling yes, but on par with the conceptual level of Efteling far from, but Efteling is conceptually just in a league of its own, so that isn't disregarding the conceptual level of Phantasialand as that park also is great on that level, just not quite Efteling in my opinion as the diegeses, unique themes, own style and choice of attraction types with theming is just next level in the Efteling its so distinctly theirs what they make

[@Kirbita22]

As someone who has recently gone on a quarantine-induced rabbit hole of disney theme park videos (despite never having been to any disney parks or others of its kind), these kinds of videos are fascinating and extremely useful for introducing these beautiful parks to people who would never have known about them otherwise. Even the "blandest" experiences here look so charming and memorable!

[@Cindy_Dakin_]

This is not only my homepark which I visit very often, but I also worked there. I saw them build Klugheim and Rookburgh over the years. In my opinion the theming is so much better when you see it live. It's like being in a different world and there is nothing I would criticise about this park. They can't build more without replacing something, because of many environmental reasons. Makes me sad, but that's why Phantasialand is so special. It's a small park but they use every little centimetre for the theming

[@TedsCoasterChannel]

Phantasialand is by far the best theme park I’ve ever been to. Their theming and attention to detail is mindblowing. Yes there are a few dead spots but i think in a decade or so these will be transformed as well. I share your criticism with the blending of the themed lands. Especially the overflow queue of Taron is just bad (rockwork on one side, greenery on another and on the final edge mexican style buildings). But they seemed to have noticed that since Rookburgh is 100% immersive and you can’t see anything from the in- as well as the outside. Phantasialand didn’t just bend over to the restrictions they have but instead used them to enhance the quality of the park and attractions.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

The blending does bother me a bit, but I'll forgive it because of how committed the park is to the quality of its themed lands. I understand its limitations of space will inevitably cause issues like this.

[@blakedorn24]

have you been to islands of adventure? if so how does it compate

[@TedsCoasterChannel]

@@blakedorn24 Sadly not. Would have gone last year but had to cancel due to Biden‘s prolonged travel ban…

[@blakedorn24]

@@TedsCoasterChannel You should plan another trip. Best park i’ve ever been to!

[@TedsCoasterChannel]

@@blakedorn24 It’s definitely high on my bucket list. This year i‘ve already planned something else but it’s still option B.

[@justgrace1354]

YES! I'd love to see more non-Disney/Universal parks!! I've been looking for footage of Phantasialand but I haven't been successful, so thank you for pulling all of this footage together (and crediting the original channels so I can do more research)

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

If you haven't checked it out, I put the direct links to the videos in a pastebin in the description.

[@mrsmaggiekoch]

I worked for a Disney fan website as a staff writer and had a whole article about Europa park and how it was basically a giant World Showcase with great attractions. I was literally told not to bother with non- Disney theme parks even though they wrote about international parks and universal news all the time. Glad to see creative foreign parks get attention.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

That Charles Lindbergh hotel looks so much better than Galactic Starcruiser. And I know I'm comparing apples to oranges, but a little effort (and way less hubris) makes all the difference.

[@filetofish7688]

Absolutely.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I didn't show the interior of the rooms for the other hotels, but they have that same level of theming as well. The rooms at Ling Bao are designed with Chinese feng shui in mind.

[@thedangerdog1]

yeah i stayed there in september and it is themed the whole way through, the only time you lose the theming is when you leave the park or the themed area in the park, you can even walk around the area up until midnight if you're a hotel guest and it has lights and music for it

[@nashwagemakers]

if you visit phantasialand stay in another hotel. The capsules are as tiny as you expect them to be

[@thedangerdog1]

@@nashwagemakers we stayed in the cabins at charles lindbergh and it didn't matter at all, although they're small they're very comfy and we fell asleep almost instantly from the park anyway, plus there's not much like them anywhere else

[@janowhatever]

Fun Fact: Phantasialand is very close to a residential area requiring them to keep noise levels down and having no chance to really expand. This resulted in lots of indoor attractions and partially enclosed coasters. E.g. the freefall tower is at the edge of the park and enclosed in an iconic "medieval" tower

[@kas5564]

I'm in hospital (again boo) and as someone with epilepsy that has been getting worse through childhood. I used to even work as a ride Operator many years ago before my diagnosis. These days my health doesn't allow to travel to theme parks or enjoy them anymore.... But I find so much nostalgia and comfort from your videos They give me back a piece of the things I love and distract from medical issues

[@bmused55]

Having been to Disney in Florida and Phantasialand, I have to say I prefer Phantasialand. It seems less corporate and has far, far more character.

[@agent_277]

