The Fairytale Forest (''Sprookjesbos'' in
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
) is a wooded section of the
amusement park 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 p ...
in 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 ...
, where a number of well-known
fairy tales and fairy tale figures are depicted by animatronics and buildings. Most of the figures are inspired by the
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...
,
Hans Christian Andersen, and
Charles Perrault.
History
Concept and building
The Fairytale Forest was founded on the work of R.J.Th. van der Heijden, Peter Reijnders and Anton Pieck. Van der Heijden conceived of the idea in the 1950s to boost
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...
. He asked his brother-in-law
Peter Reijnders Petrus Lambertus Wilhelmus (Peter) Reijnders (24 July 1900 – 1974) was a Dutch photographer, film director and inventor. He is best known for his crucial role in founding the theme park Efteling.
Peter Reijnders was born in 1900 in 's-Hertogenbos ...
, a filmmaker and amateur inventor from
Eindhoven, to recreate a fairy tale
theme 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 ...
Reijnders built. Reijnders chose artist
Anton Pieck
Anton Franciscus Pieck (19 April 1895 – 24 November 1987) was a Dutch painter, artist and graphic artist. Hiworksare noted for their nostalgic or fairy tale-like character and are widely popular, appearing regularly on cards and calendars. He i ...
, whose visual style had been inspired by
Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham (19 September 1867 – 6 September 1939) was an English book illustrator. He is recognised as one of the leading figures during the Golden Age of British book illustration. His work is noted for its robust pen and ink drawings, ...
and
Edmund Dulac
Edmund Dulac (born Edmond Dulac; 22 October 1882 – 25 May 1953) was a French-British naturalised magazine illustrator, book illustrator and stamp designer. Born in Toulouse he studied law but later turned to the study of art at the École ...
, to add the artistic elements.
The first scenes
It took roughly two years to develop and build the first ten fairy tales:
The Chinese Nightingale, The Naughty Princess,
Sleeping Beauty
''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...
, The
Gnome Village, "Number One" (referring to the toilets),
The Frog Prince
"The Frog Prince; or, Iron Henry" (german: Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich, literally "The Frog King or the Iron Henry") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 1). ...
, The Magic Clock,
Mother Holle
"Frau Holle" ( ; also known as "Mother Holle", "Mother Hulda" or "Old Mother Frost") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in ''Grimms' Fairy Tales, Children's and Household Tales'' in 1812 (KHM 24). It is of Aarne–Thompson–Ut ...
,
Snow White
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...
and The Six Servants.
Fairytale Forest
The Fairytale Forest has 25 scenes. Some include specific events such as Little Red Riding Hood at the door of her grandmother's house; while others are more general, such as The Gnome Village. There are three types of fairy tale scenes: indoor scenes with a commentary telling the tale (such as The Indian Water Lilies); structures too small to enter, but which can be viewed by visitors through the windows (Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother's house); and open-air attractions, such as the fountain for The Frog King or The Naughty Princess.
Origins of the scenes
There are ten scenes based on
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...
fairytales:
The Wolf and the Seven Kids,
Snow White
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...
,
Hansel and Gretel
"Hansel and Gretel" (; german: Hänsel und Gretel ) is a German fairy tale collected by the German Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 15). It is also known as Little Step Brother and Little Step Sister.
Hansel ...
,
Rumpelstilskin,
Mother Holle
"Frau Holle" ( ; also known as "Mother Holle", "Mother Hulda" or "Old Mother Frost") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in ''Grimms' Fairy Tales, Children's and Household Tales'' in 1812 (KHM 24). It is of Aarne–Thompson–Ut ...
,
The Six Servants
The Six Servants (German: ''Die sechs Diener'') is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in '' Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 134). It is of Aarne-Thompson type 513A ("Six Go through the Whole World").
Synopsis
An evil Que ...
