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Efteling: General Discussion

The logic is that a visitor that stays overnight counts as 1 visitor, but 2 visits. I.e. they travel to and from the park only once for their trip but visit the park twice. I believe that if an individual visited, say once in May and once in November, they would count as two visitors as they would have produced the nitrogen travelling to and from the park twice.

A recent appeal to increase visitor numbers was denied, so expect to see continued focus on overnight accommodation *cough cough the site to the right of the park entrance*
 
Quetzal said:
The logic is that a visitor that stays overnight counts as 1 visitor, but 2 visits. I.e. they travel to and from the park only once for their trip but visit the park twice. I believe that if an individual visited, say once in May and once in November, they would count as two visitors as they would have produced the nitrogen travelling to and from the park twice.

A recent appeal to increase visitor numbers was denied, so expect to see continued focus on overnight accommodation *cough cough the site to the right of the park entrance*
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How is this enforced in practice? Considering how close to the limit they are already, would there be a point at the end of the year where they’d stop selling day tickets?
 
I have seen it suggested that tickets to Winter Efteling last year were capped at a relatively low level to ensure that the park didn't overshoot. I'm not sure if that is true or just rumour based on a quieter park.

School Trips are also not permitted, and parking perks for Annual Pass holders have been revoked to encourage use of Public Transport or reducing the total number of day visits.

When the cap was introduced Efteling did say that they would just pay the fine (I think something like 20 euro for every visitor above 5 million), but that was viewed pretty dimly.

It's also worth noting that Efteling are doing a huge amount to improve their sustainability, mostly, I would imagine, to be able to recieve more visitors. This includes a new Electric Bus Fleet Depot on site for the local operator, gasless heating, removal of all fire effects, and the steam trains being electrified.
 
Bowser said:
I’ve only been twice but it was the same week both years (August 2024/2025) and i definitely noticed this.

Seems to be more awareness on social media with people citing it as an affordable alternative to Disneyland without the queues.
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Because it is.

Was weighing up trips this year and Efteling by far better value. Bosrijk house for 4 nights 5 people around £1300? There's no argument.
 
Finally booked a trip to Efteling for next month, staying in the new hotel. Despite extremely mixed reviews from this very forum I have also booked tickets to Caro, though it starts thirty minutes after park close so there's no time lost if we end up not enjoying it.

A couple of things I noticed from the booking process: there's an additional €40 charge if you want to pick a specific room in the hotel; a little annoying because of course I want to pick a specific room in the hotel so this was a somewhat unavoidable additional charge I had not anticipated. And this is probably only strange now that I've lived in Germany for so long, but the spa area requires swimwear at all times, an interesting contrast to Europa Park where the saunas are explicitly "textilfrei" which means officially you have to be nude when inside.
 
Llama said:
Finally booked a trip to Efteling for next month, staying in the new hotel. Despite extremely mixed reviews from this very forum I have also booked tickets to Caro, though it starts thirty minutes after park close so there's no time lost if we end up not enjoying it.

A couple of things I noticed from the booking process: there's an additional €40 charge if you want to pick a specific room in the hotel; a little annoying because of course I want to pick a specific room in the hotel so this was a somewhat unavoidable additional charge I had not anticipated. And this is probably only strange now that I've lived in Germany for so long, but the spa area requires swimwear at all times, an interesting contrast to Europa Park where the saunas are explicitly "textilfrei" which means officially you have to be nude when inside.
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I really enjoyed Caro, even with a delay to it starting due to a lighting issue.

I'm sure you guys will have a great time!
 
Caro is an enjoyable show. Depending on your point of view it can be a little ludicrous, but definitely worth a see.

Grand Hotel is lovely. The sauna is accessed direct from the swimming pool which will be one of the reasons swimwear is required.
 
Jb85 said:
47% increase in visitors from England. Interesting.

Great park when I went a few years back. Everything Alton should be but Merlin left to rot.
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I know two separate people from my office who've been to Efteling with their families inside of the past 12 months. Remember another friend and his wife raving about the place and telling me they were telling all their friends to go as well.

I only knew about the place years ago because I've got Dutch relatives so its like an institution to them.
Amusingly when I told them I'd gone to Toverland they were like the kiddie park, and I had to explain all the expansions to them.

Had other relatives spend about a week at Efteling the other year as well visiting from the UK, but again they'd grown up visiting with our aunty and uncle.
 
Jb85 said:
47% increase in visitors from England. Interesting.

Great park when I went a few years back. Everything Alton should be but Merlin left to rot.
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For what it’s worth, I first visited three years ago and loved it.

I suggested it as an alternative for my family to take my niece to over Disney; and they did and loved it.

They have then told their friends with kids and now they’re going (three different families).

So I can absolutely believe the increase in English visitors.

EDIT: just to add, some of the buses round here have Efteling adverts on the back of them so they’re definitely marketing more to us Brits now.
 
havaska said:
For what it’s worth, I first visited three years ago and loved it.

I suggested it as an alternative for my family to take my niece to over Disney; and they did and loved it.

They have then told their friends with kids and now they’re going (three different families).

So I can absolutely believe the increase in English visitors.

EDIT: just to add, some of the buses round here have Efteling adverts on the back of them so they’re definitely marketing more to us Brits now.
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Why did you let the cat out of the bag?

Obviously the correct response should have been "it's rubbish, don't bother. Disney is waaay better."
 
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