De Efteling is an amusement park in North Brabant in the place Kaatsheuvel.
history
De Efteling is one of the oldest theme parks in the world: it was officially opened on May 31, 1952 with the fairy tale forest (for comparison: the first Disneyland, in Anaheim, was opened in 1955). However, today's park has its roots in the R.K. Sports and hiking park from 1935. After the war, a foundation breathed new life into the theme park in 1950 - "in a Catholic spirit" of course. The painter and graphic artist Anton Pieck was supposed to design a fairy tale park for it.
Ten fairy tales were realized in the park within two years: the Castle of Sleeping Beauty, the Mushroom Village, Long Neck, the Talking Parrot, the Chinese Nightingale, Frau Holle's fountain, Little Message, the Grotto of Snow White and the Frog King on Heroldplatz The magic clock.
In 1956, De Efteling opened the steam carousel, the first major attraction outside the fairytale forest. Another news was Holle Bolle Gijs: a waste basket in the shape of a fairy tale character that says "Paper here! Paper here!" calls and, if something has been thrown in, "Thanks-u-wel!".
The appearance of the park was largely shaped by Anton Pieck until the mid-1970s. He used the latest technical developments to give his creations the right picture. In 1958 he created "The flying fakir", the depiction of a fairy tale written for this attraction, which was regarded as a sensation due to the complex technical and creative implementation at the time, and in 1966 the "Indian water lilies", a fairy tale of the Belgian queen Implementing Fabiola.
De Efteling went through a change in the 1980s. The haunted castle was opened in 1978, and in 1981 the "Python" roller coaster, the largest steel roller coaster on the European mainland at the time, opened. Speeds of up to 75 km / h could be achieved, the highest point is 29 m. In the years that followed, the spectacular attractions were expanded further: in 1982 the Werlt ship swing, the "Halve Maen", followed by the wild water course "Piraña" , the "Swiss Bob" bobsleigh and the wooden roller coaster "Pegasus".
In the middle of the eighties you came back to the fairy tale topic. The big attraction of 1986 was the dark ride "Fata Morgana", a series of scenes in the oriental, Arabic style. Investments were also made in the fairy tale forest: in 1990 the people of Laaf appeared in De Efteling.
De Efteling continues to grow and has also received international recognition. In 1992 the park received the Applause Award and was allowed to call itself the best amusement park in the world for two years.
Mood
When De Efteling opened its doors in the 1950s, a clearly recognizable style was used that made reference to Anton Pieck's drawings. Buildings and scenes were similar in fairytale style. A letter type that Pieck himself designed was used in the typography. The main colors used were "Piecks red", "Piecks green" and "Piecks ocher": colors that already had a patina when they were applied.
Over time, De Efteling has also added other styles. The "python" is a good example of this, but influences from other cultures (such as the "Thai" pagoda and piraña from the Aztec period) also influenced the fairy tale park.
The exterior of the Efteling is mainly determined by the mood of the designs and the architecture of the attractions in the wooded area. One of Anton Pieck's conditions was the use of authentic materials, so that the buildings were made of stone and wood instead of paper mache. The romantic style of Anton Pieck with a nostalgic penchant for the past formed the basis on which almost all existing attractions were to be built. In the park part Ruigrijk a completely different style has been used for a number of years. However, the Pieck style has by no means been dismissed: At the end of 2008, De Efteling announced a new attraction. "De Ravelijn" is a medieval castle in the traditional Pieck style.
Themed music
The park atmosphere has been supplemented with music since 1999:
- Park promenade: to be heard in the car park, the Efteling Brink and the Dwarrelplein.
- Pardoes promenade
- Theater square, resembles the music on the Pardoes promenade, but more bombastic. Played on the square in front of the De Efteling Theater.
- Marerijk: can be heard on Ton van de Venplein, the double avenue between Marerijk and Reizenrijk and the path between Diorama and De Brink.
- Carousel place. A playful execution of the main theme that can be heard on the square in front of the Carousel Palace.
- Anderrijk. The herald music that can be heard in the immediate vicinity of the snack bar "Het Seylend Fregat" and in the area around the pedal trains.
- Reizenrijk. The happy harbor melody can be heard on the way between Anderrijk and Ruigrijk, Toko Pagoda and in the vicinity of the former boat pond.
