Amusement parks represent an immense magnet for visitors. They attract millions of tourists annually, especially families with children or young people. The popularity of amusement parks is best seen in the USA. However, in Europe there are also many famous parks that welcome thousands of visitors daily. Tourism-review.com presents the most popular parks in Europe.
The theme park located in German Rust boasts great diversity. There is a wide range of rollercoasters and attractions, with all ages and tastes finding what they like here. Many of the attractions were or are ground-breaking for the leisure industry and come from the companies' own production. The park has a total of 72 rides and 13 roller coasters and can accommodate up to 60,000 guests per day.
However, the amusement park also has its weaknesses. The excellent value for many has gotten around and the park is very busy, especially during holidays. For example, in 2016, 5.6 million people visited the park, with the growth having a stable tendency. As a result, there are long queues, overfilled attractions etc. Plus, another problem is inadequate connection with public transport.
Disneyland in Paris consists of two adjacent theme parks Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park. Together they are the most popular amusement parks in Europe. The park is located 32 kilometers east of Paris. Both parks can be reached quickly and easily via public transport as well as the A4 autoroute.
No leisure company manages to take visitors into a fantasy world as well as Disney. In doing so, the company profits from its world-famous figures through its own films as well as from its lovingly designed attractions. In 2016, the park welcome 13.4 million people. Another big plus is the many rides suitable for the whole family as well as the unique public transport connection.
On the other hand, one of the strengths of the park is also a weakness. Since most attractions are aimed at all ages, there are very few thrill rides. Big roller coasters are missing completely in the park.
The French theme park Le Puy du Fou is located in Les Epesses, between Nantes and Poitiers. It offers various shows in terms of fencing and equitation, stunts, pyrotechnics and other special effects. In this sense, it is absolutely unique in Europe. From Vikings raiding, knights' duels, fencing battles or Roman gladiators in an arena – everything seems totally real.
The park is ideally embedded in nature as well as maintained. In the evening, the highlight is the Cinescenie show with a combination of music, dance, parade, 3-D video projections, water features and fireworks. In 2017, 2.26 million visitors were welcomed in the park.
Its uniqueness is also a slight negative, as the park lacks variety. Apart from the shows, a medieval farm and a few animal paddocks there are practically no other attractions. Adrenalin junkies would be at the wrong address here, while the public transport connection also requires improvement.
PortAventura World in Salou, located 60 kilometers south of Barcelona, is a magnet for both Spaniards and tourists. The amusement park consists of three parts – Portaventura Park, Caribe Aquatic Park, and Ferrari Land.
Taking all three parks together, the range of needs of a leisure park visitor is covered here. But not only the quantity, but also the quality of attractions remains at a high level. In addition, the park location is almost ideal. Right on the Mediterranean Sea, favored with many warm and sunny days.
There are longer lines for rides during the high season, but due to the dimension and layout of the facility, visitors are relatively well distributed. Thus said, larger crowds are rather rare, at least on the connecting routes. However, food in the park could be cheaper and of better quality, while the accommodation and pools in hotels are a bit old-fashioned.
With 2.85 million visitors per year, Gardaland, located in Castelnuovo del Garda near lake Garda, is Italy's largest amusement park.
The range of rollercoasters and waterways leaves nothing to be desired. Children have a high priority as guests. This is also reflected in the fact that this year a separate subject area Peppa Pig Land was created.
A must-visit attraction in 2018 is I Corsari: La Vendetta del Fantasma, where modern projection technology brings to life scenes of the themed ride, creating three-dimensional scenes around the passengers.
Some of the weaknesses are extremely long waiting times, especially for the top attractions. Many waiting areas are also uncovered, thus exposing people to the sunlight. Opening times are generally quite short too and the gastronomic offer is disappointing considering the fame of Italian cuisine.