( CNN ) -- Mickey Mouse , Donald Duck and the Seven Dwarves are not the U.S.-friendly images usually associated with Iran . But in a small corner of Tehran , a surprising display of unofficial Disney diplomacy seems to fly in the face of official anti-American rhetoric . Visitors to Eram Park , in the west of the capital , are greeted with numerous images of Disney characters , as well as other familiar American cartoon characters such as Shrek . Elsewhere , outside of the city , is another unexpected sight : A club dedicated to the U.S.-invented Segway people transporters . For roller coaster obsessive and self-styled `` Theme Park Guy '' Stefan Zwanzger , who toured Tehran 's funfairs last month , the presence of these American icons offered more thrills than the rides on offer . `` You see badly-copied Mickeys and Donald Ducks all over the world , for example in copycat theme parks in rural China , but I did n't expect to see Shrek and Segways in Iran , '' Zwanzger told CNN . A German citizen now living in Stockholm , Sweden , Zwanzger , 32 , could be forgiven for having preconceptions when visiting Iran . Nuclear ambitions , major protests after President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad 's disputed 2009 election victory and frequent reports of repression have all done little for the country 's global reputation . But , says Zwanzger -- whose four-year quest to visit all the world 's major theme parks has so far taken him to 150 on five continents -- the Iran he encountered seemed a world away from the grim headlines . He says the Iranians he encountered were `` open-minded , unprejudiced , hospitable , warm and cultured , '' sharing views that appeared to contrast with those expressed by the country 's leaders . `` What surprised me is that I did n't even get the slightest cultural shock . The Iranians I met made me feel like I was in Europe , '' he said . His views reflect a 2008 WorldPublicOpinion.org survey that claims ordinary Iranian people are largely open to contacts with Westerners . Nevertheless , countries such as Britain and the U.S. , which has no diplomatic relations with Tehran , caution against travel there . International sanctions in place against Iran also mean western companies can not operate easily in the country . Whereas on the streets of Tehran , U.S. icons such as the Statue of Liberty are used to create striking anti-American graffiti , Zwanzger witnessed Mickey Mouse and his pals being pressed into far less sinister tasks . At Eram Park , Mickey simply welcomes people to the funfair , while the Dwarves urge people to enjoy themselves . Shrek offers tickets to ride and Donald Duck helpfully points to the exit . As with his other experiences of places including North Korea , Zwanzger says Iran 's theme parks offer a glimpse of the country 's citizens as they relax and forget their day-to-day concerns , even if the rides struggle to merit the low admission fees . `` I highly recommend Iran as a place to visit . It 's a beautiful country with fantastic people . The local amusement parks provide great opportunity to mingle with locals . '' Sadly , with their rusting roller coasters and `` drainingly dull '' side shows , not even the presence of Mickey , Shrek and the Dwarves could save Iran 's theme parks from rating badly on Zwanzger 's score card . He says one ride , in which visitors are squeezed into a car shaped like a soda can before being hurtled around a cramped roller coaster circuit , could be world-beatingly bad . `` The yellow soda can-shaped roller coaster in Eram Park -- I 'm still trying to find out who the manufacturer was , even my specialist friends do n't know -- was maybe the worst I have ever experienced . `` I was scared . The loop is the tightest I have ever seen and the vehicle 's headrests are too low to keep your head stable . You can hear the riders ' joyful screams rise when the coaster plunges into the loop and vanish within a second once they enter the murderous brain-turner itself . `` It was genuinely unpleasant and leaves you with some neck pain to remember . ''
Disney characters make unexpected appearances all over Tehran 's amusement parks . The most popular of these is the famous Mickey Mouse, which was introduced in Iran by Walt Disney himself and has been a staple at Tehran's theme park since its opening in 1971. Zwanzger has visited 150 theme parks on five continents .