What to Know Before Visiting Phantasialand
Here are the 6 things to know before visiting Phantasialand
#1 - You Need to Book Your Tickets in Advance
We were told this changed after COVID-19, but you cannot purchase your tickets at the gate of the park anymore. Prior to covid, you used to be able to at the entrance of the park, but it is now a requirement to pay and display your ticket when entering the park. You can easily purchase your tickets on-line through the direct website. Once your payment has processed, you will be given a QR code with your tickets to enter.
#2 - Smoking is Allowed in the Park
Unlike many theme parks in the United States, smoking is allowed all throughout Phantasialand. We personally did not see any dedicated smoking areas within the park, but we did see some signs informing guests to not smoke in certain sections. However, people smoked anyway, even in queues for rides and other attractions. The smoking culture in Germany is different from the US, so be prepared if you are traveling from the States. It can be a bit overwhelming at times, especially if you are not used to this, so try and find some space where there may not be any smokers if you are sensitive to it.
#3 - The Posted Wait Times Are Not Accurate
If the ride you are going to stand in line for says a wait time of 30/45/60 minutes, don’t trust it. Every wait time is inaccurate (at least it was when we went - locals who travel frequently cautioned us about the “wait times”). For example, we noticed that the posted wait time for Taron was 45 minutes. In reality, it was over 2 hours of waiting time. Black Mamba had a posted wait time of 20 minutes, but it ended up taking us 50 before we got on the ride. There is no exception for kids rides, either. A good rule of thumb is to check the wait time and add at least 30 minutes to that time. That includes posted 5 minute wait times (walk-on attractions).
#4 - The Rides Do Not Start Until an Hour After Park Opening
When the park opens, you often have this wave of energy and are ready to tackle the craziest roller coasters and attractions before more people show up. However, in Phantasialand, rides don’t officially open until an hour after park opening. This gives you the chance to feel familiar with the park layout and find the attractions you want to try first. If you don’t mind waiting in line for an attraction you want to try first, you are always welcome to do so. Some rides like F.L.Y. already had a long line within 20 minutes of park opening.
#5 - It is Cheaper and Easier to Use the Free Shuttle System To/From Brühl Station
We would have saved so much more money on the way over to Phantasialand if we had known we could have taken the Phantasialand shuttle from Brühl Station. If you are coming from Cologne, you can easily hop on a train from city centre to Brühl Station very cheaply. From there, you can find a shuttle that will read “Phantasialand” on it. It comes in every 30-60 minutes. It will take you directly to the entrance of the parks. When you’re done, you can hop on the shuttle and return the same way. We didn’t know this when coming in and ended up taking an Uber. It was a super EXPENSIVE Uber ride. Don’t make the mistake we made!
#6 - It is Confusing to Find Some Attractions
Phantasialand is actually a small park if you are looking at the space of land they use. They do a fantastic job ensuring the attractions have quality work in their tighter spaces. We were blown away by the incredible engineering. However, it can be confusing to find where everything is by looking at the map. Some attractions are layered and hidden due to the smaller land. Luckily, they have multiple maps with different languages, so you can find the one that fits your preferred language. But…. no matter how many times you look on the map or read the signs, it may be hard to find where you want to go. At first I thought we were just dumb, but we noticed A LOT of people struggling. A lot of the customer service areas were just answering questions on where attractions were located. Don’t hesitate to ask. All the workers at Phantasialand are super kind and helpful!
