Phantasialand Improvements for 2018

[CSLKennyNI]

Haha. So a 9 year old girl applied for a job as a ride technician in Phantasialand, and the park actually invited her along one morning to help with the checks that take place every morning before Taron opens.

Taron - Checked by Runa
Runa is 9 years old and has a dream. She does not want to become a veterinarian or a dancer, neither a businesswoman nor a teacher - Runa dreams of being a mechanical technician.

She realized where she wanted to fulfill her dream when she saw a video about the daily maintenance of the Black Mamba: Runa's heart burns for the attractions in her favorite theme park, Phantasialand. And she also found the job application, which is more or less tailored to her: "mechanical engineer (m / w) as an employee in the maintenance team". Quickly fly over the desired profile: Reliable, check! Ready to work weekend, check! Free from giddiness, something like that!
Shortly thereafter, in Phantasialand, we received the most glorious letter of all time...

A heartwarming application

A very special trial day
Two months later, Saturday, 06:30 in the morning. Runa is excitedly sitting in the Li River Bar at the theme hotel Ling Bao. She stayed here with her parents to be there early enough. Even grandma and grandpa (her craftsman role model) have surprised her with her presence in the hotel. Ever since she received the invitation from Phantasialand, Runa has eagerly ticked off on her self-made calendar day after day until this very special morning. Today Runa is allowed to do what no child was allowed to do before: she will help with the morning maintenance of TARON, the fastest multi-launch coaster in the world!

Runa is again overwhelmed by the authentic Asian flair of our hotel. She has to know - a week ago she was on vacation in Vietnam. She is already planning to transform her nursery home into her own little Ling Bao. Now on to TARON!

Through the deserted Phantasialand we bring Runa to Klugheim, where Danny from the maintenance team is waiting for her. "I have already thought of many questions," Runa says. The answers are to get them, but before of course the right outfit duty - complete with dungarees, gloves, employee badge and name tag.

Ever since she was 3 years old, Runa has loved Phantasialand. She and her parents are proud annual pass holders and are with us a good 10 times a year. However she has never seen the park like this. Together with Danny she inspects TARON's track and is so close to the massive rails that are even more overwhelming from up close. Today, she looks through the eyes of the maintenance team: The soil must be far enough away from the rail for the train to pass safely. Looks good for Runa, confirming nod from Danny, let's go!

Looking at the imposing turmoil of TARON leaves a question Runa can not go: "What are the brown plates that drive up and down on the rail?" Danny is pleased: "I'm not only telling you, I'll show you also!"
In the trench of TARON's second launch, Runa learns what's up with these brown plates: They are retractable brake fin and today she can even check at the touch of a button if they work as they should. They drive out, they drive in - everything is perfect!
To test the restraints on the trains Runa gives everything her young arms give. No chance, the restraints can not be opened, even if only one of three safety cylinders is active for test purposes. But that's exactly how it should be.

Meanwhile, the first guests are already in Klugheim and are looking forward to TARON. You still have to be patient - without the approval of the maintenance team nothing moves here. Runa does not put pressure on her. Until the scheduled opening of the attraction, there is still something and it is good in time. For the compulsory test drive she drives the trains from the maintenance hall by the push of a button on the track - her personal highlight of the day.

And then it's time for the test run - duty and fun at the same time. Although TARON is one of her favorite roller coasters in Phantasialand, she rides in the front row for the first time today. Glaring, she later tells me: "Mom always tells me to hold on to the launch and press myself into the seat - but today I lifted my hands!" That's right, after all, she has to make sure that nothing is the driving pleasure of our guests disturbs, which also tear the hands in the air. Everything is as it should be, it is just before 10 o'clock and Runa is overjoyed: "TARON is open!"

An exciting trial day is done and the free time part of the day can start for Runa. Together with the family she spends the rest of the day in Phantasialand. The first ride of the day is obvious: a round with mum, dad and grandpa on the self-maintained record roller coaster: TARON - checked by Runa!

At this point, we thank you, Runa, for your energetic support and hope that you continue on the path of engineering. We look forward to hearing from you again in the future.

 

[Hixee]

Good for them. Not only a nice PR stunt, but a fantastic experience for the girl!

I'm quite jealous really (and not just of her handwriting).

 

[zazobo]

That’s made my day. Phantasialand, you are awesome.

 

[Matt N]

That's wonderful! Could we have a beginner enthusiast on our hands?

 

[GuyWithAStick]

That's awesome! I wish Runa the best of luck in any of her future endeavors.

Seriously, Phantasialand is so awesome at everything they do. Kudos to them for providing Runa with this opportunity.

