DLP, EuropaPark & Efteling Father Daughter Roadtrip (the pre-trip)

[Pez01]

Wow it’s coming around fast - I saw an article the other week about Efteling it looks dead good. Also looking forward to seeing what you make of DLP - we keep meaning to go there again as it’s been about 5/6 years since we went for a day trip from Paris on a cold wet February day. I blame that one day on the mild obsession we have with Orlando.

[theCMG]

Originally Posted by Pez01

Wow it’s coming around fast - I saw an article the other week about Efteling it looks dead good. Also looking forward to seeing what you make of DLP - we keep meaning to go there again as it’s been about 5/6 years since we went for a day trip from Paris on a cold wet February day. I blame that one day on the mild obsession we have with Orlando.

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Looking forward to all 3 legs, DD has been to Efteling once for a day (I haven't been) and it's the park she's most looking forward to so it must be good

[theCMG]

Second stop on our trip is Europa Park. While not that well known here this looks to all intents and purposes a European, non Disney version of WDW. It’s obviously a lot smaller than WDW but with all the themed hotels, rides and restaurants - when you throw in their build plans and awards won it’s a genuine rival to DLP on the continent and may partly explain all the Disney investment in Paris.

Walt lost several golf balls on his European vacation

They also have the whole world based around countries ala World Showcase but with more. Many of the main park rides are within the countries as EPCOT is starting to do. Here’s all the land names:

Adventureland
Austria
England
France
Germany
Greece
Grimm’s Enchanted Forest
Iceland
Ireland – Children's World (not sure what’s going on here!)
Italy
Luxembourg
Minimoys Kingdom (Minnie’s cousin from New York?)
Netherlands
Portugal
Russia
Scandinavia
Spain
Switzerland

As for inspired by Disney there’s definitely some similarities among the ride concepts which include Universum der Energy Piccolo Mondo, Piraten in Batavia and the Matterhorn Blitz.

=Small World. Disney legal are yet to enable Google Translate

The owners of EuropaPark (Mack) manufacture rollercoasters which helps them have the most amazing long list of thrill rides. Picking out some rides that DD and I are looking forward to:

Blue Fire

Atlantica Supersplash (hopefully the Ronseal of water rides)

Geisterschloss (Ghost Castle)

Schweizer Bobbahn

Arthur the Ride (looks so weird...but great theming )

Silver Star

Poseidon Water Coaster

Wodan

And there’s tonnes more, lots of photos planned for when we visit

[Pez01]

After reading this I need to go to Europapark! It does look like a very non-Disney Disney and the world showcase-alike sounds dead good.

[Lily8]

I'm too sacred to go on any of the 'extreme' rollercoasters but my nephews are both very keen on just that and loved Europa Park coasters! The Arthur ride looks so enchanting; I watched a video on YouTube and thought it looked super cool the way it leaves the building.
I seem to remember there's a ride that works with virtual reality glasses as well? It looks like an amazing theme park. I'm hoping to book cheap Basel flights for July 2020 when EasyJet release their summer flights next week - having just extended our WDW2020 trip to 15 nights the budget for next summer is NOT flexible...
Not long until your road trip now!

[Pez01]

CMG I hadn’t realised how cool these parks are in Europe. I’ve just spent a little time researching instead of housework and it’s made me seriously excited to see your report. I won’t drive overseas as I’m a wuss so I looked at how feasible it would be by public transport. I found we could fly from Manchester to Amsterdam and take the train to Efteling. From there it’s an hour by plane of 6/7 hours by train to Strasbourg (quite fancy that I imagine a very picturesque journey) then a short hour train journey to Ringsheim for Europa Park. How cool do those hotels look? Brilliantly themed. Then a train back to Zurich to see a friend of mine or a train from Strasbourg to Paris to see another of my friends/DLP. It’s not something I’d ever considered ... but Eva has now been online and really wants to visit Europa ..

I was planning a couple of short haul trips to see my friends scattered around Europe next year so I am now channelling my inner Black Adder and have the seeds for a cunning plan...

You and your daughter are going to have such a brilliant trip - can’t wait for the report to start 😊😊

[nothingless]

Wow your road trip sounds so cool! I can't wait till my daughter is old enough for something like this - she's only just turned 3 but maybe in a few years!

