Efteling Beyond the Fairy Tales
Efteling, in Kaatsheuvel in the province of North Brabant, opened in 1952 and is best known for its Fairytale Forest. It is also home to a solid line-up of roller coasters and intense rides. Most thrill rides are spread across the park's different realms, so a thrill-focused day needs a plan to avoid long walks between queues.
Kaatsheuvel has no railway station. Visitors without a car usually travel by train to Tilburg or 's-Hertogenbosch and continue by bus to the park entrance; check current routes in a journey planner. Efteling also runs its own hotel and holiday parks next to the park, which some visitors use to split the rides over two days.
Baron 1898
Baron 1898, opened in 2015, is Efteling's most intense ride. It is a dive coaster themed to a gold mine at the end of the 19th century: the train holds riders over the edge of a vertical drop before releasing them into a 37.5 m plunge into a mine shaft, reaching about 90 km/h. The minimum height is 1.32 m, the highest in the park. A single rider queue fills empty seats and often moves faster than the main queue if your group does not mind being split.
Python
Python, which opened in 1981, is a steel coaster with a double loop and corkscrew. The original track was replaced in 2018 by a new one built to the same layout, and the ride layout is unchanged. Minimum height is 1.20 m. Python has a single rider queue and a Baby Switch, which lets parents take turns without queueing twice. Cameras are not allowed on the ride, and it only runs when the weather allows.
Joris en de Draak and De Vliegende Hollander
Joris en de Draak (George and the Dragon), opened in 2010, is a wooden racing coaster with two trains, fire and water, that race each other side by side through the course. It is fast, with moments of airtime, rather than extreme, and riding both sides is worthwhile.
De Vliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman), from 2007, combines a dark ride with a water coaster. The story of the cursed ship plays out indoors before the boat climbs and drops into a splash. Expect to get a little wet.
Danse Macabre and the Indoor Rides
Danse Macabre, opened in 2024, is an indoor attraction on a dynamic motion platform, set in an abandoned abbey where a ghostly orchestra once disappeared. Guests sit in choir stalls that move and tilt while effects play out around them, with loud noises, flashing lights, fog, partial darkness and some G-forces. The minimum height is 1.20 m. It is more about atmosphere and surprise than speed.
Vogel Rok (1998) is an enclosed coaster that runs in near darkness, which makes a modest layout feel fast. For younger thrill-seekers, Max & Moritz (2020) is a family double coaster with two tracks, a good first step before the bigger rides.
Water Rides and Classics
Piraña (1983) is a river rapids ride through a South American-themed landscape; you will get wet, so bring a light rain layer on cooler days. Halve Maen (1982) is a swinging ship that reaches steep angles. Fata Morgana (1986) is a dark boat ride rather than a thrill ride, but it is one of the park's classics and a good break between coasters.
New additions in 2026 include Hooghmoed, a set of family freefall towers.
Planning a Thrill Day
- Arrive at opening and head for Baron 1898 or Joris en de Draak first, as queues build quickly on popular days.
- Use single rider lines where available if your group is happy to ride separately.
- Leave the indoor rides for the middle of the day or for rain, and the outdoor coasters for when the weather is good, as outdoor rides can pause in high wind or storms.
- Check height limits for children before you go, since they vary by ride.
- Weekends and Dutch school holidays are busiest; a weekday outside the holidays makes the biggest difference to waiting times.
Ticket prices vary by date, so buy online in advance and check the opening hours for your day on the official Efteling website, as they change through the season.
