Book your Efteling theme park entrance ticket from Stadsdriehoek, Rotterdam

Summary: Absolutely fantastic, especially for kids. Really well organised and far cheaper than the well known one in Paris! Accommodation is top notch and park has a wide range of food options at a reasonable, (for a theme park!), prices, also provides lots of picnic spots if you prefer to take your own food. Shows are spectacular and staff we spoke to were always really helpful. Give your kids/grandkids the time of their lives and go ASAP!

Summary: We were here not for the first time. As always,a lot of best impressions and positive emotions. Recommend for the families of every age.

Summary: Amazing park for families with children. There’s something for all ages. Every ride is extremely well thought out with lots of attention to detail. It’s not a complete rip off like other well known parks and despite visiting in the height of summer we never queued for more than an hour. The shows are also brilliant and the Rajevlin dinner is an absolute must if you have small children. You need to visit this park!

Summary: I had seen so much about Efteling from various theme park YouTubers and they all raved about it, so when it came time to book a trip this summer, this is what we decided on (over returning to Disneyland Paris) and I couldn't be happier we did. We didn't stay onsite so can't comment on that, we stayed in Tilburg and the buses were so frequent, affordable and easy to use. The park itself is STUNNING, the ride selection is great (though if you're after lots of big thrills this may not be for you) and the quality of the rides is top tier, especially as they are so unique, my favourites were Danse Macabre and Flying Dutchman. It's also so affordable and fairly managed, there's no fast-pass (only ride access) so despite going at the end of August, we never saw a wait-time over 50mins and the single rider queues were readily available. The prices are reasonable, for example, to store two small suitcases it cost €3 (in Disney it probably would have been 10x this price) and the food prices are just as fair. We truly had the best four days and I would return in a heartbeat. We flew in and out of Amsterdam Schipol and getting the train to Tilburg was so easy and only took 1hr 10mins. If you're thinking of coming here, do it. It's a world class theme park that doesn't take the p*ss with its prices and I can't wait to go back.

Summary: I have been coming regularly to Efteling since I was a child in the 90s, and am self confessedly completely addicted! I live in south west London, and I find that it takes only around 6.5 hours using the channel tunnel to drive. After a hiatus of about 7 years since my last visit due to general busyness and Covid, it was nothing short of an utter delight to be back here again. The attention to detail is extraordinary. From the complex animatronics to the scent of flowers when entering some of the attractions in the fairytale forest, there seems to be no length that Efteling won’t go to to recreate stories that delight. And they are culturally rich stories based on grimms fairytales and other folklore, full of interest, not the facile and plastic happy ending stories you get at Disney. Furthermore, the design genius of the illustrator anton pieck lives on - everything is designed using his distinctive style as a template, which makes the architecture of the park genuinely exciting. Kitsch, perhaps, but definitely not tacky. In fact, Efteling seems to have captured some cultural hinterland of Dutchness - some kind of essential ingredient which makes the Dutch Dutch. It’s all clever animatronics and it’s a simulation of dutch culture of course, but it’s also more than that. You have to see it to believe it. There is no doubt in my mind that Efteling is one of those rare life experiences that’s one of a kind. In a way, it’s been life defining for me. My academic interest in English literature and fairytales and storytelling probably began years ago in the park when I visited as a young child. This is about the joy of loosing yourself in story, pure and simple. But I will also post about something I feel is not quite right in Efteling (this is an honest review!) I was enormously disappointed on my visit to discover that one of my favourite attractions, spookslot, had been demolished and replaced with a new ride called dance macabre. Now I’ve googled this, and it seems that the reasons given by the park for doing this were that spookslot was not keeping up with increased footfall and that the building was in a state of disrepair. But there are many ways of managing these issues. Firstly, regarding increased footfall, it would be possible to book a timed ticket to see the attraction. And secondly I note that Efteling retracked python, so perhaps they could have rebuilt spookslot too. Why am I upset about this though? Well, for those who don’t know what spookslot was, it was a subtle and utterly unique attraction. The visitor walked through an old decrepit house into a viewing chamber where they could see the scene of an old graveyard. Then the classical piece ‘Danse macabre’ started to play, and the scenery started to cleverly come to life in time to the music. The bannisters swayed, dead bodies emerged from the gravestones, the flower petals opened and closed, a procession of ghostly monks passed in the background, wind blew through the rushes. The attention to detail was staggering, and it was classic Efteling. I love that the singer Kate bush actually used the ride as a set for a performance of wuthering heights - that’s how atmospheric it was. And it was spooky, but not in the generic and gratuitous sense that so often emerges in haunted houses. So I think it was a mistake for Efteling to have removed this attraction and although I also love the new ride, I don’t see why the new attraction couldn’t have been built next door. Ok so moving beyond this one issue - Other excellent attractions have of course been built though, all with outstanding, non generic, imaginative theming. Symbolica, baron 1898, Flying Dutchman, dance macabre. The list goes on. I hope that Efteling continues in this way - with the commitment to detail that characterises everything at the park. I hear that Efteling will be opening a new section of the park at some point in the future. I am more excited than words can tell to see what the imagineers will come up with next. I know it’s going to be special. If you are deciding whether to visit or not, do it. This is something that might change your life.