As an aside, I'm Dutch and have therefore been to the Efteling more times than I can count. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about this park!

[Guest]

We are just back from Efteling, WOW, it out disney's DLP, the service, the park, the staff all knock spots off DLP, DLP really feels 2nd rate compared to Efteling

[theCMG]

Originally Posted by Lily8

I seem to remember there's a ride that works with virtual reality glasses as well? It looks like an amazing theme park. I'm hoping to book cheap Basel flights for July 2020 when EasyJet release their summer flights next week - having just extended our WDW2020 trip to 15 nights the budget for next summer is NOT flexible...
Not long until your road trip now!

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They have at least two of the rides with VR overlays so keen to try that, we've only done it on a dark ride at Winter Wonderland (which was German too) so far and that was good, very immersive. 15 nights next year sounds great, it'll be here before you know it

Originally Posted by Pez01

CMG I hadn’t realised how cool these parks are in Europe. I’ve just spent a little time researching instead of housework and it’s made me seriously excited to see your report. I won’t drive overseas as I’m a wuss so I looked at how feasible it would be by public transport. I found we could fly from Manchester to Amsterdam and take the train to Efteling. From there it’s an hour by plane of 6/7 hours by train to Strasbourg (quite fancy that I imagine a very picturesque journey) then a short hour train journey to Ringsheim for Europa Park. How cool do those hotels look? Brilliantly themed. Then a train back to Zurich to see a friend of mine or a train from Strasbourg to Paris to see another of my friends/DLP. It’s not something I’d ever considered ... but Eva has now been online and really wants to visit Europa ..

I was planning a couple of short haul trips to see my friends scattered around Europe next year so I am now channelling my inner Black Adder and have the seeds for a cunning plan...

You and your daughter are going to have such a brilliant trip - can’t wait for the report to start 😊😊

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Research > housework Looking forward to hearing about your plans as they develop I do like Germany for a holiday, friendly people loads to do and even with bad exchange rates it tends to be good value compared to anywhere South or coastal. Full report to follow!

Originally Posted by nothingless

Wow your road trip sounds so cool! I can't wait till my daughter is old enough for something like this - she's only just turned 3 but maybe in a few years!

As an aside, I'm Dutch and have therefore been to the Efteling more times than I can count. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about this park!

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She'll be old enough before you know it, just make sure you pass on the theme park bug, lots of trips to Efteling will do it I imagine Will definitely ask if I have questions, thank you. I know the Netherlands fairly well but have no clue about the park (studied in Friesland on an exchange for a while but it wasn't the theme park phase of life )

Originally Posted by matt987106

We are just back from Efteling, WOW, it out disney's DLP, the service, the park, the staff all knock spots off DLP, DLP really feels 2nd rate compared to Efteling

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That's good to hear DD certainly raved about it after she came back from a day trip a few years ago. Shout if you have any recommendations

[Pez01]

Originally Posted by theCMG

They have at least two of the rides with VR overlays so keen to try that, we've only done it on a dark ride at Winter Wonderland (which was German too) so far and that was good, very immersive. 15 nights next year sounds great, it'll be here before you know it




Research > housework Looking forward to hearing about your plans as they develop I do like Germany for a holiday, friendly people loads to do and even with bad exchange rates it tends to be good value compared to anywhere South or coastal. Full report to follow!



She'll be old enough before you know it, just make sure you pass on the theme park bug, lots of trips to Efteling will do it I imagine Will definitely ask if I have questions, thank you. I know the Netherlands fairly well but have no clue about the park (studied in Friesland on an exchange for a while but it wasn't the theme park phase of life )



That's good to hear DD certainly raved about it after she came back from a day trip a few years ago. Shout if you have any recommendations

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Erm I’ve accidentally on purpose this afternoon come up with an itinerary covering the Schwarzwald region and Alsace over 7 nights with a stay at Europa Park in one of those fab looking hotels 😂 my excuse is it will be cultural and I can speak French and German so obviously educational for Eva 🤪 .. the housework is now pushed back to Sunday ... whether it becomes reality is anyone’s guess 😊😊(this is how my Orlando obsession started)