Python at Efteling is one of the most interesting Vekoma loopers in the world.
The coaster originally opened in 1981, but the version you can ride today is much different.
In an age where parks are more likely to demolish aging attractions,
Efteling took the unprecedented step to fully retrack this steel coaster a few years ago.
But was it worth it? Find out in this review of Python.
This coaster originally opened in 1981. And it was significant for both the park and manufacturer.
For Efteling, it was their first ever roller coaster. This ride signified a transition to
adding more daring mechanical rides. And today, Efteling features 6 different roller coasters.
For Vekoma, this was one of their first roller coasters. It would be their first to invert riders
four times and it would become the longest coaster in mainland Europe when it opened.
Plus, it was the first coaster this Dutch manufacturer would install in their homeland.
Vekoma’s headquarters is located roughly an hour from Efteling.
Python suffered through a lot of red tape to open. Locals complained about noise and
possible increases in traffic. Environmentalists tried to get the ride’s permits withdrawn.
While the coaster opened in 1981, locals continued to complain about the noise this coaster created,
particularly when Efteling extended their operating hours further into the evening.
After nearly 3.5 decades of operation, Python was showing its age.
The old steel was deteriorating and the layout was showing its age. Python was designed before
computer-aided design was available and it showed in the ride’s jerky transitions.
Compare that to something like the modern Baron 1898 in the same park that was glass smooth.
Efteling decided to spend nearly $5.5 million to renovate Python. That sum could have been used
on an all-new ride. While this coaster may not be special to most coaster enthusiasts, the ride had
a special place in the hearts for families who have visited Efteling for decades. It was the
first inverting coaster for many and it was a source of pride given how historic the ride was
when it first opened. And these funds would ensure the coaster’s longevity for many decades to come.
Python originally used Vekoma’s track that was identical to Arrow’s old track.
Vekoma no longer used this track style. The last time they used this track was for Disneyland
Paris’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in 2002. So Efteling sourced the job to CSM Steel
Structures. This Belgian company replaced all the track between the bottom of the first drop all the
way to the brake run. But the ride wasn’t cloned exactly. CSM made some adjustments to the ride’s
profiling to smooth the transitions. This is why Python, while using the original layout’s footers,
has funky looking supports. The track is in slightly different spots. And the track is
also beefier now too. If you watch a POV, you can see where the track switches on the first drop.
New trains weren’t ordered as part of this refurbishment, but Efteling had already replaced
this ride’s trains twice. Python originally opened with Arrow trains, but switched to
Kumbak trains in 2005. These trains still featured over-the-shoulder restraints, so Efteling swapped
them out with Vekoma trains in 2011 that featured vest restraints. These harnesses featured soft
padding that hugged your chest. Compare that with the old over-the-shoulder restraints that
were relatively hard and constantly smashing the heads and necks of riders. These trains eliminated
headbanging and the 2018 track replacement eliminated the ride’s imperfect profiling.
Ever since Python reopened in 2018 from its refurbishment, it has been one of the smoothest
coasters in the world. It almost feels unnatural how flawlessly it tracks. And the white paint
looks super fresh, although appearance has never been an issue for this ride or any at Efteling.
Python usually has one of the longer lines at Efteling. It has hovered around the half hour mark
in my visits to the park. The ride seems to always run two trains, each seating 28 riders per train.
And the crew loads them quickly. These Vekoma over-the-shoulder
restraints are a breeze to check. There are two possible alternatives to
the standby queue. One, the park has experimented with a virtual queue on this coaster, but I have
no experience using it. Two, the ride features a single rider line. However, I would be very
careful about using it based on my experience. When I used it, the grouper was loading standby
queue guests front to back. Whenever there was an odd-numbered group, they
would start loading back to front. When another odd-numbered group was pulled, they’d pair them
with the prior odd group. Basically, single riders had to hope the final group was odd-numbered. I’m
not sure if I just got unlucky the day I visited, but the standby queue was a little faster.
And looking at Queue-Times, I don’t think this was an anomaly.
The average wait time for Python’s standby and single rider lines are nearly identical.
Python is a coaster where I don’t have a preference where I sit.
The elements feel identical across the train. Before going into the ride experience,
I want to note that I have only experienced Python since the retracking. However, I did ride Shaman
at Gardaland, which is a clone. That ride also had much of its track replaced between 2020 and 2021,
but I rode Shaman with its original Vekoma track back in 2019. So this allowed me to see
how CSM tweaked the ride’s feel. Once secured, you turn 180 degrees and
ascend the 95 foot or 29 meter tall lift hill. At the top, you again turn 180 degrees and then head
down the 72 foot or 22 meter tall first drop. The straight drops on these Arrow and Vekoma loopers
typically give a nice pop of airtime in the back, but that was sadly missing on Python.
This wasn’t lost as part of the refurb, especially since CSM didn’t touch the top of the drop.
This drop then leads into back-to-back vertical loops. These loops are fairly forceful.
That’s followed by a hop into the far turnaround. Shaman gave a quick pop of airtime here
and I suspect Python used to as well. Today on Python, the transition has been smoothed
out so that airtime pop is unfortunately gone. After a smooth and forceless turn, you navigate
back-to-back corkscrews. These are smooth but otherwise not really noteworthy.
You then have a final helix. This 540 degree helix has some decent force to it
and it leads into the brake run, ending the 2460 foot or 750 meter long coaster.
So what would I rate Python? I would give this Vekoma looper a 5 out of 10. This is an average
looping coaster. I like the vertical loops and helix, but the rest of the ride feels a
bit sterile. Some of the imperfections in the old Arrow and Vekoma layouts
that can give pops of airtime or laterals were designed out by the retrack and reprofiling.
I ultimately do appreciate how smooth the coaster is. The lack of headbanging and fluidity of the
layout are impressive. And it’s why this ride is a great candidate for someone’s first looping
coaster. I also acknowledge this ride’s history and importance to the park, but it’s probably my
least favorite major coaster at Efteling and I prefer many other looping coasters out there.
So those are my thoughts on Python at Efteling. What are your thoughts on this Vekoma looper?
Let me know what you think about this coaster, especially if you rode it both before and after
the refurbishment. If you enjoyed this review, I’d appreciate it if you gave this video a like
and you considered subscribing since there will be a lot more roller coaster
and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!