Five Strangest Theme Park Rides Around the World

Theme parks are known for their thrilling roller coasters, immersive attractions, and family-friendly fun. But beyond the typical rides, some parks have taken creativity to the extreme, offering attractions that range from the bizarre to the downright strange. These rides challenge not only your courage but also your imagination, leaving you with memories that are as unforgettable as they are unusual. Here are five of the strangest theme park rides around the world that you need to experience:

1. The High Five (E-DA Theme Park, Taiwan)

Imagine a roller coaster where two trains race toward each other on parallel tracks, giving the illusion that they might collide—until they both tilt at a 90-degree angle, allowing the passengers to "high five" each other mid-ride. That’s exactly what happens on The High Five, a unique attraction at E-DA Theme Park in Taiwan.

The thrill of near-miss encounters combined with the disorienting tilt makes this ride a strange and exhilarating experience. The engineering behind the ride is impressive, and the concept of interacting with riders on another train adds an unexpected twist to the traditional roller coaster experience.

2. Van Helsing’s Factory (Movie Park Germany, Germany)

Van Helsing’s Factory in Movie Park Germany takes riders on a dark journey through a vampire hunter’s lair. What makes this indoor roller coaster strange is its combination of eerie, gothic theming with intense, high-speed twists and turns—all in near-total darkness.

The ride is designed to feel like you’re inside a vampire-hunting vehicle, complete with sudden drops, sharp turns, and encounters with terrifying animatronic creatures. The immersive storyline, combined with the disorienting effects of the dark, makes Van Helsing’s Factory a ride that’s both thrilling and oddly unsettling.

3. Pooh’s Hunny Hunt (Tokyo Disneyland, Japan)

Pooh’s Hunny Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland is not your average dark ride. Using a trackless ride system, the vehicles move unpredictably through various scenes from Winnie the Pooh, as if they have a mind of their own. The randomness of the movements, combined with the whimsical theming, creates a ride experience that is as charming as it is unusual.

What sets Pooh’s Hunny Hunt apart is the way it brings the beloved storybook world to life in a completely new way. The ride vehicles seem to dance through the scenes, bouncing with Tigger or swirling with the bees, offering a unique and delightful experience that’s unlike any other dark ride in the world.

4. Takabisha (Fuji-Q Highland, Japan)

Takabisha at Fuji-Q Highland in Japan holds the world record for the steepest drop on a roller coaster, with a heart-stopping 121-degree descent. But it’s not just the steepness that makes this ride strange—it’s the entire sequence of events leading up to it.

The ride begins with a sudden drop into a dark tunnel, followed by a series of inversions, twists, and turns. Then, just when you think it’s over, the coaster climbs vertically, stops, and then plunges down the record-breaking drop. The combination of disorienting elements and the extreme angle of the descent makes Takabisha one of the most bizarre and thrilling rides in the world.

5. Eejanaika (Fuji-Q Highland, Japan)

Another bizarre creation from Fuji-Q Highland, Eejanaika is a “4th Dimension” roller coaster that takes the concept of a thrill ride to new extremes. On this ride, not only do the trains move along the track, but the seats themselves rotate 360 degrees forward and backward, adding a layer of unpredictability and chaos to the experience.

Eejanaika is designed to disorient riders with its constantly shifting perspective. With drops, loops, and spins happening all at once, it’s nearly impossible to tell which way is up or down. This ride is a sensory overload that challenges the very notion of what a roller coaster can be, making it one of the strangest and most intense experiences a theme park has to offer.