 

[Pear]

Maybe I should send them a letter as well...

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Maybe I should send them a letter as well...

Haha. I had the same thought to be honest!

But as GuyWithAStick said its great that they gave her this opportunity. Hopefully the amazing experience will encourage her to pursue her dreams of going into engineering.

 

[roomraider]

Good for them. Not only a nice PR stunt, but a fantastic experience for the girl!

I'm quite jealous really (and not just of her handwriting).

yeah right. I'm really going to have to revise my "I write like a 9 year old" statement now. "I write like a 3 year old"

 

[Ethan]

Not sure this is the best place to ask, but does anybody know when the schools in Germany/Cologne break up for summer?

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Not sure this is the best place to ask, but does anybody know when the schools in Germany/Cologne break up for summer?

The NRW (region that PHL is in) schools finish for summer on Friday 13th July this year.

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Phantasialand have extended their 'Pay once, Visit Twice' promotion until 31st May. When you visit the park you can bring your entry ticket to the tram on Kaiserplatz in Berlin or the park exits at the end of the day, and get a free ticket to return another day in the 2018 summer season (except July and August).

 

[CSLKennyNI]

A new behind the scenes article from Phantasialand about the replanting taking place around Chiapas this year.

It is 7 o'clock in the morning in Phantasialand. And while the first rays of sunshine are slowly emerging, garden designer Michael Jost and his team are already on the move. Today's destination: Chiapas - DIE Wasserbahn. In a few hours, visitors to Phantasialand will be embarking on an expedition through an abandoned Mayan temple on five different levels and whizzing down the steepest descent in the world on a log flume. However, at 7 o'clock in the morning, the expedition boats are still standing still.
Instead, trolleys, wooden boxes and pots full of cacti, yuccas and agaves move through the Mexican themed area. All plants that will find a new home here - over a thousand in total!

"The planting around Chiapas in recent times no longer met our expectations," explains Michael Jost. "We want to create an exotic and authentic atmosphere here all year round. But we have seen that not all plants tolerate the special conditions well, "says the garden designer.
While in the summer high up on the rocks it often gets hot and dry, the winter can bring great cold. The plants often have only a very small volume of soil from which they draw water and nutrients. The result: The plants did not look as desired: green and lush. And that's why Michael Jost has chosen different succulent plants: "These are plants that store a lot of water and thus can easily withstand longer drying times. In addition, they are particularly hardy and look nice in the cold months, when the log flume also operates, green and magnificent. This is how we create a unique, exotic landscape here near Chiapas ".
The newly selected plants fit perfectly into the theme area Mexico. Yuccas, agaves and cacti are native to Central America and bring authentic exoticism to Chiapas.

The 47-year-old has been taking care of garden design at Phantasialand for over 20 years. "Planting is crucial to the overall experience of our guests," he says enthusiastically. "Each theme area in Phantasialand is individually designed and the plant selection is accordingly individually designed for each area," says the garden designer, who combines horticultural craftsmanship with artistic creativity in Phantasialand.

At the age of five Michael Jost had his first vegetable patch where he planted strawberries and radishes. At the age of ten, he planted small, young trees that he dug up from a forest in his home in Rhineland-Palatinate. He transported the trees with a wheelbarrow over fields and meadows. Where he thought the landscape lacked something he planted the little trees. Some of them are still standing today. One oak has risen ten meters in the meantime.

Michael Jost and his team are ready for planting, but they have to wait for a rather unusual still wait for a rather rare implement for gardeners: a forklift.
The area is characterized by rugged rocks, thunderous waterfalls and deep gorges and these locations are a special challenge not only for the plants. The gardeners must reach and plant exactly these locations. And that is not always easy.

"There are already special places that we plant here, at high altitude and with little freedom of movement. This is rather unusual for a gardener, "says Michael Jost. Hitchhiked in the forklift's basket, the garden designer climbs up the cliff face of Chiapas. Eight meters above the ground he bends over a plant bag and carefully plants cacti of the species Cylindropuntia imbricata with their widely branched, thin, thorny branches.

Back on the ground, Michael Jost only has a short moment to catch his breath. Then it's loaded with Yuccas to a large plant basin directly on the route of the waterway. Only a few centimeters infront of Michael Jost and his team, it goes down the log flume's steep drop - the steepest in the world.

Working and planting at this spot requires a lot of concentration and balance despite Michael Jost only having a very short window of two hours before the park opens. As soon as the first guests go to Chiapas, all access routes and the stretch of the waterway have to be free again. But neither the time pressure nor the location bother Michael Jost.
The garden designer always stays calm. Even heavy rains or longer dry seasons can quickly ruin the planned planting plan. For example, Michael Jost often does not know in the evening whether he can plant the next morning, depending on the weather. "Gardening activities always require a lot of patience", Michael Jost knows that through his many years of experience. "We work in nature and with nature. You have to factor in a lot and be very flexible."