Summary: Great theme park, which we would highly recommend. Spent 1 day here with our teenagers, and to be honest, we probably could have done with a second day to finish it all! There is so much to do here and such a varied selection of rides. From the big coasters, water rides, steam train, a long gentle boat ride, plenty of indoor rides and experiences. There are also a number of shows which we just didn't get time to do. Our favourite ride was the Baron! We pre-ordered our tickets the day before, which meant we went straight in and didn't have to queue. Queue times are actually very reasonable due to efficient staff and no fast track like we have in the UK. A lot of rides we got on with in about 20 mins, even the big ones! Good quality food options at prices you'd expect. There are lots of places to sit and eat. It stays open till 9pm, and there's an option to buy reduced priced tickets for entry between 5pm and 9pm. We would definitely return!

Summary: The best theme park I’ve ever visited! We stayed overnight and therefore enjoyed Efteling for two full days and wow - what a treat! The first thing you notice is how pristine the place is - nothing seems old or tired, everything well maintained and clean. There’s a wonderful blend of rides and attractions to suit all the family, and the Efteling App makes it easy to see where to go, queue lengths for rides and even order food. Queues were never crazy long, but recommend earlier in the day or stay later (most rides open till 10pm) - we were able to do a load of rides after 6pm on the first day, and in the first hour of day 2 (overnight visitors get in 30 mins earlier). Rollercoaster highlights for us: 1. Joris and the Dragon: wooden rollercoaster with two trains racing each other - top ride 2. The Flying Dutchman: great theatrics in the lead up to the ride, a mixture of a boat and a rollercoaster - awesome 4. Baron 1898: high adrenaline ride with big drop! (The only rode our 7 yr old 5. Python - classic coaster with double loops, twists and drops 6. Vogel Rok: Dark indoor rollercoaster - great fun! Other rides: 1. Symbolica - indoor ride with lots to see 2. Gondolettas - boat ride around the huge lake 3. Pagode - panoramic views over the whole park - particularly awesome once the sun has gone down. The staff are all amazingly happy and friendly, and the food prices for a theme park are surprisingly reasonable. Oh, and if you have a smaller kid who might get tired with the walking (I clocked about 35,000 steps in two days!) then you can hire a cool little pull-along cart to save tried legs for only 5€. I cannot recommend Efteling enough. The only negative is that at some point you have to go home :-(

Summary: Beautiful theme park, rides are very well themed and extremely creative. Probably not the best park for pure thrill rides, but the quality theming makes this a great experience. Wide ranging food options adds to the appeal. We spent 11 hours in the park and saw most (but not all) of it. Ride lines were generally short (30 minutes or less)

Summary: Fantastic first class theme park for children of all ages. Really friendly staff and lovely environment. Loads of things to do lovely magical experience. Would put this on par with Disney if not even better

Summary: I usually find theme parks soulless, overly commercialised, and too intense. However, Efteling was genuinely a great experience for me and my family. Beautifully kept, visually stunning, and a combination of thrill rides and quiet corners where you could hear bird song. Even the queues weren’t too bad. Well done!