Tripsdrill Opening Weekend 2013

When we were new in Germany and people would learn that we like Disney and Legoland, they would inevitably tell us we should visit the themepark they grew up attending, Tripsdrill.  We'd ask for some details, what it was like, what kinds of rides they had, and people were oddly unable to give much of any specifics, but it seemed unanimous that people who grew up in our area went there as children, loved it, and now take their own children.  Many of today's grandparents grew up with a summer visit to Tripsdrill every year as well.

So, last spring Dave, Rio and I (Marika was visiting family in the states at the time) took the plunge and tried Tripsdrill and promptly fell in love--so much so that we walked out of the park that day with annual passes.

Tripsdrill always opens for the season the weekend before Easter.  So, our passes from last year are good until the 31st of this month--which allowed us to stop by this weekend for one last trip (and use them at a sister park in Holland next Saturday).  It was pretty cold this weekend, temps hovered in the mid 30s F, and there was a nasty breeze, so we spent about two and a half hours yesterday and another two and a half today rather than one long day out--and it is a little less lovable when you are chilled and the flowers are not blooming yet--but Tripsdrill is still a kick.  It is a beautiful, and quirky and unique little park and I hope I can adequately convey some of that through my photos and descriptions today.

The park is themed to be all about rural, traditional German life.  This is a theme which works surprisingly well and is often really charming and, especially with some of the older attractions that have been left open (pretty much everything that ever was from what we can tell!) at times downright odd and funny in that way that only German humor can be (you'll see . . .).

The park has many nests available for wild storks, and many, MANY wild storks nest there and can be seen flying overhead, etc.  In their honor, there is a statue at the front entrance:

Being so cold, they weren't flying much today--but here is the one shot I could get of a nest:

Once past the front statue, the entry way into the park is up the little German street (note the laundry lines over the street--laundry is a recurring theme at Tripsdrill).  The building on the left houses a small cafe and a shop.  The one on the left houses the newest attraction---an indoor ball and play area (air powered balls, etc) with a classic "hopper" type ride for little kids which is charmingly themed as a wooden ball and ramp toy.  The maypole ride at the top of the street is a gentle ride that affords some nice views of the park.

The path forces everyone to turn left at the top of the street.  If you're not inclined to ride the maypole, you can get a taste of odd ball German humor y watching the man in the nearby outhouse.  He'll cuss you out for intruding and even spit at you if you're not careful!

Moving on, the first couple of attractions you come to are the original one from when the "park" was just an amusement to go along with a restaurant: a good old fashioned, sit on a burlap sack and go, slide, inside an old mill building, and a funhouse.  Here is David walking towards the mill/slide:

And a few of the funhouse (and, yes, I have to sing "The One That I Want" every time I am in there!) (and, again, yes, if you are old and uncoordinated and fall on those rolling slides, it hurts):

Next to the slides are what we refer to as the "drunken boats."  A simple little boat ride in which boats must steer through the zigzag lanes but are not on a rack, so once in a while someone causes a roadblock (canal block?).  Riders not steering can try to squirt other boats with water shooting out of the watering can, tea kettle and wine bottle that each boat is equipped with.  A little boy successfully squirted me today!  Brrrrrrrrr!

Just behind the boats is the Treehouse themed drop ride (which the kids must have ridden 10 times yesterday and another ten today.  I am good for 1-2 rides max):

Those not up for a drop, can stay on the ground and pet the goats:

Or head over to the calmer Soap Box racers (which I think are the most adorable of any kiddie car ride I have seen--though perhaps this kid is a little past the adorable stage himself):

There is also a mill themed kiddie flume ride in this area--in which the kids ride in sacks of flour.  No one was crazy enough to go on water rides in these temperatures and I did not take a photo.  If anyone is dying to see it, let me know and I will dig up a photo from last year.

Throughout the park there are also little mill themed water areas like the one below.  In warm weather children are encouraged to play in them to their heart's content:

That is it for the section straight ahead after the forced turn at the top of the street by the maypole.  Heading back, you actually pass above the maypole and then onto the other, larger side of the street where you see both the oldest and newest sections of the park.  

You start with some of the oldest, passing into wine country (as a note--Tripsdrill is in the middle of nowhere, a good 30 minutes of driving from any highway, and surrounded by vineyards (a hillside full of them is in view from most of the park).  This is truly the heart of wine country. Tripsdrill itself grows its own grapes and makes its own, fairly decent wine.  The wine barrel ride involves sitting in a spinning wine cask while the cask follows a track through the vineyards.  You'll feel drunk when you get off:

The large building in the background houses a museum with old wine making equipment, including many old and truly lovely wooden presses, and the basement is a tasting room where the adults can hang out and sample wine; your park admission even includes a tasting glass you get to keep (but the samples will run you about 1.50 Euro a piece).  Along the edge of the ride there are also a series of older animitronics which show the process of turning grapes into delightful beverages:

Moving on, there is a section that Dave calls "vomit alley" since pretty much every ride spins.  The tilt a whirl style ride is themed after ran old style bakery in which you spin about in bundt cakes:

You can sore above everyone as you swing from a giant mushroom:

Take a spin in a flying laundry basket:

Ride forwards and backwards around a track in a pair of house shoes (sorry, no photo), spin about in a Dreseden coffee service:

or in a soup pot:

If, after all of that, you can still walk; amble over to the gentle but fun caterpillar coaster, which runs so low at points that you can run your fingertips along the grass (and all the kids do--and no one seems worried about liability):

So, that is about half the park.  It is late, I am tired, and you have probably seen far too many photos already.  I'll come back tomorrow with the newer and more big kid rides as well as the oldest and oddest ones ;)

Happy Sunday to you all,

--Hadley

#tripsdrill