Arthur – The Ride is an indoor inverted spinning dark ride roller coaster at Europa-Park in Rust, Germany, built by Mack Rides and opened in July 2014. Developed in close cooperation with French filmmaker Luc Besson, the attraction sends riders soaring beneath the track through a miniature fantasy world inspired by his “Arthur and the Minimoys” film series, housed inside a 3,500-square-meter hall beneath a 15-meter dome.
Rather than relying on drops or inversions for thrills, Arthur blends slow-moving dark ride storytelling with bursts of spinning, powered-coaster motion, making it a signature family attraction within Europa-Park’s themed “Arthur – In the Minimoys Kingdom” area. The roughly €25 million investment remains one of the park’s most immersive indoor experiences.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Europa-Park, Rust, Germany
- Manufacturer: Mack Rides
- Opened: July 2014
- Height: about 44 ft (13.5 m)
- Top speed: about 19 mph (31 km/h)
- Length: about 1,657 ft (505 m)
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Guests board rotating gondolas suspended beneath the track, gliding through scenes populated by oversized flowers, insects, and other elements scaled to make riders feel as small as the Minimoys characters from Besson’s films. The roughly four-minute journey combines seven indoor and outdoor scenes with animatronics and 4D effects such as water, wind, and scents, before the gondolas pick up spinning, powered-coaster speed for a livelier finish outside the show building.
Design and Theming
The ride anchors Europa-Park’s Minimoys Kingdom, a themed zone built in close cooperation with Luc Besson himself. Its centerpiece is a 3,500-square-meter hall topped by a 15-meter dome, inside which designers built an oversized island, streams, and enchanted forest to sell the illusion of a miniaturized world. Multiple trains, each carrying around 12 riders in a four-across arrangement, keep the attraction moving at a capacity of roughly 1,600 riders per hour.
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Arthur FAQs
Where is Arthur – The Ride located?
It’s located at Europa-Park in Rust, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, within the park’s Minimoys Kingdom themed area.
Who manufactured Arthur – The Ride?
German manufacturer Mack Rides built the attraction, which opened in July 2014.
Does Arthur – The Ride have any inversions?
No. It’s a powered dark ride coaster with spinning gondolas rather than inversions, focusing on theming and motion over airtime or loops.
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Photo: Fritz Spitzkohl / CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.