Efteling

[Mattgwise]

If it's your thing then fair enough. Doesn't do it for me and until I have kids I won't be making any effort to ride it unless it has a very short queue.

 

Aside from the station, its a very dull layout, has a poor queueline and ride area of soulless. I just feel it's a bit disappointing for Efteling personally. 

 

But I suppose when you think of the plans they had with their expansion not being able to happen due to the planning getting rejected I guess its a decent enough addition/replacement.

[Benin]

It's a lot to get worked up considering it's a pair of Mack powered coasters.

 

No idea if the ride area is soulless without being there. I mean Bob didn't have any presence beyond the station building because it was hidden in the trees (and I'm sure when it first opened it looked empty too).

 

Given that this was an addition that was unexpected, and fills a gap for the park, and no one is particularly excited about it why we have to have such nonsense like "ThIs Is JuSt A bIgGeR fLyInG fIsH!" just confuses me.

[Mattgwise]

So people don't share opinions and discuss things people say the TPM forums are dead. We then discuss things and people share views (which is what this place is for) and people don't like it. I give up and will say no more. 

[Benin]

Awww did we disagree with you?

 

I mean, sure, you could try and defend your corner and continue the conversation. Forums aren't dead because people disagree with opinions, they're dead because people don't seem to like being disagreed with.

[Mattgwise]

haha,

 

I won't continue, I will accept I am wrong and that there is potentially huge love for the ride and if I ever get on it I will THEN give my TRUE opinion 😂

 

[Mark9]

It's just a bit confusing Matt. The only positive comment about this entire ride before this discussion was where Matt Creek said something nice and then you replied saying it looked naff. 

 

Then there was silence, then Josh posted the POV and then a very weird moment where you said this.

5 hours ago, Mattgwise said:

This is EXACTLY the phrase I have been using the last few weeks! Totally agree. Just wish some of the members here would realise its not worth queuing for more than ten minutes unless you have children! 

 

as if people on here have been absolutely clamouring for a pair of mack powered coasters. I don't see where you got this impression from.

 

So to conclude, congratulations to Efteling for sparking the conversation on TPM. 🙌

 

[Mattgwise]

10 minutes ago, Mark9 said:

It's just a bit confusing Matt. The only positive comment about this entire ride before this discussion was where Matt Creek said something nice and then you replied saying it looked naff. 

 

Then there was silence, then Josh posted the POV and then a very weird moment where you said this.

 

as if people on here have been absolutely clamouring for a pair of mack powered coasters. I don't see where you got this impression from.

 

So to conclude, congratulations to Efteling for sparking the conversation on TPM. 🙌

 

Yep I guess so.

 

Well looking positively at least people have something to read on their Saturday afternoon 😂

[Martin Doyle]

Well think of it this way. Atleast they put in this rather than a damned bouncy castle!! 😛

[Coaster]

If I'm being totally honest, this doesn't look up to Efteling's usual standard.

 

Sure it's only a junior coaster, but it just doesn't look inspiring at all; the layout looks worse than say, Scorpion Express or RMT, and there isn't really much theming beyond the station, just landscaping.  And then there's the cattlepen queue, I wouldn't really expect that at Efteling, I mean even the Dragon at Legoland Windsor has a proper themed queueline.

 

I'm obviously not in the target audience for this but for an investment from Efteling and as a replacement for Bob, this just looks disappointing IMO.

[Benin]

Where has the viewpoint that Efteling has numerous themed queues when it has some of the blandest cattlepens in existence in Dreamflight and Carnival Festival?

 

Even Baron and Symbolica queues are outside sets of cattlepens with little to no themeing.

 

It's still iffy, but Efteling have never been great at queues. Dutchman seemingly is the exception rather than the rule.

[JoshC.]

3 hours ago, Benin said:

Where has the viewpoint that Efteling has numerous themed queues when it has some of the blandest cattlepens in existence in Dreamflight and Carnival Festival?

This is a great point. And it's weird they haven't at least tried to do something a bit different outside of Dutchman.