- Ruigrijk, bombastic score track. Can be heard in the green areas around the "Meermin" and the "Koggemolen".
construction
De Efteling is nowadays divided into four realms, in which the various attractions are located. There is also the Efteling Hotel, a golf park and the theater. Also the holiday park Bosrijk (Woodland) belongs to the complex.
Marerijk
The Marerijk (Sagenland) is located in the west of the park. Marerijk borders on that in the east Reizenrijk and in the south of that Anderrijk. in the Marerijk is one of the two stations for the steam train. The Rijk adjoins the Pardoes promenade, via which the fairy tale forest can be reached directly.
The origins of the Efteling lie in Marerijk, where the fairy tale forest was opened in 1952, at that time with only 10 fairy tales. The forest covers a large part of the empire and now consists of 25 fairy tales. Four years later (1956) the (now electrically operated) steam carousel was added. The park was not expanded until the mid-sixties: in 1966 with the water organ and in 1969 with the steam train. in the Marerijk there are two stops, one of which is accessible to visitors. The other is in the fairy tale forest, where characters like Puss in Boots "wait" for the train.
In 1971 the diorama opened its doors. This large hall houses a detailed miniature world and, like the water organ, is located in the Carousel Palace. It wasn't until 1990 that something new was added to the area: the people of Laaf appeared. A fictional village where the visitor gets to know the lavas. The village can be visited both at ground level and from the monorail. The Droomvlucht (Traumflug) from 1993 is a dark ride between castles with trolls, pests and elves. In 1996 the Villa Volta was opened. Everything is turned upside down in this cursed house. It is the first madhouse in the world and has many imitators.
in the Marerijk is also the Anton-Pieck-Platz, which was renovated in 2003 and expanded to include the Efteling Museum. The Ton-van-de-Ven-Platz, named after the Efteling designer, is a central square in the Marerijk. Until 1995 this was the entrance to the park, today it houses two attractions: Villa Volta and the Droomvlucht. The main train station for the steam train is also located here.
Between the Villa Volta and the Droomvlucht is currently Raveleijn (Ravelin), a medieval-looking castle that offers office space and rooms for arrangements up to 350 people. In the center is the medieval open-air stage, in which a new large park show is being staged.
Anderrijk
The Anderrijk (Andersland) is in the south of the park. Anderrijk borders in the east Ruigrijk and in the north Marerijk. The Rijk adjoins the Pardoes promenade.
The oldest attraction in the Anderrijk is the rowing pond, which was put into operation in 1953. In 1978 that became Spook slot (Haunted Castle) opened as the first major attraction outside of the fairy tale forest. Five years later, this part of the park became the Piraña expanded, a flume that has the civilizations of Central and South America as a thematic basis. It was followed in 1985 by the Swiss bob, a bobsled run with a top speed of 70 km / h. The big attraction opened in 1986 Mirage, a fairy tale from the Thousand and One Nights. The last extension for the time being took place in 2002 when De Efteling launched the 3D cinema in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund PandaDroom (Panda dream) came true.
During the "Winter Efteling" are the Piraña and the rowing pond closed. When there is snow, that too Swiss bob closed.
Reizenrijk
Reizenrijk (Reisenland) is in the north of the park. Reizenrijk borders on that in the west Marerijk and in the south of that Ruigrijk. The steam train travels through the empire and crosses the Gondoletta pond with a low bridge. in the Reizenrijk there are two restaurants, one of which overlooks the pond with the Gondoletta offers.
The expansion of the Reizenrijk was not completed until the 1980s. 1981 opened the Gondoletta, in which visitors drive across a large pond in a boat. The attraction was actually intended as a test for the boats from Mirage in the Anderrijk thought, but turned out to be successful enough to survive on its own. 1984 followed Carnaval Festival, a covered attraction designed by Joop Geesink, where visitors take a ride past 270 puppets from 15 countries. Since then the pagoda was built (1987), the visitor can see the entire park from a height of 45 m. 1988 became Monsieur Cannibale built in which passengers are turned in saucepans. The last gain in Reizenrijk is the dark roller coaster Vogel Rok from 1998 based on the stories of Sindbad de Seefahrer.
In addition, in this realm for (younger) children there are Kleuterhof and the Avonturendoolhof (Adventure Maze).
Ruigrijk
Ruigrijk (Wildland) is located in the east of the park. Ruigrijk borders on that in the north Reizenrijk and in the west of that Anderrijk. Ruigrijk owns as well as Marerijk a stop of the steam train. This is the realm of the Efteling's most spectacular attractions.
