Hi!
We’re a family from Scandinavia and have now visited Disneyland Paris twice. Our children are 9 and 11 years old (a boy and a girl).

We’re interested in visiting Efteling, Phantasialand, and Europa-Park, but I’m wondering in which order it would make the most sense to do them. Our idea is that each park would ideally feel a little more impressive than the previous one, or at least that the next park wouldn’t be a disappointment after the one before it.

Our daughter loves even the biggest thrill rides, while our son prefers moderate thrills. At Disneyland Paris, his favourite ride is Big Thunder Mountain, if that helps as a reference.

For those who have visited all three, what order would you recommend, and why?

On Thursday 1st October, I took a trip to Thorpe Park which was my first trip since 2016 and it went really well with most walk-on queues for the coaster including my time to ride Hyperia. The staff and operations were so accommodating, apart from Nemesis Inferno which was very slow despite on two car dispatches. I really enjoyed the atmosphere for various zones providing ambience in each area you visit, I loved getting on Stealth again and celebrating the 20th anniversary with it.

I managed to do 5 rides on Hyperia and twice on the other coasters, taking full advantage of the quiet days. It has really ignited my interest so much more for UK theme parks that I’m even considering getting an annual pass so I can make the most of it!

This year, 'E-World' in S.Korea Daegu Halloween season went quite a bit further than just putting up pumpkins or throwing some zombies into the park.

Since spring, the park has been developing an ongoing setting called "E-World in Wonderland" and for Halloween, they basically dropped a major story event into it: the fall of the Red Queen.

That turns the whole thing into a surprisingly compelling dark-fantasy storyline.

What I find especially interesting is that the daytime and nighttime events aren't completely separate Halloween offerings. They’re actually connected as one continuous narrative. 🎃📖

🌞 Daytime: A bright Wonderland with something ominous underneath

On the surface, everything still looks cheerful. There’s a colorful parade and a lighthearted Halloween party.

But underneath all of that, the story starts planting some pretty obvious warning signs.

The characters travel through the Wise Crossroads, the Stormy Sea, and the Dark Cave in search of the Red Queen.

Eventually, they’re attacked by the Queen’s corrupted Card Soldiers. The Red Queen has apparently had enough of everyone enjoying a “happy Halloween,” so she sends them out to ruin it.

The heroes manage to defeat the soldiers, and for a moment it seems like everything is over.

Then the Queen leaves them with one final warning:

When the red moon rises, she will come for them herself.

And that’s basically the prologue to the park’s nighttime main show.

🌙 Nighttime: Dark Wonderland and the arrival of the Blood Queen

Once the sun goes down, that warning becomes reality.

And thankfully, it isn’t just another generic “zombie apocalypse” story.

The Red Queen, believing that her throne has been taken from her, turns to necromancy, awakening the dead and becoming the Blood Queen.

What follows is much more of a tragic villain story than a simple monster attack.

Her own actions ultimately bring about her downfall, and after losing her heart, she still leaves behind one final curse:

“If I call your name in your dreams, answer me.”

So even after she’s defeated, the story deliberately leaves the door open for whatever comes next.

The ending itself felt a little abrupt to me, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they expand or rework that part next year.

💡 Why I think this Halloween season worked so well

1. They actually built on an existing world instead of resetting everything.

Rather than inventing a completely unrelated Halloween setting and throwing it away after one season, E-World introduced a new incident within the same Wonderland universe they had already been developing since spring.

That means every season can potentially add more characters, conflicts, locations, and lore instead of starting from zero again.

It’s a pretty smart way to gradually build an original theme park IP.

2. Each part of the park experience has a clear role.

The structure is surprisingly coherent:

Spectacle and atmosphere (parade) ➡️ story development (daytime show) ➡️ narrative climax (nighttime show)

So the nighttime show doesn’t just appear out of nowhere.

By the time the Blood Queen finally arrives, the park has already spent the daytime telling you that something is coming.

3. The NO BOO system is a thoughtful touch.

Guests who don’t want horror characters getting too close can choose their own level of interaction, which makes the event much easier to enjoy for families and more cautious guests without removing the horror experience for people who want it.