(
Long-neck),
Rapunzel
"Rapunzel" ( , ) is a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812 as part of '' Children's and Household Tales'' (KHM 12). The Brothers Grimm's story developed from the French literary fairy tale of '' Persinet ...
,
The Frog King,
The Wishing-Table and
Sleeping Beauty
''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...
. Three scenes are fairy tales from ''Mother Goose’s Fairy Tales'' by
Charles Perrault:
Tom Thumb
Tom Thumb is a character of English folklore. ''The History of Tom Thumb'' was published in 1621 and was the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father's thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, tan ...
,
Little Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brot ...
and
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
. Five scenes are from
Hans Christian Andersen tales:
The Emperor's New Clothes
"The Emperor's New Clothes" ( da, Kejserens nye klæder ) is a literary Folklore, folktale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, about a vain emperor who gets exposed before his subjects. The tale has been translated into over 100 l ...
,
The Red Shoes,
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...
,
The Chinese Nightingale and
The Little Match Girl
"The Little Match Girl" ( da, Den Lille Pige med Svovlstikkerne, meaning "The little girl with the sulphur-sticks", i.e. matches) is a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The story, about a dying child's dre ...
. The tale of The Indian Water Lilies was written by
Fabiola de Mora y Aragón. The remaining scenes either do not have a matching tale (such as The Gnome Village and Holle Bolle Gijs) or a tale was created afterwards (such as The Gardener and the Fakir and The Magic Clock).
The Paper Gobblers
The park's cleanliness is maintained with the help of an ingenious waste disposal system designed by
Anton Pieck
Anton Franciscus Pieck (19 April 1895 – 24 November 1987) was a Dutch painter, artist and graphic artist. Hiworksare noted for their nostalgic or fairy tale-like character and are widely popular, appearing regularly on cards and calendars. He i ...
and
Ton van de Ven
Ton van de Ven (1 January 1944 – 16 September 2015) was a Dutch industrial designer. He is best known as the creative director at the Efteling theme park.
Van de Ven was born in Eindhoven, Netherlands, where he also studied at the Design Acade ...
, and originally conceived by Henk Knuivers. There are 11 talking waste disposals. Children take trash from the ground, and stuff it in the disposals to hear the gobbler talk. The most popular gobbler, Hollow Bulging Gijs, makes a gobbling sound when ‘eating’ garbage and thanks the donor politely, whereas Captain Gijs fires a cannon to illustrate his enthusiasm for the guests' tidiness. However, Captain Gijs and the cannon have been removed as to make place for the fairytale Pinocchio.
Fairy tale scenes
For each scene, the fairy tale can be read from book plaques provided nearby (usually in Dutch, English, German and French). In some cases, the tale is also presented via electronic voice-over in Dutch only.
Sleeping Beauty
Designed by
Anton Pieck
Anton Franciscus Pieck (19 April 1895 – 24 November 1987) was a Dutch painter, artist and graphic artist. Hiworksare noted for their nostalgic or fairy tale-like character and are widely popular, appearing regularly on cards and calendars. He i ...
&
Ton van de Ven
Ton van de Ven (1 January 1944 – 16 September 2015) was a Dutch industrial designer. He is best known as the creative director at the Efteling theme park.
Van de Ven was born in Eindhoven, Netherlands, where he also studied at the Design Acade ...
as ''Doornroosje''.
Sleeping Beauty
''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...
's castle was built in 1952. The rooms were decorated and
Sleeping Beauty
''Sleeping Beauty'' (french: La belle au bois dormant, or ''The Beauty in the Sleeping Forest''; german: Dornröschen, or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess cu ...
, a sleeping guard, and two sleeping cooks were introduced the following year. Instead of climbing roses, faster growing
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...
ivy
''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...
was used to partially cover the castle. The castle was completely renovated in 1981. The poles and chicken wire with plaster were replaced by bricks. An extra
animatronic
Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions.
