Didn’t really know where to put this, but I believe we were discussing Efteling in a Paris thread at the start of the year, and I suppose it’s mildly relevant as European competition.
This year I’ve been to Port Aventura & Disneyland Paris (been many times to both) and had my first visit to Efteling, and I loved it. I’ve added Phantasialand to the list of first time visits, and what can I say other than WOW. I felt I knew the park a fair bit pre visit as I’ve watched some of my favourite YouTubers visit consistently over the past few years, but pics and vids don’t do the place justice.
It’s one of the best themed park I’ve ever been to. If you find yourself near Cologne, please make a slight detour to visit this absolute gem of a park.
I mentioned it’s competition for DLP, but in reality, for attendance, it isn’t. I didn’t see many none locals, and it’s quite small. Small & mighty. I suppose the competition comes from the immersion, which in my opinion was up there with the best I’ve experienced in a theme park.
For anyone interested, I had very high expectations for Taron, & it delivered. It’s absolutely wild & up there with Velocicoaster, which I rate just a little higher but it holds its own. The area surrounding F.L.Y has to be the best themed coaster that isn’t a Disney mountain (we maybe under appreciate that Disney have literally built a mountain around some coasters haha). On that though, Colorado Adventure is the most intense Minetrain I’ve been on, and the best overall in the world that I’ve experienced outside of Thunder Mountain. Great theming too. I’ve heard mystery tower runs 2 cycles and we caught a shorter one but it was the best drop ride outside of Tower of Terror. You’re sat inside and there are 4 drop towers, and you all go up and drop at different times, and it’s genuinely forceful and a little scary ha. Chapas is a Mexican themed log flume with I believe the worlds biggest or steepest drop. It also features a dancing disco monkey, so naturally it’s my favourite log flume, now that Splash is no more.
Food seemed really strong too. Felt a little like a foodie park, I got epcot vibes in that regard.
Only critiques are the size, which is nothing they can do about. I believe the council have blocked future expansion and there’s an ongoing battle over a plot of land they own. There’s a clear difference in the newer parts of the park and the older ones, but that excites me as the future potential of improvements is obvious. I feel on dark rides, Efteling & DLP offered significantly more & this would be my area of focus, if I were the park operators.
Having been to Disney loads, in general, it obviously doesn’t have the new factor for me so I’m trying to remain level headed & treat them through the eyes of a first time visitor. With that, in my experience, I’d rank them
DLP
Efteling
Phantasialand
PortAventura
Competition is VERY tough though. I feel Disney need some big modern rides. Efteling needs like a Hagrids style coaster but has nailed dark rides, and actually contains a few of my favourites. Phantasialand has nailed coasters but needs a change of pace and some slower big immersive dark rides, and PortAventura, whilst wonderfully themed also, need to sack their entire operations team as it’s literally a joke visiting on a busy day. But also, Shambhala is my European number 1, still.
I think it’s relevant to the DLP conversation, as I don’t think a visitor to Phantasialand, would be blown away by the immersion at DLP, as good as it is. F.L.Y whilst 25 years younger, took steampunk theming up several notches to what’s on offer in Discoveryland, for example.
I think the above is why I’ve always been very underwhelmed by Magic Kingdom. I grew up with the beauty of Paris, and it just failed to blow me away. I’ve since visited Anaheim, and that captured me through charm, attraction count, and effort. My expectations were set, and MK fails to deliver.
Excited to visit more parks across the world. I think competition is really important, and should keep Disney on their toes as expectations from theme parks across Europe are obviously high.
Well, except in the UK where I feel they cheapen out a lot. But even on that, curse of Alton Manor, a new dark ride at Alton Towers, upped the dark ride game a bit this year.
It’s interesting to see Efteling target international visitors, and Phantasialand seem to be going down a similar route, recently changing their social language from German to English. Exciting times across Europe - let’s hope it shakes Disney out of complacency when it comes to new additions!
Can't wait to have to stay in Santa Fe 
)