EFTELING
The Netherlands
 Park News - (12/13/2024) Blooloop reports that Efteling has launched an updated version of the park’s current Aquanura water show, “Efteling Symphonica”. The show has been updated to become more environmentally friendly, removing the propane fueled fire effects and replacing them with various new lighting effects. The musical score has also been updated as well to create a new show experience.
Efteling has a long term plan to be “climate neutral” by 2030 and has a number of changes in the works. Already complete was the addition of a new sustainable energy system for heating and cooling in part of the park, and they are also working on updating the old steam trains to be electric instead, but will mimic the look and feel of the steam engines through special effects systems instead.
(11/21/2024) Blooloop reports that Efteling’s original Efteling Hotel will close for extensive renovations from January 2025 through to mid-April, and reopen under the new name, “Efteling Wonder Hotel”. According to the story, the hotel’s rooms were updated in 2021 and much of the exterior was updated in 2023, so this latest closure will complete the transformation with a complete renovation of the ground floor spaces.
This will also be done ahead of the delayed grand opening of the new Efteling Grand Hotel, now set for sometime later in 2025, so resetting the brand-name and identity of the original hotel to set it more apart from the new Efteling Grand Hotel is a smart strategy.
(6/30/2024) A New Fairy Tail Confirmed For 2025 plus a Danse Macabre Update
(2/18/2024) According to messages being sent my way, Efteling will be adding a second phase of Titan Track to the park’s Joris en de Draak wooden coaster this season.
2024 - Danse Macabre - (11/3/2024) Danse Macabre has finally opened att Efteling, and you can see a fun POV or two below showing off the new ride experience full of music and special effects! As you might expect, it is a very DARK experience, and I love how the ride ops escort groups to their seats with lanterns, adding to the creepy dark atmosphere of it all. Then the music rises and it’s all spinning, whirling, rise and falling with the music for this epic haunted concert of an attraction that looks so unique. Check it out below!
(10/3/2024) Efteling is now teasing the upcoming October 31st grand opening of their new Danse Macabre attraction. In addition to the online teaser, they’ve posted what is likely the final behind the scenes video about the creation of this massive new themed attraction that will actually give you a brief look at the new ride system in action as well as the incredibly themed dark landscape that surrounds it all.
Be sure to turn on the closed captions, as everything is presented in English that way.
(7/12/2024) Efteling has now confirmed that their new Danse Macabre attraction will open to guests, appropriately enough, on Halloween itself, October 31st, 2024.
(6/30/2024) Something special has arrived at Efteling. In a video short posted to YouTube, it appers that one of the ride cars for Danse Macabre has now arrived on site. The video shows off some close up footage of some of the themed details built into the ride vehicle’s body panels.
(2/5/2024) A small construction update on Efteling’s new Danse Macabre attraction has been posted to Blooloop this week, just as the new building structure has officially been ‘topped out’ with the installation of a themed gothic spire at the top. The article goes on to confirm that the new prototype attraction will not be ready to open until “autumn 2024”.
(7/4/2023) Blooloop reports that Efteling has opened a new “haunted” food and beverage location near to where next year’s new Danse Macabre will be. The new spooky and half-burnt looking location is called “In den Swarte Kat” (In the Black Cat), and offers some unique themed items such as “Blood Juice” you can purchase at a self-service counter. The new eatery combined with next year’s Danse Macabre attraction will be part of a new 17,000 sqft “Huyverwoud Forest” themed area for the park.
(4/16/2023) For a better look at what I believe is the ride system going into Efteling’s new Danse Macabre, check out the promotional video from Intamin showing off the abilities of their new Dynamic Motion Stage ride system.
(3/11/2023) Efteling has revealed some new concept art for the upcoming Danse Macabre attraction, which will feature the creation of the errie “Huyverwoud Forest” area, along with some equally creepy new food and beverage locations called “In den Swarte Kat” and “t Koetshueys”. The fascinating new attraction will also see the premier of a unique ride system not used anywhere else in the world from Intamin.
(11/9/22) Just a warning, but fans of Efteling may cringe a bit watching the videos below. They show off a demolition crew slowly breaking down portions of the the old Spookslot themed exterior building. Piece by piece, brick by brick, the crumbling mass comes tumbling down as the crane operator expertly picks and claws and cuts away at it, crushing the sections into rubble to make way for the new Danse Macabre in 2024.