It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy a ...
scene of the wicked witch spinning yarn was added. Also in 1981, the sleeping guard was renewed, and again in 1997. Visitors cannot enter the rooms of the castle, but instead look through the windows to see the various scenes. Both the
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...
and
Charles Perrault have written versions of the tale. The story is about a young maiden; who has been cursed by an evil fairy at birth and fell into an enchanted eternal sleep, and awaken by the kiss of a prince.
Herald Square
Designed by Pieck &
Henny Knoet
Henny Knoet (3 May 1942, in Bergen op Zoom – 26 August 2013, in Sprang-Capelle) was a Dutch designer. He is mainly recognized for his contributions for Efteling.
After having worked in Germany, Knoet started in 1979 at Efteling as a park planne ...
as ''Herautenplein''.
Herald Square is the beautiful central square of the Fairy Tale Forest, built in 1952. The nostalgic gate, the magic clock and the fountain create a
picturesque
Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in ''Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year ...
environment. The original name was ‘Castle Square’, but the stone princes blowing their horns were confused with
heralds
A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to all officers of arms.
Heralds were originally messengers sent by monarchs or noblemen to ...
, so the name was changed to ‘Herald Square’.
The Frog King
Based on
The Frog Prince
"The Frog Prince; or, Iron Henry" (german: Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich, literally "The Frog King or the Iron Henry") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 1). ...
, the scene was designed by Pieck as ''de Kikkerkoning''. Where four frogs created a fountain and a hologram of a ball appears.
Snow White
Designed by Pieck, Van de Ven and Knoet as ''Sneeuwwitje''. Renovated in 1975.
Snow White
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...
first stood in a cave with a hole so you could watch it from outside, with seven stone dwarfs crying over her sleeping death. Then later, the cave was renewed, and the stone dwarfs were replaced by moving animatronics. Snow White remained the same, sleeping in a glass box. In 1999, the castle's stepmother appeared in a mirror, with her holographic reflection. In 2018, the cave went down for a major refurbishment, the dwarfs got new clothes, the scenes were renewed and the lighting was updated.
The Magic Clock
Designed as ''de Magische Klok'', it depicts one of Efteling's own fairy tales. Every quarter of an hour, the magic clock comes to life and its characters tell us the story. The six princes are animatronics.
In 2012, the animatronics were renewed.
Dwarf Village
Dwarf Village was originally designed by Anton Pieck with later contributions by Ton van de Ven. In 1952, the village consisted of three large toadstools, through which children could walk, with miniature adornments, such as little chairs and dwarf laundry hanging from a wire. Later additions included a large inhabited dwarf house in 1972, and a hollow tree with a dwarf playing a
clavichord
The clavichord is a stringed rectangular keyboard instrument that was used largely in the Late Middle Ages, through the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras.
Historically, it was mostly used as a practice instrument and as an aid to compositi ...
in 1974. The village was completed by a toadstool with a writing dwarf and a house with a waterwheel belonging to a dwarf-couple in 1980. During the 1980s, the male dwarf received spoken lines.
In 2017, the three large toadstools were be rebuilt with modern materials.
The Six Servants
Designed originally by Anton Pieck, with later contributions of Ton van de Ven. The original Long-neck (one of the six servants from the Grimm tale, ''
The Six Servants
The Six Servants (German: ''Die sechs Diener'') is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in '' Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 134). It is of Aarne-Thompson type 513A ("Six Go through the Whole World").
Synopsis
An evil Que ...
'', who could see everything due to his long neck and sharp eyes) was built in 1952. In 1955, a little pond was dug around the stone on which Long-neck sits. A bust of Bullet-eye with a wasp on his nose stood next to Long-neck. Bullet-eye was one of the six servants.
In the late 1950s, Bullet-eye was removed and a smaller bust of a blindfolded Bullet-eye was placed upon a
kiosk near Long-neck. Long-neck received a new head in the 1970s; and in 1979, his body and neck were renewed. In 2006, safety-fences were placed near the pond. In 2013, the rocks were remodeled and Long-neck received a new head again.
