Latest news with #Efteling
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Top European theme park that mums say is better than Disneyland shows off new Wes Anderson-style hotel
A TOP European theme park is welcoming a new premium hotel that looks like it's out of Wes Anderson's world. Dutch theme park Efteling will be opening a new hotel this summer called the Efteling Grand Hotel. 6 6 6 The theme park is already well known for its fairytale theme, with one TikToker - The Travel Mum - dubbing it "better and cheaper than Disneyland". The new addition to the attraction will be the first hotel located within the theme park itself and will open on August 1. The hotel will be themed around a traditional grand dame hotel with stories woven into the design throughout, appearing like a Wes Anderson story. There will be digital check-in, valet parking and luggage handling, upon arrival. A bellhop and Efteling's two princesses will guests in the lobby, where the air will also be infused with the hotel's signature fragrance. The hotel will be spread across seven floors offering 140 rooms and suites, with a total of 644 beds. The biggest room will be able to host six people. The hotel rooms will also overlook the park with different views of the Aquanura water show the House of the Dive Senses entrance, the Fairytale Forest or the Pardoes Promenade Lane. All of the rooms include breakfast at Brasserie 7 and half an hour of early access to the park before it opens to the public. Other features of the rooms include each one having an Efteling Grand Hotel fairytale book. Inside Universal Epic Universe with incredible thrill rides and amazing food The lower ground floor of the hotel will have a swimming pool - availabel only to hotel guests - with spa facilities including a steam room, sauna and massage room. There will also be a multifunctional serenity room where guests can unwind, pray or meditate. The hotel will have two restaurants with Brasserie 7 located on the ground floor and Restaurant-Bar Mystique on the first floor. While Brasserie 7 will serve up a range of classic dishes - which include seven 'magical' ingredients such as princess tears and snow from Mother Holle - Restaurant-Bar Mystique will offer a more premium dining experience. 6 6 Each table will be decorated with edible decorations and the restaurant will be open to the public, as well as park and hotel guests. Café Biscuit will also be a part of the hotel, where baristas will serve coffee and the signature Grand Hotel biscuit. Plans have also been revealed for incredible new 240-room hotel with huge swimming lake, golf and spa near to iconic racetrack. Plus, a huge new Premier Inn will open near major airport and will be the largest of its kind in the north of UK. 6
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
We swapped Disneyland Paris for a cheaper Dutch theme park – and my kids preferred it
As my eight-year-old tore across a sun-dappled clearing in the forest, his eyes locked on a golden coin that had just flown out of a donkey statue's bottom, my daughter and I were doubled over in hysterics. 'Mum, this is the best weekend I've ever had in my whole life!' he gushed, brandishing his loot like pirate treasure. It wasn't about the coin, distinctly plastic-looking, easily obtainable by anyone who taps their card on the donkey for a modest fee of 50 cents. It was about shared escapism and moments that pushed our imagination to the limit. Moments we had in abundance during our 72 hours in Efteling. Take eating pancakes, for example. In most theme parks, you queue, order, and eat. But in Efteling's Polles Keuken restaurant, the experience unfolds like a scene from a storybook. Plates spin through the air, waiters weave theatrically between tables, and your steaming stack arrives as if by magic. Given the enchanted setting, I braced myself when the menu arrived. Would I be sipping tap water while my children feasted? But as my eyes skimmed the prices – €10 (£8.56) for most dishes – I exhaled. I could enjoy my meal without money anxiety gnawing at me. We are a family of theme park aficionados. We've visited Disneyland Paris, Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventure, Legoland, and Drayton Manor, usually with my two younger children, and my husband in tow to manage the chaos. While I adore the adrenaline rush, the elaborate shows, and the feeling of stepping into another world, I usually find myself in an invisible brace position when it comes to spending. At Disneyland Paris, a snack costs €10 (£8.56), a bottle of water is practically gold-dusted, and Mickey Mouse ears require a small mortgage. The more