Hope this type of post is welcome here :) First time visitors to Disneyland Paris, but came away with one of the best theme park experiences we've ever had.
Fair warning, this is a long one, since it's technically two parks in one report.

We visited the Disneyland Paris resort on August 20th, 21st and 22nd, 2026. While this technically wasn't our first visit to the main park, given a 2009 visit during a family vacation, to say we remembered nothing as we walked through the main entrance would be an understatement. This very much felt like a first-time visit.

We spent the entire first day at Disneyland Park, the entire second day at Adventure World (except for a quick pop-in for a night ride on Big Thunder), and used day three as a clean-up day, riding the things we were still missing and getting some re-rides. In total, around 18 hours in Disneyland Park and 13 hours in Disney Adventure World.

We came to Adventure World knowing its reputation as one of the "lesser" Disney parks, often labeled the "worst" Disney park by many previous visitors. Well, imagine our surprise when we not only loved the time we spent there, but walked away thinking it is the best park at the Paris resort.

We score every park across 10 categories on a scale from 1-10. the average of those scores is the final score for the park. (The occasional 11 is given for parks that break the scale and go above and beyond, and Disney is definitely one of those parks)

Let's start with the result. The full breakdown comes after.

Category	Disneyland Park	Adventure World
Best coaster	8	7
Coaster depth	6	4.5
Water rides	0	0.5
Flatrides & darkrides	9.5	10
Park appearance	11	11
Park practicality	7.5	8
Food	7.5	9.5
Snacks & drinks	9.5	9.5
Ride operations	11	11
Park management	10	11
Overall	8.00	8.20 (Winner)

 

Best Coaster (DLP 8 / AW 7)

Disneyland Park

The battle for the best coaster is quite a contested one between Big Thunder Mountain and Hyperspace Mountain. While Big Thunder is undoubtedly a great coaster in its own right, we left thinking Hyperspace Mountain was the best coaster at the park.

This large, thrilling, launched looping Vekoma is somehow completely hidden away inside a massive, gorgeous structure. The Jules Verne-inspired architecture and art style are absolutely stunning, the scale is staggering, and the Columbiad cannon is perhaps the coolest launch track we've ever seen. The ride itself is a thrilling and fairly intense affair taking place in the dark, illuminated only by screens and special effects. Being launched upwards through the Columbiad with the classic Star Wars score blasting in the background is certainly a vibe.

It's impressive how well Disney has managed to incorporate such a large thrill coaster into Discoveryland, and it delivers what we consider to be the best coaster experience at the entire resort.

Adventure World

Avengers Assemble: Flight Force is the best coaster at Adventure World, not that it has much competition, as it is the only thrill coaster in the park. It's very interesting that the resort now sports two major launched thrill coasters from Vekoma, both fully enclosed and both space-themed.

Avengers is a very good launch coaster that, on paper, has Hyperspace Mountain beat on both length and speed. It certainly has the most powerful launch, yet something just isn't quite as good. Do not get us wrong, a coaster of this size that unwinds entirely indoors is a great experience, but in many ways, it feels like a slightly lesser version of its counterpart.

The main downside is that it still features the old Vekoma trains, meaning the seats are a lot less comfortable and some headbanging does occur. This may be slightly amplified by the fact that Avengers is the more intense ride, with a more powerful launch and whippy inversions occurring so close to each other. Still, it's great that you can experience two genuinely good launched thrill coasters at the resort.

Coaster Depth (DLP 6 / AW 4.5)

Disneyland Park

The supporting coaster lineup is one of quality over quantity, featuring only three coasters to back up Hyperspace Mountain.

Big Thunder Mountain is a fantastic addition to the roster and provides the park with a solid one-two punch, even though it is technically a family coaster. With its incredibly long ride duration, amazing theming, and commanding presence in Frontierland, Big Thunder is an exceptional family-thrill coaster that does a lot of heavy lifting for this category.

Intamin's looping Cyclone, Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril, is a weird addition, but it is actually quite impressive that this Disney park has two thrill coasters in its lineup. It features, once again, stellar theming with cool visuals, though it suffers from a subpar layout and rider comfort.

Casey Jr., Vekoma's powered coaster, has no thrills whatsoever (you could probably overtake it on a bike), but what it does have is a highly detailed train featuring different types of vehicles and seating arrangements, including a backward-facing rear car. It also utilizes onboard audio playing the coaster's own unique theme song (one that will absolutely get stuck in your head).

Three supporting coasters might not seem like a lot, but there is genuine quality and variation in this lineup, which saves the park from a lower score.

