Erlebnispark Tripsdrill: Made With Love and the Most Horrifying Animatronics Imaginable

Erlebnispark Tripsdrill, Germany’s oldest theme park, operates with the slogan “mit liebe gemacht” (made with love), and after my recent two-night stay there (9 - 11 July 2024), I can confirm that there is authenticity to this statement. A family business that opened in 1929, Tripsdrill has evolved over its ninety-plus years of existence from a big slide and a restaurant in a field to one of the most charming regional theme parks in Europe, and quite possibly the world. Known for its commitment to the grimmest of animatronics, but combined with the unusual backdrop of German wine country and sporting some pretty decent coaster hardware, Tripsdrill has been on my radar for quite some time as someone who values both theme and thrill. However, I would soon discover once I’d booked my trip just how much of a faff the park is to reach by public transport…

Getting to Tripsdrill

I landed at Stuttgart airport around 11:45am as a woman on a mission. I would be getting to the park by taking a subway to Stuttgart city centre, then a local train to the town of Kirchheim, followed by a local bus to Bönnigheim, and finally, a bus to the park itself. Unfortunately, what I hadn’t realised was how infrequent that final bus is, and if I missed the 2:45pm bus, I’d be either waiting until 95 minutes for the last bus of the day, or hauling my unwieldy luggage for 90 minutes past vineyards in the unrelenting sun. Thankfully, I made the bus, so didn’t have to die from heatstroke. By the time I’d trudged the ten minutes between the park entrance and the reception for the onsite accommodation I’d be staying in, I was drenched in sweat, dizzy, barely able to speak, and my water bottle’s water was the temperature of a nice cup of tea, so I am very thankful for rural German bus punctuality and accuracy. (For reference, it was around 33 degrees Celsius, but felt far hotter due to the humidity and complete lack of shade).

Hals-über-Kopf against the backdrop of Michaelsberg and the vineyards. Baking heat not pictured.

I love a good woodlands-y hotel almost as much as a theme park, so it was a no-brainer that I’d be staying in one of the treehouses located in Tripsdrill’s wildlife park next door, Wildparadies. The treehouse was a major draw in itself, so I aim to write a separate blog post about the accommodation and wildlife park soon! By the time I was checked in, it was around 3:15pm, so I quickly dropped my bag and scurried back over to the park for the last two hours and fifteen minutes of the park day.

My lovely home for two nights, Kuckucksnest.

Entering Tripsdrill

I didn’t have particularly high expectations for getting much done before park close, but it seems as though school trips clear out of Tripsdrill around 3pm, so I managed to get on twelve rides – including all of the coaster creds! I’ve actually never experienced such a quiet park; the longest I waited over my day-and-a-bit was 30 minutes for both Hals-über-Kopf, the 2020 Vekoma Suspended Thrill Coaster, and Mammut, the wooden coaster, but these times were for my preferred row, and most rides were essentially walk-on.

From the unassuming entrance and one staff member casually scanning tickets, my first impression was that Tripsdrill is very much a regional park. But it was also immediately clear that intense regionality is the park’s strength. Whilst the theming doesn’t have the bombast of Phantasialand’s elaborate rockwork for example, everything is in keeping with the chosen theme: an ode to the region the park has grown in, Swabia, but circa 1880. Wherever you turn, there are references to local stories and local towns, and the food offering reflects regional specialities, such as spätzle (a kind of egg noodle). This seems a clever move on Tripsdrill’s part, as it’s easier to achieve cohesion and a good finish on a tight budget by utilising local construction firms if you are building in keeping with the region’s architecture rather than fashioning distant climes and spaceships. The horticultural team must also be commended for their incredible maintenance of the endless flowerbeds that really put the park in erlebnispark.

Karacho framed by flowers.

