The journey of Efteling began almost a century ago, in 1933, when the idea for this theme park was first formed. In 1952, the first official attraction, the Sprookjesbos (Fairy Tale Forest) was introduced to the public (“De geschiedenis van de Efteling”, n.d.). This is where it all began, by bringing classic fairy tales to life. Another well-known character from Efteling is Holle Bolle Gijs, who was developed in 1959. This special character is famous for his catch phrase: “Papier hier, paper hier” (roughly translated to: “Give me your garbage”). After achieving quite some success for years, the theme park was internationally recognized with an award in 1972.
Two images showing Holle Bolle Gijs when he was first created and what he currently looks like (Efteling)
But Efteling was just getting started and their innovations kept coming. First, new friends were introduced into the Sprookjesbos (Fairy Tale Forest) and by 1984 extra attractions were added to the park. For their fortieth anniversary, Efteling expanded visitors’ experience and opened their Efteling hotel in the spring of 1992. With the introduction of the hotel, the magic of Efteling could continue overnight.
In 1999, the park underwent an enormous reorganization. At the start, the park was divided into four sections, named after cardinal points: North, East, South, and West (“Rijkenindeling”, n.d.). Currently, Efteling consists of five realms, which were created based on various themes. If you want to learn more about the different realms, read the ‘Once Upon a Theme Park’ article, in Step 3 of Tour 2 - Efteling: The Dutch Disneyland.
A special event that celebrated the opening of a new water show, Aquanura, was held in 2014 in collaboration with DJ Tiësto (“De geschiedenis van de Efteling”, n.d.). A short preview of this show with DJ Tiësto can be seen in the video below.
Teaser of DJ Tiësto Aquanura show
In the last five years, like many other businesses in the entertainment field, Efteling has faced challenges, especially during the COVID-19 period. However, those days are over now and the theme park has started again with its innovations, attracting new and old visitors with its enchanting experiences.