Adventure World

As we'd come to expect from a Disney park, the coaster lineup is not what Adventure World is really about, even less so, in fact, than its neighboring park.

RC Racer, the Intamin halfpipe, is a terrible fit for a Disney park and probably scores lower here than it would have at a small regional park. Even though the Toy Story theming is very clever and cute, the capacity is simply horrible and the ride duration is abysmal. Standing in line for an hour for what feels like 30 seconds of ride time just isn't great at all.

Crush's Coaster, the Maurer spinner, is another major (almost) fully enclosed coaster that has been at the park for almost 20 years. This may very well be a completely different experience in the future, but these are our thoughts on the original version we got to experience:

>Is it slightly janky? Yes.
>
>Does it have a few moments that can rival a Vekoma slap*? Oh, yes.
>
>But is it also just a damn charming coaster in the dark? Absolutely.

*If you know, you know.

Crush's Coaster actually does a lot of heavy lifting here, and for a coaster about to go down for a major refurbishment, it was very enjoyable.

Water Rides (DLP 0 / AW 0.5)

Disneyland Park

While the park does have some traditional boat rides, seeing as it doesn't have any flume, rapids, shoot the chute, spinning raft or water coaster, we can't allocate any points in this category.

Adventure World

It is always hard for us to rate a park without any proper water rides. At times, we do consider whether it is fair to leave an otherwise incredible park with this big of a minus in its overall score. However, each time, we also acknowledge that we have to stand by our principles. In our minds, a theme park is not a complete park without at least one true water ride.

Adventure World has no excuse not to have one, which is also why they are now building one! With the opening of the Lion King land, the addition of an Intamin log flume will be a very welcome sight.

For now, though, it scores a 0.5. Why not 0.0? We got a bit wet on Frozen Ever After. Consider it a token of good fortune for the future. (Lion King land is going to be an incredible addition to this park)

Flatrides And Darkrides (DLP 9.5 / AW 10)

Disneyland Park

Pirates of the Caribbean is not only a classic attraction but a genuine world-class dark ride. Phantom Manor and It's a Small World are two other notable dark rides that are far beyond what you normally see at a theme park in terms of overall theming, immersion, and scale. Also, a special shoutout goes to Peter Pan's Flight with its suspended vehicles and highly original ride experience.

Even the lower-tier Disney dark rides like Buzz Lightyear, Snow White, Pinocchio, and Star Tours would be considered true standout attractions in most other theme parks around the world. The park does have a few flat rides like Mad Hatter's Tea Cups, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and Orbitron, though these are all family-oriented.

Needless to say, the dark ride game is off the charts, meaning you will never feel like you're lacking things to do. However, the low amount of flat rides, and the complete lack of thrill flats, means that we can't allocate the very top score in this category.

Adventure World

You cannot talk about Disney without talking about their approach to dark rides, world-class theming, immersion, and overall experience. Adventure World is no different, boasting not one, not two, but three absolute world-class dark rides that rank at the very top of our worldwide ranking.

Tower of Terror needs no introduction. It's a Disney staple and an absolute riot of an accelerated drop and launch tower, and it remains one of the most thrilling attractions at the resort.

Frozen Ever After, Intamin's brand-new boat ride during our visit, strikes the perfect balance between world-class theming, whimsical songs, and immersion. Just watching the state-of-the-art animatronics move around is a form of escapism in itself. Add in all the music and the decently thrilling drops, and you have what we consider the crowning jewel of dark rides at the Disneyland Paris resort.

Ratatouille: We dreaded the 80-to-100-minute queue for two days before finally biting the bullet, and we regret nothing. This 2014 trackless car ride combines digital and practical elements to throw you into the world of Ratatouille, and it does it in absolutely spectacular fashion. We could not stop nerding out over how well-executed their trackless setup was, with six cars gliding around corners in perfect synchronization. Even the screen-based sections were far beyond anything we had seen before.

Add a high-quality interactive shooter like Spider-Man W.E.B. Adventure, and there is no world in which we do not give this a 10/10. The only reason we are not breaking the scale and going to 11 is the lack of thrilling flats, and flat rides in general.

Park Appearance (DLP 11 / AW 11)

Disneyland Park

If there were any one category where this park was almost guaranteed to score max points, it would be appearance, as it is quite literally the reason why most people come here. The theming, immersion, attention to detail, and overall vibe of a Disney park are something special that speaks to a lot of people (hence the ludicrous number of people we saw heavily decked out with Disney merch and custom t-shirts celebrating this season's trip to their favorite theme park).