Part 1 I've been visiting Phantasialand every year since I was 10 and I absolutely love it! Now, if you haven't been there but want to know about what roller-coaster you should visit first and how intense these are and how long the waiting lines really take, here I have a list for you (I haven't been on all attractions so I mostly include those I've been to). *Geister Rikscha: Always empty, you can run through it right away. 0 minutes waiting. Ride takes 8 minutes. It's a fine time waster if you have to wait for someone or feel sick but don't want miss something. *Feng Ju palace: Geez, haven't bee in there so long because personally I get sick from the illusion. But count in a max of 40 minutes waiting. I think they also canceled the pre-show. *Colorado Adventure: Usually between 10 to 30 minutes, but even if it takes longer, you are almost every few minutes on the move. It's not too boring to wait, even if the waiting line looks long. It's fun everywhere to sit, but front and back are of course always best. Around 3 minutes onride. Max 50 km/h. Personal favorite and also good to begin the day, so you should ride it first to b prepare your body for the more extreme rollercoasters. You can pretty much always go back to this one, because it's a good average rollercoaster. Not too lame, but also not too extreme. *Winjas Fear and Force: When you're done with Colorado, run straight to this one, because the waiting hours vary a lot. I've experienced waiting between 5 (rarest of the rarest moments) to an average of 20 to 40 minutes and a maximum of 1h and 40 minutes. Trust me, the earlier you go there, the better. It's pretty dark and the air isn't as top as outside and if you have nothing to waste the time, you will get bored really quickly. Ride is around 2 minutes. It doesn't matter which side you choose, the ride difference isn't that big. Fear (blue) is a bit longer, faster and takes more time in the dark. On the other hand, it is often brocken so it won't work. But it's a bit more "extreme" than Force (red). Fear max 66 km/h, Force max 60 km/h. If there's enough time, you can do both. *Taron: Oh boy, one of the elite ones. 30 minutes to 1h 40 minutes waiting, considering going there quickly as the third ride, because waiting there might get boring after some time, especially when it's hot outside. Personally loved it, although I got so sick that I only was on it once and then never again, but it's also worth the waiting time and experience. You should really go there at least once to experience its worth. 2 launches, max 117 m/h, 1:40 minutes ride time. It's also fun to watch, especially the launches when the people scream. And for those who wonder - NO there are NO loopings or corkscrews. It only has very sharp curves. *Raik: Consider it as Taron's little brother. 15 to 40 minutes waiting, ride takes around 1 minute and it's max 62 km/h fast. Little personal tip - don't press the safety too tight onto your belly, because when you get dropped from the hill to gain speed and enter the station again, the G forces are so strong, that the safety will automatically go down one level more and hooks up there. In other words - it will automatically be more tight then before you pressed it down. Otherwise it's a fun ride and of course you shouldn't go there if you can't go backwards. *Black Mamba: Just like Taron for me - Been there, done that. It's not as shaky as you would expect, but the disorientation made me very sick. I just don't have a high sick tolerance when I get disorientated. Waiting varies also lot, from 15 minutes to 1h 50 minutes waiting, but it's oft around 40 minutes. 80 km/h, 4 g forces (geez that a lot more then expected) and ride takes 1 minute 45 seconds. If say it's also worth trying it for at least once. Looping, tight curves, corkscrews, this roller coaster got everything. *F. L. Y.: Ah yes, the dear new queen of Phantasialand's elite. Also one of my favorites. 2 launches, max 4,5 G, max 78 km/h (although sometimes it feels way faster) and it also has a Zero-g-roll and a lot of sharp curves in it. The thing that surprises me most about it, is that FLY is smoother then any other roller-coaster I ever rode on. You don't shake, your seat safety is tight and gives you enough freedom to stretch out your arms. And the ride feels like it never ends, which doesn't surprise me with a ride of 1:47 minutes. And just like the other elite roller-coasters, the reason I get sick is because of disorientation. Waiting can take from 15 (more rare occasions) to max 1h 40 minutes (average I'd say is around 1h) but you really don't get that bored while waiting and usually don't stick at one position for too long. Must try! *Chiapas: Ah yes, a favorite again. Waiting time can once again vary a lot, from 5 minutes (if you're lucky) to an average of 15-20 minutes and max 1h. It's also one where you don't get bored too quickly, because there is a lot to see in the waiting area. 6 minutes ride, max 76 km/h and the final downhill has a tilt of 56 degree, making the headwind strong enough to whack off your hood. The ride might seem long, but it's not boring because there's either always something too see and hear or you might watch out for water that is coming from the side or top. Also - don't get false hopes, there no way you will survive it without getting wet, even if you sit in the middle. Especially the second down hill, where you go backwards, is the most mercilessly in terms of getting wet. Definitely a must try, especially in summer times! *River Quest: Another nice water coaster where there's no chance you can't get wet. Sadly I can't tell anything about speed or the onride time but I'd say it's about 3 minutes with 3 downhills. Haven't been on it for ages for I don't know what reasons, but I guess waiting takes from 20 minutes to 1h 30 minutes. It's good if you want to see each other wet in a circle. *Maus au chocolate: Very nice one with a lot of details in the design in terms of temperature and smell that reminds me of Disneyland. Waiting vary from 5 minutes to 1h and the ride takes around 7 minutes. The waiting area is once again full of things to explore so you shouldn't get bored too easily. There are pre-show and recipes on the wall you might consider giving it a look. It's a lot more fun since you compete with the person next to you. Must try! *Hotel Tartüff: A crazy house at its finest. The only thing that would bother me is the entrance which serves as the waiting area. There it can get bored very easily with waiting time from 10 minutes to 1h, but once you're inside, its gonna be fun. Moving stairs, piano floor, circling rooms, buttons with sounds, metal rolls in the ground, also a dark mirror labyrinth and a metal slide at the end, among other things. Nice one, although I would only go there if you have time to spare and the waiting line isn't too long. *Crazy bats: Okay, this is a bit tricky for me, because I've been on the roller coaster, but haven't tried it with the VR. So I will just talk about the roller coaster itself and not the design or VR experience. It's the longest indoor roller-coaster, the ride takes 4 minutes. It has 3 downhills, is max 46.5 km/h fast and the ride itself I would categorize as medium to mild. *Wakobato: A slow 10 minute ride where you basically just sit and enjoy some peace time. Sadly the water pistols aren't active anymore because of the damn neighborhood, but I guess it's still fine if you want to ride a boat without using pefals to move. Waiting can take from running straight through, to 40 minutes, depending how full it is.w

[@noah.445]

fly does have a sort of story! it's showed in the queue, it adds a narrative of getting try out modern amazing flying machines :) the videos shown both tell a story and explain how the seats work, i personally loved that

[@gladiatordragon9219]

Phantasialand is inspirational. They went and took a tiny plot of land and, through dedication, passion, and imagination, managed to make a statement that caught the eyes of the world. They took a quality-over-quantity approach, with a quality that can even match that of Disney and Universal's best efforts. They've got a lot of good ahead of them. As long as they keep expanding - continuing to purge some of the older, inferior attractions to build new exceptional experiences, they could easily cement themselves as a worthy rival to the big corporate ones. I'd like to hear your thoughts on Europa Park - consistently matching up with Cedar Point (another worthy video recipient in its own right) for the title of "Best theme park in the world." I went there once and really liked it - it had probably one of the most balanced ride lineups you could get in a park, and I'm genuinely shocked that no place in America has built a restaurant like Food Loop - there's only one more like it, at Alton Towers (yet another park worthy of a video).

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I feel conflicted on Phantasialand replacing its older attractions. While I do think they fail to measure up to many other older dark rides, especially those of Efteling, they still manage to possess their own charm. Still, I agree that Phantasialand has never been better thematically, and I don't see them stopping. I do anticipate covering both Europa Park and Cedar Point, but I'm not quite sure when yet. I was also unaware of Food Loop, but it's certainly interesting. I might be able to tie it into a different video down the line.

[@gladiatordragon9219]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Food Loop is a gimmicky place, that's undeniable, but it's a great experience - I *really* hope Disney or Universal opt to build one, I can only imagine the potential of one with the titanic theming budget of the heavy hitters. And yeah - there is something to be said about the importance of legacy. Phantasialand's just in an unfortunate position that they can't just "expand" like other parks might be able to. They have to pick and choose their steps quite carefully.

[@matthartert1207]

I really enjoyed this and the Efteling video. You do really good work, and it's clear that your focus is on the story and show elements. You're making me want to visit theme parks in Europe now, especially since these in Europe are more affordable for a day than their US counterparts.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Once the pandemic blows over, I'll definitely be planning a trip to Europe just for many of the parks.

[@JamesonThomas24]

This is one of my top bucket list locations! I did find the bad transitions quite interesting. With their level of detail, and height restrictions, I assumed they would immerse you in every land.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I agree, though I'm obviously willing to ignore it because of the size limitations. If that's really one of the worst criticisms I can throw at the park, then I think that stands as a testament to how good it is.