The Ruigrijk became like that too Reizenrijk It was only built in the eighties and was an attempt to make the amusement park attractive to older visitors. In 1981 the python, a roller coaster with loops, and the Game Gallery, in which old Dutch games can be played. The ship swing followed a year later Halve Maen (Half moon) and 1984 became the children's attractions Polka Marina, a kind of carousel with boats, and De Oude Tuffer, a course in which vintage cars drive round, added to the empire after the opening of the wooden roller coaster, which has since been demolished again Pegasus (1991) new attractions in this area were a long time coming. until 2000 the children's railway from the Marerijk moved here. This attraction, in which (young) visitors can enjoy themselves in small trains that move around with pedals, has existed since 1954. For the "Winter Efteling" this attraction becomes a cross-country ski run 't Hijgend Hert (Panting Deer) rebuilt. The long-awaited attraction opened in 2007 De Vgende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman), a combination of roller coaster and dark ride. Since December 2009 there is also a new stop for the steam train called Station de Oost, a large building like from the 10th century, with its snack bars and fountains reminiscent of the Dutch colonies in East Asia.
The last expansion of the entire park so far opened in July 2010: a double wooden roller coaster called 'Joris en de Draak' (George and the Dragon). For their construction the wooden roller coaster had to be used Pegasus to be demolished in 1991.
During the "Winter Efteling" is the python in the Ruigrijk closed.
kitchen
De Efteling has around 25 snack bars and restaurants. The offer includes large and small snacks as well as dishes from the Mexican (Casa Caracol), Italian (Octopus), Asian (Toko Pagoda) and old Dutch cuisine. Most restaurants are based on the theme or attraction in whose area they are located in terms of their presentation and offer. So in the Ruigrijk, in which there are some maritime attractions, fish sold at Voor de Meermin (For the mermaid). Many traditional products are sold on and around the Anton Pieckplein, from poffertjes and pancakes to cotton candy and cinnamon sticks and "sour sticks".
The restaurants in Reizenrijk are mainly concentrated in a complex called "De Ballonvaarder" (The balloonist). It consists of three different parts: the restaurant with service Welkom, the self-service restaurant De Globetrotter and the event venue De Wolkenvaarder (The cloud driver). Restaurant Welkom and 't Poffertje, located in Marerijk, are the only restaurants in De Efteling where there is service. The others - self-service restaurants - are Het Witte Paard and De Gulden Gaarde (both in the Marerijk), De Octopus (Anderrijk).
The theater, which is currently no longer part of the park, but independent, has its own restaurant, theater restaurant applause. The snack point is located between the hotel and the "De Kleuterhof" play area, but probably within the park area.t Korfje (The basket).
In addition to the restaurants, the park also has several souvenir shops. The park's largest souvenir shop has been located at the entrance building since 1995, Efteldingen. The majority of the souvenir shops are in Marerijk with four such shops. Finally there is Het Valies Next Carnaval Festival, De Panda at the PandaDroom and De Bazaar at the exit of the Mirage.
entertainment
The most important place for larger presentations is that Theater de Efteling. Park shows and musicals are performed here. In recent years there have been i.a. The Sound of Music and "Sleeping Beauty". From October there will be a musival in the theater Kruimeltje listed.
In the fairy tale forest there is a small open-air theater in which fairy tale performances are shown. There is also the park show Circus Anton Pieck of 25 minutes in a tent with 1000 places on the Speelweide (Spielweide) is shown. From 2011 there will be a large open-air stage at Ton van de Venplein De Raveleijn be completed with around 900 seats.
Fixed dates
De Efteling also has a number of annual performances on its calendar.
Every year on July 7th (7th) the park organizes "Fairy Tale Day" with various "fairytale" activities. The date was chosen because the number 7 has a special place in many fairy tales: the 7 little kids or the 7 dwarfs.
A very important event in summer is the Zeven Mijls Zomer / Seven Mile Summer), which takes place seven Saturdays in the summer. On these evenings there is a lot of entertainment spread all over the park. In addition, well-known artists perform in the evening and the park remains open until midnight on these days.
Since April 1, 2010, De Efteling has been open all year round.
From mid-December to the end of January, De Efteling is under the name Winter Efteling open .. Various winter activities will then take place, but some attractions will be closed, including the python, Piraña, the rowing pond. When there is snow, that too Swiss bob closed and De Vgende Hollander is only open at temperatures above 4 ° C. To compensate for the closed attractions, substitute events will take place.
getting there
De Efteling is located at Europalaan 1 in Kaatsheuvel, near the Midden-Brabantweg N261 (Waalwijk - Tilburg).