This doesn't necessarily mean that it would speak to us personally, and Disney parks certainly aren't for everyone. However, it didn't take long before Disneyland Park proved itself worthy of the golden rating in this category. Not only is every ride meticulously designed, heavily themed, and immersive, but the park itself is also beautiful and clean (which is extremely impressive given the sheer number of people and families with small children present).

Hell, even the entrance sets the stage. The walk down Main Street, U.S.A. with a center view of Sleeping Beauty Castle really is a sight you rarely see at a theme park.

Adventure World

Unsurprisingly, Adventure World also completely knocks it out of the park when it comes to appearance, though it is interesting how different the two parks actually feel. Where Disneyland Park has a more lived-in and magical feel, Adventure World is much more modern and exciting, and we really loved the overall vibe.

The park looks incredible, and we were especially impressed by the numerous character appearances that happened throughout the day. From the Disney Princess Cavalcade and Elsa showing up mid-queue for Frozen Ever After, to the spontaneous shows at Avengers Campus, there truly was always something to look at and look forward to while traversing the park.

It is going to sound cliché, but Disney very much manages to pull you out of your mundane everyday life and bring you into a different world, one where attention is paid to every little detail, all coming together to create something much bigger than the sum of its parts.

Park Practicality (DLP 7.5 / AW 8)

Disneyland Park

A fairly large park with an interesting layout. You enter through Main Street, U.S.A. and are taken to the Central Plaza in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. From here, the four main themed areas circle the plaza, and you're free to move between them. This is actually a very nice and practical design, as it means it never takes too long to get from one end of the park to another, and given that you can often use the castle as a point of reference, navigation is incredibly easy. We also greatly appreciated the wooded path between Fantasyland and Discoveryland (perhaps the only place in the entire resort where it's nice and quiet).

The Main Street-to-Central Plaza design is very nice both as an entrance experience and when you casually navigate throughout the day. However, it also turns into a massive bottleneck when it's busy, especially after the closing show when everyone is heading for the exit.

Adventure World

The park itself is practical and very easy to navigate with a simple layout surrounding the lake.

Both parks

The fact that a company of this size is unable to provide a decent app experience is beyond us. The app (despite having solid features) is very unresponsive and slow to use, suffering from stuttering, delayed response times, and an overall bad UX. Doing simple tasks like looking at queue times on the map was way harder than it needed to be.

But perhaps the biggest sin was the incorrect queue times that always worked against you. Posted times were almost always 20 to 40% lower than the actual wait time, making an already long 40-minute wait turn into 70 minutes. This was quite annoying as we never really knew if a queue was standard-long or "Disney-long." We would much rather have the times be overestimated, turning a long wait into a positive experience when you arrive at the station 10 or 20 minutes sooner than expected.

Food (DLP 7.5 / AW 9.5)

Disneyland Park

There is a great variation throughout the park, taking inspiration from a lot of different countries and cultures. We loved how almost all of the food was themed in some way, and the experience of getting it was surprisingly easy despite how busy the park was.

The quality of the food itself was a bit of a letdown, not because it was bad, but because we had hoped for slightly better at Disney. The pulled beef sandwich (which was more of a wrap) and the Hakuna chicken salad we got at Restaurant Hakuna Matata were okay, but nothing special. The Mickey Mouse pizza we got from Pizzeria Bella Notte reminded us of a frozen pizza bought in a convenience store (though with a cute Mickey Mouse design) and was quite disappointing for a Disney food option. The saving grace here was the classic turkey leg from the Last Chance Café, which was quite a unique and tasty meal.

Adventure World

Disney and food (and snacks) often go hand in hand, and Adventure World definitely delivers. On day one, we had a fantastic chimichurri burger themed to Toy Story, followed by a turkey meatball and salmon dish paired with mash and gravy on day two. The burger definitely stood out as one of the best we've ever had at a theme park, and the Scandinavian-inspired dishes (in Arendelle) were a fresh and welcome addition to the usual theme park fast food.

The food itself was high quality, but the score earns further points for the amazing theming and service. Every restaurant was unique and themed to the IP it represented, with distinct menu items at each location making the hunt for food a truly interesting experience. We have never spent so much time exploring menus looking for interesting choices throughout a park before!

