Tips for Visitors to Large Theme Parks - Theme Parks
General Information
Theme parks in Europe are usually smaller than the famous parks in the USA, but Europe still has a number of large and impressive theme parks, and new parks are established every year, following the growing global trend of family trips.
The advantage of European parks over their counterparts in the USA is the relatively cheap entrance ticket price.
♦ Article on Europa-Park: Trip to Europa-Park and the Black Forest
Discounted Tickets for Theme Parks in Europe
Pay attention to ticket conditions. There are cheaper entrance tickets that are limited to a specific day and more expensive ones that are not limited to a day but to a season, etc. Early purchase of tickets saves you valuable time standing in line at the ticket booths.
Attractions in Paris for Purchase via Viator:
For the United States:
♦ Entrance tickets to theme parks in the USA: discounted packages, discounts and tips
In order to enjoy all the abundance offered and manage to do as much as possible, here is a bunch of useful tips for visitors:
Early Planning:
Since a theme park is a large and busy place where it is hard to manage to see and do everything, it is advisable to know what it contains before arriving. The best way to get information about the park is through the websites. On our site you will find links to the various theme parks in Europe. The information on the sites is huge: starting from opening dates and hours, through the park map, a detailed description of the main attractions, including their suitability for visitors' ages, and a breakdown of shows and special events. A partial description also exists in travel books and brochures. Once you know where things are and what you want to see most, it is easy to get around the park and quickly reach the places that attract you the most.
Legoland in Germany - Legoland Deutschland:
Avoid Busy Days:
Try to arrive at the park not during the busiest times. Weekends, especially Saturdays, and holidays are the most crowded days. The most desirable thing is to arrive at the park out of tourist season, or at least at the beginning or end of the season but not at its peak. On busy days, the average waiting time in any line can reach more than an hour, compared to a few minutes on quiet days. In summer, the period when all Europeans go on summer vacation, meaning peak crowding, is from mid-July to mid-August.
Arrive Early, Stay Late:
Try to reach popular attractions early, before all the crowds arrive and thus save valuable time later. Most people arrive in the late morning and stay until afternoon, so the busiest hours are 12 noon to 5 PM. During these hours, walk around the area, enjoy less popular activities, eat a good meal, watch shows, or take a rest break on one of the lawns.
Dress Comfortably:
Since you walk a lot and stand in lines for a long time, it is recommended to dress in comfortable clothes. Good walking shoes are essential! In parks where there are many water-related rides (boats going down a steep slope, inner tubes floating in a turbulent river, etc.) it is advisable to wear quick-drying clothes, or bring a change of clothes.
Use Lockers:
If you brought a lot of equipment to the park, including food, drinks, and extra clothes (as I recommended in previous sections), it will be hard for you to lug all the equipment around all day. It is highly recommended to rent a locker right upon your arrival at the park (lockers are usually located at the entrance to the parks) and leave most of the equipment in it except for some food and drink for the coming hours.
Plan Your Day:
Right at the park entrance, take a park map (preferably one
for each family member who can read), it is extremely hard to get by without it! Sometimes it is required to pay an extra amount of money for detailed maps or guides. Do not save money, buy this map! In addition, get the schedule of shows and their times (at the park entrance or ticket booths) so you can plan your time well. In some parks there are very spectacular shows: ranging from fireworks and lasers to dazzling musical productions in huge halls. Decide which shows you want to see so you can get to them on time. For popular shows, it is advisable to arrive well in advance to get good places. Hall shows can be an excellent place to give your legs a rest and relax.
If the big shows and parades do not interest you, use the time to visit attractive rides located far away from the show area. There is a good chance the lines will be significantly shorter during a famous show.
Strollers for Young Children:
For families with young children, it is worth bringing a foldable stroller from home. This is a very useful accessory, especially after hours of intensive wandering around the park. Even four or five-year-old children who haven't ridden in a stroller for a long time will sometimes need it on exhausting days. Even if you do not have such a stroller or forgot to bring it to the park, do not despair. In most large parks, such a stroller can be rented.