So I’ve visited Efteling in the Netherlands for the first time, and I don‘t think this warrants it’s own thread, but as competition for Disneyland Paris, it kind of works here.
It’s a genuinely fantastic, historic, park, which feels a level above most other European parks in execution.
The park is absolutely spotless & I have to say I found the prices to be respectful and I never felt like I was being taken for a fool. To be honest, Disneyland Paris is better than USA in this regard too.
Food is significantly better at Efteling than Disneyland Paris, and it really adds to the experience.
I didn’t visit with children, but I did feel that Efteling did “kids areas“ much better than Disneyland Paris. They just seemed to be all over, and well varied, for example there was a splash area, which seemed a popular, but interesting choice, given the climate.
The forest area was absolutely incredible, and I can’t imagine why Disney haven‘t replicated such a concept beyond capacity / busyness issues. For anyone who hasn‘t visited Efteling, they have a huge fairytale area based on historic/original variations, with walkthrough attractions with show scenes and it’s just great. It’s kind of like a much expanded version of the Disneyland California Mainstreet windows, but with full-vision scenes. It’s fantastic, and there’s no queuing. It’s a park within a park.
Having done Disneyland Paris & Efteling in the same year, enjoying both in relative quiet periods, I think Disney has a little more to offer at this moment, but it’s also pricier. For many, they’ll judge the difference in price vs benefit as tipping the advantage to Efteling, which is relevant as DLP does face increasing competition from smaller parks, getting more aggressive in their growth plans. Brand Disney is doing the heavy lifting, I feel.
Disney have to work harder in Paris. They’re nailing entertainment, but they face a fight for competition from European parks which seem to be growing in ambition.
