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Old 8 Aug 17, 01:48 PM  
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StorybookCircus
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Efteling

Hi all,

Has anybody been to the Efteling theme park in Holland?
My partner and I want to go away for a couple of days in December, and we're blown away by videos of Efteling's new dark ride (having never even heard of the park before!)
It took very little convincing before we agreed to splash out on a pirate-themed hotel suite (it's our Christmas present to each other, after all!) and it works out cheaper to spend two nights midweek due to the flights (two nights= £130. Overnight= £280. Can anyone explain what KLM are thinking?!) We'll have two half-days and one full day in the park, which should be plenty of time to check out all the rides, shows, restaurants etc
So, questions!

1. when do the Dutch schools break up? Will the first week of December be fairly quiet?

2. We will be flying from our home town (Norwich) airport straight to Schipol. I'm a VERY nervous traveler and the size of that airport scares me to death!
We're planning to buy train tickets to Tilburg and bus tickets from Tilburg to Efteling when we arrive. Can anyone reassure me that this will be quite painless (well-signposted, in English, friendly staff?) I'm happy to attempt a bit of Dutch but I'm terrified of getting it all wrong and ending up in the wrong part of the country! Is the theme park popular enough that airport/station staff will know where I want to go if I just say "Efteling"?

3. What is the weather like in December? My partner struggled a bit at DLP when it was minus 1, but our hotel is very close to the park so we can pop back for a quick shower or coffee My partner is already disappointed that the water rides are switched off in the winter (how amazing does that pirate water-coaster look! ) so I'm hoping that most of the other rides can operative despite wintery weather?

4. Pancakes and waffles look amazing, but I'd better eat a proper meal or two at some point...what are your favourite vegetarian options in the park and hotel? Are all the restaurants open in early December?

I'm sure that Tripadvisor etc can help me with most of these questions, but I much prefer to hear personal stories on the Dibb from people who have been to DLP and the like, and can size Efteling up Any hints will be are gratefully received!

Edited at 05:11 PM. Reason: Spelling...
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Old 8 Aug 17, 10:18 PM  
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There's a few posts running about Efteling just now. I have been 7/8 times (lost count) and I've also stayed in the Flying Dutchman suite.
We fly to schipol and take the train from the airport to hertogenbosch (1 hour) then take the bus (30 mins) from the train station.
We went in November and it was so cold that my husband refused to go again at that time of year.
In December you'll be experiencing "winter Efteling" at least 2 major rides, the Flying Dutchman and pirana will be closed but the water display aquanura will be wonderful in the dark.
Most restaurants will be open, the new(ish) pancake place next to the new ride is absolutely wonderful and puts disney themeing to shame. The newly refurbished restaurant at the hotel is beautiful and I highly recommend it. Not much to do in the surrounding areas but we always go for a stroll at night to see what mischief we can find.
Please bare in mind, that if you get off the bus at the park entrance that it is a hike to the hotel, please tell the bus driver you are staying at the hotel and he'll advice you about the better stop is disembark. Coming from hertogenbosch, you'll pass the hotel stop before the park. But if you travel from Tilburg I think you'll arrive from a different angle. But you could always take a taxi, so you won't need to worry.
The Dutch are simply wonderful and will help you out if you get lost. Please don't hesitate to message me if you need any further help.
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Old 8 Aug 17, 10:21 PM  
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You will find that younger Dutch people speak perfect English so you won't have any problems communicating. (Pity we English don't bother to learn other languages).
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Old 9 Aug 17, 07:12 PM  
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StorybookCircus
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Thank you The journey to Hergotenbosch seems just as simple as the one to Tilburg so we'll probably go with whichever train is in the station when we arrive.
We're sad that the Flying Dutchman ride will be closed, but we're thinking of booking the suite! I like the Carousel suite best but it's already booked, the Northern Lights one with the furry polar bear-shaped fridge looks pretty fun too Are there any fun details we should look out for in the room?
Could you tell us what the buffet breakfast in the hotel is like? I'm vegetarian, will there be pastries, fruit and suchlike? I think we plan to fill up on breakfast then enjoy snacks (like pancakes!) throughout the day. The pancake place looks more fun than Be Our Guest at WDW
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Old 9 Aug 17, 07:59 PM  
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Originally Posted by StorybookCircus View Post
Thank you The journey to Hergotenbosch seems just as simple as the one to Tilburg so we'll probably go with whichever train is in the station when we arrive.
We're sad that the Flying Dutchman ride will be closed, but we're thinking of booking the suite! I like the Carousel suite best but it's already booked, the Northern Lights one with the furry polar bear-shaped fridge looks pretty fun too Are there any fun details we should look out for in the room?
Could you tell us what the buffet breakfast in the hotel is like? I'm vegetarian, will there be pastries, fruit and suchlike? I think we plan to fill up on breakfast then enjoy snacks (like pancakes!) throughout the day. The pancake place looks more fun than Be Our Guest at WDW
Thr breakfast buffet is quite extensive, you'll find plenty of pastry and fruit. You'll also find bowls of sprinkles too, your meant to put these on top of your cereal, not have a bowl full and add milk (like I did) I got some strange looks.

