Efteling

Timothy Gaylard

A few things to point out before I begin the review

1. Has few extra thrilling rides

2. If you don't like theming , you won't like Efteling

3.Efteling is in Holland, and so the trip can be time consuming

These may be conceived as negative, but they are useful things to know about "The land of Elves" Efteling.
Efteling is found in the south of Holland, next to the City of Tilburg. From ostende, it is a 2 hour drive, from Calais around 3 hours or more. Efteling has grown up by a small Dutch town (with a name I won‚t even try to write down!) and has influenced alot, ask anyone there if someone in their family works there, they will almost certainly say yes.

You enter the park under a strange looking building, that has a thatched rook and five pillars sticking out, "The house of the five senses as it is otherwise known. This is just the start to the awe inspiring theming that you will see further on in the park. The park itself is split into 4 different areas: Anderrijk; Ruigrijk; Reizenrijk and Marerijk which incorporates the sprookjesbos (Fairy tale forest and theatre). I will talk you through each of the 4 areas.

ANDERRIJK: Here you will find a mixture of rides, all of the rides in this area are suitable for all the family. Fata Morgana is the parks indoor boat journey, it can be compared with the likes of the pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Paris or Pirates of Adventure. The ride includes some magnificent special effects, including a whole room that moves into a tilting position and a large genie like being that dangles over your head. The special effects are used well to create an atmosphere for the ride. The ride is based on an Arabian city, where you encounter a sultans feast and a peasant visiting the dentist! The queue‚s are never long, and I recommend it highly. Pirana is a basic rapids ride, themed on Mexico, ride it if the queue is small, if not, you won‚t regret it. Last but not least in this area is an intamin Bobsleigh ride, lack of any theming, but a great ride, it can pick up alot of speed and is the perfect ride to go on with friends, a great laugh!

Ruigrijk: Ruigrijk is the area which holds the two most thrilling rides, but also the least theming, being that it has none, compare it to certain parts of dmp! The two rides I was on about are "Pegasus" the wooden rollercoaster, and "The Python" a vekoma looping coaster. Pegasus is a small wooden coaster, it can be an extremely rough, but queue‚s are short and can offer a good ride. I personally like the rides, but I am sure others out-there will disagree, I somehow always find myself riding after it has been raining, I guess that says something about the Countries weather.
The Python is just as rough and has just as short queue‚s, perhaps it is because they always play AHA, take on me, with the video on aswell! I could compare this to the corkscrew, but I think that would be a bit insulting to the python, it can give a good ride, however, if you don‚t like loose restraints, don‚t ride. Also in the area is Europe‚s largest swinging ship, De Halve Moen (The half moon) and some children‚s rides, aswell as a fish and chip shop which thinks that selling fish bites and French fries in a Dutch newspaper will appeal to the English

Reizenrijk: Or as I call it, the strange area! And at the heart of it‚s strangeness, the strangest ride I have ever been on, "Vogel Rok" (Bird Rok). The ride is based on the mythical bird, the Rok. The ride is themed excellently with hanging murals, and a middle Eastern feel to it, that is after you have passed through the rather 80‚s first area of the queue line, and past under a huge bird!. Once in the the coaster, you turn round a corner and up the lift hill, lasers flash, music booms from the speakers beside you. The ride then comes to the peak, and on its way around the track dodges, birds, islands etc. All in all a very strange ride! Also in the area is "Carnival festival" (Just think "it‚s a small world" at DLP and you have it!). Monsieur cannibal, or spinning plastic cooking pots as I like to call it. And the area known as "Het volk Van Laaf"(Laaf people). Little Elf things that make and drink strange beer are called laafs, strange I would have called them insane. You can taste their very strange beer and look around there houses, but that‚s about it, worth a visit I suppose.

Marerijk: We arrive at my favourite area of the park, that hosts my two favourite rides, "Villa volta" and "Drumvlucht"(Dreamflight). Villa Volta is a vekoma mad house type ride that kicks all the others out of competition. It is about a man named Hugo Van De Loonsche Duyen, the goat rider, who has been imprisoned in this house. Read the board outside as old Hugo spouts his story in Dutch! You reach the most beautifully and an intricate themed room I have ever seen, with candlesticks, vases, wood carvings and anything else you would find in a house of a rich man. The room starts to spin, and all the trinkets move with it, a dramatic score begins to play. You get further and further until you go right over and embedded in the floor is Old Hugo giving you an icy stare. The ride looks great from both inside and outside and is magnificent, a must ride! Drumvlucht is a ride like no other, not much from the outside, but inside amazing. You get into your magical sleigh ( a vampire train that swivels!) and go along a conveyor belt like you would find in an airport. Along your journey, you pass through scenes with happy elves and other such creatures. The best scene is where you spiral down into a forest (quite fast I must add) with rain falling on your head. I have never ridden anything like this before, and you cannot miss it! Finally you come to the oldest part of the park, the fairy tale forest, with all your favourite characters, it can keep you amused for hours, for young and old alike

All in all, Efteling is great. You can stay onsite at the Efteling hotel or in nearby Tilburg. The best thing is that it only costs the equivalent of £12, ad if you have a Tussauds season ticket, it is completely free. Maybe now you will realise why I love Efteling so much
p.s while your there look for the mascot Pardoes, his girlfriend Paddeltje and his best friend Pardijntje!
Review By Timothy Gaylard aka Kingefteling aka Pardoes_the_elf!