De Vliegende Hollander ("The Flying Dutchman" in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

) is a combination of a water coaster and a

dark ride A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride on which passengers aboard guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain Animatronics, animation, sound, music and Special effect#Live special effects, special e ...

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

Efteling Efteling () is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore. The park was opened on May 31, 1952. It evolved from a nature ...

the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. The ride is based on the legend of Dutch man of war the ''

Flying Dutchman The ''Flying Dutchman'' ( nl, De Vliegende Hollander) is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the seven seas forever. The myth is likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Dut ...

''.

Ride experience

The legend tells that Willem van der Decken, a captain of the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

(VOC, the first

limited company In a limited company, the liability of members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by Share (finance), shares or by guarantee. In a company limited by ...

), is a wealthy trader in command of the fastest ship of the VOC, named the "Hollander" (Dutchman). But greed takes control of him and secretly he starts practicing

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

. He recruits his crew from orphanages. On

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

1678, despite a heavy storm blowing into port, he sets sail for the Dutch East Indies. When all despair for this lack of fear for God, he proclaims: "I will sail, storm or not,

or not, prohibited or not. I will sail, even into eternity!" (Early Modern Dutch: "Ik zal vaeren, storm of gheen storm, Paesen of gheen Paesen, verbod of gheen verbod. Ik zal vaeren, al is het tot in den eeuwigheid!"). Against the wind, he sails toward damnation. Visitors enter the house of Van der Decken while queueing. After walking through this abandoned house, the queue continues into the smugglers' tunnels, where Van der Decken's treasure can be seen hidden behind a small door. The tunnel ends in the cellar of a 17th-century style pub and the queue leads into a harbour at night. In the harbor, the carriages are designed as small wooden boats, in which riders are seated below the water level throughout most of the ride. At the front of the boat is a lantern that acts as the only source of light for most the indoor experience. The lantern starts flickering, depending on the scene the riders are located in. The carriage holds a maximum of 14 riders at a time, arranged in 4 rows. From the harbour, the boat goes into open sea through a simulated rainstorm. It meets a holographic ghost ship, the Flying Dutchman, and dives under its bow into the

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

. Here, it halts, and a ghostly voice is heard stating: "You shall also sail until the end of time!" (Early Modern Dutch: "Ook Gij zult vaeren, tot het einde der tijden!") The barge is then towed to a height of 22,5 meters (74'). Doors open and the barge shoots in a curved declination through a tunnel. After this some airtime in a bunny hop and an 85-degree

horseshoe A horseshoe is a fabricated product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toen ...

. A steep fall and a left curve bring the barge back into the water. A special technique allows for variation in the size of the "splash", thus preparing the ride for winter opening.

History

The music was composed by René Merkelbach and consists of 16 parts that are synchronous with the ride. The Prague philharmonic orchestra performed the music for the recording. The ride was planned to go operational on April 16, 2006

, exactly 328 years after the disappearance of the Flying Dutchman; due to construction problems the opening was postponed to April 1, 2007.

References

*
Official ride website
{{Flying Dutchman Water Coaster (roller coaster) Dark rides Roller coasters in the Netherlands Efteling Water rides Roller coasters introduced in 2007 2007 establishments in the Netherlands 21st-century architecture in the Netherlands