[@DobuDobuDobuDot]

@@PoseidonEntertainment I think that exact spot, the bridge over Chiapas is the best spot of the whole park just because everywhere you look, you see great theming. It might not be consistent and 1 theme but seeing something different and beautiful everywhere you look is just awesome! The attention to detail you get at that particular spot is just mind-blowing. Maybe it doesn't come across that great in a video but in real life it is. Also, Phantasialand builds scale like no other park can. You really don't feel like you're in a small park. Take a look at Talocan for instance. Just compare any Huss suspended Top Spin to Talocan and Talocan seems huge just because of the theming.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

@@DobuDobuDobuDot You make a solid point there. I think one of the largest strengths of Islands of Adventure is how all of the different lands are juxtaposed against one another when you come up to the lagoon. I'm not sure if Phantasialand was necessarily built up with this in mind, but I can see the appeal, even if not intentional.

[@philipphunold9836]

@@DobuDobuDobuDot I hear the criticism regarding the lack of smooth transitions between the themed lands often, although personally I don't quite agree. The one place that is shown in the video - the transition between China and Mexico - is certainly the worst of them all, the others are not too bad. And I always ask myself what that "smooth transitition" is supposed to look like anyway. IMO there are just two options: Have a neutral buffer zone where one theme fades out and the other theme fades in, or have a hard border in between lands which is marked by clear entrance portals. The former is notoriously difficult to achieve in Phantasialand due to lack of space and the latter can be quite tacky for the level of authenticity Phantasialand is going for... That being said, you can see both approaches implemented in Phantasialand as well, it's just not very "in your face". Klugheim has 4 entries / exits, two of them are guarded by large portals (coming from China and Mystery Castle), Deep in Africa has a huge gate that seperates Mexico from Africa and Rookburgh actually has a super nice transition with the "subway station" connecting Berlin and Rookburgh. Examples for the neutral buffer zones are the pathway between Berlin and Fantasy, as well as the overpass that connects Mexico / Asia with Berlin. Again, the latter has been criticized by some for "breaking immersion", as on one side you look over Klugheim and on the other you see Mexico - but I actually think it was a good decision because it's among the only locations in the park where you get a paranomic view of the themed lands, which gives this crammed park the spaciousness it desperately needs.

[@basti0007]

As a European, that subscribed to this channel when it uploaded its very first video, it's really interesting seeing you adressing parks that I visit regularly. I subscribed to this channel because it gave me some new perspecitves of Disney and Universal (that I adore since I visited Anaheim in 1995). Nevertheless, I'm always missing SOME elements in European parks compared to their American counterpart - especially showmanship and coherency in storytelling. For some time now, European parks slowly catch up in the coherency aspect (Efteling obviously being on the forefront) while the US lowers its standards. Don't get me wrong: In terms of theming, many European parks are very good and obviously (or even blatantly, I'm looking at you Europa-Park!) inspired by Disney. This has mainly to do with European parks being family-driven, that see their park as a beautiful poster child first and a commercial space second. "Our park needs to look perfectly first!" But back in the 70s and 80s, this also drove them to design their park on a more technical level, and not on a design or narration level. Especially much of the older stuff in Europa still shows this lack of understanding: They copied instead of looking at what made Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Carribean so great - and so never quite reached their level. However, since several years, they started to find their own language into themed design that not only included nice looks, but also on immersion. I think this has also a lot to do with these parks finally and organically growing to the size where they earn enough money to think bigger. If you look at Europa Park's Haunted Mansion and compare it to Disney's Original that's 25 years older, you'd be amazed in how small and how incoherent it is. On the other hand, Efteling's most recent dark ride Symbolica easily beats Disney's Ratatouille. In short: I think the opportunities that Disney opened up to Universal in the States is not too unsimiliar to the opportunities that Disney opened up to their copycats in Europe as well and it's highly interesting too see where this leads us. In 2020, both Efteling and Europa Park had more visitors then Walt Disney Studios in Paris. Europa-Park nearly became the most visited Park in Europe, even beating Disney in Paris, but came in second, short only of around 100k visitors, because it's seasonal (and yeah, I know we have a bug running wild, too - but the other years weren't so different for Disney, either - source: AECOM). Don't forget that these parks competing with the gigant are family businesses or foundations and they're not doing bad, obviously. It would be really interessting how Europe would develop, if Universal would be active here, as well. However, I still think the showmanship, including cast members, parades and night time spectaculars, are not on a par, yet. Europa Park is desperately trying to enter the movie industry in order to get better branding and show capabilities, but to be fair - in this regard, they're still lightmiles away from what Disney is offering. On the other hand, Disney's operations is much worse - especially compared to the very organized Europa Park with the best uptime, throughput and dispatch statistics I've ever seen.

[@Der_Bierbaron]

Disney messed up with Paris. It’s such a beautiful park, but I guess it’s getting too expensive for people and it’s still baffling that we still have no new attractions. Even the new avengers campus won’t change much. I was never at europa park, because if I have the choice to travel, I will always choose Disney because of the IPs and the atmosphere. This might however change in the future. For Efteling, I really like the rides but think it’s more for families with less exciting rides. Phantasialand on the other side really build on tense roller coasters, so if you live in NRW, you are Lucky That you have so many choices anyway. Regarding the whole theme parks industry in Europe; they tried to copy Disney for far too long and only recently came up with their own stories. So I am very interested how this will develop in the future

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

You make a lot of interesting points here, and I agree that many parks have an issue with attempting to emulate early Disney. The only exception might be Efteling, as I can see how certain attractions like Fata Morgana or Dream Flight were for sure inspired by Disney attractions, but the creators also understood that they had to be a bit more original. I see something like Geister Rikscha or Pirates of Batavia, emulating very specific elements in their own way but without understanding the appeal within the context of Disney's attractions. It appears to me that parks in Europe are attempting to appeal to a larger international audience as well. As Disney declines, other experiences have become a lot more appealing and visible. As interesting as Phantasialand's classic dark rides were, the current and more original direction of the park also seems far more appealing.

[@philipphunold9836]

Just FYI: the 2020 visitor numbers are useless for comparison due to covid restrictions. In 2019 Disneyland Paris had nearly twice as many visitors as Europa Park according to AECOM (9.8M vs 5.7M). So Europapark is not catching up that dramatically and neither are DLPs problems related to the focus on IPs. IPs still work in Europe as well (see Legoland or even Parc Asterix), but it's a lot more competitive. PortAventura is amazing, but I ask myself whatwould have been if Universal had followed through and made it their European flagship, like they originally intended. It would easily be number 2 on the continent and attract probably around 8M visitors. Despite this still being a respectable number not too far off the 10M the Florida Parks pull, it would make it the second smallest Universal Park in the company portfolio, so they do not bother. It's the unrealistically high commercial ambitions which hinder American companies from investing into a European flagship. They'd just much ruch rather focus on properties where fewer players fight for the biggest slice of pie, or a place where the pie is bigger altogether (Asia).

