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Efteling: General Discussion

Bosrijk shop is fairly all encompassing in terms of what you might need. Especially as you'll have ability to cook. I presume they still do food delivery as well if feeling lazy but the restaurant is/was pretty decent.

Another vote for Fairytale Forest. There's also a massive miniature train set and a few playgrounds here and there.

Take your time with it. Efteling is not a park to rush around.
 
Towers is a reasonable comparison, though at least Efteling is flat (because the Netherlands, obviously). Of the main areas, the rides in Reizenrijk and Marerijk feel pretty remote as it's a long walk from either area to any other ride worth doing, whilst with Ruigrijk/Anderrijk the major rides are at least more regularly spaced so it doesn't feel like such a mission to navigate.

A common rookie error is to attempt to treat Sprookjesbos as a shortcut to Dreamflight/Villa Volta rather than an attraction in its own right. It's very easy to get lost in there if you're not just following the set route.

Efteling somewhat gets away with their mediocre operations due to having several very popular rides with mammoth capacity and due to the park demographics - you'll see a lot of families relaxing in the various open areas rather than rushing around doing stuff.
 
John said:
Towers is a reasonable comparison, though at least Efteling is flat (because the Netherlands, obviously). Of the main areas, the rides in Reizenrijk and Marerijk feel pretty remote as it's a long walk from either area to any other ride worth doing, whilst with Ruigrijk/Anderrijk the major rides are at least more regularly spaced so it doesn't feel like such a mission to navigate.

A common rookie error is to attempt to treat Sprookjesbos as a shortcut to Dreamflight/Villa Volta rather than an attraction in its own right. It's very easy to get lost in there if you're not just following the set route.

Efteling somewhat gets away with their mediocre operations due to having several very popular rides with mammoth capacity and due to the park demographics - you'll see a lot of families relaxing in the various open areas rather than rushing around doing stuff.
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Noted!

I can’t quite work out where the entrance is on the map, guessing it’s the south point? Do the villages access from the East or you have to go round to the south still for 9am entry?
 
Assuming they haven't reoriented the map in the past couple of years then yes. Guests staying at either Bosrijk or Loonshe Land enter a little to the right of the main entrance IIRC.

When I last stayed there they had maps showing the walking route and listing the ERT rides (though it was out of date as it still claimed Bob was on ERT despite Max & Moritz having been open for about a year at that point). Due to some of the paths being closed until full park opening, getting to some of those rides would have taken almost the entirety of ERT.
 
venny said:
ERT is most efficient from the Efteling Hotel entrance as you arrive pretty much right by Vogel Rok and Carnival. You can then choose to walk towards Droomvlucht or Baron.
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Right i'm completely lost now so posting the map i'm looking at for reference!

So the main entrance is under where it says "Efteling Park" by what looks like water fountains right?

And then we will be staying in the bosrijk at the bottom right. So doesn't look like there's any option other than the main entrance?
Screenshot 2024-05-31 at 19.51.52.png
 
The main entrance building is opposite the theatre, below the lake on that map. Bosrijk guests use a dedicated ERT entrance just below/right of the main entrance & then go round the lake towards Fata Morgana. Day guests go to the left of the lake.

The other hotel entrance is too far away to be much use for Bosrijk guests, I don't even know if they're allowed to use it.
 
Now that I’m obsessively checking queue times here, I noticed it’s much busier today on a term time Monday versus the weekend, any guesses why?
 
Lots of school trips at the moment apparently. Some complaints on the Efteling for Brits Facebook group of bad behaviour by groups of unaccompanied children (queue jumping, spitting, teasing foreign kids etc.).

I guess you might do better on a weekend day at this time of year!
 
Not to be a Brit abroad but i'm assuming staff generally speak English? I've been to the Netherlands plenty of times and usually seems to be the case but never this part of the country (actually went to a music festival at Walabi Holland about 15 years ago!)

Guessing dark ride elements are only in Dutch?
 
Most Dutch people I've met speak better English that most English people I've met! So you'll be fine.

Dark ride elements are in Dutch though, yes. I love listening to the Dutch language, but it's not one I can ever get my head around.
 
Rob said:
Most Dutch people I've met speak better English that most English people I've met! So you'll be fine.

Dark ride elements are in Dutch though, yes. I love listening to the Dutch language, but it's not one I can ever get my head around.
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Yeah i generally try and learn a bit of local languages (know varying degrees of French, Spanish and Japanese) but Dutch is quite impenetrable for some reason (probably due to being Germanic rather than Romanic).
 
evilcod said:
With the exception of Villa Volta maybe :sweatsmile: even with the written boards I'm not sure what that guy is on about.
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Oh Villa Volta is utter nonsense. The first pre-show as well is just... there if you don't understand Dutch.

If they decided on a refurb would certainly need a look at how the story is told for the modern demographic of visitors.
 
Benzin said:
Oh Villa Volta is utter nonsense. The first pre-show as well is just... there if you don't understand Dutch.

If they decided on a refurb would certainly need a look at how the story is told for the modern demographic of visitors.
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Last time I rode with a Dutch speaking friend giving me the highlights.... I am still oblivious.
 
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