 

Sure, the park gets busy and cattlepens are the easiest way to get the most queue in the least space. But it's not like they're exactly pressed for space, nor do they lack creativity. It feels like a bit of a disconnect in their process.

 

And, frankly, I don't think added a whoopie cushion organ in the queue is the best way to improve a queue either...

 

10 hours ago, Coaster said:

and there isn't really much theming beyond the station, just landscaping. 

You could say the same for Joris. And beyond the on ride pre-show, the same for Baron too (which is very, ahem, barren when it comes to landscaping).

 

 

Also, surprised at comments to the effect of "they've only really themed the station". The station looks fantastic?! Brushing that aside feels like it's ignoring the work that's been done there.

 

Anyone who rode Flying Fish in it's Stealth-location will no doubt remember that having greenery surround a powered coaster makes the experience a lot more fun. As a more modern example, albeit not powered, Th13teen received criticism for its barren outdoor area, but now the trees have regrown, it's a more enjoyable, slightly denser forest section.

 

Once the greenery grows, no one will care about the lack of theming outside the station.

[Matt 236]

It’s strange yet uniquely interesting now most of Efteling’s rides use a cattle-pen like style, although least they seem somewhat presentable.

 

Apparently when Droomvlucht (Dreamflight) originally opened it featured a more elaborately themed queue hall, which was straight ahead where the grand entrance is. However the ride became so overwhelmingly popular the park needed a better solution to handle the crowds, which is why the cattlepen round the side was built.

 

This probably explains why pretty every large addition (bar Dutchman) features a cattle-pen type queue.

[Coaster]

2 hours ago, JoshC. said:

You could say the same for Joris. And beyond the on ride pre-show, the same for Baron too (which is very, ahem, barren when it comes to landscaping).

In fairness though, Joris has a much better queueline which showcases the ride well, and also goes across a lake, it's much more interesting and I don't remember it having much (if any) cattlepen?

 

There's also the dragon, albeit broken now.

[JoshC.]

Well it looks like a lot of Dutch / Efteling fansites would fit in here, because they were very critical of M+M...

 

Quote

Overall, I think it's an ugly thing in almost every way and the 'theming' is really boxes glued to the walls

Quote

It's a big mess without any focus...an arbitrary collection of the carnival car level

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The end result is flat and plastic. It is really just a big box of Efteling-unworthy hysterical ugliness in the end

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This attraction is great in any other park, but it definitely does not fit in the Efteling

So there we go guys - Max and Moritz would be great at the likes of Phantasialand, Toyko DisneySea and anywhere else in the world. But not Efteling.

 

Another hated point of the ride is the fact that you can see the shed that houses the park's 4D film:

Source: Looopings

 

Trees have been planted and will of course end up hiding them. Bob of course had quite a lot of dense trees and shrubbery hiding it, but they had to be removed for construction. And funnily enough, you can't just plant a huge set of fully grown trees...

 

Enthusiasts - can't please them...

 

 

In other news, it's also believed that Efteling are temporarily not using the scent cannons, which are featured in the likes of Droomvulcht and Fata Morgana, to help cut back on costs following their closure. Personally I've never really strongly noticed the smells, but I do wonder if it's because they're subtle, and it's more a thing that's noticeable when they're not there..

[Benin]

You could see the shed on Bob too. But enthusiasts gonna enthusiast.

[Glitch]

1 hour ago, Benin said:

You could see the shed on Bob too. But enthusiasts gonna enthusiast.

Indeed, any kid would appreciate this and wouldn't say, I can see a shed, that spoils it for me....

I think enthusiasts have a silly opinion of everything has to be Disney standard or else its just rubbish even if it's a quality attraction.

It really does spoil the day for me when people going on the ride for the 3000th time like to point out the black wall or un-themed roof when I just want to be immersed in what the ride already gives.

[Matt 236]

Given the whole situation of this, we could, we could easily make a whole topic about “exposed” theme park sheds. But that’s for another day.

