Phantasialand — Attraction in Brühl

We were so lucky to visit Phantasialand again on 10th April 2023 on our second trip from Ireland. We came last November on our first trip and were so sad to find Rookburgh and FLY closed, but the park made allowance for us to come back as they knew we had to travel from Ireland. Thank you to Phantasialand for excellent customer service via guest services and thank you for the complimentary tickets, it is so very much appreciated, especially as FLY was something we really wanted to experience.

We love this park because of its beautiful themed areas, the stunning themed scores and of course, some amazing world class rides. Taron is indeed THE ride of the park, I can't express how fantastic an experience it is to ride with 2 incredible launches, floater and ejector airtime and so much speed around the stunning land of Klugheim. FLY and Rookburgh are the newest addition to the park and are breathtaking to experience. Just stand in Rookburgh and try to take it all in. It is an assault on the senses of sight, smell and sound. FLY is a beautiful coaster, it is an engineering triumph and a spine-tingling ride from first stepping into the queue line all the way to the brake run. Whilst the flying coaster ride position isn't the most comfortable, specifically on the rider's neck, it is a gorgeous and exhilarating ride, not to be missed.

The other big rides after the top 2 are Colorado Adventure, Talocan, Mystery Castle and Black Mamba in that order. The Winjas are situated in the very pretty Wuze town and, whilst worth a ride, they are a bit painful and not really rerideable as you get slammed around. Maus au Chocolate is a very fun shooting dark ride and it has a lovely queue line. If you want to get soaked try Chiapas and River Quest, just be sure to bring a change of clothes! There is plenty more to choose from to pad out your visit if you wish, never a dull moment. I compliment operations at Phantasialand. Whilst there was some occasions when rides went down, staff were quick to let riders know, queue lines were closed and the Phantasialand app was updated within minutes. The rides were not down for long on the couple of occasions that there were issues. Ride operators seem well trained, very serious about safety and professional. There are no immature teenagers here, like those we have had in our home park back in Ireland, who can be surly, unfriendly or infuriatingly too busy chatting and flirting with each other to get safety checks and dispatches completed in a timely fashion. Not so at Phantasialand, the staff are on it and efficient. They are also friendly and have a smile for guests.

Overall, Phantasialand has a lot to offer for a 2 day visit (any less is just not long enough). It's easy to get to (tram on line 18 out from Koln Cathedral station to Bruhl Mitte then the Phantasialand shuttle at €4 return trip) and you will need 2 full days to do everything you will want to do, including multiple rides on Taron. There are plenty of food and drink offerings, though they can be expensive. There are one or two gluten free options too, which is a bonus. The hotels do look stunning, just a bit out of our price range at present. Staying at one of these hotels would really immerse a visitor fully in the experience, one can only out it on the bucket list. The only area I feel Phantasialand lacks is the merchandise. It is really not great. Taron and FLY deserve incredible merchandise to reflect how great they are, but it is sorely lacking. I did buy one or two things but options are so limited, unless you're a kid or get the dragon mascots that the park seem to be based on. Phantasialand could look at what BPB has done with their Icon shop, as an example of awesome merch for a quality ride.

Overall, 9/10 for this incredible immersive park. We will hopefully be back in the next few years to do it all again, maybe Crazy Bats is coming to the end of its life and something new is brewing for that area? 🤔 Let's...

I had a fantastic stay, so here’s a detailed review of my weekend:

Hotel Matamba Pros: Communication with the hotel was smooth and easy. I received a response within 48 hours, making the planning process super convenient. Parking was hassle-free, and check-in went really well. The staff arranged the shuttle to the Fantissima show and also set up breakfast times without any issues. The room was fantastic—clean, spacious, and perfect for me, my companion, and my service dog. The shower was huge, making it the perfect spot to unwind after long days.

The best part was being able to walk straight out of my room and right into the park. That convenience was unbeatable! The staff were also very friendly and helpful, and I had no issues with them at all. Check-out was just as smooth as check-in, which made everything feel seamless.

Park Pros: The hotel’s easy access to the park was a huge plus. Being able to take breaks in my room and return to the park quickly was super convenient. I loved the dryers scattered around the park, especially since we got soaked on the RiverQuest ride. They were a lifesaver! It would be great to have more of them, but being able to head back, change clothes, and return to the park was awesome. The food options in the park were fantastic—I had the Asian noodles, and they were delicious! It was great to see pets wandering and enjoying the park, something you never see in other parks.