The tale is voiced by Peter Reijnders.
The Chinese Nightingale
Designed by Pieck and Van de Ven as ''De Chinese Nachtegaal''.
The scene from
The Nightingale shows the emperor's death, and how the
nightingale
The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (''Luscinia megarhynchos''), is a small passerine bird best known for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is no ...
restores his life by singing.
The nightingale was one of the first fairy tales when the Fairytale Forest opened in 1952.
Back then, it was just a small scene, with the nightingale on a branch.
In 1979 it got replaced by the Dragon.
In 1999, the new scene opened.
The new scene is much bigger and is located in a building inspired by classic Chinese architecture.
The tale is voiced by Angélique de Boer.
The Talking Parrot
The Talking Parrot was one of the ten original scenes from 1952, designed by Anton Pieck. The tale is about a naughty princess who used to mock people's voices and movements. She was turned into a
parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoide ...
by an old fairy whom she ridiculed. When the girl regrets her sins, the fairy vetoes the spell and "they live happily ever after". The scene is depicted by the parrot, which records sounds for a few seconds at a time and then plays back any sounds captured on the recording. The scene was titled "The Naughty Princess" before being renamed to "The Talking Parrot".
Mother Hulda
Based on
the Grimm tale, the scene was designed by Pieck as ''Vrouw Holle''.
This story has been depicted, since the park opened, by a well. At the bottom of the well images are projected by Anton Pieck while a voice tells the story.
Since the winter of 2006,
Mother Hulda
"Frau Holle" ( ; also known as "Mother Holle", "Mother Hulda" or "Old Mother Frost") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in ''Children's and Household Tales'' in 1812 (KHM 24). It is of Aarne-Thompson type 480.
Frau Holle (als ...
is present in person with a new animatronic. If called upon, she opens the shutters of the cottage next door and shakes her pillow. And as in the tale, it starts to snow.
Little Red Riding Hood
The scene was designed by Anton Pieck.
Little Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a sly wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th century European folk tales. The two best known versions were written by Charles Perrault and the Brot ...
and the wolf entered Efteling in 1953, made of wood, as an outdoor scene. Little Red Riding Hood knelt in the midst of flowers while the wolf watched her from behind a tree. In 1960, the scene was replaced by Granny's house, with the wolf lying in bed and Red Riding Hood at the front door, ringing the bell. The wooden Little Red Riding Hood would later return to the Fairy Tale Forest as a road-sign. One can look through the window and listen to the story, told by
Wieteke van Dort
Louisa Johanna Theodora van Dort (born May 16, 1943 in Surabaya, Dutch East Indies) is a Dutch actress, comedian, singer, writer and artist of Indo (Eurasian) descent. On April 29, 1999, Queen Beatrix appointed her ''Knight of the Order of Orang ...
.
On August 15, 1998, the figure of Little Red Riding Hood was stolen; but was found the next day at the Dominicus Church in
Tiel
Tiel () is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands. The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river to the South and the North, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal to the East. Tiel comprises the population centres Kapel- ...
. During its brief absence, an actress played Little Red Riding Hood in the Fairy Tale Forest. On October 4, 2006, it was stolen again and found at a retirement home in
Kaatsheuvel
Kaatsheuvel () is a town in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands situated along highways N261 and N628. With a population of roughly 16,600, it is the largest town in and the capital of the municipality of Loon op Zand, which also consists o ...
.
In 2016, the house was rebuilt, with new building techniques.
Also in 2016, the animatronic of the crow Krakeeltje was renewed with new movements.
The Red Shoes
Designed by Anton Pieck, the Dancing Shoes entered Efteling in 1953. The scene contains a little dance floor with two red shoes dancing, covered by a porch roof. Visitors can listen to the story, told by Wieteke van Dort, after which the shoes dance to the music of "The
Clog Dance" by
Jan van Oort.