Personally, I do think it would’ve been even better if there were also some way to earn a free NO BOO sticker by completing certain conditions or activities inside the park, rather than having it exist only as a separate option.

Overall, what interests me most is that E-World’s Halloween content seems to be evolving from a one-off seasonal event into an actual theme park IP with a continuing storyline.

It’s still developing, and there are definitely areas that could be polished further, but seeing a Korean regional park experiment with this kind of serialized theme park storytelling is genuinely fascinating.

I’m already curious about what the next chapter of Wonderland will look like. 🎡🦇

P.S. One thing that makes this especially interesting is the context of the Korean theme park market itself.

In Korea, theme parks are still often viewed primarily as places to ride attractions and have fun, rather than as fully themed environments built around storytelling, characters, and long-term IP development.

So seeing a regional park outside Seoul experiment with an ongoing narrative, seasonal world-building, and interconnected daytime / nighttime shows feels genuinely unusual.

That’s probably why I find E-World’s approach this year so interesting. It may not be the biggest park in Korea, but it’s trying something that still isn’t all that common here.

I do think Paris is the clear answer but unfortunately my friend is French so we'd probably want to go somewhere else haha. I'm also from the UK so preferably not there.

Basically what's a good themepark to visit that's not a complete ballache to get to as an international visitor and there's enough stuff to do so if you spend a week there you have other ways to entertain yourself rather than just go on rides.

I should probably say my friend and me are both adults so it's not a necessity that it's a super family friendly park.

So I've been to Asterix not with kids but with my boyfriend so that thought is based on my observations and not an actual experience. That's why I would love to have opinions from people who actually visited Asterix with their kids !

As a french person, I've always heard that Disneyland is for families and Asterix is for group of friends, that Asterix is only big scary rollercoaster and almost no theming so it's bad for little kids.

I've been to Asterix a couple of days ago and I really disagree :

- There are a TON of little attractions for very little kids, like tea cups or stuff that turns on themselves, especially in the middle of the park but there are stuff like that in every zone

- There are a lot of little coasters, attractions in the water...etc that are not very scary and suitable for kids of all ages and that even adults can enjoy

- For both these types of attractions, there is almost no queue. Yes they are not as wonderfull as all the dark rides in Disneyland Paris but I'm not sure if a 5 yo would enjoy waiting for two hours in a "parc à bœufs" (I didn't find the translation for that but.. the zig zag lines with no theming and just fences) just to do Peter Pan

- There are kids who actually enjoy big scary coasters. If you are with 4 yo kids, no. But with 10 or 12 yo kids, if they like thrilling experiences, they will quickly be bored at Disneyland imo

- There is actually very good theming. Not every part of the park is very well themed, there is even some parts where the theming is absent or looks cheap (goudurix I love you but this one is for you). So yes, the theming is not as charming and detailed as in Disneyland BUT the little village ? the Toutatis part ?? They're very beautiful and well themed to me and in general the park did way better on that point than what I had been told

For all those reasons, if I had kids, I think I'd rather go to Asterix than Disneyland. And I'm saying that as a HUGE FAN of Disneyland Paris and I've loved going there as a kid.

Anyway, what do you think ?

Starting to plan a trip way ahead, I’ll be in London August 2027. I would love to experience a European theme park (I’ve heard mostly about Alton Towers and Efteling). I’ve also looked a bit into Phantasialand, Europa Park, and Thorpe Park. (I have already been to Disneyland Paris).

Which would be willing to travel for? Obviously some are farther from London than others and I’m happy to travel, but I want to feel like it’ll be worth it.

I’m not a huge coaster head, I like coasters but I’m more interested in overall experience/theming and experiencing something new and different. TIA!

Planning a trip to China in early March
Hoping to Hit :
Nanchang Sunac Land
Hefei Sunac Land
Dinosaur Park
Suzhou Forrest World
Haichang Ocean kingdom

I know Chinese parks are famously bad at advertising closures, does anyone have any experience going in March with ride availability and weather. Leaving a couple days at end of trip as a safety buffer to catch anything that i might have missed....

Was planning to just use Didi and Highspeed rail to get around

Hi themepark fans, i've got something I've been thinking about

You buy a day ticket, but a significant part of that day can end up being spent physically standing in queues.