Snacks And Drinks (DLP 9.5 / AW 9.5)

Disneyland Park

• Restaurant Hakuna Matata: Plantains and a Simba Cupcake. Fun options that were both tasty and of good quality.
• The Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlour: Ice cream with a Mickey Mouse cookie. We were quite skeptical as they "just" served Carte D'Or ice cream, but it was very good and refreshing, and the Mickey Mouse cookie was a nice touch.
• Last Chance Café: Pineapple Fritters. While they weren't personally our thing, this was another interesting option of fairly high quality.
• Random ice cream stall near Peter Pan: Mickey Mouse Ice Cream. We felt a bit silly buying what looked like a small and simple ice cream for kids, but this thing was surprisingly good. It featured high-quality chocolate and vanilla ice cream, and it wasn't small at all, either (nor cheap, for that matter).

While none of the things we got really blew us away, the variety seemed strong with lots of interesting options, though there was a big emphasis on ice cream in particular. Overall, the snack game hit hard at Disneyland Park.

Adventure World

We will try not to repeat everything we just said about the food, but most of our praise remains the same when it comes to snacks, and perhaps even more so. Each location almost always had a unique dessert, be it a white chocolate shortbread with a berry center, a tutti frutti ice cream in a pepper cookie bowl (a very delicious bowl, we might add), or a Toy Story-themed eclair. All of these were absolutely delicious, by the way.

The park also offered the usual, more generic items such as crepes, vast amounts of candy, and standard ice cream parlors scattered around. We tried one of the crepes, which was decent, but nothing to write home about. Landing on a score of 9.5, therefore, comes from the previously mentioned theming, but also from the incredible variety of snacks available throughout the entire park.

Ride Operations (DLP 11 / AW 11)

Operations at both parks were incredible and some of the best we have ever seen. The 60+ minute queues are definitely through no fault of the operations team, as multiple trains were always running, often utilizing dual stations on the roller coasters or double-vehicle loading on the boat rides. Dispatches were lightning-quick, and staff members were everywhere, swiftly directing people where to sit. Honestly, we don't mind assigned seating when it's handled this well (especially since it serves an actual purpose, these stations would be pure chaos without it). Disney expects crowds and they do absolutely everything in their power to handle it.

We also noticed just how many wheelchair users and otherwise impaired riders were in the queues for many of the rides. It seems that Disney goes out of its way to make sure as many people can ride as possible, and we considered this to be a major positive.

The entire staff was, of course, very professional and friendly, and it is to no one's surprise that both parks score the absolute maximum points available in this category.

Park Management (DLP 10 / AW 11)

Disneyland Park

A beautifully run park, and it really is a testament to the daily management that we spent over 18 hours at the park without experiencing any major issues or feeling too frustrated by the crowd levels.

Yes, it is an expensive park. Perhaps the only things we can really hold against it are that the nighttime show could have been handled a little better, and they had a few minor flat rides closed (with a few more closing early due to preparations for the show). However, all of this was clearly visible on the website and in the app, and it did little to hinder us from having a great time.

Between the great service, an abundance of friendly staff, plenty of clean amenities (none of which were closed), and, of course, the insane merch game, Disney really did live up to its expectations as a well-run park (and then some). As long as you don't mind spending a lot of money and standing in very long queues, you will have a great time at Disneyland Park.

Adventure World

Rounding off our 13 hours in Adventure World, we can only conclude that the park runs like clockwork. There were no facility closures, no odd policies, no staggered openings, and immaculate service. Add in a merch lineup that is quite obviously unrivaled by most other European theme parks, and this becomes one of the easiest 11s we can give to a park that ends up landing at the very top of our overall rankings.

Conclusion

Adventure World 8.2, Disneyland Park 8.00. Disneyland Park won both coaster categories and still lost.

Everything here is obviously very subjective, but for us, Adventure World has for decades been seen as the lesser of the two (even going as far as being called the worst Disney park in the world), but as our scores show, Adventure World is equal to, if not better than, Disneyland Park in most categories. The park just felt more alive, more cohesive, and better managed, overall providing a more complete experience. We would love to come back to this park any day and hope that, with the future investments already underway, Adventure World can shake off its previous reputation, because this park truly deserves to be praised.

A 8.2 average lands Adventure World joint 4th of the best parks we have tried, tied with Phantasialand; Disneyland Park lands 8th, just behind Heide Park and Liseberg.

Full reviews with individual coaster breakdowns are as always at https://parkrating.com/.