The access routes and the ride are free again. Now it is shortly after nine o'clock and the first guests enter Phantasialand. Soon they will get into the expedition boats and get to see the many new plants that make the experience in the Mexico even more exotic and authentic. Thanks to Michael Jost and his team here in Mexico, at Chiapas, everything is green.

A video in German about the planting with some really nice shots of the area and ride.

 

[Lofty]

Love it - they were filming this (and other ones like it) around the park when I visited a few weeks ago. There'll be another come out of the planting near Maus and the Berlin area.

 

[Phantasiastisch]

Are the straw rooftops of the small African houses already back?
(they were removed earlier this month because they were leaking)

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Are the straw rooftops of the small African houses already back?
(they were removed earlier this month because they were leaking) View attachment 2953

The repaired/new roofs were delivered and installed on 4th May, after being removed 28/29th April.
Picture from PhantaFriends.de.

I believe some of thatch came loose and fell onto the track so all roofs were removed until they could find a way to fix them.

 

[Phantasiastisch]

The repaired/new roofs were delivered and installed on 4th May, after being removed 28/29th April.
Picture from PhantaFriends.de.

I believe some of thatch came loose and fell onto the track so all roofs were removed until they could find a way to fix them.

Oh, I must have overlooked that picture on Phantafriends. Thanks anyway.

 

[CSLKennyNI]

Phantasialand has started a new behind the scenes series, The Experience Makers, looking at the people who work in Phantasialand and giving you an insight into their jobs that the park what it is.

https://phantasialandblog.de/die-erlebnismacher-arbeiten-im-phantasialand/

The sun is shining from the bright blue sky. Colourful rainbows dance between the water fountains of Wellenflug. Sailing through the air here on Kaiserplatz and letting your legs dangle in the fine water mist is a wonderful refreshment on this wonderful summer day.

"We want the guests to have fun and forget about their everyday life - and of course that's a great way to get on the water. Here on the Wellenflug for example, on our log flume Chiapas or in rapids of River Quest, "says Sebastian Schürheck. Who that is? Well, one of the people who makes the Phantasialand so extraordinary!

In the park and the hotels, at the attractions and shows, in the kitchen and pastry shop, in costume tailoring, workshop and gardening, at our dinner theater Fantissima and at Business to Pleasure you will find it: your experience makers! They give everything for you - on stage and behind the scenes. They put their creativity into fascinating theme worlds, beautiful costumes and tasty recipes. They are with heart and soul. And you want to inspire with perfect service, the highest quality and a smile. These special people make the Phantasialand so unique! And here in the blog you can get to know them in our new video series. The beginning: Sebastian Schürheck, water quality assurance.

Sebastian has worked for 12 years in Phantasialand, in fact it was his dream to work there ever since he was a child. He is responsible for water quality in the park. He shows how he measures the water's chlorine content. There are 11 large filter systems throughout Chiapas and River Quest used so that they do not need to continually replace the water (which would be inefficient and waste water). The same clean high quality water is filtered through and used for the entirety of the summer and winter seasons.

 

[Lofty]

I'd 100% let him check my splashdown.

 

[Fluorineer]

I'd 100% let him check my splashdown.

The really good splashdowns are running with two trains.

 

[CSLKennyNI]

The refurbishment of Hotel Ling Bao's restaurants was posted about here back at the start of this season. However Phantasialand have now shared a behind the scenes article and video about the transformation. This part 1 of 3. The other parts will be released later this week.

NEW LUCK IN THE RESTAURANT BAMBOO

From indulgence islands, Tibetan flags and positive karma
"Everybody needs a bit of luck," smiles Annette Pieck. The construction and project manager at Phantasialand has made herself comfortable on a handmade chair from China. And points to a symbol with intertwined lines. "The elements that we find here in the Bamboo Restaurant come from the Tibetan or Southeast Asian culture. For example, the lucky knot. In Asia, he stands for harmony and eternal life. And the colorful Tibetan flags are said to carry happiness out into the world with the wind. "

These are beautiful Asian customs that have found their way to the new Bamboo restaurant. And even if you do not believe in happiness or positive karma, the playful flags and authentic details just make you happy! Airy dividers and colorful lampshades, carvings and round prayer wheels with Asian reliefs take you to the Far East. For 15 years, bamboo blinds, rice paper lamps and Chinese characters have created a rustic ambiance in the buffet restaurant. Now was the time for something new: for modern Asia in all its facets.