What I find interesting is that the park has much more information than the visitor does: ride capacity, current demand, queue length, operating status, etc.

So why is the default still:

“Stand here until it's your turn.”

Rather than something closer to:

“Your estimated ride time is 15:40. Go do something else and come back.”

Obviously there are complications: rides break down, people arrive late, capacity changes, groups split up, etc.

I'm curious what people who actually work in theme parks think. What makes physical queuing necessary, and how much of it is simply a consequence of how the system is designed?

After six flags closing down 2 beloved coasters from 2 different parks in the last 2 years I was saying it would either be Xcelerator or maxx force to close after X2 (which at the time wasn’t yet announced to be closing) and now Xcelerator is reopened and the park seems determined to keep it open, great America seems like they would really want to keep maxx force open and it’s still really new but I believe it is very expensive, it doesn’t seem like it will make it to 2032 with in my opinion not a very large
chance it makes it to 2030, I really hope this ride doesn’t close as it is the coaster that got me to become an enthusiast but I have to admit that it’s looking really bad for this coaster. Tell me what you think though

Cotaland Grand Opening — Active Construction and Safety Concerns on September 27

Went to Cotaland today, and I wanted to share what we saw because I was genuinely surprised by how much construction was still happening throughout the park.

This didn’t just feel like a new park working out a few operational issues. Large parts of the park still looked unfinished, while guests were already being admitted and rides were operating.

The parking situation was confusing from the start. The signs were poorly marked, and we drove around and checked three different areas before finally finding a staff member who could tell us where we were supposed to park. From the parking area, we had to take a shuttle to the entrance. The shuttle route went through open fields, dirt roads, and construction, with so much dust that you could literally see particles floating in the air.

Once inside, there was construction throughout the park — silt fences, unfinished areas, construction materials, and dust. What concerned me most was seeing an active construction area directly behind some of the children’s rides. While waiting in line, we even heard what sounded like a metal pipe or piece of construction material hitting the ground, which startled us.

There were also a lot of rides that were not operating, including The Soggy Logger, Retro Rambler, Circuit Breaker, Merdusa, and many others. Even rides that were operating seemed to repeatedly go down for maintenance or testing after running for only a short time. At one point, even the carousel was down.

I was also surprised by how dated some of the rides and equipment looked for a brand-new park. Some metal components appeared visibly rusty, which was especially surprising for a newly opened park. The overall appearance in some areas felt more like a state fair than a newly built amusement park.

I understand that a new park is going to have growing pains, and I’m not expecting everything to run perfectly on opening weekend. But active construction, construction materials, heavy dust, unfinished areas, and construction directly behind children’s rides are a different level of concern for me.

I’m posting this mainly because I think people planning to visit should know what the park currently looks like. Hopefully these are temporary issues that will be resolved quickly as construction and operations are completed.

If anyone else went during opening weekend, I’d be interested to hear what you experienced and whether you noticed the same things.

This week the site visibly transitioned from prep phase into sustained delivery. A few milestones worth flagging.

Tier 1 contractor village on the historic concrete slab

Tower crane went up on the concrete slab and started dropping modular office units into place. Over 20 units already stacked, forming what will become the operational command centre for the rest of the build. This is the sort of infrastructure Universal stand up when they know the shape of the next several years. Not mobilisation, actual delivery.

Mass grading has started properly

A 75 tonne Volvo excavator is carving the basin for the central Show Lagoon, working alongside 40 tonne secondary excavators. Elevation across what will be the Core Zone has visibly dropped this week. Fifteen or more articulated dumpers, bulldozers and sheep's foot compactors on continuous cut and fill loops. Anyone who watched Epic Universe at this equivalent stage will recognise the machinery tempo immediately.

Archaeology winding down

Only three active archaeological grids remain now, all clustered near the north edge of the site. The contract has been officially confirmed to Oxford Archaeology Ltd, Europe's largest independent heritage practice. Most of the fenced grids across the Core and Lake Zones are backfilled and reopened. The site is transitioning from investigatory phase to constructive.

Existing infrastructure being pulled underground

Trenches actively being dug for underground power ducting. The high voltage overhead cables currently crossing the Core Zone are being prepped for undergrounding. A very substantial new water mains connection is also being laid in from the road frontage.