The original story by Hans Christian Andersen has been adapted to be more suitable for young children. In the original story, the girl's feet are cut off to stop her dancing. In the adaptation, the straps of her shoes are cut, after which the girl can stop dancing, but the shoes keep moving. The shoes are moved by two rotating discs with
magnets
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel ...
, a mechanism developed by Peter Reijnders.
Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel
"Hansel and Gretel" (; german: Hänsel und Gretel ) is a German fairy tale collected by the German Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 15). It is also known as Little Step Brother and Little Step Sister.
Hansel ...
was designed by Anton Pieck and presented to the public on June 20, 1955. The scene consists of the witch's house with candy on the walls,
pancakes
A pancake (or hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack) is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based batter that may contain eggs, milk and butter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or frying pan, often frying w ...
as roofing tiles and a cake on top; and in the garden, a fountain of red
lemonade
Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage.
There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using ...
. Gretel sits by the cage in which Hansel is held in the garden. The witch's face can be seen through a little window in the front door.
In the late seventies, the wood figures were replaced by moving
animatronic
Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions.
It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy a ...
s. An interactive element was added by Peter Reijnders: when one moves the front gate, a
crow
A crow is a bird of the genus '' Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifica ...
on the roof caws, smoke comes out of the chimney, a black cat with yellow eyes comes out of a hole in the wall and the witch (voiced by Peter Reijnder's daughter) says "Knibbel, knabbel, knuisje, wie knabbelt aan mijn huisje?" (Dutch translation of "Nibble, nibble, mousekin, who's nibbling at my housekin?").
In 2016, the animatronics of Hansel and Gretel were replaced by more realistic versions of them.
The Wishing-Table
Designed by Pieck and Knoet as ''Tafeltje-dek-je''.
Guinevere's Bridal Gown
Designed as ''Het Bruidskleed van Genoveva''. Presented in the area of Snowwhite as white pigeons.
Until June 2018, the pigeons were coloured.
The Gardener and the Fakir
Designed by Pieck and Van de Ven as ''De Vliegende Fakir''.
The story is staged in front of a building surrounded by an Indian tulip garden. The fakir appears in a window playing his flute, which makes the tulips grow. He then disappears and shows up in the tower with his magic carpet and flies to the other palace tower, using an ingenious system of discreet cables (developed by Peter Reijnders) which gives the illusion of a real levitation. He plays his flute again to open the tulips there, and in the meanwhile the other tulips close.
The color of the beard of the fakir went from black to white in 1987.
The Indian Water Lilies
The Indian Water Lilies is a walk-through attraction. Visitors walk into the show area to experience the three-dimensional tale. It was the very first attraction that made use of advanced techniques to create an artificial, fairy tale-style environment. The consistency and style of the music, lighting, decorations and
animatronics can be found in many other rides built later, like Spookslot,
Fata Morgana and
Droomvlucht.
Peter Reijnders Petrus Lambertus Wilhelmus (Peter) Reijnders (24 July 1900 – 1974) was a Dutch photographer, film director and inventor. He is best known for his crucial role in founding the theme park Efteling.
Peter Reijnders was born in 1900 in 's-Hertogenbos ...
wanted to create this ride to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Efteling, and went to the
Royal Castle of Laeken at
Laken for an audience with
Queen Fabiola of Belgium
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
. The queen agreed to let the Efteling use her story, which she had published in a book of fairy tales entitled ''Los doce cuentos maravillosos'', on the condition that a contribution to charity was made.
One enters the ride by walking through a cave leading to an Indian temple square with a large fountain, Indian decorations and two
Indrajit giants. Two large gates give access to a cavern leading to a
subterranean jungle
A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century.
Etymology
The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''ja ...
lake, enclosed by tropical plants, a creek and a roaring waterfall. After the introduction tale has been told, the appearance of the singing witch summons the fairies to dance on the water lilies, guided by the music of a frog orchestra and singing geese.
