Sat, June 20: Efteling Amusement Park

If the point of the game was to use as many modes of transportation as many times as possible, we would beaten everyone today! This morning we took two trams, two trains and one bus to our destination. The way home was thankfully only two buses and a train, but you get the point. While the journey is often the point, today was all about the destination - Efteling Amusement Park. Located outside of Amsterdam, this is one of oldest amusement parks in the world. It opened in 1952, so it predates Disneyland by 3 years. It is about the most charming park you might ever see. Based on fairy tales, it is modeled like a medieval village. There is a lot of detail everywhere you look, it is very visually appealing. It is built within a pine forest, so the greenery is very lush.

The oldest part of the park, and unfortunately the part we didn't get a chance to visit, it the fairy tale lands. These were the original attractions of the park. We planned to walk through on our way out, however, there was a special mid-summer's party tonight, so they kicked everyone out at 6pm to ready for the festivities. It's kind of a bummer, but we had a great time.

Everyone's favorite was a wooden coaster called Juris en de Draak, or George in the Dragon. It is actually side-by-side racing coasters and it is quite fast. Other highlights included a coaster called The Python that has loops and corksrews and a Swiss Bobsleigh ride. The Bobsleigh's were unique - you weren't actually on rails, except on straightaways that re-centered you. It's hard to explain. There were other unique rides as well, such as a cool experience called Villa Volta. You are supposedly in the cursed villa of a robber (who robbed an Abbey, nonetheless) and you are in long benches with a lap bar and I think we decided the the benches rise and fall slightly, but the room around you spins and the effect is that you are upside down in the room. It's a little disorienting and totally wild. Very clever. The only thing lacking is the efficiency of a Disney operation. No one can load a ride like Disney can and we figure that the wait times could be cut in half if the loading operations went better.

Waiting for George and the Dragon

The Python

The Flying Dutchman water coaster

The Flying Pagoda

George and the Dragon

But, really how can you complain, we you can go to a pancake restaurant for lunch?!?! Theme park food in Europe kicks the heiny of food in the states. There are the usual suspects, plus Dutch treats like fried croquettes, fritters, and poffertjes :)

Yes, this is a thing... Call it a poor translation...

We were lucky to have great weather and it made for a fantastic day, even if it took a dedicated effort to get there!