Efteling
Encyclopedia
Efteling is the largest theme park in the Netherlands
, and as it opened in 1952, it is one of the oldest theme parks in the world. Efteling is located in the town of Kaatsheuvel
, in the municipality of Loon op Zand
, and has received over 100 million visitors.
Originally the park catered towards children with a fairy tale
theme. In over fifty years the park has evolved from a nature park with playground
and a Fairy Tale Forest
, into a full-sized theme park. It is twice as large as the original Disneyland park in California and predates it by three years. Nowadays, Efteling caters to both children and adults with its cultural, romantic and nostalgic themes and its variety of amusement ride
s.
(het Sprookjesbos), designed by the famous Dutch illustrator Anton Pieck
, was declared open. Initially, the Fairy Tale Forest was home to some ten different fairy tales, all of them brought to life using original drawings by Anton Pieck
alongside ingenious movements and lighting and sound effects designed by the Dutch film maker Peter Reijnders
. 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 31, 1952, was 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 founded.
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
. 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.
Efteling Nature Park Foundation (Stichting Natuurpark de Efteling).
Efteling currently covers approximately 160 acres (650,000 m²). 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 forest, 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. 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 (Rough Realm), and South became Anderrijk (Differ Realm).
Although the park was not built with these divisions in mind and the names may seem cryptic, they do make a certain sense. 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. 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 it a 'nature park' feeling. Together with the large ponds and gardens (with thousands of flowers, and maintained by an army of gardeners), the park's abundant green space is rather unusual among the world's leading theme parks.
Unfortunately, Dutch climate and the reliance on greenery and trees for a huge part of the park's looks (and theming) prevent year-round opening in full. 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.
As of April 1, 2010, Efteling has announced that it is going to be opened year round but keeping the Summer and Winter themes. From 10 November 2011 till 5 February 2012 the Winter theme is in place, meaning X-mas trees and heaps of lights are placed everywhere. Some of the regular rides are either closed (like Wild Water Ride Piranha) or temporary closed for maintenance (like Dream Flight').
1952 - Fairy Tale Forest
(Anton Pieck
, Peter Reijnders
, Ton van de Ven
, Henny Knoet
, Michel den Dulk and Karel Willemen
)
1953 - Rowing pond
(Dutch
: Roeivijver)
1954 - Children's Railway
(Dutch: Kinderspoor), (Pedal trains, Peter Reijnders)
1956 - Steam Carousel
(Dutch: Carrousselpaleis) (Carousel
, bought from L. Janvier)
1969 - Efteling Steamtrack Line
(Dutch: Efteling Stoomtrein Maatschappij, a large-scale train ride
)
1971 - Diorama
(Model railway/ Diorama
, Anton Pieck)
1978 - Haunted Castle
(Dutch: Spookslot) (Haunted attraction
, Ton van de Ven)
1981 - Python
(double Loop
Corkscrew Roller coaster
, Vekoma
) when freezing
1981 - Gondoletta
(Water ride
, Ton van de Ven)
1982 - Half Moon
(Dutch: Halve Maen) (Ship swing
, Ton van de Ven)
1983 - Piraña
(River rafting ride
, Ton van de Ven)
1984 - Carnival Festival
(Dutch: Carnaval Festival) (Dark ride, Geesink)
1984 - Polka Marina
(a combination of a carousel
and a mini-rollercoaster, Ton van de Ven)
1984 - Tin Lizzies
(Dutch: De Oude Tuffer) (Car ride, Ton van de Ven)
1985 - Bob Track
(Dutch: Bobbaan) (Bobsled roller coaster
, Intamin Ton van de Ven
) when freezing
1986 - Fata Morgana
(Dark ride, Ton van de Ven)
1987 - Pagode (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
, demolished in 2009)
1993 - Dreamflight
(Dutch: Droomvlucht) (Dark ride, Ton van de Ven)
1996 - The House of the Five Senses
(Dutch: Het huis van de 5 zintuigen) (Park 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 - 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) when freezing
2010 - George and the Dragon
(Dutch: Joris en de Draak) (Wooden racing coaster
, Karel Willemen)
2011 - Ravelin
(Dutch: Raveleijn) (Theatre
, Sander de Bruijn)
Future extensions:
2012 - Aquanura (watershow, WET)
2015 - Court of Hearts (Dutch: Hartenhof) (Dark ride, Vekoma
/Sander de Bruijn and others)
Other ventures operating independently from the amusement park:
1992 - Tower Realm (Dutch: Torenrijk) (Theme hotel)
1995 - Efteling Golf course (Dutch: Golfclub Efteling) (Golf course
)
2002 - Efteling Theatre
(Dutch: Efteling Theater) (Theatre, Ton van de Ven
)
2008 - Radio Efteling (Radio station)
2009 - Forest Realm (Dutch: Bosrijk) (Accommodation area, Karel Willemen)
Since June 1, 2008, the company's CEO has been Bart de Boer.