Pàrc Asterix is coming later this month, (Goudarix might be rough, but god damn is it a beautiful coaster), and starting in the new year we are going on a roadtrip through korea covering everything from the new rebranded Monimo rush in Everland to the new Zamperla Double heart in busan :)

We visited Heide Park on May 15th and 16th, 2026, spending two full days at this large legacy park in northern Germany. While this is our first time looking at the park through a critical lens, we have been to this park several times in the past. Since it is the largest theme park you can easily get to from Denmark, it has sort of become our home away from home. As a result, we have been able to follow the park's development throughout the years (from 2008 to now) and observe its global status shift in the wake of the current European coaster boom.

Best Coaster (8.5/10)

The park's standout coaster is, and has been since 2001, Colossos: Kampf der Giganten. This behemoth of a wooden coaster is one of only four prefabricated wooden coasters made by Intamin and is, without a doubt, the most iconic attraction at Heide Park.

The first drop is fantastic, especially in the back row, and the two massive camelbacks that follow deliver sustained ejector airtime. It rides super smooth, and you fly right through a massive, fire-spewing wooden giant mid-ride.

Colossos is a spectacle both on-ride and off-ride, with plenty of great photo opportunities and an exciting atmosphere to boot. Needless to say, Colossos is an absolute must when visiting Heide Park.

Coaster Depth (9/10)

Despite the park's physical size and great attractions, it can sometimes feel like Heide Park has fallen behind, and it's not actually a park that is widely discussed in the coaster community. The reason for this is quite obvious, however, as the park hasn't opened a new roller coaster since 2014 (12 years and counting), and it doesn't look like it's going to get one in the next couple of years.

Luckily, what is here is still really great. The supporting standout is Flug der Dämonen, a forceful B&M Wing Coaster with great theming and inversions. Desert Race has that great initial launch, and Krake features an amazing drop right through the kraken's mouth. Bobbahn is an old and feisty family-thrill coaster that, while quite shaky, offers a wild experience routing through buildings and tunnels. Big Loop and Toxic Garden round out the major supporting rides, while Grottenblitz and Indy-Blitz take care of the younger crowd.

Ultimately, Heide Park has a very strong lineup, especially for thrill-seekers, but they could really use a new, modern, high-capacity family coaster to elevate this score even higher.

Water Rides (6/10)

Heide Park sports the classic one-two log flume and rapids punch. Wildwasserbahn 1 is the surviving flume ride of the park's previous flume duo. With this Mack flume, you get a classic, scenic ride with three drops, the final one being fairly tall. The route itself isn't that interesting, however, as there is not much theming or attempt to engage the rider beyond that standard "you're on a flume ride now" feeling. That is perfectly okay, but we have definitely seen other flumes do more.

The rapids ride, Mountain Rafting, is a classic 1992 Intamin river rapids that also features a fairly scenic route with geysers and waterfalls, though it's nothing that will get you too wet. It is a fairly long ride with all the classic elements, great for baiting people into believing they might get soaked, but it doesn't actually offer that much wetness at all.

The lineup itself is okay, but some more immersive and perhaps interactive theming would have done a lot here. Other than that, a water coaster would be a really nice fit for Heide Park; specifically, a Mack PowerSplash on the edge of the center lake would work fantastically here.

Flatrides And Darkrides (7.5/10)

There has been an interesting shift in Heide Park's ride lineup over the years. They used to feature quite a strong collection of flat rides, while dark rides were a distant concept. That has completely changed; Heide Park now boasts an impressive three different dark rides of solid quality, while the flat ride game, at least for thrill flats, is lagging somewhat behind. Drachengrotte, based on the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, is just an okay dark ride; it features great theming, but the journey through the cave is fairly short and uneventful. However, both Ghostbusters 5D and the new-for-2024 Dämonen Gruft offer genuinely impressive ride experiences, each in their own unique way.

Regarding flat rides, it's not like there is an actual lack of them. Heide Park has plenty of family flats, including most of the classics, alongside a few notable standouts. Highlights include Hicks Himmelstürmer (a Zamperla flat where you ride in a prone, flying position) and a rare HUSS Magic with suspended seating, which playfully functions like an inverted Breakdance and sits right across from a classic HUSS Breakdance. But in terms of true thrill flats, Scream is really the only major one left after the park removed their Top Spin, Enterprise, and Round-Up over the years. Thankfully, Scream is a fantastic drop tower, but adding another extreme flat ride would go a long way at Heide Park.

Park Appearance (9.5/10)

Given the lack of investment, you might expect a neglected park. But we suppose they are just very conservative when it comes to spending, because when you are actually in the park, it truly feels like it is flourishing. Heide Park is gorgeous, and with its giant central lake, there are so many great photo opportunities that it became hard to just walk alongside the water without stopping to take more pictures of the rides on the opposite shore (you should see how many photos we have that ultimately didn't make it to the site!).