(11/2/22) According to Blooloop the new Danse Macabre attraction opening at Efteling in 2024 will feature a unique ride system not seen anywhere else in the world. They describe it as having an 18-meter wide turntable, with six smaller turntables on top, each with “six choir stalls”, holding a total of 108 guests. The larger turntable will then be able “to rise, tilt and fall, spin like a coin, and fall flat. “
Intamin has been working closely with the park toi create the new ride system for the attraction that will replace the park’s former Haunted Castle / Spookslot attraction.
(5/21/22) Efteling has confirmed that the park’s Spookslot haunted castle attraction will be replaced by a new dark themed attraction called Danse Macabre in 2024. The new indoor attraction is said to be the anchor of a new themed area for the park. The new attraction will use the former Spookslot as inspiration and may even feature some fun throwback elements along the way.
Meanwhile, guests have until the end of this summer season to enjoy Spookslot before it closes for good.
(1/27/22) We also have a bit of bad news for Efteling fans. The park announced that they will be closing down the Spookslot Haunted House attraction later during the 2022 season. The attraction is leaving to make way for a new high capacity indoor attraction concept that is expected to entertain 1250 guests per hour. The new attraction will be built as part of a “renewed thematic area” between the Pardoes Promenade, Baron 1898 and Max & Moritz attractions. No timeline was given as to when the new attraction would open.
Meanwhile the park also plans to build a new seven story hotel with 143 rooms. Both are expected to open for the 2024 season. Look for the new hotel to be built near the park entrance.
Below you can also see a video of the Spookslot attraction experience that seems to be a blend of a walk-through experience with a big show scene for the finale.
2025 - Efteling Grand Hotel - Delayed To 2025
(1/7/2023) Efteling has started construction on a new hotel located next to the park’s main entrance building. You can get a fantastic look at the site from new aerial photos posted in the tweet below from @ringelbegNick .
(4/9/22) Efteling has revealed their next resort project will be called the Efteling Grand Hotel. Set to open in 2024, this will be the largest hotel at the theme park resort, and actually located within the park itself. Guests will find the new hotel overlooking the Aquanura water show and the Fairytale Forest sections of the theme park. Look for construction on the seven-story 143-room / 700 bed resort to begin this summer. Once it opens, the experience will be also available to theme park guests to come visit and enjoy the shops and two-restaurants built into the ground floor.
2025 - A New Fairy Tale - (6/30/2024) Efteling has also announced a new fairty tale will be added to Fairy Tale Forest, as they seek to create “The Princess on the Pea” by Spring 2025.
2030 Masterplan - (7/18/21) Efteling talks with BlooLoop about the development of the park over the years, as well as a peek at where they are going, now that the park’s 2030 development plans were finally approved in June. This includes a map of the overall site, with several future areas marked for expansion or “Uitbreiding” of Efteling Park in various directions.
(6/3/21) Efteling has won approval for the theme park resorts 2030 master plan, detailing how they would like to expand the resort over the next decade. Specific attractions are not mentioned, but they do show expansion sites for the park to use behind the Reizenrijk area, next to the Efteling Hotel and on sites currently used for overflow parking. Based on past rumors, it sounds like the expansion plans once intended for 2020 may be the first ones to be worked on in the near future, which was to add a new expansion land, possibly connected to the Reizenrijk area.
(1/20/18) Efteling is ready to begin moving forward with a dramatic plans to expand the park into new land as part of their "World of Efteling 2030" masterplan. According to a new post at BlooLoop, they have come to the government to ask for permission to begin working on the first phase of this expansion in order to prepare the 3 hectares site for a new attraction they wish to open in 2020.
According to a map shown, the first phase site will be across the back road of the park, right next door to the Efteling Hotel. This makes me wonder if the 2020 attraction, may be part of the New Coaster rumor we heard a few months back predicted for 2019... as the location given for the coaster (somewhere between Vogel Rok and the Ruigrijk area) is also exactly where the future 2020 to 2030 expansion site lies. Stay tuned...
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