Motion sickness at Phantasialand: what's rough and how to cope

Photo: JZ85, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized and converted.

Bruhl, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany · Phantasialand Schmidt-Loffelhardt GmbH & Co. KG (family-owned) · ~2.1M visitors (2024, industry estimate)

Yes, and the reason is not the one people expect. Phantasialand is built tight and vertical, with rides stacked above and below each other, but its strongest motion sickness trigger is Crazy Bats: an indoor coaster ridden in a VR headset, where a moving image is strapped to your face while your body takes a real track. Screen motion layered on physical motion catches more people than raw speed does. Around it, F.L.Y. launches you face-down in a flying position, Talocan holds riders inverted over fire and water effects, Chiapas ends a log flume with a very steep drop, and Colorado Adventure runs a mine train through fast helices and sudden dips. The park is compact, which helps your planning and hurts your pacing.

The rides most likely to set you off

• Crazy Bats: indoor coaster ridden in the dark with a VR headset, so screen motion sits on top of real motion.

• F.L.Y.: launched flying coaster ridden face-down in a prone position, which holds your head at an unusual angle.

• Talocan: top spin that holds riders inverted above fire and water effects.

• Chiapas: log flume that finishes with a very steep drop.

• Colorado Adventure: mine train with fast helices and sudden dips.

Crazy Bats is the hardest ride here for a motion-sensitive rider. A VR headset fills your vision with a moving world that never quite matches what the coaster is doing to your body, and that gap between what you see and what you feel is where motion sickness starts. It runs indoors in the dark, so there is no real horizon to fall back on when it begins to go wrong.

Where to reset between rides

When your stomach needs a break, head for Wakobato (slow boat ride), Wurmling Express (kids train), Bolles Riesenrad (small ferris wheel) or Pferdekarussell (horse carousel). Slow visuals, a fixed horizon and a seat that is not spinning give your inner ear time to settle before the next big ride.

Feeling queasy at Phantasialand right now?

Stop the nausea

Open Dizzout, plug in any headphones, tap play. Drug-free sound therapy, and most people feel better in about 90 seconds. No pills, no drowsiness, no waiting for a tablet to kick in.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

On a computer? Dizzout installs on your phone. Scan the code, or open dizzout.com/get on your phone and it'll take you straight to the right store.

Your survival plan for Phantasialand

1. 1

   Make Crazy Bats your first big ride of the day or skip it outright. It is the ride most likely to end your visit, and it is far harder on a full stomach.

2. 2

   Space out F.L.Y. and Talocan. One holds you face-down, the other holds you upside down, and both keep your head at an unusual angle for a long stretch.

3. 3

   Take Chiapas when you want water rather than inversions. The final drop is steep, but it is one event with a clear view ahead of you.

4. 4

   Use Wakobato when you need to sit still. A slow boat with a stable horizon is the best reset in the park.

5. 5

   Pace the climbs. The park is built on levels, so the walking is steeper than it looks, and tired and overheated is queasier.

6. 6

   Keep earbuds handy and run a Dizzout session at the first queasy moment. Drug-free sound therapy on any headphones, and most people feel better in about 90 seconds.

Going with kids

The gentle rides are scattered rather than pooled in one zone, so plan a loop rather than a base. A slow boat, a small ferris wheel, a carousel and a kids train cover a young child's day.

Common questions