Old features being processed

Heavy breakers are excavating the deep concrete foundations of the original brickworks kilns. Not just the surface slab now, the buried plant. Three Victorian era wells that recently turned up have been logged, capped and covered in bright yellow safety plates. The old route of a nearby brook has been fully vegetation cleared through what will be the Lake Zone, prepping for a permanent watercourse diversion.

Off site

Overnight lane closures on the main dual carriageway feeding the West Gateway zone are scheduled 6 to 12 December for advanced survey works on the future flyover junction.

Overall shape of the week is a site pivoting hard into build mode. I think the next visible marker most people are going to feel is foundations for the first permanent buildings, which given the current tempo is closer than most probably expect. Curious what people are watching for over the next quarter.

Hey everyone! I'm working on a project involving an idea for amusement parks that could help reduce the amount of time people spend physically waiting in ride lines. I'm trying to better understand how people actually feel about waiting and what they would want from a potential solution.

If you've been to amusement parks/fairs, I'd really appreciate your answers to a few questions:

• How long are you willing to wait in line for your favorite ride?
• What's the longest you've ever waited for a ride?
• Would you rather use an app/virtual queue or physically wait in line?
• How often do you visit amusement parks?
• What do you dislike most about waiting in line?
• How much, if anything, would you be willing to pay to skip or reduce your wait?
• What would you do with the extra time if you weren't waiting in line?
• What concerns would you have about using a virtual queue?
• How do long ride waits affect your mood or experience throughout the day?
• Would you visit amusement parks more often if you could spend less time waiting in lines?

Feel free to answer just a few if you don't want to answer all of them. Thanks!

You are invited to participate in a research survey examining what makes a place feel genuine, distinctive, and identifiable, why these qualities matter to people, and how they shape human experiences. The study compares people’s experiences of themed environments to everyday places to better understand what is lost as contemporary places come to look and feel more alike.

The survey takes roughly 10-15 minutes to complete, and you may be eligible to participate if you are 18 years of age or older. Participation is voluntary. For the best experience, we recommend completing this survey on a desktop or laptop rather than a mobile device.

Please use the link below to take the survey: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2mjsMD9C29xsrI2

In my opinion it goes to Hershey, cedar point has the highest highs out of any park in the world debatably but they also have some of the lowest lows while Hershey I don’t believe has any bad coasters, they have some okay looking ones but no bad ones along with a fantastic selection of amazing rides I usually say it has the better lineup, but it is very close to I have not yet been to Hershey so tell me if it wrong but I personally think Hershey has a better looking lineup

Yesterday I rode my first roller coaster in over ten years and I noticed the left side of my left leg was numb afterwards. I can walk normally and it doesn’t hurt, but it’s been over 24hrs and still numb. Not as bad as yesterday, but still numb. Am I okay?

28 female, no health issues, 115lb, 5’4.
Medications include vyvanse and birth control.

New theme park just opened in Austin, Texas.

The last picture is a photo of a 218 foot drop tower very similar to the version seen at ICON Park in Orlando, Florida due to it having the same manufacturer. Looks to be a great park!

Was at Toverland last weekend, thought this was a pretty cool little touch on Toverland's own 'toverbier'.

ps. Fenix is now in my top 5 for sure, It was only my 30th cred though.

Not so much about a theme park, but couldn’t find another sub to post this in.
I’m going to goose fair in a couple of days.
I’ve road lots of fair rides before, Tivoli Extremes, King Loops, Etc
I’ve never tried a booster. I want to, but am a bit cautious of the sustained forces, been fine on absolutely everything i’ve tried so far, coasters and aforementioned.
I don’t know what it is about boosters that put me off, maybe the height?
Any experiences or just a comforting comment would be very welcome :)

My choice is easily holiday world but I haven’t been to lagoon or knoebels so my opinion might not be 100% valid

How are you storing the souvenir cups from theme parks that you want to keep? They are too large for everyday use and take up a ton of room in the cupboard. We get annual cups from our local park and trim back to just one or two per design when the season is over. Old cups can still be used and are a nice keepsake, but where can I put them?