27 Tuesday Aug 2019
Posted in All Updates and News, Sprookjesbos, Updates from 2019
It is only 1 month until visitors to Efteling can ride on the park’s newest attraction: The Six Swans. Located in the fairy tale forest next to Cinderella, guests will be able to take a ride on one of these beautiful swans, which have arrived at their new home today. I can’t wait to see it up close!
Images by Efteling
Images by Efteling
16 Friday Aug 2019
Posted in All Updates and News, Sprookjesbos, Updates from 2019
Just a quick post today, this is what The Six Swans building is looking like now. In true Efteling style, it looks as though it has been there for decades!
Thanks to Ronald from pinparade.nl for sending it over.
27 Saturday Jul 2019
Posted in All Updates and News, Sprookjesbos, Updates from 2019
The 30th fairy tale in the fairy tale forest is due to open next autumn, and construction has been coming along very nicely on the new attraction. The Six Swans will house a small ride, where visitors can board a swan for a trip around the building’s moat. Eftelingsestraat.nl have some great first photos of the boats behind the scenes at Efteling, presumably getting ready for their decoration.
Click here to take a look at the beautiful new boats!
14 Thursday Jun 2018
Posted in All Updates and News, Sprookjesbos, Updates from 2018
The Bridal Dress of Genoveva is not a fairy tale that springs to mind straight away when you think of Efteling, as you cannot always see it. That is because this fairy tale lives, in the form of a flock of multi-coloured birds.
Image from vijfzintuigen.nl
Well, not any more.
As from today, the birds will remain their natural white colour. The fairy tale is actually one of the original tales told in the park, opening back in 1952, when they decided to spray the pigeons in different colours. Part of the story includes the tower where the birds live, which is located behind the Snow White building. This could not always be clearly seen due to ivy, but after the recent renovation of Snow White, the ivy has been removed and it is much easier to see the birds flying in and out of their home.
Efteling have said in a Facebook comment that this change has nothing to do with how the birds were coloured, as that has always been done in a cruelty-free manner, but that they think that the white birds better represent the natural theme of the park. There have been comments online however, that questioned the dying of the birds for entertainment purposes.
To me, it isn’t necessarily a change for the better, as it was always fun to see the coloured birds, however I’m sure we can all learn to appreciate them in their natural form too!
Don’t know the story? Here it is:
Prince Arthur would marry the beautiful princess Genoveva.
Often the couple went out walking and then the prince said: “Look, the yellow of the buttercups and the blue of the cornflowers and ooh … That red of the poppies … All those beautiful colors should be in your wedding dress, dear Genoveva.” An old weaver lived in the land of Prince Arthur. Only she could make the princess’s wedding dress. Unfortunately, the old woman had become blind. “I can not help you prince, my hands can do it”, she said, “But … I can not see the colors anymore.”
The prince returned sadly to the palace and the old woman went to feed her pigeons. She cried with grief.
A wise owl heard of the story and said to the birds: “You know the colors right? Can not you do something back for the old woman? “The next day the old weaver was mourning at her loom. “Now I knew what green was,” she sighed, and immediately she felt that a little bit of hair pushed a strand of silk between her fingers. “And now the blue of the sky.” Together with all the birds, the woman worked on the carpet and shone with happiness. When the dress was ready, she let the prince come. He too was happy. “My bride will be the most beautiful in the country.” And the birds? They had been so busy with all the colors that their feathers had been colored.
26 Friday Jan 2018
After a lengthy refurbishment, the Flying Fakir has recently returned from his well earned rest, looking better than ever! Everything looks clean and new, and all of his tulips seem to be functioning correctly, unlike in past years. You have to just love Efteling for taking good care of what they have; after all, now you’d never know that the Fakir is 60 years old!
Another delightful piece of news (well I got excited about it!) is that there is a new Efteling CD available. New tracks include ‘welcome’ and ‘goodbye’, Efteling 65th anniversary (not sure how that one goes), and the music from Symbolica, which is a welcome addition. Add this one to the shopping list!
With thanks to Eftelwesley.
22 Thursday Dec 2016
Posted in All Updates and News, Sprookjesbos, Updates from 2016
Little Red Riding Hood recently reopened after a very long refurbishment. In fact, it was more of a total rebuild! The new building is now up to modern safety standards, and looks refreshed and wonderful!
Video by Eftelwesley.