I have stayed in the wonderwater suite (big whirlpool tub with a fish fountain) which was great as I was very sick that trip and spent 2 days in that tub watching the wildlife channel.
The Flying Dutchman suite is beautiful, watch out for the mirror, it caused me to fall off my chair in shock the first day. all the little details are so beautiful, the multi colour changing lights above the bed, the bubble sounds effects when you walk in... you'll have an absolute blast! If you fancy a change of scenery, there's a restaurant down at the holiday village besjorik (not quite sure on the spelling) but the area is well worth a nose around. Please don't miss Vila Volta, it's a fabulous ride with a stunning soundtrack.
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Old 9 Aug 17, 08:41 PM  
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I can't offer much help with your questions except to say efteling is fantastic - you'll love it! I can't wait to go back for symbolica! I'm veggie and didn't have any problems eating in the park, I think we ate at the pancake place and some snack places.
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Old 19 Aug 17, 11:41 PM  
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StorybookCircus
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Thank you everyone We booked last night, with a few slight changes...
Firstly, the dates. My partner works in a theatre and December is panto season, so no matter how hard he begged he was NOT getting any time off! We've ended up booking Elfteling for two nights from 30th November. The winter season at Efteling will still be in full swing
We then discovered that it was £50 cheaper to fly Wed-Sat instead of Wed-Fri (I swear airlines make their prices up as they go along...) so we're spending that £50 (well, closer to £100 actually!) on a hotel next to Amsterdam central station. We've booked transport from the airport to the hotel on our arrival day; we'll check out some touristy things (like the Van Gogh gallery, depending on the crowds) before heading to Efteling the following day. Just a flying visit but hopefully we'll get a sense of what the city is like.
My dreams of the Flying Dutchman suite did not come true My partner originally said he would treat us, but I couldn't justify the extra £300 to myself. We're still staying at the Efteling hotel- just in a basic suite. I hear they still have lots of cool hidden details to look out for!
The total cost of our 4-day getaway is just over £800 so far- we're going halves
Approx £250 for two return flights from Norwich to Schipol (no hold luggage or pre-booked seats)
£20 for two train tickets from Schipol to Amsterdam city centre
£80 for a travel lodge style hotel a stone's throw away from the station
And £450 for two nights in a basic room at Efteling, three days in the park and hotel breakfast.
We need to pay a city tax of around 10 euros when we arrive at the first hotel, and will have to buy train tickets from Amsterdam to Efteling, then from Efteling to Schipol. Then there's food, souvenirs (including Xmas presents for folk back home!) and entry to any places we visit whilst in Amsterdam. We're probably going to take 300 euros with us (and hopefully bring some change back!)
I don't think that's too bad when compared to Disneyland Paris- I'm excited to see if the park lives up to my Disney-based expectations! Thank you all again for your help and advice xx
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Old 20 Aug 17, 12:10 AM  
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Carole ragdoll
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Originally Posted by Mrs_O View Post
Thr breakfast buffet is quite extensive, you'll find plenty of pastry and fruit. You'll also find bowls of sprinkles too, your meant to put these on top of your cereal, not have a bowl full and add milk (like I did) I got some strange looks.

I have stayed in the wonderwater suite (big whirlpool tub with a fish fountain) which was great as I was very sick that trip and spent 2 days in that tub watching the wildlife channel.
The Flying Dutchman suite is beautiful, watch out for the mirror, it caused me to fall off my chair in shock the first day. all the little details are so beautiful, the multi colour changing lights above the bed, the bubble sounds effects when you walk in... you'll have an absolute blast! If you fancy a change of scenery, there's a restaurant down at the holiday village besjorik (not quite sure on the spelling) but the area is well worth a nose around. Please don't miss Vila Volta, it's a fabulous ride with a stunning soundtrack.
Haha! Sprinkles in a bowl of milk would look funny to the Dutch! Hagelslag is to be used on bread and butter or crackers or rusks!
Glad you liked your trip to the Efteling!
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