The park can be reached by car, bicycle and public transport (bus).
- From the train stations in Tilburg and 's-Hertogenbosch Shuttle buses run during the season, but otherwise also regular buses.
- For cyclists there is a bicycle shed to the right of the entrance.
- There is sufficient parking space available for motorists. When the park is full, it can get a bit tight in the parking lot.
fees
- 1.4.-28.11 .: adults / children (4) € 29.00; Children (-4) free; Seniors (65) / disabled € 27.00; Card for 2 days € 49.00; Parking fee € 8.00.
- 29.11.2010-28.2.2011: "Winter Efteling". The same prices, only parking then costs 2 euros more.
The entrance fees also have their story. In 1952 the entry price was 0.80 guilders (comparable purchasing power today € 2.80). From 1956 to 1965 one paid 1 guilder (vKk € 3.10 - € 2.30). The price rose to 42 guilders in 2001 and was 21 euros in 2002.
mobility
A narrow-gauge steam railway with a total length of 2 km runs around the park. It has four steam locomotives and one diesel locomotive as well as 12 wagons (two of which are closed).
accommodation
Hotels and hostels
- Efteling Hotel. A stay at the Hotel des Efteling is not exactly cheap, but a fairytale-like experience. In the restaurant De Hoffelijke Heraut (The Polite Herald) can be eaten à la carte between 5:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Reservation is recommended: 0900-0161 (€ 0.25 p.m .; only possible in the Netherlands). De Gelagkamer is a cozy bar where you can imagine yourself in the world of Anton Pieck - there are collectors' items hanging on all the walls. The bar is open Mon - Sun 8.30 a.m. - 12.30 a.m. Various small dishes are available from 10 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. When the weather is nice, children can have fun in the playground in the hotel garden, while parents relax on the nearby terrace. Well-known Efteling series are broadcast in the Pardoes Theater in the reception lobby.Price: Single from € 156.50 in a comfort room (double € 218.00); Tower suite € 226.50 (2P € 288.00), golf suite € 236.50 (2P € 298.00); Cinderella / Sleeping Beauty / Hansel and Gretel / Coca Cola / King / Hans Christian Andersen / Northern Lights / Snow White / Theater / Flying Dutchman Suite € 306.50 (2P € 368 , 00); Fata Morgana / Circus / Pardoes / Underwater Suite € 336.50 (2P € 398.00). The price includes breakfast and unlimited entry to the park.
- Efteling Bosrijk. Efteling Bosrijk is the holiday park with pleasant houses and apartments that are hidden in the forest. All arrangements include unlimited entry to De Efteling for the entire duration of the stay. The Eethuys is a cozy get-together with a drink and a snack. Bread rolls are baked in the large oven in the morning (8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.) and pizza in the evening (5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.). The restaurant in Eethuys offers a small but surprising menu with "wooded" dishes. It is open for lunch from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and for dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Eethuys terrace is also open between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. The Badhuys is a small indoor pool with a baby and toddler pool. Open: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. - 10 p.m.Price: 2 nights with 2 adults and 2 children: Landhuys apartment (4P) from € 270; Poorthuys apartment (4P) from € 310; Dorpshuys (6P) from € 418; Boshuys (6P) from € 458; Boshuys / 6P VIP) from € 558.
camping
- 1 De Hoefstal, Fam. C.M.W. van Rooy, Horst 7A, Kaatsheuvel. Mobile: (0)6-14889975. Camping on the farm (VEKABO).Price: Tariffs (2011): Adults € 4.50; Children (-2) free; Children (3-12) € 2.75; Caravan / tent € 3.50; Tourist tax € 0.97; Environmental tax € 0.75; Dog: € 1.50.
- 2 Bernehoeve, Fam. H.L.J. Mathijssen, Bernsehoef 9, Kaatsheuvel. Tel.: 31 (0)416 273207. Camping on the farm (VEKABO).Price: Tariffs (2010): Adults € 3.00; Children (2-12) € 2.40; Caravan / tent € 3.20; Motorhome € 4.90; Car € 1.70; Tourist tax € 0.97; Environmental tax € 0.75; Dog: € 1.00.
security
As with all mass gatherings in all countries: Keep an eye on your belongings! Otherwise, De Efteling is pretty safe.