Ticking off the Creds (and Almost Everything Else)

Karacho (High Speed)

My first ride was the 2013 Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster, Karacho. I didn’t aim for this to be my first ride, but the park has a maze-like layout, perplexing map, and no app, so other than squinting at the little blue blob on Google Maps, I was going in blind. It boggles my mind that The Smiler and Karacho are technically the same coaster type and opened the same year, given that The Smiler runs like a shopping trolley hurtling down a mountain with one good wheel left and a personal vendetta against neck vertebrae, whereas Karacho is…smooth as anything? I thoroughly enjoyed my four rides on Karacho over the course of the trip; the launch lacks a bit of punch and it’s missing a stomach-pulling whippy drop, but it is very re-rideable. It says a lot that I managed to keep my arms up in the air throughout the layout, barring the transition into the launch and the final brake-run (both of which donk your head into the back of your seat). It’s a pretty ride to boot; I’m not a massive coaster train nerd, but even I was taking photos of the huge ‘jet engines’ flickering on the backs of the trains.

Mammut (either Redwood or Mammoth – take your pick)

Next up was the park’s wooden coaster, themed to the local logging industry, and the first wooden coaster in the world designed entirely by German companies. Zipping through the queue line was my first exposure to Tripsdrill’s commitment to the most horrifying mannequins possible. Despite the ride opening in 2008, the queue line features some decidedly retro-looking department store-esque mannequins that are posed as though working at a saw mill. Newer rides still sport their own horrifying mannequins, so I’ll chalk it up to it being a running joke in the park.

Perhaps an obscure reference, but they remind me of the 'Oh Mikey' Japanese TV sketch show...

I rode this coaster first on the second-to-back row and then twice on the back row, and whilst I did get a few patches of airtime, I didn’t get that sense of blazing around the track uncontrollably that you get on the best woodies; it was just a bit tame. Coupled with the slight headache-inducing shuffle on the back row, I’d say this contributes to it being the weakest of the large-scale wooden coasters I’ve ridden (although granted, I haven’t ridden too many). I do however massively appreciate the show scene into the lift-hill; even if the story only extends to ‘it’s a saw mill and something has gone wrong because theme park ride, I guess,’ few woodies are afforded such considered set dressing. It definitely makes memorable an otherwise unremarkable woodie; again, Tripsdrill show themselves to be masters of understated on-brand theming.

G’Sengte Sau (Speedy Driver)

Another smooth as silk Gerstlauer! All the more surprising as well, given that this was Gerstlauer’s first ever roller coaster, opening in 1998. It’s a fun Bobsled, but the most impressive thing about it is the pointlessly elaborate queue line. It features a snowy forest scene that guests view from above, complete with a log cabin and bobsleds (fittingly), that I sadly only paused for a couple of seconds to gawp at, since there was no wait whatsoever.

Photos don't convey how bizarre it feels to walk into this room in the queue.

Badewannen-Fahrt zum Jungbrunnen (Bathtub Ride to the Fountain of Youth)

The theme for the park’s log flume is an odd one: the Fountain of Youth, as experienced through a bathtub. This theme leads to an interesting scene you would never get in the UK: refreshingly wrinkly and lumpy old ladies joyously frolicking in the fountain of youth. Other than the unique theme, the other thing this log flume had going for it is the fact that, whilst I did get decently wet, the boat is high-sided so it didn’t fill with water and my feet remained dry. Every ride on Chiapas I’ve experienced, I’ve ended up either squelching on the plane ride home in trainers, or wearing jelly shoes that let you feel the full force of the encroaching gritty boat juice; I love that flume, but frankly, I enjoy neither foot experience.

Refreshingly damp but, alas, no more youthful after the log flume.

Rasender Tausendfüßler (Furious Millipede)

Believe it or not, this 1986 family coaster was actually my most anticipated coaster of the trip. I unironically love Zierer’s Tivoli models and this one was a Tivoli LARGE – what a treat! As with all Tivolis, the Furious Millipede has that ridiculous whip on the back row, and the only mild dampener on the experience was being constantly sliced in the face by the sharp leaves the teenagers in front were dropping as they yanked them off the passing trees. I do love its setting though, facial injuries aside. The interactivity and energy brought to this ride by being nestled amongst the trees really makes me lament the shift in location of Thorpe Park’s Flying Fish post-Stealth and the failure to replicate its former landscaping; in its current location, Thorpe’s family coaster feels like a burden the park can’t be bothered to be rid of, rather than a beloved classic, and Rasender Tausendfüßler really highlights what could have been. This coaster has clearly achieved something of a cult status; I felt like I was intruding on a family tradition as a new rider, as everyone clapped, chanted and high-fived waiting guests, whilst the operator had a whale of a time egging them on.