[@rwilliamisen]

European parks are often overlooked due to the nostalgia/media glasses that keep a huge portion of the market focused on what is happening in North America. The real tragedy of Disneyland Paris’ struggles over the years is the shadow it cast on public perception of what European theme parks had to offer for US and Canadian tourists. Look no further than the Jules Verne theming for their Space Mountain for what can be done. These videos on European parks are astoundingly well done!

[@jankoch267]

I love how everything is "simply called" haha. I love this park. I've been working there for almost 4 years now and the theming is just so much more immersive then in other parks. Loved the video, keep it up!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

As a native English speaker, calling an area "Fantasy" as opposed to something like "Fantasyland" just seems odd and jarring. However, I'm under the assumption that this likely makes a lot more sense in German?

[@mario64remix]

@@PoseidonEntertainment That park has stated some time ago they want to do away with the (generic) English names in favour of imaginative, ''German sounding'' names like with the recent Klugheim, Rookburgh etc. No idea why they again went with a generic English name like F.L.Y. again though.

[@wouternijs3377]

Phantasialands theming is all about immersion, making you feel you are in a different world, storytelling was never the main objective (where they differ from efteling) but they do something intresting with lore and storytelling. Its not obvious like disney, universal and efteling, it more 'you will learn the story if you observe' they like to hide story in details

[@BartvG88]

You could say that phantasialand is the dark souls of theme parks!

[@julianhettich6370]

The fact that this park is built on different levels, makes the theming so much more outstanding! Theres a bridge with the view on the steep drop of Chiapas, with the huge lift housing of black mamba in the background. Literally the best landscaping I've ever seen. And yeah. The emersion of Klugheim and Rookburgh is truely outstanding. Especially in the dark...

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I imagine a ride on both would be better in the dark.

[@Neuronwhisperer]

having been there many times, i can assure you that the most amazing thing is how dense it all is. you walk 1 minute and you are in a completely different area

[@trulsdirio]

My home park, have been going there since I was five. They have really nailed it with the new additions over the last decade!

[@bogwoman]

I really enjoy learning about non-American parks from your channel! It might be interesting to check out some of the parks in Asia as well, I hear they are next level!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I definitely want to do so, covering Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea as well.

[@DollsandDustCollectors]

This is awesome! Thank you for the walk through. Phantasialand looks like a great park to spend the day exploring. Just subscribed!

[@AJ17_]

This park has been on my radar for over 10 years. It looks so cool, the coasters look awesome. I hope one day I'll get to visit.

[@sylviamueller7365]

I grew up with Phantasialand and we still go whenever we are in Germany . Just love it.

[@swampthing6402]

Great video! I can't wait to go that 1,236 km long roller coaster! ;-)

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Yeah...um. I posted a correction and pinned it.

[@tufab3494]

Oh boy I swear I was waiting for this exact video for like one month now. You the best G!

[@magicallyella7740]

i lived in bonn germany for about 3 and a half years and we would visit phantasialand frequently. the theming is incredible and the rides are so fun for all ages. this brought back so many amazing memories. also when i lived there FLY was always under construction. so interesting to see how it turned out!

[@markvetter4711]

I don’t speak German, but I’d love to visit this park. Thanks for sharing this.

[@Bat-Addicted-Loony]

10:20 Yeaaaah, someone has probably already mentioned this but the reason this part of the park is so barren is because it’s located right behind a residential area, so there’s no fast attractions or even any music. My friends and I like to go there to wind down a little but we wouldn’t mind a snack bar or seats to picknick at or something

[@lordmoeschi]

I went there back in the late 80s - to me the transformation is striking. Def will re-visit again

[@Wayne1017FP]

Phantasialand is one of my absolute favourites. They are so innovative, because they have so few space to use and have to find ways to use the available space to the maximum which is why all rides are highly build in with the theming of the park.

[@cdev2117]

Silvermine was my absolute favourite as a child. Also this Park reinvented itself over and over again. Here and there you can glimpse small bits of the old park like Ghost-Rickshaw but the rest is almost like nothing from the 70s, 80s or 90s and even early 2000s. Imagine Disneyland would be torn down every 10 years and completely rebuild.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

That's partially why I didn't cover the history. It seems quite complex and I had difficulty finding sources, even in German on it.

[@alexadhs6296]

18:35 Hi. Im one of those germans who grew up loving this quirky old thing. Like Silvermine and Hollywood Tour. I miss the last two very deeply. So many nostalgic feelings where connected to those rides

[@mallon04008]

Limiting options can really bring out great creativity. Very interesting to see this play out in a theme park

[@yousaysilver]

this video definitely put this park on my bucket list

[@Karasaph]

Phantasialand has so many novelty elements, prototypes and the risk is appreciated

[@CaptainCroissant]

I AM SUCH A PHANTASIALAND FANNNN, almost perfect imo

[@CaptainCroissant]

What Disney and universal should be

[@AnotherSwissYoutubeUser]

I have been to Phantasialand and it's simply amazing. F.L.Y and Rookburgh are incredible. Taron and Klugheim are also pretty awesome. The rest of the park is also very awesome. Black Mamba is phenomenal and very intense and so underrated. Talocan is very cool, it's like a show. If you ride it, you are part of the show. But you can just watch the show as well. Colorado Adventure is so underrated if you ride it in the back row. This ride is absolutely awesome. Chiapas is phenomenal, one of the best flume rides. The pre-show of Feng-Ju Palace is so dumb and Geister Rikscha is so boring. Mystery Castle is a really fun ride, it launches you up the tower and then drops you. This is one of the best drop tower rides I have done.

[@the_retag]

Geister rikscha is a family attraction and reaching eol

[@anaalicia5029]

I’m Dutch and we used to go to the Efteling at least once a year -it’s a must-go for children here! It’s very fairytaley and I love it!

[@johnnycontroletti2000]

Those talling paper bins are the best thing ever

[@anaalicia5029]

@@johnnycontroletti2000 yeah, they say ‘papier hier!’ (papers here)! So whimsical!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

It's at the top of my list for sure. It will probably be a few years though, as I want to wait for the pandemic to pass before traveling outside of the U.S.

[@anaalicia5029]

@@PoseidonEntertainment for sure. I’m sure you’ll love it!

[@bjvincent8786]

Thanks you for this video! Phantasialand looks like a really fun place to visit and it seems like they were purposeful with how they build their rides. From what I can see while it seems they are tight when it comes to space and they really had to allocate that limited space by placing only attractions that they care about into the park and not depending on IP rides like Disney.

[@ryanerickson3063]

I am loving the highlighting of parks outside the big 2. There is great stuff here.