The principal musical theme for The Indian Water Lilies is “Afrikaan Beat” by
Bert Kaempfert
Bert Kaempfert (born Berthold Heinrich Kämpfert; 16 October 1923 – 21 June 1980) was a German orchestra leader, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, arranger, and composer. He made easy listening and jazz-oriented records and wrote the mus ...
, but the ride starts with the
Inca
The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...
chant, “Taita
Inti
INTI International University & Colleges are private university colleges located in Malaysia. The main campus was initially known as INTI University College until 31 May 2010 when the Higher Education Ministry announced its upgrade to universi ...
” (Virgin of the Sun God), taken from the album ''Voice of the
Xtabay'' by
Yma Sumac
Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chávarri del Castillo (September 13, 1922 (birth certificate) or September 10, 1922 (later documents) – November 1, 2008), known professionally as Yma Sumac (), was a Peruvian-American coloratura soprano. She was one ...
.
The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...
made her appearance in 1970, designed by Anton Pieck. She holds a fish that spouts water out of its mouth. The music is the "Allegro Briljante" by
François-Adrien Boieldieu
François-Adrien Boieldieu (, also ) (16 December 1775 – 8 October 1834) was a French composer, mainly of operas, often called "the French Mozart". His date of birth was also cited as December 15 by his biographer and writer Lucien Augé de Lass ...
. The mermaid was refurbished in 2001.
The Wolf and the Seven Kids
The Seven Little Goats was the last fairy tale to be added by Anton Pieck in 1973. One can look through the windows of the goats' house. It consists of a living room and a playing annex bedroom. Six of the little goats play the
Game of the Goose on a special Efteling-board designed by Anton Pieck. The youngest goat hides in the big clock. The big bad wolf, dressed in a tuxedo, is at the front door. In 2002, a
squirrel was added on top of the roof.
The Dragon
The Dragon, designed by Anton Pieck and Ton van de Ven, was supposed to open on April 6, 1979. However, the movements of the dragon's neck and wings were too staccato, delaying the presentation until June 20, 1979. The dragon is about seven meters long, with a wing span of four meters, and it weighs about 1000 kg, making it the largest
animatronic
Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions.
It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy a ...
dragon of its time. If one tries to steal the crown from the treasure chest in front of the dragon, the dragon starts growling and moving fiercely. The dragon's sounds are a mix of the sounds of an angry gorilla and a hissing snake, taken from ''Essential Death And Horror Sound Effects Vol. 1'' by
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
sound designer Steven Brown. In 2000, the dragon was upgraded to blow smoke out of its nostrils. The neck of the dragon has been shortened a few times. This was done because people could touch the dragon. There are no specific tales attached to the Dragon.
Troll King entered Efteling in 1988, for a total cost of 2.6 million guilders. Although
, no particular tale is attached to the Troll King. The Scandinavian myths inspired Ton van de Ven, who had illustrated a Norwegian fairy tale book in 1974, to create this old, somewhat confused creature, sitting in a hollow tree, predicting the future of his visitors.
On a stone in front of the king, one can point at one of the twelve
s at which the king will wake up and mumble some words. Together with Hugo of
in Efteling. It was a collaboration of Ton van de Ven,
. The animatronic can move 26 parts of its body, including eyebrows, eyes, jaws, back and wrists. Its voice is that of Peter van Ostade, who also composed the music for
.
, the scene was designed by Van de Ven as ''Klein Duimpje''.
In the scene, Tom Thumb is stealing the boot of the sleeping giant.
To call Tom Thumb, you have to call his name in a log.
, the scene was designed by Van de Ven as ''Repelsteeltje''.
