Actually, it’s kind of strange that as a theme park enthusiast, I still hadn’t visited all the parks nearby over the years. Something had always held me back from traveling to that slice of Hollywood in Germany called Movie Park Germany. “Meh”, “commercial mess”—comments from other visitors that never really made it sound inviting.
But under the motto “only a valid opinion if you’ve experienced it yourself,” I took the plunge this past Ascension Day. The forecasted quietest day of the Ascension weekend, and with a 30% discount on the entrance fee, I set course for this park last Sunday to finally see what it had to offer.
Once, twice#
With the gates already open upon arrival just before 10:00, the discovery could begin immediately. The fun part is that, unlike other parks at the same distance from home (Efteling, Toverland, and Phantasialand), this park is not one I know by heart. So the day would truly be a voyage of discovery, and since the attraction “Area 51 - Top Secret” is located right next to the entrance, that made for a great start. A mostly indoor water ride with a drop that, thankfully, didn’t look too soaking. Even though we could already board, it was clear they were still in the startup phase. Judging by the water droplets on the seat, a first round had already taken place. But with all the boats clustered at the loading turntable, it was a bit of a wait before we were pushed off one by one.
And that outdoor drop that didn’t look too wet? I’d assessed that correctly—but unfortunately, there was another drop in pitch darkness inside, set to “mid-summer mode.” So, less than five minutes into the park, I was already soaking wet… and it wouldn’t be the last time today. After that drop followed a string of corny alien Hollywood scenes that could’ve come straight out of a 60s B-movie. The ride finally ended outside again with a rather disappointing final drop.
Luckily, the sun was shining, so my clothes could dry during the stroll through the shop-filled Main Street, eventually reaching a kind of T-junction. From there, we first headed to the right-hand side of the park. The plan was to walk as far in as possible and then work our way back to the other side at leisure.
Unfortunately, the first small disappointment awaited us there. “Excalibur - Secrets of the Dark Forest,” located in the far right corner, was closed and would only open later in the day. No reason was listed at the entrance, but like many other parks, I suspect staff shortages were to blame. So, on to the neighboring “Movie Park Studio Tour.” Upon entering the studio, we were told that despite director Steven Thrillberg still filming three movies inside, we’d be given a tour of the sets. After boarding the vehicle, we literally flew through the film scenes—from a Twister disaster set where a house explodes around you, to a street race, and finally a face-to-face encounter with King Kong. With two launches and a turntable, the first coaster of the day turned out to be a surprisingly fun ride.
Since “Excalibur” was still closed, we checked off the rest of the area. And I mean that literally. Aside from the “Movie Park Studio Tour,” the right-hand side of the park is really aimed at the very youngest guests. But hey, you should never lose your inner child—and of course, for the credits—so up next were “Ghost Chasers,” “Backyardigans: Mission To Mars,” and “Jimmy Neutron’s Atomic Flyer.” A standard wild mouse from Mack, and the familiar junior coaster and suspended family coaster from Vekoma. Fun to have done, but clearly not the main attractions.
By now it was early afternoon, and “Excalibur - Secrets of the Dark Forest” had opened. Just in time to wrap up the visit to this side of the park. From the outside it wasn’t clear what the ride was exactly, but I soon discovered I was in for a rapid river ride. Crap, just got my clothes dry…
What followed was actually a relatively dry journey through a beautifully themed river. It was very clear, though, that this attraction had gone through multiple incarnations. The King Arthur theme is certainly fun. But halfway through the ride, I clearly recognized the Rockbiter from The NeverEnding Story movie and felt a bit sad I never got to experience the attraction in that version. The NeverEnding Story remains a huge piece of childhood nostalgia.
And that “relatively dry” part from two paragraphs ago… Yeah, “Excalibur - Secrets of the Dark Forest” is certainly no “River Quest” from Phantasialand, where you come out drenched to the bone. This river rapid is way too tame for that. If it weren’t for a few very strategically placed fountains that spray right across the channel at timed intervals, and you can probably guess who passed by at just the wrong moment… Wet outfit number two was a fact.
Spectre of the Gun#
After consuming our packed lunch, it was off to the left-hand side of the park. And from Main Street, you literally walk straight into “Van Helsing’s Factory.” A really fun dark coaster themed around the vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, known from Bram Stoker’s stories. A wild, entertaining ride with a few nice jump scares and tight turns that gave it some punch.
Having checked that off, the park’s top attraction was next. Entering the themed area, my nerd heart already started beating faster. A whole area—okay, plaza—in the style of one of my favorite franchises: Star Trek. With the film score from Generations playing in the background, we joined the queue for “Star Trek: Operation Enterprise.” And yes, you feel like a kid in a theme park all over again. The queue takes you through a sort of Starfleet Recruitment Office, past costumes and props from the movie and series, through a transporter room, and onto the bridge of the Galaxy-class USS Enterprise 1701-D. Needless to say, I had to pause there for a moment. The last time I stood on a replica of that set, I was only knee-high. But that visit to the Star Trek Experience at the Frankfurt Messe with my dad is still etched in my memory.
