Gondoletta
Encyclopedia
Gondoletta is a Water ride
in amusement park
Efteling
in the Netherlands.
It was developed by Intamin (as a Tow Boat Ride); designed by Ton van de Ven
and started operating in 1981.
Gondoletta is the attraction with the strongest connection to the roots of the Foundation Nature Park the Efteling. With the destruction of a large part of the Dutch economy during the Second World War the rampant unemployment of the time forced the government to institute New Deal
–like employment programs.
In the case of Kaatsheuvel
, the local employment agency formed a joint- venture with
The Royal Dutch Moor Company (or " Koninklijke Nederlandsche Heidemaatschappij" in Dutch
); the part of the company involved with land reclamation and development still exists today under the name Arcadis.
The development of the nature park started in 1950 with the construction of a lake
; connected to a decorative pond
s with a channel
, forests and recreation facilities.
For the construction of Gondoletta the channel had to be diverted to create a closed circuit; it no longer connects to the canoe
-pond but curves back to the Decorative Pond.
The ride’s boarding platform uses a rotating disk, a system later implemented in Carnival Festival
, Fata Morgana
and Piraña
.
The boats themselves were originally designed for Fata Morgana
, the ride that opened in 1986 on another water location in the park.
The ride shows the park’s spectacular landscaping, passing through the Channel and the Decorative Pond (harbouring a large population of Bass
es, Pike Perches and Carp
ses) up to the Railroad Bridge of the Efteling Steamtrack Line
(which crosses the pond at ground level): 50,000 square meters of seasonal plants, like 200,000 tulips, 50,000 violets and hundreds of thousands of Begonia
s, Narcissuses, African daisy, Rhododendron
s, Begonia
s, Busy Lizzie
s, Pelargonium
geraniums, and Lobelia
s, amongst others, are planted on the banks of the forests of pine
, conifer and deciduous
trees and fern
s.
Some 150 different species of water birds have been sighted, most noticeably Black swan
s, Mandarin duck
s, Mallard
s, Egyptian goose
s, Moorhen
s, Coot
s, Black-headed gull
s and Grey heron
s
Ride length: 20 minutes; 1000 meters
Ride capacity: 40 boats; 1100 passengers/ hour
Cost: € 2 million
On one of the ride’s islands, that connects the Brink with the Rough Realm using bridges, a Wishing well
is located since 1985 that collects money for the foundation Save the Children. In the well a small fish pushes a gold plate around; if one throws a coin on exactly the dish a wish may be made. Since then € 130,000 has been collected from the well (in 2006 almost € 6,000).
concert Allegro Brillante (11 minutes) from François-Adrien Boieldieu
from his Concerto pour Harpe et Orchestre en ut majeur Op.82 (1801). The same music can be heard at the Little Mermaid
.
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...
in amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
Efteling
Efteling
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....
in the Netherlands.
It was developed by Intamin (as a Tow Boat Ride); designed by 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 :...
and started operating in 1981.
History and details
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
–like employment programs.
In the case 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...
, the local employment agency formed a joint- venture with
The Royal Dutch Moor Company (or " Koninklijke Nederlandsche Heidemaatschappij" in 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...
); the part of the company involved with land reclamation and development still exists today under the name Arcadis.
The development of the nature park started in 1950 with the construction of a lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
; connected to a decorative pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s with a channel
Channel (geography)
In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or human-made deeper course through a reef, sand bar, bay, or any shallow body of water...
, forests and recreation facilities.
For the construction of Gondoletta the channel had to be diverted to create a closed circuit; it no longer connects to the canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
-pond but curves back to the Decorative Pond.
The ride’s boarding platform uses a rotating disk, a system later implemented in 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:...
, 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....
and 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:...
.
The boats themselves were originally designed for 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....
, the ride that opened in 1986 on another water location in the park.
The ride shows the park’s spectacular landscaping, passing through the Channel and the Decorative Pond (harbouring a large population of Bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
es, Pike Perches and Carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
ses) up to the Railroad Bridge of the 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...
