| Efteling | |
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| Location | Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands,  |
| Website | www.efteling.com |
| Opened | 1952 |
| Operating season | April to October and December to January |
| Rides | 32+ total
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 Amusement Parks Portal |
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Efteling is the largest and most popular theme park in The Netherlands, and one of the leading theme parks in Europe. Loon op Zand ( is a Municipality and a village in the southern Netherlands. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Fairy Tale Forest ( Sprookjesbos in Dutch) is a wooded section (approximately 6 hectares / 15 acres of the Amusement park Efteling in the Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands It is also one of the oldest theme parks in the world. Efteling is located in the town of Kaatsheuvel, in the municipality of Loon op Zand. Loon op Zand ( is a Municipality and a village in the southern Netherlands. Efteling was opened in 1952.
Originally the park catered towards children with a fairy tale theme. A fairy tale or fairy story is a fictional Story that may feature folkloric characters (such as fairies, enchantments]] often involving Nowadays Efteling appeals to both young and old with its cultural, romantic and nostalgic themes and its variety of amusement rides. Rides redirects here For the album by Reef see Rides (album, and for the BBC television series see Rides (TV series. In over fifty years the park has evolved from a nature park with playground and a Fairy Tale Forest, into a full-size theme park along the lines of Disneyland. A playground or play area is an area designed for Children to play, indoors or outdoors The Fairy Tale Forest ( Sprookjesbos in Dutch) is a wooded section (approximately 6 hectares / 15 acres of the Amusement park Efteling in the In 1992 Efteling received the IAAPA Applause Award for Best Amusement Park in the World.
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History
Efteling 'officially' opened on May 31st 1952, when the Fairy Tale Forest (het Sprookjesbos), designed by the famous Dutch illustrator Anton Pieck, was declared open. The Fairy Tale Forest ( Sprookjesbos in Dutch) is a wooded section (approximately 6 hectares / 15 acres of the Amusement park Efteling in the Anton Franciscus Pieck ( Den Helder Netherlands, April 19, 1895 – Overveen Netherlands, November 25, 1987) a Dutch Initially, the Fairy Tale Forest was home to some ten different fairy tales. All of them were brought to life using original drawings by Anton Pieck, alongside ingenious movements, lighting and sound effects designed by the Dutch film maker Peter Reijnders. Anton Franciscus Pieck ( Den Helder Netherlands, April 19, 1895 – Overveen Netherlands, November 25, 1987) a Dutch Petrus Lambertus Wilhelmus (Peter Reijnders ( July 24 1900 - 1974 was a Dutch Photographer, Film director and Inventor The life-size fairy tales, displayed together in an atmospheric forest, proved to be an enormous success. In 1952 alone Efteling welcomed 240,000 visitors.
There is some debate about whether May 31st, 1952 is the actual start of Efteling. Some argue that 1950 should be considered the official year of the park's establishment, since in that year Stichting Natuurpark de Efteling, or Efteling Nature Park Foundation, was erected. Others prefer 1953, when Efteling was declared 'open' by a government official, coinciding with the opening of the park's second large restaurant facility that still exists as De Ballonvaarder.
Design
The success of Efteling has been attributed largely to its high-quality ride designs and architecture and its pleasant green environments and gardening. The park, under the aegis of its creative directors, has always had high standards. When Anton Pieck was asked to design the initial fairy tales for the park, he made sure the park would live up to his personal high standards: there would be no use of cheap building materials, plastic or concrete. Pieck's illustration style, somewhat grim and dark, yet also romantic and nostalgic, was the thematic base on which most future expansions were built.
Pieck worked for Efteling until the mid 1970s, when his position as chief designer was passed on to the young Ton van de Ven. Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Van de Ven had already been working for Efteling for several years and Pieck was very pleased with his work. The Haunted Castle (het Spookslot), which opened in 1978 as the park's first new large ride, was the first attraction designed entirely by Van de Ven (although he used some ideas from joint brainstorming sessions with Pieck). Later on he designed many more successful rides and new fairy tales, leading him to be considered by some as the world's best 'imagineer' after Disney.
Van de Ven continued his work until 2002, when he retired. A new team of imagineers is currently working on new Efteling rides.
