South Korea trip theme park tips

[Tim Dasco]

I am going to South Korea in 2 weeks time for a uni study trip and was wondering if anyone who had been before have tips on which park is the best to do. Due to it being a study trip we only have one spare day. So want to know what's the best to do for the rides? 

[Ogre]

I've never been myself, but the three that come to mind are:

Lotte World in Seoul. Big indoor / outdoor park and very Disney-esc. Atlantis Adventure is a fun looking and unique Intamin coaster.

Everland. Main reason for going would be T Express, one of only 4 Intamin pre fab Woodies in the world, but the rest of the ride selection also looks pretty good.

Gyeongju World: Another good looking park with a couple of big B&M's.

There's some detailed vlogs from all 3 parks on this YT channel : https://www.youtube.com/@ThemeParkBlitz/

[jhunt2]

I went back in January - bad timing because of a number of coaster closures, but here are the parks I went to.

- Lotte World: probably the park I'd recommend the most. This place is jaw-dropping. As Ogre already mentioned, it's Disney-esque in its level of detail and theming. Features Atlantis Adventure, which is a great coaster and really well-themed; French Revolution, possibly the best-themed Vekoma MK-1200 in the world; and don't sleep on Comet Express, one of the world's only Intamin Twist and Turns and actually a fun little coaster. This place had me dazzled all day, it's breathtaking in its scale and brilliance. It's very accessible from the Seoul Metro.

- Everland: the obvious drawcard here is T Express, but this park is quite large and very beautiful with a good selection of rides. Also, don't miss the zoo and gardens, which are changed to a different theme every season. But of course, T Express is one of the most sought-after credits in the world, so it's worth the trip for that alone. About a 30-40 minute bus ride from Seoul.

- Gyeongju World: a bit of a trek from anywhere you're likely to be visiting for any other reason, but it features a B&M Invert and a Dive Coaster. A pretty good-looking park as well, although I found it was by far the worst in Korea for its operations and upkeep. Gyeongju has a high-speed rail station, but it's another half hour or so by bus from the station to the park. Still, Phaethon and Draken would be worth the trip from Busan.

- Lotte World Adventure Busan: a brand spanking new park by Lotte, opened in 2022. It features a Blue Fire clone and a PowerSplash. The park looks fantastic and definitely has the potential to live up to its sister park in Seoul, but it's a little sparse for the time being, which is forgivable since it only just opened. I'm sure it will expand gradually. Busan is a great city, and the park is a train ride from the city, so worth a stopover if you're there.

- Seoul Land: the coasters here are awful (a couple of head-banging loopers, an abomination of a Wild Mouse that is baffling in its very existence, a Zamperla twin helix and a wacky worm), but the park itself is really very beautiful and has a large collection of rides and attractions. Entry is cheap and it's accessible from Seoul Metro, plus the location around it is absolutely picturesque, so it's worth a visit if you're looking for things to do.

I also went to Grand Children's Park for the Vekoma SFC credit, but I would not recommend that for anything more than the credit. It's poorly maintained and runs rough.

Edited May 29, 2023 by jhunt2

[wikiverse]

If you've only got one spare day, do Lotte World. You can get to JAMSIL station on the Green (Line 2) or the Red (Line 😎 Subway. You'll want to head in early, it's a bit of a walk through the shopping mall to the entrance of Lotte World.  Also, have breakfast before you go.  There's not a lot open at that time of the morning between the station and the entrance.

Get there before opening and go straight for ATLANTIS on rope drop.  This ride attracts the biggest queue and will be over an hour wait by the time you get off the ride if it is the first thing you do.  The park stays open until quite late and the rides are open until closing.  You can pretty much spend 11-12 hours there and ride everything a couple times.

The lunch time parade is usually fairly average, but the night time parade is absolutely amazing and should not be missed.  It's genuinely better than the Disney parades I've seen. You'll want to get a good spot somewhere in front of the castle which sits above the Ice Rink (up the Pirate Ship End). Get there a little early, because people often get 4pm-close tickets just to see the parade.

Don't be deceived by the short line for Comet Express - the line outside is just the overflow for the very long line underground, so hit that one up right after Atlantis.

There are a lot of smaller hidden attractions (simulators, shooting theatres, shooting simulators) scattered around the place, and the kids area is also incredibly themed, again, Disney quality.

If you want to go ice skating (I recommend doing this on a different day possibly in the evening if you have one spare), they typically do 30% off for Foreigners if you have your passport with you.  This is roughly the equivalent of free skate hire.  You need to wear gloves while skating, but they sell knitted ones for really cheap at vending machines.

If you have friends in Seoul, have them try to find discounts.  Samsung often offer 40% off entry with their credit cards.  I once got $15 all-day entry with a free Pizza slice.  Good Times.

Also, TAKE CASH.  Lotte know that foreigners travel to their shopping centres and theme parks, and they will try to get you to say 'yes' to a 5% currency conversion fee on every transaction - even if you have a fee free travel credit card like the 28Degrees Mastercard.  The message will often be in Korean, so if you can't read it, you won't know what you're agreeing to.  Sometimes the staff will just hit 'yes' for you.  But it will show up on the digital signature pad.

 

Everland:  It's a pain in the ass to get to, and there is a lot of walking, but T-Express is amazing.  If you've only got one day, I'd recommend skipping this one and heading back to Korea for a holiday.

Seoul Land:  This really is a beautiful park.  You don't go here for the thrills, it's more for a chilled day with some old-school rides.  You can often find discounts for entry after 12pm if you look online.  The coasters are pretty old and difficult to fit into if you're taller than 6ft.  But there are some great attractions and really good, cheap food.  There is a really great western themed shooting dark ride that is possibly one of the best I've ever experienced.  No screens, just physical targets.  It's a lot of fun.  But if you're into the rides and only have a day, Lotte World is your best bet.