The 2022 Winter Tours Review
Christmas feels like it was so long ago, and I am only now getting down to writing about the awesome trips we had in December when the festive feelings were so high. Just this second I was talking to someone who was on this tour and asked him to describe it.
“It was cold” – Nathan Fitzpatrick
Yes, it was. The second tour being colder than the first one reaching a low of -11 degrees when visiting Europa Park. This is very unlucky for that group where an unusual weather phenomenon swept through and unfortunately froze most of southern Germany where Europa Park is located. However, the parks operations are so good we somehow managed to get a snow ride on Wodan: Timbur Coaster and a lot of other rides still opened. We did miss Blue Fire and Silver Star which were covered in blankets of snow and during this trip we lapped a few dark rides to warm up, but with how good Piraten in Batavia is, this is no bad thing. The park and the surrounding area looked so magical covered in snow and it really felt like Christmas.
Two tours were completed in December, and both visited the same parks in the same order:
1. Phantasialand
2. Europa Park
3. Europa Park
4. Phantasialand
5. Efteling
6. Efteling
7. Plopsaland de Panne
Tour Names
The Allied Forces
This group consisted of 3 American Guests amongst the remaining English and so we became known as The Allied Forces.
Hats Ons
The number one question for every ride in this freezing cold trip. Is it ummm… Hats on? Top tip, Taron is hats off, but keep those gloves on!
Phantasialand
If you have seen any review for Phantasialand, you will have seen the Wintertraum event has been getting an amazing reception. This is the only time to experience the park at night and wow, they do some special things for this.
Taron Night Rides!
This is up there, I may have this as the number 1 night ride I have ever done, even topping my own 11pm Steel Vengeance ride!
When the lights go on, this becomes a different beast with the second launch tunnel filled with mist and a bright red light. Occasionally you will have a fire show in the back ground and the blue lighting on the rockwork is phenomenal.
While on the second tour, we rode the coaster in -6 degrees and the windchill or feels like temperature must have been a lot lower than this. I had brain freeze, it was awful and awesome all at the same time!
F.L.Y Night Rides!
Can you see the theme? F.L.Y is a fantastic full package coaster and riding through Rookburgh at night is something next level. This must be the best themed area in a park in the world and at night is more immersive than ever.
FLY Feels a lot comfier than other coasters in the colder conditions, maybe due to facing the ground rather than head on into the wind chill. I could stay in Rookburgh all night just watching this ride. At one point they opened a door in the station and allowed us to keep getting back on the same train as it passed through… we did it 5 times in a row before park closed.
Wintertraum overall
It is just brilliant. The weekends are very busy though and it makes the summer look quiet! But from the ride experiences of getting on Talocan to have a blast of fire warm you up, to the pink lighting effects of Black Mamba, other night rides including the darkness of Colorado Adventure, that red tunnel of Taron’s second launch, F.L.Y and even the non-attractions of just being in the main square with that many lights at night and fake snow effects was incredibly magical. As you can tell I could write another 5,000 words on how much I love this event and after experiencing 4 days here in December with the two groups, I can’t wait to get back next year, but first I will have to see the park in the summer again.
Europa Park
The world’s best theme park feels better decked up as a traditional Christmas Market with paths blocked off after the main entrance to walk through the many stalls that are introduced for the festive period. I feel as if I need to talk about the two trips very differently due to the previously mentioned cold snap during the second tour.
Christmas Trees everywhere, tour two more magical due to snow but less rides open, tour one, every coaster ridden bar Atlantica SuperSplash which is replaced for winter with a giant Ferris wheel creating unique picturesque shots of the entire park, especially Blue Fire and Wodan. Blue Fire at night with all those extra blue lights looks like a giant blue masterpiece… it is very blue!
The Allied Forces featured a lapping session on Silver Star, gloves on for this B&M hyper coaster as going through the car park with speed was as you can imagine very chilly. It felt as if the trims were cut back during the winter rides and so the coaster was running so much better than when visited in the summer.
The highlights of Europa Park is always taking the strange and hidden paths leading through no where and every where at the same time.
Efteling
Efteling is great park and without creating a winter season, is still as magical to visit and I always have a great and quirky time visiting this park. Having said that, Winter Efteling feels a lot more cut back than the German heavy hitters of Phantasialand and Europa Park who go all out on a full festive experience. The only festive difference I feel at Efteling is the inclusion of winter clothes, hats and scarves added to characters in the fairy-tale forest.
Efteling Review as always is amazing, but not too much changed from visiting in the summer months… except the weather obviously. Day one we made sure we got all the coasters in and of course the world class dark Ride Symbolica. Throughout both tours we got all three versions which if you did not know, the dark ride features a different tour of the castle of Symbolica and you can choose Treasure, Music or Heroes. All are similar with a couple rooms changed in each tour.
Both tours featured a stop at Polles Kitchen for some amazing Dutch Pancakes, watched the show Raveleijn and escaped through the fairy-tale forest. Rode the amazing Dive Coaster Baron 1898 multiple times and finished with the world class water show Aquanura. The Allied forces played 2 games of Yahtzee when we got back to the hotel. I had to bring that up as I can still here Marshall saying, “that’s a pretty good chance!” – Oh, and because I also won both games!
Plopsaland de Panne
If you think Efteling did little for Christmas, I couldn’t even recap what Plopsaland did but… they do have the Ride to Happiness! This is world class and I know so many people who have it as their number 1, not for me, it sits at number 5 on my list but it is still highly ranked. Post ride to Happiness we are back home after an end to our festive trip away.
Conclusion
From Evan and Damion alternating between beers and Taron on the first tour to the second tour having the doors opened for lapping F.L.Y. Everyone racing around on the formula cars at Europa Park to experiencing a magical adventure before Christmas. The inaugural winter tours helped to set me at least in the mood for Christmas and the festive season felt like a huge success. The second tour even extended their trip to Paulton’s Park after returning for what must be the quickest theme park reunion since Coaster Breaks began.
Thank you to Jacob, Evan, Shana, Joshua, Simon, Marshall and Damion the Allied Forces and to Tony, Joshua, Nathan, Jake, Andrew and Adam the Hats Ons.
