Efteling is one of the most popular and well-attended theme parks in the world.
And it’s not hard to see why.
This massive Dutch park is stunningly gorgeous and features highly-detailed fairy tale theming.
While roller coasters aren’t the primary focus, you do have 6 and most have some sort
of theming with them.
Then you have some of the world’s best dark rides as well.
So in this video, I will rank the top 15 best rides and attractions at Efteling.
15) Pagode- This observation ride has a super cool ride system.
It’s a flying island, so a massive arm folds towards the sky until it reaches the ride’s
max height of nearly 200 feet or 60 meters.
Efteling is a heavily wooded park, so it’s neat seeing an aerial view.
You’ll see the occasional coaster popping above the treeline, but it’s easy to get
lost in the greenery.
14) Monorail- This attraction gives guests an elevated and leisurely tour through Lavenlaar,
a village consisting of 15 different houses.
While you can also see these houses from the ground, this is my preferred way to see it.
13) Raveleijn- This 15 minute show is a spectacle.
Between the animals, physical stunts, and fire effects, the visuals are some of the
best of any theme park show.
12) Python- Efteling’s first major roller coaster was this Vekoma multi-looper.
The layout is over 40 years old, but the track itself is roughly 3 years old as CSM replaced
the track in 2018.
This coaster is now smooth as glass.
The first two vertical loops have some solid positive Gs and while the corkscrews are pretty
forgettable, the final helix has a little punch to it.
This is one of the few coasters at the park lacking any theming, but it’s a decent looper.
11) Vogel Rok- This indoor Vekoma coaster has an interesting facade with a giant angry
bird.
And inside, you find a twisting steel coaster mostly in the dark.
There are 1-2 dimly lit figures and some lights, but you won’t see much.
And that makes this coaster feel way faster than its posted 40 mph or 65 kph speed.
The first half has some decent Gs from the sudden drops and turns, but the second half
does lets its foot off the gas.
10) Pirana- This is a very well-landscaped Intamin river rapids ride.
The is a fairly long rapids ride that travels through a tunnel, past some nice rockwork,
and past some misty waterfalls.
The ride has some decent rapids, but the most soaking effect is a guest-operated water cannon
at the very end.
9) Villa Volta- This is one of the best madhouses in the world.
The ride has two pre-shows that set the story and then the main ride is a joy.
Between the detailed room and amazing soundtrack, this ride put a big smile on my face.
The Vekoma madhouses have more movement than the others, so the inverting effect is more
convincing as well.
Bob- This Intamin bobsled had an awesome setting in the woods, which I found pretty interesting
considering the possibility that branches could fall in the trough.
This one had a few moments like Great Escape’s Alpine Bobsled where you felt the bobsled
momentarily jump the track and it was one of the smoother bobsled coasters out there.
8) Fairytale Forest- This is one of the signature experiences at Efteling.
This is a long and elaborate walkthrough past many famous fairytales.
Each scene is colorful and several have some animation attached to them.
But the two highlights for me are Long Neck, who stretched far taller than I expected,
and the infamous donkey that poops coins out for guests to catch.
7) Droomvlucht- The first of several dark rides on this list is this suspended voyage.
The music and visuals on this one are beautiful.
The sets had me in awe as they went between these lush forests to outer space.
Then you have a surprisingly fast downwards spiral towards the end that feels sort of
like a coaster.
6) Carnaval Festival- This cheery dark ride has an infectious tune on loop and is the
park’s take on Disney’s classic It’s a Small World.
This ride takes riders on a long journey around the world.
Each country’s style and actions are exaggerated, but I like the weird aesthetic and it keeps
the ride engaging.
5) Fata Morgana- This boat ride feels like Pirates of the Caribbean crossed with Aladdin.
This is yet another long dark ride past many large and elaborately detailed sets.
The amount to see on both sides is overwhelming and it’s also paired with a wonderful musical
score.
4) Vliegende (VLEE HEN DAY) Hollander- This water coaster does a little of everything.
It starts with a well-themed queue line and station.
Then you have a creepy dark ride segment in misty darkness.
You can barely see anything and when paired with an ominous musical score, you really
feel lost at sea.
The ride then culminates in a coaster section.
The first drop has some good zip, but the others don’t really offer much in terms
of thrills or force.
And then the final splash is shockingly dry for a water ride.
3) Baron 1898- This Bolliger & Mabillard dive machine looks amazing between its custom support
structure, placement, and landscaping.
This thrill coaster tells a story and the attraction starts with a short dark ride segment
before the lift hill with some ghostly visual effects.
While the main layout isn’t as tall as the other dive coasters, it’s still enjoyable.
The vertical drop offers some good floater airtime and goes deep underground into a misty
tunnel.
The Immelmann is forgettable, but the rest of the ride is good.
The zero-G roll has nice hangtime, the helix has great positive Gs, and the bunny hill
gives some weak floater airtime.
The ride is also very smooth and super reridable.
2) Joris en de Draak- This dueling Great Coasters International creation is what I wish Lightning
Racer was.
This coaster, while a bit on the short side, offers the usually dynamic GCI ride experience
with the visuals of a racing coaster.
Just make sure to ride this one in the front or back; there’s a reason the height limit
is higher for those seats.
The large drops give good floater airtime in the back while any ascent up front gives
a good pop of airtime.
The ride is very smooth and is very well-paced until it slows down towards the end.
1) Symbolica- This trackless dark ride is one of the best dark rides ever created.
Efteling’s mascot takes you on one of three tours through the castle.
The ride fully uses the trackless technology to explore each room to the fullest.
And each room is filled with grand physical sets.
I love the observatory towards the beginning and then the giant whale in the tank is incredible
to see.
Then each tour has their own separate scene towards the second half and all the vehicles
unite for a dazzling party sequence at the end.
Symbolica is cutting-edge in all areas and this is why it’s such a special ride.
So those are my top 15 favorite rides and attractions at Efteling.
What are your favorite attractions at this Dutch park?
Do you agree with my list?
Let me know your thoughts on any attraction I mentioned or any you think I missed down
in the comments.
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