In January this year, the classic Geisterschloss dark ride at Europa-Park (Germany) closed its doors to undergo an extensive renovation. Today, more details have been revealed regarding the scale of the project, its planned reopening date and a new name – ‘Castello dei Medici’.
The refurbishment of the long-running Geisterschloss was set in motion last winter as part of an effort to update fire safety throughout the park. Today, German newspaper Badische Neueste Nachrichten was able to reveal that the re-opening is set to take place on 25th July. After over 6 months of closure, during which time the interior has been completely refurbished, guests will soon be able to ride this favourite attraction once again.
A Complete Overhaul
Europa-Park previously released 4 concept drawings depicting new scenes and characters, but the full scale of the project remained largely unknown. It was only confirmed that the original transportation system would be kept, along with several of the original characters.
The park promises that, though the ride has been completely redesigned, it will not have lost its old charm. The new Castello dei Medici revolves around Lorenzo de’ Medici (an historic figure who was previously present in the queue), who causes mischief throughout the castle. According to the newspaper, the ride is intended for visitors of 8 years and older.
In a recent episode of Parkgeflüster, a podcast run by Europa-Park, head of the animatronic department, Jasmin Dietrich, shed some light on the works happening behind the scenes. She explains how the park has tried to strike a balance between the old and the new: “We are [currently] reinstalling a lot of figures which were already there, but they have been completely reworked, technically and for the most part visually.”
Furthermore, she explains that the ride will receive a cast of 6 “main characters”, which will be making appearances throughout 3 of the scenes. In order to realise the refurbishment in such a short time, the park enlisted the help of 3 German suppliers to restore the animatronics and create several new ones. Some aspects, like the creation of new clothing, has been carried out in-house.
Rich history
The original Geisterschloss was one of the oldest attractions at the park, having been opened in 1982 together with the Italian section, which was the park’s first area themed to a European country. The attraction was designed and built by the German company Heimo and was the first to make use of the ‘Endlos-Transportsysteme’ (‘Endless Ride System’, similar to Disney’s ‘Omnimover’) supplied by Mack Rides.
The experience took guests around a Renaissance-era castle to explore grand rooms haunted by strange spirits from its past, including a large ballroom and dining hall. The ride was previously revamped in 1996 and has received many alterations and additions since then, including a cemetery, street and Medieval torture scenes.
Over time, the number of alterations and additions have diluted the original Renaissance theme, with many visitors believing the ride experience has become confused as a result. The new project aims to re-strengthen the original theme as part of a new iteration of the ride.
The re-imagined attraction will reopen to welcome visitors back to the castle next week, from the 25th July.