After the bridge follows a long corridor, also fully themed, eventually leading into a kind of shuttle bay where the coaster train awaits. Once aboard, the familiar shuttlebay door sounds play and the flight begins. Starting with a really fun swing launch—especially in the back row—thanks to the spike’s twist after the backward launch. Then a few very enjoyable inversions with good hang time follow. But as so often, the end comes way too soon because before you know it, the train is back on the brakes. That didn’t spoil the fun though. Because damn, this ride is solid. Great theming, fun layout. What more could you want?
From there the trip continued through a small playground area to the Wild West part of the park, home to the wooden coaster “Bandit.” And while the traditional layout looks fun from the outside, the ride itself was anything but. I knew this coaster had a rough reputation. And honestly, I don’t mind a slightly rough wooden coaster—it’s part of the charm of the ride type.
But I wouldn’t be surprised if “Bandit” is sponsored by the physical therapists’ association. The very smooth lift hill gave a bit of hope. But from that point on, until the final brakes slam the train to a halt, it was pure misery. Uncomfortably rough to the point where it’s nearly unsafe. Even though the ride apparently still has a decent fanbase, I’d gladly see this thing turned into matchsticks. Sooner rather than later.
Because it says a lot that after ticking off the final box with a ride on “Iron Claw,” you find that one to be fairly smooth. And this is yet another clone of the Vekoma SLCs found all over the world—also not exactly known for their comfort. But even the headbanging and jolts on the old-style restraints were a welcome change after the wooden torture device known as “Bandit.”
And now you might be wondering what the title “Spectre of the Gun” refers to. Well, that’s when the nerd in me really kicked in during the afternoon. It all just felt like some weird, bad episode of Star Trek: The Original Series. Though to be fair, “Spectre of the Gun” was one of the better episodes of the third season. In it, Kirk and his crew encounter the alien Melkotians, and despite warnings to stay away from their planet, Kirk decides to explore. Beamed down, they find themselves in a town resembling the Wild West, forced to fight for their lives.
Yeah, there were some parallels this afternoon. The bit aboard the (later version of) the USS Enterprise. A Wild West town façade. And having to fight for your life aboard the spine-breaker “Bandit.” Only to eventually travel safely onward to the next adventure. Roll the credits!
Clumsy stunts#
And with that, I had pretty much circled the entire park. The main goal of the trip—8 new coaster credits—was achieved. And it was only just half past two in the afternoon. That’s when I realized the park was actually quite busy. Apparently, an international cheerleading championship was taking place in one of the park’s theaters this weekend, with several thousand athletes attending. Despite the extra crowds, wait times were excellent. I never had to wait more than 10 to 15 minutes anywhere. So, kudos to the ride ops!
So with extra time to spare, I did three more rides on “Star Trek: Operation Enterprise,” one more round on “Studio Tour,” and visited the simulator “Time Bandits” (recommended!). A great chance to fill the time with things you’d normally skip: the park shows!
With somewhat high expectations, we headed to the Western show. Held in a nicely decorated saloon, we hoped for classic Western acts like lasso tricks or knife throwing at spinning card wheels—you know the type. But alas. The show ended up being a 15-minute dance-off between the staff of two rival saloons. And it wasn’t even country line dancing. Definitely not recommended, despite the short runtime.
After a short wait, the final stunt show was on the program. And with this kind of show, you know exactly what to expect. Screeching cars. Lots of handbrake turns and donuts. Ear-splitting tire squeals. An explosion here and there. And a flimsy plot involving a stolen prize and a resulting car chase to justify the spectacle. I’m selling it a bit short, actually, because it was certainly entertaining. The hilariously bad dubbing alone was worth it. For some reason, only one of the stunt actors spoke live; the rest was pre-recorded and terribly dubbed with exaggerated voice acting. It gave the show a bit of a clumsy vibe, but oddly enough, that kind of worked. So if you ever have time to spare, this show is worth checking out.
And with that, the day at ‘Hollywood in Germany’ came to an end. All in all, the park managed to pleasantly surprise me with a fun and diverse lineup. And everything looked well-maintained too. Certainly worth the visit.
Coaster credits#
115 - Studio Tour
116 - Ghost Chasers
117 - Backyardigans: Mission To Mars
118 - Jimmy Neutron’s Atomic Flyer
119 - Van Helsing’s Factory
120 - Star Trek: Operation Enterprise
121 - Bandit
122 - Iron Claw