[@elpayaso74]

If you enjoy Phantasialand's theming, you should consider going there during "Winter Dream" time from the end of November to Mid January. At that time the park is open from 11am to 8pm instead of 9am to 6pm. Yeah, you better give Chiapas a miss (it is open) unless you have a complete change of clothes in the car, but the look of Rookburgh at night more than makes up for it. And speeding through the fog and lights of Taron's second launch is another thing that gives me goosebumps just writing this. Added bonus in January: The park is not really busy. My best friend and I went on a January Wednesday this year and we HAD to line up for the first row on Taron and FLY all the time because we needed the fifteen minute break between rides. We never waited longer than that. Concerning F.L.Y. and the perceived lack of narrative. The whole area is littered with pages ripped from newspapers and posters and more. But all of that is in German. That might be an area where the park could improve if it wants to attract international guests.

[@cunegonde4]

Geister Rikscha is fascinating, I love it without never having the opportunity to go

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

The park's older dark rides are interesting, even if they don't necessarily measure up to dark rides in other parks. That's why I'm considering maybe doing a future video covering them.

[@mariannekleinekorte7872]

great video, its been almost 30 years since i have been there and i was amazed of the changes, really enjoyed this tour

[@MrStGeorgeIllawarra]

I'd heard of Phantasialand but never been. Thanks for another quality informative video.

[@fusionspace175]

Hi new viewer here just a month or so, but you're my favorite new park channel. Great work, please keep going!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Hey thanks, I'm glad that you enjoy!

[@aeroflot9027]

As someone who grew up with Phantasialand, I understand how you feel about Geister-Rikscha. If you didn't grow up with it, there's not much there to enjoy. Besides of course the rickshaw not stopping. (Anyone who gets this, I love you lol)

[@Der_Bierbaron]

It’s interesting if you compare it with phantom manor / haunted mansion because there are several strange similarities. Phantasialand copied some scenes blatantly

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I find most dark rides pretty interesting, but I also admit that I'm not a fan of its execution. The theme is certainly unique and a lot of the scenes are quite original, but there's just something missing that I can't place my finger on. Something about it doesn't feel like a cohesive experience. That being said, it appears that Phantasialand is slowly replacing its dark rides in favor of newer attractions. I would like to see Geister-Rikscha as soon as possible in case is closes. People seem to think that Hollywood Tour won't reopen.

[@mario64remix]

''The rickshaw will not sssSTOP!'' I'm really not sure why there's so much parallels drawn between Disney's Haunted Mansion. There's at most two aspects taken from Haunted Mansion at Geister Rikscha and they are very minor when compared to the rest of the ride. Seems unfair to hyper focus on details like that but hey maybe I'm being just as unfair in order to straighten things out again.

[@AudreyMealiff]

Thanks for this excellent video essay, I love your review and analysis of the brilliant and not so brilliant aspects of this park. I did visit Phantasialand when I was 16 back in 1997, and would dearly love to return for a 2 day visit.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I imagine that it's quite different now. Visiting the park and its various dark rides back then would be interesting though.

[@davidmm8400]

Im really grateful i found your channel, because i hadn't have much exposure to these non-disney/universal parks, and they actually seem amazing, if it werent for you, i wouldn''t even have known these parks existed. But now, i really wan't to go and visit them. Much love

[@Haxel0rd]

Great video and showcasing of the park, thank you!

[@imaginationsquare]

This video deserves a like purely because I've never hear and English speaker get this close to pronouncing Phantasialand correctly, well done :)

[@Eboshis_right_arm]

I wish I had seen this before going, I didn't realize how much we missed! We were visiting Germany and found this park randomly without any planning. It was still beautiful and fun in winter time!

[@MrKJ221]

Great video, and me being an American I would've never known. Thanks for opening my mind.

[@frechstudios3129]

When we lived in Germany (1995-2000) we had visited PhantasiaLand and Europa Park; always loved PhantasiaLand more! I went on that Colorado Adventure and I liked it more than Thunder Mountain at WDW. I gotta admit, this park looks nothing like when I visited back then! Very beautiful!

[@AvB.83]

Been there just the other week and... I can pretty much agree 100% :D We kinda ran out of time towards the evening so Fly is definitly on my to-do-list for next time, but other than that, it was an amazing experience. Despite the small size and it being a sunny saturday during the summer holidays, it wasn't even overly crowded. The food (we went to the Taverne in Klugheim) was also quite good and reasonably priced. And booking a few months in advance, I paid about as much for a full meal with drink (+tip) as for the entry, which was just €32. But as great as the rollercoasters were (and despite not being "the fastest" or "the highest" or anything, Taron & Black Mamba were absolutely amazing, and Raik & Colorado Adventure were fun as well), the theming took it to the next level. And unlike in some other parks etc., you can take a closer look at everything and there's no fake rock crumbling away in the corners, rusty bolts, modly wood or anything. You look at the promo pictures, and then you look at the park and it pretty much looks even better in person, especially on a sunny day (although, dark clouds over Taron did fit really well).

[@Never2old.]

I am fortunate enough to be able to get to Phantasiland quite easily from the UK and was there a couple of weeks ago. Yes it is a must do park and with Eftleling a couple of hours drive from there you can definitely do both parks in two days. Though we spent two days at each and took our time to enjoy the parks and their theming

[@Steffen744]

Loved this video. I visit Phantasialand a few times every year. but I have to defend Colorado Adventure a little bit. You said it looked decent. let me tell you, it is much, much better than you think. It's soooo much fun and next to Taron my favorite ride. It's faster and more intense than it looks. If you visit Phantasialand someday, check it out!!!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I've heard Colorado is a pretty solid mine train coaster. The theming left a little to be desired, but if the layout is great then I'm highly interested in riding it.

[@brittariedel3446]

@@PoseidonEntertainment i am surprised that Colorado is called a decent mine-train. As far as i know it is always called one of the best, if not THE best mine-train. It is so much fun and in contrast to big thunder Mountain you don't need to queue 2 or more hours to ride it. It has such a big capacity that the queues stay short even on busy days.

[@BuzzE77]

I love this park, its possibly my favorite, certainly I prefer it over Efteling. The local limitations have forced the park to be very creative with its available space, and the result is amazing. I do worry about its future though, the park has tried to expand its size at multiple times, but local government apparently keeps refusing it. Soon it will run out of space and/or "old" areas to remove and replace... Crazy Bats could use a thorough retheme though, IMO.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

It's always seemed odd to me how cities and neighborhoods will fight with theme parks. Why move to an area when you know there's a noisy theme park right in your backyard?

[@jankoch267]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Well many of those houses were build well before the park was what is now is. It was just a little forest where sparse animatronics told fairytales and now big and loud coasters roar through this land. I mean it's sooooo over the top how they cry about this but I still understand that they can't just simply move out of the house they build or got from their parents/grandparents that easily

[@jarmoliebrand2005]

I love that Efteling is really huge. Just going on a stroll is an experience in and of itself. The vintage feel makes sure the park doesn’t need any major thrill coasters.