Guests can look inside Rumpelstiltskin's house through a window while he reveals his name in a song:
''Niemand weet, Niemand weet, Dat ik Repelsteeltje heet!''
made her appearance in Efteling in a tower. A witch climbs Rapunzel's long hair 7 meters before she climbs down again. The scene was designed by Ton van de Ven, who was inspired by towers from the Middle Ages. The story is told by Wieteke van Dort; the witch's sounds are by Robert-Jaap Jansen, an Efteling designer.
To create some publicity for the official opening, Efteling organized a contest to find the girl with the longest hair from the
. The winner was Patty Gisbers-Jenniskens from
with a braid of 172 centimeters. The Flemish winner, Katalin Willems, cut her 134 cm long braid later that year and donated her braid to Efteling.
, the scene was designed by Michel den Dulk as ''Het Meisje met de Zwavelstokjes''.
This tale opened during the Winter Efteling in 2004 for the 200th anniversary of the birth of Hans Christian Andersen. It had cost approximately €1,300,000 and is set up as a walkthrough.
With the help of special effects, such as holographs, and animatronics, The Little Match Girl is one of the most touching stories.
and entered into the park scene in 2009. It was designed as ''Assepoester''.
The scene takes place inside
's stepmother's house. In the garden, the grave of Cinderella's real mother is seen, with a tree hanging over it. The visitors enter the mansion, where they can watch through a window and look into a dark room, where birds are eating beans and a large music box stands in the middle. During the story, various elements make noise or are shown with a spotlight. These include a door, where visitors see the shadows of the stepsisters, complaining about Cinderella, and the music box, inside of which figures of Cinderella and the prince are dancing. Then two animatronics of Cinderella and the prince are shown, with the prince fitting the glass slipper on Cinderella. Finally, two doors behind the pair open up, revealing a distant castle and a carriage traveling toward it.
In 2008, Efteling began to build an interactive tree, ''De Sprookjesboom'', designed by Pim-Martijn Sanders and Karel Willemen, in the Fairy Tale Forest based on the character from their animated TV series ''
'', but the plan was unexpectedly shelved until July 2009, opening only on April 1, 2010. The tree is a wise old oak, which can speak and tell stories, typically about the other inhabitants of the Sprookjesbos. It consists of 1,500 branches and 50,000 sheets. The tree has several effects besides speaking: his whole structure - trunk, branches, leaves - move. It is home to several small animatronics, such as a squirrel, a woodpecker, a spider and talking mushrooms.
The old oak is located opposite The Little Match Girl, and is a structure 13 meters wide and 13 meters high.
, designed as ''De Nieuwe kleren van de Keizer'', opened in fall 2012. It is an outdoor fairy tale, and partly uses shadow puppetry to tell the tale. When the emperor is carried to his palace naked, a fountain is used to hide his private parts, which is a comical addition to the attraction.
When the fairy tale opened, it was voiced by Toos van de Voorde-Verdult.
In December 2012, Toos' voice was replaced by Paul van Vliet.
The fairytale which was revealed to the public on the 24th of March 2016 depicts the story of the puppet who becomes a boy. In fairytale forest Geppetto's shop (designed as "la bottega di Geppetto) is shown desolate and with a note which informs the reader that
. A few meters to the left of the shop the visitors can see monstrous fish which has devoured both Geppetto and Pinocchio who are visible when in opens its mouth.
The fairy tale was created by the Efteling in association with the 'Fondazione Nazionale Carlo Collodi', an organisation from the city of
which tries to promote the story of Pinocchio. Because of this the fairy tale has typical
influences.
From 2015 till 2016 a 'Pinocchio' musical was performed in the Efteling theatre to promote the fairy tale that would open around the same time.
, designed by Sander de Bruijn as ''De zes Zwanen'', opened in fall 2019. It is the first true ride within the Fairytale Forest, with guests being able to ride one of six swan boats into the castle to see Princess Elisa at work on the shirts needed to break the spell cast on her brothers.
also had a fairy tale forest (called the ''Märchenwald'') but it was demolished on 8 October 2007.