Pier Side Carousel

Pier Side Carousel gained new context when Movie Park Germany openly discussed the future of Santa Monica Pier. In a video report, commercial and creative director Manuel Prossotowicz said the area is not one of the park’s favourites and urgently needs renewal. His long-term wish is to demolish the entire themed zone and rebuild it from scratch.

For guests, that matters because Pier Side Carousel is not an isolated ride. The swing carousel is part of the California-inspired pier area that opened in 2007 on the former site of Cop Car Chase, originally known as Lethal Weapon Pursuit. Together with the Ferris wheel, Crazy Surfer and Rescue 112, it forms a cluster of family rides on the edge of Movie Park Germany.

The report also makes clear that demolition is not imminent. The necessary budget from owner Parques Reunidos is not available, and Movie Park is first looking at smaller improvements. Still, the direction is telling: Pier Side Carousel sits in a land that park management says needs more than cosmetic fixes. That gives the ride added historical interest as part of an area that could one day change dramatically or disappear.

Movie Park Germany reintroduced the Speedy Pass in August 2021 after the paid priority system had been out of use since the start of the pandemic. Its return came at a time when parks were still actively managing capacity, distribution and guest flow. For 29.90 euros, the Speedy Pass Gold gave guests access to a separate shorter queue at twenty attractions, once per ride.

The list cut across the park: children’s and family rides in Nickland, water rides and spinning attractions, classics such as The Bandit and The High Fall, and thrill rides such as Star Trek: Operation Enterprise. Movie Park Studio Tour, the new coaster of that season, was included as well. At the same time, the omissions stood out, including Area 51 - Top Secret, Side Kick, Dora's Big River Adventure and Van Helsing's Factory. Time Riders, The Lost Temple and Roxy 4D remained closed during the pandemic period.

For visitors, the news was about control over waiting time. Paying for the pass made a day more predictable, but the system also revealed which attractions carried commercial and operational weight. For W8baan, this matters because it shows how Movie Park reorganised queues after the pandemic shutdown: not merely as a guest service, but as a tool for steering capacity, price and experience.