Divisions
Efteling has been divided in three sections; the themepark (1952), the four-star Efteling Hotel (1992), and the 18-hole golf course (1995). The hotel was operated by Golden Tulip for some years, but Efteling decided recently to manage it independently. All three divisions are profitable nowadays, although it took the golf course several years to break even. In Economics, specifically Cost accounting, the break-even point (BEP is the point at which cost or expenses and revenue are equal there is no net loss or gain The divisions are contained in commercial corporations, but all shares are still held by the non-profit Efteling Naturepark Foundation (Stichting Natuurpark de Efteling). A non-profit organization ( abbreviated "NPO" also "not-for-profit" is a legally constituted Organization whose objective is to support or engage
The park
Efteling currently covers approximately 160 acres (650,000 m²). M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here This area has changed only marginally over the course of its history. However, the park's foundation owns a much larger area of land, covered mostly with young forests, some grassland, roads and an 18-hole golf course.
The park is divided into four themed areas or 'realms', though these are not entirely comparable to Disney's 'lands'. Originally, the park was divided into four areas called North, West, East, and South, with most of the park's historical rides and attractions, like the Fairy Tale Forest, located in West. The Fairy Tale Forest ( Sprookjesbos in Dutch) is a wooded section (approximately 6 hectares / 15 acres of the Amusement park Efteling in the When the park reorganized its infrastructure in the late 1990s (adding the Pardoes Promenade and a central hub called Efteling Brink), it also changed its area names. North was changed to Reizenrijk (Travel Realm), West became Marerijk (Fairy Realm), East became Ruigrijk (Adventure Realm (literally: Rough Realm)) and South became Anderrijk (Alternative Realm).
Most of these names are rather cryptic and whether they suit their areas is debatable, because the park was not built with this division in mind at all. Perhaps the area most suited to its name is Ruigrijk, where most fast rides like the double-loop roller coaster Python (constructed in 1981) are located. The roller coaster is a popular Amusement ride developed for Amusement parks and modern Theme parks LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first However, on closer inspection the other names make some sense too. Marerijk is the home to the Fairy Tale Forest and the Fairies of the Droomvlucht, Anderrijk has some rides that are inspired by non-Western cultures (e. g. Fata Morgana and Piraña) while Reizenrijk has the Carnaval Festival ride, which travels through several different 'countries'.
Not only the Fairy Tale Forest, but almost the entire Efteling park was built in a rather rural area, with lots of pine trees, giving the park a very special and unique 'nature park' feeling. Together with the large ponds and gardens (with thousands of flowers and an army of gardeners) it gives the park a green and friendly feeling which is rather unusual among the world's leading themeparks.
The only large park that seems to get close to this special atmosphere is Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. Unfortunately, Dutch climate and the reliance on greenery and trees for a huge part of the park's great looks (and theming!) are putting a bit of a stopper on a truly successful year-round opening. Efteling used to be closed all winter (only being open from April through October), but the park's management, struggling to make the park more profitable and creating a better return-on-investment, has been experimenting with a so-called 'Winter Efteling' since 1999 ( See index below for attractions closed during “Winter Efteling” ). Thanks to great efforts to decorate the park using loads of pine trees and thousands of Christmas lights in winter, 'Winter Efteling' is growing more popular every year, reaching a climax during the holidays when thousands of people visit the park.