24 Sunday Apr 2016
Posted in All Updates and News, Sprookjesbos, Updates from 2016
Roodkapje is getting a makeover! Well, her Grandmother’s house is. 
The cottage which has stood in the forest since 1960 was constructed using wood, stone, cement and gauze, the same materials used to build the original Sleeping Beauty’s castle. In the 1980s, Sleeping Beauty’s castle was completely replaced, in the same way as Red Riding Hood’s cottage will be now. At the time it was reconstructed, Ton van de Ven took the opportunity to add the wicked fairy with her spinning wheel, as well as a few other details, thus ‘plussing’ the attraction.
The time has come for the Roodkapje building to comply with today’s standards, and it is being completely replaced using modern materials and techniques. Who knows, maybe there will be a little something added to it when it reopens?
Efteling has stated that fairy tales ‘remain the core’ of Efteling, and renovating these attractions which are already well established and loved shows the dedication that Efteling has to the oldest part of its park.
Hopefully Red Riding Hood is in a safe place while building work is carried out, since she is a favourite of local kidnappers!
18 Friday Mar 2016
Posted in All Updates and News, Sprookjesbos, Updates from 2016
Whilst looking through old photos of Efteling, you can really see how things have changed, even if it is just small changes. Check out Mr Long Neck from 20 years ago! He looks quite bleached, and is definitely being taken over by nature. The most recent picture is from the last Winter Efteling. There’s a bit of a difference!
03 Saturday Oct 2015
Posted in All Updates and News, Sprookjesbos, Updates from 2015
A sign outside the area of construction reads:
‘You’ll never see me here!’ Don’t lie Pinocchio, we will welcome you in Spring 2016.
The ‘In de Noordpool’ food counter is now gone, and the little admiral and his cannon are gone too, ready to be moved to a new location (or so we believe) while the area is completely cleared, ready for Pinokkio.
Concept art of the new attraction has also been released, and as expected, it looks fantastic! It fits in perfectly with all of the other buildings in the fairy tale forest; as we know, Efteling are the masters at making these buildings look as if they’ve been there for many years, and this one continues that trend. Another thing it has in common with many of the other fairy tale buildings is that it looks to be quite petit! Obviously it is hard to be certain on that from the artwork, but it looks a little larger than Repelsteeltje’s house and maybe a bit smaller than the Roodkapje building.
La Bottega di Geppetto
Here is a video from eftel1ngfan which shows the current state of construction in the area:
Finally, for those of you feeling artistic, Efteling have provided some crafts to do while you wait for the new fairy tale! Including cupcakes, and a make-your-own Pinocchio puppet; click here!
20 Thursday Aug 2015
Posted in All Updates and News, Sprookjesbos, Updates from 2015
Tags
efteling, efteling new fairy tale, in de noordpool, pinocchio, pinokkio, sprookjes, sprookjesbos
As if anyone needed another reason to go to Efteling, but here’s one regardless. We’ve mentioned this recently, however now there is more indication of when the new Efteling resident will arrive. Efteling are opening their 29th Fairy Tale in the Fairy Tale Forest in Spring 2016. Around €2,000,000 has been allocated for this attraction, and it is the newest since The Emperor’s New Clothes opened in November 2012.
It seemed like a strange choice in one way, because we seem to expect something from the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen in Efteling; in fact, the CEO of Efteling has mentioned that he would like to see an Ugly Duckling fairy tale in the forest. However, we have faith that Efteling will make a beautiful job of this fairy tale, as they do with everything else! The only worrying thing is this:
Does anybody else feel uneasy about this little wooden head? He looks a little like a toffee apple that has been dipped in chocolate. That is a promotional image from the Pinokkio musical, taking place in September, so of course, who’s to say that that is the Pinokkio that will be installed into the Fairy Tale Forest? (Fingers crossed that whatever he looks like, he looks a little less creepy than this guy!).
The new attraction will be built between the Red Shoes and Little Red Riding Hood, where ‘In de Noordpool’ currently stands. This little food shack hasn’t really been used for decades, so it isn’t such a great loss. Something else that is most likely being turfed out to make way for Pinokkio is this:
Out with the old, in with the new! Although we do hear that this gentleman is going to be receiving lodgings elsewhere in the park, so he doesn’t have to pack his bags just yet.
From here, we can still wonder, hope and dream about what the 30th fairy tale will be when it arrives. Maybe the Ugly Duckling? There are so very many to choose from, but until then, we have Pinokkio to look forward to.