Hotel Matamba Cons: Some of the stairwells were out of service, which made things a little tricky with my dog. It would have been easier to use the stairs to avoid other guests who might be nervous around him. Waiting for an elevator without children took a bit longer than I would’ve liked, but it wasn’t a huge deal. I was also a little disappointed that the hotel didn’t have a spa. If there had been one nearby, I definitely would’ve taken advantage of it.

Park Cons: The app was a real letdown. I needed it to help navigate the park, especially since I have a disability (though I don’t use a wheelchair). It’s important for me to find routes with as few turns as possible, but the app just didn’t help. The "Quick pass" feature was also difficult to figure out. I spent 30 minutes trying to find the exit to one ride and eventually gave up, which meant I only got on four rides in two days. The ride wait times weren’t accurate, and the boards around the park didn’t display the right information either.

It would also be helpful if the map allowed for better zooming. As an adult without my reading glasses, it was tough to make out the routes between different areas of the park.

Phantasialand Overall Recommendations: Add a pet option during online check-in to avoid confusion. A simple checkbox would help. This was the only part of the reservation process that was a bit of a hassle and even resulted in a room downgrade. I was told I owed a balance at check-in, but I had an email confirming that the downgrade was due to my service dog and that the balance would be refunded. Make it easier to travel between Fantasy and Berlin. It took us 30 minutes to figure out how to get from one part of the park to another. There was a gate, but it seemed closed, and it wasn’t marked how to get around. Clearly post the pet fee ahead of time to inform guests before they arrive. Add zebra stripes or crosswalk markings from the Hotel Matamba entrance to the parking lot. A few cars thought we were crossing illegally, and we had to dodge them. The video channels were great, but it would be helpful if they included more information about navigating the hotel, food options, and gift shops in each park region or a channel for each...

I've been to quite a few theme parks around Europe, and I honestly have to say this gem is currently my new favorite. Went on a Sunday with two others, expecting the usual queuing and rude personnel, but oh boy was I wrong. I won't spoil too much though, as you really have to experience this yourselves.

Came in via the Mystery entrance, one of many separate entry points, each with it's own parking lot. Very clever, because this immediately spreads out the visitors over the entire park. Immediately I was greeted by three employees having a laugh of themselves, and couldn't help but smile as they pointed us towards the entrance. Bought a parking ticket (€8) on our way to the park, thinking it could get crowdy come closing time. In hindsight, this wasn't even necessary.

The first ride was the Crazy River. Our theory was that we'd do the "get somewhat wet" rides first, so we had the whole day to dry up. Waited about 5 minutes in line, reading funny signs about the nature of the ride. "YOU WILL GET SOAKED" isn't a warning. It's a threat. Honestly. We were seated in the raft, along with 4 others, by a grinning employee. Had an amazing ride, got absolutely soaking wet and the same dude smiled as he petted the raft we were in and sarcastically uttered: "I like this machine". There were human drying booths available, something I hadn't seen before.

The next ride was the double launch coaster and again, almost no queue. They aren't joking about the rides by the way. Immediately I noticed the "no bullsh*t" attitude of the park towards all of their rides. Everything is immediate, fast and tons of fun. I really enjoyed this one, and went back later that day to ride it again.

As we got out, we went to the tower attraction next to it, and was (once again) surprised by the lack of waiting lines and of course the ride itself.

Every inch of the park is themed, so even whilst waiting you've got something to look at. In total, there are about five of six themed areas, all of them beautifully executed. It's all kept neat and clean, the staff seem to really enjoy themselves and are funny towards the guests. It's the attention to detail that makes this my new favorite. There are small houses in the African area, that serve no purpose other than creating atmosphere. For example, there's an abandoned barber shop with only one seat, and an old radio playing music and conversations. It's almost creepy, like a scene from the game Fallout.

Prices for food and beverages are reasonable, and the stalls are abundant. A piece of advice though; grab yourself a map or download the app because the park can be somewhat confusing to navigate. This may be intentional, and if this is the case, they've done an amazing job. Spot on even, because this forces the guests to walk alternative routes and experience every inch of it.

All in all I had an amazing time and really, REALLY, want to go again in the near future. My compliments to every single staff member. You made our...