 

I have  seen worser looking sheds than this.

[Matt 236]

Double Post! (shoot me)

 

Decided to create a piano medley based on tunes from Efteling. Which tunes do you recognise?

 

Any future requests feel free to PM.

 

Mods place where you please!

 

[Martin Doyle]

18 hours ago, Matt Creek said:

Which tunes do you recognise?

 

Any future requests feel free to PM.

 

Mods place where you please!

 

 

Every single tune!! Thats how great the Efteling music is!!

 

Very well done Matt!! I say make your next one a Universal based one!!

[JoshC.]

A wonderful, if slightly sad, video from Efteling about how they're doing during the Dutch Lockdown:

 

 

[JoshC.]

Efteling's long-term outline plan (up to 2030) has finally been approved, roughly six years after it was first conceived, and 3 years after the first plans went in:

 

 

 

The plan in particular includes an extension to the park itself, as crudely outlined here:

  

On 1/3/2018 at 9:12 AM, JoshC. said:

Excuse the crude drawing attached, but I believe the development is taking place somewhere in the red region, with the yellow line being [a public] road [to the hotels].

 

Some may remember talks of a circus themed area, including a launch coaster, being the plan for part of this area, with that originally hoped to open in 2020 or 2021. I believe this is still on the table (some rumours even suggest the project has been tendered and track manufactured). However, because of the financial impacts of the pandemic, don't expect that, or nay big new things, any time soon, as everything is currently on hold, as outlined in this new video from the park:

 

 

Efteling is a huge park and has a huge draw. In 2017-2019, they were getting over 5.2 million visitors each year. Covid will have slashed those numbers significantly. Without investment, and with all restrictions lifted, I'd imagine they would still easily get back to at least 4.5 million visitors a year.

 

But with competition in the Netherlands and Belgium ever improving, and it being a dense market, I do feel that if they want to get back to pre-pandemic numbers quicker, a big investment should happen sooner rather than later.

[Matt 236]

I’m so glad they are finally getting their “long awaited” expansion. 
 

Efteling is one of my favourite European parks and hopefully they can broaden the lineup whilst retaining their charm and character that’s been largely prominent in their 69 years of existence.

[Mark9]

Had a great time at Efteling this past week. It's funny reading the Max and Moritz conversation, 18 months on as I liked the ride. The green was definitely the better side but to be honest, with zero queues and multiple re-rides, it ticks the correct boxes that Bob never could. Lets face it, beyond history, Bob was a tired old ride with a terrible throughput and could not shift the numbers that a park like Efteling needs. Max and Moritz go way beyond that, introducing an entry level coaster that can get through close to 2000 people an hour. It's not perfect, but it does a lot right.

 

On another note, even with the pre-show not working properly, Baron 1898 has jumped into my top five. Whilst on a ride level, its as near basic as they come, but there's just something about it that brings me untold levels of joy. It has drama, and attention to detail and so much that I personally appreciate about theme parks.

[Matt 236]

Interesting reading up on everyone’s recent experiences with Efteling.

It’s been a few years now since I last visited and it’s interesting to hear of the changes. It’s still a shame Bob closed given how popular and quirky it was. However it was clearly an attraction at the end of it’s life and Max & Moritz looks a better fit to the park’s demographic. Shame if some of the little effects are broken though. 

 

Efteling is without doubt one of the most charming and refined parks out there! It is somewhere where non enthusiasts could enjoy and appreciate.

 

For someone who’s after tall fast thrilling coasters, this place isn’t for you. But if you enjoy somewhere with charm and lavishing escapism, not to mention phenomenal dark rides? This place is definitely for you.

 

Must get back out here at somepoint. Stupid Covid!

[Mattgwise]

9 hours ago, Matt Creek said:

For someone who’s after tall fast thrilling coasters, this place isn’t for you. But if you enjoy somewhere with charm and lavishing escapism, not to mention phenomenal dark rides? This place is definitely for you.

You know my answer then