Sven: Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a great start of the New Year and maybe, you celebrated it at a theme park! We were fortunate enough to celebrate it at Efteling. Find out why you too should consider doing the same next time. Next to that, we have an update on the park, including the construction of Max & Moritz!
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Free drinks & “oliebollen”
To enter the New Year’s Eve event, you need a special ticket. During the day, the park remained open until 6 pm. Then at 7 pm, the park reopened and the first thing you got was a little bag. Inside there are three things: a park map, a starlight and a bracelet with two plastic coupons. Mind you that there two different maps/starlights were available: red and blue. We’ll explain later why. But more importantly is the bracelets. The two coupons give you a free glass of bubbles and “oliebol”, a kind of churros type snack in a ball shape. However, you can also choose for two glasses if you wish! Non-alcoholic ones for the children are available too! All over the park they have stands to pick what you want.
Winter atmosphere
One of the best things about Winter Efteling: rides in the dark! For the first time ever, even Vliegende Hollander opened up for the winter holidays. So there should only one ride be closed: Pirana, the park’s rapid. Unfortunately, due to a technical issue also Joris & De Draak was closed. They did use the lighting for a little bit more atmosphere in the area.
Besides that, Efteling installed “Vreugdevuren” everywhere around the park as it’s Winter Efteling. These bonfires warm you up while visiting the park in this cold period. That’s also where the entertainment can be found and for New Year’s Eve, all bands were present.
Of course they also add some extra entertainment, for example a Silent Disco! That one was really a hit among guests! You could choose between three types of music by switching the color of the headphones. Green played more laid back pop music, while red & blue had party music going on. A perfect way to really dance into the New Year!
Fireworks!
Obviously you can’t have a NYE celebration without fireworks at a theme park. Remember that they handed out two types of park maps and starlights? That’s because the park has two viewing areas and each have a color assigned. The red zone near the entrance where they also play Aquanura. The blue zone in “Reizenrijk” on the pond that also has the Gondoletta ride. We picked the red zone as we first watched Aquanura and then did the countdown there!
But Dutch people go crazy with fireworks during NYE. So when you go on a high ride such as Pagode, Baron 1898 or Python after midnight, you’ll see fireworks all around the park! This year the weather was a bit foggy so we didn’t see it as well as last time. Nevertheless, it remains a wonderful sight!
A calm day on New Year’s Day
We also advise to book a stay at the resort cause the next day on January 1st, it’s a wonderful day to visit the park. As many people get New Year’s lunch or dinner, guests at Efteling can enjoy a low crowd day. The perfect day to really enjoy the park with not only the rides, but of course the famous Fairy Tale Forest too! And because it’s Winter Efteling, almost all parts are dressed up in winter decorations.
What’s new?
There were quite some things that we hadn’t seen yet since our last visit in May. First of all, the new fairytale: “De Zes Zwanen”. Translated as the Six Swans, this is the first ride in the forest. Quite small but fun for children, as you do a circle tour inside the new castle.
Nearby, one of the fairytales is missing. The house of Vrouw Holle has been demolished but will be rebuilt in the 2020 season.
Symbolica got an update with three new animatronics too. We did two tours so we saw the one in the Treasure and Music tour. Both represent the character O.J. Punctuel who tries to interrupt your special tour.
Winter Efteling meant also some new decorations around the park. Besides the bonfires, there are now stoves around to add to the typical winter atmosphere.
Max & Moritz Construction
And of course since the goodbye of Bob, they have been busy building the new coasters Max & Moritz.
The old station for Bob got a makeover to fit the new theme.
As for construction itself, no track yet visible but the supports got up!
Let’s end with my last and first coaster of the new year: Baron 1898! What was yours or what is it going to be? Let us know!
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful 2020 everyone! Also read one of our other new posts:
10 European Coasters that Define the Decade
Our 5 Favorite Parks in the World
Our Top 10 Biggest Surprise Coasters of 2019