Heide Park has that distinct, classic European theme park feel, filled with history, lush greenery, and highly detailed theming. While it might not hit you over the head with it, do yourself a favor and spend 10 to 15 minutes of your visit just walking around an area to truly look at all the beauty it has to offer.

The only thing keeping this from being a top contender in appearance is the presence of abandoned or unused spaces that stand out as glaring eyesores. This is a direct consequence of Merlin's lack of spending on new hardware; thankfully, however, it still isn't enough to stop Heide Park's natural beauty from shining through.

Park Practicality (9/10)

Heide Park is a very practical park. It's essentially an entrance area and then a big circle around a giant lake in the middle, with an inner path that pretty much hugs the lake while an outer path takes you through the different themed areas and all of the rides. There are plenty of quick connecting paths, and the lake makes it super easy to always see where the different rides are located. Yes, it can obviously be a bit of a hike to get from Scream to Colossos, especially given the hillside that the former sits on, but there is a great natural flow where you can pretty much just continue to circle the lake and hit up all rides very easily as you go around.

Food (7.5/10)

Inspired by our great light meals at Legoland Billund earlier in the trip, we decided to go for something easily digestible that wouldn't reduce our mobility while still being super tasty, and therefore, pokebowl it was. The portions were huge with lots of salad, vegetables, some chicken and a tasty 'dirty umami' sauce on top. These were found at Frau Mümmels Kiosk, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, inside Peppa Pig land, which at least gave two grown men an excuse to hang out in the kids' area. Later on, we also tried their hotdog where you choose the toppings yourself. This was alright, as there was a good amount of toppings, but the hygiene of such a concept could be better.

Day two we got some gyros with fries at the 'Colossos Snack' place, which was decent. Overall, the selection was solid and so was the quality of the food we ate.

Snacks And Drinks (7/10)

Regarding snacks, we tried a few options. On day 1, we went for another waffle on a stick (PTSD from Djurs Sommerland) and some custom shakes at Café Transsilvania on the hill between Bobbahn and the Scream plaza. We were left quite disappointed, as the waffle was pretty mediocre and the shakes tasted quite weird. We agreed we would come back on day two to either redeem or doom Heide's snack score, and luckily we found the chocolate shakes to be much better. We did go elsewhere for the actual snacks and ended up at the Schmalzkuchen-Schmiede where we got... Schmalzkuchen? These small dough balls were exactly what you would expect, doughy and savory, but definitely not the most exotic option out there. The park also sells coffee, hot chocolate, croissants and chocolate-covered candy, as well as the classics like ice cream, churros and crepes.

Ride Operations (7.5/10)

Operations were solid at Heide Park. They had multiple trains running on the major coasters like Colossos, Flug der Dämonen, Krake, and Desert Race, while leaving Toxic Garden and Big Loop on one-train operations.

Dispatches were okay for the most part, but we did experience quite a bit of confusion inside the various stations, which led to some slow dispatch times. We aren't exactly sure what was happening, but it generally seemed like they didn't always do a great job of keeping track of how many people they let into the station and where they were sitting.

Queue handling was very good, however, and the staff was nice and friendly. There were a few minor breakdowns, but nothing was down for more than 15 minutes, and everything got back up and running quickly. Overall, Heide Park more than passed in this category.

Park Management (9.5/10)

Say what you will about the lack of development, or perhaps a "lack of vision" for the park's future, but when it comes to how the park is managed on a daily basis and how that translates to the overall guest experience, Heide Park does an excellent job.

Everything opened with the park, and there were no unexpected facility closures. That said, a few former restaurants have been vacant for some time, and the park could do a better job of either replacing these closed-down facilities or, at the very least, hiding them.

On our first day, we arrived just before park opening on a very busy Friday. What could have easily devolved into absolute car chaos at the parking lot entrance was handled with grace, ensuring a great start to the day. The staff was friendly, service was good, parking wasn't overly expensive, and the merch game was very strong.

Conclusion

Overall, we had two very comfortable and fulfilling days here, largely thanks to how well the park is managed. and ended up scoring the park 8.10/10 across all our categories landing as our 4th highest park we have visited thus far.

If you enjoyed this review, you can find us over at https://parkrating.com/ where all our reviews reside including individual coaster breakdowns and much more.

Next month we are headed to Disneyland Paris & Park Asterix and cannot wait for our first visit to france, and our first time at Disneyland.

