Inside the tiny European theme park that inspired Disneyland – and flights are just £14
THE second-oldest amusement park in the world is said to have been the inspiration behind Disneyland.
Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen is said to have inspired Walt Disney and his theme parks.
The Danish theme park first opened in 1843, and it claims to be the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world.
Designed by Georg Carstensen, the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen was one of the theme park’s first visitors.
Just over 100 years after it opened, the amusement park welcomed another celebrity visitor, Walt Disney.
In 1951, the movie mogul visited the Danish theme park along with Radio and TV personality, Art Linkletter.
The pair visited Tivoli Gardens four years before the first Disney park opened in California.
On his visit, Walt Disney spent his time walking around and writing down details about the rides, the food, the lights, and the seats.
Walt Disney paid several visits to Tivoli Gardens, after becoming impressed with the family atmosphere and design.
After being open for nearly two centuries, Tivoli Gardens is now home to 30 rides and other attractions.
One of the theme park’s main attractions is the giant Ferris Wheel, which was erected in 1943.
The ride on the Ferris Wheel lasts up to 20 minutes, and it offers great views over the Danish capital.
Another ride that provides parkgoers with great views is the Golden Tower, which stands at 63m tall.
The Golden Tower is one of the highest rides at the theme park.
Meanwhile, there’s also the Roller Coaster, one of the oldest running wooden roller coasters in the world after being built in 1914.
Another adrenaline-inducing ride is The Demon.
Standing at 28m tall, the ride features three loops along its track.
Other rides include the Star Flyer, the Mine, the Star Tower, and the Flying Trunkm which features 32 fairytale scenes.
There are plenty of other attractions inside the Danish theme park, including bumper cars and carousel rides.
Tivoli Gardens is home to plenty of green spaces too, including the Hanging Gardens.
Inside the Hanging Gardens parkgoers can expect to find tall trees, grassy areas, and colourful flower beds.
There are also several shops located within the Danish theme park, as well as stages and theatre spaces where productions are formed.
While there are plenty of places to purchase food and drink, the Tivoli Food Hall remains the most popular among visitors.
Inside the food hall, there are 15 different stalls, featuring a range of dishes from around the world.
The park gets good ratings from the public with an overall score of 4.5/5 from more than 28,000 reviews on TripAdvisor.
One person wrote: “This is a great bang-for-you-buck theme park, and the dining options are also great.”
While another added: “Tivoli Garden is an amazing place to visit, which is located in Copenhagen, Denmark“.
A third added: “An amazing park with a fantastic choice of rides for all ages. There’s lots to see and do and a huge choice of food options. The food hall in particular is a standout.”
Entry tickets cost DKK155 (£17.91) for visitors who are aged eight and over.
Additional passes cost DKK259 (£29.93) per person, and include unlimited access to the theme park’s rides.
Tivoli Gardens is located in the heart of Copenhagen.
Both Ryanair and easyJet operate direct flights from UK cities like London, Edinburgh, and Manchester.
Sun Online Travel has found one-way tickets from the UK to Copenhagen for £14.
There are plenty of other theme parks in Denmark too, including Bakken, which claims to be the oldest amusement park in the world.
Meanwhile, Europe’s largest theme park, Energylandia, is home to over 123 attractions and 7,000 sunloungers.