Photo: Jamey Frank collection. View full-sized image.
Phantasialand is one of the most heavily themed parks, not just in Germany but in the world. It’s just a 20-minute train ride south of Köln (Cologne) near the town of Brühl. With its compact footprint, it packs a terrific collection of unique coasters and highly themed areas.
Phantasialand is transformed by colorful lights at night.
Photo: Jamey Frank. View full-sized image.
That’s why this year ACE Europe chose Phantasialand for Winterfest 2025, on December 6 and 7, to experience the park in all of its holiday glory. Winter in Germany could be described as gloomy, but not here! The park capitalizes on the moodiness of the weather, with colorful lighting, fog and steam.
Thirty-five ACE members from Europe and the U.S. met on Saturday morning outside the steampunk-themed Hotel Charles Lindbergh. Located in the Rookburgh-themed area, it contains rooms designed like cabins on a 1930s dirigible. Guests at this hotel are provided Quick Passes to skip the often-long lines for F.L.Y., Vekoma’s masterpiece flying coaster. Attendees took the first ride of the day on this unique flying coaster, with sideways boarding and seats that rotate into flying position at the beginning of the launched lift. Thereafter, the ride is a complete blur, diving through Rookburgh in narrow slots between industrial piping, tight underground tunnels and hotel room fly-bys, flipping over twice and with a second launch.
The evening laser light show added to the thrill of riding F.L.Y.
Photo: Jamey Frank. View full-sized image.
It’s especially memorable at night! Fog, steam and pink, purple and blue lighting add to the mood, especially with a bit of drizzle. Prior to park closing, an amazing laser light show was projected throughout the coaster, reminiscent of Blade Runner.
Wellenflug, the Zierer wave swinger, was especially beautiful at night.
Photo: Jamey Frank. View full-sized image.
The rest of the day was unplanned, and many attendees purchased Quick Passes at guest relations for individual rides, as the park was extremely busy for holiday festivities. All themed areas and rides are unique to the park, and all are memorable. (There are no “most memorable one-time rides.”)
Winjas’ two tracks, Fear and Force, are like two intertwining spinning coasters indoors, the former with two large drops, and both with a spiral track and surprise maneuvers in the dark. Crazy Bats is a family indoor coaster with hilarious virtual reality of two animated playful bats antagonizing riders through a snowy mountaintop palace. It’s one of the best, funniest uses of virtual reality this author has seen and leaves riders chuckling at the end.
On the thrilling side are three exceptional coasters with extensive theming. Colorado Adventure is anything but a family ride, with three lifts, 90-degree banked turns, multiple pops of airtime and unseen helixes in total darkness.
Black Mamba.
Photo: Jamey Frank. View full-sized image.
Nearby in the Africa section is the lair of Black Mamba, a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster, which riders board underground in the darkened snake pit. After the first drop, the train passes through a vertical loop that is half underground, followed by a dizzying series of twists, turns and heartline rolls in trenches, along a route that is impossible to predict, much less remember.
Day- and night-time views of Taron.
Photos: Dean Piotrowski. View full-sized image.
But the granddaddy of them all is the magnificent Taron, an Intamin double-launch coaster without inversions that sends riders through a spaghetti bowl of steel twists, drops and airtime pops inside the medieval mining village of Klugheim. At night, the quarry containing Taron fills with fog and blue lighting, making the ride feel even faster. Intertwining the coaster is the fun Vekoma family boomerang Raik.
For dinner, attendees had a feast of meat and drinks at Uhrwerk restaurant with F.L.Y. blasting past outside and fireworks bursting above. Many attendees stayed well into the night in the cozy restaurant and bar that is themed like a medieval pub.
A scene from “Tiempo de Fuego.”
Photo: Jamey Frank. View full-sized image.
Sunday morning, everyone met for a group photo in front of F.L.Y. just prior to opening. Later, some of the group met (even in hard rain) for a terrific show “Tiempo de Fuego” of fire effects and projection in the Mexico area that contains one of the world’s best water rides, Chiapas. Some hearty souls previously took a ride, even in the 43-degree Fahrenheit rainy weather.
“Magic Symphony.”
Photo: Jamey Frank. View full-sized image.
Rounding out the weekend, attendees met in the central plaza for a fireworks and light show “Magic Symphony.” Sadly, it was time to depart, but several ACEers continued as a small group on their own for the rest of the week visiting Efteling, Toverland and Europa-Park. Like the magnificent Christmas markets, European theme parks truly have incredible Christmas decor, theming and lighting!
Traveling to Phantasialand is easy by train from Köln to Brühl. There is also a direct train hourly from the Dusseldorf airport to Brühl, easily booked using the DB app. From there, it’s an easy two-mile ride by Uber, cab or bus to the park and hotels. During the summer months, the park hosts a free shuttle from the Brühl train station.
ACE Europe's next event is Springfest 2026 at Walibi Holland, April 11-12, 2026. More information on that can be found at jointheride.eu.
— Jamey Frank, ACE Europe Assistant Regional Representative
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