(which crosses the pond at ground level): 50,000 square meters of seasonal plants, like 200,000 tulips, 50,000 violets and hundreds of thousands of Begonia
Begonia
Begonia is a genus in the flowering plant family Begoniaceae and is a perennial. The only other members of the family Begoniaceae are Hillebrandia, a genus with a single species in the Hawaiian Islands, and the genus Symbegonia which more recently was included in Begonia...
s, Narcissuses, African daisy, Rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s, Begonia
Begonia
Begonia is a genus in the flowering plant family Begoniaceae and is a perennial. The only other members of the family Begoniaceae are Hillebrandia, a genus with a single species in the Hawaiian Islands, and the genus Symbegonia which more recently was included in Begonia...
s, Busy Lizzie
Busy Lizzie
Impatiens walleriana Hook.f. also known as Busy Lizzy, Balsam or simply Impatiens, is native to eastern Africa from Kenya to Mozambique. It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 15-60 cm tall, with broad lanceolate leaves 3-12 cm long and 2-5 cm broad...
s, Pelargonium
Pelargonium
Pelargonium is a genus of flowering plants which includes about 200 species of perennials, succulents, and shrubs, commonly known as scented geraniums or storksbills. Confusingly, Geranium is the correct botanical name of a separate genus of related plants often called Cranesbills. Both Geranium...
geraniums, and Lobelia
Lobelia
Lobelia is a genus of flowering plant comprising 360–400 species, with a subcosmopolitan distribution primarily in tropical to warm temperate regions of the world, a few species extending into cooler temperate regions...
s, amongst others, are planted on the banks of the forests of pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, conifer and deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
trees and fern
Fern
A fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s.
Some 150 different species of water birds have been sighted, most noticeably Black swan
Black Swan
The Black Swan is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic...
s, Mandarin duck
Mandarin Duck
The Mandarin Duck , or just Mandarin, is a medium-sized perching duck, closely related to the North American Wood Duck. It is 41–49 cm long with a 65–75 cm wingspan.-Description:...
s, Mallard
Mallard
The Mallard , or Wild Duck , is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia....
s, Egyptian goose
Egyptian Goose
The Egyptian Goose is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae, and is the only extant member of the genus Alopochen...
s, Moorhen
Moorhen
Moorhens, sometimes called marsh hens, are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Gallinula....
s, Coot
Coot
Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family Rallidae. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and, unlike many of the rails, they are usually easy to see, often swimming in open water...
s, Black-headed gull
Black-headed Gull
The Black-headed Gull is a small gull which breeds in much of Europe and Asia, and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory, wintering further south, but some birds in the milder westernmost areas of Europe are resident...
s and Grey heron
Grey Heron
The Grey Heron , is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions...
s
Ride length: 20 minutes; 1000 meters
Ride capacity: 40 boats; 1100 passengers/ hour
Cost: € 2 million
On one of the ride’s islands, that connects the Brink with the Rough Realm using bridges, a Wishing well
Wishing well
A wishing well is a term from European folklore to describe wells where it was thought that any spoken wish would be granted. The idea that a wish would be granted came from the idea that water housed deities or had been placed there as a gift from the gods, since water was a source of life and...
is located since 1985 that collects money for the foundation Save the Children. In the well a small fish pushes a gold plate around; if one throws a coin on exactly the dish a wish may be made. Since then € 130,000 has been collected from the well (in 2006 almost € 6,000).
Music
The softly playing music in the boats is harpHarp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
concert Allegro Brillante (11 minutes) from François-Adrien Boieldieu
François-Adrien Boïeldieu
François-Adrien Boieldieu was a French composer, mainly of operas, often called "the French Mozart".-Biography:...
from his Concerto pour Harpe et Orchestre en ut majeur Op.82 (1801). The same music can be heard at the Little Mermaid
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...
.