[@derGhebbet]

I LOVED the Geister Rikscha when I was the kid. And then they went and ruined it, by making it more ...poppy. The hologram/mirror thing at the end used to be pretty cool with unsettling creatures appearing in the car's mirror image. Now it's some neon colored clown things. So fright, much spook -.-

[@carterdunlap9957]

After watching some old footage, I couldn’t agree more. Wish they kept that and the giant in the flying wagon that says “Hey! Hey! Ho!”

[@dannybanon8560]

I came back from this Park on Thursday and I cannot express how perfect it is. It's done so much for me, after only visiting UK parks, it's made me realise what we're missing when it comes to theming. Taron is a top Coaster with so much airtime and speed, unfortunately Black Mamba was closed which really gives me an incentive to return

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I haven't been to any UK parks, but from what I've seen, they really leave a lot to be desired. Alton Towers does look worth going out of the way for though.

[@dannybanon8560]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Alton Towers is by far the best Park in the UK

[@appleboy007]

Great review of Phantasialand. I appreciate your specific and very detail orientated feedback along appropriate suggestions and areas / attractions along with some needed transitioning between it's extensively themed areas and attractions. Well done.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I wouldn't call it a review, so much as the video is meant to highlight the largest attractions. I suppose I do comment a lot on the theming, but I wouldn't consider a true review until I can get there.

[@appleboy007]

@@PoseidonEntertainment That is a fair statement.

[@iliketocommentonstuff8463]

I went to Phantasialand in 2018 and it was the best experience I ever had. Highly recommended

[@AmusementVision]

One of my friends from Belgium goes to these parks all the time and this vid made me even more interested in Phamtasialand

[@CoralCoasters]

I think you should make a video about Knotts berry farm, when going over these different parks, that is one that would be good to focus on. Also the Busch Gardens parks would make good videos too

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I'm definitely planning on covering them. Just not quite sure when yet.

[@pardinensis]

You've definitely done your research. This video is on point!

[@enemdisk6628]

What a beautiful video to an amazing park (cool, that is gas to improve and change constantly due to size). I'd love to see a video about its history by you!!! Hugely interested!

[@michaelcastillo355]

It would be cool to see a video on Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Tampa parks as well as Cedar Fair parks

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I did just buy a Gopro with the intent of recording all the coasters for SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa. I do plan to start covering them more once I get more B-roll shot. I also see a potential trip to Williamsburg happening this year.

[@Ralaigon]

When I went there ~10 years ago, I rode the Mine rollercoaster a lot and I think I prefer it to the Disney version solely on the fact that you can ride it easily 3-5 times an hour. And that was an an extremely busy day, because the THW (the German disaster relief organization) hgot free entry on that day.

[@dinodasbunce6224]

Wow, this park has really changed since I visited it a couple of times back in the mid 1990s. The quality of the park seems to have improved by quite a lot.

[@Mike500]

Phantasialand truly has some of the best rides in the world. They used every bit of space they have in the best way.

[@KfromShC]

Crazy Bats is hands down the best VR coaster experience I ever had! Now, I have a real reason to ride that long but dated coaster again.

[@GeorgeT370]

That`s a very interesting video about that park...thanks...

[@jonny-b4954]

12:23 Also cool how along the back wall you can walk right behind the Top Spin at ride level.

[@kevinbhieey9188]

I think it's important to note that before Deep in Africa, Phantasialand seemed to be your basic European amusement park, which pretty much means little more than a supersized funfair. Having been to several European parks - Phantasialand later this year!!! - you start to see the same skeleton to these places. They start off like permanent funfairs, lots of flat rides with a flume, a rapids ride, a mine train and couple basic coasters. Newer parks always seem to have a madhouse and a shooter, as well. It's shocking how many of these parks have Wild West lands (Phantasialand had Mexico AND a Western land, but much of the Western land burned down, and the rest was folded into Mexico, hence the existence of the word "Colorado". It's close enough to Europa Park that it had to do something different, and the success of Deep in Africa showed them they were right. This led to renovating the back part of Berlin, which is actually called Kaiserplatz (and the main street is Unter den Linden, after the famous street in Berlin), not because they did anything too amazing with it. They just had to get rid of all the funfair crap. So the über-theming is a relatively new concept, considering how long the park has been around. The main issue is the one you mentioned: There are still TOO MANY problem areas still left to deal with. China Town's theming is fine, but it's small and it has ride-quality issues. It's been long-rumored to be the next Klugheim/Rookburgh, should be losing at least one of its rides and the entire land will get theming that visits more of Asia, making it as unhistorical as Klugheim and Rookburgh. And then there's Hollywood Tour, which, go watch a video of it RIGHT NOW. Really bad Hollywood scenes in the middle of a bunch of caverns. Because, of course! BTW, Crazy Bats is not in the Wuze Town building. It's apparently the upper floor of the Hollywood Tour building!! Both have been rumored to be going away forever, and now the fan community is starting to wonder if this building is now going to happen before China Town. Further mucking things up is that Phantasialand is really working on expanding theming and making areas more coherent, which isn't cheap. For example, Klugheim came with two new rides, but then they rethemed River Quest from a generic castle theme to the quasi-Medieval-slash-Scandinavian theme of Klugheim AND they moved the entrance away from China Town so it's now right off Klugheim's main square. Rumor has it they will also be Klugheiming Mystery Castle and moving that entrance into Klugheim proper, which will mean no more Mystery, everything is Klugheim! Another rumor has them using the China Town conversion to fix the issue of Mexico having two far-flung plazas (due to it swallowing up the former Western land), with Colorado Adventure and Tikal getting Asian themes and the theater either going Asian or African. Then there's also the plans for building a new hotel and entrance - which is why the back of Kaiserplatz has nothing going on - which would turn the swing ride area into the entrance plaza and the carousel area the back of the park. On top of that, they've tried to expand into the triangle of land to the west, but the neighbors fight everything and even when the government approves things, there are still a zillion hoops to jump through. This expansion is going to be problematic for the park itself because the park desperately needs to expand, and this is the only area to expand into, and it's slated for a hotel, a water park and a theater. NO PARK SPACE. Which means the park will forever be dealing with space issues because the lake is an actual lake and won't be going anywhere.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Interesting information. A few notes: 1. I didn't speak about Hollywood Tour because I saw so many rumors of it remaining closed. I was thinking of folding it into a potential video in the future talking about Phantasialand's era of dark rides. I also didn't mean to imply that Crazy Bats was in the same building as Wuze Town, but I did get the impression that the land itself leaves the actual building that contains most of the rides. 2. I picked up that Phantasialand is very much in a phase of transition, but if what you speculate on is true, then I'm quite excited to see where it goes. The current entrance area is so underwhelming and other areas could really benefit from significant improvements. My only reservation is retheming Colorado Adventure with an Asian theme. If Chiapas has a lift hill going right through the middle, it seems like a thematic clash.