We visited Hansa-Park on May 17th, 2026 for an experience of extreme highs and lows, alternating between quirky and charming, to awkward and frustrating. At one moment, you will marvel at how such a beautiful park can house perhaps one of the most insane coaster ever conceived, only to have them immediately make you wonder how a sandwich shop manages to run out of bread at noon. Let's explain.

Best Coaster (11/10)

Schwur des Kärnan is the best coaster at Hansa-Park, to the surprise of no one. But god damn, Gerstlauer, we don't know what German spice you smoked, but clearly, when asked how intense the ride should be on a scale from 1 to 10, you misheard and built an 11.

Kärnan is everything: it's tall, it's scary, it's fast, it's insanely intense, and yes, it freaking rattles. So, if you are looking for your butter-smooth B&M hyper, gliding over the track while delivering comfortable airtime, this is not for you. But for the rest of you, the freaks, the ones who live for the thrill, the ones who appreciate the insanity of this monstrosity, this is for you. Kärnan delivers thrills on a scale we've never seen before. Without saying too much, the tower section is creative and freaky, the drop is out of this world, and the rest of the layout is filled with some of the most violent whip, crushing positives, and a few moments of crazy airtime.

While we don't find it rough per se, Kärnan is a lot. It's not smooth, and the sheer intensity adds to the physical exhaustion you will feel as it swallows you whole, chews you up, and spits you back out begging for another ride.

Coaster Depth (7/10)

Hansa-Park boasts a coaster lineup of seven (now eight) coasters. As for the standout, it is hard not to keep talking about Kärnan: a Gerstlauer with a vertical lift inside a massive brick tower. Oh, wait, there is a second one fitting that exact description: Flucht von Novgorod. This large, custom Euro-Fighter from 2009 still delivers that signature Gerstlauer intensity, paired with some quirky but likable elements and great theming, making for an overall fantastic ride. Nessie rounds out the top three: a solid Schwarzkopf looper from 1980 that still runs smoothly while delivering noticeable forces, matched perfectly with an old-school aesthetic.

Regarding family coasters, our score is limited by the fact that we missed Cornwall Coaster by just a week or so, as the existing lineup is decent at best. Schlange von Midgard is a quirky, small-scale family coaster with surprisingly good theming, Royal Scotsman is a chill ride throughout the Enchanting Britain section, and the final two are a crammed wild mouse and a standard kiddie coaster. Hansa-Park will surely earn some points for Cornwall Coaster, which is the exact type of ride this park needed, but while we did see it testing, we ultimately cannot award points for it until we have ridden it ourselves.

Water Rides (6/10)

Hansa-Park exceeds our two-water-ride expectation by not just having a rapids ride (sort of) and a log flume, but also a creation of their own in Super Splash. It is a rare but intriguing sight to see a park-built attraction, and Hansa-Park decided to build their own flume-shoot-the-chutes hybrid. It is another quirky attraction at Hansa-Park and a must-do, considering its large, fairly steep drop, which can also get you quite wet. It is definitely rougher around the edges and doesn't offer much in terms of theming, so you ride this purely for the drop and the novelty.

Störtebeker's is yet another oddball in this park, being a WhiteWater West attraction that normally belongs in a water park, not a theme park. It is a very unique concept, and going up the enclosed lift is fun, but it does not deliver much in terms of thrills (nor water). As such, we much prefer a classic rapids ride over this. Lastly, Wild Water Ride is your run-of-the-mill, two-drop log flume with no standout elements, but no shortfalls either. It is an okay flume ride, just not a very memorable one.

Overall, Hansa-Park's water ride lineup is decent. They have three major rides and definitely feature some unique water attractions, not to mention two junior/kiddie flumes, which we see as a nice small bonus for this category. Ultimately, though, they really need a true standout to score higher.

Flatrides And Darkrides (6/10)

Hansa-Park's non-coaster lineup is dominated by Highlander, the tallest Gyro Drop tower in the world and the tallest drop tower in Europe. It is a spectacle of a ride and, for many, could be a reason to visit Hansa-Park entirely on its own. Outside of Highlander, Hansa-Park sports the classics: a swinging ship, teacups, dinghy slides, a Wave Swinger, and a carousel.

A notable standout is Kärnanpulten, a Gerstlauer Sky Fly, which, together with Highlander, makes up the park's only two thrill flat rides. They do have a few interesting family options like Barcos del Mar, a small Technical Park Swingaround, and Space Scooters, which are indoor bumper cars with plenty of lights and effects. These are cool, but not really our type of rides. The park is also missing a dark ride, which is genuinely weird given how dark and immersive their coasters are.