children we take, the more expensive it gets. At Efteling, indulgence doesn't come with a stomach-churning price tag. A warm, gooey stroopwafel, fresh from the iron, costs just €3 (£2.57). My son opted for one covered in chocolate and toffee squares, which was €4.25 (£3.64). A huge shareable stick of candy floss was €2 (£1.71). Our favourite light lunch? A spiralled potato crisp on a stick with a light paprika dusting – crunchy, golden, and filling, for a mere €5 (£4.28). And it's not just about the food. Efteling is pure fairytale magic. The park opened in 1952, three years before Disneyland, California; it feels like the original blueprint for what Disney later commercialised. At Efteling, enchantment is woven into every detail, from the talking waste bins (a chubby Hansel who sings when fed) to the dreamlike Droomvlucht ride, where unicorns, elves, and fairies float past in the twilight. Efteling's Fairytale Forest is a wonderland of toadstool hideaways and storytelling trees, bringing beloved tales like Pinocchio and Snow White to life in Dutch, German, and English. And like Disney, Efteling has roaming characters. But here's the difference: no lines, no hefty fees – just spontaneous, magical encounters. If you've ever tackled Disneyland, you'll know that navigating the park requires military precision. Character meet-and-greets involve pre-booking or hour-long queues. At Efteling, even at the height of summer, we never queued for meet and greets or waited more than 30 minutes for a ride. And without a pressure-cooker list of must-dos like Space Mountain at Disney and Oblivion at Alton Towers, as visitors, you meander, discovering attractions organically rather than stampeding towards them. That doesn't mean that Efteling has less of a thrill. We find all the rides spellbinding. Symbolica, Droomvlucht, Fata Morgana, and Carnival Festival are all dark rides, meaning they are indoor attractions where you sit in carts that transport you through immersive fantasy worlds without sudden drops or sickening spins. Yet adrenaline-junkies aren't forgotten – The Flying Dutchman plunges riders into a lake with a spectacular splash, and the pirate ship swings until it's almost vertical. The only ride we skipped was Baron 1898, a nerve-shattering vertical drop coaster that dangles you over the abyss for five suspenseful seconds before plummeting face-first. A tiny part of me was relieved that my children weren't tall enough. Efteling sprawls across a vast woodland landscape, so little legs do tire. Fortunately, you can hire charming wooden carts to pull weary children along for just €5 (£4.28), which I found a small price for saving energy and maximising magic. And when it was time to rest, our accommodation was a mere 10-minute walk away. In summer, the park stays open until 9pm, ending each night with a mesmerising water and light show, reminiscent of the Las Vegas Bellagio fountain and infused with fairytale charm. As we packed up to leave, my son turned to me, wide-eyed and said, 'I never knew you could have a holiday in just a weekend.' The spell had been cast. Efteling's magic made the stress of London disappear within less than an hour of being in the park, and we arrived home feeling refreshed, revitalised, and stunned by what can be achieved in a weekend. At just over an hour by car from Amsterdam Airport and just over two hours if taking public transport, as we did, getting there couldn't be simpler. I asked the children if they'd rather return to Disneyland or Efteling's, and in unison they shouted, 'Efteling!', so loudly that the whole street could hear. Where to stay Efteling offers three accommodation options. Loonsche Land provides affordable chalets and self-catering lodges from £311 and the Efteling Wonder Hotel mirrors the Disneyland Paris castle experience but rooms start from a more reasonable £500. Bosrijk, where we stayed, features suites and holiday homes in a village-like setting, surrounded by towering trees and tranquil ponds, and two-bed family rooms cost from £311. Accommodation includes park tickets for two days if you stay one night, three days if you stay two nights, etc. Entry to Efteling (without accommodation) depends on the season, but is between €38 (£33) and €51 (£44) and under-threes go free. KLM flies from London Heathrow to Amsterdam from £150 return. Catch a Dutch Railways train from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Den Bosch, which takes 55 minutes and costs €20.30 (£17.38) From Den Bosch station catch bus 301 (€4; £3.43) to Horst, directly outside Efteling. Download the 9292 app to buy and store Dutch public transport tickets in one place.