"Of course, it's no coincidence that we've installed original Asian elements here in the Bamboo restaurant that bring good luck or create a good aura," says Annette Pieck. "Our theme hotel Ling Bao was built entirely according to the theory of harmony Feng-Shui, so it fits perfectly together."
And culinary, everyone can find happiness here! The modern Asian interior is joined by completely new taste sensations - which really come into their own on the specially prepared buffet for us.

Let yourself drift and discover four unique Asian country kitchens off the beaten path: That's only possible in the restaurant Bamboo! Because here there is no classic buffet more. Instead, literally, culinary islands were created. For delectable trends from Japan, fruity Thai creations, light Vietnamese cuisine and Chinese specialties.

With their gleaming green granite and free-floating glass tops, the new buffet islands are the eye-catcher in the new restaurant - and at the same time they were the biggest challenge, says Annette Pieck. "There was just so much to think about. The islands must have enough space for us to present all the food nicely. But at the same time, they should not be so deep that the guests have to poke around with a yaw at the back. "
After a long search, we have found a partner in the Bavarian Goldbach with simus Raumkonzepte who has specialized himself in tailor-made catering equipment from his own hand - and has designed fantastic pleasure islands for the Bamboo restaurant exactly to our liking. Practical yet timelessly beautiful. And that was a little trick. Because in the islands a lot of technology is installed, which no one sees today - after all, the food should be kept reliably cold or warm. And the substructure was a static masterpiece. Because as good as the buffet islands today are to match the airy and light atmosphere in the restaurant: With the granite and the glass plates, they are real heavyweights!

Maybe it was a coincidence. Or the positive energy of the Tibetan flags. Anyway, there was a bit of luck, says Anik Celiskaslan. The interior decorator is an artist from the company fake-filmconstruction, who with great attention to detail always create a special atmosphere in individual areas of the Phantasialand - as with the original Tibetan flags in the restaurant Bamboo. It was not that easy to get them:
"An acquaintance has a shop with original articles from Nepal and Tibet. He gave me the tip with the tailoring on site. But they do not actually produce as high volumes as we needed them. That was such a hope and anxiety: Does the commodity come or does it not come? "

But it did come! And in Anik's tailoring, Tibet moved in, in all its colors. With hundreds of little colorful flags in bright red, white, green, orange and blue. From the traditional wall hangings with a circumference of 60 centimeters, she has gradually created more than ten times as large lampshades for the restaurant. Accurate manual work - which was also in demand elsewhere.

At the time of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), a popular cult of horses developed in China. This was also a booming time for tradition Chinese ceramics. The result was the well-known Tang horses, which are still in demand today as a testimony of Chinese history among collectors. The Bamboo restaurant has two authentic replicas - the originals could not be used as they would have been too heavy for the buffet islands with their granite and glass tops.

Designer Jolanda Palazuelo has perfected the art of making something new look old. Very old. Two horse sculptures with riders, specially made for the Bamboo restaurant, have aged more than 1,000 years under his hands. Because they are modeled after those from the Chinese Tang Dynasty.
Jolanda has applied countless thin layers of paint and let it dry in between. And started over again. The goal was clear: "The material had to look like heavy old terracotta. In order for it to really look like ceramics, you should not look at individual brushstrokes. The sculptor had already worked very well there. And I just had to make sure that the colors are very dull - so that the horses do not look artificial. "Not artificial, but like old craftsmanship. Like from the Tang Dynasty.

"In the end, the entire ambience is a kind of collage," says Annette Pieck, looking around at the new Bamboo restaurant. During construction, color charts and fabric patterns were her constant companions. "We work a lot with real samples. To know: that's the texture, that's how it feels. And so that I know how it works, I always use it to move to the scene, ie directly to the restaurant. "For only in the right light can everything merge harmoniously.

"We have done more than just renovate here. The Bamboo has become a brand new restaurant. This is today a light-flooded room. Here we have hundreds of small lights that are very atmospheric and the curtains are so light in the wind. It's a very airy feeling in here. "Bamboo could almost stand on a mountain in Central Asia, with the handmade chairs from China, the flags from Tibet, the original Asian prayer wheels and all the little details that are not just the kitchen make it so authentic here. In fact, this experience is very close!

Whether it is as part of a stay in our Asian theme hotel Ling Bao, the crowning finale of a day in Germany's best theme park or as a fantastic dinner with culinary highlights from Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and China - the door to this world is open to everyone. To this world where original Tibetan flags gently rock in the air. And to bring happiness to the world.