Ravensburger Spieleland

The Ravensburger Spieleland is one of the youngest amusement parks in Germany. The park was founded by the famous Ravensburger AG – manufacturer of parlour games, puzzles and various other products – between its headquarters in Ravensburg and nearby Lake Constance near Meckenbeuren. Since 1998, the park has mainly offered play fun for families with small children; since 2016, there is also the possibility to stay overnight in the park’s own resort.

In general, the Ravensburger Spieleland does its own thing; one should not assume that it is a conventional amusement park with roller coaster and various carousels. It is rather the independent playground equipment that characterises the park to a large extent and thus makes it a special destination for excursions. But the fun also has its price, as the Ravensburger Spieleland is one of the most expensive amusement parks of the country.

Grüne Oase

By entering the park, one immediately finds oneself in the green oasis, a kind of farm theme area. Here you will find an electric horse-riding track, a tractor ride and an animal carousel, but also numerous smaller play facilities, the main station of the Swabian railway, a petting zoo, as well as an electric rodeo, where on several mechanical bulls the children are shaken around and this even free of charge. A show stage and several outlet stores can also be found here.

Mitmachland

If you follow the paths in a clockwise direction, you will immediately come across the Mitmachland. In addition to three show tents, in which the children are always involved in some way, you will find the park’s large children’s driving school, the Bienenflug, as well as the interactive play equipment Max Mäuseschreck and the Bosch Car Service Mini-Werkstatt. While you shoot softballs into the holes of the oversized cheese at Max Mäuseschreck, you actually change tires at the mini-workshop with the questionable branding by Bosch Car Service; which is of course extremely practical if there is actually a flat tire on the way back. Also located in this area is the Bunte Schokohaus of Ritter Sport, where, in contrast to the absolutely great Bunte Schokowelt in Berlin, they unfortunately have no café of their own and sell their own products far above the shop value. If you feel like it, you can take a workshop here, which of course requires additional fees.

Käpt’n Blaubärs Wunderland

This is followed by Käpt’n Blaubärs Wunderland, a theme area based around the stories of author Walter Moers; known from the programme “Sendung mit der Maus”, which also has its own theme area. Here you can explore the big lake on Käpt’n Blaubärs Spaßboote, experience a splashing water ride on the Gummikutter or go on a dark ride with the well-known characters on the Abenteuerfahrt, telling several smaller sailor’s yarn stories of the blue bear. A canoe trip for the little ones, as well as the new animation studio – which can be experienced for a fee and by prior arrangement – round off the area. The second station of the Swabian railway is also located here.

Maus und Elefant Erlebniswelt

The Maus und Elefant Erlebniswelt form a dead end within the park. Next to a 3D cinema, where a purchased film is shown at regular intervals, as well as the well known Lach- und Sachgeschichten of Sendung mit der Maus (these however in 2D), you can experience a low ropes course, as well as an interesting basketball game. You can rest and relax on the sunny meadow, while the children have fun on the Moser free-fall tower Hier kommt die Maus.

Future World

In order to explain Lufthansa’s understanding of service to children in detail, it is worthwhile visiting Future World, where there is a new playground with exactly that questionable branding. The biggest attraction in this theme area is the observation tower Aussichtsturm. The most interesting one is the Galaxy-Racer, where you are not allowed to race, but you can actually drive a real (albeit very slow) car. You can also let yourself be shaken by a 4D cinema, but unfortunately the film is only a purchased standard product. Meanwhile, puzzle lovers can puzzle on an open-air stage at will.

Spielewelt

Passing a duck carousel and a water roundabout, you will get down the mountain into the Spielewelt. Here you will find the largest game equipment, above all the Memory-Flug, in which you will be transported to different levels in small helicopters, one after the other, to uncover the fields of the game field. No less interesting is the firefighting game Feuerwehrspiel, which you can experience in a similar (and physically less strenuous) variant in the Legoland theme parks of Billund and Windsor, and which invites you to a very funny competition. The bumper car Tempo, kleine Schnecke and the very successful crazy labyrinth complete the attractions of the area.

