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Efteling: General Discussion

I think eftelings supposed ride shortage is kind of nullified at the fairytale forest. They really want you to look around it, for a decent portion of your day.

It’s a bit like Blackgang Chine, yeah sure I liked riding round on cliffhanger, but wasn’t it the stuff like the rumpus mansion and the weatherman the real reason why you where there..?
 
DiogoJ42 said:
I want to love Efteling. But clearly, the place hates me. Every time I've been, something goes wrong. Either the park is cursed, or I am.
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I feel totally the same but just can't quite get the place to sit right with me. My visit this past New Year was just flat-out disappointing, from disgusting accommodation (never seen something so badly cleaned) to peeling paint in every queue line, I was let down even more it felt. I just feel at a loss of what I am getting wrong where everyone else gets it so good!
Ian said:
Subjective of course, but for me see Europa Park, Phantasialand and Animal Kingdom for instance
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Now I too think these are much superior parks and have had much better times at all three but not for the same reason as Ian. I think one of my big bug bares at Efteling is that nothing is really themed, its just there. I know that sounds controversial, but hear me out!
Flat out, there is not one themed queue line before a pre-show bar Flying Dutchman. Now for a park of Eftleing's quality, I think that is a real shame that they have such a heavy reliance on cattle pens. For me, I will never be able to enjoy something like Symbolic or Fata Morgana as much as Pirten in Batavia or such rides because I am not immersed in that story as I wait for the ride (also my problem with Fantasyland dark rides at Disney). Efteling misses out on so many key story telling moments, and as a results, rides fall flat, feeling like scenic tours, onlooking at something, rather then experiencing it.
Furthermore, for me, the whole area around Python is a disaster. There is clear backstage storage just in guest view. I feel Eftleing generally just don't consider "show" as much as other parks, and don't really care about site lines or the amount of backstage that is visible from queuelines, guest paths and from the train.
My final Efteling nit pic is that they have awful drainage! I have never seen theme park paths flood so easily.
 
I used to adore Efteling.

The charm, the quirks, the random effects and everything. It didn’t have the biggest rides but the overall package of it was nice, for a park of its stature.

Then one day, I suffered a broken heart and my love and connection to this place had just not been the same ever since.

I kinda visited recently, but didn’t have the need or want to return again soon. Much prefer places like Europa Park, Parc Asterix and Phantasialand now. It’s just the way it is.
 
siralgenon said:
Does anybody know if Efteling normally do any soft openings for their new attractions? It's just happened that I'm visiting the week before Danse Macabre opens and wondered if there's a chance it could be open?
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They're doing a preview the night before opening, you can win tickets here (but probably means it's very unlikely it will be open prior):

promo.efteling.com

Efteling

Win 6 Efteling tickets and be among the first to experience the new attraction Danse Macabre!
promo.efteling.com promo.efteling.com
 
Bowser said:
They're doing a preview the night before opening, you can win tickets here (but probably means it's very unlikely it will be open prior):

promo.efteling.com

Efteling

Win 6 Efteling tickets and be among the first to experience the new attraction Danse Macabre!
promo.efteling.com promo.efteling.com
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It's a shame the prize doesn't include a hotel stay, otherwise I'd be tempted to enter.
 
The Big Mack said:
It's a pretty great park if you consider it's not designed to make any corporate ghouls an excessive profit. :laughing:
parkplanet.nl

Van wie is de Efteling? - Parkplanet

De Efteling is geen eigendom van een groot concern of een ondernemersfamilie, maar van een stichting zonder winstoogmerk.
parkplanet.nl parkplanet.nl
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That is what makes it more concerning the current state of affairs! If anything, because every penny is reinvested, Efteling should be the best-presented, greatest park in the world, as every penny is going back into the park and there is no profits being stripped away. Not everything has to have money in mind, but things can happen just because they add to the park experience.

Random extra thought, is there any other parks currently run this way? I know the new Kynren/11 Arches park that is being built in the North East of England is going to be run by a charitable trust linked to the town's redevelopment, but I can't think of anywhere else where a park is currently not run for profit.
 
Aardvark747 said:
That is what makes it more concerning the current state of affairs! If anything, because every penny is reinvested, Efteling should be the best-presented, greatest park in the world, as every penny is going back into the park and there is no profits being stripped away. Not everything has to have money in mind, but things can happen just because they add to the park experience.

Random extra thought, is there any other parks currently run this way? I know the new Kynren/11 Arches park that is being built in the North East of England is going to be run by a charitable trust linked to the town's redevelopment, but I can't think of anywhere else where a park is currently not run for profit.
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Yes, there are a good smattering of parks around the world run as not for profit or charities. This only one I can think of in the UK (aside from some heritage fairground attractions) is Wicksteed.

About Wicksteed Park - A Journey Through History

Explore the history of Wicksteed Park in Kettering. From its opening in 1921 to present day, it's a journey through time.
wicksteedpark.org wicksteedpark.org
 
Aardvark747 said:
Now I too think these are much superior parks and have had much better times at all three but not for the same reason as Ian. I think one of my big bug bares at Efteling is that nothing is really themed, its just there. I know that sounds controversial, but hear me out!
Flat out, there is not one themed queue line before a pre-show bar Flying Dutchman. Now for a park of Eftleing's quality, I think that is a real shame that they have such a heavy reliance on cattle pens. For me, I will never be able to enjoy something like Symbolic or Fata Morgana as much as Pirten in Batavia or such rides because I am not immersed in that story as I wait for the ride (also my problem with Fantasyland dark rides at Disney). Efteling misses out on so many key story telling moments, and as a results, rides fall flat, feeling like scenic tours, onlooking at something, rather then experiencing it.
Click to expand...

I feel like it's a bit unfair to say Efteling lacks theming before pre-shows considering so many rides at other parks lack any pre-shows at all. It's like they've given you a wonderful pre-show to start the story then you proceed into the more themed aspects of the queue. It seems like setting an unreasonably high standard to say every ride should be, themed queue line, pre-show, themed queue line instead of Efteling which is mostly pre-show then well themed queue line.

I mean it's all a matter of what you like at the end of the day, but seems a bit harsh to discount all the well themed areas of the park just because it's not in the order you like when entering the ride. I'd argue that the larger sections of the parks themselves are so well themed that even if you are just in an outside 'cattle pen' line before entering the ride buildings there are enough things to see that engross you in the world they are creating. I mean even their wooden coaster features an amazing dragon statue (also a themed vending machine which was a nice touch), or Max and Moritz features the whoopie cushion piano and various fun grattifi dotted around the area and those are the most basic queues lines they have off the top of my head.

Personally when I'm in the outside queue line section of Symbolica I spend time admiring the castle and the views you can see of the rest of the park the higher you climb the castle, considering how heavily themed it is when you get inside not sure what else they could add to immerse you more. Putting random characters or sticking posters on the side of the castle would ruin the look and siloette of the building in my view at least.

Not to say their aren't basic queue lines at all but considering the level of detail in the theming everywhere else I can't understand these issues. It's a relatively small park but the most popular in the Netherlands, if every single part of the queue lines that are cattle pens needed theming they would have to create giant mazes essentially to cover the queues they get which seems like an unreasonable ask.
 
Queue lines are probably the weakest aspect of Efteling overall. Dreamflight & Carnaval Festival are the worst offenders but least majority are kinda in line with average theme park affairs.

Dreamflight also has the weird station area. Given how well themed the interior is it's an incredibly stark contrast in quality.
 
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