[@mario64remix]

Let's not jump to conclusions here. Phantasialand wasn't a funfair but started out as a fairy tale forest. Even the earliest rides were very well themed. Silver City (the western part) did not become part of Mexico after the fire destroyed the two adjacent roller coasters (which arguable means no part of Silver City itself was destroyed) and River Quest does not have a new entrance... Yet. I know there are always many, MANY rumours going around regarding this park, which is no wonder as it's always evolving. But stuff like ''Mystery Castle becoming part of Klugheim'' is straight up random speculation and not based on a slightest hint of fact. I think it's a dumb idea anyway as Mystery Castle is fine as it is. At least River Quest had a good reason for becoming part of Klugheim as it practically had no theming, yet was standing right next to the arguably most extensively themed part of the park. Anyway, Phantasialand never lets out anything regarding their future plans so take everything you read on the internet with a large grain of salt. :)

[@geassrailfantitan3414]

loved it, would love to see future videos on Europa Park, Tivoli Gardens, and PortAventura, Liseberg, and other European parks

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

That's a direction I would definitely like to take. I'm not sure what I'll do next, but there's a lot of good options.

[@ungesagt]

26:14 Rookburgh had two complete news papers created by the park covering every aspect of living in this area. Like working, dressing and living of a normal fictional person in this area in this "age". Every area has a lot to tell you, but the story is often hidden and completely in your face. You have to observe carefully to understand every detail of it - like the many figures hidden around the Taron queue or the whispering words that sometimes can be heared in the upper part of Klugheim or the frogs in Wuze Town or the waiting area of Chiapas. Also with many details and news articles. There is no Animatronic that will tell you the story with words. You have to find it with all your senses.

[@ungesagt]

The newspaper is called the Rookburgh Gazette. Maybe you can find pictures of it. The first one had 8 pages and the second 16 pages filled with interviews of fictional characters living in this area and news articles about the airrail company. So I think this is more than story telling on a surface level.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

In retrospect, I see I was critically unfair. I wasn't aware that such elements existed because it's not easy to convey on video. The written sources I also consulted never mentioned details like this. I suppose it's a lesson in stepping back and waiting to judge until I can do more research.

[@SpezyCoasters]

As someone who has visited phantasialand multiple times I can agree to most of the points you made. Although most of the newer attractions have a storyline but it's more hidden e. g. The lore of fly and rookbourgh are explained in the own newspaper the land offers for free. And I would love to see a vlog or an "Part 2" of your videos about European theme parks where you visit them or talk abt how they feel in reality But I also wanted to share my more critical thoughts with the whole community: I think that the park definitely lacks a major quality darkride, also while having a great level of theming "China Town"s attractions need an update or a replacement due to present day attractions being very outdated, I also think Colorado Advernture needs a small update in theming to better co-exist with Chiapas and talocan and finally I think that "Fantasy" needs and update in terms of theming and also the replacement of crazy-bats and its showbuilding with something that fits the overall "wuze-town" theming because crazy bats absolutely doesn't belong there and the space could be better utilized in my opinion

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I certainly agree with your thoughts. An ambitious dark ride would make a lot of sense as a signature attraction in Fantasy as well.

[@SpezyCoasters]

@@PoseidonEntertainment yeah I think so too the space currently occupied by crazy bats would be big enough for a darkride and maybe even a small coaster or something similar

[@DatBisa]

What I think is important to note in regards to your criticisms of the park, is how the majority of them are just consequences of its storied history. The Park opened in 1967, simply under the name "Märchenwald" (lit. Forest of Fairytales), and its area was limited almost entirely around the lake that now houses the Fantasy land. The small size, and lack of large, fast attractions was the reason the park could open in the first place, given the surrounding residential areas. Locals saw it more as a buffed up urban park, rather than a theme park. Once they started expanding 5 years later, they didn't just have to buy up residential land at a premium to have it re-zoned by the municipal administration of Brühl, they were also forced to grow outwards and away from the residential area, towards the borders of the city, rather than their plans of building lands all around the lake. For example, the reason that the Fantasy area is so under-themed is precisely because it is the most historically significant to the park (a lot of the decorations around the lake are actually still the same from the 60s and 70s), and because it's located the closest to the residential area around the park. They can't afford to have too many people go there, or to have any loud and high rides there, so especially the far reaches of the land are purposefully made to be less attractive. This is also why Crazy Bats (Previously Temple of the Night Hawk, and even before that: Space Center, hence the sterile theming) is an indoor ride, why the boat ride Wakobato is rarely open, and why the Hollywood Tour dark ride closed. It's an extremely unenviable position, but with how much they've been pushing the good will of the local population, especially with Klugheim, I feel they still did an incredible job with the Fantasy land.

[@wherethetatosat]

I'm digging all the non-Disney and Universal videos. When people do things well, they should be highlighted. I want more competitors in the theme park landscape. Because it can only be better for all of us in the long run.

[@wa11ie]

the international perspective of phantasialand is interesting to me. i don’t go to a lot of theme parks. phantasialand is one of the few i‘ve been to. to me, phantasialand is quite big so hearing that it is apparently quite small is baffling. but the theming is immaculate. i don’t enjoy roller coasters but 1) there are enough other rides to keep me busy and 2) the time your friends spend in queues is time for you to take in the environment. last time we went it was super full and there were also issues with the coaster but my friends were dead set on trying out fly. so they waited in line for forever and i waited in the area for them. i entertained myself for over an hour by just exploring rooksbourugh, which is tiny, and appreciating the details. because it is an enclosed area and you can’t really get into higher positions to see other spaces so this isn’t a situation where you want to buy churros and have mexico on the one side, klugheim on the other and berlin straight ahead, you get the most imersive experience in the whole park.

[@happysword258]

Let's all hope they get the new space soon!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

What do you mean?

[@happysword258]

@@PoseidonEntertainment hard to translate but the goverment has given them land in exchange for other land somewhere else. Now the city has to agree. It is as big as the current space

[@brittariedel3446]

@@happysword258 yes. But you have to mention that the city's council refuses to approve the expansion. It is very unlikely that there will be any development before the next elections, which will be in about 4 years...

[@CavHDeu]

Best little park in the world. Colorado Adventure doesn't suffer because it's way more intense than any other mine train. They are still working on the theming. Right now they are working on the mexico/klugheim and mexico/berlin transitions

[@kabelstekker]

The story in Chiapas is about moving archealogical finds through the rivers that runs through the ruïnes and temples in Mexico. While on your way at the ruïnes you get cursed by a statue when the track switches the first time. There should have been some smoke, that I seem to miss in your video, but the curse is actually a funny curse. A positive touch instead of a classical death curse. While your route continues with you being on a curse everything seems to get very funny en funky. That why there is a room where everything around you is in a disco state. After that the temple send you of your way home by trowing you of a waterfall in the end. Tip: When you enter the ride next time pay close attention to the murals on the walls in the first part of the ruïnes. You will see there is something very off, but funny.

