“We did not want to be another tropical paradise,” he says. When looking at themes, Michael turned to the European landscape and climate for inspiration. “During the past few years, we have put more and more focus on storytelling.” “We learned quite a long time ago that visitors very much enjoy experiencing fully themed attractions that offer an elaborate story,” says Michael Mack, managing partner of Europa-Park. With key learnings collected from around the world, the Mack family began developing a story for its own indoor water park early in the design process-a roadmap of sorts, that would guide its design. “At all properties we visited, the doors were wide open, and we had an open exchange with plenty of insight into the water park industry,” he says of the friendly nature of fellow owners and operators. Back in Germany, Tropical Islands in Krausnick and Therme Erding in Erding both welcomed them. Water parks in the United States resort town of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Aquatica by SeaWorld, Disney’s Blizzard Beach, and Universal’s Volcano Bay in Orlando, Florida the Chimelong water park in China Siam Park in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain Aquaventure at Atlantis in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi, UAE, all became locations where the team performed site surveys. “We not only could see and experience the attractions, but we also were able to exchange our thoughts with water park owners and operators,” he says of the globetrotting expeditions. With the research in hand, Roland and his team packed their bags and began visiting other water parks around the world. Guest feedback, along with a feasibility study, became the “two important pillars” referred to time and time again when planning Rulantica. “In the end, we decided to go with an indoor option for phase one, which would be independent of weather conditions and thus, allow us to operate the water park year-round.” “It was a quite long and difficult discussion to determine whether we should build an indoor or an outdoor water park,” Roland says. A water attraction continued to bubble up in the research as a popular addition.

We took our time to determine the concept of a second gate,” he tells Funworld.Īs the process began, one of the first steps he took was to survey Europa-Park guests as to what kind of future development they would enjoy. Situated just southeast of Europa-Park, the theme park Roland opened together with his father, the late Franz Mack, in 1975 celebrating nations across Europe, Rulantica is the result of a quarter-century of planning.įrom left: Thomas Mack, Ann-Kathrin Mack, Roland Mack, Jurgen Mack, and Michael Mack.

With its 17 water slides, wave pool, inner-tube rivers, outdoor pool area, unique food and beverage (F&B) offerings, and emphasis on guest service, Rulantica is an accomplishment in art, architecture, and adrenaline. Rising from former farmland, the Nordic-themed Rulantica in Rust, Germany, is a next-generation indoor water park. Roland and members of the Mack family gave Funworld an exclusive look at the three decades of research and design, along with an insiders-look at key learnings made during the first 100 days of opening, before Rulantica shuttered in precaution of the global coronavirus pandemic. The bliss of that initial ride represents the largest investment he has made to date-and the completion of a vision that began in 1996 for a second gate at Europa-Park. So, was Paul scolded following the inaugural ride? Just the opposite, as his grandfather lovingly remembers the event as “a fantastic experience with lots of fun.” “No countdown or mental preparation for me! I saw the floor disappear immediately,” Roland says. He quickly lost his breath when his 8-year-old grandson, Paul Mack, sneakily working in tandem with the slide operator unexpectedly opened the slide’s trap door, sending his grandfather plunging. “When I tested this slide, my adrenaline level was maxed out,” Roland recalls. Standing with his ankles crossed on the slide’s trap door, he folded his arms over his chest in anticipation of dropping at an 80-degree angle. Roland Mack will always remember his first test ride at Rulantica.ĭays before the indoor water park on the edge of Germany’s Black Forest opened, the 70-year-old founder of Europa-Park stepped inside the starting pod of “Dugdrob and Vildfål,” Rulantica’s pair of vertical-start water slides.

Epic water park