In its opening year (1952), the park had 222,941 visitors.
Most of the visitors are Dutch. 94% of the Dutch population has visited the park. 16% of visitors live in areas like Flanders
(Belgium), Westphalia
(Germany) and Southern England
(UK).
A graph of the number of visitors of the Efteling during the period 1952-2010:
From 1952 to 2002 the ticket price was set in Dutch guilder
s. These prices were converted to euro's using
a conversion factor of 0,45378. In 1952 the ticket price was 0,80 Dutch guilders (0,36 euro). From 1956 to 1965 the ticket price was 1 Dutch guilder. The price rose to 42 Dutch guilders in 2001 and was converted to 21 euro in 2002, during the switch to the euro
in The Netherlands.
"De Likkebaerd" to turn it into a station for the park's steam train
.
They also said they didn't expect to suffer from the economic crisis because they have drawn more visitors in such periods in the past. In 2009 the Efteling announced that the Burcht has been cancelled.
800px-photo-0570.jpg)
Efteling has a good relationship with the Disney
theme parks. Disneyland Paris consulted Efteling during its construction and design phase, in order to adapt the American park to European culture. As a token of appreciation the Disney Company gave Efteling a small statue. Ton van de Ven
, who designed many of Efteling's attractions, is also a good friend of Disney's Tony Baxter
(senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering
). The relationship between the two parks was emphasized when Efteling won the 2004 Thea Classic Award, the highest honour awarded by the Themed Entertainment Association
: Efteling had, as it turned out, been nominated by Tony Baxter.
There is in fact a legend of sorts connecting Disney and Efteling: for years, rumors have circulated that Walt Disney got his inspiration for Disneyland (which opened in 1955), from Efteling (which opened in 1952) — and in the early 1950s Walt Disney travelled to Europe a few times, visiting tourist attractions. Reportedly, a brochure from the IAAPA, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, even states that Disney "spent a great deal of time studying Pieck's work at Eftling [sic] before beginning his own parks." However, the rumour was discredited by Efteling: one of the causes of the rumour was an off-hand remark by a PR person for Efteling, who had dropped to reporters that Disney could well have visited Efteling—the reporters accordingly dropped the hypothetical from the phrase, and a legend was born. Disney probably did not visit Efteling at all, though he did visit Madurodam
and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen; the latter actually did provide some inspiration for Disneyland.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and as it opened in 1952, it is one of the oldest theme parks in the world. Efteling is located in the town of Kaatsheuvel
Kaatsheuvel
Kaatsheuvel is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant, situated along highways N261 and N628. With a population of roughly 16,600, it is the largest village in and the capital of the municipality of Loon op Zand, which also consists of the villages of De Moer and Loon op Zand...
, in the municipality of Loon op Zand
Loon op Zand
Loon op Zand is a municipality and a village in the southern Netherlands. It has 23.000 residents.- Loon op Zand :Loon op Zand is the oldest village of the municipality. Somewhere around the year 1000, this village was founded in a very wet and swampy area. There was also a lot of drift-sand whose...
, and has received over 100 million visitors.
Originally the park catered towards children with a fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
theme. In over fifty years the park has evolved from a nature park with playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
and a Fairy Tale Forest
Fairy Tale Forest
The Fairy Tale Forest is a wooded section of the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands, where a number of well-known fairy tales and fairy tale figures are depicted by animated statues and buildings...
, into a full-sized theme park. It is twice as large as the original Disneyland park in California and predates it by three years. Nowadays, Efteling caters to both children and adults with its cultural, romantic and nostalgic themes and its variety of amusement ride
Amusement ride
Amusement rides are large mechanical devices that move people to create enjoyment. They are frequently found at amusement parks, traveling carnivals, and funfairs.-Notable types:*Afterburner*Ali Baba*Balloon Race*Booster...
s.