Hals-über-Kopf (Headlong)

It was the last hour of the park day and I was finally getting into the queue for the park’s premier ride (although Karacho always seemed more popular). The station didn’t even have enough guests to fill each row by this point, even though it was only running one train, so I waited one cycle for the back row. Overall, I got eight rides on this coaster, and front row was by far my favourite. The ride isn’t rough by any means, but it does have some vibration towards the back that I was happy to wait an extra five to twenty minutes to avoid, given my flimsy body. The main advantage of the front row however is getting an unimpeded long look at the silly animatronic that was a complete surprise to me going in (so I will keep it mostly a surprise for those who haven’t seen it yet). It’s certainly not Walt Disney Imagineering-level technology or anything, but its presence adds a whimsical warmth I’ve not experienced with a thrill coaster before. I love the local folk tale theming of the ride that this animatronic is part of (The Seven Swabians), and the soundtrack nicely complements the story, feeling like a mixture of some Efteling tracks and music from the Shire in Lord of the Rings. A very, very solid ride, and probably now in my top fifteen!

The Seven Swabians facing off against a ferocious bear...or is it?

Volldampf (Full Steam Ahead)   

I was genuinely surprised by this Vekoma Boomerang; every Boomerang I’ve ridden so far has been a one-and-done, but I enjoyed this one enough to ride it three times during my trip! I would mainly put this down to the excellent theming; from the Swabian folksong ‘Auf de schwäbsche Eisebahne’ (‘On the Swabian Railway’) playing in the station to the carriages featuring the crests of local towns (some of which I passed through on my way to the park), this ride loves its source material and just feels very Tripsdrill. Fans of themed toilets will also not be disappointed: the nearby toilet block that I’m guessing opened or got refurbished with the two new coasters is themed to trains, with train carriage doors as the toilet doors, decorative luggage racks, and model trains in a display cabinet. So unnecessary, but a lovely touch.

Volldampf interweaves enough with Hals-über-Kopf that it's hard to tell their track apart.

Doppelter Donnerbalken (Double Thundering Beams)

I was intrigued by the somewhat unique drop-and-tilt tower, so despite it sitting motionless, I awkwardly shuffled into view of the ride operator to ask if the ride was open. He cheerily replied yes, and we had a little banter about what the best seat would be before my solo ride. Being the sole rider with the operator watching feels much like being forced to watch a “funny” video by a friend with them beaming right at you, in that it’s not clear how you should react in order to display the right level of polite interest. Should I give a soft smile? A little “whee”? Hands up, or gently resting on the restraint to not look too keen? I think I went with a soft smile and a look of bemusement in the end. The violent tilt is a fun gimmick, but probably works best if you can see the horror on the faces of guests riding on the opposite tower; unfortunately, only one tower runs on off-peak days, so the effect was somewhat diminished.

Wilde Gautsche (Wild Swing)

Being a fan of Huss Top Spins, I gave the new-for-2024 ART Engineering non-inverting top spin a whirl as my second to last ride of the day. There’s not too much to say about this one, as it’s a filler family ride, but it was entertaining, if a bit nausea-inducing! One for those who like the swinging aspect of top spins but not the inverting or the crotch-crushing restraints. 

Ending my First Day at Tripsdrill

After a final ride on Hals-über-Kopf, it was 6pm and time to head out of the park back to my accommodation for dinner, a pause to fight off the heatstroke, and an evening stroll around the wildlife park.

My Second Day in the Park

As I’d got far more done than expected the previous day, my full park day was mostly just re-rides, mopping up rides I hadn’t done, such as the river rapids (in summary: got a bit wet, shared the boat awkwardly with some teenage girls who would have definitely bullied me if I was their age, it was fine), and enjoying the park’s quirky animatronic displays and heritage.