Fix & Foxi Abenteuerland

The best known area of the park is probably the Fix & Foxi Abenteuerland, where the characters of Ralf Kauka from the comic strip that has been discontinued since 2010 have found a home and otherwise only live on in private television. Nobody has to regret the death of Fix & Foxi, according to the newspaper Die Welt eight years ago, and so I doubt very much that children nowadays have any connection to the characters at all. Well, the area is already older and in 2004 this development was not yet foreseeable; nevertheless, one should possibly think about a rebranding, after all there are certainly still some companies who would like to have their own area in the Ravensburger Spieleland.

Prof. Knox Turbo-Boote

Next to the Fix & Foxi Baggergrube, where you are allowed to dig a little in the gravel in your own excavators, there is the rubber dinghy slide Prof. Knox Turbo-Boote with a total of only two lanes and thus an almost non existing capacity, which unfortunately leads to very long waiting times, as well as the bobkart track Fix & Foxi Raketen-Blitz of the manufacturer Wiegand.

Fix & Foxi Raketen-Blitz

This powered summer toboggan run starts off with a left-hand bend, where the top speed is reached immediately. Over three jumps you race along a straight line, which is immediately followed by an upward helix to the right.  Now follows a short left-hand bend, which leads very quickly into a wide right-hand bend. A short upward helix leads you to the necessary altitude meters to start the fast finale. Basically you just make another right turn and after a short change of direction a wide left turn. After a final jump and a last left turn you reach the starting platform.

The Fix & Foxi Raketenblitz was the first faster ride of the Ravenburger Spieleland and proves in an impressive way how funny such a bobkart track can be, if it weren’t for the low capacity of the ride and the possibly occurring crawlers. The track itself is good and makes a lot of fun at full throttle, so a ride is definitely worthwhile.

Alpin-Rafting

The last theme area of the Ravensburger Spieleland is the Entdeckerland, where children can let off steam on small soccer fields of the VfB Stuttgart or queue up for minutes in the slide world Rutschenspaß; quite honestly, I have never seen it like this even with comparable slides in other amusement parks when there is a bigger crowd. The main attraction in this area, the Alpin-Rafting, comes from Intamin and is a truly special rapids ride.

After boarding the boat and securing the children with a life jacket, after passing the round of questions about the technically irrelevant minimum age, the trip can begin immediately. After a short left turn, you will now bob through the canal for a few metres before you reach the vertical lift of the ride. Here, one has to wait for some time before it takes one to the starting height of 12m. This is followed by what has to come, and thus, a short time later, one shoots down the 8m high shot. In the following run-out section, some water is transported into the boat and the boat is slowed down to a low speed; thus, the wetness factor is definitely there and should not be underestimated at all! A right turn and a long zigzag stretch follow before the second highlight of the course, the world’s only whirlpool built by Intamin, follows.  Bit by bit you pick up more and more speed, just before the round boat dives into a tunnel. While the ride itself is a lively pleasure, there is no moment of surprise shortly afterwards. This is the biggest weak point compared to the similar rides of the producer Hafema, where most of the times, there is a rapids waiting for you that can easily soak you. A bit disappointed, the return to the station follows, which is quite uneventful. First a wide right turn, then another zigzag stretch and finally a short left turn.

All in all, the Alpin-Rafting is of course an extremely well done major attraction, which impresses above all by the big shot ride. Unfortunately, the whirlpool is then only a nice element that falls short of the expectations. The rest of the route is also relatively uneventful, but admittedly, one should not expect a conventional ride like the one in the nearby Europa-Park.

Pictures Ravensburger Spieleland

Conclusion Ravensburger Spieleland

The Ravensburger Spieleland is an extremely nice amusement park for families with small children, who are mercilessly confronted with all kinds of advertising here. Although sponsoring is the order of the day in some amusement parks, I find it really alarming here (apart from the self-advertising for the products from our own production) because of the younger target group. The whole thing is paired with a comparably high entrance fee, which is at least 10€ above the entrance fee of comparable amusement parks in Germany and the near vicinity. There are also a lot of upcharge offers available, which is not really necessary. Thus, the Ravensburger Spieleland is only recommended if you don’t want to experience a theme park in the true sense of the word, but a charming park with numerous interactive games equipment, which, as I said, characterise the Spieleland and make it special.

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