History
Efteling 'officially' opened on May 31, 1952, when the Fairy Tale ForestFairy Tale Forest
The Fairy Tale Forest is a wooded section of the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands, where a number of well-known fairy tales and fairy tale figures are depicted by animated statues and buildings...
(het Sprookjesbos), designed by the famous Dutch illustrator Anton Pieck
Anton Pieck
Anton Franciscus Pieck , a Dutch painter, artist and graphic artist...
, was declared open. Initially, the Fairy Tale Forest was home to some ten different fairy tales, all of them brought to life using original drawings by Anton Pieck
Anton Pieck
Anton Franciscus Pieck , a Dutch painter, artist and graphic artist...
alongside ingenious movements and lighting and sound effects designed by the Dutch film maker Peter Reijnders
Peter Reijnders
Petrus Lambertus Wilhelmus Reijnders was a Dutch photographer, film director and inventor. He is best known for his crucial role in founding the theme park Efteling....
. 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 31, 1952, was 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 founded.
Design
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
Ton van de Ven is a Dutch industrial designer. He is best known as the creative director at the Efteling theme park.Van de Ven was born in Eindhoven, Netherlands, where he also studied at the Design Academy.- Work at Efteling :...
. 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 four sections: the theme park (1952), the four-star Efteling Hotel (1992), the 18-hole golf course (1995) and the new holiday park with bungalows. The theatre which was used for park shows is to be developed in a property to house big theatre productions which are not included in park admissions. The theatre can therefore be considered as a fifth section. 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. The divisions are contained in commercial corporations, but all shares are still held by the non-profitNon-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
Efteling Nature Park Foundation (Stichting Natuurpark de Efteling).
The park
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
Fairy Tale Forest
The Fairy Tale Forest is a wooded section of the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands, where a number of well-known fairy tales and fairy tale figures are depicted by animated statues and buildings...
, located in West. 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 (Rough Realm), and South became Anderrijk (Differ Realm).
Although the park was not built with these divisions in mind and the names may seem cryptic, they do make a certain sense. Perhaps the area most suited to its name is Ruigrijk, where most fast rides like the double-loop roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
Python (constructed in 1981) are located. 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 it a 'nature park' feeling. Together with the large ponds and gardens (with thousands of flowers, and maintained by an army of gardeners), the park's abundant green space is rather unusual among the world's leading theme parks.
Unfortunately, Dutch climate and the reliance on greenery and trees for a huge part of the park's looks (and theming) prevent year-round opening in full. 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.
As of April 1, 2010, Efteling has announced that it is going to be opened year round but keeping the Summer and Winter themes. From 10 November 2011 till 5 February 2012 the Winter theme is in place, meaning X-mas trees and heaps of lights are placed everywhere. Some of the regular rides are either closed (like Wild Water Ride Piranha) or temporary closed for maintenance (like Dream Flight').
Attractions, rides and fairy tales in Efteling and their designers
- Attractions not operating in winter or when it's freezing are marked with
1952 - Fairy Tale Forest
Fairy Tale Forest
The Fairy Tale Forest is a wooded section of the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands, where a number of well-known fairy tales and fairy tale figures are depicted by animated statues and buildings...
(Anton Pieck
Anton Pieck
Anton Franciscus Pieck , a Dutch painter, artist and graphic artist...
, Peter Reijnders
Peter Reijnders
Petrus Lambertus Wilhelmus Reijnders was a Dutch photographer, film director and inventor. He is best known for his crucial role in founding the theme park Efteling....
, Ton van de Ven
Ton van de Ven
Ton van de Ven is a Dutch industrial designer. He is best known as the creative director at the Efteling theme park.Van de Ven was born in Eindhoven, Netherlands, where he also studied at the Design Academy.- Work at Efteling :...
, Henny Knoet
Henny Knoet
Henny Knoet is a Dutch designer. He is mainly recognized for his contributions for Efteling.After having worked in Germany, Knoet started in 1979 at Efteling as a park planner. His own contributions are characterized by a frolic and colorful style...
, Michel den Dulk and Karel Willemen
Karel Willemen
Karel Angèle Antonius Willemen is a Dutch designer. He is mainly recognized for his contributions for Efteling.Willemen started at Efteling in 1988, after completing the Royal Academy for Arts and Design in Den Bosch, as a Senior Modeler, Sculptor and Decorator...