[@mario64remix]

Trying to keep this short as there's just sooo much to talk about: I think it's very brave of you to tackle a park like Phantasialand while never having been there. Especially as there is indeed not much information to be found online in English so it's easy to miss out on any form of storytelling / lore, that's generally not even well incorporated into the rides but can only be found in other sources of media. Like the story suggests, theming is Phantasialand's strong point, not storytelling. Luckily the comments have done a great job of explaining most important things already. I just wanted to touch shortly on the China Town rides as I think they are underrated: at Feng Ju Palace, the good prince Akang's bride is taken away by the demon as noted. Akang's four servants aid him in defeating the demon. Most of this is explained without spoken words, as the intention was to not eliminate international visitors. I guess this sort of backfired on them lol. The servants however do not posses the power of the earth's materials (this is a commonly made mistake) but instead represent gods from Chinese mythology. For example, Yu Shi, the god of rain. The actual Mad House part of the ride is the wedding ceremony, during which the servants bundle their powers to defeat the demon just in time. Geister Rikscha is a special instance where, to the best of my knowledge, the scenes don't necessarily tell a story. It's just magical, mysterious stuff to look at, which is imo the best kind of dark ride. Of course some elements are taken from Chinese mythology again, like the dragon and mountain spirits. I could try and elaborate on each scene further, but that would involve mostly speculation so there's really no point to it. If anything, the real ''story'' to this ride is the history behind it, including the many changes made to it over the years! Geister Rikscha is the oldest ride and last of the classic dark rides at the park so I hope it will never get removed. :) Whenever you end up making a video on the history of Phantasialand, please don't forget to include the animatronic shows. They were a big part of the park's history and were created out of love for puppets by one of the park's founders, Richard Schmidt (may he rest in peace). Also you can always reach out to me if you're struggling to find info, I would love to help and make the best history of Phantasialand video ever happen.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Thank you, there's a lot of interesting context here. In retrospect, I also feel that I was too harsh on Geister Rikscha. As I've watched more though, I've developed an appreciation for it and realize that I made a hasty judgement when writing the script for the video. Honestly, I was unaware that Phantasialand even had shows like that. I managed to find a vague outline of its history, but there don't seem to be many sources available. When I researched Efteling, the quantity of historical information was overwhelming, but here I seem to have the opposite problem. Do you happen to have any good sources on the history of the park?

[@mario64remix]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Glad you gave Geister Rikscha a second chance, don't see that too often! As for sources of historical information, there are some but all of them are in German. I would recommend the PHL-Infos fanpage (I think you already used an onride from their KZbin channel), which includes a timeline and pages with many photographs on each ride. It's lacking on writing / background info though and hasn't been updated for some years. There's simply no ''Eftepedia for Phantasialand'' and most knowledge is shared through user forums. Unfortunately the park is very hostile towards these communities, at least in my experience. Also it might be worth tracking down one of Phantasialand's old brochures, the one from the 1980s and up feature English texts.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

@@mario64remix It's a good start, I appreciate the information.

[@DereineBrotmann]

I live about 30 minutes away from the Park and went there quite a number of times in my youth, but not since I believe 2015 (wantet to go back in 2020 with my sister, but bigC was against it...). I still cry for Galaxy. It was my favorite. Force and Fear always where some the most fun we had in a small group. Since I was not there for a while, I did not try most of the new rides, didn't even know they made Nighthawk (one of the earliest rides I was alowed to go on) a VR Ride... Need to go soon.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

It seems like the park has transformed quite a bit in such a small period of time. I imagine it was quite different even in 2015.

[@Culpride]

One oftenly overlooked aspect is the food. Phantasialand offers fantastic food fitting each theme. Also there are several entertainment shows for those who are not too keen of thrill rides.

[@Alex-Rocks]

We stayed at the Charles Lindberg Hotel a few months ago. You get one fast pass for FLY per person per day (this coaster is not included in the regular fast pass!!!) and the whole experience was absolutly amazing!!!

[@madhatterman01]

I was once stuck in the Chiapas disco room for a few minutes when the ride had to be halted. Good times

[@herotrice]

I watch this channel as someone who is interested in theme parks but will likely never visit the US. Now that you've covered my two favourite parks near home (efteling and phantasialand) I guess I'm not really missing out haha

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

They certainly stand out to me and appear far more interesting than what Orlando offers. Perhaps there's a bias of just getting used to the parks here, but I'm finding other parks outside of Disney and Universal to be getting far more interesting. If I were to visit Europe, I would likely skip Disneyland Paris in favor of Efteling or Phantasialand.

[@Tibainium]

Having stayed at hotel Matamba I'd say its definitely worth a trip. You can cover quite a lot of the park in just 1 day, but its worth staying for 2.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I'll probably plan a trip for 2023 and that's kind of what I had in mind. I'm unsure of what hotel I would want to stay in though.

[@mstrmren]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Matamba is good for Budget (Still a bit expensive in my opinion), Ling Bao is the Luxury Hotel (They have weddings there, expensive restaurants, ...,) And Charles Lindbergh is good for the experience. While Matamba is the family hotel, I have never found it too loud or it looking and feeling cheap (Like Disney's POP-CENTURY for example)

[@Happymali10]

You might want to also look into EuropaPark, which used to be a manufacturer's exhibition that allowed visitors, and the "Hansapark" which originally was a Legoland, then a random little park (featuring a historic looping coaster) and now leans HEAVY into theming.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I've checked it out a little bit and I'm quite impressed by what I've seen. I was considering doing a video on it in a few months.

[@justgrace1354]

If you're looking to diversify the parks you cover, I've noticed that many theme park channels are not touching on smaller, more niche "parks" in the US. Dollywood, Six Flags, Knott's Berry Farm are well known non-Disney/Universal parks that would be cool to look into on your channel. However, we have a ton that are fairly unknown like Dinosaur Kingdom II in Virginia, Evermore D&D Park in Utah, and Storyland in New Orleans that have strengths like creativity, immersion, and out-there theming that the Big Guys can learn from. As always, keep up the great work! Love watching your channel develop

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Yeah, I'm thinking of touching on other stuff in the U.S. as well. Some of those more obscure ones I definitely haven't heard about, so I'll definitely check them out.

[@justgrace1354]

@@PoseidonEntertainment I want to clarify that they're not exactly theme parks, more like themed entertainment on various scales, but I think some of the more obscure/smaller places still do theming well and they're just plain fun experiences even if they don't quite look like golden-age Disney!