Floating, falling… Europa-Park’s coaster is “sweet intoxication”

Unmasking the “Phantom” VR ride

May 23, 2024

Last month, I previewed Eurosat Coastiality - The Phantom of the Opera, the latest virtual reality-enhanced coaster at Europa-Park, which pioneered the genre. Now, I have a guest review penned by David Benkof, who got to put the ride through its paces. David, “The Broadway Maven,” has his own Substack, “Marquee,” at which he writes about musical theater and (of course) Broadway. He made the trek from New York to Germany to experience the “Phantom”-inspired coaster. Thanks David! – Arthur Levine

The latest revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” isn’t in a theater; it’s the theme of a just-opened virtual-reality roller coaster at Germany’s Europa-Park. It’s a thrilling (if flawed) new way of experiencing the music, story, and spectacle of the longest-running show in Broadway history.

The “Phantom” ride, also known as Eurosat Coastiality, is housed in a huge geodesic dome (think Disney’s EPCOT) on a track it shares with a Moulin Rouge-themed, non-VR version of the coaster. Passengers wear a surprisingly comfortable device that covers nearly the whole head, providing an immersive experience of sight and sound.

Set to a soundtrack of songs from the show (except “Music of the Night” as far as I could tell), the experience takes riders up to the ceiling of the opera house and sends them crashing down to the Phantom’s lair, along with the famous chandelier. Along the way, passengers see images from the show like the Phantom’s shrine to Christine, the mechanical monkey, rose petals, and the Phantom himself looming on the chandelier and eventually the roof of the opera house.

It’s exhilarating. And clever: Some meticulous details I noticed while waiting to board included an entrance behind a door marked “Box 5” (the Phantom’s usual seat) and posters on the wall featuring names of operas from the show like “Il Muto” as well as other “operas” named after Lloyd Webber’s spectacles “Starlight Express” and “CATS.”

There’s an odd moment before boarding the train in which about a dozen guests stand around for five minutes wearing their headsets and staring at the lifelike avatars of the others. Because the earphones muffle sound, it’s difficult to talk to anyone else, and most people stand quietly as they get used to the gear. As theme park queues go, it’s pretty impressive, but it felt like the riders’ experience hadn’t been carefully thought through.

Once the ride starts, though, everything is on a grand scale, as is appropriate for an experience set in an opera house. The track is not visible, of course, so the twists and turns are surprising and unpredictable.

Unfortunately, the VR-enhanced coaster can suffer from technical glitches. During my first ride, I didn’t hear any of Lloyd Webber’s music, and my companion saw vertical lines that detracted from the illusion. At one point, my screen flashed “BATTERY LOW.” Ugh.

It isn’t easy getting to Europa-Park. Located in Rust, Germany, it’s not near any major cities. My companion and I flew to Basel, Switzerland, and then drove more than an hour. The “Phantom’ experience requires park admission plus a 7-Euro surcharge.

Stateside park fans: If you’re a fan of musical theater and want to treat yourself to a unique experience, this virtual reality ride has enough virtues to merit a special European vacation.

Is a “Phantom”-themed VR coaster compelling enough to you to warrant a trek to Europa-Park? What do you make of the ride’s unique theme?