)
1953 - Rowing pond
Rowing Pond
The Rowing Pond is a rowing boat pond in the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It is one of the oldest attractions in the park .-History:...
(Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
: Roeivijver)
1954 - Children's Railway
Children's Railway
The Children’s Railway is a Pedal train attraction in the Efteling amusement park-History:The track was introduced in 1954 under the name Pedal Trains in the northern section of the park....
(Dutch: Kinderspoor), (Pedal trains, Peter Reijnders)
1956 - Steam Carousel
Steam Carousel (Efteling)
The Steam Carousel is an attraction of the Efteling amusement park in the Netherlands. It is an indoor carousel situated in what is now known as the "Carousel Palace" The Steam Carousel is an attraction of the Efteling amusement park in the Netherlands. It is an indoor carousel situated in what is...
(Dutch: Carrousselpaleis) (Carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
, bought from L. Janvier)
1969 - Efteling Steamtrack Line
Efteling Steamtrack Line
The 'Efteling Track Line' has 3 operational steam locomotives:* Aagje : The first train bought, 'Aagje' an Orenstein & Koppel, was, at that time, still in operation at the IJsseloord Brickworks in Arnhem...
(Dutch: Efteling Stoomtrein Maatschappij, a large-scale train ride
Train ride
A train ride in an amusement park, or a municipal park setting, is a small ride consisting of a miniature train, often running on a permanent or portable track, but sometimes without any track whatsoever. In the latter case, the "trains" are simulated by connecting railroad-like cars behind an...
)
1971 - Diorama
Diorama (Efteling)
The Diorama is a miniature world in Efteling amusement park in the Netherlands. The highly detailed mountainous world, or Diorama, was designed by Anton Pieck and opened its doors in 1971, in honour of the 20th birthday of Efteling ....
(Model railway/ Diorama
Diorama
The word diorama can either refer to a nineteenth century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum...
, Anton Pieck)
1978 - Haunted Castle
Haunted Castle (Efteling)
The Haunted Castle is a haunted attraction in the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It was designed by Ton van de Ven and was the first attraction built outside the Fairy Tale Forest.-History and details:...
(Dutch: Spookslot) (Haunted attraction
Haunted attraction
A haunted attraction is a form of entertainment that simulates the experience of entering a haunted location that might be inhabited by ghosts, monsters, criminals, humorous characters, and other such creatures...
, Ton van de Ven)
1981 - Python
Python (Efteling)
Python is a double-loop Corkscrew roller coaster in the Efteling amusement park in the Netherlands. When it started operation, it was the largest steel roller coaster on the European mainland.-History and details:...
(double Loop
Loop (roller coaster)
The generic roller coaster vertical loop is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. Specifically, the loop refers to a continuously upward-sloping section of track that eventually results in a complete 360 degree circle. At the top-most piece of the loop, riders are completely inverted.-...
Corkscrew Roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
, Vekoma
Vekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
) when freezing
1981 - Gondoletta
Gondoletta
Gondoletta is a Water ride in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands.It was developed by Intamin ; designed by Ton van de Ven and started operating in 1981.-History and details:...
(Water ride
Water ride
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)
1982 - Half Moon
Half Moon (Efteling)
Half Moon is a Pirate Ship ride at Efteling theme park in the Netherlands. Designed by Ton van de Ven and manufactured by Intamin, it opened its doors in 1982.-History and details:...
(Dutch: Halve Maen) (Ship swing
Pirate ship (ride)
A pirate ship is a type of amusement ride, consisting of an open, seated gondola which swings back and forth, subjecting the rider to various levels of angular momentum....
, Ton van de Ven)
1983 - Piraña
Piraña (Efteling)
Piraña is a River Rafting Ride in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It was designed by Ton van de Ven and built by Intamin, It opened its doors in 1983.-History and details:...
(River rafting ride
River rafting ride
A river rafting ride is an amusement ride that simulates whitewater rafting.-History:The river rapids ride concept was proposed by Bill Crandall and developed by Intamin AG...
, Ton van de Ven)
1984 - Carnival Festival
Carnival Festival
Carnival Festival is a dark ride in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It was designed by Joop Geesink and opened its doors in 1984.-History and details:...
