My visit to Efteling on December 27, 2015, was an unexpected and truly magical Christmas gift. I owe a massive thank you to my dear friend, Monique, and her family for taking me along for free!

The park in late December was absolutely breathtaking. The air was crisp, the grounds were dusted with fake snow , sadly it didn’t snow. The whole atmosphere felt cozy and festive for Winter Efteling. It was the perfect escape into a world of legends and fairy tales.

Rollercoasters and more

Efteling has some incredible thrills, and I spent a great portion of the day going on the rides! One of the highlights was going on the massive, dark rollercoaster. Looking back, this must have been Baron 1898, which had only opened a few months earlier! It’s themed as an old gold mine, complete with ghostly “Witte Wieven” trying to stop the miners. The feeling of being held right at the top, staring straight down the 37.5-meter drop, and then plunging at 90 km/h was an absolute adrenaline rush! In the photo on the right I’m the person wearing the pink pants in the last row. We went on several other rides as well, laughing the whole way through. Whether it was the twists of a family coaster or the dark, mysterious rides, the combination of fantasy and speed made the day unforgettable.

A Warm Break & A Permanent Souvenir

After tackling the rollercoasters, it was time for a warm up. I distinctly remember having bitterballen and . I also ordered a delcious hot chocolate with cream on top. The best part is that I kept the amazing, festive Efteling mug it came in! That mug is still a wonderful keepsake that reminds me of that perfect afternoon. Later on I tried churros for the first time and I love cinamon so the churros were fantastic . Since Christmas is always hot inb Cape Town it was a bit strange but fun to expereince a cold festive season. It was like I was in a Christmas movie.

Stepping into the Fairy Tale Forest

Efteling is famous for its fairy tales, and we definitely spent time exploring the charming, unique side of the park. I loved seeing the iconic Sprookjesboom (Fairy Tale Tree). It was fantastic to watch the huge, wise tree chat and tell stories to the visitors. It was in Dutch and becuse I speak Afrikaans I could understand what it was saying!

Seeing the classic Paddestoel (Mushroom House) and wandering through the Fairytale Forest made it clear that this park is different. I went with my friend her kids and wife. So it was lovely to see how happy her daughter babet was to show me everything. She was so excited. And I found everything so cute and gorgeous. You can tell that alot of effort is put into to keep the park looking pretty.

The Grand Finale-Aquanura

As darkness fell, the park transformed, leading to the spectacular closing event: the light show.

The show was the magnificent Aquanura fountain show, and since it was Winter Efteling, it was the special ‘2de Wintersymphonie’ edition. It was an incredible spectacle of fire, light, and water, all choreographed to iconic Efteling music.

The moment the fountains shot up over 45 meters high, and the jets of bright orange fire erupted, the whole crowd gasped. It was a beautiful, emotional, and unforgettable way to end our magical day. I actually ended up watching without my group since I got a bit lost in the crowd but it. was so beautiful I didn’t even take photos. My friend Monique had an actual DSLR camera unlike my photo camera and took photos for me.

If you ever get the chance to visit Efteling, especially during the festive Winter Efteling season, GO! It has the perfect blend of high-speed thrills, timeless fantasy, and magical atmosphere. A huge thanks again to Monique and her family for sharing this perfect day with me.

Thank you for reading and if you’ve ever been to the Efetling let me know if you enjoyed it.

P.S If you’re planning your own visit, I’ll be sharing a full guide of tips and tricks for making the most of Efteling next season-stay tuned!