Amusement and Theme Parks Sweden Style

To date I have been to three different amusement parks in Sweden,  The largest in Gothenberg is known as Leiseberg....All the trappings of amusement parks, thrilling rides, expensive food both junk and junk food labeled as sort of not junk food, over priced junk labeled as toys, loud carny games with shifty eyed people and over sized bipedal animals with strangely anthropomorphic faces...

I would say on the scale of parks it is a nice medium between non-Disney park and county fair.  If you know Southern California parks, it's like Knott's Berry Farms younger part-time employed step brother (?).  

I've been to Leiseberg several times over the years and we will be going there sometime next week, so you may get more on that later.  

On this trip we've been to two amusement parks I've never been to before.  Skala Sommerland which I will cover in this post and Astrid Lindgren's Värld which I will cover later.   

Skala Sommerland is a small hybrid park (half water park and half amusement park).  These do exist in the U.S. but are generally there is some distinction between the two halves of the park.  This becomes most evident when you sit down on a roller coaster and the foam seat makes that unmistakable sound of water being squeezed through foam and vinyl.  The feel of wet squishy foam seats isn’t a feeling you ever get over. 

Anyway, for me the thrilling rides are of an amusement park are one of the highlights of life.  The fear of dying with the knowledge that death is highly unlikely, or in some cases just unlikely, produces an amazing feeling.  Being that I have kids now, thrill ride are low on the list for me…replaced with flying pig-cars, giant bear boats and trains. 

This time, we took our nieces and nephews all of the older than my kids, meant that I might have some time for rides of my own.  There is usually one ride that stands out for me during the lead up to the park day.  This time it was the “BIG DROP.”  It’s funny that the name isn’t in Swedish, I would have thought it would be.  A 21 meter high drop with a top speed of 60 km/H.  See you stand in this tube with a clear floor that with a three count the floor falls away and you drop.  Really looking forward to it, as we approached the gate it was all I could think of, it was all I could do to not run screaming to the line. 

IT WAS CLOSED FOR THE DAY!!!  WHAT THE WHAT?  Just my luck, the only thing I wanted was snatched from me.  Not the best start for a day of fun.  

As to not consider the day a total waste, my Anthropologist side kicked in.   

What differences can be seen between this park and other parks I’ve been to in the U.S. 

The first thing I noticed was the sounds…or lack thereof.  People on the rides were not screaming, not hooting or Woo-wooing.  It was quiet, really quiet.  I can’t understand how or why this happens…its like no one was having fun…It made me feel weird for wanting to…when I did let a squeal out, others on the ride looked at me, shocked and in some ways offended that I would dare to make any noise.  This silence persisted for the rest of the day…my inhibitions did not.

I would say the greatest difference between this park and other parks is the lack of regulation…or guess the lack of the need for regulation.  

The first “ride” was a go-kart ride for Vincent.  First, not the most controlled environment.  The track was literally two feet from fence keeping the people out, which was a really short fence or completely closed off.  Liam actually squeezed through, almost onto the track before we grabbed him.  These go-carts were not the electric, run along a track, guaranteed accident free safety carts…These were propane running, not on a track free run cars.  Anyone between 100 and 140 cm can drive.  


There are some safety related each child gets a head net, a horse collar and very large helmet.  I was quit concerned about Vincent driving a car.  He is only 6 years old and sometimes has trouble walking straight.   On this ride he was able to drive side by side with a another child on the open track.  The worry-wart in me imagined crashes and fires.  Of course when the "race" started we were all cheering on Vincent, yelling and screaming.  He won...That was super exciting.  

On the water side of the park there was even less park employee supervision. Water slides of all types, ziplines over the water and innertube river rides with no one telling people when to go.

Probably the most amazing surprise thing I came across was an all-you-can eat "mexican" style food buffet...(mexican only in name...There was "meat", tortillas, tomatoes, and corn...).  Can you imagine the money drain that would be at any number of parks in the U.S.  

To my surprise no one abused the buffet...(Had I not been on a diet, I might have...No, I totally would have wrecked it.)

In the end the BIG DROP open and I got to go in it.  Of course there were workers still working on it, as I entered the tube...this add to the terror...and increased the likelihood that I would die...