(Dutch: Carnaval Festival) (Dark ride, Geesink)
1984 - Polka Marina
Polka Marina
Polka Marina is a Merry-go-round in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It started operating in 1984.-History and details:Polka Marina is actually a combination of a carousel and a mini-roller coaster, since the Cogs are circling up and down on a Vekoma coaster track.The diameter of the...
(a combination of a carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
and a mini-rollercoaster, Ton van de Ven)
1984 - Tin Lizzies
Tin Lizzies
Tin Lizzies is a car ride in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands.Designed by Joop Geesink and built by Mack Rides it started operating in 1984.-History and details:...
(Dutch: De Oude Tuffer) (Car ride, Ton van de Ven)
1985 - Bob Track
Bob Track
Swiss Bob is a Bobsled roller coaster in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands.-The Ride:"Bobbaan" has 8 trains, each with a capacity of 6 passengers. The original Bobsleds, with inline seating, were replaced with new trains that sit 2 across in order to increase the ride capacity and fight...
(Dutch: Bobbaan) (Bobsled roller coaster
Bobsled roller coaster
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 cars that are sent down this pipe in a freewheeling mode...
, Intamin Ton van de Ven
Ton van de Ven
Ton van de Ven is a Dutch industrial designer. He is best known as the creative director at the Efteling theme park.Van de Ven was born in Eindhoven, Netherlands, where he also studied at the Design Academy.- Work at Efteling :...
) when freezing
1986 - Fata Morgana
Fata Morgana (Efteling)
Fata Morgana, the forbidden city, also known as 1001 Arabian Nights is a dark ride in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It was designed by Ton van de Ven and Jan Verhoeven and opened in 1986....
(Dark ride, Ton van de Ven)
1987 - Pagode (Observation tower
Observation tower
An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...
, Ton van de Ven)
1988 - Monsieur Cannibale (Teacups
Teacups
Teacups is an amusement ride characterized by cup-style spinning vehicles atop a turntable-like floor.-Operation:Typically, each set of four teacup vehicles has a circular floor or a motor capable of turning 360 degrees. The circular floor or motor sits within a larger, turntable-like floor...
ride, Henny Knoet)
1990 - The People of Laaf
The People of Laaf
The People of Laaf is an attraction in the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It was designed by Ton van de Ven and opened its doors in 1990.It is a small village, called “Lavelaer”, inhabited by the so-called “Laafs”...
(Dutch: Volk van Laaf) (Ton van de Ven)
1991 - Pegasus (Junior wooden roller coaster
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
, demolished in 2009)
1993 - Dreamflight
Dreamflight
Dreamflight is a dark ride in Efteling amusement park in the Netherlands. It was designed by Ton van de Ven and opened in 1993.-History:...
(Dutch: Droomvlucht) (Dark ride, Ton van de Ven)
1996 - The House of the Five Senses
The House of the Five Senses
The House of the Five Senses is the impressive main entrance of amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It was designed by Ton van de Ven and went operational in 1996, a year later than planned due to a general strike in the construction sector. -Details:...
(Dutch: Het huis van de 5 zintuigen) (Park entrance, Ton van de Ven)
1996 - Villa Volta
Villa Volta
Villa Volta is an attraction in the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It is a rare type of ride known as a Madhouse, which is a sort of haunted house, where the visitors get the illusion that either the building, the visitors themselves or both are turned upside down. It has been...
(Madhouse
Vekoma Madhouse
A Vekoma Madhouse is a flat ride manufactured by Vekoma. The ride is designed to be an optical and physical illusion, consisting of several rows of seats attached to a swaying gondola within a rotating drum...
, Ton van de Ven)
1998 - Bird Rok
Bird Rok
Bird Rok is an Enclosed Roller Coaster in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands.-History and details:The name of the ride, Bird Rok, refers to the adventure of Sinbad and the Bird Roc from the 1001 Arabian Nights; the extensive theming covers, beside the ride, the building and the queue line...
(Dutch: Vogel Rok) (Enclosed roller coaster
Enclosed roller coaster
An enclosed roller coaster is a roller coaster built inside a structure intended solely for the ride. This structure often imparts a theme or houses special effects...
, Ton van de Ven)
2002 - PandaVision
PandaVision
PandaVision is a 4-D film show in themepark Efteling based on the interests of the World Wide Fund for Nature . It was inaugurated on June 19, 2002 by Prince Bernhard.-Main show:...
