Efteling has an excellent collection of world-class rides, but what makes it one of the best theme parks in the world are the smaller and less intense attractions that round out a visitor’s day. There are many people in the world who can ride roller coasters and rides non-stop. Many successful theme parks like Cedar Point and Six Flags Magic Mountain have built their business around delighting their guests, but many of the best theme parks in the world strike a balance between thrills and quieter entertainment to appeal to a wider audience. It’s these less intense, but still highly themed and fun attractions and experiences that make Efteling a top theme park.
Efteling has an amazing collection of dark rides, most notably Symbolica, voted the best new dark ride in 2018 by Theme Park Insider. It was one of the first dark rides in the world to use trackless vehicles, and the wonders in this richly themed environment are impressive, even if you don’t understand a single word spoken. The exterior of the attraction is straight out of a storybook, with a fantastic silhouette.
Even when viewed from above, from the park’s rotating Pagoda observation tower, Symbolica’s design demonstrates enormous attention to detail.
In the area there is a beautiful fountain that also serves as a paddling pool for the little ones and a “Witch and Wizard” style experience with a large staff and a huge treasure chest.
Inside the attraction, however, the designers have pulled out virtually every dark ride trick to create one of the most immersive experiences I’ve ever experienced. In the screening room, guests are gathered in front of an elaborate staircase, where a human animatronic figure begins to speak (in Dutch, of course).
Then a second jester-like figure appears and “Fantasma” triggers a spatial effect that almost certainly inspired the creators of the pre-show scene of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Guests are then directed into a hallway where they can select one of three ride paths: Hero, Music, or Treasure. Each of the 3 themes represents a slightly different path your ride will take during different sections of the attraction, although there are a number of scenes shared by all of the rides. Each ride is also equipped with a touchscreen (for front row guests only), which we played around with on our first ride, but we couldn’t really figure out what tapping the screen actually did and if it affected our experience on the attraction. Nonetheless, the ride is filled to the brim with exquisitely detailed scenes and tons of special effects that you’ve probably seen on other dark rides around the world. One of the most memorable scenes was one where it looked like a greenhouse magically turned into an aquarium with a giant whale making the glass jump and lick – likely inspiration for a mosasaur scene in Jurassic World at Universal Studios Hollywood. The beauty of Symbolica is that despite having a complicated and technologically advanced ride system, the attraction still relies on a lot of traditional practical effects and traditional dark ride tricks like forced perspective, Pepper’s ghosts, and animatronics. Unlike many modern dark rides, this one doesn’t rely on a lot of screens. We couldn’t get much of a real story out of Symbolica, probably because we didn’t understand much of what was being said the whole time, but the sights and sounds along the track are great.
Another well-themed dark ride at Efteling is Fata Morgana, which is very reminiscent of Pirates of the Caribbean, but with an Arabian theme. Unlike the American versions of Pirates of the Caribbean, Fata Morgana uses cables to pull the boats along the track to ensure that guests travel through the attraction at a consistent speed, without relying on water currents to push the boats forward and inevitably cause congestion along the track. Inside the attraction is a lush environment filled with hundreds of animatronic characters and highly detailed scenery. Like many Disney attractions, you could probably ride Fata Morgana dozens of times and see something new on each ride. The exterior of the attraction is equally detailed, and includes an Arabian square that would fit perfectly in EPCOT’s World Showcase. On the square, there is a giant troll puppet that two actors use to put on a show for passing guests. Again, we had no idea what was being said, but the show was fascinating and reminded me a lot of the Mystic Fountain in Islands of Adventure, as the kids were encouraged to go up and interact with the giant puppet (apart from squirting water).
Another heavily themed dark ride that is reminiscent of a Disney attraction is Carnival Festival. This omni-mover ride is clearly inspired by It’s a Small World, with clownish characters representing the children in various scenes from around the world. It’s a cute little ride and thankfully (for some I think) lacks the constant catchy tune of the Disney classic.
Droomvlucht is a suspended ghost train that takes guests through a forest filled with fairies and other mythical creatures. The ride system is a bit similar to ET and Peter Pan, but this attraction has a section where the vehicles can freely roll down the track, making the experience even more exciting. Droomvlucht is the only attraction at Efteling that uses a virtual queue, and to use this you must be physically near the ride. However, if you want to see Raveleijn, the park’s impressive stunt show, you can join the virtual queue for Droomvlucht while watching the show and most likely won’t have to wait very long to get on the popular ghost train.
Speaking of Raveleijn, this show is not to be missed. It is performed in a huge amphitheater that even has room for guests to enjoy a meal during the medieval-style show. The show is a combination of knight’s tournament, stunt show, special effects show and magic show.
With Raveleijn, the language barrier is not too much of a problem, as the story is quite simple: It is about a group of warriors who have to prove themselves in order to get special weapons with which they can defeat the villain.
The action takes place on and around the expansive stage, meaning you get great (and not so great) views of the action from every part of the theater. We didn’t spend much time at the theme parks we visited to see the shows, but of the ones we did see, Raveleijn was the most memorable.
The other show we didn’t want to miss was Aquanura, the evening water show that takes place on the lagoon outside the park. The show runs several times throughout the evening, but is probably best viewed after sunset. Aquanura is more akin to the Fountains of Bellagio than World of Color or Fantasmic (or the discontinued Rivers of Light). Consisting of fountains and lights dancing to a symphonic soundtrack, the show is mesmerizing in its beauty and flawless synchronicity. I probably wouldn’t rate it any higher than Disney’s iconic water shows, but Aquanura is still a wonderful “kiss goodnight” for departing guests.
There are a few other smaller rides in the park, including Gondoletta (a long, slow outdoor boat ride around a large lagoon), a classic steam carousel (Stoomcarrousel), and plenty of smaller rides for the little ones.
The true heart of Efteling, however, is the Fairytale Forest. No visit to the park is complete without taking a stroll through this masterpiece of theme park design.
There are no rides here, but you can easily spend an hour or more just walking around and taking in all the stories.
There are 30 different fairy tales represented, many of which you probably know, but some you may not.
Some of the stories are told through scenes set in small houses/huts, while others are conveyed through elaborate displays and special effects.
There are animatronic characters throughout and in some scenes guests can hear commentary in several languages, including English, which is a great help with some of the lesser-known stories.
Of course, you can’t leave the fairytale forest without seeing Donkey Lift Your Tail, which is actually equipped to accept digital payments so you can literally grab a souvenir medallion from its butt.
Efteling is a wonderful theme park and should be considered a benchmark that other parks aspire to. The range of attractions is exceptionally balanced, although it would be better if the rides were better distributed throughout the park. The themes come first and then the experience is built around the theme, rather than the other way around. The park is expanding its already exceptional collection of resorts with the Efteling Grand Hotel and will add another unique attraction (Danse Macabre) in the autumn. No holiday to a European theme park is complete without spending at least a full day at Efteling.
Next – Hotel Charles Lindbergh
Previously – Liseberg, Legoland Billund, Efteling rides
* * *
To stay up to date with more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider’s weekly newsletter.
And to support Theme Park Insider while saving money on discounted theme park tickets, please follow the ticket icon links in our theme park visitor guides.
Answers (0)