Attractions, rides and fairy tales in Efteling and their designers
1952 - Fairy Tale Forest (Anton Pieck, Peter Reijnders, Ton van de Ven, Henny Knoet)
1956 - Steam Carousel (Dutch: Carrousselpaleis, bought from L. The Fairy Tale Forest ( Sprookjesbos in Dutch) is a wooded section (approximately 6 hectares / 15 acres of the Amusement park Efteling in the Anton Franciscus Pieck ( Den Helder Netherlands, April 19, 1895 – Overveen Netherlands, November 25, 1987) a Dutch Petrus Lambertus Wilhelmus (Peter Reijnders ( July 24 1900 - 1974 was a Dutch Photographer, Film director and Inventor Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Henny Knoet (born May 3, 1942 in Bergen op Zoom) is a Dutch designer For other uses see Steam carousel History and details The Steam Carousel is an attraction in the Efteling Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Janvier)
1969 - Efteling Steamtrack Line (Dutch: Efteling Stoomtrein Maatschappij, a large scale Train ride)
1971 - Diorama (Anton Pieck)
1978 - Haunted Castle (Dutch: Spookslot) (Haunted attraction, Ton van de Ven)
1981 - Python (double Loop Corkscrew Roller coaster, Arrow Dynamics) Closed during “Winter Efteling”
1981 - Gondoletta (Water ride, Ton van de Ven) Closed during “Winter Efteling”
1982 - Half Moon (Dutch: Halve Maen) (Ship swing, Ton van de Ven) Closed during “Winter Efteling”
1983 - Piraña (a River Rafting Ride, Ton van de Ven) Closed during “Winter Efteling”
1984 - Carnival Festival (Dutch: Carnaval Festival) (dark ride, Geesink)
1984 - Polka Marina (a combination of a carousel and a mini-rollercoaster)
1984 - Tin Lizzies (Dutch: De Oude Tuffer) (Car Ride, Ton van de Ven)
1985 - Bob Track (Dutch: Bobbaan) (Bobsled roller coaster, Intamin) Closed when snowing during “Winter Efteling”
1986 - Fata Morgana (dark ride, Ton van de Ven)
1987 - Pagoda (Observation tower, Ton van de Ven)
1988 - Monsieur Cannibale (Teacups Ride, Henny Knoet)
1990 - The People of Laaf (Dutch: Volk van Laaf) (Ton van de Ven)
1991 - Pegasus (Junior Wooden roller coaster, Dinn & Summer) Closed during “Winter Efteling”
1993 - Dreamflight (Dutch: Droomvlucht) (dark ride, Ton van de Ven)
1996 - The House of the Five Senses (the park's spectacular entrance, Ton van de Ven)
1996 - Villa Volta (madhouse, Ton van de Ven)
1998 - Bird Rok (Dutch: Vogel Rok) (Enclosed Roller Coaster, Ton van de Ven)
2002 - Efteling Theatre (Dutch: Efteling Theater) (Theatre, Ton van de Ven)
2002 - PandaVision (Dutch: Pandadroom) (a 4-D film cinema, Van Doorn and associates)
2007 - The Flying Dutchman (Dutch: De Vliegende Hollander) (Water coaster / dark ride, Karel Willemen)
Awards
- In 1972 the Efteling received the Pomme d'Or for best European themepark. History and details The 'Efteling Track Line' has 3 operational steam locomotives Aagje (1911 The first train bought 'Aagje' an Orenstein & Koppel was Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Train Ride is an award-winning critically acclaimed feature thriller Film written and directed by Rel Dowdell, which was released The Diorama is a miniature world in Efteling Amusement park in the Netherlands. The Haunted Castle ( Spookslot in Dutch) is a Haunted attraction in the Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname A haunted attraction or dark attraction is a venue which simulates the experience of visiting a structure or outside space that is inhabited by what appear to be Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Python is a double Loop Corkscrew Roller coaster in Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. History The vertical loop is not a recent roller coaster innovation Roller coasters are composed of various elements, the individual parts of the design and operation such as a track hill loop turn etc The roller coaster is a popular Amusement ride developed for Amusement parks and modern Theme parks LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first Arrow Dynamics was a Roller coaster design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. Gondoletta is a Water ride in Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. Water rides are Amusement rides that are set over water For instance a log flume travels through a channel of water to move along its course Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Half Moon (or "Halve Maen" in Dutch) is a Ship swing in Efteling Amusement park in The Netherlands. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname A pirate ship is a type of Amusement ride, consisting of an open seated Gondola (usually in the style of a Pirate ship which swings back and forth Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Piraña is a River Rafting Ride in Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. A river rafting ride (also commonly referred to as a "river rapids ride" is an Amusement ride that simulates Whitewater Rafting. Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Carnival Festival (or "Carnaval Festival" in Dutch) is a dark ride in Amusement park Efteling Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname A dark ride or darkride is an indoor Amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially-lit scenes that typically contain Animation Polka Marina is a Merry-go-round in Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. A carousel ( carrousel in French) is an Amusement ride consisting of a rotating platform with seats for passengers Tin Lizzies (or " De Oude Tuffer " in Dutch) is a car ride in Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Swiss Bob (or "Bobbaan" in Dutch) is a Bobsled roller coaster in Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname A Bobsled roller coaster is the generic name given to any Roller coaster that uses a track design that is essentially a "pipe" with the top half removed and has Intamin AG is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. Fata Morgana, the forbidden city also known as 1001 Arabian Nights (or "1001 nachten" in Dutch) is a dark ride in Amusement park A dark ride or darkride is an indoor Amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially-lit scenes that typically contain Animation Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Monsieur Cannibale is a Teacups ride in Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. Teacups is an Amusement ride characterized by cup-style spinning vehicles atop a turntable-like floor Henny Knoet (born May 3, 1942 in Bergen op Zoom) is a Dutch designer The People of Laaf is an attraction in the Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Pegasus is a junior Wooden roller coaster in the Dutch Amusement park Efteling. A wooden roller coaster or woodie is most often classified as a Roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid Dreamflight (or "Droomvlucht" in Dutch) is a dark ride in Efteling Amusement park in The Netherlands. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname A dark ride or darkride is an indoor Amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially-lit scenes that typically contain Animation Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. The House of the Five Senses is the impressive main entrance of Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Villa Volta is an Attraction in the Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Bird Rok (or "Vogel Rok" in Dutch) is an Enclosed Roller Coaster in Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname An enclosed roller coaster is a Roller coaster built inside a structure intended solely for the ride Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Efteling Theatre (or "Efteling Theater" in Dutch) is a Theatre in Amusement park Efteling in The Netherlands. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Ton van de Ven (b January 1, 1944) is a Dutch Industrial designer. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname A 4-D film is a marketing term that describes an entertainment presentation system combining a 3-D film with Physical effects in the theatre that occur in synchronization The Flying Dutchman (or "De Vliegende Hollander" in Dutch) is a combination of a Water coaster and a Dark ride in Amusement park Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname A water coaster is a water slide that mimics a roller coaster by providing not only descents but ascents as well A dark ride or darkride is an indoor Amusement ride where riders in guided vehicles travel through specially-lit scenes that typically contain Animation The Pomme d'Or (French for golden apple is a prize for excellence in the Tourism industry awarded by FIJET, the European association of professional travel writers The Pomme d'Or (Golden Apple) is the highest award in the European tourist industry.
- In 1992 the IAAPA Applause Award was awarded for the best themepark in the world.
- In 1997 Villa Volta as first 'new style' madhouse in the world receives the Thea Attraction Award. The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA is an international Non-profit association representing the world's leading creators developers Designers and producers
- In 2005 the Efteling received the THEA Classic Award. The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA is an international Non-profit association representing the world's leading creators developers Designers and producers This Classic Award is the ultimate token of recognition for an amusement park, because it is awarded by other people in the industry. The Efteling is the second park to receive a prize for their entire oeuvre, the first being the park Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli Gardens is a famous Amusement park and Pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Disney connection
The Efteling has a good relationship with the Disney themeparks. Disneyland Paris consulted the Efteling during its construction and design phase, to have the American park adapted to European culture. Disneyland Resort Paris' is a Holiday and Recreation Resort in Marne-la-Vallée, a New town in the eastern suburbs of Paris As a token of appreciation the Disney Company gave the Efteling a small statue. Ton van de Ven (former Creative Director) is also a good friend of Disney's Tony Baxter (Senior Vice President of Disney Imagineering). Former Efteling employee Cees Kikstra, who used to be a manager at Efteling, worked for Disney Benelux at first and later for Disneyland Paris.
External links
- Efteling on Google Maps
- The official park web site, in multiple languages
- (Dutch) Wonderlijke WC Web, Efteling related web site, maintained by fans
- (Dutch) Article: "Walt Disney spent a great deal of time studying Pieck's work at Efteling before beginning his own parks."
- Same article above but translated via Google into English
- (Dutch) Detailed history of the Efteling
- (Dutch) Eftelingtalk.nl, Efteling related webforum, maintained by fans.
- (Dutch) The Five Senses (Dutch:De Vijf Zintuigen) Efteling fansite
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