(Dutch: Pandadroom) (a 4-D film
4-D film
4-D film is a marketing term that describes an entertainment presentation system combining a 3-D film with physical effects in the theatre, which occur in synchronization with the film...
cinema, Van Doorn and associates)
2007 - The Flying Dutchman
Flying Dutchman (Efteling)
The Flying Dutchman is a combination of a Water coaster and a dark ride in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands...
(Dutch: De Vliegende Hollander) (Water coaster / Dark ride, Karel Willemen) when freezing
2010 - George and the Dragon
George and the Dragon (Efteling)
George and the Dragon is a Wooden racing coaster in the theme park Efteling, based on the legend of Saint George.-History and details:...
(Dutch: Joris en de Draak) (Wooden racing coaster
Racing roller coaster
A racing roller coaster, sometimes referred to as a dual track coaster, consists of one whole track or two separate coasters that travels along parallel or mirrored tracks to simulate a race between the trains. The coaster trains travel along tracks just a few feet apart of one another...
, Karel Willemen)
2011 - Ravelin
Ravelin (Efteling)
Ravelin is a Theatre in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It was designed by Sander de Bruijn at a total cost of 30 million Euros and opened its doors on April 8, 2011.-History and details:...
(Dutch: Raveleijn) (Theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, Sander de Bruijn)
Future extensions:
2012 - Aquanura (watershow, WET)
2015 - Court of Hearts (Dutch: Hartenhof) (Dark ride, Vekoma
Vekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing B.V. is a roller coaster and thrill ride designer with its facilities based in the Netherlands. The company was founded in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld under the name "Veld Koning Machinefabriek" and had first manufactured agricultural machinery and mining equipment...
/Sander de Bruijn and others)
Other ventures operating independently from the amusement park:
1992 - Tower Realm (Dutch: Torenrijk) (Theme hotel)
1995 - Efteling Golf course (Dutch: Golfclub Efteling) (Golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
)
2002 - Efteling Theatre
Efteling Theatre
Theater de Efteling is a Theatre in amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands.It was designed by Ton van de Ven and opened its doors in 2002.-History and details:...
(Dutch: Efteling Theater) (Theatre, Ton van de Ven
Ton van de Ven
Ton van de Ven is a Dutch industrial designer. He is best known as the creative director at the Efteling theme park.Van de Ven was born in Eindhoven, Netherlands, where he also studied at the Design Academy.- Work at Efteling :...
)
2008 - Radio Efteling (Radio station)
2009 - Forest Realm (Dutch: Bosrijk) (Accommodation area, Karel Willemen)
Awards
- In 1971 the Efteling was the first theme park to receive the Pomme d'OrPomme d'OrThe Pomme d'Or is a prize for excellence in the tourism industry awarded by FIJET, the European association of professional travel writers and journalists...
(Golden Apple), in recognition of superior efforts in promoting and raising Europe's level of tourism. The Pomme d'Or is the highest award in the European tourist industry. - In 1992 the Efteling was awarded the IAAPA Applause Award for best theme park in the world.
- In 1997 Villa Volta, as the first 'new style' madhouse in the world, receives the Thea Attraction AwardThemed Entertainment AssociationThe Themed Entertainment Association is an international non-profit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment...
. - In 2005 the Efteling received the Thea Classic AwardThemed Entertainment AssociationThe Themed Entertainment Association is an international non-profit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment...
for the year 2004, a notable token of recognition for an amusement park, because it is awarded by other people in the industry. Efteling is the second park to receive a prize for their entire oeuvre, the first being Tivoli GardensTivoli Gardens, CopenhagenTivoli Gardens is a famous amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on 15 August 1843 and is the second oldest amusement park in the world, after Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg....
in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Economy and Governance
Structure
The Efteling is a private company limited by shares. The Efteling Nature Park Foundation (Stichting Natuurpark de Efteling) is the only shareholder. The foundation was founded in 1950 by R.J.Th. van der Heijden, Peter Reijnders, and Anton Pieck. The company is led by two directors. They manage four sections: the theme park, the Efteling Hotel, the Efteling Golf course and the Efteling Theatre.Since June 1, 2008, the company's CEO has been Bart de Boer.
Employees
In the high season the Efteling employs 2500. In 2000 the number was 1670, of which 400 had a permanent contract (24%), 450 were seasonal employees (27%) and 820 had temp jobs (49%).Visitors
The Efteling welcomed 3,240,000 visitors in 2007. This sets it as the most popular theme park in the Netherlands. In 2009 the park has reached the number of 4,000,000 visitors, making it the most popular tourist daytrip destination of all categories.In its opening year (1952), the park had 222,941 visitors.