The improvements needed here are quite obvious: the park desperately needs a dark ride, but another thrill flat ride would also be very welcome.

Park Appearance (8.5/10)

As we have come to expect from European parks, their appearance scores always land at the very top, and Hansa-Park is no exception. Is it comparable to Phantasialand or Europa-Park? No. Should it be? No.

Hansa-Park is its own thing, albeit with a somewhat concerning love for tall red brick towers, but that is beside the point. Throughout the park, we saw great theming, with the entrance area in particular looking outstanding. The towering structures also help build a tremendous amount of anticipation; standing down on the path and looking up at Kärnan is perhaps one of the most intimidating (or inviting, depending on how demented you are) views you can get in a theme park. Sprinkle in some natural beauty and German countryside greenery, and you have the foundation for a very scenic park.

Are there areas for improvement? Some spots away from the main paths can feel a bit deserted, and the area down by Super Splash is actually quite ugly, so we imagine this might be destined for a thematic update in the near future.

Park Practicality (4/10)

Hansa-Park is not a particularly practical park. Having just spent two days at Heide Park, navigating Hansa felt awkward and frustrating. Despite its moderate size, the park lacks a logical flow or central hub to get around quickly.

We frequently ended up on the large path by Kärnan, which feels like a main artery but isn't. Once you clear the massive tower, your options are limited: continue to an isolated back area with one ride, or turn right toward the cowboy area and Fiesta del Mar. Walking through those sections eventually loops you to the Old-Time Fun Fair - a spot much faster to reach by simply backtracking. Another isolated area by Super Splash clearly struggles to attract guests.

Additionally, some ride entrances are awkwardly placed, and we did struggle to find restrooms through our visit, ultimately relying on the ones by Kärnan four different times. The official app was equally unhelpful for navigation.

Overall, while you won't get completely lost or have to trek across hilly terrain, Hansa-Park desperately needs a logical path system and better placement for ride entrances and amenities.

Food (2/10)

While our reiviews are fairly new, we have visited theme parks for decades and never endured such a poor dining experience. Crowds were mild on this calm mid-May day, and we just wanted food at noon, how hard could that be? An hour and a half later, we were almost hungrier than when we started.

We began at Café Rosa, which specializes in sandwiches. When ordering, the staff looked at each other before rummaging through the fridge, finally concluding they had neither bread nor eggs. We were told "someone might come later with something" and to either return in three hours or try next door.

Being quite hungry, we moved to the nearly empty Restaurant Weltumsegler and ordered two club sandwiches. Almost an hour passed, so we checked the counter, only to find staff shouting at each other, stale bread sitting out for 20 minutes, and utter chaos. When the food finally arrived, it was the driest, coldest sandwich imaginable. As the picture shows, one of us got the stale bread, while the other at least had theirs toasted.

Hansa-Park, step. it. up.

Snacks And Drinks (7/10)

We'll keep this one short, as despite us being in the park from ropedrop, we suddenly found ourselves with a decision to make. Do we buy a snack to be able to score this category truthfully, or do we run for another ride on Kärnan? A question quickly answered with: why not both. We grabbed the first snack we could find, which turned out to be some sort of frozen yoghurt concoction with an array of toppings. On a hot spring day it actually hit the spot quite well, and showed some snack variety unlike what we are used to. Combining this with a broad selection throughout the park, Hansa-Park stands firm at a solid 7.

Ride Operations (8/10)

Operations at Hansa-Park were really good. Neither Kärnan nor Novgorod are capacity machines, but dispatches were solid throughout the park, and train stacking was kept to a minimum. There were no staggered openings, and we didn't experience a single ride breakdown throughout our visit, which is a massive positive. Crowd levels weren't high enough to truly test the "how many trains can they run" limit, but what we saw was generally very good in terms of overall operations.

Park Management (5.5/10)

If we set aside the terrible food service, which we are keeping isolated to the food category as part of the overall dining experience, we didn't encounter anything outright bad. That said, most of the staff didn't seem particularly friendly, coming across as a bit cold and distant. There were one or two closed food stalls, and obviously, meals were hard to come by given the distinct lack of main ingredients at the primary eateries.

Perhaps we were slightly biased by our earlier unfortunate experiences, but Hansa-Park simply didn't strike us as being run with the same level of efficiency and warmth as other major European parks. We will have to re-evaluate this on a future visit, but for now, Hansa-Park did just okay in this regard.

If you enjoyed this review, you can find us over at https://parkrating.com/ where all our reviews reside including individual coaster breakdowns and much more.