The windmill/slide that started it all (reconstructed in 1950 after a lightning strike).

The Wedding Market and Trillarium

The park was again very quiet, to the point that it was easy to end up down a path on my own - nowhere was this eerier than in the Tripsdriller Eheinstitut (Tripsdrill Marriage Bureau) attraction, in the Heiratsmarkt (Wedding Market) area of the park. An almost pitch-black, long, winding corridor of grotesque animatronics from the late seventies, that each light up, spring to life and start extolling their virtues as potential marriage partners at the push of a button; this display could give many a scare maze a run for their money in the horror department. With cracking rubber, uncanny movements, dead wasps, and even a living spider hitching a ride on one of the animatronics’ wigs, the Tripsdriller Eheinstitut sure is a unique experience that I was both glad to have seen and to have been able to scuttle out of very quickly once the heebie jeebies set in.

Note the little spider crawling about in this fine lady's hair.

Equally horrifying was the Trillarium – a little ‘museum’ of sorts tucked away in the basement of the park’s main restaurant that showcases a stash of antique weaponry, local history bits and bobs, and… even more horrifying mannequins (plus an animatronic band you could pay a euro to reanimate – I mean, operate). It rained heavily around midday, so I ducked inside here, and was greeted with that distinct musty museum smell, and a heavy silence, only punctuated by the muffled scraping of chairs against the floor in the restaurant above. There were no guests in the Trillarium, nor staff, so again, I managed to give myself the heebie jeebies and didn’t hang around too long.

Making new friends deep down in the Trillarium.

There are other more charming animatronics dotted about the area – although how charming you find them may depend on your capacity to love the crunchiest-looking animal animatronics. A particular favourite of mine is the Vogelhochzeit (Bird Wedding) display; each animatronic animal looks slightly singed, deeply mouldy, and perhaps lightly cursed, as they sing a jolly little children’s song over the top of the wheezing of their aging pneumatics.

I suspect each and every one of these animatronics yearns for death.

Coffee and Cake

My treehouse stay came with a free coupon for coffee (or other beverage) and cake in the park’s main restaurant, so I swung by around 4:30pm for a civilized apple spritzer and baked cheesecake on the quiet terrace. The cheesecake was great, and it was such a welcome change to the usual pace of my theme park holidays, just sitting and watching the world go by, rather than rushing to squeeze one more ride in. The emptiness of the park gave me the space to slow down, take things in, and just really look at the weird stuff – which is what Tripsdrill’s all about. Even meandering about, I got so much done that I don’t have the space to describe it all here! I don’t think I have ever felt so relaxed at a park, and the whole experience was rejuvenating to a degree that seems implausible for a weird old park themed to a distinct German culture I know so little about.

Final Thoughts on Tripsdrill

I really didn’t want to leave Tripsdrill, but I also felt at peace leaving when I did since I was so satisfied with my visit. Not every element of the park experience is perfect – in terms of food, I enjoyed my cheesecake and off-brand Dippin’ Dots ice cream, but found my curry wurst dire, and the merch was disappointing – but the park is so easy to love. Ride wait times were minimal even operating on one train, paths and toilets were spotless, music and quiet were balanced perfectly for a calm, pleasant environment; there were just very few points of friction as a guest, and the same can’t be said for even some of the world’s best theme parks like Tokyo DisneySea, with its perpetual queues and mind-numbing use of atmospheric noise in queues. I’m sure I lucked out visiting on an extra quiet week, but when I rushed over to Hals-über-Kopf as soon as the park opened and was met with an empty station and staff letting riders go round again, it really struck me just how different my experience back in March at DisneySea was, getting to the park well over an hour before the park opened and immediately being faced with two-hour queues. I know the two parks can’t be fairly compared since their audiences are so different, but the reality of my experience is what it is, and I had a far easier time at Tripsdrill than I have had at any other park, ever. It may be a pain to get to, but once you’re there, Tripsdrill is a little slice of Swabian paradise.