Most of the visitors are Dutch. 94% of the Dutch population has visited the park. 16% of visitors live in areas like Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
(Belgium), Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
(Germany) and Southern England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
(UK).
A graph of the number of visitors of the Efteling during the period 1952-2010:
Ticket price
A graph of the ticket price in euro's of the Efteling during the period 1952-2011:From 1952 to 2002 the ticket price was set in Dutch guilder
Guilder
Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch gulden — from Old Dutch for 'golden'. The guilder originated as a gold coin but has been a common name for a silver or base metal coin for some centuries...
s. These prices were converted to euro's using
a conversion factor of 0,45378. In 1952 the ticket price was 0,80 Dutch guilders (0,36 euro). From 1956 to 1965 the ticket price was 1 Dutch guilder. The price rose to 42 Dutch guilders in 2001 and was converted to 21 euro in 2002, during the switch to the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
in The Netherlands.
Investments
On December 11, 2008, theme park officials announced that they would spend 40 million euros during the years 2009-2012 on three large construction projects: a convention centre accommodating 1500 visitors (de Burcht), an arena from the Middle Ages for 750 show spectators (Raveleijn), and a redesign for snack barSnack bar
thumb|A snack bar in AmsterdamA snack bar usually refers to an inexpensive food counter that is part of a permanent structure where snack foods and light meals are sold. A beach snack bar is often a small building situated high on the sand. Besides soft drinks, candies and chewing gum, some snack...
"De Likkebaerd" to turn it into a station for the park's steam train
Efteling Steamtrack Line
The 'Efteling Track Line' has 3 operational steam locomotives:* Aagje : The first train bought, 'Aagje' an Orenstein & Koppel, was, at that time, still in operation at the IJsseloord Brickworks in Arnhem...
.
They also said they didn't expect to suffer from the economic crisis because they have drawn more visitors in such periods in the past. In 2009 the Efteling announced that the Burcht has been cancelled.
The Disney connection
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
theme parks. Disneyland Paris consulted Efteling during its construction and design phase, in order to adapt the American park to European culture. As a token of appreciation the Disney Company gave Efteling a small statue. Ton van de Ven
Ton van de Ven
Ton van de Ven is a Dutch industrial designer. He is best known as the creative director at the Efteling theme park.Van de Ven was born in Eindhoven, Netherlands, where he also studied at the Design Academy.- Work at Efteling :...
, who designed many of Efteling's attractions, is also a good friend of Disney's Tony Baxter
Tony Baxter (imagineer)
Tony Wayne Baxter is currently Senior Vice President, Creative Development, Walt Disney Imagineering, and is responsible for overall creative direction for the Disneyland Resort....
(senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering is the design and development arm of the Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation and construction of Disney theme parks worldwide...
). The relationship between the two parks was emphasized when Efteling won the 2004 Thea Classic Award, the highest honour awarded by the Themed Entertainment Association
Themed Entertainment Association
The Themed Entertainment Association is an international non-profit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment...
: Efteling had, as it turned out, been nominated by Tony Baxter.
There is in fact a legend of sorts connecting Disney and Efteling: for years, rumors have circulated that Walt Disney got his inspiration for Disneyland (which opened in 1955), from Efteling (which opened in 1952) — and in the early 1950s Walt Disney travelled to Europe a few times, visiting tourist attractions. Reportedly, a brochure from the IAAPA, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, even states that Disney "spent a great deal of time studying Pieck's work at Eftling [sic] before beginning his own parks." However, the rumour was discredited by Efteling: one of the causes of the rumour was an off-hand remark by a PR person for Efteling, who had dropped to reporters that Disney could well have visited Efteling—the reporters accordingly dropped the hypothetical from the phrase, and a legend was born. Disney probably did not visit Efteling at all, though he did visit Madurodam
Madurodam
Madurodam is a miniature city located in Scheveningen, The Hague, in the Netherlands. It is a model of a Dutch town on a 1:25 scale, composed of typical Dutch buildings and landmarks, as are found at various locations in the country. This major Dutch tourist attraction was built in 1952 and has...
and Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen; the latter actually did provide some inspiration for Disneyland.
External links
- Efteling.com (official website)