Korean Amusement Park Shock

     I simply have never experienced a place like Lotte World before. My Seoulmates group teamed up with another Seoulmates group to go to Lotte World and I was under the impression that since it was an amusement park it would be outside, and that I should dress for the cold weather. So I was quite shocked when I realized that Lotte World has both a huge inside and outside area for rides.

     The inside area of Lotte World is definitely what shocked me the most. In this area there are lots of gift shops, food places, a carousel, as well as unexpectedly enormous rides. The fact that they offered rides inside already shocked me, but then we got on the inside ride “The Adventure of Sinbad,” and it caused me to drop my jaw. This attraction was a ride where you get in a “boat” and it carries you through scenes, but not just any scenes. These scenes were enormous and highly intricate unlike anything I have ever seen. The ride was about 20-25 minutes and it would turn the boat frequently where it would open up to an new unbelievably large cave section where one even included a giant gold robot. There were probably about 10 different rooms, or caves, that this ride took us through and each one included such ornate decorations for the mood that you could really tell how much Korea as a society values their attention to detail in their arts. I highly recommend coming to Lotte World and riding this specifically if you want to have your mind blown on how the amusement park is actually structured. 

     Additionally we rode “Fly Venture,” “Comet Express,” and the “French Revolution” roller coaster. My second most mind blowing experience was at Fly Venture, which is a 3D imaginary world exploring theater-type experience that is complete with moving seats and no floor. When the guide told us that the floor would go away, I panicked for a second. But it was just a truly beautiful and enjoyable experience that I don’t have any way of experiencing at American amusement parks. As for “French Revolution,” the indoor roller coaster, I couldn’t believe how I didn't hear a single scream or even see this really large roller coaster. It was really fun because it turned upside down and I felt really safe in the equipment, but none of us foreigners from America could believe how we didn’t see or hear the roller coaster for the first 2 hours we were there. And the last ride we took was Comet Express, which is an outside roller coasters and it was just simply an amazing experience. It’s a roller coaster that goes down into the ground and the seats are cars that swing around, making the ride even more fun alongside the exciting lights and decorations. 

     For my last comments on Lotte World as a whole, I can solidly say that it was worth every won. Truthfully speaking I didn't want to explore Lotte World originally because it seemed like just another amusement park but with rental school uniforms. Clearly I was seriously mistaken on that assumption. As someone who grew up next to two major amusement parks in the United States, I can solidly say that neither of them offer the experience that Lotte World does. I recommend that you bring water, eat beforehand, buy tickets in advance for a discounted price, and charge your phone to later get some amazing pictures before you go. And most importantly, go experience the wonder of Lotte World yourself.