Efteling, Netherlands

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History

Efteling theme park in the Netherlands has been in existence since 1952. New rides have been added during the years to keep it contemporary. It has won several awards for its overall appeal to a wide age group.

Location

The Park covers 72 ha and is situated between Tilburg and Waalwijk, near Breda close to the Belgian border. It is well signposted from Tilburg. The full address is

Efteling
Europalaan 1, 5171 KW
Postbus 18, 5170 AA
KAATSHEUVEL/ Nederland

Park layout

There are 4 main "zones" or lands in the Park:

. Marerijk (Fairy Realm), where the attractions are based on story book characters

. Anderrijk (Alternative Realm), where visitors will find things a bit out of the ordinary

. Ruigrjik (Adventure Realm), where most of the coasters and white knuckle rides are

. Reizenrijk (Travel Realm), attractions based on journies and travels around the world.

The Rides:

Python.
This is a great looping coaster. Height restriction 1m20. The coaster is painted white and the carriages red, which gives it a very distinctive look. The initial climb is very high (29m), and seems to go on for a long time, increasing the sense of anticipation and fear. After the drop the speed reaches 85 km/hr going straight into 2 tight loops, followed by 2 scary corkscrew twists. the whole ride is 750m long and takes just under 2 minutes. Good for - roller coaster fanatics.

Pegasus.
A typical old fashioned rattly wooden coaster. Doesn't go upside down and has no height restrictions. Good for - people who remember the fifties.

Halve Maen (Pirate Ship).
At one stage this ship was in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest swinging ship in the world. It reaches 25m high at its peak, and swooshes through horizontal at 54 km/hr. Good for - anyone with a strong stomach.

Pirana (River raft).
Nicely staged with jungle drums and an Aztec temple. Well run river rapid ride, plenty of white water and crashing into waterfalls. Good for - a guaranteed soaking.

Bobbaan (Bobsleigh)
Quite a long bobsleigh run - takes 2 minutes to descend the 524m course, reaching speeds of 60 km/hr. Good for - pretending to be in the Olympics.

Panda Droom (Panda Vision)
One of the newest additions to Efteling. A 3-D film show with effects like a rippling snake under the seat, and a waft of wind from a walrus's tail. ( Similar to Disney's "Honey I shrunk the Audience" ). Followed by a large play area where kids can amuse themselves on interactive computer activites, or play on the climbing frames and slides. Designed in association with WWF. Good for - a reminder of serious environmental issues in a truly enjoyable way.

Pagoda.
A circular room which rises gently to a height of 45m, revolves slowly and then descends. Good for - a great view of the whole park. Do this ride early to assist orientation.

Doolhof maze.
Well constructed maze with lots of interesting features - a bridge with water jets jumping over it, a telescope, a "jail" to escape from. Good for - getting lost in.

Vogelrok (Eagle flight)
Indoor, dark roller coaster. Height restriction 1m20. Doesn't go upside down but is pretty scary being in the dark. Good for - brave kids.

Carnival festival
Animated sequence of stereotypes from around the world. Especially good are the Chinese/ Japanese models. Disney equivalent - "It's a Small World" but without the annoying tune. Good for - spot the country.

Laavenlaaf (People of Laaf)
Carriages run on a track high above the ground, through the village of the people of Laaf. There's the school where the children are working hard, the baker's windmill with someone caught on one of the sails, and the water wheel. Similar to "Squirrel Nutty" in Alton Towers. There are some great slides/ distorting mirrors/ stepping stones to play with in the village. Good for - younger children.

Droomvlug (Dream flight)
One of the best rides at Efteling. Suspended carriages take you over an elfin forest, an Arabian palace, a jungle scene. The attention to detail in each of these is meticulous, with delicate winged fairies, and magical sparkling lights. Disney equivalent "Peter Pans Flight" Good for - reliving childhood dreams of being a fairy.

Villa Volta
An astounding and amazing sensation in this haunted house. It feels like you are spinning round, upside down, hanging from the ceiling, but you know it must be an illusion. One of the best practical applications of Einstein's Theory of Relativity: your body cannot tell the difference between you spinning around the room, or the room spinning around you. Alton Towers equivalent - Hex. Good for - kids who hate roller coasters but still like to be thrilled.

Website address
The website www.efteling.nl is well designed, and can be accessed in several langauges, including English. It gives opening times and prices, as well as information about the park and attractions.

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